Asian Military Review - July/August 2010

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JULY/AUGUST 2010VOLUME 18 / ISSUE 5

Contents

Front Cover Photo:One of the latest wheeled SPartillery systems in production isNexter Systems CAESAR155mm/52 calibre system. TheFrench Army has ordered 72systems with final deliveriesdue in 2011. Thailand has takendelivery of six CAESARs and anundisclosed export customer,believed to be the SaudiArabian National Guard hasordered 100 systems © Nexter

Contents

01

SoldierCommunicationsAdam BaddeleyMilitary transformation meansmany things to many people. Forthe dismounted soldier, a big partof their transformation meansbetter answers to the followingquestions: Where am I? Where aremy friends? Where is the enemy?Communications deliver com-pelling answer to those questions

Combat Aircraft:A regional reportJohn MulberryCombat aircraft manufacturesare recognising the potentialwithin the Asia-Pacific region asarmed forces increase invest-ment in their defence capabili-ties and demand for increasinglysophisticated airborne platformsand weapons systems grows

Pakistan to Japan:Anti-Shipping MissileRequirementsDoug RichardsonA total of 14 nations in the areafrom Pakistan to Japan operatewarships armed with anti-ship mis-siles equipping a combination ofmodern vessels, supplemented bya significant number of older ships,some of which have had or areundergoing mid-life upgrades

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Artillery evolvesto meet changingrequirementsChristopher F FossWhile there is an increasingtrend towards the fieldingof artillery rocket systemsthere is still a requirementfor conventional tube artillerybe it wheeled or tracked

20 European DefenceAerospaceCooperationin AsiaGordon ArthurEurope is now tapping intoAsia’s appetite for defence,making inroads into US ascen-dancy. Europe is doing so viaaircraft sales, supportingindigenous programmes, andsupplying engines and avionics

44

Asia-PacificAirborneSurveillanceMartin StreetlyAsian-Pacific regions takeairborne surveillance seriously.The nations of the region haveequipped themselves with arange of photo reconnaissance,ground surveillance and signalsintelligence platforms

04

Ian KempAttack helicopters play a critical role supporting operations in

Afghanistan and Iraq. New and upgraded aircraft are entering the frayand competing in a number of competitions in the region

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NewGeneration

AttackHelicopters

Editorialorth Korea must be punished or, if youwill, held to account for the sinking ofthe Choenan, which sank with the lossof 46 sailors in March. However, per-haps the greatest long term damage

caused by the single CHT-02D torpedo is selfinflicted, namely to North Korea’s relationshipwith China with recent events suggesting that China could be disentan-gling itself from its position of unstinting support for Pyongyang.

The South and the US clearly do not want war over the tragedy. Equallythey have laid down markers that should a similar event happen, they willbe less forgiving. They have though cut their own financial and social tieswith the North and sought help from their neighbours is choking off inflowsof money to the country, crippling its fragile economy and attempting toinvoke UN resolution 1695, passed in 2006.

At the three-way summit on the crisis held between China, Japan andSouth Korea at the end of May, reports suggested China was either con-sidering or had not discounted that possibility. Ultimately Wen Jiabao, theChinese premier did not publicly condemn the North, but things havenonetheless changed.

It was assumed that China would pay lip service to co-operation but wouldreflexively veto such a move against North Korea, no matter what. To dootherwise would ‘risk’ the collapse of the Pyongyang regime, probable war,humanitarian disaster, unification and so Beijing’s strategic calculus went,US forces would then be poised on its borders, irrespective of previousindications from Washington and Seoul that such an event would prompta US withdrawal.

Whatever the reason for the attack; power politics amongst successionfactions, Kim Jong-il seeking to rally domestic support or most improba-bly a sub captain over reaching himself, the fact that China could be evenconsidering sanctions against Pyongyang is a seismic shift.

The question of whether China sees North Korea as an asset or liabilityhas been raised and it won’t go away. It lies at the centre of how Chinawishes to been seen in the world, whether as a responsible player on theworld stage with economic might or as a rigid supporter of a murderous-ly eccentric but decaying regime.

Adam Baddeley, Editor

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AirborneAirborneAsia-Pacific Asia-Pacific

l ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW l

Surveillance

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MISSION AIRCRAFT

Taking these in order, AMR identi-fies Australia, the People’sRepublic of China (PRC), India,Japan, the Republic of Korea(South Korea), Malaysia and

Pakistan as all operating land-based photoreconnaissance aircraft. In more detail, theAustralian capability is vested in a smallnumber of RF-111C aircraft which will (if notalready) have been withdrawn from serviceby the end of 2010. The PRC capability isvested in the JZ-8 fast jet which is equippedwith a centreline equipment pod that proba-bly contains cameras and/or a Side-LookingAirborne Radar (SLAR). For its part, India’ssecretive Research and Analysis Wing(RAW) is known to operate a Gulfstreambusiness jet that is equipped with a Long-Range Oblique Photography (LOROP) sen-sor for stand-off reconnaissance duties.Elsewhere, the Japanese Air Self-DefenceForce (JASDF) operates a mixed fleet of RF-

SSPPEECC IIAA LL

High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) unmannedaerial vehicles such as the navalised Global Hawkshown here probably represent a significant elementof future airborne surveillance provision within theAsia-Pacific region. To-date, Australia, Japan andSouth Korea have all shown interest in the RQ-4 forjust such a role © Northrop Grumman

AirborneAirborne


Surveillance

In a region thatcontains threeindigenous nuclearpowers, at least oneregional super power,three of the world’seconomic superpowers, is borderedby the world’s onlyglobal super powerand is largely oceanic,it would indeed besurprising if theAsian-Pacific regionsdid not take airbornesurveillance seriously.While maritimepatrol provision canbetaken as a given,the nations of theregion have alsoequipped themselveswith photoreconnaissance,ground surveillanceand SIGnalsINTelligence (SIGINT)platforms and it iswith this last trio ofcapabilities that thisarticle concerns itself.

bbyy Martin Streetly

4EJ and RF-4EJKai tactical reconnaissanceaircraft. Of the two, the RF-4EJKai is proba-bly the more interesting as it is a conversionof the standard F-4EJ fighter and is capable ofcarrying a series of podded reconnaissancesystems, with the range including a LOROPcamera, the Analyseur de SignauxTACtiques (ASTAC) SIGINT system and theX-band (8 to 12.5 GHz) SLAR-2000 SLAR. Ofthese, ASTAC and SLAR-2000 are ThalesFrance products, with the JASDF’s ASTACpods having been produced under licence byJapanese contractor Mitsubishi. Movingnorth, South Korea flies a mixture of RF-4Cand RF-5A tactical reconnaissance jets, withthe F-5 also providingMalaysia with its capa-bility in the form of the RF-4E. Last but notleast, the Pakistan Air Force continues tooperate a number of Mirage IIIRP (and, pos-sibly, Mirage 5DR) aircraft in the role.Moving on to ground surveillance (which

in this context can be taken to mean Electro-Optical (EO) or radar-based over-land sur-veillance, with the latter dividing intoSynthetic Aperture Radar (SAR – imaging)and Ground Moving Target Indicator(GMTI) modes), the inherent EO capability ofAustralia’s AP-3C maritime patrol fleet hasbeen used extensively in support of landoperations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Within

the PRC orbit, a group of four Tu-154M/Daircraft hold out the intriguing prospect of aChinese Joint Surveillance Target AttackRadar System (Joint STARS) type capability.All four aircraft are equipped with a canoe-shaped radome beneath their forward fuse-lages which is identical in configuration tothat illustrated in promotional literature for alocally produced SAR that is known to havedefinitely been installed aboard one suchplatform (aircraft B-4029). As with manythings PRC, whether the described aircraftare equipped with such a sensor, whether ornot the noted SAR is an experimental oroperational system and whether or not itincorporates a GMTI capability remains enig-matic.Mention of GMTI brings the reader neatly

to a second Chinese programme that centreson a sensor-equipped variant of the Z-8 heli-copter. Here, a single example equipped witha large deployable sensor head at the rear ofits main cabin has been identified. Frequentlyidentified as being an airborne early warningplatform, this analyst believes that the type ismore likely to be a battlefield surveillance

aircraft that is equipped with a GMTI radaralong the lines of the French Army’s nowretired HORIZON helicopter system.Alongside these Australian and Chinese

applications, the Republic of Korea Air Force(RoKAF) operates four Hawker BeechcraftHawker 800XP business jets that have beenmodified to Hawker 800RA radar surveil-lance configuration under the ‘PeaceKrypton’ programme. Produced by a consor-tium of L-3 Communications IntegratedSystems (formerly E-Systems) and LockheedMartin, the ‘Peace Krypton’ aircraft areequipped with a SAR that is believed to be avariant of the Lockheed Martin AdvancedImaging Radar System (LAIRS) and to offerGMTI, navigation and SAR operating modesout to ranges of 185 km. Used for border sur-veillance between the two Koreas (and as ameans of reducing the Republic’s depend-ence on the United States to defend itself),AMR believes that the four Hawker 800RAsare assigned to the RoKAF’s 39th TacticalReconnaissance Group based at Seongnam.At this point, attention is turned to

Japan’s OP-3C multi-sensor ocean surveil-lance platform which is an intelligence gath-erer rather than a maritime patrol aircraft.Operated by the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force’s (JMSDF) 81st Kokutai (AirSquadron) out of Iwakuni, the four OP-3Cshave all been converted from ‘line’ P-3Cmaritime patrol aircraft and are equippedwith a sensor suite that includes a SLAR, aGoodrich Reconnaissance Systems DB-110

06

The JMSDF’s fleet of five OP-3C surveillanceaircraft are used to “image” surface vesselsand to transmit the acquired data to end usersin “near” real-time © JMSDF



The inherent EO capabilityof Australia’s AP-3C mar-itime patrol fleet has beenused extensively in supportof land operations in Iraqand Afghanistan

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EO/Infra-Red (IR) camera system, an IRsearch and track system, a GlobalPositioning System-based navigation capa-bility and satellite communications.Functionally, AMR understands that the OP-3C is used to “image” surface ship targets-of-interest, process acquired data in-flightand transmit imagery and data in near real-time to “command posts and friendly ships”. While all of the foregoing represent inter-

esting capabilities, the region’s airborne SIG-INT platforms are perhaps the most beguil-ing not least because of their generally lowprofile. Indeed, so low is that of Australia’ssupposed ‘Peace Mate’ P-3C aircraft that thecountry’s government vehemently denies itsexistence! Despite this, usually reliablesources suggest that United States (US) con-tractor E-Systems modified a singleAustralian P-3C for COMmunicationsINTelligence (COMINT) collection within the3 to 300 MHz band under the ‘Peace Mate’programme and that the capability has beenused operationally in connection with theEast Timor crisis. ‘Peace Mate’ is also sup-posed to have included a modified C-130 thatwas developed by Tenex Systems and wasequipped with predominantly US-sourcedSIGINT equipment. As to whether or not‘Peace Mate’ exists or is but a figment offevered journalistic imagination, AMR canonly report that the Royal Australian AirForce does retain a single P-3C for “test andtrials” work and that the aircraft is based atEdinburgh in New South Wales alongsidethe Service’s Information Warfare Wing.Equally enigmatic is Singapore’s reported

use of both the C-130 and the Fokker 50 in theSIGINT role. In order, the Republic ofSingapore Air Force (RoSAF) is understoodto have acquired a single C-130 that has beenoutfitted with at least a 3 to 300 MHz bandCOMINT capability (probably sourced fromIsrael) and is operated in concert with the ser-vice’s Fokker 50 maritime patrol aircraft. Interms of operational usage, this aircraft issaid to have flown patrols along the Thai andMalay coasts and to have regularly moni-tored activity in the Bay of Bengal. TheRoSAF’s use of the Fokker 50 in the SIGINTrole is far more tenuous and rests on circum-stantial evidence that ties Fokker’s sale of a

‘Black Crow’ Fokker 50 electronic reconnais-sance aircraft to an unidentified customer tothe RoSAF’s Fokker 50UTA transport aircraftserial number 713. If 713 is the described‘Black Crow’ SIGINT platform, it may havebeen equipped with an ARGOSystems AR-7000 mission suite that is capable of bothCOMINT and ELectronic INTElligence(ELINT) collection. Intriguing though theabove may seem, it must be stressed that aswith the ‘Peace Mate’ programme, the evi-dence for such an RoSAF capability is at besttenuous and the reader must make up their

mind as to the truth or otherwise of the fore-going reports.On much more solid ground is PRC con-

tractor CETC’s Shaanxi Y-8 based SIGINTplatform that was first publicised during the2008 Defence Services Asia trade show inKuala Lumpur. Here, the capability wasbased around the KZ800 ELINT suite whichhas been described as being able to detect,analyse, identify and locate land-based andshipboard radars operating within the 1 to18 GHz frequency range. Elsewhere withinthe PRC orbit, the Air Force of the People’sLiberation Army is known to operate atleast single examples of at least three otherSIGINT systems based on the Y-8 togetherwith at least one Tu-154M/D SIGINT plat-form. All of the Y-8 systems have been asso-ciated with the ‘Gaoxin’ (‘High New’) pro-gramme and have (respectively) beenassigned the designations Y-8CB, Y-8 (DZ)and Y-8T designations by Western sources.Again, all three types were first identified

The JMSDF’s Iwakuni-based 81st Kokutai is equipped with five examples of the EP-3 SIGINT aircraft shown here © JMSDF

The importance of the Pacific region to the US isemphasised by the USAF’s stationing of its 82ndReconnaissance Squadron at Kadena on Okinawato support RC-135 ‘Rivet Joint’ signals intelligenceaircraft operating in the region © USAF

Republic of Korea AirForce (RoKAF) operates fourHawker BeechcraftHawker 800XP businessjets that have been modifiedto Hawker 800RA radarsurveillance configuration

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during the 2004 to 2007 period, with the Tu-154M/D platform believed to have enteredservice during 1998.On the other side of the Chinese coin, the

Republic of China Air Force (RoCAF) isknown to operate a single C-130H transportthat has been modified for SIGINT collectionunder the designation C-130HE. As such, theplatform is equipped with an AirborneElectronic Surveillance System (AESS) andwas role modified jointly by Lockheed Martinand Taiwan’s Chung Shan Institute of Scienceand Technology. Over time, the RoCAF C-130HE aircraft has been operated under theumbrella of the Service’s 6th Combined Wingand is home-based at Pingtung.Moving north, India’s RAW organisation

includes in its inventory a Boeing 707-337Cairliner that is equipped for SIGINT collec-tion. Here, the platform was almost certainlyfitted out by US contractor E-Systems, fea-tures large antenna ‘cheek’ fairings on bothsides of its forward fuselage and was mostrecently based at Indra Gandi/PalamInternational Airport near Delhi. It is perhapsworth noting that some or all of RAW’s An-

32 and Il-76MD transports may also havebeen SIGINT modified, a proposition thatcan not be currently confirmed.Within the Japanese military, both the

JASDF and the JMSDF feature SIGINT air-craft within their inventories. In order (andaside from the already described RF-4JKai/ASTAC combination), the JASDF isreported to operate a fleet of up to four YS-11EB (YS-11EL according to some sources)SIGINT platforms that, at sometime in theircareers, were equipped with the J/ALR-2mission suite. As of the period November2009 to April 2010, all four of these aircraftwere being reported as being assigned to theservice’s Denshi Hiko Sokuteitai (ElectronicIntelligence Squadron) at Iruma. For its part,the JMSDF’s Iwakuni-based 81st Kokutaioperates a fleet of five Kawasaki EP-3 SIG-

INT platforms in addition to the alreadydescribed OP-3Cs. As such, the EP-3 isequipped with ‘low’ and ‘high’ band collec-tion sub-systems that have been developedby Japanese contractors NEC and Mitsubishirespectively. Readers should note that in theEP-3 mission suite context, the equipmentdesignations NH/LR-107 and NH/LR-108have been mentioned.Of the two remaining identified regional

SIGINT aircraft operators (South Korea andThailand), the RoKAF’s 39th TacticalReconnaissance Group operates a quartet ofHawker Beechcraft Hawker 800SIG SIGINT

platforms alongside its Hawker 800RAradar surveillance aircraft. Developedunder the ‘Paekdu/Peace Pioneer’ pro-gramme, the Hawker 800SIG is equippedwith an E-Systems developed mission suitethat is reported to be both COMINT andELINT capable and as offering a frequencycoverage that has an upper limit within theKa-band (26.5 to 40 GHz). Last but not least,The Royal Thai Air Force’s Takhli-based 402Squadron operate a pair of Israel AerospaceIndustries Arava 201 transports that havebeen fitted out for SIGINT collection. Assuch, the pair may be equipped with theElta Systems EL/L-8310 ELINT sub-systemand a COMINT capability built around thecompany’s EL/K-1xxx series receivers, withthe whole being packaged as a roll-on/roll-off capability.

