october/november 2017. Issue 05. There’s a line in the Sand. See Beyond It.
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08 SEA POWER UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL Gerrard Cowan examines 16 the e orts of weapons manufacturers AIR POWER SMALL TARGETS PRESENT BIG to ensure that close-in weapons CHALLENGES Justin Bronk charts important, recent systems remain potent in the face developments in counter-insurgency of emerging threats. air power, and the increasing precision with which this can be applied.
20 24 28 LAND WARFARE LAND WARFARE TURING A CERTAIN RATIO WHEELS AND TRACKS FOR COMMERCIAL BREAK Stephen W. Miller examines several innovations THE GOD OF WAR Milita demand for commercial satellite in armoured vehicle power pack design to Stephen W. Miller takes the temperature of the communications remains strong, although cope with the increasing demands of vehicle self-propelled artille domain, articulating the considerable debate remains regarding the designers and users. latest design innovations therein. long-term health of the market.
TACTICAL RADIOS AN ARMADA INTERNATIONAL COMPENDIUM SUPPLEMENT
ARMADA COMPENDIUM2017 32 38 : The TrusTed source for defence Technology analysis FUTURE TECHOLOGIES STIRLING TACTICAL RADIOS COMENDIUM LET THERE BE LIGHT DOCTOR AND THE MEDICS Armada’s Tactical Radios Compendium Peter Donaldson casts an eye towards innovations Andrew White examines the medical needs returns once again with Thomas Withington’s in optronics technology, with several recent of special forces troops, and the training round-up of all the important developments innovations falling under the spotlight. developments ongoing to help save their lives. witnessed in the defence communications realm over the last year.
2 . - / . - / 3 INDEX TO ADVERTISERS
ON THE COVER: The need to ensure that ACCUSONIC 19 IDEAS 33 special forces soldiers receive timely medical ADAS 21 INVISIO 5 attention during their mission is examined in ADEX AZERBAIJAN 39 KADEX 49 this issue’s Doctor and the Medics article. (US DOD) Armada ad COVER 3 KONGSBERG 21 AR MODULAR 7 LEMO 9 ARM & SECURITY UKRAINE 47 REVISION MILITARY COVER 4 ASELSAN 5 ROSOBORONEXPORT 7
Volume 41, Issue No.5, October/November 2017 ASTRONICS 25, 15 SAAB DYNAMICS 19 Published bi-monthly by Media Transasia Ltd. ARRETT 9 SINGAPORE AIRSHOW 43 Copyright 2012 by Media Transasia Ltd. B Publishing Office: Media Transasia Ltd., 1603, 16/F, Island Place Tower, 510 King’s Road, Hong Kong BERNIER 17 STEYR MOTORS 13
Editor: Thomas Withington BITTIUM 11 SUBSCRIPTION 11 General Manager: Jakhongir Djalmetov International Marketing Manager: Roman Durksen DATRON COVER 4 WEB SITE AD 50 Digital Manager: David Siriphonphutakun Sales & Marketing Coordinator: Wajiraprakan Punyajai ELBIT COVER 2 3M PELTOR 13 Graphic Designer: Khakanaa Suwannawong Production Manager: Kanda Thanakornwongskul EUROSATORY 41 Circulation Assistant: Yupadee Seabea EXPODEFENSA 45 Chairman: J.S. Uberoi Entries highlighted with Red Number are President: Egasith Chotpakditrakul Chief Financial Officer: Gaurav Kumar FLIR COVER 2 found in TACTICAL RADIOS COMPENDIUM
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4 armadainternational.com - october/november 2017 armadainternational.com - october/november 2017 5 Editorial
Ciao for Now
t the beginning of September, world. For a country which has depended on soft your editor will leave the helm power as much as military might to safeguard and of Armada for new avenues in promote its interests, and those of its allies, this is the defence sector. During his a serious concern. tenure, the world has changed The retreat of any nation away from the norms Asignificantly. Russia has changed from occasion- of cooperation, engagement and multilateralism ally grumbling former great power to an outright will invariably create a vacuum for other nations rival, seeking to actively destabilise political to fill. Whether the UK will survive the Brexit pro- processes in Western democracies as a result of cess intact is a matter of debate, although it seems Kremlin paranoia vis-à-vis the imagined export inevitable that the strategic space vacated by of liberal democracy into that country. Mean- Great Britain will now be occupied by France and while, Western power has undergone a subtle Germany,AD plus a host of other European nations realignment. The United States elected a far right with coalescing political, economic and strategic demagogue with zero experience of geopolitics interests. Meanwhile, democracies such as India, who, despite campaigning on an isolationist Japan and the Republic of Korea could openly platform, is now realising that the problems pre- challenge US strategic pre-eminence in the Asia- sented by the Islamic State of Syria and Iraq, the Pacific. So far, the Trump administration has Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) struck a firm tone regarding the Democratic Peo- and the People’s Republic of China, to name just ple’s Republic of Korea’s nuclear weapons ambi- three, are unsolvable without the international tions, yet concerns over the long-term reliability community. of the US as a guarantor of regional security could Meanwhile, in a fit of Imperial nostalgia, the lead to some of these nations beefing up their own United Kingdom voted to leave the European capabilities as insurance against Uncle Sam get- Union in the grossly mistaken belief that this ting cold feet. would somehow restore the ‘great power’ status The world is at its most uncertain point since which was snatched from Albion’s grasping hands the Al Qaeda attacks in Washington DC and New during the 1956 Suez Crisis. Paradoxically, voters York on 11th September 2001. The world’s armed in the UK and US believed that their democratic forces and defence industry writ large will have choices in 2016 would restore their respective na- to ensure that they are braced for further uncer- tions to greatness. Ironically they now seem cer- tainty. These will be debates which my succes- tain to do the exact opposite. The UK is arguably at sor, the respected defence journalist, friend and its weakest point strategically since the debacle at esteemed colleague Andrew Drwiega, will find Suez, meanwhile Mr. Trump’s election has done himself following as he takes the helm of Armada. Thomas Withington, incalculable damage to the US’ image around the Andrew, you have control! Editor
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6 armadainternational.com - october/november 2017 armadainternational.com - october/november 2017 7 sea power
Raytheon’s Phalanx has been in service since the 1980s, and is based around a radar-guided 20mm Gatling gun; the latest iteration of the system is known as the Phalanx Block-1B Baseline-2.
UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL Close-In Weapons Systems (CIWS) are effectively the ‘last line of defence’ for naval vessels. CIWS have evolved in recent years as the immediate threats to ships have grown more complex, with new avenues of development in the domain for companies and navies alike.
Gerrard Cowan
8 armadainternational.com - october/november 2017 SOLUTIONS FOR HARSH ENVIRONMENTS hese weapons are perhaps best known for providing protection against Anti-Ship
Raytheon Missiles (AShMs) and are usually based on a gun in the 20mm to 35mm range. However, there is considerable variety amongT CIWS, both in terms of the systems themselves and the threats they counter, and the line between them and some other gun systems can easily become blurred. For the US and its NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) allies, one of the best-known CIWSs is Raytheon’s Phalanx family. The Phalanx design has been in service since the 1980s, and is based around a 20mm radar-guided Gatling gun; with the latest iteration of the system known as the Phalanx Block-1B Baseline-2. The US Navy is currently upgrading all its Phalanx systems to this new baseline, with the project set for completion at some point in 2019, said Rick McDonnell, director of close-in defence solutions at Raytheon’s missile systems subsidiary. The major change in the latest upgrade has been a series of performance enhancements to the gun’s radar system, he said. This has worked on a number of levels, including upgrades to the radar signal processing architecture, Mr. McDonnell explained, though he could not go into further detail. The focus for the US Navy over the past decade,
aside from major upgrades such as improvements © Crown Copyright to the radar, has been on boosting the reliability of the system, Mr. McDonnell added, with a variety of subsystems being improved to meet this goal. In addition, there have been changes to the way in which Phalanx systems are upgraded or maintained, he said, LEMO’s range of rugged with e orts to “improve or enhance the way in which quick release connectors systems are maintained or the way they are repaired,” are smaller, lighter and either at pier side or in a land-based facility. The greener for harsh envi- Phalanx design also forms the basis for other weapon ronment applications. systems, which have come into greater demand as the AShM threat has evolved. For example, Raytheon T, M & F Series has been working on installing its RIM-116 Rolling IP68 rating Airframe Missile family passive radar homing and infrared guided surface-to-air missiles on a range of Space saving US ships, said Matt Button, Raytheon’s programme Robust design director for the system. The SeaRAM is a version of the Phalanx design in which an eleven-round Quick release RIM-116 missile launcher replaces the gun. It has been installed mechanism on US Navy ‘Arleigh Burke’ class destroyers, including the USS Light weight material Donald Cook, USS Porter, USS Carney and USS Ross, where it now options operates in tandem with one Phalanx system: “E ectively you’ve added another layer of defence to those ships because they did not RoHS & REACH 2017 previously have the RAM missile,” Mr. Button said: “That gives you MILIPOL Paris-Nord compliant plating a little bit more time to deal with some of these challenging threats.” 21 - 24 Nov 2017 options SeaRAM is also integrated on the US Navy’s ‘Independence’ class Visit us on Littoral Combat Ships (LCSs) and will soon be integrated upon the Stand C 105 Cable assembly service ‘Freedom’ class LCS variant. The RAM missile o ers more range than the Phalanx and has “a very good amount of manoeuvrability to deal with challenging LEMO SA - Switzerland Phone: (+41 21) 695 16 00 threats that have a high amount of manoeuvrability and a high [email protected] degree of speed,” Mr. Button observed. Moreover, the SeaRAM’s www.lemo.com High Quality Connectors and Cables range provides a ‘fi re-and-forget' capability, he added, to deal with sea power Raytheon
Raytheon is replacing the pneumatic drive systems of the US Navy’s Phalanx with electric versions, as pictured here.
one or more incoming threats. Regarding the the Republic of Korea (ROK). The last expanded in recent years. The attack on the conventional Phalanx gun-based system, Goalkeeper for the Netherlands rolled USS Cole ‘Arleigh Burke’ class destroyer by “you have to stay on that threat until you can off the production line in the 1990s, while Al Qaeda insurgents in the port of Aden confirm that you have destroyed it,” he said: the most recent delivery was made to the in October 2000, which killed 17 crew and “The SeaRAM gives you the opportunity to ROK Navy in 2006. Thales has a “running injured 39, highlighted a need to defend use that fire and forget capability.” contract” to upgrade the system for the ships against surface threats. The Phalanx Dutch and Belgian navies, said René de was upgraded to address these concerns Goalkeeper Jongh, Thales’ strategy and marketing as well as threats from slow-moving aerial Another well-known CIWS in the Western director. It also offers the same upgrade targets. These kinds of dangers have only world is Thales’ Goalkeeper; a 30mm package to its international customers increased in recent years, observed Mr. system originally developed by Signaal. through the Goalkeeper Service Life De Jongh: “I think that for the majority While it is mostly associated with the Extension Programme, and the ROK Navy of customers, a real close-in weapon Koninklijke Marine (Royal Netherlands is likely to sign a deal to this effect in the system was not their highest priority until Navy), Goalkeeper has a range of near future, according to Mr. De Jongh. recently … But I think people have become international users, such as Portugal and The range of threats against ships has more aware that these kinds of threats are
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new SizeARMADA_SUBSCRIPTION MAGv2.indd 1 5/19/17 5:42 PM sea power Thales
The last Goalkeeper CIWS for the Royal Dutch Navy rolled off the production line in the 1990s, while the most recent delivery was made to the ROK Navy in 2006.
there.” This has become more pronounced against surface combatants: “There’s a “The existing systems are able to deal with due to the increased threat posed by non- proliferation of unsophisticated systems this … but it is something to keep an eye on. state actors, Mr. De Jongh added: “A state that non-nation states are willing to use We need to ask whether there are things actor attacking a ship is very visible, but it against capital ships, which the ships we can do that can make our systems even is very difficult to do something against a have to defend themselves against,” he more effective?” non-state actor,’ he said. “The only option said adding that because these types While there is a natural concern over the is to defend yourself.” Mr. McDonnell, of weapons are relatively cheap and threats from non-state actors, meanwhile, pointed to attacks on ships unsophisticated, adversaries could Mr. McDonnell pointed out that the more in the port of Aden, where rebels have potentially use them in great volume, traditional threats from nation states used relatively unsophisticated weapons though such an attack has not yet occurred: are also developing rapidly, with AShMs
12 armadainternational.com - october/november 2017 sea power
becoming faster and more manoeuvrable. Eric Wertheim, a naval expert and author of the US Naval Institute’s Combat Fleets of the Thales World, echoed this point, saying that missiles are becoming much faster, stealthier and more manoeuvrable. The aim for missile developers is “to fly past the operational capabilities of the CIWS,” he noted: “It’s constantly a game of catch-up by each side: as the defensive side gets better, the offensive side has to adapt, and once the offensive side adapts it is up to the defensive side to be able to answer that threat,” he said. The threat from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) has also grown more pronounced, with the systems posing significant challenges for vessels: “UAVs Thales’ 30mm Goalkeeper are becoming more ubiquitous, and they’re CIWS has a range of a threat in a lot of different aspects,” international users, remarked Charlie McCullough, director such as Portugal and of maritime business development at BAE the Republic of Korea. Systems: ‘They can carry munitions, and Although no longer in most can be guided to the exact spot on production, the firm continues to support the a ship that the operator wants them to weapon. go.” While BAE Systems does not produce a classic CIWS system in the sense of
armadainternational.com - october/november 2017 13 entwurf1_rev.indd 1 15.09.2017 15:46:43 sea power
While not a CIWS in the sense of targeting anti-ship missiles, BAE Systems’ Mk.38 Mod.3 defends ships against such growing challenges as surface vessels and UAVs.
