Asian Military Review-August-September 2015

A s i A P A c i f i c ’ s L A r g e s t c i r c u L A t e d d e f e n c e M A g A Z i n e

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Volume 23/issue 5 august/september 2015 us$15

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03| august/september 2015 |

Contentsaugust/september 2015

VOLume 23 / Issue 5

Alex Calvo shines light on Taiwan’s current strategic situation, its ongoing military

modernisation and its balance of forces regarding the People’s Republic of China.

Front Cover Photo: A US Navy Northrop Grumman E-2D Hawkeye Airborne Early Warning (AEW) aircraft is dramatically silhouetted against the ocean. This, and other AEW aircraft, are the focus of Thomas Withington’s

‘Forewarned and Forearmed’ article in this issue © Northrop Grumman

42 A StrAit Story

Geospatial Intelligence is increasingly being ‘democratised’ and is no longer the preserve of governments alone, providing assistance in war and peace, Stephen W. Miller explains.

3630

Thomas Withington’s regular column providing all of the latest news and analysis regarding events in the defence radio frequency domain.

06

Peter Donaldson gives a detailed discussion of some of the latest developments in the soldier-portable anti-tank missile domain.

Any tank, Any Angle

Tanks are fighting back! Active Self-Protection System are helping armoured vehicles defeat a variety of threats, Peter Donaldson explains.

26

Protection racket

10

the View From Above and Within

David Oliver takes a look at some of the recent developments in tanker aircraft procurements around the Asia-Pacific, and examines some future procurement prospects.

Quenching a thirst

Investment throughout the Asia-Pacific is flowing into the development and procurement of Corvettes and Offshore Patrol Vessels, Trevor Hollingsbee finds out.

20

Containing the Blames and Claims

Once the preserve of the Cold War superpowers and a few of their allies, countries around the Asia-Pacific are pouring investment into Airborne Early Warning aircraft, Thomas Withington explains.

14

Forewarned is Forearmed

04 | AsiAn MilitAry review |

EditorialIndex of Advertisers

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Audit Bureau Of Circulations

All of us have occasionally felt the soporific effects of events, meetings and presentations. No matter how scintillating the content, we have

all struggled to keep our eyes open. For the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) defence minister Hyon Yong-chol, falling asleep during an event attended by his boss, the DPRK’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, cost him his life. Mr. Hyon was reportedly executed on 30 April for his actions, and for failing to “carry out instructions.” In characteristic fashion, there was nothing subtle about Mr. Hyon’s demise. He was taken to the Kanggon Military Training Area outside the DPRK’s capital Pyongyang and publicly executed with a four-barrelled anti-aircraft gun.

Death sentences are not a rare occurrence in the DPRK with Mr. Kim and his henchmen gaining international notoriety for their darkly imaginative methods of despatching those who have fallen from favour to eternity. All families have their tensions and occasional disagreements, but in the DPRK, such spats can be fatal. Jang Sung-taek, Mr. Kim’s uncle and husband of the only daughter of Mr. Kim’s granddad Kim Il-sung, met his end in mid-December 2014 courtesy of a machinegun-equipped firing squad.

Executions of top officials have become increasingly common throughout 2015. The Daily Telegraph reported in late-April 2015 that Mr. Kim the younger has put to death up to 15 top officials in the DPRK to date. Given the DPRK’s taciturn posture regarding communications with the outside world, one can only speculate as to events within Mr. Kim’s court. Perhaps the killings are a way of Mr. Kim consolidating his grip on power, since becoming the country’s supreme leader on 17 December 2011? Alternatively, are these purges indicative of a power struggle in the country’s ruling echelons?

The latter prospect is of particular concern to the Asia-Pacific and the wider international community. Should Mr. Kim’s regime collapse, it could have serious consequences for the region. The Worker’s Party of Korea is effectively the DPRK’s all-encompassing administration. Should a power struggle between Mr. Kim, his family members and rivals precipitate a state collapse, this could lead to a possible civil war; a worrying prospect for a country strongly suspected to be in possession of nuclear weapons. Moreover, an internal conflict could lead to outpourings of refugees into the DPRKs’ Republic of Korea and People’s Republic of China (PRC) neighbours and further afield with the possibility of these countries, and others around the Asia-Pacific being called upon to reconstruct the DPRK amid the wreckage that such a conflict would leave behind. Increasingly frequent executions by Mr. Kim show that such an alarming possibility could be closer than we think.

Thomas Withington, Editor

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Photo courtesy: U.S. Air Force

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RadarThe Koninklijke Luchtmacht (RNAF/Royal Netherlands Air Force) will replace its Thomson-CSF (now Thales) ARES MPR (Medium Power Radars) with new Thales SMART-L L-band (1.215-1.4Gigahertz/GHz)) ground-based air surveillance radars from 2017, according to the company. Currently, the RNAF operates two ARES MPR radars to perform ballistic missile detection and tracking, one of which is located in the central Netherlands at the Air Operations Control Station at Nieuw-Milligen airbase, and a second located at Wier airbase in the north of the country.

Both S-band (2.3-2.5/2.7-3.7GHz) ARES MPRs were acquired by the RNAF and declared operational in the mid-1970s. The ARES MPR at Nieuw-Milligen airbase acts as the main ballistic missile air surveillance radar, with the site at Wier acting as the back-up, according to published sources. These radars each have a range of 242 nautical miles (450 kilometres). The two ARES MPR radars will be replaced by the same number of SMART-L systems, Thales told Pulse for installation at the same sites. The RNAF is in fact the first user of the land-based version of the SMART-L, which is normally used as a naval surveillance radar. The company continued that deliveries of these new radars would commence in 2017 and conclude in 2018.

Moreover, both radars will provide surveillance data to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation’s Active Layered Theatre Ballistic Missile Defence (ALTBMD) initiative which federates a number of ground-based air surveillance radars and surface-to-air missiles (currently land- and sea-based versions of Raytheon’s

Thales wins its first customer for the ground-based version of its SMART-L naval surveillance radar, the Australian government moves forward with the acquisition of satellite communications equipment, while Elbit Systems introduces a new airborne electronic warfare product.

RIM-161 Standard Missile-3 Block-1B missiles, to be replaced by the RIM-161 SM-3 Block-IIA/B from 2018) to provide a European continent-wide recognised air picture regarding hostile incoming ballistic missiles at NATO Headquarters Allied Air Command in Ramstein, western Germany.

The RNAF will receive the SMART-L EWC (Early Warning Capability) variant of the SMART-L radar. This provides a 1079nm (2000km) surveillance range to detect hostile ballistic missiles. The RNAF’s two ARES MPR radars also provide general air surveillance over Dutch territory and parts of the North Sea, and it is expected that the new SMART-L EWC radars will perform a similar role.

Elsewhere in NATO, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) expects to complete the radar upgrade of 14 of its Lockheed Martin CP-140 Aurora Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) within the next four years. The CP-140 Aurora is the local designation for the RCAF’s Lockheed Martin P-3C Orion MPA. On 27 April, MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA), a Canadian communications and electronics company, announced that it had signed two contract amendments with Canada’s Department of National Defence (CDND) worth a combined $5.6 million for the installation of software upgrades on the aircraft’s Telephonics AN/APS-508 Imaging Radar and Identification Friend or Foe Interrogator (IRIS).

Installation of these radars is currently ongoing and the software upgrade is expected to be commenced by MDA, which is overseeing the radar installation, in mid-2016. The contract for the AN/APS-508 installation, awarded in 2007 and worth $127.2 million, covers the fitting of this radar to the CP-140 fleet. The radar can perform ground moving target indication, gather synthetic aperture imagery, detect search-and-rescue transponders, perform wide-area surveillance and collect weather and navigation information. With one gigahertz of bandwidth, the radar provides very fine target resolution, along with frequency agility to enhance its security and reduce its chances of detection by electronic intelligence systems.

Detection of targets with a large Radar Cross Section (RCS) at ranges of up to 200nm (370km) from altitudes of up to 35000 feet (10668 metres) is possible with the AN/APS-508. Targets with a small RCS of below one square metre (eleven square feet) can be detected at a range of 45nm (83km) from altitudes of 500ft to 2000ft (152m to 609m). Neither MDA nor the CDND has revealed what software enhancements will be performed for the AN/APS-508 as a result of the April contract modification. Nevertheless, these software modifications are expected to be completed by 2019, according to a CDND spokesperson.

Electronic WarfareThomas Quast, director of strategy and business development at Raytheon’s electronic warfare business, expects the risk reduction phase for the firm’s Next Generation Jammer (NGJ)

by Thomas Withington

The Royal Netherlands Air Force will become the first user of the land-based variant of Thales’ SMART-L ground-based air surveillance radar. The naval surveillance radar version of SMART-L is seen in this picture © Thomas Withington


airborne Electronic Warfare (EW) pod to conclude by the end of 2016. The NGJ initiative, which commenced with the 2013 award to Raytheon of a $279 million Technical Development (TD) contract is intended to replace the existing Exelis/EDO Corporation AN/ALQ-99 EW pods currently employed on the United States Navy Boeing E/A-18G Growler EW aircraft, and which also equip the twelve E/A-18G aircraft expected to be delivered to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) from 2017.

The NGJ initiative is being developed in two increments: Increment 1 will produce pods to equip the wing hardpoints of the E/A-18G, while Increment 2 will produce a pod to equip the aircraft’s centreline hardpoint. It is the Increment 1 pod design which will conclude its risk reduction phase by the end of 2016. Mr. Quast adds that the company will then move into the Engineering Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase which is expected to take around three years. An Initial Operating Capability (IOC) for the NGJ Increment 1 pod is expected to be declared following the conclusion of the EMD phase in 2019/20. The centreline pod on the aircraft will remain as the AN/ALQ-99 until the NGJ Increment 2 pod reaches IOC (this is expected to occur in circa 2022, according to published sources). In addition, on 23 June, the US Navy announced that it had increased funding for the NGJ initiative by $13 million. This takes the funding awarded for the NGJ initiative to date to $292 million when taking the 2013 TD contract discussed above into account.

New products were unveiled at this years’ Paris Air Show held in early June including Elbit System’s Air Keeper airborne Electronic Warfare/Electronic Intelligence (EW/ELINT) system. According to Shlomo Livne, vice president of the company’s airborne electronic warfare business line, the system combines the ability to detect, classify, geo-locate, record, archive and jam hostile

Radio Frequency (RF) transmissions, including communications trans-missions. Mr. Livne adds that the Air Keeper can be tailored to detect and jam any spread of frequencies so desired by the customer. Air Keeper has been integrated onboard an Airbus CN-235 turboprop freighter for an undisclosed customer, Mr. Livne continues, noting that the aircraft is already in service with this customer. In addition, another undisclosed customer may receive a similarly-equipped CN-235 “in the next few years,” he states.

Away from the fun and games of the Paris Air Show, the United States Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) told Pulse that it expects to conclude operational testing of the Joint Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device-Electronic Warfare (JCREW)

equipment by this September. The JCREW programme is rolling out a manpack, vehicle-mounted and fixed EW system designed to defeat remote-controlled insurgent bombs across the US armed forces. NAVSEA had announced on 5 May that it had received approval from the US Department of Defence to commence JCREW system operational testing.

Once this testing is complete, the JCREW manpack, vehicle-mounted and fixed systems are expected to enter low rate initial production by the end of this year. Northrop Grumman is the prime contractor for the JCREW programme, which is under management by the Expeditionary Mission Programme Office in San Diego. NAVSEA has released few details regarding the performance parameters for the three respective JCREW systems, or the architecture that each utilises. However, it has been reported

Elbit Systems announced during this year’s Paris Air Show that it would be outfitting an Airbus CN-235 turboprop freighter of an undisclosed customer with the company’s new Air Keeper electronic warfare/electronic intelligence system © Airbus

The Royal Canadian Air Force’s Lockheed Martin CP-140 Aurora maritime patrol aircraft are receiving software enhancements to their new Telephonics’ AN/APS-508 Imaging Radar and Identification Friend or Foe Interrogator © RCAF


that each system works to create a protective bubble in its locale, presumably using smart RF jamming to ensure that remote-controlled bombs cannot be detonated, while not impeding the tactical communications used by dismounted troops, those on the move and at static installations.

Away from the land domain, the United States Air Force (USAF) has updated Pulse regarding the progress of its Counter- Electronics High-Powered Microwave Missile Project (CHAMPS). Development of CHAMPS, which is intended to yield an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) which can emit high-power RF energy to disable an adversary’s electronic systems, was commenced by the USAF in 2009.

In mid-May, Major General Thomas Masiello, head of the USAF Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) stated in media reports that he believed Lockheed Martin’s AGM-158B Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range (JASSM-ER) would be the ideal airframe to carry the CHAMP payload. Flight testing of the electronic components comprising the CHAMP payload occurred at the USAF Utah Test and Training Range on 16 October 2012.

For the flight test, the payload was housed in a Boeing AGM-86A/B/C/D air-launched cruise missile airframe, with Raytheon providing the CHAMP electronics. During the test, the weapon emitted an electromagnetic pulse which was sufficient to shut down a room full of computers which had been activated for the test. According to Dr. Kelly Hammett, AFRL chief engineer for directed energy weapons, “at present, there is no formal US Department of Defence programme office to field a CHAMP-like capability.” Nevertheless, he added that the USAF is currently examining the results of the 2012 test, and other laboratory

experiments, “to formulate an acquisition strategy”. However, Dr. Hammett held short of providing a date regarding when a weapons system with CHAMP capabilities could enter service stating that “there is an acquisition and budgeting process for any system to enter into service. It’s too early in the process to predict what type of capabilities demonstrated by CHAMP should be in any acquisition programme.”

Tactical RadioGeneral Dynamics will move ahead with the Full Rate Production (FRP) of the Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T) Increment-2 initiative following the granting of permission for the United States Army to advance the programme after the issue of an Acquisition Decision Memorandum by the office of Frank Kendall, the US undersecretary of defence for acquisition, technology and logistics. A contract to this effect was awarded to General Dynamics worth $219 million in late-June.

Fielded in several increments, Increment-1 of WIN-T provides conventional and satellite communications (SATCOM) at-the-halt for battalion-level forces, and for theatre, corps, divisional and brigade levels. Increment-2 of WIN-T provides mobile SATCOM at-the-halt and on-the-move at the company, battalion and brigade levels.

The fielding of WIN-T Increment-2 commenced in October 2012. This has furnished to date twelve US Army brigade combat teams and five divisional headquarters (10th Mountain Division, 82nd Airborne Division, 101st Airborne Division, 2nd Infantry Division and 1st Armoured Division) with WIN-T network communications. The FRP is facilitating the full furnishing of the WIN-T Increment-2 network at the echelons discussed above by 2028. This March, General Dynamics announced that it would be fielding WIN-T Increment-2 with the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team of the 2nd Infantry Division, and the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Armoured Division.

Rafael Advanced Defence Systems expects to have completed the integration of its BNET airborne networking radio across the fixed-wing aircraft types operated by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in 2017. By this time, the firm also expects the radio to be declared operational with the IAF, according to Daniel G. Benshabat, director of the company’s command, control, communications and intelligence directorate. This radio will probably also be integrated onboard the IAF’s new Dassault Rafale-F3 B/C Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA), of which the IAF is expected to procure 36. In addition, the radio has been integrated onboard the Sikorsky UH-60L medium-lift utility helicopters of the Fuerza Aérea Colombiana (Colombian Air Force) and

Raytheon expects to conclude the risk reduction phase for Raytheon’s Next Generation Jammer (NGJ) electronic warfare pod by the end of 2016. The NGJ will equip the Boeing E/A-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft © Raytheon

The United States Department of Defence is moving ahead with its Joint Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device-Electronic Warfare equipment intended to equip dismounted troops, vehicles and fixed installations © US DoD

Ejército Nacional de Colombia (Colombian Army). By 2017, the integration of the radio onboard a number of front-line MRCAs of the Força Aérea Brasileira (Brazilian Air Force) is expected to be declared, notably onboard the AMX International A-1A ground attack aircraft, and the Northrop Grumman F-5EM Tiger-II MRCA, plus the forthcoming Saab JAS-39E single-seat and eight twin-seat JAS-39F MRCA it ordered in late 2014.

Moreover, in November 2014, it was reported that the BNET technology for airborne radios will be integrated onto all existing and future platforms operated by the Israeli Air Force, although a timeline for the radio’s integration to this end has not been announced. Regarding the Indian Air Force’s BNET radios, they will initially operate the BNET waveform family which is supplied with the radio by the company. This family includes six waveforms: narrowband and wideband Very High Frequency and Ultra High Frequency (VHF/UHF: 30-400 Megahertz/MHz and 300MHZ to three gigahertz/GHz), a V/UHF legacy waveform, a narrowband L-band (one to two gigahertz) waveform, a wideband L-band waveform and a UHF satellite communications waveform. According to the company’s official literature, this radio is capable of receiving up to 1000 megabits-per-second (mbps) of data, and transmitting ten megabits-per-second.

