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www.ulbi.com/commsys | 315-332-7100 JULY/AUGUST 2011 CCoonnttVOLeeUMEnn19 /ttISSUss E 5 42 Brunei: Monarchy, ASEAN and Defence Capabilities

Dzirhan Mahadzir In 2004, Brunei released its inaugural defence White Paper setting out Brunei’s policy intent and responses to a rapidly chang - ing global environment. The White Paper also stated that it was to be reviewed every two-three years Front Cover Photo: and this was duly done in Beginning with the 1st Infantry 2007 although no further Regiment, FELIN will equip 6000 updates or review has been soldiers in the French army by published since the end of the year, with 22,600 equipped with FELIN systems by 2015. The 16th Bataillon de Chasseurs is tasked with developing new infantry doctrine which has to take into account the new technological advances © Sagem

04 Night Vision: 32 Asia Pacific Perspectives Adam Baddeley The most challenging implementation for night vision 26 is for the dismounted soldier, whether it is thermal imaging, Battlefield Naval Integrated image intensification or fusion-vision, combining imagery Satcom: Mobility Weapons from the two sensor categories and Capacity Tom Withington into a single view The fewer personnel on the deck Adam Baddeley of a warship during combat, the Militaries throughout the world fewer crewmembers are placed at 20 are in a new era of mobile risk. Placing naval gunners behind battlefield satcom. which is the protective screen of a ship’s providing bandwidth at lower superstructure reduces the danger cost and with high data rates, of them being hit by projectiles or enabling broadband operations shrapnel. It is this simple maxim that at the lowest tactical level is guiding the development of naval remote controlled gun turrets Soldier Transformation 48 Taiwan – Island Defence 12 Adam Baddeley Programmes to enhance Gordon Arthur Close Air Support dismounted soldiers’ lethality, No country in Asia, except survivability and supportability are for South Korea, faces a Doug Richardson military threat as dire as Delivering effective close beginning to emerge across the Asia-Pacific, providing an that confronting Taiwan. support requires that an air Nowadays, a diminishing immediate capability against real force has local air supremacy, defence budget causes so it is hardly surprising that and present internal threats, many to question like other conflicts in recent increased capability for overseas whether Taiwan has decades, the Libyan campaign deployments as well as providing the wherewithal to defend began with attacks against an enhanced warfighting capability itself from its aggressive Libya’s air-defences to keep pace with developments neighbour elsewhere in the world

l JULY/AUGUST 2011 l 01

Index of Advertisers AMR + DSI 41 AMR SUBSCRIPTION 47 DIMDEX 57 DSA 2012 55 DSEi 3rd Cover ITT 07 EdHEiPtURSoUIT orf acciesas to,ll and the secure MBDA 15 RENAULT 11 transport of resources is always an REVISION 4th Cover important component of current and future ROSOBORONEXPORT 18-19, 38-40 security. With an increasing proportion of SEOUL AIRSHOW 02 SINGAPORE AIRSHOW 59 those resources now coming from Africa, ULTRALIFE 2nd Cover T the competition for the Continent’s mineral wealth is seen as emblematic of the tussle for power Advertising Offices between East and West. Australia The West’s pursuit of those resources is both well documented and well Charlton D'Silva, Mass Media Publicitas Tel: (61 2) 9252 3476 established. However, it is the East’s interest in the same that is prompting the E-Mail: [email protected] greatest interest. France/Spain Stephane de Remusat, REM International Much is made of Chinese companies and enterprises; typically state owned or Tel: (33) 5 3427 0130 controlled carving out significant chunks of the available ore and oil throughout E-Mail: [email protected] the continent. Trade between the two is put at $115 billion in 2010, bilateral Germany/Austria/Switzerland/Italy/UK trade deals have been established between China 45 of the 54 countries in Sam Baird, Whitehill Media Tel: (44-1883) 715 697 Mobile: (44-7770) 237 646 Africa with China taking 60 percent of all Sudan’s oil exports and 71 percent of E-Mail: [email protected] all the countries exports. After initial success however, several governments in India Africa are questioning their relationship with China and the long-term benefits Vishal Mehta, Media Transasia India Limited they are gaining. Tel: (91) 124 4759625, Fax: (91) 124 4759550 E-Mail: [email protected] Oddly, this debate has largely ignored India and the fact that it is enlarging its Israel presence and developing a distinct profile in Africa although India exports Liat Heiblum, Oreet - International Media roughly a tenth of the goods that China does but relies on the Continent for 20 Tel: (97 2) 3 570 6527 E-Mail: [email protected] percent of its oil imports. ME Asia/ Pakistan/Turkey India has more than most to offer. Kamran Saeed, Solutions Inc., Tel/Fax: (92 21) 3439 5105 Mobile: (92) 300 823 8200 India has long supported African security through United Nations peacekeeping E-Mail: [email protected] and nation building operations as well as participating in peace enforcement Russia Alla Butova, NOVO-Media Ltd, when the situation demanded. In February, India provided a Do 228 maritime Tel/Fax : (7 3832) 180 885 Mobile : (7 960) 783 6653 patrol aircraft and two Cheetak helicopters to the Seychelles to improve its Email :[email protected], [email protected] surveillance capabilities and has increased their patrols in the region to boost Scandinavia/Benelux/South Africa anti-piracy efforts. The effort is partly motivated by aspirations for a permanent Tony Kingham, KNM Media Tel: (44) 2081 445 934 Mobile : (44) 7827 297 465 seat on the United Nations Security Council but not entirely. E-Mail: [email protected] India’s interests increasingly converge with those of the West and particularly Singapore the US, notably in seeking peace and security in the Indian Ocean with a direct Constance Lee Tel: (65) 9181 4747 interest in countering Islamic extremist in the Horn of Africa. E-Mail: [email protected] Unlike China’s mercantilist platform for engagement India, while inevitably South Korea seeing those same resources to fuel its economic development, it has Young Seoh Chinn, Jes Media Inc. Tel: (82-2) 481 3411/13 committed itself to supporting local development in Africa in a partnership. E-Mail: [email protected] India represents pluralism and democracy, within a state with highly diverse USA (East/South East)/Canada Margie Brown, Margie Brown & Associates. religious and ethnic mix which is a lesson with obvious applications in Africa. Tel : (+1 540) 341 7581 India offers a third way, a way that others, not just in Asia should consider in Email :[email protected] their dealings with Africa. USA (West/South West)/Brazil Diane Obright, Blackrock Media Inc. Tel: +1 (858) 759 3557 Email: [email protected] Adam Baddeley, Editor

Editor: Adam Baddeley E-mail: [email protected] Publishing Office:

Chairman: J.S. Uberoi Audit Bureau of Circulations Media Transasia Ltd, Room No. 1205-1206, Hollywood Centre 233, Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong. Tel: (852) 2815 9111, Fax: (852) 2815 1933 Subscription Information Operations Office: ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW can be obtained President: Egasith Chotpakditrakul by subscription. Subscription rate for one year Sr. Manager International Marketing: Vishal Mehta (8 issues) is U.S.$ 100.00 Readers should Deputy Manager Marketing: Tarun Malviya Sales & Marketing Coordinator: Atul Bali contact the following address: Art Director: Bipin Kumar Senior Visualiser: Sachin Jain Subscription Department, Production Manager: Kanda Thanakornwongskul Group Circulation Manager: Porames Chinwongs Media Transasia Ltd. Media Transasia Thailand Ltd. 75/8, 14th Floor, Ocean Tower II, Soi Sukhumvit 19, Room No. 1205-1206, Hollywood Centre 233, Sukhumvit Road, Klongtoeynue, Wattana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand. Holywood Road, Central, Hong Kong. Tel: 66 (0)-2204 2370, Fax: 66 (0)-2204 2390 -1 Tel: (852) 2815 9111, Fax: (852) 2851 1933

l JULY/AUGUST 2011 l 03 NIGHT VNISION ight Vi sion: Asia-Pacific Perspectives

The most challenging implementation for night vision systems is for the dismounted soldier both for thermal imaging (TI), image intensification (I2) and fusion-vision, combining the imagery from the two sensor categories into a single view. By placing it on the man-platform, size, weight and power concerns are at their most restrictive while maintaining a desire for enhanced capability to better engage enemies at the range that matches the range of new weapons and provide clear identification of targets for rules of engagement reasons and force protection. There are however common desires in terms of requirements; the need for better image quality, contrast levels and optimisation of “detect, recognise and identify” process. by Adam Baddeley

HE DRAGON Compact and the Qioptic has completed delivery of over 350 of its VIPR 2 sights for Australia’s Land 125 Phase 2 2km range Dragon Long Range programme © AJB were launched in 2010 by Qioptiq. T The Dragon C is the described as the world’s smallest multi-use pany has also undertaken trials in several sight which can be used for Clip-on, stand countries including Brazil, Malaysia and alone and hand held requirements. The Clip- Singapore and has completed delivery of On sight is attached in line with an existing over 350 of its VIPR 2 sights for Australia’s day sight and can also be used as a weapon Land 125 Phase 2 programme. sight in its own right or a hand held surveil - In June, the company completed a lance device. In June this year, Qipotiq added new142g clip on thermal sight designed for three more sights in the Dragon family; the use with the Thales Optronics Lucie –D gog - Short Range, Medium Range and Sniper, all gle to create a fused imagery goggle. The using 320x240 thermal cores with ranges company has plans to demonstrate the com - beginning with 2km man detection range for bined solution in the Asia-Pacific later this the SR and 2.5km for the other two sights. year. Qioptiq’s Kite sight have been trialed with Qioptiq source their thermal cores from India since 2009 with a potential acquisition three main sources, FLIR Systems in the US, later this year with demonstrations of both ULIS in France and in Israel. the company’s TI and I2 solutions also taking Photonis has developed a range of I2 place. Qioptiq established a joint venture tubes used by a wide variety of manufactur - with local company Rolta in 2009. The com - ers in their surveillance devices. As with

04 l ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW l NIGHT VISION

The TACS-M modules has been trialed by over seven countries since its launch at IDEX earlier this year Night Vi sion: © Vectronic

05 NIGHT VISION

Photonis’ Intensified Camera Unit or ICU combines an Image Intensifier with a CMOS Camera in a chip with 1.3m pixels offering real time read out and processing and digital output. For Digital Night Vision Fusion, Photonis has created Griffon, weighing a little under 100g, power consumption is less than 2.5W and supports a camera link in and out. Photonis also offers the Onyx option on both its XD-4 and XR5 tubes which substi - tutes the usual green screen images with black and white which provides a more nat - ural view of the world, allowing for clearer information about the contrast, shapes and shadows. Istec have developed the Modular In Line Sighting Systems, a Picatinny rail grabber which would allow the use of the PVS-14 with any day sight and mounted in line behind the day sight using a circular collar clamp. The system is already in service in Canada with the Royal Military Police Close Protection Unit operating with ACOG and EOTECH sights. Selex Galileo’s ASPIS is a state-of-the-art thermal weapon sight for assault rifles which is being offered in Canada through DRS, with potential trials later this year. Thermoteknix’s clip on solutions are the ClipIR clip on TI and the CoViD Clip-On Video injection unit. The ClipIR is designed to work with PVS-7,-14 and -15 tubes provid - ing a matched 40 degree field of view. The CoViD unit uses a 384x288 thermal core. The two images are presented to the user in an OLED display covering the full field of view of the I2 view, with the user determining the brightness of the video being injected. The company’s TicAM 750 Night Vision In June, Qioptiq completed a new 142g clip on hours respectively The XR5 is offered with Binocular is designed for a range of 2750m thermal sight designed for use with the Thales Optronics Lucie–D goggle to create a fused Autogating as standard while the Omni VI against man sized targets and is designed for imagery goggle © AJB tubes have that have it as an export restricted up to eight hours of operation with a power option. Unlike the Omni VI, there are no on time of three seconds and is described as Figure of Merit (FOM) restrictions. The FOM having no US export restrictions. other manufacturers they are currently offer - is calculated on the basis of a figure of merit, The company is working with Canadian ing technologies that deal with the variable a complex calculation which is the sum of firm GSCI to produce a the DXQ-20 light conditions of urban areas including multiplying the I2 tube’s Signal to Noise I2/thermal fusion system which offers a high light levels and the halo effect it creates. Ratio by its resolution and determines the 60fps view in which great care has been put Photonis differentiate between their XR5 quality of I2 technology that US companies into eliminating the ghost effects when the and the advanced tubes provided under the are able to be export. two sensor images can become disjointed. advanced Omni VI contract in the US in a The latest 16mm tubes developed by The DXQ-20 uses the Photonis XR5 tube. number of ways. Both have a resolution of Photonis has been designed to meet the new Thermoteknix is a user of the ULIS 72lp/mm and a signal to noise ratio of 28. In size, weight and power requirements of the Pico640 LWIR sensor operating in the 8-12 the case of Omni VI, the luminousity gain is modern armies: reduced size by 40 percent, micron band. The sensor weighs less than 50,000 while the XR5 is 55,000 while the two reduced in weight by 35 percent and with 10g and has a power consumption of less tubes have a lifetime of 12,500 and 15,000 minimum power consumption. than 0.16W.

06 l ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW l For more than 50 years, ITT has earned the reputation as the world leader in breakthrough night vision technology. We are committed to supporting those on the front lines with the most reliable and highest resolution Gen 3 night vision systems and tubes in the world. The ITT Gen 3 image intensifi er has a longer tube life and better performance in extreme low light conditions than anything else on the market. To learn more, visit www.nightvision.com. It’s the dawn of a new day for mission success.

Electronic Systems • Geospatial Systems • Information Systems • Mission Systems

ITT, the Engineered Blocks logo, and ENGINEERED FOR LIFE are registered trademarks of ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc., and are used under license. ©2011, ITT Corporation.

8337_ITT_NV_GS_AsnMltryRvw_7-11.indd 1 6/1/11 2:25 PM NIGHT VISION

The latest thermal core offered by French firm ULIS is its Pico640E a 640x480 VGA, 17- Photonis also offers the Onyx micron uncooled infrared imaging sensor in option on both its XD-4 and a large format, small-form factor which can XR5 tubes which substitutes perform long-range detection up to approxi - mately 2km. The sensor was launched in the usual green screen April this year. images with black and white The US Marine Corps began receiving their ELCAN AN/PAS-28 Medium Range Thermal PhantomIRxr and its thermal core improves Biocular in 2010 with up to 10,000 ordered in a slightly to become a 640x512 solution $180m award made in 2009. An off the shelf although it can operate for four hours using acquisition of the company’s PhantomIRxr, four AA batteries but features a low battery the AN/PAS-28 uses an 640x512 and weighs indicator. Initial sales of the PhantomIRxr in 1.6kg and is designed to run for seven hours the region include to India in 2010 for the pur - using four AA batteries and can detect indi - pose of small unit trials and are being offered viduals at 2200m with a 70 percent probabili - throughout the Asia-Pacific. ty. The latest development is the PhantomSW Infrared Security Systems (ISS) has under - Short Wave Infrared Biocular which uses an taken a significant amount of work in the indium gallium arsenide design rather than region over the past years. Malaysia took vanadium oxide (Vox) as is the case of the delivery of 35 Thermal Sighting Systems

(TSS) in February this year and India will take deliveries of their first systems later this Summer. The sight is designed to be used with both eyes and can undertake man detection at 1200m using a 384x288 ULIS detector which has 44 percent more resolution than a 320x240 device. The TSS uses the company’s AutoCovert technology which uses a detec - tion system in the eye piece which automati - cally switches the systems on and off when the firer is looking through the display and The Sword T&D sight is an integral part of France’s FELIN solution © Sagem

08 l ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW l NIGHT VISION

switches it off when the eye moves away. BAE Systems have been awarded contracts valued 2011. ITL’s Mini SEAS has been bought by at over $1billion since 2004 © BAE Systems The company’s Thermal Imaging Viewer Australia, Thailand, Singapore and India (TIV) uses a 640x480 17 micron ULIS design and it had been working on the latest ver - and has, over the past three years been month. All the 35 PSS ordered were deliv - sion of the systems to reduce weight by 20 acquired by India, Malaysia and Thailand ered by the end of February. The design uses percent. Also in an advanced stage of devel - and has been down selected by Singapore. an athermalised lens which remains in focus opment was the Tarmir, a fused I2 and TI The TIV is offered in three versions with the and automatically compensates for tempera - solution using Photonis technology. From TIV HDZ which is capable of detecting a man ture changes. Like the TSS it has a sensor on ITL the company inherited the Coyote 75 sized targets at 2.9km with all units powering the eye piece which switches on and off when and 100 uncooled TWS. Elbit’s newest up in five seconds. it detects the user’s eye to save power and Thermal Weapon Sight is the Coral-CR The 900m range Personal Surveillance reduce susceptibility to detection. Both the which uses proven 3-5mm InSb detector Sight (PSS) was developed to meet a 1200m range PSS and the more capable PSS+ technology, described by the company as Malaysian requirement. The design was have a frame rate of 25Hz and do not require the smallest cooled FLIR on the market and given to ISS in November with the first pro - an export license. capable of identifying a human at ranges of totype being completed by the end of that ITL was acquired by Elbit Systems in 2Km. The Coral range comes in four ver -

l JULY/AUGUST 2011 l 09 NIGHT VISION

sions. Pulse Inteco have sold 800 of its ACTS unit can be used with existing optical Rantel-2 night vision monocular devices to sights without the need to rebore the optical Thailand where it equips IWI Tavor assault sight and are already in service with at least rifles. Meprolight’s Noa Family of one ASEAN military. FLIR have recently Uncooled Thermal Weapon Sights include launched its FLIRVision M32-C, a clip-on the NOA 4x Compact which can detect thermal imager which is compatible with a human targets up to 850m, operate for ten range of night vision monoculars and has an hours on standard batteries and has a spec - enhanced 34 degree field of view and uses tral sensitivity: 8-12 microns. 320x240 VOx microbolometer. Other clip on FLIR Government Systems’ ThermoSight sights includes the MilSight TaNS and

