VOLUME 23/ISSUE 1 FEBRUARY 2015 US$15 A S I A P A C I F I C ’ S L A R G E S T C I R C U L A T E D D E F E N C E M A G A Z I N E www.asianmilitaryreview.com AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE MODERNISATION ARMOURED VEHICLES AIRBORNE DATALINKS SURVEILLANCE & PROTECTION AIR FORCE DIRECTORY HOVERCRAFT IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC INDIAN ARMED FORCES AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE MODERNISATION ARMOURED VEHICLES AIRBORNE DATALINKS SURVEILLANCE & PROTECTION AIR FORCE DIRECTORY HOVERCRAFT IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC INDIAN ARMED FORCES
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VOLUME 23/ISSUE 1 FEBRUARY 2015 US$15
A S I A P A C I F I C ’ S L A R G E S T C I R C U L A T E D D E F E N C E M A G A Z I N E
www.asianmilitaryreview.com
AUSTRALIAN DEFENCEMODERNISATION
ARMOURED VEHICLESAIRBORNE DATALINKS
SURVEILLANCE &PROTECTION
AIR FORCE DIRECTORYHOVERCRAFT IN THE
ASIA-PACIFICINDIAN ARMED FORCES
AUSTRALIAN DEFENCEMODERNISATION
ARMOURED VEHICLESAIRBORNE DATALINKS
SURVEILLANCE &PROTECTION
AIR FORCE DIRECTORYHOVERCRAFT IN THE
ASIA-PACIFICINDIAN ARMED FORCES
COVER Feb-March 2015:AMR 1/23/15 4:24 PM Page 1
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FEBRUARY 2015VOLUME 23 / ISSUE 1
ContentsContentsAustralian Aspirations
Australia has a long and lucrative materiel shopping list, with defence spendingexpected to increase in the coming years as Jonathan Tringham finds out.
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Thomas Withington’s regular column providing all the latest newsand analysis regarding events in the defence radio frequency domain.
06PULSE
03l FEBRUARY 2015 l
A Moving ExperienceSteven Miller takes a look at severalof the major armoured vehicle pro-curement and upgrade programmeswhich are imminent and ongoingaround the Asia-Pacific region.
Band AidAirborne Data Links greatlyassist air operations by allowingan uninterrupted flow ofinformation between combataircraft and other forces asThomas Withington discovers.
12 41
WaterworldThe seas and oceans of the Asia-Pacific are simmering with tensionsamid unresolved maritime disputes.Andrew White looks at some of thesteps being taken by local coastguards to beef up their presence.
64Plane SpeakingOur annual Asia-Pacific AirForces Directory as compiled byAndrew Drweiga, including aforward from Douglas Barrie ofthe International Institute ofStrategic Studies.
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A Lot Less BotherWith a HoverThomas Withington examines theincreasing trend for usinghovercraft in a range of amphibioustasks from beach landings tosearch and rescue.
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Sharpening theTiger’s TeethIndia is undergoing a majorexpansion of its defenceindustrial strategy and itsprocurement priorities, with newaircraft, submarines andcombat vehicle procurementsin the offing asSarosh Bana explains.
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Audit Bureau of Circulations
Editorial
Horrific scenes were witnessed by televisionviewers around the world in the aftermath ofa Taliban attack on a school in Peshawar innorthern Pakistan on 16 December 2014.
The massacre at the Army Public School left 145 people, including 132 children, deadwith almost 115 injured. News reports covering the incident showed pictures whichwould not have been out of place in Dante Aligheri’s Inferno. In just a short time a placeof learning had been transformed into a scene of unimaginable barbarity. Those who witnessed the attack, but escaped with injuries or unscathed, will now have to face thememories of what they witnessed that day for the rest of their lives.
To the credit of the Pakistan Army and security services, the situation was brought undercontrol, but the authorities were unable to prevent such a high death toll. One response ofthe Pakistan government has been to increase military operations against Taliban and otherIslamist insurgent organisations in areas close to the Afghan-Pakistan border. One dayafter the attack, Pakistan Air Force Lockheed Martin F-16A/B and Pakistan AeronauticalComplex JF-17 multi-role combat aircraft commenced attacks on insurgent bases in theTirah Valley in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas in the country’s northwest.
Military operations will inevitably continue in Pakistan to counter the threat posed byIslamist insurgents. The battle will not be over quickly, and regrettably the country willalmost certainly suffer additional outrages in the future. As has been chronicled by AMRduring the past years, military modernisation has made halting progress in Pakistan. Thecountry has a clear and present threat, but has lacked at times the political will and themateriel resources to beat the Islamist menace.
It is now imperative that Islamabad ensures that its warriors have what they need to finish a long and difficult job. Nevertheless, the military solution cannot be the onlyapproach. Poor areas need investment, children and families need education and healthcare, and people need jobs. Over the long term the latter could prove successful insteering people away from extremism. Only by investing now in hearts, minds and hardware can the threat of another atrocity be averted.
Editors’ note: As this edition was being prepared ten journalists and associates of theFrench satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, and two police officers, were murdered in Parison 7 January. AMR dedicates this edition of the publication to their memory.
Thomas Withington, Editor
EditorialIndex of AdvertisersAMR DIGITAL 11AMR PULSE 19AVALON AUSTRALIA 71BOEING V22 COVER 2BRUNSWICK 31DEFENCE & SECURITY THAILAND 57DSEI 73DYNAMIT NOBEL DEFENCE 25ELBIT 37IAI-ELTA 15IDEF TURKEY 49IMDEX COVER 3IMDS 40KONGSBERG 9LAAD 69NEXTER 27NORTHROP GRUMMAN COVER 4RAFAEL 5RENAULT 23ROSOBORONEXPORT 45US NAVY LEAGUE 63
RadarRaytheon plans to complete the Systems Design Review (SDR) forits Air and Missile Defence Radar (AMDR) in April 2015, accord-ing to TadDickenson, AMDR director and programmemanager atthe firm. The AMDR is being procured by the United States Navyto equip the three new ‘Arleigh Burke’ class destroyers under thenavy’s ‘Flight-III’ initiative. A total of 42 Flight-III ships are expect-ed to be procured, with the first entering service in 2023.Following the completion of the radar’s Critical Design Review
in December 2014, it will move towards its SDR in April 2015.Raytheon will then commence field testing at the US Navy’sPacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai, Hawaii frommid-2016 andis building an engineering development array to this end. Testingshould be completed by mid-2017. The engineering developmentarray to be trialled will be “fully production representative”according to Mr. Dickenson. At the same time as the conclusion of
testing in 2017, Raytheon expects to commence Low Rate InitialProduction of the first AMDRs, with installation on the first Flight-III ship occurring in 2019. Deliveries are then expected at a rate oftwo per year for the duration of the programme.Designed as a scalable radar to equip a range of vessels from
corvettes up to frigates and cruisers, the AMDR’s architecture usesGallium Nitride (GaN) Transmit/Receive (T/R) modules on itsActive Electronically Scanned (AESA) arrays. Mr. Dickenson saysthat this material gives “significantly more radio frequency poweroutput per-square-metre,” compared to legacy AESA radars usingGallium Arsenide T/R modules. The AMDR is an S-band (2.3-2.5/2.7-3.7 gigahertz/GHz) radar intended to supersede the exist-ing LockheedMartin AN/SPY-1D naval surveillance radars whichare deployed onboard the existing ‘Arleigh Burke’ class vessels. Itis possible that the AMDR could be exported and Mr. Dickensonsays that there is significant interest from several nations whichuse the existing Lockheed Martin Aegis Combat ManagementSystem, which includes the AN/SPY-1 radar family. Countrieswhich use the Aegis CMS include Australia (forthcoming), Japan,the Republic of Korea, Norway and Spain.Launched on 10 November 2014, Elbit Systems’ ground-based
FPR-10 radar can detect moving vehicles and humans throughfoliage. It is currently undergoing trials, according to a writtenstatement supplied to Pulse by Elbit Systems. The statement addsthat the company is “witnessing interest (from several customers)
This month’s Pulse includes a briefing on Raytheon’s Air and MissileDefence Radar, a news update regarding the deployment of the US Army’sWIN-T communications network to West Africa in the fight against the Ebola virus and a major new British Army electronic warfare initiative.
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in the system as well as (seeing) satisfactory performance in tri-als.” Beyond this, details regarding the radar’s architecture andperformance remain classified.
Airbus Defence and Space announced on 28 November 2014that it had completed installation of its TRS-3D (designated in theUnited States as the AN/SPS-75) naval surveillance radaronboard the US Navy’s USS Milwaukee ‘Freedom’ class LittoralCombat Ship (LCS). This is the third vessel in the ‘Freedom’ classbeing built for the US Navy and being equipped with AirbusDefence and Space’s TRS-3D and TRS-4D (see below) naval sur-veillance radars. The TRS-3D is a C-band (5.25-5.925GHz) radarwhich can detect a sea-skimming anti-ship missile at a range ofbetween eight and eleven nautical miles (15 and 20 kilometres).Detection of a fast jet can be performed at 59nm (110km). Theradar has a surveillance range of up to 97nm (180km). The TRS-3D is available in the TRS-3D/16 and TRS-3D/32 variants, thedesignation corresponding to the number of vertical rows ofradiating elements mounted on the antenna.
According to a statement supplied to Pulse from AirbusDefence and Space, the company will begin installing its TRS-4Dnaval surveillance radar onboard the ‘Freedom’ class ships begin-ning with the USS Indianapolis, which has been ordered by theUnited States Department of Defence but not yet commenced con-struction, with the radar expected to be delivered by the end of2015. In addition, the firmwill deliver the radar for the LCS-19, theas yet unnamed vessel which will follow the USS Indianapolis inthe second quarter of 2016.
The TRS-4D represents an evolution of the existing TRS-3Ddesign. The C-band TRS-4D provides a range of 250 kilometres(135 nautical miles). Around 1000 targets can be simultaneouslytracked with small surface targets visible at 7.5nm (14km), andcombat aircraft-sized airborne targets being detected at over 32nm(60km). Low sidelobes and variable transmission power providethe TRS-4D with robust capabilities to overcome electronic coun-termeasures, and the radar can provide fire control for organicnaval artillery and helicopter navigation. It is outfitted with anAESA antenna which can rotate at between 30 and 60 revolutions-per-minute. The use of a rotating antenna allows the radar to bekept stationary to watch a particular segment of the sky and sur-face with the radar scanning 70 degrees in elevation and 50degrees in azimuth when operating in a non-rotating mode.
Tactical RadioThe United States Army deployed its WIN-T (WarfighterInformation Network-Tactical) communications network toLiberia in late October 2014. The deployment has supported itsefforts to fight the Ebola virus which has grippedWest Africa sinceMarch 2014 when an outbreak in Guinea was recorded. The USArmy has deployed up to 4000 troops to West Africa fromSeptember 2014 to help combat the spread of the epidemic, and tobuild medical facilities for those affected by it. The effort has beenled by the United States Africa Command.
The WIN-T network, which has been developed as part of theUS Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) programme is intended toprovide satellite communications for mobile forces. Fielded in sev-eral increments, Increment-1 of WIN-T provides communicationsat the halt for battalion-level forces, and for theatre, corps, divi-sional and brigade levels. Other capabilities include the movementof encrypted traffic over unencrypted Department of Defence(DoD) communications networks, connection with legacy wave-forms and communications systems used by US forces, battalionlevel and above internet, connection to the DoD GlobalInformation Grid and Defence Information Systems Network(DISN). These latter two networks are used for the flow of DoDinformation to all locations including bases and mobile unitsworldwide. Increment-2 of WIN-T provides mobile SATCOM forvehicles and conventional communications at the company andbattalion level. The fielding of Increment-2 of WIN-T commencedin October 2012. Finally, Increment-3 provides full mobile net-working for highly dispersed units across using SATCOM, tradi-
tional line-of-sight communications and communications relayusing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. Furthermore, this incrementwill provide full voice, data and video traffic for all users whetherstatic or mobile regardless of range. As of 2014, the US Army isrestructuring Increment-3 to reduce the number of networks man-agers required to manage the WIN-T network. The airborne relaycomponent of Increment-3 has been shelved for now as a futureupgrade for WIN-T.WIN-T is providing mobile voice, data and video network to
support the US Army deployment toWest Africa and will providethe communications backbone for the headquarters being run bythe US Army 101st Airborne Division. Increment-1 and Increment-2 (see above) of WIN-T is supporting the operation.
Electronic WarfareIn late-October 2014, the United States Navy announced that ithad installed the first Raytheon AN/SLQ-32 Electronic Warfare(EW) suite onboard the USS Bainbridge ‘Arleigh Burke’ classdestroyer as part of the service’s Surface Electronic WarfareImprovement Programme (SEWIP). The AN/SLQ-32 is the pri-mary electronic warfare system used by surface vessels in the USNavy. Designed as a family of systems, the AN/SLQ-32 detectsand geo-locates radar emissions from high-band radars used byanti-ship missiles and combat aircraft, typically in the X- (8.5-10.68GHz), Ku- (13.4-14/15.7-17GHz) and Ka-bands (33.4-36GHz). Following installation onboard the USS Bainbridge theAN/SLQ-32 will now undergo operational testing of theupgrades received as part of the SEWIP. Lockheed Martin isupgrading 24 AN/SLQ-32 systems as part of the SEWIP.The SEWIP initiative is rolling out new hardware across the
AN/SLQ-32(V) family. It will initially improve RF detection,and then, from 2017, enhance jamming. The SEWIP uses a mod-ular, open architecture approach to ease the installation of newhardware. The SEWIP is being rolled out via a series of ‘Blocks’:SEWIP Block-1A improves the AN/SLQ-32(V) display andinterface, along with adding Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS)hardware to operate the display and to perform some of the sys-tems’ signal processing. SEWIP Block-1B adds an AN/SSX-1emitter identification system for large vessels, with smaller USNavy vessels receiving the Small Ship Electronic SupportMeasures System. SEWIP Block-1B2 further improves the emit-ter identification capabilities for ships which have received theSEWIP Block-1B upgrade. Finally, SEWIP Block 1B3 furtherupgrades the display and adds a high gain/high sensitivity sub-system to further improve the ability of the AN/SLQ-32(V) todetect radar-guided anti-ship missiles equipped with low prob-ability of intercept radars.The SEWIP Block-2 initiative improves the AN/SLQ-32(V)’s
electronic support measures and upgrades its antennae leading toan overall improvement in the detection capabilities and accuracyof the AN/SLQ-32(V). LockheedMartin was awarded the contractfor the SEWIP Block-2 in 2009. A SEWIP Block-3 initiative is envis-aged in the future for the AN/SLQ-32(V) which could improve theelectronic attack capabilities of the subsystem, with a mootedSEWIP Block-4 adding infra-red and optronic detection, althoughit is unclear as to when these initiatives could commence.Raytheon is also working on airborne EW for the US Navy. In
December 2014, the company provided Pulse with an updateregarding the Next Generation Jammer (NGJ) which it is devel-oping for the US Navy. Raytheon was awarded the contract todevelop the NGJ in 2013, with the system expected to be fieldedfrom circa 2020/21. The NGJ replaces the US Navy’s EDOCorporation/Exelis AN/ALQ-99 airborne EW system deployedonboard the now-retired Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler,and the Boeing E/A-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraftdeployed with the US Navy and US Marine Corps.
The NGJ will have an open, modular design to allow it to be easily upgradedwith both hardware and software throughout its service life. Echoing develop-ments in the combat aircraft radar domain over the past two decades, the NGJ isoutfitted with AESA antennae which bring the dual benefits of multitasking(with the antennae able to perform several tasks simultaneously) and gracefuldegradation, thanks to the multitude of T/R modules outfitting each array.
On 19 November 2014, Raytheon announced that it had completed a series oftest flights during October 2014 in conjunctionwith the USNavy to test the capa-bilities of the NGJ against simulated hostile radars. For the tests, the NGJ wasmounted onboard a Gulfstream-III test bed and flown from Naval Air StationPoint Mugu in southern California. According to Rick Yuse, president ofRaytheon’s Space and AirborneSystems, “All key technologiesfundamental to theNGJ’s perform-ance were assessed (including) air-craft integration, jamming tech-niques, beam agility, prime andarray-transmit power, cooling andjammer management. All of theseare common building blocks for the NGJ.” Mr. Yuse continued, “This was thefirst time that we had tested all the subsystems together in an integrated, end-to-end EW system against real-world threats … We ran a series of tests and eachtime the flight demonstration system automatically followed the threat’s everymove. We met or exceeded every objective we set for ourselves.” The informa-tion derived from the test flights will now be used to further develop the NGJ asit moves forward towards its deployment at the end of this decade. “(The flighttests were) designed to showcase the maturity of many of the systems that willbe discussed at PDR (Preliminary Design Review) and CDR (Critical DesignReview). The EW flight test gave us an opportunity to demonstrate technologymaturity, reduce development risk and demonstrate system performance. Thepod passed all of its airworthiness tests.”
The United Kingdom has reactivated its land forces electronicwarfare procurement initiative which the UK Ministry ofDefence (MoD) had axed in 2009. The MoD’s Defence ContractsBulletin which announces contract opportunities for the defenceindustry revealed, in late-October 2014, that funding has beenallocated to the concept and assessment phase of the programme.Approval for the MoD to commit funding to its full developmentand production, known in MoD jargon as the ‘Main Gate’ deci-sion could occur in 2017. The programme is expected to costbetween $160 and $400 million. The Landseeker programme isthe successor to the ill-fated Soothsayer project led by LockheedMartin but cancelled in 2009. Soothsayer was intended to providesignals intelligence equipment to detect hostile radar and radioemissions and to provide communications countermeasures.LockheedMartin commenced its work on the programme in 2003but it was abandoned in 2009 following a report by UK govern-ment spending watchdog, the National Audit Office, that theproject’s costs has risen considerably above its original budget.The cancellation of Soothsayer meant that the British Armywould continue to use its Odette and Scarus vehicle- and man-pack signals intelligence and EW systems.The Thompson-CSF (now Thales) Odettesystem detects radio transmissions and ismounted in both British Army LandRovers, and BAE Systems BV-206 trackedvehicles, the latter of which are used by theRoyal Marines. These systems were aug-
mented by the Chemring man-pack Resolve electronic warfaresystem procured by the British Army as a result of an UrgentOperational Requirement early this decade. Resolve is believedto perform similar tasks to the Odette ensemble, albeit in a small-er physical form. In addition, the force is known to use the Wroteelectronic warfare system. British Army EW operations are per-formed by the Royal Corps of Signals.
Defence electronics specialist Exelis of the United States hasunveilled an innovative approach to electronic warfare via itsDisruptor SRx product line. Launched in early-October 2014, theDisruptor SRx represents a baseline software architecture which isprogrammed by the user according to the EW application that theywish to perform. Exelis told Pulse that they are looking to insertthis architecture into their existing and future EW products tomake them more responsive to future electronic threats. The sys-tem which has been developed by Exelis covers the full spectrumof radar threats, from low frequency systems operating in the VHFrange (30-300 megahertz) up to Ka-band (33.4-36GHz) emitters.The company is confident that the Disruptor SRX, which containshardware, software and firmware processing elements, will beavailable to insert into its existing and future electronic warfareproducts in the near future. Once available, Disruptor SRx will beconfigurable to perform electronic protection, jamming, electronicintelligence gathering and electronic support missions and cogni-tive electronic warfare, depending on the customers’ require-
ments. This will mean that customers nolonger have to purchase a dedicated systemaccording to the electronic warfare task thatthey wish to perform. Instead, they will beable to re-programme the Disrupter SRx soft-ware embedded in their Exelis EW productsto perform their desired mission.
