EDR Magazine issue No. 21 - June/July 2015

EDR

European Defence Review

Attack Helicopters Killer Drones Transporting by Air Linking Data

Issue N째 21 June/July 2015

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Contents

European Defence Review

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Recovering France to Build a Better Europe Joseph Roukoz (Editorial)

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Attack Helicopters and their Weapons Jean-Michel Guhl

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Transporting by Air - Franรงois Prins

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Killer Drones - David Oliver

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Linking Data - Johnny Keggler

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Colombia is Winning the War David Oliver

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The Lightweight Medium Machinegun Jean-Pierre Husson

Publisher: Editor-in-Chief:

Joseph Roukoz David Oliver

43 European Defence Review issue no. 21

European Defence Review (EDR) is published

by European Defence Publishing SAS

EDR - June / July 2015

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Editorial

Congratulations Obama, you preside over Europe Joseph Roukoz

T

he recent agreements for a joint comprehensive plan of action between the Islamic Republic of Iran, the US and the EU will help alleviate the nuclear-related sanctions on Iran when the International Atomic Energy Agency verifies that Iran has complied with its nuclear-bound obligations.

This might seem very easy on paper, but in reality, it was close to impossible to achieve. It required years of on and off negotiations, mobilized dozens of high level analysts and experts, and hundreds of hours of diplomacy to be able to bring on board the US, France, the UK, the Germans to talk with Iran and its allies, the Russians and the Chinese.

Most of all, this diplomatic initiative required the tenacity and perseverance of both President Obama, who had to face the hostility of the congress, and Iran itself, who never bowed down to sanctions and threats.

Many factors might have helped the American change of mind concerning Iran, including the growing enmity between the Obama administration and the Netanyahu administration in Israel, but most of all, the succeeding events in Iraq and Syria, with the outburst of the so-called Islamic state (ISIS), has put an end to the hasty dream of a pacified and democratized Middle East.

Obama knows that if Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had met the same fate as Gaddafi in Libya or Saddam Hussein in Iraq, Syria would descend into even bloodier chaos and be dominated by Al-Qaeda and ISIS. He finally understood that no “moderate” rebel movement ever existed in Syria, that the traditional “opposition” never wanted to oust the current regime but to demonstrate pacifically and negotiate with it. The West, backed by their regional allies Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey among others, made a terrible mistake selling weapons to the socalled Syrian opposition who in reality was a democratic fantasy.

It took the American administration 4 years to realize that a solution in the Middle East would never be found without the role and help of all the protagonists, including Iran and Russia. Iran will never accept a Sunni extremist group in neighboring Iraq or a Sunni-dominated, Syria (its traditional ally), and Russia will never accept to let the US decide over the fate of every single one of its allies in the Middle East, like it did in Libya, especially after the offense it felt in the US management of the Ukraine crisis.

In reality, what is happening in Syria (and to a certain extent in Yemen, Libya, or other countries after the “Arab Springs”) pretty much looks like what happened in Lebanon during its 15 years of civil war in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Communities are being manipulated by foreign powers in order to serve their interests in the region.

To put it in simple words, the current religious crisis in the Arab and Muslim world is between the two main communities of Islam, Sunnis, led by Saudi Arabia, and Shiites, led by Iran, and their branches. Alaouites, who currently govern Syria, are a ramification of Shiite Islam.

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EDR - June / July 2015

Editorial The 1967 war against Israel and the defeat of Arab countries marked the downfall of secular Arab Nationalism, led by Jamal Abdel Nasser since the 1950’s. Ever since, countries like Saudi Arabia have been trying to dominate the Arab World by playing with the Sunni identity, especially since the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran led the Shiites to power in the region.

The history of the Lebanese civil war is the synthesis of that confrontation along with the American intervention. The civil war in the 1970’s marked the opposition between the progressive forces, mainly Palestinians, Sunni Muslims and Druze forces, and the so-called conservatives, mainly composed by the Christian “Lebanese forces” and “Phalanges”, supported by the west. At that time, Shiites were put aside, marginalized, and mostly poor. The Islamic revolution in Iran and the invasion of South Lebanon by Israel to repel Palestinian fighters will give a new impulse to that community, including by the creation of Hezbollah, now known as the most active guerilla groups against Israel and one of the most powerful in the world.

The US policy in Lebanon at the time was mainly oriented to protect Israeli interests. The unveiling of secret documentation also showed that the US had plans of emptying Lebanon of most of its Christians as a solution to the peace process in the region. Many countries were encouraged to give out Visas to Lebanese Christians (Canada, France, Venezuela, etc.). But the plans were thwarted by the instability of alliances during the Lebanese civil war and the change of role of each protagonist. The Lebanese peace process in 1989 was a compromise between Saudi Arabia and Syria. Syria would maintain its military presence in Lebanon to “pacify” the situation, and Saudi Arabia, would maintain its economic and political power on Lebanon, through the nomination of Rafic Hariri (now assassinated) as a Prime Minister.

This unofficial agreement, only supported by a minority of Lebanese, divided the country for years and has turned most Christians against Syria. The “objective” alliance between the two beagn with the current Syrian crisis, because the majority of Lebanese Christians believe that the current regime, albeit authoritarian, is the only shield against Islamic extremists that consider them as apostates to slaughter.

This alliance also led to the objective alliance between Christians and Shiites, as both minorities in a region dominated by the Sunnis.

The election of a new moderate president in Iran has also helped change the negative perception (which was in reality a media twist) towards Shiites. Analysts have come to a conclusion that Iran is a relatively moderate country for an Islamic republic. It does not engage in suicidal policies and is very defensive of its Persian and national heritage. This is also due to the perception of Islam by Shiite clerics, which is much more open to interpretation than for most Sunni clerics, especially the Wahhabis that govern Saudi Arabia.

Western intervention in the fight against ISIS in Iraq and Syria is homeopathic. And Obama has understood that the US cannot afford another ground intervention in the Middle East, whether economically, politically or psychologically. He also understood that his traditional allies like Turkey and Saudi Arabia have a suspicious role in this conflict and that the Kurds will not be able to protect their territories eternally alone. The only reason why the Iraqi military was able to gain ground against ISIS in the north of Bagdad is simply because the Iranian army and militias armed and trained by Iran were helping them on the ground. Iran is a key player in this conflict and any peace resolution will not be made without it.

However, it is wrong to believe that talking to Iran is just a peaceful logic as far as the US administration is concerned. The plan behind the US change of mind is strategic: “If you can’t beat them, join them”, as the popular expression says.

EDR - June / July 2015

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Editorial What is most shocking about this major switch in International Relations, is that Europe, instead of grabbing the occasion of playing a major role has one more time decided to follow the American lead.

We understand that many Europeans countries do not feel concerned by what is happening in the Middle East. But it is not only a matter of having a role to play in a particular region; it is a reel political stand. Today’s problems in Europe are intertwined and concern all the European countries. The Russian crisis with Ukraine, the Middle Eastern problem, the refugees from North Africa crossing the sea to Europe, all of these issues are linked and require the same political stand.

Europe is a neighbor of the Arab World. It has shared a common history with many countries and a large amount of its population is of Arab descent. It has understood, since the Iraq war, far before the Americans, that toppling a government because it does not respond to our immediate interests is not the best idea. It might actually unleash even worse damage.

The United States has a different mentality than the Europeans and their priority is domestic (whether politically or as far as national education is concerned). Its international strategy is based on the exportation of its own domestic beliefs and interests.

There is nothing surprising in this because the USA has a relatively recent history. It was the “Land of the free” that welcomed persecuted Europeans and forged a Nation based on labor, protectionism and strategy. Its economic, military and political supremacy gives it the means to conduct such a policy on an international scale.

Barack Obama’s success in leading negotiations with Iran is a result of this mentality, just as the unfreezing of relations with Cuba.

His former interventions against Iran’s role in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq a few years ago were as strategic as his silence over the slaughter of demonstrators by his allies in Bahrain, and the savage bombing of Yemen by Saudi Arabia.

Europe is an old continent and knows how to favor a realist-driven foreign policy that would deal with the world as it is, not as one might dream it to be. It could have played a bigger role into solving Ukraine’s issue as well as intervening in Syria’s crisis.

Our role as observers and European citizens is to witness and inform our readers to remember their History and Geography classes and start working for the interest of Europe. The EU has to renew its relationship with Russia in order to create an objective alliance and be an alternative to the US in the talks with Russia.

It also has to coordinate the ground intervention against ISIS, along with the concerned countries; Russia and Iran while engaging in diplomatic talks with Saudi Arabia and Turkey to better understand their fears and find effective solutions to break their unclear attitude towards Al Qaida and ISIS. Europe must stop relying on the US because our interests are not only economic they are also geographic, and historic which is not and has never been the case of the US with that part of the world. Our intervention will not only protect our strategic assets but also save our democracy and independence.

In today’s configuration, Europe is incapable of making decisions for itself; bureaucracy and second-hand politics paralyze its executive power. Obama has dragged himself as the President of both the US and Europe.

It is up to us to show that we can make tough decisions and benefit from the good relations that we have with our neighbors to impulse a new protective strategy. Otherwise, we will not only be threatening our own independence and security, but we will also stay a political dwarf, relying on politics that only serve mainstream American interests.

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EDR - June / July 2015

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© Natcom - www.natcom.fr - 01 47 30 31 32 - Photos : Sirpa Terre, Mer et Air – DCI

LE LABEL DES FORCES ARMÉES FRANÇAISES

The Australian Army is so far the only non-European user of the Airbus Helicopters Tiger, the only dedicated attack rotorcraft produced in Europe. Used in combat by the French Army in Afghanistan and Mali, the Tiger is a very tough helicopter, even more in its latest Tigre HAD variant toting Hellfire or Spike demolition missiles. © ADF

Attack Helicopters and their Weapons Jean-Michel Guhl

Since their first appearance on the military theatre, seven decades ago in U.S. Army Air Forces hands in Burma and China with the Sikorsky R-4, helicopters have proven to be the most effective source used for observation, logistics and rescue purposes. It is only 15 years later, in Algeria and under French charge, then later, through the Vietnam War in U.S. hands, that weaponised rotorcraft radically started to transform the battlefield.

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f Nazi Germany and the USA did play an important rôle in the development of early rotorcraft (with the Focke-Achgelis Fa 223 and the Sikorsky R-4 respectively), the very first helicopters to be daily used for a dedicated ground attack purpose — after a few inconclusive US trials in Korea in 1953 using the H-19 — where those of the French Army and Air Force during the war in Algeria in the late fifties and early sixties. Using gunned up Sikorsky H-34 and HSS-1 helicopters (also fitted with rocket pods mounted on makeshift exterior racks), the French military were the first to bring rotorcraft under fire for assault and ground support purposes. This small infusion of armed helicopters during the Algerian War coupled with large scale use of helicopter transport able to drop troops deep into rebel territory gave birth to the modern tactics of airmobility which continues today. The French, meanwhile en-

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gaged in NATO on the European continent, were also the creators of the first helicopter-mounted anti-tank missile in the world in 1956 : the 30kg Nord Aviation SS-10 and SS-11 wire-guided missiles mounted on the ALAT’s SE 3130 Alouette II. A real technological breakthrough which allowed the nimble gas turbine engined rotorcraft to destroy tanks up to 3km distant. This was the true start of combat rotorcraft.