14 armadainternational.com - october/november 2017 sea power
targeting AShMs, the company makes energy weapon as an adjunct to the Mk. 38, a range of weapons that defend ships Mr. McCullough said. He emphasised the against such growing challenges as surface benefits of using both a laser and a more vessels and UAVs, notably the firm’s Mk.38 traditional gun: “You still have the optics BAE Systems BAE BAE Systems BAE Mod.3 naval gun, Mr. McCullough added. and the situational awareness that the In addition, the company is leading the gun brings to the ship, but now you have development of the US Navy’s Office of the laser piece; that really helps with the Naval Research (ONR) electromagnetic saturation problem, because when you (EM) rail gun; a technology that uses high- fire a laser you still have the same amount power electromagnetic energy instead of of ammunition in your magazine. That’s explosive chemical propellants to launch the beauty of lasers.” Such systems could projectiles faster and further than other in theory eventually replace Phalanx, systems: Such technology could have Goalkeeper and similar guns, Mr. Wertheim significant applications in the CIWS space, said, but this would be a long process, while Mr. McCullough observed: “I would see an smaller ships are likely to continue to use electromagnetic launched system being guns as they would not have the power something that would be relevant to the generation capacity to support directed CIWS threat set, but also (longer-range energy weapons: “The larger systems might threats) as well.” eventually transition to directed energy,” he said, “but guns still have a very Directed Energy important place, especially on smaller Directed energy systems are another vessels that are not able to handle the power emerging area with potential uses in CIWS, for directed energy.” perhaps most notably through the US It will take time to work out how laser Navy’s AN/SEQ-3 Laser Weapon System systems will ultimately be built into the (LAWS), which has been tested on the USS surface fleet, argued Mr. McDonnell. He Ponce ‘Austin’ class amphibious assault pointed to a new US Navy effort, the High ship, using the Phalanx’s radar and fire Energy Laser With Integrated Optical- control systems. Rheinmetall, producer Dazzler and Surveillance (HELIOS) project. of the 35mm Rheinmetall/Oerlikon The navy is currently soliciting proposals Millennium Gun, is also looking into the for HELIOS, with Raytheon as one of the potential of such technology. Rheinmetall bidders. “This programme will be the proof has conducted trials in which the in the pudding for directed energy,” Mr. Millennium Gun’s cannon is replaced with McDonnell said. “this is intended to be lasers, and has worked with the German something that’s much more representative Navy on developing a High-Energy Laser of what you might actually have in (HEL) effector. Mr. Wertheim said directed operation.” energy systems are the ‘Holy Grail’ of the However, Phalanx is set to remain in CIWS domain: “That technology is by far use for decades to come, Mr. McDonnell the biggest game changer, because you do said, with any laser system likely to work not need to be concerned about magazine alongside it, rather than replacing it. capacity,” he explained: “When you’re Looking forward, Raytheon and the US talking about CIWS, very often they have Navy has been laying the groundwork for limited magazine capacity, and it’s very a technology refresh of Phalanx, including expensive to launch defensive missiles. modernisation of the Gatling gun, replacing Directed energy alleviates a lot of that.” the pneumatic drive systems with electronic One of the major advantages of directed equivalents. This would boost the reliability energy is the possibility of a theoretically of the system, he said: “We did some almost unlimited magazine depth, he said. demonstration work last year and are now “Right now potential adversaries can build working with the US Navy on requirements offensive missiles cheaper than we build for an electric gun, which replaces all the defensive missiles, so in theory it’s only a drive systems for that Gatling gun with an matter of time before you get overwhelmed, electronic motor and electronic controls.” and you have to leave the battle to re-arm,” Mr. McDonnell added. The overall goal is Mr. Wertheim noted. “Once you get to to ready the system for the challenges of an directed energy, once you get to something ever-evolving threat: “We want to give the that’s more affordable, then you even the user flexibility to adapt the way the gun is equation out.” being used to whatever particular situation BAE Systems has installed a directed- they find themselves in.”
armadainternational.com - october/november 2017 15 air power
SMALL TARGETS MBDA PRESENT BIG CHALLENGES
Counter Insurgency (COIN) campaigns present some of the most demanding missions for military aircraft involved in Close Air Support (CAS). Yet improvements in sensors and weapons are honing the ability of air power to deliver decisive effects in this regard. A brace of six Brimstone-II SSMs is seen here beneath the wings of a Typhoon FGR4, port and starboard Justin Bronk of the aircraft’s drop tanks.
n spite of the limited presence of direction in relation to friendly forces and wavering domestic support for continuing traditional anti-aircraft threats are often either ‘danger-close’ to friendly operations, witness the event in April when such as Surface-to-Air Missiles troops or civilians, raising the possibility a misdirected US airstrike killed 18 friendly (SAMs) and Anti-Aircraft Artillery of ‘blue-on-blue’ or collateral damage Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces militia (AAA), aircraft involved in incidents. Furthermore, since COIN in Tabqua, northern Syria. Isupporting COIN operations have to cover operations are usually discretionary rather As a result, Western aircraft, weapons vast geographical areas to help detect and than existential conflicts for Western and sensors used to provide air support to bring force to bear on concealed enemy forces, civilian and friendly casualties are COIN operations have had to evolve over the forces that can attack from almost any a potentially strategic issue due to fears of past decade and a half, driven by the demands
16 armadainternational.com - october/november 2017 air power USAF
Strategic bombers have experienced a renaissance in recent US-led counter-insurgency efforts due in part to their ability to carry a large number of PGMs, such as this USAF B-52H
of Iraq and Afghanistan. Using aircraft bombers could devastate large targets such and the Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire to conduct strikes and ISR (Intelligence, as Hanoi in northern Vietnam but caused laser/semi-active radar guided Air-to- Surveillance and Reconnaissance) gathering so much collateral damage in doing so Surface Missile (ASM) family have become in support of COIN operations dates back that large air campaigns like Operation synonymous with COIN operations in Iraq to at least the Malayan Emergency of 1948 LINEBACKER-II courted strategic defeat and Afghanistan. The latest British PGMs until 1960 when the Royal Air Force used via political blowback both domestically and used in COIN operations are the Raytheon late model Supermarine Spitfire piston- internationally; the operation was criticised Paveway-IV GPS/INS or laser-guided engine fighters and Avro Lincoln piston- by the governments of Australia and Sweden, PGM, and MBDA Brimstone-II laser/active engine strategic bombers for everything whilst still failing to defeat either the North radar homing SSM. These represent the from reconnaissance and direct strikes, Vietnamese Army or Viet Cong insurgent culmination of various trends in PGM and to the distribution of psychological forces. However, the arrival of the first COIN-specific weapon developments since warfare materials. The US involvement laser guided bombs in the guise of the Texas the late Cold War. Both weapons include in the Vietnam War between 1965 and Instruments GBU-10 Paveway-I/II series in dual mode capabilities, and the case of 1975 showcased the difficulties inherent the closing stages of the war was a harbinger the Paveway-IV the option of GPS/INS in bringing firepower to bear effectively of the coming transformation in the ability guidance or laser guidance depending on against a well-concealed enemy that relied of air power to support troops in COIN target type and weather conditions. The mainly on ambush warfare and could strike operations. Brimstone-II can be laser-guided but also unpredictably over large geographical includes a millimetric radar seeker which areas. Whilst fast jets such as the iconic Smaller Bombs allows for extreme accuracy against vehicles McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom-II fighter Although they were developed for use and a fire-and-forget mode if desired. family were used regularly for providing against pinpoint military targets and Both the Paveway-IV and Brimstone- CAS to troops in contact, their accuracy vehicles in state-on-state warfare, Precision II are examples of a move towards lower with unguided and napalm bombs left much Guided Munitions (PGMs) such as the explosive yield, higher precision and to be desired. Enemy forces were often Boeing Joint Direct Attack Munition selectable effects weapons: The Paveway- unscathed and collateral damage amongst (JDAM) family of Global Positioning IV is a 500 pound/lb (227 kilograms/kg) friendly forces and sometimes civilians System/Inertial Navigation System (GPS/ weapon which has replaced the RAF’s was an all too often occurrence. Massed air INS) guided weapons, the Lockheed Raytheon Enhanced Paveway-II 1000lb fleets including Boeing B-52 family strategic Martin/Raytheon Paveway series bombs (454.5kg) class bomb for almost all COIN
armadainternational.com - october/november 2017 17 air power USAF
Aircraft such as the EMB-314 offer the potential to perform lower-cost COIN operations, compared to the use of fast jets.
