Asian Military Review - August 2009

VOLUME 17/ISSUE 5

ASIA PACIFIC’S

AUGUST 2009 US$15

LARGEST

CIRCULATED

DEFENCE

INFANTRY NIGHT VISION AFFORDABLE SPACE

MAGAZINE

CBRN ASIA FIGHTER AIRCRAFT

FRIGATES AND DESTROYERS

CONVENTIONAL SUBMARINES

www.asianmilitaryreview.com

Contents AUGUST 2009 VOLUME 17 / ISSUE 5

04 The Rise of the

Multi-role Fighter in Asia John Mulberry One of the current focuses of Asian military modernisation is the replacement of ageing, obsolescent fighter fleets. Air forces across the region are in the process of assessing what their needs are in this area and how best to go about procuring capabilities within the restraints of tight budgets. What is certain is that in looking to buy a common fleet of multi-role aircraft, some sacrifices do need to be made. A multi-role fighter will never have the full capabilities of a specialised air defence fighter, neither will it be able to deliver the ground pounding effect of a true close air support fighter. However, what it will be able to do is give air forces the majority of the capabilities in between those two extremes and do so without all the costs that are incurred from supporting multiple aircraft types

Front Cover Photo: Australia’s six strong Collins class submarines, based on Kockums' Västergötland design and constructed by the Australian Submarine Corporation between 1990 and 2003 are the largest conventional submarines in service today. Although highly capable, The RAN has found it difficult to retain the crews necessary to keep the fleet operational. Despite this Australia has recently begun work on the $22 billion replacement for the class when it is phased out in 2025, even considering increasing the number of new submarines to twelve © ASC

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Conventional Submarines: Subsurface Kings

Asia Prepares for CBRN Threat

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Ted Hooton Australia's decision to start a programme costing the equivalent of US$22 billion and aiming to double to size of the submarine fleet to twelve hulls in as many years, underlines the importance of the diesel-electric submarine in the region. It has been calculated that, even excluding the United States, navies of the Asia-Pacific region will have 150 modern diesel-electric submarines by 2025. Yet it is not just the potential size of Asia's submarine fleets which is awe-inspiring but also the range of capabilities which are already being demonstrated

Affordable Military Space

24 Adam Baddeley Space based communications and reconnaissance capabilities are complex, they are quite literally rocket science. Balancing the variables of capability of payload, duration in orbit and combinations of ownership, leasing and independence of use is difficult. Delivering that capability in an affordable solution only increases the challenge but is a vital obstacle to overcome, if genuinely nationally owned and independently accessed capabilities are to be spread beyond a relatively exclusive group of nations

Andy Oppenheimer While a CBRN attack is a low probability, even a small-scale chemical or radiological attack would not only be costly in terms of lives lost, but would necessitate expensive cleanup operations and result in increased public fear – the main aim of all terrorists – as well as loss of economic viability, especially in poor areas, and a decline in tourism. Despite economic pressures governments in the region may need to become more proactive in contingency planning for what, it is hoped, will never happen – but if it did, the consequences would be catastrophic for the target country and the region as a whole

Breaking Down The Night

30 Ian Kemp Critical to success in the contemporary operational environment is the ability for the infantry to operate effectively at night; observing and acquiring accurately engaging a range of targets. Three categories of night vision systems are available for dismounted soldiers: weapon sights; helmet or head-mounted single or dualtube night vision goggles and, handheld devices, some of which can be mounted on small tripods for extended surveillance missions. In response to current operations militaries across the world are spending billions of dollars fielding and renewing these capabilities

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Dynamic Destroyers, Flexible Frigates

36 Tom Withington The last twelve months have witnessed significant activity regarding frigate and destroyer upgrades and purchases in Asia and elsewhere.

Naval fleets around the world are in the process of rejuvenating their fleets and acquiring new vessels. The major factors driving this activity forward appear to be the desire by navies to address emerging threats such as maritime piracy, along with mission requirements such as the participation in multinational task forces aimed at combating terrorism

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Editorial

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Propagandistic bile is one thing but the possession of nuclear weapons coupled with a political and strategic culture that is both bizarre and cruelly unforgiving is a desperately troubling situation. However, finding an effective deterrent to dissuade the North from these recent provocative acts, not to mention a series of terrorist atrocities in the past has eluded the world so far.

What would make North Korea abandon its nuclear programme? Forcible disarmament and other euphemisms for military action are regularly brought up for consideration. Even if North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction – chemical, biological and radiological too - are caught in their entirety either on the ground by air strikes or in the air by missile defence, that still leaves the conventional war. While North Korea would not prevail, the cost in terms of lives and infrastructure for both sides would be immense, redolent of the scenario facing the allies considering an invasion of Japan in 1945.

India Xavier Collaco, Media Transasia India Limited Tel: (91) 124 4759500 E-Mail: xavier@mtil.biz

Singapore/Malaysia Dr. Rosalind Lui, TSEA International Tel: (65) 6458 7885 Mobile : (65) 9886 3762 E-Mail: drrosalind@tsea.com

The collapse of the six party talks, nuclear tests, several short and medium-range missile launches earlier this summer and a range of cyber attacks against the US and South Korea in July are testament to the fact that North Korea is an inveterate threat to its many announced enemies.

Despite both hand wringing and sincere hope that a solution may be found, there is effectively nothing that can be done to resolve the issue, merely to contain it.

Germany/Austria/Switzerland/UK Sam Baird, Whitehill Media Tel: (44-1883) 715 697 Mobile: (44-7770) 237 646 E-Mail: sam@whitehillmedia.com

Scandinavia/Benelux/South Africa Karen Norris, T K Associates Tel: (44) 1435 884 027 E-Mail: tony.kingham@worldsecurity-index.com

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ince the war that split the country went into abeyance, North Korea has always been a problem. What’s more, it’s a problem that is practically insoluble in that the cure is worse than the complaint.

With the ‘stick’ clearly not an option, what about the ‘carrot’? Economic incentives have failed while cultural, educational and other relations, designed to expose the populace to the benefits of freedom have come to naught. China too is unwilling or unable to influence Pyongyang. The only conclusion is that the Kim regime will obtain and retain a nuclear capability whatever is done.

There are few choices. The region and indeed the world has little choice but to wait things out until Kim dies or North Korea collapses from its own internal contradictions. In the wake of this, a leader may well emerge who is willing to make the strategic choice to trade its nuclear weapons programme.

In the meantime the region and indeed the world has little choice but to continue to try to hem in Pyongyang’s active WMD proliferation and hope for the best. It’s not an edifying position to be in but there’s little else that can be done.

USA (West/South West)/Brazil Diane Obright, Blackrock Media Inc. Tel: +1 (858) 759 3557 Email: blackrockmedia@cox.net

Adam Baddeley, Editor

Editor: Adam Baddeley E-mail: adam@baddeley.net

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AUGUST 2009

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Air dominance:

The rise of the

Multi-role Fighter in Asia

One of the current focuses of Asian military modernisation is the replacement of ageing, obsolescent fighter fleets. Air forces across the region are in the process of assessing what their needs are in this area and how best to go about procuring capabilities within the restraints of tight budgets.

by John Mulberry

An RSAF F-16 prepares for an exercise in the US (US Air Force)

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here is no doubt that modern fighters are one of the most expensive systems that armed forces are likely to procure. As a result, it is crucial that the right choices are made and that air forces buy the right aircraft in the right quantities to satisfy defence needs. It is clear that in this context, few countries in the region can afford to buy different aircraft to fulfil air defence and ground attack roles separately.

Fortunately, for countries in the region, which do not have the domestic infrastructure to design and manufacture their own fighters, that is also the conclusion that has been reached in the West and current and next-generation fighters are being designed to give air forces a multi-role capability from a single platform. In Europe, the US and Russia, manufacturers are looking at how they can alter existing platforms to include a greater level of multi-role capability while new platform

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In Europe, the US and Russia, manufacturers are looking at how they can alter existing platforms to include a greater level of multi-role capability designs are beginning to offer a wider suite of capabilities.

Making choices There is no doubt that with a variety of aircraft on offer at a variety of prices and with differing levels of capability, air forces in Asia should be able to find a platform to suit their needs. However, some countries in the region have yet to fully understand what their needs are and the debate on just whether a fleet of multi-role fighters can provide adequate defence continues to rage in capitals across the region.

What is certain is that in looking to buy a common fleet of multi-role aircraft, some sacrifices do need to be made. A multi-role fighter will never have the full

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capabilities of a specialised air defence fighter, neither will it be able to deliver the ground pounding effect of a true close air support fighter. However, what it will be able to do is give air forces the majority of the capabilities in between those two extremes and do so without all the costs that are incurred from supporting multiple aircraft types.

In the far south of the region there continues to be real conflict in Canberra over procurement of the next generation fighter for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).

Australia is among the countries committed to the US Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) programme. However, concerns about the aircraft’s suitability as a multi-role fighter that meets the demanding requirements of the RAAF’s unique strategic environment means there is as yet, no consensus on the issue.

In particular, the aircraft’s detractors argue that JSF does not have the range needed by the RAAF nor do they believe that the stealthy aircraft will be able to hold its own in air combat against the most modern Russian fighters, such as the Su-32, which are likely to be procured in some numbers by some of its South Asian numbers. There are also worries voiced in the

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A US Navy F/A-18 undertakes a high speed pass (US DoD)

press and parliament as to whether JSF manufacturer Lockheed Martin will be able to deliver the aircraft at the time when they will be required by the RAAF. To bridge the gap between the JSF, which is not expected to come in to service until late next decade and the retiring F111 tactical strike aircraft, Australia has procured 24 Boeing F/A-18F Block II Super Hornets under a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) arrangement with the US. The first four aircraft are scheduled for delivery in the second quarter of 2010 and will enhance the capabilities of the RAAF. The RAAF acquisition of the Super Hornet was the first export breakthrough for the improved F/A-18E/F, a larger and more capable version of the Hornet that is already in service with the RAAF. However, it is not the only export target for Boeing which is one of the contenders for India's Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) programme.

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Indian Trials The MMRCA project launched last year is the largest fighter competition currently under way in the region. The objective of the project is to supply the Indian Air Force (IAF) with a new modern multi-role fighter that will replace its obsolete MiG-21 fighters, which have become prone to falling out of the sky. For the companies competing to supply that aircraft, a lot is at stake, not least the potential of a $10 billion contract to supply an initial 126 MMRCAs, although final numbers could be as high as 260 airframes.

To bridge the gap between the JSF‌ and the retiring F-111 tactical strike aircraft, Australia has procured 24 Boeing F/A-18F Block II Super Hornets ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW

There are currently six competitors for the contract: Boeing, Dassault Aviation, Eurofighter, Lockheed Martin, RAC MiG and Saab. The MMRCA project is a programme of firsts and lasts. For the US it is the first time that two of its manufacturers have competed for such a large Indian defence contract, for Russia it will be the first customer for the RAC MiG-35, it would also be the first customer for Eurofighter in the region. However, for Dassault it may be the last chance to win an export customer for the Rafale.

Bid responses and technical documentation for the project were submitted earlier in the year with the IAF and Ministry of Defence (MoD) expected to conduct evaluations through the rest of the year including flight trials of the aircraft. The project has excited much interest in the press and, as is usual with Indian projects, there has already been some controversy.

In particular, there was the announcement in the press in April that Dassault Aviation had been dropped from the com-

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petition because the Rafale did not meet the minimum performance requirements set out in the bid. The news was quickly flashed around the world and it soon became clear that Dassault had had no communication with the Indian MoD to that effect. After several days the press reports were denied by Indian officials and Rafale was back in the race for the project.

There is also a lot of speculation about the strength of the Russian bid. In the past the IAF has looked predominantly to Russia for its aircraft which include not only the ageing MiG-21s but also MiG 23s, MiG-29s and modern Su-30MKIs. The latter in particular has impressed the IAF and has also been shown to be able to hold its own in multinational exercises – last year the IAF participated for the first time in the US Red Flag exercises.

The Su-30MK2s that have been supplied to Indonesia that have generated the main areas of friction in Australia's fighter debate India is not the only customer in the region for the Su-30. Several other countries including, China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam have opted to purchase the aircraft. Sukhoi is also working on a further evolution of the airframe, the Su-35, which will have modern avionics and a more sophisticated systems.

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into operational service in 1996. The aircraft is a two-seat, dual-role strike fighter for all-weather, air-to-air and air-to-surface deep interdiction missions and observers observe that it is closely comparable to the US manufactured F-15E. The successful export version is the long-range, multirole Su-30MK series.

It is the Su-30MK2s that have been supplied to Indonesia that have generated the main areas of friction in Australia's fighter debate. Currently the country only has two aircraft, which were delivered last year, but the country has at least six on order.

According to the JSF's detractors the Su30MK2's capabilities are far superior to the Lockheed Martin aircraft.

An IAF Su-30 participates in the US Air Force's Red Flag multinational exercise (US Air Force)

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Malaysian quandary Malaysia is another country to have taken delivery of the Russian fighter. The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) ordered 18 Su-30MKMs in 2003 and the first aircraft were delivered in 2007. The original intention was to have all the fighters delivered and in service by the end of last year, but technical problems have caused delays to the schedule.

For the RMAF, which is in the process of modernising its entire fleet of aircraft, the question now is whether to continue with further buys of the Su-30 or to look elsewhere for aircraft. The RMAF already operates a mixed fleet of Soviet-era and western aircraft with both the MiG-29 and the F-18C/D also in service.

At the Paris Air Show in June, the head of the air force, General Tan Sri Azizan Ariffin, announced that the RMAF would seek to replace its MiG-29s with a new aircraft. A number of companies see this as an opportunity not least for Boeing, which sees a potential opportunity for its Super Hornet. Eurofighter is also believed to be taking a close look at the requirement to see whether it could have a role in that country’s defence.

Malaysia's northern neighbour Thailand caused a stir in late 2007 when it became the first country in the region to order the JAS39 Gripen multi-role fighter Saab is also expected to be interested in the RMAF competition. Malaysia's northern neighbour Thailand caused a stir in late 2007 when it became the first country in the region to order the JAS-39 Gripen multirole fighter. The Thai government selected the Gripen over the Su-30 aircraft, which it felt was too capable for the Royal Thai Air Force's (RTAF's) needs.

