AMR Nov 2014

VOLUME 22/ISSUE 7 NOVEMBER 2014 US$15

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NOVEMBER 2014VOLUME 22 / ISSUE 7

ContentsContents

Front Cover Photo:The Australian Army is in themarket to replace its GeneralDynamics ASLAV (AustralianLight Armoured Vehicle)armoured personnel carrierfleet, as discussed in AndrewWhite’s ‘Roll With It’ article© Australian Departmentof National Defence

Feeding the Future ForceUK-based defence journalistAndrew Drweiga looks at the stepsbeing taken by the Indonesian armedforces to modernise their equipmentafter the recent lifting of armsembargoes against the country.

24

Roll With ItChinese strategic grandstanding and fleet recapitalisation are major driversin the current armoured vehicles market in the Asia-Pacific as UK-baseddefence journalist Andrew White finds out.

12

Deep ThoughtsUK-based naval affairs journalistEdward Hooton investigatessubmarine procurement in theAsia-Pacific region in terms ofcurrent and future programmes.

36

44

Toxicology ReportAndy Oppenheimer, a UnitedKingdom-based weapons ofmass destruction expert, providessome in-depth analysis of thechemical weapons threats to theAsia-Pacific region.

54

Dragon’s DenChina’s military modernisationis at a break-neck pace,prompting regional and globalconcerns. Hong Kong-baseddefence photojournalistGordon Arthur takes a look atBeijing’s defence priorities.

18

Talking ShopAMR editor Thomas Withingtonprovides a round-up of the latesthappenings in the world ofhandheld tactical radios for squadand platoon commanders in theAsia-Pacific and beyond.

30

Blade RunnerHelicopters excel as air-to-groundweapons platforms, with severalAsia-Pacific countries pouringinvestment into their fleets to thisend, as UK-based defence journal-ist Andrew Drweiga explains.

AMR editorThomasWithington’s‘Pulse’ columnprovides allthe latestnews andanalysis acrossthe defenceRF (RadioFrequency)spectrum.

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Editorial

Speaking on 2 October 2014, General Herbert‘Hawk’ Carlisle, commander of the UnitedStates Air Force Pacific Air Forces, assured theworld that the majority of air intercepts by People’s Liberation Army

Air Force (PLAAF) aircraft of United States military jets over the past year havebeen performed in a safe manner.

Gen. Carlisle’s comments follow the most recent ‘encounter’ which occurred on 22 August 2014 between a PLAAF Sukhoi Su-27SK multi-role combat aircraft and aUS Navy Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol plane. At one point the two aircraftwere said to have been just 30 feet (nine metres) away from one another, a cigarettepaper’s breadth in aviation terms. The incident occurred around 117 nautical miles(217 kilometres) from China’s Hainan Island in the South China Sea.

The 22 August 2014 incident was one of the latest of a series of interceptions of USaircraft performed by the PLAAF since China implemented its controversial ‘AirDefence Identification Zone’ (ADIZ) on 23 November 2013. Although the ADIZ doesnot cover Hainan Island, China’s actions are designed to demonstrate its influenceover an area which it sees as its own backyard. The US flights are designed to reassure allies in the Asia-Pacific region such as Japan, the Republic of Korea andTaiwan that Washington’s presence is robust and that Beijing cannot throw itsweight around unchecked.

Air interceptions are an integral part of the Cold War which has emerged betweenChina and the United States. Providing that both sides respect the rules of the game,most importantly vis-à-vis safe navigation, there is no reason why incidents such asthat which occurred on 22 August 2014 should escalate into anything more serious.

However, many readers will remember the in-flight collision between a US NavyLockheed Martin EP-3E Aries-II signals intelligence aircraft and a PLAAF ShenyangJ-8II air superiority fighter on 1 April 2001. This caused the death of the PLAAF pilot,a forced landing by the EP-3E on Hainan Island and a diplomatic crisis between thetwo countries. Both China and the United States will continue to meet each other’smilitary aircraft in Asia-Pacific skies, although a second incident akin to the onewhich took place on 1 April 2001 could be altogether more difficult to resolve.

Thomas Withington, Editor

EditorialIndex of Advertisers

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RadarThe Tentara Nasional Indonesia-Angkatan Udara (TNI-AU/Indonesian Air Force) is to acquire two Airbus Defence andSpace MSSR 2000-I Secondary Surveillance Radars (SSRs). Theseradars are being delivered to equip mobile air surveillance unitsoperated by the TNI-AU. Both radars are expected to be deliveredby the start of 2015. The MSSR-2000-I is housed in a single box andcan plug into any eight-metre (26-feet) antenna, with the wholesystem connecting to an air traffic control or integrated air defencenetwork, using the ASTERIX (All Purpose Structured EurocontrolSurveillance Information Exchange) radar data protocol.In terms of performance the Ultra High Frequency (UHF/300

megahertz to three gigahertz) MSSR-2000-I family has an instru-mented range of up to 331 nautical miles (613 kilometres), andcan detect up to 1500 targets across a 360 degree radius, 400 tar-gets across a 45 degree swathe of the sky, and 110 targets in a 3.5degree segment.Six radars comprise the MSSR-2000-I family, including the

MSSR-2000-I Mode-5/Mode-S 500 Watt and MSSR-2000-I Mode-5/Mode-S 1500Watt single chain systems, theMSSR-2000-I Mode-5/Mode-S 2000 Watt variant, and the MSSR-2000-I Mode-5/Mode-S 500 Watt Dual Redundant radar. This latter productincludes two of the single chain 500Watt interrogators, as does theMSSR-2000-I Mode-5/Mode-S 1500 Watt Dual Redundant radaralong with the MSSR-2000-I Mode-5/Mode-S 2000 Watt DualRedundant system which has two 2000 Watt single chain inter-rogators. Mode-5/Mode-S is the latest generation military (NorthAtlantic Treaty Organisation) and civilian (International CivilAviation Organisation) air traffic control transponder protocolwhich assigns a permanent 24-bit address to each aircraft.Selex unveiled its newGabbiano TS-80 PLUS surveillance radar

at the International Defence Industry Exhibition held in Poland in

early September 2014. Designed for airborne ground andmaritimesurveillance, the radar provides Synthetic Aperture and InverseSynthetic Aperture imagery. Providing 360 degrees of azimuthand +20 degrees and -50 degrees of elevation scanning, the radarimposes a weight penalty of 97 pounds (44 kilograms). Selex statesthat the radar can be mounted either in the belly, or in the nose, ofan aircraft and that, in performance terms, it equals the firms’Gabbiano T200. This latter radar is an X-band (8.5-10.68 giga-hertz/GHz) systemwith a detection range of up to 220nm (407km)when performing maritime surveillance, and can track around 200targets simultaneously. Selex say that the TS-80 PLUS meantimebetween-failures rate is 2500 hours.Israeli radar specialists RADA have revealed that the company’s

MHR Radar was used extensively during Operation ProtectiveEdge, the Israeli combined air and ground campaign which com-menced on 8 July 2014 to stop rocket fire by the Hamas insurgentorganisation against Israeli targets from the Gaza Strip on theMediterranean coast. During the operation, the MHR radar wasdeployed in the Gaza Strip during the Israeli Army ground offen-sive which commenced on 18 July 2014. The radars were used todetect Hamas mortar shell launches and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle(UAV) flights. This informationwas then sharedwith the Israeli AirForce’s Central Early Warning system which alerts Israeli citizensto incoming ordnance. The S-band (2.3-2.5/2.7-3.7GHz) MHR(Multi-mission Hemispheric Radar) has a detection range of up tonine nautical miles (16 kilometres), with the ability to predict theprecise point of impact for an incoming projectile. Using fourActive Electronically Scanned Array antennae providing PulseDoppler transmission, the radar provides 360 degree coverage andhas an average per-panel transmission power of 60 watts.

Selex’s new Gabbiano TS-80 PLUS airborne surveillance radar is designedfor ground and maritime tasks and is equipped with a synthetic apertureradar, with the ability to track up to 200 target simultaneously © Selex

PULSEby Thomas Withington

RADA’s Multi-mission Hemispheric Radar (MHR) has been extensively usedby the Israeli Defence Force in recent months for rocket, artillery andmortar fire detection during combat operations in the Gaza Strip © RADA

Pulse Nov:AMR 10/22/14 11:13 AM Page 2

UTC Aerospace and Selex have supplied Pulse with additionaldetails regarding the company’s TacSAR (Tactical SyntheticAperture Radar) airborne reconnaissance system. The America andItalian companies announced on 16 July 2014 plans to jointly devel-op the TacSAR as an integration option for UTC Aerospace’s DB-110 airborne reconnaissance pod. The DB-110 can equip multi-rolecombat aircraft such as Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block-50/52Fighting Falcon with a reconnaissance capability which can affix toone of the aircraft’s hardpoints. The devel-opment of a Synthetic Aperture Radar(SDAR) for the DB-110 was the result of “anumber of DB-110 operators worldwide(expressing) their requirement for comple-mentary radar based recce pods”, accordingto a statement from UTC supplied to Pulse.Presently, the DB-110 pod contains optron-ics. The TacSAR architecture includes an AESA antenna providingtwo-dimensional X-band radar imagery. In terms of its physicaldesign, “In the TacSAR configuration, the Selex radar equipment,antenna, receiver and processor will occupy the central pod baywhere the DB-110 sensor is currently located. The TacSAR podmaintains the outer mould line of the DB-110 version, but with theoptical windows replaced by radome shields. Available modes forthe TacSAR include spot and strip imaging and inverse SAR.” UTC

declined to provide details on potential customers for the TacSARalthough confirmed that “it has been approached to offer TacSARproposals to multiple DB-110 operators.” There is also no word onwhen the first TacSAR systems may be delivered.The Multi-Function Fire Control Radar (MFCR); a key compo-

nent of the Lockheed Martin/MBDA MEADS (Medium ExtendedAir Defence System) Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) programmewill“receive its final software build and will undergo additional tests

validating the radar’s software” before theend of 2014, MBDA spokesperson GünterAbel told Pulse. He added that this will meanthe radar is ready for deployment in the nextthree years. The X-band MFCR provides thetarget detection, tracking and the fire controlfor overall MEADS SAM system. Using anAESA antenna, the MFCR can employ its

main beam to provide a datalink to the missile, and has an integralMode-5/Mode-S IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) antenna.Looking towards the Asia-Pacific, United Kingdom-based sen-

sor specialists Cambridge Pixel has implemented a tracking soft-ware package onto the Blighter Ground Surveillance Radars (GSR)which UK radar company Plextek has delivered to the Republic ofKorea (RoK). According to Cambridge Pixel’s managing directorDavid Johnson, “The Cambridge Pixel tracker allows the operator


The Lockheed Martin/MBDA Medium-range Extended AirDefence System Multifunction Fire Control Radar is expectedto receive its final software configuration, and to undergotests, by the end of 2014 © MEADS International

The MFCR providestarget detection,

tracking and the firecontrol for the

MEADS SAM system



to more easily identify persistent targets that are moving withintent.” He adds that, in addition “it allows nuisance alarms fromthe movement of vegetation and non-threat targets such as farmersin fields to be ignored. The tracker also provides the operator witha target ground speed and heading allowing cameras to better trackthe targets or for the security forces to intercept the targets.” Nowfully implemented on the radars, the tracker can be installed eitheras “a separate application that can be providedwith the radar, or asan upgrade at a later date.” The Ku-band (13.4-14/15.7-17.7GHz)Blighter GSR family includes three subvariants, the B202 Mk.2which can be used either as a vehicle or man-portable system. TheB303, meanwhile, can be used in a trailer-, or vehicle-mounted con-figuration, with the B400 designed to be positioned at fixed instal-lations. In terms of range, the radar is believed to have a gaze ofbetween 20 metres (65 feet) up to eight kilometres (five miles).

Electronic WarfareThe Marine Nationale (French Navy) will upgrade all four of itsNorthrop Grumman E-2C Hawkeye Airborne Early Warning(AEW) aircraft with a new Electronic Support Measure (ESM). Itwas announced by Northrop Grumman on 22 August 2014 that

the company had been awarded a contract through the US NavyNaval Air System Command for an engineering and develop-ment contract covering the supply of five Lockheed MartinAN/ALQ-217 ESMs for the aircraft. This would presumablycover the provision of one system per aircraft and one spare. Thecontract, worth $47.6 million, is being performed under the termsof a ForeignMilitary Sale. The provision of the AN/ALQ-217 setsis expected to be completed by 2018. The AN/ALQ-217, which isalso deployed onboard the Lockheed Martin P-3C Orion mar-itime patrol aircraft, provides 360 degree detection of RadioFrequency (RF) threats around the aircraft and, although not dis-closed by the company, is thought to cover all radar bands in the0.5-20GHz frequency spectrum. The equipment can accuratelyidentify RF threats and their location, even in dense electromag-netic environments. The installation of the AN/ALQ-217 on theFrench aircraft brings them up to the same equipment standardas the US Navy’s E-2C Hawkeyes. The AN/ALQ-216 replaces the

PULSE

The US Navy’s Raytheon AN/SLQ-32(V) family of shipboard electronicwarfare systems is receiving a number of important improvements via theSurface Electronic Warfare Improvement Programme © US Navy


legacy Litton (now Northrop Grumman) AN/ALR-73 ESMwhich was originally fielded onboard the E-2C.Staying in the naval domain, General Dynamics announced on

21 August 2014 that it had been awarded a $19.5 million firm fixedprice contract for 16 Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) units of itsSurface ElectronicWarfare Improvement Programme (SEWIP) sys-tems for the United States Navy’s Raytheon AN/SLQ-32(V)Electronic Warfare (EW) systems. The AN/SLQ-32(V) is usedacross the US Navy surface fleet. It is designed to protect shipsagainst attack by Anti-Ship Missile (AShM). Five versions of theAN/SLQ-32 have been developed. The AN/SLQ-32(V)1 wasdesigned with a Radar Warning Receiver to detect high-band (typ-ically X-band and above) radars used by combat aircraft andAShMs. The AN/SLQ-32(V)2 expanded the RWR to detect navalsurveillance and fire control radars, which in turn provided theship with an ability to passively target hostile vessels with AShMsby geo-locating these RF emissions. The AN/SLQ-32(V)3 expand-ed the AN/SLQ-32(V)2 by adding a radar jammer to enhance ves-sel protection, while the AN/SLQ-32(V)4, which was designed forinstallation aboard aircraft carriers, constituted two AN/SLQ-32(V)3 systems working from a single computer and display. Acompact version of the AN/SLQ-32(V)4 was realised in the form ofthe AN/SLQ-32(V)5 designed to equip ‘Oliver Hazard Perry’ classfrigates in the wake of the 17 May 1987 MBDA/Aerospatiale AM-39 Exocet AShM attack on the USS Stark, one of the frigates fromthis class, by the Iraqi Air Force Dassault Mirage-F1EQ ground-attack aircraft in the Persian Gulf which killed 37 sailors. With theexception of the AN/SLQ-32(V)4, all AN/SLQ-32(V) systems areconnected to a BAE Systems Mk.36 Super Rapid BloomingOnboard Chaff (SRBOC) chaff and flare decoy launcher, andMk.53Nulka active missile decoy launcher. All of the US Navy’sAN/SLQ-32(V)1/2 systems have now been upgraded to AN/SLQ-32(V)3 status. The SEWIP initiative is rolling out new hardwareacross the active AN/SLQ-32(V) family. It will initially offerimproved RF detection, and then, from 2017, improved jamming.The SEWIP uses a modular, open systems approach to ease theinstallation of new hardware.The SEWIP is being rolled out via a series of ‘Blocks’. SEWIP

Block-1A improves the AN/SLQ-32(V) display and interface,along with adding Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) hardwareto operate the display and to perform some of the systems’ signalprocessing. SEWIP Block-1B adds an AN/SSX-1 emitter identifi-cation system for large vessels, with smaller US Navy vesselsreceiving the Small Ship Electronic Support Measures System.SEWIP Block-1B2 further improves the emitter identificationcapabilities for ships which have received the SEWIP Block-1Bupgrade. Finally, SEWIP Block 1B3 upgrades the display andadds a High Gain High Sensitivity subsystem to further improvethe ability of the AN/SLQ-32(V) to detect radar-guided anti-shipmissiles equipped with low probability of intercept radars. TheGeneral Dynamics contract referred to above covers the LRIP ofthe SEWIP Block-1B3.

Furthermore, on 12 September 2014, Lockheed Martin receivedan LRIP contact worth $147 million for SEWIP Block-2 systems.The SEWIP Block-2 initiative improves the AN/SLQ-32(V)’s elec-tronic support measures and upgrades its antennae leading to anoverall improvement in the detection capabilities and accuracy ofthe AN/SLQ-32(V). Lockheed Martin was awarded the contractfor the SEWIP Block-2 in 2009. A SEWIP Block-3 initiative is envis-aged in the future for the AN/SLQ-32(V) which could improve theelectronic attack capabilities of the subsystem, with a mootedSEWIP Block-4 adding infra-red and optronic detection, althoughit is unclear as to when these initiatives could commence.

