AMR-June-July-2013

VOLUME 21/ISSUE 4
JUNE/JULY 2013 US$15
A S I A P A C I F I C ’ S L A R G E S T C I R C U L A T E D D E F E N C E M A G A Z I N E
CLOSE AIR SUPPORT
INFANTRY
FIGHTING VEHICLES
NIGHT VISION
TRAINING
AND SIMULATION
ANTI SURFACE
WARFARE
ASIA PACIFIC UAV
DIRECTORY
REGIONAL
AIR POWER
www.asianmilitaryreview.com

D a s s a u l t A v i a t i o n • S n e c m a • T h a l e s
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Contents
JUNE/JULY 2013
VOLUME 21 / ISSUE 4
06
Front Cover Photo:
A Raytheon RIM-161B SM-3
Block-IA surface-to-air missile
dashes skywards during a
launch test. This weapon,
among others, is examined in
this edition’s article examining
missile defence initiatives;
‘A Shot In The Dark?’
© US Missile Defence Agency
Flip That COIN
Andrew Brookes
The British operated aircraft over the Middle East in the Twenties and Thirties
because they were a much cheaper way of countering insurgents than battalions
on the ground. Over the years, major air forces invested in new jet engines and
swept wings, but there remained a place for old technology
14
23
AMR UAV
Directory 2013
Bianca Siccardi
AMR’s UAV Directory has
been researched using a range
of resources notably AMR
correspondents, industry
experts and serving military
personnel throughout the
region as well as open sources
APCs and IFVs in
the Asia Pacific
Christopher F Foss
Traditionally Armoured Personnel
Carriers (APCs), tracked and
wheeled alike, have been used to
transport infantry where they
dismount and fight on foot. APCs
are still used by many countries, but
they are now being supplemented
by Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs)
34
Seeing Through
the Dark
Peter Donaldson
With the importance of dismounted
soldiers so strongly brought to the
fore by counter-insurgency
campaigns of the last decade, range
of products intended to increase
their effectiveness in terms of target
detection, recognition and identification
in all weathers and light
conditions has grown dramatically
40
Up Close and
Personal
Thomas Withington
Close Air Support (CAS), the art
of achieving a direct hit on
enemy troops or materiel which
maybe just metres away from
friendly forces on a fast-moving
battlefield has been an
increasingly precise exercise
since it came to prominence
during the First World War
52
Training
and Simulation:
Wargames
46
Thomas Withington
The training potential offered by
simulation technology is a constantly
evolving field. Advances in
computing and video graphics
provide an ever-deepening
level of detail to the instructor
and student alike across the land,
sea and air domains
Anti-Surface
Warfare: From
Gun to Missile
Ted Hooten
Warships target other
warships with merchantmen
as the secondary
target, and the weapon
options for what is
now called Anti-Surface
Warfare (ASuW) are
surprisingly broad
l JUNE/JULY 2013 l 03

Index of Advertisers
AM GENERAL 17
AMR SUBSCRIPTION 22
AMR DSI 33
BOEING COVER 4
DASSAULT RAFALE COVER 2
DEFENCE AND SECURITY THAILAND 65
DSEI COVER 3
EUROSATORY 61
ITT EXELIS 13
IDEAS PAKISTAN 63
INDIA AVIATION 27
L3 WESCAM 21
NAMEXPO 57
NEXTER 19
PACIFIC AUSTRALIA 55
RAYTHEON 9
ROSOBORONEXPORT 49
ROSTEC 58-59
TADTE 45
TRIJICON 37
VIASAT 5
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Editorial
PARIS IN
THE SPRING
It is an honour to be appointed as the new
editor of the Asian Military Review, following the
sudden and untimely death of its previous editor
Adam Baddeley. I had the privilege of calling Adam one of my closest friends.
Having worked together for over a decade, he was a constant source of inspiration,
knowledge and advice, not to mention much laughter! Adam set a high editorial
standard for the magazine, which I hope that I can continue in the future. He is sorely
missed, and I dedicate this edition to him.
This year’s Paris Air Show occurred just as the finishing touches were being put to this
issue. Although extremely busy on the civil side, with perennial rivals Boeing and
Airbus announcing bumper orders, and emerging manufacturers from Brazil and
Canada, notably Embraer and Bombardier making their presence felt, the military
side of the show seemed quiet.
True, defence budgets around the world, particularly in Europe and North America,
are contracting. This is not only the result of the economic downturn affecting the
West; budgets are also being slashed in anticipation of the North Atlantic Treaty
Organisation’s withdrawal from Afghanistan next year. The combat aircraft
manufacturers, which used to dominate the world’s air shows, were quiet to say the
least and, perhaps underlining the pinch in Washington DC, the American presence at
the show was notably muted compared to previous years.
That said the Russians livened things up with a show-stopping Sukhoi Su-35. Once
again, this Russian combat aircraft builder showed that it can continue to produce jets
capable of seemingly impossible manoeuvres, with the airframe tossed around the
sky like a leaf in the wind, while the audience watched in open-mouthed amazement.
Paris 2013 did feel like a largely civilian event with a military element. To be fair, this
trend has been the case for many years, and is set to remain so in the future. The
Cold War, which provided the perfect arena for all of the major protagonists to
showcase their brightest and best military aviation offerings, is long gone, but that
has not stopped the Russians from stealing this year’s show.
Thomas Withington, Editor
Editor: Thomas Withington
E-mail: t_withington@hotmail.com
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04
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A I R P O W E R
C O U N T E R
I N S U R G E N C Y
FLIP THAT COIN
The British operated aircraft over the Middle East in the
Twenties and Thirties because they were a much cheaper way of
countering insurgents than battalions on the ground. Over
the years, major air forces invested in new jet engines and swept
wings, but there remained a place for old technology.
by Andrew Brookes
For example, from 1948 the RAF
battled Communist insurgents
in Malaya with a variety of piston-engine
aircraft including
Avro Lincolns. Come 1955 and
the first RAF jet bomber squadron went
on active duty overseas. Four Canberra
B6s left Lincolnshire for Malaya to bomb
insurgents in their jungle hide-outs.
