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MARCH/APRIL 2015VOLUME 23 / ISSUE 2

ContentsContentsMalaysian Modernises

Malaysia is on the cusp of performing a number of important modernisationefforts across its armed forces, as Dzirhan Mahadzir finds out.

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ThomasWithington’sregularcolumnproviding allof the latestnews andanalysisregardingevents inthe defenceradiofrequencydomain.

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Up-gunning the God of WarInvestment is flowing into theprocurement of artillery in the Asia-Pacific with both towed and self-propelled systems on the shoppinglist, Stephen Miller finds out.

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Coast GuardsCoastal surveillance radars, usingseveral technological approaches,are helping to protect ports,coastlines and harbours around theworld, explains Thomas Withington.

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Seeing is BelievingPeter Donaldson examinesseveral emerging technologieswhich are assistingdismounted troops in gatheringreconnaissance.

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The Generation GameDavid Oliver examines theseveral fifth-generationmulti-role combat aircraftprogrammes in and around theAsia-Pacific region.

Game TheoryThe use of computertechnology for infantry trainingis increasing, both in the Asia-Pacificregion and the wider world,Claire Apthorp discovers.

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The Hurt LockerThe appeal of non-lethalweapons is deepeningthroughout the Asia-Pacific,Andrew White explains, offeringa means to diffuse potentiallydeadly encounters andenhance security.

Front Cover Photo:As of early February, India wasreportedly close to signing thelong-awaited deal to acquire126 Dassault Rafale Multi-RoleCombat Aircraft (MRCA) from theFrench manufacturer. This, andother MRCAs, are examined inDavid Oliver’s ‘The GenerationGame’ article. (French Air Force)

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Editorial

Indo-United States defence relations deepened furtherin late-January following the visit of President Barack Obama to New Delhi to meet Prime MinisterNarendra Modi, which included a ring-side seat for the US head of state to enjoy

the spectacle of India’s annual Republic Day celebrations. The impressive military paradeheld in New Delhi as part of the festivities made a fitting backdrop to the discussions of the two men regarding their strategic cooperation.

“Today, we have decided to take our growing defence cooperation to a new level. We have agreed, in principle, to pursue co-development and co-production of specificadvanced defence projects,” said Mr. Modi of the visit. To this end, the discussionsbetween the two countries resulted in the signature of a ten-year Defence FrameworkAgreement intended to deepen the defence ties between the two countries.

This could include the co-production of materiel by the United States and India, and provisions for the transfer of US technology, under the Defence Trade and TechnologyInitiative (DTTI). The DTTI was launched by the two countries in 2012, and was intendedto deepen bilateral defence cooperation. The agreement will now be expanded to coverthe co-production of the AeroVironment RQ-11 Raven Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, roll-on/roll-off reconnaissance systems for the Indian Air Force’s twelve LockheedMartin C-130J turboprop freighters, individual soldier chemical, biological, radiologicaland nuclear protection equipment, and hybrid electric power sources.

Away from defence industrial matters, the visit had important consequences for enhancing strategic cooperation. For example, bilateral military exercises are expected togrow in frequency over the coming years. Intelligence-sharing on maritime security issuescould also expand. India and the United States have a strong desire to maintain stabilityin the Indian Ocean, an issue which directly affects the economies of both. Moreover,instability and continuing political violence in Pakistan is also a grave concern.

Since the beginning of the century, defence links between India and the United Stateshave grown. The 2009 purchase by India of Boeing P-8I Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft and the purchase of C-17 Globemaster-III turbofan airlifters from the same firmare two of the ‘big ticket’ defence procurements made in recent years. Mr. Obama’sJanuary visit indicates that joint defence production may now be on the cards, beyondadditional purchases of materiel, plus the expansion of strategic ties. Is India emerging asUncle Sam’s new best friend in South Asia?

Thomas Withington, Editor

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RadarNorthrop Grumman, which is building the AN/TPS-80Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) air surveillancesystem for the United States Marine Corps (USMC), has givenPulse an update on its planned deliveries for the service. In late-October 2014 the firm was awarded a Low-Rate InitialProduction (LRIP) contract worth $207.7 million which coversthe delivery of four radars to the USMC, according to MarkSmith, director of business development at Northrop Grumman.“These initial LRIP systems will be delivered to the Marine Corpsduring 2016 and 2017,” Mr. Smith adds.

The S-band (2.3-2.5/2.7-3.7 Gigahertz) AN/TPS-80 uses anActive Electronically-Scanned Array (AESA) and can perform awide range of tasks from air surveillance to air traffic control. Theradar can be mounted on a trailer or on the back of an AMGeneralHMMWV (High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle),and will be progressively upgraded through four incremental

improvements once it enters service. These improvements will addadditional functionality such as the ability to perform short-rangeair defence and baseline IFF (Interrogation Friend or Foe) functions(Increment 1); counter battery and artillery location via a softwareupgrade (Increment 2); IFF enhancements, improved countermea-sures resistance, and health and usage monitoring (Increment 3);and air traffic control functions (Increment 4).

The USMC is expected to receive 17 Increment 1 AN/TPS-80s, 38Increment 2/3 systems, and 14 Increment 4 radars. These radarswillreplace four different systems which the USMC currently has inservice, namely the AN/TPS-63 L-band (1.215-1.4GHz) low-leveltactical air defence radar, the AN/TPS-73 S-band and L-band

PULSEby Thomas Withington

Northrop Grumman has delivered its first AN/APG-83 Scalable AgileBeam Radar to Lockheed Martin as part of an initiative to upgradeGeneral Dynamics/Lockheed Martin F-16A/B multi-role combat aircraftoperated by the Taiwanese Air Force © Northrop Grumman

The AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar for the United StatesMarine Corps, plus Qatar’s satellite communications initiative and theongoing roll-out of the Joint Tactical Radio System in the United Statesare among the developments discussed in this edition’s Pulse.

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primary and secondary air traffic control radar, AN/MPQ-62 con-tinuous wave target acquisition radar for the Raytheon MIM-23Hawk ground-based air defence system, the AN/TPQ-46 counter-battery radar and the AN/UPS-3 short-range air defence radar.

Staying with Northrop Grumman, the company announced on12December 2014 that it had delivered its first AN/APG-83 ScalableAgile Beam Radar (SABR) AESA system to Lockheed Martin. Thefirm delivered an Engineering, Manufacturing and Development(EMD) radar which it said in an official press release accompanyingthe announcement is identical to the AN/APG-83 production radarconfiguration. The APG-83 radar was selected to fulfil the UnitedStates’ Air Force (USAF) RadarModernisation Upgrade componentof the Combat Avionics Programmed Extension Suite (CAMPS) ini-tiative led by Lockheed Martin to extend the life of the GeneralDynamics/Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block-50/52 Fighting FalconMultirole Combat Aircraft flown by the USAF, and also the F-16A/B MRCA variant operated by the Taiwanese Air Force.

Northrop Grumman has used many of the design features ofthe company’s AN/APG-77 and AN/APG-81 AESA radarswhich already outfit the USAF’s Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor-II air superiority fighter and F-35A/B/C Lightning-II MRCA.This has reduced development costs and will reduce the numberof separate spare parts that the USAF needs to maintain in itsinventory for the maintenance, repair and overall of these radars.An added attraction is that aircrew transitioning between theAN/APG-83, AN/APG-77 and AN/APG-81 will find a highlevel of commonality between the modus operandi of theseradars. Initial deliveries of the SABR are planned for 2016,although Northrop Grumman is not yet under contract to pro-vide the radar to the USAF.

In terms of performance, the SABR is thought to be an X-bandsystem, although this has not been confirmed by the company,operating in the frequency range of 8.5 to 10.68 gigahertz. Therange of the radar, which has also not been revealed, will almostcertainly allow the detection of targets in the air across hundredsof nautical miles.

In the naval domain, Thales announced on 19 December 2014that it would be equipping the Koninklijke Marine (RoyalNetherlands Navy) HNLMS Rotterdam eponymous classamphibious support ship with a new NS100 naval surveillanceradar. The radar is expected to be installed on the vessel by theend of 2017. The NS100 is a three-dimensional radar which canperform air and surface surveillance. It transmits in the S-bandand uses an AESA. The radar’s instrumented range is the regionof 108nm (200km), and it offers up to 70 degrees of elevation cov-erage. The radar is also equipped with an integratedIdentification Friend or Foe (IFF) interrogator compatible withthe Mode-5/S North Atlantic Treaty Organisation andInternational Civil Aviation Organisation transponder protocols.The NS100 will replace the Thales DA08 naval surveillance radarcurrently installed on the ship. The DA08 radar is also an S-bandsystem and has a similar range, although it is now three decadesold and uses a conventional as opposed to an AESA antenna. Thenew radar will bring improvements in terms of maintenance andperformance in comparison to the legacy DA08.

In mid-December 2014, Terma announced that it had beenselected to equip the Royal Navy’s new ‘River’ class offshorepatrol vessels with its SCANTER 4103 naval surveillance radar.The Senior Service will acquire a total of eight vessels, four ofwhich have been commissioned, with a fifth, HMS Forth, under

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The Royal Navy’s ‘River’ class offshore patrolvessel HMS Clyde is seen here on patrol in theSouth Atlantic. The latter three ships in the‘River’ class are to receive the Terma SCANTER4103 naval surveillance radar © Terma




construction and two additional vessels, HMS Medway and HMSTrent currently on order. These latter three ships are expected to bedelivered in the 2017/18 timeframe. Terma has declined to revealhow many radars it will be delivering to equip the ‘River’ classvessels, although it has been reported that these radars will bedelivered to equip the final three vessels discussed above whichare currently under construction. Deliveries are expected to com-mence in 2016. The SCANTER 4103 forms part of Terma’s SCANT-ER 4100 family. This X-band two-dimensional air and surface sur-veillance radar provides coverage up to a range of 90nm (167km).The radar can track 500 surface targets and up to 100 supersonicand subsonic air targets. Frequency and time diversity help to pro-tect the radar against electronic countermeasures.

SATCOMQatar is expected to commence the deployment of its new mili-tary Satellite Communications (SATCOM) system during 2015.Thales was selected by the country to supply the ground compo-nent of this system in October 2014. Services to this end are pro-vided using Qatar’s Es’hail-1 satellite, which was launched on 29August 2013. Military SATCOM services will expand further in2016 when Qatar will gain a second Ka-band (26.5-40GHz-Uplink/18-20GHz–Downlink) military communications satellitecalled Es’hail-2. According to Georges Touloupas, vice presidentof mobile SATCOM networks at Thales, the firm is providing “acomplete system with the ground hub, the network operationscentre, along with fixed and deployable terminals, mobile andfixed stations and naval stations.” These will be provided byThales and third parties. They will be interoperable with theQatari armed forces Very High Frequency and Ultra HighFrequency (VHF – 30 to 300 megahetrz/UHF – 300 megahertz tothree gigahertz) tactical communications, and civilian cellulartelephone networks. The deployment of the SATCOM system isexpected to commence in 2015, and “will be rolled out over thenext few years”, Mr. Touloupas adds. Thales’ Modem-21 SAT-COM product is at the heart of the company’s provision for Qatar.

According to Mr. Touloupas, this system has “robust anti-jam-ming capabilities, and very high performances”.

US defence electronics specialists L3 Linkabit announced on 18December 2014 that it had demonstrated the ability of its RMPM-1000 modem to create a fully meshed network using ground SAT-COM terminals, plus vehicle and ship-mounted terminals as partof a test for the Canadian Communications Research Centre andthe Royal Canadian Navy. The test used X-band (7.9-8.4GHz-Uplink/7.25-7.75GHz–Downlink) and Ka-band fixed, mobile andship-borne terminals transmitting across the US Department ofDefence Wideband Global SATCOM-3 (WGS-3) satellite.

These terminals were used to carry L3 Linkabit’s NetworkCentric Waveform (NCW). According to a statement provided toPulse by the company the NCW can be transmitted across C-band (5.925-6.425GHz-Uplink/3.7-4.2GHz–Downlink), X-bandand Ka-band links. The statement adds that the NCW “is abroadband waveform” which can carry “any type of internet pro-tocol traffic such as voice, data or imagery”. The NCW is used byL3 Linkabit’s RMPM-1000 modem which has two independentuplink and four independent downlink channels with a currentdata throughput rate of four megabits-per-second (mbps), withthe scope to extend this throughput to 13mbps. The statementadds that this will give “an aggregate of 26mbps on the uplinkand an aggregate of 52mbps on the downlink”.

Tactical RadioUS tactical radio specialists Harris announced on 19 December2014 its award of an order worth $18 million for the supply of thecompany’s RF-7800V Very High Frequency handheld radio, to beintegrated with the company’s RF-7800I vehicle intercom systemfrom the government of the Philippines. These new radios willequip the country’s army. The size of the order in terms of thenumber of radios and intercoms to be delivered to thePhilippines has not been revealed. Deliveries are expected tocommence in 2015, although it has not been stated when they willconclude. The radios and the vehicle intercoms will equip the

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L3 Linkabit’s RMPM-1000 satellite communications modem was recently put through its paces in a series of trials involving fixed, mobile and ship-bornesatellite communications used by the Canadian armed forces © L3 Linkabit


Philippines Army’s BAE Systems’ M113A1/A2 armoured personnel carriers,of which the force operates circa 262. The radio itself contains a built-in GlobalPositioning System receiver and the ability to handle tactical internet data.Communications security is provided by the radio’s integral Citadel-II encryp-tion and Advanced Encryption Standard protocols. Up to 192 kilobits-per-second of data can be handled by the radio, with up to 64 users being housedon a single network using Harris’ Time Division Multiple Access waveform,with the company’s Quicklook ECCM (Electronic Counter-Counter Measure)waveform further enhancing security.

The United States is to move forward with the next stage of its Rifleman radioacquisition. The Rifleman programme forms part of the US armed forces’ JointTactical Radio System (JTRS) initiative which is outfitting the US Navy, air force,army andMarine Corps with new handheld, manpack, vehicular, airborne, fixed

and maritime radios. The Rifleman initiative con-stitutes part of the JTRS HMS (Handheld,Manpack and Small Form Fit) procurement. Todate, both Thales and General Dynamics havebeen providing the AN/PRC-154 UHF handheldradio since June 2011 under a Low Rate InitialProduction (LRIP) contract awarded by the USArmy for the supply of 6250 radios. A secondLRIP contract was awarded by the US Army inSeptember 2012 covering the delivery of a further13000 AN/PRC-154 radios. The AN/PRC-154replaces the Thales AN/PRC-148 MBITRMultiband Inter/Intra Team Radio which hasbeen declared Software CommunicationsArchitecture 2.2 compliant by the Joint TacticalNetworking Centre (JTNC) based in San Diego,California. The JTNCmanages the software archi-tecture and the waveforms to be used by theradios procured as part of the JTRS initiative.

The AN/PRC-154 also replaces the HarrisAN/PRC-152 Multiband Handheld Radio whichoperates in the VHF range. The AN/PRC-154carries the Soldier Radio Waveform (SRW) toallow communications for dismounted troopsand small units at the squad and platoon levels.The radio carries 50 preset channels and can hostup to three talk groups per preset channel. On 6January 2015, the US Army issued a solicitationfor an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantitycontract, the award of which is expected to occurby the end of 2015, with production commenc-ing in 2017. Ultimately, the army expects to fieldover 193,200 Rifleman radios, including the circa21300 which it has already purchased from

Thales and General Dynamics are both providing theAN/PRC-154 handheld radio to the US Army. The forcenow plans to procure over 193,200 Rifleman radioswhich will supplement these transceivers © Thales



Thales and General Dynamics. The force is not expected to awarda contract to a single vendor for the remainder of the Riflemanradios beyond those ordered from the two companies. Instead, itwill evaluate radios from several vendors in tests so as to takeadvantage of emerging technologies in the fields of processingpower, battery life and size, weight and power consumption asand when these become available.In other JTRS news, General Dynamics and Rockwell Collins

announced in mid-January that they had delivered over 1200AN/PRC-155 manpack radios to the US Army. The AN/PRC-155forms the manpack component of the JTRS HMS programme. Thecontract for these radios was awarded in January 2014 calling forthe production of 1500 AN/PRC-155s. The full delivery of all ofthese systems is expected to conclude byMarch. An initial batch ofradios was ordered in July 2011 for 100 systems, with a second con-tract for 3725 AN/PRC-155s in November 2012, followed by theJanuary 2014 order for 1500 examples.The radio itself is a two-channel system which can carry an

array of waveforms including the SRW, plus the legacy SingleChannel Ground and Airborne Radio System and the HAVE

QUICK-I/II air-to-ground/ground-to-air and ground-to-groundwaveforms, plus the Wideband Networking Waveform (WNW)and the WIN-T (Warfighter Information Network-Tactical)mobile Satellite Communications waveform. WIN-T utilises theUS DoD Mobile User Objective System satellite constellation.Whereas the SRW is used by individual troops at the squad andplatoon levels, the WNW is designed to provide communicationsbetween aircraft and vehicles, and between command posts andcompany and battalion levels.

