Armada Apr/May 2014

THE TRUSTED SOURCE FOR DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY INFORMATION SINCE 1976THE TRUSTED SOURCE FOR DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY INFORMATION SINCE 1976

Issue 2/2014 April/MayIssue 2/2014 April/May

03INTERNATIONAL 2/2014

THE TRUSTED SOURCE FOR DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY INFORMATION SINCE 1976

INTERNATIONAL

Contents2/2014

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16COMMUNICATIONSAEROSTATS AS COMMS RELAYSI Peter Donaldson

24ARMED HELICOPTER MARKETTARGET MARKETS FOR ARMED WHIRLY BIRDSI Roy Braybrook

34FRIGATE AND CORVETTE MARKETSTHE LEADING PROGRAMMESI Luca Peruzzi

06GEOSPATIAL INFORMATION SERIES

While the newly digitised battlespace brings newpromises in terms of shared situational awareness

and synchronized manoeuvres, the fact remainsthat Nato went out to Afghanistan with Sovietpaper maps, and operations in Africa are still

being conducted with poorly-detailed country-wide maps or obsolete terrain descriptions. In this

first part of Geospatial Information seriesArmada’s C4ISR editor analyses the technologies

and tools required to build the foundation layer ofcurrent network-centric operations.

THE BATTLESPACE FABRICI Wesley Fox

COMPENDIUMSUPPLEMENTSPECIAL OPS

I Paolo Valpolini

Index

05 INTERNATIONAL 2/2014

ACCURANCY INTERNATIONAL 36

ACMAT 18, 20

AGUSTAWESTLAND 25 ,31, 32, 37

AIMPOINT 45

AIRBUS GROUP 45

ALLISON 6

ALLSOPP HELIKITES 20, 21, 22

ATLAS ELEKTRONIK 38, 46

AM GENERAL 5, 6, 10

AM-TAC 34

AMZ - KUTNO 16

ASCENDER LTD 29

ASTRIUM 8, 9

ATK 32

Aviakon 29

BAE Systems 10, 12, 38, 3, 9, 10

BARRETT 40, 41

BATTELLE TACTICAL 5

BELL HELICOPTERS 26, 28, 10, 29

BERETTA 34, 35

BOEING 25, 26, 28, 44, 10, 12, 29

BOMBARDIER 23

BOUSTEAD NAVEL SHIPYARD 44

BREMACH 14, 16, 17

CAMERO 44

CAROLINA UNMANNED VECHILES 17

CASSIDIAN OPTRONICS 46

CILAS 46

COLT 41, 42

DAMEN 42, 44

DARPA 32

DCNS 35, 36, 44, 46

DYNAMIT NOBEL DEFENCE 46

EADS 31

ELBIT SYSTEMS 29

Esri 12, 14

EUROCOPTER 25, 30, 31, 32

EUROTORP 44

EXELIS 42

FIAT POWER TRAIN 16

FN HERSTAL 34, 35

FORCE PROTECTION 20, 21

GDLS 5, 6, 8, 20

GDOTS 5, 8, 12, 40

GENERAL MOTORS 3, 5, 8, 9

GIBRALTAR ARMS 41

HAL 32

HEXAGON GROUP 10, 12

HONDA 22

IDO TECHNOLOGIES 13

ISRAEL WEAPON INDUSTRIES 36

IVECO 16, 20

JOHN DEERE 29

KAWASAKI 30

KOREA AEROSPACE INDUSTRIES 32

KRAUSS-MAFFEI WEGMANN 14, 16

LOCKHEEDMARTIN 10, 22, 25, 5, 10

MARVIN GROUP 5

MBDA 35, 38, 44, 46, 45, 46

MEPROLIGHT 36

MICHELIN 16

NAVANTIA 42, 44

NAVISTAR 5, 12

NEXTER 25, 32, 36

NORTHROP GRUMMAN 6, 12, 9, 10

OPEN GEOSPATIAL CONSORTIUM 14

ORIZZONTE SISTEM NAVALI 36

OTO MELARA 38, 40, 44, 46

OTOKAR 21

PANHARD 18

PATRIOT3 45

PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL 28

POLARIS 32, 22, 23, 30

PRATT & MILLER 8

PRECISION REMOTES 40, 41

QIOPTIQ 38, 40

RAFAEL 29, 31, 42, 44

RAYTHEON 28, 42, 44, 46, 38

REMINGTON DEFENCE 34

RENAULT TRUCK DEFENSE 18

RESILIENT TECHNOLOGIES 22, 23

REVOLVE TECHNOLOGIES 23

RHEINMETALL 38, 44, 46, 38

RIPPLE EFFECT SYSTEMS 36

ROBOTIC RESEARCH LLC 17

ROCKWELL COLLINS 7, 38

ROTAX 23, 28, 35

RP ADVANCED MOBILE SYSTEMS 28

RT AEROSTAT 16, 20, 21

RUAG AMMOTEC 33

RUSSIAN HELICOPTERS 28, 30

SAAB 46, 32, 44

SAGEM 13

SAIC 5

SAND X 23, 28

SANDIA 32

SATELLITE IMAGING 8

SELEX ES 36

SIKORSKY 25, 44

ST KINECTICS 14

SUPACAT 9, 14, 17

SYSTEMATIC INC 42

TEAL GROUP 25, 31, 32

TEXTRON 10, 29

THALES 6, 8, 11, 12, 16, 22, 21

THYSSENKRUPP 37, 38

TOPCON 12

TOYOTA 5, 6, 8

TRIJICON 38

TURKISH AEROSPACE 31

YAMAHA 22, 23

Z-COM 29

ZIBAR 13, 14

ADAS PHILIPINNES 45AFRICAN AIRSHOW 43AIMPOINT 35AIRSHOW CHINA 33AR MODULAR 41ARMADA DIGITAL 39AUVSI 19BELL HELICOPTERS 27BERETTA C2BRUNSWICK 7EURONAVAL 41EUROSATORY C3

EXELIS 9GDLS - CANADA C4GENERAL ATOMICS 23GSA 4INVISIO 31IVECO C2L3WECAM 19LAAD 37LAND FORCES AUSTRALIA 39LEMO 21NEXTER 31ODU 13

OTO MELERA 37PATRIOT 43QUOPTIQ 5RAFAEL C4RUAG AMMOTECH 9SAAB DYNAMICS 11SOFEX C3TEXTRON 15VADEMECUM 15VECTRONIX 13

I INDEX TO ADVERTISERS

I INDEX TO MANUFACTURERSCompanies mentioned in this issue. Where there are multiple references to a company in an article, only the firstoccurence and subsequent photographs are listed below:



Issue 2/2014

April/May

Issue 2/2014

April/May

A highly detailed print of a digital map released by theCIA in 2008 to support theMiddle East peace process.Hybrid geospatial solutions combine “national technicalmeans”with commercialmapmaking and disseminationproducts to best effect. See our first article onGeoreferencing Technology on page 6

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Volume 38, Issue No. 2,April-May 2014

Entries highlighted with RReedd nnuummbbeerrss arefound in Special Ops Compendium 2014

T he digital age has brought a newhorizon to geomatics. The word,coined inFrench-speakingCanada inthe early 1980s, describes the

contribution of digital technologies toenvironmental survey and analysis;geomatics encompass surveying andcartography, but also photogrammetry andremote sensing, as well as geospatialinformation systems (GIS) and GlobalPositioningSystem(GPS) technologies.

One could have thought that after a fewcenturies of charting, surveying the Earthwasnearing to a close.Quite on the contrary,this endeavor is permanent, as ourenvironment continuously evolves (think ofice caps, coastal areas or deforestation), andman adds new features to topography.Mostimportantly, requirements for accuracyhavesoared, as precisionnavigation andguidanceopen new dimensions in fine-grain Earthsurface analysis, from route clearanceagainst roadside bombs to urban combat,not to mention navigating the largelyuncharted ocean bottoms.

I DATA COLLECTION: ACCURATE ANDAGILE SENSORSWhile surveying trade has not disappeared,the surveying tools have changeddramatically. Today’s military topographicteams thus deploy with state-of-the-artground sensors and software. Groundmeasurement sensors gradually integratelaser technologies forhighlyaccurate ranging,but above all the very location ofmeasurement units is immensely enhancedby the latestglobalnavigationsatellite systemslike the GPS and the Glonass, joined since2014 by their European and Chinesecounterparts respectively known as Galileo

and Beidouns. In some areas of the world,differential GPS services allow pinpointground location. The latest generation ofTrimble Pro series of receivers, for example,subscribe toEgnos (EuropeanGeostationaryNavigation Overlay Service) to offer up tosub-meter accuracy, while ensuringmaximumuseof available satellites andsomeresistance toatmospheric andenvironmentaldegradations. The resultingmeasurement ofground control points, essential totopographic surveyandmap-making, isnear

error-free.USArmyengineering topographicsurvey teams thus deploy with the NorthropGrummanEnfirekit.

In hostile or remote areas though, wheresafety is an issue with the added difficultiesresulting frommultiple interferences fromfoliageorbuildings for example, it has led themilitary to develop remote sensing devices.The fast development of aerial photographyhas allowed to capture vast expansesof seaorland, while multi-point triangulationtechniques gave access to accurate location,

Wesley Fox

Geospatial Information Series


The Battlespace FabricWhile the newly digitised battlespace brings newpromises in terms of shared situationalawareness and synchronizedmanoeuvres, the fact remains thatNatowent out toAfghanistanwith Soviet papermaps, and operations in Africa are still being conductedwith poorly-detailed country-widemaps or obsolete terrain descriptions. In this first partof Geospatial Information series Armada’s C4ISR editor analyses the technologies andtools required to build the foundation layer of current network-centric operations.

This amazingly sharp view of Surobi province in Afghanistan is not a photo, but ahigh-fidelity 3D virtual rendering that forms the terrain database for French Army Tigreand NH90 helicopters. (Thales)


free from ground interference. In addition,oblique or stereo imagery added terrainelevation information. Today, theproliferation of sensors and digital imageprocessing technologies have boostedphotogrammetry, opening new grounds fordata integration across the electromagneticspectrum, combining laser, infrared, opticaland radar wavelengths for unparalleledcapture of terrain data not only in daytimeand nighttime but also above clouds. TheSwiss Leica Geo Systems is famous for itsairborne imaging sensors.

The Leica ADS80 airborne digital sensoroffersahigh-resolutionmode fororthophotoproduction,withswathwidthof24,000pixels.Itcomeswithaflightmanagementandcontrolsystemsoftware, computingaircraftdynamicsagainst a software sensor model to minimiseflight and atmospheric distortions. Multi-triangulation measurements determinecamera’spositioninx,yandzwhenthepictureis taken to automate production of largemosaicsof thesurfacecovered.Anextensiontothesecapabilitieshasarrivedtoaccommodatethe growing use of video sensors onboardsurveillancedrones.

Videooffersvariousadvantages,notonly interms costs, but also in terms of dataavailability,whichcanbereal time.Simactive,a French Canadian developer ofphotogrammetry software since 2003, hasrecently unveiled a new version of itsCorrelator3Dtailored for small-formatdronesensors. The ultimate refinement in aerialremote sensing thoughhas come fromactivesensors in the non-visible range in the formof the lidar (Light Detection And Ranging).This provides a laser-based method ofscanningtheEarththat isparticularly suitedtocharacterise micro-elevations. Initially

developed tomeasure forest canopyorcoastalerosion, the lidar has become a primarysensor to generate digital elevation models(i.e.Earthelevationaugmentedbyvegetationcover andman-madeobjects).

The space age tookoverhead imagery andremote sensing to new altitudes. Sincesatellite images are less prone to atmosphericinterference andhavepredictabledistortionsalongorbital paths, space reconnaissancehasbecome the preferred method of collectingdata on huge territories worldwide – freefrom airspace sovereignty. The early remotesensing satellites of the 1960s were thus themost valuable strategic assets tomapadverseterritory and manage crises, until digitalcameras and commercial satellites broughtthis capability to the larger public. The USNational Geospatial Agency began to placelarge contracts with commercial imagingsatellite operators, until costs dropped in1999 when Landsat satellite data becamecopyright free.Google began todemocratise“space maps” from the mid-2000s, initiallyproviding30metre resolution,multi-spectralband Thematic Mapper Landsat imagery,then moving on to higher resolution

Embedded, meter-accuracymilitary GPS has transformedthe trade of groundmapping;the latest receivers can fine-tune their measurements bysubscribing to differential GPSservices or combine theirsignals with more accurateinertial guidance systems(Rockwell Collins).