operations following the introduction of away from the wreck. In supporting the strategic value of such capabilities. the P1Eb multirole software standard on US-led intervention in Iraq and Syria, this The combination of great precision and the service’s Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4s combination of capabilities allowed RAF the consequent increase in the number of Tranche-2/3 aircraft. It uses proportional aircraft to destroy insurgent vehicles and targets that can effectively be hit during control inputs with a corresponding range even individual snipers in buildings with each sortie has enabled huge increases in and precision enhancement over previous absolutely minimal risk to nearby civilians. the efficacy of air support to modern COIN Paveway and JDAM family bombs, and can The capabilities of the latest generation operations compared to the Vietnam era. be configured for various burst settings of PGMs allow for the widest range of Laser guidance has not only enabled strike and flight profiles including lateral impact collateral damage limitation techniques in aircraft to deliver ordnance with great profiles for buildings. Meanwhile the difficult COIN situations where civilians accuracy even against moving targets by Brimstone-II missile, whilst originally and/or friendly forces are in close proximity self-designation, but has given ground designed to allow a single aircraft to to enemy positions, permitting more forces the ability to guide in their own destroy large numbers of enemy main potential targets to be hit where previously supporting munitions exactly where they battle tanks in high intensity warfare, has they could not have been struck within want them during a fire fight using portable been developed into a dual-mode weapon operational and political risk tolerances. laser designators. Joint Terminal Attack which is extremely well suited to COIN They also allow strategic bombers to be Controllers have come to be seen as near- operations due to its very small explosive used as flying arsenals during large scale essential for infantry forces operating yield and extreme accuracy, along with operations in COIN environments, given against insurgents given the need to quickly a small size and weight which allows up that they are to deliver huge numbers of communicate the required information to to three to be carried in place of a single precision strikes over an extended period pilots in the heat of battle. Precision guided previous-generation anti-armour missile of time. However, the trade-off is extremely munitions, coupled with the introduction like the Raytheon AGM-65 Maverick high in munitions costs compared to of powerful sensor pods such as Rafael family laser/optically guided SSM. An previous weapons. Where $130,300 missiles Advanced Defence Systems AN/AAQ-28(V) RAF Panavia Tornado-GR4A pilot with are being used to kill individual snipers or Litening and Lockheed Martin AN/AAQ- combat experience told the author how a destroy makeshift armed pickup trucks, 33 Sniper targeting pods have enabled the Brimstone-II missile he fired at two enemy questions about value for money are provision of CAS to troops involved in combatants on a motorcycle travelling at bound to arise. However, if these exquisite COIN operations to be conducted from high speed during NATO’s (North Atlantic munitions allow engagements to occur above 15000 feet/ft (4572 metres/m), rather Treaty Organisation) 2011 intervention in at critical tactical moments in COIN than the previous fighter-bomber tactic of the Libyan Civil War, hit the diminutive campaigns where otherwise air support strafing and dive-bombing attacks at low vehicle directly on the engine block and would have been impossible or caused so level in the face of AAA. the explosive content was so small that much damage as to be counterproductive, The ability to standoff at altitude one of them was wounded but able to walk then it is hard to overestimate the potential whilst still retaining sufficient precision
18 armadainternational.com - october/november 2017 air power
groups often have access to MANPADS, this is a very significant advantage, and it also reduces the danger of flying accidents caused by the need to regularly train for extremely low level strike scenarios. As
Tangmere Museum Tangmere a result of the lengthy nature of COIN campaigns and the fact that air support can be required at short notice over long distances, tankers such as the US Air Force’s (USAF) ubiquitous Boeing KC- The RAF’s Avro Lincoln 135R/T Stratotanker refuelling aircraft participated in the are essential to allow tactical aircraft like Malayan Emergency and the General Dynamics/Lockheed Martin would represent one of F-16 Fighting Falcon and Tornado-GR4 the few uses of a strategic fighter families to work effectively in bomber to support COIN operations in the post- such operations. These multirole jets war era. offer excellent transit speeds to wherever support is needed, able to cover hundreds of nautical miles in minutes. However, they burn huge amounts of fuel and have and situational awareness to hit pinpoint 9K38 Igla IR guided MANPADS which limited internal fuel capacities especially targets has also greatly reduced the threat generally cannot engage fixed wing targets if carrying heavy ordinance on external to aircraft from Man-Portable Air Defence above around 12000ft (3658m) but are very hardpoints. This limits loiter time over Systems (MANPADS) such as the Raytheon dangerous at low level as was proven in targets and increases in-theatre logistical FIM-92A Stinger family infrared (IR) Afghanistan in the 1980s, and during the demands for tankers and fuel supplies, guided SAM and KBM 9K32 Strela-2 and 1991 Persian Gulf War. Since insurgent often a hazardous task in itself regarding
armadainternational.com - october/november 2017 19 air power
ambush, and IED (Improvised Explosive forces with the primary task of COIN, such engines are also inexpensive to operate, Device) menaced re-supply routes. On the as many South American air arms and with manufacturers such as Textron and other hand, fast jets can offer not only speed the fledgling Afghan Air Force, fast jets Embraer touting sub-$1000 costs per flight of response but also the accurate delivery of are an inappropriate solution to mission hour. Given that close air support to COIN precision munitions, tactical ISR support requirements. operations does not typically involve using targeting pods, and less-than-lethal dealing with advanced air or SAM threats shows of force with high speed low passes Light Options with the possible exception of MANPADS, to keep insurgent forces’ heads down where Light attack aircraft and helicopter the raw performance of fast jets is usually kinetic strikes are not possible or desirable. gunships are generally the platforms of unnecessary. Light attack aircraft can offer They also retain their core utility to fight in choice for exclusively COIN-focused air better time on station with surprisingly high threat environments and form part of a forces. Compared to fast jets, they offer heavy ordinance payloads including modern nations’ conventional deterrence and power much greater potential time on station PGMs and targeting pods. projection capabilities. In other words, without in-flight refuelling whilst still being Retired RAF Air Marshal Greg Bagwell fighters equipped with targeting pods and able to carry powerful sensor suites and points out that “the choice (facing air PGMs can, with tanker support, allow air pods, as well as a wide assortment of PGM forces) is investment between the most arms which are configured and equipped and conventional munitions. Compared likely and most dangerous tasks that are for high intensity warfighting to perform to multirole fast jets, light attack aircraft likely to be faced. There is no doubt that very effectively in COIN operations, albeit such as the Embraer EMB-314 Super Tucano light attack aircraft have their place in some with a hefty price tag. However, for air which utilise fuel-efficient turboprop circumstances, but one of the dilemmas
20 armadainternational.com - october/november 2017 AIR POWER
options, helicopter gunships can have a much closer direct presence on the USAF battlefi eld at low altitudes with heavy guns, rockets and missiles due to their ability to loiter at very low or zero air speed. However, for the same reason they are much more vulnerable to ground fi re, and are historically speaking more likely to cause collateral damage due to their greater reliance on unguided weapons and more limited situational awareness, in some situations, compared to fi xed-wing aircraft orbiting at medium altitudes. It is worth remembering, of course, that high intensity air operations in crowded airspace, often over countries with little in the way of air tra c management is almost impossible without critical enablers such as airborne early warning aircraft for command and control, tankers and a myriad of ISR assets such as the RAF’s Bombardier/ Raytheon Sentinel R.1 surveillance aircraft KONGSBERG to allow huge areas of territory to be KONGSBERG creates and monitored for changes in patterns of life, delivers high technology enemy movements and other tell-tale signs solutions for people of insurgent activities. that operate under very One capability which bridges both challenging conditions – the crucial enduring ISR role, and also on the oceans, in the deep the low-cost, high precision, high loiter subsea, in defence, in space time CAS role is the Medium-Altitude, Long-Endurance (MALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Arguably the most signifi cant product of a decade and a half of air operations in support of COIN The MQ-9 Reaper family arguably represents the culmination of campaigns, UAVs like the General Atomics many lessons learned in recent MQ-1 Predator and more capable MQ-9 years as regards COIN airpower. Reaper families have revolutionised what ISR can deliver without modern air opposition. The latest iterations of the MQ-9 can remain over a mission area for that air forces need to resolve is whether more than 20 hours at a time and provide in meeting its most likely tasks in the most pattern of life intelligence through their cost e ective way, it is taking too great a risk capacity for long term endurance for against its most dangerous or demanding extended periods of time, in addition tasks?” As AM Bagwell explains, this is to their full motion video surveillance because “light aircraft may be suitable (in capabilities. With the added option to attack capability and cost terms) for relatively targets themselves, they can also provide low threat or benign operations (such as direct precision fi repower to ground COIN), but they become vulnerable at best forces in addition to invaluable situational and useless at worst when pitched into a awareness throughout any given operation. contested air environment, and (the US led However, even more so than light attack coalition) has seen recently in Syria how aircraft and helicopters, MALE UAVs are quickly the air threat can escalate. If an extremely vulnerable to even outdated air air force is likely to operate against higher defence systems and so cannot provide threats it may be more cost e ective to support to operations in the face of an accept a degree of overmatch for the more opponent capable of reaching air targets benign roles in order to de-risk the more above around 15000ft. They are perhaps the www.kongsberg.com dangerous ones.” ultimate currently-operational example of In contrast to fi xed-wing air support combat aircraft specialised for COIN.
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his March, the United States Department of Defence
Boeing (DOD) commenced a study to examine how it can secure adequate SATCOM for the US armedT forces in the coming years. Known as the Wideband Communications Service Analysis of Alternatives (WCS AOA) study, the effort will examine how advances in the commercial SATCOM world could be folded into the provision of satellite communications for the military, according to the DOD. Currently, the emerging core of the US DOD’s satellite communications is provided by the US and Australian DODs’ Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) constellation which is being led by the United Launch Alliance; a consortium which comprises Boeing and Lockheed Martin as prime contractors. To date, nine WGS satellites have been launched, and these spacecraft will augment, and eventually replace, the current US DOD Defence Satellite Communications System-III (DSCS-III) constellation of 14 spacecraft. Each WGS satellite will supply 4.875 gigahertz (GHz) of instantaneous satellite bandwidth; up to ten times the bandwidth offered by the DSCS-II satellites. That said, the dependence that the US DOD has on satellite communications means that it will The US is examining continue to require additional bandwidth mechanisms by from the private sector. In this regard, US which its proprietary military SATCOM demand is typical of a trend being witnessed systems such as the across many nations around the world where WGS constellation sovereign SATCOM capabilities are being could be augmented augmented through private sector provision. with the provision of SATCOM from Leased Services commercial suppliers. In June 2016, the Bundeswehr (the German ministry of defence) signed a contact worth $131.2 million with Airbus’ defence and space subsidiary to provide commercial leased SATCOM bandwidth to the German armed forces until 2023. This, according to reports, included the provision of X-band COMMERCIAL (7.9GHz to 8.4GHz uplink/7.25GHz to 7.75GHz downlink) and Ultra High Frequency (UHF: 240 megahertz/MHz to 270MHz) SATCOM via Airbus’ Intelsat commercial SATCOM BREAK provider. A separate contract had also been Despite a reduction in US strategic commitments around the world, concluded with Airbus for the commercial the commercial Satellite Communications (SATCOM) industry is provision of C-band (5.925GHz to 6.425GHz uplink/3.7GHz to 4.2GHz downlink) and confident that military demand will increase as countries seek to Ku-band (14GHz uplink/10.9GHz to 12.75GHz diversify supply and augment nationally-owned capabilities. downlink) SATCOM services. These will now be supplemented and perhaps replaced by the provision of Ku-band and Ka-band Thomas Withington (26.5GHz to 40GHz uplink/18GHz to 20GHz
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While SATCOM services for military
DLR customers are migrating onto satellites owned by non-traditional communications providers, as exemplified by Indonesia’s Rakyat Bank initiative traditional commercial SATCOM suppliers continue to innovate their products for military customers. For example, Inmarsat has launched its G2X service which, according to Andy Start, president of the firm’s global government business, provides “near global coverage on a single network, together with a suite of both commercial Ka-band and dual commercial and military Ka-band terminal options.” Mr. Start adds that “the key advantages of this service are the small size of the terminals, compelling pricing and the fact that they don’t need SATCOM experts to operate them.” Other products recently rolled out by the firm include its LTAC L-band (one gigahertz Germany’s Heinrich Hertz to two gigahertz) tactical satellite service satellite, an artist’s impression of which is shown here, will for aviation users. Mr. Start continues that provide the German armed are providing SATCOM for their nations’ the firm has witnessed significant use of its forces with Ku- and Ka-band militaries. An instructive example in this military Ka-band services over the past year. communications. regard is Indonesia’s Telkom Indonesia New spacecraft are also on the horizon and he which owns and operates the Telkom-1 notes that “we’ve contracted for our fifth even and Telkom-2 C-band satellites, launched higher capacity GX satellite to be delivered in downlink) SATCOM using the German armed on 16th November 2005. These craft have a couple of years and we are already in build forces’ new OHB/German Aerospace Centre since been augmented with the firm’s on two even more powerful sixth generation Heinrich Hertz satellite, the go-ahead for Telkom-3S satellite which can handle L-band and Ka-band satellites.” which was given by the German parliament C-band and Ku-band communications. on 28th June. This programme, which covers Moreover, in November 2016, Airbus Provision Ingenuity the satellite’s design, construction and launch, announced a partnership with Gigasat to ViaSat is one of the largest providers is expected to be worth $352 million, with the provide military X-band SATCOM to the of commercial SATCOM for military separate award of a 15-year contract to cover Indonesian military across the Asia-Pacific customers in the Middle East and North the satellite’s operation. This new spacecraft using the firm’s Skynet-5 constellation. Africa, although the firm is quick to point will supplement and eventually replace As reported in July, the Tentara Nasional out that it has a worldwide presence the two COMSATBw-1 and COMSATBw Indonesia-Angkatan Laut (TNI-AU/ supplying similar services to customers -2 spacecraft which form the German Indonesian Navy) is one of the beneficiaries in the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe. armed forces’ SATCOMBw constellation of this provision with its three ‘Makassar’ The firm offers both Ku- and Ka-band providing UHF and X-band (7.9GHz to amphibious assault ships being able to use 8.4GHz uplink/7.25GHz to 7.75GHz downlink) the Ku-band SATCOM services provided SATCOM. By July 2010, both COMSATBw by the Telkom-3S satellite, following vehicles were declared operational, and open antennae installations to this end, with the sources note that they are expected to have fleet’s ‘Diponegoro’ and ‘Bung Tomo’ class UK MOD a life span of circa 15 years, making it likely corvettes also benefiting. This SATCOM that they will be retired in circa 2025. While coverage will be capable of providing voice the Heinrich Hertz satellite will provide and data communications. Additional Ku-band and Ka-band communications, this C-band and Ku-band SATCOM will be leaves questions as to where the Bundeswehr provided to the TNI-AU via the BRISAT will source its provision of UHF, C-band and spacecraft owned by Indonesia’s Rakyat X-band communications once the commercial Bank which was launched in June 2016. SATCOM provision contracts with Airbus run their course, and the COMSATBw spacecraft enter their graveyard orbit. The Indonesian armed forces, in particular the country’s navy, are now benefiting from the New Operators provision of SATCOM services using the Skynet-5 Alongside leased SATCOM services, constellation; an example of which is depicted here. domestic telecommunications operators