Tactical RadiosUS defence communications specialists Harris announced on 16September 2014 that it had been awarded a contract worth $19mil-lion by the United States Air Force Special Operations Command(USAF SOCOM) to supply 1500 of the company’s AN/PRC-152AFalcon-III wideband tactical networking radios. The AN/PRC-152A is a handheld radio which can perform narrowband com-munications in the 30-870 megahertz (MHz) range covering theVery and Ultra High Frequency ranges, plus wideband network-ing in the 225-450MHz range. In terms of waveforms, the radiosupports line-of-sight AM/FM communications, along with theSINCGARS (Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System)and HAVE QUICK-I/II waveforms for ground-to-ground andground-to-air communications, plus Harris’ proprietary HPW(High Performance Waveform). Meanwhile, the Internet ProtocolHPW and APCO P25 waveforms are available for the radio asoptions. The APCO P25 waveform allows users to link with thecommunications systems used by civilian first responders, anincreasingly important consideration when military and civilianagencies are working alongside each other during disaster relief


US tactical communications specialists Harris have been awarded acontract worth $19 million as of September 2014 to supply the UnitedStates Special Operations Command with 1500 AN/PRC-152A Falcon-IIIwideband tactical networking radios © Harris



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operations, for example. SINGARS, HAVE QUICK-I/II, HPW/IPand APCO P25 are all narrowband waveforms. In terms of wide-band waveforms the radio can use the SRW (Soldier RadioWaveform) and ANW (Airborne Networking Waveform), the for-mer of which will allow the AN/PRC-152A to connect with thetactical radios being procured by the United States Department ofDefence as part of the erstwhile JTRS (Joint Tactical Radio System).Several UHF Satellite Communications (SATCOM)waveforms arealso supported by the AN/PRC-152A including Mil-Std-188-181B/C (Military Standard-188-181B/C US military SATCOMstandard). Regarding communications security, the radio has USNational Security Agency Type-1 encryption at Top Secret andbelow levels, and can support several encryption modes includingthe USVINSONvoice encryption, andAES (Advanced EncryptionStandard) for data security.

SATCOMMeanwhile, US-based satellite communications specialist ViaSatwas awarded a contract on 9 September 2014 worth $54 millionfrom the US Department of Defence (DoD) Space and NavalWarfare Systems Command for the co-development and qualifi-cation of a Tactical Targeting Network Technology (TTNT) capa-bility for the ViaSat/Data Link Solutions MultifunctionInformation Distribution System (MIDS) terminal segment of the

JTRS programme (see above). The MIDS JTRS terminal is cur-rently undergoing development and will yield an airborne,ground and maritime datalink system which can handle theLink-16 data and voice communications protocol, together withTactical Air Navigation information.According to Jay Kaufman, vice president of tactical data links at

ViaSat, the TTNT is an IP (Internet Protocol) based radio waveformwhich has been developed in conjunctionwith theUSNavy, USAirForce and the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency. It will“support communications among sensor systems like radars andelectronic warfare subsystems to create targeting-quality locationmeasurements.” The MIDS JTRS terminal will receive new hard-ware in the form of a Line Replacement Unit and new software toaccommodate the TTNTwaveform. In addition, Mr. Kaufman saysthat “software enhancements to the cryptographic engine” of theMIDS JTRS terminal will occur, together with a “new external RFpower amplifier”. The co-development and qualification work forthe TTNT waveform and the MIDS JTRS terminal’s associatedhardware and software is expected to conclude by 2017.

ViaSat is currently integrating its Tactical Targeting NetworkTechnology waveform into the ViaSat/Data Link Solutions MultifunctionInformation Distribution System datalink system for air, ground andmaritime platforms © Viasat


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Speaking at the InternationalInstitute of Strategic Studies’Shangri-La Dialogue event inSingapore on 1 June 2014,China’s deputy chief of the

general staff of the People’s LiberationArmy, Lieutenant General WangGuanzhong responded to criticism from theUS and Japan regarding his country’s per-ceived aggression around the South ChinaSea, saying that such claims were beyondthe realm of imagination. US DefenceSecretary Chuck Hagel meanwhileresponded that his country would not toler-ate acts of Chinese hostility in the region:“We firmly oppose any nation’s use ofintimidation, coercion, or the threat of forceto assert those (territorial) claims.” Earlier,Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hadwarned that his country was planning tobecomemore of a leading player in the secu-rity of the region, a fact that has been backedup quite forcedly in Japan’s latest defenceWhite Paper published in August 2014.

The Asia-Pacific represents an interest-ing area of operations for the deploymentof armed forces with multiple islandchains, long coastlines, strategic ports,mountains and jungle all requiring veryspecific skills sets and equipment to secure.Indeed, much attention has focused on theair and maritime environment of the Asia-Pacific, but of vital importance to stateactors in the region are Infantry FightingVehicles (IFVs) and Armoured PersonnelCarriers (APCs), critical to both warfight-ing and homeland security applications.These types of platforms provide themeans to tactically project dismounted

forces into areas of responsibility swiftlyand in a controlled and protected environ-ment. To this end, many state actors in theregion are beginning to maximise theirAPC and IFV capabilities.

Arguably the biggest programmes in theregion include Australian plans to replacethe General Dynamics eight-wheel driveAustralian Light Armoured Vehicle(ASLAV) and United Defence/BAESystems M113 tracked APC fleets as part ofthe Australian Army’s Land 400 pro-gramme, as well as India’s FICV (FutureInfantry Combat Vehicle) effort.Additionally, Malaysia continues to pushahead with the procurement of itsFNSS/Deftech AV-8 APC equipped withthe Denel LCT30 turret. These programmesare indications of desires across the regionfor enhanced land force capabilities.

“The fact there are multiple ongoinglarge requirements for new-build vehiclesdemonstrates that Asia-Pacific is a healthymarket for APC and IFV platforms and thatit will remain so for at least the next five-to-ten years,” stated George Lawrence, aresearch associate at Renaissance StrategicAdvisors, a US-based consultancy.“Whilst much is made of the maritimedimension regarding the Asia-Pacificsecurity situation, the biggest players arealso heavily orientated toward land opera-tions. India, China and the Republic ofKorea face substantial threats on their landborders whilst the Japanese Ground SelfDefence Force remains focussed on a pure-ly defensive posture, meaning demand forheavy combat vehicles remains strong.Going forward there will be more empha-

sis on strategic mobility and amphibiouscapability while China’s marines alreadyhave an impressive fleet of amphibiousvehicles as an example,” Mr. Lawrenceexplained to AMR.

Themarket for APCs/IFVs in this regionis driven primarily by regional rivalries.China has undertaken an especially dra-maticmodernisation of its armoured forces,

The Asia-Pacific has become a hotbed ofactivity thanks to the US Departmentof Defence’s (DoD’s) ‘pivot’ towards theregion, while posturing by China andDemocratic Republic of Korea plus theforging of local partnerships to allay securityfears is having an impact on the region’sarmoured vehicle market.

by Andrew White

ROLL WITH IT

F I G H T I N G V E H I C L EI N FANTRY

BAE Systems’ M113 tracked armouredpersonnel carrier has proven a popularvehicle in the region with a number ofcountries. It was fittingly first deployed toVietnam in the 1960s by the US armed forces© Australian Defence

APC and IFV:AMR 10/22/14 11:26 AM Page 2



and the increased presence of US forces isunlikely to make any substantial differenceto this trend. Equally, rapid economicgrowth in most of the region has acted as acatalyst though any substantial reductionin growth could act to slow much of theplanned procurement as happened todefence projects in the region after the1997/8 Asian financial crisis.

JapanAs previously mentioned, August 2014 sawthe publication of Japan’s latest annualDefence White Paper which focused on theways and means for the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) to quickly react tosituations across a wide topography ofenvironments including land, air and sea.Reflecting the changing environment in the

region, the JGSDF’s Central ReadinessForce is in the process of being replaced bythree rapid deployment divisions as well asfour rapid deployment brigades. The WhitePaper explained that to enable swift andflexible operations the JGSDF “will deploymobile combat vehicles and remove tanksdeployed in basic operational units sta-tioned in locations other than (the islands


of) Hokkaido and Kyushu. Furthermore, itwill procure amphibious vehicles.”Arguably the most important APC pro-

gramme being undertaken by the JapaneseMinistry of Defence (MoD) as part of theNewMedium Term Defence Programme isthe Manoeuvre Combat Vehicle (MCV), aneight-wheel drive combat vehicle designedspecifically for rapid self-deployment. Witha maximum programme contract valuereaching nearly $2 billion, the MCV pro-grammewill include a turret with a 105mmmain gun. Launched in 2008 with an initialprototype, a fourth MCV variant wasunveiled in October 2013. The programmewill run through to 2016 when the platformis due to be deployed with JGSDF.The MCV was designed to augment or

replace in-service Mitsubishi HeavyIndustries (MHI) Type 74, Type 90 andType 10 armoured vehicles. A total ofbetween 200 and 300 vehicles will be man-ufactured with a retirement date projectedbetween 2045 and 2050, according to MoDfigures. The demonstrator was initiallymanufactured by Japan’s Technical

Research and Development Institute at theGround Systems Research Centre atSagmihara, although MHI has been con-tracted to deliver thewheeled combat vehi-cle in APC, Command and Control (C2)and casualty evacuation variants.The demonstrator was armed with a

105mmweapon, and was designed to pro-vide significantly higher levels of firepow-er deployable by air, land and sea, espe-cially when compared to main battletanks. It is planned for the APC to betransported by Kawasaki C-2 turbofanfreighter aircraft. Sources within theJapanese MoD informed AMR that testswere scheduled to continue into 2015 withan initial in-service date for the first vehi-cles expected by 2016. Japan currentlyoperates approximately 344 Type 96 APCswith the most recent order for theKomatsu-manufactured platforms beingreceived in 2013 for an additional elevenunits. However, the vehicles have been inservice since the end of 1999. Total expen-diture on the programme has reachedapproximately $500 million.

Japan is equally as active on the exportside of the business with MHI offering up avariant of its MCV eight-wheel drive APCto the European market in particular. Beingpromoted in casualty evacuation and C2models, the APC represents a sea-change inJapanese export strategy although particu-lar attention has been made to avoid anytype of direct action connotations.At the Eurosatory exhibition in Paris in

June 2014, MHI exhibited a variant of theMCV equipped with bar armour and a.50-calibre remote-controlled weapon sta-tion. The platform has a gross vehicleweight of approximately 28 tons andmeasures eight metres (26 feet) in lengthand is nearly three metres (nine feet)wide. It also has the capability to carry aten-ton payload. Running off MHI’s 4VAfour-cycle four-cylinder diesel engine,capable of providing up to 400kW ofpower, the APC also boasts a top speedgreater than 100 kilometres-per-hour (62miles-per-hour). It can also carry up toeleven personnel, including a crew ofthree, MHI informed AMR.


FNSS and Deftech teamed up to supply the Malaysian Armed Forces with a varietyof AV-8 APCs. A selection of these variants was shown for the first time at theDefence Services Asia exhibition in Kuala Lumpur in April 2014 © Deftech



MalaysiaIn Malaysia, Deftech and FNSS are oncourse to begin delivery of initial seriesAV-8 vehicles, Malaysia’s first indige-nous family of armoured wheeledvehicles, to the Malaysian ArmedForces by the end of 2014. The eight-wheel drive APC completed qualifica-tion tests earlier in 2014. In 2011, FNSSand Deftech joined forces to design,develop and manufacture the AV-8 aspart of a $559 million contract for 257platforms in twelve variants. The vehi-cle is based on FNSS’s PARS eight-wheel drive multi-mission platform. Itis envisaged that the AV-8s will replacein-service Rheinmetall Condor four-wheel drive and BN ConstructionsFerroviaries et Métalliques SIBMAS six-wheel drive vehicles; the latter received aservice life extension to part of the fleet in2008. AV-8 variants include surveillance,CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiologicaland Nuclear – see Andy Oppenheimer’s‘Toxicology Report’ article in this issue)

reconnaissance, C2, ambulance, repair andrecovery, and self-propelledmortar systems.Speaking to AMR, Megat Zaki Muslim,

business development manager at Deftech,said the vehicle had been reworked in orderto meet strict Malaysian Armed Forcesrequirements. These include 68 vehicles to

be equipped with Denel’s DI-30 30mmdual-feed cannon and a 7.62mm co-axial machine gun, with a further 57anti-tank vehicles fitted with Denel’s30mm cannon and Ingwe Anti-TankGuided Missile. Finally, another 86platforms will feature C2 equipment,surveillance and reconnaissance tech-nology, and engineer support vehicles.Furthermore, 46 vehicles will be outfit-ted with the ATK 25mm M242 dual-feed cannon and 7.62mm co-axialmachine gun. Thales has been taskedwith integrating C2 systems into thefamily of vehicles.However, news of the first deliver-

ies of these vehicles has been accompa-nied by comments from Malaysia’s

defence minister who expressed concern atthe 2014 Defence and Security Asia exhibi-tion held in Kuala Lumpur that economicconstraints in the region would forceASEAN (Association of Southeast AsianNations) countries to band together in orderto find the most efficient methods of


Various Eastern European manufacturers are seeking togenerate a greater foothold in the Asia-Pacific region,including Belarus’ Minotor Service which is promoting itsMosquito armoured personnel carrier © Minotor Service

APC and IFV:AMR 10/22/14 2:47 PM Page 5

improving their defence capabilities. “Myconcern right now is with budget cutbacks.We must find creative ways to look at thedefence industry. We must look at ASEANas one market. That is the way forward sobudget cuts we are facing globally will notaffect the defence industry as such,” arguedDatuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein. TheAsia-Pacific is also witnessing a drive fromeastern European countries to penetrate theIFV/APC market with organisations likeRussia’s Rosoboronexport cosying up to theMalaysian armed forces as well as express-ing interest in Vietnam, Brunei, Indonesia,China and Sri Lanka.

IndonesiaEarlier in the year, Indonesia’s marine corpsaccepted into service 37 RosoboronexportBMP-3F amphibious IFVs, thereby complet-ing delivery of the 55-vehicle contractwhichincluded a BREM-L recovery vehicleordered in 2010. Manufactured byKurganmashzayod, the IFVs are alreadydeployed with Indonesian forces inSurabaya, East Java as well as Jakarta. Theyform part of Indonesia’s modernisation pro-gramme (see Andrew Drweiga’s article‘Feeding the Future Force’ in this issue)

and will replace the military’s 50 Soviet-era VTZ PT-76 APCs and hundreds ofFrench Nexter AMX-13 light tanks. Due tothe age of these vehicles, manufactured inthe 1950s, the decision was taken toreplace rather than upgrade them.The phase in/phase out programmewill

run between 2015 and 2019, Indonesianmilitary officials told AMR, in line with‘Renstra II’, the Indonesian five-year strate-gic defence plan. The country is also under-stood to be considering the KharkivMorozov Machine Building DesignBureau’s BRT-4 APCs, manufactured inUkraine, although it has yet to be revealedhow the current civil war there could affectsuch a deal. Earlier in 2014, Ukraine’sSpectechnoexport confirmed that it wouldsupply the Indonesian Ministry of Defencewith an initial five BTR-4 APCs which isexpected to lead onto a further 50 vehicles.These platforms are destined to be operatedin the maritime environment.Meanwhile, Rosoboronexport has pin-

pointed India for further contracts with firstdeputy general director Ivan Goncharenkoadmitting that he was seeking to discussupgrades of existing BMP-2 IFVs, as well asvarious MBTs. Elsewhere, Belarussian com-

pany Minotor Service is promoting itsMosquito family of Light Tracked Vehicles(LTVs) to ASEAN countries. Speaking toAMR, Velery Grebenschikov, director ofMinotor Service, said, “We are trying to con-tact customers from Malaysia, Indonesia,Vietnam and other countries in this region.”Available in three sizes (8.9 tons, 9.8 tons

and 11.6 tons), the Mosquito is a trackedvehicle powered by a six-cylinder, four-stroke diesel engine. The smaller variant,complete with an ‘open top’, has beendesigned for air defence systems as well asreconnaissance and force protection; heav-ier and enclosed variants could also house aremote weapon station, Mr. Grebenshikovadded. It is envisaged that this medium-weight vehicle will be used for support andrecovery, troop transport and combatsearch and rescue.

PhilippinesIn July 2014, the Philippine Army decidedto upgrade its M113 APCs with ElbitSystems of Israel selected to execute the $20million contract. The deal comprises provi-sion of 12.7mm and 25mm remote weaponstations as well as associated fire controlsystems. A number of the platforms willalso be equippedwith 76mmweapons fromexisting ranks of Alvis FV101 Scorpionarmoured reconnaissance vehicles. An alter-native option could see a heavy remoteweapon station option integrated, builtaround the Alliant Techsystems M24225mm Bushmaster cannon. According toElbit Systems, this contract will be carriedout over a twelve-month periodwith nearly150 vehicles being upgraded. ThePhilippines received this amount ofM113A2s as part of a Foreign Military Sale,agreed via the US Defence SecurityCooperation Agency in 2012.As China continues to ignore the warn-

ings of its neighbours and the US in Asia-Pacific, it is obvious that the region’s IFVand APC market will continue to evolve asnations seek to secure territories and bor-ders. However, as China continues to rampup its own capability yet further, it will beinteresting to assess the response of otherkey players in the region which might notbe quite able to keep up financially withtheir wealthier neighbour.



