AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE IN A GLOBAL CONTEXT DEC - JAN 2021 VOL.46 NO.10 UNINHABITED SYSTEMS GROWING IN IMPORTANCE FOR AIR COMBAT SOTG INTERVIEW: INDUSTRY UPDATES IN AFGHANISTAN AND STÉPHANE MAROUANI, LAND 129 THE BRERETON REPORT MATHWORKS AUSTRALIA AND SEA 129 IAI’s Heron Family Interoperable Solution for Your Operational Needs Heron TP Heron MK II Heron Tactical Heron Our Experience - Your Winning Solution The all-in-one platform backed by over 1,800,000 operational UAS flight hours, IAI’s Heron Family features: • Multi-mission, multi-payload configuration • Long Runner capabilities: remotely-controlled landing and take-off • Advanced voice and touch activated workstation • A strong technical and logistic support + a well-established UAS academy • Full automation • Seamlessly shifts between satellites • Highest safety and reliability www.iai.co.il • [email protected] CONTENTS FEATURES Print Post Approved PP349181/00104 11 THE BRERETON REPORT – A POLITICAL PROBLEM Managing Director/Publisher The SAS has had a rogue culture for too long Marilyn Tangye Butler AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE IN A GLOBAL CONTEXT DEC - JAN 2021 Phone: +61 (0) 410 529 324 VOL.46 NO.10 Email: [email protected] 14 AIR 4503 – TIGER ARH REPLACEMENT Editor Misleading answers from the Department Kym Bergmann Phone: +61(0)412 539 106 of Defence Email: [email protected] Contributors 19 UNMANNED SYSTEMS IN THE MARITIME Vladimir Karnozov Arie Egozi DOMAIN Mark Farrer UNINHABITED Air, surface and subsea systems being trialled Mike Yeo Geoff Slocombe SYSTEMS George Galdorisi GROWING IN IMPORTANCE FOR AIR COMBAT 22 ARMY MOVING TOWARDS AUTONOMOUS Australia AND ROBOTIC SOLUTIONS Ventura Media Asia-Pacific Pty Ltd Experimentation is underway PO Box 88, Miranda SOTG INTERVIEW: INDUSTRY UPDATES IN AFGHANISTAN AND STÉPHANE MAROUANI, LAND 129 NSW 1490 Australia THE BRERETON REPORT MATHWORKS AUSTRALIA AND SEA 129 ABN 76 095 476 065 26 THE FUTURE OF AIR COMBAT MIGHT BE A Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18A Hornet A21-23 aircraft with Subscriptions Worimi livery releases a flare while flying off the east coast of RADICALLY DIFFERENT Rose Jeffree Phone: + 61 (0)2 9526 7188 New South Wales, adjacent to Worimi land near Port Stephens. If the RAAF embraces trusted autonomy Fax: + 61 (0)2 9526 1779 Credit: CoA / Madhur Chitnis Email: [email protected] 31 AUSTRALIAN EXPERIENCE IN WEAPON ADVERTISING OFFICES: REGULARS GUIDANCE AND CONTROL A PLUS Australia, NZ & Asia Pacific, 04 EDITOR'S LETTER Essential ingredients for autonomy USA, Canada & South America Relations with China sink to new low Graham Joss Sales Director Phone +61 2 9526 7188 34 1ST PERSON INTERVIEW Fax +61 2 9526 1779 Stephane Marouani, Mathworks Australia Mobile +61 (0) 419 492 836 NEWS & NZ country manager Email: [email protected] Europe 06 Australia – US hypersonic missile Diana Scogna collaboration 37 JP 9102 UPDATE – A SOVEREIGN Mobile: +33 6 6252 2547 RAAF / RAF cooperation formalised COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE Fax: +33 1 7079 0534 Email: [email protected] A change of direction from the traditional 08 EM solutions secures further L3Harris order approach by Defence Israel Babcock’s innovative LAND 125 bid Asa Talbar Talbar Media Phone: +972-77-562-1900 10 New approach to RAN sustainment 40 NEWS FROM ACROSS THE TASMAN Fax: +972-77-562-1903 Lockheed Martin AIR 6500 SME signing Our regular update Email: [email protected] Printer Times Printers ISSN 1446-6880 Design PREVIEW Airpower Edition ‹‹ F-35 progress report Stun Media Email: [email protected] NEXT ISSUE ‹‹ AIR 6500 ‹‹ ADF helicopter fleet 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 Reporter DEC-JAN 2021 3 RELATIONS WITH CHINA SINK TO A NEW LOW resort. The same can be said for the aid budget the previous year has been. – we will need all the friends we can get in this As the concluding editorial for this year, mention rapidly changing part of the globe and for the must be made of the Brereton Report, covered miniscule amounts of money involved Australia can separately in this edition. It has had a profound generate a lot of good will far into the future. effect on everyone in the Defence community If, as expected, Joe Biden is sworn in on and is causing a great deal of understandable January 20 next year as US President, that will reflection on how collectively we have arrived make life more predictable for Australian