SATCOMThe Australian government will acquire up to 200 land SATCOM terminals between 2016 and 2017, according to an Australian Department of Defence (DoD) spokesperson. The terminals will be acquired under the Australian DoD’s Joint Project (JP) 2008 Phase 5B1 initiative. The JP2008 initiative is a multi-phase project which will connect the Australian armed forces (Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force) with the United States Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) satellite constellation. Currently six WGS satellites are in orbit, providing Ka-band (26.5-40GHz for uplink/18-20GHz for downlink) coverage and data rates of up to 3.6 gigabits-per-second, according to the official literature of Boeing, the prime contractor for the WGS initiative.

JP2008 Phase 5B1 will procure Hawkeye family and Panther terminals from US defence electronics contractor L3 Communications. These terminals will be integrated with L3 Communications’ MPM SATCOM modems, the spokesperson informed Pulse. The Hawkeye family of flyaway SATCOM terminal are provided with dishes of varying diameters from 1.2 metres (four feet) up to 2.4m (eight feet). L3 Communications’ Panther terminal, meanwhile, is a manpack system with a one metre (three feet) diameter dish. AMR

General Dynamics has been contracted to produce Increment-2 of the Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T) communications network. Increment-1 of WIN-T is already in service with the US Army © General Dynamics

A N T I - T A N KA R M A M E N T


Soldier-portable anti-

tank missiles provide

troops with the ability

to destroy Main

Battle Tanks (MBTs)

without having to rely

on supporting arms.

They also fill the gap

between lighter anti-

armour systems

not optimised for

defeating tanks,

and heavier crew

operated medium-

range systems.

by Peter Donaldson

Recent combat experience has seen the employment of soldier-portable anti-tank missiles extended to a much broader range of targets that

require precision with speed, so they are now increasingly regarded, and marketed, as multi-target missiles. While there are many infantry-portable anti-tank missiles, most are designed for anti-armour teams with each weapon operated by at least two soldiers with reloads distributed among comrades; there are just a handful that can be comfortably used by one person. These include the Saab Next-generation Light Anti-tank Weapon (NLAW), the Lockheed Martin/Raytheon FGM-148 Javelin and MBDA’s Eryx, neatly illustrating three very different technical approaches

to the same set of problems. Two, the NLAW and the FGM-148, are fire-and-forget weapons, while the wire-guided Eryx uses the Semi-Automatic Command to Line-of-Sight (SACLOS) approach. The FGM-148 and Eryx feature Command Launch Units (CLU) that can also be used as surveillance devices.

Urban OperationsThese weapons are playing an important part in the modernisation efforts undertaken by many armed forces in the Asia-Pacific region. “Where previously a reference threat for dismounted soldiers could be old Soviet surplus armoured vehicles at really close ranges of 100 to

Any TAnk, Any Angle

Assault rifle in one hand, NLAW in the other, a Swedish soldier demonstrates the relatively easy portability of this one-person anti-tank/

multi-target missile. To ease use, the NLAW has a red dot sight, no different from those

used on many small arms © Saab

Assault rifle in one hand, NLAW in the other, a Swedish soldier demonstrates the relatively easy portability of this one-person anti-tank/

multi-target missile. To ease use, the NLAW has a red dot sight, no different from those

used on many small arms © Saab



hard ground targets such as bunkers, machinegun posts and urban strong points. “In all cases, the need is for a system capable of dealing with fixed or mobile targets,” a senior executive told AMR. “To be sure of being able to counter the targets listed above especially those that are very well protected and/or mobile, only a guided missile will suffice.”

PLoSUniquely, the NLAW is a fire-and-forget guided missile without a seeker, indeed the only part of the weapon that detects the target is the fuse. The enabling technology here is the inertial Predicted Line of Sight (PLoS) guidance system.

“Simply put, the PLoS principle works through letting the gunner tell the missile which path to follow rather than where the target is,” Mr. Vestin said. “This negates the need to acquire the target in a traditional sense, allows the gunner to duck and cover immediately after firing and, in addition, makes it impossible to fool the missile with countermeasures.”

AMR took the opportunity to become familiar with the NLAW through the training simulator during a series of demonstrations at the Armén (Swedish Army) Land Warfare Centre near Motala, southern Sweden in September 2014. To engage a Main Battle Tank (MBT), the procedure is to select the Overfly Top Attack (OTA) mode, arm the weapon, put the sight on the top of the target (there are several options here including

200 metres (328 to 656 feet), many forces are now deciding to ensure that they can combat any tank from any angle at longer distances,” Johan Vestin, Saab’s director of marketing and sales for ground combat systems in the Asia-Pacific, told AMR. Saab markets the NLAW in the region. “We also see a tendency to focus more on urban operations generally emphasising the need for mobility overall. Deciding to give the dismounted soldier this capability will of course allow more precise operations and reduce overall reliance on, for example, Close Air Support (CAS) and organic tank units.”

Mr. Vestin regards this as a significant element in the market’s evolution.

“Overall, shifting the ability to effectively combat enemy tanks downwards in the organisation (is proving) decisive in exercises already, and the more armed forces see the benefit of this, the more prolific the concept will be,” he continues.

“What is interesting about the Asia-Pacific region is that here you not only find the tactical awareness but also a very dynamic economy, allowing many armed forces to take advantage of the latest developments.”

MBDA emphasises that anti-armour/combat guided missiles are called for in conflict zones where there is a potential threat posed by armoured vehicles or where there is the need to neutralize

detachable red dot and night sights), press the tracking button and follow the target for three to six seconds before firing. Manually tracking the target for a few seconds enables the PLoS guidance system to calculate a flight path that will put the missile over the target where the fuse will detonate the warhead. Using the simulator and after a short briefing, the author found it easy to engage a variety of vehicles including MBTs and Armoured Personnel Carriers at various ranges, travelling at different speeds and exposed for different lengths of time. Very little of the vehicle has to be exposed for the NLAW to engage it and even a vehicle antenna is enough.

Countering countermeasuresA spokesperson for the FGM-148 Javelin Joint Venture (JV) involving Lockheed Martin and Raytheon insists that the weapon’s passive, long-wave, infrared sensor’s fire-and-forget technology provides superior performance under battlefield conditions and told AMR that it is

“insensitive to traditional electromagnetic techniques and therefore difficult to jam”.

The spokesperson told AMR that there are alternative guidance modes that could be added to the missile, should a customer issue a requirement. “The US Army and the Javelin JV are continuously looking at and investing in additional capabilities. Decisions to implement new capabilities are based on the needs of the warrior. The FGM-148, with its fire

The NLAW is about to demonstrate its ability to be launched safely from within confined spaces. Its first stage motor burns completely within the tube. This is an important consideration given the increasingly ‘urban’ nature of military operations around the world © Saab

This view of the FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missile clearly shows the large infra-red lenses for the CLU and the missile that provide both surveillance and targeting capabilities for this fire-and-forget weapon © Raytheon



are being fired at enemy insurgent teams, snipers and other soft targets that require precision placement and minimal collateral damage. While other missiles, such as (Lockheed Martin’s AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-surface/surface-to-surface missile family) have received alternative thermobaric and blast fragmentation warheads for such missions, the FGM-148 makes do with a single design. “Real-world experiences have led to the development of a multi-purpose warhead that meets anti-armour lethality requirements with added fragmentation effects,” the Javelin JV spokesperson emphasised.

Eryx also uses a tandem shaped-charge warhead, but delivers it with a direct rather than OTA or diving attack. MBDA claims it will defeat ERA and penetrate 0.9m (2.9ft) of tank armour or up to two metres’ (6.5ft) of concrete. This weapon’s multi-target capability emerged from close cooperation with customers to incorporate lessons from combat, the executive emphasised. “It is only through this kind of relationship that we are able

to ensure that our systems are up to the task and that we are able to pre-empt future operational requirements almost before they evolve.”

Weighing 12.5kg (27.5lb) all up, the NLAW is lighter than its immediate competitors, largely because it has no Command Launch Unit (CLU), which would typically contain a thermal imager or other optronic device. Although weight reductions are always desirable, it is close to what is practical already and there are other considerations, Mr. Vestin argued. “With regard to engaging MBTs, there will always be a balance to strike between warhead efficiency and size, and therefore weight. As a consequence, there is only so much that can be done in this field if you want to maintain the ‘any tank, any angle’ capability. Although we have been spending a lot of time and effort on weight reduction in our ground combat portfolio, the NLAW itself is already made using probably as light materials as can be found without compromising its ability to withstand field conditions. Another important factor here is the shelf life of the system; if you want a product that lasts 20 years in storage you can’t go for just any materials when building it.”

Longer reach, less weightCurrently in service with the armed forces of the United Kingdom, Sweden, Luxembourg and Finland the NLAW has been delivered in tens of thousands since the first contract was signed in 2002, and development continues. With a minimum range of 20m (65.6ft) and a maximum range of 600m (1968.5ft), the NLAW is programmed to self-destruct after 1000m (3280ft). However, the company is working to extend the maximum range.

“This year we have already demonstrated the ability to combat both static and moving targets at longer ranges than the first configuration for which the weapon was designed,” Mr. Vestin continues.

Range extension may require an additional sensor of some kind. “As long as we are targeting vehicles of considerable mass, as all armoured ones are, there is really no need to add a seeker within the current range specification,” said Mr. Vestin. He explained that this is because the missile flight time is so short that even if the tank driver slams the brakes on at the exact moment the soldier presses the trigger, the tank’s inertia would still bring it into the missile’s flight path. However, this dependence on inertia sets practical limits on how far out

With the launch motor burnt out, the FGM-148 Javelin has unfolded its fins ready for the sustainer to propel the missile the rest of the way to the target, following a lofted trajectory and a terminal dive. The missile can engage many targets demanding precision and low collateral damage © Raytheon

Eryx demonstrated in shoulder-launch mode. In this SACLOS missile, the guidance equipment are located in the firing post, which sends commands to the weapon down a wire. The missile can have its firing post/command post mounted on a tripod © MBDA

and forget technology, is already very capable in a heavy countermeasures environment.”

While SACLOS-guided missiles are potentially vulnerable to infrared jammers and smoke, MBDA confirmed that Eryx was tested against such countermeasures as part of its qualification process for the DGA (Direction Générale de l’Armement/General Armament Directorate) procurement programme on behalf of the Armée de Terre (French Army). With SACLOS weapons the guidance commands come from the firing post/CLU, so the counter-countermeasures function reside in sensors and electronics that are not expended with the missile and which correspondingly do not have to be procured and upgraded in such large numbers.

Warhead PhilosophiesAlthough designed to combat MBTs, the NLAW has proved very useful against softer-skinned vehicles and has been proven in multiple firings against other targets as diverse as helicopters and buildings in its direct attack mode. The downward firing shaped-charge warhead detonates the same way in both OTA and direct modes, although the use of different detonation modes was considered but found “unnecessary with regard to the desired effects” during development, Mr. Vestin told AMR.

While the FGM-148 can also be described as a top attack missile, its flight profile is different from that of the NLAW in that its autopilot commands it to follow a lofted trajectory followed by a terminal dive onto the target. The tandem shaped-charge warhead features a small precursor charge behind the seeker to neutralise Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA) and a mid-body main charge.

The FGM-148 too has proved very useful in non-traditional missions. They



targets can be combated, and is why the current missile self-destructs at around 1000m “To increase beyond that range, other means of getting the missile where it needs to go have to be applied.”

A more complex and heavier weapon, an FGM-148 round including the launch tube and the missile together weigh 15.87kg (35lb) and the CLU another 6.39 kg (14.1lb). Offsetting this, the FGM-148 offers a much longer range than the NLAW, the stated maximum being 2500m (8202ft).

However the weapon has demonstrated the ability to engage targets out to 4750m (15584ft), the company announced in early 2013. The Javelin JV confirmed that it is continually looking at ways to reduce weight. These changes are developed, validated and inserted into the production line as they become available.

Last December, the Javelin JV delivered its 40000th missile to the US Army, a significant production milestone for a weapon for which the company claims a 94 percent combat effectiveness rate. As well as US forces, the weapon is in service with Asia-Pacific nations including Australia, Indonesia and Taiwan.

Used by eight countries including Malaysia, the Eryx missile weighs 13kg (28.7lb) and its firing post 4.5kg (9.9lb). It can engage targets between 50m and 600m

away. Near term improvements are focused on weight reduction, the senior MBDA executive told AMR. “This is becoming possible through the reduction in weight of the explosive charge thanks to new, more effective, materials, with the same thing applying for propulsion systems. Miniaturisation in electronics is also leading in this direction. If you look at Eryx, we recently introduced new, non-cooled IR (Infrared) seeker technology which does away with the need for cooling bottles.”

Future developments of this class of weapon are likely to retain the strong emphasis on mobility. As well as being light and small, they will also have to remain practical for use in particularly demanding operations such as parachute insertions. They must be easy to bring into action quickly because targets of opportunity tend to appear and disappear very rapidly, particularly in urban environments. Additionally, ease of learning, low maintenance and a long shelf life will probably become even more important as forces are increasingly likely to hire more soldiers than maintainers.

An Eryx in the final direct attack approach to an unfortunate target, the weapon being visible to the right of the tank. Note the exhaust plumes from the twin nozzles of the sustainer motor. Asia-Pacific users of this weapon include the Malaysian Army (Malaysian Army) © MBDA

AMR

A I R B O R N ES U R V E I L L A N C E


Cognisant of these qualities, the Royal Navy will soon be pouring investment into enhancing its AEW capabilities in the form of

a mission system to be accommodated onboard the service’s AgustaWestland AW-101 Merlin HM.2 naval support helicopters. On 22 May Thales announced that it had been down-selected by the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence (UK MoD) to meet the Royal Navy’s ‘Project Crowsnest’ requirement to this end. Thales was in competition with Lockheed Martin to provide the Project Crowsnest solution.

The initiative will procure a roll-on/roll-off mission system which can adorn the AW-101 Merlin HM.2 as a replacement for the Senior Service’s ten AgustaWestland

Forewarned is ForearmedThe ability to detect air targets at range, and to manage and direct

the air battle, are arguably the two most important attributes that

Airborne Early Warning (AEW) aircraft bring to combined operations.

by Thomas Withington

ASaC.7 Sea King aircraft, and their accompanying Thales Searchwater-LAST (Low Altitude Surveillance Task) X-band (8.5-10.68 Gigahertz/GHz) AEW radar. Little information regarding the range of the Searchwater-LAST is available, although some open sources state this as being in the region of 85 nautical miles (160 kilometres) for air targets, with the ability to monitor up to 400 tracks simultaneously. In addition, the radar has a surface surveillance mode reportedly capable of detecting a medium-sized surface combatant at 130nm (241km).

The ASaC.7 aircraft entered service in 1978 providing AEW, air battle management and surface target detection to the Royal Navy’s three erstwhile

‘Invincible’ class aircraft carriers. These

aircraft were also deployed to support the British contribution to North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) led combat operations in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2014, providing limited ground target surveillance to land forces. They are expected to retire from circa 2018.

SearchwaterThe new Thales mission system which will replace the capabilities of the ASaC.7 includes the Searchwater radar, although Thales states that this version will have an enhanced performance and improved data processing. Nevertheless the company demurred from providing specific information in this regard. The Project Crowsnest mission system is expected to enter service from circa 2019, according to

The RAAF has procured a total of six Boeing E-7A Wedgetail AEW aircraft. These are equipped with the Northrop Grumman Multi-Role Electronically

Scanned Array. They received their combat debut over Iraq on 1 October 2014 © RAAF



States Air Force, the Armée de l’Air (French Air Force) and the Royal Air Force. Since 2006, the four E-767s have been undergoing Boeing’s Radar Systems Improvement Programme which enhances the performance of the aircraft’s radar, particularly its ability to track smaller targets via the installation of new hardware and software. According to Mr. Ellis, the JASDF E-767s will receive an overhaul of their mission computers which is expected to occur by the end of this year.

Alongside its E-767 aircraft, the JASDF uses 13 Northrop Grumman E-2C Hawkeye AEW platforms which entered service in 1997, with the fleet expected to soon be enhanced by new E-2D Hawkeye variants, as reported in November 2014. The E-2D is equipped with the Ultra High Frequency (UHF – 300 megahertz to three gigahertz) Lockheed Martin AN/APY-9 radar. This replaces the Lockheed Martin AN/APS-145 UHF radar equipping the legacy E-2C. The AN/APY-9 employs Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) architecture (see below) with publicly-available sources stating that the radar has a range of circa 300nm (500km) for large targets, and a comparatively improved target detection performance over land and for small targets compared to the AN/APS-145.