The Gripen is a small, agile fighter that can take off and land on highways, while carrying the latest technologies and weapons. Most analysts view the JAS-39 Gripen is an excellent, reasonably-priced fighter that has been struggling hard for traction in the global marketplace. Most purchases of the Gripen outside its native Sweden have been in central Europe, although there was also a substantial buy

by South Africa.

The RTAF Gripen's will replace the service's ageing F-5E/F Tiger IIs. The RTAF also has a number of ageing AV-8S Harrier IIs as well as F-16A/B fighters. In midOctober 2007 the Thai government approved a budget of about $1.1 billion for the purchase of up to 12 Gripens as well as 2 Saab Erieye airborne early warning aircraft. The first batch of six Gripens are expected to be delivered in 2011, but Saab received a blow when the Thai government said earlier this year that it would not be taking up the option for the second batch of six aircraft.

Elsewhere in the region, both Singapore and South Korea have opted for US aircraft as the backbone of their fighter fleets. Both the Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF) and the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) have both Boeing F-15 and Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters. Singapore’s F-15SG and Soeul’s F-15K are based on the advanced F-15E Strike Eagle and unlike the basic F-15 model, the aircraft for the two countries have a multi-role character, with the ability to undertake long-range precision strike missions.

Singapore selected the F-15 to replace its A-4 Skyhawks in late 2005 and awarded Boeing a contract in 2007 to deliver 12 plus 8

A Luftwaffe Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft of Fighter Wing 74 taking off at Neuberg/Donau (Eurofighter)

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As well as 20 A/B models, the RSAF currently has 42 F-16C/D Block 52+ aircraft with a further 34 believed to be on order or in various stages of delivery aircraft with deliveries to the RSAF scheduled to take place in 2008 and 2009. To enhance its mission capabilities, the F-15SG is equipped with both a Raytheon Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar

A Gripen fighter during trials with with Iris-T, Meteor and GBU10 (Saab)

and Lockheed Martin's Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod (ATP).

In October 2008, RoKAF received the last three of 40 F-15K fighters ordered from Boeing in April 2002. The delivery of the fighters marked the end of the scheduled 40 aircraft first-phase of Seoul's F-X programme to recapitalise the RoKAF fighter fleet. Impressed with the F-15K in 2007, Seoul signed a $2.3 billion second phase contract to acquire a further 21 aircraft to bring

the F-15K fleet up to 60 aircraft. These later aircraft are scheduled to be delivered between 2010 and 2012.

The full F-X project will see the RoKAF introduce 120 new multi-role combat aircraft. The F-15 purchase makes up half of that intended buy. However, there continues to be an outstanding requirement for a further 60 aircraft that both Boeing, potentially with the F/A-18E/F, and Lockheed Martin are positioning themselves for.

Two RoKAF KF-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft take off from Kunsan Air Base (US DoD)

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Falcon fighters The Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon and its variants have been very successful in the region. The F-16C/D variant is the basis of Singapore’s F-16 fleet. As well as 20 A/B models, the RSAF currently has 42 F-16C/D Block 52+ aircraft with a further 34 believed to be on order or in various stages of delivery. To further enhance the capability of the aircraft in the ground attack role Singapore announced in 2008 that it would purchase the Sniper ATP for its F-16C/Ds. The RoKAF also has a large fleet of mixed F-16 fighters totalling some 210 aircraft. As well as purchasing the aircraft from the US production lines, Seoul also negotiated the opening of a domestic F-16 production line. Operated by Korean Aerospace Industries, the South Korean line has produced some 140 F-16C/D

One of the aircraft that Japan is interested in is the F-22 Raptor air superiority aircraft Block 52 aircraft for the RoKAF designated the KF-16.

Seoul is not the only country to produce a local variant of the F-16. Although not strictly an F-16, the Japanese Air Self Defence Force’s (JASDF's) F-2 fighter is also based on that aircraft. The aircraft is manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Lockheed Martin with a 60/40 split in manufacturing between Japan and the USA. Production of the F-2 started in 1996 with the first aircraft entering service in 2000.

There are a number of differences between the

The Dassault Rafale is designed to carry a large and diverse combat load although it has experienced difficulties in export markets © Dassault

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F-2 and the F-16 including a 25 percent larger wing area, greater use of composite materials to reduce overall weight and radar signature and a longer and wider nose to accommodate a phased-array radar. The JASDF currently has 60 F-2s in service and is expected to procure a total fleet of up to 94 aircraft.

However, the F-2 is not likely to be the end of cooperation between Japan and the US on fighter production. Tokyo has also expressed interest in working with the US to procure next generation aircraft for the JASDF. One of the aircraft that Japan is interested in is the F-22 Raptor air superiority aircraft. However, there are currently concerns in Washington as to whether the US should give any of its allies access to the advanced technology of the Raptor. The JASDF has also expressed interest in the JSF as a future multi-role capability, which is more likely to gain traction with the US government.

What is certain is that throughout the region there are the beginnings of a real move towards procuring next generation fighter capabilities. The majority of countries in Asia are looking to purchase new aircraft or at least in the near term upgrade existing airframes. Although not necessarily a clear race for air superiority in the region what is also certain is that neighbours are upgrading capabilities at the same time in order to guarantee their position. AMR

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Conventional

Submarines:

Subsurface Kings Australia's decision to start a programme costing the equivalent of US$22 billion and aiming to double the size of the submarine fleet to twelve hulls in as many years, underlines the importance of the diesel-electric submarine in the region.

by Ted Hooton

A Pakistani Agosta 90B, which will be the first air independent propulsion boats in western Asia Š DCNS

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t has been calculated that, even excluding the United States, navies of the Asia-Pacific region will have 150 modern diesel-electric submarines by 2025. Yet it is not just the potential size of Asia's submarine fleets which is aweinspiring but also the range which are already being demonstrated.

The modern submarine was designed to meet an Irish republican requirement to sink ships of Queen Victoria's mighty Royal Navy.

They feature a diesel engine to propel the ship on the surface and to charge the batteries for the electric motors which are used for underwater propulsion. These submarines helped to shape modern Asia, for they annihilated Japan's merchant fleet during the Second World War, paving the way for the independence of a large number of former colonies. The continuing importance of the modern submarine was demonstrated during the South Atlantic conflict of 1982 when the torpedoing of the cruiser ARA Belgrano caused the entire Argentinean fleet to retreat to the confines of its bases. But submarines are prized not only because they can dominate the naval battlespace but also because they are valuable sources of intelligence; even the big nuclear submarines were able to observe Iraqi defences before Operation 'Desert Storm' in 1991, and they can be used for electronic surveillance and increasingly, to deploy special forces reconnaissance (or even assault) teams. 'Desert Storm' also demonstrated a new role, as the platform for land-attack missiles capable of decapitating enemy command and striking high value targets.

Submarines have also been used in India's conflicts with Pakistan with the PNS Hangor sinking the Indian frigate INS Khukri in

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Type 1500 India: One of four Type 209/1500 or Shishumar class boats used by India. They have been refitted since the turn of the century © ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems/HDW

December 1971 although the submarine PNS Ghazi was sunk a few days earlier in the same conflict while attempting to sink the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. Like many of Asia's first submarines, PNS Ghazi was a wartime design and was essentially a surface torpedo boat capable of underwater operations. By the time she was transferred from the US Navy to Pakistan she had been modified with a Snorkel, a steel tube which could be deployed while the boat was submerged allowing the diesel engines to recharge the batteries. This was part of a transition to a full underwater weapon system which gathered pace during the 1950s with hulls being streamlined for improved underwater performance and the former conning tower also being redesigned to reduce underwater resistance and being renamed a 'fin'. The PNS Hangor represented this new generation of submarine being a Daphné class boat whose design reduced the acoustic signature, improved underwater performance, and enabled greater automation to reduce crew size and improve maintenance.

During the 1980s there was a surge of interest in this new generation of boats as Asian economies began to expand and developing education systems produced the technicallyqualified personnel to operate them. More importantly, not only have Asian countries been importing the latest designs but Asian yards are also refitting and now building these vessels. During the 1980s about 30 submarines were added to Asian inventories, about 35 in the 1990s and more than 40 this decade with at least 18 on the stocks.

The most important designs have been the HowaldtswerkeDeutsche Werft (HDW)

Type 209 and the Rubin-designed Project 877 or 636 Kilo classes, India buying both then producing some Type 209/1500 as the Shishumar class. The Type 209 has a submerged displacement of under 2,000 tonnes while the Kilos have a displacement of more than 3,000 tonnes but both are very capable and very 'quiet' designs. South Korea has produced the Type 209/1200 as the Chang Bogo class (or KSS-1) Seoul and is offering two to Indonesia which is also considering the acquisition of up to six Russian Kilo (Project 636). It has been suggest-

During the 1980s about 30 submarines were added to Asian inventories, about 35 in the 1990s and more than 40 this decade with at least 18 on the stocks ed that Jakarta, which heralded its new requirement in June, may receive technical assistance from Seoul to build the Type 209/1200.

South Korea illustrates the growing capabilities of Asian yards for having produced the Type 209/1200 Seoul began the KSS-2 (Korean Submarine Second Phase) programme again based upon HDW technology and has produced the first of the Type 214 (Sohn Won-il) class which are larger than their predecessors, with a submerged displacement of 1,860 tons compared with 1,285 tonnes. Plans exist for a 3,500-tonne design, the KSS-3, which was to have entered service from about 2018, but this has now slipped to 2020 due to the world economic crisis. However, Seoul's commitment to the project is shown by the announcement that Samsung Thales is the preferred bidder for the $120 million combat management system.

Both the KSS-2 and KSS-3 feature a new propulsion system. The use of Snorkels Portugal has ordered two Type 209PN, which are AIP versions of the Type 209 © ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems/HDW

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The Type 209/1200 or Chang Bogo were the first Korean-built boats and were produced to meet the KSS-1 requirement © ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems/HDW

exposes submarines to anti-submarine forces because they have to operate close to the surface and their Snorkels can be detected by radar or even electro-optical sensors. New air independent propulsion (AIP) systems permit submarines to extend their underwater operation with reduced risk of detection either by recirculating combustion products augmented into the combustion chamber or using electro-chemical devices to transform chemical energy into electrical power using hydrogen and oxygen.

AIP systems have already been introduced into an Agosta 90B in Pakistan (also domestically built) and into one of Japan's domestically-produced Harushios. Japan is likely to introduce it into its new Improved Oyashios while Singapore will acquire the capability through two surplus Swedish Västergötlands, of which the first was commissioned in mid June as RSS Archer. Both China and India are reported to be developing AIP systems, and the former is reported to have installed one in a Yuan (Type 041) class boat for evaluation.

The reluctance of many navies to acquire this technology is not purely due to conservatism. While they can be retrofitted, they are expensive and the limited storage capacity for energy agents places some restrictions upon

The First of the KSS-2 or Korean-built Type 214, Sohn Won-il class, was commisisoned in 2007 and is reportedly proving very successful © ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems/HDW

endurance. In addition some concern has been expressed about their threat to the boat's safety if their chemical elements are detonated by underwater explosions. It should be noted that the loss of PNS Ghazi may have been due to an explosion in hydrogen gases leaking from a battery which were detonated by the shock from exploding depth charges.

The alternative is nuclear power but the capital and infrastructure costs of this option are extremely high. China has been the only Asian power to date which has produced nuclear-powered submarines; three strategic missile ships and six attack submarines but India has long had ambitions in this field. It has been working upon the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) since 1974 and during the late 1980s leased a Soviet Charlie I (Project 670A) class attack submarine as INS Chakra to learn how to operate nuclear ships. With progress on the ATV, reportedly based upon the Charlie I design, glacially slow (although Indian sources claim it will be launched in mid August) India has now paid Russia $650 million to buy a surplus Akula II (Project 971U) class ship, again named INS Chakra, and may acquire a second.

Delivery of this ship, RFS Nerpa, has been delayed owing to a fatal accident during her trials when the fire suppression system was switched on killing more than 100 of her crew and dockyard hands. Nevertheless, Russian sources indicate it will be in Indian hands by the end of the year.

South Africa has received three Type 209/1400 Mod (SA) class boats which are the latest conventionally powered versions of the ubiquitous Type 209 © ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems/HDW

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ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW

The demand for submarines grows.

Pakistan wants up to six with Type 214 competing against DCNS Scorpène of which six have been ordered by India and two by Malaysia. Islamabad has selected the Type 214 but negotiations for three boats appear to have stalled due to a combination of factors including the world recession, the need to fight the Taliban and continue humanitarian relief operations in the wake of the fighting. India is acquiring six Scorpènes, which will be built in country by Mazagon Dock, but it appears they will be conventional designs. The Indian Navy is certainly interested in AIP, but not the French Mesma system, and is developing an indigenous system based upon hydrogenbased fuel cells.

Japan is likely to maintain its submarine force at about 15, South Korea will build up to six Type 214 while, as mentioned, Indonesia is likely to double or even treble its submarine force over the next decade possibly through a mixture of imports and domestic builds, Singapore seems set to maintain its strength at four hulls, it is unclear whether the two Västergötlands will augment the current Sjöormen (Challenger) class. Singapore may become involved in Sweden's A26 project to maintain its submariners' links with Stockholm and, of course, Australia is planning to replace its six Kockums 461 (Collins class) boats.

Taiwan has been promised six diesel-electric boats by the Bush Administration despite the absence of even American design expertise

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in diesel-electric boats due to the preference for nuclear-powered ships. Internal political disputes have further hampered the programme and another hurdle has been the refusal of European yards to provide new designs.

However, it would appear that Taiwan’s indigenous submarine programme Project 'Diving Dragon' will begin in August.

The National Security Council's feasibility study on building submarines in Taiwanese yards is reported to have demonstrated the plan was feasible. The state-owned CSBC Corporation, formerly China Shipbuilding Corporation, has admitted it has a research plan to build submarine hulls and it is known that design options were being considered five years ago. The work will benefit from the 'Hidden Dragon' programme eight years ago which demonstrated the yard could build pressure hulls.

Taiwan operates two Dutch-built Hai Lung class boats and two Guppy IIs but the latter can be used only for training and are at the end of their useful lives. In 2003 Washington offered Taiwan decommissioned Italian Sauro class submarines for $2 billion but Taipei rejected the offer and demanded new boats.

The news will not be welcome in Beijing, given China's increasing dependence upon foreign trade and her long maritime lines of communication and concern will further grow with the revelation that Vietnam is to buy six Kilo (Project 636) class boats under a $1.8 billion deal with Russia's state arms exporter Rosoboronexport.