Directly inspired by French experience in combat, USMC H-34s were among the first gunship helicopters trialled during the Vietnam war, being fitted with a pair of M60C machine guns and two 2.75 in. rocket pods. Early operations were met with mixed enthusiasm due to poor engagement tactics, however the gun+rockets configuration was to be used again and again most of all on the prolific and iconic Bell UH-1 family.

Indeed the UH-1 made the theory of air cavalry EDR - June / July 2015

The Bell AH-1Z Viper is the final iteration of the original AH-1G Cobra used by the Americans during the Vietnam war. It is today only in service with the US Marine Corps. Of note is the four blade main rotor arrangement and the two redesigned and longer wing stubs with added wing-tip stations for air-to-air missiles. A total of 180 AH-1Z Vipers have been produced by transformation of AH-1W Super Cobras. © USMC

practical, as the new tactics called for U.S. forces to be highly mobile across a wide area. Unlike before, these forces were not supposed to stand and fight long battles, nor stay and hold positions. Instead, the plan was for the troops carried by fleets of UH-1 “Hueys” to range across the country, to fight the enemy at times and places of their own choice and then quickly egress by air ; just like the French H-19s, H-21s and H-34s had done with great success against the Algerian rebels a few years back.

The initiator June 1967, was the time in history when the first AH-1G “Huey Cobra” was delivered to the U.S. Army : it was the world’s first attack helicopter designed as such, with the typical tandem crew arrangement which soon became familiar.

AH-1G Cobras with their lethal 20mm Gatling gun turret arrived on the battlefied during the surprise Vietcong notorious Tet Offensive in 1968 and through the end of the Vietnam war.

In the two Airmobile divisions deployed in Vietnam, the Cobras provided main fire support for ground forces, escorted transport helicopters as well as river patrol boats. They also formed the very novel “hunter killer” teams by pairing with Hughes OH-6A scout helicopters. Bell built 1,116 EDR - June / July 2015

AH-1Gs for the U.S. Army between 1967 and 1973, and the Cobras chalked up over a million operational hours in South-East Asia — validating the the concept, the number of active Cobras in service peaked at over one thousand craft at one time !

The U.S. Marine Corps was interested in the Cobra and ordered an improved twin-engined version in 1968 under the designation AH-1J. This would lead to more twin-engined models over nearly five decades with the most recent var-

Once the backbone of the US Army’s air cavalry attack force, the Bell AH-1 Cobra nowadays remains in service only with the US Marine Corps in its twin engine variants (named the AH-1W Super Cobra and AH-1Z Viper).

Developed during the Vietnam war, the AH-1 soon made familiar the tandem arrangement with gunner in front and pilot riding in the back. © USMC

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Rotorcraft

An Indian Air Force Mi-35 “Akbar” armed with rocket pods and missiles. An updated variant of the Mi-24E fitted with a FLIR system for night operations, this model represents the most potent version of the Russian “flying tank” still in widespread service. © Zone5 photo

iant, the currently fielded Bell AH-1Z, exhausting the inter-service alphabet. In total some ten different countries used the Cobra. Part of the Bell H-1 final upgrade programme, the AH-1Z features a four-blade (bearingless) composite main rotor system, uprated transmission, and a new target sighting system, but still retains the lethal Gatling turret. It is commonly called “Zulu Cobra” in reference to its variant letter, and it rivals in lethality with any existing foe.

Going back in time, missions assigned to combat rotorcraft, as part of modern Army Aviation units, are rooted in the 1980s, when NATO deployed large numbers of attack helicopters as part of its defence planning to counter numerically superior Warsaw Pact armour and mechanised forces. Combat helicopters retained essential capabilities to cover the long gaps along the border between East and West Germany. They had the firepower and mobility of tanks, with superior maneuverability and mobility in the vertical dimension, which enabled them the capability to deploy and confront those sectors where the enemy was aiming its main thrusts. Special attack helicopters were designed specifically for this one and only role on the two opposite sides however…

In the Huey Cobra’s footprints If any military helicopter, above an average mass of 2 tons, can be turned into a valid combat machine simply by grafting guns or rocket pods on

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a light airframe — the French Army Gazelle HOT or the Belgian Army A109 TOW being typical examples — only fully dedicated and armoured attack rotorcraft can survive the highly hostile frontline zone.

A few countries have developed such (expensive) original war machines designed from the start with a built-in gun system: the USA first with the Bell AH-1 Cobra, followed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War with the Mil Mi-24 (or Mi-35 for export), then France and Germany with the Eurocopter Tiger, the only Western machine able to compete with the present day Boeing AH-64 Apache, a 11-ton monster almost twice the weight of the Tiger, capable of firing a total of 16 Hellfire missiles ! The grim-looking Apache won over other interesting U.S. Army projects like the Bell YAH-63, armed with a 30mm cannon and sixteen BGM-71 TOW anti-tank missiles, and the earlier high-speed Lockheed AH56 Cheyenne project abandonned after ten units were built and tested.

Over the years other such dedicated attack helicopters have been designed and put in serial production ; among which the Agusta Westland A129 Mangusta in Italy, the Denel AH-2 Rooivalk from South Africa and the CAIC Z-10 in China. Others are now in developement like the Hindustan (HAL) LCH in India or the South

The Mil Mi-24 “Hind” was historically the Soviet Union’s answer to the US AH-1G Cobra. Made famous during the war in Afghanistan, the Mi-24 (or Mi-35) was a much heavier machine based on the Mi-8’s airframe. Forward gun turret and wing stub mounted rocket pods are a typical arrangement of all attack helicopters. In a true remake of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, a Polish Air Force Mi-24 assigned to ISAF is seen overflying Kabul during an armed patrol. © ISAF EDR - June / July 2015

Rotorcraft Korean LAH. Russia on its part has produced the impressive and record-selling Mi-24 sold to some sixty countries around the world ! More than 2,300 Mi-24/35s have been manufactured over a four-decade timeframe, and it is doubtful the new Kamov Ka-50 and Ka-52 and the Mil Mi-28, all three of them successors to the famous Mi-24 “Hind”, will ever reach this outstanding figure.

Besides the last members of the AH-1 Cobra family, the AH-64 Apache represents nowadays the mainstay of the U.S. Army rotorcraft arsenal.

Over 2,000 Apaches have been manufactured to date and sold to a dozen allied nations. The Apache is equipped with state of the art avionics and fire control systems. The rotorcraft’s firepower is awesome ; it can be loaded with sixteen AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, seventy-six 70mm folding-fin aerial rockets or a combination of both (in addition to no less than 1,200 30mm rounds for its turret-mounted Chaingun M230 automatic cannon). Also armed with a 30mm turreted-gun by Nexter, the more agile Airbus Helicopter (Eurocopter) Tiger for its part has so far been built in over 200 copies for France, Germany, Spain and Australia only. It takes two Tigers to deliver as much punch as an Apache, but the composite structure of the Franco-German Based on the airframe of the Airbus H155, the LAH is South Korea’s choice for a light attack helicopter due to be fielded before the end of this decade. It will be developed and built locally by KAI. © Airbus Helicopters

EDR - June / July 2015

The Bell upgraded AH-1Z Viper, derived from the AH-1W Sea Cobra is today the main attack helicopter mustered by US naval forces in support of amphibious operations. Of note is the AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles carried under the wing stubs, as well as the AGM-114 Hellfire and FFAR rocket pods. © Bell

helicopter has proven much sturdier that that of its U.S. big brother ! Not a single Tigre/Tiger has ever been lost in combat over a decade long initial career. In Mali, in 2013, a French ALAT Tigre HAP survived after having been riddled with almost one hundred rebel bullets !

In the aftermath of the Cold War In the West, as the Cold War was reaching a surprising and sudden end, based on the original combat gunship concept of the Vietnam War era a new generation of Western attack helicopters was therefore designed, including the AH-64A Apache, AH-64D Longbow and Eurocopter Tiger HAP/HAD. All were so designed as to locate, pursue and hunt tanks and other priority targets such as mobile artillery, air defence and command and control assets, day or night, their highly protected cabin and engines marking the difference with any other rotorcraft. They were conceived to operate either independently (mostly at night), or as part of combined hunter-killer teams of observers and shooters.

After the disintegration of the Warsaw pact and the collapse of the Soviet Union, the threat of full scale war in Central Europe petered out.

Low intensity conflicts, which evolved in the Balkans, as well as the Middle-East conflicts demonstrated the importance of the attack hel-

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Rotorcraft Foes turned friends… A Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian from the US 25th Infantry Division, and a Mil Mi-35P “Hind-F” attack helicopter from 31st Squadron, Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Darat, take off for a flight together during an attack/reconnaissance training mission in Semarang, Indonesia. The training is part of Garuda Shield 2014, where units from United States Army Pacific are focusing on peace support training capacity and stability operations with the TNI-AD. © U.S. Army

icopters, as a flexible, versatile and dependable support platform. As such, adequately protected and armed, attack helicopters can rapidly deploy to crisis area, either independently or airlifted in a cargo plane. On notice, they can carry out reconnaissance and patrol missions, and use precision firepower to support ground operations, deter hostile forces or carry out clandestine operations against guerilla forces, insurgents and terrorists.

The Vector and its Weapons Today After the TOW and HOT missiles, the new weapon systems of attack rotorcraft evolved and adpated, but remained more than ever based on accurate anti-armour missiles. These, which have improved from basic wire guided second generation missiles, through laser seeking and autonomous (fire and forget) and now to third-generation missiles, such as the U.S. Hellfire Longbow, German Pars LR (ex-Trigat), Israeli Spike LR, Lahat and Nimrod, South African Mokopa or the Russian 9M123 Khrizantema (or AT-15 Springer) and 9K121 Vikhr (AT-16 Scallion), are all designed for all-weather, autonomous operation.

However since most attack helicopters have been made for full scale anti-armour combat, they may be inadequately equipped to carry out low intensive combat missions, that is why a move is nowadays on-going to make a more intensive

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use of traditional rockets, saving the expensive missiles for most valuable targets.

Nonetheless the most common weapon in use today on such machines as the Apaches and Tigers remains the AGM-114 Hellfire semi-active laser guided missile which always keeps the « man in the loop ». But there also exists wire-guided missiles, electro-optically guided weapons and autonomous fire and forget missiles. All are designed to identify the unique

Armed with two pairs of AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, a Boeing AH-64 Apache from the US Army 3rd Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment taxi down the runway at LSA Anaconda, Iraq, during the acme of allied operations. © US Army EDR - June / July 2015

Rotorcraft

Seen through the lens of a night vision system, a Boeing AH-64 Apache helicopter from the US Army 1st Battalion (Attack), 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, Task Force Tigershark, departs Forward Operating Base Fenty, Afghanistan, to conduct a security and reconnaissance mission in support of ISAF operations. © US Army

characteristics of armoured vehicles, operating in open or covered forested terrain. They can pick up the targets in heavy clutter, discriminate true targets from countermeasures, decoys or burning hulks, lock on priority targets, based on significant and distinctive millimeter-radar or infrared signature, identify the most vulnerable area and strike with maximum kill probability.

Since attack helicopters were initially expected to meet large armoured formations in the Central European battlefield, these platforms were designed to rapidly engage from far multiple targets simultaneously, and generate maximum “kill ratio” before being detected and engaged by the enemy. A primary design goal was the survivability of the platform, which relied on long range (stand-off) engagement with “fire and forget” missiles.

