VOLUME 24/ISSUE 4 JUNE 2016 US$15 ASIA PAcific’s LARGEST CIRCULATED DEFENCE MAGAZINE CYBER WARFARE AUSTRALIAN ARMED FORCES CORVETTES SATCOM RECONNAISSANCE VEHICLES www.asianmilitaryreview.com Standing Watch Twice the Standoff, Proven at Sea Selected for U.S. PBEOS Program FLIR Systems continues to redefine what’s possible with the new SeaFLIR 280-HD. Unmatched multi-spectral HD imaging in a light weight, compact, powerful system designed for your maritime mission. SeaFLIR 280-HD Long-Range, Light Weight For more information, visit flir.com/amr System Designed to Perform in the Harshest Maritime Conditions /FLIRmission @FLIR 02 | ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW | Untitled-1.indd 1 3/4/16 10:50 AM FLIR Standing Watch Asian Military Revue_FP.indd 1 3/3/16 3:19 PM Contents JUNE 2016 Standing Watch VOLUME 24 / ISSUE 4 Twice the Standoff, Proven at Sea RURUMMBBLLEE DODOWWNN UUNNDDEERR 10 Selected for U.S. PBEOS Program Mike Yeo takes us through some of Australia’s important modernisation efforts as the country overhauls her military. Front Cover Photo: The Australian Army is one of several of that country’s armed forces being examined in Mike Yeo’s Rumble Down Under article in this issue © Australian DoD 16 32 38 44 Avoiding the Looking for Rocks and Hard Places FLIR Systems continues to redefine what’s Trouble The Connection Web of Intrigue Reconnaissance vehicles Is Made Satellite communications are possible with the new SeaFLIR 280-HD. can fill a multitude of roles, incredibly versatile, but can be Dr. Tom Smith investigates the using several different design Andrew White examines expensive to procure. challenges facing actors in the Unmatched multi-spectral HD imaging in a light philosophies, Stephen W. Miller ongoing efforts across the Thomas Withington explains Asia-Pacific and elsewhere to finds out. Asia-Pacific to modernise how commercial SATCOM protect against cyber warfare and weight, compact, powerful system designed for Battle Management Systems. provision helps reduce costs. cyber crime. your maritime mission. 20 26 SeaFLIR 280-HD 05 Long-Range, Light Weight For more information, visit flir.com/amr System Designed to Perform in the Harshest Maritime Conditions /FLIRmission @FLIR Thousand Island Dressing Corvettes remain in high Synthetic Forms demand in the Asia-Pacific. The advent of fifth-generation Dr. Alix Valenti profiles some fighters is pushing innovation in of the major acquisition the flight simulator domain, with programmes ongoing in the Catch up on all the latest defence radio frequency news and implications for the Asia-Pacific, region. analysis in Thomas Withington’s regular Pulse column. Claire Apthorp explains. | JUNE 2016 | 03 Untitled-1.indd 1 3/4/16 10:50 AM FLIR Standing Watch Asian Military Revue_FP.indd 1 3/3/16 3:19 PM Index of Advertisers AIRBUS 25 Editorial BOEING P8 COVER 4 EURONAVAL 41 EUROSATORY 53 FLIR COVER 2 SOON We’ll Be IDEAS PAKISTAN COVER 3 IDEX 51 SHIPBUILDING INDO DEFENCE 37 MILPOL ASIA PACIFIC 43 NORTHOP GRUMMAN 9 he French defence establishment could barely ROHDE & SCHARZ 35 hide its delight regarding the news it received ROSOBOROEXPORT 15 on 26 April that the Royal Australian Navy SUBSCRIPTION 47 (RAN) had selected DCNS as the preferred supplier for up to twelve new conventional UKRSPECEXPORT 31 Thunter-killer submarines (SSKs). The Elysée Palace, the official residence of the French President, called the selection “an historic Advertising Offices programme, the largest weapons programme our country has ever undertaken.” The Australian Australia Darayus Patva, Publisher’s Internationale Department of Defence (DoD) had selected DCNS’ so-called ‘Shortfin Barracuda-1A’ class SSK Tel: +61 2 8298 9330, Fax: +61 2 9252 2022 Email: [email protected] design, itself a conventional version of the ‘Barracuda’ class nuclear-powered attack submarines France/Spain that the same company is also building for the Marine Nationale (French Navy). In fact, the award Stephane de Remusat, REM International Tel: (33) 5 3427 0130 is potentially good news all round. Media reports have stated that it could mean the sustainment E-Mail: [email protected] of up to 4000 jobs in Brest, on the Atlantic coast of France, at DCNS and also at the company’s Germany/Austria/Switzerland/Benelux associated suppliers. At a time when France continues to suffer circa ten percent unemployment, Sam Baird, Whitehill Media Tel: (44-1883) 715 697 Mobile: (44-7770) 237 646 according to 2015 figures, news of job sustainment and creation will be most welcome. E-Mail: [email protected] East-Central Europe/Greece/Turkey/UK The selection of DCNS is also potentially good news for the Australian shipbuilding sector. Zena Coupé All twelve of the submarines which