“Initially developed tomeasure forest canopyor coastal erosion, thelidar has become aprimary sensor togenerate digital elevationmodels (i.e. Earthelevation augmented byvegetation cover andman-made objects).”

commercial satellite imagery as provided byIkonos (the first metric resolution sensor),Quickbird and Worldview sub-meterimagers from Digital Globe, or GeoEye(bought by Digital Globe in January 2013),whichnowpopulateGoogleEarth.Space remote sensing was, however,

considerably enhanced by the advent of thesynthetic aperture radars. Sensitivity toelevations made radar imaging satellitesprime candidates for the generation ofdigital terrain models, a powerfulenhancement to traditional mapbuilding.ThemainEuropean challenger, Spot Images(now Astrium Services), has a similar trackrecord of exploiting multiple satellites insynergy. The current constellationadvertised by Astrium combines dual-useSpot 6 & 7 satellites with the latest-generation Pleiades 1A & 1B. The foursatellites operate in low polar orbit as aconstellation, phased 90° apart, offering adaily revisit time. A particularly agileAstriumplatformcombineswith apowerfulThalesAlenia Space telescope onboardbothPleiades, to deliver 0.5-metre accuracy inblack and white. Thanks to three collectionplans a day, imagery acquisition time is lessthan24hours,while the satellitemanoeuvresaround its axis within seconds to capturemultiple images in strip, stereo or spotmodes. Commercial satellites thus allowstrategic military users to focus their scarcemilitary reconnaissance satellite on imageryintelligence (imint) and targeting, whilecommercial operators faced with huge

tasking constraints rely on dedicated spacesensor scheduling applications, such as thewell-establishedSatelliteToolkit fromAGI,orthe STK/Scheduler fromOrbitlogic.Multi-satellite operation results in

enhancedcollection synergies.Bycombiningthe Spot constellation capabilitieswith thoseof the new German radar imaging satellites

fromInfoterraGMbH,AstriumGeoServicesis now able (2014) to offer a new WorldDigital ElevationModel (DEM) servicewitha two-metre (relative) vertical accuracy,thereby challenging aerial photographyespecially for larger areas. This new breedallows for rapid map update as well as thecreation of all-new products tailored formilitary use. In any case however, theavailability of accurate groundcontrol pointsis paramount to performortho-rectificationof imagery with a view to mitigatingdistortions caused by the platform along itsorbit, the sensor viewing angle andenvironmental interference. Last but notleast, multi-band, multispectral sensors oncurrent imaging satellites offer ahigh level ofdiscrimination for terrain analysis (foliage,crops, built-up areas, etc), but to cost ofresolution (true or false color imagesremain above one-metre resolution), andaccompaniedbya steep rise in complexity forimageprocessing and exploitation.


A situation briefing during a recent Natoexercise. Paper maps are still widely used incurrent network-centric operations, but theirquality has drastically improved, along withtheir modularity; forward-deployedmilitaryworkshops deliver on-demand, mission-tailored digital maps. (Nato)


A high-resolution Digital Elevation Model of Eritrea blends Ikonos satellite imagerywith accurate elevation data collected by lidar. Such quality in a geospatial informationproduct can support the most demandingmission requirements, from precision targetingto special operations. (Satimaging)

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I DATA EXPLOITATION: POWERFULSENSOR SUITESThe digital-age sensors would be uselesswithout theiraccompanyingsoftware tools forsensor calibration, correction, filtering andinterpretation, all leveraging an increasingamount of sensor metadata which augmentthe raw collection product. Geospatialmetadatadealwithdata identification,quality,organisation, spatial references, and otherattributes.Someare forhumaninterpretation,but others are input for image interpretation,photogrammetry, or geospatial informationsoftware.Beyonddatadescription, theirmainpurpose is to perform advanced processingon raw data and automate workflow toproduce map or terrain models out of hugeamountsofdata,whileperformingsome levelof quality control and standardisation.Although most of these applications rely oncommercial off the shelf (cots) solutions, themost demanding ones call on eithermilitaryoff the shelf (mots)orbespoke software suites(butoftencombineboth).

Commercial products tend to blur thedistinctionbetweenphotogrammetry (post-sensor imagery computation) andgeospatialinformation systems (extractionandanalysisof terrain features in a database to manage

map or elevation data). Even AdobePhotoshopbrings imageprocessing closer tomapmaking,withmeasurement and filteringfunctions that canun-distort planar surfaces,and tools to smoothen colour and textures.

Leica Geo Systems and Intergraph, bothpart of theHexagonGeosystems group since2005, provide multi-sensor integration andanalysis suites.Theirhigh levelof automationand workflow generation is regularlydemonstrated during Empire Challengeexercises, bringing together British,Canadian, Australian and US forces at theNaval Weapon Center in China Lake,California.Militaryorprofessional collectionplatforms are used as a multi-sensor input(e.g. Leica medium format digital camera,Optech lidar, military GPS) for theproduction and dissemination of digitalgeospatial products, such as terrain mosaicsor digital terrain models. The proven ErdasImagine imagery analysis suite is used toexploitmulti-sensor feed, identifyandcorrectdata consistency, andproducemilitary-gradeimagery for alliedC2or ISRsystems.

A hybrid solution can be found in awidespread cots/mots, namely the BAeSystems Socet Set digital photogrammetryandgeospatial information system,designed

mostly for defence applications. The current5.6 version provides point-matchingalgorithms for multi-sensor triangulation,turning digital aerial photography (usuallydelivered in stereo pairs) into ortho-imagesin raster (grid-based information) or vectorformat (where terrain features are translatedinto georeferenced points, lines andpolygons). BAe’s new suite, the Socet GXP,combines image analysis with geospatialanalysis. The GXP XPlorer enables analyststo access huge data sets locally or remotelywhile streamlining and standardisingworkflow for geospatial informationproduction. In a transitionmove from legacybespoke capabilities to commercial-basedstore-and-retrieve capabilities, NGAawarded a contract toBAeSystems todeployGXP licences onan enterprise basis.

A somewhat more restricted use can befound with the clearly military-gradephotogrammetry and image analysis suitefrom Overwatch Systems GeospatialOperations (part of the Textron group).Remoteview is an advanced multi-imageryand geospatial analysis system. In its currentversion, Remoteview 4 exploits the highgeodetic accuracy now available from newdigital sensors to generate orthorectified ormosaicked products frommultiple map andimagery sources. One useful functionality isits fastvirtual3Drendering features, enablinganalysts to create virtual fly-through of largegigabyte datasets. Dedicated extensionsserve higher-end geospatial intelligencerequirements. The RV Screener module, forinstance,createschipsandmosaics forU-2R/Srecceaircraftanddrones like theGlobalHawk,and displays them in a seamless waterfallformat to facilitate imagery analysis andchangedetection. IgeoPos,on theotherhand,is a tactical imagery precision positioningmodule, which grants Remoteview usersaccess to the highly classified Digital PointPosition Database. This latter feature shouldbe highly prized by analysts, since geospatialintelligence is either sharply defined orpreciselygeoreferenced,but seldomboth.

More tailored military solutions arescarcer outside America. Britain has justdeclared initial operational capability ofPicasso, an Army geospatial intelligencesystem delivered by Lockheed Martin UKInformation Systems. Development of thefollow-on FieldDeployableGeoINT (FDG)has just been granted to the LockheedMartin UK-led Socrates industrial team toaddress British Joint Force IntelligenceGroup requirements.



The Pleiades dual-use imaging satellite combines a very agile platformwith high-power optics.The resulting performance, sharp 50cm resolution imagery with multi-mode collection capability,complements more classical exploitation of the rest of Spot Images’ constellation. (Astrium)

In Israel, higher-end systems mergegeomatics with imagery intelligence, asexemplified by the IAI/Elta SystemsEL/S-8994RT Ricent (Real-Time ImageIntelligence Centre). This is an appliedmulti-source, multi-sensor system forintelligence and targeting. It incorporates aninformation assurance component to checkauthenticity of contributing data, andautomates search ofmatching imagerywithbetter georeferences to enhance location ofimagery of interest.In France, AirbusDefence& Space offers

the Actint suite, an apparent re-branding ofpast references (Optimint Image IntelligenceSystem, itself derived from the EVI basicimage exploitation capability), combinesmulti-sat imagery acquisition with analysisand feature extraction.Geo Data Design, a South African

company, proposes a lesser capable version(combined with Erdas Imagine and othercots suites for commercial imageryexploitation) to theAfrican region.The Thales GeoMaker solution is also a

re-branding, but probably closer to higher-endAmericanor Israeli capabilities though; itcombineshigh-gradegeospatial exploitationreferences (delivered to the French MoDmilitary mapmaking or cruise missilemissionplanning for example)with strategicand tri-service imint systems. In 2012,GeoMaker reached out to new high-precision ground mapping sensors, such as

TopCon high-density 3D laser mapper formobile groundapplications.

I INFORMATION PRODUCTION:THE WORLD OF GISGeospatial Information Systems integrate,exploit and analyse geospatial data,presenting them in layers in either raster (i.e.image-like) or vector (linear andpolygonal)formats beforepublishing generic or tailored(thematic) geospatial informationproducts.As such, GIS used to stand in the middlebetween data collection and exploitation

systems; however, they tend tobroaden theirscope by incorporating advanced sensorprocessing features to exploit overheadimagery, lidar, video on the one hand, andprovide increasingly business-orientedproducts frommilitary mapmaking, on theother.To confusematters evenmore, satelliteoperators develop their own GIS services.Furthermore, almost everymilitary-off-the-shelf or bespoke geospatial exploitationsolution incorporates interfaces ormodules from commercial GIS. Althoughmapmaking and geospatial datapresentationGIS applications for industrialpurposes are plentiful, the range offeringtruly military applications is quite narrow.Military applications encompass morerigorous georeferencing and quality controlfeatures, as well as tailored functionalitiessuch as military grid editing or tacticalsymbologymanagement.Falcon View is one of the few early

examples of dedicated military mapmakingfacilities. Developed for PC/Windows byGeorgiaTechResearchInstitute for freeusebythe military in the United States (essentiallyAir Force and Special Forces for missionplanning use) in the mid-1990s, it met abroad success within and beyond defenceuser communities. An open-source versionwas released in 2009 for non-governmentusers. With around 40,000 users, FalconView remains a preferred moving mapapplication in most American militaryaircraft. The success of this raster-basedmapmaking and display application(currently in its fourth version)has ledmanysubsequent andmore advanced solutions to


The latest remote sensing capabilities are demonstrated by the newWorldDEMclass of Digital Elevation Models using radar imaging satellites, like this example modelingBaluchistan province in Pakistan. (Infoterra)

Tasking space sensors through weather, terrain, and time zones while maintaining optimalground control requires dedicated flight planning software, such as the proven Satellite ToolKit used by commercial andmilitary operators worldwide (AGI)

provide Falcon View-compatible interfacesin their product design.

The GIS market is increasingly driftinginto commercial applications though, and isdominated by few software vendors. Esri isleading, with about 35 per cent of themilitary market worldwide. In the UnitedStates, their gain of the Commercial JointMappingToolKIT (CJMTK)withNorthropGrumman as a system integrator at the turnof the century has positioned Esri as a keyprovider to the Pentagon, which buys anddistributes the Esri ArcGIS suite forintegration throughout theUSmilitary.

Initiallyamapmakingtool forgeographers,ArcGIS, covering desktop, server or mobileversions,aswellassoftwaredevelopmentkits tobe integrated in business applications, hasevolved intoa full geospatialproductionsuite.Its latest V10 version released in 2010 hasmodules forabouteverything inthegeospatialtrade, from imagery and lidar integrationto dedicated templates for C4I/BattleManagement applications, and the firm isdeveloping mission-tailored geo-analysis,involving anything from counter-piracy tosubmarineoperations.Amore recent successwas the recognition of the enterprise versionof Arc GIS, when Nato selected Esri (withSiemens as an integrator) for their Core GIS,placing the commercial product as a centralcapability to serve Nato C2 as part of itsoverarching, service-orientedarchitecture.