Elbit’s newest Thermal Weapon Sight is the MUNS, the latter designed for snipers. Coral-CR which uses proven 3-5mm InSb ITT are the leading provider of I2 solution detector technology © Elbit Systems to US armed forces in solutions such as the PVS-14 and -7 Night Vision Goggles with Fusion of imagery from thermal and image intensified sensors combine the best of both worlds © Vectronix

either complete systems or its tubes in service with number of nations including Australia, Japan, Singapore and Thailand. ITT was awarded the US DoD’s enhanced night vision goggle (ENVG) production contract in 2005 leading to the fielding of the fused PSQ- 20 ENVG with US units in 2008 with 2400 units delivered under that contract. In a sec - ond contract, valued at $260 million made in August 2010, ITT are producing a further 6500 devices. In September, BAE Systems were award - ed a $123 million for its light, medium, and heavy Thermal Weapon Sights for the US FLIR have recently launched its FLIRVision M32-C, a clip-on thermal imager which is compatible with a range of night vision monoculars

Army taking total sales for the category of sights to in excess of $1 billion since 2004. The award was closely preceded by a $14m Canadian award for sights on both individ - ual and crew-served weapons. Sagem has developed a number of rifle mounted offerings from the Sword T&D sight is an integral part of France’s FELIN solution down to the Sword Light 25 and Sword Light 35 digital thermal weapon sight which weighs 730g and equips assault rifles with a range of 300m and 400m respectively. Vectronix’s Thermal Acquisition Clip-on System(TACS-M) designed to fit on stan - dard night vision devices including the company’s Tarsius I2 solution with a TI detection range of 300m and weighs 150g including battery.

10 ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW Whatever the mission, wherever, whenever

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Royal Air Force ground crew install an MBDA Dual-Mode Brimstone missile on a Tornado strike aircraft © UK MoD Close Air Support: Asia-Pacific lessons from Current Operations

12 l ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW l CLOSE AIR SUPPORT

The NATO air campaign intended to prevent AASM contract with India to supply weapons attacks against civilians in Libya is using a wide intended to arm the Sukhoi Su-30MKI, range of current guided weapons developed for upgraded Mirage 2000H, Jaguar IS/Ib, and the close-support role. Although NATO aircraft Indian Navy MiG-29K. Saudi Arabia is also seen as a potential export customer. are not conducting close-support missions Originally offered as a GPS/INS weapon to intended to support rebel forces in Libya, the meet the UK’s Precision Guided Bomb require - tactical conditions under which the campaign is ment, the Raytheon Paveway IV now being being conducted are certain to be causing used over Libya by the RAF was supplied with air arms around the world to re-evaluate their a dual-mode guidance system that includes a current weapons and tactics. nose-mounted SAL seeker. The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) agreed to this change when the by Doug Richardson upgrade was offered by Raytheon at no increase to the original contract price. ELIVERING effective close need for an expensive avionics retrofit. Paveway IV is being offered to Saudi support requires that an air One potential way of getting around this Arabia for inclusion in that country’s Tornado force has local air supremacy, problem would be to adopt the Britanite TSP upgrade programme, and could be D so it is hardly surprising that Defence Systems SMKB family of guided offered to Oman for use on upgraded Jaguars. like other conflicts in recent bombs. These Brazilian weapons add a strap- In the past, close-support missions were decades, the Libyan campaign began with on GPS/INS guidance and control unit and seen as likely to take place over a convention - attacks against the Libyan air-defences. tail fin unit to a standard Mk 80 series gener - al battlefield with recognisable front lines This lesson has been noted by other air al-purpose (GP) bomb, but rely on a wireless and opponents who would probably be oper - forces. Under an unpublicised programme, system to handle the flow of data between ating different equipment. Knowing that you the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is purchasing the aircraft and the munition. enemy is operating T-72 tanks while your Mectron Engenharia’s MAR-1 anti-radiation The 500 lb-class SMKB-82 has already own forces use the M-60 will help reduce the missiles and integrating these on its Dassault been cleared for use on the Embraer A-29 risk of ‘blue-on-blue’ engagements, provided Mirage III and Pakistan Aeronautical (Super Tucano) turboprop light-attack air - that aircrew have had adequate training in Complex JF-17 Thunder fighters. The deal is craft, and should be cleared for use from the AFV recognition. But in a world where both reported to be for 100 missiles. F-5 and AMX (A-1) by a trials programme sides operate similar equipment and may be ‘Smart’ bombs guided either by nose- due to begin in May 2011. wearing a minimal amount of uniform or mounted seekers or flown to known geo - SAGEM’s AASM (Armement Air-Sol even civilian clothing, the close-support task graphic co-ordinates by a combination of Modulaire) has seen combat use over Libya. inertial; and GPS guidance remain a major Originally fielded as an INS/GPS guided This reconnaissance photograph shows Libyan weapon of choice for the close-support mis - weapon, it is now available in a imaging government tanks operating within the city of Mistrata. Close-support attacks in this sort of Close Air Support: sions, and are being used in air strikes infrared variant, while a version with a milli - urban environment require high accuracy and against Libyan military assets. metric-wave seeker is planned as a longer- the smallest size of warhead able to achieve the Bombs of both types are in widespread term option. desired effect © NATO service in the Asian region. As documented SAGEM is reported to be negotiating an in AMR’s earlier article on precision attack, India operated or has ordered at least four types of non-gliding ‘smart’ bomb (Paveway II, Matra BGL 1000, Israel Aerospace Asia-Pacific Industries Griffin and the Region KAB- 1500Kr), while Pakistan operates at least three (Raytheon Paveway II, Raytheon Enhanced Paveway, and Boeing Joint Direct Attack Munition). Similar weapons have also lessons from Current been selected by Japan (TRDI GCS-1 LGB and Paveway II), South Korea (Paveway II, Paveway III, and Boeing JDAM), Singapore (JDAM and LJDAM), Taiwan (Paveway II), and Thailand (Paveway II). Normally the use of an INS-guided weapon requires that the aircraft be fitted with a suit - able electronic interface able to pass targeting Operations data to the weapon. For operators of more rudimentary types of aircraft such as the A-5C `Fantan' operated by Myanmar, this poses the

l JULY/AUGUST 2011 l 13 CLOSE AIR SUPPORT

India and Saudi Arabia are potential customers for SAGEM’s AASM, seen here being readied for an operational sortie of Libya © French Ministry of Defence

was finalised in early May. JAGM is due to enter service in 2016, so represents a long- term option for regional air arms. In an era when missile seekers can be modified by changing their software, one future way of delivering a small warhead against a ground target might be to use a short-range air-to-air missile. In September 2009 Raytheon revealed that it had conduct - ed test launches of the AIM-9X in a surface- to-surface mode. A moving ground target becomes very difficult. Afghanistan and Libya have shown that less had been engaged by a missile fired from an In early April, Libyan government forces destructive power is often advisable. The F-15C during a March 2007 trial. The new adopted measures to blur the difference Boeing GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb is based software had not compromised the missile’s between themselves and rebel units by adopt - on a 250 lb warhead, while the UK has made air-to-air effectiveness, said the company, but ing similar tactics to the opposition forces. significant use of the even-smaller MBDA it remains to be seen whether this new capa - Holding heavy equipment such as tanks and Dual-Mode Brimstone. Developed from the bility will be adopted by the US services or other armoured vehicles in second-echelon US AGM-114 Hellfire, but stressed for carriage offered to export customers. locations, they used trucks and light vehicles on a fast jet rather than a helicopter, Brimstone There are times when even a Hellfire-class to move operational units to the front line. was designed to carry a tandem HEAT war - missile has a greater destructive effect than is In early April, NATO strike aircraft head whose main charge weighs only 6.2 kg. required, or may cost more than its target. attacked tanks operating northeast of Brega The nearest US equivalent to Brimstone The solution being developed by companies and on the road to Ajdabiya, only to learn later will be the planned Joint Air-to-Ground and industrial teams around the world is to Missile, which is intended to replace the cur - fit a semi-active laser (SAL) seeker and con - SAGEM is reported to be rent BGM-71 TOW, AGM-114 Hellfire and trol system to a low-cost unguided rocket. AGM-65 Maverick missiles. It uses a combi - For much of the world, that means a 2.75 inch negotiating an AASM nation of SAL, IIR and millimetric guidance. (70 mm) rocket. In most cases, the products contract with India to supply The 27-month technology demonstration currently under development take the form weapons intended to arm the phase of the JAGM programme has been of kits that can be used to modify an existing completed, but the downselect between rival unguided rocket into a precision weapon. Sukhoi Su-30MKI, upgraded Lockheed Martin and Raytheon/Boeing pro - In October 2010, the US Government Mirage 2000H, Jaguar IS/Ib, posals slipped from 2010 to 2011. The winner released information on proposed acquisi - and Indian Navy MiG-29K had not been announced when this article tions of new military equipment requested The Lockheed Martin JAGM candidate is fit-tested on a US helicopter © Lockheed Martin that these had been crewed by rebel personnel. “The situation in the area is still very fluid, with tanks and other vehicles moving in dif - ferent directions, making it very difficult to distinguish who may be operating them,” said Rear Admiral Russell Harding, Deputy Commander of the Combined Joint Task Force Operation Unified Protector, following the incident. “Until this time we had not seen the TNC [Transitional National Council] operating tanks.” Firepower has to be delivered with high accuracy but with minimal destructive effects outside of the target area when fighting an enemy operating in an urban environment. This means using a smaller warhead than was common in the past. Although ‘smart’ bomb kits can be fitted to 500 lb-class munitions, combat operations in

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CAP.MER+TAG_213x286_AMR_uk.indd 1 22/06/11 14:43 CLOSE AIR SUPPORT

Like most guided-rocket schemes, Lockheed Martin’s Directional Attack Guided Rocket (DAGR) fits a guidance kit to a standard 70 mm unguided rocket © Lockheed Martin

demonstration phase of the LOGIR pro - gramme ended in May 2010 when an infrared-guided round launched from an AH-1W helicopter scored a direct hit on a moving fast-attack craft target. The Ukraine’s Luch design bureau has developed the AR-8L. Based on the S-8 Soviet-era 80 mm unguided rocket, this was first announced in 2004. In the following year, company representatives stated that a 70 mm guided rocket based on AR-8L tech - nology was being developed in a joint pro - gramme with Singapore. There has been no recent news of the latter venture. The 2.75 in Guided Advanced Tactical Rocket (GATR) is a collaborative venture by by Saudi Arabia. Proposed acquisitions by United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Raytheon. Elbit Systems Ltd and Alliant Techsystems the Saudi Arabian National Guard (SANG) First fully-guided tests were conducted in (ATK). During helicopter-launched flight included 2,000 70-mm laser-guided rockets September 2009, and the weapon is expected to tests in Israel during 2009, the weapon was for use on 10 AH-64D helicopters, while the enter production to arm the AH-64D Apache fired in lock-on-before-launch mode to Royal Saudi Land Forces (RSLF) planned to Longbow fleet of the UAE Land Forces. engage an off-boresight target at a range of acquire 4,000 70 mm laser-guided rockets for In 2007 the United States and South Korea approximately 3 km. use on the 24 AH-64D. signed a Memorandum of Understanding While much attention is focused on 70 The type of guided rocket to be procured (MoU) to co-operate on development of the mm ‘smart’ rockets, other calibres are not was not identified, but US industry can offer Low-cost Guided Imaging Rocket (LOGIR), a being neglected. Elbit’s Smart Tactical several types. weapon whose development was started as a Airborne Rocket (STAR) is an all-Israeli pro - Lockheed Martin’s Directional Attack US Navy programme in 2000, but was gramme. It could be offered in 70 mm calibre Guided Rocket (DAGR) recently entered lim - delayed by lack of funding. The concept- if required by a customer, but is currently Although no nation in the region had adopted the concept, ATK has already proposed design concepts for heavier armed aircraft in the class of the Airbus Military CN-235 or C-295

ited production to equip an unidentified cus - tomer, reported to be Iraq and for use on armed Mi-17 helicopters. Manufacture of the first low rate initial production batch (LRIP I) BAE Systems Information and Electronics Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System (APKWS) guidance sections was approved in July 2010, and the weapon will be integrated on the US Navy’s UH-1Y helicopters. This Iraqi pilot is about to conduct Several programmes take the form of inter - a training mission on the AC-208 national ventures. The Talon laser-guided Caravan © US Air Force rocket is being developed as a joint project by Emirates Advanced Investments (EAI) of the

16 l ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW l CLOSE AIR SUPPORT

The UK company Ferranti Technologies is offering the ATK/Elbit GATR guided rocket to the UK Ministry of Defence

being marketed as a guidance kit for 68 mm French rockets or 80 mm Russian rockets. In October 2009 MBDA Inc, the US sub - sidiary of MBDA, demonstrated a SAL guid - ance kit for the Zuni 5-inch unguided rocket. This is apparently being developed to meet a US Marine Corps requirement. Russia’s first laser-guided rocket was the 340 mm calibre Nudelman Precision Engineering Design Bureau S-25L derivative of the unguided S-25-OFM. First fielded in the late 1980s, it has never been exported. The Rocketsan Jereed/Cirit 70 mm guide rocket Squadron 3 of the Iraqi Air Force (IQAF) is being manufactured from scratch as an all- Rather than developing an add-on kit for new item of ordnance © Roketsan made the first Iraqi firing of a Hellfire from existing unguided rockets, Turkey’s Roketsan the Combat Caravan in late 2009. opted to offer an all-new 70 mm SAL-guided Although no nation in the region had rocket. Designated Jereed (Javelin), but viding close-air support could well become a adopted the concept, ATK has already pro - sometimes referred to as Cirit, this began fir - widely-accepted tactic. posed design concepts for heavier armed air - ing trials in 2006. As counter-insurgency assumes a grow - craft in the class of the Airbus Military CN- The role of an aircraft’s internal cannon in ing importance, many armed forces will be 235 or C-295. close-support operations should not be over - looking for a long-endurance platform able A family of small air-launched weapons looked. In 2009 the UK Royal Air Force to linger over areas of tactical interest. One has been developed, largely in secret, for the deployed its Tornado GR.4s to Afghanistan solution is to use transport aircraft rigged to US Special Operations Command (USSO - to replace the joint RAF/Royal Navy Harrier operate in the armed role. ATK has reported COM). These Standoff Precision Guided force that had previously provided close air sales of its Combat Caravan modification of Munitions (SOPGM) include the Northrop support for British ground forces. These air - the Cessna Model 208B Grand Caravan tur - Grumman GBU-44 Viper Strike glide craft pioneered the use of what was dubbed boprop-powered light transport to Lebanon weapon and the Raytheon Griffin dual-mode ‘laser-strafing’, using a cue presented in the and Iraq. This scheme fits the aircraft with missile. Planned platforms include the MC- pilot’s head-up display to aim the aircraft’s underwing Hellfire launch rails and a sur - 130W Combat Spear special operations trans - 27 mm cannon at a precise laser spot on the veillance and targeting system operated from port aircraft and the USMC’s KC-130J ground. This new low-cost approach to pro - within the aircraft cabin. A crew from tanker/transports.

