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![Defence Industry Bulletin :: 20
Cyber defence was one of
the few growth areas identified
in the UK’s Strategic Defence and
Security Review of 2010. Cyber
threats were elevated to “tier one”
status, considered as among the
most pressing threats to Britain’s
security. This level of prioritisation
is unlikely to alter when the next
SDSR is published later this year;
but what may be changing is an
emphasis on policy rather than
platforms or software products
as a means of optimising cyber
resilience.
The attack last year on Sony
Pictures, the US-based film
distributor and producer, offers
one illustration of how, perhaps,
the greatest challenges facing
cyber-defence practitioners are
around the processes that are
in place, not the technologies
that are being deployed. Sony is
a private company - indeed, its
corporate parent is Japanese - yet
the response to the attack came
from the US government, which
instituted sanctions against
individuals in North Korea it
believes were responsible for
elements of the attack.
“When [prime minister] David
Cameron had big industry chiefs
to No. 10 Downing Street on
Valentine’s Day in 2010, most of
them were not British and not CEOs
of British companies: rather, they
were in charge of multinationals,”
retired Major General Jonathan
Shaw points out. Shaw, currently
chairman of the counter-IED
specialists, Optima Group, ended
his career in the British Army
heading up the Ministry of
Defence’s cyber-defence work.
“We still think in terms of
nations, but our world is organised
internationally,” Shaw continues.
“Surely Sony is Japanese, not
American? Equally, for the UK, to
whom does the responsibility fall
for securing French companies
that deliver services to the British
population? As ever, the really
big questions are triggered by
cyber, but are not actually cyber
questions.”
In an article published early last
year in Strategic Studies Quarterly,
Colonel Eric F Mejia, Staff Judge
Advocate for the 96th Test Wing of
the US Air Force at Eglin Air Force
Base, proposed a framework to help
decision-makers assess and plan
responses to cyber incidents. Mejia
was writing in a personal capacity
and his proposal has not been
officially adopted, but his system -
which groups cyber incidents into
one of four quadrants based on
differing levels of certainty over
attribution and the attacks’ real-
world impacts - seems to have
predicted the US response to the
Sony hack. In an interview with
Defence Industry Bulletin, Mejia
characterised that response as
“an extension of well-established
precedent.”
“Cyber-attacks are simply a new
method of engaging in traditional
hostility,” he says. “If North Korean
agents had travelled to the US and
physically attacked Sony, we would
intuitively expect a response from
the US, not Sony. Here, we have the
same thing accomplished remotely
by cyber-attack. This is a good
illustration of the need for greater
sharing of information between
government and the private sector
when it comes to cyber attacks. The
government is expected to respond,
but in order to do so effectively
there must be information-sharing
- and that appears to have occurred
in this case.”
State sponsored hacking highlights public-private security gap
Angus Batey
State-led or sponsored cyber attacks on foreign enterprises have pushed the private sector further towards
involvement in national security.
Cyber](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/defenceindustrybulletin-april2015-issue5-150414103731-conversion-gate01/85/Defence-Industry-Bulletin-April-2015-Issue-5-21-320.jpg)
![:: Defence Industry Bulletin21
Open Architecture
To the cynical outsider,
the broadening adoption of
interoperable open architectures
(OA) by defence-industry
contractors will appear surprising.
In the eyes of opponents of
the arms trade, industry’s sole
motivation appears to be profit
- and adoption of open systems
architectures looks certain to limit
companies’ ability to sell big-
ticket items. Even those outside
observers who may not oppose
defence spending but consider
military procurement programmes
to inevitably produce long delays
and budget overruns will consider
open architectures to go against the
grain.
Yet the concept has caught on
for several very sound reasons. The
ability to deliver battle-winning
- and life-saving - technologies
to the front line more rapidly
has always been a priority for
equipment suppliers; and across
the industry there is a deep and
thorough understanding that
the current (and likely future)
economic environment will not
sustain companies configured only
to deliver bespoke and expensive
standalone systems.
The drive toward open IT
architectures began in the land
domain, where initiatives like
the UK MoD’s GVA (generic
vehicle architecture) saw industry
collaborating with the military
on developing standardised
interfaces and digital backbones
for vehicles, so that sensors and
weapon systems could be quickly
switched in and out, much like USB
peripherals on a home computer.
This idea gave impetus to a wider
project, called LOSA (Land Open
Systems Architecture), which is
migrating the concept to soldier
systems and to configuration of
deployed bases.
Meanwhile, there is growing
evidence that the open systems
approach is having impact and
application in other domains. At
the Defence IQ Airborne ISR and
C2 Battle Management conference,
held in London in February, a
series of speakers touched on the
need for different intelligence
systems to be able to produce data
to a common standard, so that
information of such diverse natures
as video footage, infra-red imagery,
ground moving-target indicator
radar returns, and geolocated
information from electronic
counter-measures systems can be
combined and fused with open-
source data taken from press
reports or social-media feeds.
“It may have been the case that
Americans have had too much
money and can go it alone and
be proprietary - but those days
are gone,” Colonel Scott Owens
told the conference. Owens
works for the US Air Force Life
Cycle Management Center and
was briefing on current USAF
thinking on the recapitalisation
of the JSTARS programme. His
explanation of the views even
of the world’s biggest customer
for high-end military systems
was clear: open architectures
are no longer desirable, they are
essential elements of equipment
procurement plans.
“We do not want to replace,
or just lift, the mission systems
that are in the current platform
to a new platform,” he said.
“Technology has come a long
way, both with the sensor and
the back-end mission systems.
I want you to appreciate how
significant it is for ACC [Air Combat
Command] to actually back up
the fact and be willing to wait for
the maturation and development
of the open architecture. My
message to industry is that this is
a fundamental underpinning of
the system that has backing: this is
a good thing, and it hasn’t always
been the case.”
Open architecture programmes gaining steam Angus Batey
The demand for open architecture approaches from governments and end users
has increased in recent years](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/defenceindustrybulletin-april2015-issue5-150414103731-conversion-gate01/85/Defence-Industry-Bulletin-April-2015-Issue-5-22-320.jpg)
![:: Defence Industry Bulletin23
DIB: A few weeks after the October
27th contract was signed with Saab
over the final decision for the FX-2
programme to be filled by 36 Gripen
E/F fighters, you disclosed that this
number was not ‘final’ and will
potentially rise to 108! This was
quite a surprise for the fast jet-
community…
CREPALDI: [smiling] Yes, it obviously
was! But it wasn’t sensational.
The final allocation is of course
not yet financially covered, but we
had our feasibility study regarding
the numbers of our new fighter-
type back in 2007. Why 108? The
idea behind this figure is to have
standard, single-type fleets within
our forces, which includes fighters.
They’ll be introduced to the FAB in
three batches.
DIB: But consisting of single- and
two-seater versions in all of these
batches, right?
CREPALDI: That’s right. But it has
not yet been decided how many
additional twin-seat aircraft will be
included in the future two batches.
The twin-seater can do much more
than conversion or training. We’ve
been talking a lot with the South
African Air Force, because they also
operate the two-seater Gripen and
they use it in a C2 role. That’s our
plan too. We’ve therefore pushed
for a ‘customized’ two-seater
perhaps in contrast to Sweden.
DIB: As you referred to that study –
I understand it was quite a lengthy
process. Can you recall the major
benchmarks during these past
seven years?
CREPALDI: Oh yes, it was a long
journey but that’s not too surprising
given the scale and volume of the
undertaking. We had to select a
multirole fighter aircraft to replace
the Mirage 2000Cs and ,in the long-
term, the F-5Ms and A-1Ms [AMX],
aiming at modernisation and
standardization of the FAB fighter
fleet. Here, the number of 108 you
have questioned is embedded in
our operational needs. For sure
this number can change – we don’t
know what the future holds or the
budget realities we’ll face. We can
plan, but, like everybody, we have to
stick to whatever the funds dictate.
On the other hand, we also had
to increase the capabilities of the
national aerospace industry when
it comes to the development of new
technologies. So the RFP went out
to the manufacturers in October
2008 –and after the offer-analyses,
meetings, evaluations, revised
offers and best-and-final analysis
in 2009 – the final report was
issued to the defence ministry in
early 2010. We then has a political
pause until December 2013 when
the President’s decision to proceed
was given. Of course by then it
was necessary to undertake a
requirements update which lasted
about ten months and produced
another 45 volumes and 15.000
man/hours, assessing six areas of
different risks, and so on.
DIB: Some months after this main
contract was signed with Saab,
there was another agreement inked
concerning Brazil’s Gripen. What
was that about?
CREPALDI: That contract was
between and COMAER [Air Force
Aeronautics Command] and
was supplementary to the main
contract in that it provided CLS
[contractor logistics support] for the
future Gripens. It covers continuous
maintenance and support services
for the Gripen NG aircraft and
associated equipment, but will only
become effective once the delivery
has been fulfilled [between 2021
and 2026].
“The idea is to have
single-type fleets...”
With a combined inventory of 700 fixed-wing and rotary-aircraft, the Brazilian Air Force (Força Aérea Brasileira
- FAB) and Naval Aviation (Aviação Naval Brasileira - AvN) flies the largest air-arm in the Southern & Latin-
American hemisphere and is only second in the Americas after the USAF. As part of its current ‘National
Defence Strategy’, a main objective is to support “National Independence through a superior autonomous
technological capability and the strengthening of the industrial defence base”. The route to achieving this
lies in encouraging and welcoming partnerships with foreign companies and countries. During the last
International Fighter conference (London, November), GEORG MADER discussed key programmes for the FAB
with Brigadier Jose Crepaldi, Head of the Brazilian Air Force’s Programmes Office…
Artist’s impression of the forthcoming Brazilian Gripen.
(Saab)
The Briefing Room](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/defenceindustrybulletin-april2015-issue5-150414103731-conversion-gate01/85/Defence-Industry-Bulletin-April-2015-Issue-5-24-320.jpg)
![Defence Industry Bulletin :: 24
DIB: A question I have to ask.
Brazil really is a huge country –its
dimensions are the equivalent to
the whole of Europe or most of
the US Isn’t the Gripen the option
with the shortest ‘legs’, compared
to other contenders like the Super
Hornet or Rafále?
CREPALDI: No, no, this is a
misguided viewpoint. During our
evaluation of the three contenders,
all of them were able to fulfil
our requirements. We had two
configurations taking off from a FAB
base to fulfil a specific mission and
return. All of them achieved this, on
their own, with no tanker support.
So it’s incorrect to assert that
Gripen has less reach. It’s a totally
new aircraft with a new engine and
it also does not burn fuel at the rate
a twin-engine design does.
DIB: I visited the Swedish Air Force
Gripen training establishment at
Såtenas in August. The Flygchef
said he expects the first Brazilian
pilots to arrive soon after the
contract had been signed. Should
we assume some of them are now
already in Sweden?
CREPALDI: Yes, I think it was just
a few days after the contract
announcement that the first two
future FAB instructors arrived
at Såtenas. They had their first
training sortie on a Gripen D by
mid-November and they will stay
there for six months.
DIB: You will soon also introduce
the EMBRAER KC-390 tanker/
transport jet, recently rolled out at
Gavião Peixoto. How many of these
will there be? They’re intended,
as I understand, to multiply or
‘round-up’ the Gripen’s mission
capabilities, right?
CREPALDI: 28 of them will be
acquired for the FAB and there are
export orders as well. Of course
they will enhance the mission
envelope of the Gripen, but that
would have been the case with
the other contenders as well.
We just need a tanker full-stop,
independent from the fighter-type
chosen. The KC-390 will be great
– it’s exactly what we need. It is
carefully specified to serve our
nation, in total alignment with the
guidelines of the National Defence
Strategy and representing a great
leap in the operating capacity of air
transport and force multiplication.
It is the largest aircraft ever
developed and manufactured
in Brazil, the result of an initial
agreement signed in 2009 and the
series production and delivery
contract of mid-2014. It will fly for
the first time soon and we expect
the first delivery to the FAB in the
second half of 2016.
DIB: We already learned that
the Brazilian Gripen will carry
indigenous weapons like the
MAR-1 anti-radiation missile by
Odebrecht D&T and the South
African ARMSCOR ‘A-Darter’ IR/
WVR-missile. But what about the
BVR weapon?
CREPALDI: We’re undecided…
for the moment. We’re actually
trying to set up negotiations with
the South African government
to jointly develop a new BVR
missile, regardless of the existing
‘R-Darter’. We are both non-aligned
‘neighbors’ in the Southern Atlantic
hemisphere and have had good
relations over a long period of
time. South Africa is a very similar
country, both socially and in terms
of its budget reality, so logically,
that cooperation can benefit both of
our national defence interests.
DIB: General, thanks – and all the
best in welcoming ‘wings that
protect the country’.
CREPALDI: [smiling] Our motto!
Thanks for your interest!