In August 2014, Japan's Ministry of Defence issued its Defence White Paper which details asignificant increase in armoured vehicle procurement © Japanese MoD

APC and IFV:AMR 10/22/14 2:47 PM Page 6


The ‘big stick’ of the military rotorcraft world is the attack helicopter.This aerial bearer of lethality really came into its own during theVietnam War where United States Army hunter-killer combinations,known as ‘Pink Teams’ using reconnaissance and attack helicopterswould work together to identify and attack ground targets.

by Andrew Drwiega

BLADE RUNNER

H E L I C O P T E R SM I L I T ARY

The German Army completed its deployment of fourAirbus Helicopters EC-655UHT Tiger attack helicopters atthe end of June 2014. They operated as part of the ISAFcontingent in northern Afghanistan © Bundeswehr

Military Helicopters:AMR 10/22/14 11:31 AM Page 2

After the Vietnam War, whileBell Helicopter’s AH-1 Cobrafamily, the newest version ofwhich is the AH-1Z Viper,continued to serve in the

United States Marine Corps and otherforces including the Israeli Defence Force(IDF), other nations began to see the valueof the attack helicopter. The Russians, or ini-tially the Soviet Union, designed their ownattack helicopters, from the Mil Mi-24 seriesthrough to theMil Mi-28, Kamov Ka-50 andthe Kamov Ka-52. Europe too took on thedevelopment challenge with the most suc-cessful of the true ‘heavy hitters’ beingAgustaWestland’s AW-129 Mangusta, nowalso being marketed as the Turkish TAI(Turkish Aerospace Industries) T-129 andAirbus Helicopter’s EC-655 Tiger series.The EC-665 acquired by Germany,

France, Spain and Australia was devel-oped in two versions, the EC-665HAP(Hélicoptère d’Appui Protection/Reconnaissance and Escort Helicopter) andEC-665HAD (Hélicoptère d’AppuiDestruction/Strike Helicopter). The latterversion features increased power and is apure attack helicopter. The Australianversion, the EC-665ARH (ArmedReconnaissance Helicopter) was modifiedfrom the EC-665HAP with deliveries notbeing completed until 25 November 2011,an overall delay of some 43months accord-ing to a 2013 Australian National AuditOffice (ANAO) report. Frequent delays inthe French certification programme, towhich the Australian version adheres,have also served to delay the certificationof the EC-665ARH. The ANAO has beencontinually critical of the certificationdelays together with ongoing delays in thedelivery of spares and engineering by themanufacturer.India and China are also entering the

attack helicopter market. India has beenworking on its Light Combat Helicopter(LCH) manufactured by HindustanAeronautics Limited (HAL). A variant oftheDhruvmedium-lift utility helicopter, theIndian Army saw an opportunity toweaponise the standard airframe, and at theAero India airshow in February 2013 thefirst twoRudraAdvanced LightHelicopterswere handed over to the Indian Army.

The Chinese aviation company AVIChas developed the tandem seat Z-10 attackhelicopter (the first with a chin-mountedgun turret) and the newer Z-19 armedreconnaissance helicopter. Both are in serv-ice with China’s People’s Liberation Armyaviation regiments.South Africa’s defence industry, as a

result of international economic sanctionsdue to apartheid during the 1980s, devel-oped its own attack helicopter based onAérospatiale/Airbus Helicopters SA-330medium-lift rotocraft. However, the pro-duction of Denel Aviation’s AH-2 Rooivalkwas limited to only twelve aircraft. Therecent deployment of a couple of SouthAfrican Air Force AH-2s at the end of 2013to operate with the United NationsIntervention Force in the DemocraticRepublic of Congo (DRC) was successfuland raised the profile of the helicopters tothe extent that South African defence min-ister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula called forthe production line to be re-started so thatthe helicopter could be sold international-ly. However, it is not certain whether themachine tools are still available to do this.There would also have to be a guaranteednumber of orders to make the ventureworthwhile. Whether South Africa woulditself be a customer to build up its AH-2fleet to the 36 helicopters that were origi-nally intended is unlikely due to the cur-rent underfunding of the defence budget.The Rooivalk is still without its intendedlaser guided missile, the Denel Mokopa,due to a lack of money to buy it.

ApacheThe world of the attack helicopter has beendominated from the end of the Cold Warby the Boeing/McDonnell Douglas AH-64A/D/E Apache. Designed during theCold War to carry up to 16 LockheedMartin AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-groundmissiles, together with unguided rockets,and to overcome the Soviet Union’s over-whelming advantage in massed armourover the North Atlantic TreatyOrganisation’s (NATO) forces in Europe,ironically it was never called into action forthe purpose for which it was intended.While it did engage tanks and armoured

vehicles very successfully in Iraq, its longest

H E L I C O P T E R SMI L I T ARY



reputation-building missions have beenduring Counter-Insurgency (COIN) opera-tions in Iraq and Afghanistan. With itsLockheed Martin Modernised TargetAcquisition Designation Sight/Pilot NightVision Sensor (M-TADS/PNVS) optronics,coupled with its range of weaponry, the oftquoted phrase by manymilitary command-ers whose forces include AH-64 series heli-copters is that “when it appears overhead,the enemy stops firing”. Its lethality is suchthat British forces and others deployed withthe International Security Assistance Force(ISAF) in Afghanistan have launched theirown lesser armedhelicopters—in the BritishArmy’s case the AgustaWestland AH.7Lynx—to overfly ‘hot’ patrol areas and con-voys so that the sound of the rotors is audi-ble on the ground causing potential attacksto fear an immediate aerial response.M-TADS/PNVS was fielded in 2005 to

update the older TADS (Target Acquisition

Designation System) with US Army usersreporting an immediate improvement interms of resolution and situational aware-ness. It has had a cost-benefit as well, withLockheed Martin claiming a 50 percentcost reduction over the 40-year lifetime ofthe system. Over 1200 MTADS/PVNShave been fielded, a trend that is continu-ing with Apache operators and new cus-tomers selecting the system. Indonesia,which is negotiatingwith Boeing to acquireeight of the latest AH-64E GuardianApaches, has placed an order for nine M-TADS/PNVS systems as part of a contractalongside a US Army order for eight.On the opening day of Association of

the United States Army (AUSA) exhibitionheld in Washington DC in October 2014,the Gulf state of Qatar also placed a foreignmilitary sales contract worth $90.6 millionwith the U.S. Army to buy the sameMTADS/PNVS system for the Qatar Emiri

Air Force making it the 14th internationalcustomer. Mike Taylor, Apache interna-tional programmes director at LockheedMartin Missiles and Fire Control, said that“(t)he Qatar Emiri Air Force will be one ofthe first international customers to receiveM-TADS/PNVS systems equipped withthe new Modernized Laser Range FinderDesignator.” It is claimed that the new des-ignator will have double the reliability andis repairable on the flight line.Colonel Jeff Hager, the US Army’s proj-

ect manager for the Apache AttackHelicopter programme management office,joined Boeing executives at AUSA to pro-vide an update on the progress of the field-ing of the new AH-64E with the US Army.One Army unit, the 1st Battalion of the229th Aviation Regiment, was the first unitto receive the latest AH-64E version andtake it into battle in Afghanistan. The unitachieved Initial Operating Certification


Lockheed Martin’s M-TADS/PNVS optronics hasnow been ordered by 14 customers followingrecent decisions to acquire it by Indonesia andQatar © Lockheed Martin




(IOC) in November 2013 and went toAfghanistan in March 2014.

“They have maintained a readiness rateof 88 percent in Afghanistan (exceedingexpectation) during the period mid-Maythrough to mid-September (2014),” saidCol. Hager. He added that of the 23000 fly-ing hours logged by the latest AH-64E vari-ant, nearly 7500 have now been flown oncombat operations. The AH-64 family haslogged a total flown over fourmillion flighthours since its entry into service. The 229thAviation Regiment is due to return to theirhome at Joint Base Lewis-McChord inWashington State. Their helicopters will bereset, a process that all returning aircraft gothrough to return them to prime opera-tional condition after the harsh environ-ment of Afghanistan.

Both the US Army and Boeing are eagerto conduct an After Action Review (AAR)with the unit’s commanders and crewmento learn first hand how the aircraft per-formed during operations. This is a stan-dard practice that is carried out with all

returning attack helicopter units to ascer-tain the positives and any negative feed-back which is then fed into the programmemanagement chain to improve later ver-sions of the helicopter. Speaking at AUSA,Col. Hager revealed that the second unitequipped with the AH-64E had beenequally busy. “The1st Battalion of the 25thAviation Regiment has been conductingfollow-on test and evaluation at Eglin AirForce Base, Florida, in August (2014) aswell as conducting their national trainingcentre rotation. Since then they have alsobeen deployed on the Rim of the Pacificexercise (June to August 2014) doing ship-board exercises, another area we want toget a lot of information on.”

With the much-discussed ‘Pivot to thePacific’ foreign policy priority outlined bypresident Barack Obama in 2011, the US

Army has been increasingly focused on tri-alling its AH-64D/E helicopters in themar-itime environment, with ship-boarddeployments to the Arabian Gulf in 2013and now to the Pacific. Exposure to seawater is of major interest together with thesoftware development of the radar thatwill improve the helicopter’s ability todetect small to medium targets at sea in avariety of sea states. “We are doing ‘crawl,

walk, run’ in this scenario right now,” saidCol. Hager adding that the US Army had alot to learn in the maritime environment.As an aside, the new Apaches were alsoparaded at Indonesia’s Armed Forces Daycelebrations in early October 2014.

Systems testing in August 2014 includedthe Operational Test and Evaluation (OTE)of the new Link 16 datalink which gives thecrew the ability to see all joint-assets

The AH-64’sreputation-building

missions havebeen during

Counter-Insurgency(COIN) operations

A Boeing AH-64E alongside an Boeing AH-6I going through their paces in front of media nearBoeing’s Mesa, Arizona production facility earlier in 2014. The Army still hopes to field a total of690 AH-64E attack helicopters through multi-year purchasing programmes © Andrew Drweiga

H E L I C O P T E R SMI L I T ARY



whether naval or air force assets. “It gives acomplete analysis of all potential threats intheir vicinity,” Col. Hager explained. Thisallows the Apache to receive informationfrom other airborne systems. It can thenshare this with other assets on and over thebattlefield. “What is important here is thateverybody has the same combined aerialpicture. It gives commanders options andhow they decide to use it will depend onhow they evolve their tactics, techniquesand procedures,” he said.

Overall Col. Hager commented that allfeedback on the AH-64E to date revealedthat it flies faster, further and goes higherthan the AH-64D model it replaced.“Those are the result of the improvementsthat we put in,” he explained.

In terms of the effect of defence budgetcuts in the US on deliveries, Col. Hager saidthat earlier this year Lots 3 and 4 contractshad been signed with the Department ofDefence (DoD) so that Boeing could go intofull-rate production. “We are 30 aircraftinto that right now with 82 aircraft on con-tract. All the deliveries have been on time in(2013 and 2014).” He said that, despite thecuts, the programme of record for the USArmy remains unchanged at 690 AH-64Esattack helicopters.

Foreign sales have also been continuous.

Col. Hager attended the AH-64E roll-outfor Royal Saudi Land Forces a few weeksbefore AUSA, who have ordered 36 Echomodels. Additionally, the Saudi NationalGuard has ordered a further twelve whichwill be delivered in 2015. Taiwan hasreceived 30 AH-64Es and the Republic ofKorea have procured another 36 of thesame helicopter. Col. Hager did howeverconfirm that he was unaware of any Letterof Offer or Acceptance for the provision ofAH-64Es to Iraq.

The Army is still seeking to continue themulti-year procurement which will bepitched to the government in 2016 for 2017and beyond. There is the potential for a fur-ther ten percent cost reduction as part ofthat future multi-year buy. “We are shoot-ing for 48 aircraft per year,” Col. Hagersaid. “There is a lot of activity betweennow and then. We have got the Lot 6 capa-bility insertions coming including the sen-sors upgrades, fire control radar and themaritime capability,” he added. “Wewould test this in (2017) and of course per-form an upgrade to themission processor.”

Right Price?As a closing thought, the problem formany countries wanting to get into theattack helicopter market is that the entry

cost for the big dedicated platforms isexpensive. This has been recognised by vir-tually all manufacturers who are nowbringing a rash of newer (although in somecases well reworked) smaller attack/recon-naissance helicopters. These are being pro-moted as an alternative to the heavy, net-work-capable mainstream attack plat-forms. Among the offerings are Boeing’sAH-6I, 24 of which have already beenordered by Saudi Arabia, and the similar insize MD Helicopters MD 530F/G. On 9October 2014 MD Helicopters announcedthat it had received an order to mount aMission Equipment Package (MEP)weapon systems onto 17 MD-530F helicop-ters for the Afghan Air Force.

Bell Helicopter is offering its Bell407GT as a military platform and UnitedArab Emirates-based NorthStar Aviationwas showing its own version of the 407MRH. The company is seeking customerswithin and outside of the region to add tothe 30 aircraft already ordered by the UAEarmed forces. It completes all weaponisa-tion independently of Bell Helicopter,from whom it only buys ‘green’ airframes.Even Sikorsky has proposed an armedversion of its UH-60 Black Hawk, whichfeatures a Nexter THL 20 20mm turretedgun under the cockpit.

MD Helicopters is weaponising itsMD-530F for the Afghan Air Force.The MD 530F is the modern version ofthe famed Hughes OH-6 Cayuse lightobservation helicopter, part of theoriginal hunter-killer team of aircraftused by the United States during theVietnam War © MD Helicopters



The resurgence of Indonesia’s eco-nomic strength after the darkdays of the financial crisis thathit the country in the late 1990s isnow well under way. According

to theWorld Bank, Indonesia is nowwork-ing through a long-term 20 year economicdevelopment plan which stretches out to

2025. This is broken down into five-yearmedium-term plans, each of which has dif-ferent development priorities.The government also has a 15 year plan

to increase the defence budget from 2010through to 2025. The launch by the govern-ment of a Strategic Defence Plan in 2010demonstrated real ambition and is aimed

at modernising all three of Indonesia’sarmed forces (the Tentara NasionalIndonesia/ TNI) during this period.However, all three armed services withinthe TNI are fiercely territorial. This makesthe Ministry of Defence’s s 2005 MinimumEssential Force (MEF) blueprint thatdefines minimum capabilities and forcestructures difficult to achieve.Driving towards modernisation, the

Tentara Nasional Indonesia-Angkatan Laut(Indonesian Navy/TNI-AL), whichincludes the Indonesian Marine Corps(Korps Marinir), is forecast to receive up to274 new ships and twelve submarines. TheTentara Nasional Indonesia-AngkatanUdara (Indonesian Air Force/TNI-AU) hasplans to raise its strength to ten combat air-craft squadrons, while the TentaraNasionalIndonesia-Angkatan Darat (IndonesianArmy/TNI-AD) will have modern tanksand attack helicopters.The winner of the recent national elec-

tions in July 2014 was the Governor of


FEEDING THEFUTURE FORCE

M I L I T A R YREG IONAL

On Friday 31 August, 2013, North Sea Boats, aSwedish-owned boat building company basedin East Java, Indonesia, launched its FastMissile Trimaran Patrol Vessel. The vessel wasbuilt for the Indonesian Navy and will benamed Kri Klewang © North Sea Boats

Indonesia is facing the need to quickly overhaulits disparate military forces following the endof international arms embargoes imposed as a response to the country’s human rightsrecord. This restricted its defencemodernisation plans for almost a decade.

by Andrew Drwiega

Indonesia:AMR 10/22/14 11:34 AM Page 2

Jakarta, Joko Widodo (abbreviated toJokowi), a civilian, who will replace SusiloBambang Yudhoyono (SBY) as president ofIndonesia. The current expectation is thatthe change at the top will not substantiallyaffect the plan to increase the defencebudget from its current position level ofaround $8 billion, which is 0.8 percent ofGross Domestic Product (GDP) to some-where closer to $14 billion (1.5 percentGDP) by 2015.

Among all of the challenges the newgov-ernmentwill have to face, in terms of guard-ing the nation’s economic zone and thenation’s 17000 islands, is the well docu-mented ‘nine-dash’ claim line covering themajority of the South China Sea on the latestofficial map of its territory.While not imme-diately a threat in itself, there is evidencethat China is continually pushing at what itregards as historic claims, witnessed by theimposition in 2013 of an Air DefenceIdentification zone (ADIZ) in the SouthChina Sea and the establishment of oil rigs

within Vietnam’s Exclusive Economic Zone(EEZ). In many respects there is a growingsense of ‘where next’ and this is somethingthat the Indonesian leadership is showingsigns of being well aware.

In April 2014 Indonesian armed forceschief of staff accused China of includingparts of the Natuna Islands archipelago inthe South China Sea off the northwestcoast of Borneo within its so-called ‘Nine-Dash Line,’ as reported by the Reutersnews agency recently. The islands formpart of the Riau Islands Province of north-ern Indonesia.

While politically Indonesian politicianswill be reluctant to publicly face off China,they have responded through the TNIwhich has begun to redevelop bases formilitary use and is beginning to earmarkforces both old and new for deployment tothe area. Fuel and logistics facilities in thearea will be improved along with thestrengthening of runways and ramps atlocal airbases there.

Maritime ChallengesAmong a rash of new shipbuilding projectsthat include surface vessels and sub-marines is the very futuristic looking‘Klewang’ class Offshore Patrol Vessel(OPV). Four of these OPVs have been ini-tially ordered, according to the TNI-AU.

They are being manufactured byIndonesian company PT Lundin IndustryInvest (North Sea Boats) in partnershipwith New Zealand naval architectsLOMOcean Design. Otherwise known asthe X3K, the design has similarities withLOMOcean Design’s Earthrace vessel andholder of the record for the fastest circum-navigation of the globe by a power boat.

