Asian Military Review - February 2016

Volume 24/issue 1

FEBRUARY 2016 US$15

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

SINGAPORE MODERNISES AIR DEFENCE sOLDIER MODERNISATIONs INTERNAL SECURITY VEHICLES

COASTGUARDS MILITARY HELICOPTER MARKETS AIR FORCES DIRECTORY

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FOR SPECIAL OPS. A SPECIAL EDGE.

FOR SPECIAL OPS. A SPECIAL EDGE.

COMBAT · HUM A NITA RIA N · LOGISTICS · RE SCUE · SPECIA L OP S · REFUELING Around the globe, V-22 Ospreys are making a critical difference for Special Operations Forces—executing long-range infiltration, exfiltration and resupply missions unachievable with conventional rotorcraft. The tiltrotor’s unique blend of high speed, long range, survivability and helicopter flexibility has made it the platform of choice, providing a special edge for SOF operators.

COMBAT · HUM A NITA RIA N · LOGISTICS · RE SCUE · SPECIA L OP S · REFUELING Around the globe, V-22 Ospreys are making a critical difference for Special Operations Forces—executing long-range infiltration, exfiltration and resupply missions unachievable with conventional rotorcraft. The tiltrotor’s unique blend of high speed, long range, survivability and helicopter flexibility has made it the platform of choice, providing a special edge for SOF operators.

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Product: Boeing Defense Space & Security

Approved

Contents

february 2016 VOLUME 24 / ISSUE 1

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Survival Instinct Despite its small territorial size, Singapore has one of the most technologically-advanced militaries in the Asia-Pacific region. Alex Calvo examines the latest developments in the country’s armed forces.

Front Cover Photo:

Singaporean and US Air Force fighter pilots after a training sortie: The modernisation of Singapore’s armed forces falls under the spotlight of Alex Calvo’s Survival Instinct article © USAF

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Bolt to the Blue

Sensors Working Overtime

Security Guards

Guarding the Coasts

Surface-to-Air Missiles are in high demand in the Asia-Pacific, Thomas Newdick explains, with several important ongoing programmes to this end.

Reducing a soldier’s workload and fatigue is integral to assisting their mission, and several soldier modernisation initiatives worldwide are assisting in this respect, Andrew White investigates.

The market for Internal Security Vehicles is growing in the Asia-Pacific, as nations seek vehicles capable of supporting both military and paramilitary operations, Stephen W. Miller finds out.

28 22 Air Forces Directory AMR’s ever-popular Air Forces Directory returns, compiled

by Thomas Newdick, giving the low-down on air power developments across the AsiaPacific.

Dr. Alix Valenti takes the temperature of the Offshore Patrol Vessel market in the Asia-Pacific and finds these craft in high demand from navies and coastguards around the region.

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Taking a Helicopter View Defence budgets in some parts of the Asia-Pacific are experiencing tough times, impacting the market for military rotorcraft, Andrew Drwiega explains.

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

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Editorial Temper Tantrums

P

erhaps Kim Jong-un was feeling bored?

Perhaps he was feeling unloved? Perhaps he was feeling neglected? Or perhaps all of the above? The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) nuclear showmanship is often blamed on such factors.

A ‘back of envelope’ theory in the strategic politics of the Asia-Pacific states that whenever the DPRK’s leadership feels that the interest of the international community in its eccentric behaviour is waning, it metaphorically throws its toys out of its cot. The ‘toy’ in question on 6 January was an alleged thermonuclear weapon, more commonly known as a ‘hydrogen bomb’.

This was not the first time that the DPRK had tested weapons of mass destruction: Its most recent foray, before the early January escapades, occurred on 12 February 2013 when a nuclear device, with a recorded explosive blast of seven kilotons (equivalent to 70000 tonnes of conventional explosives), was detonated underground at the Punggye-ri Test Site in the northeast of the country. Two other similar tests, but with lower explosive yields, were recorded in May 2009 and October 2006.

Yet the 6 January test represents an ‘upping of the ante’ by Pyongyang. Attempts by the DPRK to master a hydrogen bomb signal the regime’s determination not only to enhance the size of its nuclear arsenal, but also the explosive power it can unleash. Without delving too much into the complex physics of a thermonuclear bomb’s modus operandi (admittedly beyond your editor’s intellect to comprehend), such weapons are vastly more powerful than ‘vanilla’ nuclear bombs which only use a single stage design. Hydrogen bombs use a ‘two stage’ design generating yields of 50 megatons (50 million tonnes of conventional explosives), in the case of the Soviet Union’s AN-602 Tsar Bomba (‘King of Bombs’) which was detonated over the Arctic archipelago of Novaya Zemlya on 30 October 1961.

The good news regarding the DPRK’s alleged hydrogen bomb test, the veracity of which was disputed by White House spokesperson Josh Earnest, and members of the global scientific community, was that its recorded explosive yield was measured at circa ten kilotons; far below the ‘bang’ that a hydrogen bomb blast would usually make. The bad news is that, despite global criticism of the 6 January test, which even included strong condemnation from the DPRK’s ally, the People’s Republic of China, this is unlikely to be the last that the international community hears of the DPRK’s nuclear weapons developments.

Increasingly, the periods of relative quiet between the DPRK’s nuclear tantrums seem to illustrate little more than pauses while further research and development is performed on the country’s nuclear arsenal; a process which Mr. Kim is either unwilling or unable to stop. The current lull which has descended over the Punggye-ri Test Site may merely represent Mr. Kim’s search for more nuclear toys to eject from his cot.

Thomas Withington, Editor Editor: Thomas Withington Tel: (33) 562 271 697, E-mail: t_withington@hotmail.com Publishing Office: Chairman: J.S. Uberoi Media Transasia Limited,1603, 16/F, Island Place Tower, 510 King’s Road, Hong Kong Operations Office: President: Egasith Chotpakditrakul Chief Financial Officer: Gaurav Kumar General Manager International Marketing: Vishal Mehta Marketing Manager: Jakhongir Djalmetov Sales & Marketing Coordinator: Wajiraprakan Punyajai Graphic Designer: Khakanaa Suwannawong Production Manager: Kanda Thanakornwongskul Group Circulation Manager: Porames Chinwongs Media Transasia Ltd. 75/8, 14th Floor, Ocean Tower II, Soi Sukhumvit 19, Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok 10110, Thailand.

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by Thomas Withington trol for ship-borne naval guns, alongside air traffic management functions for a vessel’s naval support helicopter.

Staying in the naval radar domain, on 3 December 2015 Harris announced that it had received a contract from the US Navy worth $113 million to upgrade Harris/Exelis AN/SPS-48E S-band (2.3-2.5/2.7-3.7GHz) naval surveillance radars. The contract covers an order worth $39 million, and three one-year options, as part of the US Navy’s Radar Obsolescence and Availability Recovery (ROAR) programme which is being rolled out across the AN/SPS-48E radars in service with the US Navy. The ROAR programme takes the AN/SPS-48E to AN/SPS-48G status with the addition of a solid state transmitter and a life extension sufficient to enable the radar to continue operating until 2050. The key element of the ROAR is the installation of open architecture electronics in the radar’s back end to make it easier to upgrade with new software and capabilities during its remaining service life.

AN/SPS-48 radars have a range of circa 250nm (460km) and a ceiling of 100,000ft (30000m). They are in service onboard the US Navy’s ‘Nimitz’ class aircraft carriers, plus its ‘Wasp’, ‘Tarawa’ and ‘San Antonio’ class amphibious assault ships. According to a statement provided by Harris, the contract awarded in early December 2015 covers 14 AN/SPS-48E radars, bringing the total number of AN/SPS-48E radars to receive the ROAR enhancement to 33 by the time that work is completed on this most recent contract in 2018.

Staying in the United States, Lockheed Martin has revealed to Pulse that it expects the first Long-Range Discrimination Radars (LRDRs) to be delivered to the United States Air Force to be operational from 2020. The company was awarded a contract worth $784.2 million in late October 2015 to develop, deploy and test the LRDR. The LRDR is an S-band (2.32.5/2.7-3.7GHz) ground-based air surveillance and early warning radar which is intended to support United States Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) capabilities. The Missile Defence Agency, the branch of the US Department of Defence tasked with coordinating the BMD efforts of the respective US armed forces, publicly revealed in a press release announcing the LRDR award to Lockheed Martin, that the new radar would be used to provide the detection of incoming ballistic missiles for Boeing’s Ground-Based Midcourse Defence (GBMD) BMD system. Designed to protect the Continental United States against ballistic missile attack, the GBMD architecture uses Ground-Based Interceptor (GBI) Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAMs) and radar to detect and then engage incoming ballistic missiles when they are in their so-called ‘midcourse phase’ i.e. following their launch when they are at an altitude of around 647nm (1200km). The GBI launch site is based at Fort Freely, Alaska. The ‘kill’ is performed by the Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle (EKV) developed by Raytheon which is carried aloft by the Orbital Sciences Ground-Based Interceptor (GBI).

Once in space, the EKV separates from the interceptor and smashes into the ballistic missile causing its destruction by brute force alone. Radar detection for the GBMD architecture is provided by Raytheon AN/ FPS-123 PAVE PAWS and AN/TPY-2 early warning radars. It is possible that the AN/FPS-123 and AN/TPY-2 radars for the GBMD system could be supplemented by the LRDR early next decade. It has not been revealed how many LRDR radars the MDA will procure, although Lockheed Martin has revealed that it expects these radars to remain in service for up to 60 years.

Airbus continues the roll-out of its TRS-3D radars across the US Navy’s ‘Freedom’ class Littoral Combat Ships, with the radar to equip the USS Indianapolis expected to be delivered by the end of 2016 © Airbus

Radar installations are afoot for the US Navy’s Littoral Combat Ships, while the Royal Australian Air Force is pouring investment into new Electronic Intelligencegathering capabilities and the United States Special Operations Command looks ahead to new tactical radios.

Radar Airbus’ defence and space subsidiary announced on 30 November 2015 that it had completed Factory Acceptance Tests for its TRS-4D (local designation, AN/SPS-75) naval surveillance radar to equip the US Navy’s USS Indianapolis ‘Freedom’ class Littoral Combat Ship LCS. The USS Indianapolis, is currently under construction by Lockheed Martin, and the radar is expected to be delivered to that company for installation onboard the ship by the end of 2016. The TRS-4D uses Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) architecture and is available both as a fixedpanel design and with a rotating antenna. The USS Indianapolis will receive the rotating antenna variant, while the Deutsche Marine (German Navy) ‘Baden-Württemberg’ class frigates, currently under construction

by ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems and Lürssen, will receive the fixed panel design.

A total of four ‘Freedom’ class LCSs are expected to receive TRS-4D radars, including the USS St. Louis and USS Minneapolis both of which have been ordered, but are not yet under construction, and the USS Cooperstown which is planned, although no date has been given by the US Navy for this ship’s construction. Factory Acceptance Tests for the TRS4D radar equipping the USS St. Louis, which will follow the USS Indianapolis, are planned for 2016, Airbus told Pulse. Meanwhile, four ‘BadenWürttemberg’ class frigates are under construction, and expected to be commissioned between 2016 and 2019. Airbus added that the radars for these vessels will be delivered between 2016 and 2017, with a single radar delivered to equip a land installation to support radar research and development, resulting in a total of five radars being delivered to satisfy the German Navy requirement.

The TRS-4D is a C-band (25-5.925 gigahertz/GHz) radar which can scan up to 50 degrees in azimuth when the antenna is stationary, and from two degrees to 70 degrees in elevation. The radar has an instrumented range of up to 135 nautical miles/nm (250 kilometres/km), and a minimum coverage of under 328 feet/ft (100 metres/m). Targets of under 0.01 square metres radar cross section can be detected with the TRS-4D, with around 1000 targets being tracked simultaneously. A small surface target can be detected at 7.5nm (14km) with a fighter-aircraft sized target detected at 34nm (63km) range. Beyond area surveillance, the TRS-4D can perform splash detection therefore providing fire con-

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Electronic Warfare Electronic Warfare (EW) in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is set to experience a significant enhancement with the announced acquisition of two Gulfstream G550 turbofan transports which are to be configured to support Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) gathering efforts for the force.

Announced in early January, the aircraft will be acquired from the United States under a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) initiative as part of a deal

| Asian Military Review |

worth $93.6 million. While Gulfstream will supply the G550 airframe, L-3 Communications will act as the integrator for the aircraft’s mission systems. The contract is being exercised through the United States Air Force 645th Aeronautical Systems Group, based at Wright-Patterson airbase, Ohio. Little information regarding the capabilities of these new aircraft has been released either by the USAF, or L-3 Communications, with the Australian Department of Defence releasing a statement detailing that these aircraft will provide “an airborne intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and electronic warfare … capability,” adding that “Further details on the capability will be provided in the Integrated Investment Programme due for release this year with the Defence White Paper.” The Defence White Paper will detail the country’s strategic priorities and procurement objectives over the next circa five year period.

The RAAF is currently bereft of a specific ELINT-gathering aircraft, with open source media reports stating that the RAAF’s Lockheed Martin AP-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft are equipped with an additional capability to collect ELINT as part of their overriding mission. That said the RAAF’s acquisition of twelve Boeing E/A-18G Growler EW aircraft in August 2012 for $1.5 billion arguably makes the acquisition of a dedicated ELINT platform all but essential. The EA-18Gs will provide the RAAF with a Suppression of Enemy Air Defence (SEAD) platform able to detect hostile radar emissions, and to jam them using their Northrop Grumman AN/ALQ-218(V)2 ELINT and EW system, which incorporates the Exelis/Harris AN/ALQ-99 tactical jamming system, although both these systems could be replaced on the RAAF EA-18Gs in the future by the Raytheon Next Generation Jammer currently under development for the United States Navy. This is expected to achieve an initial operating capability in the 2020 timeframe and could equip that services’ circa

85 EA-18Gs it plans to order.

In addition, in June 2015, Australia ordered 14 Raytheon AGM-88B High Speed AntiRadiation Missiles (HARM) and 16 OrbitalATK AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missiles (AARGM) for $69 million to equip its EA-18Gs. While the AN/ALQ-218(V)2 and AN/ ALG-99E systems provide the EA-18Gs a means to detect and jam hostile radar and communications systems, the AGM88B/E missiles provide the aircraft with the means to attack hostile radars. The AGM-88B is an enhanced version of the baseline AGM-88A weapon, with an The US Navy’s AN/SPS-48 Radar Obsolescence improved guidance section and and Availability Recovery programme continues the ability to re-programme the to move forward, with recent contract awards which will help to ensure that the radar will missile using a software-only remain in service until circa 2050 © Harris approach, as opposed to having to replace missile hardware. The AGM-88E, meanwhile, is a major enhancement of the AGM-88C design. It features an RF seeker which can home in on electronic warfare emitters attempting to jam the missile, along with its ability to locate and engage hostile radars. The new multi-mode guidance system of the AGM-88E im-

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The RAAF is receiving EA-18G EW aircraft, similar to the US Navy example in this picture, with these jets to be supplemented by new G550-based ELINT platforms © Northrop Grumman

proves the Anti-Radiation Homing (ARH) seeker still further, and adds a millimetre wave sensor (MMW) to the overall seeker package which includes a Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigation System to enhance missile accuracy. The MMW sensor assists the missiles’ ‘end game’ by providing very high resolution imagery of the target, thus providing a useful post-sortie analysis tool determining the accuracy of the engagement.

Where does the G550 fit with the EA-18G/AGM-88B/E combination?

Effectively, the G550 aircraft will collect ELINT on hostile radar and communications systems. In the case of the former, this will enable the detection of radars, their geolocation and classification. This will allow the targeting of these radars by the Australian EA-18Gs either through hard kill using the AGM-88B/Es or through soft kill using the aircraft’s jamming payload, or possibly using jamming equipment carried by the G550. On this latter point, very little information has been released regarding the equipment fit of the RAAF’s aircraft. It is possible that this has not yet been determined and also, given the highly secretive nature of their mission, such information may be kept under wraps even when the aircraft enter service. That said some clues regarding their possible specification can be gleaned from other similar aircraft that L-3 Communications has helped to equip. For example, the RAAF joins the Royal Air Force as an operator of dedicated ELINT platforms, the latter force having recently acquired two of its three Boeing RC-135W Airseeker aircraft (based upon the USAF’s RC-135V/W Rivet Joint planes). These aircraft are thought to be able to detect and geo-locate ground tactical radio traffic in the High Frequency (three to 30 megahertz/MHz) and V/UHF (30MHz to three gigahertz) ranges using BAE Systems’ Low Band Sub System (LBSS) equipment. In addition, they may be able to detect and geo-locate hostile radars operating in the 0.2 to 40GHz range. L-3 Communications was responsible for delivering the aircraft to the RAF, and it is possible that the company may install similar equipment onboard the RAAF’s new G550s.

Open source Russian media reports announced in early November 2015 that the Russian Air Force’s (RuAF) fleet of Sukhoi Su-34 (NATO reporting name ‘Fullback’) ground attack aircraft would begin to receive Kaluga Research Institute of Radio Engineering (KRIRE)/KRET L-175V Khibiny Electronic Countermeasures (ECMs) that same month. The RuAF operates 51 of the aircraft, with a planned 73 on order, and options for a further 16. Of this fleet, four Su-34s from the 47th Mixed Aviation Regiment based at Buturlinovka airbase, in south-western Russia, have been deployed to Bassel Al-Assad International Airport, close to the Syrian Mediterranean port city of Latakia where they are supporting a larger deployment of RuAF aircraft, according to Russian aviation expert and AMR contributor, Thomas Newdick. The RuAF deployed to Bassel Al-Assad International Airport in late-September 2015 to commence air strikes against the Al-Nursa Front (an Al-Qaeda franchise operating in

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Syria), the Army of Conquest (a coalition of Syrian Islamist armed opposition groups) and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), all of which oppose the government of Moscow’s ally President Bashir al-Assad.

The L-175V Khibiny ECM is mounted in wingtip pods on the aircraft and is designed to perform jamming of radar-guided Surface-to-Air and Air-to-Air Missiles (SAMs and AAMs) once an incoming threat has been detected. There is no open source information as to whether the L-175V Khibiny performs this jamming using a spot (where specific radar frequencies are jammed) or a barrage (where a wide range of frequencies are jammed) approach. In October 2015, Russian news agency RIA Novosti, reported that the Russian Ministry of Defence had ordered a version of the ECM, known as the KRET Khibiny-10V, mounting a similar capability in a ventral pod which could be installed on the belly of the Su-34’s fuselage. According to the reports, this would enable the Su-34 to act as a dedicated electronic warfare aircraft, jamming ground-based air surveillance radars, airborne early warning radars and the radars used

by SAMs and AAMs. The report continued to say that the delivery of the Khibiny-10V for the aircraft would begin by the end of 2015, although there were no details regarding how many of these systems would be supplied, or when deliveries would conclude. This is also the case for the delivery of the L-175V Khibiny ECM. However, the news that supplies of the L-175V Khibiny ECM would commence for the Su-34 have resulted in some confusion. Some pictures released of Su-34s performing air strikes over Syria show the characteristic wingtip mountings of the L-175V Khibiny ECM. Yet, this conflicts with reports from RIA Novosti that the first batch of L-175V Khibiny ECMs will be delivered in November 2015. Are the wingtip mountings seen on the Su-34s active in Syria a prototype version of the L-175V Khibiny ECM, or perhaps a legacy EW system which will be replaced by the L-175V Khibiny ECM? In the United States, meanwhile, BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman were both awarded contracts on 4 January worth $22 million and $33 million respectively to develop a new EW suite for the Lockheed Martin MC-130J Commando-II special missions aircraft and AC-130J Ghostrider gunships employed by the United States Air Force Special Operations Command. The total value of the contracts could reach up to $400 million for both companies if all eight phases of the programme are exercised. The initial phase of the contract will be completed in November 2016.

Tactical Radio The TSM-X waveform developed by California-based tactical radio specialists TrellisWare will be included in the next generation handheld radio to equip the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) which is being provided by Harris. To this end, the TSM-X Mobile Ad Hoc Networking (MANET) waveform will handle voice, data, imagery (still and video), plus Internet Protocol (IP) and geolocation information across a single network. In early October 2015, Harris announced that it had received a contract from USSOCOM for the provision of a new

The USAF Special Operations Command is enhancing its MC-130J Commando-II special missions aircraft (pictured) with new electronic warfare apparatus, with BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman recently awarded contracts to this effect © USAF

| Asian Military Review |

handheld radio under the terms of a $390 indefinite delivery/indefinite supply contract across a five-year period, with the option to extend this by one year and deliveries to commence in 18 months from the reception of the contract. The radio will be developed in two versions for urban and maritime operations with the latter being water-submersible to a depth of 20m (65ft) for two hours, and will carry two channels, one for broadband and one for narrowband communications.

Finnish communications specialists Bittium announced on 7 December 2015 that it had received a contract from the Finnish Defence Forces to provide the company’s Tactical Wireless Internet Protocol Network, known by its TAC WIN acronym to the Maavoimat (Finnish Army).

Deliveries of an undisclosed number of the TAC WIN systems will commence and conclude in 2016. The order effectively exercises a purchase option which the Finnish Defence Forces had for the TAC WIN system as a result of an earlier purchase in July 2014, and the company stated via an official press release announcing the news that the order is worth $5.5 million.

The TAC WIN system effectively provides high speed Internet Protocol (IP) services across the battlefield, using a stand-alone, high-speed broadband wireless IP network.

Soldiers can use their tactical radios to link with the TAC WIN, which has a range of up to 30 kilometres (18.6 miles) and thus send and receive information across the battlefield IP network. In terms of hardware, the TAC WIN includes the TAC WIN Tactical Router which provides IP routing and processing for the battlefield IP traffic. This is accompanied by the TAC WIN Radio Head-I which provides a mobile ad hoc network across Very/Ultra High Frequency (225-400MHz) communications to carry IP traffic to and from the tactical radios on the IP network. Meanwhile, the TAC WIN Radio Head-III, which uses UHF frequencies of 1.3-2.4GHz is

Finnish communications specialists Bittium have received recent contracts to supply its TAC WIN system to that country’s armed forces. Deliveries will commence and conclude in 2016 © Bittium

employed for single point or multipoint communications enabling one communications network to connect with the TAC WIN IP network. The TAC WIN Radio Head-IV completes the hardware set and can be used to create a radio link network using an integrated beam-steering antenna reducing the set up time for the network. The TAC Win Radio Head I/III/IV perform communications using the Bittium TAC WIN waveform which has a respective user data throughput of ten to 40 megabits-persecond, depending on the Radio Heads used. AMR

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Regional M

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The Republic of Singapore Air Force is an avid user of the F-15SG fighter, which forms an important part of its fast jet fleet. The country joins Japan as one of the Asia-Pacific’s F-15 operators © USAF

Survival Instinct From her birth as an independent nation in 1965, Singapore has stressed a strong military as vital to national survival, prosperity and cohesion. Although not a direct party to rising maritime and territorial tensions in the South and East China Seas, the country is taking no chances and hence investing in military modernisation.

by Alex Calvo

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ocated at the tip of the Malaysian Peninsula, Singapore lacks strategic depth and resides in a challenging regional environment. Bent on developing a capable military as the cornerstone of her sovereignty, sustained economic growth since independence has made it possible for Singapore to deploy powerful capabilities, turning the country into a regional hegemon, while remaining engaged in defence cooperation with a wide range of nations including Australia, India, Israel and the United States. The country makes an effort to ensure that military procurement benefits domestic industry and helps to push forward the domestic high-technology sector.

Singapore is also involved in peacekeeping, Humanitarian Assistance and

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Disaster Relief (HADR) and collective security endeavours, having deployed some 1500 troops to support US-led missions in Iraq and Afghanistan between 2003 and 2013, and naval forces to the Gulf of Aden to fight piracy since 2009. This latter effort has included three stints commanding the multinational Combined Task Force 151 (CTF 151). CTF-151 was established in 2009 as a result of several United Nations Security Council Resolutions adopted to combat piracy in this region.