Electronic WarfareThe United States Navy is examining the possibility of extendingits Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Programme, which isenhancing the ship-borne Raytheon AN/SLQ-32 family of elec-tronic warfare suites, into the airborne domain. The AdvancedOffboard Electronic Warfare (AOEW) initiative could see the ser-vice’s Sikorsky MH-60R/S Seahawk maritime support helicoptersinstalled with a variant of the AN/SLQ-32 to extend ship-borneelectronic warfare capabilities over the horizon.To this end, the US Navy announced that it expects to award a

contract for Block-1 of the AOEWby the end of 2015. The USNavalSea Systems Command, based in Washington DC, closed a com-petition in November 2014 for the preliminary design and low-rateinitial production phase of the AOEW initiative. The primary rai-son d’etre of the AOEWprogramme is to help protect surface shipsagainst anti-ship missiles such as the Russian SS-N-2 and NPOMashinotroyeniya P-800 Oniks. The AOEW is intended to detectthe radar emissions from the seekers used by these missiles and tojam them accordingly. The logic of positioning the AOEW archi-tecture onboard amaritime support helicopter is to afford a degreeof stand-off range for the ship to allow the jamming of the missilewhen it is some way from its intended target.Staying with naval EW, Exelis has revealed that the Marinen

(Royal Swedish Navy) will begin taking deliveries of the compa-ny’s ES-3701 naval Electronic Support Measure (ESM) within thenext two years, according to awritten statement provided to Pulse.The ESM will be delivered to the force to outfit its ‘Gotland’ and‘Södermanland’ classes of conventional hunter-killer submarines.The ES-3701 detects signals in the two to 18 gigahertz wave-

band covering the majority of naval surveillance radars, provid-ing 360 degrees of azimuth detection. Exelis company literaturestates that the ES-3701 offers a one hundred percent probabilityof intercepting radar signals even in environments where up toone million pulses per second are being detected. The equip-ment’s threat library can accommodate up to 10000 records andup to 500 signals can be tracked simultaneously. Customers havethe option of increasing the detection range for the ES-3701 to 0.5-40GHz. This extension allows the ES-3701 to detect radar emis-sions from millimetre-wave anti-ship missiles. According toExelis’ statement, it expected to conclude supplies of the ES-3701to the Royal Swedish Navy in circa 2022, with between four andeight systems being delivered.

The Philippines Army will receive the Harris RF-7800V Very High Frequencyhandheld radio integrated with the company’s RF-7800I vehicle intercomsystem. These will equip the Philippines Army’s BAE Systems M113A1/A2armoured personnel carriers © Raytheon

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MALAYSIA MODERNISESThe development of the Malaysian armed forces has been mixed over thepast two years. A combination of fiscal issues for the Malaysiangovernment and shifting priorities in response to domestic events havecontributed to the country’s armed forces being unable to advance anumber of their key development plans.

by Dzirhan Mahadzir


These development plans includethe army’s helicopter require-ments, the Royal Malaysian AirForce’s (RMAF) Multi-RoleCombat Aircraft (MRCA) pro-

gramme and the Royal Malaysian Navy’s(RMN) Multi-Purpose Support Ship require-ment. However two key programmes,namely the army’s Deftech AV-8 GempitaInfantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) and theRMN’s Littoral Combat Ship programmeare currently progressing as planned.While part of the problem delaying the

development of the Malaysian armedforces stemmed from the financial issuesfacing the Malaysian government, namelythe lack of funds and the depreciating

ringgit, the Malaysian armed forces havealso been affected by shifting governmentpriorities in regards to defence stemmingfrom Malaysia’s security situation overthe past two years.In 2013, following the aftermath of an

incursion by Sulu insurgents into the EastMalaysian state of Sabah and the subse-quent military operation against them, theMalaysian government formed the EasternSabah Security Command (ESSCOM). ESS-COM is responsible for security in the des-ignated Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESS-ZONE) and stated that it was prioritisingthe acquisition of Maritime Patrol Aircraftand Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) forsurveillance of the waters off eastern Sabah,

and attack helicopters to combat furtherincursions should they occur. However,none of these requirements have materi-alised into formal programmes due to the lack of finance. In March 2014, following the loss of

Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, an inci-dent which remains unresolved, the gov-ernment reprioritised the Malaysian armedforces requirement for the acquisition ofground-based air surveillance radars toprovide adequate coverage of Malaysianairspace. Nevertheless, formal procure-ment programmes in this regard have notmaterialised. In addition, during 2014, aspate of kidnappings for ransom on theeastern Sabah coastline has triggered

The Royal Malaysian Air Force fliesthe MiG-29 Multi-Role CombatAircraft. It is scheduled to bephased out by December 2015.The Malaysian government has yetto decide upon a replacement forthis aircraft © Dzirhan Mahadzir

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further priorities relating to securing thearea with the accompanying purchase ofMalaysian-manufactured Rigid-HullInflatable Boats (RHIBs) for use in opera-tions there. A Memorandum ofUnderstanding (MoU) was signed inOctober 2014 between T-Com of the UnitedStates and Malaysia’s Bintang Kencana toprovide T-Com’s aerostat surveillance sys-tems for use by the Malaysian government.From the MoU it appears the programme

will see the provision of surveillance serv-ices to the to the Malaysian government bylocal company Bintang Kencana in regardto the aerostats, rather than the Malaysiangovernment buying and operating themoutright. A similar arrangement wasalready in place and ongoing for UAV sur-veillance with Malaysian company USTproviding such service through the use ofits Aludra and Insitu Scan Eagle UAVs.

At same time, in regard to security of thewaters off eastern Sabah, in May 2014,defence minister Datuk SeriHishammuddin Hussein announced theintention to have sea bases in the area toallow security forces to rapidly interdictintruders arriving by sea. This has for-malised into two programmes; one coversthe use of ships acting as mobile sea bases,the other being the use of modified ex-oilrigs which would be towed and placed inthe area. The mobile sea base operationcommenced in July 2014 with the RMNoperating the auxiliary ship MT Bunga Mas5 (on lease from Malaysian InternationalShipping Corporation/MISC) as a mobilesea base. The MT Bunga Mas 5 and her

The Deftech AV-8 Gempita Infantry Fighting Vehicle prototype. Twelve production vehiclesdesigned to this specification were delivered in December 2014. A total of 257 vehicles in twelvevariants have been ordered © Dzirhan Mahadzir



sister ship MT Bunga Mas 6 are both con-verted container ships which were modi-fied to perform anti-piracy escort missions.

Although the RMN hopes to have theuse of both ships on lease as mobile seabases, MISC was only willing to releasethe MT Bunga Mas Lima (acquired by theRMN in 2009) with the MT Bunga Mas 6being retained by MISC as a training shipfor its Maritime Academy. Nevertheless,the RMN is in negotiations with MISCregarding the lease of two other shipsfrom the firm for use as sea bases. RMNChief Admiral Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Jaafartold the author that negotiations wereongoing to this end with the issue beingthe proportion of the costs to be borne byboth parties in regard to the use of the twoships. The other programme, using modi-fied ex-oil rigs as sea bases, will com-mence from April 2015 when the first ofan expected three-to-four platforms willbe deployed.

It is likely that no new major procure-ments will be undertaken in 2015 as this isthe last year of the Tenth Plan covering the

2011-2015 timeframe. These five-year plansdetail the Malaysian government’s spend-ing intentions in all areas and as a generalrule most of the key procurements aremade in the first three years of the plan’sduration. Currently, the Malaysian armedforces have submitted their fundingrequests for the Eleventh Plan which willrun between 2016-2020. These submissionswill be reviewed by the government’sEconomic Planning Unit tasked with for-mulating the plan and unveiling it in June2015. It remains to be seen howmany of thearmed forces requests will be granted, par-ticularly with the ringgit’s further depreci-ation (at the time of writing in early 2015)and a decline in the price of a oil whichforms a significant part of the Malaysiangovernment’s revenues.

Malaysian ArmyThe initial twelve AV-8 Gempita IFVsmanufactured by Malaysia’s Deftech werehanded over to the Malaysian Army on 6December 2014. All twelve vehicles weredelivered with a BAE SystemsSharpshooter turret carrying a 25mm can-non and assigned to the 19th Battalion, theRoyal Malay Regiment. A total of 257 vehi-cles in twelve variants have been orderedand Deftech targets a delivery of 67 vehi-cles in 2015 and, assuming this productionrate holds, all 257 vehicles will be deliveredby the end of 2017. The Malaysian Armyhas yet to give any indication as to whetheradditional vehicles will be procuredthough given the investment made inman-ufacturing the AV-8, it is likely that a fol-low-on order could materialise once deliv-eries are completed. Of the 257 vehiclesordered, 48 will be delivered as IFVs, 68will be supplied as the AFV-30 variantequipped with a Denel LCT-30 turret car-rying a 30mm gun, 54 Anti-Tank GuidedWeapon (ATGW) variants will also havethe LCT-30 turret and a 30mm gun plus a

The Malaysian armedforces have submittedtheir funding requests

for the eleventhMalaysian Plan

Malaysian Army soldiers firing mortars duringoperations against Sulu insurgents in Sabah in2013, the aftermath of which has resulted inthe establishment of a security zone in thearea to prevent further similar incursions andattacks © Malaysian Ministry of Defence






bank of two Denel Dynamics Ingwe anti-tank missiles, while the remaining ninevariants consist of specialised versionssuch as surveillance, mortar carrier, com-mand, communications, engineering, andrepair and recovery vehicles. Firing trialsin South Africa are expected to be carriedout in the first quarter of 2015 with theAFV-30 and ATGW types. Once success-fully completed, deliveries of these vari-ants should begin.

On 18 December 2014, deputy defenceminister Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri statedto parliament that the Malaysian Armyhad requested, under the Eleventh Plansix attack helicopters required for securityoperations in the ESSZONE. He also stat-ed to parliament that as an interim meas-ure the Malaysian Cabinet, on 3 December2014, had approved the purchase of tenHybrid M134D-H Gatling guns and

mounts for the Army Air CorpsAgustaWestland AW-109 light utility hel-icopter fleet. It was not specified whetherthe number of guns purchased constitut-ed a one-for-one acquisition to equip thearmy’s ten-strong AW-109 fleet.

The army has yet to publicly reveal itsrequest under the Eleventh Plan but it isexpected that these will include pro-grammes held over from the Tenth Plan,such as the acquisition of Multiple RocketLaunchers (MRLs) to form a third regi-ment supplementing the two AvibrasAstros II MRLs regiments, plus self-pro-pelled artillery and additional 120mmmortars to add to the ones in service.Other requests are expected to include

new four-wheel drive tactical and utilityvehicles, the establishment of an addition-al division of troops to add to the divisionstationed in East Malaysia, and asquadron of utility helicopters.

Royal Malaysian NavyAdmiral Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Jaafarannounced on 7 January in his new yearaddress to the RMN that the service hadrequested funding under the EleventhPlan of 2016-2020 for 36 programmes esti-mated to cost a total of $2.8 billion includ-ing the provision of eight missile corvettes,six maritime support helicopters, smallcraft for operations in East Malaysia andthe replacement of obsolete missile and

A Malaysian Army AgustaWestland AW-109 light utility helicopter during a demonstration displayat the DSA 2014 exhibition. The army’s AW-109s will soon be armed with Hybrid M134D-H Gatlingguns to improve their capabilities © Dzirhan Mahadzir


torpedo systems on existing RMN ships.How much of this will be granted remainsto be seen given the current financialsituation of Malaysia.The Multi-Purpose Support Ship was

not requested by the RMN under theEleventh Plan but instead has been put for-ward under the tri-service requests of theMalaysian armed forces. In the meantimethe steel cutting for the RMN’s first LCSfrom an expected fleet of six has begun.

The LCS is based on the DCNS ‘Gowind’class corvette design and built byMalaysia’s Boustead Heavy IndustriesCorporation. The first ship is expected toenter service in 2019. Details of the ship’sfull capabilities have not been officiallyreleased but it is known that its systemsinclude the DCNS’ SETIS combat manage-ment system, a Thales SMART-S Mk.2three-dimensional naval surveillanceradar, Rheinmetall’s TMEO Mk.2 target-

tracking and fire control system, a ThalesCaptas hull-mounted sonar and a yet-to-beannounced anti-submarine warfare suitewith towed sonar array. Weapons includea BAE Systems 57mm Mk.3 naval gunhoused in a stealth cupola and a J and STriple Tube Torpedo Launcher Systemthough the torpedo to be used is unknown.The LCS’s anti-ship and Surface-to-AirMissiles (SAMs) have yet to be named atthe time of writing. The likelihood is thatthe SAM will be MBDA’s MICA but itappears that for the anti-ship missile, theMBDA MM-38/40 Exocet, which was ini-tially thought to be the system chosen, mayhave been dropped in favour of theKongsberg Naval Strike Missile.

17l MARCH/APRIL 2015 l

The Malaysian Army operates the AvibrasAstros II Multiple Rocket Launcher; currentlythe army has two regiments of 18 launcherseach, but existing plans call for a thirdregiment to be established in the near future© Dzirhan Mahadzir

The Malaysian Army uses the Urovesa VAMTAC tactical vehicle, which is also used by the DominicanRepublic, Morocco, Romania, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. The force is seeking additional four-wheeldrive vehicles although it will not necessarily procure additional VAMTACs © Dzirhan Mahadzir




Royal Malaysian Air ForceChief of the RMAF General Dato’ SriRoslan Saad told the author that the RMAFhas placed the request for the MRCAunder the Eleventh Plan though affordabil-ity remains the issue. The MRCA require-ment to replace the MiG-29s has been stag-nating for the last two years despite theRMAF having openly stated that the MiG-29s are to be retired by the end of 2015. Yetthat statement has provided no impetus tothe Malaysian government to make a for-mal decision on the acquisition of theMRCA. Four aircraft are in contention,namely the Saab JAS-39C/D Gripen, theEurofighter Typhoon, the Dassault RafaleF-3B/C/M and the Boeing F/A-18E/FSuper Hornet, though the future of the lat-ter, the production of which is expected tocease by the end of 2017, may rule it out ofconsideration if Malaysia further delaysthe MRCA acquisition. Other programmeslikely to be requested under the EleventhPlan include ground-based air surveillanceradars and an Airborne Early Warningplatform, with contenders expected toinclude the Northrop Grumman E-2DHawkeye and the Saab Erieye.

The RMAF is scheduled to take deliv-ery of its first Airbus A400M Atlas turbo-prop airlifter in the first quarter of 2015with an additional two delivered by theend of the year, and the final airframebeing delivered in 2016. Recent statementsby Airbus in January state that due todelays, a new delivery schedule would bereleased for the aircraft. This is likely toaffect the Malaysian schedule, though anydelay would, barring any sudden crisis,not affect the RMAF operationally giventhat its Lockheed Martin C-130H/MP andAirbus CN-235 turboprop airlifter fleetsare adequate to handle current opera-tional requirements. The A400Ms will bestationed at RMAF Subang air force baseand will form a new squadron, No.22Squadron, for its operation. The nucleusof its A400M flight crew and support per-sonnel is already undergoing training in

Seville, Spain at the Airbus Defence andSpace International Training Centre.

Upgrades of the RMAF’s C-130H/MPand Sikorksy S-61 medium-lift utility hel-icopter fleets are expected to be for-malised at the 2015 LangkawiInternational Maritime and AerospaceExhibition this March following theaward of MoUs to Malaysia’s Airod com-pany during the Defence Services Asiaexhibition in April 2014. The Letter ofIntent (LoI) for the C-130H/MP upgradecovers the modernisation of the avionicsand communications of the RMAF’s entirefleet of 14 aircraft, while the LoI for the S-61 upgrade covers improvements to theentire fleet of 26 helicopters, which isexpected to outfit the aircraft with newavionics and cockpit displays.

Given Malaysia’s financial situation, itremains to be seen howmany of the armedforces’ requirements will be approvedunder the Eleventh Plan. Nevertheless, thegovernmentmay decide to approve in prin-ciple some of the requests with the caveatthat it will only proceed during the plan’sduration when the country’s financial situ-ation is viable enough to support it.

The Royal Malaysian Navy has utilised ex-commercial ships toassist in its fight against maritime piracy and to enhance security.It is also exploring the possibility of using decommissioned oilplatforms to this end © Royal Malaysian Navy

The requirementto replace the MiG-29

combat aircrafthas been stagnating

for the last two years




In the United States production ofLockheed Martin’s F-22A Raptor-II,arguably the world’s most capableMRCA, was terminated with only197 built in 2011. The production

lines of Boeing’s F-15 Eagle family andF/A-18E/F Super Hornet MRCA are fac-ing closure by the end of the decade leav-ing only the Lockheed Martin F-35A/B/CLightning-II with any long-term future.

The picture in Europe is equally bleakwith the Eurofighter Typhoon andDassault Rafale F-3B/C/M fighting overthe few remaining sales opportunities,mainly in the Middle East and possibly

Malaysia, in order to keep their produc-tion lines open for another few years.Beyond these two aircraft, there is defi-nitely no likelihood of another mannedMRCA project on the horizon. Russia isthe only European nation still developinga fifth-generation MRCA, the Sukhoi T-50PAK-FA, but with its economy now infree fall, its future is less than certain.