l JULY/AUGUST 2011 l 17 BMPT

Igla-S “Russia and Asia Pacific partnership based

USSIA spares no effort to promote its beneficial and constructive dialogue will make defence-related products in arms markets further progress, and relations between Russia of the Asia-Pacific Region, and unlike and Brunei will effectively benefit our two nations Rmost other nations, it offers both end-products in the future as well. and a wide range of after-sale services, repairs, Therefore, BRIDEX is an excellent opportunity upgrades, and even licensed production of to further strengthen relations between Russia and hi-tech combat materiel. Deputy Director General Brunei. Although, the same holds true for other of the Rosoboronexport Corporation and head of countries of the Asia-Pacific Region. Generally, it is the Rosoboronexport delegation at the BRIDEX another step forward towards strengthening long- 2011 International Defence Exhibition and term mutually beneficial cooperation with Russia’s Conference Viktor KOMARDIN expanded on partners in the region. Tremendous experience in prospects of defence cooperation with countries successful cooperation gives us every chance with of the Asia-Pacific Region. this end in view. We will demonstrate at BRIDEX 2011 our real achievements and advantages of Mr. Komardin, being head of the various projects. We are ready to immediately Rosoboronexport delegation, would you respond to requests of our partners and engage in please tell our readers what your transparent and constructive work. Our approach expectations of BRIDEX 2011 are? to business is highly appreciated both in Asia Rosoboronexport defines the importance and throughout the world. of an exhibition through the quality and competitiveness of developments of display, the Should you divide priority and secondary level of delegations and their ability and Viktor KOMARDIN, Deputy Director issues, discussed with partners, what would authority to settle issues of cooperation with General, Rosoboronexport such priority issues be? Russia. BRIDEX meets every such Even the most seemingly insignificant requirement. In a nutshell, the only thing we presentation of Russian arms and materiel, from issues can turn out to be in the spotlight expect from the show is productive meetings air defence systems, aircraft, and helicopters to at any moment. Therefore, we pay with our partners from Brunei and other states hardware and weapons for the Navy, the Army, attention to every detail. Generally of the region. We have much to discuss, and and special operations forces. speaking, negotiators will always face the though we hold regular meetings, including However, as early as June 2005 our countries following two fundamental issues: the terms of those in Russia, there are always a lot of items saw the most crucial event for their developing selling and procuring weapons, and the ultimate on the agenda. And this is good, because it relations, to wit, the first official visit to Russia of effectiveness of such weapon systems. means a constantly developing dialogue. His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah By the way, Russia and Brunei Darussalam Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan andYang Di- What are Rosoboronexport’s terms of established diplomatic relations on 1 October, Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam. His visit laid a solid selling arms? 1991. Over almost two decades our countries groundwork for a constant dialogue between our As far as the price is concerned, it is always have established friendly relations and engaged in states in the military technical sphere. Four years subject to negotiations. Every customer a fruitful dialogue, including in the defence sphere. later in October 2009 His Majesty the Sultan of purchases ‘his own’ set of armament, his own The agenda has always been varied and intense. Brunei Darussalam paid a visit to the configuration. Let me say this: we pursue a well- For instance, in May 2005 Rosoboronexport Rosoboronexport headquarters in Moscow. balanced pricing policy, taking into account a experts, invited by the Brunei Ministry of Defence Naturally, it was a very interesting, important, and variety of factors, including economic capabilities to Bandar Seri Begawan, made a comprehensive crucial meeting for us. We hope that this mutually of nations, procuring our arms. The value of the fr o ya e t e h r s l o h w r o r p ev i m o e, n e r s e we s e d a c e d i n t l u g ah v t r a p s. r p W j o e i c c e e a s t a b m o t a p i t c ah t o l d a e h a s ve a i o t d n a n o i n u a ff o r e v i . n gr c i h e i e u q t r e t n e h X E D I R B t a e o t e l vi h e e. s e i g n e h x nm u u o e h T t i b i i r g n c a p r e e n r e b e l t f o 1 1 0 2 i e r n o d i e n t r s a s f a e r o c e p o i w g n i f e h t s e s vr e sr i w b u l , l I i s f e c a a l c i T P M B l s l o n y m y a t t a l n i a t r d u e i p t n t i o sn o . d l i r a h M o sn o . n l a i s p s r o y a t vi t i e wd r a l y p oe vre m o S i f i c e s A k n Fr o a s y r e p u h t i s - a e e t t a c u i e ta s n na m y , P f p p r o w f o c a i n a t r o o i t n e r o l a e h t i i f c wn o p a e o t t l c c n a t o m r a n e, m i e h t e R r e h o t o m i s i v b fr o ff d e .n o i g u s o i l i r r e t s a r s r o t y r a t i h s hc vi a r e s y s c e p t A wp a e s g n t t a m u W s l ex h t s c i v ot i n t t i c e s m e e l a i e r e f o n q i h se . n o w u vr a i n h p re p o a l e i t i b h W i e i s e r r e t n l s n l d e t er o p x , c u o i ex u i a h t r a o l a r i a t a t n e b m t a t s e n h r p ru o m s r i t c i w l e s n o b i i a e a ov r n i t t i i f a l i w o t o i t a r er l l e m r r B I c c d i t - o d n R , c , o fo r l r a e g n i f a i a i M e n u o i d a b m s n ro b o s o en o o p x e h t r u se c , t n e t r s fo - r t n l we s u R e d c wt e n b e e e i f a n a d e d n u ?i s u o p u R “ t r i r, r e t e i fe c n e s n o p a c e d t mm a u s a n e t e h i s s u s - r - a K s i a s e g n a n a o o t we l a r f fa r i t t i g e c h t l a e h t r e m fm a s e o J t c r r a i s s u R d n a l n y f a a e l r e s f o r o n o s i t i d a t n i f o s o R s a b n o i t t e t l i s s. vd a c n a s ( ed v e t r y i Y s e c i v m r a u q e a V m l a n o r a Fr o - k a l e h n se , r u t n e s r o b o d ot s f o d e dn a s i s u R , m p i s i p o l , i a h u R f o s n i y l c s r a al p y , - e B o t o t p o v r e s d e r e s n o g i h ra p e, wd r a s m s i s s ec n a t , gn n e f o i s A an v s A a i sr e t ks a t d e m r a i fe h c a t a t n u o m a ’a s , ) t a i d n a f o i e , a n - a r i a er r e t n e c i v , d h t fr e n a r a c l t s a b a t a P e h r e t a m r t n e av a n i f- l I a a p dn e e d n a t a m c a s B l i t s e i w t o n i d n I ( s A t ck i

i D I R n I e h y t l se , i f l i m p m i ht r e a c m e g a ) a i d d n a i i l e i t - a n u o a o r i t n e e R l e i t A y r e t a d n a E s u R e c n a t r o we Pc a . eu s s i . e r X x n t f o e n o i g .d t L r s l n o e h h s u o p s e o g :d e t r o p x a 2 e i ah ve l e rt i s e s i y 0 f o c s e h T y i a i s A i t r s . 1 c a g n d d e fo e m a G t I i v r s t s a o b vd a g a t n a 1 g n i n n h t i g e R t i s i vi e ot e h t i w - a e p r w we t e c e t t a h l a u q e h t o e va c Pa t a h W h n . vd a t s o o m m o a we t n o m i l A s A e h tu o o i r f h t p r h t f i c we r p a e h t i n o l y t e n a e s r e i t e s es e h t s u r i vs a s r t u o h g u o c c i eu c s e . s e r p i l e ah ve o s s l e e d m i g e R n f ?e e c i ni e r t x p u l i b a e c s m r a t ovr e u m i l o l e r on k l w s o h w c m e t a m ts i l s p e r i r e r a a a m l e m t i a .n o y l l a u t d e d n o p s e d n a kr y, o i t evd e h t a a P se , l n a t a h w ri a i e e t s e g d e fe tI bu y e n , t m i r a h e h t d l e .s i h r f o i l c y c a r t s l c n w vi l a i c i f e n e b yre i r e t a m l p o g re p o I i h p a h sl a eh t wd a h p i h e d l u o w t a h t i d u el e : s y g e t r e t - g n o l i a m h g h t . a p o t W n i n e p t a gn e r l e d e l e a n t r l a u q i e h t e t e i ec n a n e t , n n o f n i a a M r u t a e k e i l i s i , d e s e r v b m u e s m m o S e r e r e r n i a f i c s r i ay l yt ts e u q e r m a l s e t e s o t t e r a e h a B h c u d o t s e r e l a u t u m o i t d i s e p p m e s by , e p a h s , a ra ,n i n o y t s h s n r e r a aw s y s e t a t s f l g d n a i p o h g i u t a w ra m n y a M t s t . m e as v s d a e h a h e t e c i n t r a p s m e l a c – l l a u q a y u d n e , h s e e s i s s r p m t c e e b s c a c t a h t r u t l c l a bo l g n e r t v i t n u o – i a m i i f e n A makr et y t i t c n u f t o n n l e d e n , m a n t e i V o l i h w rn a m e s , y dn a o s o R g n l i a h T f i r et i c r o evd e h t c h c s e masr o t t s . - e la d e n o t a h r e t r e t f A r u e h t s i ru t a n i s s u R , n p o l e f o n o b ma teir e n a an v m c i n a e h t ve i s A ma p ex n o r i a t r e in te r I d , d i i d n l a e r n l a ste p d s e i t o l ,a e e h t P- a kr e i s A th e l , a y l a c .c t es n i l s d a h on t pi ng w - a r p n I i a e s r u o c for t us gn pl ay O r o t a e h in i c h t i P r u c o n o d th ru m ’t c i f am id i c a R n s e up h c u s e enmoor t o ussia o p rs. a i s e R d n a i f d e f e a ne e b ou c a fo g e t r to We i g e R con wno p a e an d r i t a n of , n i m u h o i ug sa p i h s r de s a b C masr n con ti al l us sta ntl y h i h le n o co n o s a ir re ma a n gl o s. m i d va nt s ah nu e a yt akr an d , in ba l ylr , sa . h w v gr o ue in et in g e dev yie ld ,e l o f th s D a wi to e c e and ue el o ng ef f w st d re t o p o re ng th en t sor m sul lr d’ ov in th ai g erall ts is s , nta new u secon d eff po i n nd e in ic c li cy o ing ie i ts ta kr sts operati nc R p a la , osi us y en a corre and rg o nd sia ti f est by o on s w cu n ens ea h adapti sponding masr o as ts . f po Th inur the do be e n Rosob u ng exp wn s, systems e g n ntire sm meet h able the t eor infr ar or ooth, on tr d system. as cost we ap on on war r to st , t a reduc uctr ex qu nd e of exp er po to ic ar ure c This t r reating k exist ed ds sy , co nt assists . and s ie nc of t te heir in ing ra ct th ms creas relia e e defence ust a h it cus ca is as s b n es al s tners par le so t pe rf omers t o he fa in s ec r t fl u uc r de m tl y . en ce d in t ures, be sk on st ilf ad ap t nd a ull by ra te d y th e ed th fac t o at t Ru s th at dva s ia n O T nce R M - E2 d de fenc e tec h no lo g i K es a - ̀ ̀ 2 2 K 6 T - a ” 5 2

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Programmes to enhance dismounted soldiers’ lethality, survivability and supportability are beginning to emerge across the Asia-Pacific to provide immediate capability against real and present internal threats, provide an increased capability for overseas deployment as well as develop an enhanced warfighting capability to keep pace with developments elsewhere in the world. by Adam Baddeley

South Asia subsystems. The computer, India’s F-INSAS (Futuristic Infantry Soldier referred to as the Commander As a System) programme, led by the Data Terminal Signal Interface and Directorate General Infantry, continues on its Power Distribution Unit had dynami - official timelines of providing a complete, cally configurable multi-port connec - integrated system by 2020 with new tivity supporting a power capability weapons, body armour and ISR devices to be through and in-built CPDU with inter - acquired in two earlier increments. At Aero India in February, BEL had on At Aero India in February, BEL had on display its Indigenous Soldier Systems display its Indigenous Soldier Systems solu - solution for F-INSAS © AJB tion for F-INSAS which has a full range of the

20 l ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW l SOLDIER MODERNSIATION

faces for a range of communica - tion assets and Special Forces. Sri Lanka SIOT units are gaining a denser distribution of night vision devices to allow the tions devices and a 1.2GHz CPU This has re-emphasised the importance of whole units to manoeuvre at night while in and uses either a Windows CE or small unit tactical operations, individual ini - jungle © DoD Linux operating system. Other tiative, enhanced intelligence and communi - items include two 14.5V 10aH cations with a series on ongoing procure - smart batteries, a non-GPS naviga - ments delivering improved surveillance be issued at the lowest tactical levels and a tion sub system with 2m accuracy, equipment, protective gear, small arms, and “Personal Net Digital Radio” with integrated hand head dual band SDR with communication equipment. GPS. Both radios will be integrated with simultaneous voice, data and Near term procurements have resulted in Pakistan’s planned higher level Infantry video with built in security the introduction of Motorola communica - Battle Field Command and Information and a MANET waveform tions sets, Automatic Grenade Launchers System. Pakistan’s soldier night vision and a physiological and Global Positioning System. Doctrinal requirements are considerable, covering monitoring systems that and organisational changes had seen the weapons sights, hand held image intensifica - measures blood pres - Organization of Air Control Teams at much tion scopes and Night Vision Goggles for sure, pulse rates, body lower tactical levels. commanders and operators of crew served temperature and blood Future requirements include a new weapons, drivers and observation capabili - oxygenation. assault rifle to replace the 7.62mm H&K G3 ties for mortar fire controllers. The systems on show manufactured by POF along with sights and Sri Lanka is continuing its soldier mod - used a number of non-BEL non-lethal weaponry, manportable Anti tank ernisation plans based on successful lessons products including a PowerFilm FM15- weapon systems, Multi-band inter/intra from its counter-insurgency campaign 300N thin film solar panel. team radio with ground to air capabilities to against the LTTE. A significant factor in the The Pakistan Army does not have a for - outcome was the tactical innovation associat - mal programme in the same vein as F-INSAS Sri Lanka is continuing its ed with the Special Infantry Operations Team although it is making plans to do so. In the soldier modernisation plans (SIOT); four to twelve man units operating meantime is it developing and acquiring deep within enemy territory. solutions that meet its requirements for con - based on successful lessons The SIOT as supported by a number of ducting counter insurgency operation in from its counter-insurgency innovations, ranging from the use of local Swat and South Waziristan in joint opera - campaign against the LTTE food and medicines to increase patrols’ tions using infantry, armour, artillery, avia - endurance, improved camouflages and plain

l JULY/AUGUST 2011 l 21 SOLDIER MODERNSIATION

rubber soles on combat boot that mimicked local footwear and limited the ability of the LTTE to track SIOT units. In terms of technol - ogy, work during the LTTE years concentrat - ed on improving communications ranges, surveillance and night operations. Post-insurgency, Sri Lanka is seeking to improve its operational capabilities in num - ber of areas including improved High Frequency communications including data, individual hands free radios and satellite phones. Denser issue of night vision devices of three or more a squad up from the current one is designed to increase a squad’s ability

New Zealand has a number of common systems with Australia and both countries have embarked upon joint acquisition programmes in the past

to manoeuvre at night, something hitherto impossible to achieve in the jungle. Sri Lanka also want to add under barrel grenade launchers to SIOT units, replacing dedicated weapons, weapon sights, improved naviga - tion using GPS and new more efficient power sources including solar panels. Australasia One of the most significant developments for Australia’s Land 125 programme is the for - mation of Diggerworks which is designed to provide integrated Soldier Combat Systems (SCS) while ensuring continual enhancement within the Soldier Combat systems develop - ment cycle through adaptive acquisition. Diggerworks is an adaptive organisation based around the Integrated Soldier Systems Development Directorate and consists of the Army, Capability Development Group, Defence Material Organisation and Defence Science and Technology Organisation and co- ordinates the collaboration of other agencies in defining and delivery of SCS capabilities. Land 125 Phase 3A has been awarded to an Elbit Systems led group providing a

Sagem’s FELIN is being deployed to Afghanistan with the 1st Infantry Regiment later this year and has been widely demonstrated with elements of the systems being used to develop systems in several countries including Brazil, Jordan and Russia. It is also part of the Cassidian led Warrior 21 system selected by Spain and Switzerland © AJB

22 l ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW l SOLDIER MODERNSIATION