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BAND AID“Like emptying a jerry can through a sodastraw” was how one UAV pilot described tothe author the effect that bandwidth limits canhave on ADLs when trying to transmit videoimagery across long distances.
Airborne Data Links (ADLs)allow Unmanned AerialVehicles (UAVs) fixed- androtary-wing aircraft to sharevoice and data communica-
tions, radar track information and optron-ics imagery between aircraft and users onthe ground, onboard ships or in the air.The growing quantities of imagery thatcan be gathered by UAVs and airbornereconnaissance systems in general, plusthe need to plug aircraft into battle man-agement and communications networksto allow them to receive and share timelyinformation regarding their mission, hascreated a high demand for ADLs as con-duits to share such information. This arti-cle will profile the ADL waveforms in usearound the world, and available ADLproducts which help to ensure that air-craft remain connected to each other andto those on the ground and at sea.
NATO ProtocolsPerhaps the most famous ADL protocols inuse are the Link-11 and Link-16 TacticalData Links (TDLs) used by North AtlanticTreaty Organisation (NATO) membersand other allied nations. Access to theLink-16 protocol is managed via theMultifunction Information DistributionSystem (MIDS) International ProgrammeOffice. Based in San Diego, California, theMIDS International Programme Officemanages this, and other, protocols.Link-11 is primarily a naval data link,
although it does have some airborne appli-cations. It is an encrypted data link trans-mitting in the military High Frequency(HF/three to 30Megahertz/MHz) andmil-itary Ultra High Frequency (UHF/225MHzto 400MHz) range. Link-11 is supplied intwo ‘flavours’: the airborne UHF TADIL-A(Tactical Digital Information Link-A/Link-11A), which provides a half duplex net-work among airborne, shipborne, subma-rine and land-based platforms, and theTADIL-B (Link-11B) which provides a full-duplex point-to-point link between groundunits; with the former being of interest tothis article. Link-11 users can receive andtransmit radar track information to shareit with other users so as to develop ascomprehensive and accurate Recognised
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Air/Maritime Picture as possible. Writtenmessages can also be sent across a Link-11network. It has a data rate of between 1.3and 2.2 kilobits-per-second (kbps). Link-11 will eventually be superseded by Link-22 (also known as ‘Improved Link-11’)from circa 2019. There is insufficient spacehere to discuss Link-22 in detail, but it isimportant to add that a Link-22 networkwill be able to host more users compared toa Link-11 network (125 users as opposed to61), and will offer an important increase inbandwidth; four kilobits-per-second acrossHF, and up to 12.6kbps using UHF.Unlike Link-11, Link-16 was conceived
by NATO to act primarily as an ADL.Using UHF Link-16 can offer data rates ofup to 107kbps of bandwidth, although inpractice Link-16 typically carries around50 percent more bandwidth than Link-11.It can handle fixed format or ‘J’ seriesmessages which are allocated to coverparticular communications categoriessuch as weapons management, electronicwarfare and Command and Control (C2).In total, Link-16 offers up to 256 ‘J’ series
messages. Beyond the ‘J’ series messages,Link-16 can handle free text communica-tions and also imagery which can beviewed by an aircrew on their cockpitmultifunction displays. However, thespeed with which imagery can travelaround a Link-16 network is said to beroughly analogous to the speed of internetcommunications using a dial-up comput-er modem. Using a Link-16 network forimagery transmission and reception taxesavailable bandwidth risking the ‘crowdout’ of other users. Two encrypted voicechannels can be carried on a Link-16 net-work, offering 16kbps of bandwidth tothis end. Like Link-11, Link-16 handlestrack data, but it can also share informa-tion on individual aircraft status provid-ing information on a platform’s identity,weapons status and mission.
Limited AudienceFew would argue that both Link-11 andLink-16 have revolutionised warfareregarding the information that they allowusers of these networks, particularly thosein the air, to exchange. Nevertheless, as theabove discussion illustrates, the band-width offered by these networks is limited.As a point of comparison, a BlackBerrymobile phone can handle data rates typi-cally of up to two megabits-per-second,almost 20 times that offered by Link-16.Furthermore, military users are increasing-ly demanding wideband ADLs which canhandle securely the large quantity of voice,data, radar track and imagery trafficadorning today’s battlefields.
Finnish FineryPatria of Finland is one companywhich haspoured research and development effortsinto realising ADLs which can handle suchdemands. The company has two prod-ucts—the Multi-Purpose Networking DataLink (MPNDL) and the Compact AirborneNetworking Data Link (CANDL). The
MPNDL is designed to facilitate Commandand Control (C2) for Medium-Altitude/Long Endurance (MALE) classUAVs, with CANDL performing similarfunctions for smaller UAVs. The MPNDLhas flown onboard the Airbus BarracudaUAV demonstrator which has been devel-oped by Germany and Spain, whileCANDL was recently launched by thecompany in early October 2014.Regarding data rates, Simo Makipaja, sen-ior vice president for business develop-ment at the company, says that theMPNDL typically handles up to onemegabit-per-second, with CANDL boast-ing up to eight megabits per second. Thismeans that the MPNDL is ideally suitedfor UAV C2, while the CANDL can beutilised for both C2 and the transmissionof information gathered by the aircraft’spayloads. Jani Reiman, director of salesand marketing at the firm adds that bothdata links use an internet protocol-basedarchitecture, meaning that they can carry“any kind of digital data” which caninclude voice communications. In termsof the frequencies used by these datalinks, they operate in NATO’s IV radioband (4.4 to five gigahertz).
French FlareLike Patria, Thales is in the business of sup-plying ADLs. The company’s flagship prod-uct in this regard is the TMA-6000 terminalwhich is supports airborne reconnaissancetasks, and is used with the company’sRECO-NG/AEROS reconnaissance podflown aboard the Dassault Rafale-F3C/B/M Multi-Role Combat Aircraft(MRCA) used by the Armée de l’Air (FrenchAir Force) and Marine Nationale (FrenchNavy). The Reco-NG/AEROS gathersimagery intelligence and shares this using ahigh data rate Ku-band (twelve to 18GHz)line of sight communications link and aUHF radio link for directional antennapointing management. Along with equip-ping the Reco-NG/AEROS ChristopheDress, communications, navigation andidentification marketing director at Thales,says that the TMA-6000 also equips thepan-European Dassault nEUROn (sic)Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle tech-nology demonstrator. The TMA-6000 car-ries the Ku-band links, and is able totransmit still and video imagery to userson the ground at rates of between twomegabits-per-second, up to 137mbps. Thisis typically achieved at line of sight ranges
in excess of 180 nautical miles (333 kilome-tres). He adds that the TMA-6000 complieswith NATO’s Standardisation Agreement7085 (STANAG-7085) which covers interop-erability standards for data links used tosupport intelligence, surveillance andreconnaissance, along with STANAG-4606which specifies UAV command, control andcommunications standards.
Mr Dress adds that, in addition, theTMA-6000 was certified by the UnitedStates Joint Interoperability Test Command.Other important capabilities for the TMA-6000 include DVB-S2 (Digital VideoBroadcasting-Satellite-Second Generation)which has been developed as a standardcovering digital television broadcasting pro-viding a higher standard of clarity for thetransmission of digital video imagery com-pared to the existing DVB-S waveform, andthe STANAG-4606 waveform for militarysatellite communications. As well as provid-ing the TMA-6000 for imagery transmission,the firm provides the TopLinkMultifunction Information DistributionSystem Low Volume Terminal (MIDS-LVT- see below) terminal to handle Link-16communications onboard airborne plat-forms, as well as ground vehicles, fixedinstallations, ships and submarines. In addi-tion Thales has developed the TopLinksuite to handle simultaneously or individu-ally all types of Tactical Data Links (TDL)onboard any type of platform.
US UsabilityThales is one of a number of companiesinvolved in MIDS terminal provision. BAESystems and Rockwell Collins have joinedforces to form Data Link Solutions (DLS)based in the United States. DLS is investi-gating how Link-16 (see above) can evolvefurther to support operations in the future.John Byrnes, business development direc-tor at the company, says that its goal “is topursue next-generation Link-16 applica-tions.” The company has to date suppliedover 6400 Link-16 systems to 38 countries,equipping over 40 different platform types.Products available from DLS include
Joint Tactical Information DistributionSystem (JTIDS) Class 2 radios to carryLink-16 data communications for air andsurface-to-air missile platforms. MIDSvoice and data terminals are also availablefrom the firm to equip air, land and seaplatforms. These are available in both LVT(Low Volume Terminal) and JTRS (JointTactical Radio System) configurations. TheMIDS JTRS is a Software Defined Radio(SDR) which complies with the UnitedStates Department of Defence JTRSSoftware Communications Architecture
standards stipulating design criteria forSDRs, while retaining the Link-16, ‘J’ seriesmessaging and the TACAN (Tactical AirNavigation) radio system provided by theMIDS LVT radio. MIDS JTRS also offers anotable increase in bandwidth. Mr. Byrnesstates that while the MIDS LVT can typi-cally offer between 115.2-800kbps of datathroughput, this increases to up to100mbps for the MIDS JTRS, or one giga-bit-per-second over Ethernet links.Alongside Link-16, Mr. Byrnes adds that“the MIDS JTRS hosts all SDR wave-forms”. The JTRS initiative sees the UnitedStates armed forces procuring a large newfamily of SDRs to replace a range of cur-rent and legacy radios in service. The newradios being procured as a result of theJTRS programme will carry new and lega-cy waveforms such as the existing NATOHAVE QUICK-I/II frequency-hopping
UHF air-to-air/ground-to-air and theSINCGARS (Single Channel Ground andAirborne Radio System) VHF air-to-air/ground-to-air waveforms. New wave-forms to be carried by the MIDS JTRSinclude the Soldier Radio Waveformdeveloped as part of the JTRS initiativewhich will provide secure networkedcommunications between platoon andsquad level soldiers and their leaders. TheSDR is expected to be used by some airplatforms required to liaise closely withground troops such as utility helicopters.Link-11 and Link-16, as this article has
stated, are both used by NATO membersand allied nations and, as such, access tothemmay be difficult, if not impossible, fornon-NATO members. Countries unable toaccess such protocols do have other choic-es. Israel’s Rafael Advanced DefenseSystems has developed its Global Link tac-tical data link network which uses dual-band SDRs carrying VHF and UHF com-munications together with L-band (one totwo gigahertz) and S-band (two to threegigahertz) communications across wide-band links. In a written statement suppliedto AMR, the company states that GlobalLink has been provided to two unnamed“major world air forces”. Although thefirm has not provided specifics in terms ofdata throughput, it says that “Global Linkis a broadband data network” which iscapable of handling video and stillimagery, implying that it boasts impressivelevels of bandwidth. Waveforms support-ed by the Global Link include broadband,narrowband and SATCOM along withlegacy voice communications.
ATDLBeyond the ADLs and protocols discussedin this article, the next generation of ADLs iscurrently under development. For example,the United States Navy is involved in therealisation of the Advanced Tactical DataLink (ATDL). A pre-solicitation notice,which it published in April 2011, stated thatwhile “Link 16 still meets the needs for awide variety of missions … There is a needfor an Advanced Tactical Data Link” whichwill have to be self-configuring (able to re-configure an ATDL network automaticallyif one of the network’s participants, such as
an aircraft equipped with the ATDL is lost)if the aircraft is shot down.In addition, the ATDL will need to have
a high bandwidth and high resistance toelectronic countermeasures. The intentionis for the ATDL to not only connect land,sea and air platforms to one another, but toallow these platforms to share an evengreater quantity of information betweenone another than already possible withADLs such as Link-11 and Link-16. Thiscould include information from sensorsand weapons systems to provide thoseusing the network with even deeper situa-tional awareness. The intention is for theATDL to be embedded within SDRs.Development of the ATDL is ongoing withRockwell Collins being awarded a contractworth $16.2 million in June 2013 to exam-ine design approaches and technologies forthe ATDL. It is expected that the ATDLcould complement existing and future datalinks and the US Navy has shown particu-lar interest in integrating the technologiesdeveloped as part of the ATDL initiativeonto existing and future US Navy aircraftsuch as the Boeing E/A-18G Growler elec-tronic warfare jet, the Northrop GrummanE-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne earlywarning aircraft and the Lockheed MartinF-35C Lightning-II multi-role combat air-craft in addition to future UAVs that thenavy operates. Mr. Byrnes says that theATDL “can coordinate weapons and sen-sors among manned and unmanned air-craft, surface ships and ground forces,”continuing that “today, we are alreadylooking at techniques for auto-configuringand self-adapting network technologiesthat provide low latency communicationswith a higher bandwidth.”
SWaP ShopIndustry experts are anticipating a numberof future trends as regards ADL design.Mr. Makipaja stresses that, “performancewise, the need for networking willincrease. UAVs or any other mission air-
craft for that matter will operate more andmore in network centric operations wherepoint-to-point connections will simply notsuffice.” He adds that it will be imperativefor the next generation of ADLs to be ever-more robust. “As airborne wireless com-munications increase it is essential for datalinks to tolerate both unintentional as wellas intentional interference.” Size, weight and power, known in the
defence electronics community as ‘SWaP’,is a growing consideration for ADL design.Military aircraft are sometimes said to belike people; they gain weight as they getolder. An ever-increasing and deepeningset of requirements for today’s military air-craft mean that new subsystems are pro-gressively added to aircraft as they gothrough their service lives to enable them tocarry more ordnance, improve their self-protection or sharpen their reconnaissance.As black box after black box is fixed to anaircraft they begin imposing weight, drink-ing electricity and occupying space, makingavailable real estate on an aircraft increas-ingly valuable. Because of this, there is a
major impetus to reduce the SWaP of ADLsalong with other aircraft subsystems. “Wethink that there is a need for miniaturisa-tion,” notes Mr. Dress, “and we are work-ing on miniaturisation at the moment toenable our ADLs to equip lighter aircraft.”ADLs have come a long way since
NATO implemented Link-1 back in the1950s. This was the alliance’s first genera-tion TDL standard. Configured to exchangeradar track data, it was the first small stepin a process which would, over half-a-century down the road, yield yet morecapable ADLs handling a growing quantityof voice, data and imagery communica-tions. The volume of information expectedto flow between aircraft, ships and groundforces is only likely to increase in the future,yet the electromagnetic spectrum is a finiteresource that cannot be stretched indefinite-ly to handle an expanding number of users.The upshot of this reality is that ADL engi-neers will have to develop increasinglyinnovative ways for their products to han-dle wideband communications while intel-ligently using the spectrum.
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Recent defence reassessments byJapan, Taiwan, the Republic ofKorea and Australia haveresulted in force restructuringand equipment modernisation
programmes. In addition, each has movedtoward a more ‘forward’ posture re-organ-ising orders to battle to reflect more deploy-able and mobile forces and equipment.Amongst these ground forces, as with
other ground forces around the world,armoured formations continue to be
viewed as the ground combat arm withthe capability to best deter and respond tohostile incursions. Major investments arebeing made in upgrading or acquiring notonly Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) and tradi-tional Armoured Personnel Carriers(APCs) but also the capabilities offered byInfantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs) andarmoured Fire Support Vehicles (FSV),the latter of which are often based on anAPC or IFV chassis.Adaptability and versatility are inherent
to the APC, IFV and FSV designs. Theyoffer mobility and firepower as well as adismounted infantry manoeuvre elementall in a protected system. They can beemployed in a variety of missions to rapid-ly respond to diverse tactical situations incooperation with MBTs or independently.They have the advantage of being moreeasily deployed on roads, by air or by ship.For these reasons the APC and IFV aremajor components of ground combat mod-ernisation programmes in the Asia-Pacific.
l ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW l20
A N D F I R E P O W E RMOBIL ITY
A MOVING EXPERIENCEModernising ground forces is a priority in the Asia-Pacific region. Somearmies are replacing aging equipment, while others are responding toperceived challenges to their national interests and territorial integrity.
by Steven Miller
Mobility Firepower:AMR 1/23/15 4:36 PM Page 2
Upgrade or Acquisition?The distinction between the APC and IFV,and to an extent the FSV, is really a questionof design. Each carries a dismountedinfantry element; the APC may have moremembers while the IFV has less, and theFSV maybe only two. Each mounts aweapon; in the IFV it may be a larger calibreweapon with advanced fire control. TheAPC could be as simple as amanually-oper-ated external machine gun. On the otherhand, the ASV could mount 90mm, 105mm
and up to 120mm cannon. Traditionally theIFV has higher protection and, therefore,weighs more than the APC.With the excep-tion of the number of dismounted infantrycarried many of these differences have beenlost. The availability of the remote weaponstation allows the APC to mount biggerweapons while supplemental armourincreases protection. Many of these“improvements” were made possible byadvances in technology and the lessons ofcombat experience. Improvements to sus-
pension, more powerful engines, and high-er capacity electrical systems were neces-sary due to new weapons, vehicle protec-tion and high-performance sensors.For some ground forces new vehicles
have been developed and are beingacquired. Others are pursuing improve-ments to existing fleets. Upgrade packagescan allow existing IFVs and APCs to close-ly approach the capabilities of a new designoften at less cost. Faced with tight budgetsand balancing many priorities a number ofarmies have chosen the upgrade route.
JapanTraditionally, the Japanese Ground SelfDefence Force (JGSDF) has been purelydefensive. ColonelMasashi Yamamoto, themilitary attaché to the United States,referred to this as a “deterrent role”. Since2010 this has evolved as the country tookon a greater international role includingparticipation in United Nations and coali-tion operations. However, the Japanesegovernment’s recent 2013 defence reassess-ment, partly caused by concerns over mar-itime disputes with China, included a newfocus on rapidly deploying ground forcesto repel invasions and retake territory. Thisemphasis resulted in a reorganisation of itsground force with emphasis on mobilityand rapid reaction. Col. Yamamotodescribes this as a “dynamic defence”. Thishas resulted in the development, acquisi-tion and fielding of the Komatsu Type 96wheeled APC, a Mobile Combat Vehicle(MCV) equipped with a 105mm gun andthe planned procurement of US CombatSystems AAV7A1 amphibious APCs.These systems are key elements in the for-mation of a new amphibious RapidDeployment Brigade (RDB) and therestructuring of other mechanised forma-tions toward a more mobile posture.The Amphibious Assault Vehicles
(AAVs) to be used by the JGDSF will be thesame version as the AAV7A1 RAM/RSvariants which are currently entering serv-ice with the US Marine Corps. These incor-porate engine, suspension, and survivabili-ty improvements. Fielding the AAV7A1will provide the JGSDF the ability to con-duct beach assaults from amphibious shipsand operations ashore. The JGSDF require-
ment is for 52 vehicles with deliveries beingcompleted by 2020—an ambitious schedule.The Mobile Combat Vehicle (MCV) is
fully indigenous and intended to providedeployable, highly mobile direct fire sup-port. Col. Yamamoto, who is also anarmour officer, suggested “the move to aneight-wheel drive direct fire vehiclereflected its ability to move rapidly on thewell-developed road network in Japan, aswell as its superior capability to bedeployed by air and sea”. The MCV isequipped with a 105mm main gun. Firstunveiled in 2013, the MCV is scheduled toenter service in 2016 with a total produc-tion of 99 vehicles.