Construction of the KRI Klewang, thelead ship in the class, took about two-and-a-half years. Each vessel reportedly costsaround $12.5 million, which is thought toexclude any weapons systems. Each vesselmakes use of composites that are light,strong and resistant to corrosion. They arealso said to contribute to reducing the radar



Indonesia has acquired 103 Leopard 2A4 mainbattle tanks together with logistical supportand ammunition, in a deal worth $290 millionsigned in December 2012. Rheinmetall has alsobeen contracted to supply the Indonesian Armywith a Leopard Gunnery Skills Trainer andDriving Training Simulator which it will deliverby end of 2015 © Rheinmetall


cross section of the vessel. Other aspects ofthe design help to recede both the vessel’sinfrared and magnetic signatures.These ships will carry four to eight sur-

face-to-surface missiles together with deckarmament. Unfortunately, the first of thesevessels to be constructed and launched in2012, the KRI Klewang, was completelydestroyed in a fire at the naval base inBanyuwangi, East Java. It had not complet-ed sea trials and any further constructionwas halted while an investigation wasmounted. Although the results have notbeen made public, the second X3K ship isbeing built by PT Lundin at theBanyuwangi base and is forecast to com-mission in 2016. Others should follow.Other strategic additions to the TNI-AU

fleet include three new ‘Chang Bogo’ classconventional hunter-killer submarines(SSKs) being collaboratively built byDaewoo of the Republic of Korea andIndonesia’s PT PAL. In 2011, the contractworth around $1.1 billion was signed tobuild the 1400 tonne submarines. Theexpected delivery date for these SSKs is2018. However, the TNI-AU would ideally

like to have a fleet of up to twelve sub-marines, and discussions have openedwith Russia to negotiate a number of sub-marines, which could potentially be sec-ond-hand if the price for further new ves-sels is deemed to be too high.With so many islands to protect over

such a wide area the TNI-AU is also look-ing for additional fast craft and is pursuingthe Kapal Cepat Rudal (KCR/Fast MissileBoat) programme to this end. This isfocused on new KCR-40 and KCR-60 fastmissile boats that are being constructedindigenously. The TNI-AU’s target is tohave 14 KCRs by 2014 and 44 by 2024. PTBalindo and PT Citra are building fourKCR-40s between them (three and onerespectively). They are equipped withChinese Aerospace Group C-705 anti-shipmissiles, a Denel Vektor 20mm G12 maingun and two close protection 12.7mmmachine guns. The first KCR-60, the KRISampari, delivered to the TNI-AU on 28May 2014 was joined in service by the KRITombak on 27 August 2014.According to a PT PAL spokesman, the

third boat, KRI Halasan, is a larger class of

ship. The vessels are armed with two-twinmissile launchers as well as one 57mmmain gun and two 20mm guns.Indonesian media reports on 26 August2014 reported that deputy defence minis-ter Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin had announcedthat the government had agreed withChina that it could jointly produce C-705missiles with Indonesia having a require-ment for around 60 examples.Other naval projects include two off-

shore support ships that were ordered inJune 2014 from French company OCEASA. The ships will displace 500 tonnes andwill be armed with one 20mm and two12.7mm guns. The contract is wortharound $100 million and the vessels will beused formaritime surveillance and oceano-graphic missions.

Mixed BagIn July 2014, the TNI-AU took delivery ofthree General Dynamics/Lockheed MartinF-16C/D Block-50/52 Multi-Role CombatAircraft (MRCA) from the United StatesAir Force (USAF). During the decade-longUS military embargo placed on the majori-


The Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian helicopters to beacquired by Indonesia will go some way to enhancingthe army’s firepower and technological sophisticationwhich has been adversely affected by many years ofarms embargoes © Andrew Drweiga



ty of its arms suppliers for human rightsabuses, Indonesia turned to Russia toupgrade its fighters. Deliveries com-menced in 2003 and were finally complet-ed in 2013. The TNI-AU now has 16 SukhoiSu-27SKM and Su-30 Mk.2 MRCA.The lifting of the embargo was not fully

completed until 2010 which is when therequirement to replace its F-16A/BMRCA with F-16C/Ds was restarted. In2012 a $750 million deal for 19 single-seatand five dual-seat F-16C/D aircraft wasconcluded. The delivery schedule willmean that the TNI-AU will receive fourupgraded fighters every three months.The work to make these F-16C/D jets

ready for Indonesian service is being per-formed by the USAF at Hill Air ForceBase’s Ogden Air Logistics Centre inUtah. All aircraft are scheduled for deliv-ery before the end of 2015. As the newlyupgraded aircraft arrive, Indonesia’s oldF-16A/B jets will be fed back into theupgrade process. The confirmation of thispackage has meant that the TNI-AUs

obsolete Northrop Grumman F-5E/FMRCA can finally be retired.Other additions to the air force fleet

have included 16 Korea AerospaceIndustries’ (KAI) T-50 Golden Eagle Lead-In Jet Trainers (LIJTs) from the Republic of

Korea at a cost of $400 million, and eightEmbraer EMB-314 Super Tucano turbo-prop trainers. Deliveries of the T-50s havestarted and when complete they willreplace the TNI-AU’s BAE Systems HawkLIJTs. Indonesia is also the only foreignpartner in the Korea Aerospace IndustriesKFX fighter programmewhich is develop-ing a new fifth generation MRCA with apotential purchase of up to 80 of the jetsby the TNI-AU by 2025.

Firepower EnhancementsThe TNI-AD has begun to receive its newvehicles from Germany’s Rheinmetall, anorder that will eventually comprise 103Leopard 2A4Main Battle Tanks (MBTs), 42upgraded Marder 1A3 Infantry FightingVehicles, and eleven armoured recoveryand engineering vehicles. These are pre-owned vehicles that are surplus to theHeer(German Army’s) requirements. Amongthe armour they are replacing are 123Nexter AMX-13 light tanks.Boeing’s AH-64D/E Apache

Longbow/Guardian attack helicopter isarguably the TNI-AD’s biggest and mostimpressive purchase. Within the moderni-sation plan there is a requirement foraround 135 new helicopters of differenttypes spread between eight squadrons.Although there will be only eight AH-64Es, their capability and deterrent valuewill far exceed their numbers. The UnitedStates government confirmed the acquisi-tion in August 2013. The initial value ofthe contract is disclosed as around $500


Boeing’s AH-64D/Eattack helicopter is

arguably the TNI-AD’smost impressive

purchase

Indonesia:AMR 10/28/14 12:10 PM Page 5

million but the total package could cometo around $1.5 billion over time, accordingto the US Defense Security CooperationAgency (DSCA).The purchase of eight of Boeing’s latest

version AH-64E attack helicopters takes itsrotary capability to a new level. In additionto the higher punch of the onboardweapons, including the 30mm chin mount-ed Alliant Techsystems M230 chain gunand the ability to carry Lockheed MartinAGM-114 Hellfire air-to-surface missilesand 70mm folding fin aerial rockets, theAH-64E can also mount air-to-air missileson its wing tips. The helicopter is battleproven on virtually all levels that the TNI-AD could conceivably operate it.

Quite how much of the AH-64EGuardian’s digital connectivity the TNI-AD requires is debatable. The GeneralElectric T700-GE-701D engines provideextra power but it is unlikely that it isbeing bought with the unmanned aerialvehicle control capabilities that are centralto the US Army’s requirements.One of the key capabilities that the

Indonesians will have is LockheedMartin’s Modernised Target AcquisitionDesignation System/Pilot Night VisionSensor (M-TADS/PVNS). The companyannounced that it would supply nine of theoptronic ensembles to the TNI-AD as partof an $80 million award that also includedanother eight AH-64Es for the US Army.A Memorandum of Understanding

(MoU) is going through a final review byIndonesia’s defence chiefs before a signingexpected by the end of 2014. The MoUaddresses issues such as communications,and command and control for the AH-64D/E helicopters during operations, andis being reviewed by the TNI chiefs of staff.When the Indonesians begin to receive theAH-64D/Es, plans call for them to be locat-ed equally between the Ranai airbase on

the Riau Islands, on the edge of the SouthChina Sea (perhaps with China’s territorialclaims in mind), as well as near the capitalJakarta. This was according to public state-ments made by the TNI-AD on 7 April2014. Some aircrew have already beguntheir initial training in the United States,even though the helicopters are unlikely tobegin arriving until early 2017.In the national defence role, the AN-

64D/E mission has been classified as anti-

piracy andmaritime protection, which is nodoubt a reaction to the seriousness ofChina’s claims to some of Indonesia’s terri-tory in the South China Sea. However,some non-governmental organisations con-cerned about Indonesia’s history of humanrights abuses of its own population, as wellas its actions in East Timor, Papua and eventhe Ache region, continue to question thesale of such a potent capability—even witha civilian president at the helm.



The Indonesian Army will purchase nine ofBoeing’s latest AH-64E attack helicopters. Thepurchase of nine Lockheed Martin’s M-TADS/PNVSto go on the nose of the helicopter has alreadybeen announced © Andrew Drweiga

Strategic additions tothe TNI-AU fleet

include three new‘Chang Bogo’ class

conventionalsubmarines


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Smart rocket systemsDeep protection and attack solutions

for multiple platforms

TDA Armements has developed a new generation of digital Smart Rockets Activated by Induction. In addition to high precision, the new rocket system off ers unprecedented levels of safety. Advanced wireless technology eliminates the risk of Foreign Object Damages (FODs), misfi res, hang-fi res and accidental ignition. And the rockets cannot be used as Improvised Explosives Devices (IEDs) or fi red by adversary rockets launchers. TDA Armements rocket systems have delivered outstanding performance in recent confl icts. They are qualifi ed to the

highest standards for all tactical engagement ranges and high stock ammunition effi ciency. The new rocket system is lightweight, reliable, easy to maintain and suitable for use in daylight and at night. Designed for both guided and free rockets, the digital system incorporates all the latest precision guidance and insensitive munitions technologies. TDA Armements has full design authority to accommodate future technology insertion. This new generation of fully integrated rocket systems is the ideal solution for deep protection and attack missions conducted by various platform types.

t d a - a rmemen t s . c om

TDA Armements has developed a new generation of digital Smart Rockets Activated by Induction. In addition to high precision, the new rocket system off ers unprecedented levels of safety. Advanced wireless technology eliminates the risk of Foreign Object Damages (FODs), misfi res, hang-fi res and accidental ignition. And the rockets cannot be used as Improvised Explosives Devices (IEDs) or fi red by adversary rockets launchers. TDA Armements rocket systems have delivered outstanding performance in recent confl icts. They are qualifi ed to the

highest standards for all tactical engagement ranges and high stock ammunition effi ciency. The new rocket system is lightweight, reliable, easy to maintain and suitable



At the basic level, squad/platooncommander radios must beable to handle voice and datacommunications securely.While the majority of these

transceivers handle comparatively narrow-band data communications, typically in theorder of 16 kilobits-per-second (kbps),bandwidths are increasing. Such radiostransmit in the Very High Frequency(VHF/30-88 megahertz/MHz) range,although some have a multiband capacitystretching upwards into the Ultra HighFrequency (UHF/300MHz to three giga-hertz/GHz) and downwards into HighFrequency (HF/3-30MHz) ranges. Severalcompanies manufacture squad/platooncommander radios including BarrettCommunications, Benelec, Datron, Dicom,Elbit Systems, Exelis, Harris, Kongsberg,Motorola, Radmor, Rafael AdvancedDefence Systems, Reutech, Rohde andSchwarz, Thales and Yaroslavi. This articlewill discuss each of these companies’ offer-ings in this domain.

Australian OfferingsAustralia’s Barrett Communications pro-vides the PRC-2080 VHF transceiver whichenables fixed-frequency and frequency-hopping encrypted and clear data andvoice communications, while handlinglegacy analogue Frequency Modulation(FM) traffic. According to Martin Johnson,business development manager at BarrettCommunications, these radios are “in usewith armed forces in the IndianSubcontinent, Central Asia, the MiddleEast, Africa and the South Pacific.” One ofthe design features of the PRC-2080, Mr.Johnson continues, is its ability to use adocking station which allows this five wattradio to become a 25 watt manpack or 50watt vehicular or fixed base transceiver.Over the past twelve months, the companyhas performed a number of softwareenhancements to the PRC-2080 to “improveits power output across the frequency

The squad/platoon commander requires a radiowhich can host several networks and connectthem to their troops and higher echelonsof command. As this article will show an arrayof products are in the marketplace which cansatisfy their requirements.

by Thomas Withington

TALKING SHOP

R A D I OSOLDIER

Elbit Systems’ PRC-710 handheld transceiveroffers up to five watts of power, with the abilityto increase this to 20 watts via the use of anamplifier. Two radios comprise the PRC-710family; the PRC-710 and the PRC-710MB © Elbit

Handheld Radio:AMR 10/22/14 11:44 AM Page 2


R A D I OSOLDIER

range,” Mr. Johnson adds, with the compa-ny planning to further improve the radio’sbattery technology over the next year toreduce weight and improve battery life.The antipodes is also home to Benelec

which provides the BLD-100 VHF tacticalradio. The radio hosts 2320 channels,which are spaced 25 kilohertz apart.Encryption can be added to the transceiveras required by the customer, and the radiohas a built-in advanced data modem. Thereis no publicly-available information fromthe company regarding the waveformswhich this radio accommodates. Datron of the United States has the

HH7700 and the HH2100V Spectre V in itscatalogue for squad/platoon commanderuse. The HH7700 is a fully-programmableVHF transceiver which includes anoptional voice scrambler. It has 15 chan-nels and both normal voice and whispermodes. The VHF HH2100V Spectre V, onthe other hand, has 100 programmablememory channels, five watts of outputpower and embedded Electronic Counter-

Counter Measure (ECCM) safeguards,Communications Security (COMSEC) andGlobal Positioning System (GPS) geoloca-tion reporting. The company’s official lit-erature stresses that the HH2100V SpectreV is fully compatible with Datron’s VHFPRC2100V Spectre manpack radios.

Czech RepublicThe Czech Republic’s Dicom produces twohandheld transceivers in the guise of theRF23 and RF20. The RF23 is an HF/VHFradio which can perform both AnalogueModulation (AM) and FM transmissions. Interms of channels, the radio accommodatesten and can monitor six programmable net-works. The RF23 includes encrypted COM-SEC and can perform simplex (one-waytransmission) or semi-duplex (two-waytransmission) with frequency-hopping.Text messages of up to 156 characters can

be composed using the radio, with the abil-ity to handle data at rates of up to 16 kilo-bits-per-second. Like the RF23, the RF20 is amultiband handheld radio covering theHF/VHF range. It has a similar data rate tothe RF23 and also accommodates ten presetchannels with COMSEC provision.Israel is self-sufficient in tactical radio

production. To this end, Elbit Systems pro-vides the PRC-710 and PRC-710MB hand-held transceivers. The PRC-710 has up tofive watts of output power, although thiscan be increased to 20 watts with the addi-tion of an amplifier. Advanced frequency-hopping and encryption is included asstandard. Like the PRC-710, the PRC-710MB is a VHF radio which can performvoice and data communications, using AMand FM transmissions. In terms of squad/platoon commander

radios, Exelis of the United States manu-

Joining the PRC-710 family in the Elbit Systems’ catalogue is the VHF/UHF SDR-7200HH handheldradio which offers narrow and wideband voice and data communications, with two waveforms inthe radio’s repository to this end © Elbit


factures the Spearhead. The VHFSpearhead includes 2320 channels andeight present channels. It can perform clearor frequency-hopping communications,and contains an integral GPS receiver. TheSpearhead can handle the SINCGARS(Single Channel Ground and AirborneRadio System) waveform which providesup to 111 hops-per-second in frequency-

hopping mode. It can be used primarily forvoice, but also data communications forground-to-ground and ground-to-air traf-fic. According to Eric Whitehill, Exelis’chief engineer, the Spearhead is compatiblewith “all export (i.e. non-US) SINCGARSradios”. SINCGARS can typically carryvoice traffic at a rate of 16kbps, although itcan handle only a few kilobits-per-secondworth of data traffic.Elbit Systems’ Israeli counterpart Rafael

Advanced Defence Systems includes ahandheld radio in its BNET BroadbandMANET (Mobile Ad Hoc Networking) IP(Internet Protocol) Software Defined Radioensemble for ground and air forces. TheBNET-HH, as the five watt handheld radiois known, covers HF VHF andUHFwith anoptional increase to S-band (two to fourgigahertz) available if so desired by the cus-tomer. The radio can perform multibandreception and includes the BNETwaveformwhich has a data transmission rate of twomegabits-per-second (mbps) across a1.25MHz channel. The BNET waveform’sreception rate is up to 100mbp.