ChinaThe mantle of fifth, or even sixth, genera-tion MRCA development has unquestion-ably moved east, with no less than fiveAsian countries involved in indigenous

future MRCA projects, and the clearleader of the field is China. With a $132billion 2014 defence budget, an increase of12.2 percent over the previous year, Chinais forging ahead with the development ofa range of advanced MRCA for thePeople’s Liberation Army Air Force(PLAAF). These include the ChengduAircraft Corporation (CAC) J-20, a fifth-generation MRCA that first flew in 2011.This large twin-engine, twin-fin,canard/delta-wing aircraft, has internalweapons bays capable of housing air-to-air missiles or air-to-ground weaponsplus an additional single-missile bay in


A I R C R A F TCOMBAT

THE GENERATION GAMESince the end of World War Two, the United States has led the field inMulti-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) innovation, closely followed byEurope. Yet in recent years, development has stalled with the last majorinhabited MRCA programmes arguably coming to an end.

by David Oliver

MRCA:AMR 3/3/15 1:42 PM Page 2

each engine intake trunk. To date, six pro-totypes, powered by Russian Saturn AL-31F afterburning turbofans have beenflown while production of the J-20 maycommence in 2017.Only a year after the J-20 was revealed,

a smaller twin-engine, twin-fin fifth-gen-eration stealth fighter took to the air forthe first time. Although the F-35-sizedShenyang J-31 made its public debut atthe 2014 Zhuhai Airshow in China, veryfew details have been officially releasedabout its development programme. Theaircraft has two weapons bays and sixunderwing hardpoints and the prototypes

are powered by two Russian Klimov RD-33 turbofan engines. An August 2013report in China’s People’s Daily stated,“Experts predict that the J-31 will makerapid inroads in the international marketin the future, and will undoubtedly stealthe limelight from the American F-35.”It is not yet clear whether the J-20 and

J-31 are competitors or complementarybut the Achilles’ Heel of both may proveto be problems that China faces in thedevelopment of domestically-producedengines to power them. A new turbofanengine WS-15, designed by the ShenyangEngine Test and Research Institute, is an

option for the J-20, while an uprated ver-sion of the Guizhou WS-13 turbofan, thatwill power the CAC FC-1 MRCA beingproduced by the Pakistan AeronauticalComplex (PAC) as the JF-17 Thunder, isunder development for the J-31. However,development is slow and it will be a con-siderable time before either of the enginescan be put into production.In themeantime, following a testing pro-

gramme that started in late 2008, thePLAAF is taking delivery of larger num-bers of the upgraded CAC J-10B VigorousDragon MRCAs with an uprated SaturnAL-31FN turbofan engine employingthrust vectoring and a passive phased-array radar. The growth of China’s armedforces and its claims to disputed islandsadministered by Tokyo, prompted Japan inJanuary 2015 to increase its defence budgetto $42 billion, up two percent from the

21

The Shenyang J-31 MRCA is being developed for the PLAAF, andpossibly the People’s Liberation Army Navy, as well as attractingforeign customers. The aircraft has similar characteristics to theF-35A/B/C Lightning-II MRCA © Piotr Butowski


China’s large twin-engine Chengdu J-20 is itsmost advanced aircraft programme to developa stealthy long-range MRCA with both an air superiority and deep penetration role © Chinese internet



previous year. Included in the budget werefunds for a US ForeignMilitary Sales (FMS)advanced acquisition contract for a total ofsix F-35A Lightning-II aircraft for the JapanAir Self Defence Force (JASDF) F-X require-ment to replace its McDonnell Douglas F-4EJ Kai Phantom fleet. Japan is looking tofund a total of 28 F-35As by 2018.

JapanLooking further into the future, Japan’sAdvanced Technology Demonstrator-X(ATD-X) Shinshin, developed by theJapanese Ministry of Defence’s TechnicalResearch and Development Institute(TRDI), was rolled out at the MitsubishiHeavy Industries Ltd (MHI) plant atKomaki Minami on 12 July 2014. It will beused to test stealth technologies and capa-bilities for the planned future twin-enginefifth-generation MRCA to replace the

JASDF fleet of Mitsubishi F-2A/B aircraftin 2030 designated as the F-3.

Although it has been reported that thefirst flight of the ATD-X, scheduled forlater this year, has been delayed by soft-ware issues with twin Ishikawajima XF5-1afterburning turbofans, an MHI officialtold AMR that the company is not in aposition to disclose development progress.TRDI launched the ATD-X programme in2009 following the US Congressional banon exports of the F-22A as a research proj-ect to increase Japan’s technical ability todesign and build a fifth-generationMRCAand to decide by 2018 whether it will bean indigenous aircraft or a joint venturewith other nations.

Republic of KoreaLike Japan, the Republic of Korea (RoK)has opted to acquire the F-35A, 40 ofwhich are to be delivered between 2018and 2021 for the Republic of Korea AirForce (RoKAF) F-X Phase III programmeto replace its Northrop Grumman F-5E/Ffleet. Part of the deal includes technologytransfer and technical assistance for thedevelopment of the KF-X, an indigenoustwin-engine MRCA planned as a replace-ment for the RoKAF GeneralDynamics/Lockheed Martin F-16C/DMRCAs from 2025.

The RoK government has approved aninitial $49.5 million in 2015 for the delayedproject and it was widely accepted thatKorea Aerospace Industries (KAI) wouldtake the lead in the KF-X programmebearing in mind its close relationship withLockheed Martin during the design and


Japan’s ATD-X is being developed by TRDI andMHI as a technology demonstrator for a projectedsixth-generation MRCA © TRDI

Japan is lookingto fund a total of 28

F-35As by 2018



development of its T-50 Advanced JetTrainer (AJT).

In October 2014, the RoK governmentsigned an Engineering, Manufacturingand Development (EMD) agreement for ajoint future MRCA based on the KF-Xwith Indonesia, focused on the produc-tion of 250 aircraft at an estimated cost ofbetween $8-10 billion of which Indonesiawould take a 20 percent share as part of itsIF-X MRCA programme. This could resultin the procurement of 200 aircraft for theRoKAF and 50 for the Indonesian AirForce. Although this agreement seemed tofavour the KAI/Lockheed Martin propos-al, Korean Airlines announced at the endof 2014 that it was teaming with Boeingfor the KF-X programme. Boeing, whoseF-15SE Silent Eagle MRCA lost out to theF-35A for the RoKAF F-X Phase III pro-gramme, is proposing an advanced

development of its F/A-18E/F as a costeffective and proven solution to theRoKAF requirement. However, it may benot indigenous enough to satisfy the RoKdefence ministry’s Agency for DefenceDevelopment (ADD) which owns the pro-gramme. Nevertheless, following the can-cellation of the $1.5 billion FMS contractfor the upgrade of 134 RoKAF F-16C/Daircraft by BAE Systems in November2014 due to increasing costs, pressure onthe speedy development of the KF-X hasadded importance.

IndiaAnother country beset with delays to itsindigenous MRCA programme is Indiawhich is developing a new aircraft withRussia based on the Sukhoi T-50 PAK-FA.While Indian and Russian officialsclaimed earlier this year to have agreed onthe preliminary design for theSukhoi/Hindustan Aeronautics Limited(HAL) Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft(FGFA), now officially termed as theProspective Multi-Role Fighter (PMF) by

The RoK government’s cancellation of BAESystems’ contract to upgrade the RoKAF fleet ofF-16C/Ds in November 2014, may add furtherimpetus to the development of its indigenousKF-X programme © Lockheed Martin

The Russian Sukhoi T-50 PAK-FA is the basis forthe Indian Air Force’s fifth-generationProspective Multi-Role Fighter programmealthough requirements are changing, costs risingand development is moving slowing © Sukhoi





India, serious challenges remain to beovercome by both sides.

The initiative has already suffered sig-nificant delays and cost overruns asrequirements have shifted and technicalproblems affect the $10.5 billion PMF pro-gramme. The primary objections to theaircraft’s preliminary design features thatthe Indian Air Force (IAF) has highlightedinclude the inadequacy of its Saturn AL-41F1A turbofans, its stealth features,weapons carriage system and the opera-tional capability of the Byelka ActiveElectronically Scanned Array radar. TheIAF has already reduced its originalrequirement for 220 aircraft to between130 and 145 with entry into service by theearly 2020s. The consequence of thischange is that HAL’s work share has beenreduced to 13 per cent from around 25percent originally negotiated in 2013.

Russian officials have reportedly toldthe IAF that the AL-41F1 engines areonly used in the prototypes for the initialflight test programme and that a replace-ment powerplant is under developmentfor the production aircraft, thought to bea new turbofan from Salyut, but this hasyet to be confirmed. Similarly, the AESAradar’s proficiency and stealth featuresare being improved as the flight test pro-gramme continues.

Russia also maintains that the IAF con-tinues to change its requirements and, untilrecently, was still pressing for 45-50 two-seat variants of the aircraft. Since Russia

demanded an additional $1 billion indevelopment funding and extended deliv-ery deadlines, the IAF has indicated that itwould drop this requirement.

Other issues that have to be addressedby both sides include the downturn of theRussian economy that may well impact onthe T-50 development programme and theevolution of its new power plant. Flight-testing was delayed following the damagesuffered to the fifth T-50 prototype whenfire broke out in the starboard engine as itlanded at Zhukovsky air base outsideMoscow on 10 June 2014. The cause hasnot been revealed by the Russians despiterequests from the IAF.

The IAF’s other problem is the protract-ed procurement of 126 Dassault RafaleMRCAs from France estimated to be worth$15 billion. The contract, which at the timeof writing in February 2014 was reportedly

Another countrybeset with delays to its

indigenous MRCAprogramme is India

France and India are reportedly in the final negotiationsfor the sale and licensed production of 126 DassaultRafale MRCA to replace the Indian Air Force’s fleets ofSoviet-era MiG-21 and MiG-27 MRCA © Dassault




in its final stages of negotiation, calls for thefirst 18 aircraft to be produced by Dassaultwhile HAL would establish an assemblyline for delivery of the balance. The Rafalewas selected for the IAF’s Medium MRCAprogramme to replace its diminishing fleetsof MiG-21Bis/Bison/M/MF and MiG-27ML MRCAs.France is desperate to conclude the first

export sale of the Rafale which is subject toseveral costly upgrade programmes toincrease its combat capability. FrenchRafales have been deployed to supportcombat operations in Afghanistan, Libya,Mali and Iraq and Armée de l’Air (FrenchAir Force). Rafale F-3Cs took part inExercise Garuda at the IAF’s Jodhpur airforce base in June 2014.Facing delays with both the Russian and

French MRCA programmes and a shortfallin the IAF’s combat aircraft fleets, HAL hasclaimed that additional Sukhoi Su-30MKIMRCA could address this shortfall. HALwon an initial $3 billion tender to licence-

build 140 Su-30MKIs in India that wassigned with Russia in December 2000 andthe IAF has a requirement to operate a totalof 272 of the type by 2020. However, theIAF’s current Su-30MKI fleet has sufferedfrom low serviceability rates despite a$18.3 million Maintenance, Repair andOverhaul (MRO) programme being under-taken by HAL which was designed toincrease the type’s operational life to 25years and 6000 flying hours.HAL’s ability to manufacturer and

maintain complex advanced aircraft hasbeen called into question recently follow-ing protracted deliveries of the BAESystems Hawk-132 AJT lead-in jet trainerand the development of the indigenousTejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) whichdoes not bode well for the PMF and Rafaleprogrammes.

PakistanMeanwhile, India’s close neighbour andrival, Pakistan is in no position to develop

an indigenous fifth-generation MRCA. Ithas been bolstering its diverse fleets ofageing fleet of combat aircraft of whichthe F-16A/B is the most potent. During2014, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) tookdelivery of eleven F-16As and two two-seat F-16Bs from the Royal Jordanian AirForce (RJAF). In addition, TurkishAerospace Industries (TAI) delivered thelast of 41 upgraded F-16A/B Block-15sunder a Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) con-tract signed in June 2009 carried out aspart of the PAF Peace Drive II programme.Its close alliance with China continues tosupport Pakistan’s drive to acquire mod-ern MRCAs with joint development by thePakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC)and China’s CAC. These include the JF-17,the PAF’s variant of the FC-1, the FC-20,an upgraded version of the J-10B (seeabove). If this relationship continues,Pakistan may become the first export cus-tomer for China’s latest fifth-generationMRCA, the Shenyang J-31.

The IAF plans to operate a fleet of 272Sukhoi Su-30MKI MRCAs. These will berequired for the force by 2020. Most of theaircraft will be assembled by HAL © IAF



F I R E P O W E RARTILLERY

UP-GUNNINGTHE GOD OF WARAn unknown artillerist once claimed that “artilleryprovides class to what would otherwise be avulgar brawl”. Whether or not this is true, it is certain that artillery can be a crucial factorin determining success or failure in battle.

by Stephen Miller


Artillery Firepower:AMR 3/3/15 2:15 PM Page 2

It is documented that in World WarTwo and the Korean War the percent-age of casualties caused by artilleryand indirect fires ranged frombetween 60 to 70 percent. As com-

pelling as these figures are they do not fullyreflect artillery’s importance. It extends theability of the ground commander to reachout and directly impact on his opponent.

For centuries, artillery has had the capa-bility to decisively shape the battle. Withnew capabilities provided by advances intechnology, today’s artillery cannot onlyengage targets at greater ranges, 40 kilo-metres (25 miles) for guns and over 100km(54 miles) for rockets and missiles, but cando so with the precision of a few metres.These abilities open vast new possibilitiesthat are just being recognised for theirapplications in combat.

The modernisation of ground forcescapabilities has received progressivelymore attention in the Asia-Pacific in recentyears. As these armies modernise theircapabilities, upgrading their artillery arma-ments is one of their priorities. For a num-ber of countries these changes are drivenby perceived growing threats to their secu-rity. This has caused them to alter theirdefence doctrines prompting a revision oftheir operational plans and force structure,thus triggering new equipment require-ments. For artillery, some of these capabil-ities can be gained through improvementsto existing in-service weapons or the pro-curement of improved ammunition.Others require the acquisition or develop-ment of new artillery systems. An ancillaryobjective for some countries is to furtherdevelop indigenous defence industrialcapabilities. Each of these avenues is beingpursued by armies in the Asia-Pacificregion. It is, therefore, worth taking a lookat those programmes which are introduc-ing some significant new capabilities.

JapanThe latest Japanese Defence Policy issuedin 2013 reflects a new focus on rapidly-deploying ground forces to repel inva-sions and retake territory including build-ing an air and amphibious expeditionarycapability. This is a direct response to dis-putes with China over the sovereignty of


Truck-mounted artillery has been well received by armiesin the Asia-Pacific. Nexter’s CAESAR 155mm howitzerwas one of the first and was selected and fielded by theThai Army. They are viewed as a cost-effective alternateto tracked self-propelled guns © Nexter

27 l MARCH/APRIL 2015 l



the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands in the EastChina Sea. A force restructuring is under-way that will reduce the number of heavycombat units while developing more flex-ible manoeuvre formations. Presently theJapan Ground Self-Defence Force (JGSDF)primarily relies on the towed FH70 155mm Howitzer (manufactured underlicence by Japan Steel Works), the Type 99Self-Propelled (SP) Howitzer (a localdesign and production by Mitsubishi andJapan Steel Works using the FH70 155gun), the Lockheed Martin M270 MultipleLaunch Rocket System and M110 203mmSP Howitzers.

Japan’s reorganisation dictates a reduc-tion in the artillery by over 200 guns. It isreasonable to expect this may particularlyapply to the older manually-loaded M110.

In many armies the MLRS has replacedM110s in the general support role,although with the exception of the FH70,the JGSDF’s artillery pieces are not easilydeployed. One option that could be consid-ered would be the addition of theLockheed Martin HIMARS; a truck-mounted ‘MLRS’. HIMARS uses the samemunitions as the M270 which is alreadybeing manufactured in Japan by IHIAerospace. However, the availability offunds and the budget will determine whatcan be done and how quickly.

Republic of KoreaFaced with the massive threat from theartillery of the Democratic People’sRepublic of Korea which maintains gunswithin range of Seoul, the RoK Army hasgiven much attention to its own artilleryand to building a domestic defence indus-trial base to this end. The latter has been sosuccessful that the RoK’s defence industryis beginning to export its wares. Amongthem are its artillery systems. SamsungTechwin (now Samsung Thales) is manu-facturing the K9 Thunder 155mm SPhowitzer. The K9 operates in conjunctionwith its companion K10 automaticAmmunition Re-supply Vehicle built onthe same chassis. Using this latter vehiclemaximises the effectiveness of the K9’sMRSI (Multiple Rounds Simultaneous

Japan’s reorganisationdictates a reduction

in artillery by over200 guns

The FH70 towed howitzer is the only Japanese GroundSelf Defence Force artillery system that is airtransportable by fixed and rotary-wing aircraft. As such itis their only artillery system suitable for use with the newrapid deployment concept being developed © JGSDF



Impact) capability. WithMRSI it fires threeshells in under 15 seconds each in a differ-ent trajectory so that all of the shellsimpact their target at the same time. The155mm gun has a range of up to 40 kilo-metres (25 miles). K9 and K10 productionis ongoing to fill RoK requirements forover 1100 units. It has also been exportedto Poland, licence-built in Turkey (as theT-155 Firtina), is being offered to India andwas short-listed for the Australian Land 17Artillery Replacement Programme.