The move towards common construction is illustrated by Europe's Type 214s. Germany and Italy have ordered the Type 214A and six of these boats are now in service as the U-31 and Todaro classes respectively. Germany has now ordered another six improved Type 214s with improved special forces delivery facilities © ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems/HDW

Malaysia has acquired two Scorpène class boats as the Tunku Abdel Rahmen class and the first one has arrived with the second being commissioned in October and joining the fleet next year.

On July 9th this year, DCNS’ Ouessant SSK concluded the programme’s crew training package, undertaken by DCI/Navfco, with over 9000 hours under water training, together with 500 days as sea for Malaysia’s 170 strong submarine force.

There are currently no plans to expand the force but this should not be ruled out in the long term while neighbouring Thailand, as well as nearby Bangladesh, would like submarines, but are hamstrung by financial restrictions although Dhaka is rumoured to have signed agreements with Turkey.

The other regional super powers, China and the United States, also have very substantial submarine forces. Beijing controls some 60 hulls, eight of them nuclear-powered, including two ballistic missile platforms, with the diesel electric fleet including 12 Russian-built Kilos. China is currently focused upon nuclearpowered submarines with four under construction with a Yuan (Type 041) currently being built. The United States has an allnuclear force and plans to have 60 per cent of its submarine force in the Pacific, indeed by the end of this year 31 attack submarines will be in there with 18 based at Pearl Harbor. Most of the new Virginia (SSN 774) class, half the Ohio (SSGN 726) multi-role and eight of the Ohio (SSBN 726) class ballistic missile submarines will sail the Pacific Ocean.

It is worth concluding by noting that India, and to a lesser degree Malaysia, are ratcheting up the submarine arms race in the region. The latter will be the first Asian power, excluding Australia to acquire underwater-to-surface anti-ship missiles in the shape of the MBDA Exocet. India has acquired the latter capability through upgrades of its Kilos and has received the Klub missile system, although there have

China's increasing dependence upon foreign trade and her long maritime lines of communication and concern will further grow with the revelation that Vietnam is to buy six Kilo Project 636 class boats 16

ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW

The first Scorpene class submarine for Malaysia departed Toulon in July. This class has also been selected for India although it was recently reported the programme had slipped two years © DCNS

been some development problems.

Nevertheless, the Klub can be used for landattack with ranges up to 160 nautical miles (300 kilometres) and there are fears that a nucleartipped option will also be available.

Interestingly, Indian sources are now indicating that they regard nuclear submarines not just as a means of dominating the underwater battle space but also as a strategic second-line weapon and New Delhi is known to be developing not only its own heavyweight torpedoes but also a long range land-attack missile called Sagarika (Trident) although some sources describe this as a ballistic missile.

Several Asian nations are capable of building submarines, their propulsion systems and batteries but the supporting equipment is more difficult to provide. Japan and China can provide the electro-optical and sonar sensors as well as the weapon control and combat management systems while India is developing some sonar systems but will import periscopes and electro-optical masts as well as the combat management system, probably from France. Japan will licence-produce British electro-optical masts but most Pacific Rim nations, including Australia, depend upon importing submarine electronics.

However, the regional submarine market is not completely rosy. A major hurdle in the ambitious Australian plan will be to find sufficient crews for a submarine fleet double the size of the present force. Australia has suffered the loss of a steady stream of experienced officers and ratings to industry, the loss of personnel causing the navy to employ the remaining men more extensively. This in turn means they have less time on shore which increases their discontent and encourages them to leave the service. There are also problems maintaining the boats, indeed by early June urgent battery repairs for HMAS Waller, a refit for HMAS Collins and fully cycle docking for the remaining boats meant that only HMAS Farncomb was operational although the Defence Department claims this was a unique situation.

Nevertheless, to keep even half of its submarine fleet operational the Royal Australian Navy is having to make a major effort to

UNDERSEA T E C H N O L O G Y

improve both pay and conditions for increasingly disgruntled crews.

Even the sophisticated Indian Navy is having problems with its shipyards unable to maintain schedules, the Kilo class INS Sindhukirti for example has been in dock for five years. Refits which should normally take one or two years are now taking up to ten and with the average life of a submarine being thirty years there is a distinct fear within the Indian Navy that most of its submarines will lose up to The Australian Collins class are based upon a Swedish design. Their development has been plagued with problems and now they are handicapped by a shortage of crews ©ASC

Several Asian nations are capable of building submarines, their propulsion systems and batteries but the supporting equipment is more difficult to provide a third of their lives in dock. The official auditor has noted that of 16 boats only seven are operational at any one time and ten of these boats will have to be paid off by 2012.

Even mighty China may be having similar problems. At the beginning of this year the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) published a report, based upon declassified US

naval intelligence information, which noted that the Chinese attack submarines force, which has nearly 55 boats conducted only 12 patrols in 2008. This compares with seven in 2007, two in 2006 and none in 2005. By comparison the US Navy's 53 attack submarines conduct at least one extended patrol per year while the Russian Navy's 46 submarines conducted only seven attack submarine patrols, the same as in 2007. China has yet to conduct a single patrol by a ballistic missile submarine, according to the report, although the country's first ballistic missile submarine Xia completed a refit late in 2007 but neither she nor the new Jin (Type 094) class have ever conducted a deterrent patrol.

Some two decades ago the bible of the naval business, Jane's Fighting Ships, by placing submarines at the beginning of each relevant entry emphasised that the submarine is the modern capital ship. It is growing ever more formidable and versatile and for this reason it is the aspiration of every major Asian navy to acquire them AMR and then expand their flotillas.

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CBRN DEFENCE

PSI Maritime interdiction exercise SEA SABRE (Arabian Sea 2003) US Marines insect the suspect cargo (US Navy)

On the first day of June, Southeast Asian leaders met on South Korea's southern island of Jeju for a two-day summit with President Lee Myung Bak. The prime purpose of the meeting was to further develop the "New Asia Initiative", aimed at bringing South Korea and the ASEAN grouping closer as they celebrate twenty years of partnership. To enhance security, and indicative of the rising concern about North Korea’s actions in developing weapons of mass destruction, South Korea deployed anti-aircraft guns and a customised anti-chemical warfare vehicle at the meeting venue.

by Andy Oppenheimer 18

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Asia Prepares for CBRN Threat for proliferation: centrifuge production facilities in Malaysia supplied nuclear equipment via the Khan network to Libya’s covert weapons programme. Piracy and smuggling of contraband in South and Southeast Asia follow the same routes as for narcotics and conventional arms. There is no dividing line between criminal activity and terrorist organizations in South and Southeast Asia, such as al-Qaeda or Jemaah Islamiah (JI) in illicit trafficking.

orth Korea’s May 25th nuclear test was conducted, almost out of the blue, by the increasingly belligerent pariah state and has heightened fears about Pyongyang's ability and need to further smuggle NBC weapons and components, and especially missiles, around the world. While North Korea's arms trade has focused on Iran, Syria and Libya, Pakistan and the military regime in Myanmar have also been beneficiaries.

Regimes with unstable leaderships and a history of terrorist infiltration provide the greatest risk, although the smuggling rings may directly benefit groups and criminal gangs aligned to terrorist groups.

N

Regional terrorist threats

Renewed North Korean proliferation North Korea depends on weapons exports.

Sales of short- and medium-range missile systems have long earned the DPRK roughly $1.5 billion annually. It is feared that it could try to increase exports of its nuclear and missile technologies to make up for the recent shortage of hard currency from its trade with Japan and South Korean. These may include plutonium weapons designs reportedly obtained from the A Q Khan network and now proven to work, albeit at lower than the intended, and initially estimated, yield of 20 kilotons. At around 4-6 kilotons, the 2009 test yield was still more than four times that of the October 2006 test. The threat to Japan and South Korea increased following several short-range missile launches, also in May. Iran and Pakistan have already used North Korean materials to develop domestic ballistic missiles. Syria, Yemen, Libya and Egypt have also purchased North Korean missile components in recent years, through smuggling networks in the Middle East and Asia. In August, the US worked with India to block a North Korean Air Koryo jet from flying to Iran from Myanmar on the belief it was carrying missile components. And, of signif-

IAEA official with seals removed from North Korea's Yongbyon plutonium facility, 21 December 2002 © IAEA

icance to likely terrorist acquisition, North Korea’s customers have included Hezbollah and the Tamil Tigers.

The DPRK has also worked with Asian criminal gangs to move narcotics and counterfeit currency globally, and ships contraband using Cypriot and Cambodian flagged carriers.

This poses a threat of terrorists in the region obtaining materials via the same networks.

Southeast Asia has become an increasing focus

Southeast Asia has become an increasing focus for proliferation: centrifuge production facilities in Malaysia supplied nuclear equipment via the Khan network to Libya’s covert weapons programme AUGUST 2009

In early December 2008 a report by the US Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism concluded: "It is more likely than not that a weapon of mass destruction will be used in a terrorist attack somewhere in the world by the end of 2013." In recent years warnings like this by government and other authorities that terrorists are likely to use chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) weapons in the near future have become so frequent that outside observers are becoming sceptical. Attacks continue to feature conventional explosives that have been favoured by terrorists and insurgents for several decades.

As the Bali bombings of 2002 testify, Asia is tragically familiar with terrorist activity. The three-day shootings in Mumbai in November 2008 involved even more basic weapons, albeit in a sophisticated attack in terms of preparation and training. However, while the CBRN threat in Asia has focused in recent years and during the present time on national capabilities, the crises concerning North Korea and Pakistan may result in the spread of nonconventional means of terrorist attack against civilians.

Radical groups, including Al Qaeda, are growing in Southeast Asia and as they are countered or defeated in a theatre of war, such as Afghanistan, they spread their influence elsewhere. Tourist spots are likely targets, as are transit and transportation systems.

But it is widely viewed that Al Qaeda is long on intent and short on technical capa-

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bilities to achieve a ‘CBR’ – let alone an ‘N’ – attack, so they persist in using traditional explosives. The most likely non-conventional scenario is a limited attack using common chemicals or smuggled radiological materials. Between 1988 and 2006 more than 1000 chemical incidents occurred in South Korea, a booming period for the chemical industry in that country. Radiological possibilities may emerge from criminal and terrorist acquisition of civilian radioisotopes from Southeast Asian smuggling routes.

Pakistani instability and ‘loose nukes’ In Pakistan the immediate fear is that, due to further incursions of the Taleban and Al Qaeda into Pakistan’s territory and basic infrastructure, nuclear weapons or components will fall into their hands. The Pakistan government (and the US, particularly Gen. David Petraeus) insists its nuclear arsenal is secure, that the chances of the Taleban acquiring, let alone setting off, a nuclear weapon is very small. The Pakistani army is not likely to let the Taliban

PSI Maritime interdiction exercise SEA SABRE (Arabian Sea 2003) Spanish Special Forces on the USNS Saturn (US Navy)

take control of Pakistan proper or seize Pakistan's nuclear weapons, as it jealously guards its reputation. Even if the insurgents seized an area where warheads were stored, the nuclear command system would make it almost impossible to launch one.

However, concerns still abound over the way nuclear warhead and missile components and are separated, with several locations located in areas of rising instability. The possibility of terrorist capture of components may occur if the Pakistani military decide to move them, making convoys vulnerable to capture.

While the Al Qaeda-allied militant insurgency in the Swat Valley on Buner's northern boundary has been increasingly countered by Pakistani forces during May, bomb and other attacks are intensifying in key cities. A chief fear is that an extremist government in Pakistan could provide other terrorists throughout the world with safe havens, training, explosives and nonconventional components and materials, and logistics support.

Pakistan already has a noted track record in nuclear proliferation, heralded by the A Q Khan transcontinental black market in nuclear technology. Pakistan’s CW and BW capabilities are not fully known, but its nuclear capacity – and the possibility at least of radiological attack – is foremost in this nightmare scenario.

The RDD or a non-explosive radiological dispersal event (RDE) is a far greater threat than a nuclear attack. A RDD would be cobbled together from conventional explosive and a radioactive source. There is a real danger militants could exploit chaos in Pakistan to hijack or steal enough radioactive material to build such devices, which when exploded, do not signal anything other than a conventional IED unless detection equipment is used to measure radioactivity, or civilian health workers note symptoms and causes of death due to radiation injury. Of great concern is that Taliban or al Qaeda sympathisers could infiltrate nuclear facilities and steal highly enriched uranium or other radioactive material.

Countermeasures: intercepting WMD South Korea's full entry into the US-initiated

Radiological possibilities may emerge from criminal and terrorist acquisition of civilian radioisotopes from Southeast Asian smuggling routes 20

ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW

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Pakistan’s CW and BW capabilities are not fully known, but its nuclear capacity – and the possibility at least of radiological attack – is foremost in this nightmare scenario

The SAIC radiological monitor is an integral part of the Megaports Initiative screening for illicit nuclear materials being shipped into ports © SAIC

Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), which allows the interception of ships at sea suspected of carrying CBRN weapons or CBRNrelated materials, means that it will play a bigger role in enforcement to prevent the North from selling weapons and related technology to other countries or terror groups.

The Republic of Korea (ROK) government had delayed joining the programme due to fears about how North Korea might respond, but the May nuclear test finally propelled it into membership. North Korea’s response was, indeed, predictable: that South Korea's entry is seen as “a declaration of undisguised

confrontation and a declaration of a war."

As a voluntary coalition of national governments that agree to collaborate against the illicit transfer of all WMD-related materials to nation states and non-state actors, enforcing sanctions and intercepting the means of delivery (which in practice has meant mostly ballistic missiles from North Korea), PSI is of substantial importance. It was North Korean proliferation which sparked its launch in 2003 – after a merchant ship, the So San, sailing under the North Korean flag, was intercepted in December 2002 by Spanish maritime patrols in the Mediterranean following alerts

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CBRN DEFENCE

by their US colleagues that the vessel was carrying ballistic missiles.

North Korea has long been a primary PSI target, in terms of intelligence gathering, collaboration to detect financial transactions that might involve WMD-related sales, and the denial of export licenses or transit rights for transactions, as well as maritime interdiction.

Several early PSI maritime exercises in Asia appeared to be designed to pressurise Pyongyang to curtail its WMD-related activities. China, North Korea’s main ally and benefactor, however, still declines to join the PSI – the most significant omission, as the air route between Iran and North Korea traverses China.