Despite its poor quality, this is one of the few photographs of a Chinese SIGINT-configuredTu-154M/D known to exist © Chinese Internet

The Hawker 800SIG SIGINT aircraft is operated by the RoKAF’s 39th Tactical Reconnaissance Groupand is used to monitor activity along the border between the two Koreas © L-3 Communications

One of the few known pictures that showsthe Arava 201 transport aircraft in SIGINTconfiguration. Thailand currently operatestwo such aircraft © IAI

The Air Force of thePeople’s Liberation Army isknown to operate at leastsingle examples of at leastthree other SIGINT systemsbased on the Y-8 togetherwith at least oneTu-154M/D SIGINT platform

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AA TT TT AA CC KKH E L I C O P T E R S

HelicoptersThe Australian Army will receive the lastof 22 EC665 Tiger Armed ReconnaissanceHelicopters next year. Australia is the firstexport customer in the Asia Pacific regionfor Eurocopter’s first purpose built attackhelicopter © ADF

The Apache is a product of the ColdWar, developed in the 1970s to pro-vide the US Army with an attackhelicopter for high intensity opera-tions that could be used to offset

the Soviet advantage in tanks on NATO’sCentral Front. To implement this vision theBoeing AH-64 was developed in parallel withthe long range Lockheed Martin AGM-114Hellfire anti-tank guide missile (ATGM).Apaches, equipped with the 8,000 m rangeHellfire, are able to accurately engage tanks atdouble the range of the TOW-armed Bell AH-1 Cobras they replaced. The AH-64A Apacheand its successor, the AH-64D Apache, carryan impressive weapons load: up to 16Hellfires or four 19-round rocket pockets aswell as a belly-mounted 30mm Chain Gunwith 1,200 rounds of ammunition. During the1991 and 2003 wars with Iraq the Apachedemonstrated its effectiveness as tank killer.In the counterinsurgency campaigns inAfghanistan and Iraq the Apache has demon-strated its formidable capabilities as a preci-sion strike weapon.

In September 2003, the US Army estab-lished an Aviation Task Force to examine thelessons learned from Operation EnduringFreedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Theneed to enhance ‘synchronisation’ betweenaviation elements and brigade combat teams(BCTs) was an early finding and BrigadeAviation Elements are being embedded inthe headquarters of each BCT to providecommanders and staff members with avia-tion expertise including the employment ofunmanned air vehicles. As part of its newmodular structure the US Army is organis-ing its aviation units into multifunctionalCombat Aviation Brigades (CAB), consist-ing of company-sized ‘building blocks’ thatcan be tasked organised to support severalBCTs. For the first time attack, reconnais-sance, utility, medium lift and medical evac-uation helicopters will all be in the samebrigade. Each CAB will have two attack hel-icopter battalions although an attack heli-copter company can be equipped with either10 OH-58D Kiowas or eights AH-64Ds.Brigades assigned to heavy divisions willhave two battalions each with 24 Apaches, amedium division with have one battalionwith 30 OH-58D and 24 Apaches while and alight division will have two battalionsequipped with Kiowas.

Boeing’s AH-64D Apache Block III (AB3)structures test aircraft made its first flight on23 November 2009. According to the US

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H E L I C O P T E R S

Attack helicopters playa critical role supporting US-led

coalition operations in Afghanistanand Iraq. New and upgradedaircraft are entering thefray

bbyy Ian Kemp

AA TT TT AA CC KK


Helicopters

GenerationAttack

New

Army, the “AB3 will add significant combatcapability while addressing obsolescenceissues to ensure the aircraft remains a realis-tic combat multiplier beyond 2025”. The AB3upgrade will integrate: unmanned aircraftsystem Level III - IV control capability,improved Situational awareness, an upgrad-ed communications suite, improved driveand propulsion systems, improved targetingcapability, increased computer processingcapability and speed, improved navigationsystems, and improved diagnostics andmaintainability. The low rate initial produc-

tion programme includes 51 aircraft for oper-ational testing, first unit equipped and field-ing to the training base. The Army plans toacquire 691 AB3 aircraft with fielding contin-uing beyond Fiscal Year 2026 and for muchof this period of the Army intends to operate747 AB2 and AB3 models.

The AH-64 has the distinction of being themost widely exported attack helicopter in theworld. Boeing built 116 AH-64As for fiveinternational customers and 239 AH-64Dshave been bought by nine international cus-tomers. The Republic of Singapore Air

Force’s 120 Squadron operates 17 of the 20AH-64Ds delivered in two batches between1999 and 2001. In March 2006 the JapaneseGround Self-Defence Force received the firstof 55 AH-64DJPs ordered to replace its fleetof 90 AH-1S Cobras. These helicopters arebeing built under license by Fuji HeavyIndustries. In 2007, Taiwan announced itsdecision to acquire 30 AH-64Ds to augment62 AH-1Ws already in service. A contractwas expected to be signed as this issue ofAMR went to press.

South Korea’s Defense AcquisitionProgram Administration (DAPA) announcedin September 2009 that the Army’s plans toreplace its 60 AH-1 Cobras Ss and 130



The US Army plans to increase its Apache fleet from 709 aircraft to 747 AH-64D models in Block I, IIand III configurations by 2018. Low rate initial production of the Block III is now underway © Boeing

Hughes 500s from 2018 with up to 270 newattack helicopters could be postponed as thegovernment sought ways to reduce defencespending. However, Seoul’s suspicions thatNorth Korea was responsible for the sinkingof the South Korean corvette Cheonan on 26March with the loss of 46 lives has given newimpetus to defence spending. “Taking intoaccount the peculiar situation of the world’sonly divided nation amid hostilities, we mustreshape our military’s capabilities,” SouthKorean President Lee Myung-bak told ameeting of senior military leaders on 4 May.“We must especially check on our readinessagainst asymmetric capabilities, includingspecial warfare.” The Ministry of NationalDefence said attack helicopters would beamong the weapons fielded to counter thethreat from North Korea.

The DAPA is studying a number ofoptions including the local production of theKorea Attack Helicopter (KAH) or buyingrefurbished US Army Apache helicopters.Korea Aerospace Industries has proposedadopting a foreign design for the KAH orproducing an armed version of the SurionKorea Utility Helicopter, which it is develop-ing with Eurocopter.The US Army's Apache Program Office hasgiven DAPA three options for the acquisitionof AH-64D:� Block I models, at a unit price of $16 mil-lion to $17 million, for delivery between 2012and 2014;� Upgraded Block II models, at a cost of $19million to $20 million;� And, Block III aircraft fitted with theLongbow fire-control radar system, at a unitcost of $32.5 million, for delivery from 2014.

The Indian Air Force is seeking 22 twin-engine attack helicopters to replace the Mi-24s and Mi-35s. In May 2009 the Ministry ofDefence issued a request for proposals (RfP)for the helicopters, worth an estimated Rs28billion, to AgustaWestland (AW129Mangusta), Bell (AH-1Z Viper), Boeing (AH-64D Apache), Eurocopter (EC665 Tiger) andMil (Mi-28N). An earlier tender, issued in2008, which specified a 50 percent offsetrequirement was withdrawn after the two UScompanies refused to bid; the new tenderreduces the offset requirement to 30 per cent.The in service date has slipped to 2012 at theearliest; the 2008 RfP stipulated that the first

pair of helicopters should be delivered with-in 24 months of contract signature and thelast within 36 months.

Marine snakesThe USMarine Corps is upgrading its 20-yearold AH-1W SuperCobra attack and UH-1Nutility helicopter fleets through the H-1Program which will see Bell Helicopter con-vert 168 AH-1Ws to the new AH-1Z Viperconfiguration and build 58 new AH-1Z aswell as 113 UH-1Y Venom utility helicopters.Each of the 18 Marine Light Attack HelicopterSquadrons operates 18 AH-1Ws and nineUH-1Ns. Typically several helicopters ofeach type are grouped with CH-46E SeaKnight and CH-53E Super Stallion troop lifthelicopters to form the composite helicoptersquadronwhich is assigned to each embarkedMarine Expeditionary Unit (MEU).

On 27 September 2006 Bell delivered thefirst production examples of the AH-Z andUH-1Y. The two share 84 percent commoncomponents including tail boom, engines,rotor system, drive train, avionics architec-ture, software, controls and displays; this isexpected to reduce support costs by over $3billion over a 30 years. The new engines and

four-bladed rotor system improves the pay-load, maximum speed, vertical rate-of-climband rotor vibration level of the aircraft. A 217percent improvement in mission payloadenables the AH-1Z to carry up to 16 Hellfiresand two AIM-9L Sidewinder AAMs orAGM-122A Sidearm anti-radiation missiles.There are 750 rounds of ammunition avail-able for the nose-mounted M197 three-barrel20 mm gun. With a 1,232 kg payload the AH-1Z has a mission radius of 203 km. USMCAH-1Zs are powered by two T700-GE-401engines although export customers can spec-ify the more powerful T700-GE-701C.

Operational evaluation of the AH-1Zbegan in early 2006 although initial opera-tional capability (IOC) has been pushed backto Fiscal Year 2011 (FY11) as the USMC is giv-ing priority to fielding the UH-1Y to maintainthe current high operational tempo. The AH-1Z is expected to complete its operationalevaluation in July, leading to a decision forfull-rate production later this year. USMCColonel Harry Hewson, H-1 program man-ager, told reporters at the Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space Exposition on 4May that a numberof upgrades are planned for the AH-1Zincluding the installation of a digital movingmap display from later this year, the intro-duction of a blue-force tracking capability2011 and 2013, the introduction of theAdvanced Precision Kill Weapon System andthe Joint Air-Ground Missile between 2012and 2015, and, if funding is available, theintroduction of the AIM-9X Sidewinder in2014-2016.

Hewson said the AH-1Z will be available

15l JULY/AUGUST 2010 l

H E L I C O P T E R S

AA TT TT AA CC KK

In the counterinsurgencycampaigns in Afghanistanand Iraq the Apache hasdemonstrated its formidablecapabilities as a precisionstrike weapon

The Boeing AH-64D Apache entered servicewith the Republic of Singapore Air Force in1999 © SAF

for foreign military sales in 2012. ThePakistan Army which now operates 25 singleengine AH-1Fs is thought to be a likelyexport customer for the AH-1Z.

Tiger enters serviceSince July 2009, the French Army hasdeployed three EC665 Tiger HAP helicoptersfrom the 5th Combat Helicopter Regiment(5e RHC) in Afghanistan as part of the com-posite French Helicopter Battalion. Thedetachment logged 520 flight hours duringthe first six months and achieved an avail-ability level of 95 percent.Later this year, the Australian Army will

receive the last of 22 Eurocopter Tiger heli-copters bought in December 2001 for A$1.3billion to meet its Air 87 Requirement for anArmed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH)version. The first four Tiger were built atEurocopter's Marignane, France plant withthe remaining aircraft assembled at theBrisbane facility of Australian Aerospace,Eurocopter’s local subsidiary.Tiger is a key element of Australia’s

emerging Hardened and Networked Army.It will equip the two flying squadrons - 161st

and 162nd - of the1st Aviation Regimentbased in Darwin, Northern Territory. Thehelicopters will replace the army’s obsolete,Vietnam-era Bell UH-1H gunships and Bell206 Kiowa reconnaissance helicopters.The French and German armies agreed in

1984 to launch a joint combat helicopter proj-ect and the first Tiger prototype flew in 1991.Spending cuts by both governments follow-ing the end of the Cold War delayed the proj-ect and reduced the original combinerequirement from 427 to 160 helicopters,evenly split between the two armies,although follow on orders are expected. TheGerman Army changed its requirement froma dedicated anti-tank configuration to theUHT (Unterstutzungshubschrauber) supporthelicopter configuration. A mast-mountedTV/forward looking infrared/laser rangefinder is fitted for the gunner. The UHT’sfour outboard weapon stations can be armedwith eight anti-tank missiles or two pods of19 rockets or four Stinger air-to-air missiles(AAMs) and two .50 calibre gun pods. Theservice became the launch customer for thePARS 3 LR (previously known as the TRI-GAT-Long Range) missile in June 2006 when

it awarded MBDA a _380 million contract todeliver 680 missiles for use on the Tiger by2014. The German Army may install aRheinmetall RMK30 cannon in a chin turretduring a mid-life upgrade.The first 40 Tigers for the French Army, of

which more than 20 have been delivered, arein the HAP (Helicoptere d'Appui Protectionor Support and Escort Helicopter) configura-tion with a chin-mounted Giat 30 mm gunturret. Typical armament could consist of upto 450 30 mm rounds, two pods each with 22unguided 68 mm rockets and four MistralAAMs. There is no provision for an AT mis-sile. The remaining 40 Tigers, scheduled fordelivery from 2008, will be in the multi-roleHelicoptere d'Appui Destruction (HAD) con-figuration which was originally selected bythe Spanish Army. Similar to the HAP ver-sion the HAD has uprated MTR390-E engineswhich provide 14 percent more power andincorporates better ballistic protection. It cancarry four Mistrals or four 68 mm/70 mmrocket pods or four ATGWs. The SpanishArmy has selected the Rafael AdvancedDefense Systems Spike-Long Range ATGW toequip it 22 Tigers. Common to the HAP andHAD configurations is a roof-mounted sightwith TV, FLIR and laser-range finder.The Australian Army was the first to

select the Hellfire to arm its Tigers and in late

A US Marine Corps Bell AH-1W Super Cobra helicopter lifts off to support coalition ground forcesduring Operation Moshtarak in Afghanistan in February. The AH-1W will remain in USMC serviceat least until the end of the decade © USMC



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2005 six missiles, four with inert warheadsand two missiles with live AGM-114M BFwarheads, were launched from Australianaircraft to complete the Hellfire integrationprocess. For reconnaissance missions theTiger will typically carry two Hellfires andtwo 19 round rocket pods.The ARH achieved initial operational

capability in September 2009, a delay of 27months which was primarily caused by theprotracted certification process in France.The forecast for full operational capabilityhas slipped by 42 months from the originalplan until December 2012.Major General Tony Fraser, head of the

Army’s Helicopter Systems Division, told theparliamentary defence committee last yearthat the ARH had, “reached a level of matu-rity that I would regard as off the shelf”.Fraser cited the successful integration of theHellfire missile as paving the way for themissile’s adoption on French Army Tigers.The Defence Capability Plan 2009 states

that the AIR 87 project is ‘likely’ to include,“a new phase (or phases) to maintain theeffectiveness of the capability. This project isexpected to provide system upgrades tothe ARH consistent with the parent

Franco/German Tiger helicopter program.These upgrades may include weapons,engines, software, aircraft mission manage-ment system and ground support systemupgrades. This is likely to be an ACAT[Acquisition] Category III project and

Defence will commence work on develop-ing this phase for Government considera-tion after 2016.”