Truck-mounted artillery is in wide-spread use with armies in the Asia-Pacific.Samsung’s effort in the form of the EV0-105 takes the gun of the Rock IslandArsenal M101A1 105mm howitzer andmounts it on the Kia Motors KM500 six-wheel drive truck chassis. It uses the samefire control system as the K9 and can firewithin 60 seconds of halting. The go-aheadfor development was given in October2013 with initial deliveries to the RoKArmy scheduled for 2017. The RoK

The majority of the Republic of Korea Army artillery is now of domestic design and manufacture.The K9 155mm self-propelled howitzer has even been exported with versions being introduced inTurkey (as the T-155 Firtina) and Poland © RoK MoD


Designed for mission


requirement is understood to be for 800units. A company-funded project byDoosan DST and Samsung Thales is devel-oping a truck-mounted version is employ-ing the guns from the Kia Heavy IndustriesKH-179, an older towed 155mm howitzer.

The RoK has the M270 but in October2014 announced it had placed a contractwith Chun Moo for the locally-developedK-MRLS vehicle. The K-MLRS is a truckequipped with an armoured cab that canfit two pods, one for 130mm and anotherfor 230 mm rockets. This platform has amaximum range of 80km (50 miles) forthe 130mm rocket and 160km (99 miles)for the 230mm rocket. The initial order isfor 58 units.

MalaysiaThe Malaysian Army’s artillery has reliedprimarily on towed guns. These include

the M101 105mm and Oto Melara Mod.56Lightweight 105mm howitzer, twelveFH70s and 22 Denel G5s towed howitzers.Its most recent acquisition is the ASTROS-II MLRS from Avibras in Brazil (please seeDzirhan Mahadzir’s article ‘MalaysiaModernises’ in this issue). An initial orderfor 36 systems was followed in 2012 by anadditional 18. The ASTROS II (ArtillerySaturation Rocket System) is mounted on asix-wheel drive truck. It can employ rock-ets ranging from 127mm to 300mm whichfit in pods with ranges to 16km (ten miles).

IndonesiaThe Indonesian Army has followed itsneighbour to the north and also pur-chased the ASTROS II with an order for 36systems. This is part of a broader artillerymodernisation which includes acquisi-tions of the Nexter CAESAR 155mm

truck-mounted howitzer from France andthe KH-179 155mm towed howitzer fromthe RoK. The CAESAR was developed toreplace towed guns and to provide mobileindirect firepower air transportable in aLockheed Martin C-130 series turbopropfreighter at a lower price than tracked SPhowitzers. The CAESAR has been mount-ed on both the Renault Sherpa andMercedes Unimog six-wheel drive truckchassis. The 155mm gun delivers a roundat a range of 34km (21 miles) with stan-dard munitions and 44km (27 miles) withextended-range rounds. It has an integrat-ed Sagem inertial navigation/global posi-tioning system, the Nexter/AirbusDefence and Space FAST-Hit comput-erised, automated fire control system andsemi-automatic loading. These allow theCAESAR to fire its first rounds within oneminute and to relocate in 20 seconds.


The ASTROS multiple launch rocket system from Avibráshas been fielded by both the Malaysian and Indonesianarmies. Its rockets include 127mm, 180mm and 300mmrounds making it adaptable for many missions © Avibras



ThailandThe first export customer for CAESARwas the Royal Thai Army (RTA), with sixexamples delivered in 2010. Clearly thebenefits of the truck-mounted howitzerhave been recognised by the RTA as theyhave launched a programme to developan indigenous version. The Thai WeaponProduction Centre (WPC) is using a Volvosix-wheel drive truck as a platform for anew 155mm self-propelled howitzer. It isunderstood that they have selected theElbit Systems Soltam Autonomous Truck-Mounted System 155mm howitzer withthe first of the initial six to be completedthis year.Thailand is also fielding an MLRS. It is

seeking the USHIMARS through a ForeignMilitary Sales but is also continuing devel-opment of an indigenous Multiple RocketLauncher. This appears to be a continua-tion of a project originally conducted joint-ly with the People’s Republic of China. TheDefence Technology Institute (DTI), the

Thai Ministry of Defence’s (MoD’s) pri-mary research and development arm,announced in December 2014 that it willdevelop and manufacture the DTI-2, anindigenous 122mm MLRS. Part of thiseffort will focus on gradually extending itsrange to 40km. Delivery is expected tobegin to the RTA by the end 2015.

SingaporeThe Singapore Army is also acquiring theHIMARS (M142 High Mobility ArtilleryRocket System). The order includes 18HIMARS launchers, nine FMTV re-loader/transporter trucks and XM31 uni-tary high-explosive general MLRS pods.Interestingly, it has been reported that theyare not receiving M-26 unguided MLRS

rockets. The final unit of 18 ordered wasdelivered in 2011 to the 23rd Battalion,Singapore Artillery. This fielding made itactually the first artillery unit to be fullyequipped with Global Positioning System(GPS) guided HIMARS.The army continues to use its ST

Kinetics PEGASUS 155mm towed how-itzer and Singapore Self-PropelledHowitzer 1 (SSPH 1) Primus. The latterwas the result of the Singapore Army real-ising that its SP Howitzer needed toweigh less than 30 tons and be no widerthan three metres (ten feet) to travel onlocal roads. Its digital fire control system,integrated positioning, on-board ammu-nition magazine and automated loadingand gun-laying allows it to fire a burst ofthree rounds in 20 seconds and a sus-tained maximum rate-of-fire of sixrounds-per-minute. ST Kinetics continuesto improve both systems. PEGASUS’ useof advanced metals makes it at 5400kg(11800lb) one of the lightest 155mm how-

Artillery is a criticalelement and must

be mobile, adaptableand capable





itzers around. ST Kinetics has offered it toa number of export customers includingAustralia and India.

AustraliaThe Australian Army Land 17 artilleryreplacement programme was planned intwo phases. The objective was to replaceboth the M198 155mm howitzers and BAESystems L119 and M2A2 105mm guns.The initiative was approved and launchedin 2006. Phase 1A considered towed how-itzers and included the BAE SystemsM777 and the PEGASUS (see above).Phase 2C evaluated self-propelled 155mmsystems and was closely watched as itincluded a range of candidates from truck-mounted systems like the BAE BoforsArcher and CAESAR (see above) to KraussMaffei Wegmann and Rheinmetall’s PzH-2000, the RoK’s K9 (see above), and theUnited States’ modernised BAE SystemsM109A6 Paladin-PIM self-propelled sys-tems. Phase 1B was for acquiring a fullydigital and networked fire control/man-agement system.

At the same time as the competitionwas underway, Australian forces operat-ing in Afghanistan, recognising theirimmediate need for better indirect firecapabilities, requested M777 systems fromthe US under Foreign Military Sales (FMS)in July 2008. By using the FMS processthey were able to receive guns directlyfrom the US military which was expeditedto address Australia’s urgent combatneeds. Sources in the Royal AustralianArtillery indicate that the immediateavailability of the M777 offered by the USGovernment, and the proven record of thegun were major considerations in its selec-tion. That the M777 was adopted by theUS Marines and Canadian Army, who theAustralian Army views as having similaroperational requirements and with whichthey worked closely in Afghanistan, mayhave also been a key factor.

The M777 ultra-lightweight 155mmhowitzer is manufactured by BAE Systems.It was developed in a joint programmewith the United Kingdom and the US, andwas designed to replace the M198 155mm

howitzer. A major consideration was toreduce the weight to allow it to be movedby heavy-lift helicopters. Yet the gun hadto fire all existing 155mm ammunitionincluding the Excalibur guided projectilewith a range of 40km (25 miles). The gunproved able to do all this with a grossweight of only 4410kg (9700 lbs).

By incorporating soldier friendlydesign elements and using integrated firecontrol it is possible for the M777 to beserviced with a crew of only five if neces-sary. It was successfully employed inAfghanistan and is also fielded by theCanadian Army as well as the US Armyand US Marine Corps. Kelly Golden,director of external communications atBAE Systems, stated that the company“views the adoption of the M777 byCanada and Australia as evidence of thesystems ability to fill the needs of manyarmies for an effective, long-range indi-rect fire system that is fully deployable ina combat proven system. That M777 is theonly 155mm howitzer weighing below10000kg (4218lb) which further addressesthe needs of many users in the region.”

Following a comprehensive evaluation.The Land 17 Phase 2C initiative short-list-ed the PzH2000 and K9 SP howitzer.However, in May 2012 the defence budg-et was reduced, cancelling a number ofprojects including the self-propelledartillery programme. The AustralianArmy instead increased its buy of M777sby 18 to fill the gap for the regular forces.How the needs of the reserve forces willbe met is still to be determined.

The FutureThe ability to conduct combined-armscombat operations is recognised as themark of an effective and professionalarmy. Artillery is a critical element incombine arms and must be mobile, adapt-able and capable of supporting groundcombat formations. The trend to moreflexible, but smaller, forces will likelyincrease reliance on artillery. The empha-sis on improving accuracy and perform-ance, increasing range and providingmore deployable guns assure that furthermodernisations will be forthcoming inthe region.

Australia’s LAND 17 Artillery Modernisation Programme was to select and field both new towed andself-propelled guns. Instead the Australian Army procured towed M777 155mm Ultra-LightweightHowitzers from the United States © USMC


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S E C U R I T YMARITIME

COAST GUARDSThe undulating waters of coastlines and oceans, plus the sheermultitude of vessels of all sizes moving across the surface, provide ideal hiding places for illegal activities. Coastal surveillanceradars help to spot abnormal behaviour on the high seas before it becomes a threat on the shore.

by Thomas Withington

Coast Guards:AMR 3/3/15 1:46 PM Page 2

The safety and security of portsand coastlines in the Asia-Pacificis of paramount concern to anynation in the region with a seashore. While international air-

ports around the globe now resemble post-modern fortresses as regards to their secu-rity provisions, to an extent harbours andports remain the weak link in a nation’ssecurity infrastructure.

The sheer volume of cargo which flowsthrough ports around the world on a dailybasis in the form of container traffic is hardto check in detail. Insurgents seeking toapproach their targets from the sea, muchas members of the Lashkar-e-Taiba organi-sation didwhen they hit targets inMumbaiin late-November 2008, can hide amongstlarger vessels and even within the swell ofthe ocean. The Times of India reported thisJanuary that the country’s Coast Guardhad warned that small vessels, principallythose less than 20 metres (66 feet) in length,were posing a security challenge along thecoasts of the states of West Bengal andOdisha in eastern India given the fact thataround 9000 fishing boats ply their tradeoff the north-eastern coast of India with theidentity of each boat having to be physical-ly checked by Coast Guard officials.

Such physical checks are a necessitybecause such small-sized vessels are notmandated to carry the InternationalMaritime Organisation’s (IMO) AutomaticIdentification System (AIS), compulsory forall civilian ships displacing over 300 tonnes.The AIS is a transponder-based systemwhich emits a Very High Frequency(VHF/30-300 megahertz) or satellite com-munications ‘squawk’ providing details ofthe vessel’s identity, course, position andspeed. Outfitting every vessel around theworld which goes to sea, regardless of size,is a seemingly impossible task, not least asthe expense of installing anAIS transponderon a small vessel could consume a large partof the livelihood of a fishing boat captain.

Nevertheless, help is at hand fromcoastal radar. Crucially, radar can be usedto detect the bizarre or unusual behaviourof ships and boats some distance from thecoastline. Radar can work during the dayand night, and is capable of seeing someconsiderable distance, particularly if

mounted on a tower or a cliff top.Although radar has a line-of-sight range(with the exception of some radars whichare able to use the moist air directly abovethe sea to carry their radar pulses beyondthe horizon), detection range can beincreased the higher the radar is placedabove sea level.

IdentificationCoastal radars are often equipped with anAIS antenna capable of receiving VHFtransmissions from civilian vessels man-dated to carry AIS transponders. That saidwell-trained coastal radar operators candetect the tell-tale signs of a vessel whichmay have more nefarious work in mind,such as delivering guerrillas or smugglingpeople or narcotics, rather than simply net-ting a good catch of fish and seafood.Spotting such threats before they reach theshore is a matter of detecting the unusual.Coastal radar operators who regularly con-centrate on the same patch of waters learnto observe patterns of normal vessel behav-iour such as the voyage of a cruise ship, themovement of a ferry or the slow navigationof a fishing boat. A fast boat carrying nar-cotics, pirates shadowing a cargo ship, orinsurgents trying to reach a coastline canstick out like a needle in a haystackamongst the traffic.

The sea brings its own challenges as faras radar is concerned. Its surface is in con-stant motion while storms can whip uphigh waves masking the presence of asmall vessel. These high waves manifestthemselves as ‘clutter’, radar echoes whichappear on the operator’s screen. Therougher the ocean, the more clutter canappear, and it is within this clutter that asmall vessel can hide; hence the imperativefor a coastal radar to discriminate clutterand spot small targets such as boats or jetskis. As a means of comparison, a RigidHull Inflatable Boat (RHIB) can have aradar cross section as small as one squaremetre (over ten square feet).

Favourite BandTraditionally, coastal surveillance radarshave used the S and X-band sections of theelectromagnetic spectrum, 2.3-2.5/2.7-3.7gigahertz (Ghz) and 8.5-10.68 Ghz


Airbus Defence and Space’s coastalsurveillance radar offerings include theSPEXER-2000. This X-band radar is availablein two versions with differing azimuths, andhas sold particularly well in the Middle East© Airbus Defence and Space




respectively. As with many aspects ofradar engineering, there is no perfect bandfor coastal radars. S-band has good per-formance in adverse weather, although X-band offers more detailed target resolu-tion, but at the cost of bad weather pene-tration, enabling the radar operator to bet-ter determine the target’s identity.Essentially, coast guard and law enforce-ment authorities have to decide whetherresistance to ‘rain fade’ (degradation inradar performance caused by bad weather)or target discrimination is a more pressingpriority: one way to address this potential-ly vexing choice is to opt for a variety of Xand S-band radars around the coastline.

X-band has been the frequency of choicefor Airbus Defence and Space’s SPEXER-2000 coastal surveillance radar which pro-vides a detection range of almost ten nauti-cal miles (18 kilometres). This radar is avail-able in two versions, providing 120 and 240degrees of azimuth coverage respectively.To date, the firm has provided around 40 ofthese radars to customers in the MiddleEast, according towritten statement provid-ed by the company to AMR. Similarly X-band is used by Thales’ Coast Watcher-100solid state, pulse Doppler (see below)coastal surveillance radar. This radar has aninstrumented range (see below) of 100nm(185km) for surface targets, with low alti-tude air targets being detected at 50nm(93km). According to André Kellenberger,business development manager for theCoastWatcher-100, if the radar is positionedat an altitude of 3281 feet (1000 metres)above sea level, it can detect a small targetsuch as a ‘go-fast’ boat at 60nm (111km).One interesting design feature of the CoastWatcher-100 is its integral AIS (see above)receiver. Like other radar surveyed in thisarticle, it is designed to detect surface tar-gets, including small targets, and low-alti-tude air targets such as helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft and Unmanned AerialVehicles. Although the radar is deployedfor coastal security throughout SoutheastAsia, Thales keeps such customer detailsconfidential. Like many other radars in thisarticle, such as Exelis’ LCR-2020 (seebelow), the radar can share its picture withcoastal surveillance officials locatedremotely at a control centre, for example,

across internet protocol or Ethernet con-nections using the ASTERIX (All PurposeStructured Eurocontrol SurveillanceInformation Exchange) protocol.

Kelvin Hughes’ SBS (Shore BasedSystem) radar family all use X-band and S-band transmissions. These radars use thecompany’s SharpEye solid-state transceiv-er. A solid-state transceiver dispenses withthe use of vacuum tubes to generate itsradar signal According to Mark Bown,group marketing manager at the company,the SharpEye transceiver allows the detec-tion of targets with “small radar cross sec-tions of circa half a square metre (2.6square feet) to be detected even in the pres-ence of heavy sea and rain clutter.”SharpEye also performs an interestingpulse transmission technique: “It transmitsthree pulses as part of each transmission; ashort, medium and long pulse. Thisenables us to detect short, medium and

long-range targets simultaneously.” Mr.Bown adds that the company’s SBS seriesradars are in service across the Asia-Pacificregion providing coastal and port securityin Australia, Christmas Island and in theislands throughout the Indonesian archi-pelago and Malaysia.