DRDO SolutionsAs opposed to procuring a solution from a third party, India is looking to domestic industry to fulfil its future AEW

sortie by the E-7A was performed on 1 October 2014 in support of Operation OKRA, Australia’s contribution to the United States-led Operation INHERENT RESOLVE military campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) insurgent organisation which commenced on 15 June 2014.

Elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific, other new AEW operators include the Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF). The RoK government placed an order with Boeing on 7 November 2006 for the supply of four 737-based AEW aircraft for $1.6 billion. All four aircraft had been delivered to the RoKAF by October 2014. Mark Ellis, Boeing’s programme director for airborne surveillance, command and control, states that the company is currently studying methods by which the radar onboard the RAAF’s E-7As could have their performance enhanced, although the company has not provided any information as to when any improvements could be installed onboard these aircraft, or how much such an undertaking could cost.

Other Boeing AEW operators in the Asia-Pacific region include the Japan Air Self Defence Force (JASDF) which flies four Boeing E-767 aircraft. Introduced into service in May 2000, the E-767 takes a Boeing 767-200 turbofan transport and teams it with Northrop Grumman’s AN/APY-2 S-band (2.3-2.5/2.7-3.7GHz) approximately 215nm (400km) range radar used onboard the Boeing E-3B/C/D/F Sentry AEW aircraft operated by the United

Forewarned is Forearmed

the UK MoD, equipping AW-101 Merlin HM.2 aircraft serving onboard the Royal Navy’s two new ‘Queen Elizabeth’ class aircraft carriers; the eponymous example of which is expected to commission in early 2016 having been launched on 17 July 2014. Thales declined to provide AMR with any additional information regarding the number of mission systems to be procured by the Royal Navy, or the total value of the eventual procurement, stating that sensitive negotiations with the UK MoD prior to the ‘main gate’ decision by the ministry regarding the commitment of investment to the mission system procurement, expected in April 2016. Open sources state that the eventual value of the project and procurement could reach circa $800 million.

Looking towards the Asia-Pacific, the AW-101/Searchwater configuration could make an ideal fit for several navies such as Thailand and Japan which operate aircraft carriers and helicopter-capable amphibious support ships. The Royal Thai Navy is equipped with the HTMS Chakri Naruebet aircraft carrier, with the Japan Maritime Self Defence Force operating the ‘Izumo’ and ‘Hyuga’ class destroyers. India may yet look towards procuring an AEW capability for its INS Vikramaditya and two forthcoming

‘Vikrant’ class aircraft carriers.

Wedgetail Several countries in the Asia-Pacific region are investing in AEW platforms. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is procuring an AEW capability for the first time in the form of its Boeing E-7A Wedgetail. The Australian government awarded a contract in excess of $1 billion to Boeing in December 2000 for the supply of four aircraft, and options for an additional three.

Using a 737-700IGW airframe, the E-7A Wedgetail is outfitted with a Northrop Grumman Multi-Role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) L-band (1.215-1.4GHz) radar. In terms of performance, this radar is reportedly capable of detecting a Multi-Role Combat Aircraft-sized target at a range of circa 200nm (370km), with the ability to track up to 180 air and sea targets simultaneously while directing 24 interceptions. The first two aircraft were accepted into RAAF service on 5 May 2010, with the sixth (Australia purchased two of the three options it had on the aircraft) accepted into service on 5 June 2012. All six aircraft are operated by 2 Squadron at RAAF Base Williamtown in New South Wales. The first operational

In addition to its Northrop Grumman E-2C fleet, the JASDF operates four Boeing E-767 aircraft. These planes are equipped with Northrop Grumman’s AN/APY-2 radar which also outfits several Boeing E-2B/C/D/F Sentry AEW variants © USAF



requirements. In March, the country announced that it would procure two Airbus A330 turbofan transports of an undisclosed variant to house two AEW radars to be developed by the country’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

The DRDO has publicly stated that it expects the acquisition of the two aircraft and the development and installation of the accompanying radars to cost circa $840 million. The decision to move ahead with the purchase of an A330-based AEW capability marks the latest development in a long-running Indian Air Force initiative to modernise its AEW capabilities. The current AEW fleet includes three Ilyushin Il-76 platforms equipped with Israel Aerospace Industries’ (IAI) EL/W-2090 L-band radar (see below). This fleet (along with the forthcoming A330 AEW aircraft) will be supplemented by a new S-band AEW radar developed by the DRDO installed on an Embraer ERJ-145 turbofan transport airframe.

The first of a proposed fleet of three ERJ-145 based AEW aircraft are expected to enter service by the end of this year equipped with the DRDO S-band AESA radar, the designation of which has yet to be revealed. According to sources within the organisation the radar will be mounted in a box fairing atop the fuselage providing a range of 162nm (300km). The radar for the A330 aircraft, on the other hand, is expected to be mounted in a mushroom-shaped radome.

Israeli SystemsIAI has enjoyed success in the Asia-Pacific region regarding AEW provision. As noted above, the firm’s Elta Systems group has furnished three of the Indian Air Force’s Il-76 aircraft which are operated by the IAF’s 50 Squadron at Agra airbase in northern India. The IAF’s Il-76 aircraft employs IAI’s EL/W-2090 radar in a mushroom dome. In March 2004 a deal worth $1.1 billion was signed between India and Israel for the provision of three Il-76 aircraft equipped with EL/W-2090 radars. This L-band radar has since been joined in IAI’s catalogue by its S-band and L-band EL/W-2085 CAEW (Conformal Array Early Warning) radar mounted on a Gulfstream G550 business jet, and EL/M-

2095 radars. The both radars use AESA architecture. This outfits the antenna with a multitude of Transmit/Receive (T/R) modules each of which is in effect its own radar, allowing the radar to be rapidly tasked to perform different duties such as air-to-air and air-to-surface surveillance. AESA radars to allow the RF transmissions to look in a particular direction rather than simply perpendicular to the antenna, without having to mechanically move the antenna. According to Avishai Izhakian, deputy general manager of marketing, and business development of airborne systems and radars and sales at IAI, development of the EL/W-2095 “is progressing rapidly” with the company having a prototype system undergoing testing at its facilities in Ashdod, on the southern Israeli Mediterranean coast.

In June 2011, IAI and Airbus revealed that they have been working together to develop a fixed-wing AEW platform which uses the latter company’s C-295 turboprop freighter aimed initially at customers with C-295 fleets. Flight tests of a C-295 equipped with a radome and weights representative of the radar’s back end, antenna and operating consoles were completed in that same month. Mr. Izhakian states that integration of the EL/W-2095 and delivery of the aircraft could follow within four years of a contract award.

Much of the architecture for the EL/W-2095 is derived from IAI’s EL/W-2085 CAEW system mounted on the G550 business jet airframe in service with the Israeli Air Force. The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) meanwhile operates four EL/W-2085 CAEW systems, using the same airframe as Israel, declared fully operational in April 2012. Other sales

The JASDF is expected to bolster its AEW fleet with an undisclosed number of Northrop Grumman E-2D Hawkeye aircraft, following the announcement of a planned acquisition to this end in late-2014 © US Navy

IAI’s EL/W-2085 employs S-band and L-band arrays positioned either side of the aircraft’s fuselage, and on its nose and tail. Mounted on a Gulfstream G550 business jet, four of these radars are operated by the Republic of Singapore Air Force © IAI

[email protected]

The Sea Just Got Safer

Introducing IAI’s new Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA)

Based on the proven Global 5000 missionized biz-jet platform, the MPA features:

•Maritimesurveillance&reconnaissance•Long-rangeandendurance•Anti-surfacewarfare•Anti-submarinewarfare•AirborneNCOcommandpost•EWsuite•Search&Rescue

Signal IntelligenceMaritime Patrol

Airborne EarlyWarning

Airborne Ground Surveillance



Seas, both regions which are home to a number of maritime sovereignty disputes involving the PRC, could have a growing requirement for new AEW platforms over the next five years. Future procurements of at least two aircraft each could be made by the air forces of Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines, all of which are currently lacking dedicated AEW capabilities in their air forces.

In 2009 the Malaysian government protested to the United Nations the position of the PRC’s so-called ‘Nine Dash Line’ which depicts the extent of Beijing’s maritime claims in the South China Sea. Perhaps wary of future incursions by PRC military aircraft in an attempt to either press the country’s claims or to gather intelligence, the Tentera Udara DiRaja Malaysia (TUDM/Royal Malaysian Air Force) has an unfulfilled requirement for an undisclosed number of AEW aircraft.

TUDM sources speaking to the author during the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition in March on the Malaysian island of Langkawi expressed their preference for a solution based upon the Saab Erieye S-band AEW radar which has a range of circa 280nm (450km). Should the Malaysian government choose this course of action, it would join the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) and the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) as the only other operators of the Erieye AEW radar in the region. The RTAF received two such radars mounted on a Saab 340 Argus turboprop transport in 2011 and 2012 respectively. The PAF, meanwhile, chose to purchase four aircraft in 2006, with all these aircraft having since been delivered. There is no word on when Malaysia may choose to move forward with this acquisition, the timelines of the acquisition or its possible budget. For now, it may be that the AEW requirement is nothing more than an unfunded aspiration.

Beyond Malaysia; Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines could be the next entrants to the AEW club during the next five years. Mr. Ellis believes such aircraft have a solid appeal because of the “need to support air traffic control in remote locations, for the search and rescue of downed aircraft, to support recovery efforts during natural disasters and for regional defence against potential threats. (Because of this) many governments are recognising the value of airborne surveillance with command and control capabilities.”

have been forthcoming to the Aeronautica Militaire (Italian Air Force) which, in 2012, purchased two G550 aircraft. Curiously, in October 2014, the United States Navy (USN) announced that it would purchase a G550 initially designed to carry the EL/W-2085, although bereft of the radar for the time being as a surveillance aircraft to support USN flight test range activities. Delivery of this aircraft could take place by 2017. Although not confirmed by the company, the delivery of the two Italian aircraft is expected to occur in 2016.

China’s ChoiceMuch as investment is flowing into new AEW platforms in Singapore, and elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific, so the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is enhancing its fleet. Always taciturn regarding its procurement of new air platforms, only a partial picture of the PRC’s machinations in the AEW domain can be gathered from open source reports. To this end it is believed that the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Shaanxi Aircraft Corporation (SAC) KJ-500 AEW platform entered service this year. The KJ-500 has a radar of an unknown frequency thought to be capable of tracking up to 100 targets at a range of 254nm (470km). It is thought that the KJ-500 will eventually supersede the SAC KJ-200 AEW aircraft thought to have entered service in circa 2008. Published sources state that the PLAAF operates seven KJ-200 aircraft, alongside five KJ-2000 platforms.

Much like the Indian Air Force’s Il-76 jets, the KJ-2000 is based upon an Ilyushin Il-76 airframe. Unsurprisingly, little is known regarding the design of the aircraft’s L-band radar, developed by the PRC’s Research Institute of

Electronic Technology, which is housed in a mushroom radome. That said, this AESA radar does not rotate, as it uses T/R modules mounted in a triangular configuration within the radome to provide 360 degree surveillance. Open source reports continue that the radar has a range of 254nm.

OpportunitiesOver the long term, Mr. Ellis expects the demand for new AEW platforms to continue over the next five-to-ten years. He states that there is “great interest due to humanitarian and defence needs” across the world. In the Asia-Pacific the ability to manage and direct large numbers of aircraft has as much relevance to the clean-up effort in the wake of natural disasters such as the recent earthquakes in Nepal in April and May, as it does to safeguarding air sovereignty against incursions by hostile aircraft.

For this latter reason, countries flanking the South and East China AMR

Airbus has joined forces with IAI to develop an AEW aircraft based on the former’s C-295 turboprop freighter. The aircraft will be equipped with IAI’s S-band EL/W-2095 radar equipped in the radome atop of the fuselage © Airbus

Saab’s Erieye radar has been sold to both the Royal Thai Air Force and the Pakistan Air Force, each of which operates two and four respectively. The Erieye is one of the contenders for the Royal Malaysian Air Force’s AEW aircraft requirement © Saab

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N A V A LP O W E R


both boosting regional naval orders of battle and, increasingly, scrutinising overseas markets for customers.

SingaporeSingapore’s ST Marine provides a range of very modern surface platforms to the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), and is currently working on the first two of a pro-jected eight new Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) which have been designated as the ‘Independence’ class Littoral Mission Vessels (LMV) by the RSN. The declared prime role of these ships is the protection of Singapore’s Sea Lines of Communica-tion (SLOC), a task that entails sustained patrolling of sea areas out to 869 nautical miles (1069 kilometres) from Singapore, according to the RSN. The LMVs will

Steve Vickers, chief executive officer of the Hong Kong-based political and corporate risk consultancy SVA, emphasises the risks posed

by resurgent maritime crime in the waters of the Asia-Pacific. Mr. Vickers says that concerted action by well-equipped maritime forces is a proven effective countermeasure. “It is clear that there is a notable up-tick of piracy in this region. The situation, though not unprecedented, is similar to piracy levels witnessed in the 1990s, prior to the co-ordinated crackdown by regional navies.” Twenty years ago Asia-Pacific navies still relied mainly upon foreign shipyards for the supply of new warships, but nowadays it is regional shipbuilders which are

Containing the ClaimS and BlameS

Several diverse security threats have formed a catalyst for

unprecedented naval expansion in the Asia-Pacific region. These

threats include proactive action by the People’s Republic of China

(PRC) in support of its maritime claims, piracy and the smuggling of

narcotics and people.

by Trevor Hollingsbee

Several diverse security threats have formed a catalyst for

unprecedented naval expansion in the Asia-Pacific region. These

threats include proactive action by the People’s Republic of China

(PRC) in support of its maritime claims, piracy and the smuggling of

narcotics and people.

be far larger and more capable than the eleven ‘Fearless’ OPVs currently charged with the security of the Republic’s SLOC. The LMVs will displace 1200 tonnes compared to the 500 tonnes of the ships that they will replace.

Twin MTU diesel engines will enable a top speed of 27 knots (50km/h) and a range of 5000 nautical miles (9260 kilo-metres) at a cruising speed of 15 knots (27.8km/h). The planned armament of the LMVs is an OTO Melara Super Rapid 76mm gun, two 25mm Rafael Advanced Defence Systems’ Typhoon remote- controlled weapon systems, and a pair of OTO Melara Hitrole remote-controlled 12.7mm machineguns. Air defence will be facilitated by a twelve-cell vertical launcher for the MBDA Mica Surface-

The Philippine Coast Guard vessel Pampanga is seen here exercising with Philippine and US Navy ships. The service is to receive ten new Japanese-

built craft, to be designated as multi-role response vessels

© US Navy


N A V A LP O W E R

the ‘River’ class is a proven platform for coast guard operations. “We would be very happy for a Malaysian company to consider building it,” he said. A modi-fied ‘River’ class OPV, mounting an OTO Melara 76mm. gun, has already been constructed in Thailand by a BAE Systems/Bangkok Dock joint venture. Further construction of such vessels in Thailand, possibly including examples for export, is under consideration with discussions over the construction of another example by Bangkok Dock having commenced in 2014.

IndonesiaWith an eye on the festering dispute with the PRC over the sovereignty of the stra-tegically important Natuna Islands, Indo-nesia is rapidly upgrading its large naval force, and it is now national policy to construct as many of its warships as pos-sible indigenously. The nation is already a prolific producer of coastal and littoral water patrol craft, but local shipbuilders PT PAL, with much assistance from the Netherlands’ Damen Schelde Naval Ship-building, is constructing a pair of Dutch-designed ‘SIGMA’ corvettes.

Based on the four Netherlands-built ‘Diponegoro’ class corvettes already in Indonesian service, the indigenously constructed ‘SIGMA’ versions will be heavily-armed ships for their size, with a 76mm gun, MBDA MM-40 Exocet AShMs (Anti-Ship Missiles), MBDA Aster 15 SAMs and a Rheinmetall Defence Mil-lennium 35mm Close In Weapons System (CIWS). There will also be a flight deck for a naval support helicopter. Construction of the first of the corvettes commenced in January 2014, but a service date has yet to be announced. Another possibility, re-portedly at an early stage of discussion, is the indigenous construction of a deriva-tive of the recently-acquired ‘Bung Tomo’ class corvettes, originally built by BAE Systems for, but never commissioned by, the Royal Brunei Navy.

Indonesia’s arms industry is also gather-ing momentum and the nation might be on course to become an exporter of modestly-priced warships. Some confidential sources explained to AMR they believe that a likely customer is fellow Muslim country Iran, which in February this year established official naval agreements with Indonesia during the course of the deployment of an Iranian naval task group to Jakarta.