Hitting roughly-constructed
bashas under dense jungle
foliage with 1,000lb bombs
as directed by Air
Observation Post Austers, or
against a six-figure map reference provided
by a ground liaison officer, was asking
a lot. On one occasion a Canberra overshot
the aiming datum by 3,000m. As
the official historian of the Malayan
Emergency put it, “Canberras carried half
the bomb load of Lincolns and their cruising
speed of 250kt at the optimum bombing
height required more elaborate navigational
aids and made map-reading
impracticable and visual bomb-aiming
difficult. The pilot had a poorer visibility
than in a Lincoln and the Canberra could
not be flown at night or in close formation,
and could not be employed in a
The North American F-105 Thunderchief was another aircraft used extensively in the counterinsurgency
role by the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War. However, the aircraft
showed itself to be vulnerable to ground-based air defences © US DoD
strafing role. They suffered, in common
with all jet aircraft in the tropics, from a
serious limitation in their endurance at
low level, which precluded postponing or
delaying an air strike once they were airborne.
This was a serious disadvantage in
the uncertain weather conditions of
Malaya, especially when Canberras were
operating in the northern part of the country
far from their
parent base in
Singapore.”
It was horses for
courses and while the
shiny B-52s and centuryseries
fighters practised for a war of
survival against the USSR, the USAF
procured light warplanes for use over
Korea and Vietnam. US airmen used
armed versions of the piston-engined T-6
Texan trainers dubbed ‘Mosquitos’ for
artillery spotting and forward air control
over Korea. In the early 1960s, the US
Army tested armed versions of the Cessna
YAT-37D Dragonfly (or Super Tweet),
Douglas A4D-1 Skyhawk, and Fiat G.91.
But the lessons of the Second World War
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A I R P O W E R
C O U N T E R
I N S U R G E N C Y
North American Rockwell’s OV-10
Bronco was an early post-Second
World War attempt to produce a
dedicated counter-insurgency aircraft.
Recent proposals to place the aircraft
back into production have so far come
to naught © US DoD
had been forgotten by the USAF
as unarmoured supersonic fighters
with vulnerable fuel tanks and
hydraulic control systems were knocked
down or damaged by North Vietnamese
peasants armed with automatic small arms
with simple sights. About 43% of all the F-
105 Thunderchiefs ever built were shot
down over Vietnam because this tactical
nuclear bomber was unmanoeuverable
and vulnerable to antiaircraft fire.
The military helicopter came of age in
Vietnam but whether fixed wing or
rotary, rugged and simpler aircraft
proved their worth for nations who had
no need or use for Major League aircraft.
The era of dedicated counter-insurgency
(COIN) warfare had truly arrived and the
ultimate COIN aircraft
today is the
Spectre AC-130
Gunship. In the Maysan province of Iraq,
Brigadier Richard Holmes noted that “the
AC-130 effect on morale was palpable…some
of the British soldiers undoubtedly
owe their lives to the ability of the
Spectre crews to understand the ground
battle and weigh in with super-accurate
fire at midnight in a burning town.” But
only a super-power can afford this aweinspiring
capability.
James S Corum has reviewed dozens of
major insurgencies since 1945 from which
he identified good strategy and good intelligence
as the two keys to effective counter-insurgency.
While there is no air power
solution to counter-insurgency, there is
certainly a large role for air power: it can
bring firepower, transport, reconnaissance
and constant presence to the COIN fight.
US counter-insurgency doctrine recommends
the use of inexpensive, low-tech
aircraft and technology for less developed
allies facing insurgency. Simply put, US
doctrine recognises that effective counterinsurgency
requires more than just the use
of US forces; it is also about helping allied
nations win their own conflicts.
For a re-emerging nation like Iraq,
light, armed aircraft with sensors and
weapons that are affordable, nimble and
flexible have great appeal. The same will
prove true in Afghanistan which needs to
support indigenous ground forces without
breaking the budget. More importantly,
because of the simplicity of the aircraft,
coalition forces can train airmen to fly and
service them once their combat troops
have withdrawn. However, as we stand
on the threshold of dramatic technological
changes, is the ‘cheap’ COIN aircraft of
yesteryear achievable or viable?
Déjà vu
There are plenty of nations for whom COIN
aircraft are the ideal solution. Last August
Embraer handed over an initial batch of
four A-29 Super Tucano aircraft to the
Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU). Twelve
more are to follow and these sixteen light
attack and tactical training aircraft are part
l JUNE/JULY 2013 l 07

A I R P O W E R
C O U N T E R
I N S U R G E N C Y
Although the English Electric Canberra served with
the Royal Air Force for many years, its deployment
during the Malayan Emergency in the 1950s
underscored the limitations of this aircraft in the
counter-insurgency role © Wikimedia Commons
of the Indonesian Defence Force's equipment
modernisation programme.
The Super Tucano is a mature and
proven mission-ready aircraft to replace
the TNI-AU’s (Indonesian Air Force’s)
fleet of OV-10 Broncos in support of light
attack, surveillance, aerial intercepts and
COIN missions. Modern COIN aircraft
such as the Super Tucano incorporate
advanced electronic/optical/infrared and
laser technology together with secure
radios plus datalink communications. The
The Cessna AT-37D Dragonfly was developed during the late-1950s/early-1960s as a counterinsurgency
aircraft. It served during the Vietnam War with the United States Air Force, and is
believed to remain in service with the Peruvian Air Force © Wikimedia Commons
Super Tucano is currently in service with
Brazil, the Dominican Republic,
Colombia, Ecuador, Chile and Burkina
Faso, and has been ordered by the
Angolan and Mauritanian air forces. The
A-29 Super Tucano was built specifically
for counter-insurgency missions and is
credited with helping the Colombian government
defeat the FARC guerilla movement.
Around 160 A-29s are now in operation
and they have logged 130,000 flight
hours, including over 18,000 combat
hours without any combat loss.
Budget deficits affect Washington as
much as anywhere else, but it surprised
many when USAF Chief of Staff General
08
l ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW
l

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A I R P O W E R
C O U N T E R
I N S U R G E N C Y
Norton Schwartz announced the Light
Attack Armed Reconnaissance Aircraft
(LAAR) programme in September 2008.
Envisaged as a fillip to industry, the USAF
envisaged a $2 billion purchase of 100
LAAR aircraft. Initially, LAAR was to be a
small plane with an advanced sensor suite,
hardpoints for light missiles, bombs and
rockets, and an independent capability to
find and engage targets at night. LAAR
would also function as a forward air control
aircraft, directing gunfire and ordnance
from other platforms. The aircraft would
need to operate from austere forward operating
bases, and be largely self-sustaining.
Proposed candidates for the LAAR
programme included a modified crop
duster demonstrated at the 2009 Paris Air
Show, the Alenia M346, the Super Tucano
(see above), Pilatus PC-6 Porter and
Hawker Beechcraft AT-6B Texan II.
Although the Pentagon expected LAAR to
A Republic of Singapore Air Force McDonnell Douglas A-4SU Skyhawk is seen here in this image.
