1/2015 Kr 48,- INTERPRESS NORGE NORWEGIAN DEFENCE AND SECURITY INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION RETURUKE 25 LOOK INTO THE FUTURE Saab utvider sin familie av verdensledende radarsystemer Saab har vært aktive innen forsvars- og sikkerhetsteknologi i – GIRAFFE – med flere nye modeller, og gir dermed kravstore over 75 år, og den lange rekken grensesprengende innovasjoner kunder verden over et enda bredere og mer allsidig tilbud. befester vår evne til å skjerpe the thinking edge. Skarp nok til å Saab Technologies Norway har i lang tid levert radarprodukter skjære igjennom grensene til det umulige og til å beskytte og og servicetjenester till det norske forsvaret. holde troppene trygge. www.saabgroup.com 234-084X_Annons_MilitaerTeknikk_STN-NO_A4.indd 1 2014-11-20 09:59 CONTENTS Contents: ARTILLERY FOR NORWAY Editor-in-Chief: M.Sc. Bjørn Domaas Josefsen 2 The decision on new artillery for the army is drawing closer APC CANDIDATES JE SUIS CHARLIE 6 Up close with the Danish APC candidates Following the terror attack on the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in FSI Paris, “Je suis Charlie” has become a widely adopted slogan for the 11 Norwegian Defence and Security freedom of speech. Industries Association The brutal attack attaches itself to the series of attacks on media and journalists over recent years, the latest incident being the shootings in Copenhagen in February. JSM AND AUSTRALIA Threats and persecution of media and its people are nothing new; 18 Norway and Australia to cooperate on this has been seen in practically all totalitarian regimes up through JSM-development history. The more recent development is that it is happening in states where the freedom of speech is among the basic and constitutional BULLETIN BOARD FOR DEFENCE, freedoms, and the threats are followed by extremely vicious attacks. INDUSTRY AND TRADE In the public debate ensuing after the brutal acts, some have 21 USAF deploys A-10 Thunderbolt in Europe spoken up for limitations to the freedom of speech, and that it should 24 Precision Rifl es to Lithuanian Army at least be exercised in a responsible manner. In particular, it has been 28 AT4 to the French armed forces said that expression that violate religious beliefs and values, such as the caricature drawings of the Prophet Mohammed, should be avoided. 29 NSM FOR POLAND There have always been limits to the freedom of speech, both in legal and moral terms. The important issue is still not where do these MISTRAL CLASS limits apply, but rather who shall have the power to regulate the freedom of speech? 30 Putin will never get Vladivostok or Sevastopol The situation in today’s Europe is that extremist groups are attempting to control and inhibit the freedom of speech. This is not 32 S-97 RAIDER a new situation for a number of European countries. Our history lists many examples of extremists, be they communists, Nazis or Islamic fundamentalists, attempting to curtail the freedom of speech using threats of violence and killing. Coverphoto: From the same annals of history, we should also have learnt that NORWEGIAN M109 self-propelled 155 mm in Mauken fi ring range in to give in to the demands of these extremists will only lead to the Troms, Northern Norway. propagation of new and even more extreme demands. For other cultures Photo: FMS/Ole-Sverre Haugli to prohibit the publishing of drawings of the Prophet Mohammed, will by the Islamic communities be seen as an acknowledgement that “We are right”, and “Our acts of violence are provoked and justifi able”. This will serve to accelerate the extremist attitudes and the violent acts even further, and new demands and more violence will follow. If there is one thing our history should have taught us about extremists and extreme regimes, it is that negotiations and concessions have no positive effect. Because extremists never give up – until they are arrested by force. 1995–2015 | 20 YEARS ANNIVERSARY MILITÆRTEKNIKK 1/2015 1 ARTILLERY FOR NORWAY THE DECISION ON NEW ARTILLERY FOR THE ARMY IS DRAWING CLOSER The Army spent a lot of time be in time-consuming negotiations with not been changed since the time when in 2014 looking for a replace- the chosen suppler. In other words, that the Ar cher contract was signed, extensive decision will probably need to be made mapping of the global market has been ment for its M109 artillery, before 2015 is over, he says. done to identify potentiat manufacturers of now approaching the end of its new artillery equipment, and to check the service life expectancy, circa Market surveying supply situation for used artillery. 