VOLUME 24/ISSUE 6 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016 US$15 ASIA PACIFIC’S LARGEST CIRCULATED DEFENCE MAGAZINE NAVAL DIRECTORY SMALL VESSEL RADARS MARITIME PATROL NAVAL UAVS PHILIPPINES ARMED FORCES ANTI-ARMOUR WEAPONS www.asianmilitaryreview.com 02 | ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW | Contents SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016 VOLUME 24 / ISSUE 6 28 Alex Calvo explores the security challenges, both internal and Front Cover Photo: external, faced by the Philippines The Asia-Pacific’s naval forces armed forces. are profiled in this issue’s Naval ARMING Directory. THE ARCHIPELAGO 12 46 52 60 The Huntsman Reach Out and Still Rules The Cruel Sea AMR’s ever-popular naval Touch Someone the Waves Broadening directory returns for 2016 with With regular warfare, as well as David Oliver discovers that Trevor Hollingsbee at the helm counter-insurgency, very much maritime patrol aircraft are in Horizons detailing the latest maritime on the agenda, Andrew White high demand in the Asia-Pacific, Claire Apthorp examines the developments in the region. examines some of the anti- with a number of options, both options regarding Unmanned armour weapons currently old and new, available for Aerial Vehicles for navies in the available. potential customers. Asia-Pacific region. 34 40 06 Big Surveillance Avoiding for Small Mistaken Identity Platforms Friendly fire incidents and The capabilities of naval sur- situational awareness is improving veillance radars equipping large thanks to advancements in naval platforms, is migrating Battle Management Systems, down to smaller combatants, Catch up on all the latest defence radio frequency news and Andrew White finds out. Thomas Withington explains. analysis in Thomas Withington’s regular Pulse column. | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016 | 03 Index of Advertisers AIRBUS 19 AMR WEBSITE AD 49 BOEING P8 43 Editorial BOEING V22 COVER 4 CST 45 DEFENSE & SECURITY THAILAND 71 HONEYWELL 15 IAI 7 IDEAS PAKISTAN 67 ISLAND IDEAS SHOW daily 51 IDEX 69 ELBIT 31 EMBRAER COVER 3 RECORDS IMDS 74 INDO DEFENCE 53 ISDEF 55 MILPOL ASIA-PACIFIC 73 raditionally, the Communist Party of NEXTER 37 NORTHROP GRUMMAN 17 the People’s Republic of China (PRC) LAAD 65 L-3 47 has balked at what it sees as external RAFAEL COVER 2 RENK 23 interference in the internal affairs of a country, particularly its own. Little ROSOBORONEXPORT 11, 35 surprise then that it has chosen to reject a ruling made by the Permanent Court of SEOUL AIRSHOW 59 T TRIJICON 33 TEXTRON 5 Arbitration (PCA), based in The Hague, the Netherlands, regarding its maritime THALES 9 UKRSPECEXPORT 21 and territorial claims in the South China Sea. UNMANNED SYSTEMS DEFENCE 61 VECTRONIX 39 ZHUHAI AIRSHOW 57 The Philippines had brought a case to the PCA arguing that the PRC’s so-called 3 HIGH TECH PORT 63 ‘Nine Dash Line’ is a violation of the terms of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Manila claimed that the positioning of the line Advertising Offices violated the stipulations of the UNCLOS regarding territorial waters and exclusive France/Spain economic zones which extend up to 200 nautical miles (370.4 kilometres) from a Stephane de Remusat, REM International Tel: (33) 5 3427 0130 nation’s coastline. E-Mail: [email protected] Germany/Austria/Switzerland/Benelux On 12 July, the PCA upheld several of the Philippines’ claims regarding its fishing Sam Baird, Whitehill Media Tel: (44-1883) 715 697 Mobile: (44-7770) 237 646 rights around the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, and parts of the disputed E-Mail: [email protected] Spratly Island archipelago. Unsurprisingly, the PRC chose not to recognise the East-Central Europe/Greece/Turkey/UK PCA’s judgements arguing that the Philippines had already agreed to resolve any Zena Coupé Tel: +44 1923 852537, [email protected] differences over the South China Sea bilaterally with the PRC through the auspices Nordic Countries/Italy of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which the Philippines Emanuela Castagnetti-Gillberg Tel: (46) 31 799 9028 is a member. The PCA ruling is unlikely to change the status quo in the South E-Mail: [email protected] China Sea. The PCA has no way of forcing the implementation of its judgement, Russia Alla Butova, NOVO-Media Ltd, and the Philippines is too weak militarily to challenge the PRC. Moreover, the Tel/Fax: (7 3832) 180 885 Mobile : (7 960) 783 6653 latter course of action could significantly increase tensions in the South China Sea, Email :[email protected] and wider Asia-Pacific region. The Philippines’ new president Rodrigo Duterte, South Korea Young Seoh Chinn, Jes Media Inc. seen by some domestic political observers as having an accommodating approach Tel: (82-2) 481 3411 E-Mail: [email protected] to Sino-Philippines relations, has stated that he will discuss these matters directly USA (East/South East)/Canada (East) with the PRC rather than through ASEAN. Margie Brown, Blessall Media, LLC. Tel : (+1 540) 341 7581 While Beijing is unlikely to change its