planners, at this point. The ADF is overwhelmingly an but only slightly so. He and his team are deeply organisation staffed and run by decent, hard- experienced and committed to the international working, truthful and courageous people. However, system – especially alliances with trusted allies. some cultural changes will be needed, and tough KYM BERGMANN // CANBERRA However, domestically the US has been fractured decisions taken – not only by senior people in by the last five years and the clock can never be uniform but also by politicians who are the ones s the end of 2020 approaches there are a wound back to a happier time when all sides of actually making decisions about which conflicts number of major developments unfolding politics at least pursued common goals in the Australia should be involved in and the manner of A – both good and troublesome. Australia’s national interest. that participation. relationship with China is at something of a low It is quite possible that political gridlock will At the end of one of the most difficult years in point with no particular end in sight – and the continue in Washington with the Republicans living memory, there is more reason to be positive consequences for the economy could be serious continuing to hold the Senate – the two seats than negative about the future of the country. We if Beijing seeks to inflict further punishment by up for grabs in Georgia notwithstanding. Should will pull through COVID-19 in far better shape than restricting more imports. As unpleasant as this this be the case, the country will be hamstrung many comparable countries – and the lessons that might be to consider, this could be the new reality by an inadequate response to COVID-19 – both we have painfully and sometimes clumsily learned that we all have to live with. from an economic and public health perspective will be vital for when we face the next pandemic. The reasons for the unhappy state of affairs are – and a broad policy malaise where nothing much Our economy is robust and our institutions stable various – and there is fault on both sides. China will happen will continue, apart from the regular and effective – though like any complex system, under President Xi has become more bellicose appointment of conservative judges. With this as continuous monitoring and adjustments when and aggressive with a number of countries in the background, the country is hardly likely to waste necessary will be required. region feeling the effects. India is losing territory much energy on foreign policy and may well expect Best wishes to all of our readers, industry in the Himalayas; Taiwan is intimidated; Japan is allies to look after themselves. partners, supporters and critics, friends and nervous and is increasing defence spending – and The good news, of course, is the reality of an families. At APDR we all hope you have a merry this is taking place at a time of great uncertainty in effective vaccine for COVID-19 being rolled out Christmas and a happy, prosperous – and most the US as Donald Trump and apparently most of firstly in the UK. Vaccines are also being deployed importantly of all – peaceful New Year. the Republican Party incorrectly claiming that he in both Russia and China – though to a different has actually won the Presidential election because level of personal safety to that which is acceptable of massive voter fraud favouring his opponent. elsewhere in the world. More are on the way and From the The quick summary is that we are now seeing within months this will start to have a measurable more clearly the seismic shifts that have been impact on combating the pandemic. publisher underway for several years: the growth of China While estimates vary, it might be that by the and the relative decline of the US. One very second quarter of next year international travel As 2020 draws to a close, I sincerely thank my team at APDR who have worked obvious characteristic of the attitude of Beijing really starts to pick up if millions of travellers can tirelessly throughout this very difficult year. is its sensitivity to megaphone diplomacy and a be inoculated against the virus before boarding I wish our readers a happy and safe festive tendency to push back when it can. This is simply their flights. Thankfully Australia has a very good season to come, and we hope for brighter a fact and it doesn’t matter whether Australian healthcare system and plans are well advanced days ahead in 2021.