The Indonesians are also upgrading their 15 ageing 850-tonne ex-East German corvettes of the ‘Kapitan Pattimura’ class.

Already in service with four maritime forces, including the Royal Thai Navy, BAE Systems’

‘River’ class is being offered to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, a force which is seeking to upgrade its capabilities © Saberwyn

to-Air Missile (SAM) system aided by a Thales NS100D naval surveillance radar. Unlike the ‘Fearless’ class OPVs, the LMVs will feature a large flight deck with helicopter refueling facilities. This will enable them to act as force multipliers for Singapore’s ship and land-based Sikorsky S-70B Seahawk naval sup-port helicopters. The first LMV Indepen-dence was launched in July, and all the vessels of the class are due to be in service by 2020.

ST Marine is currently working on an order for four OPVs, based on the ‘Fear-less’ design, for the Royal Navy of Oman. The first of these ships was delivered to the Omanis in April this year with all due to be in service by the third quarter of 2016. It is possible that ST Marine will offer a derivative of the LMV for export in due course. Meanwhile the Singapore company is in talks with KBR of the United States over a joint venture to supply 22 large patrol craft for Australia’s Pacific Patrol Boat Replacement programme. A tender notice has recently been issued with the successful bidder required to complete delivery of the vessels between 2017 and 2024.

MalaysiaMalaysia is mindful of growing tensions in the South China Sea given its disputes with the PRC regarding the size of the latter country’s maritime Economic Exclusion Zone (EEZ). It is acquiring new ships as well as upgrading current platforms. The country’s shipbuilding capacity is currently focused on the con-struction of six Second Generation Patrol Vessels, which are now being referred to as Littoral Combat Ships by Kuala Lum-pur. These vessels are based on the Gow-ind 2500 corvette design from French shipbuilder DCNS. The first example of

this new class is now under construc-tion at Boustead Naval Shipyard in Perak, northern Malaysia. The 3000 tonne ships will have a heavy armament including the Kongsberg Naval Strike Missile, MBDA MICA vertically-launched SAMs and a BAE Systems 57mm cannon. Current plans call for the first-of-class to be delivered in April 2019, with delivery of all six vessels to be complete by mid-2023.

The Tentera Laut DiRaja Malaysia (TLDM/Royal Malaysian Navy), mean-while, in response to the regional prolif-eration of submarines, plans to upgrade the anti-submarine capabilities of four of the lightly-armed ‘Kedah’ class corvettes. The intention is to provide them with torpedo launchers, a towed sonar array and hull-mounted sonar. The remain-ing two ships of the class are to be opti-mised for anti-surface warfare, and will be equipped with anti-shipping missiles, SAMs and an organic helicopter. Fund-ing has been requested to this end, but no information is yet available on the weap-onry and sensors which are likely to be selected for these upgrades.

The expanding paramilitary Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) is planning to acquire larger vessels, a re-quirement which BAE Systems is seeking to meet with a version of the 90-metre (292-feet) ‘River’ class OPV, variants of which currently serve with the Royal Navy, the Royal Thai Navy and the Marinha do Brasil (Brazilian Navy). These ships are likely to be built locally. While the Malaysians have yet to indicate how many larger ships they will require, recent reports that Kuala Lumpur intends to double the size of the MMEA, which currently operates about 240 vessels, indicates that there might be a significant order to bid for.

Ian Marchant, BAE Systems’ overseas development executive, points out that

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search and rescue, disaster relief, maritime law enforcement, pollution prevention and control and logistics missions. It is very likely that the class will be deployed to the South China Sea in support of the Philippines’ maritime interests, which include claims to sovereignty over ten islands in the Spratly archipelago.

There is little doubt that politics is an important driver of this scheme. Japan is one of a number of Asia-Pacific nations which are seriously concerned about the PRC’s proactive stance over regional maritime sovereignty, and Tokyo actively contests control of the Diaoyu/Senkaku islands with Beijing and Taipei. It would therefore be a logical strategy for Tokyo to demonstrate solidarity with Manila over the latter’s maritime disputes with the PRC.

VietnamHanoi has in recent years relied heavily upon Moscow for the supply of naval craft, but the warship construction industry of Vietnam, the PRC’s main rival for domi-nation in the South China Sea, is surging ahead. Its focus is on corvettes and OPVs. The Vietnamese People’s Navy (VPN) has this year commissioned two licence-built

‘Molniya’ corvettes, built in Vietnam with the assistance of Russia’s Vympel ship-builders. These craft mount a very power-ful main armament of a battery of 16 Tac-tical Missiles Corporation Kh-35 AShMs. Two further examples of these ships are due to be commissioned in 2016.

Other modern, indigenously-con-structed warships in service with the VPN include four ‘TT-400-TP’ class OPVs

They are being fitted with AShM defence, in the form of the PRC’s Type-730 CIWS. Command and control systems from the PRC are also being installed, with the up-grade work being carried out in-country by Indonesian engineering outfit PT Len. The upgrade work commenced in late 2013; no completion date for this programme has been revealed.

These ships feature MGK-32 bow so-nars and RBU-6000 multiple anti-subma-rine rocket launchers. The rocket launch-ers are basic weapons, but can produce multiple underwater explosions, consti-tuting a powerful, and audible, response to underwater incursions into Indonesian waters. The Indonesians therefore still see the corvettes as valuable assets at a time of rapid growth in regional submarine forces.

Philippines It has very recently been confirmed that

the Tanod Baybayin ng Pilipinas (TBnP/Phil-ippine Coast Guard) is to receive ten new patrol vessels, to be designated as Multi-Role Response Vessels (MRRV) which are to be constructed in Japan, under arrange-ments which were agreed between Tokyo and Manila in 2013. The contract to build the vessels, which will be derivatives of the Japan Coast Guard’s (JCG) 40 metre (131 feet) long ‘Bizan’ class, has been awarded to the Japan Marine United Corporation. The project is being financed largely by a loan extended to the Philippines by Japan under overseas aid terms, with the ships being due to be delivered to the TBnP by 2018. They will most likely have a lighter armament than the 30mm gun fitted to the ships from which they derive.

The roles of the MRRVs, which will have a range of 1500nm (2778km), will be

The Netherlands-built ‘SIGMA’ class corvette Silas Parare and the ‘Kapitan Pattiimura’ class corvette Sultan Iskander of the Indonesian Navy is shown here exercising with the US Navy. Two new ‘SIGMA’ class ships are to be built indigenously © US Navy

There are plans to upgrade the weapons and sensors of these ‘Kelantan’ class ships

which are used by the Royal Thai Navy. Four of the class are due to be optimised

for an anti-submarine role and two for surface warfare © US Navy

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constructed, with Russian assistance, by the Hong Ha Shipbuilding Company in Haiphong. These ships are based on the Russian ‘Svetlyak’ class OPV and are armed with a Gorky Machine Building Plant AK-176 76.2mm gun and an AK-630 30mm CIWS. .

In 2013 Vietnam signalled that it was diversifying its sources of surface com-batants by ordering four ‘Sigma’ class cor-vettes from Damen Shelde Naval Ship-building. Two are being constructed in the Netherlands; the follow-on pair will be built in Vietnam under Dutch supervi-sion. Hanoi has yet to reveal the projected in-service dates for these ships. Further-more, some recent reports indicate that India has agreed to supply new-build ‘Surya’ class OPVs to Vietnam, although this has yet to be confirmed.

The Vietnam Coast Guard, likely to take an increasingly important role in reinforcing Hanoi’s claims in the South China Sea is being equipped with more capable OPVs. At least two of the 2500 tonne ‘DN 2000’ class vessels are in ser-vice, constructed by the Damen-affiliated Song Thu Ship Building Company in Haiphong. The 21 knot (38.9km/h) ves-sels are equipped with two 14.5 machine-guns, surveillance radar and command and control facilities, while a helicopter deck aft enables operation of a Kamov Ka-28 naval support helicopter.

Republic of KoreaFor many years the Republic of Korea Navy’s (RoKN) smaller surface combat-ants, including ‘Ulsan’ class frigates and

‘Pohang’ class corvettes, operating with

ship and land based AgustaWestland Su-per Lynx Mk.99/A naval support helicop-ters, have confronted aggressive Demo-cratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) coastal incursions. Now, a major upgrade of coastal and littoral water capabilities is in hand with the phasing in of newly-con-structed ‘Incheon’ class frigates. The first three of the class are in service, with three more due to be commissioned in 2016. It is planned to build up to 24 of these ships, fitted with Agency for Defence Develop-ment/LIG Nex1 SSM-700K Hae Sung AShMs. A BAE Systems’ Mk.45 Mod.4 127mm gun is also mounted, primarily for the support of amphibious operations around the Korean littoral.

PRCThe PRC relies heavily upon the patrol ships of the China Coast Guard (CCG), formed two years ago from the merger of five agencies, to enforce its will in the South China Sea and elsewhere. The thou-sands of vessels in the CCG fleet range from small coastal craft to the two new 10000 tonne ships. The first of these ships, the class name of which is not yet known, was observed on sea trials this June. A possible China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC) H/PJ-26 76mm gun was visible on its deck. Several ‘Jiang-dao’ class corvettes are currently under construction for the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and the CCG. The armament of the naval version includes a CSIC H/PJ-26 76mm gun and Norinco YJ-83 AShMs. About 20 ‘Jaingdao’ class are in already in service with the PLAN and as many as 60 of the type might be

built; the CCG variant, at least one of which has been completed, is expected to have a much lighter armament. An export derivative, designated as the P18, has been supplied to Nigeria and Ban-gladesh, and Beijing and Buenos Aries are reportedly negotiating the construc-tion of five of the ships for the Argentine Navy, although nothing further has been heard of this project since the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Argentina and the PRC in October 2014.

TaiwanTaiwan is seeking political leverage over the PRC by placing renewed emphasis on offshore territorial claims, namely to Taiping Island and the Pratas Reef in the South China Sea, and the Diaoyu/Sen-kaku islands in the East China Sea (see above). To support this initiative Taipei is radically upgrading the capabilities of the Taiwan Coast Guard Administration (TCGA) by bringing into service seven new OPVs of various dimensions, and 28 littoral water patrol craft of 100 tonnes displacement. Five of the OPVs have so far been completed, the most recent ad-ditions to the TCGA inventory being the 3000 tonne OPVs ‘Kaohsiung’ and

‘Yilan’, constructed by Kaohsiung Ship-building and accepted by the TCGA this June. These ships can reach 24 knots and operate a Sikorsky S-70C/M1/2 Thun-derhawk naval support helicopter. One major Taiwanese constructor, Lung Teh Shipbuilders, has discreetly supplied small naval and paramilitary vessels to Hong Kong, Macau and The Philippines in recent years. It remains to be seen whether Taipei will attempt to enter the export market for larger craft such as these new OPVs. More information re-garding Taiwan’s sea power can be found in Alex Calvo’s ‘A Strait Story’ article in this issue.

Increasing regional tension over mari-time sovereignty issues is likely to be the prime driver for long-term expansion of regional naval and maritime paramili-tary forces. Other security concerns will also have increasing influence, notably the mass movements of migrants by sea, the impacts of illegal fishing, and envi-ronmental degradation, such as that be-ing caused in the Spratly Islands by PRC construction work. It is very likely that demand for littoral and deep-sea patrol vessels will continue to gain momentum, with indigenous construction of foreign designs being the most promising busi-ness area for overseas companies. AMR

Three of these ‘Incheon’ class ships, which are designed for operations in the Korean littoral environment, are in service, from a planned total of up to 24. They are replacing the ‘Ulsan’ and

‘Pohang’ class vessels © Republic of Korea Navy

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With several countries in the region acquiring fleets of fourth- and fifth-generation Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA)

they are looking to support these aircraft, and one of the most important tools in their armoury is the capability to conduct force-multiplying Air-to-Air Refuelling (AAR). AAR is a vital component of air power and serves to enable and extend its effects at all levels of warfare. An AAR capability makes possible inter-theatre operations to support large military deployments, humanitarian assistance, global strike or long-range airdrops of troops and equipment without reliance upon intermediate or in-theatre airbases. Combat operations require AAR to extend the persistence and endurance, as well as the range, of all military aircraft.

The leading exponent of AAR in the Asia-Pacific region is Australia which has acquired a fleet of five Airbus A330-200 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT)

For over 45 years, the Cold war was synonymous with an arms

race between the United States- and Soviet Union-led blocs in East

and West. Now there can be no doubt that an arms race is being

conducted in the Asia-Pacific.

by David Oliver

aircraft, designated KC-30A in Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) service, the first of which was delivered in 2011. In September 2014, an RAAF Air Task Group (ATG) of 400 personnel was deployed to Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with six Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet MRCA from the RAAF’s 1 Squadron supported by a KC-30A MRTT from 33 Squadron located at RAAF Base Amberley, Queensland. This was the latter type’s first operational deployment during which the KC-30A refuelled other coalition aircraft. Operation OKRA is the Australian contribution to the US-led Operation INHERENT RESOLVE, which commenced on 15 June 2014 to combat Islamic State of Iraq and Syria insurgents which have occupied significant parts of Iraq and Syria.

Each KC-30A can carry more than 110 tonnes of fuel delivered using the Airbus Military Aerial Refuelling Boom System (ARBS) or a pair of Cobham 905E under-wing hose-and-drogue

refuelling pods for probe-equipped receiver aircraft. In May 2015 the first air refuelling boom contact was made by an RAAF KC-30A crew. During the flight from RAAF Base Amberley the centreline ARBS was deployed and using its fly-by-wire controls, the crew made multiple successful contacts between the ARBS and the refuelling receptacle of another KC-30A, although no fuel was transferred. The acquisition of two additional KC-30As for the RAAF was confirmed by Australia’s Department of Defence on 1 July 2015. Both of these aircraft, an official statement noted, will be delivered by 2018.

RSAFThe second confirmed customer for the A330-200 MRTT is Singapore which signed a contract in February 2014 for six aircraft to replace the Republic of Singapore Air Force’s (RSAF) four Boeing KC-135R Stratotankers operated by 112 Squadron at Changi (West) airbase. They

Quenching a ThirsT


t a n k e rA i r c r A f t

However, Boeing is confident that it will still be able to fulfil its contractual obligations to deliver the first 18 operational KC-46As to the USAF by August 2017.

IAI was always the underdog in the RoK race although its offering which centred on refurbished Boeing 767-300ER MRTTs, which can carry 91 tonnes of fuel compared with the A330-200 MRTT’s 110 tonnes, was considered cost-effective and the company pledged to transfer more technology to the RoK than the other competitors. Yet, as DAPA’s choice has made clear, the RoKAF does not favour a refurbished model.

JapanThe only Asia-Pacific nation to operate Boeing MRTTs is Japan which has four KC-767 tankers operated by the Japan Air Self-Defence Force (JASDF) plus a single KC-130H. Airbus spokesman Kieran Daly revealed to AMR that with an acquisition of up to 42 Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning-II MRCA expected to be delivered from circa 2016, according to media reports, the JASDF may be looking to replace or augment its current tanker fleet, and that the A330-200 MRTT may be an option to satisfy such a requirement.

India has selected the A330-200 MRTT twice: In May 2009 India chose the aircraft, but in January 2010 the government cancelled the order citing high procurement costs. However, after a lengthy re-bidding process, India again

and cargo carriage. Its pricing may have been helped by the decline of the Euro’s value against the US Dollar and the fact that it has already been selected by several air forces around the world. These include the Armée de l’Air (French Air Force), RAAF, Royal Air Force, RSAF, Royal Saudi Air Force and the UAE Air Force. According to DAPA the new tankers will enable the RoKAF to project air power as far north as Pyongyang in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and allow the RoK to more fully participate in international peacekeeping missions.

Initially, the KC-46A Pegasus seemed to have the edge in the RoK competition. Eric John, president of Boeing’s operations in the RoK, said: “We’ve been a strategic and industrial partner with the Republic of Korea for more than six decades and remain committed to helping (the RoK) strengthen its defence capabilities and aerospace industry”. However, the delays and cost overruns of the KC-46A development programme for the United States Air Force (USAF) may have weighed against it in the RoK. Following a five-month delay, the USAF’s first Engineering and Manufacturing Development aircraft (EMD-1) resumed flight testing on 28 May without refuelling equipment and completed its first airworthiness flight equipped with an aerial refuelling boom and refuelling wing pods on 2 June.

will be fitted with Rolls-Royce Trent 772B engines and deliveries will begin in 2018. The RSAF also has four Lockheed KC-130Bs and a single KC-130H turboprop tanker-freighter assigned to 221 Squadron at Paya Lebar airbase.

Republic of KoreaIn April 2015, the Republic of Korea’s (RoK’s) Defence Acquisition Programme Administration (DAPA), which overseas the country’s defence procurement, commenced a competition worth over $1 billion for new refuelling aircraft. Two tankers are to enter service in 2018 and the remaining two the following year. The companies which responded to the DAPA solicitation were Airbus, Boeing and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).