Georg Mader speaking with Brig. Crepaldi at the annual International Fighter conference in London
The Briefing Room](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/defenceindustrybulletin-april2015-issue5-150414103731-conversion-gate01/85/Defence-Industry-Bulletin-April-2015-Issue-5-25-320.jpg)
Uploaded byAndrew Elwell
Defence Industry Bulletin, April 2015 (Issue #5)
The document discusses several topics related to defence and security: 1) It explores the growing need to enhance cyber defences and digital security as threats evolve rapidly. It assesses UK infrastructure vulnerabilities and the need for new public-private partnership strategies. 2) It discusses Brazil's acquisition of the Saab Gripen fighter and interviews an Air Force general about testing. 3) It covers the development of open architecture in defence systems, global armoured vehicle procurements, and new urban operations and shock mitigation technologies.
Defence Industry Bulletin, April 2015 (Issue #5)
- 1. 3 :: DefenceIndustry Bulletin 3 Issue #5 April 2015 Insider knowledge for the discerning defence and security professional BRAZILIAN AIR FORCE READIES FOR GRIPEN INTERVIEW Open Architecture REVOLUTION GAINING STEAM SUBMARINES POLISH BOATS SEEK NEW MISSILES COMMANDO 4X4 CONTINUES GLOBAL SALES DEFUSING THE THREAT WITH PUBLIC-PRIVATE ACTION CYBER: A TICKING TIME BOMB?
- 2. :: Defence IndustryBulletin1 :: Defence Industry Bulletin Governments and commercial organisations are becoming increasingly aware of the need to enhance their cyber defences and bolster digital networks to plug vulnerability gaps. The challenge is identifying how best to do that and keeping up with rapidly evolving threats and technology. In this issue of Defence Industry Bulletin, our expert correspondent assesses the vulnerabilities of critical national infrastructure in the UK and explores how existing challenges may demand a new security strategy. We explore the latest cyber threats and the vital opportunities for public-private security partnerships. In The Briefing Room, we talk to the Head of Programmes for the Brazilian Air Force, Brigadier General José Augusto Crepaldi Affonso, about the acquisition of Saab’s Gripen E/F fighters and to understand more about the testing of the A-Darter missile. Also in this issue we bring you insight into the latest developments of open architecture within the defence sector, we take a look at some of the major global procurements of armoured fighting vehicles, examine the rise in urban operations requirements, and we analyse new shock mitigation technology for fast boats. We hope you enjoy this issue of Defence Industry Bulletin, which is now available as a free-to-view publication for the first time, and if you have any comments you would like to share, please don’t hesitate to get in touch at haveyoursay@defenceiq.com Andrew Elwell and Richard de Silva Cyber 19 Open Archictecture 21 The Briefing Room 23 More Information 32 Welcome to Defence Industry Bulletin! Welcome 1 The Broader Picture 2 Land 5 Air 12 Sea 16
- 3. Defence Industry Bulletin:: 2 The Broader Picture Europe tumbles in defence export table Andrew Elwell According to the latest SIPRI data, the US is again the largest defence exporter, accounting for nearly a third (31 percent) of all global deals in the sector. Together with Russia (27 percent), the two Cold War superpowers account for well over half of all defence exports in the world. The EU countries saw a dramatic downscaling in defence industrial output, accounting for just 12 percent of global arms sales during the period 2010-2014, down by almost half in just four years when it was 21 percent for 2005- 2009. China overtook Germany as the third largest arms dealer, accounting for 5 percent of total sales. Meanwhile, India again ranks as the largest defence importer, accounting for 15 percent of global deals in the sector. That figure is treble the size of both Saudi Arabian and Chinese imports, which are the second and third highest respectively. Diplomatic gulf widens over Swedish-Saudi defence spat Oliver Austin Sweden’s decision to opt out of renewing its five-year defence agreement with Saudi Arabia has created a diplomatic friction that may impact the European nation’s future defence export options. Between 2011 and 2014, a pact between the two countries saw $550 million in revenue flow into Swedish industry coffers. However, the new government bent to pressure from opposition to Saudi Arabia’s human rights record and has refused to resign. In response to the decision, Saudi Arabia recalled its ambassador to Sweden, citing “offensive remarks” made by Foreign Minister Margot Wallström, who had criticised Saudi’s judicial system and stance on women’s rights on social media. The UAE has since followed suit, with Emirati minister Anwar Gargash stating that the criticisms have constituted a violation of Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty. During the first deal, several equipment deals were sealed, including the delivery of ISR and sensors such as two Saab 200 Erieye airborne early warning aircraft. The UAE has also acquired Swedish systems, from landing craft to Giraffe AMB radars, and has also ordered two Erieyes. Consequences of the decision are expected to trickle through the Swedish commercial sector, with business leaders from the likes of the automotive, clothing and telecoms industries claiming there will be a significant negative impact to Sweden’s reputation as a trading partner. Other Middle Eastern nations may also opt to “boycott” Swedish business. Diplomatic ties with Israel were damaged in 2014 over comments made regarding the conflict with Palestine, leading to Wallström cancelling an official visit in January 2015. Saudi Arabia’s defence future may proceed without further Swedish involvement after a diplomatic falling out (credit: Omar Chatriwala)
- 4. :: Defence IndustryBulletin3 Rise of urban warfare spurring wave of special equipment demands Richard de Silva The need for militaries to begin looking deeper into urban operations is becoming far more urgent, according to leading defence and strategic analysts. Meanwhile, armed forces worldwide are upscaling their drive to find equipment suited to help infantry undertake this type of warfare. The latest example comes from US Special Operations Command (SOCOM), which released a Request for Information in March to urgently seek out a range of technology for this specific requirement. Included in its requests are such high- end solutions as sensors that can “see through walls”, stealth communications that offer low probability of detection (LPD), ruggedized GPS, wireless data- sharing, tools that offer automated transcripts and translations of interviews, and even 3D holographic mapping tools. The solicitation also prompts for weapons and armour to be tested alongside the latest – and lightest – in wearable devices. While SOCOM describes the needs as a response to the demands of ‘unconventional warfare’, there is much that indicates this type of engagement will soon become the norm. At the same time, as global defence budgets continue to err on the side of caution and governments shy away from committing large-scale ground troops to foreign lands, the importance of small task forces of special operations personnel to the wider world is coming to the fore. As of 2015, there were 35 ‘megacities’ (populations of over 10 million) in existence, eight of which have emerged in the last four years. By 2025, at least ten will exist in the Far East alone. As many nations, particularly China, are seeing the biggest migration of rural dwellers to urban areas ever, there is an increasing belief that the conflicts of tomorrow will take place not it in the fields, deserts or jungles of old, but in dense cities. The need for landpower was tested at the latest annual Unified Quest exercise, in which the US Army simulated a city in 2030 and coordinated a Red Team to act as insurgents taking advantage of a humanitarian disaster and destabilizing the city further through a series of cyber, electronic warfare and anti-access tactics. In response, engagement had to take place at ground-level and infantry squads had to expand their operations over a wider area. Commanders therefore believe that these soldiers need to be more lethal and have a wealth of systems supporting them from combat air support to ISR assets, enabling the likes of full-motion video (FMV), autonomous vehicles and directed energy capabilities. The aim appears to be to reduce the logistics load, increase mobility and ensure the troops have information dominance, all of which will provide something more akin to a deadly sting than a lumbering tackle. ISR assets, enabling the likes of full-motion video (FMV), autonomous vehicles and directed energy capabilities. The aim appears to be to reduce the logistics load, increase mobility and ensure the troops have information dominance, all of which will provide something more akin to a deadly sting than a lumbering tackle. The need for landpower was tested at the latest annual Unified Quest exercise US Special Forces soldiers search for the daughter of a village elder from a simulated hostage situation during a training scenario at the Urban Operations Center, Nevada. (US mil) The Broader Picture
- 5. Defence Industry Bulletin:: 4 UK wasted millions on “botched” GoCo project Joseph Carpenter Areport from the National Audit Office (NAO) has accused the MoD of throwing away £33m over 30 months in its attempt to implement a privatised procurement reform. The Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) staff came under fire in the document for underperforming in its partnership with the armed forces, requiring better synchronicity between demand and delivery to avoid further waste. Analysts claim that the 2013 attempt to establish a government-owned, contractor- operated (GoCo) model to transform DE&S represented a black hole in the MoD’s accounts. The NAO recommends that the MoD asserts more stringent oversight and control of DE&S but did commend the benefits the process had made in shining a light on business needs and skill gaps. When the efforts to introduce the GoCo model first began, the theory was that the MoD would eliminate £2bn a year in bureaucratic waste, but it faced objections from several quarters, including unions and US DoD officials. Only one contractor bid to implement and manage the model, effectively collapsing the plan. Defence ministers have downplayed the losses as a mere fraction of the overall annual cost of running procurement. NAO Comptroller and Auditor General Amyas Morse stated that “DE&S now needs to demonstrate how, as a bespoke trading entity, it will address systemic weaknesses in defence acquisition to ensure the MoD can deliver an affordable equipment programme and sustain this over the longer term.” Advanced technology also comes into play here, with new training and simulation systems dedicated to urban operations being pushed heavily by the likes of Saab, Lockheed Martin, Ruag, Rheinmetall, Theissen and others. At the tail-end of 2014, as one example, Cubic Corporation was awarded a $12 million contract by the Canadian Department of National Defence to fulfil the first phase of its Urban Operations Training System (UOTS) capability. This system complements an urban village training simulator with realistic special effects, and will help forces to understand elements such as grenade and IED activity, precision shooting and high-fidelity tracking in this environment. As soldiers undertake exercises, video relay allows for real-time and post- exercise reviews of the drill. Given the prevalence of urban operations in the Middle East, it is unsurprising that the 2015 IDEX event in Abu Dhabi uncovered rising demand for these training and simulation solutions among Arabian Gulf states. The UAE is currently assessing options to award a contract to deliver its new urban warfare centre. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait are also understood to be seeking new training systems, a requirement said to be more of a priority than programmes for new vehicles or protection systems. Aside to training, all-new tactical equipment is also being developed from concept to cope with the emerging demands. For instance, the Pentagon is developing lightweight autonomous UAVs to act like small birds and insects, navigating at high speed through complex, tightly-confined spaces. The Fast Lightweight Autonomy (FLA) project being pushed by DARPA aims to provide all soldiers with a man-portable device that can fly for around 10 minutes at a speed of up to 20 metres per second and without the need for GPS waypoints to be programmed in advance. Such a capability could provide invaluable intelligence during hostage situations or in the search and rescue efforts during disaster scenarios. Defence ministers have downplayed the losses as a mere fraction of the overall annual cost The idea for a new model was seeded by the last Labour government, then launched in 2013 by former defence secretary Philip Hammond The Broader Picture
- 6. :: Defence IndustryBulletin5 Land The Armée de Terre (French Army) has taken an important step forward in extending the provision of mobile Satellite Communications (SATCOM) to mounted and dismounted troops. On 22 February, the French Direction Générale de l’Armament (DGA) procurement agency announced that it had ordered 20 Thales VENUS (Véhicules de commandement Nomades communiquant par Satellite/ Nomadic Satellite Communications Command Vehicles) Satellite Communications (SATCOM) terminals. These terminals will equip Nexter VAB (Véhicule de l’Avant Blindé) Armoured Personnel Carriers used by the French Army. The VENUS terminals will allow VABs so equipped to communication with the French Syracuse-III (Système de Radiocommunication Utilisant un Satellite/Satellite-Based Radio-communication System) used by the French armed forces. Deliveries of the VENUS terminals will commence in 2016 and will conclude in 2017. The February 2015 acquisition follows an earlier order made by the DGA for these terminals in 2009, which saw deliveries commence in 2010 as part of an urgent operational requirement for French forces deployed to Afghanistan for a SATCOM-On- The-Move capability. This capability enables mounted commanders to connect to other echelons across the Syracuse-III constellation. Since then, the VENUS terminal has been used in Afghanistan, and during French Army operations against Islamist guerrillas in Mali. The VENUS terminals can connect with conventional tactical communications, such as vehicular radios, to provide over- the-horizon communications from the vehicle itself. This allows conventional communications systems connected to the terminals to enjoy global connectivity via the Syracuse-III constellation. Moreover, mobile SATCOM allows deployed forces to outflank terrain and building obstacles which can mask conventional radio communications. Dismounted troops can access the vehicle- mounted VENUS terminals using their own radios. This effectively brings SATCOM down to the tactical level, increasing the quantity of information which can be shared at range between deployed troops and their commanders. Connectivity with the Syracuse-III constellation is provided by Thales’ System-21 SATCOM waveform embedded in the VENUS terminals. According to Patrick Heuline, Thales’ head of marketing for communications systems, the VENUS terminals will provide voice and data communications across X-band (eight to ten gigahertz) SATCOM frequencies with data rates of up to 128 kilobits-per- second. The specification of the VENUS terminals equipped the French Army VABs as a result of the February 2015 are the same as those which equipped the force as a result of the 2009 order, Mr. Heuline adds. It has not been revealed how many VAB vehicles will be equipped with the VENUS terminals, although it is assumed that one terminal will equip each platform. France Extends SATCOM On-The-Move Thomas Withington Sweden’s BAE Systems (Hägglunds will upgrade 95 Bv 206 D6 amphibious all-terrain articulated protected vehicles in service with the Royal Netherlands Navy’s (Koninklijke Marine) Marine Corps (Korps Mariniers). The contract signed with the Dutch Ministry of Defence’s armament procurement arm DMO (Defensie Materieel Organisatie) for a mid-life upgrade of the vehicles was revealed on 9 March, however the contract was only signed in late 2014. The fleet will be re-delivered between the first and third quarter of 2018, a company spokesperson told Defence Industry Bulletin. According to the contract, BAE Systems Hägglunds will change and re-install new engines, drivelines, complete electrical systems and tracks the company added. The contract with the Netherlands includes the delivery of one prototype as well as six pre-series vehicles, with an option for a further 88 vehicles. The modernisation of the first seven vehicles will be carried out in Sweden, and the remaining 88 vehicles will be upgraded in the Netherlands. The vehicle is fielded in several variants comprising basic vehicle, repair & recovery vehicle, transport vehicle and 81mm mortar carrier. 156 of the vehicles were originally purchased. The Royal Netherlands Navy’s Marine Corps were also fielded with 74 BAE Systems Hägglunds Viking BvS 10’s purchased in 2006 comprising 46 personnel carriers, 20 Command post vehicles, 4 repair & recovery vehicles and four MEDEVAC vehicles. BAE Systems to modernise Dutch “go-anywhere” vehicles Victor M.S. Barreira Dutch Bv 206D6 vehicles in Norway during Cold Response 2014 training exercise of NATO (Ole-Sverre Haugli, Norwegian Armed Forces)
