asian military review - dec 2011/jan 2012 issue

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VOLUME 19/ISSUE 8 DEC 2011 / JAN 2012 US$15

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TACTICAL VEHICLES

MALAYSIANMILITARY MODERNIZATION

NAVAL HELICOPTERS

COUNTER IEDFORCE PROTECTION

FLIGHTTRAINING

UNMANNEDMARITIMEVEHICLES

TACTICALRADIOS

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DECEMBER 2011/JANUARY 2012VOLUME 19 / ISSUE 8

Contents

Front Cover Photo:A US Marine prepares an AAIRQ-7 Shadow 200B UAV for takeoff for a desert training mission.UAVs have proved vital inprotecting routes used byconvoys in Iraq and Afghanistanfrom IEDs emplaced byinsurgents © DoD

Contents

01

Asia-PacificFlight Training

Counter-IED ForceProtectionAdam BaddeleySecuring vehicles, individuals andbases against Improvised ExplosiveDevices remains a key challengefor militaries whether they arecurrently deployed on operationsand requiring that capabilityin their inventories todayor, for others wanting a tool tocombat future threats

Asia-PacificTactical Radios:SDR, CNR and PRRAdam BaddeleyTactical Communications areas integral to modern infantryoperations as body armourand weapons, providing a meansof co-coordinating operationsboth locally and over longdistances ensuring ranged supportand avoiding fratricide

Nobody onboard

Tactical Vehicles:Ensuring SupplyAdam BaddeleyEnsuring that the logistics tailmaintains connected to thehighly distributed teeth ofmodern military operations isintegral to the success of anymission. The platforms usedto achieve this are becomingboth better protected andincreasingly diverse in size

04 36

20 28

48

42

Dzirhan MahadzirThe 10th Malaysia Plan of 2011-2015backs several ambitious defence programmeson land, sea and air although a backlog ofpostponed requirements over several yearshave put critical capabilities at risk

12Malaysia’s MilitaryModernization

l DECEMBER 2011/JANUARY 2012 l

David OliverAsia-Pacific customers will takean increasing proportion of themore than 1,600 military trainingaircraft produced in the nextdecade, almost half of which willbe turboprop-powered trainers,with jet trainers accounting fornearly all of the remainder

Asian NavalHelicopters:Blades & WavesDavid OliverDemand for helicopters in theAsia-Pacific military maritimemarket is being driven by grow-ing amphibious requirementsas well as the need to securesea lanes for energy security,counter piracy and terrorismoperations, and rising tensionsin the South China Sea

Tom WithingtonThe number of UnmannedUnderwater Vehicles andUnmanned SurfaceVehicles in service in theregion is being driven bythe need to detect mooredand buried mines in highlycluttered littoral environ-ments and the importantrole they play in harbourand port security

Editorialhile visiting Seoul for its InternationalAerospace and Defense Exhibition inOctober, I came across an editorial fromthe China Daily decrying the Philippines

for, “feverishly raising the temperature of the SouthChina Sea”. I was intrigued, what evidence for thisconspiracy by the Philippines, undoubtedly the military titan of the region would thepaper marshal?

I didn’t have long to wait. First, it cited an exercise with US forces with whom thePhilippines has long standing bilateral (apparently the bad sort of bilateral) defenceties and is aiding its fight against an Islamist insurgency and terrorism. Its ire didnot stop there. It continued its breathless outrage, this time against the effronteryand sabre-rattling by President Benigno Aquino III who had called for a multi-lateralapproach to the issue through the offices of ASEAN after Beijing and Hanoi optedto resolve their differences bilaterally (apparently the good sort of bi-lateral).Finally, the editorial stressed that Manila’s real intention is to draw support fromcountries outside the region, such as the US and Japan which China believes willonly, “complicate the situation.”

It also stated more generally, with no little chutzpah that there were, “several SouthEast Asian nations have become involved in maritime disputes with China over theSouth China Sea.” By this it presumably means every country who has anestablished legal claim on oil and mineral tights in the Spratly Islands namelyBrunei, Malaysia, Philippines, and Vietnam and who have had that claimsubsequently challenged by China.

China has pushed its claims on the region as its ability to impose its interpretationof the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea by military force hasgrown. It now claims vast swatches of the ocean as its own territorial waters,putting it on a potential collision course with other claimants and their allies.

No party welcomes armed conflict over the Spratlys. I firmly believe that. However,if the South China Sea dispute is to be resolved rather than postponed or glossedover, all parties have to come to an agreement and this has to be done multi-laterally to address genuinely multi-lateral and overlapping claims. Any other policyis mistaken at best and narrowly self-serving at worst.

Adam Baddeley, Editor

Editor: Adam BaddeleyE-mail: [email protected]

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02 l ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW l

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TTAACCTTIICCAALL V E H I C L E S

Light Tactical Vehicles As light patrol vehicles and all terrain protect-ed mobility platforms have taken on the bulkof operations in Afghanistan and elsewhere,logistics vehicles have adapted accordinglyallowing them to follow the patrol vehiclesthey support while carrying significantlymore payload on a flatbed load area.

For its next generation requirements forlight tactical vehicles, the US has been pursu-ing the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) aprogramme which has recently encountereda hiccup. A decision was made this Autumnto switch strategies on the JLTV programme,which has seen the scrapping of the schedulethat would have seen the JLTV begin its engi-neering and manufacturing developmentphase in January 2012. The current strategy,designed to save time and money tasksindustry with building a set of prototypes forcompetitive testing to begin in late 2012 withthe strategy due to be formalised in Springnext year. An award is expected at the begin-ning of 2013 with the expected to cost about$366,000 each.

Side by side with JLTV is work on recapi-talising the HMMWV fleet, tasked with anumber of logistics tasks on the battlefield inits uparmoured form under the ModernizedExpanded Capacity Vehicle (MECV) pro-gramme with 5700 due to be funded via a sin-gle production contract at a planned series

Ensuring that the logistics tail remains connected to the highlydistributed teeth of modern military operations is integral to the successof any mission. The platforms used to achieve this are becoming bothbetter protected and increasingly diverse in size as missions and require-ments emerge that demand greater cross country mobility in the absenceof metalled roads as well as the need for military vehicles to comply withcommercial truck legislation such as EURO III exhaust emissions.

bbyy Adam Baddeley

Tactical Vehicles:


Ensuring SupplySmall, light ATVs have becomeinvaluable to frontline infantryunits as logistics carriers forammunition and water © AJB

V E H I C L E STTAACCTTIICCAALL

Tactical Vehicles:

05l DECEMBER 2011/JANUARY 2012 l

Navistar’s MILCOTS rangeis designed to provide anaffordable military vehicle© Navistar

Ensuring Supply

manufacturing cost of $180,000 per vehicle afigure of 60 percent of the unit cost of a JLTV,not including armour, and extending eachlegacy vehicle’s life by 15 years. The MarineCorps is also intending to use elements of theMECV programme for various requirements.The Army plan in 2015 to make a decision

on whether to pursue JLTV alone or fundboth programmes. In late August, AMGeneral were awarded a $130.9m award tosupply with Army with 904 additionalHMMWVs.The UK has also adopted a number of

logistic support vehicles under the headingof the Tactical Support Vehicles (TSV). TheTSV Light is the Coyote, the three tonne pay-load capacity Supacat Jackal. The TSVMedium is the armoured Navistar MXTbased Husky with a payload of 1.5 tonnesand finally the Force Protection Wolfhoundbased TSV Heavy, developed from theCougar and Mastiff platforms and can carrya cargo load of 4.5 tonnes.In Australia, Supacat’s solution for JP2097

Ph 1B (REDFIN) programme is based on theirSpecial Forces HMT Extenda vehicles withthe government expected to announce itsvehicle selection by the end of the year.Australia already operates the HMT vehicleon which the Extenda is based.

Navistar Defense recently launched itsSaratoga light tactical vehicle, designed to fillthe gap between the JLTV and MECV plat-forms. The Saratoga is blend of existing vehi-cle technology including the MaxxForceD6.0L V8 engine, automatic engaging limitedslip differentials, Allison 2100 SP 6-SPAutomatic Transmission and air independentsuspension with the incorporation of the pro-prietary geometry survivability solution toexceed the survivability of current light tacti-cal vehicles while staying within a transporta-bility height of 193cm. Navistar has complet-ed over 40,000km of testing in the vehicles.Renault have received orders from NATO

and the French Army for its Sherpa Light car-rier which comprises a two man cab and arear flatbed that can accommodate 4.5 tonesof cargo with a space for a three metre shelter.General Dynamics European Land Systemsalready have a transport version of its Eagleand is developing the new Eagle 6x6 vehicleshaving a common gearbox, driveline, engineand transmissions, suspension and chassis.The 6x6 Transport with an extra axle and alonger chassis with a GVW of 14,000kg.Marshall Engineering is providing the

load bed for Force Protection’s Ocelot Utility

Variant being introduced with the BritishArmy. The vehicle has a common chassiswith demountable, protected pods allow formultiple configurations - troop transport,fire support and materials transport.

‘Mini-trucks’In addition to accompanying patrol vehicles,logistic carriers are also being introducedthat follow small dismounted units onto thefront line, carrying additional ammunition,water and other equipment that would other-wise unduly weigh down troops.In Afghanistan, the UK has introduced the

Springer 4x4 supply vehicle, a TomCar designwith a payload of 1.2 tonnes, combined withhigh levels of mobility. In October, GeneralDynamics - Ordnance and Tactical Systemswere awarded aMarine Corps contract for 775full rate production internally transportablevehicles (ITVs). The ITV is a light transportplatform designed to be carried internally bythe MV-22 tilt-rotor aircraft and CH-53 heli-copter, as well as Army MH-47 helicoptersand Air Force CV-22 tilt-rotor aircraft. Also inOctober was the award to Polaris for 6,501 all-terrain vehicles and 266 all-terrain vehicletrailers for the US Army in a $54.2millionaward with delivery concluding in 2014.A new solution first shown in public in

September was the Assisted Carriage Systemdeveloped by John Deere and Boeing DefenceUK and based on the manned/unmanned R-Gator robotic utility vehicle. The goal of thevehicles is to provide logistics support to sec-

l ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW l06

The UK has also adopted anumber of logistic supportvehicles under the heading ofTactical Support Vehicles

The Force Protection Wolfhound based TSVHeavy, was developed from the Cougar andMastiff platforms and can carry a cargo load of4.5 tonnes © AJB

TTAACCTTIICCAALLV E H I C L E S

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tion of eight troops in heavy cross country ter-rain while carrying up to 635Kg of equipmentand has a top speed of 32mph.

Asian-Pacific NeedsTo meet regional requirements, militarieshave opted for direct buys, local productionand partnerships with established manufac-turers to meet their needs.

In 2011, Krauss-Maffei Wegmann andAshok Leyland Defense Systems established a

partnership that will see the two co-operate ona number of platforms. The Indian firm is thepredominant supplier of logistics vehicles tothe Indian military, along with Tata and hasrecently branched out into protected mobilitysystems. The Philippines recently announcedits plans within the latest Five Year Plan formilitary modernisation with new trucks identi-fied as a priority under the Army’s near terms

strategy. Singapore has previously opted forthe purchase of Mercedes Benz Actros truckswhich included a load-handling system. InThailand, the Preechataworn IndustryCompany is producing the Hilux based Type50 4x4 tactical vehicle for the Thai military. Anumber of Soviet–era trucks including GAZ,KaMAZ, KrAZ, MAZ, Ural and Zil designscontinue to be operated by a number of mili-taries but are beginning to be replaced.

In August, the Australia made the decisionto go ahead with the acquisition of 950 new4x4 G-Wagens and 830 trailers under theLand 121 Phase 5A programme. In the lighttactical requirement the domestic offeringcomes from Thales Bushmaster Ute. Otherelements of Land 121, the overall value ofwhich is put at $1.8billion will see 2,700 medi-um and heavy trucks purchased of which1,500 vehicles will have significant armouredprotection. Scania 4x4 vehicles have previous-ly been acquired from Scania along with theMercedes Benz Unimog supplemented by 6x6Mack sourced heavy trucks.

ProgrammesThe Israel Defence Force selected Navistar'scommercial International Workstar 7000-series platform in a late 2009 covering 114vehicles, supplementing earlier military truck


In 2011, Krauss-MaffeiWegmann and Ashok LeylandDefense Systems establisheda partnership that willsee the two co-operate on anumber of platforms

Oshkosh begins delivery ofthe Global Heavy EquipmentTransporter to the UAE in2012 © Oshkosh

TTAACCTTIICCAALL V E H I C L E S

buys which include TATRA 12.6 tonne trucks.Navistar and Tatra are jointly pursuing

international sales with new vehicles such asthe ATX6 6x6 universal container carrier andATX8 8x8 cargo/troop carrier based on thelatter’s T 815-7 but with new engines andtransmission both launched at the lastEurosatory exhibition. In 2011, Navistar alsolaunched three military MXT flatbed utilitydesigns for the international market, similarto the UK’s Husky Tactical Support VehicleMedium in concept. The company alsolaunched the MOTS TerraStar truck,designed for outside the frontline with initialGVWs ranging between 7.25 and 8.85 tonnes

South Africa is replacing its ageing Samiltruck fleet under Project Vistula with an ulti-mate requirement for 2000 8x8 trucks withIED and mine protected cabs, 1200 6x6trucks, some of them with protected cabs;and 1800 4x4 trucks. Competitors includeRheinmetall MAN, Mercedes Benz SouthAfrica, Leyland Ashok Navistar, BMC andRenault Trucks Defence of France. BAESystems Land Systems South Africa andIveco Defence Vehicles have also teamed topursue the requirement.