TaiwanAn emphasis on tactically deployablearmoured forces is also a key part ofTaiwan’s new defence approach. TheTimoney CM-32 Clouded Leopard familyof eight-wheel drive vehicles includes theTaiwan Infantry Fighting Vehicle (TIFV),a 120mmmortar carrier and a 105mm lowpressure direct fire support vehicle usingthe same chassis. Series production by theOrdnance Readiness Development Centrebegan in 2007. The Army requirement is1400 vehicles with 368 for delivery in2017-18. An IFV version mounts a 20mmgun in a manned turret. The high com-monality in the design and componentsbetween the APC and IFV systems offers
significant benefits in support and logis-tics. The CM-32 has a ‘V’ hull that pro-vides mine and bomb protection.The introduction of the CM-32 series is
expected to cost up to $1 billion. Timoneywas involved in the design the system butit is to be manufactured locally. It not onlyreplaces a number of much older combatvehicles with a platform boasting highermobility and capability but addressesTaiwan’s objectives of becoming more self-sufficient in defence equipment.
Republic of Korea (RoK)The RoK Army has been developing its
own combat vehicles for some time.Drawing on its industry’s capabilities it hasfielded its own MBTs the Hyundai K1 andK2, the Daewoo K200 and Doosan K21tracked IFVs, and KW1 wheeled APC.Introduced in 2009 and manufactured
by Doosan DST, the K21 is a true IFV with30mm frontal and 14.5mm side ballisticprotection, a two-man 40mm gun turretwith coaxial machine gun and two third-generation anti-tank missiles. Providingthis level of protection in combat weight of
27 tonne is quite a feat. It is speculated thatit uses layered armour of S-2 glass fibre,ceramics and lightweight aluminium alloy.The K21’s chassis is also constructed offibreglass to further reduce the weight. Thesemi-active in-arm suspension offers asmoother ride and enables higher cross-country speeds. A K21 ProductImprovement Programme (PIP) proposesan active protection and hard-kill anti-mis-sile system. An additional PIP installs alarger engine. Existing plans call for 466vehicles to be deployed up to 2016.The RoK Army began in 2013 to deploy
what is expected to ultimately be about2000 advanced wheeled armoured vehiclesfor its new rapid-response brigades. This is
a key element of the Defence Reform 2020programme in which the Army is to be net-work-centric with increased firepower andmobility. The new brigades will have theability to move quickly into the DemocraticPeople’s Republic of North Korea to securecritical sites and stabilise captured areas.
The KW1 Scorpion six-wheel drivevehicle is the core of these rapid responsebrigades. In November 2012 the DefenceAcquisition Programme Administration(DAPA), the RoK’s procurement organisa-
tion, awarded a contract to Rotem, a sub-sidiary of Hyundai, for final developmentand production of 600 APC variants. TheKW1 uses a steel-armoured hull with aremote weapon station capable of mount-ing either a .50 calibre machine gun or40mm grenade launcher. It has a crew oftwo (driver and commander/gunner) andcarries ten dismounts. The vehicle, whichweighs 16 tonnes, can swim using twohydro-jets. Deliveries are to begin in 2016and will conclude in 2020.
IndonesiaThe December 2012 $283 million contractawarded by the Indonesian Army toRheinmetall includes both 102 LeopardMBTs and 42 upgraded Marder 1A3infantry fighting vehicles plus armouredsupport vehicles. Delivery began in 2014and will continue until 2016. In addition,Indonesia is accepting the Tarantula, six-wheel drive armoured vehicle designed andmanufactured by Doosan in the RoK as theresult of a 2009 contract. The vehicle is basedon the Black Fox (a candidate for the RoKArmy but not selected). It is equipped witha CMI Defense Cockerill Mk.III 90mm gunturret. Twenty-two vehicles are to be deliv-ered with half assembled in country.
MalaysiaThe collaboration between FNSS of Turkeyand Deftech, Malaysia’s local manufacturerfor the AV-8 six-wheel drive vehicle is com-ing to fruition. AV-8 has been undergoingqualification testing and the company isscheduled to deliver twelve systems by theend of 2014. The total Malaysian require-ment is for 257 units in up to twelve vari-ants with production continuing until 2018.Variants include one with a 30mm/7.62mmstabilised turret (some of which will beequipped anti-tank guided missiles), a25mm one-person turret model, a 12.7mmRemote Weapons Station (RWS) type, and anumber of command, mortar and supportversions. Initial production is being doneby FNSS with an option for Deftech toassume production. The AV-8, designedwith survivability in mind, would be a val-ued asset particularly with MalaysianArmy forces in United Nations operations.
SingaporeST Kinetics has completed development ofthe Terrex eight-wheel drive InfantryCombat Vehicle (ICV) and is being fieldedby the Singapore Army’s motorisedinfantry. The AV-81 version was followedin 2005 by the AV-82 with suspensionimprovements. The vehicle has a crew oftwo and carries up to twelve dismounts. Itsremote controlled turret has a 40mm auto-matic grenade launcher with 7.62mm coaxi-al machine gun. It has 12.7mm basic ballisticprotection that can be increased to 14.5mm
with add-on armour, while the ‘V’ hull pro-tects against blasts. Its gross weight is24000kg (52800lb). Singapore’s army initial-ly acquired 135 ICVs but the reorganisationof three infantry battalions to a motorisedstatus may bring that closer to 300.
AustraliaThe Australian Army relies on the BAESystems M113AS4 and the GeneralDynamics ASLAV as its primaryAPC/IFV. Both are upgrades of vehiclesacquired in the 1960s and 1990s respective-ly. With improvements they are expectedto remain in service until at least 2020. TheM113AS4 is “stretched” by an additionalroad wheel and has an armoured one-manheavy machine gun turret, a more power-ful diesel engine, and a range of protectionand survivability improvements likeceramic add-on plates, spall liners, andadditional belly armour.The ASLAV is in service with the US
with some unique modifications like largertires, a different exhaust, customisedstowage and crew climate control. SomeASLAVs variants deployed to Afghanistanwere outfitted with Kongsberg RWSs.Australia’s LAND400 program will delivera Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle (CRV),IFV (IFV) and Manoeuvre Support Vehicle(MSV) to replace the ASLAV and M113AS4is awaiting approval (please see JonathanTringham’s ‘Australian Aspirations’ articlein this issue).
United StatesThe US Army has had difficulty movingambitious armoured vehicle developmentprogrammes like FSV (Fire SupportVehicle) and GVC (Ground CombatVehicle) forward. It is, however, buildingon successful efforts providing bomb andmine blast protection to its GeneralDynamics Stryker armoured vehiclesusing the double ‘V’ hull. The US Army isusing this opportunity to introduce arange of other upgrades. As Tim Reese,General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS)business development manager,described “the upgrades introduced toStryker beginning in 2017 will recoverperformance, improve survivability, andenhance the compatibility of the systemwith new digital technologies. Overall the
effort provides ‘better than original’ capa-bility at a much lower investment.” Theprogramme upgrades the suspension to27270kg (60000lbs) and adds a new engineand alternator. A ‘digital backbone’ is alsoprovided allowing crew stations to sharedata and video.
The only US Army new acquisition isthe BAE Systems Amour Protected Multi-purpose Vehicle (AMPV) to replaceremaining M113s in the armouredbrigades in mortar, medical, commandand control and other support roles. TheAMPV requirements in key areasfavoured a tracked vehicle. For example,it needed to traverse rice paddies in theRoK which would be difficult for awheeled vehicle. This emphasis is inter-esting given that the RoK Army is intro-ducing its own six-wheel drive armouredvehicle similar to the Stryker.
The US Marines plan upgrades to theirGeneral Dynamics Light ArmouredVehicle fleet. These improvements some-times referred to as a SLEP (Service Life
Extension Programme), will be the fourthsince its 1983 fielding. They are intendedto extend its service life to 2035. Theupgrades will bring all LAVs toGeneration III level. The focus here is onenhancing survivability, regaining per-formance and addressing obsolescence ofcomponents like the engine and transmis-sion. The Canadian Army, another majoruser of the LAV, has a similar improve-ment and upgrade programme covering616 vehicles called LAV UP.
The Marines are moving forward ontheir Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV)programme. Its Expeditionary Force 21concept released in 2014 includes both animprovement programme for the AAV7RAM/RS and the introduction of a newwheeled combat vehicle known as theACV. The AAV7s will get new bellyarmour, blast-resistant seats and otherimprovements. The first upgraded AAVsare to be delivered in 2019. The ACV willbe conducted in phases with Phase 1.1evaluating vehicles during testing in 2016.Final performance requirements may beinfluenced by the results of these tests.Nevertheless, the ACV is primarily anarmoured amphibious infantry carrier.
TrendsRecurring themes in APC and IFV fieldingare in providing operational and tacticalmobility with increased survivability.This is recognition of new mission chal-lenges in defending national interests andinternational participation and the objec-tive of reducing force size and costs. TheAPV, IFV and FSV, particularly thosebased on wheeled platforms, are seen asways to enhance combat utility and effi-ciency by levering the manoeuvrability ofsuch units. Their capability to quicklymove combat power and to deploy sug-gests this will remain a trend over thecoming decade.
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It is almost 60 years since SR.N1, theworld’s first working hovercraft, per-formed its maiden flight across theEnglish Channel on 25 July 1959.Today, this ingenuous invention is in
widespread use with militaries around theworld, particularly those in the Asia-Pacific region, for a wide array of tasks inthe amphibious and open sea domains.
The principle behind the hovercraft’soperation is achingly simple: Large down-
ward-facing fans mounted beneath thefloor of the hovercraft blow vast quanti-ties of air above the surface over which itis travelling, be it land, sea, ice, snow orswamp. This air is prevented from escap-ing by a flexible skirt which surrounds thehovercraft’s body. Thus the air enclosedwithin the skirt has a higher pressure thanthe atmospheric air surrounding the hov-ercraft. This causes the hovercraft to lifton a cushion of air. This is why hovercraft,
in their early days, were perceived as air-craft rather than marine craft given thatthey technically ‘fly’ on a cushion of air,albeit at an altitude of a few inches.Forward momentum is achieved via fansmounted at the rear of the hovercraft withsteering provided by rudders mountedbehind the fans, or by vectoring the fansin the desired direction.
For military operators, hovercraft bringa number of key benefits. First and
l ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW l28
“The navy said it was a plane, not a boat. The air force said it wasa boat, not a plane, and the army was ‘plain not interested’,”said Sir Christopher Cockerell the British inventor of the hovercraftsumming up the initial military reaction to his idea.
foremost, they can travel comfortably overalmost any surface. Border patrol is onemission for which hovercraft are promoted.Mike Glanville, global sales and marketingmanager for Hov Pod, based inSouthampton, United Kingdom, says thatcompared to purchasing helicopters forborder monitoring, hovercraft are veryattractive with the possibility to purchaseseveral hovercraft for the price of a singlemilitary utility helicopter. Given the highspeeds that hovercraft can achieve (thefirm’s Carbon Infinity can reach 35knots/64 kilometres-per-hour), reactiontimes can be similarly quick as they wouldbe when using a helicopter. Secondly, Mr.Glanville adds that “hovercraft are not buf-feted by waves. They float on air and are
very stable.” This makes them attractive forthe employment of weapons and optronics.The Asia-Pacific region has witnessed
more than its fair share of natural disastersin recent years. On 3 November 2013Typhoon Haiyan tore through thePhilippines killing over 6300 people.Militaries are increasingly called upon toprovide humanitarian assistance in theaftermath of such calamities. Mr. Glanvillesays that small hovercraft can be airlifted toa disaster area and then used to deliverhumanitarian aid; a particularly usefulcapability when an inundation hasoccurred. In addition, hovercraft, Mr.Glanville says, are unlikely to be adverselyaffected by the detritus which can litter thewaters of a disaster area. “Hovercraft haveno propellers to snag on underwater obsta-cles such as wire fences, or get immobilisedon floating debris such as plastic bags andrice sacks.” For amphibious operationsthey represent a fast way of getting to thebeach “enabling troops and vehicles to dis-embark on land without the need for addi-tional infrastructure,” notes SelinaCoombe, marketing manager at GriffonHoverwork (see below).An additional benefit is the hovercraft’s
ability to operate discreetly. “With lownoise and wash levels a hovercraft can
move without drawing attention to theoperation,” Ms. Coombe adds, while theirability to glide on a cushion of air rendersthem immune to seamines. Speed is also ofthe essence where hovercraft are con-cerned. ABS Hovercraft (see below) toldAMR that “for hovercraft, high-speedcruising is the standard mode of operation(which) means a single craft can covermuch more coastline in the same period oftime.” Furthermore, hovercraft are notaffected by water currents and, because ofthis, “travel up river as fast as they cantravel down river.” ABS Hovercraft saysthat such capabilities add up to a craftwhich can perform a range of missionsincluding “border patrol and surveillance,policing and customs enforcement, marineinterdiction and troop transport.”
The Fan ClubMilitary involvement with the hovercraftcommenced in shortly after the SR.N1 (seeabove) performed its first flight across theEnglish Channel with the establishment of
the Hovercraft Trials Unit (HTU) whichevaluated the hovercraft on behalf of theRoyal Navy, Royal Air Force and theBritish Army. Interest around the world inthe hovercraft deepened, and in the 1960sSaunders-Roe (which built the SR.N1)licensed Bell to produce its SR.N5 hover-craft in the United States designating it theSK-6. These craft were known in US Navyservice as the PACV (Patrol Air CushionVehicle) and they served extensively dur-ing the US involvement in the VietnamWar between 1965 and 1975. These hover-craft were also deployed by the US Armyduring the conflict both as a weapons andlogistics platforms, proving their impres-sive utility in the swamps and distribu-taries comprising the Mekong Delta insouthern Vietnam.Bell later moved forward with their
own design known as the SK-10. Thiswould form the basis of the TextronLanding Craft Air Cushion or ‘LCAC’ usedby the US Marine Corps (USMC) and theJapan Maritime Self Defence Force(JMSDF) to support amphibious opera-tions (see below). Beyond the USMC andthe JMSDF, several Asia-Pacific nationsoperate military hovercraft including theRussian Navy with their Almaz Zubr, theworld’s largest hovercraft, and the Type-722II class LCAC operated by the People’sLiberation Army Navy of China.
Hov PodHov Pod is based on the south coast of theUnited Kingdom near Southampton closeto the route of the UK’s only commercialpublic hovercraft service linking Southsea,on the English mainland, to the Isle ofWight, a journey which takes around tenminutes. The company produces two hov-ercraft designs for military applications, thefour-seat SPX TCC and the seven-seatCarbon Infinity. Mr. Glanville says that onething which makes Hov Pod’s designsexceptional is that “(o)ur hovercraft aremanufactured from High DensityPolyethylene and Carbon Fibre/Kevlarcomposite. This makes them extremelystrong, exceptionally buoyant and providesbetter power-to-weight performance. Othermilitary hovercraft are constructed fromaluminium and have heavier engines.” Thisreduction in weight brings important bene-fits for military operators, Mr. Glanvillecontinues, “Hovercraft are veryweight sen-sitive: think fat man, thin man. At theOlympics, track athletes are lean, tall andthin. Shot putters and weight-lifters are
stocky and consume more calories. Largerhovercraft consume more energy to carrytheir weight, so are not very agile.” Thefirm’s products have been supplied tohumanitarian organisations such as the RedCross and the United Nations World FoodProgramme, and the Prefectura NavalArgentina (Argentine Naval Prefectura),the country’s coast guard.
Griffon HoverworkNeighbours of Hov Pod on the UK’s southcoast, in an area synonymous with hover-craft production since the now-defunctBritish Hovercraft Corporation which pro-duced military and civilian hovercraftbetween 1966 and 1984 was located there,is Griffon Hoverwork. The firm is a leaderin the production of military hovercraft, aswell as their civilian counterparts. It pro-duces a range of hovercraft which, Ms.Coombes stresses, can be used in either acivilian or military role. Small craft in thecompany’s catalogue capable of carryingup to 996 kilograms (2191 pounds) of pay-load include the 380TD and 995ED. Fourhovercraft comprise themedium-lift range,notably the 2000TD, 2400TD, 8000TD and8100TD. These have a payload of between2000-12000kg (4400-5455lb). Finally, thefirm’s heavy-lift range includes the BHTwhich is produced to carry freight andpassengers, or be equipped with a well
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deck. Payloads of up to 22500kg (49500lb)can be accommodated by these machines.The company is currently producing
eight 8000TD models which are destinedfor the Armada Nacional de la Repúblicade Colombia (Colombian Navy). In theAsia-Pacific, the firm’s hovercraft equip thecoast guards of India, Pakistan and theRepublic of Korea. Meanwhile, the firm’s2400TD machine is used by the RoyalMarines. This can carry loads of up to2400kg (5280lb). Even with a full payloadthis hovercraft can still achieve speeds of35 knots (65km/h).
ABS HovercraftJoining Griffon Hoverwork and Hov Podin the ‘Hovercraft Cluster’ on the southcoast of the UK is ABS Hovercraft. Its flag-ship military product is its M10. The firmtells AMR that this design can travel inexcess of 40 knots (70km/h) fully ladenwith a payload of 10000kg (22000lb) usingonly 1400 horsepower. This means that“fuel consumption is much, much lowerthan that of a conventional fast patrol boatat a similar payload capacity.” Like HovPod’s wares (see above), ABS Hovercraft’sM10 uses state-of-the-art materials; in thiscase carbon fibre, Kevlar and glass fibre tokeep weight down. The M10 has been sup-plied to militaries around the world, butthe company demurs from providing addi-tional details for reasons of confidentiality.
Neoteric HovercraftAlthough hovercraft design and produc-tion is one industry in which the UKleads, design, development and produc-tion of air-cushioned vehicles is by nomeans limited to Great Britain. Based inTerre Haute, Indiana, Neoteric Hovercraftoffer four-person and six-personmachines under their Hovertrek banner.The four-person hovercraft can carry amaximum weight of 340kg (750lb) andreach speeds of up to 39 knots (72km/h)across mudflats, calm water and firm
snow. When flying over ice, this hover-craft can even reach speeds of 43 knots(80km/h). When using a single tank offuel, the hovercraft has an endurance ofup to 3.4 hours, which translates into arange of 104nm (193km/h). The payloadof the six-person Hovertrek increases to466kg (1025lb). However, the increase inpayload is not at the expense of speed,with this hovercraft achieving a similarperformance to the four-person model.On one fuel tank the six-person Hovertrekhas an endurance of 3.6 hours. Militarycustomers for Neoteric’s hovercraftinclude the United States Air Force whichhas its products deployed with the Fireand Rescue Service for the Utah Test andTraining Range in that state.