In 2015, Singapore’s defence budget grew by 5.7 percent to $9.5 billion, equivalent to 3.3 percent of her Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Previously at 3.2 percent of GDP, this was the first rise in relative terms since 2009. Population rather than finance is the main concern for the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) as they are

| Asian Military Review |

heavily reliant on the two-year male draft.

The pool of potential recruits is expected to contract by 30 percent over the next 15 years as the population grows older, and the number of children declines. This is one of the drivers behind Singapore's emphasis on the adoption of unmanned systems, and has also prompted the establishment of the SAF Volunteer Corps (SAFVC), a reserve with a two-week initial training period which accepts women and men not eligible for national service of up to 45 years of age. The SAFVC accepted its first volunteers in 2015.

Navy Located near a key maritime chokepoint at the southern point of the Strait of Malacca which bisects Malaysia northwest towards the Andaman Sea, Singapore’s history has

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been tightly connected to the sea and the city is home to the region’s largest naval fair, the International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (IMDEX), which in May 2015 attracted navy commanders from 24 countries, along with 20 warships from twelve nations.

The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) deploys six ‘Formidable’ class frigates which are armed with Boeing RGM-84 Harpoon Anti-Ship Missiles (AShMs), MBDA Aster-15/30 Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAMs), EuroTorp A244S Mod.3 torpedoes and an OtoMelara 76mm Super Rapid Gun. These ships can also accomodate a Sikorsky S-70B naval support helicopter, and include a Thales Herakles naval surveillance radar, a STING EO Mk.2 fire control radar from the same company, a Terma SCANTER 2001 navigation radar and Sagem Dagaie optronics. The ‘Formidable’ class ships are reinforced with six ‘Victory’ class corvettes also armed with RGM-84 AShMs, the Israel Aerospace Industries/Rafael Advanced Defence Systems Barak SAM and a 76mm Super Rapid gun. Their sensor package includes a Saab Sea Giraffe-AMB naval surveillance radar, a Kelvin Hughes 1007 navigation radar, Elbit MSIS optronics and a Thomson-CSF/ Thales Sintra TSM-2064 variable depth sonar. The navy also contains an amphibious component in the form of four ‘Endurance’ class amphibious assault ships, plus a patrol fleet centred around eleven ‘Fearless’ class Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs), and a mine countermeasures fleet comprising four ‘Bedok’ class vessels.

In August 2015 the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) presented its new ST Marine Specialised Marine Craft (SMC) which is designed to perform a range of missions including base defence, force protection and maritime security operations which are expected to enter service in circa 2020, according to media reports.

The SMC replaces the RSN’s Fast Boats, withdrawn from service in 2008. The navy’s subsurface fleet includes two ‘Challenger’ class and two ‘Archer’ class conventional hunter-killer (SSK) submarines procured second-hand from the Marinen (Royal Swedish Navy). The RSN, which is replacing its ‘Challenger’ class boats, two having been retired in March 2015, has purchased two new ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems ‘Type 218SG’ class SSKs, the first of which is to be delivered by 2020.

Meanwhile, the RSN has started to gradually replace its ‘Fearless’ class OPVs with eight new locally-built ‘Independence’ class Littoral Mission Vessels

(LMV), the first having been launched in July 2015. The LMV has been jointly designed by Saab and ST Marine, and built locally by the latter, with Singapore’s Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) acting as the overall manager and systems integrator for the programme.

The LMVs sport both lethal and non-lethal weapons such as an OtoMelara 76mm gun, two OtoMelara Hitrole 12.7mm remote-controlled heavy machine guns and a Rafael 25mm Typhoon gun system, as well as the MBDA MICA-VL (Vertical Launch) SAM. Non-lethal weaponry includes two water cannons and two remote-controlled Long-Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) turrets with xenon lights.

The LMVs have a flight deck able to accommodate a naval support helicopter and feature a Norwegian Deck Machinery launch-and-recovery system for two Rigid-Hull Inflatable Boats (RHIBs) or for a Rafael Protector Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV).

Naval cooperation with the United States includes the basing of US Navy ‘Freedom’ and ‘Independence’ class Littoral Combat Ships at Changi naval base, with one already present, two planned for deployment in 2016 and four to be deployed from 2017. On 7 December 2015 the US secretary of state for defence, Ash Carter and visiting Singapore defence minister Ng Eng Hen issued a joint statement confirming that US Navy Boeing P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) would operate regularly from Singapore to “promote greater interoperability with regional militaries through participation in bilateral and multilateral exercises, while providing timely sup-

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port for regional HADR and maritime security efforts.” According to an official statement regarding this announcement, William Choong, senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a think tank, told AMR that “this (the basing of P-8As in Singapore) is the ‘Lion City’ method (in signalling to the PRC), but it is always measured,” stressing that both countries “have framed the deployment as coming under the ambit of the 1990 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and 2005 Strategic Framework Agreement involving the United States and Singapore” and that, should the aircraft conduct Freedom of Navigation (FON) exercises, which challenge territorial claims to areas of oceans and airspace which are considered excessive by Washington DC, Singapore would likely pre-empt Chinese criticism by saying that “Singapore has no claim to (territory in the South China Sea), but the Republic supports the assertion of FON as a right and principle under international law.” Another example from Dr. Choong of Singapore’s “incremental approach to defence relations and involvements” is Afghanistan, where “what was a mission delivering medical services went up to training the Afghan National Security Forces in the use of weapons locating radar.”

One of the big questions for the RSN is whether to acquire a Short Take-Off/ Vertical Landing (STOVL) aircraft carrier in the future, in the form of large Joint Multi Mission Ships (JMMS) built locally, adding to the capabilities of existing ‘Endeavour’ class amphibious assault ships.

The JMMS ships could accommodate the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning-II

Bilateral exercises form an important part of the RSAF’s activities. The force frequently performs exercises with other regional actors, such as the Indian Air Force, with aircraft and personnel from both the Indian and Singaporean air forces shown here © RSAF

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The RSS Stalwart forms part of the Republic of Singapore Navy’s ‘Formidable’ class of frigates.

These vessels comprise the navy’s 185 Squadron and the class has a total strength of six vessels, all of which were procured from French shipbuilder DCNS © Thomas Withington

STOVL fighter variant should Singapore decide to procure the F-35A/B/C in the future (see below). The JMMS programme seems to be going ahead, but the number of ships to be procured has not been made public and may not yet have been decided. Given the limited airspace available for air operations in Singapore, and the resulting vulnerability of aircraft given the little room for dispersal across the country, the acquisition of an aircraft carrier may improve the survivability of air assets during any future conflict.

Air Force The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) is among the most advanced in the region, equipped with modern hardware and a sophisticated command and control network. With air defence, air superiority and conventional deterrence as its core missions, the RSAF also provides a preemptive strike capability. Its fighter fleet comprises 30 General Dynamics/Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block-50/52+ Fighting Falcon, 15 Northrop Grumman F-5E/F Tiger-II and 24 McDonnell Douglas/Boeing F-15SG Eagle fast jets. Singapore is a Security Cooperative Participant (SCP) in the US F-35A/B/C programme, although she has not yet formally placed an order for the aircraft. While awaiting a decision on the F-35A/B/C procurement, Singapore is modernising her existing F-16C/D fleet. According to the Defence Ministry the programme’s goals include providing the aircraft with “an all-weather, groundattack capability, enabling it to strike targets with more capable precision muni-

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tions such as the Boeing GBU-54B Joint Direct Attack Munition.” In December 2015 the Pentagon announced that Lockheed Martin had been awarded a $914 million contract to upgrade the SAF’s F-16C/ Ds, with work expected to be completed by mid-2023.

The RSAF relies on the Lockheed Martin C-130H Hercules turboprop freighter, operating five, deploys four Gulfstream G550 Airborne Early Warning (AEW) aircraft and nine Fokker F-50 MPAs, which also serve as utility planes and can carry the Boeing AGM-84 Harpoon AShM and the A244S torpedo. Due to be replaced, possible contenders include the Boeing P-8A Poseidon, the Bombardier CL-605 MPA, the Saab 340 Maritime Surveillance Aircraft, the Saab Swordfish-MR MPA, and the Israel Aerospace Industries’ (IAI) ELTA Systems Division Q400. There is no indication at present

as to when the F-50 replacement could take place, or how many airframes could be acquired to this end.

With regards to tankers, the RSAF operates four Boeing KC-135R Stratotankers plus one KC-130H and four KC-130Bs. This fleet was augmented in 2014 with six Airbus A330-200 turbofan tanker/transports, the first being delivered by Airbus from its factory in Toulouse, southwest France to Getafe in central Spain for conversion in November 2015. The company will incorporate some improvements to these six aircraft, including upgraded avionics and better aerodynamics.

Concerning rotary wing aircraft, the RSAF operates 32 Airbus Helicopters AS332/532 Super Puma/Cougar mediumlift utility rotorcraft. After 30 years in service, in March 2015, Dr. Ng announced that they would be replaced within a decade. The Bell-Boeing CV/MV-22B Osprey tilt-rotor was demonstrated during 2014 Singapore air show, and Rich Harris, Bell Helicopter’s vice president of international military business development, told AMR that “the distinct performance envelope of the rapid-response (CV/MV22B) can provide a pivotal advantage to countries like Singapore, with an ideal solution for when the need arises to get troops, supplies, medical evacuation, or relief to any location in the country or region immediately,” adding that “an aircraft which does not have to rely on runways or prepared terrain could provide the RSAF with amazing flexibility and capability, enhancing their ability to rapidly reach any of the islands that make up their nation and provide access for any military or humanitarian requirements for their citizens.” The RSAF also has 16 Boeing CH-47SD Chinook heavy-lift helicopters, and deployed one to Indone-

The ‘Victory’ class corvette forms a key part of Singapore’s navy. Like the ‘Formidable’ class frigates, seen here in the rear of this picture, the ‘Victory’ class vessels are an important important supplement to the force’s surface fleet © US Navy

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Army

were new variants of the Singapore Technologies Kinetics Bronco All Terrain Israel played a key role Tracked Carrier, including one equipped in helping Singapore with a mine-clearing line charge modestablish her army, and ule, and another with a retractable comthe imprint of this early cooperation is still vis- munications antenna array. The United Kingdom bought a “modified and better ible, both in terms of bilateral defence re- protected” version (according to the Britlations and doctrine. ish Army’s website) of these vehicles for Singapore’s army op- use during its deployment in Afghanistan which largely concluded in 2014, known erates some 200 Main Battle Tanks (MBTs), as the Warthog.

2200 Armoured Fighting Vehicles, 50 Self- Conclusions Singapore’s army is one of the best equipped and most sophisticated Propelled Howitzers, Singapore, traditionally boasting one of such forces in the Asia-Pacific. Sourcing equipment domestically and 250 towed artillery the most advanced militaries in the region, and internationally, it has developed into a service capable of performing a wide range of operations © Singapore Army pieces, as well as Mul- faces a shrinking pool of recruits and an tiple-Launch Rocket increasingly complex regional scenario, Systems. with a rising PRC exerting territorial and sia in October 2015 to assist in the fight The 2015 National Day parade featured maritime claims in the nearby South Chiagainst forest fires raging there. Its attack two recent additions to the army’s order na Sea and an ensuing arms race threatenhelicopter of choice is the Boeing AH-64D of battle, an engineer vehicle and an am- ing her relative conventional power. The Apache Longbow, of which it operates 20. bulance. The former is the Rheinmetall/ city state’s reaction is to increasingly rely Alongside its inhabited aircraft, the RUAG Leopard-2AEV (Armoured Engi- on automated weapons, demanding less RSAF is a user of Unmanned Aerial neer Vehicle) and was developed from the personnel, while preparing for so-called Vehicles including the Elbit Systems Krauss Maffei Wegmann Leopard-2 MBT ‘hybrid warfare’, which includes convenHermes-450, declared operational in chassis. With a three-person crew, it is tional, counter-insurgency and cyber warMarch 2015 and able to fly for up to 14 fare, and fostering a wide and pragmatic hours, and the IAI Heron-1, which de- equipped with a full-width mine plough and mechanical grab and can be used for range of partnerships with India, Israel, buted at the RSAF’s Exercise FORGING the PRC and the US, among others. It is SABRE held in Arizona in December 2015. assault breaching and mine clearance, as clear in the minds of Singapore’s civilian The RSAF operated the Hermes-450’s pre- well as obstacle clearance by attaching a and military leadership that the country’s decessor, the Elbit Searcher, in Afghani- dozer blade or an excavator bucket. The stan. Among domestic UAV manufactur- combat ambulance is based on a custom- continued prosperity and independence ised Ford 550 civilian four-wheel drive can only be guaranteed by retaining an ers AETOS Holdings, a wholly owned chassis, and its reconfigurable rear cabin advanced military providing not only a subsidiary of Temasek, has a range of can carry up to four stretchers or eight conventional edge over possible rivals, products spanning the civilian, security seated casualties. but a nation-building tool contributing to and defence markets, some developed in Also on display during the parade the cohesion of a diverse country. AMR partnership with Germany’s Multirotor.

Stephen Greene, Textron’s unmanned systems vice president of business development told AMR that “based on Singapore’s geography, we would expect UAVs and unmanned surface vehicles to take a greater role in surveillance and security operations” in the future, adding that his company’s “Small Unmanned Aircraft System and Common Unmanned Surface Vehicle” are “flexible and ideal for a variety of land and sea-based military and commercial operations.” Meanwhile, Textron’s Aerosonde, which has logged over 100,000 flight hours in some difficult environments, is actively supporting reconnaissance, infrastructure security and environmental missions extending 76 nautical miles (140 kilometres) across Singapore’s territory and Exclusive Economic Zone and beyond that when using the UAV’s portable ground control station. For more Much as in the air domain, Singapore’s army frequently performs exercises with other armies information on the Republic of Singapore both within and without the Asia-Pacific region, one of the most important of these being the Air Force, please see Thomas Newdick’s United States Army © Singapore Army Air Forces Directory in this issue.

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The Almaz-Antey S-300V was developed for the Soviet Army during the Cold War as a highly-mobile version of the Air Defence Force’s S-300P with a significant anti-ballistic missile capability © Russian MoD

Bolt

to the Blue The story of land-based medium- to long-range Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAMs) in the Asia-Pacific is one of considerable contrasts. For example, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is fielding increasingly capable ground-based air defences with other regional powers left to play catch-up.

by Thomas Newdick

A

longside the PRC it is arguably only India that is close to developing a similarly-layered GBAD network. Other countries including Afghanistan, Australia, BruneiDarussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Sri Lanka maintain Ground-Based Air Defence (GBAD) capabilities limited to man-portable and/or short-range SAM systems, as well as anti-aircraft artillery.

Among the long-range SAMs currently on the market, Russia’s Almaz-Antey S-400 Triumf is perhaps the most capable: with a range of up to 215 nautical miles/ nm (400 kilometres/km) and the ability to engage ballistic missiles and aircraft with a low radar cross section. In 2015 both the PRC and India reached agreements with Moscow to acquire the S-400. The PRC became the first foreign customer for the

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system, as announced by Russian state arms export agency Rosoboronexport in April 2015. The $3 billion contract apparently includes four-to-six battalions, with deliveries to begin in 2017.

Valued at $4.5 billion, New Delhi’s S-400 deal was authorised by Indian lawmakers in December 2015, but as of January 2016 had apparently not been formalised. Prior to selecting the S-400, India had been linked with a deal for six Almaz-Antei S-300V SAM systems (see below) for Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD), but this order never materialised.

The closest Western-made counterpart to the S-400 is the Lockheed Martin/ Raytheon MIM-104F Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3). In the Asia-Pacific, the MIM-104F has been acquired by Japan, the Republic of Korea (RoK) and Taiwan.

With an eye on BMD developments in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

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(DPRK), in March 2015 the RoK signed a letter of agreement with the US government covering an undisclosed number of MIM-104F systems to be supplied via Foreign Military Sales (FMS) channels. The RoK’s Defence Acquisition Programme Administration, which oversees the country’s defence procurement, put a value of $1.1 billion on the deal, with deliveries of the MIM-104Fs due to commence in 2017 and conclude in 2019. In addition, $769.4 million will be spent on an upgrade for existing MIM-104C PAC-2 systems by Raytheon. The RoK and the US have also discussed a possible sale of the Lockheed Martin Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system, which provides defence against short- to medium-range ballistic missiles.

Yet to secure orders in the AsiaPacific is the Arrow BMD system from Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). How-

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ever, the Arrow has been linked to a possible sale to Singapore and has also been studied by the RoK as an alternative to the THAAD. Furthermore, India has acquired two IAI ELTA Systems EL/M-2080 Green Pine radars which usually accompany the Arrow SAM system, although these are apparently used with Russiansupplied SAM systems. Unconfirmed

by India, it is thought that these radars either supply targeting information to the Indian Army and Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Almaz-Antey S-125 Neva/Pechora or mobile 9K37 Buk SAM systems, or are used for further development of indigenous BMD radar technology.

China Until the arrival of the S-400 (see above), The PRC's GBAD network will be spearheaded by the Almaz-Antey S-300 family of SAM systems which has been acquired in successively more advanced versions.

Eight battalions of the basic S-300PMU were delivered in the early 1990s which employed the 5V55U SAM which itself had a range in the order of 80.9nm (150km), followed by four battalions of improved S-300PMU-1 systems delivered between 1993 and 1997, and provided with 150 5V55R missiles. Compared to its predecessor, the 5V55R had a slightly reduced range of 48.5nm (90km) using terminal semi-active radar homing, in which the S-300PMU-1’s tracking and engagement radar provides target position updates to the missile by datalink for the full duration of the engagement, including the end game.

Beginning in 2003, China received another four battalions of S-300PMU-1 systems, now armed with the more capable 48N6 missile (150 examples acquired) which perform active radar homing in that the missile’s organic radar tracks its target. A typical S-300PMU-1 bat-

A THAAD interceptor is launched during a successful intercept test against a medium-range ballistic missile target. THAAD has attracted interest from the RoK and Japan © US Army

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tery will include up to The MIM-104F is the most advanced long-range Western SAM a maximum of eight currently deployed in the Asia-Pacific region, where it is in use with Japan, the RoK and Taiwan © Lockheed Martin transporter-erectorlaunchers, each with four 48N6 missiles ready to fire, with a battalion comprising six batteries, plus accompanying radar, command post and logistics provision.

In 2008-2009 China took delivery of the definitive S-300PMU-2 Favorit system, under an $890 million deal that included eight battalions and 300 48N6E2 missiles, which have an enhanced range of 105.2nm (195km) compared to the 80.9nm range of the 48N6. An additional batch of 300 48N6E2 missiles has since been received. ly, the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Reports indicate that an additional 15 Technology (SAST) HQ-16, the Chinese batteries of an unidentified S-300 system equivalent of the Russian 9K37 Buk was were received in 2009 for deployment be- reported to have entered Chinese service tween Beijing and Shanghai. The PRC’s in 2011 and is being deployed as a mediS-300PMU/PMU-1 is complemented by um-range ‘gap-filler’ between the HQ-9 the indigenous China Aerospace Science and shorter-range systems. and Industry Corporation (CASIC) HQ-9, which offers broadly similar capabilities. India The HQ-9 reportedly entered production India continues work on various indigin 2005 and was confirmed as operational enous air defence missiles including the with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Defence Research and Development in October 2011. Older HQ-2B and HQ-2J Organisation (DRDO)/Bharat Electronics systems, Chinese-made versions of the Limited Akash, a medium-range mobile Soviet Almaz-Antey S-75 dating from the SAM system for the IAF and army. In 1980s, remain in service for the defence of January 2009 the decision was made to less critical areas of the country. induct the Akash into IAF service, and an At the lower end of the range spec- order was placed with prime contractor trum, the LY-60, a reverse-engineered Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for two version of the Italian-designed MBDA squadrons of the system. Indian sources state that a squadron includes two firAspide, is reportedly also in PLA use, under the local designation HQ-64. Contro- ing units each with four launchers. In March 2009 the Tata Group received an versy surrounds the status of the China order from the IAF for the provision of Jianhnan Space Industry 16 Akash launchers, while BEL was conCompany HQ-12. Some tracted to provide the Akash’s Rajendra sources suggest around 60 examples of the truck- tracking and engagement radars. The total cost for the two squadrons was around mounted HQ-12 are on $222.2 million. The Indian Army placed inventory, while others indicate that any exam- an order for the Akash in June 2010, and the system was declared operational in ples that were inducted were used for evalua- 2015. In early 2014 a new version of the Akash was tested, offering an improved tion or demonstration purposes only. However, capability against Unmanned Aerial the assignment of an HQ- Vehicles (UAVs), and remains under development. In a similar class to the number around 2007 Akash is the 9K37 Buk, 250 examples supports the idea that the system may have en- of which have been delivered to the tered PLA service. Final- Indian Army.

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some of these are likely to be Chinesemade HQ-2B/F/J versions. A total of 32 launchers are available for the S-125 Pechora-M, armed with the 5V27 missile, delivered in the mid-1980s. The DPRK’s most modern GBAD equipment is represented by the 9K37 Buk which was delivered in 2006. Since this is the original version of the 9K37 Buk the delivery may well have involved second-hand systems provided by a former Soviet state.

Japan

The Rafael Spyder is a short- and medium-range SAM system, with the upper end of its engagement envelope served by the same company’s Derby missile © Rafael

After a February 2005 evaluation that included, among others, the MBDA VL (Vertical Launch) MICA (Missile d’Interception, de Combat et d’Autodéfense/ Interception, Combat and Self-Defence Missile), India signed for the delivery of four Rafael Advanced Defence Systems Spyder SAM ensembles in September 2006, and trials of the weapon were completed in India by the end of 2007. In September 2008 a contract was signed for the delivery of 16-18 Spyder systems from 2010 to 2012, which may have now been delivered, although information to this effect is hard to come by. Meanwhile, the DRDO is collaborating with Rafael and IAI on a new-generation Medium-Range Surfaceto-Air Missile (MR-SAM) project, but this has suffered from significant delays.

A $2-billion contract was signed by the Indian government and IAI in March 2009, covering development of the MRSAM, which would involve a version of the IAI Barak-II missile known as the Barak-8MR. Subsequently, it was revealed that development was being conducted along two separate lines involving the Barak-8MR with a range of 37.7nm (70km), and the Barak-8LR with a range of 80.9nm. Should the MR-SAM project reach production, this mobile system is intended to replace the Akash and the ageing S-125 Neva/Pechora SAM. In the meantime, India has upgraded a number of its 18 S-125 systems to Almaz-Antey’s Pechora-M standard, which has seen an extensive upgrade of the system’s missiles, including the addition of a laser and infrared target tracker to allow the missile to hunt its target without relying on updates from the S-125’s SNR-125 Low Blow tracking and engagement radar.

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Bangladesh Elsewhere in the subcontinent, Bangladesh has made recent efforts to advance its GBAD capability, which was previously reliant on Chinese-supplied short-range systems. In May 2010 it was reported that the 9K37 Buk-M1-2 had been ordered for the Bangladesh Air Force, although the delivery schedule remains uncertain. In 2011 reports emerged that Bangladesh had ordered the Aerospace Long March International (ALMI) LY-80 from the PRC, with deliveries to begin in 2013. The LY80 is the export version of the PRC’s HQ16 (see above) similar to the 9K37 Buk-M1-2 which has an engagement altitude of circa 82021 feet/ft (25000 metres/m), suggesting that plans to acquire the Russian system may have been shelved.

DPRK

Across the Sea of Japan, together with the Netherlands, Japan was the first international customer for the MIM-104F when Lockheed Martin received a $532-million contract for 156 missiles (including examples for the US Army) in January 2005.

Japan’s MIM-104F systems were deployed from 2007 and are operated by the Japan Air Self Defence Force. Licence production of the system is carried out locally by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) as part of a package that included 20 MIM-104F systems. Each system in Japanese service normally has five launchers with four missiles ready to fire. A further three MIM-104F systems were delivered as a rapid expedient to provide defence against the DPRK’s Rodong-1/2 and BM-25 medium-range ballistic missiles.