While several coastal surveillanceradars operate in the S and X-bands, thereare some important exceptions. For exam-ple, Exelis’ LCR-2020 is a C-band (5.25-5.925GHz) radar. Kevin Davis, the firm’sdirector of business development for radarand reconnaissance, says that the productuses the C-band as it “gives gooddetectability and ground and sea clutterdiscrimination. We also don’t suffer toomuch with rain fade.” Another attraction isthat a C-band radar will not cause interfer-ence with S or X-band military air surveil-lance or civilian Air Traffic Management(ATM) radars which might be positionednear the coastline to watch the skies or toprovide ATM to a local airport.

The LCR-2020, 17 of which are in serviceproviding coastal surveillance in theRepublic of Korea (where they are locallydesignated as the GPS-100), is a

As with many aspectsof radar engineering,

there is no perfectband for coastal radars

Thales’ Coast Watcher-100 coastal surveillance radar can be used to perform both coastalsurveillance and the detection of low-altitude air targets, including helicopters, fixed-wingaircraft and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles © Thales



two-dimensional (range and azimuth)radar with an instrumented range of 54nm(100km); a radar’s instrumented range isthe maximum range at which the radar’sfull performance is required by the opera-tor. For example, a radarmay detect targetsat some distance, but be unable to classifywhat these targets are. The instrumentedrange refers to the distance at which theradar can perform all of its classificationand clutter discrimination capabilities. TheLCR-2020 has an interesting design featurein that it is a dual-beam radar with a highand low beam, the former of which allowsthe detection and tracking of aircraft at arange of 81nm (150km), and the latterwhich detects targets on the sea surfaceeven in high clutter conditions.

ArchitectureDifferent architectures are also used forcoastal radars, chiefly FrequencyModulated ContinuousWave (FMCW) andPulse Doppler approaches. Pulse Dopplerradars follow a relatively simple principle.These radars measure the time differencebetween the transmission of a radar pulsetravelling at the speed of light (161,987knots-per-second/300,000km-per-second)and the reflection of that pulse as an echofrom the target. Target range is thus deter-mined by measuring the time that it takesfor the pulse to return to the radar as anecho. As their name implies, these radarsalso use the Doppler Effect, a change in

frequency which a pulse experiences afterbeing reflected as an echo. The measure-ment of the ‘Doppler Shift’ from the origi-nal transmitted frequency compared to thefrequency of the returned echo makes thecalculation of a target’s speed relative to theposition of the radar possible.A host of pulse Doppler radars are on

the market, including Indra’s iCSR 20. ThisX-band radar is “a long-range and high-resolution” coastal radar, according to awritten statement supplied to AMR by thecompany. The statement adds that it

“features pulse compression techniquesimproved with Doppler processing”.Pulse compression is a process by which aradar transmits several thousand of pulsesper second. These hit the target and returnas thousands of echoes giving the operatora high degree of target discrimination inthe same fashion that a picture made up ofseveral thousand pixels is more detailedthan one made up of several hundred.Ranges offered by the iCSR 20 are in theregion of 15nm (28km) for a small targetand 56nm (30km) for larger vessels.The Doppler Effect is also used by

FMCW radars to determine the speed ofmoving targets. However, as stationarytargets produce no Doppler Shift, anFMCW radar increases and decreases itstransmission frequency during a specifictimeframe without changing the ampli-tude of the signal it transmits. The attrac-tion of FMCW radars is that they havegood clutter discrimination, and less tech-nical complexity and power consumptionthan pulse Doppler radars. This reducesprocurement and operating costs.


Exelis’ LCR-2020 radar is in service in theRepublic of Korea. It uses dual-beam technologywhich means that it can detect air and surfacetargets and, unlike many port and coastalsecurity radars, operates in the C-band © Exelis

Kelvin Hughes’ SBS S-band and X-bandcoastal surveillance radar family have thefirm’s SharpEye solid state transceiver at theircore. They can be tower-mounted to increasetheir range and are used throughout theAsia-Pacific region © Kelvin Hughes



Blighter Surveillance Systems’ B400series radars are exceptions to the X and S-band rule. The B400 family also uses FMCWtechniques. Mark Radford, the company’schief executive officer, says that one of theattractions of using the FMCW approach ispower consumption. “Blighter uses efficientFMCW radar processing technology.Whereas pulse radars generally emit manykilowatts of radar energy, ours emits onlyfour watts in its highest power version.”The B400 family uses Ku-band (13.4-14/15.7-17.7GHz) transmissions. Such com-paratively high frequency transmissionsproduce excellent radar resolution,although at the cost of range. Nevertheless,this provides the radar with an impressiveperformance regarding the detection of“smugglers, pirates, illegal migrants andinsurgents using jet skis, kayaks and RHIBsat ranges of up to nine nauticalmiles (16km)away,” says Mr. Radford. The B400 series isbuilt around a modular architecture whichuses individual antennae to provideazimuths of “90, 180, 270 or 360 degrees andelevation beams of either five, ten or 20degrees,” Mr. Radford adds. The firm’sradars are in service across the Asia-Pacific,although the majority of the sites wherethey are in use remain classified.

PerformanceHowmight coastal radar technology devel-op in the future? Indra believes that passiveradar could prove increasingly useful insafeguarding coastlines. Put simply, pas-sive radars do not emit. Instead, they ‘lis-ten’ for disturbances in the artificial electro-magnetic radiation which surrounds usconstantly such as mobile phone transmis-sions, and television and radio signals toname just three sources. This technology isalready showing promise as far as air sur-veillance is concerned, with Indra unveilingin February 2013 its APIS (Array PassiveInverse Synthetic Aperture Radar AdaptiveProcessing) passive radar which it hasdeveloped with a number of internationalpartners. Indra’s written statement saysthat “this type of radar offers differentadvantages, such as its undetectability (itdoes not emit signals), low cost and the pos-sibility to use the radar practically any-where.” Costs are kept down as passive

radars do not emit any signals meaningthat there is no need for the complex elec-tronic engineering inherent in a radar,while its lack of emissions make it particu-larly attractive for coast guards who maywant to discreetly watch an area of coast-line without announcing their presence inthe form of detectable radar transmissions.

A second technology under examinationis High Frequency (HF/three to 30 mega-hertz) radar. Since the advent of radarbefore and during the Second World War,radar technology has utilised increasinglyhigher wavebands which have offered pro-gressively better target resolution. HF radiotransmissions have important properties.They are able to use the ionosphere, an areaof the atmosphere between 40nm (70km)and 540nm (1000km) above the earth’s sur-face which acts as a natural satellite dishupon which HF radio waves can ‘bounce’to travel over the horizon. Indra states that“HF technology provides extended cover-age. It is one of the solutions for long rangesurveillance.” Yet the firm’s statement addsthat, “Intensive research is needed in thedevelopment of HF radars (for) improvedperformance, reduced costs, lower powerrequirements and portability,” before thistechnology can be practically used forcoastal radar applications.

While HF technology and passive radaroffer clear attractions as far as futurecoastal radar developments are concerned,new operating modes also promiseimprovements in performance. Mr. Davissays that Exelis is seeing “a growing desirefor affordable three-dimensional (3D)radar in port and coastal security applica-tions.” While two-dimensional radar pro-vides information on target range andazimuth, 3D radar also provides informa-tion on target altitude. This allows radarsto detect flying objects, particularly thosehugging the sea surface, possibly in anattempt to evade radar detection, alongwith marine craft. Narcotics traffickers, forexample, have been known to fly low alti-tude flight profiles in the Caribbean in abid to escape radar detection.

Enhancements in computer processingpower promise improvements in radarperformance. Moore’s Law, the observa-tion by Gordon E. Moore, a co-founder ofthe Intel semiconductor chip company,that the number of transistors which can beaccommodated on a single chip doublesevery two years, has clear implications forthe radar domain. The more transistors achip can accommodate, the higher its per-formance becomes. This increases comput-er processing power.Mr. Kellenberger con-tinues that “this constant increase of com-puter processing power will enable thedevelopment of more sophisticated algo-rithms which will enhance radar perform-ances in terms of target classification andabnormal behaviour analysis.”


Moore's Law has clearimplications for

technological evolutionin the radar domain

Blighter Surveillance System’s B400 radar family uses a modular approach to give the customer anumber of configurations which offer a range of azimuths and elevations. These radars areparticularly suitable for short-range surveillance © Blighter



80%

To make the most of these tech-nologies, however, they have tobe properly integrated. JohanTofte, systems engineer at Saabresponsible for development of

the 9Land Soldier dismounted Commandand Control (C2) system, argues that inte-gration is the biggest challenge. He told

AMR that this should not only pull dis-parate sensors together, but enable vehi-cle-mounted systems to support dis-mounted troops much more effectively,with consequences for squad weapon andsensor combinations. Before we discussthis in more detail, it is worth looking atsome recent advances.

Hand-Held TargetingThe Moskito TI hand-held observation andtargeting device was launched jointly bySafran companies Vectronix and Sagem in2014. In a package with a claimed weight ofunder three kilograms (six pounds), it com-bines direct view day optics, thermal imag-ing and a low light television cameras plus


R E C O N N A I S S A N C EDISMOUNTED

Small UAVs provide organic over-the-hill reconnaissancecapabilities for dismounted infantry and special forces.Controp’s STAMP family of payloads both mirror andenable the trend to further miniaturisation in this class ofunmanned air vehicle © Controp

SEEING IS BELIEVINGThere is an expanding panoply of products aimed at assisting dismounted reconnaissance. This helps to make troops more effectiveand better able to contribute to the wider picture. A variety of technologies all promise to make the dismounted soldier a forcemultiplier as never before.

by Peter Donaldson

Dismounted ISTAR:AMR 3/3/15 1:49 PM Page 2

lasers (a rangefinder and a pointer). It canalso include either a commercial GlobalPositioning System receiver or a militaryequivalent, a digital magnetic compass andmultiple interfaces including a UniversalSerial Bus, an RS-232 serial interface,Bluetooth and Ethernet that enable it tomeet North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

(NATO) connectivity requirements.Other new devices of this ilk include

BAE Systems’ Handheld AzimuthMeasuring, Marking, Electro-optic Imagingand Ranging (HAMMER), and NorthropGrumman’s Hand-Held PrecisionTargeting Device (HHPTD), both of whichpassed significant milestones during 2014.The HAMMER passed the United StatesArmy’s critical design review for its JointEffects Targeting System (JETS) TargetLocation Designation System (TLDS) pro-gramme in February 2014 and is due to befielded in 2016, when it will provide anenhanced precision targeting capabilityand connectivity for half the weight of thedevices in service today. Weighing a shadeover two kilograms (five pounds),Northrop Grumman’s HHPTD completeddevelopmental testing at White SandsMissile Range in the United States in thesecond half of 2014.

Both the HAMMER and HHPTD addcelestial compass technology that improveson the azimuth measurement accuracy ofmagnetic compasses by measuring thesun’s angle and combining that with GPSposition, time and a digital inclinometer.The system in the HHPTD, for example,uses technology developed by TrexEnterprises, which claims an azimuth and



Meprolight’s Mepro Meslas riflescope fire control system enables trained snipers to engagemultiple targets accurately at different ranges in quick succession thanks to its single-pulse laserrangefinder, integrated ballistic tables and intuitive display © Meprolight



elevation accuracy of 2 miliradians (mrad)or tenmetres (33 feet) at a range of five kilo-metres (three miles), meeting target loca-tion error requirements.

Rifle TargetingRifle sights that incorporate laser rangefind-ers and perform ballistic calculations areentering the dismounted targeting arena.Fitting any sniper rifle with a Picatinny rail,Israeli company Meprolight’s Mepro

Meslas Fire Control Riflescope is one suchsystem. Once the 1.54 micron eye-safe laserhas measured the range, the ballistic com-puter calculates the required elevation andinjects a red dot into the sniper scope as anaiming marker. The shooter must still allowfor wind and control the trigger properly.Meprolight marketing and sales managerZvika Lisichkin told AMR that, with theMeproMeslas, snipers can upload up to tencustom ballistic tables for different rounds

based on specific operational needs, andbenefit from very rapid range measure-ment. “Unlike competing systems that usestatistical calculation with multiple pulses,Meprolight’s technology is based on a sin-gle-pulse laser rangefinder that provides aninstant and exact range to the target withminimal exposure to the enemy, allowingthe shooter to engage several targets at dif-ferent ranges in a matter of seconds.”Compared with conventional scopes andother range-measuring systems, Mr.Lisichkin said, the Meslas significantlyreduces the time needed to fire the first shot,maximises accuracy and, as a result, lethali-ty while conserving ammunition. Mr.Lisichkin pointed out that although fire con-trol systems are intended to give snipers theability to engage distant targets more quick-ly and accurately, human skill and judge-ment are still vital. “Instant decisions in tac-tical situations shall always be made by thequalified sniper,” he emphasised.While snipers are naturally the early

adopters of this kind of technology, Mr.Lisichkin is confident that it will spread toother infantry firearms, along with alreadygrowing communications capabilities. “Asignificant percentage of our ‘high-end’systems are able to communicate targetdata into C2 systems, allowing commandcentres to have the global location of theirforces as well as to observe in real timewhat the infantry forces see through ourdevices.” The range of devices availablefrom Meprolight increased significantlywith its October 2014 acquisition of theassets and operations of NVG manufactur-er New Noga Light.US company TrackingPoint’s Precision

Guided Firearm system goes further in thatit can automatically track targets and takecontrol of the trigger, once authorised bythe user, to dramatically improve the prob-ability of a first-round hit, even at very longranges onmoving targets. On 6 January, thecompany launched the new 338TP, its firstpurpose-built rifle incorporating its firecontrol technology. The heart of the systemis a scope containing a high-resolution cam-era, a Laser Range Finder (LRF), a lasermuzzle reference system, ballistic software,image tracking and stabilisation software,target tagging button and a guided trigger.

RADA’s Multi-mission Hemispheric Radar family is available in tripod-and vehicle-mounted configurations to support troops in dismountedoperations, whether mobile or static, as force protection sensors tosafeguard remote patrol bases for example © RADA



The shooter still has to input awindage cor-rection, aim at the target, press the tag but-ton in front of the trigger to start the track-ing process, and squeeze the trigger whilecontinuing to hold the aim on the target,which is now marked with a red dot.Hardwired to the ballistic computer andimage tracking system, the trigger isreleased when the reticle lines up with thered dot at the aim point, however briefly.

While this is certainly promising tech-nology, Mr. Lisichkin cautions that it is notyet fully mature and it has a long way to gobefore snipers can rely on such systemsentirely. “For example, in life-or-death situ-ations, constant dynamic targets and unex-pected situations demand that qualifiedsnipers instantly respond according toneed. A second’s delay in pulling the trig-ger can result in disaster. Therefore the trig-ger cannot depend on the software’s discre-tion, but only on the sniper’s steady hand.”

Radar for dismountsA blurring of the lines between mountedand dismounted reconnaissance systems isevident in modern sensor technologies. Forexample, the RPS-40, RPS-42 and RPS-44Multi-mission Hemispheric Radars (MHR)from Israel’s RADA Electronics Industries,

which are compact and light enough to bedeployed by dismounted soldiers, thecompany’s chief business developmentofficer, Dubi Sella, told AMR. He adds thateither soft backpacks or rigid cases can beused to transport them. MHR sets are alsooffered for vehicle-mounted applications,in which configuration, he confirmed, theycan support dismounted operations if con-nectivity is available, showing detectionson hand-held displays, for example. The

main information channel is Ethernet, saidMr. Sella, enabling MHR sets to be con-nected to any equipment using wired orwireless links. As the radars are modularand software-defined, it is straightforwardto add capabilities. For example, the RHS-44 can take on hostile fire indication duties,perhaps to protect an infantry patrol base,through the installation of the RPS-40 soft-ware application. “All missions can residein the same MHR, and be switched orinterleaved,” Mr. Sella adds.

Urban RadarCamero’s Xaver through-the-wall radarsystems represent a type of sensor technol-ogy that will be increasingly vital, particu-larly in urban conflicts. Not only can thesehand-held radars penetrate solid struc-tures, anyone who has watched television,used a mobile phone or a wireless deviceindoors knows that radio frequency signalscan do this; they can also detect signs oflife. “Xaver systems use Ultra Wide BandRadar to detect a living presence,” market-ing director Josh Levontin told AMR.“Essentially we are sending out theserepetitive radio wave pulses and collectingthe reflections to detect even the slightestmovement such as breathing motion bysampling the returns.” Although usuallydepicted being held in contact with a wallto emphasise their ability to see through, itis not strictly necessary to get this close, asMr. Levontin explains. “The system is fullyfunctional at a distance from the wall instand-off mode within its full detectionrange of 20m (65ft). The only trade-off isthat the systems have a total range of 20m,so as we distance the system from the wall,our imaging capability from the wallinward will be limited.” Combat experi-ence with the systems is building among


Hand-held radars canpenetrate solid

structures and detectsigns of life

Controp’s DANIS camera system is in service onUGVs like this G-Nius Guardium, supportingground troops in missions such as border andperimeter security; an area in which the companyexpects significant growth © Controp



elite military and law enforcement units,which have deployed them inmore than 30countries, according to Mr. Levontin, excit-ing interest from a broader customer basein the process.“They have been successful-ly used in combat in urban operations withmilitary NATO customers as well as withlaw enforcement customers against insur-gent and criminal activities. Our systemsare mainly used by SWAT (SpecialWeapons And Tactics) teams and specialforces, since they are generally the earlyadopters for such new technologies, but weare now seeing an interest for widerdeployment with other customers.” Nearterm developments at Camero are focusedon areas such as reliability and user friend-liness, Mr. Levontin said, along withexpanded control options. “We plan onfurther developing wireless command andcontrol for remote operation capabilitiesand integration with other C2 systems.”