- 7. Defence Industry Bulletin:: 6 The first prototype of the new CENTAURO 2 8x8 armoured anti-tank wheeled vehicle is ready and has been shown for the first time to Gen. Claudio Graziano, Italy’s Defence Chief of Staff and the Army’s former Chief of Staff. The new vehicle has a maximum gross weight of around 30-35 tons and is powered with a 720 HP turbodiesel engine for a high power-to-weight ratio. This, together with the new transmission and power-train, will give it robust off-road performances. Additionally, the CENTAURO 2 has shown during recent tests an extraordinary level of protection against mines and IED thanks to the newly designed chassis. The firepower will be similar to that of an MBT thanks to the evolution of the Oto Melara HITFACT turret armed with a 120/45 mm smooth- bore gun (compatible with the 120 mm ammunition NATO standard). This new turret is extremely modular and can accommodate different kinds of FCS (Fire Control Systems), armour, weapons (i.e. not only 120 mm but also 105/51 mm rifled gun). The vehicle, a product of Iveco-Oto Melara consortium (CIO), will replace B-1 CENTAURO in the Italian Army’s cavalry Recce Units. The Army’s first requirement is for 74 vehicles followed by a similar quantity. Currently only the development phase is financed, which includes the building of a prototype. Next June the prototype will start the validation testing phase, while the official presentation of the vehicle is scheduled next Autumn. First prototype of Iveco-Oto Melara CENTAURO 2 ready for testing Eugenio Po A CAD drawing of the CENTAURO 2 The Malaysian Army is currently improving its armoured capability with the induction of 257 Gempita 8x8 amphibious multirole vehicles procured from the local firm DRB- HICOM Defence Technologies (DEFTECH) to replace Rpz Condor 4x4 and SIBMAS 6x6 vehicles. The vehicle, initially designated as AV8, is a local modification of Pars design from Turkish armored vehicles specialist FNSS Savunma Sistemleri, (a joint venture of Turkish conglomerate Nurol Holding and BAE Systems. The Pars design was selected over Patria Land Systems AMV and GDELS Piranha IIIC vehicles, with a letter of intent (LoI) signed in April 2010 worth about MYR8 million ($2.2 million) and Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) signed in January 2012 between DEFTECH and FNSS Savunma Sistemleri. Malaysia could consider ordering additional units of Gempita at a later date. The vehicle was designed to meet Malaysia’s operational requirements in term of protection, firepower, mobility and survivability. It will operate in varied terrain which ranged from jungles, rivers and hills, in undeveloped parts of Peninsular and East Malaysia to the urban terrain of the cities and to cope with the tropical and humid conditions. 12 V-shaped hull units of the infantry fighting variant with 25mm turret were delivered to the Army’s 19th Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment (19 Rejimen Malaysia improves its armoured capability Victor M.S. Barreira Gempita wheeled armored vehicle with Sharpshooter turret (Perajurit) Land
- 8. :: Defence IndustryBulletin7 Azkar Melayu DiRaja or 19 RAMD) in December 2014 and 34 more will be delivered in 2015. The vehicle will come in 12 variants to arm one mechanised infantry regiment and two armoured regiments. The programme will deliver 178 fighting vehicles outfitted out with Sharpshooter one-man turret armed with 25x137mm M242 Bushmaster automatic cannon and MAG58M 7.62x51mm coaxial machine gun, LCT-30 two-man turret armed with 30x173mm GI-30 automatic cannon and MAG58M coaxial machine gun, Reutech Solutions Land Rogue remote weapon station armed with machine gun, or turret armed with GI-30 cannon and launchers for Ingwe anti-tank missiles; 24 surveillance vehicles with mast-mounted Vinghøg Vingtaqs II long-range surveillance and reconnaissance system integrating Thales Nederland Squire medium- range ground surveillance radar, thermal and daylight cameras, laser pointer and laser range finder; 13 command posts; 8 mortar carriers with TDA Armements 2R2M 120mm rifled mortar system; 4 engineering and NRBC reconnaissance vehicles; 9 ambulances; 9 recovery vehicles, 9 maintenance vehicles; and 3 signal vehicles. Standard equipment on the Gempita includes a 530hp diesel engine (BF8M 1015), 7-speed automatic transmission (7HP 902S), open information communication system (VSys-net), HF and VHF tactical radios (HF3000 SKYF@ST and PR4G F@stnet respectively); a digital intercom (FONET), battle management system, power management system, platform management system, thermal cameras and CCD camera; a central tyre inflation system, auxiliary power unit, self-recovery winch, air conditioning unit, NBC detection system, NBC filtration system, automatic fire suppression system, navigation system, unity vision periscopes and reversionary sights; 76mm grenade dischargers, a laser warning system, and additional armor. The vehicle’s V-shaped hull is made of composite aluminum and steel armour. The turrets also feature DNGS T1 gunner’s sight with Catherine XP thermal imager, and grenade launchers. Several foreign and local companies are involved with the programme including TDA Armaments, Deutz, MMC Defence, Denel Land Systems, Denel Dynamics, FN Herstal, ZF Friedrichshafen, WB Electronics, IHI, Sapura Thales Electronics, M-Pol, Orbital ATK, Suria-Medik, Hutchinson, Thales, UCM, NorthStar, Rohde & Schwarz, Smith Detection, Kent Periscopes, Barincorp, FNSS Savunma Sistemleri, Vinghøg, SecuGlass and Bioquell Defence. The Malaysian Army has previously embarked on a modernisation programme for its armour capability with the procurement of the Polish ZM Bumar-Łabędy (of Polski Holding Obronny) and 48 PT-91M Twardy (locally designated Pendekar) armed with 125 mm smooth- barrel gun, as well as six WZT-91M recovery vehicles, three MID-91M engineering vehicles and five PMC- 91M bridge layers with Krauss- Maffei Wegman (KMW) Leguan bridge system. The tanks joined 211 FNSS Savunma Sistemleri’s AC-300 (locally known as Adnan) tracked armoured vehicles of several variants, including fighting vehicles, signal, 81mm mortar, command, ambulance, anti-tank, fitter and recovery vehicles, purchased in August 2004 from DEFTECH and another 48 similar vehicles and six stretched ACV-S mortar vehicles with the 2R2M system purchased in April 2008. Several of the ACV-300s were produced by DEFTECH. Malaysia received between 1993 and 1995 around 100 Doosan Infracore K200A1 tracked vehicles in several variants. Several foreign and local companies are involved with the Gempita programme Malaysian PT-91M main battle tank (Janusz Walczak) Land
- 9. Defence Industry Bulletin:: 8 Swedish firm BAE Systems Hägglunds has handed over the first CV90 armoured tracked vehicle of the infantry fighting variant in serial production to the Norwegian armament procurement arm (Forsvarets Logistikk Organisasjon or FLO). The £462 million ($689 million) contract awarded by FLO to BAE Systems Hägglunds in 2012 includes the upgrade of the Royal Norwegian Army’s existing fleet of 103 CV9030N Mk I and the production of 41 new-build Mk III chassis, giving the Army a total of 144 vehicles in five configurations. Another 7 protected turrets armed with 30mm cannon will be produced. The programme, which is key for the Army’s modernisation strategy, will provide enhanced capabilities in the areas of protection, survivability, situational awareness, intelligence, and interoperability for emerging battlefield and conflict scenarios. The Norwegian Army will incorporate five different configurations of the CV90, comprising 74 infantry fighting vehicles (SPV), 21 reconnaissance vehicles (OPV), 15 command post vehicles (STRILED), 16 engineering vehicles (STING), 16 multi-role vehicles (MultiC) and two driver training vehicles until 2017. The multi-role vehicles can fulfill different functions, including mortar carrier and logistics roles. All the vehicles will include digitised vehicle information systems, an inertial navigation system, GPS, TCE 621/M new mobile IP encryption device, SOTAS intercom, tactical radio system, the norBMS command and control suite, Kongsberg Protech Systems Protector Nordic remote weapon station, rubber tracks, Prox Dynamics PD-100 Black Hornet nano unmanned air vehicle and an integration kit for NORMANS (NORwegian Modular Network Soldier) dismounted soldier system. All the core elements are integrated via data distribution services (DDS) technology. The SPV, STRILED and OPV vehicles feature the Mk III chassis with Mk I turrets, Saab UTAAS (Universal Tank and Anti-Aircraft Sight) sight and fire control system, and LED-based (Light Emitting Diode) WiseLED Xtruder searchlight. The OPVs also have the Vinghøg Vingtaqs II long range, target acquisition and surveillance system. The mobile mortar variant includes an 81mm mortar system, Vinghøg VingPos mortar fire control system and Kongsberg Defence Systems ODIN fire support system. The engineering variant will feature mine clearing equipment from Pearson Engineering and handling crane of Hydrauliska Industri (HIAB). Several Norwegian companies are involved with the programme including Kongsberg Defence Systems, Nammo, CHSnor, Vinghøg, Thales Norway and Ritek. The CV90 combat vehicle has been selected by Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Switzerland and The Netherlands. Denmark and Poland are other nations where the CV90 design is competing to meet the local requirement for AFVs. Norway inducts first CV90 IFV Victor M.S. Barreira The Portuguese Army is currently in the process of receiving additional Pandur II 8x8 armoured vehicles. The fleet will complement 166 vehicles inducted prior to the original February 2005 contract with General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) being canceled in October 2012 by the Portuguese Ministry of National Defence (MDN). An agreement was reached in September 2014 with the aim to deliver the Army 22 more vehicles. The agreement included 8 infantry fighting vehicles; 5 anti- tank vehicles; 2 repair and recovery vehicles; 6 communications vehicles; and 1 ambulance. The first vehicle was inducted in December 2014 while the last is scheduled for delivery by early August 2015. Three contracts were signed in 2005 comprising one worth EUR344.2 million ($374 million) for the acquisition of 240 vehicles for the Army and 20 amphibious vehicles for the Navy’s Marine Corps and an option to later buy 33 vehicles with 105mm turreted gun system for the Army. A second deal worth EUR20.3 million ($22 million) was signed for spares and a third worth EUR516.3 million ($561 million) was signed for offsets. Portugal receives further 22 Pandur II AFVs Victor M.S. Barreira Portuguese Pandur IIs of infantry fighting, repair & recovery, and command versions (Victor M. S. Barreira) Infantry fighting variant of the modernised Norwegian CV90 armoured vehicle (BAE Systems Hägglunds) Land
- 10. :: Defence IndustryBulletin9 166 vehicles were inducted by the Army’s Intervention Brigade (Brigada de Intervenção or BrigInt) with the aim to replace the V200 Chaimite 4x4 vehicle and to provide expanded protection and mobility capability to the brigade, comprising 105 personnel carriers with mount for a 12.7mm machine gun; 7 personnel carriers with a Protector M151 remote weapon station armed with a 12.7mm machine gun; 22 infantry fighting vehicles with an SP30 turret armed with 30mm automatic cannon and two 7,62mm machine guns; 16 command posts with workstations, communications and auxiliary power unit; 7 ambulances with four stretchers, stretcher-rack system and brackets on vehicle’s roof; 4 battlefield surveillance vehicles with Thales BOR-A 550 surveillance radar and electro-optical payload with thermal imager, TV camera and laser range finder; 5 repair & recovery vehicles with welding equipment recovery winch and Palfinger Europe telescopic crane. As standard, the vehicle is outfitted out with Theon Sensors NX-199A night vision driver’s viewer, M27 type periscopes, Bruker RAID XP chemical and radiological detection system, EID’s PRC-525 tactical radio and ICC-201 intercom, add-on armor, thermal identification beacon, threat detection system, GPS, grenade dischargers, central tire inflation system, life support system, fire extinguishing system and combat identification panel. The vehicle’s powerpack features Cummins ISLe diesel engine with 455hp and ZF Friedrichshafen 6HP 602C automatic transmission. The original contract also comprised 31 mortar carriers with 120mm CARDOM system of Elbit Systems Land & C4I, 9 engineering vehicles with mine clearing equipment of Pearson Engineering, and another 10 anti-tank vehicles and two ambulances; however they will not be received. Other armoured vehicles in the Portuguese Army inventory include Leopard 2A6 and M60A3 TTS main battle tanks, M109A5 self-propelled howitzers, VBL scout cars, V-200 Chaimite personnel carriers, V150 S Commando fire support vehicles, M88A2 and M578 recovery vehicles, M60A1 bridge layers, M548 ammunition resupply vehicles, M113A1/A2 personnel carriers, M577A2 command posts, M106A2 and M125A2 mortar carriers, M728 engineering vehicles, M901 anti- tank vehicles, M730A1/A2 carriers for Chaparral air defence system, as well as HMMWV’s M1025A2, M1151A1 w/B1 and two M1152A1 w/ B2 carriers. The acquisition of 192 4x4 light tactical armoured vehicles in several variants is envisaged to be set up by the Portuguese armament procurement arm (DGRDN) over the next 4 years. 37 Leopard 2A6 battle tanks plus one Leopard 2A4 driver training tank were received from the Netherlands (Victor M. S. Barreira) Between the summer of 2015 and the spring of 2016, the French Army engineers units will receive 60 VAB Ultima Génie 4x4 armoured engineering vehicles. It will provide the front-line engineers units with the same support capabilities as the infantry units, with which they cooperate closely. The vehicle is another variant of the modernised VAB Ultima. The fleet ordered on 27 June 2014 is an option part of the 2011 contract awarded by French armament procurement arm DGA (Direction Générale de l’Armement) to Renault Trucks Defense for the modernisation of 170 in-service VAB (Véhicule de l’Avant Blindé) vehicles to VAB Ultima standard. Modernisation of an initial 120 troop carriers was ordered in 2009. 230 of the 290 modernised VABs are of the VAB Ultima Infanterie version for infantry troops. The programme will be concluded after the 60 vehicles are delivered. The engineering variant allows engineers to carry out all types of engineering missions through its basic engineering kit, plus one of the six mission specific kits. Renault Trucks Defense (of Volvo Group Government Sales or VGGS) together with the French Army Technical Unit (Section Technique de l’Armée de Terre or STAT) and the French Army Engineers School approved the loading of all possible engineer corps kits on the prototype. French Army to induct engineering AFVs Victor M.S. Barreira The French Army will induct 60 VAB Ultima Génie vehicles (RTD) Land