Currently in its Applied Research phase which requirements for future soldier systems are began in June 2009 and is due to complete in December, Korea’s Future Warrior systems places that it be scalable, built upon base elements, strong emphasis on CBRN protection © DoD developed from a wide variety of sources, satisfy Urgent Operational Requirements and use off the shelf technologies from both operated with a four power day sight, white military and commercial soruces. Recent light torch and night aiming devices. Under Situational Awareness related procurements Land 125 3C the Austeyr will receive capabil - include MINI N/SEA NVG, PEQ-15 NAD, ities such as a powered rail and enhanced CNVD-T2 Thermal Sight and PVS II Sights. STA equipment. Under Land 125 Phase 4, those capability ASEAN gaps that remain will be addressed and exist - The Advanced Combat Man System (ACMS) ing capabilities enhanced. entered service in 2010 with the 5th In addition to Land 125, key dismounted Singapore Infantry Battalion and deploy - soldier systems programme will include land ment has now reached three battalions. The 53-1 which will see a technology refresh of ACMS is also equipping the 2nd Battalion, night fighting equipment with current fire Singapore Infantry Regiment (2 SIR), the teams each receiving the PVS-14 goggles Singapore Armed Forces’ (SAF) first under the Ninox night fighting equipment. motorised unit which uses the Terrex New Zealand has a number of common infantry carrier vehicles. The battalion is systems with Australia and both countries also commanded by the former ACMS have embarked upon joint acquisition pro - programme manager Lt. Col. Jimmy Toh. grammes in the past with examples being the In designing ACMS the SAF have Steyr assault rifle. New Zealand’s stated worked to a limited weight limits with the median weight of the SAF soldier being 60kg, the standard limitation on soldier sys - tem weight is a third of body mass therefore systems should ideally no increase the bur - den above 20kg. The ACMS’ capabilities are broken up into six subcomponents; the inte - grated helmet subsystem, the weapon subsystem, communications sub - system, power systems, 1.5Kg sol - dier computer as well as the load carrying systems. The first ACMS began in 1998 followed by a much lighter systems issued to a section for testing when Dismounted BMS solution and using after success was increased to 60 for Harris AN/PRC-152 and Raytheon repetitive company trials. Based on a sub - EPLRS radios as the transport layers sequent series of trials, a decision was which will equip the dismounted sol - made to begin series production in 2009. diers as part of the Land 75 pro - The results showed an increase in C2 gramme. The Land 125 Soldier dissemination time by 50 percent Combat Ensemble will be fielded and significant reduction in casu - shortly. The most recent issuing is alties and a four fold reduc - the Soldier Combat Ensemble, cov - tion in the time taken to ering essential worn items which react and disengage includes personal protection and when in contact. ACMS other items such as knee and elbow is part of the SAF’s so pads, gloves and load carriage plat - called 1-800-Dial-A- forms, which together both carry Bomb sensor to shooter essential equipment and provide phys - network aimed at pro - ical and environmental protection. Thales Australia has carried out con - Ultralife’s new Genesis ensemble is in trials with a siderable work on enhancing the current number of militaries in the Austeyr assault rifle either a new archi - region © Ultralife tectures. The F88 SA1 rifle is currently

l JULY/AUGUST 2011 l 23 SOLDIER MODERNSIATION

viding low level tactical units easy access to The prototypes of Japan’s tal and operation environment and the Army inorganic fires to engage targets outside the working closely with MOD's STRIDE range and scope of their personal weapons. Advanced Combat Infantry (Science, Technology, Research in Defence) Continuing issues with ACMS are with Equipment System were with earlier work including the Malaysian ruggedisation, weight and power require - delivered to the Ministry of Army Future Soldier Combat Uniform MK II ment which are being pursued through which was displayed in 2010. R&D. For communication the ACMS using a Defence for trials at the The Philippines have improved their dis - combination of a local produced squad level end of 2008 mounted close combat capabilities in recent links using 2.4Ghz combined with a Selex years in a number of ways. Recent acquisi - Elsag SSR+ radio. no publicised goals for in serviced dates tions in this domain includes a suite of com - Malaysia’s soldier modernisation pro - although the programme was named the munications devices, largely acquired from gramme is currently in its concept phase with Soldier Advanced Kombat Technology Harris RF Communications, navigation sys - Integrated (SAKTI) and is part of the Army 2 tems including GPS and new FN Minimi Norway’s NORMANS programme which uses the Thales developed NORMANS Light system shown 10 plus 10 strategic development plan. The Squad Automatic Weapons. Still in the pro - here is nearing final signature by the Ministry of Malaysian military have identified four curement phase are a number of items Defence before it enters production © AJB major challenges in realising the future sol - including night vision monocular, IR aim - dier vision: budget, technology, human capi - ing device and a laser zeroing devices in terms of STA and a lightweight, disposable rocket launcher. A number of these items are being inte - grated on the soldier under the country’s Battalion of Excellence (BOE) Programme, it is pursuing a Night Fighting System to equip each soldier in rifle platoons with a night fighting capability that includes a Laser Aiming Device and Laser Zeroing Device. Thailand’s programme, dubbed ‘SFT 21’ according to some sources remains firmly in the concept phase although the country has invested in a number of modern elements that would be included in any future sys - tems, including the acquisition of the IWI Tavor in 2009. Indonesia is currently building its capabil - ity based on the initial goal of Minimum Essential Force (MEF) although currently some units still lack of certain weapons in their arsenal. The newly structured units are aimed at upgrading the status from MEF to Ideal Essential Force which is designed for prioritised for conflict areas and border regions, with a strong focus in a quick reaction force. North East Asia The prototypes of Japan’s Advanced Combat Infantry Equipment System (ACIES) were delivered to the Ministry of Defence for trials at the end of 2008. After nearly two years of trials and testing the contract for the final sys - tems in mid 2010 to Hitachi. Subcontactors on the programme are reported as being a HMD built by Shimadzu, an NEC IR camera and Brentronic for the power solutions. Delivery of the first series production ensem - bles could occur during 2011.

24 l ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW l SOLDIER MODERNSIATION

Korea’s Future Warrior programme is in its study phase with the Agency for Defence Development (ADD) with the Applied Research phase beginning in June 2009 and is due to be completed in December 2011 which is looking at technology optimisation. Conceptually, the study is dividing the eventu - al systems into their requirements represent - ing different levels of integration: Individual Equipment, Modular-type and finally an Integrated-type solution. Within the three cat - egories a number of equipment set variants are being considered based on the battlefield func - tion. These are regular Force, Irregular Force and Special Force Warrior and Combat /

Combat support / Combat Spain’s Comfut programme is led by Cassidian with element of the systems relating to the Service Support Warrior. company’s Warrior 21 offering with Sagem © AJB It terms of relative technolo - gy levels that are expected from the FWS, the Korean Defence Cell combining a Fuel Cell and Lithium-Ion. University puts US levels at 100, An integrated head subset is planned which the UK at 88 and those for will include ballistic and blast protection; Korea at 78. Night Vision Monocular, Ballistic Helmet, The ADD is looking at two Gas Mask and AMOLED HMD which will battery types to equip the sol - display Tactical Map and Target Information diers a lithium-ion solution and include a bone-conduction earphone. and a combined Hybrid Fuel Each soldier will also be equipped with a bio and environmental sensing unit monitor The Singapore Advanced Combat located on the system’s wearable Computer. Man System, shown here at IDEX 2011, is now in service with three battalions with the Singapore Korea also envisages working on Technical Armed Forces including its first Motorised battalion Cooperation with worldwide military R&D which is equipped with the Terrex IFV © AJB groups in areas that include Energy Supply, Sensor Fusion and Virtual Simulation.

l JULY/AUGUST 2011 l 25 MILSATCOM TERMINALS

Battlefield Satcom: Mobility and Capa city

26 l ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW l MILSATCOM TERMINALS

HESE miniaturised Satcom share that capability with ‘part time’ users but Militaries throughout Terminals operating in X, Ku, Ka had to be installed and pointed by trained the world are in and Q bands and typically enable personnel. This evolved to see smaller anten - a new era of Mobile T Ad-hoc Internet Protocol (IP) nae although were still relatively bulky by enabled mesh networks, and are today’s standards and required considerable battlefield satcom increasingly provided via a Software Defined power with personnel requiring only mini - which is providing more Radio architecture with a parallel pursuit of mal training in their operation. Today, termi - than ever before, Cognitive radio capabilities for greater band - nals use auto-acquisition to align themselves, enabling bandwidth at width efficiencies. the antennas are small and easily assembled lower costs with high The advent of higher power satellites sup - and typically required no more than 20W for data rates combining ports this greater mobility by enabling small a typical link with multiple modems capable portable antennas. Improved technology of being used, supporting both full-mesh and to provide broadband means less baseband and other hardware is hub spoke networks and enabling virtually operation even down to required to do this. More concentrated satel - small antennas that lite spot beams are available which require The move to highly mobile more gateways, but smaller user terminals are can be used at the terminal originated with the lowest tactical levels. nevertheless possible. There are challenges, The development is smaller antennas naturally radiate to several advent of the military use adjacent satellites simultaneously and so of compact Very Small also providing remote interference is an issue and Satcom on the portable and mobile Move (SOTM) configurations must tolerate Aperture Terminal) terminals communications shock and vibration and must self evidently and low do this while on the move. For mobile man - any voice data or video applications. profile SOTM pack operations, a typical requirement is to A number of issues still remain; auto- antennas provide a 1-2Mbps solution that one person acquisition remains a challenge due to a can carry in a backpack that is fully integrated, number of factors such as the precision of the with more easy to use and requires battery operation. satellite’s mechanics to accurate align itself throughput The move to highly mobile terminal origi - and inherent difficulties in determining True but at less mass nated with the advent of the military use of North although this is helped but not com - and less power. compact Very Small Aperture Terminal pletely alleviated by the use of GPS. Failure (VSAT) terminals. Initially these could only to align correctly can cause massive interfer - by Adam Baddeley be supported via large hubs but through a ence problems although the Global VSAT Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) solu - Forum has established certain standards or SOTM terminals have to tion used to enable multiple terminals to Type Approval to limit this in the context of withstand high levels or shock transmit intermittently on the same frequen - civil satcom and milsatcom. and vibration and maintain their link © Rockwell Collins cy, could be far more bandwidth efficient and There is no decisive outcome on whether Mobility

Harris RF Communication’s PRC- 117 family, the latest ‘G’ model Capa city shown where with a second channel mission module, is used to support a range of UHF Tacsat mobile milsatcom links © AJB

l JULY/AUGUST 2011 l 27 MILSATCOM TERMINALS

While able to operate while moving, OTM The transformation in mobile and deploy - ber of secure Mentor phones, an X-band terminals provide greater throughput while able satcom capabilities by British troops VCS-501 with data rates of 1Mbps, supported operating at the halt © ViaSat deploying in Afghanistan in 2010 versus by secure voice and data over a 128Kbps what they were equipped with in that theatre Inmarsat link and insecure Iridium link. mobile satcom should have a mesh or star in 2002 has changed dramatically and illus - Battlegroups could only rely upon Inmarsat network. A star network means a hub and trates the increased demands for mobile and links and further insecure Iridium links. By spoke connectivity between SOTM and deployable satcom both military and civil August 2010, under Op Herrick things had mobile terminals and their hubs. Star net - satellite communications. In January 2002, as changed significantly for both Brigade/Task works simplify the connectivity matrix and part of Op Fingal in Afghanistan satcom was Force and Battlegroup HQs. All staff now aid power link budgets due to the much larg - limited. At the Brigade HQ and Task Force had secure phones along with UHF Tacsat, er sized terminal possible with hubs. In a level, they were equipped with a small num - PSC 506, 2Mbps Ku/X-band VSAT links, X- mesh architecture, two forward deployed band Talon links at 2Mbps or new Reacher small terminals can be linked via single hop A recent British UOR has terminals capable of 2-4Mbps. Whereas in between the two terminals which is counter been the acquisition of the 2002 Companies, Platoons and Patrol bases intuitively somewhat more complex in terms had only terrestrial Combat Net Radio (CNR) of satellite connectivity, particularly when the Rockwell Collins/Swe-Dish links, by 2010 this has increased to Mission terminal use different slots with different CCT120 deployable mobile Secret 2Mbps links over Ku and X band at satellites or satellite slots and this mitigates terminal with readiness rates of 256Kbps, and PSC506 Milsatcom against circuit switching for IP traffic. Meshed links at company level, with lower levels also services can however, always revert to a star levels of 98.7 percent using UHF Tacsat. The UHF Tacsat satcom network via a double hop. achieved in Afghanistan terminals are the Harris PRC-117F acquired

28 l ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW l MILSATCOM TERMINALS

under the Skylight programme with over 1800 in operation. A recent British UOR has been the acquisition of the Rockwell Collins/Swe-Dish CCT120 deployable mobile terminal with readiness levels of 98.7 percent achieved in Afghanistan. France has already fielded an X-band OTM capability for voice and a data using active antenna technology which is fully qualified and operational and supports OTM capabilities of 100Kbps. The Direction générale de l'armement is currently support - ing a research programme using different modems to extend that to up to 2 Mbps. Work is also ongoing to migrate to a full IP network using the STANAG 4606 Ed 3 com - pliant EPM IP Modem which will offer high IPv6 data rates on demand and which also Thales’ Xotm SOTM product line are in operational services with support VoIP. The same basic terminals are France and the UAE, shown here in used to support the UAE’s Yahsat satellite June in the French Army’s Phoenix network which has an OTM capability. II digitization experiment © AJB France is also exploring Ka band small active antennae for armored vehicles with a high data rate for the forward link with a up in less than five minutes with its drive the USMC with several hundred of General return link with both a lower data rate and speed of 30 degrees per second, an azimuth Dynamic’s deployable self contained Tactical lower spectral efficiency. of 720 degrees and a continuous elevation of auto-acquisition SATCOM terminals operat - Thales have a range of OTM terminals in 180 degrees. Other features include a built in ing on FSS Ku-Band with both both 96 cm their Xotm range using a flat panel antenna in spectrum analayser and M&C systems. The and 1.2m terminals deployed. X-band and dish antennae in Ka band company have also provided the Satellite GD Satcom Technologies has also more although active flat panel antenna in this fre - Wide Area Network (SWAN) programme for than a hundred 45-75cm aperture SOTM ter - quency is expected soon with a high transmit minals for X, Ku, and Ka-Band operation cur - range of 128Kbps to 2Mbs and either a two or rently in operation with seven countries three axis stabilisation systems which allows around the world, with most sales being to high tracking capability in harsh envi - the DoD. The company’s Model 20-24 ronments. The systems is typically terminal has been selected as a solu - offered with the company’s Modem tion for the WIN-T programme using 21e-M modem, a high anti-jam pro - the MPM1000 modem. tected modem system which uses In August 2010, Australia com - ‘software modem’ technology pleted its Satcom OTM Capability and has an onboard full integrat - and Technology Demonstrator pro - ed management system gramme, working with EM Solutions although other Doppler resistant and BAE Systems Australia over a models can be used. period of 18 months, designed to help General Dynamics SATCOM develop future requirements and con - Technologies’ SmartSat technology cepts of opertion for SOTM. The terminal provides auto acquisition with a light - used was a parabolic reflector with weight 96cm-1.2m apertures terminal Cassegrain configuration and utilized closed supporting greater than 4Mbps outbound loop monopulse tracking using beacons and and 18Mbps inbound in Ku, Ka and X-band supported rates of 8Mbps receive and 2Mbps band. The systems is designed for transport transmit with EM Solutions providing a 4W in ergonomically designed cases and can set Ka band solution. The demonstra - tion, in June 2010 took place using The Rockwell Collins CCT120 uses a a Bushmaster mobility vehicle. common CommuniCase technology and A new organisational develop - the deployable satcom solution achieved 98.7 percent reliability in Afghanistan, ment in Australia is the formation in January where it was acquired as part of a UOR by 2010 of the Directorate of Satcom Capability of the British Army © Rockwell Collins the ADF, which brings together all single and joint service solutions. There are six key ADF

l JULY/AUGUST 2011 l 29 MILSATCOM TERMINALS

CapRock’s deployable X-band terminal uses a fanless deisgn to reduce weight to 14kg and produce a virtually silent terminal © CapRock

programmes that have a heavy reliance on sat - com: Air 7000, Air 6000, Sea 1000 and Sea 1439a but the land systems are the major focus – notably JP2072 Phase 2B, JP 2008 Phase 5B. The requirements are still being finalised and so number are still in flux. However there are two main trends with SOTM being seen as a specialised requirement rather than a mass implementation solution although the big changes in the requirements are for sig - nificantly increased numbers of small tactical terminals with “Large numbers” of Medium Transportable 1.5m Small Transportable 0.5m terminals and 46cm SOTM terminals being sought. Australian UHF Tacsat is sup - ported by the current AN/PRC-148 which

ITT’s new Ku-band NOMAD SOTM a fully systemised solution that sits inside the Selex Communications now Selex Elsag’s Dagger deployable ubiquitous standard SINC - satcom terminal is designed to be set up and communicating in GARS vehicle rack mount minutes © Selex Elsag will be supplanted by AN/PRC-152s and AN/PRC-117Gs under Land 75/125. In Afghanistan, NATO uses two UHF Tacsat solutions both using the AN/PRC- 117F CNR solution; an On The Pause system with about 500 terminals deployed and an OTM solution with about 50 deployed. Five different services are available beginning with a 600bps DAMA data capability rising to a 25kbps Single Channel Per Carrier link for voice and data. Larger but still quickly mobile