France has selected a team of Iveco and alocal French partner to supply an initial 200and as many as 1800 8x8 trucks under the

The UK’s MAN Support Vehiclefleet has been successfullymodified to meet the needs ofAfghanistan © AJB


V E H I C L E STTAACCTTIICCAALL

Since a co-operation agreementin 2009, Navistar and Tatra arejointly pursuing internationalsales with new vehicles such asthe ATX6 6x6 universal containercarrier © Navistar

10 ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW

Porteurs Polyvalents Terrestres contract withpayloads ranging from 8-15 tonnes.The US Army opted to switch from its

incumbent BAE Systems to Oshkosh in 2009for the balance of its requirement for theFamily of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV)group of diesel engine, all-wheel drivetrucks and companion trailers. The familycomprises 14 truck and 3 trailer variantswhich vary by load capacity and missionrequirements ranging from 2.5-ton to 10-tonpayloads. Around two-thirds of the Army’srequirement for FMTV are for cargo vehiclesand all FMTV vehicles have a commonalityof 80 percent. At DSEi, Oshkosh Defencepublicly launched their 'ITAR-free' variantof the FMTV, created by the removal ofarmour protection systems. Oshkosh isreported to have orders for nearly 26,000FMTV truck and trailers.Oshkosh also produces the MTVR family

of vehicles, primarily for the US MarineCorps but for the UK’s Wheeled Tankerrequirement. The MTVR is notable for beingthe first series-production tactical vehicle touse fully independent coil-spring suspen-sion. The US Marine Corps have recentlybegun the process of fielding 70 newLogistics Vehicle System ReplacementWreckers which are able to lift and tow 48tons, sufficient to cope with weightier mine-resistant ambush protected (MRAP) vehicleas well as 200 Logistics Vehicle System

Replacement (LVSR) tractors variants taskedwith pulling an M870 flatbed trailer with 40tons of equipment. The Marines fielded cargovariants of the trucks in 2009.In the Asia-Pacific, Oshkosh describes their

expansion in the region as programme-drivenand are developing their presence in India andSingapore. In the Middle East, deliveries ofthe Global HETT begin in early 2012 vehiclesworking with the Al Jaber Group.One route for the future is to switch to a

manned/unmanned combination for existingtactical vehicles. The Marine CorpsWarfighting Laboratory for example has fol-lowed Oshkosh's TerraMax vehicle control kitwith some interest. The kit, which is installedon the Corps’ standard MTVR is in its secondof a two year programmewhich will concludenext Summer. The kit allows standard vehi-cles to be controlled by a C2 vehicle, allowingone or more manned vehicles to lead severaldrone trucks in a leader-follower relationshipor in other modes including fully autonomousroute-following and tele-operation.

The Canadian military has recentlyembarked upon its $764m Logistics VehicleModernization (LVM) programme, designedto provide 1200 Heavy Logistic VehicleWheeled (HLVW) and 2,800 Logistic SupportVehicle Wheeled (LSVW) trucks, replacingseveral existing types with two commonvehicles, each with multiple vehicles withupgrades to a smaller fleet of heavy engineersupport vehicles. Contract award is expectedin 2014 and delivered in 2015.There have been problems with the earlier

Medium Support Vehicle System (MSVS)programme with Navistar sourced vehiclesexperiencing a small number of electricalfires, resulting in a change to all 1300 trucksordered or delivered.Mercedes Benz Actros 4151 AK 8 x 8

recovery variants are currently in service inAfghanistan with both German andCanadian militaries where it is known in thelatter’s usage as the Armoured HeavySupport Vehicle System.To meet UK requirements in Afghanistan

an Enhanced Palletised Load System wasestablished to support front line resupply,matched with the UK’s 15 tonne cross coun-try variant of its Support Vehicle programmevariant from MAN. This replaced the legacyDemountable Rack Offload and PickupSystem vehicles in theatre and allowed morerapid loading and unloading of flatracks orcontainers.

The US Army opted toswitch from its incumbentBAE Systems to Oshkoshin 2009 for the balance of itsrequirement for the Familyof Medium Tactical Vehicles

TTAACCTTIICCAALLV E H I C L E S

The US Army opted to switch from itsincumbent BAE Systems to Oshkoshin 2009 for the balance of itsrequirement for the Family of MediumTactical Vehicles © Oshkosh

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RREEGGIIOONNAALLM I L I T A R Y


Malaysia’s

MilitaryModernization

13

M I L I T A R YRREEGGIIOONNAALL

In general, funding for defence in Malaysia is determined by the allocationunder the Malaysia Plans, which govern Malaysian government spendingfor all aspects of the country over a five year period; the current onebeing the 10th Malaysia Plan of 2011-2015. This allocation is divided intotwo segments; the operating expenditure allocation, which governs therunning and operational costs of government Ministries and sectors andthe Development expenditure allocation which goes towards procurementand the building of infrastructure for government Ministries and sectors.In the case of development expenditure, flexibility is built in by theprovision of a special allocation mechanism in which the government can,following approval by the cabinet, allocate additional funding forprogrammes not covered under the Malaysia Plans allocation.Theoretically based on such, the military modernisation of Malaysia shouldthus have developed upon a steady and even pattern but however inpracticality, that has not been the case for a variety of reasons.

bbyy Dzirhan Mahadzir


The 4x4 Condor APC during a parade,the Condors are to be replaced by theindigenously designed AV-8 8x8 AFV© Dzirhan Mahadzir

Adding to the problem inMalaysia is the currentincreasing politicisation inregard to defence procurementin Malaysia. The opposition

Pakatan Rakyat coalition, as part of theirpolitical campaign against the BarisanNational ruling coalition, has often claimedthat the purchase of military equipment inMalaysia is not only unnecessary but also amechanism for enriching those with close tiesto the ruling political establishment and tosome extent has successfully projected thisperception to the general public, particularlyin light of the various issues surrounding thecircumstances of the purchase of the RoyalMalaysian Navy’s two Scorpene class sub-marines. The resulting effect has made thegovernment fairly cautious on defence pur-chases particularly with a looming generalelection which must be called before April2013. In 2008, the announcement of theplanned purchase of 12 Eurocopter EC725helicopters for the RMAF became a publicissue with the result that the bipartisan par-liamentary Public Accounts Committee heldan inquiry into the tender process. Theinquiry turned up nothing untoward andonly recommended that the governmentappoint an independent panel to assesswhether the price paid for the helicopterswas the best possible. However the result

was that the Malaysian government, in want-ing the entire issue to die down, then decid-ed to put on hold the signing of the contractto purchase the EC725s until April 2010,much to the annoyance of the RMAF.Given the situation it is likely that the

Malaysian government is likely to delaymajor modernisation of the Malaysian armedforces until after the general election is heldand won though even then any such mod-ernisation would be subject to economic fac-tors. In the recent budget estimates for 2012,a monetary figure of the costs of expected mil-itary projects for the 10th Malaysia plan peri-od was listed though this release was only asto the total costs without any details as to thespecifics. The projected figures released arediscussed below in the context of the armedforces and separate service modernisationrequirements. It should be noted that the totalcost listing is based on programmes that theMalaysian Armed Forces (MAF) want tocarry out rather than what it would actuallyreceive as each programme would be subject

to specific approval from the Malaysian gov-ernment on a case by case basis.

Malaysian Armed ForcesThe tri-service equipment procurementrequirement programmes of the MAF is list-ed as costing a total of $315.36 million. Muchof this is anticipated to be on C4ISR equip-ment for the MAF as a whole particularly ingiving the MAF a network-centric warfarecapability and a secured satellite communi-cation network. The requirement for 1-3amphibious operation capable multi-purposesupport ships is also said to be under theMAF requirement programmes rather thanthe Navy requirement programmes given thejoint service nature of its operation. Alsoexpected to be under this listing are theequipment to outfit and furnish a plannedheadquarters for the Malaysian Armed ForcesJoint Force Headquarters which is responsi-ble for all joint operations in Malaysia andoverseas. The MAF JFHQ currently operatesout of part of the Ministry of Defence complexin the capital of Kuala Lumpur but plans callfor a new headquarters complex at an as yetto be determined location to be built underthe 10th Malaysia Plan.

PT-91M tanks of the Malaysian Army, no plansexist to buy further tanks to supplement the 48currently in service © Dzirhan Mahadzir


In 2008, the announcementof the planned purchaseof 12 Eurocopter EC725helicopters for the RMAFbecame a public issue


Malaysian ArmyThe Malaysian Army lists $2.49 billion as tothe total cost of the equipment procurementprogrammes it wants to carry out, it is uncer-tain whether the $2.39 billion AV-8 indige-nous 8x8 AFV programme which runs from2011-2018 is under this estimated cost asthere is a possibility that some or all the fund-ing for this programme comes under a spe-cial government allocation rather than underthe army requirements. The AV-8 willreplace the Army’s 6x6 Sibmas Fire Supportvehicles and 4x4 Condor APCs and the pro-gramme calls for 257 vehicles in 12 variantsto be built by Malaysian company DEFTECHwith the hull based on the FNSS PARS bodyand Thales to provide the electronic architec-ture and systems for the vehicles. Among thevariants is an ATGW vehicle which thus indi-cates that the army be looking for an ATGWto arm the vehicle with. Among some of the

Sukhoi SU-30MKM, the RMAF is close toreaching full operational capability with theaircraft © Dzirhan Mahadzir



requirements that the Army is known to bepursuing under the 10th Malaysia Planinclude at least either a squadron of attack orutility helicopters, a small number of self-propelled artillery, an additional regiment of18 Multiple Rocket launchers to supplementthee two regiments of ASTROS II launchersin service and an overall battlefield manage-ment system. The Army is also in the midstof developing a future soldier system knownas the Soldier Advanced Kombat TechnologyIntegrated (SAKTI) with current status beingat Stage Two of a Six stage development planwith the establishment of an experimentalplatoon along with a company headquartersfor the programme. Little has been revealedby the Army on the programme though it isknown that some of the systems are beingdeveloped internally by the Army’s SignalsRegiment and much is focused upon inte-grating systems already in use by the Army.The Army has also made it clear that thereare no plans to purchase additional main bat-tle tanks to supplement the 48 PT-91M MBTscurrently in service. The Army is also plan-ning for the eventual replacement of its

Army Signal Regiment displaying conceptualmock up of Army Future Soldier © DzirhanMahadzir


Starburst and IGLA MANPAD systems.

Royal Malaysian NavyThe Royal Malaysian Navy lists a cost of$3.29 billion for its procurement programmesunder the 10th Malaysia Plan. Part of it isexpected to go towards the follow on to theKedah class Next Generation Patrol Vessels(NGPV), though the new ships will be moreheavily armed than their predecessors withanti-surface, anti-air and anti-submarinewarfare capabilities. Although the RMN hascalled the programme the Littoral CombatShip, the design, which will be built locallyby Boustead Naval Shipsyards in conjunctionwith a foreign partner, will be a conventionalhull design and at the time of writing, indica-tions are that DCNS and its Gowind classdesign will be selected for the hull though theships sensor, combat and weapon systemswill be a mix of systems determined by theRMN though Boustead and DCNS are push-ing for the acceptance of their recommenda-tions for the ship’s systems. The RMN alsohas a requirement for 6-12 ASW helicopterswith the US, strongly promoting the MH-60RSeahawk to fulfill that requirement. Anotherprogramme that the RMN is said to be want-ing to carry out is the uparming of the KedahClass NGPVs with anti-ship and anti-air

weapon systems. The vessels currently onlyhave a 76mm main gun and two 30mm can-non as their only weapons. Plans to build twoupgraded versions of the two Lekiu classfrigates in service were cancelled by the gov-ernment a year ago. The ships were to bebuilt locally with assistance from BAESystems. Malaysia was subsequently invited

to participate in the Type 26 Global CombatShip programme but declined. The RMN isstill keen on additional frigates to add toexisting fleet of two Lekiu and two Kasturiclass ships but is likely, for the immediatefuture, having to settle on a possible upgradeand SLEP of the Lekius (the Kasturis alreadybeginning such a programme) rather thanobtain new frigates.

Royal Malaysian Air ForceThe RMAF has put a $1.59 billion estimatedcost on the procurement programme it wantsto carry out. Part of this amount is expectedto consist of ongoing payments for the earlierpurchases of four A400M aircraft and 12EC725 helicopters. The RMAF also has arequirement for the purchase of at least 18multi-role combat aircraft to be deliveredaround 2015 to replace its MiG-29 fleet. Fiveaircraft are said to be under consideration;the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet,Eurofighter Typhoon, Dassault Rafale,Lockheed Martin F-16 and the Saab Gripenwith both the Super Hornet and Typhoonbeing strongly marketed by Boeing and BAESystems. The RMAF also has a requirementfor an Airborne Early Warning and Controlaircraft though this has not been listed undertheir funding request but instead the RMAFhas lobbied for it to be funded on a nationalproject level on the basis that the aircraft inpeacetime can also conduct surveillance ofMalaysia’s borders and EEZ areas along withassisting other government agencies in vari-ous tasks. The RMAF is also working

The Malaysian Army lists$2.49 billion as to the totalcost of the equipmentprocurement programmes itwants to carry out

Next Generation Patrol Vessel KDKedah, plans call for the class to beupgraded along with a follow onimproved batch of six ships to bebuilt © Royal Malaysian Navy


towards improving the ordnance andweapons systems of its aircraft, notably theacquisition of JDAM kits in phases from2012-2014 and the planned purchase of AIM-9X sidewinders of it’s F/A-18C/D Hornets.The decision on the choice of MRCA mayhave an impact on the RMAF’s munitions

plans, particularly if the Gripen, Eurofighteror Rafale were selected as a significant por-tion of those aircraft’s munitions are not inservice with the RMAF in contrast to a selec-tion of the F-16 or Superhornet as with theRMAF already operating F/A-18 Hornets,there already exists legacy munitions com-patibility. The RMAF’s 18 Sukhoi SU-

The RMAF also has arequirement for the purchaseof at least 18 multi-rolecombat aircraft to bedelivered around 2015to replace its MiG-29 fleet

RMAF S-61 helicopter – 15 of thecurrent 28 helicopter fleet are tobe upgraded for service till 2025© Malaysian Ministry of Defence


30MKM are currently close to achieving fulloperational capability though the initialdelays in integrating the aircraft’s westernavionics with it’s Russian weapon systemshave led Malaysia to rule out purchasingadditional Su-30MKMs with DefenceMinister Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi havingsaid publicly several times that Malaysiawould only consider purchasing Westernmanufactured combat aircraft in the future.The RMAF expects to carry out upgrades toits C-130 Hercules and S-61 helicopter fleet.The C-130 upgrade entails upgrading of itsavionics and installation of protective sys-tems. While 12 EC725s are to be delivered by2013, the number is insufficient for the MAFrequirement of 27 medium lift helicopters andthus the RMAF plans to retain 15 out of itsexisting 28 S-61 helicopters when the EC725sare delivered. The 15 aircraft are to have theiravionics and cockpit upgraded along with alife-extension programme to enable them tooperate till 2025 which would indicate thatthe RMAF will probably seek replacementsfor the S-61s around 2020 onwards.