Contenders for ArmedAerial ScoutUS Army’s Armed Aerial Scout (AAS) pro-gramme emerged following the terminationof the Bell ARH-70 Armed ReconnaissanceHelicopter in October 2008. At least threemanufacturers are expected to compete forthe project to replace the Army’s long-serv-ing OH-58D Kiowa scout helicopters. Theircontenders are also touted as suitable forforces which do not require the sophistica-tion, or expense, of a dedicated attack heli-copter such as the Apache or who wish tofield a ‘high/low’ mix of helicopters.Boeing is offering the AH-6i Light

Attack/Reconnaissance helicopter, based onthe company’s AH-6 Little Bird in servicewith the US Army’s 160th SpecialOperations Aviation Regiment, made itsfirst flight on 16 September. The AH-6i’scockpit shares 83 percent software common-ality with the Boeing’s AH-64D ApacheBlock III and was described by Winn as “themost advanced cockpit flying today”.Boeing believes the aircraft will have con-siderable appeal on the export market forcustomers, including ‘several’ in the MiddleEast, who do not require the sophistication,or expense, of the Apache or who wish touse the aircraft in a ‘high/low’ mix along

with the Apache. Boeing plans a family ofaircraft which will also include the AH-6Uutility (which will form the basis of its AASproposal) and a stretched AH-6S which willincorporate a 15 inch plug. The AH-6 isalready qualified with a variety of weaponsincluding laser-guided rockets, missiles andthree different .50 calibre heavy machineguns. Jordan became the launch customerfor the AH-6i when it signed a Letter ofIntent with Boeing during the 2010 SpecialOperations Forum and Exhibition (SOFEX)in mid-May.EADS North America is offering the

Army the Armed Scout 645, a derivative ofthe UH-72A Light Utility Helicopter whichitself is based on the civil EC-135; 345 UH-72As have been ordered for the US Army andArmy National Guard (ARNG) will a strongcontender for the Army’s scout helicopterrequirement. The Armed Scout 645 demon-strator, displayed at AUSA 2009, has flown‘high-hot’ tests with a simulated 2,300 poundMission Equipment Package (MEP).Lockheed Martin will be responsible for MEPintegration. EADS is building three AAS-72Xdemonstrators, the first of which is sched-uled to fly before the end of the year.The most radical proposal is Sikorsky’s

Light Tactical Helicopter (LTH) which isbased on the X2 technology demonstrator.According to Sikorsky officials the counter-rotating coaxial design and auxiliary propul-sion system would offer significant improve-ments in ‘high-hot’ performance, speed andsurvivability. The X2 demonstrator is expect-ed to achieve its target speed of 250 knots dur-ing company-funded flight tests in mid-2010.During the first phase of the analysis of

alternatives (AoA) for the programme AAS,which was completed earlier this year, thearmy considered whether its needs could bestbe met by a manned or unmanned solution,or a combination of the two. During the sec-ond phase, scheduled for completion in 2011,the Army will decide whether to develop anew aircraft, such as the X2, or procure a hel-icopter which is already in production such asthe Boeing and Eurocopter proposals.

Since July 2009, the FrenchArmy has deployed threeEC665 Tiger HAP helicop-ters from the 5th CombatHelicopter Regiment inAfghanistan

The US Marine Corps plans to acquire 226 AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters and 113 UH-1Y Venomutility helicopters from Bell Helicopter. The US government will release the AH-1Z to ForeignMilitary Sales customers in 2012 © Bell


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One of the latest wheeled SP artillery systemsto be developed and placed in production isthe French Nexter Systems CAESAR155mm/52 calibre system based on a RenaultTrucks Defense (6x6) truck chassis © Nexter

AARRTTIILLLLEERRYYAND ROCKET SYSTEMS

While there is anincreasing trend towardsthe fielding of artilleryrocket systems (ARS) thereis still a requirement forconventional tube artillery be itself-propelled (SP) or tracked.

bbyy Christopher F Foss


ArtilleryChanging

evolves to meet

Requirements

ArtilleryChanging

evolves to meet

Requirements

AND ROCKET SYSTEMS

AARRTTIILLLLEERRYY

In the past these fired mainly highexplosive (HE), smoke and illuminat-ing projectiles with the HE nature beingused for suppressive fire. Today thereis a move to provide the field artillery

with a more precision effect. For many yearsthe Russian Army has deployed the KBPInstrument Design Bureau Krasnapol 152mmsemi-active laser guided projectile (LGP).A 155mm version has been developed and

sold to India for use with its Bofors 155mmFH-77B towed artillery systems. China hasalso developed a 155mm LGP based onRussian technology.Raytheon of the US has developed the

Excalibur guided 155mm projectile and thishas been used successfully in Afghanistan byAustralian and US forces. There is an on goingcompetition between ATK and Raytheon forthe main Excalibur production run.There have been significant developments

in charges with conventional bag type chargesgiving away to modular charge systems whichare not only easier to handle but are optimisedfor automatic loading systems of SP artillery.

Towed systems still deployedWhen compared to their SP counterparts,towed artillery systems are

lighter, easier to deploy and are cheaper tooperate and maintain. They are well suitedfor use by expeditionary forces, especially inrough terrain where heavier SP artillery sys-tems cannot be deployed. Most Western towed artillery systems are

105mm or 155mm calibre while Easterntowed systems were normally 122mm and152mm. In some countries, for exampleChina, there is a clear trend to standardise on155mm systems.The most widely deployed 105mm towed

systems are the French Nexter Systems 105mm LG1 light gun and the now BAE Systems105mm Light Gun.The French weapon has been sold to

Belgium, Canada, Indonesia, Singapore (beingphased out) and Thailand with the latest MkIII recently been delivered to Colombia.The BAE Systems 105mm Light Gun is

still the benchmark with over 1,000 havingbeen sold and licence production undertakenin Australia and the US. Most use the L118version with the longer barrel with a maxi-mum range of 17.2km.The 155 mm/39 calibre M777 lightweight

howitzer was originally developed as a pri-vate venture by the then Vickers Shipbuildingand Engineering Limited (VSEL) which has

now been consumed within BAE Systems. This is now in quantity production for the

US Army and Marines and was first used incombat by Canada in Afghanistan and so farover 800 have been ordered with more than600 delivered.The M777 weighs only 4.2 tonnes which

makes it easier to transport by helicopterwhen compared with 7.13 tonnes of the older

M198 155mm howitzer.The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) have

recently deployed the Singapore TechnologiesKinetics (STK) Pegasus 155mm/39 calibreLight Weight Howitzer (LWH) which has anauxiliary power unit and weighs 5.4 tonnes.

Tracked artillery still neededSome armies have a mix of towed and SPtube artillery while others have gone for an

When compared to their SP counterparts, towedartillery systems are lighter, easier to deploy and are cheaper to operateand maintain


all SP artillery fleet backed up by ARS.Tracked SP systems can operate with

mechanised forces and have good cross-country mobility as well as protection fromsmall arms fire and shell splinters.The German Army, for example deploys

the Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW)155mm/52 calibre PzH 2000 SP artillery sys-tem with a total of 185 units delivered. Thisis also in service with Greece (24), Italy (70 -still being delivered) and the Netherlands(57). The latter country deployed three sys-tems to Afghanistan.The complete 155mm/52 calibre ordnance

of the PzH 2000 is also used in the KMWArtillery Gun Module (AGM) which is aremote controlled turret that carries 30 x155mm projectiles and associated charges.For trials purposes the AGM has been

installed on a surplus Multiple LaunchRocket System (MLRS) chassis. When fittedto a brand new chassis, developed by

General Dynamics Santa Barbara Sistemasthe complete system is called the Thor and iscurrently undergoing trials.China North Industries Corporation

(NORINCO) is marketing the PLZ45155mm/45 calibre SP artillery system and inaddition to being used by the PeoplesLiberation Army (PLA) has also been sold toKuwait and Saudi Arabia.South Korea is now virtually self-sufficient

in all ground force weapons and in 1999, firstproduction examples of the SamsungTechwin 155mm/52 K9 Thunder SP artillerysystems rolled off the production line.This has a high rate of fire due to the

installation of a semi-automatic loading sys-tem that loads the projectile with charges

being loaded manually.The K9 is supported by the K10

Ammunition Resupply Vehicle on a similarchassis and the K77 Fire Direction CenterVehicle based on a modified M109 / M992chassis.The system is also manufactured in Turkey

for the Turkish Land Forces Command underthe local name of the Firtina. It is also a con-tender for the Malaysian Army 155mm/52calibre requirement.As well as fielding the 155mm/39 calibre

FH-88 and 155mm/52 calibre FH-2000 towedartillery systems and the 155mm/39 calibrePegasus SP, the SAF have now fielded the STKdeveloped Primus 155mm/39 calibre system.This is based on a much modified M109

chassis fitted with a brand new turret armedwith a 155mm/39 calibre ordnance. This israpidly laid onto the target using a comput-erised fire control system. An automaticloader loads the 155 mm projectile with thecharges being loaded manually.The most widely used 155mm SP artillery

system in the world is still the BAE Systems155mm M109 series. The final version for the

The most widely deployed105mm towed systems arethe French Nexter Systems105 mm LG1 light gun andthe now BAE Systems105mm Light Gun

The complete 155 mm/52 calibre ordnance ofthe PzH 2000 is also used in the KMW ArtilleryGun Module © KMW



US Army was the M109A6 Paladin with a155mm/39 calibre barrel.

At least part of this fleet is expected to beupgraded to the M109A6 Paladin IntegratedManagement (PIM) standard with first proto-types already completed.

Wheeled systems offerstrategic mobilityThere has been a clear trend towards thedesign, development and production ofwheeled SP artillery systems which offer theuser a number of advantages includinggreater strategic mobility when compared totheir tracked counterparts.

In the late 1960s Czechoslovakia developeda 152mm SP artillery system called Danabased on a much modified and armoured (8 x8) Tatra cross-country truck chassis.

This entered service with the Czech Armyin 1981 and was also sold to a number ofcountries including Libya and Poland andmore recently Georgia has taken delivery ofsome surplus Dana systems from Slovakia.

Further development of the Dana resultedin the current production Zuzana based on

the more recent Tatra 815 (8 x 8) chassis withthe 155mm/45 calibre ordnance firing NATOstandard ammunition. Max range dependson projectile charge combination but is typi-cally 39.6km.

The 155mm/45 calibre Zuzana was firstdeployed by Slovakia but more recentlyCyprus has taken delivery of two batcheseach of 12 units. As well as being installed onan 8x8 chassis the complete turret of theZuzana can also be fitted onto a tracked chas-sis such as the T-72 MBT.

Currently under development is anotherversion of the Zuzana which is based on anew Tatra chassis and fitted with a new tur-ret armed with a 155mm/52 calibre ordnancewhich will enable targets to be engaged atlonger ranges.

Apart from its Olifant tanks, the SouthAfrican Army is an all wheeled force and toprovide mobile fire support developed the 47tonne G6 155mm/45 calibre systemwhich hasthe same ballistics as the towed G5 system.

A total of 43 systems were built for theSouthAfricanArmywith an improved versionbeing supplied to Oman (24) and the UAE (78).

Denel Land Systems has now developedthe new generation G6-52 calibre 155 mm tur-

ret system which has a number of improve-ments including a new ammunition handlingsystem to increase the rate of fire. This can beinstalled on tracked or wheeled chassis.

One of the latest wheeled SP artillery sys-tems to be developed and placed in produc-tion is the French Nexter Systems CAESAR155mm/52 calibre system based on a RenaultTrucks Defense (6x6) truck chassis.

This was originally developed a privateventure by Nexter Systems and five pre-pro-duction CAESAR were supplied to theFrench Army for troop trials.

The French Army then placed an order for72 systems with final deliveries due in 2011.The Royal Thai Army has taken delivery ofsix CAESAR with additional systems expect-ed to be ordered in the future.

An undisclosed export customer, believedto be the Saudi Arabian National Guard(SANG) has ordered 100 systems on aMercedes-Benz chassis with first unitsalready delivered.

CAESAR has a protected four door cab at

The BAE Systems 105mm Light Gun is still thebenchmark with over 1,000 having been sold ©BAE Systems


AND ROCKET SYSTEMS

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the front with the 155mm/52 calibre ord-nance mounted at the rear with powered ele-vation and traverse. A flick rammer enablesprojectiles to be loaded at high elevationswith the charges being loaded manually.In March 2010 BAE Systems, Global

Combat Systems was awarded a contract forthe Archer 155mm/52 calibre system withNorway and Sweden each to take delivery of24 systems.Archer is based on a Volvo (6 x 6) all ter-

rain chassis with a fully protected cab withthe weapon aimed, loaded and fired byremote control.

