AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE IN A GLOBAL CONTEXT JULY-AUG 2021 VOL.47 NO.5 AUSTRALIAN GUIDED WEAPONS SOVEREIGN CAPABILITY RNZN ARMY BMS INTERVIEW TAKES A DIFFERENT APPROACH FURTHER CLARITY JIM MCDOWELL, GROUP CEO TO MISSILE DEFENCE FOR ELBIT NOVA SYSTEMS SMART PEOPLE. SOLVING COMPLEX CHALLENGES. MAKING OUR WORLD SAFE AND SECURE. DISCOVER MORE AT NOVASYSTEMS.COM CONTENTS FEATURES Print Post Approved PP349181/00104 12 SEA 129 PHASE PROGRESS REPORT Managing Director/Publisher RAN looking at continuous capability upgrades Marilyn Tangye Butler Phone: +61 (0) 410 529 324 AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE IN A GLOBAL CONTEXT Email: [email protected] JULY-AUG 2021 VOL.47 NO.5 16 LAND 200 BATTLE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM – CONTINUED Editor More clarity but still plenty of questions Kym Bergmann Phone: +61(0)412 539 106 Email: [email protected] AUSTRALIAN 20 AFGHANISTAN – CAN WE EVER REALLY GUIDED WEAPONS DISCOVER THE TRUTH Contributors Vladimir Karnozov SOVEREIGN Australia’s military involvement ends Arie Egozi Mark Farrer CAPABILITY Mike Yeo 22 LAND 8116 ON TRACK FOR CONTRACT Geoff Slocombe SIGNATURE George Galdorisi Looks like early 2022, or sooner Australia Ventura Media Asia-Pacific Pty Ltd 26 MINISTER DUTTON AND DEFENCE PO Box 88, Miranda RNZN ARMY BMS INTERVIEW NSW 1490 Australia TAKES A DIFFERENT APPROACH FURTHER CLARITY JIM MCDOWELL, GROUP CEO V THE MEDIA TO MISSILE DEFENCE FOR ELBIT NOVA SYSTEMS ABN 76 095 476 065 The definition of pettiness Cover description: HMAS Arunta fires an Evolved Sea Sparrow Subscriptions Missile off the coast of Western Australia to test its missile ST SMART PEOPLE. Rose Jeffree systems after undergoing the Anzac Midlife Capability Assurance 28 1 PERSON INTERVIEW Phone: + 61 (0)2 9526 7188 Program upgrade. Credit: CoA / Ronnie Baltoft Jim McDowell, Group CEO, Nova Systems Fax: + 61 (0)2 9526 1779 Email: [email protected] REGULARS 31 GUIDED WEAPONS FOREWORD – THE HON SOLVING COMPLEX ADVERTISING OFFICES: MELISSA PRICE 06 EDITOR’S LETTER A vital capability Australia, NZ & Asia Pacific, The Australian COVID-19 shambles USA, Canada & South America continues CHALLENGES. Graham Joss 32 INDUSTRY UP FOR THE GUIDED WEAPONS Sales Director CHALLENGE Phone +61 2 9526 7188 Fax +61 2 9526 1779 An abundance of local talent Mobile +61 (0) 419 492 836 NEWS MAKING OUR Email: [email protected] 06 Australian Missile Corporation announces 33 INDUSTRY CONTRIBUTIONS: Europe new partners BAE Systems; EOS; IAI; Kongsberg; Lockheed Diana Scogna Martin Australia; Nioa; Nova Systems; Penten; WORLD SAFE Mobile: +33 6 6252 2547 Rafael unveils Sea Breaker attack weapon Fax: +33 1 7079 0534 Quickstep; Saab; Thales Email: [email protected] 08 Northrop Grumman to build more LAIRCM AND SECURE. systems 44 GUIDED WEAPONS – THE RNZN Israel Asa Talbar Australian and US universities make EXPERIENCE Talbar Media breakthroughs An approach that Australia should also Phone: +972-77-562-1900 consider Fax: +972-77-562-1903 BAE Systems ramps up F-35 EW production Email: [email protected] 10 Redback IFV to be tested by South 48 NEWS FROM ACROSS THE TASMAN Printer Korean Army Our regular update Times Printers ISSN 1446-6880 Design Stun Media ‹‹ ADF electronic warfare projects Email: [email protected] PREVIEW DISCOVER MORE AT NEXT ISSUE ‹‹ Simulation masterplan ‹‹ LVC training NOVASYSTEMS.COM Follow us on twitter: @APDR_APAC READ APDR: ANYTIME, ANYWHERE. 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The publisher cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to uncommissioned photographs, manuscripts or other media. © Ventura Media Asia Pacific Pty Ltd 2020 Asia Pacific Defence ReporterJULY-AUG 2021 3 EDS LETTER THE AUSTRALIAN COVID-19 SHAMBLES CONTINUES be fulfilled on schedule was another mistake; and a bit longer, one of the reasons why the ADF is preparations had to be made to get Australians an effective fighting force is that it trains hard stuck overseas back home. There are many more and often. The three services individually and matters that needed to be analysed, but these look collectively are being put through their paces in like the big ones. the most realistic way possible – and often with KYM BERGMANN // CANBERRA On the evidence available – or rather the lack of friends and allies. Covid has had an impact, but it – none of that was done. Once we are through only a relatively small one with exercises such t the moment it is difficult to write about all of this – perhaps in a year from now – it would as the forthcoming Talisman Sabre going full anything else – and from a national security be a good idea to have