Other US-led countermeasures include the Megaports Initiative, which invites chokepoint ports around the world to install portal monitors for radiological detection of arriving and departing ships and containers. Portal installations have come under criticism from US government watchdogs in recent months, in terms of technical effectiveness, but the methods of examining cargo also depends on international collaboration, training of port officials and maintaining vigilance without holding up export and import traffic. There are several Asian participants where installations are complete: Hong Kong, Singapore, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Thailand, with implementation underway in China and Taiwan.

South Korea is also engaged in counter-terrorism on several levels. It has arrested 74 foreign suspects from 2003 to 2008, most of whom were South Asian or Southeast Asian Muslims involved in collecting information on American military forces in South Korea, or planning terror attacks against non-Koreans and South Koreans (as occurred recently in Yemen on 16 March, when an Al Qaeda bomb claimed the lives of four South Koreans). Some have been caught involved in criminal activities that were apparently to provide funds for terrorists. In May 2009, to boost the country’s participation in international anti-terrorism campaigns the ROK announced plans to introduce legislation to allow authorities to confiscate funds and assets related to terrorist activities.

So far, attacks in other countries, such as The Philippines and Thailand, have involved IEDs and other conventional means to date.

In South Thailand, jihadi terrorist elements are increasing and intensifying operations, inspired chiefly by the Harkat-ul-Jihad-alIslami (HUJI), which has a presence both in Bangladesh and Pakistan, and the Lashkar-e-

22

Bioterrorism is difficult to attribute as it is hard to trace the source and origin of disease Toiba (LET), which has a presence only in Pakistan and not in Bangladesh. Al Qaeda links are also growing, with Al Qaeda's main strategic interest being to use South Thai groups for acts of maritime terrorism in the Malacca Straits.

Singapore – gold standard prevention The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) has set up new containment and detection teams to enhance protection against radiological weapons. It has also procured specialised radiological equipment, including a customised vehicle fitted with integrated detectors and software for wide-area monitoring. All SCDF first responders are equipped with detectors to identify suspect materials and substances as well as individually issued radiological dosimeters for personal monitoring.

Bioterrorism is difficult to attribute as it is hard to trace the source and origin of disease to identify which agent caused which symptoms, and track its progress within a population and potentially across borders and continents. The SARS epidemic, originating in China, is viewed as a ‘dry run’ for a biological attack (or pandemic swine flu, which looks far more likely to pose a challenge in the coming weeks and months). Medical workers, and later governments, may be alerted to a breakout of unusual symptoms or disease clusters but the time taken to confirm their cause may stretch to weeks, if not months.

North Korea is believed to have developed the microorganisms that cause anthrax and plague, and it is likely that South Korea and other Asian countries will combine health Attack drill in Tokyo, March 1995.

monitoring – for SARS, avian flu, and swine flu. But these methods and techniques will also be applied to bioterrorist-related organisms, such as anthrax and Y. Pestis – through permanent bio-detectors using state-of-the-art techniques - Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and Raman technology.

The SCDF’s biodetection capabilities enable field sampling, detection and identification at site. The main regular threat comes from “white powder” incidents, which require field detection and identification at incident sites.

Most incidents are harmless, but first-responder experience in dealing with them saves time in expensive laboratory analysis. The Force uses biodetection and verification equipment, utilising technologies such as DNA fluorescence, immunoassay and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). A vehicle is deployed to peform tests on hazardous materials (hazmat).

Besides conducting biological field tests, SCDF responders also screen for the presence of radiological or chemical agents, particularly widely available toxic industrial chemicals (TICs). The SCDF closely monitors its licensing and regulations to prevent potential misuse of security-sensitive materials. It is also examining acoustic technology and nanotechnology for inspection of sealed containers to identify liquid and bulk solid contents, including chemical warfare agents and industrial reagents.

Live agent training is often conducted, using the radiological agent, Technetium-99m, the sarin simulant DMMP, chlorine, and ammonia.

These provide realism to drills and exercises, allowing responders to record actual readings on their detectors.

In June the US National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) concluded a series of nuclear emergency training sessions involving more than 100 participants from the Singapore government and medical professions. Training included a radiological search workshop to help improve the ability of local authorities to search for, detect, and identify illicit radiological materials; fission meter training to train personnel on equipment that identifies and pinpoints nuclear and radiological material in shipping containers; and radiation medical emergency training to provide medical personnel with procedures to address radiation emergencies and minimize contamination.

Sarin in Tokyo – lessons learned Lessons have been learned from the most lethal civilian CBRN attack in the region to date - the Aum Shinrikyo sarin attacks on the Tokyo sub-

ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW

CBRN DEFENCE

way system in March 1995, which killed 12, injured almost 1,000, and exposed some 5,000 citizens - many with lasting effects. The attacks also injured many emergency responders who were insufficiently trained and kitted out to deal with mass casualties in several simultaneous chemical attacks.

Had Aum used a 100 percent sarin solution, not the 30 percent they had manufactured in industrial quantities, many more would have been killed - including secondarily exposed prehospital and medical staff. Therefore, decontamination facilities have been established, as well as the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in pre-hospital and hospital service.

In 1995 the heavily structured nature of Japanese society meant that fire departments, police, metropolitan governments, and hospitals acted independently without co-ordination. After the attack, the Japanese government developed the Severe Chemical Hazard Response Team, and the Prime Minister's office created a National Security and Crisis Management Office which conducts hazmat drills on a regular basis.

Variations in readiness

Unprotected first responders take victims to hospital after the Tokyo sarin attacks in 1995.

Singapore and Japan are examples of countries in the region with superior levels of preparedness, but in terms of full CBRN readiness, many other Asian countries have insufficient money and resources

Singapore and Japan are examples of countries in the region with superior levels of preparedness, but in terms of full CBRN readiness, many other Asian countries have insufficient money and resources. Therefore, in the next few years more standardization of procedures and equipment is likely. Experience of the SARS epidemic means some countries have contingency plans for a chemical or biological attack (using the SARS experience) than others.

While a CBRN attack is a low probability, even a small-scale chemical or radiological attack would not only be costly in terms of lives lost, but would necessitate expensive cleanup operations and result in increased public fear – the main aim of all terrorists – as well as loss of economic viability, especially in poor areas, and a decline in tourism. Despite economic pressures governments in the region may need to become more proactive in contingency planning for what, it is hoped, will never happen – but if it did, the consequences would be catastrophic for the target AMR country and the region as a whole.

S P A C E COMMUNICATIONS

Affordable Military Space The latest Ariane 5 launcher is highly capable, reliable but nonetheless expensive option and not always appropriate for all countries’ space needs © Astrium

Space based communications and reconnaissance capabilities are quite literally rocket science.

Balancing the variables of capability of payload, duration in orbit and combinations of ownership, leasing and independence of use is difficult.

Delivering that capability in an affordable solution only increases the challenge but is a vital obstacle to overcome, if genuinely nationally owned and independently accessed capabilities are to be spread beyond a relatively exclusive group of nations. The costs of ‘space’ are indeed high, the US Transformational Satellite programme for example, received $3.5billion in development funding alone before its recent cancellation.

by Adam Baddeley 24

ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW

S P A C E COMMUNICATIONS

he strategic impetus for a national space capability derives from a variety of sources. Achieving a genuinely indigenous knowledge base and expertise to develop a space capability from design to launch and critically, operate it once in orbit, is a key differentiator in terms of prestige both regionally and globally, irrespective of the undoubted strategic capabilities it bestows.

Determining the details of the space solution is a multi-dimensional problem, trading off the size of the satellite versus the complexity of the payload - the number of frequency bands, the resolution of the remote sensing package and whether military payloads are shared with civil capabilities on the same satellite. Another barrier to entry is the cost of launch. Arianespace’s Ariane 5 rocket was used to launch both the UK’s 4.7 tonne Skynet 5A military satellite and India's 2.1 tonne INSAT 4B communications satellite on the same rocket. Toward the other end of the spectrum, a Soyuz launcher can launch a couple of tonnes into a geo-transfer orbit and there are also several launchers developed for satellites which weigh just several hundred kilogrammes.

Launch costs are highly variable too; the cost for larger multi-tonne geo-stationary

T

Smaller, cheaper satellites are part of drive amongst some users for greater redundancy orbit (GEO) solution conservatively begins at $50 million and can rise far above this. In contrast, a small, low earth orbit (LEO) solution can be launched for $10 million. It is not a linear calculation. With the right knowledge however, much better deals can be achieved but this depends on how much risk customers are willing to take. For example, statistically, new launcher variants are recognised as being as being riskier and positions on board such first launches can be obtained for less.

Another complication is US ITAR compliance. For example, satellites containing US technology cannot be launched on China’s low-cost Long March rockets and to date it is only Thales Alenia Space who offer an ITAR-free satellite solution.

Smaller, cheaper satellites are part of drive amongst some users for greater redundancy. While satellites are never

expendable, some are easier to replace than others. With the US, China and Russia all either developing or renewing Anti-Satellite capabilities, and a general increase in space debris causing unintentional damage to satellites, lower cost satellites of which several can be acquired affordably, offer less systemic risk. Ironically, small satellites are harder to track and potentially could cause more problems than they solve.

The life of a satellite it also critical, the UK’s Skynet 5 is designed for a 15 year life, but design margins increase the duration significantly above that. To achieve that longevity, the cost of hardening components and systems rises exponentially. In contrast, a satellite that is planned to last for five years could comfortably use cheaper COTS components.

Flying and managing the satellite once in orbit is not a trivial capability either. This requires industrial support at the ground segment level in terms of training and long term support. Astrium’s SSTL subsidiary for example provides an integrated package reflecting its origin in academia and future users of the firm’s satellites can attend the

Pleïades is a global constellation of small, agile satellites developed by Astrium for CNES and includes both an optical and a radar component © Astrium

AUGUST 2009

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space training course at the University of Surrey, helping to create national space knowledge for the future.

band transponders. Australia already obtains much of its UHF requirement commercially through solutions such as Leaseat 5 and Optus C1.

Communications capability Use of commercial satcom for deployed and domestic military missions is the norm.

Roughly 85 percent of US military communications are provided by commercial satellites, the rest of the world is an equally eager consumer of this resource. The differentiators in terms of independence of use derive from its exclusive use versus those countries that use commercial satcom as a supplement to hardened military communications satellites.

Access to military satcom has grown significantly with advent of leased milsatcom through the Paradigm Skynet 5 contract with the UK, which comprises a three strong constellation and the US based XTAR offering. Both solutions offer military Xband communications to government customers around the world, with even the US recently leasing transponder space with both companies.

In addition to leased milsatcom, countries in the region are seeking to reduce costs by sharing real estate on the same satellite with commercial payloads.

KoreaSAT 5, is South Korea’s first satellite to host an explicitly military payload, although a civil package is also operating from the bird. Launched in 2006 with a 15 year life, this satellite is based on a Spacebus-4000C1 satellite from the then Alcatel Space and uses technologies from France’s Syracuse III family of milsatcom satellites. A joint civil military capability it offers SHF to the military and C-band and Ku for civil communciations, with a total of 36 transponders offered.

In 2009 Australia announced that it would host a UHF satcom payload on a Boeing Spacecraft being launched under the aegis of Intelsat. To be launched in 2012, the cost of the solution including 15 years operation is put at $167 million. For civil users Intelsat will host large numbers of C and Ku

Earth observation Access to satellite communications is fairly typical. Surveillance from space is much less common although demand is increasing as the costs shrink. There are currently over 40 remote sensing satellites in orbit and perhaps another 100 planned to be launched.

Independent space assets provide assured access. Obtaining commercial imagery is lower cost but lacks guarantees.

Almost all of the companies who supply commercial systems have constraints on delivery time for data. So, depending the customer, there may be a 24 hour to a week-long delay on providing imagery of a

Access to satellite communications is fairly typical.

Surveillance from space is much less common although demand is increasing as the costs shrink 26

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Australia is unique in joining the US Wideband Global Satcom programme as a means of meeting its satcom needs © Boeing

The three strong Skynet 5 constellation offers leased military X-band sitcom to a wide variety of customers across the globe © Paradigm

S P A C E COMMUNICATIONS

particular location. At a time of tension or conflict, access is likely to be censored or shut off completely at a time when it is most needed.

Where the satellite is located is also critical. Almost all commercial surveillance satellites are in sub synchronous orbit between 500-800km above the earth, going over both poles 15 times each day. This orbit was chosen in order to maintain a certain constancy with the sun’s angle to the satellite, related to power collection and thermal control.

The polar orbit also has the advantage that as the earth rotates, the satellite will pass over the whole of the earth. While the satellite passes over the poles 15 times a day, at the equator, the number of revisits are much fewer. If the satellite is tasked with imaging a particular location on the earth on the equator, in a worst case scenario the time between revisits can be as long as three days. For nations seeking global reach, this is optimal, for countries seeking regional coverage it is not.

IAI/MBT Space Division’s OPTSAT 3000 is a follow on to the Ofeq family of surveillance satellites and uses high-resolution Panchromatic & Multi-Spectral imaging cameras © AJB

By owning a satellite, the exact placement of the satellite’s orbit can be adjusted to ensure that specific areas are overflown more frequently to get a much higher revisit rate. In a best case scenario, a low flying, near equatorial orbit (NEO) will ensure that

the satellite passes over the same location of the equator as many as 15 times a day.

Malaysia for example is scheduled to launch an optical satellite developed by local firm Astronautic Technology called RazakSAT using Space Exploration Technologies’ (SpaceX) Falcon 1 Flight 5 launch vehicle near Kwajalein Atoll. A NEO remote sensing satellite would for example be able to image the whole of Malaysia in less than week because of the high revisit rate.

Optical systems are cheaper and simpler to operate but have a major problem in the equatorial region as closed coverage cloud, covers roughly 80 percent of the sky across the majority of the Tropics.

One solution to the cloud cover issue has been to use imaging radar, which can see though obscurants. This has traditionally been an expensive option but with considerable work done to improve accessibility and simplify costs, a nascent market for this type of solution in the region and elsewhere has arisen and is growing.

S P A C E COMMUNICATIONS

In the Middle East, three members of the Gulf Co-operation Council; Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates issued a request for a satellite capability which included radar imaging. Known as Hud Hud, the procurement subsequently collapsed due to internal wranglings.