LCACTextron’s LCAC hovercraft has been inservice with the USMC since 1986 with atotal of 91 being constructed. The craft iscapable of carrying a payload of up to68000kg (149,600lb) at speeds of over 40knots. It has a range of circa 200nm(370km) when operating at such speeds.On 2 October 2014, the US Navyannounced that it had completed theCritical Design Review (CDR) for the newcommand, control, communications andnavigation suite which is being installedon the LCAC. The upgrade improves the
Command and Control (C2) systems usedby the crew to safely navigate the hover-craft, and to connect with other navy andmilitary assets.At the core of the upgrade is a modular,
scalable architecture which should enablethe LCAC’s C2 equipment to be upgradedwith relative ease as it moves through theremainder of its service life. With the CDRcomplete, the navy now has a productionstandard for the C2 equipment whichwill be rolled out across the USMC LCACfleet as part of the System BaselineConfiguration-Four (SBC-4) initiative asthe upgrade is known. Taking its cue fromthe world of military aviation, SBC-4installs a glass cockpit onboard the LCACalong with fly-by-wire controls. A numberof navigation sensors including the hover-craft’s radar, an inertial navigation systemand a primary and secondary GlobalPositioning System are federated to pro-vide the crewwith a highly accurate depic-tion of their position. It will also be easierfor the crew to monitor the health of thecraft thanks to the integration of almost 200sensors which monitor the performance ofthe LCAC’s systems. Despite the SBC-4upgrade, which will be rolled out acrossthe fleet of the 81 LCACs which remain inservice with the USMC, they will begin tobe retired from 2019, by which time theUSMC expects to have around 50 LCACsstill in service. This number is expected tobe reduced further to around 40 by 2026.These 40 LCACs will then be progres-
sively retired as the US Navy’s LCACreplacement, the LCAC-1000 SSC (Ship-to-Shore Connector) begins to enter service.The USNavy expects to eventually procureup to 72 of these craft, with nine currentlyunder construction by Textron. The firm,together with L3 Communications, wonthe contract to produce the LCAC-1000 inJuly 2012, beating competition from a rivalteam which included Boeing, GriffonHoverwork (see above) and MarinetteMarine Corporation shipbuilders ofMarinette, Wisconsin. Textron’s designreaches 35 knots and can carry up to74000kg (160,600lb) giving it an increase incarriage compared to the LCAC, althoughat the expense of a slight decrease in speedwhen compared to its predecessor.
As of November 2014, Textron hadbeen given the go-ahead by the US Navyto commence the construction of the firstnine LCAC-1000 examples. These areexpected to be delivered to the US Navyfrom 2017, and should achieve an InitialOperating Capability (IOC) from 2020. Thecontract awarded to Textron in July 2012covers the construction of the nine craftand is worth $212.7 million. In addition to
the craft’s construction, the contract coversthe design work for the LCAC-1000. Thecontract also includes the option for theconstruction of a further eight LCAC-1000s which, if exercised, could take thetotal contract value to $570.4 million.The LCAC-1000 has a unit cost of $47.6
million, although this increases to $55.7million when research and developmentfunding is factored in. They will be capa-ble of being flown by two people usingfly-by-wire controls. Construction will
use composite materials and aluminiumto improve their resistance to erosion. Onedesign feature to be installed on theLCAC-1000 from the tenth exampleonwards will be the capability for the craftto launch vehicles directly into the water,rather than having to land on the beach todisgorge cargo. This capability willbecome standard from all new LCAC-1000s after the tenth example is producedtowards the end of this decade, and willthen be retrofitted onto existing LCAC-1000s already in service.Current plans announced by the US
Navy call for the USMC, on whose behalfit is procuring the vessels, to have a 60-strong fleet of LCAC-1000s by 2031, withthis figure rising to 72 by 2034. Given thatthe LCAC-1000 has a projected 30-yearlifespan, the US Navy will not need tothink about replacing its oldest LCAC-1000s until the 2053 timeframe, based onan IOC of 2023. By this time SirChristopher’s idea will be almost 100years old. It’s clear that, contrary to hisexperiences in the 1950s, the militaries ofthe world clearly remain keenly interestedin his brainchild.
Concerned by the critical gapsin the tactical and strategicdefences of its armed forcesthat have hitherto beenlargely served by vintage
Soviet-era military hardware and bythe concerted expansion of the offen-sive capabilities of both Pakistan andChina on its frontiers, India isunveiling a massive programme tomodernise its arsenal.
Global arms vendors and alsodomestic companies are antici-
pating market estimations that India willspend $250 billion over the next decade toupgrade its military arsenal. These firmsare exploring viable options to win busi-ness as part of consortia, as joint ventures(JVs) and as public-private partnerships.
Naval EnhancementsCommissioned in August 2014, the indige-nously designed and constructed INSKolkata is the lead ship of three epony-mous class of destroyers for the IndianNavy. The 6800 tonnewarshipwas built byIndia’s Mazagon Dock Ltd (MDL) anddesigned by the Naval Design Bureau
(NDB). In June 2014 Narendra Modi dedi-cated India’s largest warship, the 44500tonne Russian-built aircraft carrier, INS
Vikramaditya, to the nation in his firstouting after becoming Prime Ministeron 26 May 2014. India launched its firstindigenously-made carrier, the 37500tonne INS Vikrant in August 2013,three years behind schedule. She will
now join the Indian Navy by 2018after extensive trials starting in2016. With the commissioning of
INS Vikramaditya, in November 2013, thenavy once again has two carriers after agap of 17 years; one each for the westernand eastern seaboards. Its previous carriersinclude the ex-Royal Navy ship INSVikrant (formerly HMS Hercules), com-missioned in 1961 and paid off in 1997, andher sister ship INS Viraat (formerly HMSHermes) which has been sailing with theIndian Navy since 1987 and will be decom-missioned once the new INS Vikrant joinsthe service.
MDL is also executing Project-75 (P-75),the $3.8 billion order for six ‘Scorpene-2000’ class conventional hunter-killer sub-
marines (SSKs) under technology transferagreement from France’s DCNS ship-builders. The deal was signed in 2005 andthe first submarine, which commencedconstruction in 2006, is set for launch inSeptember 2015 and for commissioning in2016. The remaining five SSKs will join theservice at intervals of one year until 2012.MDL chairman and managing director,Rear Admiral (retired) RK Shrawat, sayshis company will also bid for the $8.1 bil-lion Project-75 India (P-75I) tender for con-
struction of six more SSKs. “The majordrawback in Indian shipbuilding had beenits archaic infrastructure, which is nowbeing diligently modernised with theattendant skills in design,” he notes. “MDLjust concluded its $129 million MazdockModernisation Project designed to signifi-cantly enhance the warship and submarineconstruction capability of the shipyard.”DCNS India managing director BernardBuisson says this is the first contract hiscompany is implementing entirely in theclient country. “Submarine manufacture is
l ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW l34
SHARPENINGTHE TIGER’S TEETHAs a resurgent India seeks to achieve transformative growth anddevelopment, it is pursuing, albeit belatedly, a robust defencestrategy and policies aimed at addressing the conventional andnon-conventional security challenges faced by it.
by Sarosh Bana
M I L I T A R YREGIONAL
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a highly specialised high technologyendeavour and DCNS has been very satis-fied with the competency and astuteness ofour Indian partner,” he remarks.Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Robin K.
Dhowan concedes that the Indian Navy’sexisting conventional submarines are age-ing. “But the good news is that the con-struction of the P-75 submarines at MDL ispicking up speed and is being closelymonitored,” he points out. “Due to the
delays in new submarine projects,we have also taken up the MediumRefit-cum-Life Certification of a fewolder submarines to retain their tech-nological and tactical edge, while the
case for the next lot of submarines under P-75I is also being progressed actively.” Adm.Dhowan believes the proposal for construc-tion of all submarines in India, which isbeing examined by the Ministry of Defence(MoD), will substantially boost indigenisa-tion in this critical sector. “We, therefore,see our submarine force levels increasing
and becoming more potent in the comingfew years,” he adds.The Indian Navy has over 40 warships
on order in Indian shipyards at a cost ofover $32.3 billion. The problem is thatfrontline Indian warships are being com-missioned without an adequate “areadefence weapon” because of productionand induction delays of such a capability.The $420 million project for the joint devel-opment of a Long-Range Surface-to-AirMissile (LR-SAM) system by the MoD’sDefence Research and DevelopmentOrganisation (DRDO) and Israel AerospaceIndustries (IAI) had been sanctioned in2005, but was tested only towards the endof 2014. This missile, with an interceptionrange of 38 nautical miles (70 kilometres),is being developed for both the Indian andIsraeli navies and is a generation ahead ofthe five nautical mile (nine kilometres)range IAI Barak-I Surface-to-Air Missile(SAM) that equips 14Indian Navy warshipsat present. The delaywas caused by technologi-cal challenges regarding the mis-sile’s rocket motors. The Indian Air Force(IAF) is similarly hamstrung by the delayin the Medium-Range-SAM (MR-SAM)project worth $1.6 billion sanctioned in2009 for joint production by the DRDO andIAI. The two SAM systems are now slatedfor induction from 2016 onwards.
Army ModernisationThe Cabinet Committee on Security has yetto approve the on-going Twelfth DefencePlan covering 2012-17 and the Long-termIntegrated Perspective Plan (LTIPP) cover-ing 2007-22. Without these essentialapprovals, defence procurement is beingperformed through ad hoc annual procure-ment programmes rather than being basedon prioritised long-term planning.Amber Dubey, partner and India head
of aerospace and defence at KPMG, a con-sultancy, believes India’s ammunitionreserves will last only 20 days in the eventof a two-front war. More ominously,General (retired) VK Singh, the army’s for-mer chief of staff, wrote to the then PrimeMinister Manmohan Singh in March 2012about the “critical hollowness” in the
army’s operational preparedness. Gen.Singh informedMr. Singh that many of theweapons and equipment used by the armywere obsolete or bordering on obsoles-cence. In particular, he specified that theartillery and air defence arms urgentlyrequired modern guns, missiles andradars, while the aviation corps needednew helicopters to replace the ageing fleet.Imports have been the mainstay of
India’s defences; 70 percent of the defencecapital budget is spent on imports of
materiel. This is in spite of generous outlaysto the DRDO and its 52 laboratories, India’s41 ordnance factories and its eight DefencePublic Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) whichhave failed to foster a credible DefenceIndustrial Base (DIB), or military industry.Compounded by non-accountability, suchdrawbacks have impeded ambitious pro-grammes that range from the constructionof aircraft carriers, nuclear-powered sub-marines, multi-role combat and trainer air-craft and helicopter gunships to main battletanks and cyber warfare infrastructure.
With the failure of the DRDO to devel-op indigenous technology and guided byMr. Modi’s catchphrase of ‘Make in India’to enhance self-reliance by spurringdomestic manufacture, the MoD is keen tomarshal private enterprise in its pursuit ofmilitary modernisation. Recently, it raisedthe Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) limitin the defence sector from 26 to 49 per centto encourage partnerships between domes-tic and foreign arms manufacturers.
New PartnersOver the past few years, the United States,and also Israel and France, have evolved asmajor armament suppliers to India, whichuntil then had relied heavily on the erst-while Soviet Union and later Russia, withwhich it had abiding ties bolstered by aconvenient rupee-rouble trade link. Thishas been a vicious cycle. Over-dependenceon imports has restrained development ofa substantive DIB, while the shortcomingsof the state enterprises in indigenisingmateriel have ensured that India remains apurchaser rather than a manufacturer.Nikhil Gandhi, non-executive chair-
man of Pipavav Defence and OffshoreEngineering Co. Ltd (PDOC), notes thatthough this practice of large-scale importsensures timely deliveries, it renders Indiaentirely dependent on overseas supply ofspares and after-sales support that arehighly critical in times of conflict. “If the
same weapons are made in India, withforeign collaboration, we will be protectedagainst the whims of any foreign govern-ment or company,” he explains. Sweden’sSaab has made a strategic investment of$32.3 million in PDOC, which, after foray-ing into naval shipbuilding in 2010, is nowdiversifying its capabilities. PDOC willalso bid for the P-75I submarine construc-tion tender (see above), identifying a for-eign partner once the specifications for thesix SSKs expected to be fitted withadvanced Air Independent Propulsion(AIP) are clear.
Meeting the challengeIndia, with the world’s second largeststanding army of over one million, afterChina’s 1.5 million, has for some years beenthe world’s biggest purchaser of arms. Thecountry’s defence budget is 1.8 percent ofthe gross domestic product, in contrast to2.5 percent for China and 3.5 percent forPakistan. Moreover, only about 40 percentof India’s defence budget, $37 billion for2013-14, is earmarked for capital acquisi-tion and upgrades, the balance being
apportioned towards salaries, pensions andother day-to-day equipment.Mr. Dubey says that India’s ‘Big Five’
companies, namely, Tata, Larsen andToubro, Mahindra, Godrej andWalchandnagar, are already supplying tothe defence forces. “They’ve shown capa-bility to develop and also absorb technol-ogy and scale up production processes toserve the needs of our defence forces,” heremarks. “The biggest of them, Tata, hasshown remarkable capability to tie-upwith foreign vendors like Airbus, Boeing,Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin.” Thesefirms, through JVs and consortia, arevying for most of the multi-billion dollardefence contracts on offer.MV Kotwal, director and president of
heavy engineering at Larsen and Toubro,says his company sees opportunities of$18-20 billion in both the Indian Army andnavy. He mentions that since 2002 his com-pany is the only corporation in India withlicences to manufacture the entire range ofdefence equipment for all four services,including the Indian Coast Guard. Thecompany fabricated the hull and other crit-ical components of India’s first indigenousnuclear-powered ballistic missile subma-rine, INS Arihant, a project under develop-ment since 1998, and has invested $643.4million in the Kutapalli shipyard on theeast coast where it intends to build the P-75I submarines, if it wins the contract esti-
mated at between $8-10 billion, along withother naval orders.Tata’s defence business generated $387
million in turnover for the group in 2013,and the 14 group companies involved inthe sector have an order book exceeding$1.3 billion, says Mukund Rajan, brandcustodian and chief ethics officer at thecompany. “There is tremendous scope forthe Indian private sector to play a muchbigger role in defence,” he remarks. “Theprivate sector today has a relatively smallpercentage share of the total Indiandefence spend, and significantly less thanin many other countries.”Tata and Larsen and Toubro are bidding
for India’s biggest ever indigenous defencecontract, the $8.1 billion Future InfantryCombat Vehicle (FICV) programme. Thiscontract for 2600 FICVs was conceived in2009 under the ‘Make in India’ banner, butthe Letter of Intent (LoI) was suddenlywithdrawn in 2012, only to be revivedrecently, by which time the UnitedKingdom’s BAE Systems opted out of its JVwith Mahindra Defence Systems, citingundue delay. Numerous other Indian com-panies with their JVs are competing for thisproject that is intended to replace thearmy’s 2600 BMP-2 armoured vehicles thathave been in use since the 1980s.
Another major contract is the $6.5 bil-lion Battle Management System (BMS) thatwill integrate all surveillance resourcesavailable at the battalion or regiment level,including from Unmanned Aerial Vehiclesand ground sensors. It will also pinpointthe locations of friendly and hostile troopsand keyweapons platforms aswell as facil-itate terrain analysis to achieve improvedsituational awareness. The Request forExpression of Interest (REoI) was issued in2013 to 14 contenders, including Larsen
and Toubro and Tata. These companieshave formed four consortia that submittedtheir detailed responses in April 2014.Evaluations by the MoD of these responsesare under evaluation, based on which theMoD will shortlist two contenders, each ofwhom will be tasked to develop four BMSprototypes for mountain, jungle, plainsand desert operations.Yet another major contract, alongside
the BMS programme discussed above, isfor the $1.6 billion Tactical CommunicationSystem (TCS) that will replace the ageingArmy Radio Engineering Network(AREN). It was in 1996 that the IndianArmy sought to perform an urgent replace-ment of this communications backbone.The MoD has shortlisted two consortiacomprising state-owned Bharat ElectricalsLtd with a private Special PurposeCompany (SPC), and Larsen and Toubro,Tata and HCL Infosystems. Both have sub-mitted detailed project reports and afterevaluation will have to build two proto-types of the TCS, seven of which will bebuilt for the seven army commands. Thesewill then be put to trials and the selectedcompetitor will produce the entire TCS.
New AircraftIndia’s largest defence deal so far has beenthe $22 billion (including lifecycle costs)contract won in January 2012 by France’sDassault for 126 Medium Multi-RoleCombat Aircraft (MMRCA) for the Indian
Air Force (IAF). The process had begun in2005 with a request for information issuedby the IAF for a new MRCA to replace thevintage Soviet-era MiG-21 MRCA thathad been its mainstay since the early1980s. The IAF is now hamstrung by adepleted fleet of just 34 combat squadronsagainst a sanctioned strength of 39.5, butnegotiations between the Indian govern-ment and the manufacturer have stalledover pricing and guarantee clauses. While18 are to be purchased outright, theremaining 108 are to be built under trans-fer of technology by state-ownedHindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL).Dassault has been reluctant to acceptresponsibility for these fighters to be builtby HAL as far as liquidity damages andtimelines for production are concerned,contending it cannot guarantee what HALproduces. The last 60 planes are to have 90per cent Indian content.Arijit Ghosh, president of Honeywell
Aerospace India, says the partnership hiscompany has forged with Tata for localproduction of the Honeywell-patentedTactical Advanced Land Inertial Navigator(TALIN) systemwill fill a significant gap inIndia’s defences, in alliance with the ‘Makein India’ policy. “TALIN enables vehiclesand artillery to navigate very precisely,
even where global positioning systemsatellite guidance is not available, toincrease troop safety and maximise mis-sion success,” he says. “The TALIN co-pro-duction builds on a long history of work-ing with India in India to develop locallyproduced technologies.”Another firm that cherishes its ties with
India is Rolls-Royce. Steven Gillard, its vicepresident, defence customer business, sayshis company has worked together withIndia’s armed forces since 1933, when theIAF took to the skies with Rolls-RoyceBristol Jupiter engines which powered the
Westland Wapiti aircraft of the Indian AirForce’s 1 squadron from April 1933. “Overthe past 60 years, Rolls-Royce and HALhave produced a wide range of enginestogether for various military applications,like the Adour Mk.811 that has poweredthe SEPECAT Jaguar ground attack aircraftsince 1981 and Adour Mk.871 that hassince 2008 been powering the new BAESystems Hawk-132 Advanced Jet Trainer,used to train the next-generation Indianpilots,” he notes.Mr. Dubey believes India needs to ade-
quately militarise in the context of thethreat scenario it faces on two fronts.China, for instance, is a generation aheadwhen it comes to militarisation and the gapis increasing, he says, adding that Pakistanreceives more than half its defence equip-ment from China. He feels the need forIndia to step up its defence modernisationand indigenisation programme with afocus on future technologies like stealth,unmanned systems, satellite surveillanceand cyber-warfare.
PLANESPEAKINGDouglas Barrie, Senior Fellow forMilitary Aerospace at London’sInternational Institute for StrategicStudies (IISS) shares his thoughtsin this introduction regardingprocurement trends and forcestructures affecting air power inthe Asia-Pacific region.
Several Asia Pacific states are in theprocess of recapitalising their com-bat aircraft fleets at the same timeas the geo-strategic landscape is
being re-shaped by the emergence of China asa regionally dominant power, and as Beijinginvests heavily in its own air capabilities.
Comparative defence expenditure in theregion has in fact been outstripping that ofEurope in recent years as reflected in recentissues of the IISS’s Military Balance. This ispart simply a function of purchasing morecapable—and generally more expensive—defence equipment, but is also symptomaticof the security concerns of those states invest-ing in advanced systems.
China continues to develop air power com-mensurate with what it sees as its national sta-tus. The People’s Liberation ArmyAir Force isno longer a poorly equipped mass forcetasked only with air defence of the home terri-tory, even if it was incapable of carrying thisrole out adequately. Instead it is an increas-ingly well equipped—and better trained—service tasked with defensive and offensiveair operations in a ‘joint’ environment with amix of Russian and locally-designed fourth-generation Multi-Role Combat Aircraft(MRCA) as the core of its force. It also contin-ues to develop a range of reconnaissance air-craft, while moving to bolster its limited air-to-air refuelling and airlift fleets. It has contin-ued to modernise the Xian H-6 strategicbomber, with long-range land attack cruisemissiles. Naval aviation, meanwhile, contin-ues to develop though a genuine carrier-bornestrike capability remains some years off.