mind regarding the ruling, the fact that Mr. Email: [email protected] USA (West/South West)/Brazil/Canada (West) Duterte seems willing to solve such issues bilaterally should encourage Beijing Diane Obright, Blackrock Media Inc Tel : (+1 858) 759 3557 to take up his offer. The PRC wants to be seen as a responsible actor in the Asia- Email: [email protected] Pacific and beyond. The country is unlikely to change its opinion regarding its All Other Countries opposition to third party interference in its internal affairs, but the commencement Jakhongir Djalmetov, Media Transasia Limited Tel: +66 2204 2370, Mobile: +66 81 6455654 of a dialogue to solve existing disputes with the Philippines would demonstrate Email: [email protected] Beijing’s responsible credentials. Roman Durksen, Media Transasia Limited Tel: +66 2204 2370, Mobile +66 9 8252 6243 Thomas Withington, Editor E-Mail: [email protected] Editor: Thomas Withington Tel: (33) 562 271 697, E-mail: [email protected] Publishing Office: Chairman: J.S. Uberoi Audit Bureau Of Circulations Media Transasia Limited,1603, 16/F, Island Place Tower, 510 King’s Road, Hong Kong Controlled circulation: 21,271 (average per issue) certified by ABC Hong Kong, Operations Office: for the period 1st January 2015 to 31st December 2015. President: Egasith Chotpakditrakul Subscription Information Sasakorn Dumavibhat Chief Financial Officer: ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW can be obtained General Manager: Jakhongir Djalmetov by subscription. Subscription rate for one year International Marketing Manager: Roman Durksen (8 issues) is U.S.$ 100.00 Readers should Digital Manager: David Siriphonphutakun contact the following address: Sales & Marketing Coordinator: Wajiraprakan Punyajai Subscription Department, Graphic Designer: Khakanaa Suwannawong Media Transasia Limited. Production Manager: Kanda Thanakornwongskul Group Circulation Manager: Porames Chinwongs 75/8, 14th Floor, Ocean Tower II, Soi Sukhumvit 19, Media Transasia Ltd. 75/8, 14th Floor, Ocean Tower II, Soi Sukhumvit 19, Sukhumvit Rd., Bangkok 10110, Thailand Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok 10110, Thailand. 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 | T-6C TEXAN II How do you ready the air defense of your entire combined armed forces? One trainer. The Beechcraft T-6, with over 2.7 million hours of proof, is the internationally preferred trainer of choice. Its established pedigree, advanced capabilities and value make it the only choice to train your next generation of aviation warriors. Visit us at BeechcraftDefense.com. For more info, contact: +1.844.44.TXTAV | International +1.316.517.8270 ©2016 Textron Aviation Inc. All rights reserved. Beechcraft and its logo are registered trademarks of the Beechcraft Corporation, used by permission. CAC0235 T6C Before You Fight You Train_Asian Military Review_8.25x11.25.indd 1 8/15/16 3:23 PM Client: Textron Aviation Ad Title: T6C Before You Fight You Train Publication: Asian Military Review Trim: 213mm x 286mm Bleed: 219mm x 292mm by Thomas Withington In this issue’s Pulse, Thales reveals enhancements to its APAR naval surveillance radar, while Leonardo launches a new airborne surveillance radar, Raytheon improves its air-launched decoys and Bittium discloses its latest tactical radio waveform developments. and surface engagements, covering 360 degrees in azimuth Outisnn and 85 degrees of elevation. The radar is in service onboard the Koninklijke Marine (Royal Netherlands Navy) ‘De Zeven Provinciën’ class frigates, the Deutsche Marine (German Navy) ‘F- 124 Sachsen’ class frigates and the Søværnet (Royal Danish Navy) ‘Iver Huitfeldt’ class frigates. Due to confidentiality agreements, Thales was unable to disclose to AMR what new technology the APAR Block-2 version of the radar will include, or when development of this new version is expected to be completed. Thales’ APAR radar is to receive Leonardo (formerly Finmeccanica) meanwhile has updated enhancements under the APAR Block-2 initiative which can be AMR regarding its new Osprey multi-mode radar which the retrofitted onto existing APAR radars currently in service. firm launched in early May. This X-band (8.5-10.68GHz) radar is interesting as it employs flat panel radar antennae, each of which can cover 120 degrees of azimuth, and plus or minus 30 degrees of elevation, according to the firm. A small aircraft, such as an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), can carry a single panel, while a larger platform such as a naval support helicopter, or a maritime patrol aircraft, can carry up to three panels to provide full 360 degree azimuth coverage. The company added that the radar has an instrumented range of circa 200nm (370km). Crucially, the radar also employs AESA technology. The flat panel design is particularly useful for customers who do not wish to position a radome on the belly of their aircraft, should there be a risk of that radome getting damaged by an impact with objects on the ground when the aircraft lands on uneven surfaces, or those covered by snow or sand.