RMAF MiG-29, a new MRCAis expected to replace it by2015 © Dzirhan Mahadzir


NN AA VV AA LLA V I A T I O N


Veteran Westland Sea Kinghelicopters are being phasedout of Royal Australian Navyservice © US Navy

The two regional heavyweights,China and India, are alsoacquired former Soviet aircraftcarriers which in addition to car-rier-borne combat aircraft, will be

equipped with anti-submarine war-fare/anti-surface warfare (ASW/ASuW)helicopters although they are not expectedto be in service until 2015. China alreadyoperates several types of naval helicoptersfrom the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s

destroyers including relatively small num-bers of Harbin Z-9C in the ASW and SARroles, and the Russian Kamov Ka-25 and Ka-28 in the ASW/ASuW roles. The Z-9 is aChinese-built Aerospatiale AS 365 Dauphinwhile the Z-8, another Chinese copy of anAerospatiale design, the SA 321 SuperFrelon, carries out troop transport andmine-laying missions. China has ordered anadditional batch of nine Ka-28s, and a simi-lar number of Ka-31 airborne early warning

helicopters are being delivered during 2011.The Indian Navy also operates the Ka-28

and Ka-31 plus a small number of the navalvariant of the indigenous Dhruv multi-mis-sion helicopters built by HindustanAeronautics Ltd (HAL). The mainstay of theIndian Navy’s ASW fleet is the venerableWestland Sea King Mk.42 which is subject toan upgrade programme. In order to bolsterthe ageing Sea King fleet, six surplus USNavy UH-3H Sea King helicopters were pur-chased in 2007 but they were found to bealmost life expired with many defects thatcompromised their operational effectiveness.At least one has had to be cannibalized tokeep the remaining five aircraft airworthy.However, India is expected to issue a for-

mal Request for Proposals (RfP) for 20 multimission aircraft to augment its fleet of SeaKings, to be capable of supporting specialoperations in addition to the ASW/ASuWroles operating from ships ranging fromfrigates to aircraft carriers. Prime con-tenders are expected to be Sikorsky S-70B orMH-60R Seahawk, and the NH90 NATOFrigate Helicopter, with the Eurocopter EC

A V I A T I O NNN AA VV AA LL

One of the growth areas in the military maritime market in the Asia-Pacific region is that of the multi-mission large deck amphibious ship.Landing Platform Docks (LPD) or Landing Helicopter Docks (LHD) arebeing acquired by Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia andSouth Korea, as well as helicopters to operate from them. The growthof this niche market is being fuelled by the requirements to safe guardthe sea lanes for energy security, counter piracy and terrorism opera-tions, and rising tensions in the South China Sea over the disputedownership of the Spratly and Paracel Islands.

bbyy David Oliver


Asian NavalHelicopters:Blades and Waves

The Harbin Z-7D, a Chinese-copyof the Aerospatiale AS 365, isoperated by the Chinese andPakistan navies © UK MoD

725 as a possible outsider.Another Indian Navy type overdue for

replacement is the HAL 316B Chetak lightutility helicopters. Funding for 56 moderntwin-engined helicopters capable of ship-board operations from small and large deckvessels, has reportedly been approved. Theyshould be capable of day/night operationsin adverse weather conditions is wide vari-ety of roles including ASW/ASuW mis-sions. AgustaWestland, Bell, Eurocopter,Kamov and Sikorsky are expected torespond to the RfP. The Indian Navy has also announced its

support for a shipboard variant of the pro-posed Indian Multirole Helicopter (IMRH)

being developed for all three services byHAL. The reason for its support is that theperformance of the naval variant of the HALAdvanced Light Helicopter Dhruv, of whichonly 10 have been delivered, has failed tomeet the Navy’s performance requirements. Despite its 600 mile (960 km) coastline,

India’s neighbour Pakistan operates fewerthan twenty naval helicopters which includeseven Chinese Harbin Z-9ECs and a handfulof ageing Sea Kings that the Pakistan Navyhopes to replace with surplus US Navy SH-60F Seahawks.Sikorsky’s Seahawk is proving to be a

market leader in the Asian-Pacific regionwith five countries operating one or more

variants. The Royal Thai Navy has recentlytaken delivery of two MH-60S Seahawks tobecome the first international customer forthe type. The aircraft were acquired via theUS Government's Foreign Military Sales(FMS) programme and are a part of the RoyalThai Navy's fleet modernization program toaugment the capabilities of six Sikorsky S-70B Seahawks and six marinized S-76B heli-copters acquired through US FMS in the late1990s. Thailand has also expressed interest inadditional MH-60S purchases.


The Kamov Ka-28 ASW/ASuW helicopters inIndian Navy markings, is also in service withthe Chinese and Vietnamese navies © Kamov

Indian Navy shipboard HAL Chetaks are tobe replaced by 56 new light utility helicopters© Indian Navy


Singapore recently inaugurated itsSikorsky S-70B Seahawk helicopters into 123Squadron at Sembawang Air Base to becomethe Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF) firstnaval helicopter squadron. The squadronwill join the Helicopter Group under theRepublic of Singapore Air Force's (RSAF')Participation Command, which was set up in2007 to develop and deploy air power in sup-port of land and maritime operations.The SAF had earlier acquired six Sikorsky

S-70B Seahawks all of which returned toSingapore last year after a one-year deploy-ment in San Diego, USA, with the RSAF'sPeace Triton detachment. The integration ofthe naval helicopters with the frigatesenables the SAF to undertake anti-surfaceand anti-submarine missions at longerranges. Each frigate's Command, Control andCommunications suite allows it to networkwith a wide variety of SAF assets to increaseforce level awareness and mission effective-ness. The inauguration of the S-70B Seahawknaval helicopters into 123 Squadron marks asignificant milestone in the SAF's transforma-tion into an integrated and networked force.By far the largest Seahawk operator in the

region is Japan with more than 100 SH-60J/Kbuilt by Mitsubishi under licence, with anoth-er 12 K-models on order. The JapaneseMaritime Self-Defence Force is also takingdelivery of 13 Kawasaki-built AgustaWestland

101 helicopters in the utility and counter-mineroles, and 14 Eurocopter EC 135T2i helicoptersfor its Naval Aviation Training School. Taiwan has a small naval air arm operat-

ing 18 Sikorsky S-70C(M)-1 ThunderhawkASW helicopters for shipboard deploymentalongside a dozen MDH MD500.After the debacle of the cancelled Kaman

SH-2G(A) Super Seasprite programme,Australia went for the safe option when select-ing the MH-60R Seahawk for the RoyalAustralian Navy’s primary shipborneASW/ASuW platform. Twenty-four helicop-ters are being acquired under US FMS toreplace 16 S-70B-2 Seahawks that have been inservice since the late 1980s. The first MH-60Ris scheduled to be delivered by mid-2014 andwill be deployed aboard the RAN’s ANZACFrigates and new Air Warfare Destroyers. TheRAN also operates a few aging Sea KingMk.50s which may be replaced by the NHMRH-90 that is being assembled in Australiafor the Army, in the near future.Bell Helicopter has been awarded a new

contract by Raytheon Australia to provide

A South Korean Navy BellUH-1H Huey exercises withthe US Navy in IncheonBay © US Navy


The mainstay of theIndian Navy’s ASW fleet isthe venerable WestlandSea King Mk.42 whichis subject to an upgradeprogramme


three Bell 429s for the RAN's Retention andMotivation Initiative which provides theNavy with supported aircraft to allow juniorqualified aircrew to consolidate and enhancetheir skills prior to flying operational heli-copters. Under the terms of this four-yearcontract, the Bell 429s will replaceAerospatiale AS 350B Squirrels currently inthe fleet and fly a minimum of 1,500 flighthours per year. BAE Systems has beenengaged for the development and delivery oftraining for the Royal Australian Navy's(RAN) Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) shipsthat will rely heavily on simulation and vir-tual scenarios using the latest technology.Raytheon Australia has also been awardedan RAN continuation training contract fornewly qualified pilots using fourAgustaWestland AW109E Power helicopters.The protracted development and deliver-

ies of the naval variant of the NH90 has pre-vented the type making an impact in theregion, except in Australia, and New Zealandwhere eight NH90s will be operated by a uni-fied helicopter command support Army,Navy and Air Force. Five new-build KamanSH-2G(NZ) Super Seasprite ASW/ASuWhelicopters were delivered in 2000 fordeployment aboard RNZN ANZAC Frigateswhich were then entering service. A DefenceWhite Paper released at the beginning of thisyear setting out New Zealand’s securityrequirement for the next 25 years, call for aSuper Seasprite upgrade or replacement. One European shipboard ASW helicopter

that has sold in respectable numbers in theregion is the AgustaWestland Lynx. Malaysiaand Thailand have acquired six and fourSuper Lynx 300s respectively while a fleet of24 Lynx Mk.99s have been delivered toTaiwan. A few former Royal Navy Lynx HASMk.3 helicopters were sold to the PakistanNavy but they are no longer in service.

AgustaWestand sees the Asia region, andSouth Korea in particular, as a prime targetfor its AW159 Lynx Wildcat which is in pro-duction for the Royal Navy with first deliver-ies scheduled for 2015.Two nations in the process of acquiring

LPD/LHDs are Malaysia and Indonesia, nei-ther of whose navies have much in the way ofassault transport capability. Malaysia may beable to rely on this capability being providedby the Air Force’s Eurocopter EC 725 medi-um-lift helicopters, 12 of which were recentlyordered to replace the service’s 25 S-61 SeaKings. The Indonesian Navy is only margin-ally more capable to undertake the assaulthelicopter role with its Makassar-class LPDs.

However there are four of these vessels nowin the Indonesian Navy’s fleet while its onlytroop carrying helicopters comprise four AS532SC Cougars and a similar number of BellNB412s built under licence by Nurtanio.However, the Army has more than a dozenNB412 and the Air Force has some 20 SuperPumas plus ten venerable Sikorsky S-58Tsthat are soon to be phased out on service. Thequestion for both of these countries is cannon-naval pilots be adequately trained forshipboard operations. Not all the navies in the region have the

budget for modern shipboard helicopters letalone LPD/LHD aspirations. The Philippineshave been wrestling with squeezed defencebudgets for the past several years and navalaviation is near the bottom of the peckingorder. The only type of helicopter that thePhilippines Navy operates is the BO 105C,and only a handful of these ageing aircraftare still operational although a number of AirForce MBB Bo 105C and MDH MD520MGpilots have undertaken deck-qualificationexercises with the US armed forces. Several countries with extensive coastlines

including Cambodia, Myanmar and SriLanka have no dedicated naval helicopters intheir inventories while Bangladesh andVietnam are both establishing a naval avia-tion service. The Bangladesh Navy has takendelivery of two AgustaWestland AW109EPower. Following advanced pilot operationaltraining with the UK-based companyHelidecks, the helicopters were formallyaccepted into service in July 2011. Helidecksis training five pilots for day/night deck land-ing qualifications prior to the AW109Es beingdeployed on Bangladesh Navy frigates.Fixed-wing amphibious Twin Otter air-


The Japanese Maritime Self-DefenceForce is taking delivery of 14 AW101helicopters for the utility and counter-mine missions © AgustaWestland

The Royal Thai Navy is the firstexport customer for the SikorskyMH-60S Seahawk © Sikorsky

By far the largest Seahawkoperator in the region isJapan with more than 100SH-60J/K built by Mitsubishiunder licence, with another12 K-models on order

craft are the first aircraft to be selected for theVietnam Navy’s new Air Wing and the serv-ice has been in long-term negotiations withEurocopter the purchase of several EC225and EC155 helicopters for search and rescueand transport missions to replace Soviet-eraKamov Ka-27 deployed on the Navy’s

frigates and Mil Mi-14 SAR helicopters.In spite of its sabre-rattling posture, and

extensive coastline and disputed islands, theDemocratic People’s Republic of Korea Navyis small and ill-equipped with no dedicatednaval aviation. It relies on the Air Force whichoperates more than 100 Soviet-era helicopters

although few, if any, are capable of operatingfrom warships. The only type with a maritimerole are a handful of Mil Mi-14 SAR helicop-ters and it is unlikely that country will receiveany modern replacements in the near futuredue to the UN imposed sanctions. However, with the focus on amphibious

assault operations, China has recentlylaunched its second LPD, a Russian naval-ized combat helicopter being developed foruse on Mistral LHDs being acquired fromFrance, may have a market in the Asiaregion. The two-seat Kamov Ka-52K willhave a long detection range and the capabili-ty to use a future generation of anti-ship mis-siles as well as supporting special operationsand amphibious assault landings. With theirlong history of acquiring state-of-the-artRussian combat aircraft, India and Indonesiawould be prime targets for such an advancednaval weapons system as the Ka-52K.


The AgustaWestland Lynx shipboard ASW/ASuWhelicopter serves with several Asian naviesincluding South Korea © AgustaWestland

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ASIA PACIFIC’S LARGEST CIRCULATED DEFENCE MAGAZINE

c

There are only a few countries in today'sworld capable of manufacturing the fullrange of helicopters.Russia is one of

them.At LIMA 2011,Malaysia,Rosoboronexport, a Russia's major exporterof defense and dual-use products, willpresent virtually the entire range of exportrotary-wing aircraft.It should be noted that the production of

helicopters in Russia has been growing steadilyin recent years, due to both big orders from theRussianMinistry of Defense and increasingexport supplies.According to experts, LatinAmerica and Southeast Asia are the keypoints of growth.Mil Mi-17-seriesmilitary transport

helicopters are the leader in terms of units sold.They are available in different versions, of whichthe following two aremost successful today: theMi-171Sh, which ismanufactured at a plant inUlan-Ude, Siberia, and theMi-17V-5, which is inproduction at a plant in Kazan.These are real"workhorses." Experts single out uniquereliability and high flight performance of theMi-17s.By a number of indicators, including thecarrying capacity and operability in harshnatural climatic conditions, they are superior totheir foreign counterparts by an order ofmagnitude.Moreover, their cost is markedlylower compared to their competitors.AnotherMi brand helicopter offered by

Rosoboronexport is giant Mi-26T2.This is a newversion of the world’s heaviest helicoptercapable of carrying up to 20 tons of cargo in thecabin or externally.By this indicator and thenumber of carried paratroopers, it is

comparable with the knownC-130Herculestransport aircraft.Themain differences from itspredecessorMi-26T are digital avionics and thecrew reduced to two.TheMi-26 is known aroundthe world for its unique transportations andinstallation works. Its participation inhumanitarianmissions saved thousands of livesRussia has unique, more than 30 years

experience with Russian and Soviet attackhelicopters’participation in various conflicts. It isprimarily associated with the famous "flyingtank"Mi-24/35, which has foundwide use inmany armies and taken part in challengingpeacekeepingmissions.The arrival of the latestvariant, theMi-35M, became its new birth.Bythe number of innovations, this is in fact a newhelicopter, which can now be used round-the-clock and in adverse weather conditions.TheMi-35M featuresmore powerfulVK-2500engines, newmain and X-shaped tail rotors withcomposite blades, lightweight fixed landinggear, amodern suite of onboard equipment andmany other innovations, some of which theMi-35M attack helicopters has adopted from thenew generationMi -28NE. Both theMilmachines are now actively entering the RussianArmy.Pilots praise excellent flying and fightingcapabilities of these helicopters.Another Russian helicopter firm, Kamov,

whose hallmark is the coaxial rotorconfiguration, also offers interesting newproducts.One of them is the Ka-226T utilityhelicopter. Its distinguishing feature is theability to install different mission modules onthe helicopter, which enables its use toprovide emergency medical and fire-fighting

aid, handle search-and-rescue andevacuation tasks with no performance loss.This is one of the safest helicopters.TheKa-52 attack helicopter has gathered

attention fromexperts recently.At one time, theappearance of its predecessor, the Ka-50,nicknamedBlack Shark, became a sensation inthe helicopter world.TheKa-52 is now in seriesproduction for theRussian Air Force. It featurespowerful armor andweapons. Its high flightperformance resulting from the coaxial rotorlayout and uniquemaneuverability allows theKa-52 to quicklymaneuver into a dominantattack position.The helicopter can be used as acommand vehicle and effectively conduct round-the-clock reconnaissance and surveillance.Together with helicopter supplies,

Rosoboronexport offers efficient trainingsimulators enabling efficient crew training inshort time.The use of Russian helicopters in dozens of

countries around the world has proved theirefficiency and even indispensability in certaincases.They are reliable instruments to handlethemost challengingmissions under anynatural climatic conditions.