- 11. Defence Industry Bulletin:: 10 Fittings on the VAB Ultima include Kongsberg Protech Systems Protector M151 remote weapon station armed with 12.7mm heavy machine gun or Heckler & Koch GMG 40mm automatic grenade launcher; structural modifications; improved mine and ballistic protection by IBD Deisenroth Engineering; storage boxes; integration kits for Sagem FELIN-equipped soldiers (Fantassin à Équipements et Liaisons INtégrés); Sagem SITEL (Systeme d’Information Terminal ELementaire) information system; Elno SRI-1200 intercom system; suspended seats by Schroth Safety Products; slat armor by Amefo; protected mounts for light machine guns; Metravib SLATE (Système de Localisation du Tireur Embusqué) gunshot sensor; large mount for antennas; protective glass systems of Rheinmetall Chempro, jamming system; and improved brake and suspension systems. About 4000 VAB vehicles of several variants were delivered to the French Army. The type will be replaced from 2018 by 1722 of the Griffon 6x6 multi-role vehicle being developed by a consortium formed by Nexter Systems, Renault Trucks Defense and Thales Communications & Security as part of a contract placed by the DGA on 5 December 2014. The Bulgarian Army has inducted the 10 COMMANDO Select 4x4 armoured vehicles acquired from Textron Systems through the US foreign military sales (FMS) scheme, for use in Afghanistan. The fleet comprises seven personnel carriers with 40/50 standard turret armed with 40mm Mk19 Mod 3 automatic grenade launcher and 12.7mm heavy machine gun, two command posts with the company’s OSRVT (One System Remote Video Terminal) remote video terminal technology that enables personnel to remotely downlink streaming video, images and geospatial data from a variety of sources including unmanned systems, and one ambulance for protected medical evacuation. The contract worth $15.2 million was awarded by the US Army Contracting Command (ACC) to Textron Systems on 19 September 2014. It also included integrated logistics support package with spares, training services and technical documentation. Two Bulgarian companies were involved in the program including Terem SHC which will supply spares, with another local firm providing field support. The vehicles were delivered in January by the manufacturer to the US Government and shipped from the US at an unknown date to Afghanistan for operation by the Bulgarian military contingent deployed there. COMMANDO Select feature a gross vehicle weight of 17.2t, length of 6.2m, width of 2.7m, height of 3m, top speed of 100km/h and maximum autonomy of 644km, The vehicle’s power train consists of Cummins 6CTA8.3 diesel engine with 280hp and 6-speed Allison Transmission MD3560 automatic transmission. Bulgaria previously received seven COMMANDO Advanced 4x4s in April 2008 for use in Afghanistan. The contract of 2014 also includes spares for the seven vehicles. Bulgaria receives 4x4 AFVs from Textron Systems Victor M.S. Barreira The French Army will induct 60 VAB Ultima Génie vehicles (RTD) Land
- 12. :: Defence IndustryBulletin11
- 13. Defence Industry Bulletin:: 12 Air The fleet of Rafale multi-role fighters set to be delivered by France to the Egyptian Air Force will first be modified to remove their ASMPA (air-sol moyenne portée améliorée) nuclear missile capability and NATO-standard communications system, reports indicate. The deal, signed in February, marked Dassault Aviation’s first foreign export sale of the jets, seeing 24 aircraft, an accompanying (DCNS) FREMM frigate and a supply of MBDA air-to-air missiles set to be provided for $5.7 billion. There is currently an ongoing dialogue between the countries on the exact delivery schedule because a ‘substitution’ effect rests on deliveries that had previously been due for the French Navy and Air Force. The frigate, Normandie, was also initially built for the French Navy. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is understood to be aiming to end a US monopoly over defence sales to Cairo. In order to foot the bill, France and Egypt are negotiating a loan guarantee with Coface, France’s export credit agency, which would support half of the deal outside of a 15 percent downpayment. Dassault Aviation is set to deliver five Rafales to France this year, along with up to six to Egypt by December. Five other competitors were beaten to the contract: Lockheed Martin F-16 (of which Egypt already operates the fourth largest fleet in the world), the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Mikoyan MiG- 35, Saab JAS 39 Gripen, and the Eurofighter Typhoon, which placed second in the competition for this latest deal. Other potential Rafale orders may come from Qatar and India, with the latter deal close to sealing 126 aircraft for around $12.8 billion but stalled by indecision for over three years. Qatar and Egypt are currently ramping up their airborne capabilities in concerted efforts to strike IS targets. France delivering modified Rafales to Egypt Joseph Carpenter The Indian authorities mformally accepted the initial two modernised combat aircraft Mirage 2000 I/TI. The acceptance ceremony of the first two aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF) was held at Dassault Aviation’s Flight Test Centre located in Istres, France on 25 March 2015. Dassault Aviation and Thales were contracted by India in July 2011 to upgrade 51 Mirage 2000H Vajra (including several twin-seat aircraft) of the IAF inventory to the company’s Mirage 2000-5 Mk 2 standard. The maiden flight of its first upgraded aircraft was completed on 5 October 2013, following a two year development phase. The remaining aircraft will be upgraded in India by the local aerospace firm Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) with assistance of the French companies. As part of the modernisation programme, the aircraft are being outfitted out with RDY-3 multimode fire control radar, modular mission computer, Totem 3000 inertial navigation system with GPS technology, ICMS Mk4 electronic warfare suite, identification friend or foe transponder and interrogator, as well as an advanced avionics suite consisting of heads-up display (HUD) and multifunction hands on throttle and stick (HOTAS) systems, two MFD 54 and MFD 55 multifunction displays, as well as integrated electronic standby instrument that provides the pilot with attitude, altitude and airspeed indications in a single line replaceable unit. The aircraft is also getting the capability to fire MBDA France MICA (Missile d’Interception, de Combat et d’Autodéfense) advanced beyond-visual range air-to-air missile system. India purchased comprehensive quantities of MICA EM (with radio frequency guidance) and IR (featuring infrared guidance) missiles in January 2012. India receives initial modernised Mirage 2000 fighters Victor M.S. Barreira Egyptian procurement of the Rafale could help push through negotiations with India and Qatar.
- 14. :: Defence IndustryBulletin13 The first Italian F-35A has rolled-out of the Cameri Final Assembly and Check Out (FACO) facility in northern Italy. The aircraft is the first Lightning II assembled internationally and the first of 8 aircraft currently being assembled. The aircraft, designated as AL-1, will now proceed to additional check-out activities before its anticipated first flight later this year. The Italian FACO is owned by the Italian Ministry of Defence and is operated by Alenia Aermacchi in conjunction with Lockheed Martin. The Cameri FACO will build all Italian F-35A and F-35B aircraft, and 800 full wing sections for the US production. Moreover, the plant is programmed to build F-35As for the Royal Netherlands Air Force and retains the capacity to deliver to other European partners in the future. In December 2014, the Italian assembly plant was selected by the US DoD as the F-35 Heavy Airframe Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul and Upgrade (MRO&U) facility for the European region. The 500,000 m2 facility includes 22 buildings and more than 124,000 m2 of covered work space, housing 11 assembly stations, and 5 maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade bays. At full stretch the plant can assembly two F-35 aircraft every month and is a scaled down version of the US Forth Worth plant, which has maximum capacity of 22 aircraft every months. The first full F-35A wing section was recently completed and will soon be shipped to Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth, Texas, F-35 production line for final assembly. The Italian F-35As and F-35Bs will replace the legacy TORNADO and AMX fighter-bomber in the Italian Air Force and AV-8B+ VSTOL aircraft in the Italian Navy’s Air Force. Italy has a requirement for 90 F-35s, 75 for the Air Force (60 F-35As and 15 F-35Bs) and 15 F-35Bs for the Navy. In 2016, aircraft AL-1 together with other 2 aircraft will be sent to Luke Air Force, AZ to start Italian pilot training. The Italian Navy’s pilot training will start at MAS Beaufort, SC in 2017. Roll-out of the first Italian F-35A Eugenio Po Many of the RAF’s MQ-9s are being placed in storage The first three AgustaWestland HH-101 Combat SAR helicopters are ready for delivery to the Italian Air Force. The first two helicopters should be delivered to the Air Force soon. The Italian Air Force has a total requirement of 15 helicopters – the programme is for 12 machines plus 3 in options – and the programme will have a total cost of around EUR750 million ($812 million). The HH-101 CSAR has a probe for in-flight refuelling, which can improve autonomy. The helicopter has a maximum weight of 16 tons, which is 1 ton heavier than the original EH-101 and is armed with 3 7.62 mm 3 barrel M-134D Gatling gun built by Dillon with a rate of fire of 3,000 rounds for minute. The engines are the new GE CT-7 8E producing 2,041 SHP; the transmission is improved and the helicopters have newer blades (BERP-3 instead of BERP-2). The cockpit is entirely new with 5 upgraded multifunction displays while the avionic system has a STARSAFIRE FLIR system, a self- defence counter measure system (DIRCM) and a laser avoidance system (LOAM). HH-101 for the Italian Air Force Eugenio Po One of the first HH-101 in flight Air
- 15. Defence Industry Bulletin:: 14 Afreshly released RFI from USAF reveals that commanders are placing a heavy focus on the future of electronic warfare (EW) for the coming years. The document calls for information from industry on the potential hardware and software provisions of a near-to-midterm technological road map for EW receiver systems, along with cost and risk assessment. With a heightened risk of conventional conflict and a contested environment, the requirement to counter the likes of active electronically scanning array (AESA), wide radio frequency operating bandwidths and adaptive/interleaved multi-mode waveforms, could prove decisive in future engagements. The RFI is being facilitated by the Air Force Research Laboratory and Air Force Life Cycle Management Center who hope to identify possible next- generation technology to enable a more “agile” service. According to the request, foreign radar weapon system developments have led the USAF EW component to “become increasingly concerned about the current state of practice of EW receiver’s ability to address radar waveform agility advancements and the complex electromagnetic operating environment that are part of the modern battlefield.” Meanwhile, Department of Defence staff have established a senior- level committee to study the full range of EW capabilities across the US military. Co-chaired by Pentagon acquisition chief Frank Kendall and US Navy Admiral James Winnefeld, the board will oversee efforts to retain the country’s the present advantage when it comes to defensive and offensive electronic measures. Robert Work, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Deputy Secretary, announced the initiative at a conference in March during discussions over the mounting threats of other nations investing heavily in this domain. “We still have a lead, but that lead is diminishing rapidly,” Work said. US Air Force seeks Electronic Warfare solutions Joseph Carpenter Lobbying from AgustaWestland has reportedly been delaying the efforts of the UK MoD to sign off on replacements to the British Army’s WAH-64D Block I Apache Longbow AH.1 helicopter fleet. According to information released by the BBC in March, AgustaWestland, who provided the current license-built Boeing- developed Apaches to the Army Air Corps, is seeking work on the new procurement programme, splitting the MoD on whether to support a major and trusted British defence firm at the risk of more than doubling the unit cost of each aircraft. The alternative option, said to be favoured, is to take up Boeing’s offer on the purchase of US Army AH-64Es at a cost of $30m per helicopter, offset by a multi-year procurement package. The existing Apache fleet is in a race to be retired owing to the depleting stockpile of its processing chips, which are no longer manufactured. It is expected that there will be no available replacements by 2017, putting pressure on the MoD to make a decision or allow a serious capability gap to emerge. Currently, the deadline is said to have been set for March 2016, which may not stagger the introduction of new helicopters to 2020. UK-certification of the airframes will also need to be carefully considered, given the recent problems experienced by the Royal Air Force in its procurement of the Boeing RC-135W Rivet Joint reconnaissance fleet from the US. AgustaWestland responded to the reports only by confirming they were working to provide an option for the MoD’s Attack Helicopter Capability Sustainment Programme (CSP) and that it has a “proven track record of delivering value for money on the UK Apache programme”. 50 new aircraft may be purchased under the CSP, should the capability be approved for renewal. UK Apache replacement race delayed by lobbyists Joseph Carpenter Department of Defence staff have established a senior-level committee to study the full range of EW capabilities Air
