ISSUE 147 March 2013 SM2 and Sea Control: A New Air Warfare Capability for the Royal Australian Navy China’s Aircraft Carrier: Implications for Southeast Asia Pacific Partnership: Australia’s Contribution and Benefits Muscular Maritime China ? JOURNAL OF THE QinetiQ Maritime Oceans of Experience QinetiQ is a leading international provider of independent technology based services and solutions to Defence, Aerospace and Security Markets. Our clients benefit from 300 specialist staff based in Australia and the ability to draw upon the expertise, experience and knowledge of over 10,000 QinetiQ employees from across the globe. As Australia’s largest independent provider of specialist technical advice services to Defence and industry, QinetiQ provides through-life Design, Delivery and Sustainment services to help our maritime customers complete challenging missions safely and effectively. For more information contact our Maritime team: Tel: 1800 038 081 www.QinetiQ.com.au Issue 147 3 Operation Slipper Contents - HMAS ANZAC ince the commencement of purpose; to increase the security and SM2 and Sea Control: A New Air Operation SLIPPER in 2001, prosperity of the region by working Warfare Capability for the Royal SAustralia has maintained a maritime together for a better future. Australian Navy 4 contribution to operations in the Middle CMF is working to defeat terrorism, ( East Area of Operations MEAO). prevent piracy, reduce illegal trafficking China’s Aircraft Carrier: Implications for Currently this consists of a Major of people and drugs, and promote the Southeast Asia 7 Fleet Unit, the Anzac Class Frigate, maritime environment as a safe place for HMAS Anzac, which is flexibly cross mariners with legitimate business. tasked between US-led Combined HMAS Anzac is conducting Pacific Partnership: Australia’s Maritime Forces (CMF) Combined Task maritime security operations across Contribution and Benefits 9 Forces (CTFs) 150 (counter terrorism), the Combined Maritime Forces’ area 151 (counter-piracy) and 152 (Gulf of operations. HMAS Anzac’s mission Muscular Maritime China ? 16 maritime security). allows her to undertake maritime CMF patrols more than 2.5 million interdictions and counter-piracy square miles of international waters operations, including activities under the Japan’s formidable new strike weapon to conduct both integrated and command of CTF 150. HMAS Anzac of WWII – its aircraft carriers, and the coordinated operations with a common entered the MEAO in July 2012. t Darwin raid 19 Britannia Royal Naval College Report 33 The Battle for the South China Sea – World War II, Today and into the future 36 F ront page : Obituary: CAPT David John Ramsay 42 AP-3C Orion operating in the Middle East Area of A Middling Power, What is the ADF Operations passes meant to do, exactly? 45 HMAS Anzac during the last operational United Kingdom: National Involvement flight in the Middle in the Indian Ocean Region 51 East before returning home. As a farewell gesture the Orion World Naval Developments 56 dispensed flares as it heads for home. Book Reviews 60 Issue Number 147 Visions from the Vault 67 Printed by Everbest Printing SPONSORS: Company Style Notes for Headmark 69 - RAYTHEON - BOOZ & COMPANY - AUSTAL - QINETIQ ISSN 1833-6531 CEA TECHNOLOGIES - THALES NAVAL GROUP - DMS MARITME - ATI - SAAB - Design & DTP by ANI Membership Application Form 71 Diane Bricknell AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE CREDIT UNION - LOPAC - BLOHM+VOSS NAVAL +61 3 6257 8051 [email protected] Journal of the Australian Naval Institute 4 SM2 and Sea Control: A New Air Warfare Capability for the Royal Australian Navy BOY C MMODORE PETER LEAVY n June 2011 HMAS Sydney conducted a series of missile firings Ion the US Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility off the coast of Hawaii. A key aim was to prove that the upgraded Adelaide class frigates (FFG) could exploit the full capabilities of the SM2 Standard Missile after a major upgrade program that saw it replace the previous SM1 surface to air missile. A proven, contemporary surface to air missile capability is a core component of the surface force’s ability to gain and exploit sea control. Without sea control, a maritime force will be unable to adequately protect sea lines of communication or conduct maritime A ble Seaman CSO power projection operations. as were SM1 missiles, although the missile. To understand the large Maxine Wilmott The SM2 missile is the mainstay of modifications were required to the increase in capability the SM2 will give in the Operations the US Navy’s anti-air warfare system launcher to cater for the new missile the RAN it is necessary to understand Room of HMAS Perth monitoring the SM2 and will be the major weapon in the interface and capability. The FFG class the differences between the SM1 and launch RAN’s new Hobart