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Tactical Communications are as integral to modern infantryoperations as body armour and weapons, providing a meansof co-coordinating operations both locally and over long distances,ensuring ranged support and avoiding fratricide.

bbyy Adam Baddeley


TTAACCTTIICCAALL COMMUNICATIONS

The three channel SDR radio has three RF modules each containingits own security and underneath are three corresponding 50W poweramplifiers. The radio will begin delivery and fielding in 2015 © AJB

Asia-Pacific

Radios:SDR, CNR and PRR

Regional effortsThere are number of radio programmeseither underway or anticipated to begin inthe region over the next years. New Zealandhas plans to supplement and replace earlierSINGCARS buys with a new Combat NetRadio (CNR), potentially with a widebandcapability. Brunei has Phase 2 of its ‘CNRStandardisation Programme’ expected tobegin in next couple of years, it is presumedwith further Harris radio buys.Additionally, Malaysia’s latest Five Yearplan has funding allocated for CNR invest-ment from October.

Codan is producing radios locally in anundisclosed South East Asian country,beginning in October which allow for theintroduction of a locally produced crypto.In September, Codan successfully complet-ed a voice demonstration in the Philippineslinking AFP Harris RF5800H-MPs withPolice Codan’s NGT and 2110 manpack.The company has also demonstrated voice

and data interoperability between the2110M HF radio and RF5800H-MP for amilitary in the region.

Barrett launched their new VHF line earli-er this year comprising the PRC-2080, 81, 82and 83. It has already been sold widely inAfrica which customer including Nigeria,Chad, Sierra Leone, Kenya and South Africa.There is also a 400 unit order, mostly for thePRC-2082 vehicle mount for an undisclosedSouth East Asian country with deliveries inbeginning in September and completing inDecember. The PRC-2040 HF Manpack wassold to Timor in 2008.

In Pakistan, local production of Aselsanradios has been undertaken via theNational Radio and TelecommunicationCorp which has supplied 6000 PRC-9600radios since 2002. A further 500 of theseradios were also sold to Sri Lanka withdeliveries 2006-7. Production of Aselsan’sPRC-9661 Software Defined Radio (SDR)and the hand held PRC-9651 began in theSummer with deliveries to begin January-February 2012 with an initial order for 1000

29

COMMUNICATIONSTTAACCTTIICCAALL

Codan successfullycompleted a voice demon-stration in the Philippineslinking AFP Harris RF5800H-MPs with Police Codan’sNGT and 2110 manpack

As part their concept forKorea’s Future Soldier,Samsung Thales havedeveloped the 2.4GhzSoldier Radio Unit © AJB

of the latter and 2000 of the former.Pakistan has plans to acquire a total mix of15,000 radios over the next seven years. ThePakistan Army undertook trials with 40 ofAselsan’s ‘PRR’ this Summer.Singapore has opted to acquire the

Rockwell Collins-Thales FlexNet One radiowith trials beginning with the radio in 2014.Using the MANET FlexNet waveform,ranges of 40km have been achieved in idealconditions with mast mounted antenna andthroughput of up to 2Mbps at tacticalranges. Currently a vehicle mounted solu-tion, a dismounted instantiation of thewaveform is planned in the next two tothree years. For its Advanced Combat ManSystem programme Singapore operates theSelex SSR+ with three battalions currentlyfielded with the system.In neighbouring Malaysia, Thales has

secured a win to supply the communicationspackage and vehicle electronics integrationfor the country 257 new IFVs based on the

FNSS Pars 8x8 Armored Vehicle. The systemwill include the PR4G NG locally producedby the Sapura as well as the HF3000 radiowithin the VSys-net Open InformationCommunication System, which provides fea-tures such as a communications serverbetween the SOTAS IP intercom and CNRs,an IP gateway and Commander Battle whichcombines a battle management system andmission systems.Recent developments by Thales for the IP

capable variants of the PR4G that haveembedded GPS, is GeoMux which uses trans-verse TDMA to automatically issue a locationmessage as it passes through CNR networksto help prevent fratricide. The softwareupgrade to do this is due to be complete bymid-2012.In Australia, Harris RF Communications

radios have been acquired to support thecountry’s initial JP2072 acquisition with theAN/PRC-152 Falcon III radio, beingacquired along with Raytheon’s’ Microlight.Australia has also acquired the AN/PRC-117G radio with offers wideband networkingcapabilities via its Advanced Networking

30

Singapore has optedto acquire the RockwellCollins-Thales FlexNet Oneradio with trials beginningwith the radio in 2014

l ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW l

With work now nearly completed on theDRDO/Bharat Electronics Limited manpackSDR, attention is now focusing on hand heldthen vehicular iterations © AJB


In September, ElbitSystems companylaunched its PNR-1000AAdvanced PersonalRadio, an ad hocnetworking solution forindividual squadmembers with links ofup to 320Kbps todayand expandable to1Mbps with futuregrowth © Elbit Systems


Wideband Waveform. Harris also bookedorders in 2011 cumulatively worth $52 mil-lion from a Southeast Asia military for FalconIII and Falcon II tactical radios and theIntegrated Command and Control System.

National SDR programmesBharat Electronics Limited and the IndianGovernment have been working on a tacticalSDR manpack design for the past two yearswith formal evaluation of the design continu-ing throughout 2011 Bharat ElectronicsLimited expect the 25W manpack radio to beready for March 2012, followed by the com-pletion of vehicles and hand held radio inthat order with an appliqué module for HFoperation by mid-2012, using the host radio’sbase band processing capabilities. A total ofeight waveforms are expected to be instanti-ated in software by the end of the year,including the High Data Rate Waveform and

MANET networking waveform. An RequestFor Proposals for an Army SDR programmeis expected in 2013 with an initial require-ment for an estimated 1700 radios.The new SDR will be compatible with

existing CNRs supplied to the Indian armedforces by Bharat Electronics Limited. Theseinclude the 20W LHP-265 HF radio whichsupports 4.8Kbps data rates and the 5WV/UHF 100-400MHz LUP 322 as well as thenewer STARS-V, VHF radio of which 30,000have been delivered and a further 10,000 onorder and the VHF VPS series radios ofwhich 60,000 are in service. BharatElectronics Limited provides almost allIndia’s CNRs although one notable expecta-tion is the Tadiran CNR-900.

South Korea’s SDR requirements arebeing met via the Tactical Multi-Mode Radio(TMMR) element to the multi-phase TacticalIntegrated Communications Network(TICN) which incorporates communicationsystems from CNRs up to HCLOS andbroadband wireless links.LIGNex1 have been tasked with the

responsibility for the three channel vehicu-lar and single channel manpack TMMR.These were shown in public at the SeoulAerospace and Defence Exhibition inOctober. The three channel vehicles SDR hasan unusual ‘over-and-under’ design ratherthan using ‘blades’ seen in other designssuch as the FlexNet 4. The radio has threeRF modules each containing its own securi-ty and underneath are three corresponding50W power amplifiers. The single channelman pack SDR is a conventional design.Both radios are scheduled to begin produc-tion and delivery in 2015.A hand held solution, known as the Next

Generation Hand Held Radio is now beingdeveloped with a decision expected in thenext two to three years with solution except-

In Australia, Harris RFCommunications radios havebeen acquired to supportthe country’s initial JP2072acquisition with theAN/PRC-152 Falcon III radio

Huneed have developed the PRC-950K and inconjunction with the ADD have created thenew digital version, primarily focused onexport markets © AJB


ed to be submitted with the two channelLIGNex1 XPRC-10K, and Samsung Thalesalso displaying a solution dubbed, ‘NextGeneration Hand Held Radio’.

The ROKA’s prime CNRs currently arethe VHF PRC-999K and the smaller PRC-96Kalthough the two are not compatible. Bothare produced by LIGNex1 with the companyalso creating an export variant the PRC-999KEC; to date however only acquired byIndonesia. The PRC-999K is matched withthe Huneed sourced 50W vehicular mount tocreate the VRC-946K, -967K and -949K. In theHF domain, Huneed have developed thePRC-950K and in conjunction with the ADDhave created the new digital version, prima-rily focused on export markets.

In addition to TICN related efforts, tomeet the country’s requirement for futuresoldier systems, an RFP for which is expect-ed in 2013, companies are developing con-cept systems. As part of their concept,Samsung Thales showed a mock-up of their2.4Ghz Soldier Radio Unit at the Seoulevent. Other possible contenders include thePRC-210 a ‘PRR’ type radio developed withLIGNex1 and partner A R Tech which uses athree hop MANET waveform andYeonhab’s 155-162MHz and 2.4GHz PRC-12K with range of 1-4km and with through-put of up to 10Mbps.

While Korea has adopted a clearly domes-tically sourced focus for its efforts a numberof overseas companies are intending to workin partnership initially aiming at workingwith Korea’s Agency for DefenceDevelopment (ADD) and others, to meet tac-tical communications requirements. Theseinclude Rafael who believe that their3G/LTE TacMAX solution can play a part atmultiple levels of TICN. TacMAX combinesmesh and cellular communications to pro-duce a series of base stations. As part of itsefforts, Rafael is creating a 600-700g handheld or worn device with a range of 2-3kmwith initial devices due for completion at theend of 2011, ready for initial military trials. Akey feature of the networking capability ofTacMAX at this level would be the ability oftwo or more solder worn nodes to operate inisolation, away from a core network whichthe company believes distinguishes it fromother solutions and give it more battlefieldresilience and able to supplement more tradi-tional hand held and worn radios.

Company DevelopmentsElbit Systems recently added to its Tactical

COMMUNICATIONSTTAACCTTIICCAALL

The two channel LIGNex1 XPRC-10K shownon the right, next to the PRC-96K which is tobe replaced under a competitive programmefor a new hand held SDR known as the NextGeneration Hand Held Radio © AJB



Internet offering, creating additional highcapacity links from the individual soldiersup to the vehicles they fight with in battle.In September, the company launched itsPNR-1000A Advanced Personal Radio, anad hoc networking solution for individualsquad members with links of up to 320Kbpstoday and expandable to 1Mbps with futuregrowth. Also at the dismounted level is thenew SDR-7200HH (Hand-Held) offeringsimultaneous voice and video or voice anddata over a single narrowband tactical chan-nel and the well established CNR-9000HDRwhich support narrow band links of115Kbps. At the vehicle level, Elbit has twomain offerings; the SDR-7200A V/UHF radiowhich as its primary waveform uses ElbitWideband Networking Waveform whichadjusts both power and frequency in realtime to support actual battlefield conditionsand can send data over ten hops and voiceover three. The SDR-7200A has recently beenused in exercises by the Israel DefenceForce’s 1st Armoured Corps. The secondvehicle radio is the MIPR or Military IP Radio(MIPR) described as in service with, “everyTank” in the IDF which provides a data orVoice over IP links at up to 13.3.Mbps usingOFDM modulation adaptive transmissionpower in software configurable channelbandwidth of 400kHz to 4 MHz.Datron have also made improvements to

the Spectre-V’s data capabilities, via rollingenhancements since 2011. The company isbeginning demonstration of its RT7700HF and

is expected to be complete in early 2012. Thecompany’s radios are already in service with anumber of militaries in the region includingthe PRC-1077 VHF manpack with Sri Lanka.One radio specifically developed for an Asianmilitary by Datron is the Afghan NationalArmy’s ultra-lightweight hand held VHFCNR, the HH7700, which has since had cus-tomers in Africa and the Middle East. Lookingto the future the company is now beginning todevelop their new SDR CNR family using aproprietary non-SCA operating system,Rohde and Schwarz have made a number

of improvements to their encryption packagefor their M3XR family of software definedradios (SDR) including a new fixed frequen-cy and encrypted High Frequency (HF) ALE3G waveform which includes a proprietary256 key comsec with all its bits now selec-table. DSEi saw the launch of ITT Exelis’s 1.6-108MHz Spearhead HF, an existing multi-band radio in which ITT have co-operated ininstantiating the ATCS VHF waveform, theexport version of SINCGARS.New handheld radios coming out include

non-ITAR ITT Exelis’ Personal IntegratedRadio Unit, an ad hoc networking radio whichis due to be ready for fielding in late 2012 andcosting less than half that of the company’s

SpearNet radio. General Dynamics has twonew radios, the first developed Pathfinder ahand held 2.4Ghz radiowhich has been trialedin India and Vietnam, the second being theES2010 Tactical Mesh Point added in theSummer acquisition of Fortress Technologiesan 802.11 radio operating in 2.4GHz and4.4Ghz. Northrop Grumman is using radiosfrom Rajant as part of its soldier system and i-BMS solution.Cobham’s Eagle Close Combat Radio,

operated by New Zealand has recently had asoftware upgrade to enable the manualrather than exclusively automatic selection ofthe key for its AES 128 encryption.For the US market, Lockheed Martin has

developed the cellular and wireless basedWhetstone Integrated COTM solution. Inthe Asia-Pacific region Lockheed Martin isusing the underlying technology as part ofits bid for JP2072 Phase 2B, teamed withElbit Systems and the technology designedto support headquarter and commandpost wireless LANs that can be set upextremely quickly.The system supports WiFi, 3/4G,

WiMAX and Ethernet connections as well asinterfaces to CNRs and uses external IPencryption. As part of JP2072 Phase 2B,Lockheed Martin said that they had alsobeen asked to add their MONAX smart-phone technology to their offer as an optionfor individual personnel.Other cellular solutions on the market

include Harris’ KnightHawk which operatesin the 2.1GHz band and can support up to 60simultaneous voice users as well as a signifi-cant numbers of HSPA data connections,with peak coverage of 14.4Mbps.