Small UAVsThe hand-launched Small Unmanned AirVehicle (SUAV) market is advancing rap-idly because airborne sensors under thedirect control of dismounted troops givethem the information they need for rapidconfident decision-making, says JohnnyCarni, marketing and sales vice-presidentat Israeli optronics house Controp.“SUAVs are getting smaller and smallerand we have launched the 300 gram (0.6lb)MICRO-STAMP optronics payload inresponse,” he told AMR. “It is the mostadvanced gyro-stabilised miniature pay-load in the world and is now being sup-plied to the first customer.”

MICRO-STAMP contains a dual-field-of-view uncooled infrared (IR) camera anda day camera with a continuous zoom lens.The design emphasis is on high qualityoptics and gyro stabilisation to provide thequality of picture required for accuracy,

Mr. Carni emphasised. “The response tothe MICRO-STAMP has been overwhelm-ing,” he continues. “The reason: we havebrought picture quality that was not previ-ously available at that low weight.”

Mr. Carni added that STAMP familypayloads meet several needs that he saysare unique to hand-launched UAVs. Theseinclude the ability to look up and across aswell as down at the ground, alongwith veryprecise and accurate navigation, and thefacility to operate the systemwithout visualcontact with the vehicle. This provides thesoldier with observation ranges extendingover several kilometres. The company’s tri-pod-mounted systems are serving in theforce protection arena and homeland securi-ty applications including border, harbour,coastline and infrastructure protection.

Meanwhile, the VIEW family of optron-ic payloads is in service onboardUnmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) insupport of dismounted operations, partic-ularly perimeter and border security. “Wesee a lot of growth potential here,” saysMr.Carni. “If the quality is high and the prices


Camero’s Xaver 100 is a hand-held, through-the-wall radar. Like the larger Xaver radars, it can beused at a stand-off distance from the wall and can penetrate floors and ceilings and distinguishliving beings from inanimate objects © Camero



are low the demand will continue to growto provide unmanned operational optionsand keep the troops safe.” Technical devel-opments in the pipeline for Controp’ssmallest payloads are concentrated on pic-ture enhancement, further improvementsto stabilisation, line-of-sight navigationand multi-sensor options, along with con-tinuous infrared zoom lenses.

Combined CapabilitiesGenerating maximum value from this dis-parate array of sensors and devices by get-ting them to work together is a challengefor C2 developers who must link them tosupporting mounted systems and higher-level networks. Many armed forces, includ-ing those in the Asia-Pacific, still procuresuch technologies piecemeal and are thenfaced with the task of integrating them.“One shouldn’t separate the mounted fromthe dismounted in terms of capabilitiesbecause one should enhance the other,”Saab’s Johan Tofte told AMR. “There is aneed to address both subsystem integra-tion, as such, and the integration betweenmounted and dismounted systems and tolink the entire sensor-shooter chain.”

Looking at the fundamentals, Mr. Toftepointed out that a soldier equipped withjust a paper map, a radio, the naked eye,perhaps aided by a simple pair of binocu-lars, could still generate and communicatetarget coordinates effectively. “But havinggood sensors will empower you to pinpointexact locations,” he remarked, “and further-more these devices also support both dayand night capabilities.” However, once thetarget is acquired, the question of what to dowith the information then arises. “You needto disseminate,” he adds. “You need to clas-sify this target, to send it to someone, so youneed computers and communications. Youalso need some kind of actor at the otherend. You may have the capacity to engage itif you have your own weapons, but if youdon’t you need additional firepower.

To me, that is what it is all about—to getthe information to someone who can dosomething about that target.”

OverlapsAs extra sensors find their way intoweapon sights along with other usefulfunctions such as range finding and geolo-cation, there begins to emerge a degree ofoverlap in capability between weaponsights and stand-alone targeting devices.Mr. Tofte provides a slightly different, butrelated perspective. “You might see a tar-geting device as a distributed sight, mean-ing that, in this case, the weapons are not inthe same place as the sensor, so you bringlocalisation data to assist heavy weapons.”That highlights the importance of integra-tion with vehicles and support weaponsand has implications for the soldier’s bur-

den, both physical and cognitive. “Then Ithink you can alleviate the (burden on) dis-mounted individual by properly usingvehicles or other means. In essence whatbest supports the dismounted soldiermight very well be mounted systems thatthey can access or insert data into.” He sug-gests that as this relationship evolves, itcould drive some changes in group organ-isation. With full integration among dis-mounted soldiers and supporting vehicles,the composition of the squad in terms ofthe mix of weapons (particularly the heav-ier weapons) and sensors that are carriedcould alter. “There is no single person whocarries everything. So you may have one ortwo machine guns and others with anti-tank weapons and, maybe, one person asthe appointed sensor operator.”

Making every soldier a sensor has longbeen a goal of military planners, but nowthe technology has made it possible. Thisraises the question of how best to combinethem and link them into systems of sys-tems, to which there will never be oneright answer.


Making every soldiera sensor has long

been a goal of militaryplanners

More sophisticated than the smaller Xaver 100radar, the Xaver 800 provides more informationon its display. Mathematical imagereconstruction algorithms are used to cope withcluttered environments and produce a highquality image © Camero



The main players in the region arediscovering additional benefitsbeyond current roles for the useof non-lethal systems. Non-lethaltechnology is defined as a

weapon used to incapacitate personnel andmateriel, rather than to kill or destroy andaccording to MicroMarketMonitor. Non-lethal weapons should be called upon as aninterim option between “verbal warnings orpsychological operations” and the use oflethal force. Considering the importance ofthe maritime domain to Asia-Pacific


W E A P O N SNON-LETHAL

The Asia-Pacific’s non-lethal weapons market iswitnessing huge market growth with the sectorvalued at $169.2 million in 2013 but expectedto rise to $224.1 million by 2018. The utilityof this technology has traditionally ranged from crowd control and vehicle interdictionoperations to counter-piracy missions.

by Andrew White

THE HURT LOCKER

Non-Lethal Weapons:AMR 3/3/15 1:58 PM Page 2

nations, the counter-piracy market hasremained a strong driver for such technolo-gy. However, legislation in recent years hasallowed privatemilitary security companiesto use lethal force on board vessels as part ofwider anti-piracy campaigns, thus appear-ing to slow the development and utility ofnon-lethal technology, making it almostirrelevant in this particular sector.

More recent efforts have seen the sametechnology worked into escalation of forceprocedures to show best practice so therenow appears to be a development path

identified for the future utilisation of non-lethal weapons and munitions. “China hasthe highest market value of non-lethalweapons among the other countries (in theAsia-Pacific). Political dissent and sepa-ratist movements, and preventing escala-tion in high-risk situations are the majordrivers which are impacting the growth ofthe market,” a spokesperson forMicroMarketMonitor informed AMR.

Nevertheless, the United States contin-ues to spread its influence across the regionas part of its pivot towards the Asia-Pacificarea with US military force elements advo-cating the utility of non-lethal technologyas an alternative to maintaining order dur-ing “low-intensity conflicts” or “civilunrest”. In support of this effort, theDepartment of Defence (DoD) Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Programme is placingmuch emphasis on the Asia-Pacific in linewith moves to reduce the Size, Weight,Power and Cost (SWAPC) of systems as

they bid to further evolve the next-genera-tion of non-lethal technology.

More specifically, the DoD is consider-ing directed energy and non-directed ener-gy systems; laser-induced plasma effecthuman compliant systems, non-pyrotech-nic stun devices, long-range acousticdevices and warning systems. The USMarine Corps (USMC), the Department ofDefence’s so-called “executive agent” fornon-lethal weapons and devices in theAsia-Pacific, has run a series of leadershipseminars, designed to demonstrate non-lethal tactics, techniques and proceduresacross the region, with a main effortdesigned to promote awareness of suchcapabilities and increase interoperabilitybetween the various states utilising them.

Regional EffortsCapabilities included Oleoresin Capsicum,or “pepper spray”; the X26 Taser; 40mmsponge and “stingball” grenades; as wellas non-lethal shotgun rounds. Indeed, oneUSMC observer explained to AMR: “Justbecause it’s non lethal doesn’t mean it’spain-free. I think whoever said friends aremade through hardship hit the nail righton the head.”



One non-lethal weapon which could beemployed for anti-piracy tasks is the LongRange Acoustic Device (LRAD). Developedby the LRAD Corporation, it uses acousticsignals to cause discomfort, and has beenemployed for crowd control © US Navy

Non-lethal weapons are particularly useful forriot control, where deaths or serious injurywhich can often further inflame the situation,can be avoided by their use. Mongolian soldiersare shown here training for riot control © Australian Department of Defence


Referring to a specific non-lethalweapons exercise in Mongolia, featuringcrowd control scenarios, he continued:“The training could prove valuable for theMongolian armed forces, a major contrib-utor to peacekeeping operations aroundthe world, The Mongolians havedeployed in support of United Nationspeacekeeping missions in South Sudan,Sierra Leon and the Balkans, and continueto augment the coalition in Afghanistan.In many instances during these missions,non-lethal weapons can be valuable addi-tions to ground commanders.

“There are times when lethal force is notthe best option. For example, the effectiveuse of non-lethal weapons can proveextremely valuable during rescue mis-sions, situations in which civilians are usedto mask a military attack, as well as riotsand cases of civil disturbance duringHumanitarian Assistance-Disaster Relief(HADR) operations. Being able to use them

effectively greatly increases the options acommander has while operating in the fullspectrum of conflict.” Other countries par-ticipating in the training to date, in theAsia-Pacific have included Australia, NewZealand, Thailand, Indonesia, Bangladesh,Sri Lanka and Malaysia. USMC sourcesinformed AMR how they expect this num-ber to grow exponentially in the near-term.

Today’s inventory of non-lethal tech-nology comprises a wide variety ofweapons and munitions ranging fromelectrical devices, directed-energy, bluntimpact, disperse and anti-vehicle systems.China remains the largest provider ofweaponry and ammunition (lethal and

non-lethal) to Asia-Pacific countries in2014, the China Poly Group Corporationunveiled the WB-1 millimetre-wave beam-projecting non-lethal anti-riot system.Designed to heat water molecules belowthe surface of the skin, the millimetre-wave beams result in unbearable short-term pain for the target, forcing him or herto flee the beam immediately. Accordingto Chinese reports, the technology can beused at ranges between 80 metres (262feet) and one kilometre (0.6 miles).

Such a system follows on fromRaytheon’s ActiveDenial System and SilentGuardian technology which was deployedto Afghanistan as part of OperationEnduring Freedom in 2010. However, thisUS system is understood to boast a maxi-mum range of 5.5km (3.4 miles) yet mediareports claim that it can take up to 16 hoursto warm up before being operationallyready. The US variant, however, waspulled out of Afghanistan following con-cerns over the perception of the weapon bythe local population.

But such a device could prove critical tode-escalating Chinese involvement in the


Soldiers from the US Army’s 10th Mountain Division show the immediate effects of being stunnedby a Taser’s electric shock, much to the general amusement of their colleagues. Such non-lethalweapons are intended to incapacitate, without causing long-term harm © US DoD

Today’s inventory ofnon-lethal technology

comprises a widevariety of weapons

and munitions





East China and South China Seas where itroutinely runs into situations with not onlyUS armed forces but with Japanese mar-itime units staking claim to theSenkaku/Diayou Islands. According to USNavy sources, Chinese airborne platformsfrequently “lock-on” to neighbours’ mili-tary assets, meaning the threat of an imme-diate trigger to escalation of violence andloss of life. Industry sources in the Asia-Pacific, which preferred not to be named,have suggested to AMR that China isalready working on a maritime variant ofthe WB-1 (see above) system in order tobolster its ‘non-lethal’ confrontation capa-bilities in the area.

Singapore’s OfferingsYet such technological input is not beingreplicated across the region with otherleading companies such as SingaporeTechnologies Kinetics (STK), for example,still concentrating on 40mm grenades astheir main non-lethal effort. Ideal for enabling the control and dis-

persal of “protestors and rioters”, thesemunitions are fired from under-slung orstandalone grenade launchers and havebeen designed as a “pain compliance tool

for momentary incapacitation employed incrowd control situations”, a companyspokesperson informed AMR. The STKfamily of non-lethal 40mm rounds includethe impulse or ‘multi-pellet’ round; soundand flash round up to 170 decibels for tem-porary disruption of hearing and sight; andan aerial marker to identify individuals.Unlike their high-explosive relations, noneof these non-lethal variants comprise anarming distance although they still retain alow muzzle velocity between 65 and 100metres-per-second (213 and 328 feet-per-second). The grenades also boast maximumranges of 30m, 15m, 400m and 300m (98ft,49ft, 1312ft and 984ft) respectively.The company has also developed a low

velocity CS (2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile)Tear Gas Cartridge which is effective out toa range of 250m (820ft) in order to perform“non-permanent disabling effects”. AllSTK munitions can be fired from in-servicegrenade launchers including the CharteredInstitute of Singapore CIS40GL, Hecklerand Koch HK69A1, M203 and Heckler andKoch AG36. Another major application fornon-lethal technology in the Asia-Pacific isharbour protection, with one major effortcurrently being undertaken by undisclosed

governments in the region as well as theNorth Atlantic Treaty Organisation(NATO) on a global basis.

Harbour ProtectionAccording to the NATO’s Centre forMaritime Research and Experimentation(CMRE), non-lethal technology has beenintegrated with diver detection systemsfor holistic harbour protection. Networkedinto a wider inventory of command andcontrol technology for target identifica-tion, NATO’s solution comprises theCortland Vessel Arrest Launcher,designed to entangle propellers;Hydroacoustics Diver Interdiction Systemwhich comprises a low frequency, under-water air gun; Lasersec Sealase 10W535nm laser to “dazzle” combatants;LRAD 500X Long Range Acoustic Deviceto warn off surface targets up to 450m(1476ft) away; Lubell Labs LL-1424HPunderwater acoustic transducer designedto verbally warn divers; Peak BeamSystems’ ocular disruption system whichdazzles target with a 7.5 million candle-power searchlight; and finally PhotonicSecurity Systems’ SMU-100 handheld ocu-lar disruptor used for the same purpose.Dubbed the ‘Talon’ effort by NATO, it

comprises an experimentation of non-lethal response in port protection, with amission brief encompassing the search for“advanced concepts and technologies innon-lethal response for reducing the riskto military forces of attack by small boatsor underwater intruders in ports and har-bours”. Australia is now a partner nationin the Talon programme, and with coali-tion partners spread across Asia-Pacific, itappears likely that this technology willproliferate across the area of operation asmore and more emphasis is placed onprotecting critical national infrastructuresuch as ports and harbours.“One challenge that NATO and Asia-

Pacific allies face is the vulnerability of itsmilitary forces and critical infrastructureto insurgent attack from the waterside inports and harbours. An open watersideexposes ships and port facilities to attackby small boats or underwater intruders. Inthis environment, outside of a combat orwar zone, requirements include warning,

US troops learn non-lethal restraint training techniques which are designed to incapacitate, but notto injure, the subject. The US armed forces have learnt the importance of such techniques duringdeployments to Iraq and Afghanistan where they have often been called upon to perform crowdcontrol © US DoD



proof of hostile intent and respondingwith a force that matches the threat.” aNATO spokesperson told AMR.Researchers at CMRE are tackling port

protection from a variety of angles. First,high-readiness technologies have beenanalysed for their suitability in deliveringunambiguous warnings, determiningproof of hostile intent and incapacitatingintruders. Technologies include hailingdevices, dazzlers, entanglement systems,underwater air guns and more. Manyfind application elsewhere in counterpiracy and energy security (for example,oil platforms, pipelines and liquefiedpetroleum gas tankers).