In addition to the MIM-104F, Japan operates the MIM-104C, the first of an eventual 47 systems being delivered in 1989, together with 980 MIM-104 missiles.

Japan also employs the Raytheon MIM-23 Hawk SAM, the first examples of which were delivered in the early 1960s. Most of the systems acquired were assembled or manufactured in Japan. As well as 32 batteries and 1200 MIM-23A missiles, Japan

Beyond South Asia, the air defence of the DPRK is entrusted to a varied inventory of SAMs in which obsolescent systems are complemented by recent deliveries of more advanced Chinese and Russian equipment. Long-range SAMs comprise the HQ-9 (or perhaps S-300), the missiles and associated radars which were first identified in October 2010. These are complemented by the older, fixed-site Almaz-Antey S-200 Angara, four batteries of which were delivered between 1987 and 1988. Numerically the most important SAM in DPRK service is the Soviet/ Russian S-75 Dvina, delivered be- Although the hardware used by the Raytheon MIMtween 1966 and 1971. A reported 23 dates back to the 1950s, successive software improvements in the I-HAWK ensure that it remains a 45 battalions remain operational, capable medium-range SAM © US DoD comprising 270 launchers. At least

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Two versions of the MBDA Spada have been selected by customers in the Asia-Pacific region, with Thailand using the Spada and Pakistan deploying the Spada 2000 © MBDA

received another 32 MIM-23B I-Hawk batteries from 1978, together with over 3200 MIM-23B missiles. Earlier systems were subsequently upgraded to the MIM23B standard.

Pakistan

gether with 40 missiles, and was joined by two battalions of improved HQ-2B systems (twelve launchers) delivered two years later. In 2014 it was reported that Pakistan had signed a $226-million deal for the supply of three batteries of the LY80 system and its accompanying IBIS-150 radar. Delivery schedules have not been disclosed.

While the above systems are intended for the defence of strategic objectives and are operated by the Pakistan Air Force, the Pakistan Army may operate a medium-range SAM in the form of 36 LY-60 systems delivered from the PRC between 1996 and 1997. However, some confusion exists as to whether these are intended for ground-based or naval applications. In 2007 an order was placed for the MBDA Spada 2000 system, an improved version of the Spada from which the LY-60 was derived, which have now been delivered.

Singapore

Like Pakistan’s rival India, Singapore has enhanced its GBAD capabilities with IsBack in South Asia, Pakistan has been raeli technology. In 2008 Singapore signed linked with a possible purchase of the CASIC FT-2000/2000A, the export ver- a contract for the Spyder-SR system (see sion of the PRC’s HQ-9 (see above), pro- above) to fulfil the GBAD requirements of the Singapore Armed Forces Air Defence posed as a counter to India’s deployment of Agni intercontinental ballistic missiles. Group, itself part of the Republic of Singapore Air Force. Deliveries of 20 systems Some sources indicated that Pakistan began in 2010 and these are equipped began to take delivery of two regiments (36 launchers) of FT-2000s in around 2011, to deploy not only the medium-range Rafael Derby missile but also the combut this has yet to be confirmed. Should pany’s short-range Python-5. A total of 75 Pakistan take delivery of the system it examples of each missile type were prowould mark a significant advance for Pakistan’s GBAD network, which previ- cured. The Spyder-SR has been integrated with the existing medium- to high-level ously relied upon the HQ-2 and HQ-2B MIM-23B and short-range Saab RBS-70 for longer-range engagements. The single HQ-2 system was purchased in 1983 to- SAM systems as part of the national air defence network. In 2013 Singapore unveiled plans to acquire the MBDA Aster-30 missile for the RSAF. This will extend the reach of the GBAD network and provide a BMD capability.

It is not thought that these missiles have yet commenced delivery. Meanwhile, a single MIM-23B squadron of six systems was delivered in the early 1980s and was originally provided with 500 MIM23B missiles. More information on Singaporean defence procurement can The Aster-15/30 family of missiles serves both ground- and be found in Alex Calvo’s ship-based applications and has been ordered by the Republic of Survival Instinct article in Singapore Air Force ©MBDA this issue.

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The MIM-104C is in operational use with Japan, the RoK and Taiwan, which have also acquired its more advanced MIM-104F sibling.

(Raytheon)

Taiwan Taiwan’s multi-layered air defences are headed by the army-operated MIM-104F. In August 2009 the Taiwanese government agreed to the procurement of four (some reports suggest six) MIM-104F systems in a deal worth $3.2 billion, which included 264 MIM-104F missiles. Meanwhile, a separate $600-million contract with Raytheon covered the upgrade of three existing MIM-104C fire units to the MIM-104F standard with the upgrade commencing in 2011. Indigenous SAMs include six battalions of Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST) Tien Kung-I systems, and an undisclosed number of Tien Kung-II systems, while the latest Tien Kung-III began to be delivered in 2014. Taiwan continues to operate the MIM-23B, in the form of four battalions for 100 launchers delivered in 1977-1978, and a further five battalions delivered in 1981-1982. In late 2014 it was reported that this system would be retired by 2017 and replaced by the Tien Kung-III (see above), giving a BMD capability.

The investment into GBAD systems highlighted in this article in the AsiaPacific region is unlikely to reduce in the coming years. According to Sebastian Sobolev, deputy director at Avascent, a Washington DC based consultancy, “setting (orders for the MIM-104 SAM family) aside investment in air and missile defence spending in the Asia-Pacific generally amounts to roughly $4.2 billion per year, and is anticipated to grow at nearly nine percent annually through to 2020, a slightly faster rate than defence procurement in general, which may suggest that this is a highly prized capability.” Continuing ballistic missile proliferation in the DPRK, not to mention the procurement, of advanced 4.5- and fifth-generation fighter aircraft is likely to continue to motivate such spending patterns in the coming years. AMR

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Light and medium-lift utility helicopters are in demand in the Asia-Pacific due to their inherent flexibility. Aircraft such as the Bell UH-1Y Venom could yet win customers in this region © US Navy

Taking a Helicopter View Although there is a large requirement for new and/or upgraded utility helicopters, the financial downturn in the Asia-Pacific has stalled many decisions to commit to either. Questions now abound as to the health of the helicopter market in this region, and where it goes from here.

by Andrew Drwiega

T

he military helicopter market in the Asia-Pacific region was set on a path to acquire new, modern platforms and to breathe life into legacy airframes through several upgrade initiatives, particularly in the attack and utility helicopters domain.

Earlier this century, with the price of oil soaring to highs rarely seen before, rich revenue streams were provided to nations for the acquisition of stateof-the-art military rotorcraft, typified

by Indonesia’s decision in January 2015 to procure the latest variant in the McDonald Douglas/Boeing AH-64 family of attack helicopters, namely the

22

AH-64E Guardian, of which Indonesia committed to purchasing eight examples.

Additional motivations for rotorcraft purchases include increases in the region’s existing tensions since the start of this decade, notably focused on the People’s Republic of China’s maritime and territorial claims in the South and East China Seas.

In its 2014 report entitled Southeast Asia: The next growth opportunity in defence global management consulting firm McKinsey and Company stated that: “Southeast Asia defence forces, with the exception of certain categories in Singapore, are characterised by ageing fleets (of helicopters)

| Asian Military Review |

that were mostly acquired during the 1970s and 1980s and are now in need of replacement. Countries have recognised the urgency, and significant investments are expected through 2017.” It references the Philippine government’s decision to replace some of its old Bell UH-1H Huey light utility helicopters with eight AgustaWestland AW-109 light utility rotorcraft, the delivery of which to the Hukbong Himpapawid ng Pilipinas (PAF/Philippines Air Force) commenced in 2014.

Since then, because of the flexibility of the new aircraft, they have been modified to increase their multi-mission usefulness, particularly to fight the insurgency

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Brent Crude to circa $25 per barrel, which was compounded by the contraction in the military helicopter markets in Europe and North America. These two events conspired to give fewer opportunities for Asia-Pacific customers to seek large scale programmes in these regions which they could The Philippines has recently purchased Bell 412 aircraft from Canada, with deliveries concluding in August 2015. Norwegian latch onto to procure examples of the aircraft are shown in this picture © NATO helicopters at attractive prices flush with have been flown hard since their acquisipetrodollars for such purchases. Fewer production numbers of any type invari- tion and investment in new avionics and upgrades seems very short term when airably leads to a corresponding rise in frame flight hours are so high. acquisition costs.

In the maritime environment, the With many Asia-Pacific nations previMcKinsey report points out: “The growously on course to replace their existing fleets with fewer but more capable air- ing need to secure coasts and borders against asymmetric threats (such as piracraft (following the multi-role diktat much cy, drug trafficking and political violence) loved by Western militaries), there is now provides an opportunity for special-misa rethink taking place in several defence ministries throughout the region regard- sion aircraft that have capabilities in areas such as maritime patrol, anti-submarine ing the cost-benefit of proceeding with and airborne early warning and control, such a policy. This has been evident in a and that also offer the versatility to unslowing down of new orders as well as upgrades. For example, there are many he- dertake both military and non-military missions. Indonesia’s acquisition of the licopters in the region that have analogue maritime patrol and surveillance version rather than digital ‘glass cockpits’, such as the legacy UH-1H aircraft still in wide- of the Airbus/IPTN CN-235 (turboprop freighter) is one such example.” spread use around the region, but many of This drive towards multi-mission airthe helicopters in the Asia-Pacific region craft also applies to helicopter fleets with the maritime domain being a strong contender for new aircraft such as Sikorsky’s SH-60 Sea Hawk, both in its S-70B and newer MH-70R configurations, as used by the US Navy. At the end of 2014 the Indian Navy (IN) selected the S-70B variant for its maritime multi-role capability.

The acquisition was to include “avionics and flexible open architecture Weapons Management Systems that integrate an advanced sonar, 360 degree search radar, modern air-to-surface missiles, and torpedoes for the ASW role,” according to a company press release announcing the news. The IN’s S-70B helicopters will also be used for non-combat maritime roles such as search and rescue, utility, logistics support, reconnaissance and casualty evacuation.

Sikorsky, under the new ownership of Lockheed Martin, has started to campaign harder in the region for military and civil Sikorsky’s S-60 Sea Hawk family of naval support helicopters has strong prospects in the business. In Singapore during November Asia-Pacific, particularly its latest S-70B version. The type was recently selected by the Indian 2015, Sikorsky’s regional director for Asia, Navy © US Navy Christophe Nurit, announced at a media

involving the Moro Muslim guerrilla movement active on the southern Island of Mindanao. The Hukbong Dagat ng Pilipinas (PN/Philippines Navy) has recently taken the decision to upgrade its AW-109 naval support helicopters by adding gun pods. Three AW-109s were delivered nonweaponised in 2013 although a further two AW-109s that were commissioned in 2015 were armed. The new armament comprises two 12.7mm machine gun pods together with 70mm rocket launchers. These armed AW-109s will be deployed operationally onboard the PN’s ‘Pilar’ class frigates.

Additionally, in August 2015 the Philippine Department of National Defence (DND) confirmed the receipt of eight Bell 412EP light utility helicopters from Canada. The purchase agreement valued at $107.9 million was conducted through the Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC).

Deliveries began in June and concluded in August 2015. Five of the eight Bell 412s were assigned to the PAF’s 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing for use as utility helicopters and to support disaster relief operations, while the remaining three were allocated to the 250th Presidential Airlift Wing for the transport of dignitaries.

Yet the salad days of the military helicopter bear market in the Asia-Pacific came to an end with the oil price crash when the price of oil lost 50 percent of its value between January and December 2015 falling from circa $50 per barrel of

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Indigenous Development

Australia has performed a substantial modernisation of its military helicopter fleets in recent years. This has included the procurement of NH-90 medium-lift utility helicopters © Italian Army

briefing that the company believed there were increasing business opportunities in the Asia-Pacific market for both its military and civilian helicopters. Mr. Nurit said that the Asia-Pacific was an important region as the company ‘rebalanced’ from being US-centric. He said that sales opportunities included ongoing discussions with Indonesia regarding the sale of UH-60M Black Hawk medium-lift utility helicopters although “budget challenges” in Indonesia have stalled any potential decision.

One potential upgrade contract would be for the Republic of China Navy (RoCN). According to media source Focus Taiwan military officials have discussed the possibility of the RoCN updating its 18 Sikorsky S-70C naval support helicopters. The cost would be around $25.3 million with a completion date in 2017. In terms of supporting aircraft in the region Mr. Nurit said that Sikorsky wished to increase its footprint with the addition of a new support centre, the location of which is not yet known, as well as expanding its infrastructure in Australia, where the company successfully sold 24 MH-60R helicopters to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) as a replacement aircraft for Kaman’s SH-2G Super Seasprite naval support rotorcraft when its entry into service was cancelled in March 2008.

Australia has a relatively new fleet of military helicopters including the Airbus Helicopters EC-665ARH (Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter) gunship and the NH Industries MRH-90 medium-lift utility helicopter. It also has recently changed its six

24

Boeing CH-47D heavy-lift helicopters for seven US Army specification CH-47Fs, the last of which was delivered by the third quarter of 2015. In addition, another three may be purchased following approval by the US Department of State for the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) deal to this end in December 2015. Valued at $180 million, this will increase the Australian CH-47F fleet to ten helicopters. The last of the seven CH-47Fs was delivered by Boeing in August 2015 three weeks ahead of schedule according to the company. The specification only differs from that of the US Army by the addition of a rotor brake to allow the aircraft to be used onboard the RAN’s ‘Canberra’ class amphibious assault ships.

Without a strong industrial base there have been few countries able to actively develop their own hardware and that have had to continue to rely on imported equipment. Nevertheless, the Republic of Korea is one of the exceptions to the rule.

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) is one of the main driving forces for aviation development in the Asia-Pacific. It has already developed the KUH-1 Surian medium-lift utility helicopter, together with Airbus Helicopters whose 20 percent stake in the production of the aircraft will last until to 2020. The KUH-1 will replace the MD Helicopters MD-500 and UH-1H light utility helicopters in extensive use with the Republic of Korea armed forces. Beyond the KUH-1, Airbus Helicopters and KAI have joined forces for another project; the development of two five-ton rotorcraft that will meet the RoK’s civil and military requirements through the Light Civil Helicopter (LCH) and Light Armed Helicopter (LAH) initiatives (see below). The KUH-1 has already entered operational service with the RoK’s army and national police force, and KAI believes that the aircraft has export potential. To this end, it is now being marketed outside the RoK by a joint company, KAI-EC, involving Airbus Helicopters, which forecasts that it could sell around 300 export KUH-1s for military and civilian roles in the Asia-Pacific during the next decade.

The type will be joined later by the Light Armed Helicopter (LAH), for which KAI currently is searching for a development partner; this means that the army’s helicopter ranks will predominantly

The KUH-1 Surion represents one of the few ‘home-grown’ medium-lift utility helicopters from the Asia-Pacific region. The aircraft was realised with assistance from Airbus Helicopters © KAI

| Asian Military Review |

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Royal Thai marines guide a Bell 212 helicopter into a landing zone during a noncombatant evacuation exercise. Thailand is an avid user of the Bell 212 © US Navy)

feature locally-produced helicopters along with a handful of Boeing CH-47D/DLR helicopters and recently-ordered AH64Es. Other nations following the RoK’s move toward purchasing attack helicopters include Taiwan, with the first AH64Es for that country commencing delivery in 2013, alongside Indonesia’s aircraft (see above). Malaysia is also in the market for an attack helicopter, with Airbus Helicopters hoping to break into this market with its EC-665 Tiger family following its recent success with a contract for the H225M Super Cougar medium-lift utility helicopter to replace that country’s fleet of Sikorsky S-61 Nuri rotorcraft.

Upgrades Beyond the new acquisitions discussed above, upgrades are afoot in the region. In September 2014 Honeywell Aerospace announced that it had been selected by the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) to provide its fleet of 16 Boeing Chinook CH-47SD helicopters with a Health and Usage Monitoring System (HUMS). The RSAF also has a Honeywell HUMS fitted to its 17 AH-64D Apache attack helicopters: The fitting of a HUMS helps maintainers to assess each helicopter’s maintenance condition through data collection and analysis. This should lead

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to a reduction in unscheduled maintenance while increasing availability.

The Royal Thai Army (RTA) is also having a number of its Bell UH-1H helicopters upgraded by Transworld Aviation based in Thailand, a joint venture company owned by local investor Chaimongkol Sukonthamat and Dubai’s Transworld Aviation. The first of the eight planned conversions was delivered to the army at the end of 2015. The force is looking to upgrade nearly half of its 20 UH1Ns to the UH-1H Plus standard. One of the most important improvements in this regard will be to replace the old Lycoming T53-L-13B turboshafts with the more powerful Honeywell T53-L-703. Structural improvements being rolled out onto these aircraft as part of the upgrade include composite rotor blades and a new tail boom. New avionics will feature a glass cockpit, GPS (Global Positioning System), weather radar and a night vision goggle compatible cockpit. There will also be a refresh of the aircraft’s wiring.

Transworld Aviation will modernise the Bell 212 naval support helicopters of the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) and up to four Bell 212s for the Royal Thai Police (RTP); the latter will be fitted with seat armour for use in troubled areas of southern Thailand where an ethno-religious insurgency

| Asian Military Review |

continues. These aircraft will also have avionics upgrades in line with the RTA’s UH-1H Plus (see above).

Spending Trends The McKinsey report identifies three broadly-defined groups when it comes to the approaches of regional actors regarding defence spending. These include “sophisticated” markets focused on purchasing high-end equipment and seeking sophisticated and state-of-the-art technology such as Singapore; “affordable expansion” markets that are increasing their defence budgets substantially to replace, expand or upgrade existing equipment and capabilities, with Indonesia being an instructive example in this regard; and “selective investment” markets that are increasing their defence budgets more conservatively and therefore prioritising their investments, notably Thailand. The current financial situation has particularly affected the latter two categories. Those nations which could afford to expand their rotorcraft fleets still wish to do so and seem to be “weathering the storm until the financial capability returns, while those with a selective investment policy look to have stalled the majority of either (their) acquisition of upgrade plans,” the report continues. AMR

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F-16As of the Royal Thai Air Force’s (RTAF) Centennial Falcon demonstration team cavort for the camera. The RTAF fleet of F-16A/Bs was delivered from 1988 and comprises original F-16A/B Block-15 aircraft supplemented by former USAF and Singaporean F-16 family jets ©Lockheed Martin

Air Forces Directory Inevitably, it is fighter aircraft programmes that dominate the military aircraft procurement landscape in the AsiaPacific region, with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) working simultaneously on at least eight front-line fighter and attack types, and at least as many sub-variants

by Thomas Newdick

O

ther major players in the region are in the midst of long-running fighter procurement programmes in an effort to keep pace with the advance of technology, and to mitigate the effects of approaching obsolescence.

Australia, Japan and the Republic of Korea (RoK) have all selected the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning-II fifth generation fighter as they set about overhauling their fighter fleets, and both Japan and the RoK have also embarked on indigenous fighter programmes: the Mitsubishi ATD-X and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KFX, respectively. In the case of the latter, the RoK has teamed up with Indonesia, which also has a requirement to recapitalise its fighter inventory, currently dominated by older Western- and Russian-supplied equipment. The ATD-X will ultimately help shape a stealthy, highly-agile successor to the Mitsubishi F-2A/B fighter currently operated by the Japan Air Self Defence Force (JASDF) that will serve alongside the F-35A. Other major fighter programmes are being run by India and Malaysia, and both have been subject to delay.

In India, the Dassault Rafale won the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) tender in January 2012, only for this to be scrapped in April 2015 amid disputes over cost and technology transfer. Now, with India set to pursue a more modest initial purchase of 36 Rafales, built in France rather than on Indian production lines, the Indian Air Force, like the Royal Malaysian Air Force, is being forced to keep ageing fighters in service longer than previously planned. Exactly how India will make good its developing shortfall of fighters remains unclear, especially with local concerns about the viability of the Sukhoi/Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Fifth-Generation Fighter Aircraft, a derivative of the Russian Air Force’s PAK FA fifthgeneration fighter currently under development, and with

28

the indigenous HAL Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) at least a decade away from a possible first flight.

In the meantime, India has embarked on significant upgrade programmes for its existing fighters, and modernisation is currently under way on the Dassault Mirage-2000H/TH and Mikoyan MiG-29 fighter family fleets. In both cases, after initial upgrade work in their countries of origin, the remaining aircraft are being overhauled to the same standard by Indian industry. Major fighter upgrades are also ongoing for the Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Fighting Falcons operated by the Republic of Korea, Singapore and Taiwan. The demand for F-16 family upgrades in the region has seen a heated battle between BAE Systems and Lockheed Martin; both offering packages based around new active electronically scanned array radars, either the Northrop Grumman AN/APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) or the Raytheon Advanced Combat Radar (RACR). BAE Systems has estimated that 1000 F-16s worldwide, the vast majority of which are in the United States are candidates for future upgrades.

In addition to revamping their fighter fleets, a number of players in the Asia-Pacific are in the process of modernising their fleets of tanker and surveillance aircraft.

Tanker acquisition has seen the Airbus A330-200 MultiRole Tanker Transport selected by India, the RoK and Singapore, while Japan has opted for the Boeing KC-46A. Interest in surveillance and maritime patrol aircraft has been spurred by the PRC’s increasing power projection in the region. Leading the pack is the Boeing P-8A/I Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, which has been purchased

by Australia and India, while other countries are looking to enhance their own maritime surveillance capabilities, either through acquiring new aircraft or by upgrading existing equipment.

| Asian Military Review |

Afghanistan

■ Afghan Air Force 10 active+10 planned Embraer EMB-314 (A-29) Super

Tucano turboprop ground attack

aircraft. First four aircraft arrived

in Afghanistan in January 2016.

5+5 planned Antonov An-32, turboprop freighter. Operational but not in use.

26 Cessna 208B Caravan turboprop

transport 6 Cessna T182T Turbo Skylane

piston-engine trainer 4 Lockheed Martin C-130H

Hercules turboprop freighter.

Fourth and final example

delivered in June 2015.

32 Mil Mi-8/17 medium-lift utility

helicopter 8 Mil Mi-25/35 attack helicopter.

Six Mi-35s operational as of April

2014, with four more slated

for retirement in January 2016

and one cannibalised for spares.

These are to be replaced by four

Mi-25s that were donated by

India in December 2015. Further

aircraft may be delivered by Russia.

2+1 ordered Aérospatiale/Airbus Helicopters SA-315B Cheetal light utility

helicopter. Donated by India.

10 Bell Helicopters UH-1H medium lift utility helicopter 16+12 ordered MD Helicopters MD-530F

reconnaissance and light attack

helicopter. One of the original six

unarmed trainers delivered was

destroyed. Twelve new MD-530Fs

began to be delivered during 2015

together with weapons kits (one

example was lost to an insurgent

bomb). In January 2016 another

twelve weaponised aircraft were

ordered.

Boeing 727-100/200C turbofan 3

transport, being acquired from

Ariana Afghan Airlines.

■ Afghan Special Mission Wing 10+8 ordered Pilatus PC-12NG turboprop

transport 30 Mil Mi-17 medium-lift utility

helicopter ■ Notes: Established in 2004, the Afghan Air Force (AAF) has plans to expand its inventory to include 150 aircraft and 8000 personnel by 2016. However, expansion plans have been hampered by problems relating to acquisitions and personnel. In March 2015, AAF pilots began flying A-29 Super Tucano turboprop ground attack aircraft, which are assigned to the US Air Force’s 81st Fighter Squadron at Moody airbase, Georgia, for training purposes. The first class of eight pilots graduated at Moody in December 2015. Once in country, it is planned that the A-29 will assume close air support duties from the Mi-25/35, which is due for retirement.