Rocket systems offer more rangeMost countries also deploy Artillery RocketSystems (ARS) as a compliment to their con-ventional tube artillery.In the West the most commonly deployed

system is the US Lockheed Martin Missilesand Fire Control 227mm (12-round) MLRS

based on a tracked carrier.When first introduced this launched the

Phase 1 unguided rockets with each rocketcarrying 644 dual purpose improved conven-tional munitions (DP ICM) with a maximumrange of 31.2km.The main drawback of this rocket was that

the DIP ICM was not fitted with a self-destruct mechanism that can cause majorproblems for civilians and follow up units.As a result of the Ottawa convention

many countries are banning the deploymentof this type of "cluster munition" and somecountries have already phased these out ofservice and destroying their stocks.To enable targets to be engaged with a

precision effect, the US Army has fielded theGuided MLRS (GMLRS) 227mm rocket fittedwith a HE warhead and has a maximumrange of over 65km.This is a highly accurate weapon with a

circular error of probability of 10 m and wasfirst deployed by the UK and US fromupgraded MLRS launcher with a new firecontrol system.This is now being supplemented by the

Lockheed Martin Missile and Fire Control227mm (6-round) High Mobility ArtilleryRocket System (HIMARS) based on the USArmy Family of Medium Tactical Vehicle(FMTV) (6 x 6) cross-country chassis with afully protected cab.In addition to being deployed by the US

Army it is also used by the US MarineCorps, Singapore and the UAE. This firesthe same 227mm rockets as the MLRS but as

In March 2010 BAE Systems,Global Combat Systemswas awarded a contract forthe Archer 155mm/52calibre system with Norwayand Sweden each to takedelivery of 24 systems

At least part of the US M109 fleet is expected to be upgraded to the M109A6 Paladin IntegratedManagement standard with first prototypes already completed © DoD



it is based on a wheeled platform it is easierto deploy and can be carried inside a C-130Hercules aircraft.

The Russian BM-21 122mm (40-round)ARS is mounted on a 6 x 6 cross-countrychassis and this is still widely used with anumber of countries either making it underlicence or producing similar systems on alocal chassis.

The original 122mm rocket had a maxi-mum range of just over 20 km but a number ofcontractors are now marketing rockets with amuch long range and new warheads. NORIN-CO is now marketing rockets with ranges of30 and 40km and different warheads.

While this article concentrates on theweapon, a number of countries are now plac-ing increased emphasis on fielding new typesof ammunition (projectile, charge and fuze).

This includes increased emphasis onimproving accuracy which means that lessrounds are required to neutralise the targetwhich in turn will lead to a significant reduc-tion in logistics.

Increased emphasis is also being placed

on target acquisition and fire control sys-tems. Targets can be located by a variety ofsystems including aerial assets such asunmanned aerial vehicles providing a realtime capability.

Forward observers are today providedwith day/thermal observation systems thatenable targets to be located and identifiedat longer ranges and under almost allweather conditions.

The German Army, for example deploys the Krauss-Maffei Wegmann 155 mm/52 calibre PzH2000 SP artillery system with a total of 185 units delivered © KMW

AND ROCKET SYSTEMS

AARRTTIILLLLEERRYY

Extending communications downto the individual soldier, enablesthose questions to be answeredwith a high degree of confidence.Radios, or more properly com-

munications systems tasked with deliveringthose goals cover a range of capabilities; com-plex offerings providing simultaneous voice,position alert reporting and data services andother simpler solutions confining themselvesto simple voice only communications haveboth found their adherents on the front-line.

Personal radiosThe bedrock of the transformation of soldiercommunications lies in the advent of the per-sonal radio; a communications device suffi-ciently light weight and low cost that theycould be issued to each soldier withoutnoticeable penalty. Although they have rela-

tively short range, typically limited toseveral hundred metres this issufficient to link members ofthe section and squad, withsome systems having therange to also link low levelleaders to the companyheadquarters level.Achieving those links istypically undertaken bypoint to point links,although the advent of adhoc communications; rout-ing signals through multipleradios can overcome line ofsight and range limitations, isovercoming some challenges,voice latency is an issue.

The voice-only SelexCommunications 2.4GHzPersonal Role Radio (PRR)and the company’s EZPRR,which adds a data capability andAES 128 encryption to the design, have soldover 350,000 to 40 countries, a recent additionbeing Finland, with the radios also equippingmany of the militaries operating inAfghanistan today. With a range of up to800m in clear and three floors of 300m inurban terrain, every PRR is interoperable andlinks can also be achieved with EZPPRs inspecific modes. By operating at 2.4GHz at50mW, both radios can be switched on any-where in the world without the need for reg-ulation or permission.

Additional solutions, based on the PRRhave been developed to enhance systemcapabilities. The Fixed Base Force ProtectionSystem extends the range of a PRR and

EZPRR from the command postout to roughly 2.5Km via up tofour rebroadcast stations linkingthe command post with forwardoperating bases, helipads or nearbypatrols outside the wire.

Selex have developed the SoldierSystem Radio Plus (SSR+), which isin service with Singapore and Peruas well as two NATO members withover 5000 having been sold. It offerslonger range out to 2Km in clear ter-rain and has a dual network capabili-ty. A recent feature relevant to a num-ber of Asian countries is a new ‘jungle’antenna for the SSR+, which reducesthe antenna from 45cm to just 9cmwithless than five percent reduction in

range.The launch customers for the 350-

450MHz Harris RF-7800S Secure PersonalRadio were Norway and Brunei, the formerusing it as it standard radio for its soldiers inAfghanistan. Other users include Swedenand Malaysia’s Special Forces. As part ofNorway’s NORMANS programme, the radiowas used to validate the C4I elements of thecountry’s soldier modernisation solution,being able to operate and communicate indensely wooded terrain akin to jungle, work-ing elements with a Thales C4I solution. Adevelopment of the radio, known the LeaderRadio has been developed, which hosts com-puting power and situational awareness soft-ware within the radio and when connected toa display device can function as the basis fora soldier modernisation system.

Thales has received a number of orders forits 325-470MHz St@rmille soldier radiosincluding production level quantities forfrontline use. A MANET solution with a

CCOOMMMMUUNNIICCAATTIIOONNSST E C H N O L O G Y


CommunicationsSoldier

Under the JTRS programme, General Dynamicsand Thales are completing development of theAN/PRC-154 Rifleman Radio which will provideMANET communications for every frontline UScombatant © AJB

Thales F@stnet-Twin provides simul-taneous VHF and UHF channels withan integrated BMS display © AJB

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Military transformation means manythings to many people. For the dis-mounted soldier, a big part of theirtransformation means better answersto the following questions: Where amI? Where are my friends? Where isthe enemy?

bbyy Adam Baddeley

CommunicationsThe Harris AN/PRC-152 is a standardfrontline radio for US forces © DoD

range of 1000m in open terrain, a longerrange Platoon version can reach 2km linkingplatoons together with data rates of 1Mbps.

Raytheon’s hand held DH500 and wornMicrolight radios are part of the expansiveEPLRS family allowing a common waveformto be used from headquarters, up to UAVsand down to individual soldiers. TheMicrolight is mandated on the US GroundSoldier System programme while the 225-2,000MHz DH500 which uses commercialencryption is designed for export markets andis a bearer on Cobham’s Maritime InterdictionOperations System (MIOS), which it has

recently sold to the Royal New Zealand Navy.Cobham’s Eagle Radio, also part of MIOS

is a mobile ad hoc networking design usedacross a number of Asian militaries will adda single rechargeable battery option in thethird quarter 2010, replacing six AA batteries.

Elbit’s lightweight PNR-500 has had num-ber of customers including Spain, PolandFinland and of course Israel. The next gener-ation of the radio family known as the PNR-1000 and offering MANET connectivity isdue to be launched this year.

ITT’s 1.2 - 1.4 GHz Speanet Radio has beenacquired in number by Spain who has


The Selex Communications SSR+ is standardissue on Singapore’s ACMS programme nowbeing fielded © AJB

ITT’s 1.2 - 1.4GHz Spearnet Radiohas been selected for Spain’sComfut programme © AJB


A Harris RF Communications RF-7800S equipping Royal Malaysian Air Force PASKAU special forcesat LIMA 2009 © AJB

deployed it to Afghanistan and has beenselected as the bearer for its Comfut SMPdemonstrator. It communicates over ad-hocself-forming wireless networks to ranges ofup to 6km over five hops and has a sustaineddata rate of 1.5Mbps.Kongsberg’s SR600 radio, part of its

WLAN family were recent used as the basisfor interoperability between soldier systemsin a NATO test held in Belgium in April.Five nations were involved: Canada,Germany, Netherlands, Slovakia and Spain.Each country brought their own SA systemand then linked into the SR600, referred to asthe ‘loan radio’. Connecting to the SA sys-tems via standard Ethernet ports, seven stan-dard messages were sent using the MIP stan-dard and although interoperable voice wasnot part of the concept, this feature wasproven during the test. The SR600 wasSwitzerland’s’ selection for its IMESS SMP,lead by EADS and Sagem.Traditional ways of ensuring that troops

remain in contact with vehicle crew; a phonein the back of the vehicle are insufficient.

Northrop Grumman offers a means ofextending data from the vehicle to dismount-ed soldiers via its SRB at 2.4GHz and 9Ghz toa worn radio provided by Rajant, designed tocreate a low frame link over up to 10kmalthough in testing a tactical application forthe Australian Defence Force, ranges of 18-20Km over desert were achieved.

VHF hand heldsWhile individual radios can effectively con-nect each soldier, there are security issueswith how to link into higher level networksand for the foreseeable future these links willin part or in their entirety be provided byCombat Net Radios (CNR), an area in which

there is considerable work going on to raiseperformance while reducing size, weight andpower to better meet soldier needs.Two of the newest hand held CNRs on the

market are the Thales F@stnet-Twin andSelex’s SWave Multiband Multimode radios.Both are SDRs. The French radio is basedaround the PR4G F@stnet of which over250,000 have been sold in 35 countries. TheTwin is made up of two radios; the PR4GF@stnet VHF and St@rmille UHF soldierradios combined in a single device providingtwo independent channels, allowing simulta-neous integration into UHF and VHF radionets. The twin also embeds a screen in theupper portion of the radio on which graphi-cal situational awareness information can bepresented. The radio has embedded GPS andpower output of up top 5W, with standardinterfaces to support BMS while weighingless than 1Kg without battery.In addition to narrowband communica-

tions out to 5Km, Selex’s SWave adds theSoldier Broadband Waveform a 225-512MHzUHF TDMA MANET waveform supporting

Kongsberg’s SR600 radio,part of its WLAN family wererecent used as the basisfor interoperability betweensoldier systems in a NATOtest held in Belgium in April

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networks of up to 50 users with an over theair data rates of 2MBbps and a range of 2km.Using the Software CommunicationsArchitecture, additional legacy waveformhave been added. The SWave combines bothAES256 encryption and frequency hoppingamongst its Trasnsec features.

Harris’ RF-7800V-HH, a new hand heldVHF SDR launched in February 2009 hasbeen adopted by a number of countries,including in Asia. Harris believe that the per-formance of the hand held radio which sup-ports up to 10W of operation, embedded GPS,beats the performance of the 20W RF5800V-MP Falcon II manpack, achieving voiceranges of 15km in jungle with body wornantenna but is a fifth of the size and weight ofa manpack. In terms of waveforms it hostslegacy solutions from the VHF capable FalconII, ensuring backwards interoperability.

However additional new waveforms havealso been added, including an IP Data wave-form capable of supporting up to 192Kbps ofover the air, data in a 75Khz channel – stitch-ing together three normal CNR channels todo so. A fixed frequency solution, it allows 20users to share a contention based network. Afurther waveform, known as BMS is intro-duced for high density users sending stream-ing SA data. This waveform is a TDMAdesign allowing up to 64 users to send burstsof data every 5-6 seconds in a narrowbandfrequency hopping ad-hoc network. Voicecan be added but that reduces network usersto 48. Harris’ TacChat application is also

embedded in the radio, allowing tacticalinternet messaging via the radios front panelin a similar to mobile phones with contactlists, send and receive fields and text to andfrom other radios and LAN users in an HQ,eliminating cabling and the need for anotherIT device which saves weight.

Elbit Systems Land and C4I – Tadiran’soffering in the hand held world are the PRC-710 VHF and PRC-710MB V/UHF radios, thelatter weighing less than 800g.

Thales’ AN/PRC-148 JEM and Harris’AN/PRC-152 dominate the hand held CNRmarket in the US. Both are in service withforces in a number of countries with Australiahaving operating the MBITR for some timeand recently announcing its acquisition of theAN/PRC-152 as part of a package of commu-nications to support dismounted C4I. TheDoD is currently limbering up to acquire up to197,500 of these radios over the next five yearsin the Consolidated Single-Channel HandheldRadio programme, replacing an earlier, simi-lar contract in which $2.7billion was spent onthe radios. A recent addition to Harris’ prod-uct line is the RF-310H radio designed to beinteroperable with the AN/PRC-152 radiothrough Type 1 Suite B encryption with theRF-310H having non Crypto Controlled Itemcomponents, allowing the radio to be issued toa wider set of countries who don’t have accessto Type 1 radio while still maintaining com-patibility with US forces.

ITT have recently completed work ontheir proposed upgrade to the PRC-354 for

the Bowman programme which reduces itweight by over 1Kg and other improved fea-tures such as a new battery and turns it intoa more conventional hand held format.

HeadsetsHeadsets are the final piece of the puzzle toconnect the soldier. For data communica-tions radios are fine. Voice communicationrequires the voice of the soldier to be ‘cap-tured’ at one end and transmitted in realtime retaining the coherence of the messageto the ears of the recipients. At the sametime, the headset must provide hearing pro-tection against explosion and sustained gun-fire will retaining the ability to hear what’sgoing on around them.

Invisio have supplied their M3 and M3Sheadsets to the militaries in Australia,Taiwan, Japan and the Republic of Korea. Thecompany’s new X50 module optimised fordismounted soldiers is now being trialled inthe region work with X5 and X6 headset.

Selex’s latest offering is the In The Earheadset which can be directly integratedwith the PRR and EZPRR’s with negligiblepower drain. With the addition of specificmodules, any radios can use the system. Thecompany’s CTX solution is an intelligentradio interface system which senses whichradio and headset is attached to it andadapts performance accordingly with up totwo radios and an intercom systems able tobe connected simultaneously.

Silynx’s C4OPS has a strong followingamongst the leading special forces in theregion and has adopted a modular golf bagapproach with the user able to mix andmatch advanced features according to themission and features full-spectrum activenoise reduction and ear protection, multi-platform integration as well as being immers-ible to up to 20m.

French firm ELNO’s bone mike technolo-gy is an integral part of the French Army’sFELIN soldier modernisation programme.

Esterline Racal Acoustics latest offeringfor the dismounted soldier are the newFrontier series, dual sided, lightweight,rugged, in-the-ear headsets with differentvariants for specific radios such as theFrontier1400 which is linked to the RF-7800S.

Nacre’s QuietPro and QuietPro Plus havebecome a US standard being selected for theUS Marine Corps and more recently mandat-ed as the only in-ear solution of the USArmy’s Ground Soldier Systems programmeto replace Land Warrior.