Alongside the Cessna Dragonfly, the Skyhawk would be used extensively by the United States Navy
and the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War © US DoD
be based on an ‘in production’ aircraft,
Boeing tried to sneak in the OV-10(X)
Bronco, based on the Vietnam-era twinengine,
twin-boom forward air controller
platform. Boeing said it was prepared to
resume Bronco production at a facility not
yet chosen, which shows how important
even COIN aircraft are to the balance
sheets of major aeronautical players.
Embraer’s Super Tucano was already
being tested in Afghanistan under a US
Navy programme known as Imminent
Fury. Meanwhile the thrust of LAAR was
Alenia Aermacchi’s M346 Master represents
a new breed of light jet trainer which can
also be configured to perform the COIN
mission. The Republic of Singapore Air Force
currently has twelve of the aircraft on order
© Wikimedia Commons
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A I R P O W E R
C O U N T E R
I N S U R G E N C Y
Hawker Beechcraft’s T-6 Texan-II has been acquired by the Iraqi Air Force. The country has
purchased a total of 15 of the machines. The Texan-II is available in its trainer (T-6) and armed
(AT-6) configurations, the latter version being ideal for COIN operations © US DoD
shifting to reflect Defense Secretary Gates’
view that platforms and missions must be
relevant to conflicts like those in Iraq and
Afghanistan. Furthermore, it had to be
something that was readily transferable to
partner nations. It was to be an affordable,
modular, open-architecture aircraft and
equipment. Some of these requirements,
including those for high-altitude capability
and for an on-board oxygen generation
system, seem tailored to the war in
Afghanistan.
To many in the Pentagon, it seemed
timely to bring back Vietnam War era
CAS/COIN tactics and to merge them
with 21st century weapons and technology.
You could see their point. The LAAR
platform was to fly at altitudes up to
30,000ft with a range up to 900nm. The
aircraft was to be fitted with fuel tanks,
The projected LAAR
COIN aircraft might
not have the cachet of
the F-16C/D or
F/A18E/F, but it would
do much of what they
did for around $1,000
per flight hour
multi-function display (MFD) and fully
compatible head up display (HUD) with
night vision goggle (NVG) for a six-hour
mission. It would be expected to perform
missions such as streaming video, forwarding
air control, escort, CAS, intelligence
surveillance and reconnaissance
(ISR). Using a wide-range of equipped
such as electro-optical, infrared and laser
sensors, LAAR would be armed with .50
calibre machine guns pods, 2.75 inch rocket
pods, air-to-ground Hellfire or
Maverick, AIM-9 air-to-air missiles, laser
guided bombs including Paveway II and
Paveway IV, joint direct attack munitions
(JDAM) and small diameter bombs. The
projected LAAR COIN aircraft might not
have the cachet of the F-16C/D or F/A-
18E/F, but it would do much of what they
did for around $1,000 per flight hour.
l JUNE/JULY 2013 l 11

A I R P O W E R
C O U N T E R
I N S U R G E N C Y
Several turboprop machines are marketed as COIN platforms including Embraer’s A-29 Super
Tucano. One of the major attractions of such aircraft for Counter-Insurgency missions is their
relatively low operating costs compared to their jet-propelled counterparts © Embraer
At the end of 2011, the USAF selected
the A-29 Super Tucano for what is now
designated the Light Air Support (LAS)
aircraft for COIN duties. Beechcraft
lodged an objection, but this year it was
confirmed that the A-29 Super Tucano
had won the USAF's LAS contract to supply
Afghanistan with an initial batch of 20
aircraft. We can expect further orders but
history teaches that while a light strike
aircraft can fulfil COIN missions, a heavier
aircraft such as a gunship is best suited
for a developing nation’s air force in conducting
a CAS mission. The highly popular
CASA 212 light transport is a good
choice for a gunship conversion platform.
It is notable that the initiative to field simple
effective aircraft for COIN missions
comes not from professional air forces but
rather from the civil sector. Perhaps there
is not a lot of glory in training and equipping
allied air forces to fight insurgents.
Evaluation
A few years ago the USAF planned to buy
dozens of cheap, turboprop-driven COIN
aircraft to provide light air support and
ISR for troops fighting insurgents in
places like Iraq and Afghanistan. These
were supposed to take the burden for
such unglamorous missions off of jet
fighters like the F-16, which cost far more
to operate. However, the draw-down
combined with shrinking defence budgets
has forced the USAF to reduce the programme
though each aircraft still ended
up at $18m apiece. The Pentagon will now
use a small fleet of turboprops to help
build up the nascent Afghan air force and
the air arms of “other nations”, which
opens the possibility for more Super
Tucano sales. Recent French experience
over Mali has done nothing to dampen
the appeal of COIN aircraft. French COIN
operations over the vast, desolate region
of the Sahara were carried out by
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), fixed
wing aircraft such as Rafale, Mirage
2000D and F-1CR, and attack helicopters.
The COIN effort would have been much
better served, at lower cost, with a robust
and heavily armed aircraft which could
Precision air attack
is vital in an age of
24-hour rolling news,
and loitering in
support of land forces
to ensure target discrimination
demands
local air supremacy.
just about self-deploy from France to Mali.
There was almost no French weapon used
against insurgents in Mali that could not
be carried by the Super Tucano. Mali’s
neighbour, Burkina Faso and Mauritania,
recently acquired six of them. Easy to
maintain and heavily-armed aircraft that
are capable of working closely with special
operations forces are far better suited to
COIN operations in low intensity conflicts
than fast jets costing $20,000 an hour, even
in limited numbers. But when good intelligence
is more important than a big stick, is
the next generation of unmanned combat
air vehicles with their loitering capability,
all-seeing sensors and precise dual-mode
Brimstone missiles the most sensible
COIN platform of the future?
In sum, Mali is just the latest example
of how rugged offensive aircraft could
combine ISR and high firepower with relatively
low acquisition and operating
costs. But it is still horses for courses. For
all its virtues and cost effectiveness, a turboprop
aircraft such as the Super Tucano
or CASA 212 can only go about its COIN,
close air support and aerial reconnaissance
business in a low threat environment.
Precision air attack is vital in an age
of 24-hour rolling news, and loitering in
support of land forces to ensure target discrimination
demands local air supremacy
over the battlespace. Just like the current
family of UAVs, you would not want to
employ them in the first stages of any
campaign against Syria or Iraq.