- 16. :: Defence IndustryBulletin15 Presents CONFRONTINGTHESHAREDCHALLENGESTOCOLLABORATIVE AIRDEFENCEOFNATIONSINTHEREGIONANDBEYOND… MAIN CONFERENCE: 28-30TH JULY 2015 VENUE: WARSAW, POLAND Eastern Europe AIR & MISSILE DEFENCE: THE TOP PRIORITY FOR EASTERN EUROPE Eastern European states are faced with avariety of airborne challenges to the command oftheir air space and to their infrastructure and citizens, including the return of more traditional ballistic missile threats, aerial reconnaissance and more general trends in the field of air defence. KEY ISSUES INCLUDE: I Constructing a holistic view of Air and Missile Defence – how can states formulate a comprehensive strategy to tackle all threats to the integrity of their air space? I How will Airborne and Ground-based interceptors work in tandem to safe guard the skies, avoiding lethal incidents such as blue-on- blue fire or malicious forces entering the sovereign air space? I What is the expectation for cooperation and coordination between nations, in particular in the realm of sensor arrays and early-warning capabilities, over the short to middle term? The conference in 2015 will see a number senior Air Defence Commanders, Operational Commander and Heads ofStrategy and Policy attending from across Eastern Europe: including Poland, Hungary,the Czech Republic, Finland, Latvia, Estonia and MANY OTHERS. CONTACT US: The full agenda will be released over this coming week. Keep up to date at: www.missiledefenceeurope.com To ensure you are the first to receive a copy ofthe agenda please email enquire@defenceiq.com stating: “Integrated Air and Missile Defence Eastern Europe agenda request” or call +44 (0)20 7036 1300 WHAT’S NEWFOR 2015! I A specific focus on the countries in the region with the most significant requirements and challenges – how can their neighbours learn from their experience of Air Defence and the value of the current industry solutions to those nations? I What is the future of regional coordination between and integration of air defence and early warning assets? How far have nations progressed with their national integration efforts? I Share in discussions regarding the upgrade of National sensor arrays. How are nations planning to pool and mutually benefit from these early warning capabilities? SPEAKERS INCLUDE: MajorGeneral SlawomirKaluzinski Chief of Staff of the Operational Command, Polish Air Force MajorGeneral Dan Cavaleru, Deputy Chief, Romanian Air Force Ms Marina Pendeš, Deputy Minister for Policy and Planning, Bosnia and Herzegovinan MOD Senior Representative, Capabilities & Armaments Directorate, Lithuanian MoD SeniorRepresentative, Staff HQ, German Air Force SeniorRepresentative, Staff HQ, BulgarianAirForce
- 17. Defence Industry Bulletin:: 16 Sea Guardia di Finanza – the Italian Custom and fiscal Police under the control of the Minister of Economy – has introduced its last biggest Patrol Vessel into service. Named MONTE CIMONE, it is the second of the MONTE SPERONE class. It’s an Italian version of the STANPATROL family of the Damen Shipyard built by Cantiere Navale Vittoria in Adria, Rovigo. The ships are 58 m long, 9.55 m wide with a displacement of 460 tons. The maximum speed is over 28 knots while the range is over 2,000 nautical miles. The power plant is an “all diesel” system with 2 MTU 20V4000 M93L of 8.6 MW with 2 Rolls-Royce blades. The MONTE CIMONE can be armed with a 12.5 mm Browning machine gun while 2 RHIB (Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats) can be added afterward. The Italian Coast Guard has recently started operating its two new big OPVs, the DATTILO class. The last ship, called UBALDO DICIOTTI, has a displacement of 3,200 tons, a length of 94.5 m, a width of 20.5 m. The ship has a new diesel electric power plant (CODELOD, Combined Diesel Electric Or Diesel) with 2 diesel GE (2,289 kW), 2 electric motor ABB (25 kW) and 2 diesel Isotta Fraschini V 1708 C2 (650 kW). The vessel has a multipurpose area with space for two 20 feet shelters, a flight deck for a medium size helicopter (AB- 212 or AW-139), and a system for firefighting and anti pollution. New OPVs for Guardia di Finanza and Coast Guard Eugenio Po Many of the RAF’s MQ-9s are being placed in storage The Guardia di Finanza’s MONTE SPERONE The Indian Navy is looking to acquire up to 50 naval shipborne UAVs to perform ISR operations and monitoring of sea lines of communications (SLOC) across the maritime domain. An RFI released in February by the Directorate of Naval Air Staff (DNAS) indicates that the fleet will be employed to oversee protection of the Exclusive Economic Zone, search and rescue, anti-piracy and anti-terrorism efforts. DNAS has stipulated that the aircraft should have the capability to launch from ships of at least 50 metres (with or without a helicopter deck), be able to perform day and night operations, and be capable of navigating either by pre¬programmed coordinates or remote pilot guidance. Currently, the IN operates two squadrons of Heron and Searcher Mk.II UAVs based at the Indian Naval Air Station (INAS) 342 at Kochi and INAS 343 at Porbandar in Gujarat. Also underway is the Indian MoD’s evaluation of responses to its Naval Utility Helicopter (NUH) programme RFI, issued in October 2014. Up to ten local manufacturers have been considered for provision of a fleet of 100 twin-engine helicopters. Aside to state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), competitors are belived to include Axis Aerospace & Technologies, Bharat Forge, Dynamatic Technologies, Mahendra Aerospace, Larsen & Toubro (L&T), Reliance Industries, Taneja Aerospace and Tata Advanced Systems Limited. Indian Navy seeking shipborne UAVs and utility helicopters Oliver Austin
- 18. :: Defence IndustryBulletin17 Poland is on the cusp of releasing its tender for a new submarine fleet due to be signed at the end of 2015. The plan is to receive three new boats by 2023 under the programme known as ORKA. According to Polish Defense Minister Tomasz Siemoniak, the nation has also consulted with France and the United States to help arm the submarines with cruise missiles. Raytheon’s long-range Tomahawk missiles are understood to be a distinct possibility. Deputy Defense Minister Maciej Jankowski said the government did not want to disclose the estimated value of the planned contract for fear of influencing its negotiating position, but he was prepared to confirm that the programme “is a multiyear programme and its financing will be spread over time until 2024.” Two of the submarines are scheduled for delivery by 2022, with the third following in the final year, as per the MoD’s Military Modernization Plan. The contract includes the establishment of a submarine service and maintenance centre in Poland. Amid the discussions, Siemoniak indicated that 10,000 NATO soldiers will take part in military drills in Poland as part of the quick-reaction force, while the government has alsopublished an executive order on mandatory military training of reserve forces. The country has adopted a 10-year spending programme valued at $40bn in response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea. Aside to submarines, Polish Armed Forces also plan to acquire new land-based missile systems, fighter jets, transport aircraft, tankers, UAVs, armoured vehicles and multi-role helicopters. Poland preparing to find new submarines, missiles Oliver Austin The anti-submarine warfare (ASW) configuration of the French Navy’s Caïman Marine (of NH90 NFH type) naval multi- purpose helicopter achieved initial operational (IOC) capability on 13 March after being qualified to operate the MU90 lightweight multi-role torpedo. The torpedo – weighing 304 kg with maximum engagement of 12km and a top speed of 50kts – is being built by EuroTorp, a joint venture of Thales Underwater Systems (TUS), DCNS and Whitehead Sistemi Subacquei (WASS). The torpedo features a digital multi-frequency acoustic seeker, V350 explosive warhead, guidance & control unit, AgO-Al energy module, brushless motor driving a cavitation free pump-jet, after body and stabilizer. The first firing of the MU90 torpedo by a Caïman Marine helicopter was carried out on 5 February 2014 by the Navy’s CEPA/10S aerial testing centre. France purchased 27 Caïman Marine helicopters from NH Industries, which is a joint venture between AgustaWestland, Airbus Helicopters and Fokker Aerostructures, in two different configurations and capable of performing a wide range of missions. 13 of them include the capability to launch the torpedo and will later be armed with the ANL (Anti Navire Léger) guided weapon being developed by MBDA for anti-surface warfare (ASuW). Main fittings of the helicopter’s ASW variant include 360° surveillance radar, Sagem Euroflir 410 electro-optical payload, Thales Underwater Systems FLASH Sonics dipping sonar, as well as electronic warfare system, identification friend or foe system and chaff and flare dispensers. 24 helicopters will be delivered until 2020 in line with the current Military Programming Law 2014- 2019. The helicopters are operated by the 31F and 33F flotillas mainly from frigates of Aquitaine-class and Horizon-class, as well as Mistral- class amphibious ships. French Caïman Marine ASW helicopter reach IOC Victor M.S. Barreira The French Navy’s Caïman Marine helicopter onboard FREMM multi-mission frigate Normandie (Marine Nationale) Sea
- 19. Defence Industry Bulletin:: 18 French shipbuilder DCNS will deliver the FREMM (Frégate Européenne Multi- Missions) multi-mission frigate FS Normandie (D651) to the Egyptian Navy by mid-2015 rather than the European procurement organisation OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’Armement) on behalf of French armament procurement organisation DGA (Direction Générale de l´Armement) as originally planned. The ship was due for delivery in late 2014 for the French Navy. The ship will now be delivered to Egypt according to a military deal worth EUR5.2 billion ($5.7 billion) signed by France and Egypt on February 16 in Cairo. The deal also included 24 Rafale omnirole fighters (16 single-seat and 8 twin- seat aircraft) depicted of ASMPA (Air-Sol Moyenne Portée Améliorée) airborne launched nuclear missile capability, but armed with MBDA MICA (Missile d’Interception, de Combat et d’Autodéfense) air- to-air missiles and Sagem AASM (Armement Air-Sol Modulaire) guidance kits for general-purpose bombs. The ship will provide Egypt with a formidable naval combat capability. The package also includes training and logistics and support services. Before the transfer, DCNS will carry out some fitting work and man-machine interfaces will be translated from French to Arabic. The ship will be transferred to Egypt complete with its two SYLVER A70 (SYstème de Lancement VERtical) vertical launchers that fires MdCN (Missile de Croisière Naval) long-range land attack naval cruise missile. The frigate was part of a batch of 8 units of Aquitaine-Class anti- submarine warfare (ASW) ships purchased by OCCAR to DCNS in 2005 (a further 3 ships were ordered in 2009 comprising one ASW and two anti-air warfare ships). The first-of-class FS Aquitaine (D650) was received in November 2012. Egypt is the second North African nation to receive a FREMM frigate after Morocco received Mohammed VI (701) in January 2014. It is understood the ship will retain other original fittings including DCNS SETIS (Ship Enhanced Tactical Information System) combat management system Herakles multi-function radar; Thales’ UMS 4110 and CAPTAS-4 sonar systems; Thales ARTEMIS (Advanced Reliable Third generation Electro-optical Multiplexing Infrared Search and track) passive panoramic surveillance system; Thales Altesse-X communication electronic support measures system; Sagem Najir MM fire director; SYLVER vertical launchers for MBDA Aster 15 surface-to-air missiles; two quad launchers for MBDA Exocet MM40 Block 3 anti- ship missiles; EuroTorp MU 90 lightweight torpedoes launchers; two NARWHAL 20B (Naval Remote Weapon, Highly Accurate, Lightweight) remote weapon stations armed with 20mm cannon; OTO Melara 76/62 Super Rapid main gun; two Sagem NGDS (New Generation Dagaie System) decoys launchers; two DCNS Contralto-V anti-torpedo system launchers; quick pointing devices; small caliber mounts; navigation radars; and eventually SATCOM antennas, radar jammers and other electronic warfare equipment. This first sale could lead to the acquisition of additional FREMM frigates by Egypt. In addition to the frigate, DCNS will also deliver four Gowind 2500 multirole corvettes according to a contract of 2014. Egypt set to receive French FREMM frigate Victor M.S. Barreira French combat frigate FS “Normandie” will be transferred to the Egyptian Navy (Victor M.S. Barreira) FREMM is part of a $5.7 billion deal that includes 24 Rafale fighters Sea
- 20. :: Defence IndustryBulletin19 Cyber The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has for the first time publically admitted to having developed multiple cyber units capable of both offensive and defensive capabilities. The acknowledgment, which contradicts prior claims that China does not have a cyber command and does not support any hacking activity, was made in the most recent version of the The Science of Military Strategy, a document put together by the top PLA research institute. The report refers to cyber teams existing on both the military and civilian-government sides. While this fact will not come as a surprise to other governments, the fact that China has admitted to the capability, intentionally or mistakenly, will resonate in the diplomatic community. Following the revelation, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation has been investigating possible Chinese military involvement in online data breaches. However, China has responded by calling the allegations “groundless”. Last year, the US Justice Department indicted five members of the Chinese military in absentia for cyber espionage, while Huawei, the world’s largest telecommunications company, has been banned from selling equipment to various governments for critical infrastructure – including the US, India and Australia – over suspicions of embedding espionage technology within systems to feed to Beijing intelligence services. Meanwhile, South Korea has blamed North Korea for December’s cyber attacks on the country’s nuclear reactor operator, Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co Ltd, following a forensic investigation. Pyongyang has denied any involvement. The attacks were made by sending 5,986 phishing emails containing malicious codes to 3,571 reactor employees, resulting in sensitive blueprint and test data being made public. China acknowledges cyber army Oliver Austin The activities of cyber units are becoming increasingly visible as digital techniques continue to prove effective and difficult to counter.