The Selex PRR and now EZPRR is standard issue for UK forces in Afghanistan and is in service with over30 countries © Selex Communications


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32

Anumber of highly advancedcombat aircraft are currentlyseeking footholds in the region-al market with varying degreesof success. While both

Australia and India undertake high-profileaerial defence capability upgrade pro-grammes, and countries with smaller defencebudgets focus on affordable and capableRussian technologies, the mix of aircraftdeployed and on order across the region isgrowing in diversity.

Super HornetEarlier this year, the Royal Australian AirForce (RAAF) took delivery of the first of 24Boeing F/A-18F Block II Super Hornets,ordered in March 2007 as part of an ongoingprogramme to expand and upgrade theAustralian Defence Force’s (ADF’s) combataircraft fleet.

The remaining fleet is scheduled to bedelivered to the RAAF by the end of 2011.

The multi-role F/A-18E/F marks the nextgeneration of air defence capabilities for theRAAF. The aircraft is fitted with theRaytheon-built APG-79 Active ElectronicallyScanned Array (AESA) radar, and is capableof performing almost every mission in thetactical spectrum, including air superiority,day and night strike with precision guidedweapons, fighter escort, close air support,maritime strike, reconnaissance, forward aircontrol and tanker missions.

The acquisition of the Super Hornet fleetis being expedited in order to achieve an ini-tial operating capability by the end of 2010

for the fleet. The aircraft is being purchasedunder a Foreign Military Sale with the USgovernment, and a number of RAAF specificupgrades are being made to the fleet to meetcapability requirements, including an avion-ics upgrade that will incorporate enhance-ments to improve situational awareness, andradar and electronic warfare capabilities thatwill enable air defence tasks to be performedmore effectively. Specifically, the upgradewill include full colour displays, mov-ing map capability, secure datalink, Helmet MountedCueing system,counter-meas-ures dispensingsystem, electronic counter-measures jammer,and new radar warning receivers. Structuralmodifications have also been made to thefleet, including the centre barrel replacement

The acquisition of theSuper Hornet fleet is beingexpedited in order toachieve an initial operatingcapability by the end of2010 for the fleet


Combat Aircraft:Combat Aircraft:

The first RAAF F/A-18F Super Hornet arrives inAustralia © Boeing

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Australian Super Hornetsferry across the Pacific toAustralia © Boeing


Combat aircraft manufactures are recognisingthe potential within the Asia-Pacific region asarmed forces increase investment in theirdefence capabilities and demand for increasinglysophisticated platforms and weaponssystems grows. The region is quickly becomingone of the biggest importers of militaryproducts in the world, as well asdeveloping a healthy manufacturingmarket as various nationsfocus on establishingthemselves as suppliers.

bbyy John Mulberry

A regional reportA regional reportCombat Aircraft:Combat Aircraft:

on selected aircraft.The Super Hornet has been acquired by

the ADF in order to replace the RAAF’s age-ing fleet of F-111s that are being retired fromservice throughout 2010. The F-111 hasserved as the backbone of the RAAF’s strikecapability for the past forty years, but thedecision was taken to retire the fleet due totheir increasing maintenance and operationalcosts. Originally it was hoped the F-111would remain in service until the deploy-ment of the Joint Strike Fighter 35 LightningII (F-35), however the age of the F-111 fleet

and ongoing delays with the F-35 pro-gramme required an interim replacement forthe F-111 fleet to be found; the RAAF signedthe contract for the Super Hornets in 2007 tofulfil this role.

Joint Strike FighterThe F-35 has come under intense scrutinyfrom both the international media anddefence analysts both of whom question thesuitability of the aircraft for the RAAF’s long-range strike requirements. Australia is one ofeight countries that have invested in thedevelopment of the F-35, but with a numberof key milestones failing to be met on agreedtimescales, questions have been raised over

whether there are alternative off-the-shelfaircraft that would be a better match for theRAAF’s requirements at a more palatableprice.

Canberra looks determined to continuewith the F-35 programme, and fromwhat hasemerged from the programme, the aircraftlooks highly capable, with prime contractorLockheed Martin calling the supersonic,highly agile fifth generation fighter theworld’s most advanced multirole aircraft,with very low observable stealth, unprece-dented situational awareness, andunmatched lethality and survivability. Threevariants of the aircraft are being produced,the F-35A conventional takeoff and landing,the F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing, and

34

The Dassault Rafale is in contention for the IAF’sMMRCA competition © US Navy

The Boeing F-15 is developing footholds in theAsia-Pacific market © Boeing


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the F-35C carrier variant.

MMRCAWhile the US Navy operates over 420 of theSuper Hornet aircraft, the RAAF contractmarked the first sale of the Super Hornet out-side the US. Boeing has its sights set on theAsia Pacific region, with a number of coun-tries within the area showing interest in theaircraft. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has short-listed the aircraft for its Medium Multi-RoleCombat Aircraft (MMRCA) competition,along with the Lockheed Martin F-16IN, theMiG-35, the Dassault Rafale, the EurofighterTyphoon, and the Saab Gripen.

The IAF’s MMRCA competition is one ofthe most prominent combat aircraft pro-grammes underway in the Asia-Pacificregion. The programme, launched in 2001, isbeing carried out in order to bring the IAF’s

squadron numbers up to target with theacquisition of 126 aircraft, and provide astop-gap measure between the phasing out ofthe MiG-21 squadrons, and the completion ofthe Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk2,being developed by the IAF in partnershipwith EADS. With the delivery of the Tejaslooking increasingly unlikely before the sec-ond half of the decade, and with the intro-duction of the medium-heavy 4.5 generationSu-30 MKIs being carried out gradually, the

MMRCA competition is going to source amedium combat aircraft to ensure theairstrike capabilities of the IAF remain at suf-ficient levels during this period of transitionand fleet integration.

Ongoing trouble with the MMRCA com-petition continues; over the last few weeksIndia’s notoriously slow defence channelshave thrown up delays with the programme,with vendors notified that they will need torebid for the contract, following delays withflight trials and bid evaluations.

The aircraft in contention for the MMRCAcompetition represent the body of combataircraft currently competing for contractswithin the wider Asia-Pacific. WhileDassault and Eurofighter have yet to achieve

35

Canberra looks determinedto continue with theF-35 programme, and fromwhat has emerged from theprogramme, the aircraftlooks highly capable

The F-35 Lightning II A-Variant (CTOL) under-goes flight testing © JSF.mil


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a sale within the region, the increasing suc-cess of sophisticated western platforms, barthe Russian MiG-35s, reveal the extent towhich requirements within the region areshifting. Against a backdrop of heavy invest-ment in aerial defence by a number ofnations, the level of technology being soughtby operators as they seek to enhance their airstrike and defence capabilities is steadilyincreasing.That said, the Russian mainstays of the

combat aircraft market remain prevalentamongst the Air Forces of many regionalarmed forces, with the Su-30 and MiG-35increasingly replacing ageing Su-27, MiG-21,MiG-29 and MiG-27 fleets.The Mikoyan MiG-35 has an advantage

over other aircraft in the MMRCA competi-tion due to its compatibility with the exist-ing IAF fleet. The aircraft comes withenhanced weapons payload able to deliverup to 12,000 lbs of ordnance with high accu-racy; and the Zhuk-AE AESA radar, able totrack up to 30 targets within a range of up to

160 km. Importantly, the MiG-35 also comeswith full technology transfer – somethingWestern manufacturers are more reluctantto deliver – which will inject highly desir-able skills into the burgeoning Indiandefence industry. The other focus of Russiantechnology in the region, the Sukhoi Su-30,has been ordered by both Malaysia andIndonesia in addition to the IAF fleet. Indiais upgrading its Su-30 fleet, 40 of which willbe fitted with the Indian/Russian BrahMosmissile, and plans to field an operationalfleet of 280 units by 2015.

GripenAlso seeing success within the region in theSaab Gripen, which is also being offered forthe Indian MMRCA competition with a‘freedom of choice’ full technological trans-fer. The aircraft, fitted with General

Electric’s F414G engine and fully integratedavionic mission system, offers a light, agilemulti-role combat aircraft capable of super-cruise, enhanced range and endurance,increased payload and weapons carriage.The naval version of the aircraft is alsounder consideration for the Indian Navy’s(IN’s) future fighters contract, giving theadded incentive of cross-fleet commonality,which may prove attractive to the Indiandefence force.The new generation Gripen has also been

selected by the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF)for its multi-role fighter requirement. A totalof 12 aircraft have been ordered to replace theRTAF’s fleet of F-5 B/E aircraft, along withtwo Saab Erieye Airborne Early Warning(AEW) aircraft, associated equipment andservices. The RTAF selected the Gripen for itstrue multi-role/swing capability, sophisticat-ed avionics and weapons, and new generationflight control and communications systems.

BoeingAlso developing a foothold in the Asia-Pacific market is the Boeing F-15. Singaporebecame the first country in the region toorder the Boeing F-15SG multi-role fighter

The IAF’s MMRCAcompetition is one of themost prominent combat air-craft programmes underwayin the Asia-Pacific region

Russian aircraft such as the MiG-35 are grow-ing in popularity in the region © RussianAircraft Corporation

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when 12 were ordered in 2005 for theRepublic of Singapore Air Force. This wasfollowed with a further order in 2007, bring-ing the total to 24, with delivery scheduled tobe complete by 2011. The Singapore ordermarked the F-15SG out as a continuing air-craft of significant capability, despite grow-ing competition from Rafale and Typhoon.The F-15SG are fitted with Lockheed Martinnavigation and targeting suite, includingLANTRIN navigation pod with terrain fol-lowing radar and forward-looking infrared,and Sniper XR EO/laser targeting pod, aswell as the AAS-42 Tiger Eyes search andtrack system. The aircraft also features theRaytheon APG-63 (V) 3 AESA radar, andIsraeli mission computer and electronic war-fare system. The weapon suite includesAIM-9X Sidewinder, AIM-120C AMRAAM,JDAM GPS-guided bombs and the AGM-154standoff weapon.The latest F-15 product is the F-15 Silent

Eagle, which is an upgraded and enhancedF-15 with the addition of stealth technolo-gies. The aircraft features Raytheon AESAradar, digital flight control system, BAE’sDigital Electronic Warfare System (DEWS),and redesigned conformal fuel tankers(CFTs) that allow for internal weapons car-riage, and can be altered for optimum fuelcapacity and external weapons carriagedepending on mission specifics. Internally,the F-15SE will be capable of carrying air-to-air missiles such as the AIM-9 and AIM-20,and air-to-ground weapons including theJoint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) andSmall Diameter Bomb (SDB).

Lockheed MartinLockheed Martin’s F-22 Raptor is growing indemand amongst Air Forces within theregion, due to the aircraft’s high spec andperformance sophistication. The fifth genera-tion fighter is capable of conducting simulta-neous air-to-air and air-to-ground combatmissions with what Lockheed Martin calls‘near impunity’. The aircraft is the USAF’smost prominent air-superiority multi-mis-sion fighter with wide mission spectrumincluding intelligence, reconnaissance andelectronic attack.Within the Asia-Pacific region, a number

of governments are believed to have showninterest in importing the F-22. Defence ana-lysts have widely recommended the F-22 as afar superior and cost-effective alternative tothe troubled Australian F-35 programme;and among others, Japan’s ATD-X Shinshin

programme, to develop an indigenousstealth fighter has grown out of a frustrationwith US refusal to export their mostadvanced technologies, following repeatedexpressions of interest by Tokyo in the F-22Raptor. Japan is now looking for foreignengines to incorporate into its prototypestealth fighter for the programme, and isunderstood to be studying the F-35, F-15E, aswell as the Typhoon and F/A-18E/F.The F-22 highlights the fact that US inter-

ests in the Asia-Pacific continue to be mixed.While emerging security threats in theregion, including the build up of China, India

and North Korean military pushes therequirement for US allies to field sophisticat-ed and capable aerial defences, the desire toretain a stronghold over its own technologi-cal property remains strong. However, theAsia-Pacific region is the fastest growingarms importer market in the world, and withmilitary investment in the region increasing,Russian manufacturers, who are also willingto undertake technology transfer contracts,will only continue.


The Su-30 equips several air forces in theregion © DoD

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38

Until the mid-1990s, Japandepended on the McDonnellDouglas (now Boeing) RGM-84Harpoon. This serves aboardfour Kongou class destroyers

commissioned 1993-1998, 11 Hatsuyuki classdestroyers delivered during the 1980s, twoYuubari class destroyers delivered in theearly 1980s, two Hatakaze class destroyersdelivered in the mid 1980s, the remainingoperational examples of Tachikaze class andTakatsuki class destroyers, and six Abukumaclass frigates delivered in 1989-1993.

By the time that the nine Murasame classdestroyers commissioned in 1996-2002, theindigenous Mitsubishi Type 90 SSM-1BASM was available for use, and this hasbeen the weapon of choice for theMurasames and all subsequent ASM-armedclasses – five Takanami class destroyerscommissioned in 2003-2006, two Atago classdestroyers that entered service in 2007-8, sixHayabusa class patrol craft delivered

between 2002 and 2004, and four planned19DD class destroyers. It is also in service onthe last operational example of the PG 01(Sparviero) class fast attack hydrofoil.

There is no submarine-launched versionof the Type 90, so the UGM-84 Sub Harpoonis carried by six Harushio class submarinescommissioned in the early 1990s, 11 Oyashioclass submarines, the last of which was com-missioned in 2008, three Souryu class sub-marines (total of five planned), and the lastoperational Yuushio class submarine.

India, South Korea, Singapore, Thailandand Taiwan have a fleet of modern vessels,supplemented by a significant number ofolder ships, some of which have had or areundergoing mid-life upgrades.

Until recently, India has opted to operateRussian ASMs. The Novator Alfa Klub (SS-N-27) arms the Talwar (Project 1135.6) classfrigates (three in service and three under con-struction), Shivalik (Project 17) class frigates(one in service, two more planned), and

Project 28 corvettes (four under construction,eight more planned). It is being retrofitted tothe 10 Sindhughosh (‘Kilo’) class submarines,and is planned for the Arihant class nuclearsubmarines.

The Kh-35 Uran (SS-N-25 ‘Switchblade’)is in service on three Delhi class (Project 15)destroyers commissioned between 1997 and2001, four Kora class (Project 25A) frigatescommissioned between 1998 and 2004,three Brahmaputra class (Project 16A)frigates commissioned in 2000-2005, andtwo of the Veer (Tarantul I) class corvettesdelivered in 2002.

Under an upgrade programme, theRussian/Indian BrahMos supersonic ASM isgradually replacing the obsolete Termit (SS-N-2 ‘Styx’) on the five Rajput (Kashin II) classdestroyers delivered in the 1980s. BrahMoswill be installed on the planned Kolkata(Project 15A) class destroyers.