US ExpertiseAs one of the world’s largest tactical com-munications suppliers it is little surprisethat Harris also has one of the largest prod-uct lines in terms of handheld transceivers.The RF-7800V VHF radio can handle dataat a rate of 192kbps and has ten watts ofoutput power. The radio carries several ofHarris’ proprietary waveforms includingQuicklook 1A/2/3, all of which haveECCM capabilities to protect voice anddata traffic. Also included is Harris’ pro-prietary Citadel II cryptography and theradio meets AES (Advanced EncryptionStandard) US National Institute ofStandards and Technology COMSECrequirements. Moreover, up to 64 voiceand data users can be hosted via the radio’sTDMA (Time Division Multiple Access)networking waveform.The SINCGARSwaveform (see above) is

supported byHarris’ AN/PRC-152Amulti-band, multimission handheld radio, whichalso has the option to carry the NorthAtlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)HAVE QUICK-I/II UHF frequency-hop-ping air-to-air and ground-to-air wave-

forms, alongwith the APCO-25 digital civil-ian emergency service communicationswaveform. For satellite communications,the AN/PRC-152A can handle waveformscertified to the United States’ Department ofDefence Military Standard 188-181A (Mil-Std-188-181) and the HPW (HighPerformance Waveform) SATCOM proto-col. On 16 September 2014, Harrisannounced that it had concluded a dealwith the United States Air Force SpecialOperations Command (US SOCOM) to sup-ply 1500 of these radios (see this month’sPulse column for more information).The AN/PRC-152 forms the basis of

Harris’ RF-310M-HH Falcon-III handheldradio. This non-CCI (Controlled


Harris’ AN/PRC-152 radio is a multiband,multimission system which employs the HAVEQUICK-I/II waveforms, along with the APCO25 waveform enabling users to communicatewith civilian first responders © Harris

Exelis’ VHF Spearhead radio can perform clearor frequency-hopping transmissions, andaccommodates the SINCGARS waveform.Primarily this radio is designed for voicecommunications, although it does have theability to handle data © Exelis

R A D I OSOLDIER


Cryptographic Item - meaning that theradio is subject to special US NationalSecurity Agency requirements) VHF/UHFproduct includes the company’s Sierra-IIBprogrammable encryption. Providing fivewatts of output power, the radio accommo-dates the APCO 25 waveform (see above)and customers have the option of addingan embeddedGPS receiver. The VHF/UHFRF-5800M-HH includes Citadel II encryp-tion and the Quicklook 1A waveform, withthe option of adding either HAVE QUICK-I/II or the TALON ECCM waveforms if sodesired. Data can be handled at a rate of16kbps using this radio. Customers requir-ing a higher data throughput can opt forHarris’ RF-7800M-HH wideband network-ing radio. This VHF/UHF transceiver car-ries the Harris Adapt NetworkingWidebandWaveform, and includes Citadelencryption alongwith the Quicklookwave-form. To this end, the data rates offered bythe radio are in the region of 380kbps, or upto 1.2mbps when operating in widebandmode, although this can reduce to 16kbpsfor narrowband transmissions.Kongsberg has designed their VHF

MH300 transceiver, which the companypromotes as “the world’s most advancedhandheld” radio, to have a battery life ofup to 25 hours. Offering a transmissiondata rate of 64kbps, the radio can be usedto send tactical text messages and can per-form fixed frequency or frequency-hop-ping transmissions. Motorola’s SRX-2200Combat Radio performs VHF/UHF trans-missions, performing both narrowbandand wideband traffic. The radio’s abilityto support the APCO 25 waveform makesit ideal for soldiers who have to workclosely with civilian first responders,while COMSEC is preserved using 256-bitAES encryption.Radmor of Poland’s squad/platoon

commander radio offerings are centred onthe R3501 VHF transceiver.Accommodating ten pre-programmablechannels, the radio provides clear andencrypted voice and data transmissions,plus an embedded GPS. The radio is avail-able in standard and advanced configura-tions, the principal difference betweenthese being that the standard R3501 per-forms data communications with an exter-

nal modem, while the advanced R3501 isoutfitted with an integral modem. TheR3501 transmits data at 16kbps, with theadvanced variant performing voice anddata retransmission (only voice can beretransmitted using the standard R3501).Similarly, South Africa’s Reutech providesa squad/platoon commander radio in theform of its TR620 which contains 256-bitAES encryption and has five watts of out-put power. The radio can perform ground-to-ground AM communications and

ground-to-air FM transmissions and usesanalogue scrambling and frequency-hop-ping to ensure COMSEC. Rohde andSchwarz’s MR3000P VHF tactical handheldradio includes the company’s proprietarySECOM-P frequency-hopping and digitalencryption standard and the radio includesan embedded GPS receiver. In addition tohandling VHF traffic, the MR3000P cancover parts of the HF spectrum, and it isfully compatible with the company’s M3TRmultiband, multimode software definedradio families. Regarding waveforms, theMR3000P can use the firm’s proprietarySECOM-V and SECOM-H VHF and HFwaveforms which include transmissionand communications security in the form ofencryption and frequency-hopping.

French FlareLike its US counterpart Harris (see above)Thales offer an array of handheld tacticalradios. These include the TRC-9110 mem-ber of the company’s PR4G F@stNet tacti-cal radio family and Multiband Inter/IntraTeam Radio (MBITR) series. The former isin use with the French armed forces, withthe latter being used by US special forces.Thales, in collaboration with GeneralDynamics, is also supplying the AN/PRC-154 Rifleman radio to the US armed forces.The TRC-9110 VHF radio carries the

company’s proprietary PR4G waveform,and can handle data at a rate of 21.7kbps.Also outfitted with an embedded GPSreceiver, the radio performs fast frequencyhopping and has up to five watts of outputpower. Like other radios surveyed in thisarticle, it can perform a free channel search.The AN/PRC-148 MBITR accommodatesthe HAVE QUICK-I/II, SINCGARS andAdvanced Narrowband Digital VoiceTerminal (ANDVT) waveforms and hasbeen produced in two variants: theAN/PRC-6809 MBITR Clear andAN/PRC-148 JTRS (Joint Tactical RadioSystem) EnhancedMBITR (JEM). The prin-cipal difference between these two radiosis that the former is devoid of US NationalSecurity Agency Type-1 cryptographic cer-tification, meaning that it can be suppliedfor use by civilian first responders orarmed forces unable to obtain exportapproval under US International Traffic in


South Africa’sReutech provides a

squad/platooncommander radio in

the form of its TR620

The MR3000P VHF tactical radio from Rohdeand Schwarz includes the firms’ proprietarySECOM-P frequency-hopping and digitalencryption standard, along with its SECOM-V/HVHF and HF waveforms © Rohde and Schwarz

R A D I OSOLDIER


Arms Regulations. The AN/PRC-148JEM is compliant with the SoftwareCommunications Architecture (SCA)requirements pertaining to the JTRSprogramme. The radio’s SCA 2.2 com-pliance rating is designed to ensurethe radio’s ability to load waveformswhich are being developed as part ofthe JTRS initiative and to interoperatewith new tactical radio hardware andsoftware which is being procured as aresult of this programme.The AN/PRC-154 Rifleman radio

is one of the systems being procuredas part of the JTRS Handheld,Manpack and Small Form Factor pro-gramme. The AN/PRC-154 willaccommodate the JTRS Soldier RadioWaveform (SRW) which is intendedto be used by individual soldiers forvoice and data communications.Handling UHF and L-band traffic, theradio has five watts of output powerand an integral GPS antenna. Up to 50present programmable channels areaccommodated on the radio, witheach preset programmable channelable to host up to three talk groups.Programmable COMSEC and trans-mission security is included in theradio. According to a written state-ment provided to AMR by Thales,several factors discriminate its tacticalradios from those of its competitors.

These include the PR4G’ssimultaneous handling ofVHF voice and data trafficand the two channels (onenarrowband and onewideband) now offered bythe MBITR family. Thecompany adds that, dur-ing 2015, it plans to“improve the waveband

performance” of its handheld radios,“especially with regard to higher data rateand MANET capability”.

Future TrendsIn terms of future evolutions forsquad/platoon commander radios, EricWhitehill at Exelis believes that there willbe a continuing demand for transceiverswhich can handle high data rates. “We arebecoming a data-centric world,” he notes,adding that this will be essential “toenable the soldier to better do their job,and to bring data back from the front toenable the commander to make better

decisions.” The proliferation of optronicsand Unmanned Aerial Vehicles at, ornear, the Forward Edge of the Battle Area,not to mention the myriad of ruggedisedtablets and laptops now finding their wayinto soldiers’ hands, means that the sheerquantities of data, in terms of imagery,cartographic and written informationwhich can be passed between soldiers andtheir commanders is growing exponen-tially. Tomorrow’s squad/platoon com-mander radios will need to offer ever-increasing data rates to ensure that thisinformation can be moved around the bat-tlefield in a timely manner.

Thales’ AN/PRC-148 MBITR uses the HAVE QUICK-I/II, SINCGARS and ANDVT waveforms. It willalso be compatible with the new software and waveforms which are being rolled out across the USarmed forces as part of the Joint Tactical Radio System © US DoD

Thales’ TRC-9110 handheldmultiband transceiver formspart of the company’s PR4Gtactical radio family, which isin widespread use with theFrench armed forces to carryvoice and data traffic usingthe company’s proprietarywaveforms © Thales


R A D I OSOLDIER


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In addition to the traditional rolesmentioned above, covert reconnais-sance has become a major taskthanks to a variety of technologicaladvances which make the subma-

rine a vital intelligence-gathering plat-form. It achieves this by using sonar,optronics and passive electronic warfaresystems. This capability is augmented bythe means to deliver special forces covert-ly—a role now influencing the latest sub-marine designs.

The Cold War saw submarines able tostrike targets in the heart of continentsusing Submarine-Launched BallisticMissiles (SLBMs). While nuclear-tippedSLBMs were originally the prerogative ofthe United States, Russia, France and theUnited Kingdom they have now beenacquired by both China and India. Whilethe capital costs of these naval strategicdeterrents are very high their operatingcosts are relatively low; indeed the UGM-133A Trident SLBM force, which provides

54 percent of the US strategic deterrent,uses 35 percent of Washington’s strategicbudget, but only 1.5 per cent of naval per-sonnel, according to recent United StatesDepartment of Defence figures.

Some 30 years ago the United Statesproduced a more versatile, conventional-ly-tipped long-range, ‘air-breathing’ land-attack weapon in the form of Raytheon’sRGM-109/UGM-109 Tomahawk surface-to-surface cruise missile. This provides along-range conventional land-attack


The submarine is the modern capital ship and for this reason thenumber of operators has risen steadily over the past few decades.The growing demand in the Asia-Pacific for these vessels reflectsthe submarines’ increasing importance for sea dominance.

by Edward Hooton

DEEP THOUGHTSDEEP THOUGHTS

W A R F A R ESUBMARINE

Submarine Warfare:AMR 10/22/14 11:55 AM Page 2

capability at the operational level. It isworth noting the latest generation of anti-ship missiles such as Boeing’s UGM-84Harpoon and MBDA’s SM-39 Exocet alsopossess a limited land attack capabilitybecause their guidance systems have beenadapted to hit land targets within proxim-ity to the coast. The land attack capabilityis one which will increasingly be at thedisposal of major Asia-Pacific navies andit is worth recalling that 40 per cent of theworld’s population live within 100 nautical

miles (185 kilometres) of the sea in an areawhich produces 68 per cent of the world’sGross Domestic Product (GDP).

ChinaChina is the region’s leading submarinepower with nuclear ballistic missile andattack submarines augmented by a sub-stantial fleet of conventional hunter-killer(SSK) boats. Its ballistic missile force hasbeen slow to expand due to the protracteddevelopment of the JL-2 SLBM missile

which has yet to achieve full operationalcapability (see Gordon Arthur’s ‘Dragon’sDen’ article in this issue). Six ‘Jin’ classnuclear-ballistic missile submarines(SSBNs), reportedly based upon the‘Shang’ class, have been ordered as plat-forms with the last two scheduled fordelivery between now and 2016. The‘Shang’ class are nuclear-powered attacksubmarines (SSNs), reportedly designedwith Russian technical assistance and pos-sibly based upon ‘Victor II’ class SSNs, yetonly two have been produced and Chinais now reported to be building five follow-on SSN boats currently designated as the‘Type 095’ class initially to replace thethree aging ‘Han’ class SSNs.

The SSK fleet has benefited from theacquisition of a dozen ‘Kilo’ class boatsfrom Russia which contributed to thedevelopment of the ‘Song’ class and adozen ‘Yuan’ class SSNs. These have a sur-face displacement of 2900 tonnes and arebelieved to incorporate Air-IndependentPropulsion (AIP) which provide longerunderwater endurance. It seems likely thatmore boats will be required in the nearfuture to replace the 19 accident-prone2147 tonne ‘Ming’ class SSKs. In April 2014new images of the ‘Yuan’ class suggestedthe design has been modified withimprovements to the sail.

IndiaBy contrast India’s submarine programmesare in the doldrums despite nearing anuclear submarine force capability withstrong Russian assistance. The first, domes-tically-produced, submarine INS Arihantwill be an SSBN with a dozen SagarikaIntermediate Range Ballistic Missiles(IRBMs). India is apparently seekinganother two vessels, possibly armed withcruise missiles, while the same hull form isto be used for three planned nuclear-pow-ered attack submarines. The INS Arihantwill begin trials by the end of 2014 and theIndian Defence Ministry claims it will sailon its first patrol in early 2015.

The focus upon nuclear-powered sub-marines and bureaucratic hurdles withinthe defence establishment has led to a sig-nificant decline in the SSK force. This wasaccelerated by the loss of one of the



A Royal Malaysian Navy ‘Scorpène’ classsubmarine. Similar boats are being built forIndia, with these vessels also equippingthe navies of Spain, Brazil and Poland.They are designed and constructed byFrench shipbuilder DCNS © DCNS


‘Sindhughosh/Kilo’ class SSKs, INSSindhurakshak, to a dockside explosion inAugust 2013, four months after it returnedto service following a $156 million refit.The ‘Kilo’ class remains the linchpin of theIndian submarine force and they have beenupgraded with Indian electronics and amissile launching capability either for anti-surface warfare or for land-attack. They areaugmented by four ‘Shishumar’ class boatswhich have all been upgraded but are nowageing. By next year most of the existingsubmarine fleet will be beyond their oper-ational lives, possibly dropping to 13 boatsfrom a peak of 17, at a time when NewDelhi wants a force of 24. About half of theSSKs are operational and four are

scheduled to be paid off at the end of theirservice lives within the next few years. Inan effort to keep the ‘Shishumar’ classoperational, New Delhi has placed a con-tract with Atlas Elektronik to upgrade 64SUT-1 torpedoes deployed by the vessels.

It was planned to augment and replacethis force, under Project 75, with French-designed ‘Scorpène’ class boats from ship-builder DCNS, which have half the sub-merged displacement of the ‘Kilo’ class, butthey are far behind schedule and the latestDefence Ministry estimate is that the leadship will not be delivered until September2016 compared to the original estimate of2012. Work is underway on the successorProject 75I programme with contract

awards anticipated this year but even if, asreported, two of the six boats, which maybe equipped with AIP, are built in foreignyards, they will not join the fleet until 2022.

Republic of KoreaAIP boats are being steadily introducedaround the region. The Republic of Korea(RoK) may upgrade its ‘Chang Bogo’ classsubmarines with passive towed arraysonar and an indigenous torpedo, butmeanwhile continues production of the1890 tonne ‘Sohn Wonil’ class, with plansfor nine, and has just begun the 3000-tonne KSS-3 programme after a two-yeardelay which envisages another nine boats.Daewoo has been awarded a contract tobuild the first two KSS-3 vessels. Like theKSS-2 these will feature AIP as well as avertical missile launching system givingthem by implication a land-attack



The operator’s console of an Atlas ISUS 90 combat management system which forms the nervecentre of the Republic of Korea Navy’s latest submarines equipping the fleet in the form of its newType 214 boats © Atlas Elektronik


IM15_ExhibitorAd_whale_213x286_AMR.pdf 1 13/8/2014 9:11:39 AM



capability, with construction of the irstboat anticipated to start in 2014 with thefirst-of-class joining the fleet in 2020.

JapanJapan continues its policy of maintaininga force of 17-19 boats with the latest pro-gramme consisting of seven AIP-equipped 4100-tonne ‘Souryu’ class SSKsusually at the rate of one per year with thelast scheduled to be commissioned in2016. The latest, the Kokuryu will belaunched in November 2014. Since 2001Taiwan has had the Kwang Hua 8 pro-gramme for eight 1500-2000-tonne boats, aplan confirmed in January 2014 when the15-year naval modernisation plan waspublished. Japan appears to have decidedto build them with US technical expertise,but the first is unlikely to appear beforethe end of the decade.

The problem for Taiwan is China’s eco-nomic muscle which will inhibit the supply

Thales Subtics combat management system uses multi-role consoles. They are to be found in theRoyal Malaysian Navy and forthcoming Indian Navy’s ‘Scorpène’ class conventional hunter-killersubmarines © DCNS

A Republic of Korea Navy Type 214 submarine built for the KSS-2 programme. These vessels willbe equipped with Air Independent Propulsion. The KSS-2 initiative is expected to be supersededby the KSS-3 programme which will see the acquisition of a further nine boats © HDW


of key technical items such as dieselengines, AIP systems and batteries, ascountries supplying them may face tradebans from Beijing. This leaves Taiwan’snavy with two Dutch-built ‘Hai Lung’class SSKs, which are being upgraded tooperate with Chungshan Institute ofScience and Technology Hsiung Feng IIanti-ship missiles, and in June 2014 it wasrevealed part of their pressure hulls andpipework may be replaced.In South-east Asia there is considerable

submarine activity. Thailand is laying thefoundation for reacquiring a submarinecapability and plans three as part of itsten-year development plan, the first stagebeing the opening in March 2014 of a sub-marine squadron headquarters and train-ing centre. It was offered surplus Germansubmarines but felt these were not costeffective and is reviewing options includ-ing Chinese, French, German, RoK andSpanish designs while it trains officers inboth Germany and the Republic of Korea.Malaysia has no immediate plans toexpand its submarine force and is busyassimilating its two ‘Scorpène’ class SSKswhich are the first in that part of theAsia-Pacific to have submarine-launched

anti-ship missiles. The Philippines, mean-while, has an outline plan for submarinesand in May 2011 its navy spoke of acquir-ing three by 2020. However, it is currentlyfocusing upon the acquisition of frigates.Vietnam, on the other hand, received the

first two of six 3125-tonne ‘Kilo’ class boatsfrom Russia as part of a major fleet expan-sion aimed to meet perceived Chinese mar-itime threats, and is receiving training sup-port from India. The third boat was deliv-ered in March 2014 and the last shouldenter service in circa 2020. Steel for this lastboat was being cut as of May 2014.Within southeast Asia, Singapore is the

only operator of AIP boats, havingacquired second-hand from the Marinen(Royal Swedish Navy) two 1626-tonne

‘Västergötland’ class SSKs which becameknown as the ‘Archer’ class in Republic ofSingapore Navy service. Given Singapore’sclose relations with Sweden, it was a con-siderable surprise that its next submarinerequirement is being met by the GermanHowaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft Type 210design for which it is the launch customer.These will replace the ‘Archer’ class boatsfrom 2020. Neighbouring Indonesia isupgrading its ‘Cakra’ class SSKs in the RoKwith new batteries, improved combat sys-tems and sonar, but they will pay off in2020. Relations between the two havebecome so good that Jakarta has orderedthree licence-built Type 209/1400 SSKsfrom Daewoo with deliveries to be com-pleted by 2018. The last will be built inIndonesia’s PT PAL yard which hasreceived a government allocation of $250million to upgrade facilities. Indonesia hasrevealed it would like a fleet of 39 sub-marines and, depending upon funding, itmight buy Russian ‘Kilo’ class SSKsand/or more RoK-supplied boats.