Chinese developments remain the main,but not the only, regional factor as other actorsaddress air force modernisation and develop-ment needs. The Republic of Korea’s (ROK)pressing security issue is its northern neigh-bour, while in Japan concerns cover theDemocratic People’s Republic of Korea’sgrowing military capabilities. There are alsobilateral tensions among a number of coun-tries. Territorial disputes in the South and EastChina Seas involving China and several othernations are resulting in a renewed focus onmaritime air power.
China, the Republic of Korea and Japan allhave MRCA development programmesunderway. Beijing’s Chengdu J-20 air superi-ority fighter is at a more advanced stage of
development than its medium-weight coun-terpart, the Shenyang J-31. Tokyo and Seoul,meanwhile, are considering national projectsas a complement to the Lockheed Martin F-35Lightning-II MRCA which both countrieshave already selected. Whether their respec-tive national ambitions are ever fully realisedremains a matter for conjecture. Other region-al customers for the F-35 include Australia,while a Singaporean order is likely. Theplanned F-35 purchases are part of broaderdefence relationships with the US that contin-ues to see Washington as a key guarantor ofregional security and stability.
3 Lockheed Martin C-130HHercules turboprop freighter
43 Mil Mi-8/17 medium-liftutility helicopter
11 Mil Mi-35 attack helicopter2+1 ordered Aérospatiale/Airbus
Helicopters SA-315B Lamalight utility helicopter
10 Bell Helicopter UH-1H medi-um-lift utility helicopter
5+12 ordered MD Helicopters MD-530Freconnaissance helicopter.One of the original six deliv-ered has been destroyed. Sixnew MD-530Fs to be deliv-ered during 2015.
3 Boeing 727 turbofan transport, being acquiredfrom Ariana Afghan Airlines
� AFGHAN SPECIAL MISSION WING10+8 ordered Pilatus PC-12NG turboprop
transport55 Mil Mi-17 medium-lift utility
helicopter
� NOTES: Afghanistan’s young air force hasdramatically increased the amount of cargoand personnel it is capable of carrying and has
tripled the number of casualty evacuationmissions it has flown in 2014, achieving nearself-sufficiency. Until recently, Afghanistanhad relied significantly on US military assis-tance for the above-mentioned tasks and theprogress is a direct result of the country’s piv-otal role in the war against Taliban insurgents.
AUSTRALIA� ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE55 McDonnell Douglas/Boeing
F/A-18A Hornet MRCA16 McDonnell Douglas/Boeing
F/A-18B MRCA aircraft.Both types will be replacedby the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning-II MRCA in 2018.
24+12 planned Boeing F/A-18F SuperHornet MRCA achievedFinal Operational Capability(FOC) in December 2012.Pending order for twelvenew-built Boeing EA-18G Growler electronicwarfare aircraft.
18 Lockheed Martin AP-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft
6 Boeing C-17 Globemaster IIIturbofan freighter
12 Lockheed Martin C-130JHercules turboprop freighter
5 Airbus KC-30A tanker2 accepted Lockheed Martin F-35A72 planned Lightning-II MRCA.
Australia has committed toacquire 72 F-35A convention-al take-off and landing air-craft at a cost of more than$12bn to replace RAAF’saging F/A-18A/B Hornetfleet (see above). 100 F-35Aswere originally planned.
8 Hawker Beechcraft King Air350 turboprop transport.Interim capability to coverthe retirement of theDeHavilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou turbopropfreighter.
60 Pilatus PC-9A, turboproptrainer
2 accepted Alenia Aermacchi C-27J
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10 planned Spartan turboprop freighter.The Australian DefenceMinister announced thepurchase of ten C-27Js inMay 2012. The C-27s areexpected to be deliveredstarting from 2015. Initialoperating capability expect-ed for late 2016.
33 BAE Systems Hawk 127lead-in jet trainer
6 Boeing E-7A Wedgetail (737-700) AEW&C (airborne earlywarning and control)
2 Boeing 737 BBJ turbofantransport
4 PC-9 turboprop trainerNumber not Northrop Grumman MQ-4Cdisclosed Triton Unmanned
Aerial Vehicle (UAV)
� ROYAL AUSTRALIAN ARMYAVIATION CORPS19 Bell Helicopter 206B-1
Kiowa light utility helicop-ter. To be partially replacedby the Airbus HelicoptersEC-665ARH Tiger attackhelicopter.
6+7 ordered Boeing CH-47D heavy-lifthelicopter. Seven CH-47Fs ordered to replacethe six CH-47Ds to be delivered by 2017.
22 Airbus Helicopters Tiger EC-665 ARH attack helicopter
22+25 ordered NH Industries NH-90 medi-um-lift utility helicopter.Total of 45 on order, includ-ing six for the Royal
Australian Navy, to replace the retiredAgustaWestland Sea King Mk-50.
12 Bell Helicopter 206 training helicopter
12 Airbus Helicopters AS-350light utility helicopter
2 AAI RQ-7B Shadow UAV
� ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY14 Sikorsky S-70B maritime
support helicopter24 ordered Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk
maritime support helicopter.Selected in June 2011. All 24Australian aircraft are to bedelivered by 2016.
12 Airbus Helicopters AS-350BA light utility helicopter
3 Bell Helicopter 429 Global Ranger light utilityhelicopter
6 NH Industries MRH-90 mar-itime support helicopter
8 Lockheed Martin P-8APoseidon maritime patrol air-craft to be delivered by 2017
Number not Northrop Grumman MQ-4Cdisclosed Triton UAV
� NOTES: Australia’s second LockheedMartin F-35A MRCA made its first flight on1 October, 2014. Subsequent aircraft will bedelivered between 2017 and 2022. The firstRoyal Australian Air Force (RAAF) F-35Lightning II, known as AU-1, began con-struction on the Lockheed Martin produc-tion line in Fort Worth, Texas, in October2013. The Australian government confirmedits commitment for the acquisition of 72 F-35As, as well as its potential requirement for28 additional units. The initial 72-aircraftdeal is valued at $3 billion.
BANGLADESH� BANGLADESH AIR FORCE8 MiG-29SE/UB MRCA. The
Russian AircraftCorporation announced thebeginning of negotiationswith the Bangladesh gov-ernment for the upgrade ofthe current MiG-29 fleet to MiG-29SMT status inApril 2013.
37 Chengdu F-7 MRCA. TwelveF-7BG and four FT/BGreceived in 2006. F-7BGIreceived in 2013 as replace-ment of the Nanchang A-5Cground-attack aircraft fleetwhich were retired inNovember 2014.
7 Aero L-39 Albatros lead-injet trainer. Total of eightdelivered, one aircraftcrashed in 2012.
3 Antonov AN-32 turbopropfreighter
4+4 planned Lockheed Martin C-130B/E Hercules turbo-prop freighter. BangladeshAir Force is negotiating the acquisition of four C-130Es.
2 ordered AgustaWestland AW-139maritime support helicopter. To be deliveredby end of 2015 for maritimeand SAR roles.
6 Bell Helicopter 206 light utility helicopter
14 Bell Helicopter 212 medium-lift utility helicopter
27 16 Mil Mi-17 plus eleven Mi-171 medium-lift utilityhelicopter
12 Cessna T-37 Tweet lead-in jettrainer. Now in reserve
9 Shenyang FT-6 advancedtrainer aircraft
24 planned Yakovlev Yak-130 advancedjet trainer/light attack air-craft. Scheduled to be deliv-ered by end of 2015.
4+5 planned Hongdu K-8 lead-in jet trainer. Four arrived on 27 September 2014
NOTES: Often referred to as Falcon Hawk orFalcon Eagle, the Shenyang J-31 is one ofChina’s two prototype fifth-generationMRCAs, along with the Chengdu J-20, and is
currently under development by ShenyangAircraft Corporation. Controversial issuesregarding the target markets for this newChinese stealth aircraft have emerged recent-ly. The J-31 has the potential to become afuture carrier-based MRCA for China’s airforce and navy. However, People’s LiberationArmy Navy (PLAN) sources have confirmedthat the J-31 is more likely to be produced forthe export market with the DemocraticPeople’s Republic of Korea and Iran beingpotential customers. Another possibility isthe development of two different versions ofthe aircraft: China may, in fact, sell a variantabroad under its ‘F-60’ designation, whilemaintaining a fleet of domestic J-31s for thePeople’s Liberation Army Air Force.
INDIA� INDIAN AIR FORCE161+92 ordered Sukhoi Su-30/MKI MRCA.
Production of 222 Su-30s iscurrently undertaken byHindustan AeronauticsLimited. The delivery of theaircraft, scheduled for 2015,is likely to be delayed.
66 MiG-29B/UPG MRCA.Fifteen aircraft lost to crashesbetween 1994 and 2013. To be upgraded to MiG-29UPG status.
44 Dassault Mirage 2000H/THMRCA. Of the aircraftacquired, ten have been lostto crashes. The current fleetis currently being upgradedto Mirage 2000-5 Mk.II stan-dard. The process is to becompleted within a ten-yeartime frame. The first upgrad-ed Mirage 2000H/TH under-went its maiden flight inOctober 2013.
247 MiG-21Bis/Bisons/M/MFMRCA. To be phased-out by2019. Twelve aircraft wereinvolved in crashes in thepast three years. 110 upgrad-ed MiG-21 Bisons are likelyto fly until 2025.
87 MiG-27ML MRCA126 planned Dassault Rafale-B/C/M
MRCA. Deal worth over $15
billion is now on a fast-track.Contract conclusion expectedMarch 2015.
144 planned Sukhoi T-50 PAK-FA MRCA.Joint development of thisfifth generation aircraftinvolves India and Russia.Delays mean requirementreduction from 220 to 130-145 aircraft.
19+40 planned HAL Tejas Light CombatAircraft (LCA). The super-sonic aircraft received theInitial Operational Clearancein December 2013. As percurrent plans, the IAF willorder sufficient aircraft toequip six Tejas Mk.IIsquadrons (of between 16 to18 aircraft each) once thefighter is combat-ready.However, the single-engineTejas is not likely to becomecombat-ready before theend of 2015.
117 SEPECAT Jaguar M/SMRCA
3 Gulfstream Aerospace G-IVSRA-4 turboprop transport
17 Ilyushin Il-76 turbofanfreighter
3+2 planned Ilyushin Il-76 airborne earlywarning and control
7 Ilyushin Il-78 tanker6+4 ordered Boeing C-17A Globemaster-
III strategic turbofanfreighter
6+6 planned Lockheed Martin C-130JHercules turboprop freighter
100 Antonov An-32 turbopropfreighter. Currently beingupgraded in Ukraine to pro-long service life.
59 BAE Systems/Hawker-Siddeley HS 748-100 turbo-prop transport. To bereplaced under a $2.4 billionprogramme.
5 Boeing 707 reconnaissanceaircraft
3 ordered Embraer EMB-145 airborneearly warning and control
2 Gulfstream G100 reconnais-sance aircraft
AIR FORCE DIRECTORYREGIONAL
Air Force Directory:AMR 1/23/15 4:59 PM Page 6
6 planned Airbus A330-MRTT tanker15 ordered National Aerospace
Laboratories (NAL) Saraslight transport aircraft
40 Dornier Do 228-201 turbo-prop transport
2 Gulfstream G200 turbofantransport
30 SEPECAT Jaguar T lead-injet trainer
65+40 ordered BAE Systems Hawk 132+20 planned lead-in jet trainer22 planned Boeing AH-64E attack
8 Sikorsky S-61/H/UH-3Hmaritime support helicopter
3 BAE Systems Harrier T4/60lead-in jet trainer
3 MiG-29KUB lead-in jet trainer
16 The Navy wants to buy 16 S-70B Seahawks with eight options
� NOTES: The Indian Air Force (IAF) aloneintends to spend over $70 billion on procure-ment and upgrades over the next decade, totransform its fleet into one of the most modernair forces in the world. India’s objective is tomaintain technological superiority over itsrivals and at the same time to deepen its capa-bilities in the aerospace sector. This latterpoint has been a significant drive behind itscollaboration with Russia. These endeavoursinclude the joint development of a new fifth-generation MRCA based on the Sukhoi T-50PAK-FA for use by both countries’ air forces,the Sukhoi/Hindustan Aeronautics Limited(HAL) Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft. Theagreement for the combined project wasfinalised in 2007. Despite being an equalfinancial partner, India’s work share on theproject is only 15 percent. Currently four T-50prototypes have performed more than 200 testflights since January 2010 and the final designcontract, worth over $10 billion, is undernegotiation. The new aircraft should be readyfor introduction from 2020 onwards.
INDONESIA� INDONESIAN AIR FORCE8+8 ordered Embraer A-29 Super Tucano
trainer/light attack turbo-prop. Last four aircraft of2010 order of eight sentfrom Brazil in September2014. The Indonesian AirForce placed a second orderfor eight A-29s in July 2012.No dates available for delivery of second batch ofeight aircraft.
16 Sukhoi Su-27/30MK/MK2MRCA. The final two of six Su-30MK2s ordered in2011 were delivered inSeptember 2013.
10+24 ordered General Dynamics/LockheedMartin F-16A/B MRCAcombat aircraft. Indonesia
formally requested to buy 24used F-16C/D Block-25MRCA from the UnitedStates in 2011 and iscurrently expecting deliver-ies of the aircraft.
12 Northrop Grumman F-5E/FMRCA. Indonesia is current-ly in talks regarding therefurbishment and upgradeof the F-5E/F fleet to extendits service life to 2020.
12 BAE Systems Hawk 209lead-in jet trainer
3 Boeing 737 maritimepatrol aircraft
18 ordered Lockheed Martin C-130B/Hand L-100 turbopropfreighters. A separatetransfer contract for anadditional five C-130Hswas signed with Australiaon 26 July 2013.
1+2 ordered Airbus CN-235 maritimepatrol aircraft
8+7 ordered Airbus C-295/CN-235turboprop freighter
27 planned Airbus C-212 turbopropfreighter. Airbus and PTDirgantara Indonesia havesigned an agreement (part ofthe contract signed inOctober 2011) to jointlymanufacture and launch anupgraded variant of theC-212-400. The aircraft willbe equipped with newdigital avionics and autopilotsystems and will feature28 seats.
3 Fokker F-27 turbopropfreighter
2 Lockheed Martin KC-130Btanker
11 Airbus Helicopters EC-120light utility helicopter
2 Pilatus PC-6 turbopropfreighter
7 Airbus Helicopters BO-105light utility helicopter
16+3 ordered KAI KT-1B trainer/lightattack aircraft
18 Aermacchi SF-260trainer/light attack aircraft
15 Hawker Beechcraft T-34Cturboprop trainer
6+10 ordered Korea Aerospace IndustriesT-50 lead-in jet trainer. $400million contract signed inMay 2011. This aircraft is toreplace the BAE SystemsHawk Mk.53 (see above)lead-in jet trainer currentlyin service. Deliveries beganin September 2013.
7 BAE Systems Hawk 53lead-in jet trainer
8 BAE Systems Hawk 109lead-in jet trainer
4+14 ordered Grob G120TP piston-enginetrainer. Order placed inSeptember 2011. Aircraftreplacing the HawkerBeechcraft T-34C Mentorturboprop trainer andFFA/SIAI-Marchetti AS/SA202-18A3 Bravo lighttransport aircraft.
6 ordered Airbus Helicopters EC-725medium-lift utility helicop-ter. Contract signed inMarch 2012. All six helicop-ters are configured for com-bat search and rescue
11 Airbus Helicopters SA-330light utility helicopter
� INDONESIAN ARMY8 ordered Boeing AH-64E Apache
attack helicopter. $500 million deal includingpilot training, radars andmaintenance.
6 Airbus Helicopters AS-355light utility helicopter
6 Airbus C-212 turbopropfreighter
37 Bell Helicopter 412 medi-um-lift utility helicopter.Ten Bell Helicopter 412enhanced performancerotorcraft ordered under a$65 million purchase con-tract in March 2012 andreceived in March 2013.Indonesia is currently negoti-ating a $170 million deal for16 additional helicopters.
12 Bell Helicopter 205 medium-lift utility helicopter
15 Airbus Helicopters BO-105light utility helicopter
1 Britten Norman BN-2 piston-engine transport
1 Aero Commander 680FL piston-engine transport
15 ordered Mil Mi-8/17 medium-liftutility helicopter. One lost tocrash in November 2013.
8 Mi-24/35 attack helicopter7 Airbus Helicopters SA-316
light utility helicopter14 Schweizer 369 light utility
helicopter2 Airbus Helicopters EC-120B
light utility helicopter
� INDONESIAN NAVY11 ordered Airbus Helicopters AS-
1 Airbus Helicopters AS-332maritime support helicopter
3 Bell Helicopter 412 maritimesupport helicopter
8 Airbus Helicopters BO-105maritime support helicopter
4 Airbus Helicopters EC-120maritime support helicopter
�NOTES: The Indonesian Air Force plans tofocus on the introduction of new MRCA andthe implementation of new training pro-grammes for its pilots. After the delivery ofthe final two Russian-made Sukhoi Su-30Mk.II MRCA, part of an order for six air-craft, in September 2013, Indonesia intendsto create eight new fast jet squadrons by2024, each consisting of 16 aircraft.
JAPAN� JAPAN AIR SELF DEFENCE FORCE63 Mitsubishi F-2A MRCA71 McDonnell Douglas/Boeing
F/EF/RF-4EJ multi-rolecombat aircraft. Beingphased out to be replaced byexisting Boeing F-15DJ/Jsand new Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning-II (see below) MRCA.
4+38 ordered Lockheed Martin F-35ALightning-II MRCA. Japanordered a total of 42 aircraftin December 2011 and theinitial deliveries are
scheduled for 2016.154 McDonnell Douglas/Boeing
F-15J MRCA4 Boeing E-767 airborne early
warning and control26 Hawker-Siddeley/BAE
Systems 125 search and rescue aircraft
13 Northrop Grumman E-2C airborne early warningand control
26 Hawker Beechcraft King Air90 turboprop transport
41+1 ordered Fuji T-3 primary trainer
�NOTES: Despite its record as one of Asia’smost technologically advanced air forces,the Japan Air Self Defence Force (JASDF) isnow facing the technological improvementof China’s People’s Liberation Army AirForce (PLAAF). The advanced MRCA thatChina is developing represent a significantchallenge to Japan. Japan’s answer to theChengdu J-20 MRCA came in December2011, when it selected the Lockheed F-35ALightning-II over the Boeing F/A-18E/F andEurofighter Typhoon MRCAs.
LAOS� LAO PEOPLE’S LIBERATION ARMY AIR FORCE1 Antonov An-26 turboprop
MALAYSIA� ROYAL MALAYSIAN AIR FORCE18 Sukhoi Su-30MKM MRCA12 (36-40 MiG-29N MRCA. This planned) aircraft will be phased out
by 2015 and the EurofighterTyphoon, Dassault Rafale-B/C/M, BoeingF/A-18E/F Super Hornet,Saab JAS-39C/D/E Gripen and Sukhoi Su-30 MRCAs have all been short-listed to fulfilthis requirement.
8 Boeing F/A-18D MRCA19 BAE Systems Hawk 208
lead-in jet trainer3 Northrop Grumman
F-5F MRCA6 Northrop Grumman RF-5E
reconnaissance aircraft4 ordered Airbus A400M turboprop
freighter. The RoyalMalaysian Air Force willreceive its first A400M in2015, after a two-year delayin delivery. The remainingaircraft will be delivered by2016. The order is worth $840 million.
4 Lockheed Martin KC-130H tanker
4 Hawker Beechcraft King Air200 maritime patrol aircraft
medium-lift utility helicopter. Contract signedin 2010 and an initial twohelicopters were delivered inDecember 2012.