Validating once more the attack helicopter as a very potent weapon, in 1972, a very interesting test experience using rotorcraft against tanks took place in Ansbach, Bavaria, in West Germany. Players were the U.S., the Canadians and the Germans. Using hit kill indicators on their machines, AH-1G Cobras and OH-58 Kiowas fitted with HKI devices — igniting a smoke flare when hit electronically — flew specific low level patterns over an unfamiliar area before attacking deployed « enemy » Leopard tanks on the move.

Although they had never reconnoitered this large area before, the Cobras managed to « destroy » eighteen tanks while losing only one rotorcraft

If Australia, France and Spain field the same versatile Tiger HAP/HAD model, Germany has gone its own way trying to adapt to current asymmetric warfare a variant of the Tiger conceived during the Cold War. Devoid of the powerful Nexter 30mm gun turret, the main armament of the Tiger UH is the Pars 3 LR missile. The weapon, ordered by Germany only, is a high-precision fire-and-forget system for engaging mobile and stationary targets equipped with the latest generation of armour protection, field fortresses, bunkers and other high-value targets. © Airbus Helicopters EDR - June / July 2015

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Rotorcraft on their 25km long run to destination : a village chosen for replenishment and debriefing. Able of engaging their targets from an average 3km distance and from all sides, the Cobras did extremely well, their kill ratio benefiting much from the presence of the Kiowas scouting for foes. The tandem set NATO’s standard rules of engagement, which are today even more valid for asymmetric warfare.

As a rule, second generation TOW II and HOT missiles are not optimized for destroying very distant targets, as they are limited to relatively short range, due to their inherent wire guidance system. Therefore a fourth generation Joint Common Missile (JCM) was contemplated by the U.S. industry to replace both the Hellfire and TOW missiles currently in service. Rapidly cancelled for budgetary reasons, the JCM was to bring forth an advanced multi-sensor seeker (including millimeter radar) and an adaptable warhead design. As a cost-efficient alternative, product improvements have been introduced to the TOW missile by replacing the wire guidance with an RF link, while Lockheed Martin’s Hellfire was revamped with mission-specific warheads, optimizing fragmentation and structure penetration capability. Both the TOW II and Hellfire catalogues now offer a large choice of models.

In France, MBDA is today focusing on a concept very much in line with the defunct JCM : the Missile de Combat Terrestre or MCT, which successively became over the years the MRCM before becoming today the MMP with its airborne variant the MLP . This weapon will offer similar capabilities for the future ground launched and helicopter launched missiles. The missile will be able to engage targets in a non-line of sight (NLOS) mode, meaning the missile’s seeker does not have to be aimed at the target before launch.

Once in flight the MLP operator will be able to designate the target using the images seen by the missile’s seeker relayed back to the firing control unit in real time. Development of the demonstrator will also rely on the European modular munitions cooperation between MBDA and Saab Bofors Dynamics. The MLP has so far aroused interest from the British, French and Swedish

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First developed for anti-armor use, the Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire (pictured here on a USMC Bell AH-1W Super Cobra) gradually evolved into a powerful weapon for precision strikes against other target types. It was originally developed under the name Helicopter Launched, Fire and Forget Missile, which led to the acronym ‘Hellfire’ that became the missile’s formal name. It has multi-mission, multi-target precision-strike capability, and can be launched from multiple air, sea, and ground platforms. The Hellfire missile is the primary 100-pound (45 kg) class air-to-ground precision weapon for the armed forces of the United States and some 20 other nations, including France which is now fielding the Hellfire on the Tiger HAD. © USMC

sides. In pure MBDA philosophy, all variants will share common « bricks » for the missile body and systems architecture, utilizing common core “plug and play” elements such as imaging IIR or CCD seekers, multi-mode semi-active laser seeker and a cryptioned datalink. The MLP that will be able to reach targets up to 8km distant is clearly eyeing at becoming a future European replacement for the U.S. Hellfire. Warheads will be varied, including a thermobaric charge ideal to wipe out well entrenched terrorist hideouts.

Mention should also be made of the air-to-air combat capacity of the modern attack rotorcraft, these being able to launch either IR-guided AIM9 Sidewinder (Cobra and Apache) or Mistral short-range missile (Tiger) at any emerging targets flying over a battle ground. Totally « not conventional » by essence, during the 2012 NATO operations against Khadafi’s Libya, French Army Tiger, for instance and on three different occasions, disabled Libyan T-72 tanks using a Mistral missile !

EDR - June / July 2015

Rotorcraft

An Airbus Helicopters H125M Fennec armed with a pair of 0.5 in.

FN Herstal 250 rounds HMP400 machine gun pods for light attack purposes. © Airbus Helicopters

The Emergence of the Smart Rocket They go by different names : Dagger, Talon, Gator… About to bridge the gap between the gun and the missile, the steady progress of smart rockets continues as 70mm unguided rockets are being slowly upgraded into precision, laser-guided weapons that are a fraction of the cost and weight of existing missiles such as the Hellfire or Spike. It is not expensive, because large stocks of such rockets exist and all LGR designs mostly envision using existing tubes and warheads.

Therefore the LGR needs little or no integration, and their laser-guidance units require no special wiring, because the missile is fired in the normal way and immediately acquires the laser spot. On top of that, quick progresses in electro-optical (EO) targeting systems means that even small and inexpensive EO turrets now incorporate a laser designator.

EDR - June / July 2015

Quite fashionable, the guided rocket is considered an essential weapon for a number of new airborne platforms, particularly those based on commercial aircraft or older military platforms.

A few countries are now producing such weapons. In the USA the Direct Attack Guided Rocket (DAGR) — with a lock-on before launch capability — is under development by Lockheed Martin.

The goal of this programme is to provide a low cost 2.75 inch (70 mm) precision guided rocket which is compatible with existing Hellfire systems and launchers in service.

The system will use components from the existing Hydra 70 rocket, and is intelligently conceived to be plug-and-play compatible with the Hellfire missile and make use of the existing M299 AGM-114 launcher, increasing the loadout by up to four times.

Other entry this time designed by Raytheon, the Talon is a low-cost, digital semi-active laser guidance and control kit that is mounted directly to the front of legacy 2.75-inch Hydra-70 unguided rockets. The weapon integrates Raytheon’s extensive experience in digital semiactive laser technology and proven history in precision air-to-air and air-to-ground munitions development and production.

The weapon’s architecture and ease of employment make it a low-cost, highly-precise weapon for missions in urban environments, counterinsurgency and swarming boat defense missions. It is certified for use on AH-64 Apaches providing an affordable upgrade to the the Hydra 70 rocket.

Taking good notice of such an expandable weapon, the U.S. Special Operations Command has meanwhile awarded a contract to ATK and Elbit for their rival Guided Advanced Tactical Rocket, or GATR. This contract calls for validation on various Socom platforms, including the MH-60L helicopter. The penetrating version of GATR is equipped with a steel-cased M282 warhead with a programmable fuse. It can be set from the cockpit to detonate on impact or after a set delay. In tests, the warhead successfully penetrated a triple-brick wall and light-vehicle armour before detonating.

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A NH90 troop transport helicopter armed with a pair of Nexter NC621 20mm automatic gun pods. Such a configuration retained by Oman provides the NH90 with a decisive punch to support dismounted soldiers in the absence of any other heavy firepower. © Airbus Helicopters

Roketsan in Turkey has developed the Cirit (or « javelin » in Turkish) which is so far the smart rocket with the longest range in its class. A true cross-breed between a rocket and a missile, it provides a superior precision against light, armoured and mobile targets as well as being here again a cost effective solution. The Cirit has been delivered to the Turkish armed forces for use on their T-129 helicopters and also sold to the United Arab Emirates. Roketsan developed a low-smoke motor for the weapon that reportedly increases its range to 8km from 6km. The company also developed a multipurpose warhead for the weapon. It can be fired from the standard pods earlier developed by Roketsan as well as from a new smart pod containing for Cirit smart rockets.

In Europe, Thales subsidiary TDA is developing the RPM or Roquette à Précision Métrique (meter-precision rocket). A while ago, TDA has successfully fired the RPM from a Tiger HAP helicopter. As each RPM has its own laser code, sev-

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eral can be fired simultaneously if a designator is available (either in the air or on the ground with a TAC-P), and the operator can select from up to five types of ammunition in one rocket pod. More firing tests of the RPM are scheduled this year, with possible deployment with the French army from 2018. TDA’s RPM will arm the French and Spanish version of the Tiger. In January 2014, TDA conducted a final demonstration firing of its metric-precision laser-guided rocket using a Tiger HAP helicopter. After the success of the firing, a new demonstration was performed at the DGA’s missile test centre in Biscarrosse. The test was conducted with a Tiger HAD fitted with the new-generation rocket subsystem incorporating induction technology. The firings confirmed the sub-metric precision of this guided munition.

Current Attack Rotorcraft Besides the high-keyed Boeing AH-64 Apache and the Airbus Helicopters Tiger, the Mil Mi-24 is the most employed gunship and attack helEDR - June / July 2015

A French Army Tiger HAP pictured firing a burst of 30mm shells at a 2,000m distant target using the nose-mounted Nexter THL 30M781 automatic cannon. The Tiger has an internal capacity of 450 shells. Firing rate of this powerful gun is 720 rounds per minute. It was well demonstrated in Afghanistan, in Libya and recently in Mali. Contrary to US or Russian helicopters using a tandem configuration, on the Tiger the pilot is seated in front and the gunner in the back just under the Sagem Stryx day/night weapon sight. © Airbus Helicopters

icopter in the world. Unlike other Western assault helicopters it is also capable of transporting up to eight troops. Big and brutal, a real flying tank, the Mil Mi-24 has been on the frontline of the combat helicopter world for several decades.

Fielded with numerous air arms this huge machine has shown its teeth in many conflicts and most notably during the long Soviet incursion in Afghanistan during the eighties.

The Mil Mi-28 (NATO reporting name “Havoc”) is a recent Russian all-weather, daynight, military tandem, two-seat anti-armor attack helicopter. It is a dedicated attack helicopter better optimised than the icionic Mil Mi-24 for the role. It carries a single gun in an undernose barbette, plus external loads carried on pylons beneath stub wings in traditional manner.

The Kamov Ka-50 “Black Shark” (NATO reporting name “Hokum-A”) is much different.

This single-seat Russian attack helicopter has the distinctive coaxial rotor system of the Kamov design bureau. It was designed in the 1980s and adopted for service in the Russian army in 1995. Designed to be small, fast and agile to improve survivability and lethality. It is unique among gunships as it is operated by a single pilot only. The Russian designed Ka-50 also can carry 24 9K121 Vikhr (AT-16 Scallion) missiles, EDR - June / July 2015

four 20-round rocket pods, or a mixture. The « Hokum » also can carry the AA-11/R-73 Archer air-to-air missiles, which makes it a very capable threat against opposing attack helicopters. The 30mm 2A42 is also mounted on the Hokum, albeit more like a fighter cannon. The Hokum’s top speed is 350 km/h, and it has a reported combat radius of 250 km.

The Agusta A129 Mangusta is an attack helicopter originally designed and produced by Agusta in Italy. It was the first attack helicopter to be designed and produced wholly in Western Europe. The TAI/AgustaWestland T-129 Atak is a Turkish derivative version of the A129, and its development is the responsibility of Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), with AgustaWestland as the primary partner.

The Denel Rooivalk is an attack helicopter manufactured by Denel of South Africa. The South African National Defence Forces operate only 12 Denel AH-2 Rooivalk attack helicopters.

Although it looks like an entirely new machine, the Rooivalk is based on a degree of reverse engineering of the baseline Aerospatiale Puma, using the same engines and main rotor.