A Pakistan Navy ‘Khalid’ class SSK which is equipped with SEMT-Pielstick diesel engines, Jeumontelectric motors, a Thales Subtics combat system and Thales sonar suite. Pakistan is expected to soonequip its navy with new submarines © DCNS



Thailand is preparingto reacquire a

submarine capabilityand plans to buy

three boats



PakistanWhile India has the largest submarine fleetin south Asia, neighbouring Pakistan willaugment its three 1788-2012-tonne ‘Khalid’class SSKs, of which one has AIP, withanother currently being thus installed anda third to receive AIP, all of which shouldbe complete by 2016. The two ‘Hashmat’class SSKs will be replaced by up to sixmodified ‘Song’ class boats from Chinawith deliveries expected to commencefrom 2015. China will also meetBangladesh’s submarine aspirations, for itwas revealed at the end of 2013 that Beijingwill supply two surplus ‘Ming’ class sub-marines from 2019, while Burma is dis-cussing the acquisition of two ‘Kilo’ classSSKs from Russia ostensibly in 2015 butcertainly towards the end of the decade.

AustraliaAustralia operates six Swedish-designed3407 tonne ‘Collins’ class SSKs and in 2014

will see the end of a two-year programmeto upgrade their sonar systems usingcommercial-off-the-shelf components anda re-hosting of the accompanying soft-ware. In November 2013 Saab received acontract for a new command and control

system to equip these boats. Canberra alsohas its Project Sea 1000 programme forbetween eight and twelve boats to replacethe ‘Collins’ class. Design approval is cur-rently anticipated by 2015, constructionwill begin in 2016 with the first boat enter-ing service in 2024-2030. The formerAustralian government rejected the idea

of using an existing design in favour ofeither an evolved ‘Collins’ class or a newdesign, but it is almost certain that thiswill use the same AIP as the Japanese‘Souryu’ class. In June 2014 Australiandefence minister, David Johnston, said thegovernment is re-assessing its options;these options could include a newAustralian design, an updated ‘Collins’class (the previous government’s pre-ferred option) or an existing design adapt-ed to a greater or lesser extent toAustralian requirements.The submarine will continue to influ-

ence naval activities in the Asia-Pacificfor many years to come. With the excep-tion of Taiwan and Thailand it seemsunlikely that any new submarine pro-grammes will appear over the nextdecade. Although future programmeswill see western and Russian shipyardcompeting for business with their coun-terparts in China and the RoK.

The Mk. 48 heavyweight torpedo is the prime weapon not only of USNavy submarines but also of the Royal Australian Navy’s ‘Collins’ classSSKs and is a typical modern heavyweight weapon © Raytheon


The submarine willcontinue to influence

naval affairs in theAsia-Pacific for many

years to come




Neighbours are certainlyunnerved by China’s militarymodernisation, as is the UnitedStates, as demonstrated bypresident Barack Obama’s

“strategic rebalance” to the Asia-Pacificregion announced in 2012. China’s PremierLi Keqiang announced in March 2014 adefence budget of $132 billion, a twelve

percent leap from the previous year.However, actual expenditure could be dou-ble this since China keeps many spendingareas off its books. Add to this the fact thatChina spends even more on its internalsecurity apparatus than it does on the PLA.Chinese defence spending still trails far

behind that of the US, but Beijing is nowgetting less bang for its buck. In direct com-

petition with the private sector, the PLAneeds better-qualified personnel to operateincreasingly sophisticated equipment andso its wage bill is rising. Additionally,Beijing needs to spend more on advancedweaponry. Thus, one explanation for itsrising budget is the dissipation of China’straditional cost advantages. Nonetheless,China ascribes security threats as a reasonfor building up its military. It is vying withJapan (and ultimately the US) for influencein the East China Sea, whilst it is alsoenforcing its so-called ‘nine-dash line’ terri-torial claim in the South China Sea.Worryingly hawkish comments are

emanating from some sectors of the PLA.General Liu Yazhou, political commissar atthe Beijing-based PLA National DefenceUniversity, courted controversy in 2014 bywriting that “An army that fails to achievevictory is nothing. Those borders whereour army has won victories are morepeaceful and stable, but those where we

DRAGON’S DENThe November 2014 China’s Zhuhai Airshowwill be a rare forum where the country willpublicly display its military hardware. Indeed, few other militaries attract theattention, and also the apprehension, thatthe ever-modernising People’s LiberationArmy (PLA) engenders.

by Gordon Arthur

China:AMR 10/22/14 12:22 PM Page 2



were too timid have more disputes.” Gen.Liu believes the PLA should be “seizingstrategic opportunities” to test its mettle.

PLA Navy (PLAN)This article will examine each of the PLAservices in turn, and the logical startingpoint is the 235,000-person PLAN. Thenavy is at the forefront of a capabilitydrive, so much so that vessel numbers arepredicted to eclipse those of the US Navy(USN) by 2020. The PLAN is stretching its

sea legs with forays far beyond its shores,and a significant development was the firstnaval counter-piracy task force despatchedto the Gulf of Aden in December 2008.Since then China has maintained a rota-tional three-ship task force in the area.Demonstrating the navy’s newfoundreach, the PLAN sent a frigate to theMediterranean in 2011 to help evacuateChinese nationals from Libya. Thesedeployments provided China with a con-venient raison d’être for extended opera-

tions in the Indian Ocean. This is worryingto India, but there is no evidence yet of theoft-promulgated ‘String of Pearls’ theorywhere China is allegedly creating a net-work of military facilities in countries likeBangladesh, the Maldives, Pakistan and SriLanka to enhance its strategic footprint.

Instead, the PLAN is concentrating onthe Western Pacific with the ultimate aimbeing to deter foreign powers (i.e. the US)from intervening in any future conflictthere. The PLAN has a credible naval

China is reinforcing its inventory of force-multiplyingplatforms such as this Shaanxi KJ-200 Airborne EarlyWarning aircraft of the PLAAF. This example wasdisplayed at Airshow China 2012 © Gordon Arthur


presence within the First Island Chain(encompassing the Japanese archipelago,Taiwan, the northern Philippines andBorneo), and it is now increasingly foray-ing farther afield into the Pacific. The USDepartment of Defence’s 2013 AnnualReport to Congress stated that “The PLA israpidly expanding and diversifying itsability to strike US bases, ships and aircraftthroughout the Asia-Pacific region, includ-ing those that it previously could not reach,such as US military facilities on Guam.” Ofinterest was the PLAN’s first-time involve-ment in the RIMPAC (Pacific Rim) exercisein Hawaiian waters in mid-2014. However,its landmark participation was somewhatovershadowed by China’s decision to gate-crash proceedings by sending an uninvited‘Type 815’ class surveillance vessel.

The PLAN commissioned its first air-craft carrier, the Liaoning, in 2012 afterrefurbishing the former Soviet Navy‘Admiral Kuznetsov’ class aircraft carrierVaryag. The Liaoning is initially beingused as a training platform, but construc-tion of China’s first indigenous carrier is

believed to have commenced. The US pre-dicts that the PLAN could complete anindigenous carrier by 2020 plus a secondby 2025. Such power projection platformswill greatly boost PLAN capabilities,although innumerable lessons remain tobe learnt regarding how to operate carri-ers. The Liaoning will purportedly deploy24 Shenyang J-15 Multi-Role CombatAircraft (MRCA) and ten ChangheAircraft Industry Corporation (CAIC) Z-18 maritime support helicopters.

Also significant is the development ofamphibious warfare vessels as the PLANimproves its expeditionary capacity.Three 18000-ton ‘Yuzhao’ class amphibi-ous support ships are already operational.Also on the cards is a 40000-ton helicoptercarrier expected to launch as early as 2018.The PLAN has inducted two 550-ton‘Zubr’ class hovercraft from Ukraine’sMorye shipyard, and is presently buildingtwo more locally under licence. These willcontribute to the PLA’s amphibious capa-bilities, which include two amphibiousinfantry divisions plus two marine

brigades. Although China has fixated onthe ‘Taiwan issue’ for decades, it does notyet have the lift capacity to support a full-scale amphibious invasion of the island.

The surface warship fleet is being rap-idly overhauled with modern designs.The workhorse is the 4200-ton ‘Jiangkai-II’class frigate, of which 16 are already com-missioned and six more are imminent. Aninteresting discovery in August 2014 wastwo frigates being fitted with towed vari-able-depth sonars. Meanwhile, construc-tion of the newest destroyer, the 7500-ton‘Luhu’ class, is under way, with the first ofup to twelve examples commissioned inMarch 2014. This class improves upon the‘Luyang-II’, of which the sixth and finalexamples will enter service probably bythe end of 2014.

Numerically important is the 1300-ton‘Jiangdao’ class corvette, which has beenmass-produced in four shipyards at anastounding rate of between eight and tenannually. Up to 30 such corvettes areexpected with their primary missionbeing coastal patrol.


The Chengdu J-10A multi-role combat aircraft entered PLAAF operational service in 2005.Serial production of the improved J-10B began late in 2013. The aircraft is part of the PLAAF’soverall enhancement of its combat fleet © Gordon Arthur



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taking off from both any open water areaat least 2.6 meters deep and land airfieldswith a 1,800 meter long runway, can besuccessfully used to perform a number ofother civil and military missions. Theseinclude participation in search-and-rescueoperations in the maritime zone,environmental monitoring, transportationof goods and passengers. In this case,the baseline model of the aircraft isadditionally fitted with special equipment.For example, its search-and-rescueversion may be equipped with an electro-optical system having TV and infraredchannels and a laser range finder, asearchlight and on-board rescue

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Many are carefully watching the mod-ernisation of China’s submarine fleet,which already comprises the world’slargest fleet of conventional hunter-killer(SSK) boats. The current focus is on the‘Song’ class SSKs fitted with Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) with twelveof an expected 20 boats complete. Thenuclear-powered fleet is also improvingwith the approximately 4000-nautical mile(7500-kilometre) range JL-2 Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) predict-ed to complete its first operational patrol ona ‘Jin’ class nuclear ballistic missile subma-rine (SSBN) before the end of 2014. China iscurrently designing next-generation SSBNsand nuclear-powered attack submarinesarmed with indigenous cruise missiles.

Beijing is reportedly looking to acquire fourRussian ‘Lada/Amur’ class SSKs, butbecause Russia’s focus has moved on to thefifth-generation ‘Kalina’ class of conven-tional boats, China may want the latterinstead. This quest for foreign technologystrongly suggests China’s submarinedesigns have not matured sufficiently.

Maritime disputesChina is embroiled in an acerbic sover-eignty dispute with Japan over theSenkaku/Diaoyu Islands, and it alsoestablished an Air Defence IdentificationZone (ADIZ) in November 2013 that over-laps similar Japanese, Republic of Koreaand Taiwanese zones. Dr. Euan Graham,senior fellow at Singapore’s Rajaratnam

School of International Studies, told AMR:“What’s problematic is that China’s ADIZoverlaps Japan’s. As far as I know, therehasn’t been much done to enforce it, not inthe way people feared at the time…It has-n’t really changed the status quo.”

Despite objections from neighbours,China is reclaiming land on JohnsonSouth Reef in the South China Sea. Thisfuture Spratly Island facility will eventu-ally include an airstrip (able to host XianH-6 bombers) that would give China itsfirst airbase in the disputed area. Majorfacility construction is also occurring atHuayang Reef in the South China Sea. Dr.Graham assessed, “It’s difficult to be opti-mistic about the South China Sea at themoment. I think it’s increasingly a matter



A 3600-ton ‘Jiangkai-II’ frigate. Numerically this is a veryimportant class of ship in the People’s Liberation Army Navy,and production of up to 22 vessels continues. Construction ofthis frigate class was revealed in 2005 © Gordon Arthur


of time before there’s an incident or someexchange of fire.”

Ground forceThe ground force, currently 1.6 million per-sonnel strong, has historically been thePLA’s dominant service. The army hasbeen transforming via ‘informationisation’

and ‘mechanisation’, plus the 2013 DefenceWhite Paper recorded that “The PLA hasbeen reoriented from theatre defence totrans-theatre mobility. It is accelerating thedevelopment of army aviation troops, lightmechanised units and special operationsforces, and enhancing the building of digi-talised units, gradually making its units

small, modular and multifunctional inorganisation so as to enhance their capabil-ities for air-ground integrated operations,long-distance manoeuvres, rapid assaultsand special operations.” Certainly, air sup-port improved once CAIC Z-10 attack heli-copters were introduced in 2011, and theHarbin Z-19 gunship appeared in 2012.

Figure 1 shows the PLA’s impressiveinventory of weapons. Also of interest aretrends over time. For example, the num-ber of Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) andMultiple-Rocket Launcher (MRLs) hasdecreased since 1985, while in recent yearsthe number of Armoured PersonnelCarriers (APCs) and Infantry FightingVehicles (IFVs) has grown markedly. Thisis consistent with the PLA’s mechanisa-tion priorities. State-owned NORINCOmakes the majority of China’s armouredvehicles, the most potent being the 52-tonne ZTZ99 MBT that entered service in2001. The newest variant is the ZTZ99A2with improved Explosive ReactiveArmour (ERA), a panoramic comman-der’s sight and an active protection sys-tem. However, the backbone of the MBTfleet is the 42-ton ZTZ96, of which 2000are in service. In 2013 a new Chinese lighttank featuring a 105mm gun was spotted.This 30-ton tank is ideal for operations inmountainous or soft terrain.

This is one of two ‘Jiangdao’ corvettes of theHong Kong Garrison of the People’s LiberationArmy Navy. Designed for coastal defence, itwas commissioned in 2013. A total of 30 suchcorvettes are expected to enter PLAN service© Gordon Arthur

Category EstimatedNumber

Main battle tanks 6840

Light tanks 750

Armoured personnel carriers 4350

Infantry fighting vehicles 3450

Artillery pieces/Multiple-rocket launchers 10160

Figure 1: Numbers of weapons in the PLA(Source: International of Institute Military Balance 2014)





In terms of IFVs, the ZBD04 employs theKBP Instrument Design Bureau’s BMP-3turret with a 100mm rifled gun and coaxial30mm cannon. Approximately 750 of theseamphibious vehicles are in service, but itappears the ZDB04 is set to be eclipsed bythe 23-ton VN12 (this is NORINCO’sexport nomenclature). The tracked VN12appears closer to Western IFV design phi-losophy than the Russian-inspired ZBD04.The PLA is also rapidly fieldingwheeled

armoured vehicles, with some 400 amphibi-ous 20-tonne ZBD09 eight-wheel drivevehicles already serving. The ZBD09 turretmounts a 30mm cannon and NORINCOHJ-73 anti-tank guidedmissile. The ZSL92Bsix-wheel drive vehicle is also important,with some 550 built to date. Amphibiousforces rely on about 350 ZBD05 troop carri-ers and ZTD05 direct-fire vehicles armedwith a 105mm gun. The ZBD05/ZTD05 issimilar in concept to the USA’s cancelledExpeditionary Fighting Vehicle, and pro-duction could eventually reach 1000 units.The artillery has two primary self-pro-

pelled howitzers: the 35-tonne PLZ05with a 155mm L/52 gun, and the 22.5-tonne 122mm PLZ07. Among the mostcapable rocket artillery system is thetwelve-tube PHL03, a copy of the RussianSplav 9K58 Smerch. The PHL03’s 300mmrockets have a range of 150km (93 miles),

and China describes it as a ‘trump card’weapon. Additionally, the AR3 MRL witha 220km (137-mile) range is expected toenter PLA service soon, which will bringTaipei within strike range.

PLA Air Force (PLAAF)China’s military aerospace sector is prodi-gious, with seven new aircraft types havingundergone maiden flights since 2011. Twoare fifth-generation MRCAs, the stealthyChengdu J-20 and Shenyang J-31. The J-20will be the PLAAF’s future fighter, but thedesign appears beset by engine, stealth andstability difficulties. The PLAAF, possess-ing 398,000 personnel, is intent on mod-ernising its aircraft fleet, and current pro-duction types include the Xian H-6Kbomber, Xian JH-7A, Chengdu J-10A/Band ShenyangJ-11BMRCA.Manufacture ofChengdu’s improved J-10B with an Active

The 20-tonne ZBD09 eight-wheel drive vehicle, with a top road speed of 100km/h (62mph), enteredPLA service in 2009. Some 400 are thought to have been fielded to date, significantly bolstering thevehicle inventory of the force © Gordon Arthur

PLA special forces conduct a counterterrorism drill. Interestingly, internal security absorbsmore money than external defence does in China. As such, this makes the estimation ofthe money China spends on its military difficult © Gordon Arthur



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Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radarcommenced in late 2013, whilst productionof Shenyang’s J-16, a copy of the Sukhoi Su-30MK2 MRCA, is also under way.

Despite all its technological advances,China remains tethered to Russian technol-ogy. One example is the indigenous WS-10A turbofan from the Shenyang fitted onthe Shenyang J-11B. TheWS-10A, based onSaturn’s AL-31F engine, is pivotal toChinese ambitions to replace everyRussian turbofan currently fitted on its air-craft. Despite Chinese defence procure-ment agencies stipulating use of the WS-10A, these engines are proving unreliableand are affecting PLAAF readiness levels.

China is understandably seeking moreadvanced Russian Sukhoi Su-35 MRCAsand Saturn 117S turbofans, the latterneeded to power its own J-20 (see above).Another deal on the table involvesRussia’s Almaz-Antey S-400 Surface-to-AirMissile (SAM) system. Negotiations dragon, but The Voice of Russia recently quot-ed Sergei Ivanov, Kremlin chief of staff, assaying “the chances that China may be thefirst foreign buyer are high”. The S-400’smajor advancement is its ability to target

ballistic missiles, plus its 215 nautical mile(400 kilometre) range would even permitChina to target Taiwanese aircraft flyingover home territory.