On 30 June Seoul announced that the Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF) is to receive four Airbus A330-200 MRTT aircraft. According to DAPA the A330-200 MRTT won because of its performance in endurance, fuel capacity, personnel

The A330-200 MRTT won the Republic of Korea’s MRTT contest because of its

endurance, fuel capacity, personnel and cargo capacity. It is already in service with several other air forces in the Asia-Pacific © Airbus

An RAAF Airbus KC-30A tanker crew made the first successful contacts between the Airbus Aerial Refuelling Boom System (ARBS) and the refuelling receptacle of another KC-30A in May 2015 © RAAF

The People’s Republic of China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force possesses only examples of the tanker variant of the Il-76, the Il-78, which is also in service with the Indian and Pakistan Air Forces © ADF

T a n k e rA i r c r A f t


selected Airbus as the preferred bidder for six A330-200 MRTT aircraft in January 2013. The Indian Air Force’s (IAF) current fleet of seven Ilyushin Il-78MKI tankers are equipped with IAI-Bedek hose-and-drogue AAR systems with a total fuel carrying capacity of 110 tonnes. Deliveries of the Il-78MKIs to the IAF were completed in 2004 with the aircraft operated by 78 Squadron deployed at Agra airbase in the north of India.

Russian OfferingsRussia is developing a tanker variant of

the new Il-76MD-90A civil freighter. The Il-78MK-90 is equipped with three UPAZ-1M AAR units, with a fuel transfer rate of 2000 litres-per-minute, or 76 tonnes over a half-nautical-mile (one-kilometre) trail. The fuel flows from the outer wings and rear fuselage controlled by an operator located at the flight engineer’s station in the cockpit. Powered by Aviadvigatel PS-90A-76 turbofans, fitted with a digital automatic flight management system and glass cockpit, the Il-78MK-90 can operate from unpaved airfields, and is capable of refuelling up to four land vehicles simultaneously on the ground. As negotiations on price and offsets have yet to yield a formal a contract vis-à-vis the A330-200 MRTT’s selection as the preferred aircraft in January 2013, Russia is offering India the Il-78MK-90 as a serious competitor. There is no word yet from Indian sources as to when a definitive contract regarding the purchase of the A330-200 MRTT will be signed.

Nevertheless, Airbus is still confident that the sale will be confirmed in the near future and agreements with Indian subcontractors are being actively pursued.

Pending the A330-200 MRTT’s purchase, Tata Advanced Systems will manufacture the AAR equipment for Cobham Group whose chief operating officer, David Squires, said that the business agreement is a key element of Cobham’s strategy to establish a world class supply chain footprint in India to support long-term programme delivery obligations.

Pakistan also operates an MRTT-variant of the Il-78MP. In December 2008, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) signed an agreement with Ukraine to procure four Il-78 refuelling aircraft equipped with UPAZ-1A refuelling pods. The first of three was delivered in December 2009 while the fourth is yet to be delivered. The aircraft are fitted with removable fuel tanks in the cargo hold. They have the wherewithal to be converted to transport aircraft by removing the fuel tanks, and are operated by 10 Squadron at the PAF’s Chaklala airbase in the north of the country.

The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has an extant fleet of some 1000 warplanes and is developing and acquiring several advanced fifth-generation MRCAs for the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). However, it is woefully short of AAR capability with only four Il-78MK MRTTs which are supplemented by a small fleet of ageing Xian HY-6D/U tankers. These are converted H-6 medium jet bombers which in turn are licence-built Soviet-era Tupolev Tu-16 bombers. They have a limited fuel capacity of 54000 litres and a transfer rate of 1000 litres-per-minute. It is not clear where the PLAAF will turn for its future AAR capability but the Il-78MK-90 (see above) must be an option.

Future ProspectsOther countries in the Asia-Pacific region looking to replace or increase their AAR capability include Malaysia. In 2002, the local aerospace company AIROD converted three of the Tentera Udara

Negotiations have yet to yield a formal contract

vis-à-vis India’s selection of the A330-200 MRTT

The RSAF operates five KC-130B/H tanker-freighters (one of which is pictured here) and four KC-135R Stratotankers. These latter aircraft are being replaced by six Airbus A330-200 MRTTs which will soon be delivered to Singapore © David Oliver


t a n k e rA i r c r A f t

Lockheed Martin F-16A/B MRCA require a boom and receptacle system for mid-air refuelling they have to rely on USAF KC-135R/T and McDonnell Douglas KC-10A Extender tankers during multi-national exercises such as the

‘Pitch Black’ initiative held in July 2014 at RAAF Base Darwin, Northern Territory. During this exercise civilian contracted aircraft, including a Boeing 707-320 tanker provided by Omega Air Refuelling of San Antonio, Texas, were also utilised. Mr. Daly told AMR that Indonesia was a long-term rather than short-term prospect for the Airbus A330-200 MRTT.

Thailand also operates mixed fleets of MRCA in the form of its F-16A/B and Saab JAS-39C/D jets. As Thailand has a functioning security alliance with Japan, the RoK, the Philippines and Australia, it has a long-standing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the USAF on the aerial refuelling of its F-16A/Bs over Thailand and in its vicinity by USAF KC-135R/T and KC-10A tankers. The MOU, which is reviewed every three years, is a means of increasing bilateral interoperability as well as enhancing the familiarisation, testing and evaluation of mutual capabilities to conduct aerial refuelling in a contingency.

Taiwan currently has no tanker aircraft and no requirement for an AAR capability despite its large fleet of diverse combat aircraft and its strategic position in the region vis-à-vis the PRC. Although the numbers are small, as matters stand at present, Airbus looks set to be the market leader in the Asia-Pacific region with its A330-200 MRTT.

DiRaja Malaysia (TUDM/Royal Malaysian Air Force) Lockheed Martin C-130H-MP maritime patrol aircraft to dual-role tanker-freighters, using Flight Refuelling Limited MK32B AAR pods and a roll-on/roll-off fuselage tank. The fitting and removal of the refuelling system can be undertaken in less than six hours, giving genuine role change flexibility between the freighter and tanker missions.

Although Malaysia has put off a decision to replace its fleet of MiG-29N MRCA, it has the option of increasing its AAR capacity with the Airbus A400M Atlas strategic turboprop freighter, four of which are on order, the first of which being delivered on 9 March. All A400M aircraft have the Common Standard Aircraft architecture specification and the necessary structural cabling and pipework for AAR equipment. The AAR equipment is variable and includes items such as video cameras, centreline fuel dispenser hose drums, a ramp variant to allow the aircraft to be used for centreline refuelling without lowering the ramp and depressurising, cargo hold fuel cells and the pylon mounted Cobham under-wing AAR pods.

The simplest AAR installation onboard the A400M is two wing pylon-mounted Cobham 908WDE pods that can be quickly installed, and can offload fuel at a rate of almost 1.3 tonnes-per-minute. They are a version of the Cobham 905E pods that are

fitted to the A330-200 MRTT. The A400M tanker, with its superior speed and range, would be well suited for operations across the South China Sea between peninsular Malaysia and the provinces of Sabah and Sarawak, which share the island of Borneo with Indonesia and Brunei.

Indonesia has mixed fleets of US and Russian combat aircraft with the latter being capable of AAR by the Tentara Nasional Indonesia-Angkatan Udara (TNI-AU/Indonesian Air Force) KC-130B tankers, two of which were upgraded by AIROD under a Service Life Extension Programme (SLEP) in the late 1990s. These are due for replacement. As Indonesia’s AMr

179 Boeing KC-46A Pegasus tankers have been ordered by the USAF with deliveries expected to commence in 2017. However,

the aircraft was a losing contender for the Republic of Korea’s MRTT contest won by

the A330-200 MRTT © Boeing

Earlier variants of the KC-130J, seen here refuelling Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning-II MRCA, are used by the air forces of Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore. They have the advantage of also being convertible into freighters.

The JASDF is the only air force in the Asia-Pacific region to adopt the Boeing KC-767, four of which are operated with a single KC-130H tanker. However, new tankers may be purchased to bolster this fleet in the coming years © JASDF

V e h i c l eP r o t e c t i o n


Israel’s RADA offers an AESA radar which can equip an active vehicle self-protection system

in the form of the company’s RPS-10 radar. Ethernet interfaces allow the radar’s ‘easy’ integration with other subsystems onboard

the vehicle © RADA

Active Vehicle Self Protection Systems (AVSPS) that can take the force out of mine blasts with counter-explosions are similarly difficult to develop.

However, the technology of hard-kill and soft-kill AVSPS is maturing and the market for them is growing.

Hard KillIIsrael Aerospace Industries (IAI) told

AMR that although there are customers who are seeking protection from RPG, ATGM, KE and mine threats. “Not all customers are exposed to all these threats,” noted Moshe Darayi, force protection department manager for IAI’s ELTA division. The company produces the EL/M-2133 WindGuard S-band (2.3-2.5 /2.7-3.7 gigahertz/GHz)) radar, a key

Some of the most challenging countermeasures ever developed provide

battlefield vehicles with systems able to shoot down incoming threats

such as Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs), Anti-Tank Guided Missiles

(ATGMs) and Kinetic Energy (KE) projectiles before they can strike.

by Peter Donaldson

componentof the Trophy AVSPS which it has developed jointly with Rafael Advanced Defence Systems. The EL/M-2133 is designed to detect and automatically track RPGs, ATGMs and tank rounds, and has been installed on a wide variety of vehicles including Main Battle Tanks (MBTs), Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), and even trucks and jeeps. The system is also scalable: “The number of antennae depends on the customer’s requirements and platform. In the existing systems there are four antennae that cover 360 degrees of surveillance,” Mr. Darayi added.

IAI describes the EL/M-2133s antennae as bullet and fragment proof, emphasising to AMR that this does not hamper perfor-mance. “IAI’s radar capabilities, experience ence and years of know-how allow bullet

-proofing and a detection capability with

no trade-off,” Mr. Darayi continued. In operation, the radar continuously searches a hemispherical volume around the vehicle for flying objects, tracking any it detects and measuring its parameters including azimuth, elevation, velocity and range, calculating the estimated impact point and the launch point as by-products. On detecting a threat to the vehicle, the EL/M-2133 simultaneously alerts the crew and starts what the company calls a reaction cycle, activating smoke, infrared jammers and hard-kill countermeasures and also indicating the launch point to the crew and vehicle weapon systems to enable effective counter-fire. IAI claims an extremely low false alarm rate, a high probability of detecting all “flying anti-tank munitions” and reliable rejection of interference.

Louder ThAn BomBs

Israel’s RADA offers an AESA radar which can equip an active vehicle self-protection system

in the form of the company’s RPS-10 radar. Ethernet interfaces allow the radar’s ‘easy’ integration with other subsystems onboard

the vehicle © RADA

Israel’s RADA also offers an AESA radar which can equip an active vehicle

protection system in the form of the company’s RPS-10 radar. Ethernet interfaces allow the radar’s ‘easy’ integration with other subsystems

onboard the vehicle © RADA



ing of the Iron Fist ceased in late-2010. Local Israeli press reports in late-2014

spoke of Rafael Advanced Defence Sys-tems and IMI launching a new AVSPS programme which will combine elements of the Iron Fist and the Trophy (see above) AVSPS. Rafael Advanced Defence Sys-tems will be the main contractor on the programme, with IMI and IAI acting as subcontractors. The division of labour will see IAI providing an unnamed ra-dar, thought to be the EL/M-2133 (see above), with IMI supplying the Bright Ar-row interceptor which destroys incoming missiles and RPGs with kinetic energy. Rafael Advanced Defence Systems will perform the development and integration of the system. The new AVSPS has yet to be given a name, and local press reports have not specified the project’s budgets, timelines or the vehicles which the final product is expected to equip.

Raytheon’s Quick Kill relies on a fire control radar and vertically-launched countermeasures that the company says uniquely enable it to counter incoming threats from any angle. The Quick Kill programme commenced earlier last de-cade, and has performed a number of suc-cessful tests, with the company announc-ing in December 2012 that Quick Kill had successfully destroyed incoming RPGs in flight. There appears to have been no sub-sequent news regarding the development status of the AVSPS. Meanwhile, Rhein-metall has teamed with IBD Deisenroth Engineering on the AMAP-ADS which intercepts threats of all kinds at about two metres (6.6 feet) from the vehicle with directional explosive countermeasures

Trophy and its accompanying EL/ M-2133 radar are thought to be the only AVSPS which have earned the ‘combat proven’ accolade. On 1 March 2011, an Israel Defence Forces’ Israel Military Industries’ (IMI) Merkava Mk.IV Main Battle Tank (MBT) foiled an attack by a missile thought to be fired by Hezbollah insurgents from the Palestinian side of the Gaza Strip border. However the Trophy is not the only game in town.

Artis LLC in the United States is developing the Iron Curtain system, which uses a combination of a C-band (5.25-5.925GHz) radar, optronics sensors and downward-firing countermeasures. In April 2013, it was reported that the Iron Curtain had passed a series of tests as part of BAE Systems’ Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV) programme. The GCV programme was intended to develop new vehicles to replace the US Army’s General Dynamics M1A1 Abrams MBTs and BAE Systems M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs) used in the forces’ Armoured Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs) and its General Dynamics Stryker Armoured Fighting Vehicle (AFV) BCTs. However, the GCV initiative was cancelled by the US Department of Defence in February 2014 amid funding shortfalls, and there has been little news regarding the status of the Iron Curtain system since.

The Base Centre for Critical Technolo-gies Microtech in Kiev, Ukraine, offers Zaslon, another radar-based system that fires blast fragmentation munitions housed in modular boxes to destroy incoming threats very close to the vehicle. Recent reports have spoken of Zaslon being readied for field trials, pending the eventual integration of the system onboard the KMDB T-64BM Bulat MBT used by the Ukrainian Army. In May, Turkey’s Aselsan unveiled the AKKOR, a system which uses radar sensors and a set of launchers firing ‘smart interceptors’ with their own projectile-detecting fuses and high explosive war-heads. Reports this May spoke of Aselsan working towards the installation of the AKKOR on the Otokar Altay MBT equip-ping the Türk Kara Kuvvetleri (Turkish Army). Serial production of the AKKOR for the Altay is expected to commence in 2017 with installation occurring for the Turkish Army’s first 250 Altay MBTs.

Diehl has brought its AWISS (Abstand-swirksames Schutzsystem/Active Stand-Off Protection System) to a high level of maturity. In 2006, the company was able to demonstrate this level of maturity dur-

This illustration highlights the key elements of the Rafael Advanced Defence Systems’ Trophy-LV AVSPS which is designed for lighter vehicles. It includes the “energetic blade” directional munition, cued by the alert sensor and triggered by a proximity sensor © Rafael Advanced Defence Systems

ing live fire tests with the AWISS equip-ping a Krauss-Maffei Wegmann Leop-ard-2 MBT defeating an MBDA MILAN (Missile d´Infanterie Léger Anti Char/Light Anti-Tank Infantry Missile). Additional live fire trials were performed in 2011, during which the AWISS (now known as the AVePS as the programme was ad-vanced to include lighter vehicles as well as MBTs) installed on a BAE Systems’ M113 tracked APC defeated an incoming RPG-7 round.

The AWISS/AVePS also forms part of the joint Diehl/IMI MAPS (Mutual Ac-tive Protection System) AVSPS. Tests of the MAPS performed in November 2010 demonstrated its ability, when mounted onboard a Rheinmetall Fuchs APC, to de-feat an incoming Dynamit Nobel Panzer-faust-3 RPG round. Regarding the current development status of the AWISS/AVePS initiative, Diehl states on its website that:

“Based on the comprehensive preparatory work, the first series prototypes could be provided for testing in use after a two-year development phase.”

Alongside its involvement in the MAPS initiative with Diehl discussed above, IMI has developed the Iron Fist AVSPS. This uses a similar combination of sensors and interceptors, although the company emphasises that it can also trig-ger soft-kill countermeasures—an impor-tant consideration when being used in proximity to ground troops, or in urban areas. Launched by the company in 2006, the Israeli Ministry of Defence approved the acquisition of the product for the IMI Namer tracked APC although, according to local press reports, government fund-

Renewed post-Afghanistan interest in lighter, more easily deployable reconnaissance and special forces vehicles, such as this Polaris DRAGOR, is a market driver for active hard-kill protection systems which can provide enhanced survivability to such platforms © Polaris Defense



targeted at the most vulnerable point on the incoming projectile. The AMAP-ADS is modular in its design enabling it to accommodate a range of different-sized vehicles. In January 2012, several tests of the AMAP-ADS were performed with the system defeating an incoming RPG-7 round fired at a Fuchs APC.