12
l ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW
l

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I N F A N T R Y
F I G H T I N G
V E H I C L E S
TRACKING
PROGRESS:
APCS AND IFVS
IN THE ASIA
PACIFIC
Traditionally Armoured Personnel Carriers
(APCs), tracked and wheeled alike, have been
used to transport infantry as near to their
objective as possible where they dismount and
fight on foot. APCs are still used by many
countries, but they are now being supplemented
by Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs).
by Christopher F Foss
Usually an APC is armed
with a 7.62mm or 12.7mm
Machine Gun (MG) which
was initially in an unprotected
mount but later provided
with protection, such as a cupola or turret.
Ballistic protection was normally against
small arms fire and shell splinters. APCs
can be tracked or wheeled with the latter
being normally in the 8x8 configuration
which have greater volume and mobility
than older 6x6 vehicles.
The latest IFVs have a higher level of
ballistic protection as well as increased
protection against mines and Improvised
Explosive Devices (IED). They are also
A Chinese People’s Liberation Army ZBD-04
Infantry Fighting Vehicle during a parade in
Beijing. The export version of this vehicle is
known as the VN11 on the international market
© Wikimedia commons
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I N F A N T R Y
F I G H T I N G
V E H I C L E S
better armed and are usually fitted with a
one or two person turrets armed with a
stabilised medium-calibre cannon and a
7.62mm co-axial MG. In most cases this
turret is fitted with a computerised Fire
Control System (FCS) with the commander
and gunner having stabilised day/thermal
sighting systems equipped with an
integrated laser rangefinder.
Chinese Efforts
The first IFV to be deployed by the
People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was the
WZ501 which is essentially a reversedengineered
Russian BMP-1 IFV fitted with
a one-person turret armed with a 73mm
gun and 7.62mm co-axial MG along with
a Red Arrow 73 (HJ-73) Anti-Tank Guided
Weapon (ATGW) mounted over the former
weapon.
The latest IFV to enter service with the
PLA is the ZBD-04 which is being offered
The Armoured Combat Vehicle (ACV) is in
service with the Malaysian Army. It is fitted with
Sharpshooter one-person turret armed with
stabilised 25mm cannon and 7.62mm co-axial
MG © FNSS
on the export market by China North
Industries Corporation (NORINCO)
under the designation of the VN11. This
has a new Chinese-designed hull fitted
with a locally manufactured and modified
turret from Russia which is armed with a
100mm gun, a 30mm cannon and a
7.62mm co-axial MG. In addition to firing
conventional ammunition, the 100mm
gun can fire a laser-guided missile. The
turret is a further development of that
installed on the widely-deployed Russian
BMP-3 IFV. The ZBD-04 has a crew of
three consisting of a commander, gunner
and driver, and carries seven dismounts.
It is fully-amphibious being propelled in
the water at a maximum speed of 13
km/h by two water jets mounted one on
either side at the rear of the hull. The PLA
has always deployed a mix of tracked and
wheeled IFV as the latter do offer a number
of significant advantages including
lower operating and support costs, and
have greater strategic mobility.
Marder 1A3 IFV
Under a recently-signed deal with
Germany, Indonesia is to field a batch of
ex-German Army Marder 1A3 IFVs fitted
with a two-person turret armed with a
20mm cannon and a 7.62 mm co-axial MG.
Indonesia already deploys a batch of 22
BMP-2 IFVs which were delivered in
1998/2000 from Slovakia. These retain
their two-person turrets armed with a
30mm cannon, 7.62mm co-axial MG and
roof-mounted ATGW.
More recently the Indonesian Marines
l JUNE/JULY 2013 l 15

I N F A N T R Y
F I G H T I N G
V E H I C L E S
Indonesia is getting a batch of Marder 1A3
vehicles but Rheinmetall is also offering the
Marder Evolution shown here which has a
number of improvements © Rheinmetall
have taken delivery of 20 Russian BMP-3F
IFVs optimised for amphibious operations
with another batch of vehicles now being
delivered. The BMP-3F is the most wellarmed
vehicle in its class and is fitted with
a two-person turret equipped with a
100mm 2A70 gun that, in addition to firing
conventional ammunition, can launch
a laser-guided projectile. Mounted next to
the 100mm 2A70 gun is a 30mm 2A72 cannon
and 7.62 mm PKT MG, with further
two 7.62mm PKT MGs mounted one on
either side at the front of the hull.
The Indonesian Marines also deploy a
batch of 34 Nexter Systems AMX-10P vehicles
of which ten are fitted with the twoperson
TS90 turret armed with a 90mm
gun and 7.62mm co-axial MG. The remaining
24 have a one-person turret armed with
a .50 M2 HB MG. These were optimised for
amphibious operations and are fitted with
water jets which give a maximum speed
when afloat of up to 10 km/h.
AV8 IFV
To start replacing its fleet of old SIBMAS
(6x6) and Condor (4x4) vehicles Malaysia
selected the Turkish FNSS Savunma
Sistemleri Pars (8x8). A contract has been
placed for a total of 257 units through the
Malaysian company DEFTECH. In
Malaysian service the Pars will be called
the AV8 and, in addition to having allwheel
drive it features all-wheel steering,
cameras for situational awareness and an
air conditioning system.
A total of twelve variants will be supplied
by 2018 with the most well-armed
models being fitted with a Denel Land
Systems two-person turret outfitted with a
30mm cannon and 7.62mm coaxial MG.
The IFV version is fitted with a one-person
The Republic of
Korea (ROK) has
been self-sufficient
in the design,
development and
production of AFVs
for many years
FNSS Sharpshooter turret housing a
25mm cannon and 7.62mm co-axial MG.
The Royal Malaysian Army also operates a
fleet of FNSS Savunma Sistemleri tracked
Armoured Combat Vehicles (ACVs) with
the first batch consisting of 211 vehicles in
ten versions which were delivered from
2002. This was followed by an additional
batch of 48 vehicles ordered in 2008 which
have now been delivered. Furthermore,
Malaysia has taken delivery of eight
stretched ACV vehicles armed with a
French TDA 120mm muzzle-loaded recoiling
mortar system.
16
K21 IFV
The Republic of Korea (ROK) has been
self-sufficient in the design, development
and production of AFVs for many years. It
is estimated that Doosan Infracore
Defense Products built almost 2,000
Korean Infantry Fighting Vehicles (KIFVs)
and variants for the ROK Army with 111
being supplied to Malaysia to meet an
Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR).
The baseline KIFV has a hull similar to
that of the BAE Systems Armoured
Infantry Fighting Vehicle (AIFV) devell
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I N F A N T R Y
F I G H T I N G
V E H I C L E S
A K21 IFV of the Republic of Korea Army prepared for amphibious operations and clearly showing
its two-person turret armed with 40mm cannon and 7.62mm co-axial MG, pontoons inflated and
the trim vane erected at front of the hull © Christopher F. Foss
oped for the export market. It is armed
with a protected weapon station equipped
with a .50 M2 HB MG with an unprotected
7.62mm MG on a pintle mounted to the
immediate left side. In addition to the
crew of three the vehicle carries nine dismounts.