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coverage and, according to Ken Peterman,
its president of government systems, ViaSat ViaSat is witnessing a change in the way customers procure SATCOM for their militaries: “In the past, customers have purchased raw bandwidth or capacity. What we are seeing now is that customers want a global SATCOM service, and an integrated service package.” This demand translates into customers looking for SATCOM service plans that combine bandwidth and speed with other provisions such as network management and cyber defence, for example, Mr. Peterman observes. The latter requirement is particularly important given warnings voiced in July by the US Army’s director of architecture, operations, networks and space Major General Peter Gallagher that SATCOM writ large is operating in an increasingly contested ViaSat offers several SATCOM services electromagnetic environment with both to military customers. These can include conventional electronic warfare and cyber the provision of connectivity for military attacks converging to present serious aircraft; an increasingly important threats. To this end, in September 2016 consideration to enable the sharing of data shared pool over the internet, automatically Belarus’ KB Radar Design Bureau unveiled across platforms and bases. introduces resiliency into the provision of its Tourman-2 satellite communications SATCOM services by allowing the company and navigation jammer capable of jamming to provide “assured and secured cloud transmissions from the Inmarsat, Iridium jamming against the Iridium constellation access even in the presence of jamming and Thuraya satellite constellations, the over a bandwidth of 1.616GHz to 1.626GHz threats and cyber threats.” company claimed. Open source reports using a minimum output power of 15 watts. Allied to the firm’s provision of state that the Tourman-2 can perform Essentially, ViaSat is providing a suite of ‘bundled’ SATCOM services, Mr. Peterman barrage (wideband) and spot (specific) services which the customer can tailor adds that the ability to “dynamically frequency jamming across a waveband of to their requirements and Mr. Peterman marshal” SATCOM capacity is a sine qua 1.525GHz to 1.559GHz directed against the continues that cloud computing, where non for customers: “In the commercial Inmarsat and Thuraya constellations, with software and services are available via a market, if we have a World Cup or a G20 summit, there will be enormous demand in a small area.” Such challenges translate into the military sphere. At its high point, the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisaton)
US DOD led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan saw the participation of 51 nations and the mind boggles as to the SATCOM demands of such a large number of coalition partners not only for beyond line-of-sight communications within Afghanistan, but also to provide a link between the Afghanistan theatre of operations and national command authorities. ViaSat is ensuring that it can provide enhanced capability to an area The US military of high demand “in microseconds,” Mr. remains the world’s Peterman states. The firm is committed to largest customer for increasing the capacity it can offer to its commercial SATCOM customers through the introduction of its provision, despite forthcoming ViaSat-3 global constellation its demand having of three spacecraft, “which will each lessened somewhat in recent years. provide more than a terabit of data per second, and once in service will offer worldwide coverage.” He continues that
24 armadainternational.com - october/november 2017 TURING
“capacity is the means of coverage that you can use to overcome a customers in Sub-Saharan Africa, although this part of the continent number of problems. If you want to use a satellite communications is starting from a low base in terms of the anticipated market size, system with a small antenna, we can use this capacity to overcome with east and south-east Asia expected to remain as attractive markets the limitations in the small size of that antenna.” He cites an over the coming decade. analogy from the civilian cellular communications world: “The Diversifi cation, Mr. Smart believes, could help the commercial antenna on your smartphone is small and ine cient, and you can’t SATCOM market for military customers to develop: “There even fi nd it, but you can use it because cell phone networks got have been some interesting policy shifts over the last year as better and got richer in terms of capacity.” Mr. Peterman adds that governments become more concerned about threats to military the design of all three ViaSat-3 craft is well underway with their satellites and therefore see the need for increased diversity in launch “a couple of years away.” the number of satellites they use.” Redundancy is an important Regarding the current, and future, health of the commercial consideration in SATCOM provision, particularly in light of the SATCOM market for military customers Mr. Peterman observes growth of anti-satellite weapons such Russia’s PL-19 Surface-to-Air that “the overall defence market’s been pretty inconsistent, and Missile (SAM) which was tested in November 2015, together with the that means the SATCOM market, in this regard, has been pretty People’s Republic of China’s SC-19 SAM and the US Raytheon RIM- inconsistent too.” For example, the Stockholm International Peace 161 Standard Missile-3 family SAM which have shown themselves Research Institute has observed that global defence spending has capable of destroying satellites. fl uctuated reaching $1686 billion in 2016 which represented a 0.4 Other market drivers are visible, Mr. Peterman continues, percent increase from 2015, and the fi rst consecutive annual increase notably ongoing geopolitical instability which is requiring the since global defence spending reached $1699 billion in 2011. Mr. Start world’s militaries to ensure that they retain SATCOM to provide posits that “commercial SATCOM has been under pressure over the intra- and inter-theatre communications, and the push towards last fi ve years, with a general drawdown in the number of deployed moving SATCOM to the lowest tactical levels. For example, the US troops globally.” However, he notes that “we are starting to see signs Navy’s Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) UHF constellation that the market decline has fl attened.” places SATCOM in the hands of the platoon via the General Dynamics AN/PRC-155 and Harris AN/PRC-117G multiband THE ROAD AHEAD manpack radios which can carry the MUOS waveform. One such David Belcher, analysis manager at Avascent, a Washington DC concept of operations could see a platoon of soldiers equipped with based consultancy, argues that the market for commercial SATCOM handheld radios and one of the manpack radios mentioned above for military customers is currently experiencing a slow rate decline, routing their communications via the manpack radio, and over which he attributes to reducing US commitments around the globe. the MUOS constellation, to another similar manpack radio and Although US forces remain in both the Afghan and Iraqi theatres, thence to another soldier equipped with a handheld transceiver. the bulk of combat troops had been withdrawn from both areas Importantly, this could reduce the disruption to VHF and UHF by 2014 and 2011 respectively. This had the direct e ect of reducing communications which can sometimes be caused in urban or the demand for commercial SATCOM in these theatres. That said, rugged areas where buildings or mountains can obstruct line-of- Mr. Start maintains that: “The US government is the world’s single sight radio tra c. As so often, when the US military leads other largest acquirer of commercial SATCOM and that’s unlikely to armed forces may follow and increasingly demand the provision of change over the next ten years, as they see the benefi t of a mix of SATCOM services for such tactical echelons. services and acquired satellite capability.” Conversely, any new large scale US deployment around the world could see an upswing in SATCOM demand, Mr. Belcher adds. Similarly, the so-called ‘Internet of Things’ (IOT) by which equipment and machines have embedded computer connectivity enabling them to access the internet and to share details on their condition, or the data they are gathering, could trigger an increase for the demand for commercial SATCOM by military customers, Mr. Belcher believes. Radars, optronics, vehicles and aircraft; to name just a small selection of military platform and vehicle types, could increasingly be connected to wider networks to share data as well as health and usage information. This could require signifi cant bandwidth to ensure that this can be shared both within and without an operational theatre. Nevertheless, Mr. Belcher warns that the advent of new nationally-owned communications satellites could serve to slow military demand for commercial SATCOM as nations which had perhaps previously relied on this resource migrate communications to their new spacecraft. India, for example, inducted its new GSAT-17 C-band/S-band communications satellite into service on 29th June. This will almost certainly serve to reduce this country’s dependence on leased SATCOM for its armed forces. Yet, as Mr. Belcher argues, demand could grow for commercial SATCOM provision for military
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WHEELS AND TRACKS FOR THE GOD OF WAR Self-Propelled Artillery (SPA) has many inherent
advantages over towed artillery. Systems BAE These include its greater tactical mobility, the ability to provide protection to the crew, the carriage of onboard ammunition, and the possibility for automation of all firing functions.
Stephen W. Miller
he last feature, in particular, The US Army offers a number of possible M-109A7 is the benefits that enhance the latest update to the 155mm howitzer utility of the other three. By first fielded in 1963. integrating inertial navigation Improvements and GPS (Global Positioning System) have included T adding automotive technology into the SPA, the platform is provided with the capability to accurately commonality with know its exact location and direction at the M2 Bradley IFV and an electric any time. This location can be directly and turret drive. instantly fed to the SPA’s computerised fire control system thereby addressing one of the three critical prerequisites for accurate indirect fire gunnery; the precise location will cause comparatively greater casualties guns into applications that previously of the firing gun. This, coupled with the and destruction since the opponent has were dominated by towed systems such as SPA’s mobility permits the weapon to be less time to take cover, disperse or move supporting expeditionary, airborne and on the move when it receives a call for fire, away from the impact area. These tactical light combat forces. This is because truck- and to then quickly halt and execute the advantages are all actual and possible SPA mounted guns are lighter and more easily fire mission in seconds. Since the SPA can characteristics, but more difficult, if not air transported than traditional tracked then displace as soon as the fire mission impossible, to achieve for towed artillery. SPAs, yet they still provide a means to apply is completed it is more difficult for the For these reasons many recent land many of the advantageous technologies enemy to locate it using counter-battery forces acquisitions and technology of the SPA while having sufficient ground radar that detects outgoing rounds as developments have focused on SPAs. mobility to move quickly, fire and displace. a means of locating the SPA. Thus, the This has been particularly the case for This innovation is causing a number of survivability of the SPA is increased. armies where ground force manoeuvre is armies to convert some towed batteries to Having on-board ammunition and a power paramount. SPAs can also compensate truck-mounted systems. In general self- source enables the SPA to be equipped to a degree for a numerical disadvantage propelled artillery comprise the majority of with an automated loading system. This in that fewer guns equipped with the today’s new acquisitions, and upgrade and further enhances the speed of response aforementioned capabilities can accomplish improvement programmes. while increasing the rate of fire. The ability fire support tasks equivalent to a larger force. to deliver rounds with less time between Initiatives to develop and refine wheeled Tracked SPA each firing magnifies their effectiveness. truck chassis based SPAs have further The tracked self-propelled gun remains Several rounds impacting on the enemy expanded the fielding of self-propelled the core system to provide mobile indirect
26 armadainternational.com - october/november 2017 LAND WARFARE
fire support in the majority of the world’s operational test with full scale production makes a 40 kilometre/km (29 mile) range armoured forces. As a result, much of expected to be approved in early 2018. possible, but allows for auto loading giving the focus has been on modernising and Other M-109 users have emphasised a ten rounds-per-minute rate-of-fire, and upgrading existing systems. BAE System’s extending the system’s range, reducing the 50 percent reduction of the crew to four. M-109 Paladin family is a prime example. crew size with automation, and enhancing Candidates for this and other gun upgrades With versions fielded by almost forty armies responsiveness to calls for fire. Industrial include Middle East armies particularly the including local designs based on it, the cooperations involving firms, firms like Israeli Defence Force which has planned M-109 continues to have new technologies Elbit, Leonardo, Rheinmetall and RUAG an artillery update for several years and and improvements applied to it. Deepak have exchanged the existing 39 calibre Saudi Arabia. The PzH-2000 maximizes Bazar, director of Bradley and artillery gun with 47, 49 or 52 calibre models. A use of current technologies to increase programmes at BAE Systems, shared details Rheinmetal spokesperson stated that their system performance and responsiveness. of its latest efforts referred to at the M-109 use of the gun of the new Krauss-Maffei In addition to the 52 calibre gun and PIM (Paladin Integrated Management) Wegmann (KMW) PzH-2000 SPA not only auto loading its automation, integrated programme which will bring the US Army howitzer and its accompanying M-992 Field Artillery Ammunition Support Vehicle
(FAASV) fleet improved mobility, reliability Nexter and performance. He explained that “although much of the focus is on automotive aspects their implementation are essential prerequisites to accomplishing any future The CAESAR was firepower improvements like, for example developed specifically a gun with longer range.” With increased to address the need power, suspension upgrades derived from for self-propelled artillery that could be the United Defence/BAE Systems’ M-2 used by expeditionary Bradley family tracked infantry fighting forces and deployed by vehicle, and an all-electric turret drive Lockheed Martin C-130 the resulting M-109A7 design will replace family turboprop the army’s current howitzers. Low rate freighters. production M-109A7s are currently in
digital fire control, navigation and gun- KMW laying providing faster (three rounds in nine seconds) and more effective rounds on target including Multiple Round With the objective Simultaneous Impact (MRSI) fire. This of both decreasing places all rounds impacting at the same crew size and time from the same gun. KMW, drawing enhancing the speed on the PzH-2000 has also developed the and responsiveness of fire missions Artillery Gun Module (AGM); a lighter the PzH-2000 has and lower priced gun system that is fully automated many of automatic and remotely crewed. It can be the gun servicing, installed on various tracked or wheeled laying, and fire chassis. To this end, the AGM has been control processes. teamed by General Dynamics with an ASCOD tracked infantry fighting vehicle chassis as the Donar. The Polish Army has taken considerable effort in updating its towed artillery and is acquiring the KRAB which utilises BAE Systems’ 155mm/52 calibre Braveheart- based turret with Polish fire controls. The turret is integrated onto a Samsung Techwin K-9 tracked chassis. The KRAB has an automatic loading system and a
armadainternational.com - october/november 2017 27 LAND WARFARE KMW Patria
The AGM can be mounted as an integrated unit on a wide range of chassis including fully mobile and transportable platforms. Here it is placed on the Boxer eight-wheel drive vehicle as a wheeled self-propelled gun. Patria has taken the concept of a hybrid mobile artillery system in a new direction with its NEMO Containerized 120mm Mortar. This can be transported and fired from a truck, a naval vessel, or positioned on the ground.