Saab’s AVSPS offerings include the modular, scalable LEDS family which can employ soft- and hard-kill counter-measures said to be effective against most threats other than KE rounds, destroying them at more than five metres (16.4ft) from the vehicle and capable of counter-ing multiple simultaneous threats. In Sep-tember 2014, Saab announced that it had won a contract from an undisclosed cus-tomer worth $5.6 million to integrate the soft-kill LEDS-50 Mk.2 system onboard an undisclosed vehicle. The LEDS-150 hard- and soft-kill system has also been trialled onboard an Armée de Terre (French Army) Nexter AMX-10RCR six-wheel drive reconnaissance vehicle in 2011.

Finally, Tencate’s ABDS active blast countermeasure system is designed to counter mines and insurgent bombs by

“defeating the acceleration of the vehicle and vehicle structure,” states the com-pany. In October 2014, the US Army Re-search, Development and Engineering Command (RDECM) signed a multi-year Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to evaluate the ABDS as a protective measure for combat vehicles against such threats.

Lose Weight“Active protection systems generally are the way that the industry has to go pro-

vide adequate protection without adding too much weight to the vehicle, whether this be against RPGs, ATGMs or mines and bombs,” notes Roger Sloman, man-aging director of Advanced Blast and Ballistic Systems (ABBS) of the United Kingdom. ABBS is developing cutting-edge active AVSPSs to protect armoured vehicles from mine and bomb attacks.

Mr. Sloman argues that recent trends

towards the procurement of much larger Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected (MRAP) vehicles has significant limitations. “The heavy MRAP vehicle principle may be effective in providing good protection levels but their mobility is so limited and their cost of operation so high in terms of fuel usage and servicing that they are of little use in actually defeating the current threats, other than getting troops to the point of contact relatively intact.”

Blow DownABBS is currently developing three con-cepts. The first is the Vehicle Global Ac-celeration Mitigation (VGAM) system, which uses downward-firing rocket motors to resist the force of a blast that would otherwise throw the vehicle vio-lently into the air. The VGAM can be ap-plied to small, relatively light vehicles, offering them full protection for the first time against legacy anti-tank mines and bombs, says the company.

The second system is referred to as Vehicle Active Floor and Seats (VAFS), which applies a counter force directly to the belly plate and floor structure of a vehicle with a rocket motor in a vertical column passing through the centre of the vehicle to reduce floor deforma-tion and contributing to the reduction in global acceleration. Using VAFS, the company emphasises, allows the use of a thinner, lighter floor plate with no loss of blast protection. The third technology is the Active Belly Plate System (ABPS) that, as the name suggests, makes the

The AMAP-ADS is modular in its design enabling it to accommodate many

different vehicles

This picture illustrates shows the nested search, verification, decoy and hard-kill hemispheres which are enabled by IAI’s EL/M-2133 WindGuard active electronically scanned radar, a key component of Rafael Advanced Defence Systems’ combat proven Trophy AVSPS © IAI



it to enter service on a military vehicle,” he continues, adding that, “none of the con-cepts of operation or the basic designs will change during this process.”

The VGAM and VAFS can be used to-gether, although this has yet to be fully developed. “If the VAFS approach is used and the column is used as a motor, both the VAFS and VGAM functions are to some extent provided within the same unit,” Mr. Sloman noted, “although fur-ther VGAM motor assistance is generally required to fully counteract the global ac-celeration.” The company tested the con-cept in 2010 with a six kilogram (13.2lb) explosive charge detonated below a Land Rover Discovery four-wheel drive vehicle, the lack of direct blast damage and the in-tact standard glass windows providing a dramatic illustration of the concept’s po-tential, Mr. Sloman continued.

“The VAFS column concept also en-ables both active floor and active seat ele-ments, both of which are being pursued in a number of ways in the United States. We currently have a number of projects being investigated, which are consider-ing the use of both the VAFS and VGAM concepts, as well as Drehtainer’s Zero Shock (see below) system that completely eliminates the floor shock effects that can cause serious foot, ankle and knee injuries.” Zero Shock uses a vehicle floor suspended on cables and a cable cutting system triggered by blast/acceleration sensors. When the cables are cut, the floor falls under gravity for a short distance while the shock wave passes.

Talking MoneyThe cost of a pure VGAM system could

range from between $46500 for a small vehicle with a small mine blast require-ment to around $155,100 for a large APC with a higher blast protection require-ment, Mr. Sloman estimates. The costs for the VAFS are similar, with a relatively simple system costing between $38790 and $116,370, possibly reducing to $31032 to $77580 when fitted in conjunction with the VGAM. “These are high produc-tion rate numbers when the manufactur-ing process has become reasonably effi-cient,” Mr. Sloman advises.

Mature systems such as Trophy and developmental systems such as VGAM and VAFS reflect the chronology of threat evolution in the first decade and a half of the 21st Century, with RPGs, ATGMs and KE rounds recognised as pressing problems before insurgent bombs wreaked their carnage in Iraq and Afghanistan.

belly plate an integral part of the active protection system that can “substantially reduce the effects of an under-belly mine blast.”

Such Active Mine Protection Systems (AMPS), Mr. Sloman argues, can poten-tially provide very good protection from under-belly mines even in very light platforms such as Sports Utility Vehicles and the new Ultra-Light Combat Vehicle (ULCV) which the US Army plans to acquire to support light infantry brigade actions. Announced in January, the requirement is for a 2041 kilogram (4500lb) vehicle that can carry an infantry squad 402 kilometres to 482.7km (250 miles to 300 miles) on one tank of fuel, fit inside a Boeing CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift helicopter or fly slung beneath a Sikorsky UH-60L/M Black Hawk medium-lift utility helicopter, and be para-chuted from a Lockheed Martin C-130 family turboprop tactical freighter. “This move to very lightweight vehicle designs with minimal ballistic protection is signifi-cant,” Mr. Sloman commented. “While the lightest of these may not have any AMPS technology installed due to weight and cost constraints, the next levels up like vehicles weighing 4500kg (9900lb) or the Mobile Protected Firepower (MPF) vehicle (itself part of the ULCV programme – see above) probably will have.”

The process of defeating such threats includes detection, recognition and locali-sation of the incoming munition and the activation of the countermeasure, which may be a mini-missile in its own right or a directed explosive charge on the vehi-cle. “The challenging part is mastering all

the parts simultaneously, while execut-ing the identification process in harsh and different scenarios and engaging the incoming threat fully automatically,” said Mr. Darayi.

Mine BlastWhile the task of shooting down an anti-tank rocket, for example, fired at very close range, typical of urban combat, re-quires an extremely fast reaction, active mine/bomb protection systems must react even faster. Mr. Sloman cites four specific challenges. The first is “the very rapid determination that an under-belly mine has exploded and then, within two milli-seconds, the measurement of the level of impulse it has delivered to the vehicle.” Second comes “the generation of sufficient impulse, sufficiently quickly, and for the right duration to effectively counteract the mine blast impulse and eliminate both the floor deformation and the global accel-eration.” The third challenge is “doing all this with a lightweight, electronically safe system, which will pass all the required safety tests and which does not require safety-critical software in the control sys-tem.” The final challenge has been the development of the linear rocket motors which are key elements of the technology. ABBS’ AMPS technology has achieved all these objectives, Mr. Sloman told AMR, adding that the basic concepts and all the detailed mechanisms are covered by exist-ing patents or current applications. The VGAM concept has been proved, Mr. Slo-man continues. “The system still has to go through the numerous long-term reliabil-ity and proving test procedures to enable AMr

Two left-to-right sequences show blast tests with (top) and without (below) ABBS’ VGAM/VAFS blast mitigation systems. These pictures illustrate how both systems stop the vehicle from being thrown into the air. This will protect those inside the vehicle from serious injury © ABBS

G E O S PAT I A LI N T E L L I G E N C E


Geospatial Intelligence or ‘GEOINT’ is a highly-evolved intelligence

discipline that goes beyond telling you that something is happening,

where it is happening and when it is happening. It also reveals how it

is happening, why it matters and what is likely to happen next.

by Stephen W. Miller

GEOINT of some kind or another is the foundation of intelligence. More recently the raw data base of information has grown

to include public and social media, the internet, commercial, industrial and financial sources and virtually any accessible medium on Earth. The scope of information available has grown exponentially in this age of computers, smartphones and the worldwide web.

Yet all this vast ocean of data, no matter how sophisticated the manner in

which it was obtained, remains simply ‘information’. By itself and standing alone it is of zero or at least limited use and value. It is the process with which skilled analysts evaluate and correlate information, either newly collected or archived, that turns this information into usable and relevant intelligence. The traditional reconnaissance imagery, maps, charts, various foundation data, such as terrain and elevation, and the full spectrum of visible and invisible light are now joined by human, cultural, demographic and Information Technology

(IT) elements. Much of this, including satellite imagery, is increasingly obtained from open sources. In the end the objective is to seek to understand what is happening and the circumstances at play in any location.

The ProcessNational policymakers and decision authorities down to soldiers or individual health workers in the field are all users of the products that result from geospatial information’s transformation into geospatial intelligence. So what is the process that takes place in this chain of

The View From AboVe And wiThin

The US performed 54 launches of its KH-7 GAMBIT-3 spy satellites between 1966 and 1984. The KH-7 had three cameras and

provided imagery with a resolution sufficient to determine 0.6 metre (two feet) sized items © US National Reconnaissance Office



GEOINT product, understanding that this ‘foundation’ is dynamic and will be or should be growing and even changing through the process.

DefiningThe next step is Defining the Environ-ment by ascertaining influences about the

events? It starts with a framework which drives the results of the process. According to a spokesman for Robert Cardillo, the current director of the United States National Geospatial Agency (NGA), he advocates that it should focus on “activity that surrounds an object” rather than the physical item itself. It should seek to not only attempt to access the situation as reflected at the moment in time when the most recent data was collected but to also seek to predict what has or will follow. Although there is the possibility of real time (or near real time) observation (visual, electronic, or otherwise) of a specific scene or target, the majority of information at hand will inevitably be dated. It may be hours or days old or even collected years ago. The objective is to combine and integrate the most recent information and prior intelligence so as to offer a current determination of circumstances and a reasonable projection of what is or will be happening.

The Intelligence Community sees geospatial information (everything that can be seen or known about the Earth its occupants, and features both natural and manmade) as a tool to assess geogra-phically referenced activities on Earth. The analysis requires correlating and integrating data from multiple sources. No single source can do it all. The final product is intended to be intelligence that can answer questions. Some can be simple such as ‘Where am I?’ or ‘What does an area look like and how might it change given various influences?’ For example, is the nature of a particular geographical area such that it might flood in a storm? Other questions may require deeper analysis and introspection: ‘What are the probable courses of action that an enemy might take against one’s deployed forces?’

The geospatial intelligence preparation process can be defined in five steps. It is, however, not a strictly ordered process. Rather, it is continuous and reiterative, often with several steps occurring concurrently. It also often requires the tasking of additional collection efforts to try to ‘fill-in’ critical gaps in the information in hand.

CollectionThe process begins with Collection. It consists of gathering facts needed to initially outline the parameters of the task and subsequently to use this to indentify and apply resources to obtain the data necessary to further flesh out gaps in the available information. This collected data serves as the foundation for the

GEOINT is an invaluable tool in supporting a range of military purposes from tactical intelligence analysis, to operational planning and targeting. Here Australian members of the counter-insurgency Combined Team Uruzgan (Afghanistan) GEOINT Cell analyse geographic assets © US DoD

area. What are existing natural conditions, infrastructure and cultural factors that may impact a potential operation? These may include weather, vegetation, roads, facilities, population, languages, social, cultural, ethnic, religious and political factors. This is layered onto the ‘foundation’ developed during Collection.

The applications of GEOINT have included its use by both government and private organisations. The Satellite Sentinel Project (SSP), conceived by George Clooney and John Prendergast, uses satellite imagery to provide information regarding mass atrocities in South Sudan © SSP



AssessmentThe third step is Assessment. How do the factors combine and compare; how do they relate and influence each other; are there identifiable trends and patterns? Intelligence and threat data drawn from multiple intelligence disciplines is added onto the foundation and descriptive information layers (the environment established in the first two steps). This information includes: order-of-battle; size and strength of the enemy or threat; enemy doctrine; the nature, strength, capabilities and intent of area insurgent groups; effects of possible chemical/biological threats. This third step requires collaboration with national security community counterparts.

Developing ConclusionsThe fourth step focuses on Developing Conclusions. It integrates all information to develop analytical conclusions. The emphasis is on developing predictive analysis, essentially, ‘What might happen next?’ The objective is not simply to describe what is seen but to examine and assess the likely next actions of the threat, the impact of those actions and to consider the feasibility and impact of options to counter what is occurring, or what may occur.

DisseminatingThe final stage of the geospatial intelligence preparation process focuses on distributing the intelligence to those who need it in a timely manner so that they can make the best use of it. Often

this has been the greatest challenge. The value of GEOINT, or any intelligence, is directly affected by the length of time that occurs from the initial data collection and when it is received and acted upon by the user. It is a highly perishable commodity. Something that can have critical importance can become worthless if not received, considered and acted upon by the right user expeditiously before the ‘facts on the ground’ change. General George S. Patton, the US Army Second World War commander considered as arguably one of the finest warriors of modern times, once said that “intelligence is like eggs; the fresher the better.”

Passing information through ‘channels’ is out of step with the increasingly rapid transition of events that occurs. The delays inherent in this approach too often mean the intelligence either may not reach those who require it or that the opportunity to take action to favourably influence the situation is lost. Partly this is because the users who most need the intelligence and can best act on it today are closest to the ‘front lines’.

GEOINT ToolsThe collection mediums for GEOINT have generally

reflected scanning the electro-magnetic spectrum for high-resolution colour imagery, radar, infrared, laser, hyper-spectral and full motion video. Much of this was drawn from government and military platforms which controlled and, too often, restricted the data access. This is changing rapidly and dramatically. The US NGA has acknowledged that what its director calls a “seismic-shift” is occurring where open source and commercial information will dominate and far expand the data available. The result is that GEOINT faces a revolution in size, scope, scale and sources.

This explosion of data and access is outside of governmental control. Within the next few years an immense network of small satellites will be put in place by private sector GEOINT providers. This has the potential of providing 24-hour, seven-days-per-week, 365 days-per-year continuous coverage of the Earth, something current government platforms are not capable of. Added to this is the global expansion of social media, the vast resources of the internet and digital communications which can achieve a virtual persistence previously impossible. This is coupled with the foreseeable introduction of greater numbers of UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), not only government operated but inevitability commercial as well. These are technological game-changers with enormous new sources of content and capabilities that can be available to virtually everyone.

This seismic shift is driven by the increasing number of users of GEOINT

The Cold War period saw the extensive growth in the use of spy photo reconnaissance satellites. Declassified and publicly displayed for the

first time in September 2011, the KH-9 HEXAGON was used extensively for reconnaissance © US National Reconnaissance Office

The KH-7 GAMBIT satellite contained a single strip camera, a stellar camera and an index camera that could record spot or a continuous strip of imagery as it passed over a target area © US National Reconnaissance Office

Oct. 20-25, 2015 / Seoul Airport

www.seouladex.com



and recognition of its value. Its value as a commodity and service is a major impetus behind the commercialisation that is occurring. A notable example was highlighted by Mr. Cardillo at the recent GEOINT Foundation Symposium held in late-June in Washington DC, describing the NGA’s support to the Ebola response in Liberia. Here, intelligence helped place treatment units and determine travel times and routes from places where breakouts occurred. But what made it work was that “our GEOINT contributions were posted on the World Wide Web,” Mr. Cardillo told the symposium. “With no accounts, no passwords and just a web browser, this allowed health care workers to quickly isolate those with the virus, and shortened times between diagnosis and treatment. That time-saving led to life-saving.”

Future Applications‘TPED’ is an acronym that stands for Tasking, Processing, Exploitation and Dissemination. It has traditionally reflected the way raw data is developed into finished intelligence for use in decision-making, planning and action. It is a sequence that many suggest will no longer work. Strictly controlled and regulated intelligence is no longer possible or effective. It will not be

capabilities. In fact, much of its data is already in use by the public such as in air and maritime safety and navigation and US Geological Survey (USGS) maps. However, its Map of the World, introduced in 2014, is becoming the platform for intelligence integration and an integral component of its shift towards open GEOINT. John Goolgasian, director of the GEOINT Group within the NGA states that, “the Map of the World is not only a service, but a conduit to produce standard products for the future and a way to provide simplistic data and bring it straight to the defence and intelligence communities. It is designed for everyday uses as well for experts.”

The difficulty of coordinating infor-mation and GEOINT across the many partners and customers is also being addressed in the fielding of the ICITE (Intelligence Community Information Technology Enterprise). ICITE is a desk-top based common computing environment using cloud technology designed to provide for smooth information flow across a range of US agencies.