30 l ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW l MILSATCOM TERMINALS

is the B-band Suitcase Satellite terminal which is a 1.2m auto tracking solution in X and Ku band and is designed to be deployed by two people in under ten minutes. When deploying to Chad in 2009, as part of the UN’s MINURCAT II mission, non- NATO Finland used a range of commercial satcom products such as the vehicles mount - ed as the Inmarsat based BGAN Explorer 727 linked to wireless LAN for data and nodes, LEO or GEO Tracker sat phones over Iridium and Thuraya as well as C-band VSAT links over the Atlantic Bird 3 satellite. ITT’s new Ku-band NOMAD SOTM a fully systemised solution that sits inside the ubiquitous standard SINCGARS vehicle rack mount and linked to a Raysat Stealthray low profile antenna with integrated 20W PA and has been demonstrated using the LinkwayS2, Comtech OTM, Hughes and L-3 MPM1000 modems. Rates of 512Kbp at 225Kmph have been achieved on roads with 100 percent suc - cess in retaining links in a US Army exercise using Command Post Of the Future secure VTC, secure VoIP and email with simultane - ous up links of 256Kbps and 512Kbps down - links while operating cross country at speed of over 50kmph or higher. Nomad is the field. The DTCS and has a range of 160- ITT’s DTCS solution is entering widespread service with the US military providing Netted designed to be fitted in just 30-40 minutes 320km and would be used to link patrols and iridium coverage to dismounted patrols © ITT using two man teams put in place using platoons over a wide area undertaking dis - either standard or epoxy bolts. ITT has also tributed operations. developed the Distributed Tactical The Caprock Tampa Microwave TM- systems while retaining an electronic com - Communications System (DTCS) pro - X850MP family uses a fanless, virtually silent pass, inclinometer as well as a GPS into the gramme, which uses secure, Netted Iridum design which uses heat pipe technology is baseline systems. Instead of pushing a but - links for voice and data in a hand held termi - disperse heat. In a softcase, the entire 16W ton, the terminals software guides the nal. Over 6000 handsets were delivered for 45cm X-band system weighs just over 14Kg untrained operator to manually align the use in theatre to US forces in 2010 and it is while supporting T1/E1 duplex bandwidth. system via the screen. designed to complement larger terminals in The systems has been successfully operated Rockwell Collins manpack miSAT-X ter - ViasSat’s AN/PSC-14 is the only ruggedised on both Paradigm and XTAR satcom net - minal is used by US Special Forces in small BGAN terminal with integrated Type 1 works using an iDirect modem. A Ku- band teams of four or less personnel requiring links encryption © ViaSat version is also being developed. in the field and supports 1.5-2Mbps and sup - Weight is reduced in the auto alignment ports both NIPRnet and SIPRnet connectivity system which removes the need for a and the transmission of full motion video and motorised mechanical also uses a manual point system to save weight. The system replaces larger BGAN solution which also offered less throughput. In addition to miSAT-X the company’s CCT-90 and 120 CommuniCase terminals use larger aperture terminals and auto-acquisi - tion as the larger the terminal the harder it is to achieve exact azimuth and elevation align - ment. The CCT terminals can operate with Intelsat and Eutelsat type approval and for the US X-band certification over WGS. The terminals support iDirect’s Infinity and Evolution, ViaSat’s LinkWay S2, Advantec’s Satnet DVB-S2 and ND Satcom SkyWAN modems.

l JULY/AUGUST 2011 l 31 N A V A L WEAPON SYSTEMS Naval Integrated Weapons

The fewer personnel on the deck of a warship during combat, the fewer crewmembers are placed at risk. Placing naval gunners behind the protective screen of a ship’s superstructure reduces the danger of them being hit by projectiles or shrapnel. It is this simple maxim that is guiding the development of naval remote controlled gun turrets. by Tom Withington

HESE weapons, while placed top - choose from while designing their vessels, can be crammed with trawlers, pleasure side, can be controlled from the particularly in the 12.7mm-40mm calibre boats and other civilian vessels. Naval fire bridge or from elsewhere within range. Guns of such a size, particularly in the power must ensure that it is the ships’ T the superstructure. The weapon’s littoral environment, afford both striking intended target, and not such innocent craft, azimuth and bearing can be adjust - power and high precision. This is particular - which are engaged. The need for such capa - ed using a joystick, for example, while fire ly important as the waters around a coastline bilities has been recognised by companies control can be exercised using electro-optics or like BAE Systems, Rafael Advanced Defense radar. A human operator may or, in the case of Naval architects have Systems, Kongsberg, Raytheon and Nexter Raytheon’s Phalanx and Thales’ Goalkeeper arguably never had such which all have naval remote controlled gun Close-In Weapons System (CIWS), may not be a range of remote controlled products available. required to control the weapon. BAE Systems’ Lemur family of gyro-sta - Naval architects have arguably never had guns to choose from while bilised electro-optical combined gun sites such a range of remote controlled guns to designing their vessels and remote controlled weapons stations use a modular concept allowing them to be cus - tomised according to the specification desired by the operator. For example, Lemur can house a ground and air target fire control system, electro-optics and target designation for missiles, a forward observer sight, and a remote controlled weapons station, which can also include a countermeasures launcher. In particular, the Lemur is well-suited to accommodating Bofors 40 and Bofors 57 weapons. The Bofors 40 can dispatch up to 330 rounds-per-minute (rpm), engaging tar - gets at up to 12.5-kilometres; with the Bofors 57 having a slightly lower rate-of-fire at around 220 rpm. The fire control systems

Although it is seen here outfitting a vehicle, BAE Systems’ Lemur family of remote controlled naval weapons systems can accommodate Bofors 40 and Bofors 57 weapons, along with a range of fire control systems © BAE Systems

32 l ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW l N A V A L WEAPON SYSTEMS

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems’ Mini-Typhoon is designated as the Remote Operated Small Arms Mount (ROSAM) Mk.49 Mod.1 in US Navy service. The weapons mount can accommodate machine guns, Gatling guns, a grenade launcher and even small missiles © US Navy

l JULY/AUGUST 2011 l 33 N A V A L WEAPON SYSTEMS

OtoMelara’s ‘Modular Advanced Remote Lightweight Naval Weapon Station’ or MARLIN- WS is available in both 25mm and 30mm versions. Sales of the weapon have been forthcoming to the Netherlands © OtoMelara

Mk.38 Mod.2 give the weapon a useful sec - ondary capability as an observation and reconnaissance system. One particularly use - ful design feature for this gun mount is the integral battery which contains up to two hour’s power which allows the gun to keep functioning, should it suffer a power failure as a result of battle damage. By 2015, the US Navy plans to have rolled these weapons across its surface combatant fleet; principally its destroyers, frigates and cruisers which will each receive two weapons, along with amphibious support ships which will obtain up to three, and patrol vessels which will be outfitted with a single example. Rafael Advanced Defense Systems has, meanwhile, elected to fold technology devel - oped for its Overhead Weapons System-25 utilised on the Israeli Army’s Achzarit, Puma and M113A2 armoured vehicles into the Typhoon Mk.25 Naval Stabilised Weapons Station. The Typhoon’s design allows it to be Kongsberg intends for the Sea Protector to outfit comparatively small-sized craft, and the Sea Protector includes a recoil dampener helping to improve precision

outfitting the Lemur, allow the weapons sta - tion to be integrated with a vessel’s onboard surveillance and navigation radar. Alongside the Lemur family, BAE Systems produces a gun mount in the 35mm calibre category; the Mk.38 Mod.2, which is based on the Typhoon product of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems (see below). The Mk.38 Mod.2 is built around an ATK M242 Bushmaster chain gun which can fire up to 180 rpm at a range of around 2.5 km; although these weapons can also perform single shot and low-speed fire. The weapon is traversed onto its target using a joystick, and the integral electro-optical systems of the

Along with the Lemur family of naval remote controlled weapons mounts, BAE Systems also produces the Mk.38 Mod.2 which accommodates an ATK M242 Bushmaster chain gun. This weapon is currently equipping the US Navy © BAE Systems

34 l ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW l N A V A L WEAPON SYSTEMS

used as either as stand-alone weapon, or inte - grated into a vessel’s combat management architecture. This is possible because all of the gun’s fire control equipment is located within the weapons mount. In addition, the weapon has a non-hull penetrating design, and can be connected to a ship’s combat management system via a single cable. Ease of operation has been designed into the weapon with the employment of a Windows- based user interface. Rafael began its devel - opment of the Typhoon Mk.25 around 15 years ago and, since then, has sold examples to the navies of Australia, Greece, India, Sri Lanka and Singapore. A smaller variant of the Typhoon Mk.25, known as the Mini-Typhoon is also to be One of the most famous naval found in the Rafael catalogue. This weapon weapons is Raytheon’s Phalanx close-in weapons system. can be used to provide perimeter protection Phalanx has experienced some for large vessels, or for use as the primary significant modifications armament on smaller craft. The weapon is during its service life including commanded from a console which can be improvements to its fire control placed inside the vessel, with a ballistic com - system © Raytheon puter that enables the calculation of a firing solution once a target has been acquired. As

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with other products surveyed in this article, US Navy Phalanx guns are slaved to the muzzle of the gun or moved the Mini-Typhoon can be used in a stand- independently to allow the weapon to point alone capacity or alternatively slaved to the now receiving upgrades in one direction, while the operator looks ship’s fire control system. Customers for the to improve their overall elsewhere. Given the weapon’s modular con - Mini-Typhoon have already been forthcom - reliability, and the Block 1B struction, the customer can choose other elec - ing, including the US Navy, which has tro-optical subsystems if preferred and, to acquired the weapon and designated it as the improvements can be aid accuracy, the MARLIN-WS is outfitted Remote Operated Small Arms Mount procured either as a with a fall-of-shot calculator and ballistic (ROSAM) Mk.49 Mod.1. In terms of weapons retrofit, or as a new-build computer. MARLIN-WS deliveries to the which the Mini-Typhoon can accommodate, Netherlands should be completed by the end they include a standard 7.62mm machine weapons system of this year. gun, a GAU-17 Gatling gun or Mk.19 In fact, the MARLIN-WS is not the only grenade launcher. The company adds that ing between 30-100 tonnes. Moreover, the remote controlled weapons system that compact missiles can also be integrated. weapon can be slaved to the ship’s organic OtoMelara has in production. For customers Like the Mini-Typhoon, Kongsberg electro-optical and fire-control systems. requiring a lower-calibre solution, the firm Defence Systems’ Sea Protector accommo - Remote controlled weapons systems of a builds a 12.7mm PA (Power Assisted) gun dates a comparatively low-calibre weapon; in similar calibre are available from OtoMelara. which has a range of around 1.5 km. To con - this case a Browning M2 12.7mm gun, or The Koninklijke (Royal Netherlands Navy) trol the weapon, the 12.7-mm PA is equipped alternatively FN Herstal M240 7.62mm or has chosen to procure OtoMelara’s MARLIN- with a console which can be positioned at a M249 5.56mm weapons. Kongsberg intends WS, opting to purchase the 30-mm version of convenient point on board the vessel. This for the Sea Protector to outfit comparatively the weapon to outfit its Holland-class patrol console can relay imagery back from the small-sized craft, and the Sea Protector ships. Despite taking its name from a partic - weapon’s integral, co-axial fire control sys - includes a recoil dampener helping to ularly delectable fish, MARLIN-WS is in fact tem. Nevertheless, the user can choose to con - improve precision. an acronym for ‘Modular Advanced Remote nect the weapon to their combat management For customers requiring a slightly heavier Lightweight Naval Weapon Station’. system, enabling it to take fire control infor - calibre remote controlled weapon, Available in 25mm and 30mm versions, the mation from a ships’ radar. Along with the Rheinmetall’s Millennium gun is available MARLIN-WS is slaved to a combatant’s com - 12.7mm gun, the customer can also outfit the which can fire 35mm projectiles at a range of bat management system, although it also gun mount with a 40mm grenade launcher. up to five kilometres, with a rate of fire of includes an integral laser range finder, and While the 12.7mm PA can provide a ship 1,000 rpm. The Millennium gun’s lightweight an infrared daylight camera for fire control. with relatively small calibre remote controlled construction makes it ideal for vessels weigh - These fire control systems can either be weapon, warships can also be furnished with heavier remote controlled OtoMelara prod - The United Kingdom is home to MSI Defence ucts alongside the firm’s MARLIN-WS (see which has developed remote controlled weapons above). These include the company’s 40L70 systems in use with the Royal Navy and other forces around the world, with weapons gun which is designed to be used as the sec - integration with a ship’s command and control ondary armament on board a large vessel, or architecture possible © MSI Defence the main armament on a smaller combatant. These guns can have a devastating effect as they are able to deliver up to 600 rounds-per- minute of fire. One of the design features of the 12.7mm PA is that it can be reloaded from inside a ship which has the important effect of ensuring that crew members do not need to venture out on deck to reload the weapon dur - ing combat. Although already impressive, some customers may need an even higher rate of fire than that offered by the 40L70, in which case they can opt for the firm’s remote con - trolled Single Fast Forty which can despatch up to 900 rpm. Raytheon produces one of the most well- known remote controlled weapons systems in the form of the Phalanx CIWS. Not only are these weapons deployed on a wide range of US naval vessels, but they have also enjoyed significant export success, since their service entry in 1980. At the heart of the Phalanx is a six-barrelled, 20mm Gatling gun

36 l ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW l N A V A L WEAPON SYSTEMS

which has a rate of fire in the order of 4,500 Raytheon sees growth potential in its Phalanx WS, the NARWHAL acronym is shared with a rpm. Such is the robust nature of its design, CIWS design. This includes the wherewithal to marine creature; in this case a medium-sized add weapons such as a non-lethal dazzling that the weapon has been cycled through a laser or a electromagnetic rail gun © US Navy toothless whale. The gun mount is able to number of improvements during their career. accommodate a variety of weapons including This has included the Block 1B enhancement Nexter’s M761 30mm, M621 20mm gun, twin that which commenced in May 2005 enabling fit the Phalanx once this technology becomes M693 20mm or M761 30mm single-barrelled the gun to fire ATK’s 20mm Mk.244 available for deployment. The US Navy is guns. This is not the only remote controlled Enhanced Lethality Cartridge. Along with currently conducting a number of experi - weapons system which involves a French this ability to fire new ammunition, Phalanx ments to develop a rail gun as a working company. Thales constructs the 4,200 rpm guns have received improvements to their weapon, which would allow naval vessels to Goalkeeper CIWS which has a range of 1.5 radar, and the introduction of a forward- dispense with housing projectile propellants km. Together with the Phalanx discussed looking infra-red electro-optical system. and explosive shells. A rail gun dispenses above. This has become a popular weapon for US Navy Phalanx guns are now receiving with conventional shells and instead uses the navies around the world. upgrades to improve their overall reliability, sheer kinetic force of a high speed projectile to Of course, there is another benefit inherent and the Block 1B improvements can be pro - destroy a target. Such a plug-and-play in remote controlled naval guns. Removing cured either as a retrofit, or as a new-build weapon, the company expects, could enter the crew member from the gun cupola allows weapons system. Raytheon’s long-term plans service in around 2015. Should this greatly the weapon itself to have a lower profile and, see the Phalanx as a receptacle which can enhanced Phalanx be rolled out across the US therefore, a reduced radar and visual signa - accept weapons according to the mission that Navy, it would provide a potent vessel self ture. This contributes to reducing the overall the gun must perform. For example, the com - defence capability in concert with the Mk.38 topside signature of a surface combatant, pany envisages future Phalanxes as having a Mod.2 weapons that the service should also helping to further enhance a ship’s surviv - robot arm which could remove the tradition - have in service by this time. ability. The companies surveyed above pro - al six-barrelled gun and replace this with a Finally, Nexter of France joins Raytheon in duce a range of systems to suit a wide range different weapon, such as a laser for use as a the remote controlled weapons business in the of customer requirements. It would not be non-lethal ship defence to dazzle potential guise of the Naval Remote Weapon Highly surprising if, in future, remote controlled attackers. Other alternative weapons include Accurate Lightweight (NARWHAL) system. weapons become a standard feature on the an electro-magnetic rail gun which could out - Like its OtoMelara counterpart, the MARLIN- world’s naval vessels.