Astrium, working with SSTL has developed AstraSAR an X-band system capable of resolution of down to 1m in a NEO at roughly half the price than the firms more capable TerraSAR solution an X-band radar sat launched in 2007 with imagery sold commercially through Infoterra in Germany. The latter radar provides 1m resolution spot map imagery, 3m resolution strip map and has a ten percent duty cycle.

Satellites operate by storing power in batteries and radar satellites in particular, consume lots of power and uses a portion of the orbit - in the case of TerraSAR ten percent - to image the earth. An optical satellite doesn’t have the same power demands of a radar sensor and so can

Israel has developed a considerable market share in payload technologies, originally developed for independent national strategic reasons on a modest budget image for longer. AstraSAR offers identical spot and strip map resolution although the swath distances are narrower – 20km compared to 30km for TerraSAR and the duty cycle 4.5 percent.

AstraSAR offers a special technique for maritime surveillance which provides a wider swath out to 900km, claimed to the widest currently available on the market.

Israel has developed a considerable market share in payload technologies, originally developed for independent national strategic reasons on a modest budget, it has gained a number of signifi-

IAI’s TECSAR family of earth observation satellites provide an all weather day night imaging capability © AJB

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cant export successes.

A major impetus to payload efficacies in Israeli space programmes has been physics.

Strategic payloads have traditionally been launched from the Palmahim airbase on the Mediterranean coast and must be launched westward, requiring either a larger launcher or a smaller payload. El-Op claim that like for like, the cost of their space observation payloads are as much as 50 percent less than their competitors and noted that there was interest in the US for this very reason.

Israel spends roughly $100m annually on space and is currently funding only one new satellite in the near future, the Ofeq-C. Israel is also considered equity funding of military space to launch a constellation of sub-400Kg mini-satellites.

Imagesat International is a joint venture between US firm Core Software Technology and IAI and Elbit and uses imagery from the latter’s EROS optical satellites. Singapore is widely reported to have an agreement with Israel to use this satellite under a $1billion plus arrangement. Israel has also made use of non-Israeli launchers, using an Indian sourced solution to launch its new IAI TecSAR satellite, launched in January 2008.

S P A C E COMMUNICATIONS

Israel also uses F-15s to launch the very smallest satellites, affordably.

El-Op has secured a number of successes in earth observation realm. The Venus space camera a super spectral, 12 band sensor which is being supplied to the French space agency CNES under a contract signed in 2007 for delivery in 2010 and is designed to scan for vegetation and water resources.

Another European deal has been the supply of a hyper spectral camera to Italy for a dual use implementation, following a MoU signed in April with the Italian space agency. Earth observation satellites are typically placed in an orbit 500-800km above the earth and orbit around the world fifteen times a day in a sun synchronous orbit.

Even small, high resolution satellites such as Taiwan’s Formosat-2, generate roughly 30 terabytes of imagery per year.

This needs sorting efficiently. To process data from satellites quickly and effectively Inforterra have developed the Pixel Factory product which can manipulate data at high speeds to generate detailed mapping applications from satellite imagery. The software is acquired as a license with even Google recently becoming a licensee, illustrating how commercially available software is available cheaply at roughly €5-6m for a license.

Low cost remote viewing is being pursued under the US Operationally Responsive Space initiative and is at the polar opposite of the traditional US propensity for highly capable, but extremely expensive satellites. Smaller simpler satellites are now in vogue, down in size to the Picosat class of satellites, weighing as little as 100g.

In the US, Sierra Nevada’s MicroSat division is leading commercial participation in the US Air force’s work such as the TacSat programme. In May this year, the $80m TacSat 3 was launched by NASA with a payload to be used for battle damage assessment and sonobuoy experimentation. Some argue that US industry are playing catch up with other manufacturers who have been pursuing low-cost, small-size satellites for many years as a financial necessity rather than in pursuit of military advantage. The US goal is to be able to design, build and launch a satel-

Recent payloads on board the GeoEye-1 for example launched in September 2008 carry an optic payload capable of 1.65m resolution in colour lite in a week and is seeking generic solutions that would allow them to do this. This mass production of satellites, initially for high-end military use will inevitably provide cost reductions for other nations.

The US currently has a plan to launch a satellite to cover the Middle East in 2010 with a service life of two years using COTS components. Commercial surveillance systems can be militarily useful. The US Space based Imagery Collection (Basic) programme is designed to provide 1.1m resolution optical

surveillance satellites, using commerciallydeveloped payloads as a gap filler as more capable military systems have become delayed or too costly. Recent payloads on board the GeoEye-1 for example launched in September 2008 carry an optic payload capable of 1.65m resolution in colour.

Even the UK, which hitherto relied on US military sourced imagery, has mulled the implementation of a SSTL-300 satellite based solution known as SkySight, offering sub 1m resolution for its optical payload, designed for several years of operation and launched using a SpaceX Falcon -1E launcher, the total solution is valued at $165million. If the system is adopted, it is seen as a step to the future acquisition of space based radar, imaging infrared and sigint capabilities by the UK. France has committed to establishing a SIGINT constellation by 2015, after launchA MR ing the Essaim satellites in 2007.

Irrespective of the strategic benefits spacebased communications and surveillance offer, the ability of a nation to develop and launch such capabilities independently is undoubtedly prestigious © DoD

AUGUST 2009

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Breaking Down

The Night Critical to success in the contemporary operational environment is the ability for the infantry to operate effectively at night; observing, acquiring and accurately engaging a range of targets.

by Ian Kemp

An Australian soldier wearing night vision goggles the streets of Dili. The use of night vision equipment gave the peacekeepers a significant advantage over local militia groups in Timor-Leste. (ADF)

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A US Army paratrooper scans for threats using his AN/PVS-14 Monocular Night Vision Device during a patrol in eastern Baghdad, Iraq. The system is produced by both ITT and L-3.(US Army)

hree categories of night vision systems are available for dismounted soldiers: weapon sights; helmet- or head-mounted single or dual-tube night vision goggles and, handheld devices, some of which can be mounted on small tripods for extended surveillance missions.

The US Army, the US Marine Corps and the US Special Operations Command have spent billions of dollars since the start of the Global War on Terror to field these capabilities.

In May 2002 the US Army launched its Omnibus VI project to field new image intensification (I2) systems using new third generation (Gen 3) technology. Under the original five-year contract ITT supplied 60 percent of the ground NV systems, and 100 percent of the aviation component, while Northrop Grumman (L-3 EOS since April 2008) supplied the remaining 40 percent of the ground component.

More than 600,000 AN/PVS-14 (the designation stands for Army/Navy Portable Visual Search) Monocular Night Vision Devices have been fielded to replace the AN/PVS-7D NVG with deliveries continuing; the US Marine Corps alone has stated a requirement for 625,000 NVGs. The AN/PVS-14 is a lightweight helmet- or head-mounted device which uses a Gen 3 I2 tube enabling the user to distinguish targets at range up to 150 metres. It is designed for use in conjunction with weaponmounted Multifunctional Aiming Lights (MFAL) such as the AN/PEQ-21, AN/PEQ-15 and AN/PEQ-15A, and an adaptor enables the soldier to mount the monocular on weapons fitted the MIL-STD- 1913 ‘Picatinny’ rail. One AA battery provides about 15 hours of life at moderate temperatures. The AN/PVS-14 weighs 400g. ITT has supplied the AN/PVS-14 to US allies such as Canada and the UK; in August 2008 the UK Ministry of Defence

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awarded ITT a $23 million contract for additional units, designated the Head-Mounted Night Vision System.

In mid-2008 the US Army began fielding the ‘leap ahead’ AN/PSQ-20 Enhanced Night Vision Goggles (ENVG) to supplement and eventually replace the AN/PVS-14. The ENVG is a helmet-mounted passive device that combines I2 and thermal imaging (TI) technology to produce an image in low-light conditions and through obscurants such as smoke and fog. An I2 device captures ambient light from the stars, moon or manmade ‘sky glow’ and amplifies this light thousands of times by electronic means to create a phosphor image in NV systems. The advantages of I2 systems are their light weight, small size, low power consumption and low cost. Thermal imagers gather the electro-magnetic radiation emitted as heat by humans, animals, man-made objects and most natural objects to present an electronic image.

As TI technology does not rely on ambient light these systems can ‘see’ in the darkest night as well as through fog, haze and smoke. The technology incorporated in the ENVG superimposes a thermal image over an I2 image to create an integrated picture.

ITT received a five-year contract, potentially worth $560 million, in April 2005 to produce the ENVG after an evaluation by the army’s Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate of competing systems in five different operational scenarios: target detection in an urban terrain environment; target detection in a woodland environment; target detection dur-

ing a tunnel-clearing exercise with no light; target detection in an open field; and, negotiation of obstacles while wearing the equipment. The AN/PSQ-20 is compatible with MFALs. The army’s Fiscal Year 2010 (FY10) budget request includes $299 million to procure more than 19,000 ENVGs many of which will be fielded to special operations forces.

Early in the next decade the ENVG (D) is expected to ready for fielding.

According to the US Army’s Project Manager Soldier Equipment this “digital upgrade package for ENVG will take advantage of image processing techniques to improve image clarity and situational awareness for the soldier. A digital system lends itself to the battlefield of the future with the ability to import and export digital files (data/map injection).”

In parallel with NVG, the US Army is fielding the AN/PAS-13 Thermal Weapon Sight II (TWS II) family which mounts on individual and crew-served weapons enabling soldiers to engage targets “to the maximum effective The US Army has now begun fielding ITT’s AN/PSQ-20 Enhanced Night Vision Goggle which optically combines an image intensification image with a next-generation infrared image. (US Army)

As TI technology does not rely on ambient light these systems can ‘see’ in the darkest night as well as through fog, haze and smoke AUGUST 2009

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The US Army’s AN/PAS-13 Thermal Weapon Sight II family is produced in three variants - the Light Weapon Thermal Sight, the Medium Weapon Thermal Sight and the Heavy Weapon Sight – for use on a variety of individual and crew served weapons. (BAE Systems)

range of the weapon” according to PM Soldier Equipment. This follows the first generation TWS produced by Raytheon and fielded in light, medium and heavy versions from 20022006. In March 2004, the US Army Communications-Electronics Command awarded a base contract for the development and production of uncooled AN/PAS-13D TWS II sights to DRS Optronics of Palm Bay, Florida, with a second source contract given to BAE Systems of Nashua, New Hampshire to produce AN/PAS-13C TWS II sights. Kobin Corporation supplies its CyberDisplay 640M, which provides a 640x480-pixel liquid crystal display, to both companies. To meet demand the Army qualified Raytheon Network Centric Systems as a third supplier and in July 2007 awarded each of the companies indefinite delivery-indefinite quantity contracts with a combined potential value of more than $6.5 billion to supply TWS II sights over a five year period. The army bought more than 37,300 sights in FY08, 41,250 in FY09 and in FY10 is seeking to acquire about 30,000 sights According to the Army, “TWS II systems offer a minimum 20 percent longer range at roughly two-thirds the weight and 50 percent power savings over the legacy TWS systems”.

The TWS II is produced in three configurations: the Light Weapon Thermal Sight (LWTS) which is mounted on the 5.56mm M4 carbine/M16 rifle series and the M136 light antiarmour weapon; the Medium Weapon Thermal Sight (MWTS) designed for use with the 5.56mm M249 Squad Automatic Weapon and 7.62mm M240B medium machine gun; and, the Heavy Weapon Thermal Sight (HWTS) designed for use by squad leaders equipped with the M4/M16, snipers and sup-

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port weapons crews armed with the .50 calibre M2HB heavy machine gun or 40mm Mk 19 Mod 3 automatic crew launcher. The user can recognise a human at 500m using the 860g LTWS, 1.2Km using the 1.32Kg MTWS and 3.7Km using the 2.5Kg HTWS. The user can detect a vehicle at 4.2Km using the normal field of view on the MWTS while the HTWS can detect a vehicle at 6.9Km. Using the wide of field of view these ranges are reduced to 1.5Km and 2.8Km respectively.

In conjunction with the fielding of the new Knight's Armament Company 7.62mm M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System US Army snipers are being issued the company’s AN/PVS-26 Sniper Night Sight that mounts in front of the Day Optic Sight enabling them to engage targets out to 600 metres. The service plans to field a Future Short Range Sniper Night Sight (SNS) for use with the M110 and a Future Long Range SNS for use with its .50 calibre rifles that will allow ‘operations 24 hours per day, in all weather, in obscured battlefield conditions’. Funding has been requested in FY10 to initiate the procurement of both sights.

USMC snipers are now being equipped with the AN/PVS-27 Individual Weapon Night Sight-Thermal (IWNS-T) following the selection of Optical Systems Technology Inc’s Magnum Universal Night Sight (MUNS) to meet the Scout Sniper Mid-Range Night Sight requirement. In December 2006 the Marine Corps Systems Command awarded the company a five year indefinite-delivery/indefinitequantity contract that could eventually be worth $40 million to supply 4,700 sights. The 1.45Kg sight is mounted in front of the weapon’s day sight, enabling a soldier to detect a human at more than 1.3Km in starlight conditions and a vehicle at about 3.1Km. The sight

The Recon III uses both a long-wave, uncooled imager and high-sensitivity, midwave InSb sensor for longrange viewing ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW

is powered by two AA batteries which provide over 60 hours of use in optimum conditions.

The MUNS is already used by British and Canadian special forces.

In October 2007 FLIR Systems received a $48 million contract to supply its new lightweight Recon III LocatIR TI binoculars to meet the USSOCOM’s Hand Held ImagingLong Range (HHI-LR) requirement. The Recon III uses both a long-wave, uncooled imager and high-sensitivity, mid-wave InSb sensor for long-range viewing. Features include a picture-over-picture capability for situational awareness, digital zoom, a laser pointer, a digital magnetic compass and a GPS link. The Recon III ObservIR binoculars provide the full functionality of the LocatIR less the geo-location capabilities.