- 21. Defence Industry Bulletin:: 20 Cyber defence was one of the few growth areas identified in the UK’s Strategic Defence and Security Review of 2010. Cyber threats were elevated to “tier one” status, considered as among the most pressing threats to Britain’s security. This level of prioritisation is unlikely to alter when the next SDSR is published later this year; but what may be changing is an emphasis on policy rather than platforms or software products as a means of optimising cyber resilience. The attack last year on Sony Pictures, the US-based film distributor and producer, offers one illustration of how, perhaps, the greatest challenges facing cyber-defence practitioners are around the processes that are in place, not the technologies that are being deployed. Sony is a private company - indeed, its corporate parent is Japanese - yet the response to the attack came from the US government, which instituted sanctions against individuals in North Korea it believes were responsible for elements of the attack. “When [prime minister] David Cameron had big industry chiefs to No. 10 Downing Street on Valentine’s Day in 2010, most of them were not British and not CEOs of British companies: rather, they were in charge of multinationals,” retired Major General Jonathan Shaw points out. Shaw, currently chairman of the counter-IED specialists, Optima Group, ended his career in the British Army heading up the Ministry of Defence’s cyber-defence work. “We still think in terms of nations, but our world is organised internationally,” Shaw continues. “Surely Sony is Japanese, not American? Equally, for the UK, to whom does the responsibility fall for securing French companies that deliver services to the British population? As ever, the really big questions are triggered by cyber, but are not actually cyber questions.” In an article published early last year in Strategic Studies Quarterly, Colonel Eric F Mejia, Staff Judge Advocate for the 96th Test Wing of the US Air Force at Eglin Air Force Base, proposed a framework to help decision-makers assess and plan responses to cyber incidents. Mejia was writing in a personal capacity and his proposal has not been officially adopted, but his system - which groups cyber incidents into one of four quadrants based on differing levels of certainty over attribution and the attacks’ real- world impacts - seems to have predicted the US response to the Sony hack. In an interview with Defence Industry Bulletin, Mejia characterised that response as “an extension of well-established precedent.” “Cyber-attacks are simply a new method of engaging in traditional hostility,” he says. “If North Korean agents had travelled to the US and physically attacked Sony, we would intuitively expect a response from the US, not Sony. Here, we have the same thing accomplished remotely by cyber-attack. This is a good illustration of the need for greater sharing of information between government and the private sector when it comes to cyber attacks. The government is expected to respond, but in order to do so effectively there must be information-sharing - and that appears to have occurred in this case.” State sponsored hacking highlights public-private security gap Angus Batey State-led or sponsored cyber attacks on foreign enterprises have pushed the private sector further towards involvement in national security. Cyber
- 22. :: Defence IndustryBulletin21 Open Architecture To the cynical outsider, the broadening adoption of interoperable open architectures (OA) by defence-industry contractors will appear surprising. In the eyes of opponents of the arms trade, industry’s sole motivation appears to be profit - and adoption of open systems architectures looks certain to limit companies’ ability to sell big- ticket items. Even those outside observers who may not oppose defence spending but consider military procurement programmes to inevitably produce long delays and budget overruns will consider open architectures to go against the grain. Yet the concept has caught on for several very sound reasons. The ability to deliver battle-winning - and life-saving - technologies to the front line more rapidly has always been a priority for equipment suppliers; and across the industry there is a deep and thorough understanding that the current (and likely future) economic environment will not sustain companies configured only to deliver bespoke and expensive standalone systems. The drive toward open IT architectures began in the land domain, where initiatives like the UK MoD’s GVA (generic vehicle architecture) saw industry collaborating with the military on developing standardised interfaces and digital backbones for vehicles, so that sensors and weapon systems could be quickly switched in and out, much like USB peripherals on a home computer. This idea gave impetus to a wider project, called LOSA (Land Open Systems Architecture), which is migrating the concept to soldier systems and to configuration of deployed bases. Meanwhile, there is growing evidence that the open systems approach is having impact and application in other domains. At the Defence IQ Airborne ISR and C2 Battle Management conference, held in London in February, a series of speakers touched on the need for different intelligence systems to be able to produce data to a common standard, so that information of such diverse natures as video footage, infra-red imagery, ground moving-target indicator radar returns, and geolocated information from electronic counter-measures systems can be combined and fused with open- source data taken from press reports or social-media feeds. “It may have been the case that Americans have had too much money and can go it alone and be proprietary - but those days are gone,” Colonel Scott Owens told the conference. Owens works for the US Air Force Life Cycle Management Center and was briefing on current USAF thinking on the recapitalisation of the JSTARS programme. His explanation of the views even of the world’s biggest customer for high-end military systems was clear: open architectures are no longer desirable, they are essential elements of equipment procurement plans. “We do not want to replace, or just lift, the mission systems that are in the current platform to a new platform,” he said. “Technology has come a long way, both with the sensor and the back-end mission systems. I want you to appreciate how significant it is for ACC [Air Combat Command] to actually back up the fact and be willing to wait for the maturation and development of the open architecture. My message to industry is that this is a fundamental underpinning of the system that has backing: this is a good thing, and it hasn’t always been the case.” Open architecture programmes gaining steam Angus Batey The demand for open architecture approaches from governments and end users has increased in recent years
- 23. Defence Industry Bulletin:: 22 Introducing interoperability and open architecture represents a major culture change and can be a strain on the business relationship for many organisations. If an organisation has been entrenched in a sole- source, closed system for years, the transformation to an OA approach can sometimes threaten both industry and government roles and responsibilities and revenue/ funding streams. “Imagine if your organisation was destined to lose a contract because of a business model change,” says Professor David Miskimens, Project Management and Mission Assistance at the Defense Acquisition University, a DoD training establishment tasked with acquisition certification and leadership training, and mission assistance to acquisition organisations. “Think of the employee behavior and how their world would be upset. Losing a job because of a lack of competency in a changing world, or simply because the demand has changed, goes against many of the values illustrated in Maslow’s A Theory of Human Motivation, which described various human needs.” Miskimens believes that it ultimately does not matter whether the change is driven by affordability, completion or technology – anxiety will rear its head. However, there are some approaches that can help soften the blow of the change, or even be viewed as an opportunity. “Leadership openness with business intent and transparency can contribute greatly to mitigate the stress generated by a large scale and sweeping change to long existing contracts, agreements, and relationships,” Miskimens continues. “Fairness and opportunity to participate in the new initiative arrangement can help to reinvigoration interest from industry to adapt to the change, particularly if the government leadership wants to include several providers in a business enterprise plan.” The practical efforts being rolled out by the US Office of the Secretary of Defence includes the release of the Better Buying Power (BBP) implementation of best practices – which includes an increase in the use of open architecture to support affordability and can be considered a working model in practice. Indeed, other nations are increasingly looking towards American lessons in order to replicate OA applications that already have years of experience behind them. This includes the Royal Navy’s nuclear deterrent Astute programme (on which the US is working hand-in-hand with British counterparts on modular designs) and the Royal Australian Navy’s work to install the ARCI sonar capability on their submarines. Previous success stories on the west side of the Atlantic have seen the US Army developing the Unmanned Ground Vehicle Interoperability Profile (IOP) – a collection of hardware and software standards to define how subsystems communicate with one another – and the Air Force’s U-2 spy plane model integrating multiple Air Force Open Mission Systems (OMS) payloads using the Skunk Works Enterprise Open Systems Architecture (E-OSA), resulting in the ability to rapidly modernise the architecture of the aircraft’s mission systems. “Costs are not always a brick wall,” Miskimens asserts, “as our own submarine model demonstrated. Back in the 90s, the R&D budget was going down at the same time as the acoustic superiority of our submarines was narrowing when compared to those of our adversaries. The community came together and worked out a way to gain that ground back in spite of the monetary shortfall through the implementation of OA. In those early days, we effectively got private industry and government in the labs together, and we then had a series of conferences, we closed the doors, we took our badges off, and we all tried to figure out how to accomplish our goal – whether we were contractor, lab, military or civilian. That took leadership. From that basis, Admirals and CEOs understood how to support their people and build on the common focus.” Are organisations too afraid to change to the OA model? Richard de Silva The use of open architecture on the Virginia-class submarine programme helped the US Navy close a capability gap in spite of fiscal restraints. “Costs are not always a brick wall, as our own submarine model demonstrated” Open Architecture
- 24. :: Defence IndustryBulletin23 DIB: A few weeks after the October 27th contract was signed with Saab over the final decision for the FX-2 programme to be filled by 36 Gripen E/F fighters, you disclosed that this number was not ‘final’ and will potentially rise to 108! This was quite a surprise for the fast jet- community… CREPALDI: [smiling] Yes, it obviously was! But it wasn’t sensational. The final allocation is of course not yet financially covered, but we had our feasibility study regarding the numbers of our new fighter- type back in 2007. Why 108? The idea behind this figure is to have standard, single-type fleets within our forces, which includes fighters. They’ll be introduced to the FAB in three batches. DIB: But consisting of single- and two-seater versions in all of these batches, right? CREPALDI: That’s right. But it has not yet been decided how many additional twin-seat aircraft will be included in the future two batches. The twin-seater can do much more than conversion or training. We’ve been talking a lot with the South African Air Force, because they also operate the two-seater Gripen and they use it in a C2 role. That’s our plan too. We’ve therefore pushed for a ‘customized’ two-seater perhaps in contrast to Sweden. DIB: As you referred to that study – I understand it was quite a lengthy process. Can you recall the major benchmarks during these past seven years? CREPALDI: Oh yes, it was a long journey but that’s not too surprising given the scale and volume of the undertaking. We had to select a multirole fighter aircraft to replace the Mirage 2000Cs and ,in the long- term, the F-5Ms and A-1Ms [AMX], aiming at modernisation and standardization of the FAB fighter fleet. Here, the number of 108 you have questioned is embedded in our operational needs. For sure this number can change – we don’t know what the future holds or the budget realities we’ll face. We can plan, but, like everybody, we have to stick to whatever the funds dictate. On the other hand, we also had to increase the capabilities of the national aerospace industry when it comes to the development of new technologies. So the RFP went out to the manufacturers in October 2008 –and after the offer-analyses, meetings, evaluations, revised offers and best-and-final analysis in 2009 – the final report was issued to the defence ministry in early 2010. We then has a political pause until December 2013 when the President’s decision to proceed was given. Of course by then it was necessary to undertake a requirements update which lasted about ten months and produced another 45 volumes and 15.000 man/hours, assessing six areas of different risks, and so on. DIB: Some months after this main contract was signed with Saab, there was another agreement inked concerning Brazil’s Gripen. What was that about? CREPALDI: That contract was between and COMAER [Air Force Aeronautics Command] and was supplementary to the main contract in that it provided CLS [contractor logistics support] for the future Gripens. It covers continuous maintenance and support services for the Gripen NG aircraft and associated equipment, but will only become effective once the delivery has been fulfilled [between 2021 and 2026]. “The idea is to have single-type fleets...” With a combined inventory of 700 fixed-wing and rotary-aircraft, the Brazilian Air Force (Força Aérea Brasileira - FAB) and Naval Aviation (Aviação Naval Brasileira - AvN) flies the largest air-arm in the Southern & Latin- American hemisphere and is only second in the Americas after the USAF. As part of its current ‘National Defence Strategy’, a main objective is to support “National Independence through a superior autonomous technological capability and the strengthening of the industrial defence base”. The route to achieving this lies in encouraging and welcoming partnerships with foreign companies and countries. During the last International Fighter conference (London, November), GEORG MADER discussed key programmes for the FAB with Brigadier Jose Crepaldi, Head of the Brazilian Air Force’s Programmes Office… Artist’s impression of the forthcoming Brazilian Gripen. (Saab) The Briefing Room