l JULY/AUGUST 2011 l 37 UNRIVALLED RUSSIAN ALL-TERRAIN VEHICLE

HE IDEA of an articulated carrier is rather simple: one needs just to join two carriers with active drives into a single vehicle and Tendow it with high cross-country capability over extremely difficult terrain. First attempts to materialise this seemingly simple idea were made in the early 20th century, but to no avail. First series-production vehicles appeared in the 1960/1970s both in the Soviet Union and in the West. Swedish company Hägglunds Vehicle AB produced the widely popular Bandvagn 206 type articulated vehicles. They had a two-tonne load-carrying capacity which was ten times less than Soviet counterparts had. Similar vehicles were developed in Finland with equally small load carrying capacity. Soviet designers succeeded in obtaining more impressive characteristics, having developed articulated vehicles with 10-30 tonnes load carrying capacity. Studies and experiments conducted for many years resulted in the family of the Vityaz unique all-terrain articulated tracked carriers, now marketed abroad by Rosoboronexport, the Russian state trade company. They pass by land and water in places where any other wheeled and tracked vehicles get hopelessly stuck. In addition, they boast high tractive characteristics, large load- carrying capacity, and long cruising range. The Vityaz articulated carriers are made according to a trailer scheme where two units are coupled with a hinge. The front unit has a crew cabin for 4-7 persons equipped with autonomous heating and air ventilation systems, transmission and cargo compartment. The rear unit is either a body for transporting personnel and car-goes, or a platform for mounting various equipment. In contrast to conventional tracked vehicles making turns by braking the left or right track, articulated vehicles turn by jackknifing in the horizontal plane. The turning point around which one unit turns about the other is in the centre of the swivel joint. Thanks to this arrangement both units start turning simultaneously and symmetrically. The swivel joint is of a unique tri-dimensional design that allows the vehicle to surpass walls more than one metre high and ground undulations merely by circumventing them. The Vityaz vehicle features an independent torsion-bar suspension and a caterpillar mover with dedicated polyurethane and rubber elements providing high riding smoothness as well as enhanced service life and reliability of the running gear. All four rubber fabric tracks of the articulated carrier are actively driven. Therefore it has no difficulties in surmounting obstacles or climbing on shore: when tracks of the front unit lose grip of the ground for a time, the active rear unit will give it a push, and when the rear unit gets stuck, it will be pulled out by the front unit. Besides, thanks to wide tracks the vehicle, even fully laden, develops lower ground pressure than a man does. Thanks to this feature the carrier can travel on soils with low bearing capacity. The Vityaz all-terrain vehicle marketed by Rosoboronexport is perfectly fit for operations on water as well. It has a water displacing body which can be propelled in water by revolving tracks. The tracks fitted with large metallic crossbars provide suf-ficient speed on water (4-5 km/h) and enable climbing out of water on unequipped shores. Moving in water by rewinding tracks offers significant benefits when the all-terrain vehicle is in the intermediate state of sailing afloat and driving over shallows. Most amphibians fitted with propellers or waterjets prove helpless in such environ-ment, i.e. when the water is too shallow for the vehicle to float but too deep to drive. Water pumps are installed to fight leaks. The lower part of the carrier body is reinforced with a box frame fitted with longitudinal, transverse and slant bars. This rigid structure allows mounting load-lifting, excavating, drilling and other technological equipment. There are modifications of the Vityaz articulated carriers with cargo platform developed for transporting long and heavy structures. The Vityaz all-terrain vehicles feature a hydrodynamic transmission with a sin-gle-stage hydrodynamic torque converter providing smooth control of transferred torque in function of the running resistance. A four-speed gearbox with a locking differential provides selection of the optimal driving mode for any road conditions. To provide for effective power transfer each unit is equipped with two planetary final drives and one bevel gear speed reducer with a blocking differential. Unique engineering solutions implemented in heavy articulated carriers and rich experience gained during their operation have been applied to the development of small articulated carriers with load capacity ranging from two to eight tonnes. Their design in essence is not different from that of the “heavyweights”. However, mounting a Cummins engine and an Alisson automatic transmission on the vehicles has expanded their

AMR Marketing Promotion technical capabilities as well as application areas. to accommodate various load lifting equipment. vertical transverse plane, the swivel joint body Small carriers can travel at a speed of up to The carrier is equipped with a comfortable also functions as a damping device, which 60 km/h and use public roads. They also retain cabin and provides increased riding reduces reliability of the structure. amphibious properties as well as the capability smoothness thanks to the employment of an Robustness and operational reliability of the of negotiating any obstacles. automatic hydromechanical transmission and Vityaz articulated carriers marketed by A fire-fighting and rescue system has been independent individual suspension system. Rosoboronexport have been proved in practice developed on the chassis of the articulated It should be noted here that the individual by enterprises of oil/gas and power industries carrier for units of the Russian Ministry of torsion-bar suspension installed on the Vityaz operating for many years in the Russian Emergency Situations. The second unit carries small articulated carriers has substantial Western Siberia and Far North regions famous a fixed module with an autonomous power unit advantages over suspension of Western-origin for difficult climatic, terrain and road conditions. and various purpose replaceable modules (fire- articulated vehicles which use a two stage The Vityaz all-terrain articulated tracked fighting module, emergency rescue module, blocked suspension system with shorter vehicles helped solve complex problems of medical aid module). The modules are replaced dynamic roller travel and greater rigidity oil/gas pro-duction, and oil/gas pipeline and with a hydraulic hoist. because of its design peculiarities. Another electrical power line construction on difficult In particular, Rosoboronexport markets the vulnerability of Western transporters is their terrain thanks to their high passability DT-3P all-terrain vehicles which can be used to swivel joint with only two degrees of freedom. characteristics and capability of travelling over transport passengers and cargoes, as well as When a unit turns in relation to the other in the fluid soils of marshlands.

REGIONAL BMILITrARY unei: Monarchy, ASEAN and Defence Capabilities

In 2004, Brunei released its inaugural defence White Paper setting out Brunei’s policy intent and responses to a rapidly changing global environment. The White Paper also stated that it was to be reviewed every two-three years and this was duly done in 2007 although no further updates or review has been published since. by Dzirhan Mahadzir

AFVs of the Royal Brunei Land Forces during an exercise © Khoo Jin Kiat

42 l ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW l REGIONAL MILITARY

HE 2004 Brunei Defence White was published; there was no change to the pri - moting a more robust regional security dia - Paper stated that the security and orities on defence. It noted that, in the after - logue to better understand and, where appro - prosperity of Brunei rested upon math of the Indian Ocean tsunami, that the priate, develop cooperative policies and Ton three pillars of national policy, impact of environmental and natural disasters responses towards those shared strategic chal - namely; the cohesion and stability and the appropriate responses to such was one lenges; developing appropriate mechanisms to of the nation guided by the Malay Islamic of two strategic dynamics which had emerged facilitate cooperation in responding to any Monarchy philosophy; a stable regional envi - since the 2004 White Paper. The other strategic major security crisis that may arise with little ronment in which Brunei’s membership of dynamic noted was the increasingly complex or no warning; significantly enhancing the ASEAN enables it to pursue national goals intersection between broader international capacity and availability of the Royal Brunei free from external interference; and the main - security trends and regional and domestic sta - Armed Forces (RBAF) to contribute to those tenance of Brunei’s defence capabilities bility. Noting that the challenges of develop - cooperative regional operations as well as pri - including its armed forces to preserve the ority national tasks; and strengthening nation’s sovereignty, protection of its territo - Since the publication of Brunei’s ability to make a modest yet credible rial integrity and interests, and secure free - the 2007 Update, the contribution to wider United Nation’s peace dom and independence. The White Paper support and humanitarian relief operations. then went on to further state that as a result, JOC has become a reality The 2007 Update focused upon the devel - priorities in regards to defence were; main - with the award of a opment of the RBAF as a flexible force, multi- taining stability and cohesion within the contract in January 2010 roled and able to configure to generate the nation; protecting national interests in adja - right capability with sufficient levels of readi - cent maritime areas; reinforcing the integrity to Northrop Grumman ness, mobility, interoperability and sustain - of the nation’s borders; enhancing national ability. The multi-role aspect included mis - capabilities in counter terrorism; cooperation ment have increased domestic instability and sions such as humanitarian and disaster relief. within ASEAN on issues of shared concern raised the prospect of state failure, particularly It stated that the RBAF needed to be able to be and supporting the stability of neighbours; among several smaller, less developed nations flexible in the variety of tasks they can under - further regional security cooperation in the region, the 2007 Update stressed the take across a range of transnational, natural through dialogue, increased transparency need for neighbouring nations to support disaster and peace operations; and at the same and crisis management; and develop a robust national governments in managing such pres - time not only being credible in performing and flexible defence capability able to handle sures as being important to the stability and specific roles but also sustainable on opera - the complex set of current tasks while retain - progress of the region as a whole. It then fur - tions for some time. It added that the RBAF ing the capacity to deter aggression. ther went on to say that as such, in addition to had to be potentially able to undertake several The 2007 Brunei Defence White Paper the defence priorities in the 2004 White Paper, tasks concurrently and be interoperable with Update stated that while new strategic dynam - the new dynamics resulted in significant addi - regional and international security partners. ics had appeared since the 2004 White Paper tional emphasis having to be placed upon; pro - The 2007 Update then proceeded to state

43 REGIONAL MILITARY

that the among the keys to achieving such ational levels down to the dismounted soldier. was the improvement of the RBAF’s network No details have been given as to when the JOC capabilities and maximizing the RBAF’s command center became operational though capacity to operate cooperatively with other given the time since the contract was awarded; national assets and security partners. The it is likely that the system is now operational. 2007 Update listed the need to establish a In regard to cooperation with foreign Joint Operations Center (JOC) to act as a sin - forces, the RBAF already carries out a num - gle, integrated operations centre for the ber of regular bilateral exercises and meet - RBAF. In addition to planning and directing ings with its ASEAN counterparts. It also car - deployments, it would be the focal point for ries out exercises with the United Kingdom, operational coordination with other national or foreign forces and agencies. The 2007 Given such and Brunei’s Update also stated that the JOC would have responsibility for the development of joint population numbering around doctrine and procedures, oversight of the 400,000, it is not surprising force communications architecture, and that the RBAF is small, expanding the current joint, national and multilateral exercise programmes. particularly also as military Since the publication of the 2007 Update, service is voluntary the JOC has become a reality with the award of a contract in January 2010 to Northrop Australia and New Zealand while Brunei Grumman Corporation United Kingdom to also forms part of the United States annual provide a Joint Operations Center command Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training and control capability for the RBAF. The con - (CARAT) series of bilateral exercises with tract included the supply of an integrated countries in the South East Asia region. Ties Command, Control, Communications, with the UK are particularly strong with the Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and United Kingdom. Singapore also maintains a Reconnaissance (C4ISR) headquarters system training center for jungle warfare in Brunei. and a deployable Joint Operations Center Of note though is the field deployment of together with the provision of training and in- RBAF troops on peacekeeping missions, country support. The Brunei JOC uses while RBAF personnel have served on peace - Northrop Grumman's International-Joint keeping missions or as international moni - grown with the fifth dispatch of RBAF troops Operational Command and Control System, tors in Cambodia, Mindanao and Acheh in in January this year numbering 20 personnel. which incorporates the company's software the past, the recent small deployment of Brunei was asked by the United Nations if applications Command and Control for the PC RBAF personnel to Lebanon since 2008 as they could contribute a company of 120 per - (C2PC) and Interoperable C4I Services (ICS) part of the UNIFIL mission is interesting as sonnel for the mission but declined, appar - which are currently deployed in more than 40 the personnel deployed were embedded as ently due to problems in being able to sustain countries. Together, C2PC and ICS provide a part of the Malaysian battalion contingent. such a commitment. While the RBAF could seamless top-to-bottom architecture for com - Initially starting out as a five-strong deploy - make an initial deployment of a company, it mand and control, from the strategic and oper - ment in October 2008, the number has since was felt that such a commitment would put a strain on the small RBAF plus the fact that making such a deployment may inadvertent - ly lead to Brunei having to maintain a contin - uous deployment of a company of troops for the open-ended UNIFIL mission. Still, the embedding of the Brunei contingent with Malaysian troops does indicate that Brunei is ensuring that a portion of its military person - nel do gain experience in carrying out inter - national missions along with indicating an increasing closeness and cooperation with Malaysia on defence and security. Malaysian Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in Royal Brunei January invited Brunei, along with Indonesia Air Force S-70 to join Malaysia’s ISAF contingent in Blackhawk © Afghanistan. While Malaysia’s current con - Khoo Jin Kiat tingent in Afghanistan consists of only a 40 strong medical team whose mandate expires

44 l ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW l REGIONAL MILITARY

Gurkha Reserve Unit comprises ex-British army Gurkhas, their presence alone is likely to deter many terrorists. Brunei claims part of the Spratly islands though it does not have any troops or maintains any presence in the areas it claims. Given such and Brunei’s population num - bering around 400,000, it is not surprising that the RBAF is small, particularly also as military service is voluntary. The Royal Brunei Land Force consist of three infantry battalions, a support battalion containing armor, engineers and a headquarters unit. In addition the RBLF has a signal squadron and Air Defence battery. One infantry battalion is a mechanised battalion using the French VAB and long term plans call for the estab - lishment of a fourth infantry battalion and a second engineer squadron. Beyond that, there is little disclosed as to the RBLF’s future procurement plans though it can be taken that given Brunei’s limited manpower, some form of soldier system which would enhance individual soldier capabilities and protec - The Royal Brunei Land Forces tions will be considered. operates a small number of Development of the Royal Brunei Navy has Scorpion light tanks formed always been a priority for Brunei though these into a armored reconnaissance company © Khoo Jin Kiat ambitions took a knock with the aborted Nakhoda Ragam OPV programme. Though the ships were completed by BAE Systems in the early 2000’s, Brunei refused to take deliv - in October 2011, the indications given is that its oilfields, exists. However of note is that ery of them, citing that the ships failed to meet Malaysia is moving towards expanding the the oilfields are protected by Brunei’s the required specifications. The matter was mission beyond October in numbers and Gurkha Reserve Unit, a 2,000 strong force Royal Brunei Land Forces soldiers train under the roles which would include engineers for under Brunei’s Ministry of Home Affairs an direction of US marines during the CARAT 2010 reconstruction work. No official word has which is also responsible for the security of exercise © US DoD emerged yet though from Brunei as to Brunei’s royal family. Given fact that the whether it would participate. Brunei’s 2007 Defence White Paper Update also called for the nurturing of the growth of the local defence industry in being able to pro - vide maintenance and support services for the RBAF and also able to eventually upgrade the RBAF’s equipment. Given the relatively small size of the RBAF, it is clear that moving towards local manufacture or production is clearly impractical if not impossible. Brunei has been strongly receptive to Malaysia’s pro - posal for ASEAN countries to cooperate joint - ly in the defence industry along with forming a regional defence industry council and move towards defence purchases from each other’s countries though Singapore and Indonesia, with their substantial indigenous defence industry have been cool to the proposal. Currently in terms of security threats, Brunei faces no external threats though the spectre of terrorism, particularly in regard to

l JULY/AUGUST 2011 l 45 REGIONAL MILITARY

Royal Brunei Land Forces soldiers abseil down from a Royal Brunei Air Force S-70 Blackhawk during an exercise © Khoo Jin Kiat

the Indonesian navy where they will be used as training ships. Previously, Lürssen had built a total of four 41 meter Ijhtihad class Fast Patrol Boats armed with a 27mm main gun for the RBN, with two of the class beginning oper - ations since March 2010 followed by the remaining two vessels in August 2010. Again with manpower constraints, it is unlikely that Brunei will embark on any further shipbuild - ing programme although upgrades to its fleet finally resolved in arbitration in 2007 where final Darussalam ship, Darulaman will be are expected. German company Lürssen undertook to resell delivered in August this year. The Darussalam The Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAF) has the ships. Lürssen was also contracted to build class ships replace the Waspada class Missile only a limited transport capability in the form several vessels for the RBN. The RBN officially Gun Boats which have been in service with the of a CN-235 transport, 5 S-70 Blackhawks, 10 accepted two Darussalam Class Patrol Vessels, Royal Brunei Navy for more than 30 years. Bell Jet Rangers and 5 BO-105 among its pri - namely KDB Darussalam and KDB Two of the Waspadas, the KDB Waspada and mary aircraft. 3 CN-235 Maritime Patrol Darulehsan on 7th January this year at the KDB Pejuang have already been transferred to Aircraft have been ordered from Indonesia in Lürssen Shipyard in Germany. The recognition of the need to patrol Brunei’s mar - Darussalam class has a length of 80 meters and It is unlikely that Brunei itime waters. Since the 1990’s, there have been width of 13 meters wide and has an endurance talks about adding a combat capability to the of 21 days at sea. The ships are equipped with will embark on any further RBAF with the Bae Hawk often mentioned but Exocet surface to surface missiles and a medi - shipbuilding programme no purchase has ever occurred. Eventually um caliber gun. Both ships started their maid - although upgrades to its though it is expected that Brunei will move en voyage back to Brunei in March and expect - towards some form of combat aircraft to sup - ed to arrive in May this year. The third and fleet are expected port its ground and sea forces.