Delivery of the first six from a planned 20 armed MD-530Fs was announced in March 2015. Support from India has included the donation of Cheetal and Mi-25 helicopters and may also include the upgrade of An-32 transports. Please see the Asia-Pacific Procurement Update article in this issue for more information on the Cheetal and Mi-25 acquisitions.

Australia

■ Royal Australian Air Force 54 McDonnell Douglas/Boeing F/A-

18A Hornet fighter 15 McDonnell Douglas/Boeing F/A 18B fighter/trainer. Both types

will be replaced by the Lockheed

Martin F-35A Lightning-II

fighter from 2018.

24 Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter. Achieved Full Operational

Capability (FOC) in December 2012.

12 planned Boeing EA-18G Growler electronic

warfare aircraft. First aircraft

rolled out by Boeing in July 2015.

15 Lockheed Martin AP-3C Orion

maritime patrol aircraft 8 planned Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime

patrol aircraft. First delivery

planned for 2017, with all eight

A P

■ Royal Australian Navy Fleet Air Arm 16 Sikorsky S-70B Seahawk naval

support helicopter 12+12 planned Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk

naval support helicopter. Selected

in June 2011. All 24 Australian

aircraft are to be in service by 2018.

12 Airbus Helicopters AS-350 Squirrel

training and light utility helicopter 3 Bell Helicopters 429 Global

Ranger light utility helicopter All four aircraft operated by the Royal Australian Air Force’s Air Combat Group; the PC-9/A, Hawk Mk.127, F/A-18A Hornet and F/A-18F Super Hornet fly in formation near Williamtown airbase, New South Wales © Australian Department of Defence

aircraft planned to be fully oper

ational by 2021.

2 planned Gulfstream G550 special missions

aircraft. To be modified by L-3 Communications.

8 Boeing C-17A Globemaster-III

strategic turbofan freighter.

Eighth and final example

delivered in November 2015.

12 Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules

turboprop freighter 5+2 planned Airbus KC-30A multi-role tanker transport 2 accepted+72 planned Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fighter. Australia has

committed to acquire 72 F-35A

conventional take-off and landing

aircraft at a cost of more than

$12 billion to replace the RAAF’s

ageing F/A-18A/B Hornet fleet

(see above). 100 F-35As were

originally planned.

9 Hawker Beechcraft King Air

200/300 turboprop transport.

Interim capability to cover the

retirement of the de Havilland

Canada DHC-4 Caribou

turboprop freighter.

Pilatus PC-9/A turboprop trainer 63 49 planned Pilatus PC-21 turboprop trainer.

To replace the PC-9/A. 2 accepted+8 planned Alenia Aermacchi C-27J Spartan turboprop freighter. The Australian

defence minister announced

the purchase of ten C-27J Spartans

in May 2012. The first Spartan

was delivered in June 2015.

Initial operating capability

expected for late 2016.

33 BAE Systems Hawk Mk.127 lead in jet trainer 6 Boeing E-7A Wedgetail (737-700)

AEW (Airborne Early Warning) Boeing 737-BBJ turbofan transport 2 3 Bombardier CL-604 turbofan transport 8 Hawker Beechcraft King Air 350

turboprop trainer ■ Australian Army Aviation Corps 19 Bell Helicopters 206B-1 Kiowa

light utility helicopter. To be

partially replaced by the Airbus

Helicopters EC-665ARH Tiger

attack helicopter (see below).

6+10 ordered Boeing CH-47D heavy-lift

helicopter. Ten CH-47Fs ordered

to replace the six CH-47Ds will

be delivered by 2018.

22 Airbus Helicopters EC-665ARH

Tiger attack helicopter 34 Sikorsky S-70A Black Hawk

medium-lift utility helicopter 27+20 ordered NH Industries MRH-90 Taipan

medium-lift utility helicopter.

Total of 47 on order, including six

for the Royal Australian Navy, to

replace the retired AgustaWest

land Sea King Mk.50 naval

support helicopter.

12 Bell Helicopters 206B-1 Kiowa

training helicopter

■ Notes: Spearheaded by the Lockheed Martin F35A Lightning-II fighter, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is in the midst of a significant phase of modernisation. In addition to the F-35A, the RAAF is to receive twelve Boeing EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft, which will be in addition to the 24 F/A-18F Super Hornet fighters already delivered, twelve of which were ‘pre-wired’ for conversion to the EA-18G standard: these will now remain as standard F/A-18Fs. The EA-18G is expected to achieve full operational capability by the early 2020s. Maritime capabilities are to be significantly enhanced through the arrival of the Boeing P-8A Poseidon, which will be operated in conjunction with the Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Replacement of the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) Sikorsky S-70B Seahawk naval support helicopter fleet is progressing rapidly: the twelfth from an eventual total of 24 Sikorsky MH-60R light utility helicopters was delivered by Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky ahead of schedule, in June 2015.

Bangladesh

■ Bangladesh Air Force 8 Mikoyan MiG-29SE/UB fighter.

The Russian Aircraft Corporation

announced the beginning of

negotiations with the Bangladesh

government for the upgrade of

the current MiG-29SE/UB fleet

to MiG-29SMT status in April 2013.

41 Chengdu F-7 fighter. Sixteen

F-7MB and eight FT-7MB aircraft

delivered in 1989, of which

respectively eight and five

remain in service. Twelve F-7BG

and four FT-7BG aircraft received

in 2006. Twelve F-7BGI aircraft

received in 2013 as replacement

for the Nanchang A-5C ground-

attack aircraft fleet.

7 Aero L-39 Albatros lead-in jet

trainer. Total of eight delivered,

one aircraft crashed in 2012.

3 Antonov An-32 turboprop freighter 4+4 planned Lockheed Martin C-130B/E

Hercules turboprop freighter.

Bangladesh Air Force is negotiating

the acquisition of four C-130Es. 2 ordered AgustaWestland AW-139 naval

support helicopter. Delivered in

December 2015 for maritime and

SAR (Search and Rescue) roles.

Bell Helicopters 206 light utility 6 helicopter 14 Bell Helicopters 212 medium-lift

utility helicopter 27+2 planned 16 Mil Mi-17 plus 11 Mi-171

medium-lift utility helicopter. Two

additional aircraft, one Mi-171Sh

and one Mi-171E, on order.

Shenyang FT-6 lead-in jet trainer 9 6+18 planned Yakovlev Yak-130 lead-in

jet trainer /light attack aircraft.

The first aircraft were delivered

in December 2015. The Yak-130

is expected to replace the L-39

Albatros lead-in jet trainer.

Hongdu K-8W lead-in jet trainer.

4+5 planned

Four arrived on 27 September 2014.

■ Bangladesh Army 1 Cessna 208 turboprop transport 2 Airbus Helicopters AS-365

medium-lift utility helicopter ■ Bangladesh Navy 2 Dornier Do-228NG maritime

patrol aircraft 2 AgustaWestland AW-109 Power

naval support helicopter

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2+1 planned Harbin Z-9 medium-lift utility helicopter 5 planned Mi-171 medium-lift utility

helicopters (ordered in April 2014)

BRUNEI-DARUSSALAM

■ Royal Brunei Air Force 1 Airbus CN-235 turboprop freighter 1 planned Lockheed Martin C130J Hercules

turboprop freighter. Aircraft

scheduled for delivery in 2018.

4 Pilatus PC-7 Turbo Trainer

turboprop trainer 9 Bell Helicopters 212/214 medium lift utility helicopter (being

replaced by the Sikorsky S-70i (sic)

medium-lift utility helicopters) 6 Airbus Helicopters BO-105CB

light utility helicopter 16 Sikorsky S-70/70i medium-lift

utility helicopter. Four older S-70A

aircraft may be transferred to

Malaysia. Twelve S-70i helicopters

have been delivered and options

exist for an additional ten.

3 Bell Helicopters 206B light utility helicopter

Burma

■ Burmese Air Force 16 planned PAC/Chengdu JF-17 Thunder

fighter. Burma has been widely

reported as being the launch

export customer for the JF-17,

although this has not been

officially confirmed.

21 Nanchang A-5B ground attack

aircraft 4 SOKO G4 light ground attack

aircraft 31 Mikoyan MiG-29B/UB fighter 1 Shenyang F-6 fighter 24 Chengdu F-7M air superiority

fighter 2 Fokker F-27 turboprop transport 3 Beech 1900 turboprop transport 2 Fairchild Hiller FH-227

turboprop transport 5 Pilatus PC-6 piston-engine transport 4 Shaanxi Y-8 turboprop transport 2 Harbin Y-12 turboprop transport 6 Chengdu FT-7 lead-in jet trainer 12+50 ordered Hongdu K-8 lead-in jet trainer /

light attack aircraft 16 Pilatus PC-7 turboprop trainer 10 Pilatus PC-9 turboprop trainer 10 Grob G120TP turboprop trainer 14 Bell Helicopters 205 light utility helicopter 22 Mil Mi-2 light utility helicopter 12 Mil Mi-8/17 medium-lift utility helicopter 9 Mil Mi-35 attack helicopter 13 Airbus Helicopters SA-316/

SE-3160 light utility helicopter 12 PLZ W-3 Sokol attack helicopter ■ Burmese Navy 6 planned

5

2

Kamov Ka-27 anti-submarine and utility helicopters. For use on board ‘Kyan Sittha’ class frigates.

Britten Norman BN-2 maritime patrol aircraft ATR-42 maritime patrol aircraft

Cambodia

■ Royal Cambodian Air Force 5 Aero L-39C Albatros lead-in

jet trainer 2 Xian MA-60, turboprop transport 2 Harbin Y-12 turboprop transport 1 Airbus A320 transport 1 Britten Norman BN-2 transport 3 Airbus Helicopters AS-350/355

Squirrel light utility helicopter 6 Mil Mi-8/17 medium-lift utility helicopter 11 Xian Z-9 medium-lift utility

helicopter. Delivered in November

2013, including four assault

variants and six utility variants.

29

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Dassault Aviation delivered the first two upgraded Mirage 2000I/TI fighters to the Indian Air Force in March 2015.

Another 47 aircraft are being upgraded by HAL in India © Dassault Aviation

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

■ Korean People’s Air Force 106 Shenyang F-5 fighter 97 Shenyang F-6 fighter 120 Chengdu F-7 air superiority fighter 80 Harbin H-5 medium bomber 26 Mikoyan MiG-21 fighter 56 Mikoyan MiG-23 fighter 35 Mikoyan MiG-29 fighter Sukhoi Su-7 ground attack aircraft 18 34 Sukhoi Su-25 ground attack aircraft 1 Antonov An-24 turboprop freighter 84 MD Helicopters MD-500 light

utility helicopter 46 Mil (PZL) Mi-2 light utility

helicopter 40 Mil Mi-8 medium-lift utility

helicopter 8 Mil Mi-14 naval support helicopter 20 Mil Mi-24 attack helicopter 4 Mil Mi-26 heavy-lift helicopter 135 Shenyang FT-5 lead-in jet trainer 30 Shenyang FT-2 lead-in jet trainer

India

■ Indian Air Force 161+92 ordered Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter.

Production of a total of 222

Su-30MKIs is currently

undertaken by HAL. 69 Mikoyan MiG-29B/UB/UPG

fighter. A total of 56

MiG-29B fighters and six MiG-

29UB trainers are being

upgraded to MiG-29UPG status.

The first aircraft upgraded by

HAL in India was flown in

February 2015.

54 Dassault Mirage-2000H/TH fighter.

The fleet is currently being

upgraded to Mirage-2000I/TI

standard. The process is to be

completed within a ten-year

timeframe. The first upgraded

Mirage-2000I/TH underwent its

maiden flight in October 2013.

245 Mikoyan/HAL MiG-21bis/

Bison fighter. To be phased out

by 2019. 110 upgraded MiG-21

Bisons are likely to fly until 2025.

85 Mikoyan/HAL MiG-27ML

ground attack aircraft 36 planned Dassault Rafale-B/C fighter.

Original deal worth over $12

billion, to include 18 aircraft

built by Dassault and 108 aircraft

licence-built by HAL in India,

was effectively cancelled in April

2015. A revised package for 36

‘fly-away’ aircraft was still to be

finalised as of January 2016.

144 planned Sukhoi PAK FA Fifth-Generation

Fighter Aircraft (FGFA). Joint

development of this aircraft involves India and Russia. Delays

mean requirement reduction

from 220 to 130-145 aircraft. A

related co-production deal

between India and Russia, worth

around $11 billion, had not been

finalised as of January 2016.

9+111 planned HAL Tejas Light Combat Aircraft

30

147

17

3+2 planned

7 10

5+7 planned

100

59

56 planned

4

8

2+1 ordered 3

2

2 6 planned

40+14 ordered

90+15 ordered

22 ordered 15 ordered

81 75+106 planned

7+31 ordered

46+65 ordered

65 ordered

3 222+34 ordered

20 14

74

(LCA). The aircraft received initial operational clearance in December 2013. As per current plans, the IAF will order 100 examples of the interim Tejas Mk.1A, sufficient to equip at least seven squadrons, once the fighter is combat ready. However, the single-engine Tejas failed to meet its planned combat ready clearance at the end of 2015.

SEPECAT Jaguar M/S ground attack aircraft. Total also includes 30 two-seat Jaguar-T used for conversion training.

Ilyushin Il-76 strategic turbofan freighter IAI A-50EI AEW (Airborne Early Warning) aircraft Ilyushin Il-78MKI tanker Boeing C-17A Globemaster-III turbofan freighter Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules turboprop freighter. One aircraft added to order as attrition replacement.

Antonov An-32 turboprop freighter. Currently being upgraded to An-32RE standard in India to prolong service life. Eventual plans call for the replacement of the An-32 fleet by the UAC/HAL Il-214 Medium Transport Aircraft (45 planned).

BAE Systems/Hawker Siddeley HS 748-100 turboprop transport.

Airbus C-295 turboprop transport.

To replace HS 748-100 under a $2.4-billion programme.

Boeing 737-200ADV and 737-700 turbofan transport Embraer ERJ-135/145 turbofan transport Embraer ERJ-145 AEW aircraft Gulfstream III/IV SRA-4 special missions aircraft Bombardier Global 5000 special missions aircraft IAI Astra special missions aircraft Airbus A330-200 MRTT multi-role tanker transport Dornier Do-228-201 turboprop transport BAE Systems Hawk Mk.132 lead-in jet trainer Boeing AH-64E attack helicopter Boeing CH-47F heavy-lift helicopter HAL HJT-16 Kiran lead-in jet trainer Pilatus PC-7 Mk.II turboprop trainer HAL Rudra ALH-WSI attack helicopter HAL Dhruv ALH light utility helicopter HAL LCH attack helicopter.

Three prototypes have been delivered for initial operational trials.

Mil Mi-26 heavy-lift helicopter Mil Mi-8/17/17V-5 medium-lift utility helicopter.

Mil Mi-25/35 attack helicopter Airbus Helicopters/HAL SA-315 Cheetah/Cheetal light utility helicopter Airbus Helicopters/HAL SA-316B /319 Chetak light utility helicopter

■ Indian Army Aviation 73+151 ordered HAL Dhruv ALH light utility

helicopter 114 ordered HAL LCH attack helicopter 20+40 ordered HAL Rudra ALH-WSI attack

helicopter 4 Airbus Helicopters/HAL

SA-316/SE3160 Chetak/Chetan

light utility helicopter 39 Airbus Helicopters/HAL SA-315B

Cheetah/Cheetal/Lancer light

utility/light attack helicopter

| Asian Military Review |

■ Indian Naval Air Arm 33+12 ordered Mikoyan MiG-29K/KUB fighter 8 BAE Systems Sea Harrier FRS.51

fighter 6 ordered+40-50 planned HAL Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)

fighter 17+6 ordered BAE Systems Hawk Mk.132 lead in jet trainer 8+4 ordered Boeing P-8I maritime patrol

aircraft. Another eight examples

are likely to be ordered.

8 Tupolev Tu-142MK-E maritime

patrol aircraft. Undergoing

modernisation in Russia but will

ultimately be replaced by P-8I. 5 Ilyushin Il-38 maritime patrol

aircraft. Undergoing upgrade

in Russia to Il-38SD standard.

25 Dornier Do-228 maritime patrol

aircraft 14 Kamov Ka-28 naval support

helicopter 14 Kamov Ka-31 naval support

helicopter 30 Airbus Helicopters/HAL

SA-316B/319 Chetak light utility

helicopter 20 HAL HJT-16 Kiran lead-in jet trainer 27 AgustaWestland Sea King Mk.

42B/C naval support helicopter 8 Britten-Norman BN-2 maritime

patrol aircraft 8+16 HAL Dhruv ALH light utility

helicopter 6 Sikorsky SH-3H Sea King

naval support helicopter 3 BAE Systems Harrier T4/60

combat trainer 3 Mikoyan MiG-29KUB combat

trainer 16 ordered Sikorsky S-70B Seahawk naval

support helicopter. Plus eight

options. Will replace SH-3H. ■ Notes: While it is undergoing a process of modernisation across the board, the major concern for the Indian Air Force (IAF) is maintaining the strength of its front-line fighter arm. Reductions in force strength through the continued retirement of the MiG-21bis/Bison and MiG-27ML fighters have been compounded by the protracted effort to acquire the Dassault Rafale-B/C fighter, including the scrapping of the original Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) programme. Question marks also hang over the IAF’s next-generation fighter, the FGFA, which is being jointly developed with Russia. As with the Rafale-B/C procurement, the FGFA programme has been dogged by problems relating to work share agreements, costs and technology transfer. More successful have been India’s recent projects to acquire military aircraft from US manufacturers. These have seen the induction of the C17A, C-130J and P-8I, and will see future deliveries of the AH-64E, CH-47F and S-70B (see above). India’s indigenous military aircraft projects have experienced only mixed success, with the HAL Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) in particular falling short of expectations and failing to meet expected timelines. The Tejas Mk.1 is now set to be superseded by the improved Tejas Mk.1A, while the IAF waits for the definitive, re-engined Tejas Mk.2

Indonesia

■ Indonesian Air Force 8+8 ordered Embraer A-29 Super Tucano

trainer/light attack turboprop.

Last four aircraft of 2010 order of eight sent from Brazil in September

2014. The Indonesian Air Force

placed a second order for eight

A-29s in July 2012.

16 Sukhoi Su-27SK/27SKM/30MKK/

MK2V fighter. The final two of six

Su-30MK2Vs ordered in 2011

were delivered in September 2013.

18+15 ordered General Dynamics/Lockheed Martin F-16A/B fighter. Indonesia

formally requested to buy 24

used F-16C/D Block-25 fighters

from the United States in 2011

and deliveries of these began in

2014.

9 Northrop Grumman F-5E/F

fighter. Due to be replaced by a

Predator XP

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Leading the Situational Awareness Revolution

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Representing one of three such aircraft that are unique to Indonesia, the pictured jet is an example of the Su-27SKM, all of which were delivered in 2010. They serve alongside two Su-27SKs received in 2003, two multi-role Su-30MKKs delivered in 2003 and nine Su-30MK2s delivered in 200813 © Australian Department of Defence

15 3

1+2 ordered

18

14+1 ordered 3 8+5 planned 2 1 1+5 ordered

20

4

11

16

5

18

14+2 ordered 18

15

new fighter type.

BAE Systems Hawk 209 fighter Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft Airbus CN-235 maritime patrol aircraft Lockheed Martin C-130B/H and L-100 turboprop freighters (four aircraft) Airbus C-295 turboprop freighter Fokker F-27 turboprop transport Airbus C-212 turboprop freighter Pilatus PC-6 turboprop transport Lockheed Martin KC-130B tanker Airbus Helicopters H-225M combat search and rescue helicopter Airbus Helicopters AS-332/ SA-330 medium-lift utility helicopter Airbus Helicopters BO-105 light utility helicopter Airbus Helicopters EC-120 training helicopter Korea Aerospace Industries T-50 lead-in jet trainer. This aircraft has replaced the BAE Systems Hawk Mk.53 lead-in jet trainer previously in service.

BAE Systems Hawk Mk.109 lead-in jet trainer Grob G120TP turboprop trainer.

Aircraft replacing the Hawker Beechcraft T-34C Mentor turboprop trainer and FFA/ SIAI-Marchetti AS/SA 202-18A3 Bravo piston-engine transport.

KAI KT-1 piston-engine trainer Aermacchi SF-260 piston-engine trainer Hawker Beechcraft T-34C turboprop trainer

■ Indonesian Army 6 Airbus C-212 turboprop freighter Britten Norman BN-2 1

piston-engine transport 1 Aero Commander 680FL

piston-engine transport 8 Boeing AH-64E Guardian attack

helicopter. $500 million deal in

cluding pilot training, radars

and maintenance.

5 Mil Mi-35 attack helicopter 1+11 on order Airbus Helicopters AS-355/550

light utility helicopter 11 Bell Helicopters 205/UH-1D

medium-lift utility helicopter 41 Bell Helicopters 412 medium-lift

utility helicopter 20 Airbus Helicopters BO-105 light

utility helicopter 11+6 ordered Mil Mi-17 medium-lift utility

helicopter 7 Airbus Helicopters SA-316 light

utility helicopter 14 Schweizer S-300C light utility

helicopter 14 Airbus Helicopters EC-120B

training helicopter ■ Indonesian Navy Airbus C-212 maritime patrol 6

aircraft 5 Airbus CN-235 maritime patrol

aircraft 8 Beech Bonanza piston-engine

32

24

9+1 ordered 1

11 ordered

7

6

4

transport GAF Nomad 22/24 maritime patrol aircraft Airbus C-212 turboprop freighter Airbus Helicopters AS-332 naval support helicopter Airbus Helicopters AS-565MBe Panther naval support helicopter Bell Helicopters 412 naval support helicopter Airbus Helicopters BO-105 naval support helicopter Airbus Helicopters EC-120 naval support and training helicopter

■ Notes: The Indonesian Air Force continues to focus on the introduction of a new fighter to replace the ageing F-5E/F fleet. In January 2014 it was reported that Indonesia was seeking 16 fighters worth an estimated $1 billion to replace the F-5E/Fs. Among the types under examination are the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Dassault RafaleB/C, Eurofighter Typhoon, Lockheed Martin F-16, Saab JAS39C/D/E/F Gripen and the Sukhoi Su-35. In September 2014 Saab announced that it was offering a 100 percent technology transfer to Jakarta, should it decide on the JAS-39C/ D/E/F as its new fighter. Looking further ahead, Indonesia has secured a stake in the Republic of Korea’s KFX fighter programme. Under an agreement signed in late 2015, Indonesia will fund 20 percent of development costs for the KFX, worth $1.5 billion. Ultimately, Indonesia plans to buy 50 KFX aircraft once the aircraft enters production in 2026. Please see the Asia-Pacific Procurement Update article in this issue for more information on the KFX programme.

Japan

■ Japan Air Self Defence Force 68 Mitsubishi F-2A/B fighters.

Total includes 16 two-seat F-2B

for training.

71 McDonnell Douglas F/RF-4EJ

fighters 39 ordered Lockheed Martin F-35A Light

ning-II fighters. Initial deliveries

are scheduled for 2016.

McDonnell Douglas/Boeing 199

F-15J fighters. Total includes 45

two-seat F-15DJ aircraft. Twelve

aircraft upgraded in 2014.

4 Boeing E-767 Airborne Early

Warning (AEW) aircraft 3 Hawker 800 calibration aircraft 1 Kawasaki C-1 special missions

aircraft 13+4 ordered Northrop Grumman E-2C AEW

aircraft. Four aircraft ordered in

December 2015.

7 Nihon Aircraft YS-11 special

missions aircraft 3 ordered Northrop Grumman RQ-4

Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial

Vehicle (UAV) 1 Lockheed Martin KC-130H tanker Boeing KC-767 tanker. The three 4+3 ordered

aircraft on order will be KC-46A

Pegasus tankers.