may be acquired as a result of the French shipbuilder’s Tel: +44 1923 852537, [email protected] selection will be constructed domestically. The Australian shipbuilding industry had been facing Nordic Countries/Italy Emanuela Castagnetti-Gillberg a so-called ‘Valley of Death’ regarding future work. This was the result of two major RAN Tel: (46) 31 799 9028 E-Mail: [email protected] shipbuilding initiatives, the ‘Canberra’ class amphibious assault ships and the ‘Hobart’ class Russia destroyers, approaching the end of their construction. With no orders from the DoD following, it Alla Butova, NOVO-Media Ltd, became increasingly difficult to see how the BAE Systems yard at Williamstown in Melbourne, Tel/Fax: (7 3832) 180 885 Mobile : (7 960) 783 6653 Email :[email protected] Victoria, where these ships are being constructed, could continue without additional work. South Korea Young Seoh Chinn, Jes Media Inc. Thus alongside other RAN initiatives such as its Future Frigate and Offshore Patrol Vessel Tel: (82-2) 481 3411 E-Mail: [email protected] programmes, this replacement of the ‘Collins’ class SSKs currently operated by the RAN throws an important and much-needed lifeline to the Australian naval shipbuilding industry. Yet work USA (East/South East)/Canada (East) Margie Brown, Blessall Media, LLC. remains to be done. The announcement in late April pledges the Australian DoD to commence Tel : (+1 540) 341 7581 Email: [email protected] negotiations with DCNS which are expected to finish by early 2017 at the latest. These negotiations USA (West/South West)/Brazil/Canada (West) will cover the award of a three-year submarine design contract which, pending their successful Diane Obright, Blackrock Media Inc Tel : (+1 858) 759 3557 outcome, will then be awarded to DCNS. There is still a long way to go until steel is cut and Email: [email protected] keels are laid down. Such large defence programmes-the ‘Collins’ class replacement is said to All Other Countries Vishal Mehta, Media Transasia Limited be worth up to $38.7 billion-often experience changes and modifications and, in some isolated Tel: +66 2204 2370, Mobile +66 9 8252 6243 cases, even rebidding. The French defence industry has won a battle in securing its selection for E-Mail: [email protected] Jakhongir Djalmetov, Media Transasia Limited the ‘Collins’ class replacement, ensuring that its offer comes in on time and on budget will help Tel: +66 2204 2370, Mobile: +66 81 6455654 it secure a famous victory. More information regarding Australian defence procurement can be Email: [email protected] found in Mike Yeo’s Rumble Down Under article in this issue. Thomas Withington, Editor Editor: Thomas Withington Tel: (33) 562 271 697, E-mail: [email protected] Publishing Office: Audit Bureau Of Circulations Chairman: J.S. Uberoi Media Transasia Limited,1603, 16/F, Controlled circulation: 21,204 (average per issue) Island Place Tower, 510 King’s Road, Hong Kong certified by ABC Hong Kong, Operations Office: for the period 1st January 2014 to 31st December 2014. President: Egasith Chotpakditrakul Subscription Information Chief Financial Officer: Sasakorn Dumavibhat ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW can be obtained by subscription. 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Tel: 66 (0)-2204 2370, Fax: 66 (0)-2204 2387 Tel: 66 (0)-2204 2370, Fax: 66 (0)-2204 2390 -1 Email: [email protected] 04 | ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW | by Thomas Withington Raytheon has revealed that it is sharpening its Patriot surface-to-air missile system radar; meanwhile the Indonesian Air Force will receive new electronic self-protection systems while deliveries of new tactical radios to the Egyptian armed forces are in the offing. An example of the AN/APG-78 Longbow fire control radar seen here atop an AH-64D gunship. India has recently placed an order for twelve examples of these radars. Lockheed Martin Lockheed Radar Away from India, Raytheon hopes to be at Technology Readi- In late April, Lockheed Martin announced that India had become ness Level-6 (TRL-6) for its upgraded AN/MPQ-53/65 ground- the eleventh international customer for Longbow International’s based air surveillance radar by the end of the year. Both these AN/APG-78 Longbow fire control radar. Longbow Internation- radars provide surveillance and radar target illumination for al is a joint venture involving Lockheed Martin and Northrop Raytheon’s MIM-104A/B/C/D/F Patriot family of Surface- Grumman, with the eponymous radar equipping the McDonnell to-Air Missile (SAM) batteries. TRL levels are used by the US Douglas/Boeing AH-64D Apache and Boeing AH-64E Guardian Department of Defence to denote the technological maturity of helicopter gunships.