Rock Island Arsenal M-101 family towed howitzer. These are installed on modified Kia KM-500 six-wheel drive trucks. By using existing stocks of M-101s and the in-service tactical truck, build costs are minimized as are training and support issues. Moreover, the EVO-105 design means that it is able to maximum range of 30km (18.6 miles). Plans industrial initiatives to develop such displace and fire in one quarter of the time are reportedly to field 120 systems. systems. In May 2016 the Egyptian Ministry required for the towed gun. The Republic of of Defence revealed that it had fielded Korea Army has a potential requirement for Truck Mounted both truck mounted PJSC D-30 122mm and as many as 800 systems. As Nexter’s Benjamin Gautier, programme M-46 130mm family howitzers. As typical manager for the firm’s CAESAR truck of other models they are equipped with Hybrid Artillery mounted howitzer, explained; “the hydraulic stabilisers for firing. Egypt’s Abu The concept of a modular artillery system rationale for a truck mounted howitzer Zaabal Engineering Industries Company provided in a self-contained ‘package” is to provide a simpler, less expensive, appears to have performed the necessary has been recently witnessed as a trend and lighter and, therefore, more air modifications. Even more recently Turkey’s in artillery development. Being a fully transportable artillery while maintaining Aselsan exhibited its KMO 155mm weapon integrated and largely autonomous design tactical mobility and responsive fires.” on a six-wheel drive chassis. This weapon these can be mounted on any appropriate The CAESAR’s successful deployment has assisted loading and powered gun- platform giving some distinct advantages. in Mali and Afghanistan demonstrated laying. Parts of the KMO are derived from The gun, fire control system, laying, loading that this could be achieved. At least partly the MKEK Panter towed howitzer locally and ammunition stowage are all integrated due to this a number of other armies and developed in the 1990s. It further integrates into the turret as a self contained unit. companies have pursued and demonstrated Aselsan’s computerised fire control system This approach offers flexibility allowing howitzers that are mounted and fired from linked to an inertial navigation system. It is the user to employ any automotive chassis a truck platform. The Royal Thai Army, understood that the company is interested with an appropriate payload best suited for which possesses six CAESARs, signed an in fulfilling an anticipated Turkish Army their needs; whether wheeled or tracked. arrangement for local production of the requirement currently being formulated. System integration is straight forward and, Elbit Systems’ 155mm howitzer installed Although most truck mounted artillery thus, the effort and cost to field a system on a Tatra six-wheel drive chassis. Six have development has been using 155mm weapons would be considerably lower. The KMW been fielded with twelve more ordered. It is some efforts have been directed at the AGM, as mentioned previously, applies now reported that the Royal Thai Marines smaller 105mm howitzer. This is the case with this approach as it can be integrated on are considering a buy, and could use the the Republic of Korea’s Samsung Techwin to vehicle chassis ranging from that of a weapon to replace their towed howitzers. which began this year to deliver its EVO-105 main battle tank to an eight-wheel drive The attractiveness and utility of self-propelled howitzers to the Republic of armoured vehicle. the truck-mounted approach is further Korea Army. The EVO-105 utilizes the barrel KMW has also prepared a version of reinforced by the number of additional assembly, recoil system and breech of the the AGM that can be transported on a
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This move to more dispersed employment coupled with the technique of ‘burst’ fires, one or two guns firing a ROK Army ROK number of rounds in rapid succession, highlights the increased attention being given to ammunition re-supply. The US Army M-109 family was fielded as early as 1982 with its own FAASV (M992A2 Field Artillery Ammunition Supply Vehicle) carrying 92 rounds. However, rounds are manually transferred. This is adequate for traditional battery operations but may be less effective given emphasis on ‘shoot and scoot’ plus it uses manpower rather than machine. The Republic of Korea Army, Assuring responsive re-supply of which produced the M-992A2 under licence ammunition has been complicated by under the guise of its Hanwha Techwin the need and ability to displace often truck but then off loaded and deployed as K-10 re-supply vehicle automated the and by the increased rates of fire of the an autonomous firing unit placed on the latest self-propelled artillery designs. ammunition handling functions, as well as ground. This configuration is particularly The ROK Army has addressed this with increasing the rounds stowed to 104. The well suited to a fire base supporting both its K-10 automated re-supply vehicle. platform can transfer twelve rounds-per- its defence and providing fires for local minute to the K-9 155mm self-propelled operations. Being autonomous and largely howitzer. This is accomplished under automatic it requires minimal crew and effectiveness while reducing the crew size armour and even in darkness and adverse support compared to a normal gun battery. necessary to service the system. This has weather with accompanying ammunition Yet it is easily moved to a site and placed been facilitated by combining automation inventory tracking and management. into operation. The adaptability of the AGM of ammunition handling and loading, and Moreover, Aselsan has its FIRTINA artillery is further demonstrated by the MONARC gun-laying, with integrated navigation/ ammunition re-supply vehicle. The version that is configured for installation positioning and computerised digital challenge of maintaining readily available onboard a naval vessel. Patria has fire solutions. Together these provide the ammunition stocks at the guns has been a developed a similar innovative capability possibility of the entire crew being removed historic concern in combat but is likely to in its NEMO Containerized 120mm Mortar. from the gun and positioned in the hull be exacerbated in highly mobile operations It utilises the Patria breach loading or cab. These same technologies allow the with dispersed forces. mortar in a lightweight turret installed system to transition from moving to firing The tactical advantage provided on top of a standard military container. A within seconds providing significantly by being able to quickly displace one’s Patria spokesperson shared with Armada decreased response times to a call for fire artillery remains for most forces of primary that; “the mortar is gyro-stabilized and without any loss of accuracy. Furthermore importance. However, when operational semi-automatically loaded allowing it to these abilities contribute to improving the deployment particularly by aircraft maintain a rate of fire of seven rounds per survivability of the guns by permitting is paramount towed guns have had an minute. Combined with its fully integrated them to displace more rapidly and often advantage. The increasingly successful fire controls the system has a crew of only without compromising their abilities to introduction of wheeled truck mounted three with a gunner/commander and two provide effective fires. howitzers, like CAESAR, in this role could loaders for the 100 stowed rounds. The An added operational benefit of these change this. With integrated navigation and Container can be carried on a cross country new integrated capabilities is that fewer fire control they can match tracked guns tilt bed truck and off-loaded and in action guns are needed. Thus, for example, the in accuracy and response time. Many of within minutes.” The NEMO Container Heer (German Army) employs its PzH- these SPAs still have the advantage of crew Mortar is adaptable to use in a fire base, to 2000s in a pair. The Swedish Army takes this protection and prolonged sustained fire be hidden and then moved to firing position a step further with its BAE Systems’ Archer missions due to their possibility of assisted for shore protection, or even loaded onto artillery system. In this case, a ‘system’ is or automatic loading, However, Nexter has and fired from a landing craft or vessel. Its defined as the fully automated 155mm gun developed, and Denmark ordered earlier sophistication is demonstrated by its ability plus its companion ammunition re-supply this year, 15 examples of an eight-wheel drive to fire seven rounds with the firing solution vehicle and a support vehicle. Each use the version of the CAESAR with a protected cab automatically adjusted so that all rounds same modified Volvo A30D six-wheel drive and semi-automatic loading of the charge impact simultaneously on the same target. all-terrain articulated hauler with the same and projectile. Given the tools increasingly mobility. This provides a self-sufficient offered by technology and the innovations Trends firing unit that can move and fire relatively pioneered by industry consistently A common thread in the improvement independently which maximizes tactical improving self-propelled artillery, future of self-propelled artillery is the push flexibility and the ability to adapt to rapidly tactical enhancements can be expected to be to simultaneously increase its combat changing situations. rolled out across ‘the god of war.”
armadainternational.com - october/november 2017 29 LAND WARFARE
The German Army’s Puma required a power pack that would offer exceptional horsepower yet fit into a limited space. The MTU 10V 890 met this requirement providing an exceptional power-to- weigh ratio.
aa ccererttaaiinn raratiotio Achieving mobility in challenging environments is paramount for all military vehicles; however, assuring this in the armoured vehicle domain is far more difficult yet absolutely critical to allow platforms to achieve their missions.
Stephen W. Miller
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lthough mobility is vital sensors and countermeasures, in addition to
MTU for armoured vehicles, this automotive systems. must compete with other It is the need for adequate protection essential characteristics against changing threats, in particular, such as the need to assure that place the greatest demands on the theA survivability of the vehicle and crew; automotive side of the vehicle. Protection requirements which can easily find almost inevitably means armour, and themselves in conflict with maintaining armour adds weight. This creates a mobility. Yet understandably soldiers reliant paradox that offers uncomfortable on such vehicles demand increased cross- compromises: As threats increase the country capabilities, faster acceleration, and required level of protection also increases. higher speed while enhancing survivability. Greater protection typically translates Such needs have pushed the development into a requirement for more armour, and of automotive systems to find solutions additional armour can create a heavier and a range of improvements have become vehicle weight. To maintain, or improve, an available that begin to address these armoured vehicle’s mobility performance demands. Yet meeting these requires a inevitably requires increasing the power combination and balancing of a number provided by the engine, and the efficiency of of aspects of automotive design. These the matching transmission and drivetrain. include the capabilities and performance However, vehicle weight is also driven by of a vehicle’s suspension which directly vehicle size: The larger the vehicle, and influences the ride, the footprint of the surface area that must be armoured, the tracks or wheels that determines the ground heavier the vehicle will become. Thus; not pressure, the vehicle’s ground clearance and only must a vehicle’s new power pack (its the engine’s power output. The last could be engine, plus transmission and drivetrain) considered both the most important, and be more powerful but it must, at least, fit the the most difficult, to achieve. This is because same allocated area, or preferably have less even within the area of generating and total volume. This is an absolute criterion distributing engine power there are traded- especially for power packs destined for offs that must be made. Increasing power in upgrading existing armoured vehicles, but an armoured vehicle is constrained by aspects also highly desirable in new designs. such as the engine bay volume, the need A commonly accepted measure of the to maintain the vehicle’s operating range, level of mobility provided by an armoured weight constraints and the need to support vehicle is measuring the horsepower to the power demands of onboard systems like weight ratio. Although not accounting for radio communications, navigation systems, all the various factors that contribute to mobility this ratio is an appropriate rough indication and is useful both as a design objective and as a tool for comparing different vehicles. As a general rule the MTU higher the horsepower-per-ton ratio the better the overall mobility characteristics that the vehicle will exhibit. Despite the fact that top speed is often considered in assessing a vehicle, for a combat vehicle responsive acceleration may actually be a far more important trait. Often overlooked in vehicle specifications, the ability to quickly accelerate and rapidly move to a covered position in response to an attack
Achieving the lowest volume while achieving the required power output is critical in a power pack for an armoured vehicle. The greatest factor contributing to the vehicle weight is the amount of area the armour must cover.