Brunei’s newest patrol craft, KDB Darussalam © Lürssen

46 l ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW l c

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Media Transasia Limited, If yes, what role do you play Room 1205-1206, 12/F, Hollywood Centre, Definig requirement Tendering & coordination with contractors 233 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong, SAR Evaluation of requirement Evaluation of equipment Tel: (852) 2815 9111, Fax: (852) 2851 1933 Selection of specification Approval of purchase Recommendation Email: [email protected] Website: www.asianmilitaryreview.com SUPER SAVER OFFER VALID FOR ORDER FORM LIMITED PERIOD Yes, I would like to receive ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW for one year Please deliver the magazine at the address below: NAME:………………………………………...... ……. POSITION/RANK:………………...... …..……...... ORGANISATION/UNIT:…………………..…………...... ……………...……...... ………………….…….……………...... ……...... …..……...... ADDRESS:…………………………………………………...... …………………………………..………….……...... …..……...... CITY:…………………………...... …....…. PIN:………….……...... ………. COUNTRY:…….…....…………..………….…...... …..……...... ….. TEL:…………………………...... …....…. FAX:………….……...…….....…. EMAIL:…….…....…...... …………………...... …...... …..……...... ….. I would like to pay by credit card. Please charge my: American Express Diners Master Visa Card Number:…………...... ………Expiry Date:……...... ……...… Signature:...... …..……...... REGIONAL MTILITAaRY iwan: Island Defence

No country in Asia, except for South Korea, faces a military threat as dire as that confronting Taiwan. A brooding China maintains a military footing to attack this island that formed the last bastion of resistance for Chiang Kai-shek against the communists in 1949. Nowadays, a diminishing defence budget causes many to question whether Taiwan has the wherewithal to defend itself from its aggressive neighbour. by Gordon Arthur

HE ISSUE of Taiwan’s political DF-11A and DF-15 short-range and DF-21C mountainous terrain, with most of its status is extremely sensitive for medium-range ballistic missiles. 23,000,000 inhabitants living on the western China, which views the existence Taiwan’s National Security coastal plain. Importantly, the ROC controls T of this “renegade province” as a Bureau disclosed China has also the Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and Wuchiu festering affront. China has not begun deploying the DF-16, a island groups, some of which are very close renounced the use of force if the Republic of new 1,000km-range missile with to the mainland coast. This means they form China (ROC) declared de jure independence. greater destructive power. an early-warning defensive line. Indeed, much of China’s military build-up The Taiwan Strait, spanning focuses on weapons necessary for defeating 130km at its narrowest point, sep - Military balance of power Taiwan. It is estimated the Second Artillery arates the two adversaries. China possesses the world’s second- Force of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Measuring 394km long and 144km largest defence budget, with 2011 has 1,500 missiles aimed at Taiwan, including wide, Taiwan is characterised by funding jumping 12.7 percent to

The F-CK-1 IDF was Taiwan’s attempt at producing an independent fighter. It performs well but was hampered by a high unit price © Gordon Arthur

48 l ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW l REGIONAL MILITARY

The government wants the military to move to $91.5 billion. This eclipses Taiwanese spend - Forces are financed sufficiently to defend the an all-professional force by 2014, although the ing of $10.27 billion. Taiwan has no hope of diminishing defence budget will likely prevent island, or even to act as a credible deterrent. If competing with China’s overall spending, this © Gordon Arthur China initiated a war, how would Taiwan but what is of concern is that expenditure has fare? Defence Minister General Kao Hua-chu decreased for three years under President Ma said, “Should there be a first strike, we should Ying-jeou’s ruling Kuomintang party. The R&D, represents 2.14 percent of GDP, well be able to resist the attack for at least two 2008 defence budget was NT$343 billion, below the three percent promised by Ma in weeks.” Elsewhere the Ministry of National which decreased to NT$318.6 billion in 2009, his presidential campaign. Defence (MND) stated Taiwan would survive and to NT$297.4 billion last year. The current Clearly the balance of power has swung at least a month. This, Taiwan hopes, would budget, which excludes weapon system decisively in the PLA’s favour, as Figure 1 be long enough for the US to intervene. shows. Both opposition and governing politi - The ROC Armed Forces boast some cians are debating whether the ROC Armed 275,000 active personnel, but this total will

l JULY/AUGUST 2011 l 49 REGIONAL MILITARY

The M60A3 TTS is the most capable tank in math of Typhoon Morakot in 2009. engagement strategy, the Navy (ROCN) and the army’s inventory, although the design The Army (ROCA) is the largest branch, Air Force (ROCAF) become pivotal in keep - and technology date from the late 1970s © Gordon Arthur with an estimated 196,000 personnel, 80 per - ing Chinese forces as far as possible from cent of which are positioned on the main Taiwanese shores. The Navy is tasked with island. In recent years, ROCA restructuring defending sea lines of communication drop to 215,000 by 2014. At present, 18-year- created more mobile brigades able to move against blockade, and surveillance of sur - old males are required to complete twelve quickly to defend against invasion. Three rounding waters. Air defence is critical, with months of military service, but Taiwan is seek - mechanised-infantry and four armoured 30,000 personnel of the ROCAF operating ing to abolish conscription and create a whol - brigades are at the heart of the army’s combat 350+ fighters. Primary combat aircraft are the ly professional force by 2014. However, this power. Because of a lack of strategic depth, F-16A/B Block 20, F-CK-1A/B Indigenous plan seems destined to fail unless the defence the army is the final line of defence against Defence Fighter (IDF) and Mirage 2000-5. budget jumps significantly. As well as serving Chinese invasion. An Army Missile After five years of integration difficulties for as a credible deterrent to Chinese aggression, Command was formed on 1 January 2004 to the ROCAF, it was decided in January 2011 to it should be remembered that Taiwan’s mili - oversee long-range surface-to-air missiles return medium- and long-range SAM units tary is also regularly required to perform dis - (SAM) and coastal-based anti-ship missiles. to army oversight. aster relief missions, for example in the after - As Taiwan moves towards an offshore

50 l ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW l REGIONAL MILITARY

the years under Section 3 of the 1979 Taiwan replace elderly UH-1Hs. Relations Act. Consequently, during the 1996 With only two serviceable submarines, the Taiwan Strait Crisis the US Navy (USN) dis - ROCN is urgently seeking eight new sub - patched two aircraft carriers. Taiwan must marines. However, this search is proving ensure it can survive a war with China long fruitless as the US no longer produces diesel- enough for the US to swing into action. electric submarines and no other country is American policy on this issue is not explicit, willing to sell them. The US has also refused but President Bush stated in 2001 that his to sell upper-tier equipment like Aegis- country would do, “whatever it took” to equipped destroyers, perhaps afraid the tech - defend Taiwan. To mitigate American naval nology would find its way into Chinese dominance, China has begun fielding the new hands. The MND is contemplating the pur - DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile that could chase of Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates or be described as a game-changer. The 3,000 Littoral Combat Ships to replace eight Knox- km-range missile directly threatens USN ves - class frigates transferred from the USN in the sels coming to Taiwan’s aid, and more than 50 1990s. Lockheed Martin is upgrading twelve PLA Navy (PLAN) submarines could also P-3C Orion aircraft that will boost Taiwan’s delay US naval reinforcements. ability at tracking Chinese submarines, with the first entering service this year. New equipment Taiwan has invested heavily in developing Bruce Lemkin, former US Air Force deputy a robust command, control, communications, undersecretary for international affairs, computers and intelligence (C4I) network made headlines in July 2010 when he stated able to withstand Chinese strikes. The Heng Taiwan’s ability to defend its airspace had Shan Military Command Centre burrowed degraded due to ageing fighters, and that the deep inside a Taipei mountain is connected to sale of new craft was urgent. Indeed, Taiwan units all around Taiwan via landlines, fibre- would like to buy 66 F-16C/D fighters, but optic cables and satellite and wireless net - Washington is refusing to sell them. Instead, works with built-in redundancies. Phase 1 of the US is more likely to offer upgrades to F- the Po Sheng (“Broad Victory”) C4ISR pro - 16A/B fighters. gramme concluded in December 2009, and The US Congress was notified of a $6.46 Phase 2 will see warships and F-16s fitted billion arms package in October 2008, which with Link 16 terminals. The Taiwanese sys - immediately resulted in China freezing tem is designed to plug into US networks. However, authorities realised this platform Taiwan has no hope could have been compromised when Major of competing with China’s General Lo Hsien-che was arrested in late January for spying. This case of Chinese espi - overall spending, but onage was deemed the worst in nearly 50 what is of concern is that years of cross-strait tensions. expenditure has decreased Taiwan’s 1,100-strong tank fleet is old, consisting mainly of M48Hs and M60A3s. for three years While a new design such as the M1A2 Abrams would be desirable, the budget has Political considerations defence relations with the USA. The package not yet allowed this. One immense hurdle for China’s Defence White Paper issued on 31 includes: 30 Apache AH-64D Block III heli - Taiwan is its political isolation and inability March grandiosely states, “the two sides of copters; four upgraded E-2C Hawkeye 2000 to buy arms from other countries, with most the Taiwan Strait are destined to ultimate aircraft; 32 Harpoon missiles; 173 Stinger too fearful of Chinese reprisals. Nevertheless, reunification in the course of the great rejuve - SAMs; 1,000 AGM-114L Hellfire missiles; Taiwan enjoys military ties with Singapore, nation of the Chinese nation.” Fortunately, and 182 Javelin antitank missiles. A critical including the permanent hosting of cross-strait tensions eased after Ma Ying-jeou weapon for Taiwan is Patriot missiles, with Singaporean troops and training equipment. adhered to a policy of, “no unification, no three PAC-2 batteries being acquired in the To overcome its reliance on US hardware, independence and no use of force” after his late 1990s. The Ministry of National Defence Taipei has tried hard to develop indigenous election in May 2008. (MND) announced in January 2010 that solutions. The IDF, for example, was a direct An important element in the Taiwan secu - Lockheed Martin had been awarded a con - consequence of American refusals to sell F-16s rity equation is long-time ally US, even tract for Patriot Advanced Capability-3 in the 1980s. The IDF was developed by the though the two nations have no official diplo - (PAC-3) systems, with seven new batteries to Aerospace Industrial Development matic relations. The US regards Taiwan as a be acquired and existing ones to be upgrad - Corporation (AIDC), although unit costs were strategic bulwark against Chinese expansion, ed. From 2013 onwards, Taiwan will receive high because of limited production. AIDC is and it has supplied defensive weapons over 60 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters to now developing an upgraded IDF version,

l JULY/AUGUST 2011 l 51 REGIONAL MILITARY

A Mirage 2000-5Di of the ROCAF takes off from a highway in Madou being used as a temporary Development Centre has been persistently runway during the Han Kuang 27 exercise © Gordon Arthur delayed. This vehicle is vital to the ROCA as it will equip mechanised-infantry brigades and and the US has approved the export of tech - ed-fired a 2,000km-range missile in early 2008, replace tracked M113s. Low-rate initial pro - nology for the aircraft’s radar. Another suc - a range sufficient to reach Beijing. CSIST also duction finally commenced in early 2011 and cess has been the Hsiung Feng (HF, “Brave developed the in-service Tien Kung (“Sky up to 450 vehicles could be procured. Wind”) series of anti-ship missiles from the Bow”) SAM, while the Wan Chien guided Chung Shan Institute of Science and standoff glide bomb successfully completed Scenarios Technology (CSIST). HF-2 missile launchers evaluation trials in early 2010 and should Taiwan remains one of the likeliest flash - are being fitted on 30 locally built Kuang Hua become operational on the IDF in 2011-12. points for conflict in Asia, and because China VI missile boats, with development also con - It is not all plain sailing for local defence is wary of involving the USA, it would seek tinuing of the HF-2E cruise missile. Tests of industries however, as the saga of the CM-32 to deliver a swift fait accompli to deter the ship-borne HF-3 are currently taking illustrates. Induction of this 8x8 armoured American intervention. Experts refer to sev - place. A little-known fact is that Taiwan test - vehicle developed by the Ordnance Readiness eral potential scenarios: One: A decapitation missile strike could wipe out installations such as air defences, Comparison of Chinese & Taiwanese military strength airbases and command nodes. Waves of hun - dreds of Chinese missiles could easily over - EQUIPMENT CHINA TAIWAN whelm Taiwanese defences. A fear of this Total Within range form of attack is one reason why Taiwan of Taiwan keeps many of its assets mobile and has creat - Defence budget (USD) 91.5 billion 10.27 billion ed extensive tunnels and underground facili - ties. For example, faced with a Chinese attack, Ground forces fighters from west-coast airbases would be Personnel 1,250,000 400,000 196,000 flown to shelters in the east. The Jiashan facil - Tanks 7,000 3,100 1,100 ity adjacent to Hualien Airbase is allegedly Artillery pieces 8,000 3,400 1,600 Taiwan’s largest underground shelter. Air forces Two: A naval blockade of Taiwan by Fighters 1,680 330 368 PLAN ships and the sowing of mines could Bombers 620 160 0 force Taipei into submission through eco - Transport 450 40 20 nomic constriction. However, such a block - Naval forces ade would not achieve control of the island Destroyers 25 15 4 itself, which is what Beijing desires. Taiwan Frigates 49 40 22 maintains a sophisticated coastal surveillance Nuclear attack submarines 62 0system, and the ROCN is augmenting its Other submarines 54 32 4 minesweeper fleet with two decommissioned USN Osprey-class minesweepers and six

52 ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW REGIONAL MILITARY

locally constructed craft beginning in 2012. Recent operations have made the issue of Square massacre of 1989 demonstrated, the comprehensive personal protective equipment a Three: An amphibious/airborne landing, standard feature of military operations © DoD world would not sit idly by while China con - if not on Taiwan, at least on outlying islands. quered Taiwan. The spectre of economic Creating a lodgement on Taiwanese soil embargoes for a globalising China should would be a formidable challenge for China, south to Kaohsiung from Taichung. send shivers up the spine of China’s leader - and it would prove costly in casualties. Alternatively, forces could bisect the island. ship. Would China be willing to gamble its Nevertheless, the PLAN has been expanding If China attempted such an assault, Taiwan newfound prosperity in an attack against its its amphibious-warfare capabilities. For the would employ porcupine tactics aimed at neighbour? China is Taiwan’s largest export past two years, Taiwan’s annual Han Kuang inflicting as much damage as possible as market, and these economic ties may yet exercise has simulated counterattacks against troops retreated into the mountains and con - result in the greatest détente. Perhaps the dis - Chinese landings in the Taichung area, with ducted guerrilla-style warfare. incentive of economic fallout is the greatest this port city considered strategically critical. Four: China could use a natural disaster trump card Taiwan can now play. Lying midway down the western coast, such as a large-scale earthquake as raison However, Westerners should never Chinese forces could move north to Taipei or d'être for sending paramilitary or military underestimate the depth of emotion the

Recent operations have made the issue of personnel into Taiwan on the pretext of Taiwan issue evokes in the Chinese psyche. comprehensive personal protective equipment a offering help. Provoked by a declaration of Taiwanese standard feature of military operations © DoD However, all these scenarios come with independence, China would certainly react. inherent dangers to China. As the Tiananmen Perhaps questions also need to be asked

A naval blockade of Taiwan by PLAN ships and the sowing of mines could force Taipei into submission through economic constriction

about the importance of Taiwan to the USA. Would the USA be willing to wage war against China for the sake of Taiwan? Perhaps the proposal in China’s White Paper seems best for all concerned, “The two sides should hold consultations on the basis of upholding the one-China principle to formally end hostilities and reach a peace agreement.”