2 Boeing 747-400 turbofan transport 25 Kawasaki C-1A tactical turbofan

freighter 20 ordered Kawasaki C-2 tactical turbofan

freighter Lockheed Martin C-130H 15

turboprop freighter Hawker 800 search and rescue 27

The F-2 was procured to fulfil the Support Fighter role in JASDF service, and although capable of both air-to-air and air-to-surface missions, it was optimised for offensive missions with a primary role of protecting Japan’s sea lanes © Lockheed Martin

| Asian Military Review |

5 13

2

16

35+40 ordered

13

48 201 3

aircraft Gulfstream IV turbofan transport Hawker Beechcraft 400 turbofan transport Nihon Aircraft YS-11 turboprop transport Boeing CH-47J heavy-lift helicopter Sikorsky S-70/UH-60J medium- lift utility helicopter Hawker 400 turbofan transport/ trainer Fuji T-3 piston-engine trainer Kawasaki T-4 lead-in jet trainer Nihon Aircraft YS-11 turboprop transport/trainer

■ Japan Ground Self-Defence Force 7 Hawker Beechcraft King Air 350

turboprop transport 2 Mitsubishi MU-2 turboprop

transport 88 Bell Helicopters AH-1S attack

helicopter 13 Boeing AH-64D attack helicopter 58 Boeing CH-47J/JA heavy-lift

helicopter 106 MD Helicopters MD-500/OH-6D reconnaissance helicopter

38 (up to 112 planned) Kawasaki OH-1 reconnaissance

helicopter 34 Sikorsky S-70/UH-60J medium-

lift utility helicopter 153 Bell Helicopters UH-1H/J

medium-lift utility helicopter 17 ordered Bell-Boeing CV-22B tilt-rotor 12+8 ordered Enstrom 480 training helicopter 3 Airbus Helicopters EC-225

transport helicopter ■ Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force 4 Lockheed Martin EP-3C Orion

special missions aircraft 5+60 ordered Kawasaki P-1 maritime patrol

aircraft 78 Lockheed Martin OP/P-3C

Orion maritime patrol aircraft 2 ShinMaywa US-1 search and

rescue amphibian 5 ShinMaywa US-2 maritime

patrol amphibian. Replacing the

older US-1 (see above).

1+5 on order Lockheed Martin KC-130R tur

boprop freighter. Former US

Marine Corps aircraft.

5 Hawker Beechcraft King Air 90

turboprop transport 3 Lockheed Martin UP-3C/D Ori

on turboprop transport 3 NAMC YS-11 turboprop transport 4 Learjet 35 turbofan transport 7+7 ordered AgustaWestland AW-101 naval support helicopter

3 Airbus Helicopters/Kawasaki

BK-117 medium-lift utility

helicopter 8 Sikorsky MH-53E mine counter

measures helicopter 114 Sikorsky S-70/SH/UH-60J/K

naval support helicopter 12+3 ordered Airbus Helicopters EC-135

training helicopter 27 Hawker Beechcraft King Air 90

turboprop trainer 5 MD Helicopters MD-500

training helicopter 41 Fuji T-5 trainer ■ Notes: With an increased military budget available, Japan has set about increasing the capabilities of its air arms as it seeks to counter an increasingly belligerent People's Republic of China. In early 2016 it was expected that the Mitsubishi ATD-X, a technology demonstrator that is intended to inform development of a future fifthgeneration fighter for the Japan Air Self Defence Force (JASDF), tentatively dubbed the F-3, would complete its first flight. In the meantime, the F-35A will be inducted as a replacement for the F/RF-4EJ, while other new equipment includes the C-2 tactical freighter and P-1 maritime patrol aircraft, the Bell-Boeing CV-22B tilt-rotor (for which Japan is the first foreign customer), and the RQ-4B Global

A WORLD OF MARITIME SECURITY.

The P-8 is the world’s most capable maritime patrol aircraft. It brings together a networked state-of-the-art mission system with next-generation sensors and a reliable airframe with high-efďŹ ciency turbofan engines.

The result is an affordable multi-mission aircraft with superior speed and unmatched capability. The P-8 is now ready to secure sea and shore around the globe.

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As launch customer for the Airbus A400M freighter in the Asia-Pacific region, Malaysia received the first of four examples in March 2015.

The country joined the A400M programme in 2005 © Airbus Hawk Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), three examples of which are on order. In direct response to Chinese military actions in the region, Japan's Ministry of Defence has launched plans to expand airborne early warning capabilities and to relocate fighters to critical bases.

Laos

■ Lao People’s Liberation Army Air Force 1 Antonov An-74 tactical turbofan freighter 1 Antonov An-26 turboprop transport 4 Xian MA60 turboprop transport 10 Antonov An-2 piston-engine

transport 3+21 ordered Ilyushin Il-103 piston-engine trainer 6 Kamov Ka-32 medium-lift utility

helicopter 16 Mil Mi-8/17 medium-lift utility helicopter 4 Bell Helicopters UH-1H light

utility helicopter 4 Harbin Z-9 light utility helicopter

Malaysia

■ Royal Malaysian Air Force 9 Northrop Grumman F-5E/F

fighter. Total includes three F-5F trainers.

8 Boeing F/A-18D fighter 13 BAE Systems Hawk Mk.208

ground attack aircraft 10 Mikoyan MiG-29N/NUB fighter.

Russia has offered to modernise

the MiG-29 fleet, which would

bring them up to a standard

similar to the MiG-29UPG

upgrade for India (see above).

18 Sukhoi Su-30MKM fighter 4 Hawker Beechcraft King Air 200

maritime patrol aircraft 4 Lockheed Martin KC-130H tanker 1+3 ordered Airbus A400M strategic turboprop

freighter. The Royal Malaysian

Air Force received its first A400M

in 2015, after a two-year delay in delivery.

10 Lockheed Martin C-130H

turboprop freighter 6 Airbus CN-235 turboprop freighter 12 Airbus Helicopters EC-725

medium-lift utility helicopter Sikorsky S-61 Nuri medium-lift 27

utility helicopter. A proportion of

the fleet is being outfitted for

counter-insurgency operations

for transfer to the army.

2+4 planned Sikorsky S-70 medium-lift utility

helicopter. An additional four

aircraft expected to be donated

by Brunei-Darussalam (see above).

15 Airbus Helicopters SA-316 light utility helicopter

6 BAE Systems Hawk Mk.108

lead-in jet trainer 2 Hawker Beechcraft King Air 350

turboprop trainer 8 Alenia Aermacchi MB-339 lead in jet trainer/light attack aircraft 49 Pilatus PC-7/PC-7 Mk.II

turboprop trainer ■ Royal Malaysian Army Air Corps 10 AgustaWestland AW-109 light

utility helicopter 12 Sikorsky S-61 Nuri medium-lift

utility helicopter. Outfitted for

34

counter-insurgency operations.

MD Helicopters MD-530G light attack helicopter

■ Royal Malaysian Navy 6 AgustaWestland Super Lynx 300

naval support helicopter 6 Airbus Helicopters AS-555 naval

support helicopter ■ Notes: The Tentera Udara DiRaja Malaysia (RMAF/ Royal Malaysian Air Force) has a long-standing requirement for 18 fighters to replace its obsolete MiG-29N fleet, which was once due to be retired in 2015. This could be fulfilled by either the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Dassault Rafale-B/C, Eurofighter Typhoon, Saab JAS39C/D/E/F Gripen or Sukhoi Su-30. In the meantime, as well as a proposed upgrade for the MiG-29N/NUB fighter, the RMAF has embarked on an upgrade for its F/A18D fighters, adding new weapons and targeting pods.

By March 2015 the first six aircraft had been upgraded.

Further priorities for the RMAF include procurement of an airborne early warning platform and additional PC-7 Mk.II trainers.

New Zealand

■ Royal New Zealand Air Force 6 Lockheed Martin P-3K2 mari

time patrol aircraft 2 Boeing 757-200 turbofan transport 5 Lockheed Martin C-130H

turboprop freighter 5 AgustaWestland AW-109 light

utility helicopter 8 NH Industries NH-90

medium-lift utility helicopter 8 Kaman SH-2G naval support

helicopter. Operated on behalf

of Royal New Zealand Navy.

To be declared fully operational

in 2016.

8 Bell Helicopters UH-1H medium-

lift utility helicopter 4 Hawker Beechcraft King Air 200

turboprop trainer 11 Hawker Beechcraft T-6C

turboprop trainer

Pakistan

■ Pakistan Air Force 185 Chengdu F-7P/PG fighter 76 General Dynamics/Lockheed

Martin F-16A/B fighter,

comprising 58 F-16A/B and 18 F-16C/D. 65+85 planned PAC/Chengdu JF-17 Thunder

fighter. JF-17 Block-1 deliveries

were completed after 50 deliveries.

The next 50 JF-17s are being built

to Block-2 standard. A total of

150 aircraft are currently on

order. All will eventually be

upgraded to Block-2 status.

69 Dassault Mirage-IIIEP/OF/RP

fighter. Expected to remain in

service until 2017.

84 Dassault Mirage-5EF/F/PA

fighter. The fleet will be replaced

with the Chengdu JF-17 by 2017 (see above).

2 Dassault Falcon 20/200

special missions aircraft 4 Hawker Beechcraft King Air 350

reconnaissance aircraft 4 Saab 2000 Airborne Early

Warning (AEW) 4 Shaanxi ZDK-03 AEW aircraft 4 Ilyushin Il-78MK tanker 16 Lockheed Martin C-130B/E and

L-100 turboprop freighter 4 Airbus CN-235 turboprop freighter 1 Saab 2000 turboprop transport 2 Harbin Y-12 turboprop transport 1 Airbus A310-300 turbofan transport 1 Boeing 707-320 turbofan transport 1 Cessna Citation-V turbofan transport 4 Gulfstream IV turbofan transport 4 Embraer Phenom-100 turbofan transport 5 Bell Helicopters 205 medium-lift

utility helicopter

| Asian Military Review |

1 Bell Helicopters 412 medium-lift

utility helicopter 45 Mil Mi-171 medium-lift utility helicopter 1 Airbus Helicopters SA-330 light utility helicopter

10 Airbus Helicopters SE-3160 light

utility helicopter 17 Dassault Mirage-IIIBE/D/DP

conversion trainer 2 Dassault Mirage-5DPA

conversion trainer 25 Shenyang FT-5 combat trainer 9 Shenyang FT-6 combat trainer 9 Chengdu FT-7 combat trainer 60 PAC/Hongdu K-8 Karakorum

light attack/lead-in jet trainer 10 Aérospatiale SA-316 training helicopter 40 Cessna T-37B/C turboprop trainer 149 PAC MFI-17 piston-engine trainer

■ Pakistan Army Aviation Corps 1 Citation Bravo turbofan transport 1 Citation Citation-V turbofan transport 1 Hawker Beechcraft King Air 350

turboprop transport 2 Aero Commander piston-engine transport 2 Harbin Y-12 turboprop transport 51 Bell Helicopters AH-1F attack helicopter 15 planned Bell Helicopters AH-1Z attack helicopter 3 Changhe Z-10 attack helicopter.

Initial batch for evaluation, with

a view to a potential order for 20 aircraft.

23+4 ordered Airbus Helicopters AS-550 light

utility helicopter 19 Bell Helicopters 206 medium-lift

utility helicopter 30+2 ordered Bell Helicopters 412

medium-lift utility helicopter. A

further 40 are planned for order.

49 Mil Mi-17/171 medium-lift

utility helicopter 1 Bell Helicopters UH-1H medium-

lift utility helicopter 18 Airbus Helicopters SA-315 light

utility helicopter 14 Airbus Helicopters SA-316 light

utility helicopter 45 Airbus Helicopters SA-330

medium-lift utility helicopter 12 Schweizer 269 training helicopter ■ Pakistan Naval Air Arm 7 Lockheed Martin P-3C maritime

patrol aircraft 5 Fokker F-27 maritime patrol aircraft 4 Hawker 850 maritime

patrol aircraft 10 Airbus Helicopters SA-316/319

naval support helicopter 6 AgustaWestland Sea King Mk.45

naval support helicopter 12 Harbin Z-9 naval support helicopter 2 Mil Mi-14 naval support helicopter 3 ATR 72 turboprop transport ■ Notes: The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) continues to induct the locally-built JF-17 Thunder fighter to replace older equipment. At the same time, reports indicate that the PAF hopes to induct a future new fighter as a ‘highend’ complement to the ‘low-end’ JF-17. In late 2015 it was reported that Pakistan was in talks with Russia regarding an undisclosed number of Sukhoi Su-35 fighters. At the same time there were indications that Washington DC might be willing to deliver another batch of F-16C/D fighters. (Please see the Asia-Pacific Procurement Update article in this issue for more information on this acquisition).

Pakistan is also currently seeking new attack helicopters, and has taken on charge a small batch of Changhe Z-10s for evaluation purposes. The Mi-35 is also to be evaluated.

In August 2015 a contract was signed by the US Department of Defence for an undisclosed number of AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters. Previously, Pakistan expressed its intention to acquire 15 of the aircraft.

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People’s Republic of China

■ People’s Liberation Army Air Force 80 Xian H-6 strategic bomber 388 Chengdu J-7 air superiority fighter 208 Shenyang J-8 air superiority

fighter. Also includes a number

of reconnaissance variants.

250 Chengdu J-10A/B/S fighter 24 planned Sukhoi Su-35 fighter. Deal

confirmed by Russia in

December 2015 306 Shenyang J-11A/B and Sukhoi

Su-27SK/Su-30MKK fighter. The

J-11A is a Chinese-assembled

Sukhoi Su-27SK fighter, while

the J-11B is an upgraded

Chinese-built 4.5-generation

fighter. Total also includes 70

advanced Russian-made

Su-30MKK fighters.

12?

Shenyang J-16 fighter-bomber.

The J-16 is a Chinese

equivalent to the two-seat

Su-30MKK fighter, optimised for

the strike role.

100 Xian JH-7 ground attack aircraft 118 Nanchang Q-5 ground attack aircraft 5 Xian KJ-2000 Airborne

Early Warning (AEW) aircraft 5 Shaanxi KJ-200 AEW 1 Shaanxi KJ-500 AEW 6 Tupolev Tu-154 turbofan

transport, including three

passenger Tu-154M and three

reconnaissance variants 13 Boeing 737-300/700/800

turbofan transport. Also

includes two aircraft configured

for Command and Control (C2)

duties.

1 Airbus A319 turbofan transport.

61 Shaanxi Y-8/Y-9 turboprop transport 17 Shaanxi Y-8 special missions

aircraft (electronic intelligence,

electronic warfare and C2) 14+7 planned Ilyushin Il-76 strategic turbofan freighter 1+2 planned Ilyushin Il-78 tanker 20 Xian H-6U tanker 50 Xian Y-7 turboprop transport 12 Antonov An-26 turboprop transport 1 Antonov An-30 aerial survey aircraft 10 Bombardier Challenger 800/870

turbofan transport 170 Hongdu JL-8 lead-in jet trainer 20+ planned Guizhou JL-9 lead-in jet trainer 120 Guizhou JJ-7 lead-in jet trainer 350 Nanchang CJ-6 piston-engine trainer 20 Mil Mi-17V-7 medium-lift utility

helicopter 24 Changhe Z-8 utility/Search And

Rescue (SAR) helicopter 42 Harbin Z-9 medium-lift utility

helicopter 7 Airbus Helicopters AS-332/

EC-225 Super Puma medium-lift

utility helicopter ■ People’s Liberation Army Ground Force 7 Xian Y-7 turboprop transport Shaanxi Y-8 turboprop freighter 3 Mil Mi-8/17/171 medium-lift 242

utility helicopter 20 Sikorsky S-70 medium-lift utility

helicopter 53 Changhe Z-8 heavy-lift helicopter

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Harbin Z-9 medium-lift utility helicopter Changhe Z-10 attack helicopter Harbin Z-19 attack helicopter Changhe Z-11 light utility helicopter Airbus Helicopters AS-350 light utility helicopter Airbus Helicopters EC-120 light utility helicopter

■ People’s Liberation Army Naval Air Force 14 Xian H-6 strategic bomber 18 Xian Y-7 turboprop freighter 16 Shaanxi Y-8 special missions aircraft 14 Shaanxi Y-8 turboprop transport 16 Shaanxi Y-8 reconnaissance and

maritime patrol aircraft 30 Chengdu J-7 air superiority fighter Shenyang J-8 air superiority fighter 47 16 Shenyang J-15 carrier-based air

superiority fighter 24 Shenyang J-11BH fighter 24 Chengdu J-10 fighter 120 Xian JH-7 fighter 30 Nanchang Q-5 ground attack aircraft 24 Sukhoi Su-30MK2 fighter 3 Harbin SH-5 SAR turboprop amphibian 3 Shaanxi KJ-200 AEW 1 Shaanxi KJ-500 AEW 2 Yakovlev Yak-42 turbofan transport 19 Kamov Ka-28 naval support

helicopter 9 Kamov Ka-31 naval support

helicopter 55 Changhe Z-8 SAR helicopter 34 Harbin Z-9 medium-lift utility

The world meeting of naval technologies for the future th 25 EDITION

OCTOBER

17th 21st 2016 PARIS LE BOURGET WWW.EURONAVAL.FR

Jocelyn de Virel Sales manager + 33 (0)1 56 59 15 05 - jdevirel@euronaval.fr

Julie Boozer Sabrina Jonas Sales assistant Sales contact for Maritime Safety & Security, Motorisation and Propulsion 35 + 33 (0)1 56 59 15 06 - jboozer@euronaval.fr + 33 (0)1 56 59 15 10 - sjonas@euronaval.fr february 2016

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A Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF) F-16D Block-52 fighter takes off from Eielson airbase, Alaska, during the RED FLAG ALASKA air combat exercise in 2015. From an original total of 180 F-16C/Ds, the RoKAF maintains a current fleet of 169 aircraft © USAF

helicopter 5 Changhe Z-18 naval support helicopter 5 Shenyang JJ-5 lead-in jet trainer 14 Shenyang JJ-6 lead-in jet trainer 12 Guizhou JL-9 lead-in jet trainer 11 Hongdu JL-8 lead-in jet trainer 21 Xian Y-7 trainer/turboprop transport 38 Nanchang CJ-6 piston-engine trainer 8 Mil Mi-8 medium-lift utility helicopter ■ Notes: In the past two years, barely a month has passed without the appearance, typically in the form of ‘amateur’ photographs leaked on Chinese websites, of a new Chinese military aircraft design, or a new version of an existing type. While the prototypes of the People’s Republic of China's (PRC) fifth-generation fighters, the Chengdu J-20 and the Shenyang J-31 have received the most attention, the country has meanwhile been working on modernising all aspects of its three flying branches, expanding domestic production of aircraft and associated weapons and equipment, while increasing capabilities in an effort to keep pace with the other leading air powers. In late December 2015 the first images appeared of what is apparently a first production, or at least low-rate production, J-20, which followed eight flying prototypes. Modernisation of the J-10 and J-11 continues, and the latest production versions of the Chinese ‘Flanker’ include the carrier-based J-15 and the J-16, a two-seat fighter analogous to the Russian Su30MK. The appearance of the Xian Y-20 strategic turbofan freighter (five prototypes flying as of January 2016) looks set to fill a critical gap in the PRC's airlift capabilities, while the Y-9 turboprop transport will eventually displace the Y-8. Electronic warfare capabilities, once neglected by the PRC, are being addressed by new platforms including a dedicated EW version of the J-16, first sighted in December 2015. In terms of rotary-wing aircraft, the Changhe Z-10 attack helicopter and Harbin Z-19 scout and reconnaissance helicopter are now established in service and look set to be joined by new versions of the Changhe Z-18 medium-lift rotorcraft, as well as a Chinese equivalent of the Sikorsky S-70 Black Hawk medium-lift utility helicopter, the Harbin Z-20, which first flew in December 2013, and the smaller Harbin Z-15, a development of the Airbus Helicopters EC175 that could replace the earlier Z-9 and Russian-made Mi17 series in Chinese service.

Philippines

■ Philippine Air Force 2+10 ordered Korean Aerospace Industries

(KAI) FA-50PH fighter. Two

delivered by the end of 2015, the

other ten to be delivered by 2017.

3 SIAI-Marchetti AS-211 Warrior

light attack aircraft 10 Rockwell International OV-10

light attack aircraft 10 Alenia Aermacchi SF-260 light

attack aircraft Fokker F-27-200MAR maritime 1

patrol aircraft 1 Aero Commander maritime

patrol aircraft 1 Cessna Centurion rainmaking aircraft 3+2 ordered Lockheed Martin C-130H/B/T

turboprop freighter 2 Fokker F-27-200/500F

turboprop transport 1 Fokker F-28 turbofan transport 3 GAF Nomad 22 turboprop transport 3 ordered Airbus C-295 turboprop freighter

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2 ordered Airbus C-212 turboprop freighter 4 ordered Airbus Helicopters AS-550 light

utility helicopter 8 AgustaWestland AW-109 Power

light utility helicopter 8 Bell Helicopters 205 medium-lift

utility helicopter 25 MD Helicopters MD-520MG

light attack helicopter 1+5 ordered Bell Helicopters 212/214

medium-lift utility helicopter 1 Sikorsky S-70A medium-lift

utility helicopter 10 Sikorsky S-76A/AUH-76A

medium-lift utility helicopter 42+1 ordered Bell Helicopters UH-1H/HP

medium-lift utility helicopter 19 Bell Helicopters 412/UH-1D

medium-lift utility helicopter 7 PLZ W-3 Sokol search and

rescue helicopter 3 SIAI-Marchetti S-211 lead-in jet trainer 20 Alenia Aermacchi SF-260 lead-in

jet trainer

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■ Philippine Navy Aviation 6 Britten Norman BN-2 maritime

patrol aircraft 4 Airbus Helicopters BO-105 light

utility helicopter 5 AgustaWestland AW-109

naval support helicopter 4 Cessna 172 Skyhawk piston engine trainer 1 Robinson R22 training helicopter

■ Republic of Korea Navy 16 Lockheed Martin P-3C/CK

maritime patrol aircraft 18 planned Lockheed Martin S-3B maritime

patrol aircraft 5 Reims F406 Caravan-II

turboprop transport 23 AgustaWestland Lynx

Mk.99/99A naval support helicopter 4+4 ordered AgustaWestland AW-159 naval

support helicopter 8 Sikorsky UH-60P naval support helicopter 5 Airbus Helicopters SA-319 naval

support helicopter 14 Bell Helicopters UH-1H naval

support helicopter 30 ordered Korea Aerospace Industries KUH-1 Surion medium-lift utility helicopter

Republic of Korea

■ Republic of Korea Air Force 71 McDonnell Douglas/Boeing

F-4E fighter 194 Northrop Grumman F-5E/F

fighter. Total includes 36 two-seat

F-5F aircraft.

59 Boeing F-15K fighter 169 Lockheed Martin F-16C fighter.

Total includes 51 two-seat F-16D

fighters.

40 ordered Lockheed Martin F-35A

Lightning-II fighter. Deliveries

for 40 aircraft will begin in 2018.

Options exist for the purchase of

20 additional airframes.

20 + 40 ordered Korea Aerospace Industries

FA-50 fighter. The new FA-50s

will replace the Northrop

Grumman F-5E/F fleet, which

will be retired by 2019.