armadainternational.com - october/november 2017 31 LAND WARFARE
cooling and air-filter systems. Its MTU 10V 890 diesel engine is distinguished by its very high power density and compact size. Compared with other military engines in the same power class, weight and volume have been reduced by around 60 percent.” General Dynamics Jürgen Schimmels, director of MTU’s special purpose engines and propulsion systems further stated: “This drive unit is more compact than any other previous defence drive system.” The benefits of the MTU designs are especially evident when its power packs outfit older vehicles. It’s EuroPowerPack engine family was used by GIAT (now Nexter) in the re-engined Leclerc-EAU MBT for the United Arab Emirates. It has also been fitted to the BAE Systems’ Challenger-2E MBT where it both provided significant space savings while Caterpillar’s military engines are based on its commercial heavy equipment also improving range through reduced fuel products modified to specific consumption. is invaluable. It directly contributes to applications. This offers price, support Caterpillar, renown worldwide for its the survivability of the vehicle and its and availability benefits. The C9 engine heavy construction equipment, has become occupants. Thus, available vehicle power used in the Stryker upgrade is also a major supplier of power for defence contributes not only to mobility but also widely used in construction equipment. tactical and armoured vehicles. Its military to survivability particularly when used in offerings are based on its commercial conjunction with self-protection measures off-the-shelf range used worldwide, thus, including obscuring smoke, shot detection gaining the benefits of reduced costs and laser warning sensors, alongside other means that architecture, concept, design, associated with volume manufacturing passive and active countermeasures. software and all parameters are designed together with the availability of global with the performance of the complete support. The firm’s developments for Power in Small Packages power pack in mind.” The importance military applications have included its C9.3 Despite forays into the use of turbine of this approach and achieving these engine platform with an increased power engines, as with General Dynamics’ M1 objectives and reflecting their impact on the density of 600 horsepower (hp) unregulated Abrams Main Battle Tank (MBT) family final vehicle is reinforced by the desires of emissions maximum output. Yet its true the primary focus of engines for armoured the vehicle integrators like Krause-Maffei innovation comes from the C9.3’s ability vehicles continues to be diesel, or more Wegmann (KMW), Nexter, BAE Systems and to switch the rating into a second mode accurately, multi-fuel power. Within the General Dynamics. As Scott Hall, manager aimed at meeting the demanding Euro-III power pack industry MTU has established of advanced systems at General Dynamics European Union emission requirements itself in a leading role. The company’s Land Systems explained: “From a power while maintaining 525hp. Caterpillar integrated approach considers the entire perspective, more is better, smaller is better indicated that: “The benefit is that the user “power package’ not simply the engine, and cheaper is better, while still being safe, can choose the mode of operation. It is transmission and drivetrain, but also reliable, and maintainable and quiet.” possible to provide maximum performance the vehicle’s air supply and filtration, MTU has found that the adaptation during active field duty but then be able to cooling, electrical power generation and militarization of commercial power operate within emission control during and other requirements. These are fully packs can be adequate for light and medium training or in civilian populated areas / considered and accommodated to provide armoured vehicles like the ARTEC Boxer times.” This ‘switchable’ capability actually the most compact and efficient solution. eight-wheel drive armoured fighting vehicle derives from technologies invested in by MTU recognizes that for the armoured which uses a MTU 8V199 TE20 diesel engine. Caterpillar for commercial needs. vehicle especially power-to-volume is a However, for heavier armoured vehicles The company has been selected critically important factor for the combat and MBTs engines like the company’s Series repeatedly for replacing and upgrading vehicle developer and integrator. Giovanni 880 and 890 developed uniquely for use existing armoured vehicles. Its CV8 engine Spadaro, head of MTU governmental in military platforms are necessary. The is equipping the British Army’s BAE sales, explained to Armada that for possibilities in today’s power packs are Systems Warrior tracked IFV. This effort is MTU “integration of all drive and power demonstrated in the KMW/Rheinmetall being conducted under Lockheed Martin’s components into the vehicle system is of Puma tracked Infantry Fighting Vehicle contract to upgrade the vehicle to the the highest importance, having developed (IFV). Mr. Spadaro shared that “the MTU WCSP (Warrior Capability Sustainment a philosophy of symbiotic development of power pack for the Puma includes the Programme) standard which extend the all parts of the power solution. For us this gearbox, the starter/generator and the vehicle’s service life to 2040. Caterpillar is
32 armadainternational.com - october/november 2017 new IDEAS 2018 276mm x 216mm with 3mm bleed (Armada International).pdf 1 8/7/17 5:36 PM
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Armoured vehicles, such as this Indonesian Leopard-2A MBT place special challenges on engine and drive train developers. They require high power levels yet must have the lowest ‘hybrid’ approach uses either a diesel or possible size and volume. turbine power source which, now free from needing a mechanical connection can be positioned anywhere within the chassis offering greater design flexibility. also replacing the 350hp engine in the US It is also possible to utilise two engines Army’s General Dynamics Stryker family rather than one, as BAE Systems does in its eight-wheel drive armoured vehicles with Hybrid Electric Drive (HED) automotive its C9 450hp engine. The upgrade was test rig. Deepak Bazaz, programme director accomplished within the existing space. for BAE Systems’ new and amphibious This is part of General Dynamic’s ECP-1 vehicles division shared that the HED’s (Engineering Change Proposal) which two engines are coupled to generators and includes a 910 amp alternator, suspension batteries giving it the options of operating upgrades and other improvements. on a single engine to save fuel as when idling, using both when high power is Electric Drives needed, and just running off the batteries Traditionally power from the vehicle for ‘silent watch’. The HED concept utilised engine is transferred to the wheels or tracks the firm’s tracked AMPV (Armoured Multi- mechanically. The electric drive replaces Purpose Vehicle) platform but the concept this physical linkage with electric motors is intended to be sized and applied to any located at the driving wheels or sprockets. vehicle weight class, and both tracked and The power to run these electric motors can wheeled vehicles. The HED was prepared be drawn from batteries, a combustion by BAE Systems as a testbed for the hybrid engine or a combination of these. The concept with Northrop Grumman as part of
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its US Army Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV) hybrid electric drive the inadequacies of could be stressed to meet electrical power proposal. current batteries is a problem. As a result demands.” In response the CE Niehoff 300 A study by the North Atlantic Treaty a number of advanced battery types, amp alternator is being considered for the Organisation’s Research and Technology including Lithium-Ion (LIION), Nickel United Defence/BAE Systems’ M2 Bradley Organisation found that: “The automotive Metal Hydride (NIMH), Sodium Nickel family tracked IFV and the new AMPV performance of hybrid electric vehicles in Chloride (ZEBRATM) and Lithium- uses two 150 amp alternators. MTU’s Mr. terms of speed, acceleration, gradeability Metal Polymer (LMP) with higher energy Spadaro stated that “key factors that have and stealthy operations is superior to densities are being considered for hybrid been influencing the development of power the performance of mechanically driven vehicle applications. Yet all are in the and drive solutions in the past years and vehicles … while their fuel economy could development stage and present some are continuing to do so are the constantly offer a predicted 20 percent to 30 percent challenges that must be resolved before growing weight of MBTs and wheeled improvement.” Electric drive motors they can be considered suitable for military vehicles (mostly due to requirements for also provide near instant acceleration use. Another aspect that needs further higher protection) and at the same time the responsiveness and higher traction development for the hybrid to be practically need for more electrical power for all kinds efficiently. The latter is directly due to the applied to armoured vehicles is the design of onboard systems such as electronics, self- improved torque inherent in the electric limitations of current traction motors. defence suites and comforts for the crew, motor drive. For a combat vehicle this Although successful demonstrators, like such as advanced air conditioning).” MTU translates to faster reaction times when the HED, have integrated them these units views “these being addressed by a growing moving to cover, being more difficult to hit have size, weight, and cooling limitations. integration of electrical components into and having greater mobility in marginal Until these are resolved all-electric power, the drive system. A good example for this is ground conditions. The HED uses two despite its benefits, remains practically again the MTU Puma power pack (see above) six cylinder engines, a specially designed illusive for the armoured vehicle. which contains a starter/generator with a transmission from QinetiQ and 600 volt Still advanced research and development nominal power of 170 kilowatts driving two lithium-ion batteries. agencies retain interest in the electric power electrical cooling fans as well as the coolant Another attractive aspect of the electric concept. For example, QinetiQ’s 2014 and 2016 compressor of the air conditioning.” drive is its potential to provide more contracts from the US Defence Advanced Armoured vehicle power directly efficient and higher levels of electrical Research Projects Agency (DARPA) will contributes to combat capability and power. The Northrop-Grumman/BAE take its hub-drive concept to test hardware. survivability. The basic keys to battlefield Systems GCV design would have provided The hub-drive replaces multiple gearboxes, survival remain: “to make every effort 1100 kilowatts of electricity in a notably differentials, and drivetrain with compact, to not be seen, if seen to not be hit, and smaller and lighter power package than high-powered electric motors contained if engaged to not be killed.” The first is a conventional power pack. However, as within a vehicle’s wheels and could even be facilitated by having the ability to move energy storage is an essential part of the retro-fitted to existing wheeled armoured where the opponent does not expect vehicles. In fact, in early June 2017 BAE you. The second demands responsive Systems signed a teaming agreement with acceleration and battlefield agility to seek QinetiQ to incorporate new technology for cover and complicate the enemy gunner’s electric drive mobility systems into combat ability to engage effectively, while the last vehicles. Dean Medland, vice president of entails the ability to accommodate adequate combat vehicle programmes at BAE Systems passive protection, and passive and active BAE Systems BAE stated that this allows the company to “offer countermeasures. Each of these objectives our customers a mature, low-cost technology can run at odds with the others. For that can enhance the performance of current example, additional armour can increase and future combat vehicles.” weight thereby compromising mobility. Improvements in armoured vehicle Future Power Challenges power pack design; new engine and drive Demands in combat vehicles for more technologies; and innovative integration and electrical power has increased several fold packaging by industry have given vehicle in just the last decade. Mark Signorelli, developers additional options to respond to vice president and general manager for these diverse demands. Many improvements combat vehicles at BAE Systems reflected to have drawn directly from commercial Armada that “in future armoured vehicles advances. Onboard engine and vehicle computers, digital electronic controls, automatic health monitoring, forced induction and much of the practical ground BAE Systems in collaboration with QinetiQ work on the hybrid approach have seen designed and built the HED; a demonstrator commercial advances adopted and applied for the hybrid power solution for an armoured vehicle, using the chassis of the AMPV. to military power systems. Yet challenges to this delicate balance continue to push industry innovation and solutions.
armadainternational.com - october/november 2017 35 FUTURE TECHNOLOGIES
A US Army Reserve US Army soldier checks his thermal weapon sight before night live-fire qualification training exercises this March. A revolution is coming that could make these devices much less bulky.
LET THERE BE LIGHT Predicting the future is a precarious business at best, and when the subject is night vision technology it is tempting to postulate that future technological innovations and developments will mean more of the same, but better.
Peter Donaldson
his would mean smaller, the most innovative organisations in the imaging devices that can reconfigure lighter, cheaper and less power world of military technology, which is also themselves while in operation in the way hungry devices that produce an organisation whose impact has been felt the most advanced field-programmable sharper, more detailed images far beyond the military; the US Defence gate array (an integrated circuit designed on darker nights and in worse Advanced Research Projects Agency to be configurable by the customer after weather,T perhaps with a choice, or even (DARPA). manufacturing) processor chips can to a fusion, of two or more wavelengths, provide multi-purpose sensing. The other is but which otherwise look and function ReImagine and Extreme the even more radical Extreme Optics and much as the ones we are familiar with During the last year, the agency has Imaging (Extreme) programme, which seeks today. However, radical change is on the launched two important programmes to challenge the established laws of optics horizon. The revolution is taking shape in that could profoundly change night with Engineered Materials (ENMATS). research laboratories around the world, vision and optronic systems. One of these DARPA published a Broad Agency and is being explicitly pursued by one of is ReImagine, which aims to develop Announcement (BAA) for ReImagine in
36 armadainternational.com - october/november 2017 FUTURE TECHNOLOGIES
September 2016 and awarded the first contracts this June. At the heart of the effort is the concept of a thumbnail-sized DARPA megapixel sensor, with each pixel housing around 1000 transistors integrated into a reprogrammable processor that can change its functionality: “What we are aiming for is a single, multi-talented camera sensor that can detect visual scenes as familiar still and video imagers do, but that also can adapt and change their personality and effectively morph into the type of imager that provides the most useful information for a given situation,” said DARPA’s ReImagine programme manager Jay Lewis.
Reconfigurable sensor The sensor DARPA wants will be able to switch between different infrared emissions or LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) mapping modes to suit the phase of the mission and in response to the targets An image intensifier shot of a it detects, reconfiguring itself according Sikorsky CH-53 family heavylift to the context of the situation. A common helicopter. Almost all militaries digital circuit and software platform will it is their arrangement into repeating and combatants of all kinds permit the regular development of novel patterns at scales much smaller than the have access to such technology, capabilities for the sensor in the form of wavelengths of the electromagnetic energy, so the drive now is to create and maintain an edge, while applications. Initial contracts under the light in this case, that they are designed DARPA’s Extreme and ReImagine four year effort have been awarded to to influence. This is important because programmes seek greater leaps. BAE Systems’ electronic systems division, it enables optronics to work beyond the DRS’ network and imaging systems unit, diffraction limit that normally dictates Lockheed Martin’s missiles and fire control their maximum resolution, which can also division and Voxtel. be thought of as the size of the smallest that work with shorter wavelengths. To Extreme, the BAA for which was feature that can be made out in an image. increase the resolution of focal plane arrays, published in August 2016, is even more Along with refraction, diffraction is one of manufacturers seek to increase the number radical thanks to its focus on engineered the most important phenomena in optics. of individual elements on the array, and materials. ENMATS, says DARPA, Refraction is the change in direction that to stop the whole system from getting too are materials that derive their optical a light ray makes when it passes from one big they try to reduce the distance between properties from their structure and can medium into another with a different individual elements, which is known as the behave in ways that “break away from density, such as from air to glass, with the pitch. This is where the diffraction limit traditional rules and ‘laws’ that artificially angle of refraction proportional to the comes in, as Claire Valentin, vice-president constrain modern optics, and establish a speed of light in a vacuum divided by the of marketing for Sofradir explained to the fundamentally new design space for optical speed of light in, for example, glass. This author: “In the visible (spectrum) you have components, systems and architectures relationship is expressed as the refractive wavelengths of approximately between 0.4 revolutionizing performance.” The index of the lens material. Diffraction is microns (µm) to 0.9µM, here in infrared we technologies that DARPA is seeking, the change in direction a ray makes when have three to five microns and eight to twelve several of which are already achieving very it passes through a small gap in a barrier; microns,” she said. “If you have a wavelength promising results in academic institutions the smaller the gap and the longer the in long wave between eight and ten microns, are expected to deliver this revolution, wavelength, the greater the diffraction. let’s say, the minimum pitch that you need indeed DARPA notes that early examples Light is also diffracted as it passes around to be sure you will not have too much of ENMATS have, under constrained sharp edges. In a camera lens, the glass interference between the waves needs to be conditions, broken free from the standard elements and the aperture are designed in the range of ten microns to 15µm.” laws of reflection and refraction. to exploit refraction and diffraction Effectively bypassing this kind of barrier ENMATS include ‘metamaterials’, respectively to create a sharp image. is what the Extreme programme is all about. which are artificial materials constructed The relationship between wavelength Current optical architectures, says DARPA, to provide properties not found in and diffraction, longer waves bend more, have been constrained by a set of ‘laws’; natural materials. They are typically limits the ability of infrared cameras the inverted commas are DARPA’s; rules, composites made from metallic, plastic with focal plane array detectors to match assumptions, and practices that have come or semiconducting base materials, but the resolution of visible light cameras to be regarded as pillars of optical design.
armadainternational.com - october/november 2017 37 FUTURE TECHNOLOGIES ANU
The Australian National University is working on a technology that can directly convert infrared into visible wavelengths with the assistance of a pumping laser, eliminating the electronic intermediate stage and enabling night vision spectacles.