Qioptiq UK, formed in 2005 when Candover Investments acquired Thales High Tech Optics, is one of Europe’s leading optronics companies. NV products include: ● The Kite I2 weapon sight, intended for use on short and medium range weapons, was developed to meet the needs of the British Army and now in service in more than 50 countries. It weighs 990g, excluding its two AA batteries, and provides x4 magnification enabling the user to recognise a standing man at 500m in starlight conditions. ● The MaxiKite-2 is designed for longer range weapons such as 7.62 mm and .50 calibre machine guns; x6 magnification enables recognition of a standing man at 750m in starlight. The sight weights 1.36Kg and is powered by two AA batteries which provide up to 70 hours of life. ● The 1X Sniperkite I2 sight is designed to be used with the Schmidt & Bender range of day sights although it is compatible with ‘most’ other rifle scopes. Sniperkite weighs less than 1.5Kg and is the 250 mm long. Two AA batteries provide up to 100 hours of continuous use. ● The x3 Vipir TI sight is designed for use on 5.56mm weapons enabling the soldier to acquire a man at ranges of 400 to 600m.

Four AA batteries provide six hours of use at moderate temperatures. ● The Vipir-2 TI sight is intended for use on 5.56mm, 7.62mm and .50 calibre weapons and enables the user to detect a man at ranges up to 1,200m. It is available with a 9° field of view x2.7 magnification or a 6.5° field of view x3.6 magnification. ● The SVipir-2+, introduced in 2007, is optimised to be mounted in front of Schmidt &

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Qioptiq’s VIPIR-2 TI sight, shown here mounted on a Minimi 5.56 mm light machine gun, is in service with the Australian and British armies.

Bender day sights enabling snipers to detect a man at up to 1,500m. The sight weighs less than 1.5Kg and is powered by four AA batteries which provide up to six hours of use.

For the British Army’s Synergistic Individual Surveillance & Target Acquisition (SISTA) urgent operational requirement (UOR), Qioptiq delivered 450 modified Viper2 sights in 2007 which were immediately fielded with units in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Modifications to the VIPIR2+(FIST) include longer range performance, mounting rails for integration of the SISTA close quarter battle sight, addition of an infrared laser pointer and specific aiming marks tailored to meet the various section weapon requirements.

Additional orders are anticipated to achieve the army’s Future Integrated Soldier Technology (FIST) programme objective of equipping two soldiers in every four-man

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fire team with thermal sights. To meet the Sniper Thermal Imaging Capability British snipers are now being equipped with the SVipir-2+ for use on a variety of rifles. The SViper-2+ has also been bought by Jordan and an undisclosed NATO country.

Thales Australia, acting as prime contractor to the Australian Defence Forces, recently received the last of 350 Vipir-2 sights ordered for Phase 2B of the Australian Army’s Land 125 Soldier Enhancement Programme.

Mounted on the F88 Austeyr 5.56mm assault rifle these sights will equip the first enhanced battalion and further orders are likely to equip other units.

The Land & Joint Systems division of Thales produces several NV systems for dismounted applications. The Lightweight Universal Night Observation System (LUNOS) family consists of a common body, several high speed objectives with different magnification factors (1X, 4X and 6X) and a number of options, such as face mask, grip, monopod and reticle for 6X. The accessories enable the LUNOS to be configured as lightweight binocular 1X magnifica-

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tion NVGs and reconfigured as a long range, tripod mounted 6X surveillance device in only one minute. Thales sold more than 6,000 Sophie handheld TI binoculars to military, paramilitary and public service agencies in more than 45 countries. Sophie weighs 2.4Kg and can be mounted on a tripod for extended surveillance missions. The user can detect a human at more than 5Km and a vehicle at more than 10Km. The Sophie MF (MultiFunction) combines the features of the Sophie with an eye-safe laser rangefinder, a GPS, a direction finder and a laser pointing system.

The system weighs less than 3.5Kg. The MUNOS (Multiple Use Night Observation and Aiming Sights) family of night sights is also based on a modular approach. The common Tube Module with standard I2 tube can be used with the short range 4X WS4, medium range 6X WS6 or long range 10X WS 10 Body Module.

In 2007 Thales launched the MINIE (for For the French Army’s FELIN soldier modernisation project Sagem is providing a comprehensive night vision capability including the JIM MR (Medium Range) target acquisition and surveillance binoculars (front) and an uncooled TI sight for the FAMAS 5.56mm assault rifle. (Sagem)

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Miniaturised Night I n t e n s i f i e d Equipment) D NVG intended as a replacement for the earlier Lucie NVG more than 45,000 of which have been sold to customers in 23 countries. Thales claims the system provides a 30 percent reduction in weight in This FELIN-equipped French Army sniper has the Sagem Lunette FRF2 sighted mounted on his 7.62mm FRF2 rifle. (Sagem) comparison to current NVGs while providing a 20 percent improveJena-Optronik has developed ment in optical performance achieving a resothe WBBG handheld multilution ‘higher than existing HDTV’. The Minie D also incorporates an integrated OLED video functional thermal imager which allows external data such as weapon for the IDZ-ES project sight images or maps to be displayed. Sagem Défense Sécurité, prime contractor of the can be mounted on the G36 5.56 mm assault French Army’s FELIN (Fantassin à rifle, the MG4 5.56 mm LMG, the 7.62 mm Equipement et Liaisons INtégrées), announced sniper rifles and the .50 calibre G82 sniper it October 2008 that it had selected the MINIE rifle. The 2.5 kg HuntIR allows a soldier to D for inclusion in the €796 million project to detect a man at ranges up to 1,500 m. To meet deliver 31,600 FELIN soldier systems. the requirement for TI sight within the Other NV capabilities being fielded with Infanterist der Zukunft-Erweiertes System FELIN include: (IDZ-ES, Infantryman of the FutureEnhanced System) AIM has upgraded the ● Sagem’s JIM MR (Medium Range) and JIM LR (Long Range) target acquisition and sur- HuntIR to the RangIR configuration by the veillance binoculars which combine NV, addition of a laser range finder and a digital range-finding and a digital magnetic magnetic compass to allow its use with supcompass in a single unit while JIM LR port weapons. Jena-Optronik has developed also provides a laser pointer. Using the the WBBG handheld multifunctional thermal JIM MR a soldier is able imager for the IDZ-ES project.

Norway’s Simrad Optronics develops and to detect a tank at a range of 3.5 km and identify a produces both night sights and NVGs. The tank at a range of 1 km while using KN200 and KN250 I2 sights are designed to the JIM LR these ranges are extend- clip on to telescopic sights, laser rangerfinders and other daylight optical devices to provide a ed to 9 km and 3.5 km. night vision capability. The KN200 weighs ● An I2 sight for use with the FAMAS 5.56mm assault rifle and 1.56Kg and provides a ten degree field of view an uncooled TI sight for use with while the one kilo KN250 provides a 12 degree both the FAMAS and the Minimi field. Both are powered by two AA batteries 5.56mm light machine gun; both which provide more than 80 hours of usage.

Sagem sights incorporate two inde- The USSOCOM has purchased both sights for pendent day/CCD video chan- use on sniper rifles and the Norwegian Army nels giving narrow and wide has bought over 600 KN200s for use on its sniper rifles. The KDN250 combines 3.5X magfields of view. nification binoculars with a KN250 sight to ● Sagem’s Lunette FRF2 sight for the FRF2 7.62mm bolt-action produce night and day observation binoculars. sniper rifle; the sight incorporates Should the user require the KN250 unit can be an uncooled IR channel, a direct removed for use as a night sight. Simrad’s GN view optic and 1,200m range laser series NVGs can be worn on a head or helmet mount and can be flipped up when the user rangefinder.

The German Army has field- does not require them. The NVG weighs 390g, ed more than 400 AIM Infrarot- including two AA batteries, and the head AMR Module HuntIR TI sights which mount weighs 230g.

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SURFACE C O M B A T A N T S

Dynamic Destroyers,

Flexible Frigates: Enduring Roles for Naval Workhorses The last twelve months have witnessed significant activity regarding frigate and destroyer upgrades and purchases in Asia and elsewhere.

Naval fleets around the world are in the process of rejuvenating their fleets and acquiring new vessels. The major factors driving this activity forward appear to be the desire by navies to address emerging threats such as maritime piracy, along with mission requirements such as the participation in multinational task forces aimed at combating terrorism. Furthermore, many navies also require a robust platform to protect other maritime assets such as submarines and amphibious support ships. Frigates also have an important role to play in supporting humanitarian and peacekeeping missions far from home, in addition to the higher-tempo operations discussed above. Meanwhile, concerns about ballistic missile proliferation are prompting several navies to enhance the capabilities of their destroyers in order to address this threat.

by Tom Withington

HMAS Melbourne – The HMAS Melbourne is an ‘Adelaide’-class guided missile frigate of the Royal Australian Navy. These vessels have recently received a substantial upgrade and have returned back to active duty © US Navy

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ome navies, on the other hand are opting to limit the size of their frigate fleets. The South African Navy, for example, has elected not to pursue the purchase of additional ‘Valour’-class Guided Missile Frigates (FFGs), deciding to retain a class size of four combatants. Instead, the navy is planning to acquire offshore patrol vessels to reinforce the fleet, of which it will acquire around six. However, in Asia and Australasia the situation is notably different with several countries around the region pouring significant investment into their frigate and destroyer fleets. The Royal Australian Navy (RAN), for instance, experienced trials and tribulations during the upgrade of its ‘Adelaide’-class FFGs. These ships have undergone an extensive modernisation which is designed to ensure that they remain effective until their retirement in circa 2020. HMAS Sydney and HMAS Melbourne have already returned to service following this upgrade The new systems which outfit the Adelaide ships include the Raytheon SM-2 Block-IIIA weapon, along with the RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile anti-aircraft and anti-missile weapons. The vessels have also received new towed- and hull-mounted sonar, plus upgraded radar, new decoys and combat management systems. The modernisation has also seen the installation of the Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. C-PEARL Electronic Support Measure (ESM).

Furthermore, the RAN is upgrading its ‘ANZAC’-class frigates with all eight vessels undergoing the Anti-Ship Missile Defence programme. This includes the addition of a CEA Technologies CEAFAR three-dimensional (3D) active phased array radar, along with a Northrop Grumman CEAMOUNT continuous wave target illuminator. Other additions include the Sagem Défense Sécurité VampirNG infra-red search and track system. In terms of the RAN’s destroyer fleet, the force is acquiring three (with options for a fourth) ‘Hobart’class Air Warfare Destroyers under the terms of a $6.7 billion contract with Spanish shipbuilder Navantia. These vessels will be outfitted with the Lockheed Martin AN/SPY-1 Aegis air defence radar. The first Hobart vessel should enter service in 2014 with the final unit arriving by 2017. The electronic warfare (EW) equipment for the vessels is still undecided and in March 2009, the Australian Government issued a tender to Spain’s Indra Sistemas AS, Elisra Electronic Systems of Israel, Thales

S

Australia and ITT Corporation to fulfil this requirement. One stipulation for the EW requirement is that it must be satisfied using off-the-shelf equipment.

New Zealand is Australasia’s other user of ANZAC-class frigates, with the Royal New Zealand Navy operating two vessels. An upgrade programme is currently underway for the ships with the installation of new machinery plus the Evolved Sea Sparrow SAM and also the Saab Sea Giraffe 3-D radar.

Accompanying these systems will be Saab’s 9LV Mk.353 Combat Management System.

Australia is not the only country that has experienced problems vis-à-vis its Frigates.

The Bhartiya Nau Sena (BNS/Indian Navy) is due to acquire three ‘Project 1135.6/Talwar’-class FFGs from the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea. To date, the BNS already has three Talwar vessels in service. All of the Talwar ships are expected to be outfitted with new armament in the form of the Indo-Russian BrahMos anti-ship cruise missile. This Mach-2.8-3 ship-based missile (which is also available in an air- and ground-launched configuration) performed its first ship-based launch in March 2008 from the INS Rajput, the lead vessel in this eponymous class of Guided Missile Destroyer (DDG).

Bearing in mind its concerns regarding ballistic missile proliferation from North Korea, Japan is pouring some significant investment into its naval missile defence capabilities. In December 2007, the JDS Kongou, a DDG of the Kaijo Jieitai (Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force/JMSDF), performed a test launch of a Raytheon SM-3 Block-1A Standard SAM. The missile was under guidance from the AN-SPY1 radar equipping the vessel, and performed a successful interception of a ballistic missile target. The missile and radar are expected to be rolled out across all four DDGs in the ‘Kongou’-class by the end of 2010. The December 2007 test marked the twelfth missile intercept by an Aegis combat system-equipped vessel. The SM-3 Block-1A is also being rolled out across the JMSDF’s ’Atago’-class DDG fleet, along with the AN/SPY-1D(V) Aegis

New Zealand is Australasia’s other user of ANZAC-class frigates, with the Royal New Zealand Navy operating two vessels AUGUST 2009

Block IV radar. The modifications to the Kongou and Atago class vessels will give the JMSDF a robust capability against the Taepodong-1/-2/-X and BM-25 ballistic missile that the North Korean government is believed to have at its disposal. The upgrades are particularly significant given the reclusive regimes’ decision to perform a nuclear weapons test on 25th May and to launch a satellite on 5th April 2009.

Also looking towards a missile defence capability is North Korea’s southern neighbour. The Republic of Korea’s ‘Sejong the Great’-class DDGs will be outfitted with the Aegis combat system. The lead ship in the class, Sejong the Great, was commissioned last year, with the second vessel the Yulgok Vi I commissioning in 2010, and the final ship in the class, the Gwon Yul, being commissioned in 2011.

The Daehanminguk Haegun (DH/Republic of Korea Navy) is known to have options for another three vessels in the class should extra ships be required.

In terms of the DH’s FFX (Frigate Experimental) vessels, they are poised to receive a Close-In Weapons System (CIWS) for the first batch of vessels, six of which are expected to be in service by 2015. The winning bidder for the CIWS will be chosen by the end of 2009 and either the Raytheon RIM-66 Rolling Airframe Missile, or the Thales Goalkeeper system, is likely to be chosen. In total the Republic of Korea Navy will acquire between 12 and 30 of the vessels, which displace between 2,3003,000 tons and which will be equipped with a 76mm (3-inch) cannon, anti-submarine rockets and Anti-Ship Missiles (AShMs).

Pakistan is performing a significant upgrade of its surface fleet which is rumoured to be a riposte to the investment flowing into the BNS, and could well be an attempt to square the South Asian naval balance vis-à-vis India’s acquisition of its Talwar-class vessels, along with the new aircraft carriers, naval aircraft and submarines that the force is buying.

The Pakistan Navy recently received its first two ‘F-22P Zulfiquar’-class FFGs from Shanghai’s Hudong Zhonghua Shipyard. The final example will be built at the Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works in Pakistan.