29 Sikorsky S-61 medium-liftutility helicopter
20 Airbus Helicopters SA-316light utility helicopter
� ROYAL MALAYSIAN ARMY11 AgustaWestland AW-109
light utility helicopter
� ROYAL MALAYSIAN NAVY6 AgustaWestland Super
Lynx 300 maritime supporthelicopter
6 Airbus Helicopters AS-555maritime support helicopter
� NOTES: The Royal Malaysian Air Forcerequirement for 18 MRCA to replace its obso-lete MiG-29N fleet, due to be retired in 2015,could be fulfilled by either the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Dassault Rafale-B/C/M, Eurofighter Typhoon, Saab JAS-39C/D/E Gripen or Sukhoi Su-30.
NEW ZEALAND� ROYAL NEW ZEALAND AIR FORCE6 Lockheed Martin P-3K mar-
itime patrol aircraft2 Boeing 757-200 turbofan
transport5+3 AgustaWestland AW-109
light utility helicopter.4 Hawker Beechcraft King Air
200 turboprop transport3 Lockheed Martin C-130H
turboprop freighter7 NH Industries NH-90 medi-
um-lift utility helicopter8 Bell Helicopter UH-1H medi-
um-lift utility helicopter13 Pacific Aerospace
Corporation CT-4E piston-engine trainer
� ROYAL NEW ZEALAND NAVY8 +2 Kaman SH-2G maritime sup-
port helicopter. The decisionto buy ten ex-Australian SH-2G Super Seasprites was
freighter20 Mil Mi-24 attack helicopter4 Mil Mi-26 heavy-lift
helicopter8 Mil Mi-14 maritime support
helicopter84 MD Helicopters MD500 light
utility helicopter46 Mil Mi-2 light utility
helicopter
40 Mil Mi-8 light utility helicopter
30 Shenyang FT-2 trainer aircraft
135 Shenyang FT-5 trainer aircraft
PAKISTAN� PAKISTAN AIR FORCE100+50 ordered Chengdu JF-17 Thunder
MRCA. All current aircraftare Block-1. The next 50 JF-17 will be Block-II. A total of 150 aircraft arebelieved to be currently onorder. All will eventually beupgraded to Block 2 status.
76 General Dynamics/LockheedMartin F-16A/B/C/DMRCA
69 Dassault Mirage-IIIEP/OF/RP MRCA.Expected to remain in service until 2017.
84 Dassault Mirage-5EF/F/PAMRCA. The fleet will bereplaced with the ChengduJF-17 by 2017 (see above).
17 Dassault Mirage-IIIBE/D/DP MRCA
2 Dassault Mirage-5DPAMRCA
25 Shenyang FT-5combat/trainer aircraft
9 Shenyang FT-6combat/trainer aircraft
9 Chengdu FT-7combat/trainer aircraft
140 Chengdu F-7 MRCA. Eight lost to crashes between2007 and 2013.
for the purchase of up to 30 Bell 412EP medium-liftutility helicopters made inSeptember 2010.
45 Mil Mi-8 and Mil-171 medium-lift utility helicopter
1 Bell Helicopter UH-1H medi-um-lift utility helicopter
14 Airbus Helicopters SA-315light utility helicopter
14 Airbus Helicopters SA-316light utility helicopter
31 Airbus Helicopters SA-330medium-lift utility helicopter
16+6 ordered Airbus Helicopters AS-550U2 medium-lift utility helicopter
1 Citation Bravo turbofantransport
1 Hawker Beechcraft King Air350 turboprop transport
2 Aero Commander piston-engine transport
4 Harbin Y-12 turboproptransport
� PAKISTAN NAVY6 Lockheed Martin P-3C mar-
itime patrol aircraft. Twonew aircraft delivered inFebruary 2012 following theattack by armed militantson the Mehran NavalAirbase, southern Pakistanin May 2011. Two upgradedP-3C were destroyed onthat occasion and two addi-tional aircraft were deliv-ered in February 2012.
7 Fokker F-27 maritime patrol aircraft
7 Airbus Helicopters SA-316maritime support helicopter
6 AgustaWestland Sea King 45maritime support helicopter
6 Harbin Z-9EC medium-liftutility helicopter
2 Mil Mi-14 maritime support helicopter
2 ATR 42 maritime patrol aircraft
� NOTES: Due to financial constraints thePakistan Air Force (PAF) has suspended
its “Air Force Development Plan 2025”.Under the plan, PAF had received moneyfrom the federal government until 2007 buthas now been forced to close a number ofprojects, thus affecting the upgrade of thecountry’s air power.
PHILIPPINES� PHILIPPINE AIR FORCE12 ordered Korea Aerospace Industries
FA-50 MRCA. Two to bedelivered by end 2015,the other ten to be deliveredby 2017.
8 Rockwell International OV-10 light attack turboprop
3 Lockheed Martin C-130H/Bturboprop transport plustwo CH-130T
3 Fokker F-27 turboprop transport
1 GAF Nomad 22 turboproptransport
1 Aero Commander piston-engine transport
5 SIAI-Marchetti S.211 lead-injet trainer
8 ordered AgustaWestland AW-109Power light utility helicopter.Contract signed inNovember 2013.
4 ordered Airbus Helicopters AS-550medium-lift utility helicopter
42 Bell Helicopter UH-1Hmedium-lift utility helicop-ter. 33 are beyond economi-cal repair, 25 recoverablebut need a budget forrepair, 21 are operational.Bidding for 21 refurbishedUH-1H helicopters failedfor the third time inSeptember 2013 as it fellshort of requirements.
8 Bell Helicopter 205 medium-lift utility helicopter
2 Bell Helicopter 212/214medium-lift utility helicopter
� PHILIPPINE NAVY AVIATION6 Britten Norman BN-2 mar-
itime patrol aircraft5 Airbus Helicopters BO-105
light utility helicopter8 AgustaWestland AW-109
maritime support helicopter.
� NOTES: The Philippine Air Force (PAF) isacquiring twelve Korea Aerospace IndustriesFA-50 MRCA in order to enhance its territori-al defence. Over $463 million has been allo-cated by the government for the acquisitionof the above-mentioned aircraft. Such mod-ernisation programmes aim to address thecountry’s requirements for countering air-borne threats, as well as providing propertraining to pilots on supersonic high-perfor-mance aircraft. The Philippines has recentlysigned a memorandum of understandingwith the Republic of Korea to expand the col-laboration in defence trade and cooperationbetween the two countries. The agreementalso enables potential industrial cooperationon the FA-50 programme.
SINGAPORE� REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE AIR FORCE24 Boeing F-15SG MRCA.
Declared combat-ready bySingapore Defence Ministerin September 2013.
60 Lockheed Martin F-16C/DMRCA. Aircraft due for upgrade.
27 Northrop Grumman F-5S MRCA
16 Boeing CH-47SD heavy-lifthelicopter
32 Airbus Helicopters AS-332/532 medium-lift utility helicopter
17 Boeing AH-64D attack helicopter
5 Airbus Helicopters EC-120light utility helicopter
9 Fokker F-50 maritime patrol aircraft (5) and turbo-prop transport (4)
4 Gulfstream G550 airborneearly warning and control
Air Force Directory:AMR 1/23/15 4:59 PM Page 13
5 Lockheed Martin C-130Hturboprop freighter
5 Lockheed MartinKC-130B/H tanker
4 Boeing KC-135R tanker9 Northrop Grumman
F-5T lead-in jet trainer12 Alenia Aermacchi M346
lead-in jet trainer. Deliveriescompleted in September2014 and 150 Squadronactivated
19 Pilatus PC-21 turboproptransport
� REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE NAVY6 Sikorsky S-70B maritime
support helicopter
Notes: Singapore’s intention of upgradingits Lockheed Martin F-16C/D MRCA fleet isnow official. According to a 2013 statementby the country’s defence minister, the airforce plans to modernise the avionics andextend the lifespan of the aircraft. TheSingapore F-16 upgrade programme is likelyto involve aggressive competition betweenBAE Systems and Lockheed Martin.
REPUBLIC OF KOREA� REPUBLIC OF KOREA AIR FORCE60 Boeing F-15K MRCA3+17 ordered Korea Aerospace Industries
FA-50 MRCA. The new FA-50s will replace theNorthrop Grumman F-5E/F MRCA fleet which willbe retired by 2019.
60 planned Lockheed Martin F-35ALightning-II MRCA.Deliveries for 40 aircraft willbegin in 2018. Options existfor the purchase of 20 addi-tional airframes.
68 McDonnell Douglas/Boeing F-4E/RF-4C MRCA
151 Northrop Grumman F-5E MRCA
35 Northrop Grumman F-5F MRCA
117 Lockheed Martin F-16C MRCA
22 Korea Aerospace IndustriesFTA-50 lead-in jet trainer
maritime support helicopter8 Sikorsky S-70/UH-60P mar-
itime support helicopter6 Airbus Helicopters SA-319
maritime support helicopter7 Bell Helicopter UH-1H mar-
itime support helicopter8 ordered AgustaWestland AW-159
maritime support helicopter.The Republic of Korea willreceive four AW-159s in 2015and additional four in 2016under a $560 million deal.
� REPUBLIC OF KOREA MARINE CORPS40 ordered Korea Aerospace Industries
Surion KUH/1
�NOTES: The RoK hopes to leap into the rankof major arms exporters as a result of its ongo-ing Korea Fighter Experimental (KFX) pro-gramme. The programme, which is to be ledby the RoK’s largest aircraft manufacturerKorea Aerospace Industries (KAI), focuses onthe development of an advanced fifth-genera-tion multi-role combat aircraft for the Republic
of Korea Air Force (RoAF) and the IndonesianAir Force (TNI-AU). Although the KFX pro-gramme has been delayed several times in thelast decade, two concept models for the KFXMRCAwere displayed in October 2013 duringthe Seoul InternationalAerospace andDefenceExhibition: KAI’s KFX-E, a single-engine con-cept, and the Agency for DefenceDevelopment (ADD) C103, twin-engine air-craft. Facing the threat from the DemocraticPeople’s Republic of Korea and the strategicsituation involving China and Japan, the RoKhas developed its own initiatives to respond tothe urgent need to replace obsolete platformsin its fleet of MRCA. The country has alsoannounced its intentions to purchase 40 fifth-generation fighters under the FX-III pro-gramme, with the Lockheed Martin F-35ALightning-II MRCA likely to be selected. Thefirst deliveries should occur in 2018.
SRI LANKA� SRI LANKAN AIR FORCE9 Israel Aerospace Industries
Kfir C2/7/(T)C2 MRCA7 Chengdu F-7 MRCA6 MiG-27M MRCA1 MiG-23UB MRCA2 Hawker Beechcraft King Air
200 maritime patrol aircraft2 Lockheed Martin C-130K
turboprop freighter5 Antonov An-32 turboprop
freighter9 Harbin Y-12 turboprop
transport2 ordered Xian MA60 turboprop
transport4 Bell Helicopter 206 medium-
lift utility helicopter13 Bell Helicopter 212/412
medium-lift utility helicopter14+14 ordered Mil Mi-8 medium-lift utility
4+11 ordered Lockheed Martin P-3CMaritime Patrol Aircraft(MPA). The first of twelverefurbished P-3C MPA wasdelivered to Taiwan inSeptember 2013. The last ofthese aircraft is scheduled fordelivery by the end of 2015.
maritime support helicopter18 Sikorsky S-70 maritime sup-
port helicopter. Taiwan isthe launch customer for thenew F-16V variant fromLockheed Martin. The com-pany has won a contractworth USD1.85 billion toupgrade its fleet of 144 Block20 F-16A/Bs to the F-16Vstatus. This will includeNorthrop Grumman’sScalable Agile Beam Radar(SABR).
MRCA. Initial batch deliveredin February 2011 and the lastthree fighters were receivedin September 2013. The air-craft are scheduled to replaceRoyal Thai Air Force’s exist-ing Northrop Grumman F-5B/E MRCA fleet (see above).
5 Diamond DA42 reconnais-sance aircraft
4 Saab 340/340 airborne earlywarning and control/turbo-prop transport
2 Israeli Aircraft IndustriesArava 201 light utility transport aircraft
8 Bassler BT-67 turbopropfreighter
12 Lockheed Martin C-130H turboprop freighter
1 Hawker Beechcraft King Air90 turboprop transport
utility helicopter. Three S-70A medium-lift utility heli-copter (based on the UH-60L) were delivered toThailand in April 2013.
2 ordered AgustaWestland AW-139medium-lift utility helicop-ter. Order announced inOctober 2012.
83 Bell Helicopter UH-1H medi-um-lift utility helicopter
4+4 ordered Airbus Helicopters EC725.First order deliveries from2012 start in 2015, secondbatch start in 2017
8 Airbus Helicopters AS-550medium-lift utility helicopter
5+9 ordered Airbus Helicopters UH-72Amedium-lift utility helicop-ter. Formally requested byThailand in June 2013. Dealincludes communicationequipment, spare and repairparts, support equipment,technical documentationand training. The estimatedcost for the operation is $77 million.
prop transport. Agreementfor six aircraft signed in May2010. First DHC-6 arrived inVietnam in October 2013
2 Airbus Helicopters EC-225medium-lift utility helicopter
8 Kamov Ka-28 maritime support helicopter.
AIR FORCE DIRECTORYREGIONAL
Air Force Directory:AMR 1/23/15 5:00 PM Page 16
Ad check AMR:AMR 1/27/15 10:08 AM Page 1
The new budget describes a viableplatform from which the gov-ernment could achieve itspromise of increasing annualdefence spending to two per-
cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP)within the next decade, and in doing sobring to fruition a modernised ADF firstconceived in a 2009 Defence White Paper,and formalised in subsequent DefenceCapability Plans (DCP).
Speaking to journalists during theAustralian Strategic Policy Institute’s(ASPI’s) annual defence budget brief heldin Canberra in June 2014, ASPI’s seniordefence economics analyst Mark Thomsonsaid that the 2014-15 budget was charac-terised by a singular focus to boost defencespending to two percent of GDP within adecade, and, in his opinion, provided acredible path towards achieving that goal.“There are some serious challenges for
defence to surmount over the next fewyears. The recovery in defence spendingnext year will deliver a surge in majorequipment investment from around $3.5billion this year, to $6.1 billion next year, a67 percent year-on-year increase in invest-ment,” said Mr. Thomson.
Pointing to the abortive genesis of theADF modernisation effort in 2009, Mr.Thomson noted that Australia’s commit-ment to upgrading its defence forces
l ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW l58
M I L I T A R YREGIONAL
AUSTRALIAN ASPIRATIONSAmbitious plans to overhaul and modernise the Australian Defence Force(ADF) appear to have taken a step forward, after Australia’s newLiberal-National Party coalition government unveiled a 2014-15 FederalBudget in June 2014 that was decidedly favourable to Defence.
by Jonathan Tringham
Australian Defence:AMR 1/23/15 5:05 PM Page 2
would now be under greater internationalscrutiny in light of the new budget. “The2009 defence white paper set out an ambi-tious vision for the ADF, and promised 21years of funding growth to pay for it. Overthe subsequent three years, funding wascut in successive waves in an attempt todeliver a fiscal surplus. The 2013 whitepaper did little to redress the gap betweenwhat was planned for the ADF, and thefunding that was available. To anyone who
(was) paying attention, we showed that wewere all talk and no action,” Mr. Thomsonargued. “By promising to spend two per-cent of GDP on defence in 2023-24, theincoming government has set a benchmarkagainst which our commitment will againbe tested. If we once more fail to followthrough, it will be a second strike againstour credibility,” he added.According to the Portfolio Budget
Statements (PB Statements) issued in sup-port of the 2014-15 budget for the Defenceportfolio, the development of a newDefence White Paper is underway and willbe finalised by mid-2015. The White Paperwill set out the government’s strategicdirection and plan for the ADF, and asexpectedwill be accompanied by a ten-yearDefence Capability Plan. “Although thegovernment hasn’t disclosed its plans fordefence spending beyond the four yearsinto the future, unsurprising with a whitepaper currently in development, we cannonetheless make a reasonable estimate forthe six years that follow on the basis ofextrapolating from the last year of the for-ward estimates, out to 2023-2024 to achievetwo percent of GDP. Defence spendingneeds to increase by 5.3 percent per annumin real terms each year. Compared with thethree percent growth of the 2000’s, this rep-resents an ambitious ramp up in spend-ing,” Mr. Thomson concluded.
White PaperThe Australian Department of Defence’s(DoD) 2013 Defence White Paper, issued inMay of that year, re-affirmed the strategicassessment outlined in the 2009 DefenceWhite Paper, which envisaged an “ADFmore capable in undersea warfare, anti-submarine warfare, surface maritime war-fare, air superiority, strategic strike, specialforces, intelligence, surveillance and recon-naissance, and cyber security.” The initialdocuments outlined an extensive shoppinglist of new platforms and equipment acrossthe three services, and pledged to increaseAustralian defence spending by three per-cent on average in real terms to 2017-18, fol-lowed by 2.2 percent real growth to 2029-2030. The DoD initially earmarked $146.1billion up to 2030 to cover the acquisition ofkey capabilities across the three services.This plan was quickly abandoned fol-
lowing a reduction in military spendingover the next two years in order to movethe Australian budget towards a surplus.However, an updated DCP issued on 10July 2012 revealed that the governmentwas planning either preliminary or finalapproval of 111 defence projects worth$153 billion over the following four years.According to the DoD, since 2009 the
government has approved more than 125proposals for new or enhanced defencecapabilities with a total value of over $17.3
billion. Over this period, the ADF has takendelivery of a number of major systems,including Boeing C-17ER Globemaster-IIIstrategic freighters, Boeing F/A-18E/FMulti-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA), andThales Bushmaster armoured vehicles.By the end of this decade, the DoD
asserts, the ADF will also take delivery ofthree ‘Hobart’ class air defence destroyers,two ‘Canberra’ class amphibious supportships in addition to the initial two LockheedMartin F-35A Lightning-II MRCA.According to the 2013 White Paper, the
government has also decided to “acquireor progress” priority acquisitions includ-ing ten new turboprop freighters, BoeingEA-18G Growler electronic warfare air-craft, a new air combat capability in theshape of the F-35A, a replacement landvehicle fleet and a future submarine capa-bility to replace the Royal AustralianNavy’s existing ‘Collins’ class conventionalhunter-killer submarines (SSKs).In April 2014 the government of Prime
Minister Tony Abbot pledged to procure atleast 72, and potentially up to 100, F-35As.The acquisition of eight Boeing P-8APoseidonMaritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) topartially replace the RAAF’s LockheedMartin AP-3C Orion MPAs under theDoD’s AIR 7000 Phase 2B initiative was alsoapproved, with the first P-8A scheduled tobe delivered in 2017. All eight aircraft are
expected to be fully operational by 2021.Purchase of an undisclosed number ofNorthrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton High-Altitude Long-Endurance UnmannedAerial Vehicles (UAVs) was also confirmed.