Tiny ‘nano-antennae’ in the form of discs of dielectric aluminium gallium arsenide crystals embedded in optically transparent material with a low refractive index are at the heart of ANU’s potentially revolutionary second harmonic generation technology.
These pillars include the idea that ability to design and fabricate ENMATS for the building blocks such as unit cells, the ‘laws’ of reflection and refraction are that provide broad spectral coverage dielectric or metal resonators, scattering immutable, that optical functionality is in one or more of the visible, NIR (Near centres and others. directly tied to element geometry, that Infrared), SWIR (Short Wave Infrared), each element can have only one function, MWIR (Medium Wave Infrared) and LWIR Night Vision Glasses that most of them have fixed properties, (Long Wave Infrared) bands, all with low What night vision devices built from that optical ‘work’ is confined to surfaces energy losses and high efficiency and these new technologies might be like can (ignoring the possibility of volumetric throughput. Dynamic control of light is be seen in the work of a team from the control), that light propagation is primarily another kind of capability DARPA wants Australian National University (ANU) sequential and that the scattering of light to bring out in ENMAT research and led by Professor Dragomir Neshev. The always degrades performance. This way development and is interested in areas team has demonstrated a semiconductor of thinking came about in the early days including variable optical properties, linear nanotechnology that can be applied to of optics, says the agency, when only a and non-linear control of properties such thin transparent surfaces such as spectacle limited set of optical materials was available as gain, and control over material shape so lenses that is capable of increasing the and persist today despite the promise of that elements can be bent or expanded, for frequency and therefore reducing the new materials, optical properties and example. wavelength of light that passes through architectures. Revolutionary devices Assessing these new optical devices will it, converting infrared wavelengths into that can get around the diffraction limit also require new measurement techniques visible ones directly. The tiny devices that include so-called superlenses made from to accurately determine key properties over do this are ‘nano-antennae’ in the form metamaterials with negative refraction relevant length scales that, naturally, will of discs of dielectric aluminium gallium indices that bend light in an opposite sense be very small. In addition to the materials arsenide crystals embedded in optically to conventional materials. The ultimate themselves, DARPA wants to elicit new transparent material with a low refractive promise here is of potentially infinite scalable design and fabrication techniques index. The process, known as second resolution. that will enable them to be manufactured harmonic generation, enables control of Other classes of ENMATS in which on large area conformal and free-form both direction and polarization of non- DARPA is interested include scattering surfaces and throughout large volumes. linear emission of light. While some of the surfaces and volumes, holographic The development process for these new converted light at these second harmonic structures and diffractive elements. While optical systems will also require new wavelengths is emitted forwards, the the technology the organisation seeks modelling and simulation techniques that researchers say that most of the output is revolutionary, the electromagnetic can operate across as many as seven orders goes in the right direction and claim a wavelengths of interest remain the same, of magnitude in spatial terms and, for ‘backward-to-forward ratio’ of up to five. so it wants industry to demonstrate the example, derive new shapes and geometries Changing the colour of light by mixing
38 armadainternational.com - october/november 2017 FUTURE TECHNOLOGIES
of this process for frequency conversion ANU eliminates the need for conversion of the optical to the electronic domain and can extend dramatically the wavelength range of operation for conventional devices, noted the ANU team. The use of a pumping laser implies that the glasses would need a power source, and Professor Neshev confirmed this to Armada: “This is to power a laser diode that is needed for the conversion of the light from infrared to visible. A laser diode light beams in non-linear crystals was levels. Using a novel technique of fabricating of one watt, similar to a bright battery- recognised by the 1981 Nobel Prize in designed nano-crystals embedded in a operated head torch, would be sufficient for Physics. According to the ANU team, transparent polymer and placed on a glass several hours of operation,” he said. Prof. the conventional process of non-linear substrate, the ANU team demonstrated Neshev continued that a practical device for imaging through frequency mixing is done non-linear frequency conversion six orders military use could be built within five years, in bulk crystals, which is only suited for of magnitude higher than before. These although some research and engineering controlled laboratory environments, using engineered nano-crystals, 500 times smaller steps remain to be completed, and the ANU high-power lasers. Scaling such images than a human hair is thick, allow for strong team is actively looking for partnerships: to ultra-thin crystals was considered light concentration inside them, such that “We are working with a defence company, impossible. However, for three decades, the incident SWIR/NIR image is mixed with however we still need to secure the funding researchers have been actively looking a strong laser ‘pump’ beam to generate a to support the research. We have received for ways of converting the colour or light new visible image. The physical process of interest from DARPA but this is still at a in ultra-thin films, though the efficiency such non-linear frequency conversion is proposal stage.” This chimes with the goals of the process remained below the useful called sum-frequency generation. The use of DARPA’s Extreme programme, as the
armadainternational.com - october/november 2017 39 FUTURE TECHNOLOGIES
for multi-band detection and imaging.” The second major challenge is USAF integrating three different materials onto one detector element, the main difficulty lying in providing separate electrical connections for all of them, which either means more complicated fabrication and therefore lower yields, or additional metal contact that involves etching away more of the light sensitive material, which can reduce the performance of detectors with small pitches, for example. The Northwestern team’s solution is a detector element made from a stack of detector materials with SWIR sensitive INAS/GASB/ AlSB/GASB on top, MWIR sensitive INAS/ GASB in the middle and LWIR sensitive INAS/GASB in different proportions on the bottom. The interfaces between the layers are either positively or negatively doped to prevent mutual interference and to provide controllable switching that allows the three layers to operate in sequence. The bottom layer is joined to a GASB substrate by a positively doped contact layer. The stack has A USAF member examines night vision goggles before distributing only two contacts otherwise, one on the top them to pilots at Little Rock and one on the substrate. airbase, Arkansas in June. Future Whether this would meet DARPA’s devices could be little thicker than trying to make three-colour IR detectors definition of an ENMAT for the purposes ordinary glasses thanks to rule- by integrating multi-colour functionality of the Extreme programme is uncertain, breaking engineered materials. into each and every detector element: “The although the detector does owe its first major obstacle is the choice of material performance in large part to its structure systems that have the ability to perform it does not challenge any of the accepted agency has declared a particular interest in over a broad range of infrared spectrum,” ‘laws’ of optics. Speculatively, however, ENMATS that operate in the visible and NIR according to the Northwestern team of such a detector placed downstream of an bands, while it says it is less interested in the Anh Minh Hoang, Arash Dehzangi, Sourav ENMAT superlens would offer intriguing SWIR, MWIR and LWIR bands. Adhikary and Manijeh Razeghi. possibilities. Extreme is divided into two The team pointed out that there are 24-month phases. The first concentrating Three Colour IR Imaging currently only a few materials suitable for on the demonstration of ENMATS with However, progress is being made elsewhere multi-spectral detection, adding that while new or greatly improved performance, in these areas. The Centre for Quantum the current state-of-the-art HGCDTE and understanding of fundamental limits, Devices at the Department of Electrical Quantum Well Infrared Photodetector modelling the physics, implementing Engineering and Computer Science at (QWIP) are commercially available for optical designs, simulating the performance Northwestern University in Illinois, dual-band detection, the first is difficult of new architectures and finding ways for example, has demonstrated a new and expensive to produce, while the second to implement the materials on different type of photodetector that is selectably has low quantum efficiency and needs to scales. In the second phase, teams must sensitive in all three of these bands. be cooled to a low operating temperature: demonstrate an ENMAT-based optical This could potentially enable infrared “Type II INAS/GASB/AlSB superlattices system on the scale of a centimetre. imaging systems with significantly better have proved to be an excellent alternative,” If successful, Extreme could introduce target discrimination and identification they emphasised: “Controlling the future night vision and optronics systems capabilities even than the two-colour electronic structure by the layer thicknesses that are hard to recognise as such because devices previously demonstrated. The new that are grown on GASB substrate, Type-II they might look like ordinary glasses, be technology that the Centre is investigating superlattice (T2SL) offers the capability virtually unnoticeable like contact lenses is based on semiconductor superlattices of tuning from SWIR to very long wave or blend conformally with the skins of the made from tailored combinations of infrared and covers the whole infrared aircraft, vessels or vehicles into which they materials such as Iridium Arsenide spectrum. In recent years, T2SL material are integrated. Ultimately, the optronics (INAS), Gallium Antimonide (GASB) and has not only matured in the improvement we see on the battlefields of tomorrow may Aluminium Antimonide (AlSB), it avoids of single colour detector performance but look very different from those seen on the the problems commonly encountered when also witnessed a new phase of development battlefield of today.
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STIRLING US DOD
A US Air Force pararescue team awaits recovery by helicopter as part of a training exercise at Bagram airbase, Afghanistan, as they maintain currency during DOCTOR AND an operational rotation. THE MEDICS Responding to emerging requirements in battlefield medicine associated with increases in expeditionary deployments, special forces continue to evolve their practices to safely operate in areas lacking even the most basic support infrastructure.