China’s ChallengeAnother major factor which will have apositive impact on the proliferation ofnon-lethal technology into Asia-Pacificwill be an increase in foreign military salesinto the region from the US. As an exam-ple, Vietnam was cleared in October toreceive “maritime security-related defencearticles” by the US Department of State,with a particular emphasis being placedon non-lethal equipment to assist offshoresecurity operations. Restrictions date backto the end of the VietnamWar in the 1970s

although Vietnam has been cleared toreceive non-lethal weapons since 2007.However, this latest decision will no doubtimprove relations and potentially generateadditional non-lethal sales in the future,industry sources explained.According to the DoD, the ease of

restrictions follows requirements toincrease Vietnam’s situation awarenessand security capabilities in the South ChinaSea, where ongoing disputes with Chinaregarding the “Nine-Dash Line” continue.Considering the wider market, there arestill plenty of potential developments inthe pipeline for non-lethal technology, allof which will be desirable to Asia-Pacificstates. The DoD is examining improvedvessel immobilisation systems capable ofstopping fast attack craft from evadinginterdiction without endangering person-nel on board with lethal munitions.Future requirements call for technolo-

gy capable of stopping all vessel typeswithin 30m in various sea states, at rangesof 100m (328ft) or more and within just

five seconds of engagement. The USOffice of Naval Research (ONR) is alsoconsidering systems which can stop larg-er vessels, measuring over 100 tons inwater displacement at ranges up to onenautical mile (two kilometres) as well asthe engagement of multiple vessels. Sucha system could use Directed Energy (DE)high-power microwave technology ornon-directed energy options onboard ahost platform such as an inflatable boat.Non-DE solutions could include high-vis-cosity polymer materials to damage vesselengines and propellers.“Each of these non-DE small vessel

stopping technologies offer the potentialfor a low cost, effective, safe, and near-term operational capability that othertechnologies cannot provide at this time",an ONR solicitation stated. There appearsto be plenty of future development in theoffing for the next-generation of non-lethal technology and much will dependupon budgets and ongoing legislationissues regarding its utility in the maritimeenvironment, in particular. But as ten-sions continue to escalate in the AsiaPacific, the use of non-lethal weapons willprovide an interesting interim solution inthe wider escalation of force.

Taser International is one of the most famous names in non-lethal weapons technology. Thecompany provides products to both civilian and military users. The company’s M26 model, which canbe equipped with a laser sight and digital video camera, is shown in this photograph © US DoD

Raytheon’s Active Denial System (ADS) is a non-lethal weapon which employs microwaveradiation. The ADS transmits microwaves whichheat up the surface of the skin to anuncomfortable level, although the transmissionsdo not penetrate further to avoid causinglasting damage © US DoD

The DoD is examiningimproved vessel

immobilisation systems



Amphibious Operations Apr-May 14:AMR 3/31/14 4:25 PM Page 1

The traditional infantry trainingmethod is the live-fire environ-ment, in which trainees use liveweapons, ammunitions and vehi-cles. While live training remains a

vital component of preparing infantry sol-diers for operational realities, it is typicallyexpensive, resource-heavy, and logisticallycomplex; all of which limits where and howfrequently it can be performed. As technol-ogy advances, live training is increasinglybeing augmented with virtual and con-structive elements to enhance the ‘reality’


Cubic’s MILES Individual Weapon System is the latest-generationtactical engagement simulation tool and requires only secondsto align a weapon, with visible laser in any light, day or night,without an automated alignment device © Cubic image

AND SIMULATIONTRAINING

GAME THEORYThe use of simulation technologies by landforces throughout the Asia-Pacific varies. Some nations have been utilising this technologyfor training for some time. Other nations havebeen slower to take it up, either because of budgeting constraints, or cultural attitudesgravitating toward live training environments.

by Claire Apthorp

Infantry Training:AMR 3/3/15 2:02 PM Page 2

of the training in order to deliver greatertraining effect and overcome the limita-tions of solely live fire training.

While live, virtual and constructedtraining methods have tended to be large-ly discrete from one another. Solutions areemerging that blend all three into a singletraining capability. “The move towardblending live training with virtual andconstructive capabilities for ground com-bat training is the biggest trend we are see-ing right now,” says Brandy Castle, direc-tor of business development at Cubic

Corporation. “Adding more simulation tothe live training environment is the mostefficient and cost-effective way to get thatnext level of fidelity and realism.”

Cubic’s focus on how to improve theefficiency and effectiveness of training isresponsive to the worldwide crunch ontraining dollars that is forcing militaries tobe smarter about how they train. Thismeans getting more soldiers trained to ahigher standard for less money. “Our cus-tomers are heavily reliant on live training,and as virtual and constructive trainingmethods tend to be lower cost, budgets aredriving the requirement to make live train-ing more of a blended or synthetic trainingenvironment,” Ms. Castle said.

An example of Cubic’s recent work inthis area is the release of its AugmentedReality Glasses Observation Network(ARGON), an augmented reality approachthat increases the realism and fidelity ofbattlefield effects for indirect and direct fire,and live force-on-force engagements formore effective training. A soldier wearingthe glasses is seeing reality overlaid withvirtual images to provide the virtual effectsof his own or enemy’s ‘real’ actions when

training. This helps to replicate operationalenvironments without burdening logisticsresources, and expands the number andtype of scenarios soldiers can use to train in.The system enhances the application of thecompany’s Multiple Integrated LaserEngagement System (MILES), which isused by several countries in theAsia-Pacificincluding Australia, Singapore, theRepublic of Korea and Thailand.

“The basic premise of MILES is that youare training with your real weapon usingblanks and laser triggers, but it is limited touse with direct fire weapons; you can’t useit to shoot a target you can’t see with anindirect fire weapon,” Ms. Castle notes.“But the augmented reality glasses nowallow you to conduct training with indirect

fire weapons such as mortars, because theglasses inject the virtual reality showing theresult of the firing. Now the soldier sees thereal background but also a virtual explo-sion showing where the projectile wouldhave landed; that’s a major jump ahead.’

Catching upThe Singapore Armywas an early adopterof simulation training, having deployedits first two dimensional Artillery FireControl and Training System (AFCTS) inthe early 1980s. Other nations with other-wise world-class capabilities have beensomewhat slower on the uptake of simu-lation-based training, and are now work-ing to change that as they gain a clearunderstanding of its advantages.

Australia’s army modernisation plansinclude significant scope to increase its useof simulation training. Ultimately, theAustralian Army’s goal is to conduct 25percent of all unit training through simula-tion. According to the Australian Army’smodernisation update released in April2014, achieving this goal will requireimprovement in a number of areas. Theseareas include the ability to design live, vir-tual and constructive training; the acquisi-tion of virtual simulation with platformsacquired through the Defence CapabilityPlan, functions of Army and JointIndividual Training Establishments, theestablishment of brigade simulation cen-tres with the ability to link to other simula-tion hubs; and ongoing development oftraining areas in brigade locations toenable local training rather thanmovementto interstate training areas for this purpose

The Australian Defence Force (ADF)plans will require strong support fromindustry, and a number of companies arepositioning themselves to meet emergingrequirements. In late 2012 Rheinmetallannounced that its Australian subsidiarywould acquire the defence holdings oflocal simulation company Sydac. Themove was part of Rheinmetall’s growthinto new key market areas, with expand-ing opportunities emerging from theADF. Programmes of interest to the com-pany include the Australian Army’s plansoutlined in the government’s 2013Defence White Paper to improve the



As technologyadvances, live training

is increasingly being augmented with

virtual elements


army’s structure to maximise force readi-ness by improving the effectiveness of the36-month Force Generation Cycle.Under this cycle, combat brigades, spe-

cialist capabilities and part-time forces con-sistently train together, with conventionaldeployable combat forces moving throughthree twelve-month phases in a 36-monthcycle. The cycle concludes with the ‘ready’phase when force elements will be held athigh readiness and be deployed if neces-sary; the twelve months prior to this is thereadying phase is when these force ele-ments undergo an intense period of train-ing and certification to ensure that they areready to deploy. Hand-in-hand with thearmy’s move toward becoming a digital,networked forcewith improved vehicles, isPlan Beersheba, an initiative to improvethe army’s facilities and training areas toenable them to become a hub of instru-mented live, virtual and constructive com-bined arms training.

Drawing on COTSAs training and simulation technologiesadvance they are becoming increasinglyaffordable. “Many nations are followingthe lead of countries such as the UnitedKingdom, which is currently focused onmoving more land force training into thesynthetic domain,” says Jon Farrington,consultant engineer, Chemring TechnologySolutions. “This move is motivated by theincreasing affordability of simulation tech-nologies, as well as the environmentalimpact of live training, and the relative easeof simulation training.”Reduced costs are associated with the

increased exploitation of Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) technologies, and theskills and understanding being injectedinto the defence simulation sector as aresult of cross-over from the commercialgaming domain in the areas of both graph-ics and hardware. “Military simulators

have typically been very expensive andbespoke, whereas now things like(Bohemia Interactive’s) Virtual Battlespace2 computer-based simulation system andother competing technologies are makingthings much more affordable and achiev-able for medium-sized companies, not justlarge multi-nationals,” Mr. Farringtonadds. “This is also being helped by aworldwide push toward maintaining openstandards so that different systems can‘talk’ to each other without requiringexpensive integration work.”

Virtual Battlespace 2 (VBS2) is used asthe standard technology for land simulatorsby militaries worldwide, including Asia-Pacific countries such as Australia and NewZealand. VBS2 is an interactive, high-fideli-ty desktop battlefield simulator that offersboth virtual and constructive interfaces forhighly realistic military training and experi-mentation. The system allows for the fastand cost-effective creation of force-specificequipment and high-fidelity terrain thatincludes real-world conditions. Australiaand New Zealand both elected to upgradetheir VBS2 enterprise licences in 2012. Priorto this, the ADF used VBS1 to train soldiersdeploying to Iraq and has been central tothe evolution of the product, includingfunding the development of a range ofamphibious simulation capabilities.


The Cubic MILES Individual Weapon Systemfeatures small, lightweight components forindividual soldiers, and provides greater realismand accuracy than previously fielded MILESexamples. It is user-friendly, requires less time toalign weapons, and holds alignment throughoutthe training exercise © Cubic image

Reduced costs are adirect result of the

increased exploitationof COTS technology





New technology applicationsIn addition to providing reinforcementtraining on military tactics and procedures,VBS2 can be configured to work with othersystems for experimentation and analysiswork, an area proving an increasingly goodmatch for the capabilities of simulation tech-nologies. Chemring Technology Solutionsis looking to tap into requirements in thisfield with its new Dismounted CloseCombat (DCC) simulator which has beendesigned to deliver the ability to evaluatefuture soldier technology concepts.

The simulator enables users to rapidlytest new technologies without the draininglogistic and manpower resources of livetesting requirements. It draws on games-based technology to create rich, realistic andconfigurable test and evaluation environ-ments providing more accurate evaluationresults as it can be configured for multiple

scenarios, allowing real-time changes to bemade, including target and weaponupdates. Test results can be used to rapid-ly gauge the likely impact on military capa-bility and determine if a further investmentis justified. The company plans to take thesystem to the Asia-Pacific region within thenext twelve months, where it believes therewill be good demand.

“There are a number of future soldierprogrammes underway in the region,where countries are investing in new tech-nologies, new capabilities and new meth-ods of working,” stated Arun Arumugam,business development manager Asia andPacific, Chemring Technology Solutions.“Technology like the DCC could be veryuseful in those programmes, to helpmake decisions on what kind of soldiersystems they want to acquire, and howeffective it could be.”

War GamesThe use of open standards in simulationtechnologies has gone hand-in-hand withthe adoption of COTS-based solutions, andhas been driven by the push toward inter-operability between different levels of thesame force, different forces of the samenation, and the forces of different nations.In September 2014, the armed forces of fivecountries; Singapore, the UK, Malaysia,Australia and New Zealand (collectivelyknown as ‘SUMAN’) took part in the annu-al ‘SUMAN Warrior’ training exercise inNew Zealand, using MASA Group’s flag-ship SWORD constructive simulation soft-ware for the first time.

An estimated 180 military personnelfrom the five nations took part in thebrigade-level exercise, using a combinationof SWORD and Systematic’s SitaWarecommand and control technology. The

The DCC simulator delivers customers the ability to evaluatefuture technology concepts without the need to developtime-consuming prototypes, and should thus also help togreatly reduce development costs © Roke/Chemring image



exercise included 100 virtual units as wellas insurgents embedded within a 200square kilometres (77 square mile) fielddemonstrating the advanced artificial-intelligence capabilities offered bySWORD, and providing users with anincreasingly realistic and streamlined ‘trainas you fight’ environment.

The New Zealand Defence Force beganusing SWORD in March 2014. The systemis an aggregated constructed simulationsolution for multi-level training of corps,brigade or battalion commanders. The sim-ulation runs on map interfaces providingwar game style training for operational tac-tics. The user trains in his regular opera-tional environment using his operationalcommand and control and battle manage-ment systems, passing commands to hissubordinates. Operators enter the com-mands into SWORDwhich then uses artifi-cial intelligence to fulfil the mission andrepresent the results.

“The artificial intelligence element dras-tically reduces tasking when training com-mand staff by cutting the operators neededto run the system by 70 percent,” says

Juan-Pablo Torres, president and chiefexecutive officer of the MASA Group.“That was a key point for the New Zealandacquisition, as was the systems’ ease of use.In fact previous systems were very cum-bersome and actually too sophisticated andcomplex for what they needed to achieve,but they were able to deploy SWORD inone month.” SWORD is available off-the-shelf for customers to deploy, or can becustomised to define force-specific weaponsystems, sensor systems and units.

“The solution we have developed is tra-ditionally the type of system developed foran armed force by a local system integratorin a long and expensive development proj-ect,” states Enrico Raue, new market and

sales manager at MASA Group. “What wedo with SWORD is provide an off-the-shelfsolution that can be used as it is or adaptedto suit specific needs, and customers cancontinually benefit from two technicalreleases every year.” MASA sees the Asia-Pacific as an active market, and one that isparticularly responsive to the company’sgoal of providing easy-to-deploy off-the-shelf solutions. “In Western Europe andNorth America acquisition cycles are verylong and those armed forces tend to be lesswilling to change to the new type of systemsthat are needed,” Mr. Torres said. “TheAsia-Pacific region however is much moredynamic in adapting to these changes.”

The use of simulation technology forinfantry training in the Asia-Pacific isonly going to continue rising as thesetrends take hold, allowing more soldiersto train as they fight and sustain forcereadiness levels via more efficient andcost-effective methods.

SWORD runs on mapinterfaces providing

war game style trainingfor operational tactics

The MASA SWORD is a powerful simulation engine capable of simulating thousands of units on asingle laptop, with a representation of all aspects of the battlefield, including objects, phenomenasuch as natural disasters, as well as human factors © MASA image



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

PAKISTAN TO ACQUIRE A FLEET OFMi-35s FROM RUSSIA�� Pakistan is to acquire abatch of Mil Mi-35 Hind-Eattack helicopters from Russiain an effort to strengthen itscounter-insurgency efforts.Alexey Dedov, Russia’sambassador to Pakistan,announced the news on thestate-owned broadcaster RadioPakistan on 12 November 2014,saying that Moscow had“politically approved” the deal.Mr. Dedov did not specify

the number of helicoptersincluded in the deal, andadded that political and com-mercial details still need to befinalised and that negotiationsare still underway, but ana-lysts believe the purchasecould include up to 20 plat-forms. A few days followingthe announcement, on 20November 2014, Russia’sdefence minister SergeiShoygu made a day-long visitto Pakistan during which hemet with the Pakistani Prime

Minister Nawaz Sharif at hisofficial residence in the capitalIslamabad and discussed theMi-35 deal, among otherissues related to security anddefence cooperation betweenPakistan and Russia, in addi-tion to the recent security situ-ation in the region.

“There is no doubt thatPakistan is extremely keen toacquire Mi-35s for politicaland tactical reasons,” BrianCloughley, Australia’s formerAmbassador to Pakistan, toldAMR, explaining that “tacti-cally, the Mi-35 is an idealmachine for Pakistan, givenits versatility and comparative

simplicity of operation.” Headded that the advantage forPakistan of acquiring thesehelicopters from Russia,rather than from the UnitedStates, was that “maintenanceand operating costs are muchless than those of US-suppliedrotorcraft, and there is noMoscow Congress that might impose restrictions on provision of spares forpolitical reasons.”But as the deal remains to

be finalised Mr. Cloughleybelieves “the only stickingpoint is commercial, and thereis no doubt that negotiationswill depend on what sort ofcost can be agreed in regard tothe overall number of aircraft,a training package, long-termsustainability and, possibly,assembly or even manufacturein Pakistan.” He added that“Russia would like to lockPakistan into a long-termagreement, and it is probablethat Mr. Sharif’s governmentwould welcome that, if only toshow that it is independent of

Washington and able toengage in defence matters witha long-standing Indian ally.”Pakistan’s army, the armed

forces’ main helicopter opera-tor, already fields over 90 MilMi-17 medium-lift utility heli-copters and reportedly nomi-nated the Mi-35 because of itssatisfaction with the Russianhelicopters. The country firstreceived its Mi-17s in 1994and, most recently, obtained abatch of four reconditionedhelicopters donated by theUnited States in 2009.Pakistani officials have

grown increasingly confidentover plans for future procure-ments of Russian militaryhardware in recent years. ThePakistan Air Force’s PakistanAeronautical Complex JF-17Thunder multi-role combataircraft, for example, which isco-produced with China’sChengdu Aviation Corporation,is powered by the RussianKlimov’s RD-93 engines (seeDavid Oliver’s ‘The GenerationGame’ article in this issue).