4 Boeing 737 Airborne Early

Warning aircraft Dassault Falcon 2000LX/S 4 ordered

reconnaissance aircraft Hawker 800 reconnaissance 8 aircraft 4 ordered Airbus A330-200 MRTT

multi-role tanker transport 1 Boeing 747 turbofan transport 1 Boeing 737 turbofan transport 12 Lockheed Martin C-130H

turboprop freighter Lockheed Martin C-130J 4

turboprop freighter Airbus CN-235 18+6 ordered

turboprop freighter Airbus Helicopters AS-332 3

medium-lift utility helicopter 3 Bell Helicopters 412 medium-lift

utility helicopter 5 Boeing CH-47D heavy-lift helicopter 7 Kamov Ka-32 medium-lift utility helicopter 25 MD Helicopters MD-500 light

utility helicopter 29 Sikorsky HH-60P medium-lift

utility helicopter 3 Sikorsky S-92 medium-lift

transport helicopter 20 Ilyushin Il-103 piston engine trainer 23 ordered KAI KC-100 piston-engine

trainer. To replace Il-103.

| Asian Military Review |

Korea Aerospace Industries KT-1 turboprop trainer Korea Aerospace Industries T-50/B lead-in jet trainer Korea Aerospace Industries TA-50 lead-in jet trainer

■ Republic of Korea Army 1 Hawker Beechcraft King Air 90

transport aircraft 77 Bell Helicopters AH-1J/S attack helicopter 36 ordered Boeing AH-64E attack helicopter 12 Airbus Helicopters BO-105 light

utility helicopter 23 Boeing CH-47D heavy-lift helicopter 252 MD Helicopters MD-500 light

utility helicopter 68 Sikorsky S-70/UH-60L/P

medium-lift utility helicopter 48+210 planned Korea Aerospace Industries

KUH-1 Surion medium-lift

utility helicopter 91 Bell Helicopters UH-1H

medium-lift utility helicopter

■ Republic of Korea Marine Corps 22+18 ordered Korea Aerospace Industries

KUH-1 Surion medium-lift

utility helicopter ■ Notes: A major milestone in the Korea Fighter Experimental (KFX) programme was the issuing of a development contract to Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) in December 2015. This will see KAI undertake full-scale development of the twin-engined, fifth-generation fighter for the Republic of Korea Air Force (RoAF) and the Indonesian Air Force (see above) between 2016 and 2026.

Deliveries are also scheduled to begin in 2026. The KFX is an ambitious programme that seeks to field a fighter with a low radar cross section of approximately the same size as the Eurofighter Typhoon. In the meantime, Seoul has elected to buy 40 Lockheed Martin F-35A LightningII fifth-generation fighters under the FX-III programme.

The first deliveries should occur in 2018. The RoKAF had originally intended to buy 60 fighters under FX-III to replace the F-4E. Other important acquisition programmes for the RoKAF will see the introduction of a new tanker in the form of the Airbus A330-200 MRTT, and the Northrop Grumman RQ-4B Global Hawk UAV, four of which are on order. In terms of upgrades, current plans call for 134 F-16C/Ds to be modernised at a cost of $1.2 billion. The centrepiece of this effort will be a new radar, as well as a new electronic warfare suite, updated cockpit and a Link-16 datalink.

Singapore

■ Republic of Singapore Air Force 27 Northrop Grumman F-5S fighter 32+8 ordered Boeing F-15SG fighter 60 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D

fighter. Aircraft due for upgrade.

5 Fokker F-50 maritime patrol aircraft 4 Gulfstream G550 Airborne Early

Warning aircraft 5 Lockheed Martin KC-130B/H tanker 4 Boeing KC-135R tanker 6 ordered Airbus A330-200 MRTT

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multi-role tanker transport 5 Lockheed Martin C-130H

turboprop transport 4 Fokker F-50 turboprop transport 17 Boeing AH-64D attack helicopter 32 Airbus Helicopters AS-332/532

medium-lift utility helicopter 16 Boeing CH-47SD heavy-lift helicopter 6+2 ordered Sikorsky S-70B naval support

helicopter. Operated on behalf of

the Republic of Singapore Navy.

5 Airbus Helicopters EC-120

training helicopter 9 Northrop Grumman F-5T

lead-in jet trainer 12 Alenia Aermacchi M-346 lead-in

jet trainer 19 Pilatus PC-21 turboprop transport ■ Notes: Singapore’s plan to upgrade its Lockheed Martin F-16C/D fighters was approved by the US Department of State in May 2015. Under a $130 million programme, the aircraft will receive new weapons as well as helmet-mounted sights, identification friend or foe equipment and other upgrades to permit operation of the fleet until around 2030. Singapore is also bolstering its F-15SG fleet, from the previously reported 24 aircraft, to 40, based on Boeing’s financial statements. Looking to the future, Singapore is a candidate to acquire the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning-II fighter, with perhaps as many as 75 eventually replacing the F-5S and F-16C/D fleets.

For more information regarding Singaporean defence procurement, please see Alex Calvo’s Survival Instinct article in this issue.

1 1 6 ordered

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turboprop freighter Boeing 737 transport Fokker 50 turboprop transport Alenia Aermacchi C-27J turboprop transport Airbus Helicopters EC-225 medium-lift utility helicopter Sikorsky S-70/UH-60A medium-lift utility helicopter Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation AT-3A/B lead-in jet trainer Beechcraft T-34C turboprop trainer

■ Republic of China Army 61 Bell Helicopters AH-1W attack helicopter 29 Boeing AH-64E attack helicopter 8 Boeing CH-47SD heavy-lift helicopter 38 Bell Helicopters OH-58

reconnaissance helicopter 40 Bell Helicopters UH-1H

utility helicopter 45+15 ordered Sikorsky UH-60M medium-lift

utility helicopter 12 Bell Helicopters 206 training helicopter ■ Republic of China Navy 9 MD Helicopters MD-500 naval

support helicopter 19 Sikorsky S-70C naval

support helicopter

Sri Lanka

■ Sri Lankan Air Force 7 Chengdu F-7BS/GS fighter 9 Israel Aerospace Industries Kfir

C2/C7/TC2 fighter 6 Mikoyan MiG-27M ground attack aircraft 2 Hawker Beechcraft King Air 200

maritime patrol aircraft 5 Antonov An-32 turboprop freighter 2 Lockheed Martin C-130K

turboprop freighter Xian MA60 turboprop transport 2+2 ordered 9 Harbin Y-12 turboprop transport Bell Helicopters 206 medium-lift 4

utility helicopter 10 Bell Helicopters 212 medium-lift

utility helicopter 8 Bell Helicopters 412 medium-lift

utility helicopter 15 Mil Mi-17/171 medium-lift

utility helicopter 9 Mil Mi-24/35 attack helicopter 1 Mikoyan MiG-23UB combat trainer 1 Guizhou FT-7 lead-in jet trainer 5 Hongdu K-8 lead-in jet trainer/

light attack aircraft

Taiwan

■ Republic of China Air Force 48 Northrop Grumman F/RF-5E

fighter. Total includes 25

two-seat F-5F. 144 Lockheed Martin F-16A fighter.

Total includes 28 two-seat F-16B.

Being upgraded to F-16V standard

with the AN/APG-83 radar.

56 Dassault Mirage-2000-5EI fighter.

Total includes nine two-seat

Mirage-2000-5DI. 127 Aerospace Industrial Develop ment Corporation F-CK-1A/C

fighter. Total includes 25 two-seat F-CK-1B/D. 2 Beechcraft 1900 turboprop

reconnaissance aircraft 1 Lockheed Martin C-130H

special missions aircraft 6 Northrop Grumman E-2K

Airborne Early Warning aircraft 4 Lockheed Martin P-3C maritime

patrol aircraft Northrop Grumman S-2T 11

maritime patrol aircraft 19 Lockheed Martin C-130H

In late 2007 Royal Thai Air Force signed contracts to acquire twelve Saab JAS 39C/D Gripen fighters and two Saab 340 Airborne Early Warning aircraft (pictured) plus a standard Saab 340 transport to act as a pilot trainer and utility aircraft ©Saab

Thailand

■ Royal Thai Air Force 19 Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet

light-attack aircraft 33 Northrop Grumman F-5E/F

fighter. Total includes four

two-seat F-5F. 54 General Dynamics/Lockheed

Martin F-16A/B fighter. Total

includes 15 two-seat F-16B. 12 Saab JAS-39C/D Gripen fighter.

Total includes four two-seat JAS-39D. Diamond DA42 reconnaissance 5 aircraft 1 Learjet 35 survey aircraft 1 ordered Piaggio P180 reconnaissance aircraft 2 Saab 340 Airborne Early

Warning aircraft 1 Boeing 737 turbofan transport 1 Airbus A319 turbofan transport 2 Israel Aerospace Industries Arava

201 turboprop freighter Basler BT-67 turboprop freighter 8 12 Lockheed Martin C-130H

turboprop freighter 5 Hawker Siddeley/BAE Systems

HS 748 turboprop transport 1 Hawker Beechcraft King Air 90

turboprop transport 14 GAF Nomad 22 turboprop transport 16 Pilatus PC-6 piston-engine transport 2 Saab 340 turboprop transport 3 Sikorsky S-92 medium-lift utility helicopter

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Bell Helicopters 412 medium-lift utility helicopter Airbus Helicopters EC-725 medium-lift utility helicopter Bell Helicopters UH-1H medium-lift utility helicopter Diamond DA42 pistonengine trainer Aero L-39 lead-in jet trainer Korea Aerospace Industries T-50TH lead-in jet trainer Pilatus PC-9 turboprop trainer

■ Royal Thai Army 2 Airbus C-212 turboprop freighter Hawker Beechcraft King Air 200 2

turboprop transport 7 Bell Helicopters AH-1F attack helicopter 8 Airbus Helicopters AS-550

utility/light-attack helicopter 2+8 ordered AgustaWestland AW-139

medium-lift utility helicopter 25 Bell Helicopters 206 medium-lift

utility helicopter 51 Bell Helicopters 212 medium-lift

utility helicopter 6 Boeing CH-47D heavy-lift helicopter 6 ordered Airbus Helicopters UH-72A

medium-lift utility helicopter 3+2 ordered+1 planned Mil Mi-17 medium-lift utility helicopter 12+4 ordered Sikorsky UH-60 medium-lift

utility helicopter 52 Bell Helicopters UH-1H

light utility helicopter 16 Enstrom 480 training helicopter 44 Schweizer 269 training helicopter 1 Robinson R44 training helicopter ■ Royal Thai Navy 7 Dornier Do-228 maritime patrol aircraft 5 Fokker F-27 maritime patrol aircraft 1 Lockheed Martin P-3T Orion

maritime patrol aircraft 1 Canadair/Bombardier CL-215

fire-fighting ampihibian 3 GAF Nomad 24 turboprop transport 9 Bell Helicopters 212/214 naval

support helicopter 5 ordered Eurocopter EC-645T2 light

utility helicopter. Deliveries

expected in 2016.

8 Sikorsky S-70B/MH-60S

naval support helicopter 4 Sikorsky S-76 search and rescue helicopter 2 AgustaWestland Super Lynx

Mk.110 naval support helicopter

Vietnam

■ Vietnamese People’s Air Force 144 Mikoyan MiG-21 fighter 38 Sukhoi Su-22 ground attack aircraft 35+12 ordered Sukhoi Su-27SK/UBK/30MK2V

fighter. Deliveries of latest batch

of 12 Su-30MK2V began in 2014.

1 PZL M-28 maritime patrol aircraft 30 Antonov An-26 turboprop transport 3 Airbus C-295 turboprop transport 2 Kamov Ka-32 medium-lift

utility helicopter 88 Mil Mi-8/17 medium-lift

utility helicopter 25 Mil Mi-25 attack helicopter 15 Bell Helicopters UH-1H

medium-lift utility helicopter 26 Aero L-39 lead-in jet trainer ■ Vietnamese People’s Navy 6 de Havilland Canada DHC-6

Guardian 400

maritime patrol aircraft 2 Airbus Helicopters EC-225

medium-lift utility helicopter 8 Kamov Ka-28 naval support helicopter AMR

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Sensors Working Overtime

The French Army’s FELIN ensemble has been one of the first Infantry Soldier Systems to have entered service. Future enhancements of FELIN are now well underway © Sagem

Despite mixed operational success over recent years and in light of ongoing fiscal constraints, there remains a number of promising modern soldier upgrade programmes which could significantly enhance the capabilities of the next generation of warriors.

by Andrew White

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owever, despite such efforts to optimise lethality, mobility, protection and situational awareness for dismounted and mounted soldiers on the battlefield, concerns continue to linger regarding potentially overburdening the soldier with the addition of body armour, reconnaissance technology and weapons. Programmes in this regard include the French Direction Générale de L’armement (DGA/ General Armaments Directorate) defence procurement agency, Fantassins à Équipements et Liaisons Intégrés (FELIN/ Integrated Soldier Equipment) effort; the US Special Operations Command’s Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit (TALOS) and the US Army’s Nett Warrior; the UK Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) Future Soldier Vision (FSV) concept; Canada’s Integrated Soldier System (ISS) project; as well as numerous other efforts across Europe.

FELIN V2 The DGA’s FELIN programme, designed in collaboration with Sagem, has proven

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to be one of the most successful soldier modernisation efforts globally following extensive operational use with the Armée de Terre (AdT/French Army) during recent and ongoing deployments to Afghanistan, the Central African Republic and Mali. The first version of FELIN is due to complete delivery of close to 19000 systems to the AdT in 2019 with more than 17 regiments currently equipped and operating the technology. The DGA is already considering future-proofing the technology, and in April 2015 awarded Sagem a contract of an undisclosed value to upgrade existing FELIN systems to the Version 1.3 (V1.3) standard following operational feedback from the armed forces.

A Sagem spokesperson explained to AMR that this work would be centred around software improvements with particular emphasis on optimising FELIN’s utility in fire support roles such as enabling the system to support indirect fire including

| Asian Military Review |

mortar teams, as well as sniper teams.

These improvements will be performed as part of the AdT’s next generation Scorpion Information and Combat System (SICS) programme, which is rolling out new Command and Control (C2) capabilities throughout the army by 2020.

Additional work will focus on reducing size and weight parameters, with Sagem claiming this could amount to as much as 40 percent in reductions to the soldier’s burden. Deliveries of upgraded FELIN systems are due to be made to the French Army throughout 2016. This initiative will take existing FELIN ensembles and upgrade them to the FELIN V1.3 status. “The FELIN V1.3 version will feature a new configuration designed to optimise the system’s observation and combat functions. Software upgrades will provide new services for specialised sharpshooter and mortar support units. It also offers a new carrying structure, along with lighter

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and more modular protective gear, thus improving soldier mobility while decreasing their visual signature,” the company spokesperson explained to AMR. Furthermore, the DGA and Sagem are considering options to develop a new-build FELIN Version 2 (V2) which, according to industry sources, will concentrate on the integration of enhanced reconnaissance systems as well as optical weapon sights, Image Intensification (I2) and Thermal Imaging (TI)/Infrared (IR) systems. The French armed forces can expect to begin to receive operational variants of the upgraded system by circa 2020, the spokesperson added.

BENELUX Elsewhere in Europe, the BENELUX (Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg) countries have joined forces to collectively enhance the capabilities available to their respective armed forces with regards to so-called ‘smart vest’ technology. Smart Vests include a soldier’s communications, torso ballistic protection, computers and accompanying battery packs in a single garment. On 2 July 2015, the countries signed a $150 million contract with Israeli company Elbit Systems for the delivery of 5500 smart vests featuring integrated reconnaissance and C2 technology including End User Devices (EUD: these can encompass anything from a smartphone, a head-up display or any electronic tool which a soldier would use to view data); batteries and a Global Positioning System (GPS) transmitter; all of which can be connected to a vehicles’ electronics and C2 systems as and when required.

A spokesperson for Elbit explained to AMR that an initial tranche of 80 vests will be delivered to the BENELUX armed

The UK is performing an intensive effort to modernise the equipment used by dismounted British Army soldiers under the Vertus programme, which is rolling out new systems to this end under several ‘Pulses’ © DSTL

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forces for an evaluation The modernisation programme expected of the French to be initiated in 2016 Army’s FELIN and completed in 2017. soldier system forms a key component of The smart vest is based the force’s overall on Elbit’s Dominator Scorpion command integrated infantry and control combat system which enhancement that the army is is currently in service planning © Sagem with the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) and the Australian Army.

The company spokesperson explained that “asymmetric warfare, low-intensity conflicts an anti-reflective coating for opeand special operations have redefined the modern battlefield for the dismount- ration during daylight hours. The Domied soldier. Complex urban and under- nator’s power pack comprises a rechargeable power source equipped with a ground terrain, the threat of friendly fire status indicator. and the brief lifespan of targets all require The Coral-CR TI binoculars operate in a superior level of situation awareness.” the 3-5 micron medium wave IR range, They added that, “in order to achieve a which can be used for day and night clear and accurate understanding of the operations and in tandem with target battlefield, all systems and units must acquisition systems including laser deshave continuous connectivity. Enhanced ignators. These binoculars can also be C2 processes promote improved real-time networked to other Dominator systems decision-making, minimising the time for the automatic transmission and refrom event to reaction. The appropriate use of selected information by the vari- ceipt of target information and include ous echelons, along with proper coordi- an integrated compass, GPS transmitter nation, significantly improves the lethal- and laser rangefinder. All the elements of the Dominator suite are brought toity, survivability and manoeuvrability of gether using its Fighting Load Vest. “The the fighting force.”

Dominator’s modular approach allows The Dominator system is designed to the components to be tailored to a specific be used at the lowest tactical level, that of the individual soldier, and can be net- doctrine. System variants include senior commanders, team leaders, forward obworked up to battalion headquarters for C2. It is designed to shorten the ‘sensor- servers, snipers, special weapons operators and riflemen,” Elbit’s spokesperson to-shooter loop’ which encompasses the explained while illustrating how the syspositive identification of a target through to the delivery of kinetic effects. The Dom- tem can be integrated with legacy tactical inator ensemble comprise Coral-CR TI bin- communications, unmanned ground vehicles, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) oculars, a Head-Up Display (HUD) with and other reconnaissance platforms. eyepiece, tactical computer, GPS tracking It is unclear what this decision to acdevice integrated into a planning display quire Dominator ensembles for evaluation EUD, a modular load carrying vest, and in the BENELUX countries means for the a radio designed to provide a real-time individual soldier system programmes operational picture, send and receive in these nations which include Belgium’s live target and mission data as well as Soldier Transformation (BEST) project, Imagery Intelligence (IMINT) gathered by the soldier. The HUD can be config- the Netherland’s Verbeterd Operationeel Soldaat Systeem (VOSS/Improved Operaured into a helmet-mounted or handheld tional Soldier System) effort, and Luxemdisplay, providing access to modular C2 bourg’s Cooperative Modernisation Proapplications including high-resolution gramme of the Army for a Soldier System IMINT and full-motion video feeds. The (COMPASS) concept.

Dominator’s planning unit comprises a 203.2 millimetre/mm (eight-inch) display allowing the user to view battlefield UK maps and accompanying C2 infor- Elsewhere in Europe, the United Kingmation. The screen itself uses a glare- dom’s MoD continues to drive forward resistant liquid crystal display with its Future Soldier Vision, which aims to

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provide a conceptual vision of how the soldier will operate on the battlefield in 2024. According to sources within the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), the programme aims to “…provide a focus for research and help plan for future capability requirements and procurement … The British Army’s recent experience in Afghanistan has demonstrated the need for the soldier to cope with a wide range of diverse and complex threats. The future soldier will require a mix of technologies and capabilities to address the situation they face,” an Revision Military has put forward exoskeleton official spokesperson explained to AMR: systems for trials with the USSOCOM. Such “While today’s threats are anticipated to re- equipment offers the possibility of lowering main over the next decade, with a modu- the weight burden for soldiers in the future; a serious step forward in improving tactical lar system, tactical surprise can be avoided mobility ©Revision Military through adaptability,” they added.

The UK’s effort will feature three subareas called Vertus Pulse 1, 2 and 3, fea- targeting and engagement capabilities. turing development of a head sub-system, DSTL is considering introducing a nettorso sub-system, wearable communica- working capability into the Vertus concept tions, smart glasses; a personal role com- to enable small UAVs to provide commandputer, and a weapons concept. Vertus ers with situational awareness. Meanwhile, Pulse 1 has already secured an order with the torso sub-system will include hard Source Vagabond Systems of Israel for the body armour, integrated connectors for delivery of 9000 system suites destined to the supply of wearable power and data equip three high readiness brigades with- systems, a power supply, and integrated in the British Army, the delivery of which load-carrying pouches for water, medical was completed in late 2015. Vertus Pulse supplies and ammunition. The wearable 1 will also encompass personal load car- communications element is aimed at prorying equipment, an exoskeleton, maxil- viding the “real-time reporting of soldier lofacial (protecting the head and neck) health with sensors embedded in the helprotection and a combat helmet with an met, clothing and a smart watch to moniintegrated night vision mount. Follow-on tor their physical health and performance Pulses 2 and 3 will concentrate on protec- … Wirelessly linked to the soldier processtion, C2 and reconnaissance technology, ing system, the availability of this data will blue force tracking; health monitoring allow the commander to make informed systems, and integration with the UK decisions during combat,” the DSTL MoD’s Project Morpheus tactical commu- source explained. “If the soldier is seriousnications initiative which will field new ly injured, information will enable medics tactical radios across the British Army by to act faster during the ‘Golden Hour’ folthe mid-point of next decade. lowing trauma, when a soldier’s potential DSTL is currently developing a Vertus for survival can be greatly improved if Pulse Concept Capability Demonstrator they reach medical treatment after expeand evaluating the potential of this tech- riencing serious trauma within one hour,” nology for integration and interoperabil- the source continued. Meanwhile, smart ity with the US Army’s Nett Warrior pro- glasses will provide real-time data in the gramme which will provide new soldier form of a HUD integrated into both lenses. systems to enhance situational awareness Bone-conducting headphones, meanwhile, for dismounted squad leaders. DSTL’s will provide voice communications, with Vertus Pulse Concept Capability Dem- an integrated camera feeding live visual onstrator initiative will be followed by a information to the soldier. These same Concept and Assessment Phase which is smart glasses can also be integrated into understood to begin in 2019, according to the combat helmet if required and with the British Army sources.

Vertus Personal Role Computer, the latter of which enables a soldier to share intelliThe Vertus head sub-system aims to provide the soldier with a variety of light- gence and C2 information with their comrades. Furthermore, the Vertus’ “navigaweight optronics and the means to share tion systems will incorporate simultaneous the imagery gathered by these sensors localisation and mapping technology and with other soldiers to provide collaborative

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| Asian Military Review |

be capable of operating in a GPS-denied environment,” the source continued.

Finally, the Vertus weapon concept is considering lethal and non-lethal effects with an ability to provide targeting information between soldiers and fire teams.

Specific ideas include an enhanced stock design comprising an integrated power pack for the operation of optronics and weapons-mounted sensors, a digital optical weapon sight giving direct communication to the HUD or tactical radio system, and finally, an adjustable hand grip with communication buttons and a bipod.

Russia Russia continues to drive ahead with its Ratnik future soldier programme which includes solutions designed to enhance lethality, protection and SA. The Russian MoD had initially been considering the procurement of FELIN from the French MoD in 2012 (see above), but selected an organic development path to design, develop and manufacture a total of 70000 soldier systems. Industry sources suggested to AMR that Russian Army units began to receive the first Ratnik systems as early as 2014. The Ratnik includes body armour, a combat helmet, TI-based weapon sight, and a tablet EUD capable of providing mapping and disseminating C2 information across the battlefield in voice and data forms.

Furthermore, the MoD is already considering a next-generation Ratnik-2 ensemble which could contain additional C2 and reconnaissance technology no doubt increasing the current ten kilogram (22lbs) weight of the initial version, although there is no word as to when this may enter service. Scope of work includes a MoD contract with Russia’s United Instrument Manufacturing Corporation for the development of EUDs for the Ratnik-2. Solutions include the TT-E EUD which will be issued to tactical commanders on the ground as well as fire support elements. A second AK-E EUD will be issued to soldiers at the lowest level, providing them with access to GPS and mapping with universal serial bus and Wi-Fi connections.

United States Meanwhile, the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) continues to develop its TALOS concept which has the potential to revolutionise soldier modernisation and other defence programmes without the need for a designated prime contractor. Instead, the programme has more than 60 industry partners as well as

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academic and research organisations, working closely with the Tampa-based Command to develop a next-generation operator suit designed to enhance lethality, protection and mobility in close quarter battle.