Bharat Electronics Limited &the Indian Government havebeen working on a tacticalSDR manpack design for thepast two years with formalevaluation of the designcontinuing throughout 2011

ITT Exelis’ 1.6-108MHz Spearhead HF operatesat 1.6-108MHz and instantiates the ATCSVHF waveform © AJB

FF LL II GG HH TTT R A I N I N G

One of the major causes of theprojected reduced demand fortrainers is the declining needto train new pilots. Manyworld air arms are shrinking

fighter and attack jet fleets, lowering demandfor new pilots and, in turn, trainers.

However, this is not necessarily so in theAsia market. With many countries in theregion re-equipping with state-of-the-artfifth-generation combat aircraft, Lead-InFighter Trainers (LIFT) will also have to be

acquired. Influential in both its choice of newtypes and the method of their acquisition hasbeen Singapore.

In September 2010, the Alenia AermacchiM-346 was selected by Republic of SingaporeAir Force (RSAF) to replace the A-4SU SuperSkyhawks in the Advanced Jet Training(AJT) role. The contract for 12 M-346advanced trainer aircraft is being acquiredthrough a consortium comprised of STAerospace as prime contractor, and Boeing.Together with ST Aerospace, Alenia

Aermacchi will make a contribution to theBoeing-led Integrated Training System (ITS)and to supporting the fleet, the first of whichwill be delivered in 2012.

This was the second phase of re-equip-ping Singapore’s training fleet. The first wasthe award in 2006 of a contract by theSingapore Ministry of Defence’s DefenceScience and Technology Agency (DSTA) tooperate the RSAF Basic Wings Course(BWC). Nineteen PC-21 advanced turboproptrainer aircraft and a 20-year engineering and

Asia-Pacific Flight TrainingCapabilities

andRequirements


According to a recentStudy, more than 1,600military training aircraft willbe produced in the nextdecade, almost half of whichwill be turboprop-poweredtrainers, with jet trainersaccounting for nearly all of theremainder. The market forpiston-powered militarytrainers is on the decline.Overall, annual productionwill reach a high of 150 in2014 before gradually fallingthroughout the remainder ofthe forecast period. HawkerBeechcraft is forecast to lead themarket share with 31 percent from 2011 to 2015, although most ofthese will be made up of T-6B trainers for the US Navy.

bbyy David Oliver

37

T R A I N I N GFF LL II GG HH TT

Asia-Pacific Flight TrainingCapabilities

andRequirements


The turboprop-powered PilatusPC-21 handles like a jet fighterand is another contender for theAJT/LIFT role © Pilatus

logistics support service will be provided bythe Swiss aircraft manufacturer, PilatusAircraft Ltd. as part of a turn-key trainingpackage awarded to Lockheed MartinSimulation, Training and Support (LMSTS).The training is being conducted at the RoyalAustralian Air Force Base Pearce, north ofPerth in Western Australia.

The contract included the provision ofPilot and Weapons System Operator ground-school, simulator hours and flying from July2008. The PC-21 replaced the Alenia S-211, 32of which were delivered in the 1980s. The S-211 is also in service with the Philippines AirForce, which took delivery of a total of 25 air-craft, although few remain airworthy. Aleniawas encouraged by the basic-advanced train-er market and subsequently produced adevelopment of the S-211, the M-311.

The M-311 is now being marketed as anew cost-effective solution for the basic-advanced fast jet phase of the pilot trainingsyllabus, offering a significant reduction inacquisition and life-cycle costs, bringingthem to a level similar to that of the highpower turboprops.

The piston-engine primary trainer marketis almost saturated within the Asia-Pacificregion with only single-figure sales anticipat-

ed during the next few years. In a marginally better state is the turbo-

prop basic trainer market, the leading play-ers in which are the Embraer EMB-314Super Tucano, the Hawker Beechcraft T-6Texan II and the Pilatus PC-7/9 and PC-21.

A Pakistan Air Force Hongdu/PAC K-8 basic jettrainer, is also in service in China, Myanmar andSri Lanka © David Oliver

In September 2010, theAlenia Aermacchi M-346was selected by Republic ofSingapore Air Force toreplace the A-4SU SuperSkyhawks in the AdvancedJet Training role

The Super Tucano and Texan II have notbeen able to break into the regional marketto date, while the PC-9 has ben adopted bythe air forces of Australia, Myanmar andThailand while Malaysia has ordered anadditional 12 PC-7 Mk II aircraft to the 48already in service. Singapore is the leadexport customer for the PC-21.Japan and South Korea have both pro-

duced indigenous turboprop designs. Some50 Fuji T-7s powered by the Rolls-Royce 250-B17F have been produced for the JapaneseAir Self-Defence Force as the T- 3 Kai by theend of 2009. The T-7 has attracted no exportorders to date but its competitor, the KoreaAerospace Industries (KAI) KT-1 powered bythe ubiquitous Pratt & WhitneyCanada PT6A-25A has been sold to

Indonesia as well as the Republic of Korea(ROK) Air Force, and the type has also beenselected by the Turkish Air Force. There arealso several indigenous jet-powered interme-diate/advanced training aircraft being pro-duced in the region. These include Japan’sKawasaki T-4, production of which is com-plete, India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd(HAL) HJT-36, and the Hongdu/PakistanAeronautical Complex (PAC) K-8. The latter


The PC-9 has ben adoptedby the air forces ofAustralia, Myanmar andThailand while Malaysia hasordered an additional 12PC-7 Mk II aircraft to the 48already in service


The Alenia Aermacchi M-346 MasterAdvanced Jet Trainer/Lead-inFighter Trainer (AJT/LIFT) has beenselected by the Republic of SingaporeAir Force © Finmeccanica

A contender for the PLAAF’s AJT/LIFT programmeis the Hongdu L-15 © Chinese internet


is produced in the People’s Republic of Chinaas the JL-8 and in Pakistan as the Karakorum.More than 150 are in service with the

PLAAF and 38 are being delivered to thePakistan Air Force. The type has sold well inAfrica and South America and is in servicewith the Sri Lankan and Myanmar AirForces.China has also entered the advanced

trainer market with the development of twonew high performance aircraft to compete forthe People’s Liberation Army Air Force(PLAAF) next generation advanced traineraircraft programmes, the Hongdu L-15Falcon and the Guizhou JL-9 MountainEagle. The former, which made its maidenflight in March 2006, bears a close resem-blance to the Russian Yak-130 but due toproblems with its Ukranian AI-222-25F tur-bofan, is unlikely to enter service before the

end of the decade. In contrast, the JL-9, basedon the Guizhou JJ7, the Chinese equivalent ofthe MiG-21U, is currently entering PLAAFservice, and a carrier version, the JT-9H, isunder development for the Chinese navy.India’s Air Force and Navy have a require-

ment for 225 HAL HJT-36 Sitaras to replacethe HJT-16 Kiran in its role as a Stage-2 train-er, although a Limited Series Production(LSP) order of only 16 aircraft, which includes12 for the Suryakiran Aerobatics team, has sofar been confirmed. The type has had a pro-tracted development and is unlikely to attractserious overseas interest. India also has a $1billion requirement for basic trainer aircraftfor which the Pilatus PC-7 Mk II has beenshortlisted, beating off the KAI KT-1 and theT-6C Texan II.Along with Singapore, the air forces of

Malaysia, Thailand and possibly Taiwan,

have requirements for a LIFT with threetypes holding centre stage of the regionalmarket, the BAE Systems Hawk, the AleniaAermacchi M-346, and the KAI T-50. TheHawk, the prototype of which first flew in

1974, is approaching the endof its production life in spite

of its selection in its latest incarna-tion, featuring a glass cockpit and upgrad-

ed avionics, by the Indian Air Force andNavy. A total of 122 Hawk 132 have beenordered, most of which will be assembled inIndia by HAL.Various variants are in service with the air

forces of Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia andSouth Korea, but the Hawk was ruled out asa contender for the Singapore contract at anearly stage. The leading contenders for futureLIFT contracts worldwide including theUnited States, are the M-346 Master and theT-50 Golden Eagle.The Italian M-346 Master AJT/LIFT is the

progeny of the Russian Yak-130. A joint pro-gramme for an advanced trainer developmentbetween Yakovlev and Aermacchi began in1993 and the Yak/AEM-130D demonstratorfirst flew in 1996. However, in 1999, the part-nership was dissolved and the Yak-130 withRussian engines and equipment and theAlenia AermacchiM-346withwestern enginesand avionics becoming separate programmes.Although selected to replace the Russian AirForce’s extensive L-39 Albatross fleet with arequirement for more than 200 aircraft, theYak-130 has yet to enter service although thetype has been sold to Algeria, and to Libyabefore the fall of the Ghadhafi regime.The M-346 has had a similarly protracted

development with the first prototype notmaking its maiden flight until July 2004 with


KAI’s T-50 Golden Eagle is in service theRepublic of South Korea Air Force andordered by the Indonesian Air Force © KAI

More than 100 BAE Systems/HALHawk 132 AFT/LIFTs have beenordered for the Indian Air Forceand Navy © BAE Systems

the first pre-production aircraft was rolled outin April 2008. The M-346’s full authority,quadruplex FBW control system allows it toremain fully controllable at angles of attack upto 40° degrees. It is powered by two 2,850 kg(6,280 lb) thrust Honeywell F124-GA200 tur-bofans giving it a thrust/weight ration close to1 to 1. Although not supersonic, theM-346 hasattained Mach 1.17 during flight trials.Embedded simulation is a key feature of

the Master. Once activated, the actions of thepilot and the actual aircraft flight data inter-act in real time with a virtual scenario gener-ating specific symbologies. A set of differentoperating modes and options can be selectedby the instructor through the HOTAS con-trols and the MFD’s soft-key selections.Simulated sensor and scenario data are pre-sented on the MFD and HUD in both cock-pits. Simulations of weapons enable the stu-dent pilot to perform simulated attacks, bothin air-to-air and air-to-ground weaponsdelivery modes, while on-board systems pro-vide the pilot scoring, both in real time andon the ground for mission debriefing. Animportant step forward in the worldwidemarketing of the type was taken in 2009when the Italian company signed an MoUwith the Boeing Company.Launched in response to the ROKAF’s

KTX-2 advanced trainer requirement by KAIand Lockheed Martin, the supersonic T-50Golden Eagle was designed to prepare futurepilots to fly current and fourth and fifth gen-eration combat aircraft such as the F-15, F-16,F/A-22 Raptor, F-35 Lightning II, Rafale andthe Eurofighter.The Republic of Korea Government

authorised the go-ahead of the $2.5 billion T-50 development programme in October 1997,

which was completed in January 2006. KAIwas responsible for system integration,including design, analysis, ground test, flighttest programmes and for the final assemblyof the aircraft. Lockheed Martin was respon-sible for the technical assistance, avionicsintegration and flight control. KAI alsodeveloped the T-50 Ground Based TrainingSystem (GBTS) and Integrated LogisticsSupport (ILS) at the same time with the T-50development to maximize the effectivenessand the economics of the development cost.The T-50’s maiden flight was successful-

ly conducted in August 2002 and the first of50 production aircraft was delivered toROKAF in December 2005. KAI also pro-duced an additional ten T-50s modified forthe exclusive use of ROKAF aerobatic flightteam, the Black Eagles.Two versions of the Golden Eagle have

been ordered by the ROKAF, the T-50 AJTand the radar-equipped TA-50 LIFT, both ofwhich are weapons-capable. A light attackvariant, the FA-50, is in development toreplace the ROKAF F-5 fleet, more than 150of which remain in service. Powered by a sin-gle 78.7 kN (17,700 lb) thrust with afterburn-er, General Electric GE F404-GE-102 turbo-fan, it has a maximum speed of Mach 1.5 anda service ceiling of 14,630 m (48,000 ft). Likemany modern state- of-the-art combat air-craft with Fly-by-Wire (FBW) controls, the T-

50 is relatively easy to fly in terms of airframedesign, digital flight controls, and on-boardsystems. It includes embedded training fea-tures and a mission planning and debriefingsystem. More than 100 ROKAF pilots hadcompleted the nine-month course on the T-50by the end of 2010.In May 2011, Indonesia signed a $400 mil-

lion contract for 16 T-50 Golden Eagles afterbeing KAIwas selected as the preferred bidderbeating Russia’s Yak-130 and the Czech AeroL-159B. KAI has also been in contact with theThai government to explore the possibility ofselling the T-50 to the Royal Thai Air Force(RTAF). With its selection of the Saab Gripento replace its F-5 fleet, KAI is pitching the T-50to replace RTAF’s ageing Alpha Jets and AeroL-39ZA/ARTs for the AJT/LIFT role.However, the T-50 is not a cheap option

at approximately $20 million each, and itscomprehensive Ground Based TrainingSystem (GBTS) and Integrated LogisticsSupport (ILS) support package includes fullmission simulators and an extensive cur-riculum of computer-aided training.Regarded by some, not least LockheedMartin, the Golden Eagle’s greatest marketpotential may be as a future replacement forthe US Air Force’s forty-year old T-38 Talonsupersonic advanced trainer.Reflecting the strength of themilitary train-

er market in the region, it is predicted thatKorea Aerospace Industries will have morethan 10 percent market share over the next fireyears, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd almost 12percent, and Jiangxi Hongdu AviationIndustry Corp, a healthy 13 percent.

The KAI KT-1 intermediate turboprop trainer is inservice in South Korea and Indonesia © US Navy

India’s Air Force and Navyhave a requirement for 225HAL HJT-36 Sitaras toreplace the HJT-16 Kiran inits role of as a Stage-2 trainer


T R A I N I N GFF LL II GG HH TT


FFOORRCCEEPROTECTION

Counter-IEDForce Protection

JammersPreventing the remote control signal reach-ing IEDs, averting their explosion at a timewhen troops and convoys are passing, is acritical technology. The recent rush, post 2003in response to attacks in Iraq, has been tofield jammers or Radio Frequency inhibitors,sometimes saw poorly integrated systemsfielded. With immediate needs met, thisapproach is now giving way to the next gen-eration of systems, designed for long termuse and evolution based on softwareupgrades and integrated into the widerC4ISR structure.