Since then, however, Esri has been slower

in penetrating more tactical applications,such asmobile battlemanagement systems,artillery or dismounted soldier systems,despite a major partnership with Thales aspart of their Comm@nder integrated C4Icapability in the early 2010s.

Against this recognized success, rivalcommercial applications have found it

difficult to maintain their market share;Intergraph, Esri’s Nemesis, has seen itsGeoMedia GIS market share erode despiteconsolidation with other core businessapplications (Leica Geosystems, ErdasImagine) within the Hexagon Group. Also,open-source applications, like OpenLayersor the FrenchGeoConcept (successful withGendarmerie, Army Aviation or TacticalAirControl Parties), have found it difficult tochallenge the strong Esri-Microsofttechnical andmarketing partnership,whichfederates a huge ecosystem of value-addingpartners around the two software editors(likeAGI or IHS/Jane’s).



The latest addition to high-fidelity geospatialproducts is the laser scanning software thatinstantly translates travelled terrain into amulti-million point 3D scene, therebymodelling surfaces, volumes and textures ofmicro-elevations in a centimetre-classresolution (TopCon)

An analyst performs terrain feature extraction from a stereo imagery couple on a Socet Setworkstation. Automated sensor exploitation and computer-aided georeferencing haveboosted time and reliability of photogrammetry andmapmaking (BAe Systems).

A webmap of coalition operations in the Horn of Africa shows the power of geospatial analysisby cross-indexingmultiple data feeds in a unified format. In this instance, air andmaritimecorridors are shown alongside piracy attack “hot spots” and navigation AIS data asgeoreferenced information even without a proper map background, proving than geospatialinformation goes far beyond “dots on amap”. (Esri/Thales/Nato)

Against the riseofGISand their constant functional expansion,is there a need for bespoke defence geospatial applications? Itseems so, despite the growing presence of commercialcomponents inmilitary-gradeapplications.Thereason lieswith theneed for critical defence core business (notably fire support,intelligence or targeting), to master and validate key datatransformation functions, in order to certify their reliability forthe most critical missions. The truth is, highly automated and“cool features” like on-the-fly mosaicking or instant buildingextractionoutofheterogeneousmapdata in commercialGIShavetheir drawbacks: in cutting corners by equalizing or simplifyingloads of sensor-specific data, they blur their accuracy andtraceability, which hardly complies with drastic quality controlprocedures of military applications. This is why higher-endmilitary geospatial applications still rely on their ownalgorithmsfrompost-sensorprocessing andanalysis.

Afghanistan in your pocket? The promise of Web map services,like this rasterized vector data set of the Panshir valley on anAndroid smart phone, aims high for dismounted users.But the disconnected mode (often the case in tactical operations)remains challenging. (WF)

A tactical drone ground station shows the aircraft’s flight path, thenamed areas of interest, and the sensor footprint over a digital map.Added to a sensor payload with rich metadata, this capability isincreasing drone contribution to advanced mapmaking. (Sagem)

I PRODUCT DISSEMINATION:STANDARDISED AND SERVICE-ORIENTEDWithout the structuring and integratingeffects of standards, the geospatial industrywouldstill bea stovepipedcollectionofexpertdataprocessingandanalyses,with segmentedexploitation and single-use authoring ofproprietarygeospatial informationproducts.Beyondgrowing IT technology standardsonwhich geospatial software solutions aresurfing, the role of the Open GeospatialConsortium (OGC) is paramount. OGC,largely sponsored by the NGA, binds majorGIS software players with system integratorsand cots-mots solution providers. Amongststructuring standards, Web Map Services(WMS) or Geographic Markup Language(GML) stand out as enablers of self-describing and discovery standards,particularly tailored to enterpriseapplications, service-oriented architectures(where information discovery mechanismsenable information publish and subscribe),andweb serviceswhich become increasinglyhardware-independent. Other examples arerecognised data formats, such as GeoTIFF,whichenables scalabilityof large imagerydatawithout compression. The role of geospatialor IT companies must also be highlighted,beyond Ionic Software, leader in OGC-compliant solutions; Adobe, inventor of thepdf light document dissemination format,developed thegeopdf toallowgeoreferencingof informationwithin documents. Esri, withits own shapefile data format, is also drivingdatadisseminationand interoperability,withmost GIS recognising their competitor’sshapefiles as aquasi-standard.

Theroleofdistributedarchitectures is alsokey to the generalisation of geospatialinformation products, where certifiedauthoring meets user-tailored visualisation.Forexample3D-friendlyplug-ins support fastbrowsing and exchange of high-resolutiongeospatial products such as digital terrainmodels and fly-through. However, theirexploitation remains stuck at strategic andoperational (theatre) levels, accommodatingenterprises servicesonWeb2.0 technologies.Propagation of this level of informationremains highly dependent on constrained

tactical networks, as well as local processingcapacityof ruggedembeddedhardware.Thisis probablywhy the deployment ofNato coregeospatial services at theater level (e.g. forISAF) is still pending, while paper maps(although made from digital geospatialinformation) still have abright future toplanandconduct fieldoperations.

The technologies behind geospatialacquisition, production and disseminationare increasingly integrated, resulting inhighly automatedgenerationofmulti-sensor,

multi-layered geospatial informationproducts on a speed and scale hithertounimaginable. However, beyond the sexylook and feel of “Google-like” geospatialdisplays, geospatial information productionremains an expert trade, a vertical businesshighly dependent on sensor data andmetadata, along with carefully followedworkflow and quality control to buildvalidatedgeospatial layers.Thecurrent statusof geospatial information shows growingavailabilityofhigh-qualityproducts, thanks toeaseddissemination standards andpowerfulmapdisplays.The tradebehind thepowerfulsoftware suites available remains difficult tomanage though; what is gained in user-friendliness is often lost in new specialisedmodules dealing with specific sensors ortailored analysis algorithms. The range ofskills to master in order to fully exploit theperformance envelope of high-gradegeospatial solutions is broadening. Last butnot least, the reliability of information frommultipleprovidersandheterogeneoussystemsremains fragile, especiallywithcots solutions,restricting the integration of geospatialproducts across the sensor-commander-shooternetworkedcommunities.

The next challenge is thus for operationalusers to take full ownership of availablegeospatial products and augment, modify,fuse or tailor them for mission-specific use,while remaining able to trace andacknowledgemultiple data transformations.Thismission-driven integrationofgeospatialinformation in C4ISR applications will beanalysed in thenextepisodesofourgeospatialinformation series.



“…beyond the sexy lookand feel of ‘Google-like’geospatial displays,geospatial informationproduction remains anexpert trade, a verticalbusiness highlydependent on sensordata andmetadata…”

Left, a Google image is used to place intelligence feed. Despite the nice look and feel, it is impossible to know the accuracy, origin and processingassumptions behind this information, which proved to be poorly geo-located. The right picture in contrast shows sub-meter digital elevationmodelof the same area built from documented satellite imagery and a terrain analysis suite incorporating accurate sensors models over verified mapdata. The resultant product turns intelligence into actionable information for effect-based planning and precision targeting (Google andWF)

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T he two roles – Observation andCommunications relay – dovetailvery neatly because all airbornesurveillance systems must get their

information into the network and theirelevated position naturally increases radiorange by extending the horizon andovercoming lumpy terrain, buildings and

other obstacles. The Persistent ThreatDetection System (PTDS), for example, ispart of what prime contractor LockheedMartin calls a wide-area, securecommunications backbone for theintegrationof threat reporting frommultiplesensor assets.While satellites are the highestradio relays, bandwidth limitations, accesscharges and, in some cases, equipmentcomplexity make alternative orsupplementary means of communication

desirable for isolated outposts and difficultlocations in all environments.

Not only are aerostats the oldest of airvehicles theyarealso the simplest, relyingonabuoyantgas–usuallyhelium–for lift, a tetherandwinchfordeployment,heightcontrol andretrieval along with various wired andwireless options to power, control andcommunicate with the payload. Thecombination of a long tether to put themabove small armsrange, strong, tear-resistant

With an operational history stretching back to theAmerican CivilWar, tethered lighter-than-air balloons constitute themost venerable class of air vehicles in service. Requirementsstemming frommodern counter-insurgencywarfare and border security concerns havemade such aerostatsmore relevant than ever in their original role of persistent surveillance,while the insatiable need for connectivity in remote and difficult locations ismaking themincreasingly important as platforms for radio communications relay equipment.

Aerostats As Comms Relays

Peter Donaldson

Communications


RT’s largest aerostat, the Skystar 300, offers1,500 ft AGL capability for tactical comms

relay and surveillance/targeting applications.As a security feature, the system includes anunjammable wired data link system on the

cable tether for receiving payload orientationuplink commands and transmitting downlink

video images and data. The tether alsocarries the power supply. (RT Aerostat)


envelope materials and fairly low gaspressures makes them surprisinglysurvivable; catastrophic deflation is unlikelyeven if they do take a bullet or two, whilerepairof theenvelope in the field isgenerallyapractical proposition. Aerostats, however,have proved vulnerable to extreme weather,withseveral lost tohighwinds inAfghanistan.

I MACREL ON THE HOOKA stream of new applications is emerging, arecent example being the effort to increasethe range at which Littoral Combat Ships(LCS) can communicate with the roboticboats that they will deploy as part of variousmission packages. To this end, Americancompanies Robotic Research LLC, CarolinaUnmannedVehicles andUnmannedSystemsInternationalCorporationhavepartnered todevelop the Modular AerostatCommunicationsRelay,orMacrel.The idea isfor the lightweight aerostat to be deployedfrom and recovered to the LCS UnmannedInfluence Sweep System USV semi-autonomously.RoboticResearchannouncedon11September that the teamhadreceiveda

Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)award from the United States’ Government.The company reports that the work is toinclude a study into a sensor that will enablethe development of a low-cost means ofidentifying and reacting quickly to changesin environmental conditions that willinfluence the launch, stable flight andrecovery of the aerostat. The company saysthat the system, which it calls iMacrel, usessensor inputs to determine when to extendor retract the tether to reduce strain on theaerostat andon the tether itself.Robotics boats deployed from LCSs will

use the Multiple Vehicle CommunicationsSystem (MVCS), in which the RT-1944/USeaLancet radio carried by CarolinaUnmanned Vehicles’ Lightweight AerostatSystem (LAS) provides line-of-sightcommunications.The SeaLancet is a tacticalnetwork radio developed under anotherSBIR partnership between Harris and theReliable SystemServicesCorporation.Using Internet Protocol (IP) routing, the

RT-1944/U can provideWireless Local AreaNetwork (WLAN) services for line-of-sight

andbeyond-line-of-sight communications inground-based, shipboard and airborneapplications. Described as a programmablewideband, secure, networked radio, theSeaLancet can handle data, imagery andstreamingvideo, accommodatingavarietyofwaveforms offering different data rates fromsix Mbps with a Binary Phase Shift Keying(BPSK) waveform to the 64QAM(Quadrature Amplitude Modulation)waveformwith its link burst rate of 54Mbps.The basic system’s frequency coverage is infour bands from 2.2 to 6 GHz plus twoadditional L-bands, with either integral oroptionalup/downconversion.All are tacticalbands approved for global operation by theUS Joint Spectrum Center (JSC), accordingto Reliable System Services Corporation.Measuring 6.0 x 3.25 x 7.25 inches, the radioweighs 4.25 pounds, which translates as15.24 x 8.25 x 18.41 centimetres and 1.93kilogrammesmetrically speaking.Further development of the radio is

focusedon security and interoperabilitywiththe Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS).(Although the latter as a programme was

The Persistent Threat Detection System, seen in this 12 December 2010photo, uses a tethered aerostat with multi-mission sensors to provide long

endurance intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and communicationssupport to U.S. and Nato forces at Forward Operating Base Spin Boldak in

southern Kandahar province, Afghanistan. (U.S. Army)

cancelled, the software communicationsarchitecture and the waveforms developedfor that purpose remain of centralimportance to American and allied tacticalcommunications). To address security, afurther SBIR award relating to the RT-1944/U radio went to Louisiana companyBascomHunterTechnologies in 2013 for thedevelopmentof ananti-jamming systemthatis backward compatible with the radio forMVCS platforms. JTRS compatibility is stilllacking and, at the time of writing in earlyJanuary, an SBIR for a JTRS-compliantwaveform for the SeaLancet radio remainedopen, although the closing date was 22January 2014. The requirement is for awaveform that complies with SCASpecificationVersion4.0.

