a8.90 European D 14974 E Security ESD & Defence 4/2021 International Security and Defence Journal COUNTRY FOCUS: BULGARIA ISSN 1617-7983 • European Field Artillery Technologies www.euro-sd.com • • Swiss Air Force • Fuses and Propellants • Brazilian Navy • Fuel Cells for UAVs April 2021 • 10 Years IRON DOME • Aircraft Carrier Self-Defence Politics · Armed Forces · Procurement · Technology The Courage to Meet Tomorrow's Challenges Today IAI draws on innovative solutions and proven technologies to meet today's and tomorrow's challenges. We've been creating exceptional solutions since 1953. IAI offers tailored interconnected and interoperable solutions within and across domains. Leap into the future together with us. www.iai.co.il • [email protected] Editorial ... But the EU Cannot Defend Europe While the appearance of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the Berlaymont, the headquar- ters of the EU Commission, in December 2020 was still considered 'historic', such personal meetings between the Head of the Alliance and the EU institutions are now becoming routine. On 26 Febru- ary, Stoltenberg met with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, at the Justus Lipsius building, the seat of the European Council, to attend the video conference of the EU heads of state and government. His par- ticipation was more than opportune, as the regular review of the security and defence policy agenda since 2012 was being discussed. Charles Michel began by emphasising that the EU wanted to "act more strategically" and increase its "capacity to act autonomously". At the same time, he said that it wanted to further deepen partnerships, precisely by reviving the dialogue with the Biden administra- tion in Washington on security and defence issues. The EU and NATO discussed a joint response to Biden's advances, as most participants at the EU summit also sit around the table when NATO invites them to the summit. On 15 March, the NATO Secretary General answered questions from two bodies in the European Parliament: the Subcommittee on Security and Defence and the Committee on Foreign Affairs. They discussed the possibilities for closer cooperation between the EU and NATO in the field of mili- tary mobility, combating hybrid threats and the use of emerging and disruptive technologies. In ad- dition, MEPs discussed with him how the Alliance can better respond to security challenges that may result from the COVID 19 pandemic. The parliamentarians were also interested in ways to work more closely with each other to avoid unilateral initiatives that jeopardise the security of all Allied partners. To the Brussels observer, the impression is that the NATO Secretary General is becoming tired of following up on statements from the EU on the state of its defence efforts. Much is repeated. For example, the minutes of the European Council contain phrases such as: The Council also recognised "that significant steps have already been taken", and the Council "called for further deepening not least in the area of crisis management where improved force generation is needed". The European Council called for a "rapid operationalisation" of the European Peace Facility and a "full use" of PESCO. In a speech to EU leaders, the President of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, welcomed "the transition from a common defence policy to a fully-fledged defence system". That the defence of Europe depends on close transatlantic ties and not on seeking the continent's strategic autonomy was made clear by Jens Stoltenberg in an interview and speech to the European College in Bruges on 4 March. He does not see increasing European integration as contradictory to transatlantic cooperation. In his eyes, a strong transatlantic bond is the foundation of European se- curity. He doubts that the continent should develop a "strategic autonomy" as advocated by French President Emmanuel Macron. For him, it is more about strategic solidarity than strategic autonomy. He supports the EU's defence efforts because more defence spending, new military capabilities and a reduction of fragmentation in the European defence industry would strengthen European security. That, in turn, is good for transatlantic security, he says. "All these efforts - as long as they are com- plementary to NATO - we welcome, but the EU cannot defend Europe," he stressed at the event at the College of Europe, chaired by the former EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini. Hardly noticed by the public is a remarkable initiative by the Director of the EU Military Staff, Vice Ad- miral Hervé Bléjean. He spoke with the Deputy Supreme Commander of Myanmar’s Armed Forces, General Soe Win on 9 March. He appealed to his interlocutor to immediately stop the violence by the military authorities against the protesters in Myanmar. Admiral Bléjean will certainly also have called for the legitimate government to be reinstated. Those who