Andrew White
raditionally deployed in a Operations Forces Headquarters (NSHQ), onset of symptoms, which can negate variety of force components based in Mons, southern Belgium, described the effects or even cancel a mission, ranging from 60-strong Special to Armada. However, special forces continue through to tactical systems deployed on Operations Task Groups to rely upon battlefield medicine to support the battlefield and improved training (SOTGs) down to two-man not only themselves but local populations regimes, aimed a enhancing individual teams,T special forces are often required where a requirement to influence local operator and small unit TTPs (Tactics, to organically support themselves. This civilians, via so-called ‘hearts and minds’ Techniques and Procedures). Many of these is because larger, conventional medical efforts remain critical ‘support and battlefield medicine solutions continue support units can potentially be located influence’ factors in contemporary counter- to be developed by multinational bodies across borders, or at forward operating insurgency missions. including the NSHQ, as well as at the bases, sometimes hundreds of kilometres The latest trends in battlefield medicine national level by the likes of the US Special away, defence sources associated with the range from next-generation pharmacology Operations Command (USSOCOM) which North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Special solutions, aimed at preventing the must also rely upon significant support
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(physical models of injuries) using whole body cadavers for medical proficiency
US DOD training. Demand for cadaver training continues to increase in place of live trauma training using pigs which has been criticised in recent years due to concerns regarding inhumane practices. In January, the US Army unveiled a sources sought notice calling for the provision of a dozen whole body cadavers to support its Medical Command facility at Fort Hood, Texas. Cadavers will be supported by laboratory A Polish special forces and classroom facilities capable of training soldier checks the vital signs up to 50 personnel at any single moment in of a casualty as part of the time. Deliveries are due to be made between NSOCM cadre which is aimed 2018 and 2019, official sources confirmed. at prolonging healthcare Additionally, the NSOCM addresses to beyond 36 hours before clinical medicine including surgical evacuation. procedures; pathophysiology; dental emergencies; tropical and environmental- specific medicine; and prolonged field care from industry and academe alike. in truly high-quality instruction for our including wound and pain management, and students,” Maj. Puhan continued, while patient nutrition and hygiene. The course Evolving Requirements describing how the first course relied upon also pays particular focus to operational On 15th May NATO’s International a total of 67 military and civilian instructors medical planning, critical to the efficient Special Training Centre (ISTC), based from 14 member nations. and safe execution of battlefield medicine, in Pfullendorf, southern Germany, According to ISTC officials, the new including mass casualty and triage scenarios: announced the conclusion of its first 22- NSOCM course (which was launched in “This multinational NSOCM course will week NATO Special Operations Combat October 2016) has been designed in response teach theoretical and tactical medicine to Medic (NSOCM) course. According to NATO to dynamic operational requirements in 24 students annually, during nine modules officials, this course has been specifically order to “…transform international SOF taught by international guests, special topic designed to train NATO special forces (Special Operations Forces) first responder experts and ISTC instructors. The pilot course commandos in being able to treat casualties medics with the ability to treat life threats began with students from Austria, Belgium, deployed at reach for up to 36 hours at a on the battlefield and the capability to Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, time; a significant change from concepts sustain life to a maximum evacuation Norway, Poland, Switzerland, and the US … of operations utilised during campaigns time of four hours, into a NSOCM medic The NSHQ in Belgium will evaluate the course in Afghanistan and Iraq during the 2000s with the ability to perform prolonged to ensure the ISTC is fulfilling the training which focused on keeping casualties alive field care on a medical or trauma casualty required for the course to be designated an during the so-called ‘Golden Hour’; the first with an evacuation time of up to 36 hours NSOCM,” ISTC officials explained. hour after a traumatic injury, until Medical … The aim is also to meet the standard, Sentiments were shared by the Evacuation (MEDEVAC) by specialist given by the NATO Special Operations Commander of the ISTC, Lieutenant platforms strategically spread across the Coordination Centre, that is defining a Colonel Matthew Coburn of the US Army theatre of operation. NATO standard for a Special Operations who, at an event to mark the graduation The NSOCM’s officer commanding, Combat Medic (SOCM) and thereby create of the NSOCM’s maiden class, explained: Major Juliane Puhan of the Heer (German a completely interoperable medic for all “The ISTC’s NSOCM course provides Army) described the course content, stating: NATO countries,” officials continued, while a multinational solution to a NATO “Filling a time gap between the first hour and referencing how the course will satisfy SOF training requirement identified ‘hour X’ can be, in the worst-case scenario, guidelines associated with the NATO SOF continuously over the past decade of combat more than 24 hours … We will go through Training Standards Directive. operations in Afghanistan. This course will all the clinical topics like eye conditions, Featuring 164 NATO-recognised critical save lives and allow NATO SOF to protect cardiological conditions and abdominal tasks across battlefield medicine, the course the force with a greatly increased capacity … conditions. If you’re not trained like that as covers multiple areas of interest such as The presence of a NATO Special Operations a medic, it overwhelms you and the patient tactical combat casualty care including Combat Medic on the asymmetric battlefield will not survive that,” she explained while casualty extraction and rescue techniques truly enables the most effective special highlighting the breadth of course content: in ‘special environments’ including high operations as their capabilities allow SOTUs “The fact that we can basically reach back to angle areas as well as water and snow. Other (Special Operations Task Units) to deploy our worldwide network and bring in guest subject areas include the understanding into the most rugged and austere conditions instructors from all over the world is quite and application of pharmacology and with the confidence that if they sustain unique for a training centre and results trauma surgery including practical moulages serious battlefield injuries, they will be able
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STIRLING
medical specialist operators with a “working knowledge base of medical risk
US DOD mitigation; an increased knowledge of disease, medications and treatment modalities; and an enhanced understanding civilian medical infrastructure development.” Seventh Dimension was unavailable to comment on the contract but explained toArmada how the company was already involved in education with responsibility for the US Army Special Operations Centre of Excellence Joint Special Operations Medical Training Centre as well as the US Air Force 38th Rescue Squadron’s Combat Rescue Officer and NATO special forces troops Pararescue Training cadre. In the exercise participating in the first ISTC NSOCM environment, Seventh Dimension has course conduct a CASEVAC using a supported the US Naval Special Warfare Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk family to survive through the trauma, prolonged medium-lift utility helicopter. Group-2 since June 2015 in the execution field care, and clinical capabilities resident of Environmental Training Support in a trained and certified NSOCM,” he Services for jungle warfare, which also concluded. One participant in the course North Carolina, the SOFACC has been includes TTPs relating to patrolling, river explained that: “coming into this training, I devised to support small units including crossing operations, survival techniques, had to get into the mindset of understanding Operational Detachment Alpha teams communications, health, nutrition, what we came here to do and learn how to conducting “low visibility operations in clothing, equipment and extraction. hold a patient for 36 hours. Regular army areas devoid of developed health service medic training teaches us to take care of the support platforms”, USASOC officials Technology patient with lifesaving intervention and get explained to Armada: “These teams lack Emerging technologies, particularly from them out of there as soon as possible, so to be organic medical assets and missions the private sector with Commercial- able to learn how to push past that wall was place them squarely in remote locales Off-The-Shelf (COTS)materiel , also definitely good for me.” devoid of the conventional medical assets plays a critical role in the evolution of enjoyed throughout the peak of (the Iraq special forces combat medicine. The US Protecting investments and Afghanistan) campaigns … Medical Department of Defence' (DOD) Defence Small in size and therefore extremely logistics supply lines are absent or severely Advanced Research Projects Agency valuable, the international special forces restricted by distance, terrain and other (DARPA) continues to work on the community continues to place growing factors,” officials added while describing development of next-generation devices demand and funding on not only selecting how the SOFACC would ‘exceed’ skill sets designed to provide an “immediate and and training the correct personnel but also generated through the Trauma Combat accurate laboratory read-out” for forward- maintaining operator health in the field Casualty Care (TCCC) course and would deployed special forces teams conducting to ensure longevity. Sources explained to also include specialist medical training combat medicine beyond the reach of Armada how leading special forces units associated with littoral and maritime more conventional support systems. For globally continued to pay greater attention to special operations. A total of six courses example, the Mobile Analysis Platform the physiological, behavioural and emotional will run annually, it was explained, over (MAP), which has been in transition development of operators than ever before; a first year programme with options for a with the US DOD since September 2016, another reason why the sector continues to follow-on agreement over the course of the comprises a battery-operated and handheld witness growing levels of privately-organised next four years. device designed to test and interpret blood battlefield medicine courses. Four weeks long in duration and split samples almost immediately. According to On 27th April the US Army Special into two phases (theoretical and practical), US Army sources, the MAP is being touted Operations Command (USASOC) awarded SOFACC students will become familiarised as a ‘transformational’ piece of equipment Seventh Dimension a $2.4 million contract with private sector and US Department which could save special forces teams to facilitate a new battlefield medicine of Defence health service support precious time on the battlefield. course for the USSOCOM. The company systems “in order to improve MEDEVAC/ Such technologies support ongoing will now run the Special Operations Forces CASEVAC (Casualty Evacuation) planning efforts being undertaken by USSOCOM’s Austere Care Course (SOFACC) with the capabilities”, officials continued: “SOFACC- Joint Acquisition Task Force for the Tactical provision of the personnel, equipment, qualified teams have demonstrated (and Assault Light Operator Suit (TALOS), facilities, tools and materials required reported) that their training enabled them with programme manager, Colonel Jim to run the programme. Due to be run at to mitigate risk and conduct operations Miller describing to Armada how the the Eureka Spring Training Facility near in areas that were previously restricted.” design features a base layer containing USASOC’s headquarters at Fort Bragg, Specifically the course will teach non- integrated physiological and biological
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Many special forces around the World now boast dedicated Combat Search and Rescue components, including the US Air Force Special Operations Command’s sensors intended to identify and assist in in the tactical environment. According Pararescue (PJ) teams. treatment requirements during combat to a Canadian armed forces definition, operations. The vest is integrated into the FWB transfusion comprises an option for wider TALOS technology demonstrator “providing volume and oxygen carrying for FWB outcomes is weak, however, FWB solution which includes an exoskeleton, capacity to bleeding special operations may be lifesaving for the unstable bleeding integrated body armour, compressor; soldiers who are injured in an austere when regular blood component therapy is command and control subsystem and environment and who are far from a regular not available,” the officials concluded. central processing unit working together blood bank … Retrospective data from recent Sources also confirmed how the to reduce physical exertion, blunt trauma, conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan shows Norwegian Special Operations Command and cognitive overload as well as lethality, an association between the use of FWB continued to conduct a similar concept as mobility and survivability. According to a and survival.” Work has been carried out part of its Blood Far Forward programme, DARPA spokesperson, such technology is by the Canadian Special Forces Command aimed at providing more widespread beginning to proliferate across the special (CANSOFCOM) which has also studied the capabilities throughout a theatre of operations community and wider armed effects of donor blood loss in the field with operations. The aim of this concept is to forces with next-generation solutions findings confirming the loss of just a single “improve battlefield survival by developing comprising subcutaneous implants capable unit of blood, between 400-500 millilitres, a safe method for pre-hospital whole blood of measuring biometrics such as oxygen had no adverse effect on performance transfusions, based on buddy transfusion,” intake. Additionally, industry sources although the risk of transfusion-transmitted Norwegian government sources confirmed. informed Armada how the US Army was infections remains. developing a system called Appraise which Alternative solutions include packed Conclusion could detect internal bleeding. red blood cells without requirement to be Battlefield medicine remains as critical Finally, the international special forces refrigerated, Canadian officials explained, an element to the successful execution of community continues to consider the which could be used to assist in the operations by special forces as much as wider integration of Fresh Whole Blood treatment of compressible haemorrhages any other element. Additionally, taking (FWB) support to deployed teams. Sources and tension pneumothoraces (collapsed care of operators who have had millions of explained toArmada how some of the lung) as well as the securing of an airway: dollars spent on them as part of exhaustive most mature special forces in Europe were “There may be a role for establishing an selection and training cadres is paramount studying potential in this area with trials FWB transfusion capability for special to ensuring that they can complete their ongoing which could see special forces forces soldiers who deploy on high-risk mission, and be fit and healthy to perform medics performing blood transfusions missions to austere locations. The evidence future operations.
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EDITORIAL TOPICS
■ TURING COMMUNICATIONS COLUMN - DISTANCE NO OBJECT - We examine the latest advances in high frequency tactical communications, and the growing appeal of this communications medium.
■ STIRLING SPECIAL OPERATIONS COLUMN - NEWS ROUND-UP - All the latest news from the Special Forces domain. ■ SEA POWER - FROM SHIP TO SHORE - The need for speed is paramount in amphibious operations. We detail the latest technological developments in this regard. ■ AIR POWER - SIMULATION - SYNTHETIC TRAINING FOR MILITARY AIRCREWS - Synthetic training is constantly expanding in terms of its fi delity and the range of missions that it can replicate.
■ LAND WARFARE - INNOVATIVE POWER SYSTEMS FOR INFANTRY SOLDIERS - We examine ongoing technological developments to ensure that troops have suffi cient electrical power on the battlefi eld. ■ FUTURE TECHNOLOGIES - NEVER ALONE WITH A DRONE - In recent years, unmanned aerial vehicles have proliferated across the battlefi eld. Little surprise that signifi cant efforts are now occurring to counter them. ■ SHOOTILICIOUS - SMALL ARMS AND LIGHT WEAPONS Armada's Small Arms and Light Weapons compendium examines recent developments and debates across the SALW world.
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017
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08 SeA poWeR UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL Gerrard Cowan examines 16 the efforts of weapons manufacturers AIR poWeR SMALL TARGETS PRESENT BIG to ensure that close-in weapons CHALLENGES Justin Bronk charts important, r systems remain potent in the face ecent developments in counter- of emerging threats. insurgency air power, and the increasing precision with which this can be applied. MAGAZINE CIRCULATION: 25,278 copies (ABC audited) worldwide
20 24 28 BONUS DISTRIBUTION LANd WARFARe LANd WARFARe TuRING A CERTAIN RATIO WHEELS AND TRACKS FOR COMMERCIAL BREAK Stephen W. Miller examines several innovations THE GOD OF WAR Military demand for commercial satellite in armoured vehicle power pack design to Stephen W. Miller takes the temperature of the communications remains strong, although Gulf Defense & Aerospace, Kuwait, 12-14 December cope with the increasing demands of vehicle self-propelled artillery domain, articulating the considerable debate remains regarding the designers and users. latest design innovations therein. long-term health of the market.
TACTICAL COMPENDIUMRADIOS SUPPLEMENT AN ARMADA INTERNATIONAL
ARmAdA compe2017NdanalysisIum for defence Technology 32 38 : The TrusTed source FuTuRe TecHoLoGIeS STIRLING TACTICAL RADIOS COMENDIUM LET THERE BE LIGHT DOCTOR AND THE MEDICS Armada’s Tactical Radios Compendium Peter Donaldson casts an eye towards innovations Andrew White examines the medical needs returns once again with Thomas Withington’s in optronics technology, with several recent of special forces troops, and the training round-up of all the important developments innovations falling under the spotlight. developments ongoing to help save the lives of witnessed in the defence communications commandos. world over the last year.
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