More specialised versions
include Nuclear, Biological and Chemical
(NBC) reconnaissance, air defence (with a
turret-mounted 20mm cannon), ambulance,
command post, mortar carrier and
recovery vehicles.
By today’s standard the KIFV lacks
armour, mobility and firepower and this
has led to the development and fielding of
the latest Doosan Next Infantry Fighting
Vehicle (NIFV) which is now referred to as
the K21. When compared to the older KIFV
the K21 represents a step change in capability
in the key areas of armour, mobility
and firepower with the first production
contract being for over 450 vehicles. The
The first example of the AV8 as delivered to the
Royal Malaysian Army. It is fitted with a oneperson
Sharpshooter 25mm turret which is
already installed in one version of the ACV
used by Malaysia © FNSS
18
K21 has a typical Gross Vehicle Weight of
around 26 tonnes and has a crew of three
consisting of commander, gunner and
driver, plus nine dismounts. The vehicle is
fitted with a two-person turret carrying a
40mm cannon and a 7.62mm MG, with a
pod of two ATGW being installed on the
left side of the turret. A computerised FCS
is fitted which allows stationary and movl
ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW
l

I N F A N T R Y
FIGHTING
VEHICLES
Bionix 2 IFV is now in service with the Singapore
Army and is fitted with a two-person turret
armed with an ATK 30mm MK44 cannon and
7.62mm co-axial MG © STK
ing targets to be engaged with a high firstround-hit
probability under almost all conditions.
With the aid of integrated inflatable
pontoons the K21 is fully amphibious
and is propelled in the water up to a maximum
speed of 6 km/h. It is also fitted with
an NBC system and full air conditioning
for use in high ambient conditions. Using
theKIFVhullanexpandingfamilyofvariantshasbeendevelopedincludinganARV
anddrivertrainingvehicle.Fortheexport
market it can be fitted with different
weapon systems.
Singapore
For many years the Singapore Armed
Forces (SAF) deployed the BAE Systems
M113 series tracked APC as well as many
more specialised versions such as a command
post vehicle and mortar carrier.
Nexter
Systems
VBCI
VBCI

I N F A N T R Y
F I G H T I N G
V E H I C L E S
Singapore Armed Forces’ Terrex ICV fitted with remote weapon station outfitted with a 40mm AGL
and 7.62mm co-axial MG, and clearly showing external stowage racks on the hull side © STK
These have been enhanced in a number of
areas including an upgraded power pack,
additional armour and, in some cases,
enhanced firepower. Some have also been
fitted with the RAFAEL Advanced
Defense Systems Remote Weapons
Stations (RWS) armed with an ATK 25mm
M252 dual-feed cannon, and 7.62mm coaxial
MG. Meanwhile others have been fitted
with the locally-developed cupola
armed with a .50 MG and a 40mm AGL.
These upgraded M113 series vehicles
have been supplemented by the locallydeveloped
Singapore Technologies
Kinetics (STG) Bionix family of vehicles
(FOV). The Bionix 25 IFV is fitted with a
two-person turret possessing a stabilised
25mm M242 dual feed cannon and a
7.62mm co-axial MG with an addition
7.62mm MG mounted one on either side of
the roof at the rear. In addition to the crew
of three consisting of commander, gunner
and driver the Bionix UFV carries seven
dismounts. The Bionix 25 was followed by
the Bionix 30 which is similar but armed
with the more potent ATK 30mm MK44
dual feed cannon and 7.62mm axial MG.
There is also the Bionix APC which has the
same locally developed cupola as fitted to
the upgraded M113, but with more internal
volume it can carry nine dismounts.
More specialised versions of the Bionix
including an ARV, armoured vehicle
launched bridge and flail-type mine
clearing vehicle.
Like other countries, Singapore is moving
to more balanced fleet of tracked and
wheeled AFVs and STK developed the
The Bionix APC has
the same locally
developed cupola as
fitted to the upgraded
M113, but with more
internal volume it can
carry nine dismounts
Terrex Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV) to
meet the operational requirements of the
SAF with first vehicles deployed in 2010.
The first production contract was for a
total of 135 vehicles which is sufficient for
three battalions but there have been follow
on contracts for additional vehicles.
The baseline Terrex ICV has a crew of two
and carries eleven dismounts. It is fitted
with an RWS armed with a 40mm AGL
and a 7.62mm co-axial MG, a .50 MG, or a
combination of these weapons. The hull is
of all welded steel with applique amour
and, unlike many of the recently-developed
8x8 vehicles, the Terrex ICV is fully
amphibious via two propellers installed
one on either side under the hull rear. The
Terrex ICV also features applique armour,
cameras for enhanced situational awareness
through a full 360 degrees and a battle
management system. In addition to the
baseline Terex ICV there are a number of
more specialised versions and these are
known to include ATGW, command,
engineer, reconnaissance, surveillance
and target acquisition and specialised
strike observer mission variants.
20
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AMR
UAV
DIRECTORY 2013
Prepared by Bianca Siccardi
l JUNE/JULY 2013 l 23

REGIONAL
U A V D I R E C T O R Y
The Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
(UAVs) industry is one of the
fastest-growing sectors in military
aviation. The global market for
UAVs has witnessed remarkable expansion
in recent years and it is expected to maintain
this trend in the years to come. The rising
demand and the increasing use of these
aircraft are underlined by the general reluctance
to risk the lives of aircrew during
combat operations, by ongoing military
operations and by the ability of UAVs to
gather real-time intelligence. Modern
UAVs show remarkable advantages over
manned aircraft. These include their
reduced manpower compared to conventional
aircraft, their ideal suitability for
continuous reconnaissance tasks and, more
specifically, their ability to find, designate
and strike mobile targets.
AMR’s UAV Directory has been
researched using a range of resources notably
AMR correspondents, industry experts and
serving military personnel throughout the
region as well as open sources.
AUSTRALIA
Fielded
Heron I, IAI; Project Nankeen lease via
MacDonald Dettwiler extended to end of
2012, supporting three-platform Army and
RAAF Unit from Kandahar which began in
January 2010, flew 4000 hours in first year
of operations.
Scan Eagle, Isitu/Boeing; Interim Tier 2
type requirement until Shadow 200 fielded.