Most recent entry to date, the Z-10 attack helicopter entered service with Chinese army half a decade ago. The Z-10 helicopter has a standard

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Rotorcraft

Newly developed by Roketsan in Turkey, the Cirit is a crossbreed between a rocket and a missile. This powerful 2.75 in. rocket uses a laser guidance system. It can reach targets up to 8 km distant. The smartpod housing four Cirits is an intelligent pod system which can dialog with the helicopter crew. It is also designed by Roketsan. © J.-M. Guhl

gunship configuration with a narrow fuselage and stepped tandem cockpits. Gunner is seated at the front and the pilot is at the rear like on all U.S. similar machines. Weapons of the Z-10 may consist of 30mm cannon, HJ-9 anti-tank guided missiles (comparable to the TOW II), newly developed HJ-10 anti-tank missiles (comparable to the AGM-114 Hellfire) and TY-90 air-to-air missiles. It can also carry standard rocket pods.

The Alternative: “Weaponized” Rotorcraft A degree of « stand off » attack capability is however being added on the nowadays combat scene with many lighter or medium transport helicopters gradually turning into full war machines.

In the USA, such is the case with the Bell 407, now offered with a battery of four Hellfires, or with the Sikorsky MH-60L Direct Action Pene-

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trator (DAP) a variant of the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter which has been modified and upgraded to perform in hostile environments and dangerous combat zones with a large gammut of rockets and missiles. The MH-60L is solely used as a gunship. Unlike the Black Hawk helicopters, it does no carry passengers or function as a troop transport.

To combine both transport and attack, Sikorsky recently developed the Battlehawk concept to address asymmetrical warfare. An important aspect of this system is its flexibility. The mission computer and weaponization modifications can be ordered with new-build aircraft (UH60M and S-70i models) or retrofitted to existing aircraft. Either way, the result is an unbeatable combination of capabilities ideal for combat which turn the UH-60M into a potent attack rotorcraft.

More « gunned up » rotorcraft like this exist.

To name just a few : the Russian Mi-17Sh, the French Super Puma or European NH90 toting 12,7mm or 20mm guns, rockets and missiles…

In this particular field, progress seems to never stop as Airbus Helicopters is now working on a fully weaponized H225M, modified to carry a wide range of weapons, including stand-off missiles, all the while retaining the helicopter’s pri, mary troop transport and C-SAR roles.

The Denel Rooivalk is a very powerful 7,5-ton combat rotorcraft which was produced in 12 copies only for the South African National Defence Forces.

Fielded in 2011, it was used in combat in support of UN forces deployed in the République Démocratique du Congo a while ago. © Denel EDR - June / July 2015

P u t t ,i n g w h at s wa n t e d, P r e c i s e ly wh , ere it s n e e d e d

s e lf - P r o P e l le d h o w i t z e r s h e av y a r m o u r e d v e h i c l e s h e av y h e l i c o P t e r s h e av y e n g i n e e r i n g v e h i c l e s l i g h t ve h i c les trooPs P a r at r o o Ps

fighting a battle, preventing a war or bringing relief. your kit has to come a long way, fast, and you want it precisely where you need it. even if your only runway is short and unpaved. that's when you need the a400m. and it's a tanker for fighters and transports. a400m - delivering to the point of need.

P a l l e t s a n d c o n ta i n e r s m e d i c a l e va c u at i o n med i cal su PPli es a i r t o a i r r e f u e ll i n g

www.airbusdefenceandspace.com

PIONEERING THE FUTURE TOGETHER

EDR - June / July 2015

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Developed by a partnership in Italy and with assistance from Lockheed Martin, the Alenia C-27J Spartan has found a niche in the military requirement for a smaller transport aircraft that can operate in a hostile environment. (Lockeed Martin)

Transporting by Air

François Prins

Transport aircraft are an important part of the armed forces of a country, yet they are still largely overshadowed by fighters and helicopters.

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he Soviet Union and the United States once dominated the stage with military transport aircraft, but now only Boeing and Lockheed Martin offer a US-built product.

Russia went into decline after the fall of Communism but there are signs of a comeback. It is Europe and Brazil that are challenging the market of today.

During the past twenty-five years the situation in the Middle East from Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait and Taliban operations in Afghanistan has seen a UN-led coalition being deployed into theatre. While much of the heavy-duty moving was carried out by ocean-going vessels, many of the troops deployed arrived by air, as did some of their lighter equipment. With Gulf War One the lack of suitable large transport aircraft spurred many European countries to move their transport aircraft programmes into a higher gear. The operations in the Middle East also showed up the lift limitations of the existing Transall C-160 and Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft. Both manufacturers had not kept pace with requirements and in the case of Lockheed they should have seen the

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writing on the wall and produced a new design instead of offering a modified C-130. That said, the Hercules continues to be a popular choice but that could change in the next few years. From the late 1980, Europe had been discussing the manufacture of a large aircraft and a partnership was formed to build a new transport aircraft, which would have a bigger payload than the C-130.

Eight nations, including Turkey and Malaysia, signed an agreement in 2003 to purchase 180 examples of the new aircraft known as A400M and now called Atlas. This important aeroplane is now in service with France, the UK, Germany and Turkey, with the other launch nations due to receive aircraft during 2015. Inside the cavernous fuselage up to 32 tonnes of stores may be accommodated, double that of the C-160 Transall and 33 per cent greater than the C-130.

Armoured vehicles are easily accommodated inside the aircraft as are partially dismantled battle helicopters.

The advanced design of the Atlas incorporates extensive use of composite materials and it is fitted with newly-developed turboprop enEDR - June / July 2015

gines which are fuel efficiency and have lower operating costs. Extensive testing has shown that the Atlas can take-off and land on soft semi-prepared airfields and requires relatively short runways.

For Gulf War One, the US relied on the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, which is second in size only to the An-124. Only limited numbers of C-5s were available and they flew around-the-clock missions to keep up with demand. Boeing, meanwhile, who had been out of the large transport aircraft scene, had been hard at work on a suitable design, this progressed through the 1980s and in 1991 the prototype Boeing C-17 Globemaster III made its maiden flight. Following trials by Boeing and the USAF the C-17 entered operational service in 1995. It replaced the Lockheed C-141 Star Lifter which had been in service for many years. Boeing produced a total of 250 of these aircraft and it is in use by US Air Force, as well as by other nations including the UK, Australia and Canada. During action in the Gulf and Afghanistan the C-17 had proved itself as important and vital in the role it was designed for. With a payload of 76 tonnes the cargo compartment allows the C-17 to carry a wide range of vehicles, palleted cargo, paratroops, air-drop loads and aeromedical evacuees.

For example, the C-17 can carry a main battle tank (M1A2 Abrams or Challenger 2) together with smaller vehicles, or three Bradley armoured

The workhorse in the air transport role for many years in the past and for many years in the future is the Lockheed C-130 Hercules. It is capable and has been modified and updated during its sixty years of service. (USAF)

vehicles or three Stryker or four Foxhound armoured personnel carriers. Suitably prepared for transport three AH-64 Apache battle helicopters can be carried into theatre. The Globemaster can routinely operate from airfields previously denied to jet-powered transports and, if required, can operate from unpaved runways.

The C-17 is capable of landing a full payload in less than 3,000ft and the propulsive lift system uses engine exhaust to generate lift, allowing the aircraft to fly a steep approach at a relatively low landing speed. In the Medevac role, the C-17 can transport up to 36 stretcher and 54 seated patients and attendants. Airdrop capabilities in-

Produced in co-operation by a consortium of nations, the Airbus A400M Atlas is now in service with France (pictured), the UK, Turkey and Germany, with deliveries to other air forces on-going. It is a capable machine and has proved a success with air and ground crew. (Airbus Defence & Space) EDR - June / July 2015

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The massive USAF C-5 Galaxy was, with the Antonov An-124 Ruslan, the largest transport aircraft in production. For many years it was the mainstay of the USA to transport all manner of large vehicles and bulky cargo items. (US Department of Defense)

clude: a single load of up to 27,216kg, sequential loads of up to 49,895kg, Container Delivery System (CDS) airdrop up to 40 containers of 1,066kg each and up to 102 paratroops.

Able to defend itself, 56 USAF C-17 aircraft are equipped with the Northrop Grumman large aircraft infra-red countermeasures (LAIRCM) system. The eight UK RAF C-17s are also fitted with LAIRCM. Although production was due to cease in 2009, additional orders from Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, NATO and India, kept the production line operational and the final examples of the C-17 were delivered to the Indian Air Force during 2014.

While there is a requirement for large transport aircraft such as the A400M Atlas and the C-17 Globemaster, there is also a place for smaller types. Lockheed continue to update and sell the Hercules to a wide market; it is a proven design and there is no shortage of takers but with many second-hand examples being made available as, Lockheed may have to review the situation.

Addressing the need for a smaller transport and one that could replace the popular but aging C-160, three Italian companies - Aeritalia, Alenia Aeronautica and Fiat Aviazione joined forces to develop the C-27J Spartan from the Alenia G222. This cargo aircraft was widely used

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by Italian Air Force since 1978 and, though updated, was in need of replacement. Sales to ten countries, including Italy, of the C222 totalled over 100 aircraft which gave the parent group scope to offer an improved version of the aircraft. Following negotiations with Lockheed Martin, which included potential offsets for the proposed Italian purchase of the C-130J Hercules, plans were drawn up for a redesigned aircraft designated C222J, by reason of having features from the C-130J flightdeck, new en-

The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III prototype first flew in 1991 and entered military service in 1995. Currently operated by six nations including the USA and the UK, the aircraft has proved its worth time and time again in operations in Afghanistan. (Boeing) EDR - June / July 2015

Transport Aircraft

The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III prototype first flew in 1991 and entered military service in 1995. Currently operated by six nations including the USA and the UK, the aircraft has proved its worth time and time again in operations in Afghanistan. (Boeing)

gines and propellers. Development costs were shared by Alenia and Lockheed Martin and as the design progressed so too did the aircraft alter in detail. Now designated C-27J Spartan, it first flew in 1999 and offered as increase in range and speed over the C222.

Although the C-27J is about half the size of the C-130J, it is capable of carrying a single tracked vehicle, such as the BAE-Haaglunds Bv206 or ST Kinetics Bronco, as well as other stores. It is highly manoeuvrable and can fly at low speed with wheels down and an open ramp for low altitude air drops. The Spartan is an attractive looking aircraft and cost effective to purchase and operate, currently it is in service with Italy, Bulgaria, Greece, Lithuania, Morocco, Romania, Slovakia and the United States. A gunship version of the C-27J Spartan is being actively discussed and it is the only aircraft in its class that can reach 3g doing tight turns, fast climbs and descends. Another important feature of this aircraft is that it needs only 300 m long runway in order to land and 500 m to take off with a maximum load of 30,000kg.

From Brazil a new and important transport aircraft has entered the scene. The Embraer KC360 is a medium-size, twin-jet engined aircraft and is the heaviest aircraft to be made by the company. It was only in 2007 that the Brazilian aerospace concern announced that it was ‘...

EDR - June / July 2015

studying a medium-size airlifter’ and intended to compete directly with the C-130J Hercules.

Using technology from the successful Embraer E-Jet series, the KC-360 is an advanced jet transport with rear ramp for loading and unloading a wide range of cargo. The unit price is estimated to be around US$50 million, this compares favourably with the C-130J which can cost up to US$62 million per unit.