INDIA TO ACQUIRE SIX ACTAS SYSTEMSFROM GERMANY �� India’s Ministry ofDefence (MoD) and theGerman manufacturer AtlasElektronik have signed a $51 million deal for six low-frequency Active TowedArray Sonar (ACTAS) systems to be fitted to IndianNavy (IN) warships.The six ACTAS systems

will reportedly equip the IN’sthree ‘Talwar’ class frigatesand its three ‘Delhi’ classdestroyers and installed inempty compartments builtinto the rear of all six war-ships. They will provide thevessels with submarine-detec-tion capabilities. The initialdelivery to the IN of the first ACTAS system is

planned for 2016.The ACTAS operates in a

low-frequency range andallows a surveillance of the seawith ranges of over 32 nauticalmiles (60 kilometres), depend-ing on the sound propagationconditions of the water. TheACTAS’ performance giveswarships an operational rangeadvantage superior to that ofweapons systems employedby submarines. ACTAS sys-tems can also locate and tracksurface vessels, allowing aship to conduct reconnais-sance missions to locate submarines and ships in thesame sonar search area.Following a series of failed

attempts led by the state-runDefence Research andDevelopment Organisation toindigenously develop an Active

Towed Array Sonar (ATAS)system, India’s MoD issued atender for the sonar systemsrequirement back in 2008. Afterfield trials conducted in 2010,India eventually chose theACTAS sonars over modelsproposed by the Thales and L3Communications. The contract was finalised

on 12 November 2014 after aseries of delays due to recur-ring complaints of wrongdo-ing in the selection process.The deal includes a transfer oftechnology from AtlasElektronik to India’s state-owned Bharat ElectronicsLimited (BEL) in Bangalore,which will build ten additionalsystems for other IN warships,many of which are currentlyunder construction. Theseadditional systems will be

supplemented by some 20sonar systems, which willequip other IN platforms,including the aircraft carrierINS Vikrant, scheduled forcommissioning in 2018.Contacted by AMR to com-

ment on the deal, KhalilRahman, managing directorof Atlas Elektronik India,explained that “the towed arraysonar is a vital tool in Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW)”,explaining that “the range ofdetection with a towed arraysonar fitted to a typical ASWfrigate would be more thanfour times that of a hull-mount-ed sonar alone. It is necessaryfor the detection of submarinesand torpedoes and by acquiringthese sonars the Indian Navy isfilling a need to improve thesecurity of Indian waters.”


News Mar-Apr 15:AMR 3/3/15 2:05 PM Page 2

INDONESIA TOACQUIRE ELEVEN AS565MBE PANTHERS�� The Indonesian Navy(TNI-AL) is expecting deliveryof eleven Airbus HelicoptersAS-565MBe Panther maritimesupport helicopters forAnti-Submarine Warfare(ASW), the aircraft’smanufacturer confirmed on5 November 2014.

The deal was negotiatedthrough PT DirgantaraIndonesia (PTDI), the coun-try’s aerospace companywhich designs, develops andmanufactures civilian andmilitary aircraft. It marks thevery first sale of an AS-565variant optimised for ASW,and a significant step in thecountry’s effort to moderniseits helicopter fleet.Deliveries of the helicoptersare expected to be completedby the end of 2017.

A military version ofthe civilian AS-365Dauphin medium-lift multi-purpose helicopter, the AS-565 is used for a wide range ofmilitary roles, including attack,ASW, search and rescue, andmedical evacuation.

All eleven aircraft areplanned for manufacture inFrance and will be delivered toPTDI under a strategic indus-trial agreement. In an inter-

view with AMR, FabriceRochereau, vice president ofsales and customer relationsfor the Asia-Pacific branch ofAirbus Helicopters explainedthat the company “has beenselected to provide the mostsuitable helicopter to meet theNavy’s requirements, in thisinstance with the AS-565MBePanther, upon which PTDIwill install the required mis-sion equipment before deliv-ery to the navy.”

“All helicopters are navalversions which will be deliv-ered by Airbus Helicoptersequipped with maritimeradios,” Mr. Rochereau told

AMR, “while PTDI will installthe ASW equipment (sonarand torpedo launching sys-tem) locally in Bandung.”Selected mission equipmentwill reportedly include the L-3Ocean Systems HelicopterLong-Range Active Sonar(HELRAS) active dippingsonars, and launch systems forlightweight torpedoes.

The deal “represents a win-win proposal for all stakehold-ers”, argued Mr. Rochereau,“including significant benefitsto the Indonesian industry.This partnership betweenAirbus Helicopters and PTDIhas been working very well

for many years now, whichhas seen PTDI becoming amajor supplier of theEC-225 and EC-725 medium-lift utility helicopterfuselage and tail booms forAirbus Helicopters.”

“The end product will be ahighly capable ASW platform,”concluded Mr. Rochereau, andwill “enable a high-end ASWcapability to be deployed oncorvettes and smaller frigateswhere previously, conductingcompetent ASW against thegrowing submarine challengerelied principally on helicoptersweighing ten tonnes or moreflying from larger ships.”

MALAYSIAN FIRM CADWINS RMN COMBATSYSTEM CONTRACT�� The Malaysian firmContraves Advanced Devices(CAD), located in Malacca, inthe southern region of theMalay Peninsula, has won acontract to supply a variant ofthe SETIS CombatManagement System (CMS)developed by French ship-builder DCNS, for integrationonto the Royal MalaysianNavy’s (RMN’s) LittoralCombat Ship (LCS).

The contract, announced on12 November 2014, was val-ued at $78 million and secured

through a Letter of Award(LoA) sent by the affiliatedcompany Boustead NavalShipyard (BNS), which is cur-rently building the vesselsunder a $2.7 billion dealsigned in late 2011.

The RMN is reportedlyplanning an operational entrydate of 2019 for the first LCS,and its current planning sched-ule calls for sea trials of thefirst ship to be performedthroughout 2018. Constructionof the first of the six LCS classships started at the BousteadHeavy Industry Corporation(BHIC) shipyard facilities inLumut, a coastal town in the

state of Perak, Malaysia, with adelivery date scheduled for2017-18, while the five remain-ing ships are to be delivered atsix-month intervals thereafter.The manufacturing of the 3000-tonne LCS is led by BHIC, inpartnership with DCNS, withthe latter firms ‘Gowind’ classcorvette being used as the basisfor RMN’s vessels.

The Malaysian new classvessels will be fitted withDCNS’ SETIS CMS, along withThales’ SMART-S Mk.2 navalsurveillance radar,Rheinmetall’s TMEO Mk.2radar and optronic fire controlsystem, and Thales Captas’

low-frequency variable depthsonar. Weapons-wise, the ves-sel will carry a BAE Systems57mmMk.3 medium-calibredual-purpose gun in a stealthcupola, as well as two MSI-Defence Systems Seahawk sin-gle 30mm guns, and two J andS Triple Tube TorpedoLauncher systems. At the timeof writing (late-January), noannouncement has been madeas to what torpedoes will beused (for more information onthe Malaysian armed forces’modernisation plans,see Dzirhan Mahadzir’s‘Malaysia Modernises’ articlein this issue).

A N D D E V E L O P M E N T S


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REPUBLIC OF KOREA TOEXPORT K-9 HOWITZERSTO POLAND�� Officials from the DefenceAcquisition ProgrammeAdministration (DAPA), anexecutive branch of theRepublic of Korea (RoK) gov-ernment and the RoK defencecompany Samsung Techwinannounced on 16 December2014 that the Republic of Koreahad agreed to export 120 self-propelled howitzers developedby the company to Poland.The contract, signed by

Samsung Techwin andPoland’s state-owned defencemanufacturer HSW, is valuedat roughly $320 million andrepresents the second interna-tional export of the K9Thunder 155mm self-propelledhowitzer which was originallydeveloped for the RoK armedforces and also sold to Turkeyin 2001, under a $1 billionlicence agreement, according

to which eight K9s were pro-duced in the RoK and theremaining batch of more than300 units manufactured local-ly. In Turkey, they are desig-nated as the T-155 Firtina.Under a similar agreement

Samsung Techwin will report-edly produce an initial batchof 24 Polish units in the RoK,with an estimated delivery setfor 2018. Following deliveryof the first units, HSW willtake over manufacturing foran additional 96 units. The K9was initially developed in1998 as a replacement forRoK’s K55 self-propelledhowitzer, a variant of the BAESystems M109.Fitted with an automatic

fire control system and pow-ered by an MTU MT 881 Ka-500 diesel engine, the gun hasa maximum rate-of-fire of sixrounds-per-minute and iscapable of multiple-roundsimultaneous-impact firing,

with a firing range of 40 kilo-metres (25 miles).The latest K9 deal with

Poland comes after a mergerand acquisition agreement ledin November 2014, when theSamsung Group agreed to sella 32.4 percent stake inTechwin to the HanwhaCorporation, the Seoul-baseddefence business arm ofHanwha Group, one of the

largest business conglomeratein the RoK, for $765 million.Subsequently, the HanwhaGroup gained managing rightsover defence electronics spe-cialists Samsung Thales, whichis jointly owned by Thales andSamsung (see Stephen Miller’sarticle ‘Up-gunning the God ofWar’ in this issue for moreanalysis of artillery pro-grammes in the Asia-Pacific).



REGIONAL NEWS

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JAPAN ANNOUNCESGLOBAL HAWK, OSPREYAND HAWKEYEPURCHASES�� Japan has officiallyannounced its decision to pro-cure the Bell-Boeing V-22Osprey tilt-rotor, as well as theNorthrop Grumman RQ-4Global Hawk UnmannedAerial Vehicle (UAV) for itshigh-altitude reconnaissancerequirement and NorthropGrumman E-2D AdvancedHawkeye Airborne EarlyWarning aircraft. All threerequirements were made offi-cial upon publication of thecountry’s fiscal year 2015budget request.Although widely expected

since the release in April 2014of the country’s NationalDefence ProgrammeGuidelines, in which theJapanese government laid outa requirement for 17 such air-craft, the choice of the V-22may have political ramifica-tions for Japanese prime minis-ter Shinzo Abe’s government.

Primarily used by theUnited States’ Marine Corpsand designed by Bell andBoeing in a joint venture, theV-22 is a tilt-rotor, multi-mis-sion transport aircraft,designed to lift 24 combattroops, 20000 pounds (9090kilograms) of internal cargo orup to 15000lb (6818kg) ofexternal cargo. The Japanese Ministry of

Defence also wished toacquire a high-altitude recon-naissance aircraft and eventu-ally selected the RQ-4, alsocurrently in use by the US AirForce, and the E-2D Hawkeyeaircraft as a command andcontrol asset. Japan has been

investing in the developmentof its surveillance assets in theAsia-Pacific region, especiallyas neighbouring China hasbecome increasing assertivewith the two nations lockedin a ‘Cold War’ over theSenkaku/Diaoyu islands;claimed by both countries aspart of their territory.Andrew Brookes, chief

executive at The Air League, anot-for-profit aviation societybased in the United Kingdom,explained to AMR that “Japanhas understood it has to domore on the internationalsecurity stage” as the countrydecides to develop “longrange strike and reconnais-

sance and intelligence as a firststep on the way to developinga global reach as befits anation which will, whether itwants to or not, have to getinvolved outside its borders.” Mr. Brookes added that “for

around fifteen years, Japan hasbeen slowly developing itscapabilities. They have to goslowly; they’ve got a persistentnational pacifist streak and astrict constitution. They can’trush these matters. But as theAmericans cannot commit asthey used to and as Chinadevelops a more belligerentpolicy causing concern amongtheir neighbours, Japan has todo something, they can nolonger sit back.” Mr. Brookesadded that “the rest of theworld is going to expect Japanto be the sheriff, in that part ofthe world, and once you’ve gotthe intelligence, once you’vegot the pictures, once you’vegot the transcripts then, slow-ly, you can bring public opin-ion and the international opin-ion on your side.”




REGIONAL NEWS

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AUSTRALIA TO RECEIVE ADDITIONALBOEING C-17S�� The United States DefenceSecurity Cooperation Agency(DSCA) announced on 12November 2014 it wasapproving a requested sale offour Boeing C-17AGlobemaster III turbofanfreighters to Australia. Thesale, valued at $1.6 billion,includes three spares engines,Northrop Grumman’sAN/AAQ-24V Large AircraftInfrared Countermeasure(LAIRCM) and AN/AAR-54Missile Warning Sensor withone set equipping eachaircraft, as well as additionalcommunications andnavigation equipment.No timeline for the deliv-

ery of the aircraft was givenas for now, but is expected totake place soon, as the pro-duction line for the C-17A isset to shut down in the mid-

dle of 2015. A number ofunassigned ‘white-tail’ air-craft have already been builtand are awaiting a buyer. Theclosure of the line was initial-ly announced in 2013, butBoeing built twelve additionalaircraft expecting that cus-tomers would be found.“Royal Australian Air

Force (RAAF) has been a C-17A Globemaster III customer since 2006, operat-ing six aircraft as part of itsRAAF Base Amberley fleet,”a Boeing spokesperson toldAMR, adding that the aircraft“played a vital role in theaftermath of the 2011 CycloneYasi in north Queensland, theearthquake in Christchurchduring the same year, andsupport of the repatriationeffort for the remains of pas-sengers after the shoot-downof Malaysian Airlines flightMH17 in Ukraine in 2014.”The spokesperson added that

“more recently, elements ofthe fleet have seen service inNorthern Iraq as part of thehumanitarian assistance andre-supply missions there.”By placing an order for four

additional C-17As, Australiahas secured a large proportionof the last aircraft to roll off theproduction line. To date,Boeing has reportedly deliv-ered 258 C-17As: 221 to theUnited States, eight to theUnited Kingdom, six to theUnited Arab Emirates, six toAustralia, five to India, four toboth Canada and Qatar, threeto the North Atlantic TreatyOrganisation and one toKuwait. Before closing themanufacturing line, Boeing has

five more contracted aircraft tobe delivered to India and anadditional aircraft for Kuwait.“C-17s are unmatched in

their ability to transport troopsor heavy cargo, to support air-drop and aeromedical evacua-tions, and to deliver humani-tarian aid virtually anywhere,”explained the Boeingspokesperson, adding that“Boeing’s presence in Australiarepresents the company’slargest footprint outside theUnited States, with a heritagestretching back more than 85years. The company is part ofthe aerospace and defence fab-ric of Australia, offering long-term partnerships based ontrust and performance.”

NEW ZEALANDRECEIVES FIRST BATCHOF BEECHCRAFT T-6C TEXANS�� The Royal New ZealandAir Force (RNZAF) confirmedon 20 November 2014 that ithad received four of its elevenBeechcraft T-6C Texan-II turboprop trainers, with threemore aircraft being en route tothe country at the time of writing in January.The remaining four based

on the Pilatus PC-9 turboproptrainer are scheduled to arrivein New Zealand by mid-2015and fulfil a contract signed inJanuary 2014. The eleven aircraft were ordered toreplace twelve leased PacificAerospace CT-4E trainersoperated by the RNZAF.Along with the aircraft,Beechcraft is providing a complete Pilot TrainingCapability, and the firstWings Course for aircrew isscheduled to begin in January 2016.Contacted by AMR, Russ

Bartlett, president of theBeechcraft Defence Companyexplained that the firm has“worked closely with theNew Zealand Ministry ofDefence to build and delivereleven T-6C Texan II aircraftthat are tailored to therequirements of the RNZAF”.Mr. Bartlett added that thesetailored requirements include“a terrain awareness warningsystem, a real-time flight fol-lowing system, an aerial dis-play smoke generator, cockpitvoice data recorder and cock-pit camera mounts”. With this delivery, explains

Mr Bartlett, “the Beechcraft

T-6C is now the sole pilottraining aircraft for theRNZAF and replacesthe requirement to use twodistinct training aircraft tofully train RNZAF pilots.Previously, the RNZAFemployed the CT-4E for abinitio pilot training and thenprogressed to the BeechcraftB-200 King Air for instrumentflight rules and advancedtraining. The T-6C combinesthese missions with a leap incapability, safety and afford-ability. Ultimately, the T-6Cbrings a 21st-century trainingcapability to the RNZAF thatallows a straightforward path

from the training environmentto follow-on mission aircraftsuch as the RNZAF’s helicop-ters and fixed-wing aircraft.”New Zealand’s pilot train-

ing capability programme“consists of an acquisitioncomponent as well as a logis-tics support element”, Mr.Bartlett said, adding that NewZealand’s acquisition compo-nent “includes the purchaseof eleven T-6Cs as well as twooperational flight trainers(simulators), pilot trainingcourseware and desktop train-ing aides. The logistics supportagreement represents a one-of-a-kind, 30-year sustainmentpackage where Beechcraft pro-vides the complete mainte-nance of the aircraft and flightsimulators while also manag-ing all T-6C flight line opera-tions. This arrangement sub-stantially reduces financial riskto the New Zealand govern-ment while also ensuring apredictable flying hour pro-gramme to support futureRNZAF pilot training classes.”


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