The US is the leading light in this effortvia its Joint Counter Radio ControlledImprovised Explosive Device ElectronicWarfare (JCREW 3) programme. This isdesigned to replace systems that wentbefore. These include the SRC developedCREW 2 of which some 30,000 are in service,the ITT CVRJ of which some 23,000 are inUS use with Australia also acquiring somesystems and the ITT MMBJ which is anactive jamming system with about 2500

JCREW 3.3 is designed to be the dominantsolution with hardware designed to supportoperation until 2031 with upgrades over timevia the technology insertion of standard cardsand new software © AJB

Securing vehicles, individuals and bases against Improvised ExplosiveDevices (IED) remains a key challenge for militaries whether theyare currently deployed on operations and requiring that capability intheir inventories today or, for others wanting a tool for future threats.The panoply of devices and technologies available as well as theaccompanying Tactics, Techniques and Procedures for theirimplementation are impressive and can be divided between ‘smart’ waysof detecting IEDs or preventing their detonation and secondly,providing the means to mitigate their effects through armour andsimilar palliative methods.

bbyy Adam Baddeley

PROTECTIONFFOORRCCEE

Force Protection


The Aerovironment Puma isused for C-IED route clearancetasks in Afghanistan © DoD

44

fielded. The US also fielded dismountedQRD jammers from 2006, produced in theUS by BAE Systems to a Selex design withover 800 systems fielded.In a significant break with the past,

JCREW 3 is a single family of three systems.The JCREW 3.1 comprises the Thor IIIAN/PLQ-9, sourced from the Sierra NevadaCorporation and largely for dismounted usealthough the systems can also be used inlight mounted and fixed applications. TheJCREW 3.2 was designed as an interimmeasure that would be deployed if earlierCREW systems could not cope with a newthreat. JCREW 3.3 is designed to be thedominant solution with hardware designedto support operation until 2031 withupgrades over time via the technologyinsertion of standard cards and new soft-ware. ITT and Northrop Grumman compet-ed for this contract which was awarded tothe former earlier this year. The solution,known as Increment 1 Block 1 (I1B1) is cur-rently being delivered for final testing withLRIP expected in 2012.The design is such that basic functions can

be undertaken with a minimum of training,with the entire full spectrum of system capa-bilities can be fully exploited via specialistpersonnel. The system is also designed towork with the US Army’s suite of battlefieldC4ISR systems and integrate, via satcom tosystems in the US for updates.A system designed with the US armed

forces in mind is not always either optimumor affordable by others and the JCREW sys-tem is still to be completed. Faced by threatstoday, systems on hand now are continuingto be fielded.Grintek Ewation’s Manpack GMJ900

RCIED jammer Family is designed to covertwo, 20W powered frequency ranges; 20-500MHz and 500-2.5GHzwith the company’sGMJ9000V and GMJ9000U models. Both areable to jam different bands simultaneously,including the increasingly significant 3Gsolutions. Single or multi-antenna solutionsare both offered.Thales new RCIED Inhibitor is the Gecco

and is due to be fielded to its launch cus-tomer in 2012 for use in Afghanistan. Thesystem operates using an omni-directionaland has a reactive antenna and can be usedwith electronic intelligence gathering sys-tems. Thales has designed the systems fromthe start to be a reactive design, jammingonly those frequencies it needs to whileleaving other for communications and uses

l ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW l


SNC’s Thor II, AN/PMT-5manpack jammer © AJB


non-ITAR components to maximize exportmarkets. The design is also software basedand so hardware can be used with low lev-els of classification.While Gecco is vehicle based and a

fixed site jammer, the company’s 1.1KgStorm-H provides a Personal ElectronicCountermeasure Equipment solution andhas the same form factor as the ubiquitousAN/PRC-148 MBITR radio. Storm-H hasthree variants to support jamming on 2G, 3Gand wideband frequencies.Czech firm URC has developed a number

of jammers in its STAR family, one of its mostrecent is the STAR-V, a vehicle integrateddesign that has been deployed toAfghanistan with Czech forces. Selex’s mod-ular system solution is provided via the ECMGuardian product line with the high pow-ered Guaradian-H2 and -H3 system. L-3TRL’s new Lightweight RCIED jammer is anenhancement to its Broadshsield ModularCountermeasures Suite Manpack jammerfamily. The key change is weight with a 470gdrop in the manpack systems to 7.3Kg.In Asia, NDR Resource International

recently been launched their NDR-JAM3Programmable DTMF Monitoring/Defeating System designed to be counter thelatest dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF)encode/decode designs as initiators in IEDsin Afghanistan, Iraq, and South of Thailand.

DetectionDetection via Intelligence, Surveillance andReconnaissance (ISR) provides the definitivecounter to IEDs. Jammers preclude theremote detonation of devices but don’t dis-arm or stop them from being used at a latertime and while effective, jammers are not auniversally a successful prophylactic anddon’t stop detonation on every occasion. Incontrast, detection allows the threat to bephysically avoided by taking an alternativeroute or destroyed before it can pose animmediate threat.Airborne surveillance has been a major

thrust in US efforts to counter IEDs. The keyformation used in this goal has been TaskForce ODIN, an acronym for Observe,Detect, Identify, and Neutralize formedfrom Army Aviation assets in 2006. TFODIN uses a mix of manned and unmanned

assets with payloads to detect and engageinsurgent teams deploying IEDs.Other solutions have been used by the

US to maximise wide area surveillance withprogrammes such as Sierra Nevada'sGorgon Stare electro-optical based wide-area surveillance solution and the NorthropGrumman's Airborne Surveillance, TargetAcquisition and Minefield DetectionSystem or ASTAMIDS. General purposes

UAVs are also used for surveillance;Aerovironment’s Puma, deployed toAfghanistan is used for route clearancewith around 100 deployed for that role.Organic to small units is the company levelRaven Small UAV, with a number of exam-ples of commanders using the brigade com-plement of 45 Ravens to generate integratedISR plans to keep particular areas underconstant discrete coverage.Route clearance on the ground remains

critical a new system recently deployed toAfghanistan by the UK with the RoyalEngineers is the multi platform Talisman

Thales’ 1.1Kg Storm-H provides a PersonalElectronic Countermeasure Equipment solutionand has the same form factor as the ubiquitousAN/PRC-148 MBITR radio © AJB


Detection via ISR providesthe definitive counter to IEDs


system. Surveillance is built around aMastiff protected mobility system equippedwith the Honeywell T-Hawk UAV whichfeeds information back to the vehicles. Thisprovides the command hub for the directionof three further platforms; the Buffalo withan extendable arm, a protected JCB diggerand a Talon UGV.

The US is currently implementing PearsonEngineering’s Self-Protection Adaptive RollerKit System II or SPARKS II kit. This systemattaches to the front of a range of armoured

vehicles and is used to detonate pressure-acti-vated IEDs away from the vehicle.

The US has also made major use of theHusky Mine Detection Systems (HMDS)from NIITEK, a subsidiary of Chemring.Husky is equipped with a GroundPenetrating Radar (GPR) to detect buriedIEDs. At AUSA in October, Northrop

showed its Non-Intrusive Threat DetectionSystem (NITDS), a UGV mounted devicedesigned to confirm the location of IEDs,once their presence is suspected by someother means. NITDS uses a particle accelera-tor to operate, detecting anomalies under theground in a different way to GroundPenetrating Radar.

Understanding the threat is key. To thisend, the European Defence Agency hasrecently established a mobile laboratorydesigned to forensically investigate IEDand how they are used and the lab isdesigned to be able to deploy to the theatrerequired. Spanish firm Indra has beentasked to delivering the system which willbe ready later this year.

Until recently personnel deploying onoperations were given limited C-IED train-ing largely because of the traditional onusfor response focused on explosive ordnancedisposal units and the fact that the requiredsimulation and training tools necessary werelimited in number and scope. As C-IEDresponses in the field are increasingly under-taken by the whole force because EOD per-sonnel can’t be every where at once, trainingregimes are changing accordingly and incor-porate the simulated representation of theenvironment in a highly detailed manner.

To aid in training for the C-IED threat theUK have gone to Saab, using its AgileTactical Engagement System C-IED whichintegrates and simulates current C-IED toolsand provides a training regime to test troopsability to use systems including jammers andmine detectors. The first troops completedtraining late last year and in addition to UKpersonnel, Danish troops have traveled to theUK to make use of the systems.

Airborne surveillance can be supplement-ed by ground based assets with technologiesfrom a variety of non-traditional areas beingfocused on the issue, either detecting theindividual who planted the device or detect-ing the devices once they are in place. KelvinHughes, best known for maritime surveil-lance recently launched their new Boxer MPSground surveillance radar which implementsSharp Eye technology. The system uses anelectronically scanned phased array beam forboth continuous scanning and a stare capa-bility. An I/X-band design, the Boxer MPSfamily can detect personnel on foot at 10km

To aid in training forthe C-IED threat the UKhave gone to Saab, usingits Agile TacticalEngagement System


Thales new RCIED Inhibitor is the Gecco and isdue to be fielded to its launch customer in 2012for use in Afghanistan © AJB

The remains of an explosive device used toattack a convoy in the Sarkani district of Kunarprovince, Afghanistan © DoD

47

and airborne targets at 45km.Integrated surveillance capabilities are

offered by systems such as Ground-WideArea Surveillance Platform or G-WASP, anintegrated surveillance capability put togeth-er by a team of four companies; ITT, Thales,Meridian and Ultra Electronics. A trailermounted ISR solution, G-WASP combines amast mounted, high resolution optical headwith a detection range versus a walkingtaregt of 10km and recognition of 3.5km anda Ku band E-scan Frequency ModulatedWave Doppler ground surveillance radarwith a 5km range, with the G-WASP itselfbeing sensor agnostic. All the integrated com-ponents within G-WASP have been already

been independently fielded in Afghanistan.A similar man portable solution is ESC

Baz’s 18Kg AMI, a remote control solutionfor a tripod mounted, precise pan and tiltwhich can be matched with a range of handheld and thermal cameras and can be set upin seven minutes. The system allowing themto be remotely controlled by a user from upto 200m using WiFi links and up to 1Kmwith a cable. AMI has been operated by theIsrael Defence Force for the past three yearsand in July a customer in South East Asiawas announced with other customers inCentral Europe and Latin America. InSeptember ESC also allowed that its Avivshort to medium range systems had beenadopted to provide surveillance and criticalassets within Israel, combining a CCD DayCamera and thermal imager.

Unattended Ground Sensors

(UGS) are also being used widely in the C-IED role, being able to be placed discretelyto cover particular routes and choke pointsidentified as likely to subject to IED attacks.One such UGS used by a number of coun-tries for force protection surveillance includ-ing Italy is the MUGI systems developed bySeraphim which can be buried and evenbuilt into walls. The systems is quite anduses a slanted window to avoid creating adetectable glare effect and requires 7W ofpower to operate although in power savingmode this reduces to less than a single Watt.The systems incorporates video motiondetection algorithms and uses a VGAuncooled 640x480 Thermal Imager and canbe linked to other sensors including seismic,acoustic and radar for cuing with softwareenhancements including facial and licenseplate recognition software.


A US Army Husky armoured vehicle, equippedwith GPR leads a convoy during OperationHelmand Spider in Afghanistan, 2010 9 © DoD

The development of the SMCMUUVis just one of several ongoingefforts in the unmanned underwa-ter vehicle and the UnmannedSurface Vehicle (USV) domains.

Although they have not proliferated at thepace of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs),USVs and UUVs have demonstrated theimportant role that they can play in harbourand port security, and for force protection ofships; a role particularly well-suited to USVs;and for inspection andMine Countermeasures(MCM) work as regards UUVs.Israel’s Elbit Systems is one firm which has

carved a niche in the development of USVs,notably in the form of its Silver Marlin andStingray craft. Designed as a medium-sizedunmanned surface craft, Silver Marlin is con-figured to carry a remote-controlled weaponsstation, along with a company-furnishedElectro-Optical (EO) payload. In addition to itsoffensive and EO systems, Elbit has installedadaptive boat control to ensure safe operationin rough seas, and an autonomous obstacleavoidance system. Both obstacle avoidanceand safe navigation are vital capabilities forUSVs. One only has to cast their eyes across abusy harbour or waterway to see how clut-

tered coastal waters are; home to a range of jetskis, pleasure craft, motor launches, ferries,cargo vessels andwindsurfers; to name just sixusers. This makes the water arguably morecluttered than the air above for UAVs, render-ing it essential for USVs to have a means ofsafely avoiding potential collision hazards.Control of the Silver Marlin is exercised viaeither a line-of-sight communications link or,when operating over-the-horizon, via a satel-lite communications system. Elbit sees theSilver Marlin as a complementary craft operat-ing as part of a wider array of systems. An offi-cial statement issued by the company notes

UU NN MM AA NN NN EE DDN A V A L P L A T F O R M S


Nobodyon

boardNobody

on boardThe United States Navy is forging ahead with its investmentinto Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs). On 4th October, theService announced that General Dynamics Advanced InformationSystems Inc. had won $48.6 million worth of contracts forthe development and manufacture of the US Navy’s new SurfaceMine Countermeasures (SMCM) UUV. The SMCM UUV has beenspecifically designed to detect moored and buried mines in highlycluttered littoral environments. An initial low-rate productionof around five SMCM UUV systems is anticipated, withthe Department of Defense expecting the equipment to outfitthe force’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS).

bbyy Tom Withington

The United States Navy is forging ahead with its investmentinto Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs). On 4th October, theService announced that General Dynamics Advanced InformationSystems Inc. had won $48.6 million worth of contracts forthe development and manufacture of the US Navy’s new SurfaceMine Countermeasures (SMCM) UUV. The SMCM UUV has beenspecifically designed to detect moored and buried mines in highlycluttered littoral environments. An initial low-rate productionof around five SMCM UUV systems is anticipated, withthe Department of Defense expecting the equipment to outfitthe force’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS).

bbyy Tom Withington

that, upon discovering a suspicious vessel; “aUAV can establish initial identification and theUSV can then be dispatched to halt the target.”

While Silver Marlin has a top speed of 45knots and a length of ten metres, Elbit’sStingray is shorter at just over three metreslength, although it can hit a top speed of 50knots. The company notes that this vehiclecan either be operated; “via remote control, ortotally autonomously,” and specifies that thevessel is well-suited for; “port and sea struc-ture defence, and security, on-site event man-agement and damage assessment.” As well asproviding the vessel, Elbit says that it can also

furnish the payloads equipping its UUVs;these include the firm’s CoMPASS (CompactMulti Purpose Advanced Stabilized System)which provides target tracking and designa-tion. In addition to CoMPASS, Elbit offers theDCoMPASS, the latest member of theCoMPASS family, which provides high-reso-lution digital imagery in a package which the

firms claims to be; “the lightest single LineReplacement Unit stabilized payload in itsclass.” The firm’s MicroCoMPASS is alsoavailable for its USVs, alongside its Mini-ORCA 7.62mm overhead remote-controlled,fully-stabilised weapons station.