As the concept progressed, other interested parties signed up to be part of the programme, with Argentina, Chile, Columbia, the Czech Republic and Portugal joining Brazil to share the building of the KC-360. In June 2012, Boeing and Embraer agreed a co-operation deal to share technical knowledge; the companies exchanged technical and market information, and possibly a team-up for commercial applications.

The KC-390 collaboration is part of a broader agreement that Boeing and Embraer signed in April of the same year. By early 2014 the first

The Alenia C27J Spartan seen here during qualification trials taking on fuel from an Italian Air Force KC-767 tanker. (Italian Air Force)

prototype aircraft was well-advanced in-build and was rolled out at Embraer’s Sao Paulo facility on 21 October that year, where the company reported that more than 30 countries were represented at the event. Guests included Brazilian defence minister Celso Amorim and air force commander Brigadier General Juniti Saito. Following ground running trials the aircraft flew for the first time on 3 February 2015. There are plans to offer a stretched version with additional payload capability of the KC-390 for the civilian sector as well as for military applications. At

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Transport Aircraft

Developed by a partnership of mainly South American countries, the Embraer KC-390 is seen here at its unveiling in October 2014. Flown in early 2015 the aircraft is currently undergoing a lengthy test programme: (Embraer)

present, Embraer quote a payload of 23 tonnes of assorted cargo, including wheeled armoured fighting vehicles.

General Saito remarked: “The KC-390 will be the backbone of the air force’s air transportation network. It will be able to operate in both the Amazon and Antarctica. The jet engines give the aircraft enormous agility in fulfilling all of its missions, faster and better. The Brazilian air force has ordered 28 KC-390s and has participated in its development.”

Jackson Schneider, president and CEO of Embraer Defense & Security, said that the “...

KC-390 is seven airplanes in one, because it is so easy to reconfigure for different missions.

These include cargo and troop transport and airdrop; aerial refueling; search-and-rescue; and fire-fighting. The aircraft’s key selling points include the high cruise speed (470 knots); cruising altitude (36,000 feet); and wide fuselage cross-section (3.45 by 3.2 metres). Other countries have expressed an interest in purchasing the KC-390 but some of these rely on Brazil buying their aviation products in exchange.

A similar aircraft is also under development in a joint Russian-Indian programme which will result in the UAC/HAL Il-214 Multi-role Transport Aircraft (MTA). This is a medium-lift military transport aircraft which will be constructed by a joint-venture formed by the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) (IRKUT Corporation and the Ilyushin Aviation Complex) of Russia and the Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) of India.

It is estimated that around $600 million will be spent on the aircraft’s development, with India and Russia to share the investment equally.

HAL and UAC will have 50:50 stake in the workshare. The MTA is expected to fly in 2017 and by 2020 the type, with up to 18.5 tonnes carrying capability, will replace the aging fleet of An-12, An-26, and C-130 aircraft. The Indian Air Force plans to purchase 45 MTAs and the Russian Air Force has intimated that they will buy at least 50 with an option for 50 more. Little information

A model shown in India of the joint Russian-Indian UAC/HAL Il-214 Multi-role Transport Aircraft (MTA), which will enter service in India and Russia by the close of the decade. (HAL)

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EDR - June / July 2015

Transport Aircraft

The Kawasaki C-1 (pictured) which serves with the Japan Air Self-Defence Force will be replaced with the new C-2 currently being constructed. The expensive programme will see 40 of the larger aircraft in service with the JASDF by 2017. (JASDF)

has been released by HAL and only models or computer images have been seen in public.

In Japan, Kawasaki Heavy Industries is developing the (X)C-2 for the Japan Air SelfDefense Force (JASDF). This is intended as a replacement for the long-serving Kawasaki C-1 and Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules. The JASDF plans to buy 40 examples of the C-2, which is about the same size as the A400M and will be powered by GE CF6-80C2s.

Major airframe parts are shared with the Kawasaki XP-1 maritime patrol aircraft, with the main component shared being the wing which has been adapted for the different speed regimes of the two aircraft by altering the sweep angle. The combined development cost of these two projects is reportedly 340 billion yen ($3.8 billion).

Russia and China (Shaanxi Y-9) are also developing new designs to replace their aging fleet of transport aircraft, they are, currently, not releasing a great deal of information about the programmes, although we have some details from Ilyushin for their Il-112V. ‘This is a light military EDR - June / July 2015

transport aircraft for air landing and airdrop of military cargoes, equipment and personnel. The IL-112V is equipped with avionics that combines the entire equipment complex and systems into an integrated complex, known as ‘’The On board equipment integrated complex’. All operational information is displayed on six LCD monitors. The high-wing Il-112 utility turboprop is a smaller version of the low-wing Il-114 which was launched in 2000. The fuselage is 6.2m shorter, but the type retains the –114’s Klimov TV7-117 turboprops. A military Il-112V with a loading ramp and 11-seat corporate shuttle versions will also be offered. As there is a large market for such an aircraft in Russia and its surrounding neighbours for military and civil operations, the production figure may be a large one.

We have come a long way in the past twenty years as far as military transport aircraft and their capabilities are concerned. They have to be cost-effective, carry large payloads and be efficient. The aircraft described above that are in service or are expected to be by the end of the , decade meet these requirements.

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Two AGM-114 Hellfire anti-tank missiles on the underwing pylons of a General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV). (David Oliver)

Killer Drones

David Oliver The concept of an unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) can be traced back to the first ‘black’ programme of World War One when Charles F Kettering of Delco, later General Motors, designed what was known as the ‘Kettering Bug’ an unmanned aircraft that could carry a 135kg (300lb) bomb load over a short distance.

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owever, it was not until the next war that an unmanned ‘flying bomb’ concept was developed as Germany’s first secret weapon, the pulse jet-powered Fieseler Fi-103, better known as the V-1 ‘Revenge weapon’. At the same time, the United States had produced the first successful UCAV, the twin-piston engine TDR-1, 50 of which were launched by the US Navy Special Task Force One against Japanese shipping around Guadalcanal in late 1944 achieving a 50 percent score rate with 909kg (2,000lb) bombs.

For some reason UCAV development remained dormant during the Cold War and it was not until the outbreak of numerous post-Soviet era conflicts that they came to the fore. In October 2001, a Hellfire-armed GA-ASI MQ-1B Predator became the first UAV ever to fire precision-guided weapons in combat, targeting and destroying enemy forces in Afghanistan during the start of Operation ‘Enduring Freedom’.

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General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) was only became an affiliate to General Atomics, a privately-owned defence contractor specializing in nuclear physics, in 1993 and quickly became a leading manufacturer of advanced Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) First flown in 1994, Predator medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) UAV powered by a single piston engine was the first-ever weaponized unmanned aerial system featuring precision air-to-ground weapons delivery capability.

Armed with two AGM-114K Hellfire C anti-tank missiles, it was deployed to the Balkans, Kosovo, Iraq and Yemen as well as Afghanistan. More than 300 Predators were delivered to the US Air Force, the UK Royal Air Force and the Italian Air Force.

The US Army is currently taking delivery of the MQ-1C Gray Warrior, a variant of Predator developed for its extended Range/Multi-Purpose (ER/MP) UAS programme powered by

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Unmanned a Thielert heavy-fuel engine. The MQ-1C The aircraft can carry multiple payloads aloft for up to 27 hours, including Electro-optical/Infrared (EO/IR) with laser designation, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), communications relay, and four Hellfire missiles.

Development of the MQ-1B’s successor, the GA-ASI-funded Predator B, later designated Reaper, began in 1998. The long-endurance, medium/high altitude UAS has a wingspan of 20m (66ft) and is powered by a single Honeywell TPE331-10 turboprop engine, has a ceiling of 15,240m (50,000ft), a maximum speed of 444kh/h (276mph) and an endurance of up to 32 hours.

The armed variant, the MQ-9, can be armed with a mix of AGM-114P/R Hellfire missiles, GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bombs or GBU38 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM). In testing conducted at the US Naval Air Weapons Station in China Lake, California last year, an MBDA Brimstone-equipped MQ 9-Reaper scored nine direct hits against stationary and maneuvering

targets traveling at speeds as fast as 110km/h (70mph) from up to seven miles away at altitudes as high as 6,100m (20,000ft). The testing also demonstrated how Brimstone’s dual mode Semi-Active Laser and Active MMW radar seekers work in tandem to ensure direct hits, even while manually designating and tracking targets beyond line of sight (SATCOM) conditions.

USAF MQ-9 Reapers operated in Afghanistan since November 2007 which were soon joined by a small number of UK RAF examples.

Since the withdrawal of ISAF from Afghanistan, USAF and RAF Reapers have been in action against ISIL forces in Iraq. The French Air Force ordered 12 MQ-9s in 2013, some of which have been deployed to support French operations in Niger and Mali although they have yet to be weaponized while Italy and the Netherlands are both customers for the unarmed RQ-9 variant.

Other countries are taking a close look at the capabilities of UCAVs including Australia. The prospect of continued combat operations in the Middle East is driving the contemplated order

An MQ-9 Reaper carrying four MBDA Brimstone dual mode short-range radar-guided air-to-surface missiles. (MBDA)

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An MQ-9 Reaper carrying four MBDA Brimstone dual mode short-range radar-guided air-to-surface missiles. (MBDA)

for armed UAVs, and even before making a decision, the Australian government has sent air force personnel to the United States to learn to operate General Atomics MQ-9 Reapers.

On 17 February 2015, the Obama administration announced a new policy that could facilitate UAV exports to countries beyond close allies like the UK and France.

The US will assess military UAV export requests “on a case-by-case basis”, according to the State Department and Washington will require recipients of US-origin military UAVs to agree to stringent principles guiding proper use before sales or transfers can be authorized.

With UAV technology in high demand worldwide, US arms makers have long sought to enter that market more forcefully as competitors like China continue to make inroads. The new policy is likely to facilitate the efforts of US UAV makers like General Atomics to offer more advanced technology to more customers.

In fact, General Atomics has a virtual monopoly of the UCAV market with only a handful of competitors. Israel was at the forefront of developing and manufacturing a series of successful single-engine long endurance tactical UAVs, EDR - June / July 2015

some of which were acquired by US forces and used effectively during Desert Storm operation against Iraq.

However, Israel has yet to produce an operational UCAV, apart from the ‘suicidal’ Israeli Industries Harpy mini-UAV that is virtually a flying bomb designed to take out enemy radars.

The United States is correct when alluding to China’s growing UAV industry, although the only UCAV that has been exported to Pakistan and Nigeria is the CASC CH-3A. This is a single-engine medium-range reconnaissance/ strike capable of carrying two AR-1 laser-guided air-to-surface missiles or FT-5 INS/GPS guided bombs. China is developing a Reaper-class UCAV, the CH-4B that is designed to carry up to four Blue Arrow 7 laser-guided missiles, TG100 small diameter laser-guided bombs or FT5 dual-bombs.

South Africa’s Denel Dynamics has been building its medium-endurance surveillance Seeker UAV for more than 20 years. The latest variant, the Seeker 400 is a larger air vehicle and an armed version will initially be offered with the 10,000m-range Mokopa laser-guided airto-surface missile while other weapons could

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Unmanned subsequently be integrated, including the Denel Dynamics Impi, which combines elements of the 5,000m-range Ingwe laser beam-riding anti-tank missile.

Rotary-Wing UCAVs There are no operational rotary-wing UCAVs although there are several in development. In 2003, the Northrop Grumman Fire Scout VTOL tactical UAV was equipped with two four-round pods for Stinger air-to-air rockets and further trials took place with live firings of 2.75 in Mark 66 unguided rockets. In 2014, a US Navy MQ-8B test-fired the laser-guided 2.75 inch, folding-fin rockets Advanced Kill Precision Weapons System (APKWS).