Both the PNS Zulfiquar and PNS Shamsheer are performing sea trials, while the third vessel, the PNS Saif, was launched in late May. The final example is expected to be delivered in April 2013. The design for the Zulfiquar vessels is based on the Type-053H3/Jiangwei II-class FFGs which are operated by the Zhongguó

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Islamabad is said to be interested in the purchase of four extra vessels from China, based on the ‘Type054/Jiangkai’-class vessels Rénmín Jiefàngjun Haijun (ZRJH/People’s Liberation Army Navy). The ZRJH operates a total of ten of these vessels.

Further frigate acquisitions may be on the cards for Pakistan. Islamabad is said to be interested in the purchase of four extra vessels from China based on the ‘Type054/Jiangkai’-class vessels operated by the ZRJH. These ships displace 4,000 tons and are equipped with YJ-83/C-803 AShMs weapons. The Pakistan Navy may also have a requirement for a further four frigates and is reportedly interested in acquiring secondhand vessels as a solution. Along with the prospective Type-054/Jiangkai vessels, other candidate ships that could fulfil this requirement include either ‘MEKO’-class FFGs or ‘Oliver Hazard Perry’-class FFGs from the US Navy.

Other new frigate arrivals in the Asian area include the acquisition of the final ‘Formidable’-class FFGs in August last year by the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN). The class now comprises six vessels which were designed and built by the French shipbuilder DCNS. The design of the Formidable class is based closely on the Marine Nationale (French Navy) ‘La Fayette’-class frigates, of which the force operates six. The Formidable vessels feature a ‘formidable’ array of armament in the form of MBDA Aster-15 SAMs, along with Boeing RGM-88 Harpoon AShMs. Taiwan is enhancing its anti-shipping capabilities, and is installing the Hsuing Feng-3 AShM onto its ‘Cheng King’-class FFGs. This weapon, designed by the Chungshan Institute

RSS Steadfast – The Republic of Singapore Navy’s RSS Steadfast underway. The ‘Formidable’-class ships are based on the ‘La-Fayette’-class operated by the French Navy. The Singaporean force operates a total of six of the ships which displace 3,200 tonnes © DCNS

of Science and Technology, has a top speed of Mach Two and a 180km (97-nautical mile) range. The missile is expected to be rolled out across all eight vessels in the Cheng-King class, and this versatile weapon can perform land attack and also anti-radar missions. Taiwan’s decision to equip its Cheng King-class vessels was seen as a response to China’s deployment of the 3M-80E Moskit (NATO reporting name SS-N-22 ‘Sunburn’) missile on its ‘956RM/modified Sovremenny’-class DDGs. Looking towards Europe, the Marinecomponent/Composante Maritime (Belgian Naval Component) is reducing the size of its surface combatant fleet, having decommissioned its final ‘Wielingen’-class FFG in October 2007. This leaves the force with two ‘Karel Doorman’-class FFGs as their sole frigate force. The Wielingen ships have since been transferred to the Voennomorski sili na Balgariya (Bulgarian Navy) where they will be used to patrol the Black Sea, and also to perform maritime interdiction and peacekeeping operations.

France, meanwhile, is in the process of reorganising its frigate fleet. Last year’s publication of the Livre Blanc (Defence White Paper) called for the Marine Nationale to have a total

PNS Tippu Sultan – Formerly the HMS Avenger ‘Type-21 Amazon’-class frigate of the Royal Navy, the PNS Tippu Sultan of the Pakistan Navy has been in service with the force since the mid-1990s.

The Navy’s thoughts are now turning to a replacement class for its Amazon ships © US Navy

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frigate fleet size of 18 vessels; as a comparison the Marine Nationale currently operates 24 frigates. In total, the force is expected to receive 12 FREMM (Frégate Multi-Mission) multirole FFGs, which is a reduction of five ships from the total FREMM force size originally envisaged. One of the FREMM vessels is expected to be outfitted as a dedicated anti-aircraft platform. This is in order to compensate for the loss of two vessels in the planned ‘Horizon‘-class of four FFGs. It is envisaged that the FREMM vessel earmarked for the antiair warfare role could receive Aster-15 or Aster-30 missiles to this end.

Looking towards Germany, the country is performing some significant modifications to its F-123 ‘Brandenburg’-class FFGs. By the end of 2009, all four ships in the class will be outfitted with the Rheinmetall MultiAmmunition Softkill System for self-defence.

They will also receive an Atlas Elektronik DSQS-30A Low Frequency Towed Active Sonar (LFTAS) with the installation of the new system beginning in 2013. This system will replace the existing Atlas Elektronik DSQS-23BZ sonar that outfits the vessels.

Greece is moving towards the completion of its mid-life update for its ‘Elli’-class FFGs which is expected to take the service life of these vessels to 2020. All six vessels in the class are receiving the upgrades which will outfit the

SURFACE C O M B A T A N T S

FREMM – As well as equipping the French and Italian navies, the ‘FREMM’-class multirole frigates are fast becoming an export success for their manufacturer, the French shipbuilder DCNS. Examples have been sold to Morocco and Greece, and Algeria is also expected to procure the vessels © DCNS

ships with the Thales Tacticos combat management system, a Thales Scout surface search radar, and a Thales Mirador optronic director.

The vessels’ EDO CS-3701 ESM, Super Rapid Blooming Offboard Chaff countermeasures system, LW08 air search radar and WM25/STIR fire control radar will also receive improvements. Furthermore, the Polemiko Naftiko (Hellenic Navy) has been in the market for new frigates. The force will acquire six antiaircraft FFGs and DCNS, it was reported in January 2009, will supply the FREMM FFG (a design which has also been ordered by Morocco) to this end. These ships will eventually replace the Elli-class vessels.

The Koninklijke Marine (Royal Netherlands Navy) is also rolling out Thales products on to its FFGs. The force is installing the Thales Nederland Seastar active phasedarray radar, together with the company’s Gatekeeper electro-optical system onto two ‘Karel Doorman’-class FFGs. The first upgraded vessel will enter service in 2011, with the second ship following a year later. These two systems will be integrated with the Thales SMART-S surveillance radar and the company’s STIR fire-control radar. The Gatekeeper and Seastar systems could also be installed on the Belgian Naval Components’ two Karel Doorman-class FFGs, the BNS Leopold I and BNS Louise Marie. Meanwhile, it is possible

that the Dutch Navy’s ‘De Zeven Provinciën’class FFGs could receive an upgrade to enable them to perform ballistic missile defence. The ships have the wherewithal to accommodate the Raytheon RIM-66 Standard-MR SAM and are also fitted with the SMART-L air search radar, which has the neccesary range to support a ballistic missile interception.

The Marinha Portuguesa (Portuguese Navy) has become one of Europe’s latest Karel Doorman-class FFG operators having received the NRP Barolomeu Dias (formerly the HrMs Van Nes) in January 2009. The second ship in the class to be delivered from ex-Dutch Navy stocks will be the NRP Dom Francisco de Almeida (formerly the HrMs Van Galen) which is should be delivered to the force by early 2010. These ships replace the force’s ‘Joao Belo’-class FFGs which entered service in the late 1960s. Norway, meanwhile, is in the process of receiving its ‘Fridjof Namsen’-class FFGs. The Royal Norwegian Navy will acquire a total of five ships in the class, all of which will be commissioned by 2010. These vessels are equipped with the Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace Naval Strike Missile along with the Aegis combat system.

Along with the Netherlands and Greece, Spain is performing an upgrade of its FFGs, notably two of its ’Santa Maria’-class vessels, the SPS Santa Maria and SPS Reina Sofia, which are to receive new sonar equipment and reinforcements to their hulls. This should give the ships a corresponding life extension to 2030. Also receiving an upgrade are eight of the Royal Navy’s ‘Type-23 Duke’-class FFGs which are to be outfitted with a Thales Underwater Systems Type-2087 sonar. The vessels’ BAE Systems SeaWolf SAM missiles are also receiving improvements, notably regarding their anti-cruise missile capabilities.

The Sea Wolf distinguished itself during the 1982 Falklands Conflict when it was responsible for two confirmed kills of Argentine aircraft and three possible destructions. The Sea Wolf improvements (which should be completed by 2017) will also be rolled out across the 13 ‘Type23 Broadsword’-class FFGs operated by the Royal Navy; these ships will also receive the BAE Systems Insyte ARTISAN (Advanced Radar Target Indication Situational Awareness and Navigation) E/F-band 3D radar.

Last year, the Royal Navy’s first ‘Type-45 Daring’-class air warfare destroyer completed its first round of sea trials. By the end of 2009, all four Daring class vessels will have been launched. The lead ship in the class, HMS Daring, was launched in February 2006, and was followed by HMS Dauntless in January 2007, HMS Diamond in November 2007 and HMS Dragon in November 2008. Two additional vessels, HMS Defender and HMS Duncan are currently under construction with their launch scheduled for October 2009 and late 2010 respectively.

Finally, looking towards the Americas, the João Belo-class vessels decommissioned by Portugal (see above) have entered service with the Armada Nacional (Uruguayan Navy). Two of these vessels, the Uruguay and Cte. Pedro Campbell, were purchased in 2006 and they are expected to be upgraded with

Horizon – DCNS’ ‘Horizon’-class frigates have won customers from the French and Italian navies.

These vessels carry MBDA MM-40 Exocet anti-shipping missiles (AShM), or MBDA Teseo AShMs in the case of the Italian ships © MBDA

Taiwan is enhancing its anti-shipping capabilities, and is installing the Hsuing Feng-3 AShM onto its ‘Cheng King’-class FFGs 40

HMS Diamond – Seen here under construction, HMS Diamond is a ‘Type-45 Daring’-class air warfare destroyer. She is the twelfth Royal Navy ship to bear the name and was preceded by an eponymous ship of an earlier ‘Daring’-class of destroyers which left service in 1980 © BAE Systems

ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW

SURFACE C O M B A T A N T S

missile launchers capable of firing MBDA MM-38/-40 Exocet AShMs. The Uruguayan Navy is also in the market for second-hand frigates and to this end, has expressed an interest in acquiring two ‘F-122 Bremen’-class vessels from the German Navy.

In terms of recent frigate and destroyer activity in the United States, the US Navy accepted its 53rd ‘Arleigh Burke’-class DDG into service which is named after Commodore Thomas Truxton, the commander of the USS Constellation, the US Navy’s first warship to put to sea and capture an enemy warship. The US Navy destroyer fleet is also set to receive an enhancement following the decision of the US Navy to continue funding its third ‘Zumwalt’class DDG. An earlier decision by the Navy in July 2008 had proposed diverting funds for the third vessel in the Zumwalt-class to reactivate the Arleigh Burke-class DDG series. This decision had threatened to freeze the Zumwalt building programme at two vessels.

Upgrades of existing frigates and destroyers seem certain to continue over the next five

The FREMM vessel earmarked for the anti-air warfare role could receive Aster-15 or Aster-30 missiles years as navies look to ensure that their surface combatants keep abreast of current sensor; command and control; and weapons technology. The pressures of the global economic downturn could also force some navies to look at prolonging the lives of their frigate and destroyer fleets, much as Spain is currently

doing with its Santa Maria-class vessels.

However, current global economic conditions could have a negative effect on the number of new frigates and destroyers which will be acquired, with navies shying away from commitments for expensive building programmes.

Greece and Turkey may be the exceptions in this regard, along with Morocco. Indonesia and Bangladesh will require new frigates to replace ageing vessels, as will the Royal Thai Navy and Philippine Navy although whether defence budgets, which are having to cope with falling Gross Domestic Product levels, can accommoAMR date such purchases, remains to be seen.

USS James E. Williams – The USS James E. Williams is an ‘Arleigh-Burke’-class Guided Missile Destroer. The vessel is the 45th in the class and was commissioned on 11th December 2004. The class commissioned a new vessel, the USS Truxtun, in April 2009 © US Navy

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REGIONAL NEWS A N D

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

AUSTRALIA New RAAF capability announced The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) announced in July that it was re-forming Number 4 Squadron, to enhance the Australian Defence Force’s’s Air/Land coordination capability. The new Squadron will train specialist personnel who can deploy to forward operational areas and coordinate the delivery of air weapons.

Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Mark Binskin said the modern battlespace is very complex and there is an increasing need for specialised coordination between air and ground units to achieve effective air combat power. No. 4 Squadron has been re-formed at RAAF Williamtown to train specialists who can work on the ground alongside army units, or in the air, as Forward Air Controllers (FAC).

Squadron personnel will receive specialist training including the Joint Terminal Attack Controller course. FACs provide a vital link between the aircraft and the ground troops, providing up to date information on the battle space from a forward position either on the ground or airborne.

Although 4 Squadron was re-formed in July, selected RAAF FACs were trained in special tactics throughout 2008 and have already deployed with Australian forces in Afghanistan. The squadron brings together the former Forward Air Control Development Unit (FACDU) and the RAAF’s Special Tactics Project.

The new Squadron comprises about 60 personnel based at RAAF Williamtown and will operate 4 PC-9 aircraft.

Acceptance of HMAS Newcastle Australia's Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) announced in June that it had agreed to the contractual hand back and Provisional Acceptance of the Adelaide class guided missile frigate (FFG) HMAS Newcastle from the prime contractor, Thales Australia.

HMAS Newcastle was the fourth and final Adelaide class frigate to be upgraded

by Thales. A contract for the upgrade of the FFGs was signed in 1999 under Project SEA 1390 Phase 2.1.

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Exercise Talisman Sabre in July, saw 7 Brigade playing Blue Force at the SWBTA and included both US Marine Corps and ADF units as well as visiting participants from a number of other Pacificrim countries © DoD

The project seeks to regain a comparative regional maritime capability for the Royal Australian Navy by upgrading four (originally six) Adelaide class FFGs, and ensure that they remain effective and supportable through to their planned end of life between 2013 and 2021.

The FFGs have been upgraded with improved anti-ship missile defence; on board training system; electronic support system; tactical data link capability; underwater warfare system, ship service diesel generators and other ship systems, as well as establish shore based operator and team trainers and a Warfare System Support Centre.

The original programme ran in to difficulties and the provisional acceptance of HMAS Newcastle is being made within the timetable for provisional acceptance as within the amended schedule agreed in May 2006. Contractual Acceptance of HMAS Newcastle is scheduled for December 2009 and Project completion 31 December 2009.