In terms of the developmental status ofboth vehicles, Elbit says that; “Silver Marlinand Stingray are currently under evaluation.”It adds that; “we have been approached byvarious customers worldwide who haveexpressed their interest in the possibility ofincorporating Elbit Systems’ USVs, combinedwith additional advanced naval solutions, as

N A V A L P L A T F O R M SUU NN MM AA NN NN EE DD


Elbit System’s Silver Marlin is designed as amedium-sized USV and, according to the firm, isideal for port security and harbour patrol missions.Silver Marlin can operate in a solitary fashion, oras part of a larger array of systems involvingunmanned aerial vehicles © Elbit Systems

an ultimate response to maritime security aswell as offshore facility protection.”Specifically, the company sees applicationsfor its USVs in terms of; “coast guard, port,sea defence and assisting security forces.”Just as they have been used below the

waves for this purpose, USVs are ideal forthe Mine Countermeasures Mission (MCM).Since the early 1980s, the Royal SwedishNavy has operated the Self-PropelledAcoustic/ Magnetic Mine Sweeper (SAM)USV which has been cycled through severalversions, including the recent containerisedSAM-3 variant. Meanwhile, the DeutscheMarine (German Navy) has utilised theTROIKA unmanned surface mine clearancesystem, which entered service at a similartime to the Sweden’s SAM-1.Many USVs are currently in development,

with some more advanced than others. Onevessel which has shown promise, and whichpacks a formidable punch, is the SpartanScout which has been developed by RadixMarine, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon.Spartan Scout is configured to carry a rangeof weapons including Lockheed MartinFGM-148 Javelin and AGM-114 missiles forsurface and coastal attack. During US Navytrials, which were performed onboard the

USS Gettysburg Ticonderoga class guidedmissile cruiser, the Spartan Scout was alsooutfitted with dipping sonar, a NorthropGrumman AN/AQS-24 side-scan sonar and12.7mm remotely-operated machine gun.Alongside Elbit Systems, Rafael Advanced

Defense Systems has developed the Protector,which has the distinction of being one of thefew USVs in routine service; namely with theRepublic of Singapore Navy, and the IsraeliSea Corps. Rafael developed the Protector in

conjunction with BAE Systems and LockheedMartin. The craft has been designed from theoutset to have a low-observable design, and itis capable of offensive missions thanks to theMini Typhoon Mk.49’s stabilised weaponmount. This is connected to one of the compa-ny’s Toplite EO systems, plus a publicaddress system which can be used to issuedemands, or to communicate with individu-als. Along with its service in the Israeli andSingaporean navies, the Protector has been

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems’Protector has the distinction of being onof the few USVs in routine navalservice. To this end, the craft isoperated by the Republic of SingaporeNavy and the Israeli Sea Corps © RafaelAdvanced Defense Systems

BAE Systems’ Archerfish mine disposal system can belaunched by surface vessels, helicopters and otherunmanned underwater vehicles. It has been selectedby the US Navy for the force’s Airborne MineNeutralisation System requirement © BAE Systems



evaluated by the US Navy and Coastguard.Israel’s offerings join those of French

robotic specialist ECA, which has developedthe Inspector coastal and port security USV.The Inspector has been designed to accom-modate modular payloads, to afford the usera high degree of customisation according tothe mission that the craft is required to per-form. These payloads can include side-scanand multibeam sonar, sub-bottom profiler for

seeing objects below the sea bed and, for shal-low water operations, interferometric sonar.Furthermore, the craft can deploy one of thefirms’ K-Ster (see below) unmanned under-water vehicles for destruction of mines. TheInspector has been evaluated by the FrenchNavy as a reconnaissance asset, and has beenequipped with an EO payload to this end.

French robotics specialist ECA hasearned a global reputation as a supplier of

advanced UUVs for inspection and MCMwork. The firm also continues to enjoyhealthy sales at home. On 21st February, itsecured a contract from the French Navy todeliver several Alister-100 autonomousunderwater vehicles from 2012.

The Alister-100 is an evolution of one ofthe company’s most popular products; it’sAlister UUV. Comprising sonar, lights andTV cameras, this craft can be used for MCMwork, as well as general reconnaissance.With the ability to sustain a speed of eightknots, and to dive to 300m, Alister has anendurance of around 20 hours. Customersrequiring an un-tethered UUV can opt for thefirm’s Alister-100 which suffers a slightspeed penalty in comparison to the Alister(five knots’ top speed, versus eight knots forthe vanilla Alister), although the Alister-100does offer up to 15 hours’ endurance, and asimilar performance as regards diving. Interms of payload, the Alister-100 can accom-

Since the early 1980s, theRoyal Swedish Navy hasoperated the Self-PropelledAcoustic/Magnetic MineSweeper USV

Several companies including Thales and ECAare involved in the development of the AsemarUUV. Designed as a fully autonomous vehicle,Asemar is intended to perform wide-areasurveillance, and survey of submerged objects ©Thomas Withington



Kongsberg’s family of REMUS un-manned underwater vehicles candive to a range of depths, dependingon the vehicle, from 600m down to3000m. The REMUS-6000 can evenreach up to 6000m © US Navy


modate side-scan and multibeam sonar, TVcameras, obstacle avoidance systems; and aconductivity, temperate and density probe.

Along with the identification of seamines, their destruction can be affectedusing the firm’s K-Ster UUV. This craftcomes outfitted with a tiltable warheadwhich can be positioned in an optimisedfashion to ensure the destruction of a mine,by directing the blast to ensure that as muchof the explosion as possible is absorbed bythe errant ordnance. K-Ster can perform thismission at depths of 600m and joins thefirm’s PAP (Poisson Auto-Propulsed/‘Self-Propelled Fish’) product, which also con-tains a warhead for sea mine destruction.

Although both the PAP and the K-Ster areperfect for the destruction of mines once theyhave been detected, fleets no doubt prefer tolocate and destroy mines before they canbecome a danger to a task group. One meansby which this can be achieved is via the use ofECA’s Olister UUV. The Olister can work intandem with the PAP and K-Ster by scanningthe locale in front of the ships for mines. Oncesuch a threat is discovered, ordnance can beneutralised with either of these explosive-car-rying vehicles. Olister, which can attain a

speed of six knots, can be operated in either anautonomous mode, during which it has up tosix hours’ endurance, or as a tethered vehicle,providing theoretically unlimited endurance.

Scandinavia boasts two companies spe-cialising in the UUVs, notably Kongsberg andSaab. Like ECA’s PAP and K-Ster, and AtlasElektronik’s Sea Fox-C, Kongsberg’sMineSniper Mk.II comes outfitted with a72mm charge to destroy naval mines. To date,this vehicle has won orders from the SpanishNavy. For inspection work, Kongsberg pro-duces the HUGIN family of autonomousunderwater vehicles which comprises threemembers; the HUGIN-1000, HUGIN-3000and HUGIN-4000. Multibeam and side-scansonar are accommodated on the HUGIN-1000, along with a sub-bottom profiler, andthe craft itself can sustain an endurance of upto 60 hours. While the HUGIN-1000 can reach3000m, the HUGIN-4500 can operate atdepths of 4500m, and retains up to 30 percentmore battery power than the HUGIN-1000.Meanwhile, Kongsberg’s REMUS (RemoteEnvironmental UnitS) are optimised for shal-lower work. Also configured to operate at600m, the REMUS-600 can be comfortablyconfigured to work at up to 3000m, and per-


BAE Systems is a relatively newentrant to the unmanned underwatervehicle world. However, the firm hasdeveloped its Talisman UUV. Theendurance of the Talisman is sufficientto provide the vessel with up to 24hours endurance © BAE Systems

form missions of up to 70 hours duration.Customers requiring an inspection UUV tooutstrip the depths offered by the REMUS-600 can choose the REMUS-6000 which candive to bone-crushing depths of 6000m.Complementing Kongsberg as Scandinavia’sother specialist UUV house is Saab. The com-pany’s AUV-62MR craft is designed for MCMand reconnaissance work, reaching speeds of20 knots and depths of 500m. Operating at asimilar depth is Saab’s Double Eagle SAROVvehicle, although the Double Eagle can haveits operating depth extended to 3000m.

Several companies dominate the world ofUUVs, including Atlas Elektronik of Germany.The firm’s sub-aqua uninhabited offeringsinclude an array of vehicles which have beendesigned from the outset to assist the under-water inspection and MCM missions. Both

these missions are facilitated with the use ofsynthetic aperture sonar which, like syntheticaperture radar, provides a crystal-clear image,in this case, of the sea bed. Atlas Elektronik’sSea Otter UUV family comes equipped withsuch apparatus. Its Sea Otter Mk.II can operatefor in excess of 24 hours, and sustain a cruisingspeed of four knots. The ‘vanilla’ Sea OtterMk.II design has been updated via the SeaOtter Mk.IID which has highly autonomousfault detection and obstacle avoidance sonar.

Mine hunting is the speciality of AtlasElektonik’s Sea Fox family. Designed for minelocation and training, the Sea Fox-1 can reachdepths of 300m and maintain speeds of sixknots. Although the Sea Fox-I is good for thedetection and location ofmines, such ordnancecan be destroyed using the Sea Fox-C. Thiscraft carries a shaped charge to bring the max-imum destructive effect to bear on a mine. Ithas an endurance of around 100 minutes, andcan operate at depths of 300m and speeds ofsix knots. A training version of this craft, sanswarhead, known as the Sea Fox-T is also avail-able from Atlas Elektronik. However, tetherednavalmines are not the only threat to shipping.Vessels also have to contend with buriedmines. Atlas Elektronik’s Sea Wolf UUV offersone means by which such a menace can bedestroyed. Sea Fox craft carry a sediment-pen-etrating sonar to enable the location of themines while a powerful warhead ensures theirdestruction. Last, but by no means least, thecompany’s SeaCat UUV is operable in eitheran autonomous, or a tethered, configurationand features a modular design which allowsthe easy change of the vessels’ payload accord-ing to the mission that it will perform.

The future looks bright for both UUVs andtheir surface cousins. Elbit Systems believesthat the USV market is, “in its primary stagesas customers are becoming accustomed withthe use of these vehicles. As with the UAVs,the UAV market is evolving and most cus-tomers are starting to realize the new capabil-ities that USVs offer. Growing demand formaritime surveillance, security and offshorefacility protection will require a broad rangeof payloads, integration and interoperationwith existing coastguard, port and sea defenceand security systems. This is in addition tointeroperability with airborne UAVs.”


Saab is one of Scandinavia’s leading UUVcompanies. The firm’s portfolio includes theAUV-62MR craft designed for minecountermeasures work, and also the DoubleEagle SAROV which can be optionally outfittedto dive to 3000m © Thomas Withington

Spartan Scout is configuredto carry a range of weaponsincluding Lockheed MartinFGM-148 Javelin and AGM-114 missiles forsurface and coastal attack


AUSTRALIABoeing completes AustralianSuper Hornet deliveriesThe Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) hascompleted two F-18E/F Super Hornetssquadrons following completion of deliveryof the 24 aircraft ordered by the Australiangovernment in 2007.The final four Block II F-18E/F Super

Hornet aircraft were welcomed home at anofficial ceremony held at RAAF BaseAmberley, the last of five batches deliveredby Boeing since March 2010. The aircraft,delivered on budget and ahead of schedule,were purchased by the Australian govern-ment in order to ensure that the RAAF’sregional air combat capability is maintaineduntil the delivery of the Joint Strike Fighterlater this decade.The Boeing Super Hornet is a multi-role

aircraft, able to perform virtually every mis-sion in the tactical spectrum, including airsuperiority, day/night strike with precision-guided weapons, fighter escort, close air sup-port, suppression of enemy air defences,maritime strike, reconnaissance, forward aircontrol and tanker missions. They give theRAAF the capability to conduct air-to-aircombat, strike targets on land and at sea, sup-press enemy air defences and conduct recon-naissance.Australia is the first country outside the

United States to fly the Super Hornet. It is anoperationally proven aircraft that has beenflown by the United States Navy since 2001,and Boeing has delivered more than 470F/A-18E/Fs to the U.S. Navy. Every SuperHornet produced has been delivered on orahead of schedule and on budget.

Australia opts to upgradeAusteyr rifleThe Australian Ministry of Defence (MOD)has announced that a further $8 million hasbeen invested into the Austeyr rifle upgradeproject currently being carried out under the$448.6 million LAND 125 Phase 3C SoldierEnhancement Version 2 – Lethality pro-gramme.The Minister for Defence Materiel Jason

Clare made the announcement, and outlinedthe next stage of the project to produce aqualified rifle design ready for productionfor Australian troops.Changes to the rifle will include a new

modular design that reduces the weight andimproves the balance of the weapon; the inte-gration of NATO standard (Picatinny) rails toallow for a wide range of military off-the-shelfattachments to be fitted to the weapon to pro-vide the flexibility to reconfigure the weaponaccording to the mission; and the integrationof a grenade launcher attachment and grenadelauncher sight into the rifle. The work will belargely carried out by Soldier Systems Centrein Lithgow, New South Wales.Project LAND 125 is a soldier modernisa-

tion project that will develop the ADF’s dis-mounted close combat capability by provid-ing enhancements to the NATO defined andinter-related soldier sub-systems of Lethality,Survivability, Sustainment and Mobility andCommand, Control, Communications,Computers and Information. It also willenhance the wider integration between thesoldier and other supporting platforms, theconceptual basis, design and configuration ofa soldier system, version control and devel-opment, training and logistic support.Under the programme so far the ADF

close combat force has been equipped withthe Enhanced Combat Helmet (ECH), indi-vidual Combat Load Carriage Equipment(ICLCE), and individual knee/elbow pads;and team equipment including the ThermalWeapon Sight (TWS), and the Personal RoleRadio (PRR) have been acquired. Phase 3 wasgranted first pass approval in August 2005and has developed as three separate but inter-related sub-system lines of development.