The most successful VTOL UAV, with some 200 in operation, is the Austrian Schiebel Camcopter S-100, which has been test-flown carrying to Thales short-range, laser-guided Light-

weight Multirole Missiles (LMM), but it has yet to be test-fired from the air vehicle.

At UMDX 2015, the Spanish company Everis launched the Viper VTOL UCAV which is based on the commercial RotorWay A-600 Talon manned helicopter as an affordable platform.

Viper offers a seven-hour endurance, integration with different payloads including machine guns, Hellfire air-to-surface missiles and 70mm guided and unguided rockets.

Future UCAV Projects.

At the Anglo-French Summit at RAF Brize Norton in January, 2014 the two governments have signed a statement of Intent for a Future Combat Air System (FCAS) to confirm the launch a two-year £120 million €146 million (£120 million) joint feasibility phase that will see British and French industries working together. Previous studies into this topic focused on various

The Spanish Viper VTOL UCAV is based on a the manned RotorWay A-600 Talon helicopter will be capable of being armed with machine guns, Hellfire missiles and 70mm guided and unguided rockets. (David Oliver)

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EDR - June / July 2015

Unmanned aspects of UCAVs that both the UK and France are currently studying with similar systems, the BAE Systems Taranis and the Dassault nEUROn programmes. Since 2010 Dassault Aviation, and its partners Alenia, Saab and Airbus Defence & Space, and BAE Systems have worked on the FCAS Demonstration Programme Preparation Phase collaborative study. Both are stealthy tailless flying wing designs powered by a non-afterburning Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour turbofan. The two primes are collaborating with several partners, including Safran, Rolls-Royce, Thales and Selex.

Taranis first flew at a secret test range in August 2013 and the following year it completed another round of experimental flights, including operating in stealthy configuration, designed to make it virtually invisible to radar.

The nEUROn had made its first flight in France in December 2012 and on 9 March 2015, it completed its 100th test flight during which the sensor, datalink and stealth characteristics of the demonstrator were tested. Responsibility for the six-nation nEUROn air vehicle will be transferred to Alenia Aermacchi in Italy ahead of a follow-up operational test phase by Saab in Sweden.

The European FCAS programme has a parallel in the United States with the Northrop Grumman X-47B, a demonstration UCAV designed for carrier-based operations part of the United States Navy’s Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstration (UCAS-D) programme.

The Dassault nEUROn stealth UCAV demonstrator has made 100 test flights as part of the Anglo-French Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme.

(Dassault)

The X-47B, another tailless jet-powered flying wing capable of semi-autonomous operation, first flew in 2011, and it is undergoing flight and operational integration testing including aerial refuelling, having successfully performed a series of land- and carrier-based demonstrations.

Northrop Grumman intends to develop the X-47B to be a contender for the US Navy’s the Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) system, which is due to enter service in the 2020s.

However, with defence budgets on both sides of the Atlantic under severe pressure, it may be more than a decade before operational UCAVs begin to take over from manned Multirole Com, bat Aircraft (MRCA).

The BAE Systems Taranis stealth UCAV has been test flow as part of the FCAS Demonstration Programme Preparation Phase collaborative study. (BAE Systems) EDR - June / July 2015

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&

SECURIT Y

INTERNATIONAL

EXHIBITION

THE LAND & AIRLAND SOLUTION

Identify your company as a key player

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www.eurosatory.com

EDR - June / July 2015

Using the aircraft’s powerful radar, the Astor Sentinel R1 mission crew can identify and track a large number of targets over great distances, and then share the information in near-realtime to friendly forces.

Johnny Keggler

Linking Data

Shuttling tactical data up and down the battlefield has become a monumental task, one that places ever-increasing demands on equipment, technology and the electromagnet spectrum, not to mention the requirements for reducing friendly fire. Operating within the realm of C4ISR, tactical datalinks have been the backbone of tactical data exchange for decades.

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aving been in operation since the mid1950s, Link 11 is a rather long-in-thetooth anti-air warfare tactical data exchange network. Its common counterpart, Link 16, the standards of which were developed in 1975 under the American JTIDS programme, supports text message exchange as well as imagery, along with two digital voice channels, it also offers resistance to electronic countermeasures (ECM) and uses TDMA access. The latest iteration is Link 22 which, unlike Link 11, which it was designed to replace, provides simultaneous transmission on up to four networks, thereby increasing data traffic bandwidth.

Link 16 is primarily an anti-air warfare (AAW) tactical data link whereas Link 22 is a predominately maritime tactical data link and has been designed to complement Link 16.

EDR - June / July 2015

Link 16 supports a single UHF network. Since UHF is a line-of-sight-only band, Link 16 units often requires airborne relay support – which can be fixed- or rotary-wing aircraft, drones or aerostats. In stark contrast, Link 22 operates on both HF and HF/UHF frequencies and includes automatic relay features, thus reducing or often negating the requirement for airborne relay.

The fast frequency-hopping characteristic of Link 16 helps to counter the effects of jamming or any other electronic countermeasures.

The Link 22 HF/UHF fixed frequency network is succeptible to jamming, however, its multiple network architecture means successful jamming needs to be more powerful and over a broader spectrum.

In Link 16, network management has proven to be rather a complex affair to successfully (and

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Communication

Data Link Solutions (DLS), a joint venture between Rockwell Collins and BAE Systems, developed the Link 16 TacNet Tactical Radio (TTR) for its military aircraft customers. The radio can also be used by unmanned aerial systems, rotary wing aircraft, forward air controllers, military vehicles, mobile and transportable ground stations, in addition to small maritime assets that lacked access to Link 16 capability. (Rockwell Collins)

certainly not hurriedly) plan and operate. Network management is more automated in Link 22, and the datalink offers features more akin to a Manet, such as dynamic bandwidth allocation.

Both Link 16 and 22 use 19-bit track numbering, as well as the Worldwide Geodetic System (WGS-84) The Link 16 data transfer rate runs between 26.8 and 107.5 kbit/s, although this depends on the data packing structure. With Link 22, the UHF fixed-frequency data transfer rate is 12.7 kbit/s. Link 22 can use multiple networks for one data stream to increase the data transfer rate.

Getting the MIDS Message Communication links between aircraft, ground forces and ships has seen many developments in support of TADIL (Tactical Digital Information Link) comms. Even though near real-time exchange has brought its own share of hurdles, each system has its own hardware and software demands and shortcomings.

Waveforms, modulation, modes of transmission and data rate standard requirements, combined with message standards and protocols have all pitched in to work against passing the information effectively.

The Multifunctional Informaiton Distribution System (Mids) programme was designed to see small, lightweight Link 16 terminals mount-

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ed onto fighter aircraft; this capablity seems a Godsend, as earlier equipment was cost, size and reliability prohibitive for anything but an AWACS or a ground station.

With Mids, data from an Awacs or Joint Stars can be shared in near-real-time with other blue force aircraft and to command and control centres. The first five nations to enroll in the Mids development were the US, France, Germany, Italy and Spain – an effort spearheaded by BAE Systems. From this collaboration came the first Low Volume Terminal (LVT) and afterwards the Fighter Datalink (FDL) terminal. Both the LVT and FDL are interoperable with legacy Link 16 terminals and Joint Tactical Information Distribution Systems.

The European Data Voice Airbus, Indra, Selex ES and Thales Communications & Security have joined forces to launch the Euromids programme, with the same goal of creating the European line of LVT equipment.

The Euromids LVT(1) Main terminals are being produced in four separate variants: the Main terminal (full featured), a version without Tacan support, one terminal without voice support and the last without Tacan or voice.

Six radio sets are also available; each with its own capabilities and power requirements.

Datalink reliability is of optimum importance, especially when autonomy steps into the picture. Although most UUVs share their info once ‘captured’ after their swim, a schooling possibility would require real-time position info, at the very least, to be shared.

EDR - June / July 2015

Communication Mids Low Volume Terminal installations, based on the TDMA datalink technology, are available in three configurations, with each version planned for specific air, sea and land platforms, LVT(1), LVT(2) and LVT(3) (the FDL terminal). Mids-JTRS, a Software Defined Radio (SDR) standard, is compliant with the Joint Tactical Radio System Software Communication Architecture, which adds SDR functionality and flexibility (to include programmable crypto, among other enhancements).

Message Importance One of the most important motivations for real-time and correct information exchange is to prevent any instance of friendly fire (although the term ‘friendly’ is relative). To this end the IFF (Identify Friend or Foe) system was developed. IFF is a bit of a misnomer, as the system originally only identifies friendly forces, but its effectiveness, of late, has been increased to almost completely acceptable standards.

During the Bold Quest exercise in 2013, Cassidian demonstrated its Reverse IFF (Riff) system which allows combat aircraft and helicopters to emit an interrogation signal into a pre-defined area to receive a response from any ground-based interrogators. Previously, aircraft could only respond to enquiries sent from ground-based equipment, but the aircraft were without means to identify those ground forces.

Based on Nato standard Mode 5, the secure link can identify itself to ground forces and have

Designed with EO/IR network / IP-based cameras, the Phoenix 30 quad-rotor from UAV Solutions transmits and receives Command and Control information as well as its video communications through a single encrypted digital datalink. (UAV Solutions) EDR - June / July 2015

The Toplink-Mint is a portable MIDS Link 16 station developed by Thales and designed for testing, maintenance and training as well as live operation.

The Link 16 station is one element in a toolbox solution which includes terminal control and monitoring, data analysis, network simulation and laboratory or field test bensh tools. (Thales)

the luxury of identifying those forces before considering releasing any munitions.

Common Data Link The Common Data Link (CDL) programme was designed to provide datalink interoperability, thereby allowing seamless communication between multiple ISR collection systems. The CDL offers full-duplex, spread-spectrum, pointto-point, jam-resistant digital microwave communications between ISR sensors and surface terminals.

Cubic Corporation’s AN/USQ-167 it the company’s flagship dual-terminal CDL system that is designed to connect US Navy aircraft carriers and large-deck amphibious assault ships over encrypted X and Ku-bands. These CDL terminals can pass massive amounts of sensitive data between these ships and airborne assets.

Raytheon received an $89 million US-UK purchase contract in April 2015 to provide 25 Submarine High Data Rate (SubHDR) antenna systems which will provide high-capacity EHF and SHF-band communications.

L-3 Communications Systems West offers its Ka-Band Space CDL system, which provides up to 1.2 Gbps for real-time situational awareness,

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Communication

The EuroMids Low Volume Terminal is a smaller, less-expensive tactical datalink option that is fully-compatible with Joint Tactical Information Distribution System Class 2 terminals. The four main terminal variants provide options for various platforms and requirements. (EuroMids)

targeting, surveillance and overview of convoy operations. The system’s digital software programmable architecture allows the versatility of waveform assignment flexibility and on-orbit software uploads.

Smaller Links The main tactical datalinks are designed for manned aircraft, as well as ships and ground vehicles, but smaller datalinks, for command and control of UAVs, and for shuttling their imagery around the battlefield are paramount to the larger battlespace overview.

The proliferation of smaller, handheld drones has opened a new demand for electromagnetic spectrum assignment.

One recent example is the sale of four UAV Solutions Phoenix 30 quad-rotor drones to the Bulgarian Army. The tiny (50 x 50 cm), lightweight (4.5 kg) airframe provides up to 30 minutes endurance. The Phoenix receives its command and control information as well as transmitting its video signals through a single encrypted digital datalink.