Details remain classified but sources have informed AMR that the programme continues to press ahead with the blessing of USSOCOM Commander General Joseph Votel. Current plans are scheduled to unveil a technology demonstrator in 2018. Initial variants of TALOS have included powered exoskeletons, a central power system, and body armour based around liquid armour technology with an all-encompassing motorcycle-style combat helmet with integrated C2 and reconnaissance systems including CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear) and biometric sensors, target acquisition equipment, GPS and navigation systems, I2 and TI sights, plus countless other modular technologies which could be integrated as and when required.

One of the major areas of interest concentrates on mobility and an ability to carry increased amounts of C2 technology, hence

the consideration of exoskeletons such as the Revision Military system put forward for trials with USSOCOM towards the end of 2014. Although not officially part of the TALOS programme, the US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is sharing information with USSOCOM regarding its Warrior Web programme which “…seeks to develop the technologies required to prevent and reduce musculoskeletal injuries caused by dynamic events typically found in the (soldier’s) environment”. According to Major Christopher Orlowski, US Army programme manager for the Warrior Web, the goal of the effort is to design a lightweight, conformal under-suit that is transparent to the user.

He explained to AMR, “The amount of equipment carried by today’s dismounted soldier can exceed 45kgs (100lbs), as troops conduct patrols for extended periods over rugged and hilly terrain.”

Maj. Orlowski continued that “(t)he added weight while bending, running, squatting, jumping and crawling in a tactical environment increases the risk of musculoskeletal injury, particularly on vulnera-

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ble areas such as ankles, knees and lumbar spine. Increased load weight also causes increase in physical fatigue, which further decreases the body’s ability to perform tasks and protect against both acute and chronic injury,” with structures designed to protect injury prone areas. Running on just 100 Watts of power, a TALOS Technology Demonstrator is expected to be tested in appropriate mission profiles under realistic loads to evaluate performance in 2016, although there is no word as to when, if ever, TALOS will enter service.

Conclusion After a lull in development and operational utility, it appears that the soldier modernisation market is witnessing some kind of resurgence. However, any acceptance into service will rely entirely on ergonomics when used by soldiers on the battlefield. On paper, such technology can only assist operators but should any of these solutions be cumbersome and distracting, they will be quickly rejected at the tactical end in favour of tried and tested alternatives. AMR

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INKAS, drawing from its sedan and SUV armouring background, has developed a line of special purpose vehicles for internal security roles.

The Sentry has a chassis-based design, and is offered with higher ballistic and blast protection levels in response to increased threats © INKAS

Security Guards The provision of internal security has expanded as new concerns have surfaced across the Asia-Pacific region, with the threat of well-armed and organised groups intent on perpetrating domestic political violence being just one of those challenges.

by Stephen W. Miller

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esponding to civil unrest and mass demonstrations, hostage situations, armed stand-offs and drug trafficking are all contingencies that must be faced. For some countries the job of countering border incursions and internal separatist groups often falls to law enforcement, security and military forces. These demands along with the growing participation in international operations within and without the region make the fielding of vehicles designed for internal security a priority.

The Internal Security Vehicle (ISV) balances protection and response capabilities while presenting a non-threatening or, at least, a less threatening appearance. These are being increasingly viewed as important criteria when conducting peacekeeping as well. Military combat vehicles are designed primarily to fight which is not a primary role in most internal security tasks. In fact, employing combat vehicles

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can be seen as provocative. Increasingly the security mission is requiring protection and mobility levels that can only be provided by vehicles specially designed for such roles.

ISVs can fill a number of roles with each specific requirement driving the design. Patrol vehicles tend to be smaller accommodating between two and four people, while incident response vehicles need to carry a team of ten to 14 people, plus equipment for various contingencies.

Crowd control vehicles often have water cannons and need to accommodate the volume and weight of water. Attributes like protection against ‘Molotov Cocktails’, rams and blades to push barriers out of the way, and cages over windows may also be required, particularly during riot control.

ISVs for patrol Maintaining a presence on the ground is key during internal security missions.

| Asian Military Review |

Regular patrolling gives a firsthand picture of the local situation, and detects and deters threatening activities. Often operating in isolated areas alone or in small groups, the patrol vehicle is a lucrative target for ambush or for roadside bombs.

In these circumstances patrolling, once largely conducted by unarmoured vehicles, is increasingly being performed by armoured ISVs. Major General (retired) David Fraser, chief operating officer of INKAS Armoured Vehicles of Toronto, Canada told AMR that “demand for armoured patrol vehicles and the level of protection requested have risen appreciably in the last ten years.”

Protecting ISVs has taken two paths; either adding armour to existing vehicles, referred to as a ‘chassis-based approach’, or developing a new vehicle with integrated protection. The latter often uses a monocoque design which focuses on an armoured ‘capsule’ to which the vehicle’s suspension and subsystems are fitted.

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The chassis-based approach is less costly than the capsule approach and is effective against ballistic attack, notably gunfire.

However, this chassis-based approach has proved less effective against the new weapons of choice, notably insurgent roadside bombs.

The Republic of South Africa, having dealt with mines and bombs during the Border War of 1966 to 1990 which saw South Africa fighting a number of insurgent groups in Namibia and Angola, had perfected vehicles to survive these threats.

For example, the Denel RG-32M is one of the most successful blast-protected patrol vehicles with over 800 in service with eight international users including the United Nations. It has an all-steel monocoque hull and shallow ‘V’-hull to protect against small arms and mine blast while the portal axles provide excellent ground clearance yet still keep a stable low profile.

Despite having only a 7300 kilogram/kg (16060 pounds/lb) gross weight, it can still carry a payload of over 1000kgs (2200lbs).

French industry has a long history of light armoured patrol vehicles. The Véhicule Blindé Léger (VBL/Light Armoured Vehicle) developed by Panhard (now part of Renault Trucks Defence) is a true patrol/reconnaissance vehicle. Introduced by the Armée de Terre (French Army) in the 1990s it is discrete with a height of only 1.8 metres/m (5.9 feet/ft) and is 3.8m (12.4ft) in length accommodating a crew of up to three. The VBL has proved effective in peacekeeping, internal security, and in interventions like France’s ongoing Operation BURKHANE in Mali directed against Islamist insurgents. Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico and Saudi Arabia are among the twenty-two countries fielding the VBL. Since 2011, Russia has been negotiating joint production of 500 VBLs for its Border Guards but this initiative remains on hold as a result of Russia’s involvement in the Ukraine civil war.

The Japanese Ground Self-Defence Force (JGSDF) has taken a similar approach to the VBL for the design of its internal security vehicle. The Komatsu LAV (Light Armoured Vehicle) is a dieselpowered four-wheel drive vehicle with a four man crew. Initially fielded in 2002, it was deployed during the JGSDF peacekeeping mission to Iraq in 2005. The vehicle can carry weaponry in the form of an FN Herstal 5.56mm Minimi machine gun, General Dynamics/US Ordnance M2HB Browning 12.7mm machine gun, Kawasaki Type-01 LMAT or Kawasaki/ Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Type-87

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Chu-MAT anti-tank guided missiles.

Like Japan, the Tentara Nasional IndonesiaAngkatan Darat (TNIAU/Indonesian Army) has undertaken an indigenous ISV development. The Rantis KoThe Japanese Ground Self Defence Force employs the Komatsu modo is a four-wheel LAV for internal security and counter-insurgency operations. drive tactical vehicle This indigenously designed and manufactured ISV has seen developed by Pundad, service with JGSDF contingents in Iraq and other deployed commitments © JGSDF a local company, based on a challenge by the country’s then President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in 2011. wheel drive vehicles in service around the It is in production for the TNI-AU and world is the AM General HMMWV (High National Police with 40 reconnaissance Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle). models on order with the first delivered Since its initial fielding in 1983 by the US in late 2014. The vehicle’s rapid develop- Army, the HMMWV has been adopted ment was possible by drawing on the Re- by over 72 countries, and its exceptional nault Sherpa four-wheel drive with which off-road mobility and overall dependabilit shares key subsystems. This Sherpa ity have become legendary, as illustrated connection is not a surprise, as it has been by its widespread local manufacture a very successful patrol/internal secu- and replication; the People’s Republic rity design. Weighing 7.7 to 8.1 tons, the of China alone has at least three compaSherpa can carry up to five people plus nies producing copies of the HMMWV medium calibre weapons in a roof mount (apparently reverse-engineered comdue to its four-ton payload. Indonesia, In- mercial models). The original armoured dia, and Brazil are among its users.

HMMWV protected against small arms, To the south of Indonesia, Thales’ Aus- which was viewed as the threat at that tralian subsidiary was awarded a $1.3 bil- time. It was only when the HMMWV lion contract in October 2015 by the Aus- found itself used in a direct combat role tralian Ministry of Defence for its Hawkei against Iraqi insurgents and targeted by armoured vehicle as part of its Land 121 roadside bombs and explosives that it modernisation programme, replacing the was overmatched. It is estimated that 70 Australian Army’s Land Rover 110 vehicles. percent of US and allied casualties in Iraq This contract provides for 1100 Protected were caused by such attacks.

Anticipating a HMMWV upgrade Mobility Vehicles–Light (PMV-L), plus 1000 trailers for security, command, liaison, programme, a number of companies developed concepts that improved its utility and reconnaissance. The Hawkei is protection and associated suspension and a seven-tonne indigenous design that was selected in 2011 over a field of internation- power. Northrop Grumman presented a solution in 2014 that offered MRAP (Mineal candidates. The vehicle offers protected mobility against gunfire, mines and explo- Resistant/Ambush-Protected) enhancesives as well as incorporating improved ments while recovering the mobility lost situational awareness and networking by the weight of earlier armour additechnologies. A senior spokesperson for tions. Textron offers HMMWV improvethe Australian Department of Defence told ments in ‘kits’ ranging from new engines AMR that “(the) Hawkei represents an en- to a monocoque protective capsule (see tirely new capability for the army with a above). Fitting all five of these kits results significantly improved ability to operate in the Survivable Combat Tactical Vehicle in high-risk areas.” Chris Jenkins, the chief (SCTV), in which Colombia and Ukraine executive officer of Thales’ Australia divi- have expressed an interest. The company sion said “the three-and-a-half year pro- presented its VLB-Buffalo (an upgraded duction phase will begin in mid-2017, with SCTV), at the ExpoDefensa 2015 show first deliveries expected towards the end in Bogota. VLB has been trialled by the of that year.”

Ejército Nacional de Colombia (Colombian Army). These HMMWV upgrade efforts are company-funded initiatives since North America the United States military has so far not Like the Land Rover 110 mentioned above, one of the most ubiquitous four- budgeted nor requested such efforts.

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Canadian Army. Government testing continues under the 2009 contract and, if successful, the first deliveries of the 500 units could begin this year.

Team Transport

emphasis on internal security, countering infiltrators and the control of territory.

For these missions the infantry is being equipped with the KW1 Scorpion, a new wheeled armoured vehicle developed by Hyundai Rotem under a $26 million 2012 contract from DAPA, the Republic of Korea’s Defence Acquisition Programme Administration. The first vehicles will be a six-wheel drive armoured infantry carrier with a crew of two and ten dismounts. The contract covers a total of 600 to be delivered by 2020 with the first fielding in 2016.

Paramount Group, another South African company, has applied its protected vehicle expertise by establishing a collaboration with the Kazakhstan military for a new version of its Marauder. Called Arlan, it is optimized for the climate and conditions of Central Asia. The partnership includes establishing local manufacturing. The Marauder, with a total weight of 17000kgs (37400lbs), closely fills the role of a protected troop carrier with a crew of two and eight dismounts. Its large, allaround ballistic proof windows provide excellent visibility of the surroundings for all onboard, a valuable feature for an ISV and offers protection against 12.7mm ammunition and eight kilograms (17.6lbs) of explosives.

Germany’s Streit Group, meanwhile, has applied its armour experience to protected response vehicles. Primarily focused on police and para-military forces its Typhoon four-wheel drive meets the demands by these users for increasing protection levels including mine blast.

Two vehicles were delivered in 2014 for use by the Pasukan Operasi Khusus Malaysia, a Malaysian Special Operations counter-insurgency force. The Typhoon has a crew of two and eight dismounts.

Whereas the Typhoon, Marauder and First Win (see above) were designed from

The need to safely deploy forces in response to security situations requires carrying a large number of Chaiseri Defense developed the First Win in collaboration personnel, plus their perwith the Royal Thai Army to provide a protected troop sonal and mission equipcarrier for use in border security operations. It is entirely ment, while being protecta local design. The initial model has been followed by the First Win-E shown © Chaiseri Defence ed against small arms and bomb blasts. Yet operations in urban environments can require access to upper-storey buildHowever, with a potential international market of over 10000 vehicles in twen- ing windows or doorways during tactical assaults. This can be achieved by ty-five countries, including over 7000 using Elevated Tactical Systems (ETS).

HMMWVs in service with the Republic of Charles Fuqua, ETS manager at Patriot3 China Army and the Sandataháng Lakás ng (sic), a leading ETS supplier, told AMR Pilipinas (Philippines Armed Forces) such that “ETSs are remotely-operated ramps upgrades have a ready clientele. mounted on the roof of vehicles and Textron’s Commando series lineage positioned to provide a response team traces its roots back to the Cadillac Gage direct access to upper storey windows, V-100 and V-150 which saw extensive roofs and doors, including passenger airservice with US Military Police units in Vietnam beginning in 1963. Over the fol- craft. This can be a decisive advantage.” lowing decades Commando family vehi- Patriot3 has fielded fifty systems in nine cles were fielded by 33 countries includ- Asia-Pacific countries alone.

Alongside vehicle adornments such ing Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, as ETSs, local ISV development in the Thailand and Vietnam with a number of Asia-Pacific is growing. The Royal Thai vehicles still in service. The Commando's Army (RTA) and Tentera Darat Malaysia distinctive boat-styled monocoque steel (Malaysian Army) have cooperated in dearmour hull and high ground clearance are proven to provide mine blast pro- veloping a new infantry mobility vehicle called First Win. With a 13 tonne wheeled tection; characteristics which have been retained in its successor the M1117 Ar- monocoque V-hull design, it provides moured Security Vehicle (ASV). Accom- protected transport against small arms, mines and roadside bombs for ten troops. modating a crew of four, the ASV was Initial orders were placed with its manufirst acquired by the US Army Military facturer Chaiseri Defense in 2012 by the Police in 1999. The US Army substantially RTA and the Thai Ministry of Justice. Subadded to its ASV inventory in response to demands for convoy escort in Iraq, even- sequently, an additional 250 were purchased tually fielding over 1800. with a production rate Typically the ASV is armed with a of 18 yearly. Malaysia’s one-person turret containing a General requirements will be Dynamics Mk.19 40mm AGL (Automatic Grenade Launcher) and an M2HB or FN produced under licence Herstal M240 7.62mm machine gun in

by Malaysia’s DRB-Hia shielded ring mount. The ASV (or com Defence Technoloversions thereof) has been fielded by gies (DefTech) as the AVAfghanistan, Colombia and Iraq. The 4. A smaller (ten-tonne) Afghan Army has 634 Mobile Strike Force version, the First Win-E, Vehicle (MSFV) variant ASVs acquired has been undergoing between 2011 and 2014 which can trials since late 2014.

The BearCat from Lenco uses a commercial Ford F550 chassis on which the armoured shell is built. Lenco has provided accommodate up to ten people. Textron, Meanwhile, a major tactical ISVs to over 40 countries, offering versions for the meanwhile, is providing the TAPV aspect of the Republic of military and for law enforcement © Lenco (Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicle), that Korea Army’s moderniis based on the ASV and MSFV, to the sation is its increased

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| Asian Military Review |

ground up, Lenco, a US firm, builds its BearCat ISV or ‘armoured rescue vehicle’ around a Ford F550 Super Duty commercial truck chassis. Their open layout and large interior lend themselves not only to transporting a response SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) team but adaption for Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams, protected emergency medical and evacuation roles. This chassis-based design is generally less costly but is fully suited to urban and primarily road use. Users include law enforcement and military police with vehicles found in Australia, Mexico, Brazil, Canada and the United States.

INKAS uses a similar approach for its Sentry and Huron vehicles employing respectively Ford and Kenworth chassis.

Maj. Gen. Fraser indicated a major benefit is that “maintenance is easier even allowing use of local commercial workshops.”

He added, an additional consideration is realising that “unlike most military vehicles the ISV must operate within the population which necessitates an entirely different appearance and complete reliance on passive solutions for protection.”

Responses to large public demonstrations, unruly crowds and mass unrest in urban areas present some unique challenges when coupled with a desire for a vehicle to appear non-threatening, and the recognition that the vehicle and its team will spend much of its time ‘standing by’ and waiting. A popular and utilitarian configuration for these urban response vehicles could be called an armoured ‘box’ on wheels. These are often, but not exclusively, locally-adapted commercial trucks. However, a number of companies have applied their military and security vehicle design experience resulting in vehicles optimised for this role.

Denel’s RG-12 is representative of such a trend. The vehicle received worldwide attention during its use in the 2010 soccer World Cup in South Africa. It features large armoured windows, powered sliding side access doors (ideal for tight spaces where a hinged door could not be opened), and a large climate controlled interior that can carry up to twelve personnel or provide ample storage for weapons, body armour and riot control equipment. The

RG-12 is in use with 14 countries including Malawi, Mozambique and Saudi Arabia.

Paramount offers a similar vehicle with its Maverick, as does Renault with its MIDS Police Armoured Personnel Transport.

Green or Blue?

Real or perceived concerns over the escalating threats in executing internal security missions has increasingly seen not only the wider adoption of armoured security vehicles but the demand for significantly higher levels of protection. Maj. Gen Fraser again reflected “as the lines between law enforcement and the military become blurred so are the differences (between) the ISV and military combat vehicles, often unfortunately, disappearing.” In fact, excess and retired combat vehicles are regularly being provided for security and tactical law enforcement tasks. With greater involvement in peacekeeping, stability and counter-insurgency operations, which focus heavily on security tasks, plus continued concerns about well-armed domestic threats, it is clear that the ISV will continue to play an important role. AMR

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This picture shows and Iraqi Navy OPV. Such vessels are increasingly required to perform a diverse array of missions, from protecting a nation’s coast against traditional threats to counter-insurgency operations, a trend which is mirrored in the Asia-Pacific © US Navy

Guarding the Coasts Somewhere between economic constraints and the significant increase of non-traditional threats in littoral regions and on the high seas, the market for Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) has found a lucrative new sector involving Asia-Pacific navies and coastguards.

by Dr. Alix Valenti

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The motto of the coastguard at that time was, ‘You have to go out, but you don’t have to come back’,” Andy Fitzgerald told the Boston Globe newspaper during an interview in November 2014. Mr. Fitzgerald is the last surviving member of the US Coast Guard (USCG) team that rescued 32 crew members from the SS Pendleton, an oil tanker, from 18 metre/m (60 foot/ft) waves using a wooden boat south of Cape Cod, off the Massachusetts coast in February 1952. As Disney Studios prepare to release The Finest Hours, the movie telling the

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story of this incredible event, the storm of geopolitical events that has washed over the world’s oceans during the intervening sixty years has drastically changed the role and capabilities of the coastguard.

From the creation of Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) in 1982 via the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which stretch 200 nautical miles/nm (370.4 kilometres/km) from a nation’s coastline, to the stark increase in maritime piracy and humanitarian crises witnessed in the Asia-Pacific and elsewhere over the past two decades, coastguards around the

| Asian Military Review |

world now play a major role coordinating with navies to respond to an increasingly wide variety of non-traditional threats. Accordingly, naval and coastguard capabilities have also evolved with the adoption of multi-mission vessels that “can provide the capability for every day maritime patrolling,” says Matthew Caris, a senior associate at Avascent, a consultancy based in Washington DC. These multi-mission vessels include OPVs which are themselves becoming rising stars, especially in the Asia-Pacific where they provide an ideal solution to the People’s Republic of

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China’s (PRC) growing maritime and territorial assertions in the South and East China Seas.

Alongside the traditional missions performed by coastguards and smaller navies such as search and rescue and maritime security enforcement, these vessels are increasingly designed to perform a much wider spectrum of missions, says Philippe Darche, marketing manager for OPVs and corvettes at DCNS. These missions include “maritime traffic control; protection of fisheries, marine environments and offshore resources; humanitarian assistance, anti-piracy, illegal immigration and counter-narcotics.”

In the Asia-Pacific region the PRC’s growing military power has significantly contributed to the rising popularity of the OPV. A number of countries currently have maritime sovereignty disputes with the PRC, including Japan concerning the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea (also disputed by Taiwan), the Philippines over the Scarborough Shoal (also claimed by Taiwan) in the South China Sea, and Vietnam regarding the Paracel Islands (also claimed by Taiwan) and the Spratly Islands (a dispute which involves Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam). Yet, with the possible exception of Japan, few of these other nations can afford to build strong blue-water navies which could effectively counter the People’s Liberation Army Navy. Locked within a debate of “capacity versus availability”, says Mr. Caris, “many countries choose to maintain a presence in the contested waters with smaller ships.” He continues that OPVs provide an ideal solution to this dilemma, as they are “cheap to buy and operate, are equipped with off-the-shelf systems and do not require large crews, but can still carry helicopters, boats and are built to accommodate further upgrades,” such as the addition of surface-to-air and anti-ship missiles and larger calibre guns compared to the 76mm weapons that usually equip these vessels from the outset.

Statistics published in 2015 in the Global Offshore Patrol Vessels Market Report 2015-2016 by Defence IQ, a consultancy and events company, highlighted the increasing demand for these vessels throughout the world and, more specifically, in the Asia-Pacific region. In 2015, the total number of OPVs on order increased by four percent worldwide compared to 2014, of which the Asia-Pacific claims the largest share with 46 percent of the total vessels on order. Whilst until

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The RNZN’s HMNZS Otago is one of the two ‘Protector’ class OPVs built by BAE Systems which are tasked with a diverse mission set. These vessels also have the capability to work in the Antarctic © RNZN

recently India, Japan and the PRC were the biggest operators of OPVs the remainder of this article demonstrates that the OPV market has a long life ahead.

Australia Australia’s Force 2030 strategic defence policy, outlined in both its 2009 and 2013 Defence White Papers, intends to turn the Australian Defence Force (ADF, which includes the country’s navy, army and air force) into a key player in regional and international security. Project Sea 1180, to this end, aims to “realise potential operational efficiencies and reduced cost of ownership of (the Royal Australian Navy’s) patrol boat, hydrographic and Mine Countermeasures (MCM) forces.” The White Papers envisage that this will be achieved by replacing the current 26 specialist role vessels, including the ‘Armidale’ class patrol boats, the ‘Huon’ class MCM vessels, the ‘Leeuwin’ class hydrographic survey ships and the ‘Paluma’ class of hydrographic survey launches into a reduced force of about 20 modular multi-role Offshore Combatant Vessels (OCVs).

Originally intended to begin in 2020, the Sea 1180 OCV acquisition project has been brought forward by two years, with construction of the first OCV estimated to begin in 2018. The entire programme is expected to cost up to $5.8 billion ac-

| february 2016 |

cording to The Diplomat, an international current affairs magazine. The programme will be subject to a competitive evaluation programme, and although little information is currently available regarding the potential competitors, Esther Benito Lopez, a Navantia spokesperson, indicated that “Navantia will participate in the Australian OCV programme”. It appears that Navantia’s ‘Avante’ class OPV is currently the favoured design, according to local media reports, which includes three different patrol boat designs, the Avante 3000 BAM, Avante 2000P and Avante 1400. Aside from their displacement, indicated in their names, the key features that differentiate these designs are their capacity and weapons. The Avante 3000 can accommodate a naval support helicopter as well as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), habitability modules and anti-pollution equipment. In terms of weapons, the Avante 2000P has more additional options than the two other vessels, including a vertical launcher for Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAMs), and two quadruple launchers for Surface-toSurface missiles (SSM) plus two torpedo launchers. In the meantime, as the Sea 1180 OPV acquisition project accelerates, on 31 August 2015 Austal Australia delivered the eighth and last ‘Cape’ Class Patrol Boat (CCPB). The CCPB’s main mis-

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The US Coast Guard continues to remain as a major maritime force not only in North America, but worldwide. Its assets include the USCGC Sherman, a USCG high endurance cutter which is based in Honolulu, Hawaii © USCG

sion is security and surveillance within Australia’s EEZ, and as such the vessels are equipped with high-end surveillance and navigation technology.