I NETWORKING THE AMAZON?While this application supports warship-centred robotic operations, a Brazilianproposal to provide a C2 communicationsnetwork covering the Amazon combinessatcom, VHF and HF radios, wirelesssensors, drones and aerostats. At the 18th

International Command and ControlResearch and Technology Symposium(ICCRTS) in Alexandria, Virginia in June2013, a teamofBrazilianArmyengineers andacademics led byCol EngineerAntonio J.G.Pinto presented the results of a series ofsimulations to scope and illustrate thecapabilities of such a system.

The simulated hardware included aTacom 74M aerostat of the type used in theUS JointLandAttackCruiseMissileDefenseElevated Netted Sensor (JLENS) systemoperating at 3,000 metres with a 3,200 kgpayload centred on a 10-Watt VHF radiowith an omnidirectional antenna. This is atype of radio in current use by the BrazilianArmy.Thevirtual experiment contained twosuch systems 370 km apart. Both improvedVHF connectivity and range around them,the signal in some areas was stronglyattenuatedby irregularities in the terrain, onebeingmore severely affected than theother.

The team also explored a simulatedcombination of wireless sensors, drones andaerostats in which the latter providedbackbone links into theC2 system’s back end


Amoored Aerostat balloon being prepared for launch atMultinational Base Tarin Kowt, Urzugan province,

Afghanistan, on 7 December 2010. The balloon was themaincomponent of the Persistent Threat Detection System and

was used to disrupt insurgent activities. (U.S. Army)

A Persistent Threat Detection System floatsabove Forward Operating Base Ghowrmach inMazar-e Sharif, Afghanistan, 29 January 2011,to give security forces an aerial perspective ofthe surrounding area. (U.S. Navy)

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network. Here a dense network of wirelesssensor nodes, each with sensing, processingandcommunicationelementscommunicatedwith a small number of widely spreadaerostats via a persistent network of eightmini or micro drones acting as relays. Usingrepeatedruns, thegoalof thesimulationwas toassess theeffectivenessof theaircraftnetworkin maintaining connectivity between anisland or islands of isolated sensor nodes atone end and an aerostat at the other, withcontrol logic that made the drones flyrandomly until they recognized, throughsignal strengthmeasurement, that the last linkthat connects them to the rest of the networkwasabout tobreak.Whentheyrecognised thesituation, they would fly towards the sourceof the strongest signal to maintain the link.The softwarealsocontained logicdesigned toavoidundesirable concentrationofnodes.

Flying with the link maintaining logic,the team reported, a significant number ofrunsmaintained 100%connectivitywith theremaining ones very close to it, a result farbetter than that obtained in simulation runsin which the drones flew completelyrandompatterns.

I EXPANDING MANETSNow that the latest generation of tacticalradios – even down to the soldier/personalrole radio level – can link to formMobileAd-hocNetworks (MANETs), anyof themcan in

principle be suspended under an aerostat orcarriedbyadronetoactasanairbornerelay. Inanearly experimentwith suchacombination,British companyAllsoppHelikites attacheda700-gramExelis SpearNet radiounderoneofits translucent lowvisibilitySkyhookaerostatsand launched it to 200 feet over its flighttesting grounds in October 2007. Thecompany reported good reception out to sixmiles between hills, translating into acoverage area 100 times larger than the radiocould manage from ground level. If the lawhad allowed, says the company, the 3m3

aerostat could have lifted the radio to 1,500feet. Earlier tests in the United States usingsimilar Helikites sent packet video data 61miles in flat terrain and provided excellentcoverage inhilly areas, says the company.

With abackground inhigh-altitude radiorelay trials,Allsopphasdeveloped a “see andspeak” rule of thumb that says that if you cansee the Helikite you can get reception. Evenwithout high-gain antennae, says thecompany, the rule holds for cell phones, wifisystems, Manets, broadband, video, UHF,


An anti-submarine warfare uninhabited speedboat performsstrategic manoeuvres during the unveiling ceremony of the littoralcombat ship anti-submarine warfare mission package held at the

Naval Mine and Anti-Submarine Command Complex of NavalBase Point Loma, in September 2008. (U.S. Navy)

People and vehicles give scale to these RT Skystar aerostats, members of a family thatincludes the manpack transportable Skystar 1000 designed to be assembled and launched in15 minutes, the 5.9 metre diameter Skystar 180, the 6.4 metre diameter Skystar 220 with its9.5 kilogram payload, the 6.85 metre, 11 kilogram payload model 250 and the largest,the 7.7 metre diameter Skystar 300 with its 50 kilogram payload. (RT Aerostat)

Communications

VHFandHFradiosandmore.BackpackHelikites as small as2.5m3 thecompany puts forward as ideal for keeping groups of soldiers withManet-capable radios in contact despite difficult terrain. “Helikitesplus Manet radios are probably the single best way to instantly providehigh bandwidth over land or sea”, says the company. “There is notechnical set up. Just turn on a hand-held Manet radio, set the channeland clip the radio onto the Helikite webbing. The Helikite willautomatically power it thousands of feet into the air to instantly createmassive, secure, long-term radio coverage.” The company toutssimilar advantages for HF radios, saying that a Lightweight Helikitethree-feet long can lift a long-wire antenna to 200 feet within seconds,enabling an operator to “work half the world from a backpack”.

Thosearebigclaims,but they seemmore thancredible as the lawsofradio propagation are on their side; Iridium phones, for example, withvery little power and tiny antennae communicate directly withorbiting satellites, which are much further away than any radio on theground is likely to be from an aerostat relay.

At thispoint it isworth lookingat theAllsoppHelikite family insomedetail, as these are not conventional aerostats. As the name suggests,they represent a combination of helium filled balloon and kite and assuchuseacombinationofbuoyancyandaerodynamics togenerate lift.Themainadvantagesof thisare theability tothrive inhighwindsandthesmallerdimensionscomparedwithconventionalballoonsofequivalentpayloadcapability.Normalballoonsarepusheddownbywind,whereasHelikiteaerostats are liftedby it, says thecompany.

Small size and stability in high winds are a big deal for aerostats,particularly during launch and recovery operations. Handling a largeblimp in strong and gusty wind requires large numbers of people

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Deployed from a trailer, the Skystar 250 is designed to be launched andrecovered in under 30minutes by amaximum of three people. All itscomponents are palletised to ease transport by helicopter or fixed-wingaircraft. In addition to communications relay and reconstitution, RTmarkets this aerostat for many other applications including forceprotection, border security andmaritime surveillance. (RT Aerostat)

who are at risk fromwhipping tethers. Alsoat risk, of course, are the balloon’s envelopeand the payload. Allsopp says thatHelikitesare very easy to handle on the ground, withexamples smaller than 20 cubic metresbeing manageable by one or two people,even in high winds. Those larger than 20cubic metres are used with an inflatableshelter knownas aHelibase, fromwhich theycanbe inflated, deflated, launched, flownandrecoveredbyone trainedoperator in “almostany weather conditions”, says the company,although the process is said to be slightlyquickerwith twopeople.Dependingon theirsize and the wind conditions, conventionalblimps require ground handling teams ofbetweenone and10people.

I FROM SOLDIER RADIO TO RELAYThalesCommunications Inc also recognisesthe value of using airborne platforms,including drones and aerostats, to improvesoldier radio network coverage and flew itsSRW Tactical Airborne Relay (Star) for thefirst time in April 2013. The platforms inquestion were Lockheed Martin’s DesertHawk small drone and a trailer-mountedaerostat supplied by Lighter Than AirSystems that the Army’s Space and MissileDefenseCommand referred to as theWinchAerostat Small Platform (Wasp). The Star

relay is essentially a repackaged AN/PRC-154ANettWarrior radioboard reinforced towithstand the environmental extremesassociated with aerial platforms used incombat, says the company, includingvibration, shock, temperature extremes andaltitude, also adapting it structurally formounting in the aircraft and enabling it toaccept aircraft electrical power.

TheWaspwas testedduring theUSArmy’sNetwork IntegrationExperiment14.1,whichtook place in October and November at theWhite Sands Missile Range in NewMexico.LTAS delivered a pair of ‘turn-key’ trailer-mounted aerostat launch systems to theSMDCtoenablewhat thecompanydescribesas persistent, on-demand, beyond-line-of-sight communications in support of groundforcemanoeuvres.

LTAS’principle tactical aerostat is a familyof systems known as Blimp-in-a-Box. TheKingfisher helium balloon features anenvelope designed to resist tears andpunctures that is capableof carryingavarietyof payloads including communicationsequipmentup toanaltitudeof 1,000 feet (300metres) above ground level. It is designed fordeployment from forward operating bases,observation posts and on more mobileoperations, in which it can be towed behindvehicles or ships.

Built into a trailer, the self-containedlauncherenablesacrewof twoor threepeopletoget theaerostatup toaltitude in20minutesand recover it in six, says the company,supporting operation for seven days. Thetrailer includes a large capacitybattery.

Like Allsopp does for its Helikites, LTASclaims that the Blimp-in-a-Box can operatein high winds when other types of tetheredballoonandmanydrones are grounded.Thecompany says that the system takesadvantage of the increased tension on thetether in high winds to provide the payloadwithgreater stability.Operational enduranceis a claimed 48 hours of continuous flight,after which the heliummust be replenishedin a process that takes around 15 minutes.Operating costs are described as low, withheliumas theprimary consumable.

I HYDROGEN RETURNS?In the long term, however, helium mightcome to be seen as the Achilles heel ofaerostats as the gas is expensive and hasbeen increasing in price. Furthermore, theEarth has a finite supply that is dwindling ashuman uses, in electronics manufacturingand medical Magnetic Resonance Imagingscanners for example, are increasing. Oncereleased into the atmosphere, heliumcannotbe recaptured. Ironically, the solution to theproblem may come from hydrogen, theoriginal lifting medium for airships datingback toCountZeppelin’smilitary dirigibles.Hydrogen became notorious with thedestruction of theHindenburg inMay 1937and its use in lighter-than-air vehicles hasbeen almost taboo ever since. However,Lindstrand Technologies has built ahydrogen aerostat –with further irony – fortheGermanArmy. Its use, says Lindstrand, isclassified but involves the carriage ofpayloadsweighing up to 100 kilograms thatare released in flight. Hydrogen is so cheapthat the aerostat is normally deflatedbetween operations and requires nomooring station, says the company.

Despite its explosive nature, hydrogencould still prove attractive if aerostats areoperated high enough to keep them out ofsmall armsrangebecause thegascanbemadeeasily by passing an electric current throughwater. It is also a by-product of the chargingof leadacidbatteries.Hydrogen is also lighterthan helium and so a comparably sizedaerostat filledwithhydrogenwill liftmore.

Gassy issues aside, themilitary aerostat ishere to stay and the communications relayrolemight come todominate themarket.


Communications

An aerostat being reeledback down to earth for

maintenance on ForwardOperating Base Salerno,Afghanistan. (U.S. Army)

Saddam Hussein had tanks, but today’s bad guys are mostly VNSAs (violent non-stateactors) with four-wheel drives and ‘technicals’ - improvised fighting vehicles. Either way,today’s good guys need armed helicopters for today’s asymmetric conflicts.

Target Markets forArmed Whirly Birds

Armed Helicopter Market


Dedicatedattackhelicopters combineheavy forward-firing armamentwith minimum frontal area, toachieve high speed and the lowest

possible vulnerability to return fire. Somesituations are better resolved by amulti-roleassault helicopterwitha squadof troops, plusforward-firing armament to suppress firefrom the landing zone and side-firing gunsfor self-defence. Scoutingmissions call for a

lightweight helicopterwith limitedweaponstodealwith targets of opportunity.A recent report by theTealGroup (World

Rotorcraft Review) estimates that in the2013-2022 period the production ofmilitary helicopters of all categories willtotal approximately 5818 units. Theywill beworth around $ 132.8 billion in 2013 termsand represent an increase in value of morethan 40 per cent over comparable purchasesin the preceding ten years.