- 25. Defence Industry Bulletin:: 24 DIB: A question I have to ask. Brazil really is a huge country –its dimensions are the equivalent to the whole of Europe or most of the US Isn’t the Gripen the option with the shortest ‘legs’, compared to other contenders like the Super Hornet or Rafále? CREPALDI: No, no, this is a misguided viewpoint. During our evaluation of the three contenders, all of them were able to fulfil our requirements. We had two configurations taking off from a FAB base to fulfil a specific mission and return. All of them achieved this, on their own, with no tanker support. So it’s incorrect to assert that Gripen has less reach. It’s a totally new aircraft with a new engine and it also does not burn fuel at the rate a twin-engine design does. DIB: I visited the Swedish Air Force Gripen training establishment at Såtenas in August. The Flygchef said he expects the first Brazilian pilots to arrive soon after the contract had been signed. Should we assume some of them are now already in Sweden? CREPALDI: Yes, I think it was just a few days after the contract announcement that the first two future FAB instructors arrived at Såtenas. They had their first training sortie on a Gripen D by mid-November and they will stay there for six months. DIB: You will soon also introduce the EMBRAER KC-390 tanker/ transport jet, recently rolled out at Gavião Peixoto. How many of these will there be? They’re intended, as I understand, to multiply or ‘round-up’ the Gripen’s mission capabilities, right? CREPALDI: 28 of them will be acquired for the FAB and there are export orders as well. Of course they will enhance the mission envelope of the Gripen, but that would have been the case with the other contenders as well. We just need a tanker full-stop, independent from the fighter-type chosen. The KC-390 will be great – it’s exactly what we need. It is carefully specified to serve our nation, in total alignment with the guidelines of the National Defence Strategy and representing a great leap in the operating capacity of air transport and force multiplication. It is the largest aircraft ever developed and manufactured in Brazil, the result of an initial agreement signed in 2009 and the series production and delivery contract of mid-2014. It will fly for the first time soon and we expect the first delivery to the FAB in the second half of 2016. DIB: We already learned that the Brazilian Gripen will carry indigenous weapons like the MAR-1 anti-radiation missile by Odebrecht D&T and the South African ARMSCOR ‘A-Darter’ IR/ WVR-missile. But what about the BVR weapon? CREPALDI: We’re undecided… for the moment. We’re actually trying to set up negotiations with the South African government to jointly develop a new BVR missile, regardless of the existing ‘R-Darter’. We are both non-aligned ‘neighbors’ in the Southern Atlantic hemisphere and have had good relations over a long period of time. South Africa is a very similar country, both socially and in terms of its budget reality, so logically, that cooperation can benefit both of our national defence interests. DIB: General, thanks – and all the best in welcoming ‘wings that protect the country’. CREPALDI: [smiling] Our motto! Thanks for your interest! Georg Mader speaking with Brig. Crepaldi at the annual International Fighter conference in London The Briefing Room
- 26. :: Defence IndustryBulletin25 Brazilian personnel have claimed that – thanks to the use of thrust- vectoring, rather than relying on small forward control-vanes – A-Darter will be 10 times more manoeuvrable than a fighter jet, with the ability to perform turns up to 100G. At IDEX 2015 in Abu Dhabi, we were informed by Denel Dynamics on details of the latest series of inflight trials, held at the South African Overberg test range and observed by the FAB. According to staff at Denel, “these trials involved high-G and lock-on-after launch tests in which the missile exceeded expectations and design parameters.” A-Darter was relying on advanced digital-processing and memory-tracking capabilities to reacquire the target towards the rear of the aircraft, thus confirming its ‘over-the-shoulder’ firing ability. The tests also confirmed an “exceptional performance in terms of detection, false target discrimination, ECM and guidance and control.” Having reached a critical design- review phase, final qualification was said to be set down for November, while local production in South Africa is likely to start soon after. One of the group’s chief executives expects A-Darter to become a global ‘seller’ when it enters service within the next 18 months. At IDEX it was also announced that the so-called MPACT pure air-compression technology by Marotta Controls of Montville NJ was selected for the infrared seeker on A-Dater. 1,500 of these units have been delivered to the USN and are flown on the F/A- 18F’s AIM-9X. Latest A-Darter trials validate Brazil’s future GRIPEN armamentUpdate: Saab has selected AEL Sistemas as a new supplier for Brazil’s Gripen NG. The local company will provide the wide area display (WAD) and the head-up display (HUD), which will be integrated in the fighter as part of the F-X2 contract. Development of these programmes commenced in January 2015, with Saab and AEL also signing a contract for technology transfer to commence in the summer at Saab’s base in Linköping, Sweden. The later focuses on furthering the development of the human machine interface (HMI) for advanced fighters, along with workshops for avionics maintenance. The WAD for Brazil’s Gripen NG aircraft is a single intelligent and full-redundant multi-purpose display system, full-colour, large-screen (19 x 8 in) with continuous image presentation and the state-of-the-art touch- screen controls capability. It is the primary source of all flight and mission information in the cockpit. Meanwhile, the new HUD provides essential flight and mission information to the pilot when looking in all directions out of the cockpit. The new avionics systems programme will run over four years and includes development, integration and production work to be performed in Porto Alegre. System integration work will be undertaken by Saab and Embraer. An extensive flight test campaign will then be conducted in close co- operation with AEL at Linköping to demonstrate and validate the new equipment. Currently the planned 60 or 70 Gripen-Es for the Swedish Air Force are expected to come with a three-display cockpit layout. However, a Saab spokesperson at IDEX told us that as work on the (now much larger) Brazilian programme has been establishing “rather comfortable” schedules compared to the requests of very tight timeframes for Swiss forces – the Flyvapnet may also end up leaning towards the WAD. AEL selected to provide Brazil’s Gripen NG fleet The A-Darter, displayed at IDEX 2015. (Georg Mader) The Briefing Room
- 27. Defence Industry Bulletin:: 26 Critical Infrastructure of the United Kingdom: For Better or Worse... For Richer or Poorer? Malcolm Warr As might be expected there is much talk about defence in the run up to the UK’s General Election in May. But there is no such debate about the United Kingdom’s defence and internal protection of its infrastructure and assets. Any complex and modern society relies on reliable transport, utilities and communications but all too often this tier of our protection capability plays second fiddle to media appealing issues such as counter -terrorism. It is self evident that critical infrastructure is the backbone of any nation’s economy, security and health. We know it as the power we use in our homes, the water we drink, the transportation that moves us, and the communication systems we rely on to stay in touch with friends and family and for business. It embraces Air Traffic control through to weather services and a lot of other things in between. Yet as far as I know, no audit of UK’s Critical National Infrastructure assets has ever been undertaken. In this absence, I see CNI in the American way, as the assets, systems, and networks, whether physical or virtual, so vital to a Nation that their incapacity or destruction would have a debilitating effect on security, national economic delivery, national public health or safety, or any combination thereof. It is a big issue. So is the UK critical national infrastructure properly protected? I have some questions. About 80 percent of UK critical national infrastructure is owned and run by the private sector, so what is the UK Government doing with its private sector partners to ensure that we are all protected? In the apparent absence of a full inventory, or any central point of control, or laws requiring operators of CNI to conform to minimum security standards across all aspects of critical infrastructure, can we be sure of adequate protection? How does Scotland ensure effective protection of its critical infrastructure, with the additional challenges of protection of our offshore energy sector and a need to integrate with the rest of the UK’s critical infrastructural effort? The UK’s Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) is charged with acting as a focal point for advice but has relatively limited resources. Its current campaign is to push for greater co-operation between UK government and UK’s Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) operators with a clear focus on Cyber issues. As a former Cyber specialist, I understand the importance of Cyber defence in the round. But there are other challenges in collective training and physical protection which requires equal, joined up attention. So what are the challenges? There are many challenges and most are interconnected and carry integrated risk. I have chosen to focus on two and articulate them within a Scottish context… 1. Awareness In the way that it is defined at the moment, many citizens perceive that protection of our critical infrastructure is a Government function and a Government responsibility. It can be seen by the rest of us as a remote issue; away from the interests of everyday living. In the United Kingdom, the CPNI has correctly identified that the biggest challenge at all levels in improving protection of the UK’s Critical National Infrastructure is the security awareness of the people who work in organisations that support the UK CNI. That means many of us. Do people understand the knock on effect? Sharing information about threats and mitigation techniques with UK CNI-supporting organisations and other governments should be a priority for investment, but arguably cultural issues, ethos and silo thinking often prevents sharing of information, especially risk mitigation, common procedures and lessons learned. Does the UK need a CNI operations centre to improve national security? The Briefing Room
- 28. :: Defence IndustryBulletin27 Across the Atlantic, the USA Government acknowledged in the late 1990s, that many of the nation’s critical infrastructures had historically been physically and logically separate systems that had little interdependence. As a result of advances in information technology and the necessity of improved efficiency, however, these infrastructures had become increasingly automated and interlinked. And it acknowledged that these same advances had created new vulnerabilities from equipment failure, human error, weather and other natural causes, and physical and cyber attacks. The US Government advocated that to address these vulnerabilities would require flexible, evolutionary approaches that spanned both the public and private sectors, and protected both domestic and international security. Do we perhaps need an improved Centre for CNI Operations in Britain? Do we need a complementary centre in Scotland? Perhaps leading on UK offshore CNI issues? Do these centre(s) need to be responsible for developing UK CNI professional standards across the piece? And do we need to enhance the UK CNI Public-Private Partnership to reduce our vulnerability? Since the targets of attacks on our critical infrastructure would likely include both facilities in the economy and those in the government, the diminution of our potential vulnerability requires a closely coordinated effort of both the government and the private sector. To succeed, this partnership must be genuine, mutual and cooperative. In seeking to meet our UK national goal to eliminate the vulnerabilities of our critical infrastructure, I believe we should, to the extent feasible, seek to avoid outcomes that increase government regulation. We need to work together and train together. We need to be practical. 2. Offshore Protection Scotland has specific challenges in terms of its critical offshore infrastructure protection. It has a disproportionately long coastline and a large array of oil and gas installations in its offshore waters and latterly has had to add protection of wind farms to its CNI inventory. In 2011, the Scottish Government issued CNI guidance and instruction which has become known as the ‘Scotland CNI Partnership Framework’. This framework needs development to embrace training objectives, new operational practice and new practical mechanisms for working together. At present at least 17 different organisations ranging from the Royal Navy to the Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA) and Police Scotland have some responsibilities in practice for the critical infrastructure protection of UK’s Scottish offshore tapestry. There are simply too many entities, with too much variance in working practice and priorities to make such arrangements efficient. I chaired a conference on offshore support vessels in Aberdeen recently. Offshore support vessels are required to provide logistic facility along with various other supporting activities. The offshore support vessel fleet includes Anchor Handling, Towing and Supply Vessel (AHTS), Platform Supply Vessel (PSV),), Crew vessels, Standby and Rescue vessels, and now increasingly Multi-Purpose Service Vessel (MPSV). Until 2014, the global offshore support vessel market was expected to grow, owing to the need to satisfy rising marine logistics demand. The lucrative and high-investment areas of offshore regions such as North Sea, U.S Gulf of Mexico and new discoveries in West Africa had also driven a market for larger multi- purpose support vessels to roam internationally. The Oil Industry in Scotland is now in a down cycle. It currently has a surplus vessel capacity. The Royal Navy, on the other hand, has warship paucity. And it has few vessels which can provide a dedicated constabulary role offshore. Should the Oil and Gas Industry and the military come together for common good? Might offshore CNI protection vessels be provided by the offshore industry with Royal Navy/Royal Marine/ Naval parties onboard? Might Police Scotland be involved? Might the Maritime Coastguard Agencies remit be enhanced so that the MCA acts as the catalyst for such partnering arrangements? Might the Scottish Police Training College at Tulliallan be used to train this CNI force? Might a CNI operations centre be established at Prestwick airport which is owned by the Scottish Government and is badly underutilized? Do we need nationwide live CNI exercises involving key stakeholders? Summary No one should pretend that we can make UK’s critical infrastructure watertight from threats. But we need to reconsider approaches that place over reliance on process and regulation. People and organisations learn better together. People appreciate learning from experience. They like to practise. If we as a Nation are to become richer rather than poorer as a result of attacks on our infrastructure, we need to get practical and work together. It requires new ways of CNI working. Author Malcolm Warr is chair of a bespoke consultancy. Many of its Associates are former senior executives in the Offshore Industry, other maritime, aviation and security. He also chairs an international specialist information security company. The Briefing Room
- 29. Defence Industry Bulletin:: 28 Sponsors include: www.armouredvehiclesevents.com | Tel: +44 (0)20 7036 1300 | Email: armouredvehicles@iqpc.co.uk Join the World’s Premier Armoured Vehicles Conference Series The longest running global conference series dedicated to the armoured vehicles community Benefit from unique networking, information-sharing and benchmarking opportunities, as well as potential business exchanges. Eastern Europe 29-30 September 2015, Warsaw, Poland www.armouredvehicleseasterneurope.com “A very good, well organized meeting place for military and non-military people to exchange ideas. It’s the place to go for up to date trends in the defence business.” Director, Polish MoD “We’re having a lot of targeted conversations with real key decision makers, instead of just having a very broad industry discussion. It’s been a great conference” IAV’s 2015 Lead Partner, Textron Systems “The perfect opportunity to get a clear idea about the future development of vehicles. The conference was well balanced with operational environment approach and technical solutions for operational demands.” Land Forces Development Branch, Czech Republic MoD Africa 25-27 August 2015, Africa www.armouredvehiclesafrica.com 25-28 January 2016, London, UK www.iavevent.com 30 June-2 July 2015, Bogotá, Colombia www.armouredvehicleslatinamerica.com 27-28 October 2015, Istanbul, Turkey www.armouredvehiclesturkey.com 28-29 April 2015, Jakarta, Indonesia www.armoredvehiclesasia.com Turkey