class destroyers is in service with seven nations around SM2 missiles. (DDG). It is a solid fuelled, tail the world, but the RAN is the first navy The SM1 has a nominal range of controlled, supersonic surface to air to attempt to integrate the SM2 into the 25nm, flies at Mach 2 and is a ‘home missile designed to defeat the full range class and the magnitude of this effort all the way’ semi-active missile.1 In of aircraft and missile air threats. It is a should not be underestimated. order to engage a target the ship must very capable weapon, having a range of HMAS Melbourne conducted the first illuminate it with a continuous 90nm and speed of >Mach 3. However, RAN’s first SM2 firing in late 2009 radar wave (known as continuous wave it is only one variant in the Standard against a surface target to prove the illumination, or CWI). The missile is Missile family. Its predecessor, the modifications made to the combat then fired and detects the reflected SM1, was first test fired by the United system and launcher. HMAS Newcastle radar energy that is returning from the States in 1966 and was introduced into conducted the second firing, and first target. The SM1 missile homes on this the RAN Perth class DDG in the late- against an air target, during Exercise reflected signal until it intercepts the 1970s. SM1 was the original weapon on RIMPAC off Hawaii in 2010. These target. the Adelaide class FFG and upgraded first two firings were designed to prove The continuous wave illumination versions of the missile are still in service the ships were capable of replicating required to guide the SM1 is with a number of navies around the the capability of the SM1 missile that transmitted from a dedicated fire world. The SM3 variant is gaining was replaced, but at that stage the control radar on the ship that must prominence as the weapon used in the supporting software and associated continue to point at the target US ballistic missile defence system and systems to allow the full capability throughout the missile’s flight. The SM6 is the next generation surface to of SM2 to be used were still under RAN’s FFGs have two fire control air missile destined to replace the SM2. development. The firings conducted radars for this purpose, so the ships The FFG are the first RAN ships to by Sydney were an integral part of that 1 A ‘semi active’ missile detects the return be modified to fire SM2. The missiles development and tested a number signal transmitted by the firing platform. An are fired from the same launcher of the high level features available in ‘active’ missile transmits its own radar signal and detects the returns. Journal of the Australian Naval Institute Issue 147 5 were capable of engaging two air targets system will be able to track all targets details being explored and the results simultaneously. Should the SM1 missile in 3-Dimensions at all times. Using the are classified, but were very promising. lose reception of the CWI signal, the SPY1D(V) radar (the primary radar One firing was conducted in the missile self destructs as there is no other fitted to the ships) as a tracking source, ‘home all the way’ mode to prove that method of homing onto the target. data is continuously sent to the SM2 capability, while other firings explored The SM2 missile has a number of in flight by the SPY radar as guidance various performance limits, system significant improvements over the SM1 commands, again without the target redundancies and operating modes, including a greater range (90nm) and detecting that it has been engaged. including firing at the edge of the speed (>Mach 3). While it can be fired AEGIS can manage multiple weapons designed operating limits. A number in the same ‘home all the way’ mode at multiple targets at any one time, with of firings were conducted where the as SM1 it can also be fired without the CWI illuminators time sharing target was deliberately manoeuvred needing the CWI radar return to guide illumination of the targets during the after the missile was fired to ensure the H MAS Sydney it until the terminal phase. In the FFG terminal phase of the engagement. ship’s combat system could accurately launching a SM2 this is known as mid course guidance The trials Sydney conducted in monitor the PIP and send updates to missile on the Pacific mode, where the missile initially flies Hawaii covered a number of key aspects the missile. There are also a number Missile Range Facility autonomously towards a predicted of the SM2 missile system. The specific of key redundancies built into the off Hawaii intercept point (PIP) calculated by the ship’s combat system immediately prior to launch. The ship continues to update the PIP based on changes to the target’s movement after the SM2 is fired with an updated PIP being transmitted as necessary to the missile which then adjusts its flight accordingly.