Despite cutbacks, the largest singlecontributor to the global spend onmilitaryhelicopter procurement remains thePentagon. This element peaked in FY11 atover $ 10.0 billion, but is expected to havehalved by FY18 (in then-year dollars),spending on military helicopters fallingfaster than theUS defence budget.One reason for this rapid fall in military

helicopter procurement spending is thatfrom 2025 the US Army and Afsoc (AirForce Special Operations Command) planto begin switching to a completely newgeneration of around 4,000 high-speed,modern technology rotorcraft.The first stage is the FutureVertical Lift -

Mediumprogramme,which (with differentairframes) is to begin replacing the SikorskyUH-60 Black Hawk utility series and theBoeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopterfrom2027/2028.

I APACHEThe 6838 kg Boeing AH-64A Apache wasdesigned to counter the threat of a massiveWarsawPact armoured strike across centralEurope. It entered US Army service 1984,with a main armament of 16 laser-homingLockheedMartinAGM-114Hellfires. Itwassuperseded by the day/night all-weatherBoeing AH-64D Apache Longbow, whichentered service in 1998. Primary missionweight is 7530 kg, but the AH-64D can beflown at up to 10,433 kg.Between 1984 and 1997 some 937 AH-

64Aswere delivered to theUSArmy and fiveexport customers, all ofwhichwenton tobuythe AH-64D Apache Longbow withprovisions for theNorthropGrummanAPG-78 Longbow radar and Lockheed MartinAGM-114LLongbowHellfireRFmissile.The AH-64D is in service with the US

Armyand thearmiesofEgypt,Greece, Israel,Japan, Kuwait, the Netherlands, SaudiArabia, Singapore, theUnitedArabEmiratesand Britain. Over 2000 AH-64A/Ds havebeendelivered, andproductionwill continueuntil at least 2026. The US Army currentlyhas 570 Apaches, the National Guard 192,and the Army Reserve 48. It is planned toassign all these Apaches to the US Army,while replacingNationalGuard andReserveaircraftwithBlackHawks.The latest version is theAH-64EApache

III or Guardian (formerly AH-64D BlockIII), deliveries of which began inMay 2012.Its improvements include T700-GE-701D


Roy Braybrook

This Royal Air Force of Oman NHIndustriesNH90 TTH (one of 20) is armed with two

Nexter N621 gunpods, each housinga 20 mm 20M621 revolver cannon and up

to 250 rounds of ammunition.(Eurocopter/Anthony Pecci)

The Boeing AH-64 series has dominated attack helicopter sales. Here a licence-builtAgustaWestland Apache AH1 of the British Army is seen on patrol over Helmand Provincein Afghanistan. (AgustaWestland)

engines, composite rotor blades, and theability to control drones. Some 634 USArmyAH-64Ds are to be upgraded to -64Estandard, andmanufacture of 56 new-buildAH-64Es for the service is to start in2019/2020.Figures from the FY13 budget request

indicate that a new-build AH-64E costsaround $ 37 million, and remanufacturinganAH-64D to -64E standard approximately$ 17million.The first export customer for the AH-

64E was Taiwan. The Republic of ChinaArmy, which currently operates 6690-kgBell AH-1Ws, plans to place the first of 30AH-64Es (which cost $ 2.01 billion) inservice inApril 2014.InOctober 2010 Saudi Arabia requested

ten AH-64Es for the Royal Guard in a dealthat was estimated to cost $ 2.223 billion,including 28 engines, sevenAPG-78 radars,640AGM-114R laser-homingHellfires and2000 70 mm laser-guided rockets (LGRs).At the same time 24 AH-64Es wererequested for the Royal Saudi Land Forcesfor an estimated $ 3.3 billion, including 58engines, ten APG-78s, 1,536 AGM-114Rsand 4,000 LGRs.In the followingmonth the United Arab

Emirates requested 30 AH-64D Block IIs

remanufactured toAH-64E standard and30new-buildAH-64Es in a deal valued at $ 5.0billion. This included 70APG-78s, but only120 engines and nomissiles.Recent international sales include 22

AH-64Es for the IndianAir Force, at a cost ofaround $ 1.4 billion. This included 50engines, twelve APG-78s, 1,354 Hellfires(812AGM-114L-3s and 542AGM-114R-3s)and 245 Stingers.

South Korea is buying 36 AH-64Es in adeal estimatedbyAmerica’sDefenseSecurityCooperationAgency tobeworth$3.6billion,including84engines, 36APG-78s,400AGM-114R1s, 438 Stingers and 11,020 Hydra70mm rockets. Indonesia plans to buy eightAH-64Es ina$500milliondeal.Qatar and Iraq have each requested 24

AH-64Es. In the former case the $ 3.0 billiondeal included 56 engines, twelve APG-78s,


Based on the MD530F, Boeing has developedthe AH-6S, aimed at the US Army’s anticipatedArmed Aerial Scout programme, and the exportAH-6i, shown here. The AH-6i is reportedly inproduction for Saudi Arabia. (Boeing)

The classic armed scout helicopter is the Bell OH-5DKiowa Warrior, of which the US Army has over 350. This

example was taking off from Forward Operating BaseMacKenzie in Iraq. (US Department of Defense)


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576 AGM-114Rs (later increased to 1276),295 FIM-92H Stingers and 4092 Hydra 70mmrocket projectiles.India’s buycouldbe the first of a series that

make thatnation theprincipalApacheexportcustomer. Following signature of the IndianAir Force contract in May 2013, the IndianArmy made its own request for eleven AH-64Es. The service also announced plans tohave an aviation brigade (including oneattack helicopter squadron) with each of its13 corps. This could lead to the IndianArmy’s procurement of up to 156 AH-64Esplus attrition replacements.

The Teal Group forecasts production of237 new-build AH-64Es in the period2013-2022, alongside the remanufacture of430 AH-64Ds. At the end of that period,production is expected to be runningat 26 new-build and 50 remanufacturedunits permonth.For nations that require an armed scout,

Boeing offers the 1610-kg AH-6i, based ontheMD530F.The launchorderwas expectedto be 18 for Jordan (which already operatesarmedMD530Fs), but inOctober2010SaudiArabia requested36AH-6is aspartof a$25.6million deal that included 36 AH-64Es (asmentioned earlier), 72UH-60Ms and twelve

MD530Fs. At Dubai in November 2013Boeingconfirmedreports that ithadreceivedaUSArmy FMS contract for the AH-6i, andthis was generally assumed to be for Saudi.Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Colombia haveall shown interest in theprogramme.

I COBRA ZULUThe US alternative offered to South Koreawas the less expensive 8390-kg Bell AH-1ZViper (or Cobra Zulu), which wasdeveloped to satisfy a Marine Corps needfor an attack helicopter offering maximumcommonality with the substantiallyupgradedUH-1YVenom.

The USMarine Corps plans to acquire atotal of 189 AH-1Zs, made up of 152 new-build aircraft and 37 remanufactured fromAH-1Ws. The Teal Group estimates theproduction of 162 AH-1Zs in 2013-2022,implying few export orders. Figures fromthe FY13 budget request for the H-1Upgrade Program indicate a unit cost of $29.3million, but this is averaged over amixof new-build and remanufactured AH-1ZsandUH-1Ys.The DSCA press release on the 36 AH-

1Z deal offered to South Korea gave a totalcost of $ 2.6 billion, including 84 T700-GE-401C engines, 288 AGM-114K3 laser-homing Hellfires, and 72 Raytheon AIM-9M-8 Sidewinder air-airmissiles.TheAH-1Z, although equippedwith the

Lockheed Martin AAQ-30 Hawkeyeday/night Target Sighting System (TSS),lacks the all-weather APG-78 radar of theAH-64D/E. Both aircraft have a maximumcruise speed of 265 km/hr.

I RUSSIAN RIVALSRussia’s closest Apache equivalent is the10,900-kg Mil Mi-28N ‘Night Hunter’,which has a flyaway unit cost of around $ 24million. Cruise speed is 270 km/hr and itschin-mounted turret houses a 30-mmShipunov 2A42.Despite its lower cost, theMi-28N lost to

the AH-64 in India, perhaps because itsradarwas at an earlier stage of development,and its main armament consists of eightradar beam-riding 9M120 Ataka-V (AT-9)missiles, with a range of 5.8 km.



This Bell AH-1Z Viper (or Cobra Zulu) serial 168002 is based aboard the USSMakin Island,LHD-8. The YQ-43marking indicates that it is attached to Marine MediumHelicopterSquadron HMM-268 ’Red Dragons’. (US Navy)

This Russian Air Force Mil Mi-28N ‘Night Hunter’development aircraft has themast-mounted N025 radar,

which is not due to enter service until 2016 with theupgradedMi-28NM. (Russian Helicopters)

“India’s buy could be thefirst of a series that makethat nation the principalApache export customer”

Orders for the Mi-28N for Russian AirForce Army Aviation (VVS-AA) currentlystand at 167 units. Over 60 have beendelivered, without the N025mast-mountedradar. TheMi-28N formally entered servicein December 2013, and currently equips atraining unit and four (of the ten planned)operational units. Each unit is also to havearound fiveMi-28UB trainers, which retainthe full operational capability of theMi-28N.The N025 radar is being introduced in

2016with theMi-28NM, towhich standardMi-28Ns will be modified. The Mi-28NMwill have the current Klimov 1636-kWTV3-117VMA engines replaced by 1789-kW VK-2500s (which already equip theexport Mi-28NE), helmet-mounted sights,and the GOES-451M EO/IR turret (as onthe Kamov Ka-52). Reference to the LSN-296 laser installation suggests that the Mi-28NM will use the KBM 9A4172 Vikhr(Whirlwind, AT-16)missile.The first export contract for 42 Mi-

28NEs (alongwith sixMi-26T2s)was finallysigned by Algeria in early 2014, accordingto news agency Arms-Tass. The secondcontract, due to be signed by the end of2013, is for 30 Mi-28NEs for Iraq. Near-term prospects exist in Venezuela (tenaircraft), Kazakhstan andTurkmenistan.

I HINDANDHIPThe Mi-28N is being outsold in theexport market by the 10,900-kg Mi-35Mwith VK-2500 engines and a fixed 23 mmtwin-barrel GSh-23 cannon. The Mi-35Mis slightly slower (260 km/hr), butoperationally more flexible, with space foreight troops or casualties. It is also cheaper,at $ 20 million. It can carry eight KBM9M114 Shturm (AT-6) or 9M120 Ataka-V(AT-9) radar-guidedmissiles.

Production of theMi-35Mwas launchedwith aVenezuelan order for ten, followed byone for twelve forBrazil (whichmaybuy fourmore ‘AH-2 Sabres’). At that point (May2010) theRussianMoDordered26, followedby 27 in April 2012. Azerbaijan ordered 24for its Border Protection Service inSeptember 2010, and is expected to buy 24more. In November 2013 Iraq received fourMi-35Ms, allegedly the first of a batchof 40.

Since around 2,300Mi-24swere built forover 30 nations, mostly in the 1980s, thereis a substantialmarket for upgrades.Russia isbelieved to have modified 24 to Mi-24PNstandard with improved night-fightingcapability. TheUkraine has over 70Mi-24s.Some have been upgraded by Aviakon toMi-24PU1 standard, and others (in co-operation with Sagem) to Mi-24PU2s.Sagem also offers an Mi-24/35 upgrade inco-operationwithMil andRostvertol.Elbit Systems has fitted some Mi-24s

with defensive aids suites, for Georgia(seven aircraft), Macedonia (six) and SriLanka (seven). IAI/Tamam has applied its‘Mission 24’ system to 25 Indian Mi-24s,which now have day/night capability, andcan use both the 9K114 Shturm (AT-6) andtheRafael Spike-ER .One of the leading upgrades is the ‘Super

Hind’ developed by South Africa’s ATE(now Paramount Advanced Technologies),primarily for Algeria, which had 40modernised. In its Mk III version, thisincludes replacing the turreted12.7-mmYak-B with a 20 mm F2, and introducing DenelDynamics Ingwe missiles. In co-operationwithAviakon,ATEmodified fourAzerbaijanaircraft to Mi-24G standard with laserbeam-riding SKDBLuchBar’er-Vmissiles.