Although the SS-N-2 ‘Styx’ is still opera-tional on four Khukri class (Project 25)

Missile MissileRequirementsRequirements

Anti-ShippingAnti-ShippingPakistan to Japan: Pakistan to Japan:


If we ignore Russia and China, whose fleets would probably justify amajor article, a total of 14 nations in the area from Pakistan to Japanoperate warships armed with anti-ship missiles (ASMs). But only oneof these – the Japan Naval Self-Defense Force – is in the position ofhaving an almost all-modern fleet from which a declining number ofolder vessels and ASMs are being retired. bbyy Doug Richardson

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MM II SS SS II LL EE

The most modern ASMs inBangladeshi service are theMBDA Otomat Mk 2 on a singleModified Ulsan class frigatedelivered in 2001 © MBDA

frigates commissioned in 1989 – 1991, mostexamples are in service on older ships suchas the three 1980s Godavari class (Project 16)frigates, the sole surviving Durg (NanuchkaII) (project 1234) class frigate, and on the 10surviving Veer class corvettes from the orig-inal batch that entered Indian servicebetween 1987 and 1995.

Harpoon Block 1C remains South Korea’sASM of choice. It arms three KwanggaetoDaewang (KDX-1) class destroyers commis-sioned in 1998-2000, six KDX-2 class destroy-ers commissioned in 2003-8, and the first ofthree planned KDX-3 class destroyers.

Harpoon was also selected for use on nineUlsan class frigates commissioned between1981 and 1993. It also serves on the last threeoperational examples from a batch ofGearing (FRAM I) class destroyers acquiredfrom the USA in 1977-1981.

The ASM for the 3,200 ton Future Frigate(FFX), the first of which was laid down inJanuary 2009, and the planned PKM-X classof up to 40 FAC-M has yet to be announced,but is likely to be Harpoon.

Harpoon also arms five Pae Ku class FAC-M that entered service in the late 1970s, andthree Gumdoksuri class FAC-M that enteredservice from 2008 onwards (at least 11 areplanned).

At least four of South Korea’s 23 PoHang class patrol craft carry Harpoon, butmost were fitted with the Aerospatiale(now MBDA) MM 38 Exocet.Commissioned between 1984 and 1993, thisclass originally numbered 24, but Chon Ansank after an explosion on 26 March 2010

The Chinese YJ-8 (EagleStrike) – also known as the C-801 - is aboardfour Chao Phraya classfrigates delivered by Chinain the early 1990s

Anti-ShippingAnti-Shipping


whose cause is still under investigation.Nine Chang Bogo (Type 209/1200) class

submarines commissioned in 1993-2001 arearmed with the UGM-84B Sub Harpoon.

Singapore’s six Victory class frigates com-missioned in 1990-91 are each armed witheight Harpoon missiles, as are the sixFormidable (Project Delta) class frigates com-missioned between 2007 and 2009. A mid-lifeupdate is planned for the Victory class, but itis not known if this will involve replacing themissiles with more modern Harpoon variants.

The Sea Wolf class FAC-M were original-ly delivered between 1972 and 1976, andwere armed with Israel Aerospace IndustriesGabriel ASMs. A mid-life refit programmeconducted between 1988 and 1991 replacedsome of the Gabriel launchers with Harpoon

launchers, and these vessels normally carrytwo Gabriels and four Harpoons.

Harpoon is the main ASM used by thenavy of Thailand, serving on two mid-1980sRattanakosin class frigates, two Knox classfrigates transferred in the 1990s, and twoChinese-built Naresuan class (Type 25T)frigates delivered in the mid-1990s.

However, the Chinese YJ-8 (Eagle Strike) –also known as the C-801 - is aboard fourChao Phraya class frigates delivered byChina in the early 1990s, MM 38 Exocet armsthree Ratcharit class FAC-M delivered in1979-80, while three even older Prabparapakclass dating back to the mid-1970s carry theGabriel. There are no plans to retire thePrabparapak class, but a reported plan toinstall new missiles seems a strange invest-

ment for vessels of such age.Taiwan has traditionally armed its ships

with either the Gabriel or the indigenously-developed Hsiung Feng series Gabrielderivatives.

Hsiung Feng I uses radar or optical guid-ance, and is still in service on the ageing fleetof Hai Ou class FAC-M (which are graduallybeing retired), and on some of the 12 JinChiang class FAC-M. The remainder of theJin Chiang class use the active radar/IR hom-ing Hsiung Feng II. The sole surviving AllenM Sumner class (DDG) destroyer has beenstripped of its Hsiung Feng I ASMs and nowserves in secondary roles.

On larger ships, the Hsiung Feng I has

40

The Styx ASM remains a potent but ageingsolution in many nations’ arsenals © DoD


The Boeing Harpoon missile familyequips vessels operating throughout theAsia Pacific region © DoD


been replaced by either the Hsiung Feng II orthe further-improved Hsiung Feng III. Thesemissiles are in service on eight Cheng Kungclass frigates commissioned in 1993-2004and on the elderly Gearing (Wu Chin III con-version) (Fram I) class destroyers (which arelikely to be paid off as the new Kidd-classdestroyers enter service).

Hsiung Feng II is installed aboard the sixKang Ding (La Fayette) class frigates com-missioned in 1996-98, and on the new KwangHua 6 class patrol craft (a total of 30planned). Taiwan also plans a fleet of up toeight Kuang Hua 7 frigates to replace eightexisting Knox-class vessels transferred toTaiwan in 1993-99, and these are expected tobe armed with Hsiung Feng II.

The Knox class frigates are armed withHarpoon, as are the four Keelung (Kidd)

class destroyers transferred in 2005/6. TheLung Chiang class FAC-M were due to bearmed with Harpoon, but the programmewas cut back to two Hsiung Feng I armedvessels delivered about 30 years ago.

The two Hai Lung class submarines thatentered service in the late 1980s are expectedto receive the UGM-84L Block II version ofSub Harpoon during mid-life upgradesplanned for 2010 and 2011 respectively. They

could also receive a torpedo-tube launchedversion of the Hsiung Feng II.

Bangladesh, Myanmar, Malaysia, andPakistan operate older vessels that require orare already undergoing mid-life upgrades.

The most modern ASMs in Bangladeshiservice are the MBDA Otomat Mk 2 on a sin-gle Modified Ulsan class frigate delivered in2001, and the C-802, which replaced theoriginal HY-2 (CSS-N-3 ‘Seersucker’) arma-ment of the frigate Osman (ex-Xiangtan)during a 2007 refit.

The older missile is still in service aboardfour of the five Durdharsha (Huangfen) class(Type 021) FAC-M delivered around two

41

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Under an upgrade pro-gramme, the Russian/IndianBrahMos supersonic ASM is gradually replacing the obsolete Termit SS-N-2 ‘Styx’

The FASGW is one of a number of next generation systems nearing the completion of their development © MBDA



decades ago. Although five Durbar (Hegu)class FAC-M delivered in 1983 and 1992 arenominally armed with the SY-1 (CSS-N-1‘Scrubbrush’), China’s first ‘Styx’ copy, inpractice these rarely carry missiles.Myanmar’s six Houxin class FAC are

reported to be armed with YJ-8 (C-801) mis-siles, which could eventually be replaced bythe newer C-802. The latter arms the threeAnawrahta class corvettes commissioned in2001-2005.C-801 armament has been reported for

four of the nine Myanmar class patrol craftbuilt between 1991 and 2007 and three local-ly built 75 m corvettes whose delivery endedin 2004, but this has not been confirmed.Malaysia’s principal ASM is the Exocet.

The MM 38 armament on the four Handalan(SPICA-M) class FAC-M commissioned in1979 and four 1970s Perdana (LaCombattante II) class FAC-M are due to bereplaced by either the newer MM 40, or bythe Otomat Teseo.The only Malaysian ships fitted with the

Otomat Teseo Mk 2 are the four Laksamanaclass frigates delivered in the late 1990s. MM40 Block 2 is installed on the two mid-1980sKasturi (Type FS 1500) class frigates, whichare currently undergoing a ship life-exten-sion programme (SLEP), and on the twoLekiu class frigates that entered service abouta decade ago.The four Kedah (Meko 100 RMN) class

frigates that have entered service since 2006with two more being planned are fitted for,but not with, the MM 40 Block 2. The missilescould be added at some future date.Two recently-delivered Scorpene class

submarines are both equipped with the SM39 version of Exocet.Pakistan buys most of its ASMs from the

US and China, and a smaller number fromFrance. Harpoon Block 2 arms two Jurratclass FAC-M that entered service in 2006, andtwo recently delivered Kaan 33 FAC-M,while the older Harpoon 1C is on three of thesix Tariq (Amazon) class frigates.The two Hashmat (Agosta 70) class SSK

delivered three decades ago were modifiedin 1985 to carry Sub Harpoon, which is alsooperational on four ageing Hangor (Daphne)class SSK. However the three Khalid (Agosta90B) class delivered between 1999 and 2008


The MM 40 Block 2 is installed on Malaysia’s two mid-1980s Kasturi (Type FS 1500) class frigates,which are currently undergoing a ship life-extension programme © MBDA

Smaller and lighter than first-generationRussian designs such as ‘Styx’, the Raduga Kh-35 has clocked up two sales in the region,being in service with India and Vietnam.(Wikimedia Commons / Allocer)

use the Exocet SM 39.The C-802 (YJ-83/CSS-N-8 Saccade) seems

to be the most recent Chinese weapon ofchoice for Pakistan, and is in service on twoJalalat class FAC-M commissioned in the late1990s, and on two recently commissionedSword (F-22P) class patrol craft with twomore planned.The ageing HY-2 is the oldest Chinese

ASM in Pakistani service and probablyserves on the final remaining mid-1980sHuangfen class FAC-M.Four Haibat (Hegu) class FAC-M in serv-

ice since 1981 have the SY-1.The navies of Indonesia, North Korea, Sri

Lanka, and Vietnam have few modern war-ships and ASMs, and face a major block-obsolescence problem.Four Todak (PB 57) class patrol craft

entered service with the Indonesian Navybetween 2000 and 2004, but it is not clear ifall have fitted with their planned C-802 (YJ-82) missile armament. Three Steregushchiy(Project 20382) class frigates are planned.Their armament will presumably includeKh-35 missiles.The remaining ASM-equipped warships

face obsolescence problems. Three Fatahillahclass frigates and four Dagger class FAC-Mhave been in service for the last three

decades. All are equipped with MM 38Exocet. These missiles have reached the endof their official service life, but demonstrationfirings were conducted in 2002 to validate alocal-devised life-extension programme.Between 1988 and 1990, six Ahmad Yani

(Van Speijk) class were transferred from theNetherlands. These are equipped to carryHarpoon, but the operational status of thesemissiles is not known. They could belife-expired.North Korea’s main ASM is the SS-N-2

‘Styx’ and its Chinese-built equivalent, theSY-1. The SS-N-2 serves aboard 12 remainingOsa class FAC-M originally acquired in 1968(with a second batch supplied between 1972and 1983), on 10 Soju class FAC-M (enlargedOsa-class craft manufactured between 1981and 1996), and some of the 136 Kongbangclass hovercraft.Some of the ageing 12 Komar & Sohung

class (Project 183) FAC-M have the SS-N-2AStyx; others carry the SY-1. The latter missileis fitted to some of the six Chong-Ju classlarge patrol craft built between 1975 and1989, but the operational status of two Najinclass frigates built in the early 1970s and fit-ted with SY-1 ASMs in the mid-1980sremains questionable.When the first Soho-class frigate entered

service in the early 1980s, it was armed withthe CSS-N-2, but the expected five follow-onvessels did not materialise.Sri Lanka’s sole ASM-armed warships are

two 30 year old Saar 4 class FAC-M trans-ferred from Israel in 2000. Both are armedwith Gabriel II.Vietnam’s three Tarantul V class - a total of

10 are planned - are armed with the Kh-35,and two BPS 500 (Project 12418) class frigates.The same missile will also arm the fourplanned Gepard (Project 11661) class frigates.There has been no recent news of the plan

to build the KBO 2000 (project 2100) classfrigate, which would also carry the Kh-25.Four Tarantul class (Project 1241RE) deliv-

ered between the mid-1990s and 2000 arearmed with the SS-N-2D ‘Styx’, but the eight‘Styx’-armed Osa II (Project 205) class deliv-ered in 1979-1981 are probably no longerfully operational.Cambodia and the Philippines have no

ASM-equipped ships and are unlikely tooperate such warships in the immediatefuture.


T E C H N O L O G Y


Developed jointly by India and Russia, the Mach 2.5+ BrahMos derivative of Russia’s 3M55Oniks/Yakhont (SS-N-26) could prove attractive to users opting the deploy a supersonic replace-ment for their current subsonic missiles. (Indian MoD)

The four Kedah (Meko 100RMN) class frigates thathave entered service since2006 with two more plannedare fitted for, but not with,the MM 40 Block 2

DDEEFFEENNCCEEI N D U S T R Y

The Asia-Pacific defenceaerospace sector has traditionallybeen the preserve of the US,with nations like Australia, Japan,Singapore and South Korea beinglongstanding users of Americanaircraft. American dominance stillremains, especially with the JointStrike Fighter expected to cornera large segment of the fightermarket in coming years.

bbyy Gordon Arthur


EuropeanCooperation

Asiain

EuropeanDefence Aerospace Defence Aerospace Cooperation

in

Asia

India ordered 66 Hawk Mk.132 trainersfrom BAE Systems, with 24 beingimported and the remainder to be builtin India © Andrei Chang/Gordon Arthur

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DDEEFFEENNCCEE

European companies are now tap-ping into Asia’s appetite for mili-tary fixed-wing and rotary-winged aircraft, and they havebeen making inroads into

American ascendancy. Europe is doing so viaaircraft sales, by supporting Asian indige-nous programmes, and by supplying compo-nents such as engines or avionics. This articleexamines key partnerships betweenEuropean aerospace companies and Asia-Pacific militaries.

European challenges andadvantagesThe Pentagon-instigated debacle over a newair-to-air refuelling fleet for the USAF illus-trates the obstacles European companiesface. The US is experienced in tilting thescales in favour of domestic giants likeBoeing, Northrop Grumman and LockheedMartin, and it is not easy for Europe tobreak into markets traditionally monopo-lised by the USA. The US sells military hard-ware worth € 5.5 billion to Europe annually,but sales in the other direction amount tojust € 2.2 billion. Incidentally, Taiwan ismostly “off limits” for European defencecompanies, as few are brave enough to riskthe threat of Chinese boycotts. No Europeanmanufacturer has sold combat aircraft sinceDassault Mirage 2000-5 fighters were pur-chased in the 1990s. Taiwan thus remains an

uncontested American market.Advantages that European companies

offer are more generous transfers of technol-ogy (TOT) and more equitable partnershipsthan partisan American ones. Europe’s per-ceived non-aligned status is seen as a plus bysome countries. For instance, Thailand optedfor Saab’s JAS 39 Gripen and 340 ErieyeAEW&C aircraft that came with magnani-

mous industrial offsets and technologicalcooperation, factors that are important to adeveloping Asian country. Furthermore,Saab recently announced a joint venture withThailand’s Avia Satcom to develop nationaltactical datalinks for the Gripen. Such far-reaching cooperation is in sharp contrast tothe US, which instead has a tendency toimpose sanctions on countries that upset it.