The PLAAF is using Airborne EarlyWarning (AEW) aircraft to monitor itsnew ADIZ (see above). China has had twotypes in service since 2009, namely theShaanxi KJ-200 and Ilyushin Il-76-basedKJ-2000, while in 2013 a developmentalShaanxi KJ-500 AEW platform wasrevealed. Future introduction of theindigenous Xian Y-20 turbofan freighter,which first flew in January 2013, will forti-fy the transport fleet, and a refuellingvariant is expected to follow. Of interest,the PLAAF showcased a missile-firingCH-4 unmanned combat aerial vehiclemanufactured by the China AerospaceScience and Technology Corporation(CASC) during a multilateral exercise inInner Mongolia in late August 2014.

Second Artillery Force (SAF)The SAF, directly under Central MilitaryCommission (CMC) control, managesChina’s missile arsenal. One of its innova-tive weapons is the DF-21D anti-ship

ballistic missile, with the US reporting thatthis 1080nm (2000km) range ‘carrier killer’is in production and up to 80 could be oper-ational by 2015. Nevertheless, AdmiralJonathan Greenert, the USN Chief of NavalOperations, played down its threat whenhe told AMR, “I don’t expect or plan that itwill affect how we operate in the region.”

China has an extremely active ballisticmissile programme. The mobile DF-41Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM),which carries a warhead equipped withup to ten Multiple IndependentlyTargetable Re-Entry Vehicles (MIRV) giv-ing a one megaton yield, is presently indevelopment. The DF-41 will supplementexisting DF-31A and new DF-31B ICBMscapable of launching a one megaton-yieldnuclear warhead on Washington DC. TheUS estimates China has between 55 and 65ICBMs in its inventory, but numberscould exceed 200 ICBMs andIntermediate-Range Ballistic Missiles(IRBM) by 2020. In other news, Taiwanannounced discovery of a new IRBM, the540nm (1000km) range DF-16, in March2011. China has an estimated 1400 ballisticmissiles arrayed against Taiwan.


Truck-mobile DF-31A intercontinental ballistic missiles appeared in the finale ofChina’s 60th anniversary parade in Beijing in 2009. Investment continues to flowinto the country’s strategic weapons programmes © Gordon Arthur



SA16_ExhibitorTradeAd(DNA)_286x213mm-AMR.pdf 1 21/10/2014 9:17:34 AM


Following multiple ‘conventional’atrocities, the possibility of ISISacquiring and using anyChemical Biological, Radiologicaland Nuclear (CBRN) materials

would comprise the biggest threat formany decades to the Middle East and thewider world. The Middle East has alreadyseen the first use of CBRN weapons in ageneration: the bombardment of civilianswith an estimated 1000 kilograms (2204lbs) of sarin nerve agent in several attacksduring March, April and August 2013.

According to the Organisation for theProhibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)barrel bombs of chlorine gas were also airdropped on rebel-held areas in Syria dur-ing dozens of attacks in 2014. Syria was notobliged to declare chlorine stocks for dis-mantlement as part of the agreement togive up its Chemical Weapons (CW) arse-nal concluded with the United Nations in2013. Chlorine is not classified as a CW,although using it as a weapon is banned bythe Chemical Weapons Convention, whichSyria signed in 2013.

Questions also persist over ‘discrepan-cies and omissions’ (raised by the OPCW)in the original Syrian government’s CWdeclaration and fears abound that anyremaining stocks, including chlorinestocks, will end up in the hands of insur-gents, including the Al-Qaeda-affiliatedAl-Nusrah Front in Syria and, of supremeconcern, ISIS.

Enter ISISISIS is the first insurgent group to have afull-scale, heavily-armed, and generouslyfunded army and its death-laden doctrinedoes not require fully-functioning CWmunitions or weapons-grade CW agentsto cause havoc and terror. Unverified

media reports in mid-September 2014claimed that 21 ISIS members had beenkilled and injured when a rocket warheadthey were allegedly filling with chlorinegas exploded near the town of Al-Dhuluiya, 90 kilometres (56 miles) northof the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

In August 2014 press agencies reportedthat ISIS had experimented with CW inSyria, and in mid-July 2014 unverifiedclaims, by local doctors and officials,emerged that ISIS had used “some kind ofchemical weapon” that instantly killedKurdish People’s Protection Unit (YPG)fighters during clashes in Kobanê, north-eastern Syria. Post-mortems and photo-graphs of the victims showed symptomsand “strange white injuries” according toKobanê Canton health minister Dr. Na’sanAhmed, who told the Kurdistan Tribunethat seven local doctors were convinced

following examinations of the victims thata chemical weapon was used, with nosigns of gunshot and shrapnel wounds.

Meeting the ThreatThe further spread of ISIS to the Asia-Pacific is an ongoing threat in a region thathas combated various home-grown insur-gencies for decades, most notably, by theJemaah Islamiyah (Islamic Congregation)in southeast Asia. ISIS, like Al-Qaeda,operates over national and transcontinen-tal boundaries with a stated aim to createan Islamic Caliphate. The threat hasalready emerged in Malaysia, Cambodia,Thailand and the Philippines. According tothe think tank the Terrorism Research andAnalysis Consortium (TRAC), there arealready 500 fighters from the Asia-Pacificregion fighting on the side of ISIS in Iraqand Syria, including 50 known

The takeover by ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) of substantialareas of northern Iraq and Syria, populated by around six millionpeople, during 2014 may herald a new era of threats, both in termsof conventional and unconventional warfare.

by Andy Oppenheimer

TOXICOLOGY REPORT

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Members of Australia’s Special Operations Engineer Regiment are drawn from several serviceoccupations and include electrical and mechanical engineers. It also maintains a civilian coreexpertise to ensure that its special forces maintains a high level of CBRN awareness © SOFREP

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Indonesians. Gavin Greenwood, a regionalsecurity analyst with Hong Kong-basedAllan and Associates, a consultancy, saysthat “ISIS’ success to date has and no doubtwill continue to attract recruits to themovement with any survivors to what maybe years of fighting from countries such asIndonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines andThailand representing a threat based ontheir skills and experience.” Four new ter-rorist groups have emerged to stake aclaim over much of mainland SoutheastAsia, and Al-Qaeda has also announced anew branch in the Indian subcontinent.

CBRN ReconnaissanceIf ongoing United States-led air strikes onISIS positions in Iraq, which commenced inAugust 2014, are followed by any groundoperation, reconnaissance for CBRNweapons and deployment, an integral partof military planning in both Gulf Wars,will be necessary to protect troops andcivilians. Finnish CBRN detection compa-ny Environics is cooperating with Turkishspecialist vehicle supplier FNSS to deliver

complete CBRN reconnaissance systems toFNSS for deployment with the IndonesianArmy. The vehicle design will be based onFNSS’s PARS eight-wheel drive vehiclesupplied to the Malaysian Armed Forces.Environics will also integrate the completeCBRN reconnaissance systems onto twovehicles from Singapore-based defencesupplier Loew Brant. This will equip themwith Environics’ core sensor technology,third-party analysers and personal decont-amination showers for the vehicles. Thesevehicles are due for deployment with theIndonesian Army by the end of 2014.

Australia’s CBRNIn mid-September 2014, a major attack wasfoiled by Australian authorities followingreceipt of intelligence about a ‘demonstra-tion killing’, in which alleged assailantsplanned to kidnap a member of the publicand behead them in the manner of recentexecutions of hostages held by ISIS. Thearrests came only days after Australiaraised its terror alert to high, and while itwas about to confirm support to the UnitedStates within a broad international coali-tion of 40 nations to defeat ISIS. TheAustralian government has agreed to send600 soldiers and several aircraft to theUnited Arab Emirates (UAE), as part of theUS-led international coalition formed to

fight the organisation, as well as militaryadvisers to Iraq, and multi-role combat air-craft to the UAE.Australia has recently enhanced its

CBRN programme in the face of increasedthreats. Under the banner of the AustralianDefence Force’s (ADF) JP2110 Phase 1B ini-tiative, planning and industry engagementhas been underway as the ADF seeks tooverhaul its CBRN defence capabilities.The programme lead has recently passedto the Australian Army’s IntegratedSoldier Systems Special Project Office.JP2110 Phase 1B will address several doc-trinal elements of CBRN defence includingdetection, identification and monitoring(including reconnaissance), warning andreporting (through data fusion), individualand collective physical protection, hazardmanagement, and medical support includ-ing casualty management. Australia’sSpecial Operations Engineer Regiment(SOER) is the country’s prime CBRN mili-tary response unit, which adopted a newmission of supporting special operations aspart of Australia’s Operation Slipper

Project Seven seeks to set up an approvedaccreditation scheme for laboratorymanagement in Cambodia, Brunei Darussalam,Laos, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam aspart of the European Union’s CBRN RiskMitigation Centres of Excellence Initiative © USCentre for Disease Control

Cristanini’s Sanijet System is in service withmilitary forces and first responders in severalcountries in the ASEAN region. It acts as alow- or high-pressure water lance equippedwith a CBRN decontaminant applicator andneeds only one operator © Cristanini


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deployment to Afghanistan in 2012. TheSOER assigns electrical and mechanicalengineers, specialists from intelligence, sig-nals, ordnance and transportation, as wellas medical and nursing assistance toSpecial Air Service regiment and comman-do assets operating overseas.

SingaporeIn May 2014 the Singapore governmentintroduced a bill to update legislation thatwould enable the country to join theConvention on the Physical Protection ofNuclear Material, a treaty which aims toprotect nuclear materials from theft. Theoriginal treaty, which has 149 membernations, sets standards for securing inter-national shipments of civilian nuclearmaterial, with a treaty update in 2005 hav-ing applied similar measures for thedomestic use and the transfer of non-mili-tary nuclear materials.The proposed legislation would amend

Singapore’s Radiation Protection Act tooutlaw any use of atomic substances to killor injure a person, or to inflict significantharm to property. It would also render ille-gal any threat to steal nuclear material as ameans of blackmail and permit extraditionof suspected nuclear offenders, as well asenabling authorities to prosecute individu-als for alleged atomic violations carried outoverseas. In addition, it will increase themaximum penalty for illegally transferringor holding nuclear material from two tofive years in prison. The prime minister ofSingapore, Lee Hsien Loong, said at theMarch 2014 Nuclear Security Summit heldin The Hague, Netherlands: “We are smalland densely populated. Any nuclear orradiological incident would be a major dis-aster, perhaps an existential one. We arealso an international hub—our economy,

trade and security can easily be affected bya nuclear accident elsewhere.”

Hospitals and CBRNIn March 2014 an international workshopin Manila hosted directors of prominentlaboratories and hospital departments aspart of Project Seven which seeks toincrease and reinforce biosafety andbiosecurity capacity building in the part-ner countries namely Cambodia, BruneiDarussalam, Laos, the Philippines,Thailand and Vietnam. The project aimsto adopt for each partner country anapproved accreditation scheme for theirlaboratory management systems as part ofthe European Union CBRN RiskMitigation Centres of Excellence (CoE)initiative which aims to mitigate CBRNrisks from criminal, accidental or naturalorigin by promoting a coherent policy,and improving coordination and pre-paredness at national and regional levels.In July 2014, training under Project Seven

was held in Muntilumpa City in thePhilippines to ensure the compliance ofeach country’s medical laboratories withspecific ISO (International Organisationfor Standardisation) requirements.

Equipment UpdateMilitary planners are aware that land forceoperations take place in urban environ-ments, which are traditionally the focus ofthe police and emergency services. CBRNdecontamination is expected to take placein cities, requiring a modular and multi-functional approach for speed, adaptabilityand economy. Such an approach is taken bythe Sanijet system, made by Italian decont-amination company Cristanini. It is in serv-ice with the military, police, fire service,medical and search and rescue organisa-tions in several countries in the Associationof Southeast Asian Nations region.For Dr. Stefano Miorotti, Cristanini’s

general manager and a former CBRN com-mander and operator, keeping an eye on thefuture has always been very important: “Asthe future is so uncertain, you really needmodular and multifunctional solutions andto be able to respond very quickly indeed,

The Cristanini man-portable decontaminationsystem uses the eco-friendly BX24 decontaminantand can be used for chemical and biologicaldecontamination and detoxification, polarisationand the decontamination of radiologicalparticulate © Cristanini

The Avon ST53 respirator has been developedspecifically for specialist applications where theuser needs to respond to changing operationalconditions. Avon supplied its equipment to assistrecent Chemical Weapon decommissioningefforts in Syria © Avon Protection

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particularly in urban environments. TheSanijet Decontamination System deliversthe universal decontaminant BX24 thoughthe Sanijetgun, which acts as a low- or high-pressure water lance, which also acts as theCBRN decontaminant applicator. It there-fore needs just one operator, one machine,one hose and one decontaminant to wash,apply decontaminant and rinse, as well asfacilitating both the washing and applica-tion of decontaminant in one location. Thisdelivers on-site safety for operators and theenvironment, instead of working among,and storing up, lethal and injurious toxicsubstances and vapours.”

Cristanini’s CBRN consultant and for-mer chief of British Army CBRN, BrianClesham, also commented, “What reallymarks us apart is that we have alwaysincluded the operator in our research anddevelopment. This ensures that when thesituation is physically demanding, com-plex and dangerous our solutions are sim-ple, practical and relevant and, of course,given the climatic challenges in the Asia-Pacific region this is even more important.”He added that simple and practical solu-tions can be delivered when budgets areconstantly under scrutiny, as governmentsare grappling with the costs of developingpan-CBRN countermeasures and capabili-

ties. “The last thing you want for low-prob-ability, but high-consequence, events aremanpower and resource-intensive solu-tions…You have to be very well prepared,but you do not want to have to spend a dis-proportionate amount of time and moneymaintaining equipment and skills.”Cristanini will shortly unveil their new all-

weather training and demonstration cen-tre, described by Mr. Clesham as a crucialpart of the company’s investment pro-gramme that will support nations thathave begun to, or are further developing,their CBRN programmes.

The primary item of equipment forCBRN protection is the respirator. AvonProtection has already supplied masks foruse by CW investigators in Syria, and itsST53 respirator has been developed specifi-cally for specialist applications where theuser needs to respond to changing opera-tional conditions in areas of conflict. TheST53 has an advanced modular breathingapparatus to provide positive SCBA (Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus) pressureor PAPR (Powered Air PurifyingRespirator) capability for specialist opera-tions. The system integrates with weapons,other Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)and garments, and communication systemsand is designed to impose the minimal ofphysiological burdens on the wearer. Toextend operational time on scene, users canflick a lever on the front of the mask whichswitches between negative (filter) and pos-itive (SCBA) pressure. The operator canenter a location on filter mode, assess thesituation, and change to SCBA mode if theneed arises using a short- or long-durationcompressed air cylinder. This capabilitygives the operator maximum confidencewhen facing life-threatening situations.

Avon’s sales director for Europe andthe Asia-Pacific John Penton said, “theST53 is in service today with a number ofadvanced military special forces, policespecialist tactical units and other specialistusers. Where other respiratory solutionshave their operational limits, this adapt-able solution has been developed for spe-cialist applications where the user needs torespond to changing operational condi-tions on scene. The ST53 is a significantadvance in CBRN protection and meetsthe new tactical requirements comingfrom global specialist teams.” The demandfor user-friendly, lightweight and afford-able protective CBRN equipment will con-tinue to increase in the face of risingthreats from insurgent forces which willnot hesitate to cause mass casualties in allregions where they operate.

Finnish CBRN systems company Environics will integrates its core sensor technology, plus third-party analysers and decontamination equipment into a number of platforms, including dedicatedmilitary armoured vehicles © Environics

Safety Equipment Australia design andmanufacture CBRN respiratory protectionequipment and protective suits. The AustralianDefence Force is currently enhancing the CBRNcapabilities of its armed services © SafetyEquipment Australia

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ASIA PACIFIC PROCUREMENT UPDATEby Pierre Delrieu

DELAYS FORCE INDIANNAVY TO DROPDEMAND FOR FOREIGN-BUILT SUBMARINES�� Delays regarding theacquisition of six conventionalhunter-killer submarines(SSKs) has caused the IndianNavy (IN) to abandon itsinitial plan to import twoboats and license-build theremaining four in favour.Instead, the IN will acquire anentirely indigenous SSK fleet,according local media reportsin mid-September 2014.The acquisition of the six

SSKs under Project 75I, stipu-lated a service entry date forthe first boats of 2022 deadline.The full acquisition of all sixboats was valued at at $8.2 bil-lion by Indian defence pro-curement officials in 2007.Nevertheless, delays in initiat-ing the process to solicit for-eign suppliers to assist theProject 75I programme havecaused the programme’s esti-mated costs to increase tonearly $12 billion.

Under the Project 75I plan,the Indian Ministry of Defence(MoD) would import the firsttwo of the six SSKs from a for-eign supplier. This would bedone to expedite the acquisi-tion of new boats to help revi-talise the IN’s sub-surface fleet.The remaining four boats werethen to be manufactured atMazagon Docks, near Mumbaiand at the Hindustan Shipyard,Visakhapatnam on India’s eastcoast. The four SSKs were to beconstructed under a technologytransfer agreement with theforeign supplier selected to ful-fil the Project 75I requirement.Design requirements for theinitiative required all of theboats to be capable of perform-ing anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare in addition toperforming reconnaissance,supporting special forces mis-sions and assisting land opera-tions via the deployment ofland attack missiles. The IndianMoD had initially published aRequest for Proposals for theProject-75I initiative in August

2013. Candidate vessels includ-ed Rosoboronexport’s ‘Amur-1650’ class (Russia), DCNS’‘Scorpène’ class (France; ofwhich the Indian Navy isalready acquiring six under a2005 procurement worth $3 bil-lion), and HDW of Germany’s‘Type 214’ class SSKs.