One of around 2,300 built, this Mil Mi-24, based at YumaMarine Corps Air Station, Arizona, is used by Marine Aviation

andWeapons Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1) as anaggressor training aircraft. (USMarine Corps)

“Since around 2,300Mi-24s were built forover 30 nations, mostlyin the 1980s, thereis a substantial marketfor upgrades”

It may also be noted that the 11,000-kgMi-8AMTSh can carry theGSh-23 gunpod,B8V20 rocket pods and the Shturm-V andIgla-V guided missiles of the Mi-24, inaddition to 36 troops. In August 2013 theRussian MoD announced a $ 380 millionorder for 40 Mi-8AMTSh, bringing thecurrent total to about 180 (in addition to 150Mi-8MTVs). The export version is the Mi-171Sh, which is built at Ulan-Ude, and hasbeen purchased by Bangladesh, the CzechRepublic, Croatia, Ghana and Peru.Operators of the Mi-17V-5 variant includeAfghanistan, Azerbaijan and India.

I LATER, ALLIGATOR!Probably themost advancedRussian attackhelicopter, the 10,800-kg Kamov Ka-52Alligator is unique in having side-by-sideseating, jettisonable rotor blades andejection seats. Powered by TV3-117VMAengines, it is slightly slower (at 250 km/hr)

than its tandem-seat rivals. Its contra-rotating rotors are claimed to make it asuperior platform for unguided projectiles,since it flies without sideslip.The nose mounting for its Phazotron

Arbalet (Crossbow)radar ismadepossiblebyits 30-mm2A42 cannonbeingmountedwellaft on the starboard side. Main armament istwelve laser beam-riding 9K121 Vikhr-1 orradar-guided9K120Ataka-Mmissiles.The Ka-52 is expected to be upgraded

with VK-2500 engines and KBP Hermes-Amissiles, which have inertial guidance andterminal laser-homing, to suit its remarkablerangeof 18km.The VVS plans to use the Ka-52

alongside Mi-28Ns and Mi-35Ms inseven composite squadrons. The initialproduction batch of twelve, ordered in 2009,was followed by a contract for 36. A multi-year order for 140 was reportedly signed inSeptember 2011, but this cannot be

confirmed. In February 2013 the RussianDefenceMinister stated that his departmentplans to acquire 985 new helicopters by2020, but gave no breakdown.The Ka-52K Katran (Dogfish) is a

navalised version for the Russian Navy’sMistral-class amphibious assault ships, ofwhich twowereordered in2011withoptionson two more. Each ship, the head of classbeing theVladivostok, is to carry a combinedtotal of 16 Ka-52Ks and Ka-29s. In October2013 the Russian Deputy Defence Ministerstated at Progress Arsenyev that, subject tothe satisfactory completion of trials, 32shipbornehelicopters (presumablyKa-52Ks)would be ordered. The first export customerwas expected to be Libya, but recent eventshave (at least) deferred such a sale.Russian Army Aviation plans a “fifth-

generation attack helicopter” in 2021-25,but no details are available.

I TIGERThe 6600-kg Eurocopter EC665 Tiger waslaunched in 1999 as a Franco-Germanprogramme, with each country to take 80units. Following recent economies,Germanyhas reduced its order from80 to 57 anti-tankTigerUHTs, while trading in eleven alreadydelivered. France has received 40 TigerHAPs at a unit cost of $ 36million, and is toreceive 40 HADs costing $ 48 million each,although the final 20 will reportedly bedeferred beyond2019.Exports have so far been limited to 24

Tiger HADs for Spain and 22 Tiger ARHsfor Australia. These aircraft have uprated


Pictured at Kandahar Airfield, this Mil Mi-17of the Afghan Air Force is armed with UB-32 pods,each housing 32 57-mm S-5 rocket projectiles.(US Department of Defense)

Shown is the first Spanish-built Eurocopter Tiger HAD-E(Helicoptero de Apuyo y Destruccion – España).The Tiger entered service with Spain’s Fuerza Aeromovilesdel Ejercito de Tierra in late 2013. (Eurocopter)


This Russian Air Force Army Aviation KamovKa-52 Alligator is illustrated in minelayingconfiguration, with a KGMU dispenser.The Ka-52 can carry four KGMUs incombination with four Igla air-air missiles.(Russian Helicopters)

MTR390 engines, and are cleared to useHellfire missiles. The Spanish HAD is alsocleared for the Rafael Spike-ER. There arefurther prospects in Brazil, Malaysia andQatar. The Teal Group report forecasts 88Tigers deliveries in the 2013-2022 period,with the last in 2020.

As the needs of the front-line nations forheavy attack helicopters are fulfilled, it isarguable that international sales will switchtowhatmight be regarded as armed scouts.

I T129The 4600-kg AgustaWestland A129 (latelyAW129) is less than half the weight of theAH-64D, Mi-28N and Ka-52, yet retains aconsiderable punch, with eight Hellfires.The Italian Army purchased 60 A129As,most of which have now been upgraded toAH-129C (previously A129CBT) standardwith five-blade main rotors. A furtherupgrade will take them to AH-129Dstandard, with Rafael Toplite sightingsystem and Spike-ERmissiles.

Turkey’sT129Atak is a jointdevelopment

of the AW129 by Turkish AerospaceIndustries (TAI) andAgustaWestland, usingLHTECCTS800engines. Itwasplanned thatonly the first (of six) prototypes would bebuilt in Italy, but in 2010 nine T129s(presumably ex-Italian ArmyA129As) werepurchased from AgustaWestland in a Euros150 million deal to meet an urgent TurkishArmy requirement for delivery in 2012.Thisadds to the TAI order for 45 productionaircraft,which carries anoption for a further40. Production deliveries were to beginbefore the endof 2013.

The first 30 T129s are being built toTUC-1 ‘combat support’ standard, TurkishArmydesignationT129A, armedonlywith aGD-ATP 20 mm M197 Gatling and 76guided/unguided 70mmrocket projectiles.Subsequent aircraft (whichwill presumablyform the basis for export sales) will becompleted to TUC-2/T129B ‘mulitrole’standard with Alesan helmet-mounteddisplay, eight Roketsan Umtas anti-tankguided missiles, twelve Cirit (Javelin)laser-homing 70 mm rockets, two Stingersand theM197.

Hoping to repeat the success of theEurocopter UH-72A Lakota, of which the USArmy has already received over 250, thisarmed AAS-72+, based on the EC145T2, hasbeen proposed as a replacement forthe OH-58D. (EADS North America)

AgustaWestland andTAI are promotingthe T129 internationally. Pakistan is anobvious potential customer, and Libya hasshown interest. Other possibilities includeJordan, Malaysia and the Philippines. Italymay buyT129s fromAgustaWestland in thelong term. The Teal reports estimatesproduction of only 78 units in the 2013-2022 period, the last in 2019, suggesting thatWashington will prevent T129 exports byrestricting engine availability.

I REST OF WORLDChina’s export sales of armed helicoptersappear to be limited to the 4100-kg HarbinZ9WE (licence-built EurocopterDauphin),as used byKenya, and the 2250-kgChangheCZ11W (Eurocopter Fennec copy), to belicence-built in Argentina. The Z19 is a

slimmer Z9 with tandem seating, while the7000-kg Changhe Z10 is China’s firsthelicopter with a chin turret. It also has anX-type tail rotor and diamond-sectionfuselage. Exports may have to wait for aChinese copy of the P&WCPT6C.OtherAsian countrieswill compete in the

armed helicopter market. India’s 5500-kgHindustan Aerospace (HAL) Light CombatHelicopter (LCH) is derived from theDhruv(Polaris) utility helicopter, which enteredservice in 2002. The LCH has a NexterTHL20 chin turret with a 20-mm 20M621cannon, and four underwing hardpoints.These can carry the DRDO Nag (Cobra)mm-wave radar guided missile, the LCHthen being designated Helina (HELIcopterNAg). Plans call for 65 LCHs for the IndianAir Force and114 for the IndianArmy.

The same armament installation is beingapplied to the Dhruv, producing the Rudra(God of the Tempest). The IndianAir Forcehas ordered 16, and the Army has ordered20 (of 60 planned).The 4500-kg (class) Korea Aerospace

Industries (KAI) Light Armed Helicopter(LAH)(formerlyKoreanAttackHelicopter) isalso to provide the basis for a six/eight-seatLight Civil Helicopter (LCH). A foreignpartner is to be chosen in 2014, and IOC fortheLAHis scheduled for 2022.TheRepublicof Korea Army is to receive up to 260 KAHsfrom2018, complementing36AH-64Es.Japan’s 4,000-kg Kawasaki Aerospace

OH-1 employs the traditional attackhelicopter layout, but (like the KAH) hasno chin turret. Despite earlier plans for150-200 OH-1s, only 34 have been orderedfor the JGSDF.



The armed version of the HindustanAeronautics Dhruv (Polaris) is named Rudra(God of the Tempest). This example is armed

with two twelve-round 68-mm rocket pods andfour MBDAMistral air-air missiles. (HAL)

There is pressure in Japan for relaxation ofthe law forbidding arms exports. Thiscould lead to international sales of theKawasaki OH-1, of which only 34 have beenordered for JGSDF use. (KHI)

Turkey’s T129 is a joint developmentof the AgustaWestland AW129 by

that company and Turkish AerospaceIndustries (TAI). Following six

development aircraft, 54 productionT129s have been ordered for the

Turkish Army. (TAI)

Frigates and corvettes have always been thecombatant backbone of navies aroundtheworld. Recent budget reductions and thechangingworld security scenario have calledformore flexible, smaller and less expensiveplatforms. However, high-intensityoperations still require sophisticatedplatforms to conduct specialisedmissionssuch as ballisticmissile defence ordeep strikeswithmain gunsand cruisemissiles. Frigates and thelower end of the corvette categorycontinue to demonstrate their abilityto adapt to new requirements andexport needs,while newprojects tunemore closely into current andperceptible operational trends.

The Leading Programmes

Frigate and Corvette Markets


T he Franco-Italian Fremm multi-mission frigate programme hasreached the delivery and operationalbuilding-up phase for both navies

under the umbrella of the European defenceprocurement agency’s Occar office(Organisation Conjointe de Cooperation enmatière d’Armement).

Delivered to theFrenchnavy inAugust 2012,the Aquitaine first-of-class is involved incomprehensive testing and fine-tuningactivities, having completed a just-over four-month deployment around and across theAtlantic Ocean last Autumn to test systemsand capabilities away from traditionalsupport facilitieswith a view to reaching fulloperational capability in 2014. The second-of-class Normandie has begun combatsystems sea trials earlier this year, while theProvencewas floatedout last September.Twoother platforms are at different buildingstages, while the Mohammed VI is stillplanned for delivery early this year. The lastFrench defence budget law, covering the2014-2019 period, revealed that six ASW-configuredFremms, armedwithdeep-strikeMBDAMdCN (missile de croisière naval) orScalp Naval missiles, will be delivered by2019, while ships seven and eight will comein anair-defence guise calledFreda.