One of the first Tiger ARH craft to be delivered to the Australian Army is seen at RobertsonBarracks in Darwin © Gordon Arthur

EuropeanEuropean

Both Indonesia and Pakistan have sufferedpolitical sanctions in the past, such behaviourmeaning some countries are cautious aboutpurchasing American hardware. LikeThailand, Pakistan opted for the Saab 2000Erieye AEW&C.Europe is able to offer a broad spectrum of

high-tech aerospace upgrades, this being animportant industrial sector since military air-craft need regular capability enhancements.For example, India is upgrading 63 MiG-29swith Thales TSB 2500 Identification Friend-or-Foe (IFF) Combined Interrogator andTransponder and cryptographic computersystems that will permit them to interoperatewith Western military aircraft.

High-profile programmesIndia’s Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft(MMRCA) programme seeking 126 newfighters is gaining enormous attention. TheIndian Air Force has six contenders – BoeingF/A-18IN (USA), Dassault Rafale (France),Eurofighter Typhoon (Europe), LockheedMartin F-16IN (USA), Mikoyan MiG-35(Russia) and Saab JAS 39 Gripen NG/IN(Sweden). All things being equal, Europeanmanufacturers have a 50/50 chance of win-ning the contract based solely on the number

of contenders! The request for proposals(RFP) includes clauses on licensed produc-tion, TOT and through-life support. The first18 off-the-shelf fighters will be supplementedby 108 assembled in India by HindustanAeronautics Limited (HAL). The sheer scaleof the MMRCA programme means Indiawields considerable negotiating power,including 50 percent offsets that promiseunprecedented aerospace cooperation forIndia. Saab’s Gripen bid guarantees openarchitecture, full TOT and the ability to inte-grate all manner of weapon systems. A Saabspokeswoman described the Gripen as “anindependent choice via a non-aligned nationwith unrestricted TOT.” The trusting rela-tionship would extend to Saab sharingGripen AESA radar source codes, somethinginconceivable for US companies.EADS, meanwhile, is dangling the carrot

of becoming a direct Eurofighter programmepartner. Eurofighter India’s In-CountryDirector, Stefan Billep, stated: “The Typhoonpackage is backed by four European govern-ments and four defence industries. We willhelp India become part of the technology.”With 400 European companies involved inthe Typhoon programme, India would gainimpressive sourcing opportunities plus the

offer of production sharing. An EADS R&Dcentre is being set up in Bangalore to provideeffective TOT. Eurojet, the Typhoon’s engine-maker, is also proffering its expertise indeveloping a more powerful engine forHAL’s Tejas Light Combat Aircraft. Frenchfirm Snecma was helping improve the trou-bled indigenous Kaveri engine, but theEurojet EJ200 could be a good solution.Missile sales soared to $14.8 billion last

year, marking an 11% year-on-year increase.MBDA holds a 25 percent share of the globalmissile market (excluding China and Russia),and India is its biggest export market. MatiHindrekus, Marketing CommunicationsManager, revealed MBDA is hoping theRafale or Eurofighter gets the MMRCA nod,as missiles like the ASRAAM, Brimstone,Meteor, MICA or Storm Shadow/SCALPcould be integrated.While co-operation in India looms large

in European aerospace thinking, SouthKorea also possesses potential. The three-phase Korean Fighter (KF-X) programmewill see a Korean-built fighter developed by2020, though recent reports suggest it willnot be totally indigenous. The F-15K hasalready won the first two phases. On 29 May2009, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) con-


Powered by Turbomeca engines, apair of Dhruv helicopters passes overDelhi during the annual RepublicDay Parade © Gordon Arthur


sulted Boeing, Eurofighter, LockheedMartin and Saab on joint development andTOT possibilities, with hopes that foreignfirms could contribute up to 30 percent ofdevelopment costs. Although the KF-X pro-gramme is not clearly defined yet, there areopenings for European companies with upto 250 aircraft required.EADS is proud of its A330 Multi-Role

Tanker Transport (MRTT), of whichAustralia has ordered five. The MRTT isalso suited to South Korean and Indianrequirements. Malaysia is currently theonly Asian country to have signed up forAirbus Military’s A400M transport aircraft.The A400M programme is haemorrhaging$150 million a month in cost overruns, andits protracted development has grantedrival Boeing swelling C-17 sales. DidierVerner, the Defense Capability MarketingDirector, revealed there was “continuingAsian interest” in the A400M, especiallyamongst countries operating older Herculesaircraft. EADS already has significantregional sales of smaller transport aircraftlike the CN-235 to Brunei, Indonesia,Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, South

Korea and Thailand. In a particularly inter-esting joint venture, the EADS CASA CN-235 is built by PT Dirgantara Indonesia, anIndonesian company that also license-pro-duces Super Puma helicopters.Turning to Italy, Alenia Aermacchi is

hopeful of Asian sales for its M-346 advancedjet trainer. The M-346 is facing off againstSouth Korea’s T-50 to meet Singapore’srequirement, with Alenia Aermacchi teamingup with local firm ST Aerospace for the bid.Alenia Aeronautica’s C-27J is a serious con-tender for Australia’s DHC-4 Cariboureplacement, and the fact that a C-27J wasexhibited at this year’s Singapore Air Showillustrates the company’s Asian hopes. The

United Kingdom has scored successes withsales of BAE Systems Hawk jet trainers toAustralia, India, Indonesia and Malaysia.However, BAE Systems’ relationship withIndia soured even before the 24th British-built aircraft was delivered. Wranglingbetween the two parties demonstrates thepitfalls inherent in partnerships, althoughHAL is still assembling another 42 HawkMk.132 trainers.

Helicopter opportunitiesEurocopter, an EADS subsidiary, finished2009 as the world’s leading helicopter manu-facturer. Military helicopter sales accountedfor 48% of last year’s turnover. EADS is tar-geting the South Korean market, buildingupon the successful foundation of the KoreanUtility Helicopter (KUH) programme. KAIwill assemble the KUH Surion in partnershipwith Eurocopter, the latter having 30 percentand 20 percent stakes respectively in thedevelopment and production phases. TheSurion’s maiden flight occurred on 10 March2010, and deliveries of 245 helicopters shouldcommence in 2012. As well as technical assis-tance, Eurocopter provided the Surion’s

Europe is able to offera broad spectrum of high-tech aerospace upgrades,this being an importantindustrial sector sincemilitary aircraft need regularcapability enhancements

A Dassault Mirage 2000-5 fighter ofthe Republic of China Air Force takesoff during an exercise on the islandstate © Andrei Chang/Gordon Arthur


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DDEEFFEENNCCEE

transmission, rotor mast and automatic flightcontrol system. On 18 October 2007, KAI andEurocopter created a 50/50 joint venture tointernationally market the KUH with thegoal of 300 export sales over 25 years.Another potential project is the Korean

Attack Helicopter (KAH), with KAI exhibit-ing two scale models at last year’s Seoul AirShow. One design was a dedicated attackhelicopter utilising 60 percent of KUH com-ponents; it reflects Eurocopter’s involvementin that it resembles a Tiger. South Korea isnot expected to announce KAH requirementsuntil late 2010, but around 270 are needed toreplace elderly Cobras and MD500s. It willtake KAI and Eurocopter six to eight years tocreate a working prototype.The sheer size of Indian helicopter con-

tracts has manufacturers salivating. The com-petition for 197 Reconnaissance andSurveillance Helicopters (RSH) has been nar-rowed down to the Eurocopter Fennec AS550

C3, Kamov Ka-226 and AgustaWestlandAW119. A decision should be announced inearly 2011, according to Rainer Farid,Eurocopter’s South Asia Regional SalesDirector. The RSH programme will involvelocalised production and 50 percentoffsets. The subcontinent also requires up to380 10-12-tonne Indian Multi-RoleHelicopters (IMRH) in a co-development/co-production project.To help meet India’s stringent 26 percent

direct foreign investment regulations,AgustaWestland created a joint venture withTata Sons in February 2010 for final assemblyof AW119 helicopters in India. The first willbe delivered in 2011, with expected annualproduction of 30 craft. The Indian Navy’ssearch for 16 ship-based medium helicoptersis nearing the final hurdle, with competitionhoned down to the European NH90 andAmerican Sikorsky MH-60R. Referring totechnological partnership in India, Mr. Faridconceded, “HAL is the only real partner pos-sibility. It’s challenging to team up with aninexperienced company, but HAL has limit-ed experience with helicopter production.”

This statement underscores a relevant point –European companies require competentAsian partners to work with, a factor that sig-nificantly narrows the range of candidates.Eurocopter is willing to offer India 100 per-cent TOT, and it already has a Bangalore liai-son office to oversee outsourcing activitiessuch as metallic and composite work pack-ages. HAL, which builds Fennec airframes, isalready a tier one global supplier. Mr. Faridstated Eurocopter could shift half its produc-tion to India, which would be an astonishingdecision if it materialises! A recent reportconcerning Malaysia’s “off again-on again”purchase of twelve EC725 Cougars revealedEurocopter was negotiating pilot and groundcrew training packages. This type of trainingcontract offers business opportunities toEuropean companies too.The prototypical Light Combat Helicopter

(LCH) is based on HAL’s Dhruv AdvancedLight Helicopter (ALH), which could yetbecome a significant export success. Initialoperating capability is expected in December2011, and like the ALH, it is powered by twin

An Indonesian-built CN-235 of the Republic ofKorea Air Force is the fruit of a joint venturebetween EADS CASA and PT DirgantaraIndonesia © Gordon Arthur

This KUH Surion built by KAI with Eurocopter’sassistance was exhibited at the Seoul Air Showin October 2009 © Gordon Arthur



Shakti engines co-developed with Turbomecain France. The LCH will be armed with aNexter 20mm M 621 cannon mounted in aTHL 20 turret. Mati Hindrekus, MBDAMarketing Communications Manager,advised that Mistral 2 missiles and ATAMsystem have already been delivered for inte-gration on an armed demonstrator. HAL andTurbomeca have long enjoyed fruitful coop-eration, and joint development of the Shaktiengine for high-altitude operations began in1999. Under an Indian RFP for 22 attack heli-copters issued last year, AgustaWestland isoffering a customised T129.Even Japan, which favours US aircraft,

has hopped on the European bandwagon.The Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force(JMSDF) is using the EC135 as a trainingcraft, and up to 15 could be ordered.The JMSDF also selected theAgustaWestland AW101, which Kawasaki isbuilding under license.Other important European rotary-winged

products are the NH90 and Tiger. Australiaopted for 22 Tiger Armed ReconnaissanceHelicopters (ARH). These, along with theNH90 MRH, are being assembled in Brisbaneby Australian Aerospace, a wholly ownedsubsidiary of EADS. Employing a workforceof 1,100, Australian Aerospace claims it has

injected A$1.7 billion into the local aerospaceindustry. Australian Aerospace also prom-ised 750 further jobs if the NH90 maritimevariant is chosen to replace the navy’sSeahawk and Seasprite fleets. This level oflocal integration reveals an important differ-ence between European and American com-panies, for US corporations are not preparedto set up local operations in the fashion thatEurocopter does, for example. New Zealand,too, has turned to Europe to replace ageingAmerican helicopters like the UH-1H. NewZealand ordered eight NH90 craft in 2006, aswell as five AgustaWestland AW109 craft.

UAVsUnmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are bolster-ing aerospace sales, with demand by the USmilitary alone increasing six-fold since 2004.

The demand for UAVs worldwide is expect-ed to double from 2010-15. Israel and the US,rather than Europe, are the main centres ofgravity for UAV technological partnership inAsia-Pacific. However, some countries likeSouth Korea and India are vigorously pursu-ing indigenous UAV programmes.

Reversing the flow?Excluding China and Japan, the two Asiancountries emerging as significant aerospaceplayers are India and South Korea. Bothnations aim to boost arms exports. India isalready achieving limited exports of Dhruvhelicopters to countries like Ecuador, and it isfirmly established in Eurocopter’s globalsupply chain. Meanwhile, South Korea hasdeveloped the T-50 Golden Eagle advancedtrainer with Lockheed Martin assistance.Interestingly, as part of growing SouthKorean cooperation, Turkey selected the KT-1 basic trainer from KAI in June 2007. Thistransaction sees Asian aerospace productsnow being exported from Asia to Europe! Asthe Asia-Pacific aerospace sector matures,this is something that may occur more regu-larly in the future.

The United Kingdom hasscored successes with salesof BAE Systems Hawk jettrainers to Australia, India,Indonesia and Malaysia


A Eurofighter Typhoon in India. EADS is putting much weight on winning the MMRCA competition ©Andrei Chang/Gordon Arthur

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AUSTRALIAUpgraded Light ArmouredVehicles for AustraliaThe Australian Light Armoured Vehicle(ASLAV) upgrade has been granted secondpass approval by the government. Theupgrade, announced by the AustralianMinister for Defence, Senator John Faulkner,will enhance the combat protection levels ofthe ASLAVs deployed in the Middle EastArea of Operations since 2004.

The upgrade is part of LAND 112 Phase 4– ASLAV Enhancement, and will cost an esti-mated A$302.8 million. The plans will see theASLAV receive enhanced armoured protec-tion against a wider range of threats includ-ing Improvised Explosive Devices throughthe improvement of ballistic, fragmentationand blast protection capabilities.

113 upgraded vehicles are to be deliveredstarting in April 2012, with the governmentcurrently considering options for significantexpedition of the programme to get theupgraded vehicles into theatre more quickly.

There are also plans to improve suspen-sion, driveline and engine during theupgrade to keep the ASLAV in top condi-

tion for the remainder of its service life. Pre-modification and refurbishment work,including the installation of upgrade kitsand the redesign and manufacturing ofmine blast belly plates will be carried out byGeneral Dynamics Land Systems – Australiain South Australia.

RAN Collins Class submarines toreceive Pacific Marine Batteriesbattery setsPacific Marine Batteries of Australia hasreceived a contract to provide replacementbatteries and technical support of batteriesfor the RAN’s Collins Class Submarines.

Greg Combet of the Defence MaterielOrganisation (DMO) made the announce-ment following a visit to the company’sfacilities in Adelaide. The Acquisition con-tract, worth an approximate A$81 million,will see the provision of five CollinsClass submarines battery sets over the nextsix years.

The Standing Offer contract will see

Pacific Marine Batteries provide short noticetechnical support over the next seven yearsfor the Collins Class battery sets. This willinclude the ongoing provision of anEnvironmental Protection Authorityapproved storage facility for four batterysets, with two in storage and two readyfor disposal.