The capabilities and benefits of GEOINT are becoming increasingly recognised. As a result, the availability of its products is expanding and is no longer a government monopoly. It can be invaluable in disaster response, to industry, agriculture, urban planning and a wide range of disciplines outside defence and national security. The solution to key intelligence questions requires maximising the integration of available information sources. The exponential growth in the amount and various types of data available is driving the automation of data collection and cataloguing. The introduction of the vast array of small satellites and inevitable expansion of public and digital media will simply accelerate this trend while also offering a new range of ‘sensors’ to the knowledge base.

Traditional reconnaissance imagery is shortly to become a commodity capability broadly available. Even geospatial analysis is now a service that can be purchased. The next advance in GEOINT will not come from sensors, although the contribution of UAVs has only just begun to be considered, instead it will be in drawing conclusions through the correlation and analysis of volumes of information from a vast range of sources, traditional, open and commercial. The goal will be to discover relationships, predict events, and assess and recommend courses of action based on an evidence-based understanding. AMR

responsive enough, accessible enough, or sufficiently thorough.

The move is toward a near-real-time, small satellite-based and multi-spectrum/multi-resource data systems. The objective must be to provide data from hundreds of platforms concurrently. Persistent GEOINT must have the ability to fully leverage non-traditional sources, especially open sources, and integrate them in continuous, real-time analytics. Data must be filtered to pick-out and tag events of critical importance and cue them for analysis within minutes of collection. It must also be a collection enterprise replacing TPED with continuous feedback, collaboration and sensor data integration, automated processing, advanced analytics, and analytic and collection models. Finally it must provide rapid decentralised dissemination to all affected and actionable parties in a form that can be utilised.

Dr. Pavel Malachek, founder of Spaceknow a GEOINT provider, suggests that the true benefit will be in the transition from “big data to fast data”, effectively accelerating “from data to answers”. The goal he indicted is, in SpaceKnow’s case, “to make satellite imagery something that needs to be and can be used every day.”

The US NGA has taken initiatives to implement broader access to its

The US National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is taking steps to make its GEOINT more widely accessible. Its “Map of the World” is an interactive map that allows users to identify terrain and manmade features as well as any intelligence data associated with them © NGA

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R E G I O N A LM I L I T A R I E S


Taiwan faces falling defence budgets and a deteriorating balance of

military power vis-à-vis the People’s Republic of China (PRC) across

the Taiwan Strait, while the formers’ move towards a professional

military is not without obstacles and growing talk of asymmetric

strategy is yet to turn into a fully-fledged consensus.

by Alex Calvo

Despite the challenges discussed above, Taiwan retains some impressive capabilities. Described in 1950 by US Army

General Douglas MacArthur, then the commander-in-chief of United Nations forces during the Korean War of 1950-53, as an “unsinkable aircraft carrier” Taiwan has changed from the final outpost of Chiang Kai-shek’s Kuomintang (Chinese Nationalist Party), following its expulsion from mainland China towards end of the Chinese civil war in 1949, into a diverse

A StrAit Story

Taiwan’s air force has expressed an interest in the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning-II MRCA.

However, some observers see a desire to purchase this aircraft from the United States as unrealistic

given Washington’s reticence to supply Taiwan with advanced MRCAs © Air Attack Website

democracy in 1996 following the election of President Lee Teng-hui.

Defence BudgetTaiwan’s defence spending has dropped from 2.4 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2009 to two percent in 2014, despite the 2012 election pledges of Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou to retain defence spending at three percent of GDP. However, in 2015 defence spending rose for the first time since 2012, growing by 2.6 percent from $10.5 billion to $10.7 billion. Another obstacle to rearmament

has been the reluctance of many potential vendors to supply Taiwan, in the face of opposition from the PRC, whose government still considers Taiwan part of the mainland. On the other hand, Taiwan retains a significant domestic defence industrial base. While Washington has often appeared reluctant to transfer certain advanced weapons systems, it has not provided Taiwan with new Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) since the export of 150 General Dynamics/Lockheed Martin F-16A/B Block-20 MRCA in 1992, Tokyo’s return to the arms bazaar (see below) may open new avenues.



have “an ability to ride out a PRC precision-munitions bombardment (and) high effectiveness against PRC forces attempting to blockade or invade Taiwan.” Asked whether the Taiwanese military is convinced of the need to adopt an asymmetric posture, Scott Cheney-Peters, until recently chairman and president of CIMSEC (The Centre for International Maritime Security) based in Washington DC, replied that “Taipei is very aware that its defence budget is about 1/14th the size of Beijing’s nominal budget, which focuses minds on prioritising the single-most important military mission, namely the defence of Taiwan. That’s the essence of an asymmetric mindset; focusing on capabilities for a single military mission when the adversary needs its kit to cover a range of operations.” Mr. Cheney-Peters added that “Taiwan should look for more ways (apart from submarines) to complicate planning through uncertainty regarding new military capabilities and their geographical locations, making the PRC’s decision makers second-guess the cost of an invasion.”

The RoCN seems to be working in the direction suggested above by Mr. Cheney-Peters, particularly where mines, shore based AShMs, light surface combatants and submarines are concerned. In addition, the three branches of the military have been engaged in the hardening, dispersion and camouflage of their

To these vessels we must add four aged submarines; the Hai Shih and Hai Pao conventional hunter-killer boats (SSKs) which are of Second World War vintage and used as training platforms. The Hai Hung and Hai Hu SSKs were procured during the mid-1980s. They are a Dutch design, displace 2600 tons submerged and in 2013 were upgraded with UGM-84L Harpoon Block-II AShMs. Amphibious capabilities are modest, centred on one amphibious support ship, the Shui Hai, and two tank landing ships, the Chung Ho and Chung Ping. Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) include twelve Lockheed Martin P-3C Orions which are replacing eleven Northrop Grumman S-2T Trackers in the MPA role while two S-70CM1/2 naval support helicopters are used for electronic intelligence collection.

In recent years it has been argued that it is no longer possible for the Taiwanese military to pursue strategic superiority over the PRC given the economic disparity on the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. US Naval War College Professor William Murray has argued that since “Taipei faces the prospect (either singularly or in combination) of being subjected to a Chinese bombardment, a blockade, or an invasion” and that “Taiwan’s air force and navy can no longer counter these threats” the island should “aggressively develop and field ‘asymmetrical forces’.” These forces, Prof. Murray argues, should

Built for the US Navy, based on a ‘Spruance’ class hull design and delivered to Taiwan between 2005 and 2006, the RoCN’s ‘Kee Lung’ class destroyers combine surface, anti-submarine, and air defence capabilities to support a range of naval operations © RoCN Website

The Japanese and Taiwanese governments share a mutual distrust of the PRC’s increasingly assertive maritime and air power postures in the South and East China Seas. Under Article 9 of Japan’s constitution the country “forever renounces war as a sovereign right of the nation, and the threat or use of force as a means of settling international disputes.” In July 2014, the Japanese government approved a reinterpretation of Article 9 which allows Japan to exercise “collective self defence”, and to provide military assistance if one of the country’s allies is attacked. In tandem with Japan’s developing strategic posture, discussions in political circles are occurring regarding the lifting of the country’s bans on defence exports. In the near future, this could allow Taiwan to procure advanced platforms such as Japan’s Mitsubishi F-2A/B 4.5-generation MRCA, although any such export would almost certainly incur the deep displeasure of Beijing.

Sea PowerThe Republic of China Navy (RoCN) has 26 large surface combatants, its core being 18 3800-tonne-plus warships: four

‘Kee Lung’ class destroyers plus eight ‘Cheung Kung’ class and six ‘Kang Ting’ class frigates. Each ‘Kee Lung’ class destroyer displaces some 10000 tons and is equipped with two BAE Systems Mk.45 127mm guns, two BAE Systems Mk.26 twin Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) launchers capable of deploying Raytheon RIM-66M Block-IIIA SAMs, Boeing RGM-84L Harpoon Block-II Anti-Ship Missiles (AShMs), plus a either a Sikorsky S-70CM1/2 Thunderhawk or MD Helicopters MD-500 naval support rotorcraft.

The ‘Cheung Kung’ class frigates are equipped with an OTO Melara 76mm gun, a BAE Systems Mk.13 missile launcher which can fire Raytheon RIM-66A/B/C SAMs and RGM-84 AShMs, and eight Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST) Hsiung Feng-II AShMs, plus a naval support helicopter. The ‘Kang Ting’ class frigates mount Nexter 100mm gun, a navalized RIM-72C Chaparral SAM missile launcher, and eight Hsiung Feng-II AShMs, plus a naval support helicopter. Large surface combatants also include eight ‘Chi Yang’ class frigates, with a Mk.45 127mm gun, an ASROC (Anti-Submarine Rocket) launcher and the wherewithal to launch retrofitted RIM-66A/B/C SAMs, plus an MD-500 helicopter.



forces. For example, Chiashan airbase on the islands’ eastern coast features an under-mountain shelter for up to 100 Dassault Mirage 2000-5EI and F-16A/B MRCA. Also buried in a mountain is the Hengshan Command Centre, on the outskirts of Taipei, serving as the national military command centre and, in wartime, the national seat of government.

With regard to shore-launched anti-ship cruise missiles, in December 2014 CSIST released footage of the trial launch of its Hsiung Feng-III AShM. The land version consists of a six-wheeled trailer carrying four launch canisters, with one Hsiung Feng-III missile in each. The Navy’s ‘Cheung Kung’ class frigates and ‘Chinchiang’ class corvettes already carry the naval version. With a Mach Three speed and an improved range of 216 nautical miles (400 kilometres), the Hsiung Feng-III could, if deployed in large numbers on both trucks and fast craft, significantly add to Taiwan’s coastal defence capabilities. These platforms are more survivable than large surface combatants, although unless they operate in conjunction with long-range surveillance platforms such as MPAs they cannot engage over-the-horizon targets effectively. The RoCN’s light surface combatants include twelve ‘Jing Chiang’ class fast attack craft, displacing 680 tons and 34 ‘Kung Hua VI’ class boats, displacing 150 tons. Both classes carry four Hsiung Feng-II AShMs .

The RoCN’s Hsun Hai (‘Swift Sea’) programme involves the production of the 500-ton ‘Tuo Jiang’ class twin-hull missile

corvette, the first delivered in March 2014, with eleven more planned. Designated as a ‘carrier killer’ by the local press, their top speed is 38 knots (70 kilometres-per-hour), with a range of 2000nm (3704km) and a low radar cross section. Designed to replace the ‘Kung Hua VI’ class (see above), they are better designed for the Taiwan Strait’s treacherous weather and carry heavier weapons including the Raytheon Mk.15 Phalanx close-in weapon system, four 12.7mm machine guns, one OTO Melara 76mm gun and six Mk.32 torpedoes. While their stern deck is not big enough to support a conventional helicopter, they can embark an unmanned aerial vehicle. This is not seen as a problem by Chris Rawley, a Commander in the United States Navy, who believes that this lack of an ability to operate a conventional maritime support helicopter “like anything, (is a) trade-off”, probably “for speed purposes”, adding that “the introduction of unmanned systems will mitigate the need for a helicopter for airborne surveillance missions”. Concerning submarines, Taiwan’s existing units are all approaching the end of their working lives, and although in 2001 US President George W. Bush offered eight SSKs, US shipyards no longer produce them and thus it

would be necessary to involve another manufacturer or to purchase second-hand boats.

Air ForceTraditionally geared towards air superiority the Republic of China Air Force (RoCAF) has seen its technological edge erode since the 1990s, when it acquired most of its aircraft, as the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has introduced increasingly advanced MRCA such as the 4.5-generation Chengdu J-10A/B. The RoCAF’s main workhorses are its 146 F-16A/B Block-20 MRCA, equipped with Raytheon AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles, complemented by 55 Mirage 2000-5EI MRCAs equipped with MBDA/Matra Magic AAMs, and 126 indigenous Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) F-CK-1 Ching-kuo MRCA carrying the locally-produced CSIST Tien Chien-II AAM, as well as Northrop Grumman F/RF-5E/F Tiger-II MRCA and reconnaissance aircraft. The F-16A/Bs can launch AGM-84 Harpoon AShMs and are being upgraded to F-16V status with improved avionics and engines, while obtaining satellite-guided Boeing GBU-31(V)1/2/3/4B and GBU-38/B Joint Direct Attack Munitions. However, Taiwan’s efforts to buy 66 F-16C/Ds to replace her Mirage 2000-5EI MRCA have been refused by Washington DC on three occasions, meaning that Taiwan’s aspirations to purchase the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning-II MRCA are not considered a strong possibility.

The RoCAF’s six Northrop Grumman E-2K Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft have been upgraded with new Lockheed Martin AN/APS-145 radars and accompanying radar software. Taiwan has 20 Lockheed Martin C-130H Hercules turboprop tactical freighters,

The ‘Jiang’ class corvettes have a catamaran hull design to make them

better suited for the Taiwan Strait’s dangerous waters, but some experts have

expressed concerns about sea keeping given the ships’ excessive weight on a

limited-size hull © Dmitry Shulgin

Two US Navy McDonnell Douglas/Boeing F/A-18C MRCA performed an ‘emergency’ landing in Taiwan on 1 April 2015 prompting protests

from the PRC. This served to underline the tensions which still exist between these two

countries © US Navy



one of which is converted to an electronic intelligence-gathering platform. The RoCAF is seeking to replace its current trainers, chiefly its Beechcraft T-34C Turbo Mentor turboprop aircraft and its AIDC AT-3 Tzu Chiang lead-in jet trainers, with a model capable of flying combat missions in wartime.

Taiwan’s air defence network relies on the indigenously-produced CSIST Tien Kung-II SAM which has a range of 125nm (232km). Main cities are protected by seven Raytheon MIM-104C SAM batteries which are currently being upgraded to MIM-104F Patriot Advanced Capability-3 status. Air force manpower is roughly 80000 and the RoCAF is the service with the largest annual budget of circa $1.3 billion. Mindful of the danger of a first strike against its facilities by PRC surface-to-surface missiles, the RoCAF has trained to operate its aircraft from highways.

ArmyThe ROC Army’s (RoCA) manpower is roughly 130,000. The RoCA is believed to possess between 350 to 480 Chrysler M60A3 Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) acquired in the 1990s. These are supplemented by 450 older CM11 MBTs which are modified M48H MBTs with 105mm gun turrets outfitted with an improved Fire Control System (FCS) compared to the RoCA’s erstwhile M48A3 MBTs. This is in addition to a

observers cautioning that the heaviest models cannot traverse the many bridges in rural Taiwan. Nevertheless, there are plans to buy 120 second-hand US-made General Dynamics M1A1 Abrams MBTs with delivery to begin in 2020.

To reinforce its armour, the RoCA has some 60 Bell AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopters, and in November 2014 a first batch of 60 Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk medium-lift utility helicopters purchased from the United States arrived. The rest are scheduled for delivery by 2019. Together, they could provide a powerful counter-amphibious landing striking force.

Cyber and NuclearThe growing resort to cyber warfare as illustrated by US-led international military operations against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria insurgent group in the Middle East, and also in the ongoing Ukraine Civil War has not gone unnoticed in Taiwan. Cyber attacks performed by the PRC could be a prelude to, or an essential component of, a wider military offensive by that country. With this in mind, the Ministry for National Defence has activated a 3000-strong Information and Electronic Warfare Command.

Concerning nuclear forces, Taiwan may conclude at some stage in the future that an independent deterrent is needed, in particular if the informal US security umbrella which de facto extends a nuclear deterrent over the island loses credibility. This may, however, face significant opposition at home and abroad. Furthermore, according to an expert who has chosen to remain anonymous, whereas Japan might have the capability to quickly assemble a nuclear device given its high levels of scientific innovation, Taiwan’s technology is less advanced and the country lacks access to nuclear materials.