With a displacement of about 6,000tonnes, a 142 metre length and a 20 metrebeam, the French Fremms have a highlyautomated platform and combatmanagement systems, supported by anintegrated bridge system allowing for a crewof only 108 including the single NH90Caiman helicopter detachment. Thecombined diesel electric or gas propulsionsystem is basedonaGeneral Electric 32MWLM-2500+G4gas turbine and two JeaumontElectric 2.15 MW electric motors or fourMTU diesel generators, providing amaximum speed of 27 knots and a quietlow-to-mediumspeedup to16knots.The combat system isbasedon theDCNS

Setis, designed for high-intensity navalcombat scenarios,which controls all combatsystem functions through a centralisedarchitecture. Thales supplies the IP-basedcommunication suite with internal andexternal voice and data connection togetherwith multiple data-link exchange, and theSIC-21 command information system. Thesensors suite is centred around the S-bandThales Herakles multifunction radar, butflanked by a Thales Artemis staring arrayinfrared searchand tracking system, aSagemNajir electro-optical fire control, anintegratedSigenElettronica-ThalesEWsuiteincluding RESM and ECM, plus a ThalesCESMsubsystemandSagemNGDSsoft-killdecoy launchers. A Thales ASW integratedsonar suite comprises the bow-mountedUMS 4110 sonar and an UMS 4249 low-frequency variable depth sonar, a passive


Luca Peruzzi

The Fremm ER is distinguished by its integrated mast with the new SF 500 aesa radaras well as communications, IRST and EW suite. The new version is being proposed to boththe French Navy and foreign customers. (DCNS)

The Italian Navy’s thirdFremm Carlo Margottini.Together with the other

frigates, it is equipped forASW operations with a

stern variable depthsonar (VDS) and towed

array. (Luca Peruzzi)

torpedo detection array and Slat decoylaunchers.Theweaponpackage includesoneOto Melara 76/62 mm Super Rapido maingun, twoDCNSSylverA43 8-cellVLS for 16MBDAAster 15s and in the near future twoSylver A70 VLS for 16 MdCN, two MU-90torpedo launchers and eight MBDA ExocetBlock 3 anti-ship missiles (ASM), plus twoNexter Narwhal 20mm remotely operatedturrets, though the latter will be introducedwith the secondof class.At the Euronaval 2012 exhibition, the

French DCNS shipbuilding group unveiledtheExtendedRange variant of theAquitaineclass frigate, given as largely similar to theFrench Fremm, but featuring new area airdefence capabilities with potential forballistic missile defence. Designed for theFrench Navy and the export market andalready proposed to several countries (latelyCanada), hermost significant enhancementsare an integrated mast, which has beendefined and studiedby aDCNS-ledgroupofindustries including Thales, and a moreadvanced Setis CMS. Called SF 500 anddeveloped by Thales, the new four largeAESA antenna radar builds on thearchitecture and the building block of theSR3D platform, already used on the ThalesNederlandnon-rotating SeaMaster 4003D.Italian Navy’s first-of-class general

purpose-configured Carlo Bergamini frigateis currently involved inanalmost five-monthCavour aircraft carrier-based naval groupcruise around Middle East and Africa,following after a comprehensive test and

evaluationperiod thatprecededand followedthe final configuration delivery to the ItalianNavy last May. The second-of-class VirginioFasan - anASWvariant -was handedover totheMarina Militare lastDecember,while thethird, the Carlo Margottini (also an ASWvariant) was scheduled for delivery while

these lineswereprinted. Follow-on shipswillbe handed over at one-year intervals, whilethe Italian Government has so far fundedeight ships (four general purpose and fourASWvariants)outof10, the last twooptions tobe exercisedbyApril 2015.These ships couldbe equipped with an advanced integratedmast, feasibility studieshavingbeen launchedlast December by the Italian Navy. Togetherwithagroupofcompanies ledbySelexESandincluding Fincantieri and Elettronica, theMarina eyes at a scalable integrated mastprototype to initially equip the new class ofocean-going combatant patrol vessels – aprogrammetobe launched in2014.Built and outfitted by Orizzonte Sistemi

Navali (OSN), a joint venture betweenFincantieri and Finmeccanica’s Selex ES,Italy’s Fremms are to have a 6,700 tonnedisplacement, a 144 metre length and a 20metre beam, and highly automated andintegratedplatformandcombatmanagementsystems.The integratedbridge systemallowsfor a crew complement of 131 (133 for theASW version), excluding the twin SH90 (orEH101+SH90)helicoptersdetachment.Thecombat system is based on Selex ES’s CMS,characterisedby a federated architecture andanIP-basedcommunicationsuitewithmulti-data link processor. The GP and ASWversions feature a common sensor andweapons package based onMBDA’s SAAM-ESD (Extended Self-Defence) area defencesystem, including Selex ES’s MFRA Empar-derived C-band multifunction radar withactive phased array antenna andAster 15/30missiles housed in two DCNS Sylver A50eightcells launchers. SelexESalsosupplies theSIR-M5phased-array IFF, thenavigationandRAN-30X/I surface/air search radar, and twoNA-25 fire control systems.TheEWsuitewillbe the same as the French ships. While thegeneral purpose version is equipped with aThales bow-mounted UMS 4110 andWASSmine avoidance sonars only, the ASWreplaces the GP-equipped 11m sternlaunched fast boat with UMS 4249 low-frequency variable depth sonar and passivetorpedo detection array plus WASS decoylauncher.Theweaponspackagecomprises anOtoMelara127/64millimetremaingunwithVulcano extended-range ammunition andone 76/62 millimetre Super Rapido withStrales guidedammunition ILDS(twoon theASW, the secondreplacing the127millimetregun), two Oto Melara 25 millimetre, two-triple MU-90 torpedo launchers and eightMBDA Otomat Block IVA (4 Otomat + 4ASWMilasonASW version).


Selex ES unveiled the Unimast lastSeptember at DSEI 2013. The ItalianNavy launched last December an

integratedmast programmewhich willdraw on the results obtained from the

Unimast and other research anddevelopment programmes. (Selex ES)

At the Euronaval 2012 exhibition, Fincantieripresented amodel of a Fremm hull with anAegis system. The same hull, with both gasturbines and diesel engines for high speeds,has been offered to potential customers, suchas the Brazilian Navy. (Luca Peruzzi)


Also at Euronaval 2012 exhibition, OSNunveiled different combat suites andpropulsion systems for Fremm hulls, withnew superstructures to accommodate aLockheedMartinAegisWeaponsystemwithSPY-1D(V) four fixed-phased arrayantennae, andapropulsionbasedon turbinegas anddiesel engine,which formed thebasisof the Italian naval industry offer to theBrazilianNavy for its surface fleet renovation.

Last December, the first of four Type F-125typeorBaden-Würtemberg class frigateswaslaunched at ThyssenKruppMarine Systems’(TKMS) Hamburg shipyard. Designed tosupport up to50 special forceswith space fortwo to four armed fast boats and two NH90multirole helicopters, the TKMS andLürssen-built Germany frigates will bedeliveredbetween late 2016and2018.Witha7,200-tonne displacement, 1,496 metrelength and 18,8 metre beam, the new vesselhas a Siemens Marine & Shipbuilding shipautomationandcontrol system,whichallowsa 110 crew complement with a 20-elementhelicopter detachment, manning and ship

maintenance requirements allowing forpersonnel rotationand long-period intervalsbetweendockyard assistance.TheAtlasNavalCombat System (ANCS)

developed by the newly founded JointEinsatzsystem Team (JET) consisting ofTKMS and Atlas Elektronik, runs on anopen anddistributed-architecture computersystem, which is paired with the AtlasTactical Data Link System (ADLiS),

providing interface between Link 11, Link16 and Link 22. The ship sensors suite isbased on an Airbus Defence and Space C-band TRS-4D/NR (Non Rotating) phasedarray radar, using latest GaN solid statetransmitter technologies distributedon fouractive electronically-scanned arrays, dividedbetween the two ship masts. The F-125 isalso equipped with a Diehl BGT Defence’sSimone (Ship Infrared Monitoring,

Algeria has awarded TKMS a contract for the delivery of two A-200Meko frigatestogether with six AgustaWestland Super Lynx naval helicopter. The two frigates willbe based on the same design as South Africa’s Amatola class, but will be equippedwith a different combat and armament suite. (South African Navy)

Observation and Navigation Equipment)passive surveillance system, allowing forearly detection of asymmetrical threats. TheEW suite is understood to be based onRohde and Schwarz ‘s ACD001 highlyintegrated C-/R-ESM suite includingRockwell Collins CS-3600 RESM and aRheinmetall Defence MASS decoy launcher.The weapons suite package includes an OtoMelara 127/64 millimetre LW gun mountable to fire Vulcano long-range ammunitionfor land fire support and five Hitroleremotely operated 127 millimetre weapons,in addition to two 21-cell Mk 49 Ramlaunchers and two Rheinmetall DefenceMLG 27 millimetre gun mounts.

On the export market, TMKS is alsopromoting a multirole frigate design of itssuccessful Meko family, built by Blohm+Voss.The latest iteration is called Meko 600 andbased on the proven design of Type 124frigates. With a 143 metre length, 17.4 metrebeam and five metre draught, theapproximately 5,800-tonne displacementplatform has been designed to fulfil ASW,AAW, ASuW, sea control, power projection,escort and task force protection, in additionto commander task force missions. TKMS,however, continued to register success withthe smaller Meko A-200 frigate project, afterthe sale to South African Navy. In March2012, Algerian MoD assigned to TKMS acontract of undisclosed value but reported

between €2.17 and €2.5 billion, for thedelivery of two Meko A-200 frigates and sixAgustaWestland Super Lynx helicoptersoptimised for ASW/ASuW, plus training andinfrastructure/maintenance packages. Theplatform is essentially identical to the SouthAfrican Navy’s 3,650-tonne Valour classfrigates with the same combined diesel andgas turbine/waterjet and refined propellerpropulsion system. With a combat systembased on a CMS provided by AtlasElektronik, the two new ships will be

equipped, according to industrial sources,with sensors and armament suite includingpossibly the Airbus Defence and Space TRS-3D family radar together with an L-3 MAPPsIPMS. Armament package is expected toinclude an Oto Melara 127/64 millimetremain gun to fire Vulcano guidedammunition, two Rheinmetall MLG27millimetre gun, Saab RBS 15 Mk3 anti-shipmissiles, Denel’s Umkhonto surface-to-airmissile and two multiple launchers forEurotorp MU90 torpedoes.


The choice between Oto Melara’s and BAESystems’ solutions still has to bemade forthe Royal Navy’s new Type 26 frigates longrangemain gun. (BAE Systems)


In December 2013 ThyssenKruppMarine Systems launched the first-of-classF-125 frigate, which is to be delivered at the end of 2016. The four F-125frigates are equipped with an Oto Melara 127/64mm long range gun as wellas facilities for out-of-area operations. (TKMS)

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D

AtDSEI 2013 in London, the joint team ledby BAE Systems Maritime and BritishMinistry of Defence presented the latestdevelopments regarding the Type 26 GCS(Global Combat Ship) programme.Developed to replace current Type 23frigates, the new surface combatantswill beable to conduct a wide range of missionsindependently or as part of a task group,and form the backbone of the surface fleetout to 2060. Featuring, amongst othernumerous things, a flight deck capable ofaccommodating a Chinook, the first of aclass of 13 frigates is set to enter service inthe early 2020s.Witha6,000-tonne full loaddisplacement,

a lengthandabeamof respectively 148.5 and20metres, theType26hasaCombinedDieselElectric or Gas based power plant with oneRolls Royce MT30 gas turbine, four MTU20V 4000 M53B high speed diesel enginesand two electric motors ensuring amaximumspeed inexcessof26knots.Able toaccommodate up to 118 crew and 72embarked forces, theType26designhasbeenstructurally refined. The vessel electronicsuite is mainly based on new and upgradeprogrammes, including new Type 997Artisan E/F band 3-Dmedium range radar,existing ASW suites including Sonar 2050

hull-mounted and variable depth Sonar2087, an advanced EW suite includingRESM, CESM and decoys, the new MBDASea Ceptor area air defence system, which isfirst due to be installed on Type 23s. On the‘26, the48cells are tobe theLockheedMartinand MBDA newMk 41 VLS version calledExLS(ExtensibleLaunchingSystem),which isalso expected toaccommodate16Tomahawkland-attack cruise missiles. The armament

package will also include a new maritimeindirect fire system, two Phalanx, two 30millimetre DS30M automated guns andgeneral-purpose guns, two BAE SystemsSting Ray torpedo launchers and space fortwo AgustaWestland Wildcat Lynx or oneMerlinhelicopter.Themaritime indirect firesystem will be either BAE Systems Mk 45Mod.4 5-inch/62-calibre guns orBabcock/OtoMelaraoffered127/64LWgunmounts.TheType26’sdesignmodularitywillalso help to satisfy export requirements. Forexample tomeet theRoyalAustralianNavy’srequirements, BAE systems reached anagreement with local CEA Technologies toprovide thevesselwithan integrated topmastwith active phased array technology,including S-band search volume, air andsurface radar, IFF andpossiblyEWsuites.