Under the contract, Pacific MarineBatteries will also ensure cells are kept well-conditioned using specialist equipment inanticipation of short-notice installation, andwill undertake the decommissioning anddisposal at the end of each battery set life.

RAAF receives first twoWedgetail AEW&C aircraftThe first two Wedgetail Airborne EarlyWarning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft havebeen received by the Royal Australian AirForce (RAAF) at RAAF Base Williamtown inNewcastle by Minister for Defence Materieland Science, Greg Combet.

The Wedgetail aircraft delivery comesmore than a decade after the programme wasinitiated, with the project suffering schedul-ing delays, and requiring intensive effortfrom the government to get the programmeback on track.

The aircraft are the first two of six unitsthat will be delivered under the programme,and will bring a major boost to the ADF’ssurveillance capabilities. Each Wedgetail air-craft is capable of covering a four millionsquare kilometre area on a typical 10 hourmission, and an area of 400,000 square kilo-metres at any one time.

The aircraft, with sophisticated missionsystems and advanced radar, will be primari-ly tasked with air threat detection, air defencecoordination, as well as supporting navalfleets, and carrying out search and rescueoperations and border protection missions.

Formal training and operational capabili-ty preparation is now to be undertaken overa 12 month period by the ADF along withBoeing in order to bring the fleet up to fulloperational readiness.

Australia seeks purchase ofShadow UAVsAustralia has initiated the possible purchaseof two RQ-7B Shadow 200 Unmanned


Asia Pacific Procurement Update

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

The planned ASLAV enhancement programmefocuses on force protection © Australian DoD



Aircraft Systems (UAS) under a ForeignMilitary Sale (FMS) with the US government.Along with the two UAS the Australian

government has requested communicationequipment to include 4 Ground ControlStations, support equipment, spare andrepair parts, tools and test equipment, techni-cal data and publications, personnel trainingand training equipment, US government andcontractor engineering, technical and logis-tics support services, and other related ele-ments of logistics support, at a combinedestimated cost of $218 million.If approved, the sale will greatly enhance

Australia’s ongoing ground operation capa-bilities within Afghanistan, as well as givingthe Australian Defence Force greaterhumanitarian assistance, disaster relief, andstability operation capabilities in the Asia-Pacific region.The proposed sale will see prime contrac-

tor AAI Corporation deliver the systems in-country.

Australia reaches communicationsproject milestoneAustralia’s Joint Project 2043 High FrequencyModernisation project has reached whatGreg Combet, Minister for Defence Materieland Science, called a ‘milestone’, with thefinal Fixed Network system being recentlyformally accepted from prime contractor,Boeing Australia.

The High Frequency Modernisation(HFMOD) programme will provideAustralian armed forces with a secure com-mand and control information exchangecapability. The system is a ‘primary surviv-able system’, and will act as a parallel systemto satellite communications.The Modernised High Frequency

Communications System consists of a net-work of HF radio stations, and a central net-work management facility located inCanberra. When complete the project will sig-nificantly modernise and enhance the ADF’shigh frequency communications capability,and greater levels of automation.

Thales SATCOM equipmentselected for AWDsAustralia’s Air Warfare Destroyers (AWDs)are to be fitted with Thales satellite communi-cation (SATCOM) equipment under a con-tract announced by Greg Combet, Ministerfor Defence Materiel and Science, worth anapproximate $9 million.The Hobart class destroyers, the Royal

Australian Navy’s (RAN’s) newest and mostcapable all-purpose war ships, are due toenter service with the RAN in 2013, and willprovide air defences for accompanyingships, land forces, and infrastructure incoastal areas.According to Combet, the Thales equip-

ment will provide ‘world-wide coverage of

high-speed broadband for multiple users forboth voice and data services’; giving the fleetthe necessary communications system capa-ble of meeting ‘not only the operational needsof a modern warship, but also allowing theship’s crew to keep in touch with family andfriends via email and internet services’.The selected system will incorporate

equipment from leading SATCOM suppliersincluding ViaSat, SITEP and Thrane &Thrane. In the interests of training and main-tenance support, some of this equipment isalready deployed on RAN warships.Thales will undertake design and fabrica-

tion work in Sydney at its Garden Islandfacility and installation will take place atTechport Australia in Adelaide.

Australian troops to receive new body armourThe Australian Chief of Army, LieutenantGeneral Ken Gillespie, has announced that anew light-weight combat body armour systemfor soldiers will begin trials by the end of 2010during a three day visit to Afghanistan.The new system, called the Tiered Body

Armour System (TBAS), was demonstrated bytroops at Multinational Base Tarin Kowt. It islighter than the current Modular CombatBody Armour System (MCBAS), and likely tobe issued to key elements of the next rotationof Australian troops deployed to Afghanistanduring ‘2011’.

MALAYSIASecond Scorpene Submarinesails home to MalaysiaThe second of two Scorpene-type sub-marines commissioned for the RoyalMalaysian Navy (RMN) has left Toulon,France, for the two month journey hometo Malaysia. The submarine will makeseveral ports of call during the trip, andwill first arrive in Malaysia in the port ofLumut, then head for its base at KotaKinabalu on Borneo island.Following its arrival in Malaysia the

vessel, named KD Tun Razak, will under-go scheduled maintenance and tropical climate sea trials.The first Scorpene submarine, the KD

Tunku Abdul Rahman, arrived in thecountry in September 2009. The contractfor the two Scorpene submarines,designed by DCNS and jointly developedby DCNS and Spanish naval shipbuilderNavantia, was signed between the

Malaysian government and DCNS inJune 2002. The agreement included associated

logistics and training, and the Malaysiangovernment signed a further contractwith DCNS earlier this year for the deliv-ery of a training and navigation safetyand combat simulator system and associated services as part of the Royal

Malaysian Navy’s (RMN’s) Scorpene submarine programme, enabling theRMN to enhance their training practiceswith the submarines. Each Scorpene submarine has a dis-

placement of 1,550 tonnes and a lengthoverall of 67.5 metres. Each boat requires acrew of just 31 and has a maximumendurance of 45 days.

The delivery of the second submarine completes Malaysia’s Scorpene acquisition © DCNS

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NEW ZEALAND New Zealand acceptsHMNZS Wellington into NavyThe Royal New Zealand Navy has for-mally accepted the seventh and finalOffshore Patrol Vessel HMNZSWellington commissioned under ProjectProtector in a ceremony in Melbourne.The vessel was received by Chief of

Navy, Rear-Admiral Tony Parr andMinistry of Defence Project DirectorGary Collier. The delivery marked a newphase of the Royal New Zealand Navy,with the full Project Protector fleet nowcomplete, boosting New Zealand’s off-shore patrol capabilities including deliv-ering the full range of operations fromcombat and security missions to peace-keeping, border patrol and humanitari-an and disaster relief.Along with sister ship Otago,

HMNZS Wellington will performExclusive Economic Zone patrols, sur-veillance and military operationsaround New Zealand, the southernocean and the Pacific, with their heli-copter capability, sea-boats andembarked forces.HMNZS Wellington and Otago are

OPVs capable of extending the reach ofthe Navy’s Inshore Patrol Vessels, ableto go undertake missions further off-shore, for longer duration, conductingpatrol and surveillance operationsaround New Zealand’s maritime areas.The vessels feature strengthened

hulls capable of enduring the icy condi-tions of southern waters, and carry aSeasprite SH2G helicopter for helicopteroperations, and Rigid Hull InflatableBoats for boarding operations.HMNZS Wellington will now under-

go safety and operational preparationsin advance of her delivery voyage toNew Zealand.

VIETNAM Vietnam Navy orders first everwestern-built aircraftThe Vietnam Navy is to receive its first everwestern-built aircraft following the finalisa-tion of a purchase agreement with Canadiancompany Viking Air for the purchase of sixDHC-6 Twin Otter Series 400 aircraft.The contract follows a thorough pro-

curement process including an extensive

evaluation and configuration phase andseveral years of collaboration between theVietnamese Navy, the GAET Companyfrom the Ministry of Defence, Viking, andits local representative, Canam ActiveEnterprises Inc.The DHC-6 Twin Otter fleet will form

the initial fixed-wing aircraft air wing ofthe Vietnam Navy, and three of the aircraftwill be designated ‘Guardian 400’ mar-

itime patrol variants, equipped foramphibious operations, carrying outtransport, resupply, maritime surveillanceand search and rescue operations through-out Vietnam’s 3400 km coastline andcoastal regions.With convertible interiors, the remaining

three aircraft will be configured for VIP,commuter and utility operations. The aircraftwill be delivered between 2012 and 2014.

INDIAIndia to acquire Ultra LightHowitzers and new AW-101 helicoptersThe Indian Army is to acquire Ultra LightHowitzers (ULHs) as per the provisionsof Defence Procurement Procedure 2008.The Indian Defence Minister, Shri AK

Antony, announced the prospective pro-curement that is being sought via theForeign Military Sales (FMS) with the USGovernment. A formal request was madeto the US with a Letter of Request in May 2009. The Defence Minister also announced

that the Indian Ministry of Defence hassigned a contract with Agusta WestlandLimited, United Kingdom, for the pro-curement of 12 AW-101 helicopters forVIP transportation. No other details of thecontract were released.

Indian Army orders a further124 MBT Arjun The Indian Army is to order a new batchof 124 Main Battle Tank Arjuns followingsuccessful desert trials of the vehicle. Theorder follows an initial order of 124 for theindigenously built MBT Arjun.The additional order will put to rest

long persisting doubts about the Arjun,with critics suggesting the tank would notmeet the tough operational requirementsof the Indian Army. The tank is reportedto have performed ‘superbly’ during tri-als, effectively driving cross-country overrugged sand dunes, detecting, observingand quickly engaging targets, accuratelyhitting stationary and moving targetswith pin pointed accuracy.The gestation of the Arjun MBT

stretches back over 35 years to 1974 when

the government approved design and development plans for the home-grown vehicle, aiming to provide an‘indigenous cutting edge’ to IndianMechanised Forces. Trials are also believed to have con-

firmed the Arjun’s superior fire-power,based on accurate and quick target acquisi-tion capability during day and night in alltypes of weather, and shortest possiblereaction time during combat engagements.

IAF’s Light Combat Helicoptertakes flightIndia’s long-awaited indigenous LightCombat Helicopter (LCH) has undertakenits maiden flight in a display attended bythe Defence Secretary RK Singh, Vice Chiefof Air Staff, Air Marshal PK Barbora,Chairman HAL, Ashok Nayak and seniorofficials of Defence ministry and the forcesat the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited(HAL) airport on 23 May.The aircraft, manufactured by HAL, is

a dedicated attack helicopter with nar-row fuselage and tandem seating forpilot and co-pilot, designed with lowdetection characteristics includingreduced visual, aural, radar and infraredsignatures. The aircraft features hinge-less rotors and Shakti engines forenhanced manoeuvrability.The aircraft also features chin mounted

canon and helmet mounted sighting sys-tems giving greater range of target acqui-sition, and advanced sensor suite includ-ing CCD Camera, Forward lookinginfrared imaging technology and Laserrange finder.The maiden flight of the LCHmarks India’s entry into the very few coun-tries in the world capable of producingattack helicopters.



PAKISTANPakistan Air Force poised forF-16 fleet upgrade Pakistan is a step closer to its long-awaitedF-16 fleet upgrade, following the gradua-tion ceremony of eight Pakistani air forcepilots from the international F-16 trainingunit with the Arizona Air National Guardin the United States.

The pilot training is a vital component ofPakistan’s preparation for the arrival of thefirst batch of four F-16 aircraft scheduledfor delivery June 26 at Shahbaz Air Base inPakistan.

The Block 52 versions of the multi-rolefighter will bring a much-needed upgradeto the existing 30 year old A-modelPakistani fleet. The new aircraft brings asignificant increase in capabilities, includ-ing night operations and the ability toenhance the use of precision munitions.

The existing F-16 fleet will undergo amid-life upgrade in 2011, following the com-pletion of delivery of the new fleet, whichwill be staggered throughout the remainderof 2010. When upgraded the original fleetwill feature upgraded cockpit and avionics,bringing them up to F-16C/D standards.

The Pakistani pilots have spent 10months in upgrade training on the newerC/D model aircraft, including two monthsat the Defense Language Institute atLackland Air Force Base, Texas, and sevenmonths in flight training at TucsonInternational Airport. As the C/D-modelsused for training in Arizona are Block 25 F-

16s, the pilots will now undergo two weeksof additional Block 52 instruction beforereturning to Pakistan.

Pakistan Navy to acquireUSS McInerneyThe Pakistan Navy is to take delivery ofUSS McInerney after its planned decom-mission from the US Navy this summer,following a meeting between the Pakistanand US Navies hosted by VSE Corporation,the global engineering, industrial and logis-tics group.

The agreement was finalised with a let-ter of Offer and Acceptance, signed byPakistan Navy Captain Abdul Rehman,Attache for Defense Procurement (AirForce/Navy) and accepted by Naval SeaSystems Command representative, USNavy Captain Chris Pietras.

Under the agreement, the VSE’s NavalShip Transfer and Repair team will under-take a shipyard industrial availability con-tract to make ship repairs to upgrade andextend the service life of USS McInerney, aswell as providing maintenance and opera-tional training for the Pakistani crew. Initialtraining will be carried out by the US Navyuntil the ship is officially transferred to thePakistan Navy in late August.

Following the transfer, VSW ShipTraining and Assistance Team (STAT) willconduct underway training for the crew,and US Navy Afloat Training Group willcarry out a final evaluation of the Pakistanicrew’s ability to operate the ship and all its

equipment. The crew will sail the ship backto Karachi, Pakistan accompanied by theVSE Transfer Assistance Team.

Pakistan Army receives Bell412 EP HelicoptersPakistan has taken delivery of two Bell 412EP helicopters from the US government ina signing ceremony at Qasim Army AirBase near Rawalpindi, Pakistan, attendedby US Army Brig. Gen. Michael Nagata andIndian Army Brig. Gen. Tippu Karim, 101Army Aviation commander.

The enhanced-performance utility trans-port helicopters will bring new power toPakistan’s counterinsurgency efforts. TheUS will also provide associated spare parts,special tools andother supporting equip-ment, at a combined cost of $20 million.

The US has taken great strides in recentyears to support Pakistan’s interests, anddevelop a long-term strategic partnershipwith the country, to the tune of more than$4 billion. Specifically, assistance fornational defence enhancement has includ-ed 14 F-16 fighter aircraft, 10 Mi-17 helicop-ters, more than 450 vehicles for Pakistan'sFrontier Corps, hundreds of night visiongoggles, day/night scopes, radios, andthousands of protective vests and first-aiditems for Pakistan's security forces.

The US has also provided civilian andhumanitarian support to the country in theform of medical aid, food distribution, andvital infrastructure reconstruction anddevelopment.

The USS McInerney inUSN service © DoD

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