- 30. :: Defence IndustryBulletin29 Next Generation Shock Mitigation for High Speed Craft John Haynes Amajor challenge for the builders of next generation military RHIBs and high speed craft is delivering platforms that balance high performance with the physical demands on crew and passengers. With the arrival of ‘unbreakable boats’ plus a surplus of engine power ‘man’ is often considered as the weakest link. CAD software and digital modelling are key components in the process of designing high speed craft, but feedback from the human body (AKA pain!) is a crucial input that designers and naval architects must consider for the next generation of fast boats. High speed craft are selected to perform a wide range of military and professional operations. The consistent objective is that crew and embarked personnel arrive safely at their destination ready to perform a task or fit to fight. In some maritime forces increasing individual fitness and stamina is seen as the solution. In other parts of the world people are expendable as there are others ready to take their place, but that approach does not help when a boat and crew are underway with a mission to complete. Professional organisations using RHIBs and fast boats need to identify what level of sea conditions are likely to be encountered then ensure that the type and size of craft are fit for purpose. The definition of shock mitigation is, ‘to make a violent collision or impact less intense’. A shock mitigation strategy is essential for all craft that undertake open sea transits or operate in rough water. This includes rivers and estuaries with wind against tide conditions, even lakes can produce significant wave heights from wind blowing over a few miles of open water. With an effective shock mitigation strategy the helmsman, crew and passengers benefit from increased comfort and reduced injury. But shock mitigation is not just about reducing injury. An organisation can increase sea time for assets, cover greater distances at higher speeds, improve crew performance and extend operational effectiveness. It is important to learn from other sectors that have made progress with shock mitigation, but myths need to be dispelled. From motion analysis metrics on land, sea and air craft it is clear that not all vehicle impacts are simply lesser or greater G forces. A major difference between land vehicles and boats is the suspension system managing vibration between road wheels and the chassis. Tractor- trailers and semi-trucks take this a stage further and have suspended cabs, therefore the seat is mainly for comfort. An agricultural or mining vehicle driving over rough terrain experiences different loads to a boat at planing speed on rough water. In recent years the development of MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) military vehicles has accelerated research into reducing the effects of mine blast. However a vehicle seat that mitigates the shock from a mine blast is unlikely to mitigate the repeated slamming effect from high speed wave impacts. Aviation has researched shock mitigation and the effect of various impacts. Helicopter seating is designed to protect the crew from hard landings and a crashworthy seat is part of the overall crumple zone. Ejector seats have saved the lives of many pilots and navigators as they exit from fixed wing aircraft. However ejection is a single event based on a consistent input force, usually initiated by the seat occupant, and compared to loss of life some level of injury may be acceptable. Large wave slams at sea are not usually isolated events, they can be of random magnitude and from multiple directions. In rough sea transits the boat suspension seat has a fraction of a second to return from a ‘hit’ to mitigate a ‘double hit’ or the next pattern of multiple impacts. A core component of fast boat training should be specialist knowledge to educate coxswains and crews to understand the forces that affect a planing craft, particularly when operating in waves. For planing craft there are three conditions to consider – displacement speed, getting on or off plane, planing speed. When loitering or at slow speed in waves a craft follows the waters surface, the human response is unlikely to be injury but could be motion sickness. An issue with operating at ‘hump-speed’ is that the helmsman has poor visibility over the bow, which can reduce awareness of sea conditions. Suspension seat positions from semi-standing to recumbent. (KPM Marine & Scot Seat) The Briefing Room
- 31. Defence Industry Bulletin:: 30 To develop the next generation of shock mitigation solutions for fast boats operating in waves it is important to understand the forces that the hull is experiencing as it passes through or over moving and uneven water surfaces. Disturbances could be caused by storms hundreds of miles away generating groundswell, local wind blown waves or the wake of other vessels. From an understanding of wave events scientists and engineers can analyse the exposure chain of hull, deck, seat and finally the human body of boat occupants. Scientists are starting to quantify wave slams and describe how differently a planing craft re-enters the water in various sea states and wave patterns. In simple terms a fast RHIB or high speed craft can land bow first, stern first, flat on the keel, or on one side of the hull. The process can be filmed and replayed at slow speed or analysed with data recorders in different sea states. When crews come off the water after a hard transit the subjective statement of ‘that was a hard ride’ can now be quantified. Two coxswains on identical boats running side by side at the same speed can have vibration measured on each craft for later analysis. Used correctly this approach is a powerful training tool where video and metrics can show ‘what good looks like’. Monitoring the effects of vibration and impact on the hull or critical pieces of equipment is relatively simple as data loggers can be attached to FRP, aluminium or plastic in various ways. Land based industry has been doing this for years on factory and moving machinery, then developing shock mitigation methods to damp or eliminate vibration by tuning the dampers. Measuring the forces on the deck or on a seat base will produce data, but a topic of major debate in recent years has been how to gather vibration data from the crew and passengers. Lower back is the area with highest incidence of injury, however fixing accelerometers to a flexible human body is difficult. Seat pads and kidney belts are common methods that provide reasonable contact for data loggers. The consistent objective is valid and reliable measurement for the assessment of RS (Repetitive Shock) and WBV (Whole Body Vibration). As the cost of data loggers has come down various military, SAR and marine organisations around the world have started to gather and store vast amounts of vibration data. Analysing the data and deciding which metrics are relevant is a challenge. A simple Red Amber Green (RAG) index showing traffic lights on the console is an indicator to show crews that vibration exposure is increasing. However setting the vibration thresholds for colour change may vary depending on which measuring method is used. As the fast boat sector has evolved over the past decade the diversity of potential seating solutions has grown with it. RIB and high speed craft seats need to provide a good ergonomic position for the different requirements of helmsman, crew and passengers. Comfort is important so seating design needs to allow space for occupants PPE and personal floatation devices. Some organisations require webbing and body armour to be worn and weapons to be carried at all times. This may require an adjustable seat with built in personal storage for equipment. For the past thirty years typical seating for RHIBs and fast craft has been jockey (straddle) or leaning post with foam cushioning. Due to higher operational speeds many organisations are now using or considering suspension seating. The objective of a suspension seat is to separate the helmsman and crew from the worst effects of vibration and impact. Suspension seating may have feet on or off the deck. A jockey suspension seat is where a percentage of the occupant’s weight is spread between backside on the seat and feet on the deck. Typical stroke or travel of the suspension is 150mm (6”) to prevent bottoming out. The next generation of seats have the option to adjust for height and weight which allows for a broad size range of occupants. This adjustment has to be supported with clear instructions and onboard briefing as a badly adjusted seat can be an issue. Suspension seat and workstation combined (SHOXS) The Briefing Room
- 32. :: Defence IndustryBulletin31 A suspension seat with feet off the deck (on footrests) carries all of the occupant’s weight. These are usually in wheelhouse or cabin boats. Suspension travel for semi-displacement craft seating starts around 100mm (4”) and for extreme fast craft the travel can exceed 200mm (8”). It is becoming increasingly relevant to either select the correct seat for the boat or tune the seat to the boat. The European wind farm sector is driving higher levels of safety for crews and technicians being transported on fast boats. Crash testing for individual seats and deck fixings is relevant for craft operating at planing speed in close proximity to wind turbines and other vessels. Improved ergonomics and adjustments will be required for these seats as passengers are expected to travel further offshore in higher sea states for longer periods. In rough conditions the seat is the only part of the boat that humans can travel on so increasingly workstations will be attached to the seat. Varying body position during a long journey is important on any mode of transport. When the seat occupant is asleep the whole body needs to be suspended to enable the suspension to do the work. Research is considering whether a recumbent or reclining position is more comfortable and gives better spine protection when conscious bracing is not possible. Linking the operator to the task is becoming a requirement for many military and Special Forces organisations, particularly in high-tempo operations. As seat and suspension systems evolve more responsive controls and work station layouts with improved ergonomics are part of human factors design. Helmsmen already have joystick steering and throttle controls built into the armrest of their seat. Navigators can only work effectively at high speeds if their GPS and radar screens are moving in unison with their hands and eyes. Situational awareness and remote weapons systems technicians benefit from control panels attached to their seats. Gunners operating at high speeds require specialist suspension seats attached to weapons on deck. In recent years there have been significant developments in the fast boat sector. Major steps forward in technology by seat manufacturers mean that ‘man’ is not always the weakest link on fast boats. Boat speed on flat water is governed by the power limit, but speed in waves may be governed by the structural design limit. Professional fast boat coxswain generally operate to a level known as ‘tolerable discomfort’, then the pain threshold is reached and they are likely to slow down. But as innovative suspension systems have de-coupled the man from the boat the new challenge is to build hull, components and equipment that are able to survive the extreme ride severity that occupants can now tolerate when riding in suspension seats. To support procurement decisions the next generation of fast craft hulls and shock mitigation solutions need to be compared. Full scale sea keeping trials in high sea-states are costly, weather dependent and will vary between craft. Wave conditions are rarely consistent over sea areas or over time. It is also hard to justify taking people to the point of injury as part of testing. To address this, an International Standards Organization (ISO) Technical Committee Working Group was established in 2013 to develop standard procedures for ‘Laboratory evaluation of marine seat shock isolation’. Preliminary drop testing has been performed in the UK and Canada in to demonstrate seat mitigation characteristics in the lab before installation on boats for on water testing. Fleet audits will compare all vessels to identify how they comply with vibration legislation, including the EC Vibration Directive that came into force in 2010. Overall the fast boat sector now has a better understanding of the problems associated with high speed transits. Military, emergency response and government organisations recognise that a shock mitigation strategy needs to be incorporated into design, training, planning and operations. Other technical shock mitigation solutions include innovative hull forms to improve ride quality, hull appendages to control angle of attack in waves and cushioned decks for crew and passengers to stand on. Even with all this technology a critical factor for mission success is the skill of the coxswain to drive according to sea conditions. High speed craft with suspension seats for all personnel. (SAFE Boats & SHOXS) John Haynes is an Associate Fellow of The Nautical Institute, Yachtmaster Ocean and Advanced Powerboat Instructor. Subject matter expertise includes high speed craft consultancy, product development and specialist training. He is Operations Director of Shock Mitigation and founder of the RIB & High Speed Craft Directory that brings together specialist boats and equipment for the sub IMO / sub 24 metre professional sector worldwide: www.ribandhsc.com. Author The Briefing Room
- 33. Defence Industry Bulletin:: 32 More Information Digital copies of Defence Industry Bulletin can be obtained each quarter without charge, alongside all archived editions, by accessing our website at www. defenceindustrybulletin.com or via our main news and analysis portal at www. defenceiq.com. We offer the opportunity for advertising of relevant services and products in line with our terms and conditions. We are unable to guarantee the bonafides of any of our advertisers. Readers are strongly recommended to take their own precautions before parting with any information or item of value, including, but not limited to, money, manuscripts, photographs or personal information in response to any advertisements within this publication. The entire contents of Defence Industry Bulletin is a copyright of Defence IQ, a subsidiary of IQPC, and cannot be reproduced in any form without permission. The Editors are happy to receive original contributions to Defence Industry Bulletin. Please note that all material sent to the Editors is forwarded at the contributor’s own risk. While every care is taken with material, the publishers cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage incurred. All material rates available on request. Submitted material (especially illustrations) must be provided in digital format and must be provided with the contributor’s name and contact details, including email address and telephone number. All rights to submitted material must be owned by the individual submitting. All items submitted for publication are subject to our terms and conditions, and may be amended to meet our editorial standards. For a full list of editorial guidelines, please contact the editors at the email address listed. Defence IQ and IQPC accept no responsibility for the continued accuracy or use of the contents of Defence Industry Bulletin. All information is subject to change. Editors: Richard de Silva Andrew Elwell Editorial contact: haveyoursay@defenceiq.com Correspondents: Oliver Austin Victor M. S. Barreira Angus Batey Joseph Carpenter John Hayes Georg Mader Eugenio Po Malcolm Warr Thomas Withington Chief Designer: Beau Merchant Marketing Manager: Anisa Choudhary Digital Specialist: Sumit Dutta Advertising Managers: Herve Bavazzano Cem Tuna Advertising contact: sponsorship@defenceiq.com +44 (0) 20 7 036 1328 Website: www.defenceindustrybulletin.com IQPC, Floor 1, 129 Wilton Road, London, SW1V 1JX