Russian and previously Soviet Unionshipyards have been exporting almost anysize of vessels, bar cruisers and destroyers.After the end of the Cold War, the RussianFederation’s naval industry pushed its latestgeneration products towards its “historicalcustomers” such as China and India. Thelatter in November 1997 signed a $1 billioncontract for three Krivak III class multi-purpose frigates. The Severnoye DesignBureau was put in charge of honing theProject 1135.6 to Indian needs, involvingaround130 suppliers fromacrossRussia andEurope. The three Talwar class frigates weredelivered within a year from May 2002. A


The new Type 26 will have a common hangar andmultifunctional bay to facilitate certain missionpreparations including the launch of drones, underwaterrobots and high-speed boats. (BAE Systems)

The Alvaro de Bazan F100 type frigatebuilt by Navantia formed the basis ofboth the Royal Norwegian and the

Australian navies Nasen frigates andHobart destroyers. (US Navy)


follow-oncontract for theacquisitionof threeadditional frigates was signed in July 2006and built by Yantar shipyard in Kaliningrad.The lastonewascommissioned intoservice inJune 2013. Around a year earlier though,India started talking about purchasing yet

another three. With a full displacement of4,000 tonnes, a length and beam ofrespectively 124.8 and 15.2 metres, theTalwar class frigates present redesignedtopsideandhull to reduce radar-cross sectionas well as advanced combat systems. With aCOGAG-based propulsion plant centred onZorya andMashproekt supplying twoDS-71cruise gas turbines and two DT59 boost gasturbines to offer a maximum speed of 32knots, these frigates boast a combat systemthe heart of which is a Trebovaniye-Mcombat information and control platformmanaging a sensors/armament suiteincluding a Fregat M2EM air search radar,3Ts-25E surface search and navigationradars, togetherwith anumberof fire controlsystems for both gun and missiles, inaddition to a TK-25E-5 EW suite withESM/ECM and decoy launchers, and anASW package. Armament includes a 100millimetre A-190E main gun, two KashtanILDS, one3S-90 launcher for 9M317 (SA-N-12) surface-to-airmissiles, eight Igla-1E (SA-16) airdefencemissiles andeight-cell verticallaunchers for 3M-54E Klub-N anti-surfacemissiles. The ASW suite includes one RBU-6000 rocket launcher and two twin533metretorpedo launchers, together with thecapability to accommodate and operate oneKa-28ASWorKa-31AEWhelicopter.

The last of the five Álvaro de Bazán F-100class frigates was delivered to the SpanishNavy in October 2012. The design of thisfrigate family developed by Navantia hasattracted attention and eventually wasadopted in different guises anddisplacements by the Royal Norwegian andAustralian Navies. The five Nansen classfrigates built by Navantia for Norway aresmaller at 5,290 tonnes and134metres,whilethe three Hobart class destroyers built inAustralia by the Air Warfare Destroyeralliance includingASC lead shipbuilder andRaytheonAustralia as the system integrator,features a 7,000-tonne full displacement andan enhanced combat system based onLockheedMartinAegisWeaponSystemwithSPY-1D(V) multifunction radar, twoRaytheon Mark 99 fire control systems,NorthropGrummanSPQ-9Bhorizon searchradar, twoSagemVampirNGIRST, twoUltraElectronics Series 2500 EO, two RafaelToplite target acquisition sights, UltraElectronics sonar suite, anEWpackagebasedon Exelis ES-3701 ESM and SwRI CESM,together with BAE Systems Nulka decoylaunchers, and a more powerful armamentpackage.The latter is basedonaBAESystemsMk 45 127/62 millimetre main gun, a


In January 2014, Damen Schelde shipbuildinglaunched the construction of the Sigma 10514 corvettefor the Indonesian Navy. (Damen)


The Spanish Navy is to launch thedevelopment and construction of a new classofmultirole frigates, known as the F110, to startreplacing the Santa Barbara class frigates atthe beginning of the 2020s. These vessels willhave an integratedmast. (Navantia)



Raytheon Phalanx 1B, two Rafael 25millimetre Typhoon remotely controlledguns, 48-cell LockheedMartinMark41VLSfor Raytheon Standard SM-2MR Block IIIAand RIM-162 ESSMmissiles, eight BoeingHarpoon anti-ship missiles, two twinlaunchers for Eurotorp MU90 lightweighttorpedoes, and the ability to accommodate aSikorskyMH-60R.The Spanish navy and Navantia are

working on a new F110 class of five vesselsdestined to replace the six SantaMaria-classfrigates as of themid-2020s.Theprogrammeis still in its first stages of development, butcould hold potential on the exports market,with an expected 5,000 tonne mono-hulldesign powered by combined diesel-electricand gas and conventional propellers. TheMastin technology demonstratorprogramme was awarded to Navantia andIndra with a view to designing an integratedmast structure and investigating theindigenous development of an S-bandphased array radar, as well as a series ofsystems to populate the new topsideincludingEWand IFF equipment.

The latest contract addition to DamenSchelde shipbuilding’sSigma(Ship IntegratedGeometricalModularityApproach) familyofpatrol vessels, corvettes and frigates of 50 to150metres in length is the Sigma 10514. TheIndonesian navy awarded contracts toDamen in June 2012 and February 2014 tobuild two ships, with technology transfer tolocalPTPALcompany.Plannedfordelivery inearly and late 2017, the Sigma 10514s differfrom the smaller family models already inservicewith IndonesianandMoroccannaviesin having a 2,400-tonne displacement, a 105metre length and 14metre beam, a 100 crewplus spare accommodation for 20more, andenlarged superstructures for a third forwardweapon station. In addition to a morepowerful combined diesel and electricpropulsion system, the 10514 will beequippedwith a combat systembased on thelatest iteration of Thales Tacticos CMS withexpanded capabilities and softwaredevelopment participation of local PT LENindustry. The system will manage a

sensor/armament suite including ThalesNederlandSmarts-SMk2surveillance radar,Stir 1.2 Mk2 EO fire control system, navalcommunicationandnavigation systemswithLink Y data link and Kingklip sonar suite,together with an undisclosed EW suite. Thearmament package is to include OtoMelara76/62 millimetre Super Rapid gun,Rheinmetall Defence Millenium 35millimetre ILDS, 12-cellVLS for air-defencemissile system (expected to be MBDA VLMICA), eight MBDA Exocet ASM and twotorpedo launchersplus light guns.

InOctober 2013,BousteadHeavy Industriesconfirmed that its subsidiary BousteadNaval Shipyard had been awarded a 10-year$2.8 billion contract from the MalaysianMinistry of Defence for the design andconstruction of six Second-GenerationPatrolVessel –LittoralCombat Ship (SGPV-LCS). Comparable in size to light frigates,the new ships will be based on the Gowindfamily of corvettes designed by DCNS in

DCNS will provide the Gowind project, expertise andsupport for the local construction of the newMalaysian Second Generation Patrol Vessel-LittoralCombat Ship (SGPV-LCS) under a subcontract withBoustead Naval Shipyard. (DCNS)

NEXT ISSUE JUNE-JULY 2014:1 JUNE,ADVERTISING: 17MAY�Mortars: Born as a rudimentary indirect fireweapon around the 17th century, the mortarbecame a more significant piece of artillery in 1915when Sir Wilfred Stokes turned it into a prodigioustrench attack device. However, the mortar startedbeing looked at with more consideration in the1930s after Art Deco wrought iron expert EdgarBrandt put his hand into the principle, to turn it intoa proper and respected technology.

Tank Situation: With the demise of Communismin Europe, the need for heavy battle tanks wanedand even nations that were about to acquirenewer models still 20 years ago finally threw thespanner in the works. However, the Western Worldis not the World, and numerous other nations stillrequire the tank’s power or the image it conveysto impose some form of authority.

Full-calibre Fin-stabilised 120 Ammo:Developed during the Cold War era to improve

armour penetration, 120 mm smoothbore gunswere mainly designed to use kinetic energyrounds. Nowadays missions require much moreflexibility, thus an entirely new type of round hadto be developed to ensure main battle tanksefficiency in their infantry support role, which ina way brings them back to their origin.

On-the-move Satcoms: The use of satellites torelay long-range communications already wasquite an evolution, but over the past few years,the possibility offered to do so while movingactually constituted a revolution as it allows oneto transmit without being a sitting duck on theone hand and drones to continue transmittingvital pictures and information to soldiers “down-stairs” on the other.

V-22 Market: The first convertiplane “to havemade it”, the V-22, perhaps better known as theOsprey, has for decades been looked upon as anonly-for-Americans piece of equipment, mainlybecause of its price and running costs. The troubleis that this has been caught up by the inflationary

cost of protecting oneself against aggression, notto a point of becoming affordable, but of beingthe only cost-effective solution in certain cases.

Geospatial Information 2: After laying theprinciples of geo-referenced maps in our lastissue, the author now dives into the practicalsolutions the technology brings. This second arti-cle examines what the solutions that can be pro-vided to ground battlespace applications.

Drones–Compendium: More than ever, thisalready popular Armada Compendium provides avaluable guide in the current maze of develop-ments and clearly explains which are the viablesolutions from a defence point of view. Manycompanies and nations have improvised them-selves drone developers and manufacturers with-out properly evaluating all the technical and engi-neering hurdles that need to be overcome –established and reputed manufacturers alreadyhave difficulties keeping a relatively clean no-crash record! There are plenty of drone cata-logues around, but they are just that: catalogues.



France. The lead ship is scheduled fordelivery to theRoyalMalaysiannavy in2017,with follow-onvessels to bebuilt at Bousteadyards inLumut.TheMalaysian shipbuildinggroup will be responsible for systemsinstallation, integration and testing for theSGPV-LCS programme. According to thelatest sources, the ship design indicates anoverall length of 111 metres and 16 metrebeam, 2,750 to 3,000-tonnes ofdisplacement and a ship’s company ofaround 100 personnel. Four MTU dieselengines driving conventional propellers

provide amaximumspeed of 28 knots. Thesuperstructures presents a stern flight deckplus hangar for a medium size helicopterand an integrated mast for radars andelectronics. According to latest information,the CMS has been confirmed to be aDCNSSetis together with a Rheinmetall TMEOmk2 – TMX/EO Electro-optical trackingand fire control systems, while the 3Dsurveillance is to be a Thales NederlandSmart-S Mk 2 type and possibly a ThalesCaptas 2 sonar suite. The armamentpackage is to include MBDA Mica VL or

Raytheon ESSM surface-to-air missiles,MBDA MM40 Block 3 Exocets orKongsberg NSM anti-ship missiles, a BAESystems Mk 3 Bofors 57 millimetre maingun and two MSI-Defence 30 millimetreremotely controlled guns.

In theFarEast, bothSouthKorean’sDaewooShipbuilding & Marine Engineering andHyundaiHeavy Industries (HHI) groups areaggressively proposing their portfolio ofplatform solutions toAsian andMiddle Eastcustomers, scoring interesting success. InAugust last year,Daewoowona$470millioncontract for the first of two frigates for theRoyal Thai Navy in August 2018. With a3,700-tonne full load displacement, a lengthand beam of respectively 122.5 and 14.4metres, the new frigate has been reportedto be based on the DW3000H design,which include an integrated sensor andcommunication mast, an Oto Melara 76/62SuperRapidgun, twoMSI-DefenceSeahawk30 millimetre guns, space for 32 RaytheonRIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrows in an eight-cell LockheedMartinMk 41 vertical launchsystem and facilities for a 10-tonne classhelicopter. Saab is to supply the combatmanagement system and the radar suite forthe sameprogrammewhileAtlasElektronik isin charge of the sonar suite. Daewo is alsoproposing a frigate design for PhilippineNavy requirements.

In August 2013 Daewo won a contract for the construction of the first of two frigates for theRoyal Thai Navy. The second platformwill be delivered in 2018 with combat system andradars provided by Saab. (Luca Peruzzi)

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