India Much like its Australian counterpart, India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has been encouraging an increased maritime presence in the Asia-Pacific, a policy that has been driving up defence spending in an effort to modernise the Indian armed forces, including the Indian Navy. To this end, Goa Shipyard Limited was awarded a contract worth $274 million in May 2012 to build six OPVs for the Indian Coast Guard. The first vessel, Samarth, was commissioned on 10 November 2015. It displaces 2450 tons, and is fitted with an Ordnance Factories Medak Close Range Naval-91 30mm gun.

New Zealand In common with its Australasian neighbour (see above) New Zealand has also been outlining its future defence policy and acquisition goals via its Strategic Plan 2015-2020 published in July 2015.

Within this strategic plan, the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) highlights the importance of New Zealand as an island nation reliant on maritime trade for economic prosperity, and the importance of maintaining a fleet that can ensure security and safe passage within sovereign waters, as well as protect the country’s EEZ, which is approximately 15 times bigger than the country’s land area. Within this

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context, the two ‘Protector’ class OPVs built by BAE Systems for the RNZN, HMNZS Otago and HMNZS Wellington, have played a major role in undertaking patrol and surveillance, as well as supplying and supporting long range operations since their delivery in February and June 2010 respectively.

Designed to patrol both the Antarctic and Pacific Oceans, perhaps one of the most important feature of these two OPVs is their ice-strengthened hull. In addition to this key feature, these vessels can carry and launch their own boats, with a capacity for two Rigid-Hulled Inflatable Boats (RHIBs), two Special Forces RHIBs and six 45-person inflatable boats.

They also feature a flight deck which can accommodate a RNZN Kaman SH-2G Super Seasprite naval support helicopter. In terms of weaponry, the ‘Protector’ class are equipped with a remotely-operated Rafael Advanced Defence Systems’ Typhoon 25mm naval gun, and two General Dynamics/US Ordnance M2HB Browning 12.7mm machine guns.

Since their delivery, the two vessels have carried out a number of successful missions, including fishery protection for Tonga, the Cook Islands and Rarotonga.

As such, in its Strategic Plan 2015-2020 the RNZN has announced that it will be procuring a third OPV. No details have yet been revealed as to the main contractor, although it can be assumed that it is likely to be BAE Systems. The author contacted BAE Systems for comments, but has to date received no reply.

| Asian Military Review |

Taiwan As growing Chinese military power continues to threaten countries in the Asia-Pacific region, Taiwan is continuing with its 37-ship programme aimed at boosting the capabilities of the country’s Coast Guard Administration (CGA). Taiwan has been involved in sovereignty disputes with PRC (see above). However, defence budget limitations, combined with geopolitical constraints imposed by the PRC on Taiwan’s allies regarding the procurement of defence equipment, make it difficult for the small island to build a strong blue water navy.

As such, OPVs represent an ideal alternative for Taiwan, and form the core of the 37-ship programme for the CGA, with nine OPVs as well as 28 ‘PP 10051’ class patrol boats earmarked for construction.

The programme was initiated in 2008 and expected to cost $782 million, with five OPVs having already entered service between 2013 and 2015. In June 2015, two 3000-ton OPVs, the Yilan and Kaohsiung, were commissioned, and while one will be sent to the South China Sea, to deploy from Taiwan’s Taiping island, the other will be in service in the waters north of Taiwan. According to local media sources, each vessel is armed with two 20mm and one 40mm gun.

Thailand Like its neighbours in the region, Thailand’s economy depends significantly on maritime trade and, consequently, is also significantly affected by the rise in piracy

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DCNS’ ‘Gowind’ class of corvettes and offshore patrol vessels could increase its appeal in the future to Asia-Pacific customers beyond those vessels which have been ordered to equip the Royal Malaysian Navy © Thomas Withington

that the past two decades have witnessed in the Strait of Malacca. As such, to improve patrolling over sovereign waters, as well as to facilitate search and rescue missions and disaster relief in a region that is increasingly affected by extreme weather catastrophes, the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) is looking to increase its fleets’ capabilities. Yet budget constraints remain an important issue for a country that is slowly recovering from a number of political crises in recent years, and OPVs, with their modular yet cheaper design, provide a good solution for the RTN to meet these strategic objectives.

Currently, the RTN’s fleet includes seven OPVs, and BAE Systems announced in early November 2015 that it had entered a partnership with its Thai industrial partner, Bangkok Dock, for the design of a new 90 metre/m (295.2 foot/ft) OPV. This partnership is based on the transfer of design knowledge, technology and skills from BAE Systems to Bangkok Docks, for the construction of a second ‘Krabi’ class OPV. The design of the first, HTMS Krabi which was commissioned in August 2013, was based on the Royal Navy’s three ‘River’ class OPVs. The ‘Krabi’ class design is armed with an OtoMelara 76mm Super Rapid gun as well as an MSI 30mm dual feed cannon, with a sensor fit which includes a Thales Variant naval surveillance and Lirod Mk.2 fire control radar. Subject to availability of funding, Defence IQ’s

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report cited above indicated that Thailand is considering building another four OPVs at some undisclosed point in the future.

Vietnam Much like Taiwan, Vietnam has long been involved in maritime sovereignty disputes with the PRC, and since 1974 the relationship between the two countries has been characterised by conflicting sovereignty claims over the Paracel and Spratly Islands (see above). Consequently, much like its neighbours, Vietnam is enhancing the power of its navy and coastguard in order to counter the PRC’s claims in these contested waters. Moreover, Vietnam has also been witnessing an increase in the number of pirate attacks in its waters, and it has become imperative for the country’s economy to increase surveillance and security off its coast so as to protect commercial shipping.

To this end, local shipbuilder Song Thu Shipyard Corporation has been working, with the technological support of its Dutch partner Damen, on building new ‘DN2000’ class OPVs. These vessels can displace up to 2400 tons and are 90.5m (296.9ft) in length. They can accommodate a Kamov Ka-28 naval support helicopter and operate in the open sea for 40 consecutive days. Coastguard vessel 8005 was launched on 30 November 2015, and is the second of six such ships ordered

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by the government with the intention of building a powerful Vietnam Coast Guard Force by 2020.

The increasingly extensive and unpredictable nature of both traditional and non-traditional threats makes it necessary for navies and coastguards in the Asia-Pacific to be able to work with, or instead of, one another in a variety of environments.

“As global trading increases in these parts of the world, the region also becomes vulnerable to maritime crises,” confirms Mr. Darche, a viewpoint also shared by Mr. Caris. Consequently, “the objective here is to be able to address asymmetric threats,” Mr. Darche continues.

Lena Pellebergs, head of communications for Saab in the Asia-Pacific, states that her company believes that the local OPV market could potentially follow two scenarios. Firstly, where navies’ budgets do not allow for the procurement of new vessels with frigate-style capabilities (i.e. which can support high intensity naval combat and project sea power around the world), Ms. Pellebergs argues that “more competent OPVs could be an alternative (to such vessels).” The second scenario could see demand for patrol capabilities that facilitate both littoral and open sea missions without offensive intentions: “OPVs are possible options to meet the open sea requirement if (they have a relatively light equipment specification).” A closer look at OPV programmes around the region confirms this speculation, as blue water navies such as those of Australia and New Zealand are increasingly also undertaking coastguard duties whilst countries with smaller navies such as Vietnam are equipping their coastguards with OPVs that are capable of carrying out some naval missions.

DCNS’ ‘L’Adroit’ class OPV of the Marine Nationale (French Navy), for instance, has already been used in 2015 both for anti-piracy, as part of the European Union Naval Force’s Operation ATLANTA in the Gulf of Aden, and rescuing several hundred Djiboutian citizens and foreign refugees from Yemen as that country’s civil war intensified in April 2015. Ultimately, the successful future of OPVs, Mr. Caris argues, lies in their “designed for but not with” modularity that makes them appealing to navies and coastguards alike allowing them to be configured with an impressive number of weapons and sensors for the size of the vessel, and also to be upgraded with relative ease throughout their service lives. AMR

Regional News and

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Asia-Pacific Procurement Update

by Pierre Delrieu

India donates four Mi-25 ‘Hind’ attack helicopters to ANDSF In late December 2015, Afghanistan’s National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) received delivery of four refurbished Russianmade Mil Mi-25 ‘Hind’ attack helicopters, donated by India.

The refurbished Indian Air Force (IAF) Mi-25s, reportedly armed with Yakushev-Borzov Yak-B 12.7mm four-barrelled machine guns, rockets and

grenade launchers, are the first offensive weapons to be supplied to Afghanistan by India since the signing of a Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA) between the two countries in October 2011. The decisive shift in New Delhi’s stance on supplying lethal materiel to Kabul came after Afghan National Security Adviser Mohammad Hanif Atmar’s visit to New Delhi in November 2015.

Until this delivery, India had restricted itself to solely providing training and nonlethal supplies to Afghanistan.

In April 2015, India had for instance delivered logistics vehicles to the ANDSF and three unarmed Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)

Cheetal light utility helicopters, itself an upgraded variant of the licence-built Aérospatiale/HAL Cheetah rotocraft.

The Cheetals, modified to the ANDSF’s requirements, are currently operated by the Afghan Air Force (AAF) in Afghanistan’s mountainous regions, conducting casualty evacuations and reconnaissance, transporting troops and giving logistical support to ground forces. The AAF will also be operating its newly acquired Mi-25s, which will serve as a replacement for five AAF Mil Mi-35 ‘Hind’ helicopters, which were withdrawn from service this January.

The delivery of the former IAF platforms by India will provide much-needed air support to the ANDSF in their fight against Taliban insurgents which Kabul has been struggling to maintain since

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation-led coalition forces put an end to their military operations in the country in December 2014. India, however, has continuously contributed to reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001 and has invested over $2 billion to this effect. It has also provided training for some 1000 Afghan army and security force personnel annually.

India is currently retiring its fleet of Mi-25 helicopters, replacing them with newer generation McDonnell Douglas/Boeing AH-64D Apache gunships. The $2.5 billion deal was approved in September 2015, ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US, and strengthens the status of the US as one of India’s top military suppliers.

Pakistan seeking to acquire more Lockheed Martin F-16s Pakistan is currently engaged in talks with the US government to secure a deal for a new purchase of General Dynamics/Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters.

Air Chief Marshal (ACM) Sohail Aman, air officer commanding-in-chief of the Pakistani Air Force, who spoke to local media at the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, the country’s largest aerospace supplier, on 28 December 2015, confirmed the information.

ACM Aman said Pakistan was currently “in talks with US defence officials to get some (of the) latest F-16s but the deal may take some time.” He declined to disclose the exact number of aircraft under dis-

cussion, or the variant which Pakistan might acquire.

Pakistan’s Air Force (PAF) already operates circa 45 F-16A/ B/C/D fighters, in addition to around 153 Dassault MirageIIIEP/OF/RP and Mirage-5EF /F/PA fighters, which ACM Aman says that the air force hopes to replace by 2020. Islamabad has been acquiring F-16A/B/C/Ds from the US since the two governments inked a deal in the 1980s to equip the PAF with the aircraft.

According to a report published by the New York Times in October 2015, the US Congress was notified of a proposed sale for eight F-16C/D fighters to Pakistan just days ahead of Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s visit to Washington DC to meet with US President Barack

Obama. There were, however, no reports of the deal being mentioned during the meeting between the two heads of state.

US lawmakers have historically been critical and sceptical in regards of arms sales to Pakistan, arguing that such aircraft are more useful in the country’s confrontation with India than in its effort to fight Islamist insurgencies gripping the country. However, with the US Department of Defence (DoD) moving ahead with its Lockheed Martin F-35A/B/C Lightning-II fifth-generation fighter programme, which was conceived in part to replace the F-16 family in US service and in service around the world, the F-16 programme no longer enjoys domestic US orders, and exports are the only way for Lockheed

Martin to justify continuing production. Also, at a time when the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is strengthening its strategic ties with Pakistan, the US might find that moving ahead with a possible F-16 sale could help Washington to maintain its relationship with Pakistan, potentially diluting any further deepening of the PRC’s relationship with the former. More information regarding the PAF, and other air forces in the Asia-Pacific region can be found in this issue’s Air Forces Directory.

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southeast asia Singapore reveals new Venus 16 USV Singapore’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 5 November 2015 that the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) had initiated sea trials for its new and indigenouslymanufactured Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV).

The Singapore Technologies (ST) Electronics Venus 16 was officially presented to the public during Exercise HIGHCREST 2015, a five-day maritime security exercise involving about 900 personnel from 15 different Singaporean agencies conducted from 2 to 6 November 2015. The aim of the exercise, which involved simulated insurgent speedboats and a ‘hijacked’ merchant ship at the country’s

Indonesia and KAI agree on KFX investment deal On 22 November 2015, Indonesia’s government and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) inked an agreement to initiate investment and development arrangements for the manufacture of the Korean Fighter Experimental (KFX) 4.5-generation fighter for the Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF) and Tentara

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Changi naval base, was to assess its ability to respond to simultaneous threats at sea.

In a statement following the naval exercise, the MoD stated that “our navy will be integrating more and more unmanned technology as part of the navy of the future,” adding that “the Venus 16 (USV) is one of the unmanned systems currently being tested to support our maritime security operations.” The service also indicated that variants of the vehicle have been specifically designed to perform Mine Countermeasures (MCM) missions and coastal defence.

“The USV will be a key force multiplier,” the MoD stated, “as it allows the (Republic of Singapore Navy) to patrol Singapore’s waters with a smaller

number of manned assets, sustaining operations over longer periods.”

The RSN’s new USV was presented as the latest model of modular and scalable USV platforms developed by ST Electronics, a subsidiary of the state-affiliated defence engineering group ST Engineering.

According to MoD specifications, the Venus 16 is capable of staying at sea for over 36 hours at a time and can also reach a cruising speed of 25 knots (46 kilometresper-hour/km/h), with a maximum speed of 40 knots (74km/h). The 16-metre (52 feet) long, 22-tonne craft is equipped with advanced sensors and software and a Long-Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) to automati-

cally correct its course and speed to avoid collisions, but is otherwise unarmed, although the initial design and photographs suggest that a remote weapons station could be installed on the craft’s foredeck.

The use of such USVs will allow the deployment of a smaller number of manned assets and for the navy to sustain operations over longer periods. The MoD also indicated that the USV could be outfitted with sonar equipment for it to conduct underwater inspections and to conduct MCM operations.

For more information on Singapore’s military modernisation efforts, please see Alex Calvo’s Survival Instinct article in this issue.

Nasional Indonesia-Angkatan Udara (TNI-AU/Indonesian Air Force).

The agreement is based on an earlier accord for a $7.3 billion deal, signed in October 2014 by the governments of Indonesia and the Republic of Korea (RoK) but has been in the making for more than a decade. The initial development requirements for the KFX (known in Indonesia as the IFX) programme, outlined

by the Agency for Defence Development (ADD), the RoK’s defence technology agency, is to manufacture a single-seat and twin-engine multirole fighter aircraft with a low radar cross section, an active electronically scanned array radar and internal weapons carriage.

The agreement plans for the RoK to cover $5.8 billion, or 80 percent, of the costs associated with the joint engineering and development phase of the KFX/IFX, with Indonesia paying the remaining 20 percent, roughly $1.5 billion, of the aircraft’s development costs.

The deal signed in November 2015 reaffirms Indonesia’s investment in the project, and will come into full effect once the RoK’s Defence Acquisition Programme Administration (DAPA), the country’s defence procurement agency,

accepts the KAI contract to complete the development of the KFX aircraft. The choice of KAI as the preferred developer of the KFX was made in March 2015.

According to KAI, Indonesia’s state-owned aerospace manufacturer PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) will participate in the design phase of the aircraft and produce as yet unidentified components.

PTDI will also obtain ownership of the intellectual property rights of a number of patents involved in the development the KFX/IFX as well as access to one of six scheduled prototypes.

KAI plans to start manufacturing the KFX from 2025 and company officials have suggested that some 250 KFX/ IFX fighters will be destined to replace the RoKAF’s ageing Northrop Grumman F-5E Tiger-II and McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom fighters and, eventually, its F-16C/D Fighting Falcon jets. KAI also expects to export several hundred KFX fighters to numerous countries, including Indonesia.

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ter Gen Nakatani who stated during a news conference that Japan would be looking to procure three KC-46As, with an expected delivery of the first aircraft by the end of 2020.

Although Japan’s MoD has not yet published a value for the KCX deal, it is expected to be worth about $520 million, or circa $173 million per tanker.

Boeing, which submitted its proposal in time for the MoD’s 8 September 2015 deadline, was the lone bidder for the JASDF requirement, as Airbus, claiming that the

notice was rigged and clearly intended solely for the Boeing KC-46A, immediately declined to participate when Japan issued its request. Airbus had stated at the time that “it would be an inappropriate use of shareholders’ funds and company resources to bid on this contract and accordingly the company will not be competing.”

Refraining from commenting on the polemical comment, Japan’s MoD stated that the decision to choose Boeing’s aircraft over its Airbus equivalent, the A330-200 Multi-Role

Tanker Transport (MRTT), based on the company’s A330200 airliner, will strengthen ties between the US and Japan and will allow for common operations and training.

Commenting on Japan’s announcement, an official statement released by Boeing stated that the company “(looks) forward to working alongside the US government to help Japan expand its aerial refuelling capabilities with (the) KC-46 tanker.” The statement continued, expressing gratitude for “(the) confidence (that Japan’s MoD) has shown in Boeing as we honour our commitments … and continue our enduring partnership with Japan, which has been going strong for more than 60 years.”

The JASDF currently operates four Boeing KC-767J tankers and became the first foreign customer for the BellBoeing V-22 Osprey tilt-roto family aircraft after signing a $332 million contract for five examples in July 2015, for delivery by June 2018.

… missiles and support will RoK to acquire supplement current weapon submarine-launched inventories and bring the RoK missiles from US Navy’s anti-surface warfare The United States’ Defence Security Cooperation Agen- performance up to existing regional baselines.” It added cy (DSCA) on 18 November that “the proposed sale will 2015 approved a $110 million provide a defensive capability Foreign Military Sale (FMS) while enhancing interoperabilto provide the Republic of ity with the United States and Korea (RoK) with Boeing other allied forces … The RoK UGM-84L Harpoon Block-II submarine-launched Anti- is one of the major political and economic powers in East Ship Missiles (AShMs) and Asia and the Western Pacific associated components.

The sale covers 19 UGM- and a key partner of the United States in ensuring peace and 84L missiles, along with 13 Block-II upgrade kits, con- stability in that region.”

The RoK Navy has been tainers, spare parts, Guidance Control Unit spares, recerti- using UGM-84 family sublaunched AShMs since the fication and reconfiguration 1990s and this latest purchase support, as well as tools and of missiles is projected to tool sets.

In a statement published complement its current weapon following the announcement inventories and increase the of the FMS, the DSCA stated RoK Navy’s (RoKN) anti-surthat “(t)he acquisition of the face warfare capabilities.

Boeing’s UGM-84L Block-II AShM is designed for all-weather, over-the-horizon, engagement of land and ship targets.

These missiles are also available in air-launched (AGM-84) and surface-launched (RGM-84) versions and can be employed to support coastal defence.

The US State Department had approved the sale of 48 UGM-84L Harpoon Block II weapons to Japan in May 2015, for an estimated $199 million. Other Asian operators of the missile include India, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand.

Japan officially selects Boeing’s KC-46A for tanker requirement The Japanese Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 23 October 2015 that it had selected Boeing’s 767-200 airliner-based tanker, the KC46A Pegasus, to supplement the nation’s KC-767J tanker fleet and meet the Japan Air Self Defence Force’s (JASDF) KCX requirement to expand the service’s air-to-air refuelling and transport capabilities.

The announcement came from Japanese defence minis-

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Regional News and

Developments

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Australia lays keel on third and final AWD The construction of the third and final ’Hobart’ class destroyer on order for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) has begun, as the keel for the vessel was laid by her manufacturer AWD Alliance, a consortium of Adelaide-based shipbuilder ASC, Raytheon’s Australian subsidiary and the country’s Department of Defence, it was

announced on 19 November 2015.

The vessel, destined to be named HMAS Sydney, is the last of three 6350-tonne ‘Hobart’class destroyers ordered in October 2007 as part of Australia’s Sea 4000 programme to procure a new class of air defence ships to replace the Royal Australian Navy’s ‘Adelaide’ class frigates and its stopgap air warfare capability with the Raytheon RIM-66 Standard

Missile-2 (SM-2) Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) as part of the requirements outlined in the 2000 Australian Defence White Paper. The HMAS Sydney is scheduled to commission with the RAN by March 2020.

The first ship in the class, HMAS Hobart, which has commenced initial combat systems activation, is set to begin sea trials in 2016 and was launched on 23 May 2015 in

the state of South Australia.

She will be delivered to the RAN by June 2017. The second vessel, HMAS Brisbane, recently completed hull consolidation and is planned for delivery

by September 2018. Peter Croser, programme manager for the AWD, stated on the company’s website on 19 November 2015 that the consortium had “achieved a number of critical milestones (in 2015), from launching our first ship HMAS Hobart in May, to achieving 70 percent completion on our second ship, (HMAS Brisbane), and now commencing the hull consolidation phase for our third ship, (HMAS Sydney).”

The ‘Hobart’ class ships have an overall length of 146.7 metres/m (480 feet/ft), an overall beam of 18.6m (59ft), and a hull draught of 4.9m (13ft). The ships will reportedly have a speed in excess of more than 28 knots (51.8 kilometres-per-hour) and a range of 5000 nautical miles (9260 kilometres) at 18 knots (33 kilometres-per-hour). The ’Hobart’ class is capable of firing a variety of missiles including the RIM-66 SM-2, and Raytheon’s RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow SAM, and will be fitted with Raytheon’s Phalanx close-in weapon system.

Australian DoD looking to acquire 450 tracked IFVs On 13 November 2015, Australia’s Department of Defence (DoD) released a Request for Information (RFI) for 450 tracked Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs).

The DoD’s RFI aims to determine the price and availability of solutions that could satisfy the Australian Army’s requirements for an IFV and Manoeuvre Support Vehicle (MSV) to properly enable combat brigades to undertake joint land combat and meet the Australian Army’s requirements for

mounted close combat as part of its Project Land 400 initiative. The request covers Phase 3 of Project Land 400 and is destined to be the Australian Army’s largest ever land systems acquisition programme, with a cost of about $7.1 billion.

Australia’s DoD is looking to acquire an IFV with levels of protection and mobility equal to the in-service General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank while seeking to deliver to the army “the next generation of armoured fighting vehicles with the firepower, protection and mobility to

defeat increasingly lethal and adaptive adversaries well into the future,” according to the Australian DoD. The implementation of Phase 3 of Project Land 400 will see the ADF seeking to replace its ageing fleet of BAE Systems M113AS1 tracked Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC), starting 2020, with a final delivery scheduled for 2025. The M113ASI APC family have provided the Australian Army with a protected mobility and armoured fighting capability since the mid1960s with the introduction of the vehicle. Australia’s army

is currently equipped with the upgraded M113AS4 which has been in service since 2007.

The programme’s Phase 2 Request for Tender closed on 3 September 2015 and the evaluation of the offers received is presently ongoing. Under Phase 2 of the Project Land 400 initiative, the DoD is seeking replacements for the Australian Army’s existing ASLAV (Australian Light Armoured Vehicle). More information regarding armoured vehicle procurements in the Asia-Pacific can be found in Stephen W. Miller’s Security Guards article in this issue.

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