Deployed Iraq 2006-8 and in Afghanistan
since 2007. In Afghanistan they have
flown 32000 hours on 6,200 missions, or
an average of 22 hours a day for nearly
five years
RQ-7B Shadow 200, AAI; Selected under
JP129 Phase 2 and requested from US DCSA
in May 2011. Deployed to Afghanistan in
May 2012.
Skylark I, Elbit Systems; Eight systems
ordered in Nov. 2005 onwards with 20 STA
Reg. deployed to E Timor and Iraq, further
orders subsequently.
Aerosonde III, AAI; Solomons in 2003 four
Aerosondes sent to the Solomon Islands on
Operation Anode with Army’s 131 STA
Battery.
Avatar, Condarra; 18 UAVs acquired since
2001 deployed to E. Timor with ADF SF in
2003, status unknown.
Trials and development
Patriot GQ-90, Guardian Aerospace
Systems; MALE 20 hour endurance, 20kg
payload, focus on RAN as customer, completed
flight test programme.
RQ-4 Global Hawk, Northrop Grumman;
Flew non-stop to Australia in 2001 and took
part in joint exercise Tandem Thrust.
Planned to acquire the UAV as part of its
participation in BAMS project but dropped
out in 2009 although options remain for
maritime and littoral surveillance from
2016. MQ-4C again being pushed by
Northrop Grumman.
NOTES: According to the Australian
Government’s 2013 Defence White Paper,
the nation plans to replace the RAAF’s
obsolete fleet of eighteen AP-3C Orion surveillance
aircraft with the new Boeing P-8A
Poseidon, integrated with UAVs capable of
being employed in broad area maritime surveillance.
The latest news from Australia
concerns the acquisition of Northrop
Grumman’s MQ-4C Triton unmanned aerial
vehicle. The Government recently
IAI Heron MALE UAV, operated by the Australian armed
forces is based on leading-edge technology with fullyautomatic
take-off and landing features. It provides
deep-penetration reconnaissance, wide-area and realtime
intelligence © Commonwealth of Australia
announced its intention to issue a letter of
request to the United States for pricing,
capability and availability information.
Although this step does not commit the
country to the acquisition of the drone,
Australia has a requirement for up to seven
high-altitude, long-endurance UAVs under
Phase 1B of Project AIR 7000. The MQ-4C
Triton, a descendant of the long-range
Global Hawk and specifically configured
for maritime surveillance, could indeed
answer such a need. The US would be eager
to partner with Australia in developing a
system based on the Triton Unmanned
Aircraft System (UAS), as this would significantly
improve the joint capabilities of the
two countries, and their ability to respond
to regional challenges.
CHINA
Fielded
BZK-005, Beijing University of Aeronautics
and Astronautics; MALE UAV thought to
have been in limited service since 2009 with
a 40 hr endurance.
Pterodactyl 1/Yilong, AVIC; Predator-like
MALE with 400km range first seen in 2008
with initial development completed in 2009
and production beginning during 2010 and
24
l ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW
l

REGIONAL
U A V
D I R E C T O R Y
can be equipped with AR-1 missiles.
W-30/W-50 series, NRIST; Sometimes
called PW-1 and entered service with the
People’s Liberation Army during 2005,
radius of 100km. Later PW-2 version has
longer range.
ASN206/7, Xian ASN Technology; In service
with PLA.
RMAX, Yamaha Motor Company; Nine systems
procured in 2001 for paramilitary use
ASN-15, Xian ASN Technology; Hand
launched UAV in 2000 largely used for test
and proof of concept.
ASN-104/5B, Xian ASN Technology; In
service with PLA.
ASN-206/207, Xian ASN Technology;
Developed from mid 1990, limited service,
range of 150km, ASN-207 first seen publicly
in 2002.
ASN-209, Xian ASN Technologies; Twinboom
pusher design called Silver Eagle in
PLAN service, reported to be tested by PLA
as a communictions relay in June 2011.
I-Z, Z-3, Z-2, NRIST; rotary wing design,
some military and paramilitary use from
early 2000s.
Harpy, IAI; Sold to China in 1994, When
China returned the Harpy for maintenance,
US concerns over possibility of upgrade to
Harop standard, saw Israel return the
UAV in 2005.
WJ-600, CASIC; 130Kg MALE design for
maritime surveillance, turbo-jet powered,
options for air to surface engagement, in
early development, 3hr endurance WJ-600A
has 5 hr endurance, a number delivered
in PLAAF.
X200, Yotaisc Science and Technology
Development: VTOL UAV introduced during
Singapore Air Show.
Trials and development
CH-3, CASIC; MALE 12 hr endurance,
canard design 108nm radius in advanced
development, first seen in public in 2008,
reported to be fitted with FT-5 small PGMs.
Long Haul Eagle, AVIC; Another Global
Hawk like design, status unknown.
Soaring Dragon, Xianglong; Global Hawk
class, reported range of 7000km.
ASN-213, Xian ASN Technology; 5Kg
design with in-flight morphing design first
seen in 2008.
Night Eagle, AVIC; Hand launched, similar
to Aerosonde design.
Whirlwind Scout, AVIC; Compact VTOL
ducted fan design.
U8E, AVIC; Lightweight VTOL design
shown as Singapore Airshow 2010.
SL-200, CASC; Armed HALE, described as
a stealthy design.
CH-802, Poly Technologies Inc; Hand
launched similar to Pointer, 3m wingspan,
2kg payload, endurance 3hours.
V750, Qingdao Haili Helicopter
Manufacturing Co; Rotary wing UAV.
Tian Yi-3, LOEC; High speed HALE.
Warrior Eagle, AVIC; Only sketches seen
publicly and may utilize a morphing wing
design.
Soarhawk, Sunward; Described as similar
to the piston-engined ADCOM SAT-400,
status unknown.
DUF-2, BUAA; Hand launched SUAV.
Wing Long, AVIC; Completed flight testing
in Oct 2008, 20 hour endurance and a range
of 400km.
Anjian/Darksword, Shenyang Aircraft Co;
UCAV in early development.
BL-60, BVE; K-MAX like rotary design.
SVU200, Sunward Tech Star-Lite; First
flight of rotary wing platform in 2012,
planned endurance of 2+hrs.
Daofeng/Blade SF-460, CASIC; Prototype, 3
hr endurance, first seen Zuhai 2010.
Daofeng 300, CASIC, 31kg weight, operates
civil SLR camera, endurance of 3+hrs.
Blue Eage 200W, Keyuan; MALE,
endurance of 12 hours speed of 160kmph,
equipped with air to ground munitions on
six external hard points.
T-120, Hubei Taihang Xinghe Aircraft
Manufacturing; reconnaissance UAV with
speed of up to Mach 1.5.