a major inquiry, preferably steam ahead. A point of view we are all once again being a Royal Commission, into what went wrong and While many exercises are physical, a lot of what reminded of the consequences of being overly how things can be improved. The initial response takes place are desktop in nature. This is what dependent on international supply chains. From of shutting down all international travel and locking should have been happening in the middle of last a project management perspective, we are being down the country was a very blunt instrument, year in preparation for vaccine distribution. The further reminded of what happens when there but it worked. However, from that point on no one federal government should have put one person is a single point of failure, such as relying on a actually seemed to have a clear idea of what to in charge, with the necessary support staff – particular vaccine, just as it was a mistake awarding do, let alone start planning for the reopening of and all of the states should have been involved. the future submarine contract to a single supplier the country. They needed a single focus: how to vaccinate so early. From a civil defence angle, we can see An inquiry might well conclude that what everyone. The day-to-day tasks of running health the chaos resulting in states having uncoordinated Australia needs is a national disaster coordination departments, giving media briefings, reassuring responses involving different agencies and varying and response body, perhaps something like the the public and especially the huge job of running lines of responsibility. US Federal Emergency Management Agency. the economy should have been left to others, One of the important things that Defence While far from perfect – it has been a bit of especially politicians. requires of companies bidding for projects is a political football with fluctuations in funding Such a body of professionals – without that they produce a risk management plan – and and in governance – the basic idea of having a any distractions and with no budget ceiling – sometimes more than one if it is for a complex single body coordinating the response to major should have been empowered to make practical and expensive undertaking. The first vaccine emergencies seems sound. recommendations to be accepted on a bipartisan against Covid-19 was announced by Pfizer on The closest Australia has come in the time of basis. If changes to federal laws were needed, that January 20, 2020 – almost 18 months ago. Covid has been meetings of the National Cabinet, would hopefully have taken place with the support Others quickly followed. What was not known which started off as quite productive but then often of the opposition and the crossbench – after all, at that stage was how effective it would be, degenerated into political point scoring between who would want to get in the way of a response how safe, how long it would last – and so on. the states and the federal government – and to a pandemic? Any states that quibbled over the But from that moment onwards the experts amongst themselves - as well as demonstrating constitutionality of measures would be welcome to knew that it could be done – and what followed the blame-shifting that has become such a notable take their complaints to the High Court, preferably was accelerated testing to answer the other feature of life in general, and politics in particular. after the pandemic was over. questions and fine tune the solutions. If we look at two small inquiries that have To conclude on an entirely different note: the Allowing for a certain level of political inertia – it already taken place – the Ruby Princess demoting of Veterans’ Affairs Minister Darren took a few months for most people to be finally passenger disaster in NSW and the Melbourne Chester, axed because he was not a supporter convinced of the seriousness of the situation – hotel quarantine disaster – amazingly it transpired of the new leader of the National Party Barnaby planning should have commenced in mid 2020 for in both cases that no one was to blame. It was as Joyce. Mr Chester was decent, hard working and the rapid roll out of vaccines to all Australians. That if things just magically happened by themselves widely respected. By his own account, the reasons needed to involve risk management experts, who with unclear records, losses of memory and given by Mr Joyce for his sacking were incoherent. would have concluded very quickly that relying a general sense of confusion about who was He will be missed – and his removal is a sad so heavily on a single vaccine from Astra Zeneca responsible for everything.