Australian weapon locating radar enter service The project to upgrade the Australian Army's Weapon Locating Radar was announced a success in June after the radar achieved initial operational capability.

Four of seven upgraded Weapon Locating Radars (AN/TPQ-36) have been delivered by prime contractor Raytheon; with the first subset of the capability system, proven suitable and effective for operational employment.

Speaking at a ceremony at the 20th Surveillance and Target Acquisition Regiment at Enoggera Barracks in Brisbane to mark the success of the project, Greg Combet, Minister for Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science, said, “the Australian AN/TPQ-36 Weapon Locating Radar capability provides the Australian Defence

ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW

Force with the ability to locate enemy mortars, guns and rockets, enabling early warning for ground forces.”

The radar operates by using technology to identify the firing paths of enemy shells and rockets and from this data determine the enemy firing points, with up to ten locations able to be determined simultaneously.

The radars are being upgraded under Project Land 58 Phase 3 to extend their service life to 2015.

Australian Army Begins Brigade-Level Exercise The Australian Army's 7 Brigade, a mechanised brigade forming part of the Deployable Joint Force Headquarters/1st Division, began operational preparations in the form of exercise 'Diamond Dollar' at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area (SWBTA) on the central Queensland coast. It is believed that elements of the brigade will deploy to Afghanistan later in the year.

Along with supporting components from 1 Brigade and 3 Brigade, around 2,000 personnel from Brisbane-based 7 Brigade began training for a range of possible operational environments.

Exercise Diamond Dollar, a brigade-size combined arms activity, is designed to hone combat skills, and included three weeks of unit individual training and Brigade-led battle group training. The exercise includes a series of urban combat operations, live-fire exercises, bridge building and demolition, aero-medical evacuation drills, infantry and cavalry and armour manoeuvres, and danger close artillery fire support missions.

The training also set the framework for multinational exercise Talisman Sabre in July, which saw 7 Brigade playing Blue Force at the SWBTA. The exercise included both US Marine Corps and ADF units as well as visiting participants from a number of other Pacific-rim countries.

REGIONAL NEWS A N D

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

AFGHANISTAN First ANAAC transport aircraft unveiled Alenia Aeronautica rolled-out the first of the modernised G.222 aircraft destined for the Afghan National Army Air Corps (ANAAC) in July. At a ceremony attended by United States Air Force (USAF) officials, the aircraft was unveiled at the company’s Capodichino plant in Naples.

Alenia Aeronautica is delivering 18 refurbished G.222 tactical transport aircraft, restoring them to airworthiness and modernising them in a Foreign Military Sales contract with USAF valued at $287 million.

TAIWAN The US will provide Taiwan with Stinger air-to-air missiles for the AH64D Apache helicopters that are being sold to the country as part of a lager Foreign Military Sales deal.

Raytheon Missile Systems has been awarded a $45.3 million contract for the supply of 171 Stinger missiles by the contracting agent, the US Aviation & Missile Command Contracting Center, Army Contracting Command, Redstone. In addition to the missiles, Taiwan will also receive 24 captive flight trainers,

PAKISTAN TAI to modernise PAF F-16s Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) announced in late June that it had won a US$75 million contract to modernise the F-16s that are in the inventory of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF).

The company said that the contract would cement TAI's growing international reputation as an important, reliable and preferential centre of F-16 modernisation in the region. It follows on from TAI's recently completed programme with the Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF) following the delivery of the modernised RJAF F-16s fleet in April 2009.

The PAF contract will begin in

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When complete, the aircraft will be transferred by the Combined Security Transition Command in Kabul to the reconstructed Afghan air force, the ANAAC. The contract was awarded in September 2008, to Alenia North America, Alenia Aeronautica’s US subsidiary, with delivery expected to begin in September 2009. The first flight of the upgraded G.222 is expected by the end of July.

Modernisation of the aircraft will include new systems and avionics, new autopilot systems and ballistic protection, as well as necessary maintenance and modifications.

68 air-to-air launchers, seven launcher circuit evaluators, two digital launcher test sets, 60 coolant reservoir assemblies, three launcher emulators and spares.

Other items in the October Apache package included 30 modernised target acquisition designation sight/pilot night vision sensors, 17 AN/APG-78 fire control radar and AN/APR-48 radar frequency interferometers, 69 T700-GE-701D turbine engines, 1,000 AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire missiles, and 66 M299 Hellfire Longbow missile launchers.

October and will include the upgrade of 42 F-16s over 46 months. The upgrade of the country's F-16A/B and C/D models come at the same time as the PAF has begun delivery of 18 more advanced F-16 Block 52 aircraft, direct from the manufacturer in the US Lockheed Martin.

The contract was signed between TAI and Pakistan's Ministry of Defence Production on 29 June, 2009 at a ceremony in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. It brings to a close almost three years of negotiations, with the Memorandum of Understanding regarding the start of the proposal process being signed between the two groups at the IDEAS Defence Exhibition in September 2006 in Karachi, Pakistan.

MALAYSIA RNM concludes Aspide missile test The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) successfully concluded a live firing of the Aspide missile launched from the Laksmana class missile corvette KD Laksamana Hang Nadim in the Malacca Strait in early July.

Fleet Operations Commander Vice Admiral Datuk Ahmad Kamarulzaman Ahmad Badaruddin said the missile was successfully launched from KD Laksamana Hang Nadim and hit a target towed by a Learjet. To save costs, the Navy conducted the missile campaign simultaneously with the ongoing weekly Pangkor War exercise series.

Officials hope that the RMN test signals its preparedness in handling air warfare threats, one of the four-dimensions of its naval mission. The exercise also involved the Newport Class Tank Landing Ship, KD Sri Inderapura, the Kedah class patrol vessel KD Perak, two other Laksmanna class corvettes, KD Laksamana Tun Abdul Jamil, and KD Laksamana Tan Pusmah, a Fennec helicopter, a CB90 boat, the Test Control and Weapon System Assessment Division, and the RMN armour and explosive depot.

SOUTH KOREA South Korea to upgrade F-16s In late May the USA's Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Republic of Korea to support the upgrade of 35 of the Republic of Korea Air Force's (RoKAF's) F-16 Block 32 fighters. The agency said that the cost of the upgrade was estimated to be $250 Million.

The RoKAF has requested a possible sale to support the upgrade of 35 F-16 Block 32 aircraft to allow employment of Joint Direct Attack Munitions, Advanced Medium Range Air-toAir Missiles, Improved Data Modem, and Secure Voice capabilities, test and support equipment, spare and repair parts, personnel training and training equipment, publications and technical data.

The DCSA said that Seoul needs the material and services proposed to 'adequately operate the F-16 weapon system to its fullest and utmost capability in both a deterrent role and a coalition role with United States Forces Korea and the Combined Forces Command.

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INDIA India launches new artillery tender A breakdown in plans to upgrade its existing artillery guns has forced the Indian Army to seek new guns to fill vital gaps in its artillery arsenal.

The army issued a Request for Information in June inviting formal global tenders for the $206 million contract to acquire approximately 400 new 155mm/52 calibre towed guns as soon as possible.

The current contract signed with Israeli firm Soltam to upgrade the army's older generation M46 guns to modern 155mm/45 calibre standards has ground to a halt after only some 180 of the guns were upgraded.

A probe has been initiated into Soltam’s dealings in India.

The army's artillery modernisation programme has been rife with delays and scandals from the start. Years behind schedule, the programme aims to procure more than 500 of the 155mm/45 calibre towed guns. In the past two decades the army has not received a single new gun since a winning bid by Bofors to supply India's 155 mm field howitzer in the 1980s was believed to have been a result of government bribery and corruption.

The army's difficulty in acquiring new weaponry is also believed to be a result of overly stringent requirements for new guns stipulated by the army.

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The Indian Air Force has short listed the C-17 for its heavy airlift requirements, subject to MoD endorsement © DoD

India launched first indigenously built nuclear submarine ‘Arihant’ or ‘‘Destroyer of the Enemies’, India’s first indigenously built nuclear propelled strategic submarine was launched July 26th prime Minister. Dr. Manmohan Singh at the Ship Building Center, Visakhapatnam. The ‘Arihant’ was developed under the aegis of the ATV (Advanced Technology Vehicle) programme.

With a displacement of 6000 tonnes and powered by an 80 MW nuclear reactor and developed with Russian help, the ‘Arihant’ is perceived as being based on a combination of Russian designs, namely the Akula, Victor and Severodvinsk class boats. The vessel carries twelve missile tubes, each capable of firing the 2200km range Sagarika, a thermonuclear tipped submarine launched short-range ballistic missile, developed by the DRDO. The ATV programme has thus far received roughly $6.2 billion in funding over its 30-year development path.

Two sister ships are also under construction at the same yard and are due to be completed mid-next decade and stationed at the Navy’s new submarine base at nearby Rambilli, which is also nearing completion. India has hitherto only leased nuclear attack submarines from Russia

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with the Charlie I class INS Chakra and more recently the INS Nerpa, an Akula class boat

IAF looks to C-17 for transport requirement According to press reports the Indian Air Force (IAF) has shortlisted the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III for its Very Heavy Lift Transport Aircraft (VHTAC). The purchase of the Globemaster would be a significant further step for the IAF both for its modernisation plans and its growing reliance on Western technology.

Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik, was quoted as saying that the aircraft had been chosen after a thorough study because of its capability to take off and land on short runways with heavy loads, its long range, and ease of operation. The IAF is looking at acquiring up to ten C-17s through the US government’s Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme.

However, the IAF decision has yet to be ratified by India’s Ministry of Defence (MoD). Whether the C-17 will be the top of the list in the MoD’s FMS priorities is yet to be seen. Much will depend on the decision on the IAF’s Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft, which also has US contenders vying for the contract.

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SINGAPORE ST Engg awarded training contract by RSN The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) awarded a contract, worth an estimated S$20 million, to Singapore Technologies Engineering (ST Engg) in June to provide education, training services and a training ship to the RSN. The three-year contract commences immediately with an option for another three years thereafter. The contract was signed by ST Education & Training, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ST Electronics, the electronics arm of ST Engg.

Under this Integrated Training Workforce (ITWF) contract, ST Electronics' instructors will fulfil some of the RSN's training needs. These include instructional services, curriculum development and subject matter expert consultancy. The subjects will cover a wide variety of professional topics spanning warfare, navigation, weaponry, communications, under-water systems, electronics, damage control and power generation.

ST Electronics has been a strategic training partner of the RSN since 2002, when the ITWF was formed by a group of qualified and experienced ex-RSN instructors to work in the navy’s schools, training institutes and onboard RSN ships. RSN training requirements are stringent and demand specialisation. According to the company, the training concept allows the RSN to retain and benefit from experience and knowledge within the institutions.

SAF places contract for soldier system ST Engineering announced in June that its electronics division, ST Electronics, had been awarded a contract to provide the Advanced Combat Man System (ACMS) to the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). The project which is worth over S$100m commenced immediately and is expected to be completed by 2012.

The ACMS is a soldier system, fully equipped with advanced Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence and network capabilities. The ACMS is a joint development effort that started in 1998 between the country's Defence Science and Technology Agency, the SAF and ST Electronics with the support of Singapore Technologies Kinetics in the area of the weapon sub-system.

The development of the ACMS focuses on two key areas - to ensure seamless integration of individual soldier's capabilities and to integrate the soldier as part of a network-centric force. As part of the design of the ACMS, key elements such as the weight of the systems, man-machine interface and the networked and interoperable capability of the ACMS with other systems are defined as some of the requirements for its development.

The introduction of the ACMS is a part of the SAF's 3rd Generation transformation to progressively provide tactical units with network capabilities, which are vital for ensuring mission success. The ACMS allows section commanders and team lead-

THAILAND RTAF to delay F-5 out of service date The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) has confirmed that it will delay the retirement of its ageing Northrop F-5 fighter fleet after a plan to buy additional Saab Gripen JAS-39 fighters was shelved indefinitely by the new government.

The previous government signed a deal with the Swedish company in 2008 and planned a follow-up order in 2010, with each contract including six Gripen fighters and one Saab 340-based airborne early warning aircraft. However, the second deal is on hold after the Thai government cut its defence budget for the current fiscal

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ers to become a part of a larger network that is able to tap into the wider resources of the battalion and call for more responsive and precise fire support.

Singapore to continue Australia training In late May, Singapore and Australia signed the new Shoalwater Bay Training Area (SWBTA) Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) on the sidelines of the eighth Asia Security Summit.

The new MoA allows the Singapore Armed Forces to continue training at the SWBTA through to 2019. The vast and challenging terrain at the SWBTA enables Singapore's military to hone its operational readiness through tough and realistic training.

The SWBTA was purchased by the Australian Government in 1965 and is used by the Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force for independent and joint exercises. The SWBTA has a land area of 1000 square miles that is managed by the Australian Army and also extends into the Great Barrier Reef marine park. As well as Singapore the SWBTA is also frequently used by New Zealand and US forces.

The MOA was signed by Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Teo Chee Hean, and Australian defence minister, Joel Fitzgibbon, who was attending the annual Asia Security Summit, which was held in Singapore between 29 and 31 May.

year to $4.43 billion.

As a result, the RTAF’s older F-5E/Fs, which have been operational for several decades, will continue to be in service until the middle of the next decade. These will operate together with the first six Gripens until the country goes ahead with a follow-up order.

The air force still wants to retire the older F-5s around the planned date of 2013, but this is now unlikely because it will not have an operational squadron of 12 Gripens as scheduled. As well as the older F-5s the RTAF also has around 15 F-5T Tigers that were upgraded by Israel's Elbit recently and 60 upgraded Lockheed Martin F-16A/Bs in its inventory.

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Phalanx Block 1B

Protection for every encounter The Phalanx Close-In Weapon System’s dominance over the new battlespace is unsurpassed. Nontraditional threats in the littoral arena have ushered in a new era of force protection. Phalanx Block 1B answers those threats with the proven AAW capabilities of an electro-optical seeker, radar and enhanced lethality cartridges.

Phalanx detects, tracks and engages small surface craft and mines, low-slow aircraft and helicopters, and high-G anti-ship missiles. Its multi-spectral sensor suite gives Phalanx the ability to terminally engage all threats, day or night, in a multi-path, land clutter, and glint environment. Only Phalanx is fully integrated with today’s combat systems. Providing situational awareness to the commanding officer and fire control solutions to other weapon systems. Phalanx. Ship defense supremacy. Blue water or near-shore.

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