know him know that he has also made clear comments on the role of armed forces in democracies. So far, this approach has proven unsuc- cessful, but nevertheless is worth noting and emulating. Hans Uwe Mergener 4/2021 · European Security & Defence 1 Contents Photo: Nexter Photo: Swiss Air Force Four aircraft manufacturers have submitted final Page 26 After many years of neglect, the field artillery Page 34 offers in response to Switzerland’s requirement arms of many European countries are being for 36 to 40 new multirole jets. upgraded with new platforms. COUNTRY FOCUS: BULGARIA 50 Supporting FIM-92 STINGER Missiles Piero Toffano 14 Security Policy and Force Twenty Years of IRON DOME Development in Bulgaria 52 Arie Egozi Kasimir Karakachanov 54 Aircraft Carrier Self-Defence 16 Bulgarian Defence Industrial Capabilities Doug Richardson Peter Cholakov 58 Enhancing Squad Communications Converged voice and radio communications ARMED FORCES with Radio over IP (RoIP) Shaun Fischer and Charlie Kawasaki 22 The Brazilian Navy: An Evolving Navy in Consolidation 61 5G as a Game-Changer for Defence Critical Systems J. F. Auran Interview with Mark Barrett, CMO and Defence Lead of Blu Wireless 26 The Future of Swiss Air Force – Standing at the Crossroads 62 Lessons Learned: When Sensors are Shooters An Update on the Swiss Air Force Next Generation Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Georg Mader John Antal 30 HAMMERHEAD, QUICKSTRIKE and More US Navy Offensive Mine Warfare Programmes 65 Railguns and Hypervelocity Projectiles Sidney E. Dean Expanding Naval and Ground-Force Artillery Options Sidney E. Dean 69 Acquisition in the Visegrád Four ARMAMENT & TECHNOLOGY Eugene Kogan 34 European Field Artillery Technologies 73 Securing Littoral Borders Christopher F. Foss Understanding Threats and Challenges for Maritime Borders Tony Kingham 41 The Need for Power Batteries versus Fuel Cells for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles John Antal SECURITY POLICY 44 Fuse and Propellant Developments Tim Guest 76 The First War Won Primarily with Unmanned Systems 47 RPAS Guarding the Seas Lessons from the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War J. C. Menon John Antal 2 European Security & Defence · 4/2021 Space Experienced 80 Armenia: A Tectonic Fault Dr. Gayane Novikova Gyro and IMU modules 84 Malaysia: COVID-19 and Political Uncertainty Overshadows Defence and Security Development Dzirhan Mahadzir 87 Russian-Turkish Relations: Moscow Calls the Tune Eugene Kogan VIEWPOINT FROM … 79 New Delhi Suman Sharma COLUMNS 1 Editorial 4 Firms & Faces 6 ESD Spotlight 70 Masthead Actual size Index of Advertisers Arquus 29 Balt Military Expo 59 Proven by a decade of space heritage, with more Bittium 25 than 400 units in orbit including several missions Bofors Test Center 45 on NASA spacecrafts, and trusted by more than DEFEA 85 50 commercial space companies. Dencrypt 75 Diehl Aviation 27 The new STIM277H and STIM377H are hermetically DNV GL 23 sealed and optimized based on feedback from our Embraer 9 customers. This makes them even more attractive GDELS 17 for space and other applications requiring long-term IAI 2nd cover reliability. IMDEX 83 • Tested for 20 years life expectancy John Cockerill Defence 4th cover • Delivered in clean-room packaging MBDA 15 • SurTec 650 surface treated NCT Virtual 81 • ITAR-free Nexter 35 • Laser-welded 6082-T6 alloy housing Optoelectron 19 • Backward compatibility with STIM210 and STIM300 Safran 3rd cover • 50 grams weight Sensonor 3 SOFINS 21 TechNet 63 Vincorion 43 WB Group 71 When size, performance and robustness matter Weibel 39 Yugoimport 37 [email protected] • sensonor.com 4/2021 · European Security & Defence 3 Firms & Faces Elisabeth Preston Joins KWESST with the strategic partnership on GA-ASI’s applications. The company is able to offer Board of Directors RPAS starting in 2010. Activities began with compressed storage in composite tanks and (jr) Elisabeth Preston has joined KWESST Mi- the design and build of the “fit and forget” solid storage with metal hydrides. Moreover, cro Systems, Inc. as a member of the board of fuel bladder system in Portsmouth, UK, fol- MAHYTEC provides solutions that integrate directors and will also serve as the Company’s lowed by the production of fuel bladders in the entire hydrogen value chain – from pro- the USA. Today, GKN Aerospace manufac- duction over storage to electrical conversion. tures a range of products including the light- MAHYTEC is therefore positioned as the weight landing gear system, which it produc- only company able to provide its clients with es in the Netherlands. a complete low-pressure storage solution. HENSOLDT and MAHYTEC have partnered New GM Defense Executive in the field of intelligent hydrogen to energy Chief Engineer solutions since 2015. Logo: KWESST (jr) GM Defense HENSOLDT also uses its capabilities to store Corporate Secretary. 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