T-100, Hubei Taihang Xinghe Aircraft
Manufacturing; electrically powered SUAV.
TF-1C, Shenyang Aerospace; 1200km range
endurance of 12 hours.
TF-5, Shenyang Aerospace; 13kg SUAV single
CCD camera.
TF-8, Shenyang Aerospace, Hand launched
platoon level, 4.7Kg SUAV.
Z-5, PLA Research Institute; Shown publicly
in Sept. 2011 rotary wing design.
NOTES: According to a recent report issued
by the Pentagon’s Defense Science Board
(DSB), China’s move into unmanned systems
is “alarming” and unlimited resources,
combined with technological awareness,
might allow the country to match or even
outpace US spending on unmanned systems
l JUNE/JULY 2013 l 25

REGIONAL
U A V D I R E C T O R Y
The Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton is being
developed to provide continuous maritime surveillance
and is expected to enter service
around 2015. The Australian government and
the Indian Navy have expressed their interest
in acquiring the drone © Northrop Grumman
in the future, becoming a global competitor.
One Chinese company in particular is aiming
to target South East Asia—Indonesia and
Malaysia initially—with its unmanned helicopter.
Yotaisc Science and Technology
Development introduced its X200 vertical
take-off/landing (VTOL) UAV on the occasion
of last year’s Singapore Airshow.
Provided with two flight control modes,
autonomous navigation and manual remote
control, this UAV has a compact structure,
efficient power and is capable of carrying a
100 kg payload at a cruising speed of 93
mph. It has a multi-redundant inertial navigation
system and global positioning system
(GPS), and is designed to perform military
and civilian tasks: from reconnaissance and
surveillance, communications relay, electronic
interference and biochemical detection
to border patrol, disaster monitoring, agricultural
spraying and condition monitoring.
INDIA
Fielded
Searcher I & II, IAI; India’s Army and Navy
are understood to have acquired 18 and
possibly as many as 50-70 UAVs.
Lakshya, DRDO/ADE & HAL; High speed
reusable drone with 100 now in service.
Israel pulled out of Lakshya buy in 2005.
Heron I/II, IAI; IAF/IN order in 2002 for
four UAVs. Navy ordered 12 in 2005 and
operates the UAVs in mixed units alongside
its Searcher UAVs. Potential requirement
for 50 UAVs.
Harpy, IAI; 30 in service delivered from
2005.
Harop/Harpy II, IAI; 10 UAV/Loitering
Munition ordered by IAF in 2009 in $100m
deal with video datalink system. Deliveries
started in 2011.
Trials and development
Rustom 1, DRDO/ARDE; First successful
test flight in Oct. 2010 after prototype
crashed in Nov. 2009, 12-15 hr endurance,
airframe built by Zephyr Aerospace. A fifth,
25 minute flight took place in Nov. 2011
attaining a speed of 100kmph.
Rustom HALE, DRDO/ADE; MALE UAV
in development for tri-service customers,
also precursor for UCAV development prototype
in 2014-15, 12-15 hour endurance
and 45kg payload.
Netra SUAV, ARDE/Ideaforge Technology;
1.5m Quadrotor SUAV, altitude 200m, 30
min endurance.
Nishant, DRDO/ADE; Development began
in 1990 trial completed in Feb. 2011. 12
Nishants ordered in 2005 with four delivered
so far and two crashing in April 2010.
The balance due by 2013-14.
Kapothaka, DRDO/ADE; Mini-UAV to test
ISR as well as launch and recovery concepts
Pawan, DRDO/ADE; SUAV in development.
Gagan, DRDO/ADE; TUAV in development.
Global Hawk, Northrop Grumman; Listed
India as a potential customer at Paris Air
Show 2011 in maritime and overland role
UCAV, N/A; IAF issued RFI in mid 2010.
RQ-16B T-Hawk, Honeywell Aerospace;
Demonstrated at the Counter Terrorism
and Jungle Warfare College at Kanker in
Chattisgarh in 2010.
‘HALE’ UAV, N/A; IN HALE RFI issued
October 2010. NG reported to have
responded with its MQ-4C BAMS which
could operate with P-8I Poseidon.
TERP 2, MKU; hand launched pusher
SUAV, 90 min endurance, 10X optical zoom
day camera and Uncooled IR camera range
10km.
Cheetak-based UAV, IAI/HAL; discussions
to produce an unmanned version of the
stalwart helo.
Skylark, Elbit/BEL; Indianised example on
show at DEFEXPO 2012.
Lakshya-II, DRDO; Tenth test flight of target
drone in January for 30 mins, operating
from 12-800m.
NOTES: The Indian Air Force (IAF) plans
to purchase 300 additional UAVs, including
combat rotary and micro-UAVs, while
the infantry has decided to scale three
mini-UAVs to every infantry battalion.
Within the next three years, India’s
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REGIONAL
U A V D I R E C T O R Y
requirements are likely to be worth up to
$1.25 billion. All the production will be
performed locally. Given India’s everyday
tense situation on the Pakistani and
Chinese boarders, along with the country’s
aviation industry boom, UAV technology
will undoubtedly reveal its usefulness and
success in different types of tasks.
Maritime operations, as well as surveillance
and reconnaissance operations are
boosting the demand for medium altitude,
long endurance UAVs and tactical UAVs.
India is currently operating the Searcher
and the Heron Medium Altitude Long
Endurance (MALE) UAV model , and has
recently acquired the unmanned combat
aircraft (UCAV) Harop, due to become
operational this year. All three models are
manufactured by Israel’s IAI. India is,
without any doubt, one of the most significant
markets for the Heron. Israel has sold
India scores of the UAV worth almost US
$1 billion, in several deals.
INDONESIA
Fielded
Searcher Mk II, IAI; fielding in 2012,
delayed and originally ordered in 2006 from
Kital Philippines Corp.
SS-5, PT Wesco Aerospace; one or more
systems reported to be deployed to Aceh in
2005.
Aerosonde, AAI; Deployed with paramilitary
and Police forces.
Trials and development
BBPT-04C Sriti, Agency for the Assessment
and Application of Technology; 10km range
tactical UAV using a flying wing design.
ALAP, Agency for the Assessment and
Application of Technology; 25kg, 50km
range UAV.
‘TUAV’, Agency for the Assessment and
Application of Technology; 120kg UAV
with a range of 120km. Three design shape
prototypes; the BPPT-01A “Wulung” with
Hi rectangular-wing, Low Boom T-tail, the
BPPT-01B “Gagak” with Low rectangularwing,
Low Boom V-Tail and the BPPT-02A
“Wulung” with a Hi rectangular-wing, Hi
Boom Inverted V-Tail design.