l JULY/AUGUST 2011 l 53 R E G I O N A L N EW S AND DEVELOPMENTS

Asia Pacific Procurement Update

Along with two Integrated Visual Australia has requested as many as a hundred AUSTRALIA AIM-120C-7 AMRAAMs from the US in a $202m Environment Maintenance Trainers (IVEMT) Boeing completes RAAF Super FMS deal © DoD which feature an interactive 3-D model envi - Hornet trainer delivery ronment, test/support equipment and realis - The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has tic aircraft responses for full virtual training der's battlespace awareness, automate combat received all six F/A-18E/F Super Hornet air - across all Super Hornet systems and subsys - messaging and assist in the execution of oper - crew and maintenance trainers following the tems, the entire system is designed to provide ations. The capability significantly reduces the completion of delivery by Boeing to the a completely immersive training environment risk of casualties resulting from friendly fire RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland. for both pilots and weapons sensor officers. during operations and brings improved pro - The Australian government purchased the Completion of the F/A-18F Super Hornet tection and coordination for Australian F/A-18E/F Super Hornet trainers from Boeing delivery by Boeing to the RAAF is expected Defence Forces personnel, allowing missions under a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) with the to be complete by the end of 2011. to be carried out more efficiently, safely and US government as part of a wider Super effectively. Hornet package including 24 Australian F/A- BAE Systems to upgrade BAE Systems will prepare the M113 APCs 18F Block II aircraft, initial spares, support Australian Army vehicles for the BGC3 system at the new 7RAR equipment, trainers and training. They are the BAE Systems Australia is to upgrade 777 mil - Facility at Edinburgh Parks in northern first Super Hornet training systems sold under itary vehicles for the Australian Army follow - Adelaide; and the Mack, Unimog and an FMS contract by Boeing. ing the award of a subcontract by Elbit Bushmaster vehicle work will be performed The aircrew devices include two Tactical Systems as part of the Australian Land 200 at the Meeandah Military Facility in Operation Flight Trainers (TOFT), built on Programme. Under the contract BAE Systems Brisbane. BAE Systems is scheduled to com - Boeing and L-3 Link's F/A-18 simulator com - will prepare the vehicles for the installation of plete their work by January 2013. mon hardware and software baseline, and inte - a Battle Group and Below Command, Control grated with L-3 Link's 360-degree SimuSphere and Communications (BGC3) system. Australia requests visual display, SimuView image generator, and The project includes work on Macks, AIM-120C-7 Advanced Medium Boeing Training Systems & Services' mission Unimogs, Bushmasters and M113 Armoured Range Air-to-Air Missiles computer emulation, as well as simulated Personnel Carriers (APCs) in the Australian The Australian government has requested radar, electronic countermeasures, and Joint Army inventory; and the subcontract is part the purchase of up to 100 AIM-120C-7 Helmet Mounted Cueing System; and high- of the contract awarded by the Australian Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air fidelity crew station controls. government to Elbit Systems for the BGC3 Missiles (AMRAAM) and associated equip - Also included in the package are two Low system in March 2010. ment from the US government as part of a Cost Trainers (LCT), both of which run a mis - The BGC3 system is an important aspect of Foreign Military Sale (FMS) at a total estimat - sion computer emulation and provides pilot the Australian Army’s network centric war - ed cost of $202 million. and air combat officer training for naviga - fare goals. The system includes a Management Australia has requested the missile pack - tion, weapons, radar, and electronic counter - System (BMS) for soldiers, Vehicle Mounted age for the F/A-18F Australian Super measures; and has been designed to be easily Commanders and Headquarters/Command Hornet programme under phase two of the reconfigured to accommodate a wide range Post Staff. It is designed to increase the com - Australian Defence Force Project AIR 5349, of aircrew training combinations. mander’s situational awareness and comman - following the successful completion of the

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initial phase which saw the F/A-18F aircraft Ongoing spare parts, repairs, mainte - purchased. nance and engineering tasks will be ordered The proposed sale will also include parts, as required through this integrated support training and logistical support. This will contract. The contract also includes the encompass the AMRAAM missiles them - implementation of a performance manage - selves 10 AIM-120C-7 Air Vehicle- ment framework for the services, which con - Instrumented, 16 AIM-120C-7 Captive Air tributes toward the Commonwealth Strategic Training Missiles, containers, weapon system Reform Program (SRP). This provides the support equipment, support and test equip - basis for awarding up to 15, one-year con - ment, site survey, transportation, repair and tract extensions based on performance.

return, warranties, spare and repair parts, The contract also includes a one year phase- Delivery of Indonesia’s eight Super Tucano publications and technical data, mainte - in period, and according to General Dynamics, light attack and advanced training turbo - nance, personnel training and training equip - will change the mechanisms and business props will occur in 2012 © Embraer ment; as well as US Government and contrac - processes between the Commonwealth and tor representative engineering, logistics, and General Dynamics in Australia to improve effi - INDONESIA technical support services, and other related ciency, reduce costs and promote value. Super Tucano aircraft a step elements of logistics support. closer for Indonesia If it goes ahead, the acquisition of the CAE wins RAAF simulator AIM-120C-7 AMRAAM will give the Royal raining contract The eight Super Tucano light attack Australian Air Force (RAAF) a standoff CAE Australia has been awarded a contract by and advanced training turboprops for weapon capability required for Bridge Air the Australian Defence Materiel Organisation the Indonesian Air Force are a step Combat Capability, and will strengthen (DMO) to provide aircrew training services for closer to delivery with the contract between Embraer and the Indonesian interoperability with the US Armed Forces. the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF’s) KC- Ministry of Defence (MOD) coming Currently in operation on the F-22, 30A air-to-air refuelling tanker. into effect. Indonesia will become the Eurofighter, F-15, F-16, F/A-18, the German The contract will CAE support teams on- newest operator of the aircraft when F-4F, Tornado, Harrier II Plus, the JAS-39 site at the KC-30A training facility at RAAF delivery of the aircraft begins in 2012. Gripen, JA-37 Viggen, and the Norwegian Amberley to provide maintenance and sup - The Super Tucano was selected by Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System port to the simulator on which the aircrews of the Indonesian government following a (NASAMS), and is currently being integrated the KC-30A aircraft will be trained. CAE competitive bidding process in 2010. The on the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). Produced by Australia already works closely with the aircraft was selected for its flexibility and Raytheon Missile Systems, the AMRAAM Australian Defence Force (ADF) on its train - multi-mission capabilities, and the fleet features multi-shot capability, and allows the ing and simulation programmes, currently will carry out light attack, surveillance, pilots the ability to launch at enemy aircraft holding contracts for management and sup - air-to-air interception, and counter insurgence. The Indonesian contract in all weather and light conditions. port of 15 of the ADF’s Aerospace Simulators. also includes ground support stations The agreement will see CAE support the and an integrated logistics package. General Dynamics to support KC-30A training programme between 2012 Australian Army vehicles The Super Tucano is a mature and and 2018. The KC-30A is the RAAF designat - proven aircraft, with 120,000 flight General Dynamics Land Systems has been ed A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport hours to its name, and is operated by a awarded a contract by the Australian (MRTT) aircraft that were purchased by the wide range of armed forces world - Defence Force (ADF) to support and main - Australian government for air-to-air refuel - wide, including the Brazilian Air Force tain Australian Army vehicles that are used ing and personnel transport. Capable of refu - which operates 99 aircraft in the A-29 in Australia and Afghanistan, including the eling F/A-18 Hornets, F-111s, Airborne Early light attack aircraft configuration. It is Abrams tank and light armoured vehicle Warning and Control Wedgetails and Joint equipped with the most recent elec - (LAV) and the Hercules recovery vehicles. Strike Fighters as well as transporting troops tronic/optical/infrared and laser tech - nology, secure radios with datalink Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare domestically or internationally, the KC-30As communications, and advanced announced the new contract, which will be a will be operated by No 33 Squadron located weaponry, and is able to perform mis - performance based contract, meaning that at RAAF Base Amberley. sions across a wide spectrum includ - payment is made on how well the vehicles are The first KC-30A was formally delivered to ing operating from unpaved runways. maintained by the company over the next five and accepted by the DMO on 1 June. In RAAF As advanced training turboprop the years, and is expected to see the vehicles service, the A330 MRTT will be equipped with aircraft offers advanced solutions for maintain high availability with a faster supply two underwing refueling pods, the fly-by- basic to early advanced and weapons of spare parts and quicker repairs. The wire Airbus Military Aerial Refuelling Boom familiarisation training, such as in- Abrams tank and LAV were originally manu - System (ARBS), and a Universal Aerial flight virtual training and also pro - factured by General Dynamics, allowing them Refuelling Receptacle Slipway Installation vides the superb operational character - to leverage the full range of original equip - (UARRSI) enabling it to be refueled from istics required for successful internal security, operation support and count - ment manufacturer engineering, technical another tanker. Australia will be the first er-insurgency (COIN) missions. support network and product service centres. country to operate the A330 MRTT.

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The arrival of nine new MiG- 29K carrier-borne fighter jets will take the total number of the aircraft operated Indian Navy ‘Black Panther’ squadron to 13 including MiG-29KUBs © MiG

INDIA forward-operating bases overseas. As well 29K fighters and four two-seater MiG- as being able to perform tactical airlift, 29KUB trainer combat jets. This is the Indian government approves medical evacuation and airdrop missions, second batch of deliveries under the C-17 purchase the aircraft can transport large payloads agreement, with the first four MiG-29Ks India is to purchase ten C-17 Globemaster and land on short, unprepared runways. and MiG-29KUBs delivered and inducted III heavy lift military aircraft following the The high-wing, four-engine, T-tailed into the Indian Navy’s (IN’s) Black Panther approval of a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) military-transport aircraft is designed to fly squadron in February 2010. with the US government worth 18,000 long distances and land in remote airfields MiG Aircraft Corporation will also crore rupees ($4.1 billion). The Indian in rough, land-locked regions make it a provide flight simulator and technical Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has premier transporter for military, equipment to Indian under the agreement. cleared the proposal that will be the largest humanitarian and peacekeeping missions. An additional contract was signed in March defence technology deal between the US It is able to take off from a 7,600-ft. airfield, 2010 for a further 29 MiG-29K Fulcrum-D and India to date. carry a payload of 160,000 pounds, fly 2,400 carrier-based fighter jets with deliveries to When complete the acquisition nautical miles, re-fuel while in flight and India due to begin during 2012. programme will see the Indian Air Force land in 3,000 ft. or less on a small unpaved The MiG jets are expected to bring (IAF) become the operator of the biggest C- or paved airfield in day or night. significant new capabilities to the INS. 17 fleet outside of the US. The deal includes With an extended range of 3,000 kms and an offset agreement that will see $1.2 billion New fighters for Indian capable of firing air-to-air and air-to-sea pumped into the Indian domestic Armed Forces missiles, the aircraft will bring greatly manufacturing industry, and overall the The Indian Armed Forces have acquired increased aerial defence abilities over the contract will see US-Indian defence deals nine new Russian MiG Aircraft Corporation existing Sea Harrier jump jets. pass the $9 billion mark since the first deal MiG-29K carrier-borne fighter jets from India has purchased the MiG jets to be was signed between the countries less than Russia. The aircraft have been acquired for deployed on the INS Vikramaditya (ex a decade ago. the Indian Navy ‘Black Panther’ squadron Gorshkov) aircraft carrier that is currently The C-17 will provide a vital heavy-lift as part of a contract between the Indian and being refurbished in Russia. Despite capability to the Indian armed forces, Russian governments signed in 2004. significant delays to the re-fit programme including rapid strategic airlift of troops The contract will see Russia deliver 16 Russia is expected to deliver the aircraft and cargo to main operating bases, and jets in total, including 12 single-seater MiG- carrier next year.

MALAYSIA and will see FNSS redesign their PARS 8 X 12 variants that will be known as the AV8. FNSS wins Malaysian armoured 8 armoured vehicle – already in use with The indigenous development and relat - vehicle award the Turkish Armed Forces - to meet cus - ed infrastructure and design, development tomer specifications along with DEFTECH and production capabilities that will come FNSS, a joint venture between BAE Systems who will also manufacture the vehicles in out of the programme will be a welcome Land & Armaments sector and Nurol Malaysia. FNSS will provide technical boost for the Malaysian defence industry. Holding of Turkey, has entered into an assistance and technology transfer to The Malaysian Armed Forces are currently agreement with DEFTECH of Malaysia for DEFTECH as part of the agreement. investing in their land platforms, with the design, development and manufacture The contract will see the first ever indige - FNSS and DEFTECH delivering 211 of DEFTECH AV-8 8 X 8 wheeled armoured nous 8X8 armoured wheeled vehicle for the ADNAN Armoured Combat Vehicles vehicles for the Malaysian armed forces. Malaysian Army. A total of 257 vehicles are (ACV), as well as eight 120mm ACV The agreement also includes integrated to be manufactured under the initial phase Mortar Carriers and 48 additional ADNAN logistics support and is worth $559 million, of the contract, with the family to consist of ACVs under a separate contract.

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Armoured Gunnery TAIWAN & Tactical Simulator Taiwan signs for AH- (AGTS) in 2002. This 64D Apache Block III existing system will be upgraded along Taiwan has become the first with the Infantry export customer to sign on Crew Tactical for the US Army AH-64D Simulator (ICTS), Apache Block III aircraft fol - Armoured Driving lowing the inking of a deal Simulator (ADS) and between the US and Infantry Driving Taiwanese governments on Simulator (IDS). The 10 June. The purchase will new Army Gunnery take the form of a Foreign Tactical & Driving Military Sale (FMS) between Simulation Systems the two nations, with Taiwan will be designed for originally showing interest in ST Electronics (Training & Simulation Systems) will deliver the S$68m Army maximum cost the aircraft in 2008. Gunnery Tactical & Driving Simulation Systems in 2014 © Singapore MoD effectiveness and to The Boeing Apache Block enable easy con- III has been delivered to meet SINGAPORE figuration with a the needs of the US Army, Indigenously developed simulators wide range of turrets and vehicles. has a requirement for 690 air - for Singapore Armed Forces The Army Gunnery Tactical & Driving craft, 51 of which have been Simulation System allows soldiers to train ordered as part of a LRIP con - St Engineering’s electronics arm, St within a full spectrum network centric tract. Boeing has indicated Electronics (Training & Simulation Systems), environment, including training with integrated that there are other countries has been awarded a contract by the Singapore combined arms operations as well as tailored interested in the aircraft, Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) to supply combat scenarios. The flexible system will meet including Saudi Arabia, Army Gunnery Tactical & Driving Simulation the developing training needs of the Singapore which has requested 36 of the Systems. The contract, worth S$68 million, will Armed Forces with its ‘roll in roll out’ concept aircraft from the Defense see a highly flexible simulation system for both gunnery and driving simulators. Security Cooperation Agency developed for the Singapore Army for use with St Electronics will begin work on the (DCSA). various armoured vehicles. programme immediately and full delivery of the The Apache Block III heli - The contract follows a previous order for an systems is scheduled to be completed in 2014. copter is a significant step up in capabilities for the Taiwanese Armed Forces. It builds on the capabilities of THAILAND enhance Thailand’s aerial defence capabilities. the combat-proven AH-64D Saab to update Thailand frigates The aircraft is the world’s most agile fighter for Apache by delivering superi - close combat, with a highly developed secure or flight performance and The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) has issued two and multi-frequency data link, providing total dramatically increased net - contracts to Saab for the upgrade of combat situational awareness for the pilot in all roles. worked communications management and fire control systems onboard The addition of the combat management and capabilities. The aircraft fea - two RTN Naresuan class frigates, at a total cost fire control systems, 9LV Mk4 and CEROS 200, tures open systems architec - of MSEK 454. to the Naresuan class frigates, as well as the ture and 26 advanced tech - Under the contracts Saab will equip the Tacticall communication systems will enable nology improvements, frigates with the latest generation of combat better interoperation between the RTN and the including level 4 unmanned management systems and data-link equipment RTAF airborne units, and bring greater capa - aerial vehicle control for to enable communication between the frigates bilities to communications within the maritime increased situational aware - and Thailand’s Gripen and Saab 340 aircraft. arena. ness. The helicopter has the The Gripen aircraft and the Saab 340 aircraft The Saab Electronic Defence Systems busi - flexibility to rapidly integrate with airborne radar surveillance system, a ness area will supply the Sea Giraffe AMB sur - technology changes through - Saab 340 for transport and education and an veillance radar system as well as data-link out its service life. integrated Command and Control system with equipment for communication with Gripen Taiwan will receive 30 air - data links, were delivered to the Royal Thai Air and the ERIEYE Airborne Early Warning sys - craft in the deal as part of a Force (RTAF) during 2010 and earlier this year tems; while Security and Defence Solutions low-rate initial production as part of a complete air defence system. business area will supply of the combat man - (LRIP) batch and are expect - The addition of the Gripen aircraft, capable agement and fire control systems and the ed to be delivered during of performing an extensive range of air-to-air, Tactical communication systems. Delivery is 2012 - 2013. The Taiwanese air-to-surface and reconnaissance missions expected to be complete by 2014, with deliver - deal is worth an estimated employing the latest weapons, will greatly ies beginning during 2011. $2.5 billion.

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TEMP: 43°C. HUMIDITY: 100%. ROTOR DOWNWASH: 86 KM/H. AND STILL UNDEFEATED. When you need to be ready for the worst conditions, ready with the best performance, the Revision Asian Locust Goggle is your clear choice. It’s engineered to equip the Asian facial structure with the optimal fit and features.

• Best-in-class ballistic protection • Flawless, distortion-free optics

• Widest field-of-view • Superior OcuMax® anti-fog performance • Full-frame ventilation • Interoperable with other equipment • And unmatched defense against the environment – sun, wind, dust, sand and flying debris

“A comfortable goggle that fit my face properly and did not fog up in the heat/humid environment.” – Ofc. R.O., Entry Team Member ASIAN LOCUST MILITARY GOGGLE SYSTEM Provides optimal fit and comfort for Asian soldiers

revisionmilitary. com

© 2010 REVISION MILITARY INC., ASIAN LOCUST™, OCUMAX®, BE REVISION READY.® AND REVISION® ARE TRADEMARKS OF REVISION MILITARY. REVISION MILITARY LTD., 7 CORPORATE DRIVE, ESSEX JUNCTION VT 05452 USA.