2020. The problem turned Having used last year reviewing the - The army is firmly opposed to requirement specifications, where it trans- a new and costly development project. acute when Norway last year pired that the Army requirements had We no longer have the luxury of time for broke off the agreement to pro- cure the Swedish Archer, after this failed to meet the require- ments. Nevertheless, the Army intends to hold on to Sweden as a close and steady artillery partner. Text and photo: Tor Husby n order to arrive at a decision point for Ithe choice of a new artillery system, the Army Artillery inspector, Col. Lars Huse, is working his way back from 2020. - Seeing that the sell-by-date of the M109A3GNM is coming up in five years’ time, we need to start training personnel for its replacement no later than i 2019. The year before, that is 2018, work must be done on regulations and manuals. This means that in 2016/2017 we will probably Norway´s M109 artillery is rapidly approaching the end of its service life expectancy. Photo: FMS Artillery inspectør, Colonel Lars Huse. Photo: Tor Husby K9 Thunder from Korea Photo: Korean armed forces 2 MILITÆRTEKNIKK 1/2015 ARTILLERY FOR NORWAY this. Nor are we looking for “gold plated” have been made. Poland has for example information. We are still at a stage where solutions. We are sober realists, and not bought the vehicle, but not the turret. Tur- most of the activity concerns gathering about to procure huge volumes, Col, Lars key is making the K9 under licence. The of information. Before a choice is made, Huse emphasises. market seems not to be a limiting factor in it makes sense to test the various systems According to the latest Parliamen- the search. Both the K9 Thunder and the under Norwegian operating conditions, tary Proposition, the artillery project has Panzerhaubitz originate from the early 2000 says Huse. around 2 billion NOK (some 250 million years. The Netherlands, who are using the The M109 artillery is well-worn Euro) at its disposal. German system, has been to army exercises after getting on for fifty years of use. It is The Norwegian team of experts have in Norway with it. The USA is taking the the most widely used artillery system in the covered much of the world map in their M109 across to the Palladin chassis. West, but the different nations have been travels. Still in the picture are different upgrading and uprating is in a variety of American M109 varieties that can be up- No short-list ways and directions, which has also been graded, the German Panzerhaubitzer, the - Not all artillery systems are equally happening in the Norwegian Army. The French Cesar, as well as the South Korean relevant, and to this date there has not been full denomination of the Norwegian equip- K9 Thunder of which more than 1000 usits any short-listing or issuing of requests for ment is M109A3GNM, reflecting that the Army has a mixture of American, German and Norwegian variations. Our last up- grade was performed in 2008, but only for a small number of artillery units with a view to preserving competence. The ageing Norwegian system is demanding in terms of competence in operation and main tenance. Moreover, everything takes time, and costs are mounting. So does the Army need a new artillery? The answer is an unequivocal Yes. There is simply no substitute. Neither combat helicopters (which the Norwegian Defence does not have) nor aircraft can solve the tasks of the Army in the field. No airborne systems are as resilient nor as weather independent as an artillery system. An artillery system can also operate more freely that for example own aircraft can, if the opposition should field an air threat. Finding a replacement for artillery is accordingly no easy task. This is why it is important to select the German Panzerhaubitzer. The photo displays test firing with a Dutch Panzerhaubitzer. appropriate artillery systems as soon s is Photo: Dutch armed forces practicable. Classic triangle The Army requirements are spread across the classic “triangle” of high fire-power,excellent mobility and crew protection. Inside the triangle are reasonable costs of operation. There is naturally a measure of under- standing that newer solutions are both more technically advanced, and carry a bigger price tag. A further requirement is that the new artillery must be able to fire all types of NATO ammunition (Even the Archer had this capability). The most effective for the Army is the use of 155 millimetre ammunition. The new artillery should be capable of firing upon remote targets at very long range, with superior firing rate (theM109 has a range of some 30 kms). It should also be suited to close combat (fire support for manoeuvring units, such as the Telemark batallion), while being able to use various The French Cesar system. Photo: French armed forces kinds of ammunition. MILITÆRTEKNIKK 1/2015 3 ARTILLERY FOR NORWAY Where mobility is concerned, the requirement is that the artillery must be MPV able to clear out of the road in order not to block it.