These smaller, low-power datalinks are plentiful on a battlefield. But autonomous drones and vehicles, although operating through their artificial intelligence and pre-programmed information, also require their pieces of the spectrum pie.

Tactical datalinks have allowed large volumes of information to be shared from and to

One of the first links in the tactical data chain are combat aircraft. Whatever their mission, the information they gather is shared along tactical links to ground centres, ships and to other aircraft, thereby helping to build a clear situational awareness picture for all battlefield elements. (Saab)

Illustrating the absolute demand for precise IFF and swift and robust tactical datalinks, this artist’s impression of an armed autonomous ground vehicle sends its own rather clear message of intent. (Darpa)

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ground forces, all variety of aircraft and ships.

Even unteathered Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUV) require some sort of signal space once they return to the surface.

In April of 2014, Northrop Grumman successfully demonstrated the mid-air refuelling of its X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstration drone. Although this substantiates the autonomous capabilities of today’s newer, and certainly for future unmanned systems, this also proves that the datalinks involved must be not only robust and secure, but realtime information exchange is paramount to successful , (and safe) battlefield operations.

EDR - June / July 2015

General Jimenez oversees a pre-assault briefing with aircrews and Special Forces using tablets.

(David Oliver)

David Oliver

Colombia is Winning the War

For nearly fifty years, the Colombian military have been continually engaged in fighting left-wing guerilla forces, FARC and the ELN, and well-armed drug traffickers, and is now one of the largest and best equipped in Latin America. It comprises the EjĂŠrcito Nacional de Colombia (Army), the Fuerza AĂŠrea Colombiana (Air Force) and the Armada del Republica de Colombia (Navy).

A

t the forefront of this war is the Colombian Army Aviation Assault Division based at Tolemedia 240 km (150 miles) southwest of Bogota. Its mission is to plan an execute aviation support operations for joint and coordinated forces, and provide air fire support to military units throughout the national territory involved in the maintenance of peacekeeping operations. This includes special operations against drug traffickers.

The Division comprises Army Aviation Brigade No 25 which qualifies and trains aviation personnel to operate with land forces and that it understands that the air component of the army must be integrated into all operations from planning to completion. The Training Battalion

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trains aviation units in operational procedures and develop tactical, technical and special combat courses. The Army Aviation Brigade No 32 is tasked with developing field maintenance and support and repair of Army Aviation aircraft.

Brigade No 33 is the Special Operations Battalion, a highly trained aviation unit trained to operate in any environment day and night undertaking command and control, combat search and rescue (CSAR), CASEVAC, and insertion and extraction missions. The latter includes rapid vertical insertion from helicopters and the Special Patrol Infiltration and extraction System (SPIES) that enables the lift of up to 14 soldiers on a 120 ft cable. For rapid insertion of soldiers from low altitude from helicopters on to rivers, EDR - June / July 2015

An Army UH-60L Black Hawk and Mi175V move in to extract troops during an exercise guarded by a Huey II gunship.

(David Oliver)

lakes or the sea, they are on board a fast rigid inflatable boat (RIB) ejected from the rear of the helicopter at low speed, a technique known as the Duck Droop.

The Special Forces Brigade at Tolemaida is an integral component of the Strategic Army Reserve that plans and conducts special operations in any terrain of weather, day and night, on land, water or from the air. It also plans and executes Direct Action (DA) operations, special reconnaissance operations at short, medium and long range and performs special missions against targets of opportunity.

The Brigade also undertakes high infiltration at great altitude (IAGA) missions by parachute from aircraft flying between 15,000 and 35,000 ft using either the high altitude high opening (HAHO) or high altitude low opening techniques.

Colombia’s Army Aviation operates a total of 56 Black Hawk helicopters, the fourth largest fleet in the world. Twenty are based at Tolemaida including seven recently delivered S-70i Black Hawks quipped with dual GPS/INS system and digital map, a rescue hoist and an Integrated Vehicle Health Management system, along with 21 Russian Mi-175V/MBs, and several Bell Huey II and UH-1N helicopters.

The commander of the Army Aviation Assault Division, Brigadier General José Barrios EDR - June / July 2015

Jiménez, told EDR that, “We are dealing with real operations against a real enemy. We are one of the most experienced forces of NVG operations in the world. We rely on accurate weather forecasts when planning to infiltrate and extract troops with terrain intelligence for landing zones, along with enemy numbers and weapons intelligence from UAVs and US satellites.”

Some of the Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) that General Jiménez relies on is provided by the Colombian Air Force which is also involved in ongoing operations against FARC and organized crime. One of its most active units is Air Combat Command No 2 (CA-

Loading a rigid inflatable boat (RIB) on a Mi-17 prior to a Duck Droop exercise. (David Oliver)

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National forces COM-2) based at Luis Fernando Gómez Niño Air Base Air Base at Apiay, some 75 km southeast of Bogota. Three squadrons and a helicopter flight operate from the base as part of Group 21. No 211 Squadron, whose motto is “We’re the Force”, is equipped with 13 A-29B Super Tucanos, No 212 Squadron with 14 armed AT-27 Tucanos, while No 213 Squadron has a mixed fleet of an AC-47T, two Schweizer SA2-37A Vampinos, a C-28 Medevac Caravan, two Casa 212-300 and a Beechcraft C95. A former US Army MH-60L Black Hawk comprises the rotary-wing element.

With the last of the air forces veteran OV-10A Broncos being withdrawn from service in February 2015, the A-29B light attack aircraft, armed with FN 12,7 mm machine guns, 250 and 500 lb iron bombs and 70 mm unguided rockets, are the air force’s primary counter-insurgency (COIN) aircraft. They have TOSS training programmes tailored to meet mission-specific/geographic training objectives.

The Group’s 14 AT-27 Tucanos are being updated with Cobham avionics and Collins nav/ comms systems and new strengthened landing gear, the first by Embraer the rest by Corporacion De La Industria Aeronautica Colombiana S.A., (CIAC), four of which have been delivered to date. They are used for weapons training carrying 20mm cannon pods and practice bombs.

Nearly 4,000 pilot training missions were flown in 2014 during which 10 A-29B and 21 AT-27 pilots graduated.

The base had the highest tempo of operations in 2014 carrying a total of 208 combat operations, one every other day on average, plus 44 logistic support missions. CACOM-2’s objectives are to destroy the structure of the armed elements of FARC as well as organized crime bands, neutralize FARC’s lines of communication, contribute to the strategic aims of Joint Task Force Omega and the Army’s 4th Division, and interdict the air bridges used by drug traf-

Group 21 aircraft at Apiay, an A-29B Super Tucano, an AT-27 Tucano and an SA2-37 Vampino. (David Oliver)

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EDR - June / July 2015

A No 211 Squadron A-29B Super Tucano taxies out for a mission carrying two underwing fuel tanks. (David Oliver)

fickers as well as associated illicit activities. It is also responsible for the protection of the civil population and their resources.

In the past decade, several FARC and ELN leaders have been killed by airstrikes and in 2014, Group 21 aircraft flew 1,752 hours in 194 operations, including 177 interdiction and 13 close air support (CAS) missions, and attacking a total of 590 targets. It also intercepted 73 suspected illegal flights. In the fist four months of 2015, it carried out 11 interdiction and two CAS mission attacking 34 targets.

Another important role of CACOM-2 is ISR and last year over 1,500 hours were flown on surveillance, reconnaissance and air intelligence missions, and more than 250 hours have been flown to date this year.

For long-range ISR missions, No 213 Squadron’s remaining AC-47T used along with its SA2-37A Vampinos. The single-engine twoseat Vampinos normally fly 5.5 hour missions although they are capable of remaining airborne for up to 11 hours. CIAC has recently upgraded the SA2-37As with a Garmin 9000 glass cockpit.

The Luis Fernando Gómez Niño Air Base Air Base is also the home of the Air Force’s Hermes 450 long-endurance tactical UAVs and Hermes 900 medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) EDR - June / July 2015

UAVs that have been recently acquired. In 2014, nine Hermes pilots graduated at the base and others are undergoing training with Air Force instructors, and technicians from the UAV’s Israeli manufacturer Elbit.

A CACOM-2 A-29B Super Tucano pilot with a No 213 Squadron AC-47T in the background. (David Oliver)

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A rigid-hulled inflatable boat, (RHIB) berthed in the OPV 80 Arc 7 de Agosto. (David Oliver)

The Air Force’s ISR capability is also shared with the Colombian Navy that is engaged with the war against drug smuggling and not immune to FARC attacks. With five countries on its borders, a 1,300 km coastline and only two of road crossings, rivers are the main form of transport and communications in Colombia, and the preferred method of moving illicit drugs out of the country. Naval ships, ranging from Frigates to riverine patrol boats, and even submarines, operate anti-narcotics operations. The rivers are patrolled by a fleet of small fast patrol boats supported by motherships, all of which have been built by the Government-owned COTEMAR Shipyard at Cartagena on the Caribbean coast.

The motherships are armoured and equipped with machine guns and grenade launchers and have a flight deck for helicopters.

COTEMAR is developing an Amazon Patrol Vessel jointly designed by Brazil’s EMGEPRON, which will be based on COTEMAR’s 373-ton PAF-series river patrol vessel - a fully armoured gunboat capable of embarking an assault group and a medium-size helicopter. This follows a 2008 Colombian-Brazilian bilateral defence co-operation agreement for a $6.4 million order of four COTECMAR LPR-40 river patrol boats, two each for the Brazilian Army and Navy.

The Colombian Navy patrol the Caribbean waters which the drug traffickers cross to Mexico with fast boats and even semi-submersible vessels, with its two new German-designed

40

Fassmer Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) 80s which were built by COTEMAR. A third OPV 80 is being assembled at the Cartagena shipyard while a, amphibious landing craft is about to be launched. The OPV 80s have heli-decks and a hangar capable of deploying Colombian Navy AS555N armed with 20 mm GIAT cannon, and Bell 212s and 412s armed with a GAU-127 minigun or M240 7.62 mm machine gun.

While Colombia negotiates yet another ceasefire with FARC, its very capable armed forces remain on high alert to intercept, attack and destroy any guerilla force or drug trafficker , that crosses it path.

The Navy OPV 80 Arc 7 de Agosto at the Cartagena-Bolivar Naval Base.

(David Oliver) EDR - June / July 2015

The LWMMG is a new weapon system that greatly expands the operational capabilities of the warfighter. (General Dynamics)

The Lightweight Medium Machinegun Jean-Pierre Husson

First showcased in 2012, the LWMMG hadn’t been ‘spotted in the wild’ for a while now; by showcasing it again at the last edition of the Eurosatory defense expo in Paris, in June 2014, GD-OTS confirmed that the project is indeed still on.

A

lthough mostly known for the construction of heavy armaments − armered vehicles, military aircrafts, missile systems − the US-based General Dynamics (GD) group is also engaged in the research and development of individual and crew-served weapons, through its “Ordnance and Tactical Systems” division (GD-OTS) − previously known as the General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products division (GD-ATP) − which is the main global source for crew-served support weapon systems such as the Mk-19 and Mk-47 belt-fed automatic grenade launchers and the GAU-19/A and GAU-19/B heavy machineguns. One of the GD-OTS’ latest creations is the Lightweight Medium Machinegun (LWMMG) conceived as an extended-range infantry support weapon.