Nevertheless, in September2014, the IN announced thatthe project will be extensivelyrestructured, with all six boats to be constructedindigenously. In terms ofdesign requirements, theseboats will be required to possess Air IndependentPropulsion (AIP) for greaterunderwater endurance andland-attack capabilities.The strength of the IN’s SSK

fleet has reduced from a totalcomplement of 21 vessels in the

1980s to 14 boats today. Thefleet includes four HDW‘Shishumar’ class and ten‘Kilo/Sindhughosh’ class SSKs,acquired respectively acquiredfrom Germany and Russiafrom 1986 onwards. Althoughthe Indian MoD announced inNovember 2013 that it will per-form an upgrade of four of the‘Kilo/Sindhughosh’ class SSKsand two of the Russian andtwo of the ‘Shishumar’ classboats, the service life of suchvessels is estimated at around20 years, meaning that theywill soon need to be replaced.In contrast, China’s submarinefleet includes over 60 boats.This is of a major concern tothe Indian Navy, and addsurgency to the procurement ofnew SSKs. More informationand analysis regarding therespective submarine programmes of the Chineseand Indian navies can be foundin Edward Hooton’s ‘DeepThoughts’ and GordonArthur’s ‘Dragon’s Den’ articles in this issue.

PAKISTAN AND ROK TODEVELOP JOINTVENTURES IN DEFENCEPRODUCTION �� An official statement pub-lished by the Pakistan govern-ment on 17 August 2014pledged to deepen defencecooperation with the Republicof Korea (RoK). In particular,the two countries promised toexpand their collaboration inthe naval shipbuilding sector,and to “further enhance eachother’s capabilities by (estab-lishing) joint ventures … (and)mutually beneficial cooperation in the field ofdefence production”.The statement was pub-

lished following a visit to theRoK by a delegation ofPakistani defence officials. Thedelegation was led by

Pakistan’s defence productionminister Rana TanveerHussain. Mr. Tanveer wasjoined on the visit by MajorGeneral Raza Muhammad andAir Commodore FarrukhBashir from Pakistan’sMinistry of DefenceProduction. During the visit,the Pakistan delegation visitedthe RoK’s Defence Acquisitionand ProcurementAdministration (DAPA) aswell as leading RoK defencecompanies such as KoreaAerospace Industries (KAI)and Daewoo’s shipbuildingfacilities. Following the visit,Mr. Tanveer stressed thenecessity of both Pakistan andthe RoK to establish a mutual-ly beneficial defence tradeagreement and extended aninvitation to RoK defence offi-

cials to visit the forthcomingIDEAS-2014 InternationalDefence Exhibition Seminarwhich will be held in thePakistan city of Karachi inearly December 2014.The RoK has long shown

interest in building a shipyardin Pakistan the country hasoffered assistance in buildingnew shipyards in Karachi andGwadar on the PakistanArabian Sea coast. Mr.Tanveer said that the offer isunder consideration by thePakistan government, addingthat mutual collaboration withthe RoK in the defence sectorcould help Pakistan make sig-nificant strides regarding itsdefence requirements, such asthe development of moderncommunications systems forits armed forces. Collaboration

could also help Pakistan’sdefence exports, as the countrysearches for customers for itsindigenously-built militaryvehicles, and theChengdu/PakistanAeronautical Complex JF-17multi-role combat aircraftwhich Pakistan has jointlydeveloped with China.Both Pakistan and the RoK

share strong diplomatic tiesdespite Pakistan’s good rela-tions with the DemocraticPeople’s Republic of Korea.The RoK is also a member ofthe Friends of DemocraticPakistan (FoDP), a diplomaticgroup established in 2008 tosupport the government ofPakistan in its efforts to builddemocracy and support socialand economic development in the country.


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TAIWAN INVESTS$2.5 BILLION ONANTI-MISSILE SYSTEMS�� Taiwan is planning toinvest $2.5 billion over thenext nine years to purchase aBallistic Missile Defence(BMD) system, in an effort toenhance its air defences, amember of the country’sParliamentary defence com-mittee announced to the presson 30 August 2014.According to lawmaker

and defence committee mem-ber Lin Yu-fang, Taiwan’sDefence Ministry intends topurchase additional examplesof the indigenous Tien Kung-3 (Sky Bow-3) Surface-to-AirMissile (SAM) system toreplace the country’s aging

Raytheon MIM-23 Hawkmedium-range SAM batteries.Deliveries of these additionalTien Kung-3 examples (ofwhich seven are already inservice) are expected to com-mence in 2015 and concludein 2024. This deal will markthe biggest procurementmade by Taiwan of domesti-cally-manufacturedweapons in recent years, saidMr. Lin, who cited thedefence budget plan submit-ted for approval toTaiwan’s parliament on 29August 2014.Developed by Taiwan’s

Chungshan Institute ofScience and Technology(CIST), the Tien Kung-3 isdesigned to intercept tactical

ballistic missiles and to pro-vide a defence against con-ventional air-breathing threatssuch as Chinese cruise mis-siles and the People’sLiberation Army Air ForceChengdu J-20 multi-role com-bat aircraft . The CIST hasbeen developing the BMDsystem since 1996 and hassince reportedly investedmore than $659 million intothe project. The Tien Kung-3SAM system was presented tothe public in 2007 and per-formed field tests in 2011. Themissile uses semi-active radarand passive infra-red guid-ance. Target detection is pro-vided by the Tien Kung-3’saccompanying Chain Baiphased array multifunction

radar which is thought tohave a range of up to 243 nau-tical miles (450 kilometres).Since Ma Ying-jeou was

elected as Taiwan’s presidentin 2008 after campaigning ona China-friendly platform,tensions between Taipei andBeijing have eased significant-ly. Although Mr. Ma was re-elected in 2012, and relationsbetween the two country haveimproved, China still consid-ers the self-ruled island,which separated from main-land China in 1949, as part ofits territory awaitingreunification, by force if nec-essary. The People’sLiberation Army is thought tohave an estimated 1600 mis-siles aimed at the island.

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CHINA TESTS NEW ASWVERSION OF Z-18HELICOPTER�� According to reports inChina’s Qianjiang EveningNews newspaper on 12 August2014, the People’s LiberationArmy Navy (PLAN) has com-menced flight tests of its newChanghe Z-18F maritime sup-port helicopter. The aircraft,developed from the ChangheZ-8, is a derivative of theAérospatiale/AirbusHelicopter SA-321 Super Frelonheavy-lift helicopter.Initial images show that

the single-rotor Chinese Z-18Ffeatures a redesigned lowerfuselage and cockpit. The air-craft is thought to makeextensive use of compositematerials and titanium in itsconstruction. To this end, theZ-18F is thought to have beenoutfitted with composite mainrotor blades and a new engine;reportedly three improvedChangzhou WZ-6 turboshaftengines, themselves a deriva-tive of the Turbomeca Turmo3C powerplant. These specifications would

give the aircraft a maximumpayload of 13.8 tonnes, whichwould limit the number ofdestroyers or frigates within

the PLAN that are capable ofaccommodating the aircraftdue to its weight. It seemsmore than likely that the Z-18Fhelicopter will begin theirservice on the Liaoning, thecountry’s first aircraft carrierand the ‘Yuzhao’ classamphibious support ships,both of which could supportthe aircraft’s weight.Photos which have been

published on several Chinesemilitary websites suggest thatPLAN’s new maritime sup-port helicopter is equippedwith four eight-tube

sonobuoy launchers, allowingit to carry up to 32 sonobuoys,along with four lightweighttorpedoes. These are thoughtto be the Xian PrecisionMachinery Research InstituteYu-7; a Chinese developmentof the Alliant TechsystemsMk.46 Mod.2 lightweight torpedoes.The Z-18F has also been

equipped with digital avion-ics, a dipping sonar and achin-mounted surface searchradar. The Z-18F is reportedlythe third variant of Z-8 heli-copter to emerge. Other vari-

ants include the baseline Z-8which is equipped with WZ-6turboshaft, and the Z-8Awhich is designed as a heavy-lift utility helicopter, primari-ly to support the People’sLiberation Army. Changhehas also developed the Z-8Fwhich is outfitted with Prattand Whitney Canada’s PT6B-67A turboshaft, and the Z-8AEW Airborne EarlyWarning helicopter equippedwith a retractable active-elec-tronically scanned array radarto perform air surveillanceand command and control.


VIETNAM RECEIVESPATROL VESSELS FROMJAPAN TO ASSIST INMARITIME SECURITY�� Japan pledged to offerVietnam six second-handvessels to help the Vietnamboost its security andsurveillance patrols in theSouth China Sea. The offerwas announced by Japan’sforeign minister FumioKishida on 1 August 2014following, after talks Mr.Kishida held talks with hisVietnamese counterpart PhamBinh Minh during a visit toVietnam. The exact names andtypes of vessel has not beenannounced, although localJapanese media reports saidthat two of the vessels arefishery patrol boats from theJapanese Fisheries agency,with the balance of four shipsbeing commercial fishingboats. Japan has offered todonate the vessels; all six ofwhich are valued at $5 millionand to provide trainingassistance. All of the vessels

are expected to be deliveredby the end of 2014.The deal, funded by

Tokyo’s Official DevelopmentAssistance (ODA) programme,represents a significant deep-ening of Vietnam and Japan’sdiplomatic relationship, in par-ticular as regards their defenceand security considerations.The move is likely to displeasethe Chinese governmentwhich is taking an increasinglyassertive posture in the SouthChina Sea as regards Beijing’smaritime claims in the area.“International security is

getting more complicated...prosperity only comes withstability in the South ChinaSea and the East China Sea,”Mr. Kishada told reportersfollowing the signing of thedeal for the new vessels inHanoi. He added that “theSouth China Sea, whichVietnam faces, is a key junc-tion of maritime transporta-tion.” Mr. Kishada expressedhopes that the vessels “willstrengthen the (capabilities) of

Vietnam’s coastal enforce-ment authorities.”Vietnam and Japan have

long been enjoying good eco-nomic relations, with Japanbeing Vietnam’s biggestinvestor, but relations betweenVietnam and China, the latterof which is Vietnam’s largesttrading partner, have deterio-rated. Relations were furtherhampered recently followingthe Chinese government’sdeployment of a After Beijing’sdeployment on 2 May 2014 ofthe Haiyang-981 drilling rig towaters in the South China Seaclaimed by Vietnam as part ofthe latter’s Exclusive EconomicZone. The Chinese govern-ment removed the rig on 16July 2014, saying that it hadcompleted its oil explorationmission. This latest incidencehas contributed to an increase

in Vietnam of anti-China senti-ments within its populationand government. Vietnam hasseen the rise of a simmeringanti-China sentiment within itspopulation and government,amplified by reports in June2014 of a Chinese fishing ves-sel ramming, and sinking aVietnamese fishing boat.In addition to Vietnam and

Japan, with whom the Chinesegovernment has competingclaims to the uninhabited EastChina Sea islands ofDiaoyu/Senkaku (the respec-tive Chinese and Japanesenames for the islands), theChinese government has mar-itime and territorial claims tothe Spratly and Paracel islandsin the South China Sea whichit contests with Taiwan,Malaysia, Brunei Darussalamand the Philippines.

PHILIPPINES TO INVEST$56 MILLION ARMINGNEW FRIGATES�� The Philippine’sDepartment of NationalDefense (DND) has officiallyannounced it would be invest-ing some $56 million to equipnew frigates that it plans toacquire with weapons systems.The announcement was

made by Patrick Velez, theassistant defence secretary foracquisition, installations, andlogistics, according to localmedia reports on 10 August2014. Funds to support theweapon procurement willcome out of the $400 millionbudget allocated for the pro-curement of the two frigates.However, international armsexport regulations have causedthe Philippines government todraft a separate contractregarding the procurement ofthe weapons which will equipthe frigates. This will mean

that the available budget forthe purchase of the new ships,without their weapons sys-tems, could be worth $344 mil-lion. The frigate purchase isamong the Philippines’ majoracquisition projects as it seeksto overhaul its armed forces.Mr. Velez explained to localjournalists that: “There will betwo (projects),” namely thefrigate acquisition and the pur-chase of the ships’ accompany-ing weapons, adding it wasimpossible to “combine the

offensive portion and the actu-al building of the ship.”The Philippine Navy and

the country’s Department ofDefence have not yet identi-fied the type of weapons to beacquired. A total of six ship-builders including theRepublic of Korea’s STX,Daewoo and Hyundai; Indianshipbuilders Garden Ridge,Spain’s Navantia and theFrench firm STX France SA arequalified to compete to buildthe new frigates.

As one of the fastest-grow-ing economies in the Asia-Pacific, the Philippines hasembarked upon a modernisa-tion of its military, especiallyin terms of maritime capabili-ties, as the country, not unlikemany of its neighbours, isinvolved in disputes with theChinese government in theSouth China Sea (see ‘Vietnamreceives patrol vessels fromJapan to assist in maritimesecurity’ news story)The two new frigates will

complement the BRP Gregoriodel Pilar and BRP RamonAlcaraz, which were bothacquired in 2011 from theUnited States. Once they enterservice, which is expected tooccur during the next tenyears, these new frigates willbe used to enhance thePhilippines’ securitypresence in the WestPhilippine Sea, and to respondto humanitarian crises.



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AUSTRALIAN SPECIALFORCES VEHICLECONTRACT GOES TOUK-BASED SUPACAT�� The government ofAustralia has awardedSupacat of the UnitedKingdom a $98 millioncontract for 89 SpecialOperations Forces (SOF)vehicles, with the companyannouncing the deal on 19 August 2014.The Defence Materiel

Organisation (DMO),Australia’s governmentalagency responsible fordefence procurement, award-ed the contract for 89 of thefirm’s Extenda HMT plat-forms following the selectionof Supacat as preferred bid-derfor its Special OperationsMobility and InformationEnvironment Upgrades JointProject 2097 Phase 1B(REDFIN) programme , inApril 2012, This REDFIN pro-gramme is designed toreplace ageing modified LandRovers which have been used to date by the country’sSOF community. Since itsselection, Supacat has com-pleted the programme’s pro-totype development and evaluation phase.The Extenda HMT is simi-

lar to 31 Extenda HMT SOF

currently in service withAustralia’s special forces.These vehicles were delivered in 2009 andequipped with crew ballisticand vehicle mine protection.The new Extenda HMT vehi-cles which are being acquiredby Australia will be deliveredin a Special OperationsVehicle-Commando (SOC-Cdo) configurationwhich will be reconfigurableaccording to the missions which they are to undertake.Supacat describes its

Extenda HMT as a “uniqueconvertible platform” whichis available in either a four-wheel drive or six-wheeldrive configuration to meetdifferent operational require-ments, with the latter versionoffering enhanced capabilitiesand a bigger payload capaci-ty. The Extenda HMT con-vertible platform, manufac-tured by Supacat underlicence from LockheedMartin, is essentially a deriva-tive of the Supacat Jackal, andwas designed to meet mainlymilitary needs for a light-to-medium load carrier. It hasbeen designed as a cross-country vehicle with variouscab configurations, intendedfor long-range patrols, pro-

viding seating for the driverand three passengers andcapable of towing light trail-ers of artillery pieces. Thevehicle also has provision fortwo crew-served weaponsand can be armed with various combinations of 12.7-mm machine guns, 7.62-mm machine guns, and40-mm automatic grenadelaunchers. Australia’s ExtendaHMT units will be locallybuilt through Supacat Team Australia, which has maintained a presence in Melbourne since January 2012.

The United Kingdomreceived a batch of 65 ExtendaHMTs in 2001, while theUnited States Army’s DeltaForce special forcesunit received 47 similarly-con-figured vehicles in 2004.Other users include DanishSpecial Forces which has 15.Australia also operates 31Supacat light tactical patrolvehicles, known as ‘Narys’ inAustralia. These versatilevehicles which can be recon-figured as required for ballis-tic and mine protectionthanks to their heavyweightsuspension and drive system.

NEW ZEALAND TODEPLOY AIRCRAFT TOMIDDLE EAST�� On 11th October, the gov-ernment of New Zealandannounced that it would sendmilitary aircraft to the MiddleEast to assist anti-piracy effortsongoing in the Persian Gulf.The news, announced by

Air Commodore KevinMcEvoy, air component com-mander of the Royal NewZealand Air Force (RNZAF),revealed that two LockheedMartin P-3K2 Orion maritimepatrol aircraft, plus a singleBoeing 757-200 turbofan trans-port would be sent to theregion. The P-3K2 aircraft are

from 5 Squadron while the757-200 planes, of which theRNZAF possesses two, aredrawn from 40 Squadron. Thislatter unit also operates theRNZAF’s Lockheed Martin C-130H turboprop freighters. According to Air Cdre.

McEvoy, the deployment “is aroutine changeover for the air-craft that (are) already outthere (supporting the anti-pira-cy efforts).” In addition to theaircraft, the deployment will beaccompanied by up to 47 per-sonnel. Air Cdre. McEvoywould not be drawn onwhether the aircraft could becalled upon to support ongo-ing United States-led military

efforts against the Islamic Stateof Iraq and Syria (ISIS) insur-gent group. The US com-menced military operationsagainst ISIS’ presence in Iraq inAugust 2014, expanding theseoperations to include ISIS tar-gets in Syria in September2014. He stressed that thedeployment is part of a routinerotation and that it would befor New Zealand’s prime min-ister John Key to decide if andwhen these aircraft would betasked with supporting US-ledefforts against ISIS.The RNZAF’s P-3K2 mar-

itime patrol fleet forms a keypart of the air force inventory.An initial five P-3B Orions

were purchased in 1966, witha single airframe purchasedfrom the Royal Australian AirForce in 1985. All six werethen upgraded to their cur-rent P-3K2 configuration. The aircraft are once againundergoing an upgrade ledby L3 Communications whichwill ensure their currencyuntil their expected replace-ment in 2025. The 757-200fleet performs strategic trans-port for the RNZAF and theNew Zealand armed forces.Both aircraft were purchasedfrom the airline Transavia in2003 and can be configuredfor medical evacuation andVIP transport.


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AMR Nov 2014

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