More Bushmaster ambulancesdelivered to RAAFThe Australian Ministry of Defence (MOD)has taken delivery of four more Bushmasterambulances at the Royal Australian Air Force(RAAF) Base Amberley. Sixty three ambu-lance vehicles in seven variants are beingbuilt for the Australian Defence Force (ADF).The latest deliveries will serve in the AirForce Health Services Wing.Twenty five Bushmaster ambulances have

so far been delivered to the ADF including at acost of more than $670,000 each. This includes19 vehicles delivered to 7 Brigade based atEnoggera Barracks, Brisbane; one to the Schoolof Health at Latchford Barracks, Bonegilla; oneto the Motorised Combat Wing, School ofArtillery at Puckapunyal Barracks; and fourannounced today to the Air Force HealthServices Wing at RAAF Base Amberley.According to Minister for Defence Materiel

Jason Clare the vehicles will be an improve-ment on the existing Sprinter ambulances cur-rently in use; and that inbuilt blast and ballis-tic protection and the vehicles’ monocoque v-


Asia-PacificProcurement Update

RREEGGIIOONNAALL NNEEWWSSA N D D E V E L O P M E N T S

The Bushmaster serves the ADF in a number ofroles, including the latest ambulance variantwhich is now entering service © DoD

Asia-PacificProcurement Update


shaped armoured hull provides protection frombullets, artillery and roadside bombs.The Bushmaster Ambulance variant is a mem-

ber of the Bushmaster family of vehicles and isbased upon the PMV. In addition to driver, com-mander and medical attendant positions, eachvehicle can accommodate one permanent stretcherpositionwith loadingmechanism and fourwalkingwounded patients. Alternatively the four walkingwounded positions can be field converted in min-utes to another stretcher position.The vehicles will be ready for operational serv-

ice after personnel have completed their trainingand medical fit-out has been finished.The Government has also announced that the

Bushmaster vehicles used in Afghanistan byAustralian forces have completed an upgrade pro-gramme to provide soldiers with better protectionagainst Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).The upgrade, carried out by Thales and Stratos

Seating, was developed based on data from dam-aged Bushmaster vehicles hit by improvised explo-sive devices in Afghanistan and blast trials con-ducted in Australia. The upgrade includes theinstallation of new seating and flooring in the cabinto provide additional protection for commanders,drivers and the troops being transported.

ADF selects General Dynamics’combat search and rescue radiosThe Australian government has selected theGeneral Dynamics C4 Systems (GDC4S)AN/PRC-112G GPS-enabled search and rescueradios and accessories for the Australian DefenceForce (ADF) combat search and rescue (CSAR)operations.Comprised of the software-defined, upgrade-

able AN/PRC-112G transceiver or the AN/PRC-112B1 transceiver, plus a handheld GPSQuickdraw2 Interrogator, it delivers field-provencapability, adds encrypted two-way messagingconvenience plus GPS positioning data for pre-cise, accurate location, and turns virtually any air-craft into a CSAR platform simply by pluggingthe Quickdraw2 into the intercom. Critical infor-mation is delivered to combat search and rescueaircraft in short bursts to reduce the risk of detec-tion and interception.The HOOK2 CSAR system comprises the

AN/PRC-112G radio, Quickdraw2 Interrogatorand Satellite Communications (SATCOM) BaseStation, and allows downed air crews or isolatedpersonnel to securely contact combat search andrescue resources over long distances. The radio isinteroperable with satellite-based search and res-cue systems, including the International Cospas-Sarsat Programme.

INDIAIndian government requestsmore C-130JsThe Indian government has requestedthe foreign military sale (FMS) of sixLockheed Martin C-130Js and associat-ed equipment, parts, training and logis-tical support. The Defense SecurityCooperation Agency (DSCA) notifiedCongress on 26 October of the request.The estimated cost of the contract is

$1.2 billion and will include 6Lockheed Martin C-130J United StatesAir Force (USAF) baseline aircraftincluding: USAF baseline equipment, 6Rolls Royce AE 2100D3 spare engines,8 AN/AAR-47 Missile WarningSystems (two of them spares), 8AN/ALR-56M Advanced RadarWarning Receivers (two of themspares), 8 AN/ALE-47 Counter-Measures Dispensing Systems (two ofthem spares), 8 AAQ-22 Star SAFIREIII Special Operations Suites (two ofthem spares), 8 ARC-210 Radios (Non-COMSEC), and 3200 Flare Cartridges.The Indian government ordered six

C-130Js in 2008 from the US govern-ment. In keeping with Indian Air Force(IAF) requirements, the US Governmenthas offered a unique C-130J configura-tion modified for special mission roles;namely the longer fuselage variant ofthe C130J, similar to those being deliv-ered to the US Air Force.Equipped with an Infrared Detection

Set (IDS), the aircraft will be able to per-form precision low-level flying, air-drops, and landing in blackout condi-tions. Self protection systems and otherfeatures are included to ensure aircraftsurvivability in hostile air defence envi-ronments. In addition the aircraft isequipped with air-to-air receiver refuel-ing capability for extended range opera-tions. Lockheed Martin will integratethis equipment and other capabilitiesinto the Indian configuration as agreedbetween the governments.

Apache Longbow wins IndianAir Force tenderThe Boeing Apache Longbow isbelieved to have been selected by theIndian government for the Indian AirForce’s (IAF’s) combat helicopter tenderfollowing news reports of the ruling outof the Russian Mi-28N Night Hunter.Well placed Indian defence ministry

sources have been quoted in the reports,saying that the Boeing LongbowApache performed more successfullyunder testing than the Russian aircraft.No official confirmation has yet beenissued by the Indian government.The IAF has an existing tender for 22

combat helicopters. If the governmentgoes ahead with the Apache Longbowacquisition the IAF will field one of themost advanced combat helicopters inthe world. The multi-mission aircraft isthe next-generation version of the orig-inal AH-64A Apache. With its fire-con-trol radar, the aircraft is known as theAH-64D Apache Longbow; without theradar, the combat-proven aircraft iscalled the AH-64D Apache.Other enhancements of the Longbow

include longer-range weapons accuracyand all-weather/night fighting, detec-tion of objects (moving or stationary)without being detected, classificationand threat-prioritization of up to 128targets in less than a minute, integratedsensors, networking, and digital com-munications for situational awareness,management of the combat arena in realtime; and digital transmission of imagesand target locations to joint operationsbattlefield commanders.

The AH-64D Apache is considered thefavoured platform in India’s requirement for22 attack helicopters © DoD


2012

I N T E R N A T I O N A L E X H I B I T I O N

LANDDEFENCE & SECURITY

11 - 15 JUNE 2012 / PARISwww.eurosatory.com

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The most important and most comprehensive Land Security and Defence event of year 2012.


PAKISTANITT to provide international pod-mountedelectronic warfare defensive system to PakistanThe US government has selected ITT to provide a modern,digital radio frequency memory-based jamming pod to thegovernment of Pakistan under a foreign military sale (FMS)contract between the two nations.Pakistan requested the jammers as part of a $5.1 billion

FMS package to upgrade the existing F-16 fighters that serveas Pakistan’s top line of defence, and the provision of new F-16 Block 50/52s.The ALQ-211v9 Advanced Integrated Defensive Electronic

Warfare System (AIDEW) Pod was selected as the electroniccountermeasures choice for Pakistan’s new F-16C/D Block 52s,and is also on the list for its upgraded F-16s. This award fits thenew fighter order, and includes 18 pods, 4 pod shells, 2 antennacoupler sets, 2 lab test benches, associated data, and systemssoftware and support equipment. This portion of the contract isworth $49 million.The pod incorporates the identical hardware configuration

from ITT’s AIDEWS, a proven, integrated digital receiver-based radar warning and jamming countermeasures systemnow flying with five international customers. It can be used onany fixed-wing aircraft.According to an ITT company statement, the pod-mounted

variant of AIDEWS will be fully qualified forF-16 flight under this contract and is the same form factor asALQ-131 electronic countermeasures pods currently flying onUS Air Force and international F-16s.AIDEWS is built upon the proven ALQ-211 family of

electronic warfare systems now in use to support a broadrange of US and allied defense customers on many rotary-wing and fighter aircraft. These include versions of the NH-90,V-22, MH-47, MH-60, F-16 and several commercial platforms.AIDEWS provides fighter pilots with situational awarenessand protection against radar-based threats, including modernsurface-to-air and air-to-air weapon systems.More than 160 systems have been contracted under ITT’s

FMS programme worldwide, and 134 systems have so farbeen delivered.

MALAYSIAMalaysia selectsRheinmetall Nordicsensor systemThe Malaysian Armed Forceshave placed Rheinmetall Nordic’sbiggest ever single order with theaward of a EUR 36 million con-tract for the company’s Vingtaqs IIlong-range surveillance, observa-tion and reconnaissance system.The contract also includes

training, system integration anddocumentation, and will see theVingtaqs II system integrated intonewly built AV8 all-terrain vehi-cles made by the Turkish compa-ny FNSS Savunma Sistemleri A.S.for the Malaysian Army.The Vingtaqs II accurately

determines target coordinates atlong distances from the vehicle for-ward observer position. A stand-

alone system, the Vingtaqs II canbe integrated at low cost into awide variety of vehicles, and canbe readily configured to meet indi-vidual customer requirements.The system also accommodatesinstrumentation for laser-designat-ed targeting, enabling it to supportforward air controller operations.The AV8 all-terrain vehicles

are scheduled for delivery duringthe period 2014 to 2018. Two hun-dred fifty-seven vehicles havebeen ordered. Based on the FNSS-designed multi-purpose, multi-mission, wheeled armoured vehi-cle, the AV8 is being developedjointly by FNSS and DRB-HicomDefence Technologies (Deftech).Under a technology transfer arran-gements to Deftech the vehicleand its 12 variants will becomeMalaysia’s first indigenous familyof 8_8 armouredwheeled vehicles.

Malaysia’s AV8 vehicles will be equipped with the Vingtaqs II long-range surveil-lance, observation and reconnaissance system, a version of which is shown herewith the CV90 © Rheinmetal

JAPANJapan orders NorthropGrumman AQS-24A airbornemine-hunting systemNorthrop Grumman has been selected todeliver the AQS-24A airborne mine-hunt-ing system for integration into the JapaneseSelf-Defense Forces Airborne MineCountermeasures MCH-101 helicopter byKawasaki Heavy Industries.The AQS-24A is a high speed mine-

hunting system that is currently in use withthe US Navy’s Helicopter MineCountermeasures Squadron on the MH-53E helicopter. Along with its predecessor

the AQS-24 and the AQS-14, have been theonly operational airborne mine huntingsearch systems used by the US Navy for thepast 27 years, according to NorthropGrumman.The system is primarily towed from the

MH-53E helicopter, but has been easilyadapted for the smaller Japanese MCH-101aircraft. The system's high-resolution side-scan sonar detects, localizes and classifiesboth bottom and moored mines in real timeat high area coverage rates. It contains alaser line scanner that provides precisionoptical identification of underwater minesand other objects of interest. The AQS-24Aallows for simultaneous operation of the

sonar and laser, which significantlyimproves area coverage rate, shortens themine clearance timeline and alleviatesunnecessary maintenance cycles. Advancednavigation controls and processing providehighly accurate target positioning.Northrop Grumman said that the sys-

tem’s low cost and ease of integration makethe AQS-24A ‘the ideal choice for Japan’shelicopter-based mine-hunting needs’.Japan operates the MCH-101 helicopter,

based on the EH-101 helicopter developedby AgustaWestland, for transport and minesweeping operations. Kawasaki HeavyIndustries first delivered the aircraft to theMaritime Self-Defense Force in 2006.




SOUTH KOREASouth Korean CoastGuard selects Rolls-RoyceAzimuth thrusters

Rolls-Royce has been selected by theSouth Korean Coast Guard to providetheir Azimuth thrusters for a new class ofvessels to replace their existing tug fleet.Fifteen tug vessels are being procured bythe South Korean Coast Guard and Rolls-Royce will provide two thrusters pervessel under a contract worth anestimated £12 million.The Rolls-Royce thrusters will be the

prime propulsion and steering system onthe tug vessels. Azimuth thrusterscomprise a propeller which rotates 360degrees, so that it can provide both thepropulsion and steering for a vessel. Thefleet is being brought into service fullyequipped to perform oil-skimming andenvironmental protection duties. They willoperate primarily in and around SouthKorea’s main naval bases..

Eurocopter indicates interest inSouth Korea’s helicopterprogrammes

Eurocopter has officially registered itsinterest in participating in the twoRequests for Information (RFIs) likely tobe issued by the South Koreangovernment during 2012: the Light AttackHelicopter (LAH), and the Heavy Attack

Helicopter (AH-X) programmes.In a statement issued by the company,

Eurocopter declared that they will offer thePanther for the LAH programme and theTiger aircraft for the AH-X programme,stating that these programmes represent ‘akey part of [Eurocopter’s] long-termstrategy in South Korea’. The LAH programme, being run by

KAI, will see the acquisition of a lightaircraft in the 4.5 metric ton class with aseating capacity of 6-8. The Panther, themilitary variant of the Dauphin will formthe baseline for development if selected bythe South Korean Armed Forces. Theaircraft’s latest evolution features modernavionics, engines and systems to giveoutstanding battle-winning performance,making it a high speed, maneuverable,discreet and powerful asset. The AH-X programme requires 36

heavy attack aircraft, for which Eurocopterproposes the Tiger aircraft. A multi-rolecombat helicopter and an essential asset inany operational theatre, the Tiger has arecord of operations in Close CombatAttack missions and as escort for Utilityand Assault Helicopters. Over 75helicopters have been delivered so far as ofAugust 2011, and the Tiger fleet hasclocked around 30,000 flight hours.

South Korean MOD unveils105mm howitzer

The South Korean Ministry of Defence

(MOD) has unveiled the first indigenouslydeveloped truck mounted 105 mmhowitzer. Developed by SamsungTechwin, the weapon was displayed at aweapon exhibition inside the Ministry ofNational Defence in Seoul.The weapon was developed under

Advanced Concept TechnologyDemonstration in 2009, with SamsungTechwin beginning to manufacturing in2010. The howitzer was developed in orderto enhance the combat capabilities of theRepublic of Korea (ROK) Armed Forces,alongside other widely used artilleries.According to Samsung Techwin the

self-propelled artillery is designed for useon a five ton truck, with manual loadingand automatic fire control. Radiation ofheat can be selected either in automatic,manual and half automatic, and thenumber of operating personnel can bereduced by three compared to existingtowed artilleries.A company spokesman said, ‘the cost of

the weapon is relatively cheap and itshows more outstanding performance thanexisting towed artillery’.A Signal Robot that is embedded with

bullets developed by Hanwha and aportable Global Positioning System auto -matic warn ing device developed byHyundai were also unveiled at the display.

Korea’s AH-X programme requires 36 heavyattack helicopters, with Eurocopter proposingthe Tiger © Eurocopter

1164AsiaMR286x213raptorDec.indd 1 11/10/11 5:47 PM

Aerospace leadership. Military strength. Malaysia’s partnership

with Boeing builds both. The nation’s F/A-18D generated

$271 million in offset for 11 Malaysian companies and government

organizations. Moreover, joint ventures between Boeing and

Malaysian companies are providing technology transfer, training

and manufacturing practices. Acquiring Super Hornets would

expand Malaysia’s ties to a team of industry leaders making

a proven partnership an even greater strategic asset.

asian military review - dec 2011/jan 2012 issue

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