The concept behind the LWMMG spawned from the observation of the habits of several military units deployed in eastern theatres of oper-

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ation (Afghanistan or Iraq), which often openly shown their favour to 7.62 x 51 mm NATO light and general-purpose machineguns (GPMG), such the FN MAG/M-240 or Mk-48/Mod.0, over the normally-issued 5.56 x 45mm models, such as the FN Minimi/ M-249 SAW, due to range and terminal power concerns.

However, even the 7.62 x 51 mm NATO caliber has often been reported to be lackluster in terms of performance against hostiles barricaded in solid buildings, and − when fired from GPMG − it also demonstrated poor range and accuracy in desert and mountain warfare. In these vast, open spaces, a small group of insurgents equipped with PKM GPMG or heavy machinegun DShK, can keep an entire patrol pinned for hours, or until air support is available.

The only solution in these cases would be to break contact and disengage under the cover of a heavy machine gun (12.7 x 99 mm EDR - June / July 2015

Machine Guns

The LWMMG was exposed in the last edition of the of the Eurosatory defense expo in Paris, in June 2014. (Jean-Pierre Husson)

NATO/.50-BMG), autocannon or automatic grenade launcher, but such a solution could apply only to those platoons that advance under the cover of armed vehicles. In fact, until now, small units of the US and NATO armed forces had small arms (rifles, light machine guns and GPMG) with more or less matching capabilities in terms of range and lethality (hitting power).

New munition for new machine gun General Dynamics first realized the capability gap being experienced by US armed forces in Afghanistan around 2010. In many cases, troops were on low ground and being engaged

by PKM machine gun fire from the high ground, forcing them to return fire from where they were instead of being able to seek a better position.

The Browning M2 .50 caliber machine gun is too heavy for use by dismounted patrols, and rounds from an M240 begin to drift off target at 800 meters, especially when shooting upwards.

At closer ranges, an M240 is accurate but does not have enough penetrating power against hard structures.

The Precision Sniper Rifle competition going on at that time also showed the US military was interested in infantry weapons with a 1.500-meter range. To achieve desired range capabilities, the .338 caliber was chosen, specifically the .338 Norma Magnum over the .338 Lapua Magnum for several reasons including greater barrel life and a less tapered case for better use in a belt link.

The .338 Norma Magnum (8.6 x 64 mm) is a recent development; first introduced in 2008 EDR - June / July 2015

and going into production in 2009. On 26 May 2010 the new munition was certified by CIP/PIC (Commission internationale permanente pour l’Êpreuve des armes à feu portatives/Permanent International Commission for the Proof of Small Arms) and thus became an officially registered and sanctioned rimmed rifle cartridge.

It has evolved from .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge by shortening the case and slightly altering its shape, to ensure same overall length as .338 Lapua Magnum with longer heavier bullets with outstanding ballistic properties.

The .338 Norma Magnum prior to CIP/PIC certification had a shorter cartridge with an overall length of 91.44 mm (3.60 in) compared with the overall length of the of the .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge of 93.50 mm (3.681 in). The .338 Norma Magnum loaded with 19.44 g (300 gr) .338 caliber Sierra HPBT projectiles will have the projectile less deeply seated compared with the .338 Lapua Magnum when both cartridges are loaded to an overall length of 91.44 mm (3.681 in). To achieve this the .338 Norma Magnum cartridge utilizes a shorter case, about 63.30 mm (2.492 in) with less taper and a slightly sharper shoulder angle with a slightly longer neck, resulting in about 6 per cent less case capacity.

However the cartridge overall lengths of the .338 Norma Magnum and .338 Lapua Magnum are currently determined at 93.50 mm (3.681 in) by the CIP/PIC rulings for these cartridges. In its basic form, .338 Norma Magnum cartridge, when fired from LWMMG, launches a very low drag Sierra MatchKing bullet weighting 19.44 g

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Machine Guns

The LWMMG is built out of high-technology metal alloys and polymer. (General Dynamics)

(300 gr) at 808 m/s (2650 fps), with a muzzle energy in excess of 6300 Joules (4600 ft-lbs).

At 914 m (1,000 yds), the 7.62 NATO’s velocity drops to about 300 m/s (1,000 ft/s); at that range, the .338 Norma Magnum travels at 610 m/s (2,000 ft/s) and out to 1.000 m (1,100 yd), the round is capable of defeating Level III armour, even when reinforced with armour plates (it also equals to well over four times the terminal effect of any 7.62 x 51 mm NATO load).

Accuracy and lethality unmatched Development of prototypes took 12 months and was entirely company-funded. The LWMMG was first unveiled on 15 May 2012 at the Joint Armaments Conference in Seattle, Washington.

This new machine gun is a gas operated weapon that fires from open bolt. It employs more or less conventional rotary bolt locking and long stroke gas piston, located below the barrel. The Air-cooled barrel can be removed quickly for replacement or maintenance. It uses the Short Recoil Impulse Averaging technology, patented

by General Dynamics, which is an adaptation of the old “differential firing” principle, previously used in the XM806 .50 caliber machine gun, also developed by General Dynamics.

In this system, entire barrel/barrel extension/gas system/bolt assembly is allowed to recoil inside the outer housing. The bolt group cycles inside the barrel extension in a usual manner, feeding, firing, extracting and ejecting rounds, while entire assembly slides back and forth, noticeably decreasing peak recoil forces.

Another feature of this system is that mecha-

44

nism is timed to fire each round while the recoiling group is still moving forward, further decreasing peak recoil. Infact, the Short Recoil Impulse Averaging technology keeps all recoil in the receiver, along with a fairly low cyclic rate, standing at 500 rounds-per-minute − keeps it controllable during full-automatic fire. In the Short Recoil Impulse Averaging system, the entire barrel, barrel extension, gas system with long-stroke piston and bolt assembly recoil inside the outer housing of the gun, effectively reducing felt recoil to 7.62 x 51mm levels. That’s an impressive level of recoil reduction, specialy that the LWMMG utilising the much more powerful .338 Norma Magnum cartridge.

Built out of high-technology metal alloys and polymer, the LWMMG also comes with a fully collapsible stock, a three-positions selector switch for safety, single shots and full-automatic fire and several integrated MIL-

The .338 Norma Magnum is an evolution of the .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge.

EDR - June / July 2015

Machine Guns integrating metallic belt with steel links similar in design to US M13 7,62 mm links, but made appropriately bigger to accept larger .338 Norma Magnum cartridge. Feed is of the pushthrough type.

The LWMMG offers noticeable increase in terms of range (from about 800 m for 7,62 mm GPMG such as M240 or PKM up to 1700 meters for LWMMG) and lethality. The gun itself is relatively light (10,9 kg/24 lbs), and is lighter than 7,62 mm M240B machine gun by about 1.3 kg (3 pounds). The key issue is ammunition, as .338 Norma Magnum is twice as heavy compared to 7,62 x 51 mm NATO cartridge (45,5 g/702 grs for .338 Norma Magnum compared to 24/370 grs for 7,62 mm NATO). Links for LWMMG also are twice as heavy compared to standard M13 The projectiles .338 Norma Magnum of and those of the .338 Lapua Magnum.

STD-1913 Picatinny rails, allowing the use of a variety of day and night-time sights, depending on the upcoming mission profile, and other accessories.

The weapon’s simple assembly quickly breaks down into six functional groups, and all field maintenance is performed without the need for special tools.

The LWMMG can be fired from integral folding bipod, from M192 tripod (originally developed for M240 and M249 machine guns), and from variety standard vehicle mounts. The LWMMG gun is a belt-fed weapon, with lefthand side feed. It uses specially designed dis-

LWMMG uses specially designed disintegrating metallic belt with steel links similar in design to US M13. General Dynamics) EDR - June / July 2015

LWMMG is ideally suited for both mounted and dismounted operations.

(General Dynamics)

for 7,62 mm NATO links (8 g vs. 4 g). To make a comparison; .338 LWMMG with one minute worth of ammo for sustained fire (500 rounds in belts) has total weight of 37,6 kg, while M240B with one minute worth of ammo (800 rounds in belts) has total weight of 34,4 kg.

An improved LWMMG was displayed at AUSA 2014 with its weight decreased to 10 kg (22 lbs). Previously, the gun underwent a firing demonstration with special operations elements at Camp Roberts, California. When firing from a bipod, the gunners were able to fire directly and hit targets as far out as 1.950 m (2.133 yds).

At that range, a .50 caliber machine gun is designed to be an area weapon and could only fire

45

The LWMMG uses the Short Recoil Impulse Averaging technology, patented by General Dynamics.(Jean-Pierre Husson)

accurately with single shots, while the LWMMG can maintain accurate automatic fire beyond what the .50 caliber is capable of. This showed the weapon’s significance of hitting targets at longer ranges than what an M240 can do that would require the use of a vehicle-mounted .50 caliber weapon.

The LWMMG is a new weapon system that greatly expands the operational capabilities of the warfighter, giving a distinct advantage in both extended and close-in fighting. Eliminating the gap between 7.62 mm and .50 caliber weapons, the LWMMG utilizes the highly efficient .338 Norma Magnum cartridge to offer unmatched accuracy and lethality while extending the battlespace out to an impressive 1,700 meters.

The weapon is ideally suited for both mounted and dismounted operations: the increase in effective range and lethality in a lightweight

Eliminating the gap between 7.62 mm and .50 caliber weapons, the LWMMG utilizes the highly efficient .338 Norma Magnum cartridge. (General

form is substantial for dismounted operations.

The mounted configuration provides long range, accurate fires currently associated with the M2 Browning, but without the heavier weight.

The LWMMG’s portability and integration of standard optics combined with the superior ballistic coefficient of the .338 Norma Magnum cartridge provide overmatch capability compared to all known portable machine guns in , the world.

LWMMG Specifications Caliber : 8.6 x 64 mm Ammunition : .338 Norma Magnum Projectiles : 300 grs Sierra HPBT, FMJ, AP Weight : 10 kg (22 lbs) gun with bipod;

+ 5,2 kg (11.5 lbs) with tripod M192 Overall length : 1.244 mm (49”) Barrel length : 609 mm (24”) Rate of fire : 500 rounds per minute Muzzle velocity : 2650 feet per second Maximum range : 5.500 m (6.100 yds) Maximum effective range : +1700 metres (1900 yards) Mount : M192 tripod or various vehicle mounts and low recoil of the weapon affords operators of all sizes the ability to carry and deliver lethal effects.

Dynamics)

46

EDR - June / July 2015

EDR European Defence Review (EDR) is the premier English-language journal focusing on defence-related issues from a distinctly European perspective. EDR is produced by the

defence industry’s most prominent and distinguished journalists.

Regular contributors include: Jean-Pierre Husson, Christina Mackenzie, David Oliver, François Prins, Eugenio Po, Nikolay Novichkov Mélanie Bernard-Crozat and Johnny Keggler.

Graphic design / layout by: Johnny Keggler / La Passion Artistique Verlag Advertisers in this issue:

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EDR - March / April 2015

thalesgroup.com

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Millions of critical decisions are made in the field of defense aerospace every day. Thales is at the heart of this. Our interoperable and scalable solutions for fighter aircraft, mission aircraft and UAVs for combat, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions increase operational efficiency and are supplied as a complete package, including support and services. Adopted by more than 40 of the world’s major air forces, we are acknowledged as a leading innovator in military aviation and provide decision makers with the information and control they need to make more effective responses in critical environments. Everywhere, together with our customers, we are making a difference.

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PEMA 2m - Photo F. Robineau - Dassault Aviation

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