Looking AheadIt is expected that the 2015White Paper willexamine the possibility of buying F-35BShort Take-Off/Vertical Landing (STOVL)MRCAs to operate from the RoyalAustralian Navy’s two ‘Canberra’ class ves-sels currently under acquisition. During aSenate hearing in June 2014, senior ADFofficials confirmed Prime Minister TonyAbbot had ordered the DoD to examineprocurement options for the STOVL versionof the F-35, in addition to potential modifi-cations to the navy’s amphibious supportships in order to accommodate them.The 2009 White Paper initiated plans to
equip the Royal Australian Navy (RAN)with eight large frigates optimised forAnti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) to replacethe existing ‘Anzac’ class ships. Equippedwith an integrated sonar suite that includesa long-range active towed-array sonar, thefuture frigates would be able to embark acombination of maritime support helicop-ters and UAVs. In addition, the submarinefleet would be doubled in size from six totwelve vessels, replacing the existing‘Collins’ class submarines with boats offer-
ing “greater range, longer endurance onpatrol, and expanded capabilities.”The 2009White Paper further stipulated
that a large strategic sealift ship would bepurchased along with 24 maritime supporthelicopters, 20 offshore patrol vessels, sixnew heavy landing craft with improvedocean-going capabilities, and a new logis-tics support and replenishment ship. Inaddition to this, the acquisition of the two‘Canberra’ class ships was pledged to con-tinue, with plans to equip the services three‘Hobart’ class destroyers with theRaytheon RIM-174 Standard Missile-6(SM-6) long-range surface-to-air missile,with a potential fourth ship to be pur-chased.
Army RequirementsFor the Australian Army, more modest rec-ommendations were outlined, includinggreen-lighting already existing plans to pro-cure “a mix of around 7000 [unspecified]support vehicles [to] provide transport,command and control, liaison and logisticsupport”, as well as 155mm artillery sys-tems, both self-propelled and towed types.In addition, the purchase of approximately1100 new Military-off-the-shelf (MOTS)combat vehicle systems with enhancedmobility, weapon and protection systemswould go ahead [under project LAND 400],and seven new Boeing CH-47F Chinook
heavy-lift helicopters would be purchased.In an update issued in April 2014, the
DoD stipulated that the outcome of thearmy’s modernisation programme, asenshrined in the 2013 White Paper, will bea modular, adaptive and increasingly inter-operable force, “realised through the for-mation of common force structures and theflexible force generation cycle, leveragingcapabilities outside traditional Regular andReserve capabilities, increasing digitisationand the development of training and simu-lation incorporating recent operationalexperience and cutting edge technologies.”
The army’s goal is to ultimately conduct25 percent of all unit-training through sim-ulation within the next ten years, in a cost-saving effort to reduce the amount ofmovement of fleets and people acrossAustralia. Saab, a global leader in militarysimulation technology, has been assistingthe Australian Army in experimentingwith a range of simulation training solu-tions as the service looks to ramp up its use
of the technology. Speaking to AMR, IngerLawes, head of training and simulation forSaab in Australia and New Zealand, saidthat the “force-on-force” training support-ed by simulation, also referred to as “liveinstrumented training”, was primarilydelivered at the Australian Army’sCombat Training Centre (Live) located inTownsville, Queensland, Australia.
“At least once per year the CombatTraining Centre will support a major,brigade-sized, exercise that is located inanother part of the country. Generally thiswill be the Shoal Water Bay Field TrainingArea located several hundred kilometresaway from Townsville,” said Mr. Lawes.“The Australian Army clearly understands
the value of its current live instrumentationcapability and appreciates that the capabil-ity needs to be more widely available forday-to-day training. Consequently, thearmy is working towards a more decen-tralised approach that may see live instru-mentation capabilities available for homestation training,” Mr. Lawes added.
Contemporary simulation technologysupports the full training continuum fromindividual through to joint and combinedcollective training. Generally, the missionscenarios where simulation offers thegreatest training return fall in to two cate-gories: highly specialised training, forexample counter insurgent bomb search,where there is high risk and great care andprecision is required; secondly, large,brigade and above, exercises whichmay beconducted only on an annual or biannualbasis and where great costs are involved inconducting the exercise.
“In this situation there is a real need tocapture as much data as possible in such a
way that there can be meaningful analy-sis,” Mr. Lawes noted: “Simulation enablestraining scenarios to be executed that arehighly realistic and as close to the opera-tional environment as possible. The train-ing scenarios are repeatable, and thedesign and execution of each training sce-nario is recorded in forensic detail whichmeans that a highly accurate knowledgebase is created for each training event andeach participating unit and, indeed, eachparticipating soldier,” he concluded.
Platform PrioritiesSeveral major capabilities will be advancedacross the three services early in 2015.HMAS Canberra, the first ‘Canberra’ classship, is expected to be commissioned intoservice in the first quarter of 2015 as thefirst of two new amphibious support shipsfor the navy, and Australia’s first two F-35A aircraft are expected to be acceptedinto service by the end of 2015.Australia’s Defence Materiel
Organisation (DMO) has now formallyinitiated the Project LAND 400 Phase 2vehicle acquisition programme. The DMOmade a formal request for tender for theproject on 10 December 2014, with theprogramme launch scheduled for early
January 2015. Estimated to cost approxi-mately $10 billion, making it the army’slargest-ever acquisition programme andalso one of the largest ADF programmes,LAND 400 will deliver approximately1100 MOTS or near MOTS vehicles, com-prising a Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle(CRV), an Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV),a Manoeuvre Support Vehicle (MSV) andan Integrated Training System (ITS).The immediate priority for the army is
to replace the obsolete Australian six-wheeled light armoured vehicle (ASLAV)
fleet with a CRV, and industry teams havealready begun to form to pursue theLAND 400 Phase 2 defence programme forthe acquisition and support of a CRV.In September 2014, BAE Systems and
Patria announced a teaming agreement topursue the major Australian combat vehi-cle programme, with BAE Systems assum-ing the role of prime contractor. The part-nership will offer the Patria eight-wheeldrive Armoured Modular Vehicle (AMV)for the competition, with the companiesworking together to evolve the AMV to
meet the ADF’s combat reconnaissancevehicle requirements. Graham Bent, BAESystems acting director for Land andIntegrated Systems in Australia, said thetwo companies will now evolve their solu-tion to the Commonwealth’s CRV require-ment before providing additional informa-tion regarding their tender. “(The) PatriaAMV is a highly capable vehicle with astrong sales track-record, and has beenselected by seven different nations for usein a wide range of environments. The vehi-cle is combat-proven in the real missionenvironment,” said Mr. Bent.
Boeing Defence Australia has alsoannounced it would team with Iveco-OtoMelara (CIO) to bid the Italian company’sCentauro armoured infantry fighting vehi-cle, with several other major companiesexpected to come forward, includingGeneral Dynamics Land SystemsAustralia, maker of the current ASLAV,and Germany’s Rheinmetall with its Pumaand Boxer designs.
Operating as part of the StateOceanic Administration(SOA) and comprising fourseparate law enforcementagencies (China Fisheries,
Border Defence Coast Guard, Customs andChina Maritime Surveillance), the deploy-ment of such a capability is set to createtidal waves of concern for China’s neigh-bours who are already embattling thecountry for ownership of strategic islandchains and waterways.
According to the United States-basedChina Maritime Studies Institute (CMSI),
China is expected to deploy this force as a“second navy” with multiple frigates, cut-ters and associated airborne assets sent outto patrol and administer “claimed jurisdic-tional waters” such as the Senkaku/DiayouIslands, the sovereignty of which Beijingdisputes with Japan. “Changes to thisarrangement could have very real impli-cations for other disputants,” CMSIresearch administrator, Ryan Martinson,informed AMR. “They’ll stop drug smug-glers, quell civil disputes turned violent,uphold fishing moratoria, and yes, theywill confront, and yes possibly arrest,
foreigners operating in disputed watershundreds of nautical miles away from theChinese coast. They’ll almost certainly domany of these things from the bridges ofarmed patrol cutters,” he continued. “Themilitarisation of Chinese maritime lawenforcement must be seen as part of a con-scious shift in national strategy thatfavours policies that improve maritimerights protection to the detriment of stablerelations with neighbouring states.”
As expected, sensitivity around this AOis particularly high and many of the indus-try representatives who spoke to AMR didso on condition of anonymity. Accordingto one such industry source, the ChineseCoast Guard commissioned the WuchangShipbuilding Industry Company andChina Shipbuilding Industry Corporationthis year to build a variety of 4000, 5000and 10000 tonne cutters and surveillanceships. This capability compares favourablywith the US Coast Guard’s (USCG) largestplatforms, the ‘Bertholf’ class NationalSecurity Cutters, which displace some 4500tonnes. Elsewhere, the trend for giant coastguard vessels continues in Japan whichcurrently boasts the ‘Shikishima’ class
l ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW l64
WATERWORLDWith the People’s Republic of China planning tolaunch a revamped coast guard service aimedat protecting and influencing activity across theAsia-Pacific, much emphasis is being placed onthe region’s multiple maritime security agencies,not to mention United States assets in thisparticular Area of Operation (AO).
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10000 tonne cutter which is capable of car-rying maritime support helicopters.To further illustrate the nature of coast
guard operations in Southeast Asia, Chinesecutters are understood to be equipped with30mm guns amongst other weaponry andcan carry Harbin Z-8 maritime-support hel-icopters which on their own are capableof carrying 38 personnel and can be usedfor search and rescue, and anti-subma-rine/anti-surface warfare missions. Thisreflects an interesting trend with regards tothe deployment of parapublic units capableof conducting kinetic operations similar toa naval formation.Generally, coast guard units can be
expected to conduct a wide variety of tasksranging from countering smuggling andhuman trafficking, marine environmentalprotection and law enforcement, throughto search and rescue and, in some cases,national defence in collaboration withnaval forces. So is bigger necessarily betterwhen one considers the optimal type ofplatforms and vessels required to conductsuch operations?Any international coast guard will look
to the USCG for guidance on training,
equipment and concepts of operations.Speaking at West 2014 conference andexhibition in San Diego, California in2014, Admiral Robert Papp, commandantof the USCG until his retirement that year,warned that “affordability” was key toany future procurement of equipmentfor his force.But requirements are emerging in the
Asia-Pacific, according to another industrysource, for platforms to be able to survivemaximum sea states as well as having theendurance to spend longer at sea andtherefore increase mission efficiency whendeployed. Many Southeast Asian countrieswill be observing the USCG’s IntegratedDeepwater System Programme, a 25-yeareffort worth some $24bn, to replace air-craft, ships, logistics platforms and com-mand and control systems as well as inte-grate more efficient reconnaissance tech-nology. Part of this effort is the USCG’sNational Security Cutter which will basi-cally operate as a floating, permanentinfrastructure or mother ship. Such tech-nology is only likely to further developcurrent concepts of operations in the coastguard community.However, increased Chinese activity in
the AO is not the sole cause of concern forcoast guard and naval bodies charged withprotecting the region. According to the
International Maritime Bureau (IMB) basedin London, smaller tanker hijackings byarmed gangs operating in Southeast Asiacontinue to rise although this flies in theface of more general piracy attack trendsworldwide which have seen numbers fallfor a third consecutive year in 2014.Referring to this micro threat, small in
comparison to Chinese state-sponsoredactivity in the region, IMB director,Pottengal Mukundan informed AMR, “It’sencouraging to see the huge decrease inmaritime piracy and armed robbery overthe last few years, thanks mainly to inter-national navies deterring pirates off eastAfrica, and improved onboard security.However, there has been a worrying newrise in attacks against small coastal tankersin Southeast Asia. We advise small tankersin particular to remain vigilant in thesewaters and report all attacks and suspi-cious small craft to the IMB’s PiracyReporting Centre.”According to the IMB’s Piracy
Reporting Centre, gangs of thieves armedwith knives and guns are makingSoutheast Asian waters increasingly dan-gerous for small tankers carrying productssuch as gas oil or marine diesel oil.“Boarding the ship at sea, pirates hold thecrew hostage for a short time while theyunload all or part of the cargo, which they
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then use, or sell locally. Of the six vesselshijacked worldwide in the third quarter of2014, five were in Southeast Asia,” the IMBstated. Using Indonesia as an example, thecountry saw a total of 72 incidents betweenJanuary and September 2014 with the vastnumber of events comprising 67 armedrobberies. The remainder was made up ofhijackings. That said, the IMB has com-mended the Indonesian Marine Police incombating this problem. This begs thequestion as to what can coast guards do tocombat such problems at micro and macrolevels in Southeast Asia? Furthermore, is itindeed the job of a coast guard vessel toenforce such measures ahead of their moremilitarised naval counterparts?One just has to look at the Philippine
Coast Guard Special Operations Group(CGSOG) which was created to deal withdomestic counter terrorism and lawenforcement operations, most notablyincluding the 27 February 2004SuperFerry bombing which saw 116 fatal-ities in the world’s most devastating mar-itime terrorist attack. The attack was per-petrated by the Abu Sayyaf militantIslamist organisation.Certainly the US foreign policy “pivot”
towards the Asia-Pacific announced by theadministration of President Barack Obamain 2012 is witnessing an uplift in navalforces from across the Pacific Ocean and a
natural consequence of an increasing pres-ence of rival forces in the region such asChina and the Democratic People’sRepublic of Korea who are boosting theirown presence in this AO.
The PhilippinesAhead of any increased US presence in thearea, Japan took up the initiative someyears ago for increased cooperation andcollaboration with its neighbours and overrecent years has supplied, and continues tosupply, the Philippines and Vietnam withcoast guard vessels. For the Philippines inparticular, this included an announcementto build ten coast guard patrol boats. Theservice already operates three Japanesevessels including Niigata Engineering’s‘Corregidor’ class navigational aid tender.Foreign influence is rife in the Philippines
with the vast majority of coast guard ves-sels being supplied from the US andAustralia. The latter, for example, suppliedfour ‘San Juan’ class vessels complete withhelipads and four ‘Ilocos Norte’ class boats,all manufactured by Tenix of Australia.
Also from Australia, the Philippines coastguard operates De Havilland Marine DB-type coastal patrol craft.Elsewhere, the US has supplied a variety
of vessels to the Philippines, includingIngalls Shipbuilding Buoy Tenders as wellas former USCG platforms such as theUSCGC Nettle and USCGC Redbud, not tomention countless swift boats (especiallyefficient atmaritime interdiction operations)and cutter type vessels for general purposemissions. Recent efforts are seeing countriespush ahead with their own domestic pro-curement plans with the Philippine Portsand Coast Guard Capability DevelopmentProject outlining plans to “strengthen thePhilippine Coast Guard’s capability to pro-mote safety of life, protect the marine envi-ronment and enforce maritime lawsthrough procurement of four brand newpatrol boats and one patrol vessel.”Worth atotal of $130 million, it is expected that thisprogramme will begin in 2016 once a ship-yard has been selected. Sources could notconfirm whether this would be a local orinternational company.Allied to this is the ongoing Maritime
Disaster Response Helicopter AcquisitionProject which procured several AirbusHelicopters EC-145 maritime supportrotorcraft as part of a wider military mod-ernisation programme. But despite beingone of the five largest archipelagos in the
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world, many industry observers regard thePhilippines as still having one of the mostpoorly-equipped coast guard services.
VietnamMeanwhile, Vietnam is gearing up toreceive a number of coast guard ships fromJapan in 2015, as the country seeks to rampup protection and influence in the SouthChina Sea. Such a move will only escalatealready frequent situations in the SouthChina Sea where Vietnamese and Chinesevessels continue to harass one anotherespecially concerning the use of oil rigs incontested waters. Speaking at theInternational Institute of Strategic StudiesShangri-La Dialogue conference inSingapore in May 2014, Vietnam’s deputydefence minister Nguyen Chi Vinhannounced that it was hoped Vietnamwould receive the vessels by early 2015.
The Vietnam and Philippine coastguards now enjoy an operational agreementallowing greater cooperation and collabora-
tion between these two services and theirrespective AOs. According to an industryobserver, the Vietnam Coast Guard mustpromote cooperation and efficiency with itsneighbours in Southeast Asia and world-wide in order to benefit from informationprocessing, improved situation awarenessand networking exercises. A significantagreementwas signed between theVietnamCoast Guard and USCG in 2009 enablingthe latter to train indigenous forces underthe Export Control and Related BorderSecurity Program. According to the USCG,this was the organisation’s first officialcooperation with Vietnam.
With regards to equipment, the VietnamCoast Guard has generated a strong work-ing relationship with the Damen Group ofshipbuilders in the Netherlands which isworking with licensed Vietnamese compa-ny Song Thu. This agreement saw the
development of offshore patrol vessels, ahydrographic survey vessel and four sal-vage tugs. Vietnam also operates threeAirbus C-212-400 Aviocar Ocean Sentrymaritime patrol aircraft.
No amount of equipment and technolo-gy uplift will best serve peace in the regionin comparison to the rule of law. Indeed, USNavy attorney Captain Stuart Bell, deputyassistant judge advocate general for inter-national and operations law, informed theWest 2014 event that the rule of law couldbe applied in most cases in Asia-Pacificmaritime disputes, especially betweenChina and its neighbours. Highlighting dis-putes over territorial waters, reefs andisland chains, maritime jurisdiction, andprotection of natural resources, Capt. Bellsaid, “Extant architectures are already inplace to ensure that rules works.Meaningful adherence to international lawand norms is our best chance to resolvethese territorial conflicts.”
Finally, sources stressed to AMR theimportance of freedom of movement in theAsia-Pacific with many parties, includingthe US, calling for an immediate ratifica-tion of the International Law of the SeaTreaty whichwould provide easier accessi-bility and leverage for member states. Thenext decade of maritime operations in theAsia-Pacific are likely to throw up somevery interesting lessons for the global coastguard community, but it appears most par-ties are keen to avoid any type of escalationin violence through increased partnership,improved technology and equipment andbetter trained personnel.
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A N D D E V E L O P M E N T SREGIONAL NEWS
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ASIA PACIFIC PROCUREMENT UPDATEby Pierre Delrieu
INDIAN NAVY TOACQUIRE OTO MELARA 127/64 LWVULCANO GUN��� The Indian Navy willacquire 13 127/64 LW gunsfrom the Italian navalarmament producer OTOMelara. The deal is worth$243.5 million and wasannounced in early January.The guns are being procuredto equip the fleet’s ‘Delhi’class destroyers and ‘Shivalik’ class frigates. Three of the guns are
expected to be built at OTOMelara’s facilities in Italy,with the remaining ten to beconstructed locally by BharatHeavy Electricals Limited(BHEL). BHEL is alreadyinvolved in the production ofOTO Melara products, princi-pally the company’s 76/62Super Rapid naval gun. Although it has not been
publicly revealed by theIndian Navy which armamentthe 127/64 LW gun could
replace on the three ‘Delhi’class destroyers, it is likelythat the weapon could replacethe existing Russian-suppliedAK-100 naval guns whichequip these vessels. The AK-100 fires 100mm high-explo-sive anti-air or high-explosivefragmentation shells at a max-imum rate-of-fire of 60rounds-per-minute. The ‘Shivalik’ class frigates,
of which three are in service,are currently equipped withthe OTO Melara 76/62 SuperRapid naval gun. This weaponcan sustain a rate-of-fire of upto 120 rounds-per-minute, fir-ing 76mm shells to a range ofup to 22 nautical miles (40kilometres) depending on theammunition being used. It isexpected that the 76/62 SuperRapid guns will be replacedon the ‘Shivalik’ class vesselwith the new 127/64 LWweapons. This gun has a rate-of-fire of 35 rounds-per-minute and a maximum rangeof 65nm (120km).