ConclusionsTaiwan’s military faces many challenges, among them completing the move towards an all-professional force, procuring key systems like SSKs and adapting asymmetric strategies. It remains, however, a potent force, and if its current modernisation efforts are successful it may help to give Taipei the breathing space it needs to deal with a resurgent PRC and to take advantage of Japan’s growing strategic posture vis-à-vis the PRC’s strategic machinations in the East and South China Seas. AMR

further 50 M48A3 MBTs and 250 CM12 MBTs (M48A3 tanks equipped with the same weapons and FCS as the CM11). It is not clear exactly how many of these MBTs are operational, but publicly-available estimates note that between 600 and 800 maybe active. Not all military experts in Taiwan see MBTs as a priority, with some

The construction or purchase of modern submarines remains one of the requirements for Taiwan’s military. However, procuring such vessels could be easier said than done, as the US no longer builds conventional hunter-killer submarines and other nations may be reticent to sell fearing the wrath of the PRC © RoCN Navy

The impact of the 1949 Battle of Guningtou fought between Chinese Communists and the Chinese nationalist Kuomintang is still visible

in many houses in the Taiwan Strait Kinmen archipelago; a reminder of the dangers of

PRC amphibious operations against Taiwan’s outlying islands © The Islands of Taiwan blog

Regional newsa n d d e v e l o p m e n t s


AsiA-PAcific Procurement uPdAte

s o u t h a s i a

by Pierre Delrieu

DEW lays kEEl for Eight BanglaDEsh navy high-spEED patrol Boats

Bangladesh’s Navy-owned shipyard, the Dockyard and Engineering Works (DEW) announced in late May that it had laid keels for eight X12 fast patrol boats for the Bangladesh Navy (BN). The boats are reportedly

being built to Indonesia’s PT Lundin X12 design under a technology transfer arrangement with the Indonesian company made in 2014, with the signature of a $6 million contract to supply 18 boats to

the BN and the Bangladesh Coast Guard, with possible options for an additional ten.

DEW has yet to provide specific details regarding the vessels’ delivery schedules, but Indonesian media reports, citing unnamed PT Lundin sources, suggest that the X12 patrol boats will probably reach completion within a year’s time.

The X12 is a fully composite vessel, with a design based on the X15 patrol boat concept, also designed by PT Lundin and derived from the Marinen (Royal Swedish Navy) Combat Boat 90 (CB90) concept. DEW’s high-speed patrol boats will be built in two variants for Bangladesh: a full cabin variant for the coastguard, as depicted by DEW graphics and a combat boat version for the navy, as shown by pictures of the 24 May keel-laying ceremony, also published by the company.

According to the company’s website, the X12 boats, when fully-loaded, displace just over ten tonnes. With a top speed of 35 knots (64 kilometres-per-hour), each vessel measures 11.7 metres

(38.3 feet) in length and have a beam of 3.5m (11.5ft). They are equipped with a waterjet propulsion system and powered by two Volvo Penta diesel engines producing 320 kilowatts of power. The boats also carry two 765-litre fuel tanks and two six-kilowatt Cummins diesel generators to provide electrical power.

The boats are likely to be fitted with at least two machineguns. One of the machineguns will be mounted amidships atop the cabin with additional guns positioned on the deck. According to the DEW a small mast-mounted radar will equip the BN’s new high-speed patrol boats. The company has not revealed what type of machinegun or radar will equip these vessels

inDia confirms $2.5B apachE, chinook DEals With BoEing

India’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) cleared a $2.5 billion procurement deal with Boeing for 22 AH-64E Guardian attack helicopters and 15 CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift helicopters, just a few days ahead of US defence secretary Ashton Carter’s two day visit to New Delhi on 3 June. The contract also includes an option to acquire eleven additional AH-64Es and seven more CH-47Fs for the Indian Air Force (IAF).

Both deals, which were recently approved by the country’s finance ministry, still need to receive final approval from the country’s Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), headed by Prime Minister Narendra

Modi, which will allow the entire validation process to be completed. A Boeing spokesperson told AMR that the agreement and the announced prices, which were initially negotiated in late 2013, would only be valid until 30 June, and made it clear that the 1 April postponement request would be the last.

However, when the 30 June deadline came, India’s CCS had still not given its final approval on the deal, and Boeing had to agree, for the tenth time since the 2013 negotiations, to a three-month postponement before the CCS gives approval. The company will therefore maintain the negotiated purchase price on its offer of these helicopters for the IAF until 1 September.

Publicly available figures stipulate that the United States exported some $68 million worth of equipment to India in 2010. In four years time, that number had risen to almost $2.3 billion, making the US India’s single largest supplier of materiel in 2014.

Moreover, Washington has a $13 billion backlog of defence orders from India as of 2015 while Russia, traditionally India’s partner for defence procurement, counts a $10 billion backlog of defence orders from the latter for the same timeframe.



s ou t h e a s t a s i a

IndonesIa one step closer to Us-2 amphIbIoUs aIrcraft deal wIth Japan

Indonesia and Japan have started looking into a possible procurement plan for a potential purchase by Indonesia of an undisclosed number of ShinMaywa Industries’ US-2 amphibious Search-And-Rescue (SAR) aircraft, the Indonesian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced.

The statement explained that the defence Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by Indonesia and Japan in March, which outlines a mutual commitment from both countries to collaborate on military equipment and technologies, had been the first step toward a potential US-2 deal. In a 6 April interview with the Japanese news agency Kyodo News,

Ryamizard Ryacudu, Indonesia’s defence minister, made his country’s intentions known, saying Jakarta was considering the possibility of buying the ShinMaywa US-2 amphibious aircraft from Japan: “We wish to buy (but) (w)e’re still mulling.”

The US-2 is an amphibious, fixed-wing, aircraft designed specifically for SAR operations. It is suited to Indonesia’s needs, capable of landing on and taking off from the sea and does not require land infrastructure, which is quite convenient for the archipelagic country. With an operating range of 2537 nautical miles (4700 kilometres) the US-2 would also be capable of quickly reaching distant and remote Indonesian islands if needed.

Indonesia is currently aiming to boost both its

maritime and aerial capabilities for operations ranging from sea patrols to SAR missions, and Japan has been developing its ties with Association of South East Asian Nations members as it searches for new opportunities to export its amphibious technologies following Tokyo’s increasingly outward-looking posture regarding exports of materiel. The converging of the two countries’ interests has resulted in an enhanced cooperation between Tokyo and Jakarta. Both governments have developed their strategic partnership with an important focus on maritime security, especially

pn sealIft shIps to be eqUIpped wIth portUgal’s eId Iccs

EID, the Portuguese military communications company, has been contracted by the Indonesian shipbuilder PT PAL and Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) of the Republic of Korea (RoK) to deliver a complete Integrated Communications Control System (ICCS) for two Strategic Sealift Vessels (SSVs) on order for the Hukbóng Dagat ng Pilipinas (HDP/Philippine Navy).

The contract, valued at $ 1.7 million, was signed on 8 May 2015 and includes the delivery of the ICCS for the two SSV ships, with system delivery scheduled for October 2015 and May 2016, EID told AMR. José Luis Reis, in charge of business development for defence communications

systems at EID explained that the suite “will consist of EID’s ICCS communications control system and equipment radios (Very Low Frequency, High Frequency, Very High Frequency and Ultra High Frequency)”, adding that “EID will also be responsible for integrating the suite with other communications subsystems, delivered by PT PAL.”

The HDP and Philippines Ministry of Defence ordered the two SSVs and an integrated support package from PT PAL in 2014 for $92 million, and the delivery of the first platform, for which the steel was cut on 22 January 2015, is expected by 2016, while the second ship will be handed over in 2017. The SSV selected by the PN is based on the design of the DSME-developed ‘Makassar’ class vessel, four of which are already in service with

the Tentara Nasional Indonesia-Angkatan Laut (Indonesian Navy).

“EID’s ICCS was specifically designed to meet the stringent demands of warship communications, which are crucial to the success of naval operations and vital to enable network-centric warfare,” Mr. Reis told AMR. “With a high degree of automation, the ICCS has a modular and flexible architecture,” he added, “capable of being tailored and configured to meet the communications requirements of any type of warship, from submarines and patrol boats to frigates, amphibious support ships and aircraft carriers.”

According to Mr Reis, “EID’s ICCS offers secure and reliable transmission techniques … The increasing complexity of tactical scenarios requires efficient

control, and management of the available on-board ship subsystems calls for the effective integration of the various communication subsystems.” He adds that the ICCS will provide the HDP with a state-of-the-art system designed to automate and integrate all the ships’ communications capabilities.

With this contract EID says it has nearly reached its objective of equipping over 130 warships globally with its ICCS which includes numerous systems supplied to navies in the Asia-Pacific. EID also has a regional office, located in Kuala Lumpur, allowing the company to optimise the level of technical and logistical support to customers and partners in the region, with a timely response to their needs.

after Indonesia’s President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo visited Tokyo in late May.

The US-2 SAR aircraft is already in use with the Japanese Self-Defence Forces’ 31st Fleet Air Wing and, in September 2014, the Indian Navy announced it was looking to buy between up to 18 units, at a cost of almost $1.7 billion. There is no word yet from the Indian government as to when this procurement could occur.



e a s t a s i a

China’s asW PLans MaKE hEadWay With Fourth ‘subMarinE-KiLLEr’ CorvEttE

The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) commissioned its latest Hudong-Zhonghua’s Shipbuilding ‘Jiangdao’ class

“submarine-killer” corvette on 6 May, as suggested by footage aired on the People’s Republic of China (PRC) state television.

The Huangshi, which was built at the Hudong-Zhonghua’s Shipyard in Shanghai, joined the PLAN’s North Sea Fleet, one of the country’s three naval fleets, following a ceremony which is likely to have taken place at the service’s eastern major seaport and maritime garrison of Weihai. The ‘Jiangdao’ class is fitted with a towed sonar array and variable depth sonars, which is clearly indicative of its Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) primary role.

According to Lyle Goldstein, associate professor

at the United States Naval War College’s China Maritime Studies Institute, “the Chinese Navy’s perception is that they have a major gap in ASW capabilities.” Speaking to AMR, Professor Goldstein explained that “one of the most obvious examples of this weakness is in maritime patrol aircraft; the Chinese have a handful of aircraft and many suggest the PLAN is quite weak in that area.”

The ‘Jiangdao’ class vessels carry four Norinco Yingji-83 supersonic anti-ship missiles, which have a 65nm (120km) range, along with one 76mm main gun, and two triple-tube torpedo launchers, according to media reports. Most notably, the Chinese vessel’s flight deck enables operation of a single Harbin Aircraft Industry Z-9C maritime support helicopter, the Chinese version of the Airbus Helicopters AS-565 Panther family of naval support helicopters. However, Prof. Goldstein notes that the absence of a hangar will

dMsE LaunChEs roKn’s sixth Kss-2 attaCK subMarinE

The Republic of Korea’s shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding Engineering (DSME) launched a new ‘Son Won-II’ class conventional hunter-killer submarine (SSK) for the Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN) on 7 May, enhancing the country’s underwater capabilities.

limit sustained helicopter operations. “The Chinese fly the Z-9C helicopter off the decks of most of their frigates and destroyers,” he told AMR.

According to Chinese sources, he adds, it has been acknowledged that the Z-9C has been found to be “inadequate for the task, and that is one reason why they’ve imported so many Russian helicopters over the years … It is clear to me that the Chinese are working on a number of ASW upgrades, and have been working on these technologies for decades, but they’re still at the beginning of a really long road,” added Prof. Goldstein.

The PLAN’s ongoing effort to boost its ASW capacities is a response to the growing submarine threats the PRC faces from other Asia-Pacific actors, and from the United States Navy, explained Prof. Goldstein. “The PLAN’s perception is that their potential adversaries are considering deploying submarines against the PRC.

Their concern is also elevated by the fact that, now that they have all these nice, new, large surface combatants such as the ‘Luhu’ class destroyers and their new aircraft carrier (the Liaoning), they really want to protect them and the submarine threat comes really into focus.”

The PRC has commissioned two other ’Jiangdao’ class ASW vessels, including the Sanmenxia, which was commissioned on 13 November 2014 for the East Sea Fleet, and the Zhuzhou on 28 November 2014 for the South Sea Fleet. The PRC began inaugurating its

‘Jiangdao’ class corvettes in 2012, and is currently building variants of the ship for export, with early customers reportedly including Thailand, Bangladesh and Nigeria. For more information regarding the PLAN’s corvette fleet, please see Trevor Hollingsbee’s article ‘Containing the Blames and Claims’ article in this issue.

Dubbed the RoKS Yu Gwan Sun Ham, the 65-metre (213.2-feet) long vessel is powered by an Air-Independent Propulsion system. It is the RoKN’s sixth SSK and is claimed to be the first warship in the RoKN’s history to be named after a woman. The vessel was named in honour of an RoK patriot, Yu Gwan-sun, who participated in the organisation of the independence movement

which would become known as the March 1st Movement against the Japanese colonial rule of Korea’s Chungcheong region.

Speaking during the launch ceremony held at DSME’s facilities in Geoje, South Gyeongsang province, the RoK’s defence minister Han Min-koo announced that,

“with its unique invisibility and survivability, (the RoKS Yu Gwan Sun Ham) is a national core strategic weapon, as well as a symbol of a strong navy for obtaining maritime control.” The former RoK Army General then added that the RoKN’s current objectives were to

“develop the fighting power of its submarine to protect the national interest and the ocean sovereignty and have an elevated readiness

posture.”With a displacement

capacity of 1800 tons, the vessel has a maximum cruising speed of 20 knots (37 kilometres-per-hour). The boat was designed to accommodate about 40 sailors and is capable of making a round-trip from the RoK to Hawaii without refuelling. Also, the SSK is capable of recharging its storage batteries using AIP, allowing it to operate for two weeks without having to surface. In terms of weaponry, the boat carries domestic Agency for Defence Development/LG NexI SSM-700K Haeseong anti-ship missiles and eight 533mm torpedo tubes. The RoKS Yu Gwan Sun Ham is scheduled for final delivery to the RoKN in November 2016.

SA_DNA_AMR_286x213mm.pdf 1 7/14/2015 4:16:04 PM



a u s t r a l a s i a

RAN MOVES AHEAD WITH AMPHIBIOUS, SUBMARINE NAVAL ENHANCEMENTS

The twelfth and final Navantia ‘LCM-1E’ class amphibious fast landing craft ordered by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) was launched by the Spanish state-owned shipbuilder in late May. The landing craft, which will be sent to Australia as part of a third and final batch of

‘LCM-1E’ class vessels, will equip the RAN’s two new Navantia-built ‘Canberra’ class amphibious support ships: HMAS Canberra, the largest ship ever operated by the RAN, which was commissioned on 28 November 2014, and the HMAS Adelaide, which was launched on 4 July 2012 and which is to officially commission with the RAN by 2016.

The contract for the procurement of the twelve ‘LCM-E1’ class landing craft ordered following the signature of a contract signed between the Australia Department of Defence and Navantia in September 2011 was worth $110 million. Four such vessels will be embarked with each of the RAN’s ‘Canberra’ class amphibious support ships with the remaining two landing craft assigned to shore facilities for training and trials. The initial batch of four ‘LCM-1E’ class landing craft was delivered in May 2014, and the second batch of four units was shipped in February 2015. The Spanish manufacturer announced that the third and final batch of four will be delivered in mid-2015.

According to the manufacturers’ specification the 23.3-metre (76.4-feet) long landing craft are powered by two 809 kilowatt diesel engines and water-jet propellers, allowing them to reach a top speed of over

20 knots (37 kilometres-per-hour and operate across a range of 190 nautical miles (352 kilometres) when fully loaded.

Meanwhile, Australia has established a panel of experts to oversee its future submarine acquisition process

Australia’s defence minister Kevin Andrews announced on 5 June that the competitive evaluation process which is to assess the merits of German, French and Japanese contenders for the country’s future submarine programme will be monitored by a Expert Advisory Panel.

All three countries have confirmed their participation as potential international industrial partners in the programme to replace the Royal Australian Navy’s ‘Collins’ class conventional hunter-killer (SSK) boats. Mr. Andrews explained that the newly established panel would be responsible

for assuring the Australian government that the competitive evaluation process remains sound, and is conducted in accordance with probity and accountability principles, and that all participants are treated fairly.

Australia has been looking into building submarines for some time now, and is looking to select a model with a range and endurance similar to the ‘Collins’ class vessels but with a superior sensor performance, with a focus on anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare capabilities, intelligence-gathering, electronic warfare and counter-mine warfare. The future submarine programme is, according to government reports, the largest defence procurement programme in Australia, representing a $50bn investment. The new submarine fleet is expected to fill a capability gap in the mid-2020s, when the RAN’s six ‘Collins’ class SSKs

are scheduled to retire from service.

The panel is comprised of Professor Donald Winter, a former secretary of the US Navy and author of a yet-to-be-published report on Australia’s troubled ‘Hobart’ class Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) programme; a former justice of the Federal Court of Australia, Julie Anne Dodds-Streeton; Ron Finlay, a leading infrastructure specialist with extensive legal experience; and Jim McDowell, former chief executive officer of BAE Systems.

The Australian government announced the acquisition strategy for the new SSK in February. It specified that, under the country’s Future Submarines programme, major manufacturing work is planned to be performed domestically during the build phase of the submarine, including combat systems integration, design assurance, and land-based testing.

For advertising opportunities contact:Vishal Mehta: [email protected] (+66) 2 204 2370 ext 123

Joha Djalmetov: [email protected] (+66) 2 204 2370 ext 125

November 2015November 2015

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