The 127/64 LW has beendesigned from the outset toequip medium and large-sized ships to enable them toperform anti-aircraft warfareand naval gunfire support.The weapon fires an array of120mm shells, including thecompany’s Vulcano ammuni-tion. In the 127mm calibre,three variants of the Vulcanoround are available includingthe Ballistic Extended Range(BER) unguided multipurposeshell which has a programma-ble fuse. The BER shell isjoined by the Guided LongRange (GLR) ammunition
which contains an infra-redsensor for anti-surface war-fare, while a version of theGLR is available with a globalpositioning system sensor tofurther improve accuracy,with the option of the installa-tion of a semi-active laser. The gun itself can fire four
different types of 127mmammunition which can beloaded into four separatedrums within the magazine.OTO Melara has developed amission planning system toaccompany the gun to enablethe ideal ammunition and fir-ing solution to be devisedaccording to the fire supporttask that the gun is to perform.This module can be operatedin a stand-alone fashion, orintegrated directly into theship’s Combat ManagementSystem. Beyond India, otherusers of the 127/64 LWinclude the Algerian Navy,Deutsche Marine (GermanNavy) and the MarinaMilitaire (Italian Navy).
INDIAN MOD AGREESON $525M DEAL FORSPIKE ATGMS ��� The Indian DefenceMinistry announced on 25October 2014 its plan toacquire at some 8356 RafaelAdvanced Defence SystemsSpike Anti-Tank GuidedMissiles (ATGMs), a third-gen-eration weapon that will bemounted on the Kharkiv BMP-2 infantry fighting vehiclealong with 321 launchers. The deal, reportedly worth
$525 million, was chosen overthe rival US Javelin weaponssystem, built by LockheedMartin and Raytheon, whichthe United States’ defence secretary Chuck Hagel hadpitched to India’s PrimeMinister Narendra Modi dur-ing his visit to Washington DCin late September 2014.
Reports suggest, however, thatthe US and India are still dis-cussing the possibility of agovernment-to-governmentoffer for Javelin ATGMs, to beused by the Indian Army, aspart of a broader effort tostrengthen defence industryties with India by increasingthe share of production donein the country.The army’s procurement of
Spike missiles from Israel willreportedly include launchersand training simulators. The
force will initially receive theATGM fully manufactured,then semi-manufactured witheventual licence productioncommencing in India. Themissile, which has a range ofover 2.5 kilometres (1.5 miles)are equipped with anactive/passive guidance sys-tem, a fire-and-forget modeand top-attack capability, andwill be mounted on the army’sBMP-2 vehicles.The Indian Defence
Ministry had been searchingfor a suitable advancedATGM to fit on the BMP-2 since 2006. Tenderswere sent again in 2010 toMBDA, Rafael, Raytheon,General Dynamics andRosoboronexport. Theproject was almostscrapped as only onecompany, Rafael, agreed
to India’s demand for a transfer of the technology forthe ATGM.Israel and India have long
shared close defence ties, andthose ties have grown evencloser since the election ofNarendra Modi as India’sPrime Minister in May 2014.India’s defence secretary RKMathur visited Israel in July2014 to discuss additionalarms packages with the localdefence industries, and reportssuggest that India is also delib-erating the possible purchaseof Israel-made airborne earlywarning aircraft, estimated atover $1 billion. Israel hasbecome a central weaponssupplier to several countries inthe Asia-Pacific in recentyears, and the country’sexports to the region in 2013amounted to $3.9 million.
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Ad check AMR:AMR 1/27/15 10:12 AM Page 1
THAILAND TO RECEIVEADDITIONAL AIRBUSEC-725 AND EC-645T2HELICOPTERS��� The Royal Thai Air Force(RTAF) has awarded acontract to enhance the Thaimilitary’s airborne capabilitiesto Airbus Helicopters,ordering two additional EC-725 medium-lift utilityhelicopters, the companyannounced on 22 October2014. The delivery of theRTAF’s two additional eleventonne helicopters will begin in2017 and the aircraft will jointhe fleet of four EC-725s,ordered in 2012 which willcommence deliveries in 2015.Airbus Helicopters also
confirmed the signature of adeal to supply the Royal ThaiNavy (RTN) with five EC-645T2 maritime support heli-copters, with a contract signedin early September 2014 val-ued at $77 million. In an inter-view with AMR, FabriceRochereau, vice president ofsales and customer relations
for Airbus Helicopters’ Asia-Pacific market, explained that,“although Airbus Helicoptersproducts are well known andwidely used in operation withvarious governmental andcivilian users, this is the firsttime that the Royal Thai Navyhas decided to procure ourproducts. This contract rein-forces the presence of AirbusHelicopters in the Thai armedforces.” Mr. Rochereau addedthat this contract was also a
‘premiere’ for the EC-645T2 inThailand and in SoutheastAsia. Deliveries for the RTAF’sEC-645T2s are scheduled tobegin in 2016.In a press release publicly
announcing the deal, AirbusHelicopters Southeast Asiaand Pacific director PhilippeMonteux explained that theacquisition of the differentrotorcraft will significantlyenhance Thailand’s navy andair force’s capabilities. “By
acquiring both the EC-645T2and EC-725, Thailand will beoperating two of the mostcapable helicopters in their cat-egories, delivering high levelsof mission flexibility with theirmodern avionics and rugged airframes.”The RTAF will reportedly
use the EC-725 helicopters forSearch-And-Rescue andCombat Search-And-Rescue(SAR/CSAR) missions, operat-ing from the Royal Thai AirForce Base (RTAFB) of LopBuri in Thailand’s centralprovince of Lop Buri.The EC-725, a derivative of
Airbus Helicopters AS-532Cougar, is a medium-lift utilityhelicopter designed for trooptransport, CSAR missions,casualty evacuation, maritimesurveillance, medical evacua-tion, humanitarian supportand shipborne missions. TheEC-725 can carry up to 29 seat-ed troops and two crew mem-bers, depending on the config-uration, with a 3.7 tonnes maximum take-off weight.
INDONESIA’S PTDI ANDHONEYWELL SIGN DEALTO INCREASEPRODUCT’S LOCALCONTENT��� The state-owned aero-space company PT DirgantaraIndonesia (PTDI) andHoneywell have signed anagreement to collaborate on systems and services for the Indonesian military aerospace market.The Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) wassigned on 7 November 2014 atthe IndoDefence exhibition,which was hosted by theIndonesian Ministry ofDefence and held in Jakarta inNovember 2014. This MoU,which features prospectivetechnology transfer to enableincreased local content in mil-itary aircraft programmes,was signed by PTDI’s presi-dent director Budi Santosoand Alex J. Pollack, president
of Honeywell’s Indonesianoperations, at Honeywell’sIndoDefence Exhibition booth. It will reportedly concentrate on avionics andnavigation systems andpotentially encompass service solutions and engine systems.The collaboration between
the two companies has existedfor some time, but, accordingto Honeywell, this MoU out-lines the “possibility of broad-er co-operation in the future”.Speaking at the signing and asoutlined in the press releasepublished shortly after, Mr.Santoso praised the accord,saying that “the signing ofthis MoU shows that PTDI isalways looking to take a stepfurther towards increasing thelocally-built content in itsproducts ... Using HoneywellIndonesia equipment in thePTDI aircraft insures thatthose aircraft include a greater
number of equipment madein Indonesia.”This partnership will allow
PTDI, with the support of theHoneywell equipment sup-plies and services, to maintainits capabilities to its customersand, by having manufacturingand services in Indonesia, becloser its customers. MarkBurgess, Honeywell seniorcustomer business director forthe Asia-Pacific defence andspace sector told AMR,“working closely with PTDI,Honeywell wishes to bringdifferent strengths in a collab-orative effort to support theirrole in Indonesia’s nationaldefence and aircraft business-es as they aspire to growregionally.” Mr Burgess addedthat “Indonesia represents avery important market forHoneywell.” Honeywell is“also engaged in very interest-ing discussions with Thailandand the Philippines.” He
added that 75 percent of thecompany’s regional revenuecurrently originates fromSingapore, specifying thatHoneywell is also an impor-tant player in Malaysia, andmore specifically in the com-mercial helicopter business.Based in Bandung,
Indonesia, PTDI is one of theindigenous aerospace compa-nies in the Asia-Pacific withcore competence in aircraftdesign and development, air-craft assembly, aerostructuremanufacturing and aircraftservices for both military andcivilian light and medium air-craft. The company producesvarious types of aircraft,among which are the C-212-400 and CN-235 turbopropfreighters both jointly-devel-oped and produced withAirbus. PTDI also producesdifferent models of helicopters,various aircraft componentsand missiles and armaments.
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AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL AIRSHOW AND AEROSPACE & DEFENCE EXPOSITION
JAPAN BEGINS PROCESSOF E-767 AWACSUPGRADE��� Japan signed a $25.6 mil-lion contract with Boeing tobegin upgrading the country’sfleet of four E-767 AirborneWarning and Control System(AWACS) aircraft, the USDepartment of Defence (DoD)announced on 28 October.The four Japanese aircraft
have been in service with theJapan Air Self-Defence Force(JASDF) since 1999, and,according to the deal withBoeing, will each be fitted withnew systems, namely updatedmission computers, electronicsupport measures, a RaytheonAN/APX-119 InterrogatorFriend or Foe (IFF) transpon-der, a next-generationTelephonics CorporationAN/UPX-40 IFF, a traffic alertand collision avoidance systemand data link upgrades. Thedeal plans for the upgrade andrefitting of three Japaneseground support facilities andthe upgrade work should also
involve spare parts, supportand test equipment, personneltraining and training equip-ment, US government andcontractor engineering andtechnical support, and otherrelated elements of pro-gramme support.The aircraft upgrade
aims at providing Japanwith an enhanced air-borne early warningcapability and to allowJapan’s AWACS fleet tobe more compatiblewith the US Air ForceBoeing E-3A/D AWACSfleet providing forgreater interoperabilitybetween the two coun-tries’ air forces. Thedesign and production workwill be performed by Boeingin its Kent facilities, inWashington State, and isexpected to be completed bythe end of February 2015.Boeing’s E-767 AWACS
platform was designed torespond to the JASDF’s specif-ic requirements, and Japan is
currently the only operator ofthis aircraft. It essentially con-sists the Boeing E-3 Sentryfamily’s surveillance radarand command and controlsystem, mounted on a Boeing767 airframe instead of aBoeing 707 airframe.
The electronics system onthe E-767 is essentially thesame as the E-3 models, usingNorthrop Grumman’sAN/APY-2 three-dimensionalpassive electronically scannedarray radar, housed in a rotor-dome on top of theaircraft, which measures targetazimuth, range, and elevation
simultaneously. TheAN/APY-2, with its 360-degree view, is capable ofdetermining the velocity of anair target and detecting targetsmore than 172 nautical miles(320 kilometres) away.Coupled with a flexible, multi-
mode radar, theAWACS’ surveillancesystem enables it to dis-tinguish maritime andairborne targets fromground and sea clutter.The JASDF has
strongly expressed itsdesire for the missionhardware and softwareof its specific E-767 plat-forms to remain compat-ible with those of the
other E-3 Sentry family opera-tors (notably France, the NorthAtlantic Treaty Organisation,Saudi Arabia, the UnitedKingdom and the UnitedStates), especially given theexisting incompatibility issuesin terms of airframe technicalsupport and specific spareparts and repairs.
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TAIWAN’S ‘CARRIERKILLER’ CORVETTEBEGINS TRIALS��� Tuo Jiang, the Republic ofChina Navy’s (RoCN) new,indigenously designed, twin-hull missile ‘Hsun Hai’ classcorvette began sea trials on 27October 2014, according tolocal media, quotingTaiwanese naval sources.The 500-tonne corvette,
dubbed a ‘carrier killer’, wasreportedly launched intowaters south of the GuishanIslands, located off the north-eastern coast of Yilan, Taiwan.There, the ship conducted dif-ferent tests including enginetrials. If the remaining trials goaccording to schedule, theRoCN’s Tuo Jiang will enterservice in the first half of 2015. The Taiwanese government
had approved a $820 millionbudget to acquire up to twelvenew ‘Hsun Hai’ class corvettesin 2011, an approval made
under the Ministry of NationalDefence’s (MND’s) Hsun Haiprogramme. The RoCN’s newvessel is capable of reaching amaximum speed of 38 knots(70 kilometres-per-hour),thanks to its wave-piercingcatamaran hull form, and canobtain a maximum range of2000 nautical miles (3700 kilo-metres). Its low radar cross-sec-tion design also makes itstealthier. In addition to accom-modating a crew of 41, the ‘car-rier killer’ is said to beequipped with eight HsiungFeng II (HF-2) and eight ram-jet-powered Hsiung Feng III(HF-3) Anti-Ship Missiles(AShMs), both developed bythe Chungshan Institute ofScience and Technology inTaiwan. The Tuo Jiang canaccommodate a crew of 41.Furthermore, the vessel is saidto be armed with four 12.7mmmachineguns for close-rangeship defence, an Otobreda
76mm cannon and a RaytheonMk.15 Phalanx close-in weaponsystem to defeat incomingAShMs and hostile aircraft.Speaking to AMR, Rick
Fisher, senior fellow on Asianmilitary affairs for the US-based InternationalAssessment and StrategyCentre, argued that the TuoJiang’s stealthy design andmodern armament “signifi-cantly increase the ability toattack Chinese invasion fleetsand thus help to deter aChinese decision to commencehostilities”. According to Mr.Fisher, this programme could,in fact, help move towards amore peaceful resolution ofthe ongoing conflict betweenthe two countries. “By helpingto remove a successful mili-tary option from Beijing’s pol-
icy choices,” Fisher explains,“the ‘Hsun Hai’ class forcesBeijing to consider non-mili-tary options to achieve itsgoals regarding Taiwan.” Inaddition to being a significanttechnological advancement forTaiwan, the Tuo Jiang and the‘Hsun Hai’ class programmehas a strategic impact, saysMr. Fisher. “Strategists havelong viewed China’s gather-ing capacity to invade Taiwanas the new ‘centre of gravity’of their strategy. If Chinaassesses that it cannot succeedwith an invasion then it ispossible to deter a Chinesedecision to go to war, inas-much as a major mission forthe ‘Hsun Hai’ class is tocounter China’s invasion fleet.That makes the ship’s impactstrategic,” Mr. Fisher adds.
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DCNS OPENED NEWSUBSIDIARY INCANBERRA, AUSTRALIA��� French shipbuilder DCNShas opened a new subsidiaryin Australia. The launch ofDCNS Australia Pty Ltd,DCNS’ facilities in Canberra,was made official on 19November 2014, during anopening ceremony held by thecompany’s chief executiveofficer, Hervé Guillou, in thepresence of Australia’s defenceminister, David Johnston aswell as that of representativesof local defence industriesand key Australiangovernment figures.In an interview with AMR,
DCNS’ delegate in Australia,Joel Branchut explained that,by opening this strategicallypositioned subsidiary “DCNSaims at taking the lead on
coming discussions on thecountry’s future submarineprogramme betweenAustralian stakeholders and acombined French govern-ment/industry team, includ-ing Thales Australia.”Australia is looking to replacethe Royal Australian Navy’s(RAN’s) six ‘Collins’ class con-ventional hunter-killer sub-marines (please see JonathanTringham’s ‘AustralianAspirations’ article in thisissue). Further down the roadDCNS also hope, with its newposition in the country, to sub-mit bids to participate in theprocurement to replace theRAN’s ‘Anzac’ class frigates.The ‘Collins’ class sub-
marines are due to leave serv-ice from 2025 onwards and tobe replaced by a new class oftwelve submarines, with an ini-
tial timeline scheduling thenew submarines to enter service before the ‘Collins’ classboats begin phasing out. In itsbid to participate in the initia-tive, DCNS plans to propose aconventional-propulsion deriv-ative of the ‘Barracuda’ classnuclear-powered attack subma-rine (SSNs), designed by DCNSfor the Marine Nationale(French Navy), to replace its‘Rubis’ class SSNs, Mr.Branchut told AMR. Australiawill then benefit from thecompany’s most “advancedFrench design and engineeringknow-how”, explained Mr.Branchut, since the “re-use ofBarracuda technologies (will
allow) DCNS to proposeproven schedules, develop-ment costs and constructiontechniques, hence a designthat will have already under-gone extensive risk reduction.”Construction of the French
Navy’s ’Barracuda’ class SSNsbegan in 2007 and the firstboat will reportedly be com-missioned in 2017. These ves-sels use technology derivedfrom the force’s ‘Triomphant’class nuclear ballistic missilesubmarines, including pumpjet propulsion. Fitted with tor-pedo-tube-launched MBDASCALP Naval cruise mis-siles for long-range strikesagainst strategic land targets,the ‘Barracuda’ class’ missionswill include anti-surface andanti-submarine warfare, intel-ligence gathering, land attack,and special operations.
NEW ZEALANDRECEIVES DELIVERY OFFINAL NH90 TTH��� More than eight yearsafter placing an order for eightNH Industries NH-90 TacticalTransport Helicopters (TTH),the Royal New Zealand AirForce’s (RNZAF) has receiveddelivery of the last of themedium-lift utility aircraft on31 October 2014 at theRNZAF’s Ohakea Base, on thecountry’s North Island. New Zealand had selected
the NH-90TTH in March 2005in view of replacing its ageing fleet of Bell UH-1Hmedium-lift utility helicop-ters, and had signed the $600million deal for nine helicop-ters on 31 July 2006. Onlyeight of these are to be usedoperationally for Search AndRescue (SAR), troop transport,disaster relief and cargoresupply duties, with theninth aircraft being used forspares. New Zealand’s NH-90s were all assembled inthe Airbus Helicopters (one ofthe partners in NH Industries)facilities in Marignane, southern France.
Fabrice Rochereau, Asia-Pacific vice president of salesand customer relations forAirbus Helicopters, told AMRthat “the acquisition of theNH-90 by New Zealand … isa major capability break-through. The NH-90 willtremendously expand andextend the military capabili-ties of the country thanks tobetter performances, a biggerand more flexible cabin, and areal all-weather flying capa-bility. At the same time, itprovides a priceless asset for
civil service applications suchas sea and land Search AndRescue (SAR), medical evacu-ation, disaster relief support,and supply to remote islandsand mountainous areas.”The deliveries of the heli-
copters began on 7 December
2011, when the first two unitsarrived at the Ohakea Base.The RNZAF NH-90s complet-ed the first phase of their oper-ational testing and evaluationin February 2013, enablingthem to begin undertakingoperational tasks.With all the NH-90s now
delivered, the RNZAF canproceed with the withdrawalof the ten UH-1Hs remainingin its inventory, and three ofthe force’s squadrons canbegin transitioning from its1960s-vintage UH-1H plat-
forms to the newmodel. In addition,the NH-90 will alsobe used by theRoyal New ZealandNavy (RNZN), andthe amphibious sup-port ship HMNZSCanterbury hasalready been requi-
sitioned for the helicopters’naval trials.The NH-90TTH version’s
primary role is the transport oftroops and it can carry up to20 soldiers. The aircraft isdesigned to conduct heliborneoperations and SAR. It can
also quickly be adapted to conduct medical or casualtyevacuations when fitted withup to twelve stretchers.NH Industries has been
facing delivery delays for mostof its NH-90TTH/NFH customers, delays that arecaused in large part by themany different configurationsfor the helicopter ordered. Infact, there are currently moreversions of the NH-90 thanthere are customers for the air-craft. New Zealand had triedto stay clear of this situationby choosing a configurationsimilar to the one chosen byAustralia. Regardless of themeasures, the deliveries,which were originally due tobe completed by the end of2013, were subject to delays. With this final delivery,
New Zealand becomes the firstcustomer worldwide to receiveall of its ordered NH-90s. Anupgrade plan has alreadybeen agreed upon and isreported to include enhancedcommunications, navigation,surveillance, and air trafficmanagement improvementsfor the platform.