NOTES: Indonesia has recently disclosed
details about the development of a new
The Elbit Skylark I miniature UAV. Launched
by hand, it is capable of sending real-time
video to a portable ground station. Skylark
is in operation with the Australian armed
forces. © Elbit Systems
UAV. The Ministry of Defence, together
with the Agency for the Assessment and
Application of Technology (BPPT) and the
state-owned companies PT Dirgantara
Indonesia (DI) and PT LEN Industri signed,
last 29 April, a cooperative development
agreement, aimed at constructing the
BPPT01A-200-PA7 Wulung unmanned aerial
vehicle. The Indonesian UAV weighs 60
kilograms (with the capacity of carrying an
additional 25) and can fly for up to four
hours at a maximum altitude of 3,658
meters at 55 knots per hour. The drone,
ready to be mass produced this year, is
equipped with a surveillance camera providing
real-time recordings to ground control
station, a feature that well fulfils the
country’s surveillance and security needs,
given its vast territories.
JAPAN
Fielded
Forward Flying Observation System, Fuji
Heavy Industries; Development of rotary
wing design began in 1991 with three systems
equipping Army artillery units from
2004. Civil version is the RPH-2.
RMAX, Yamaha Motor Company;
Deployed with Japan’s Iraq contingent
in 2005.
B Type Machine II, Fuji Imvac; Deployed
over Fukushima.
ScanEagle, Insitu; Two systems on order.
TAyoutoK(C)Ogata Mujinki (TACOM), Fuji
Heavy Industries; Trans. ‘Multi-role small
UAV’. Japan’s Technical Research and
Development Institute have been working
on the concept since 1995. Evaluation flight
test in 2001. In 2011 Japan released film of
two turbo jet powered drones carried by an
F-15J. TACOM launched while aloft and
returns to base using a retractable undercarriage.
A prototype launched from a
Mitsubishi/Lockheed Martin F-2 was lost
at sea in 2010.
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U A V D I R E C T O R Y
J/AQM-1, Fuji Heavy Industries; Air force
target drone, entered services 1987, indigenous
design.
BQM-34AJ, Fuji Heavy Industries; Navy
target drone, licensed development of
Firebee.
Trials and development
RQ-8A Fire Scout, Northrop Grumman;
Company believes it has interest from the
military.
B Type Machine II, Fuji IMVAC, Used to
monitor Fukushima.
Ball Shaped UAV; Development or SUAV
for Urban ops for Army.
RQ-16B T-Hawk, Honeywell Aerospace;
Used to monitor Fukushima.
Global Hawk, Northrop Grumman; listed
Japan as a potential customer at Paris
Airshow 2011 in maritime and overland role.
Thought to be as part of 2011-2015 Mid-Term
Defence Programme with three of the UAVs
potentially required probably working in
conjunction with P-3C Orion. Japanese interests
first noted in 2004. Improved satellite
surveillance the main alternative.
NOTES: Japan seems far behind others as
regards UAVs. There are however a large
number of UAV companies in Japan including
Fuji Heavy Industries, Yamaha Motor,
Yanmar Agricultural Equipment, Kawasaki
Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Heavy
Industries, Sky Remote, Hirobo, Mitsubishi
Electric Corporation, Hitachi, NEC
Corporation, GH Craft, Fuji Imvac and
Nippi Corporation.
NORTH KOREA
Fielded
Pchela, Yakovlev OKB; Unconfirmed
reports that North Korea acquired the
Russian UAV in 1995.
NOTES: North Korea seems to be developing
“kamikaze” drones, possibly aimed at
targeting South Korean military forces.
These programmes have been underway
for a while.
SOUTH KOREA
Fielded
Harpy, IAI; 100 systems valued at $45m
fielded from 1999.
RQ-101 Night Intruder 300, KAI; Began
development in 1991 with Ministry funding
with the Army receiving five systems 2001-
2004 for Corps level operation, Navy also
acquired the system.
Shadow 400, AAI; One system in service
with Navy for evaluation from 2006.
Skylark II, Elbit Systems; Announced selection
in Dec 2007, equipped with the Micro-
CoMPASS E/O payload with first delivery
in 2008.
Trials and development
KUS-11 TUAV, KAI; Division level solution,
awarded development contract in
Sept. 2010, delivery in 2015.
KUS-9, Korean Air, KAI; Development
completed in 2009, work on project now
ended
Devil Killer, KAI; Miniature UAV weighs
25Kg, endurance 8 hrs.
KUS-15, Korean Air; V-tail MALE design,
mock up shown at Seoul 2011.
Night Intruder NI-11N, KAI; Development
began in 2006 with focus on maritime surveillance.
Korean - Combat Unmanned Vehicle, KAI;
K-CUAV model at Seoul 2011.
KUS-X, Korean Air; Turbo-jet Delta design
wing space 4.5m length 3.5m.
Urban Star, Kyung An Cable Company;
VTOL UAV in development.
Remoeye-002A, Ucon Systems; 1.5m
wingspan, range 10km endurance 1 hr.
CCD TV or IR with single axis scanning.
Remoeye-006, Ucon Systems; pylon mounted
high wing design, 6.8kg, 2.59m
wingspan, 2 hr. endurance.
Remoeye-015, Ucon Systems; Development
complete in June 2005, 15kg TUAV
endurance 4hrs plus range 40km, CCD TV
or IR camera payload.
Remo H-120, Ucon Systems; In development,
340CC engine rotary wing design
endurance of two hours and range of 50km.
RQ-8A Fire Scout, Northrop Grumman;
Company believes it has interest.
RQ-4 Global Hawk Block 30, Northrop
Grumman; Korea allocating $40m for partial
payment in 2011 budget for four aircraft
for delivery in 2015-16 but since canceled
plans. Northrop Grumman had partnered
with DACC Aerospace, Foosung, KJF and
Korean Air.
Smart UAV, KARI and Ministry of
Knowledge Economy; Tilt rotor design
launched in 2002 with significant government
funding, unveiled in 2005 was to
begin flight testing in 2011, at 500kmph aircraft
described as the world's fastest UAV,
altitude of 20,000ft and operational radius
of 200km.
FMAV, Korea Agency for Defense
Development, Hanwha and USAFRL,
Flapping Wing MAV, weigh 200g,
endurance 25 minutes.
NOTES: South Korea continues to have an
existing requirement for a high altitude,
long endurance UAV. Following the
collapse of efforts to acquire the Northrop
Grumman Global Hawk. AeroVironment
Global Obsever and Boeing's Phantom
Eye are being publicly cited as candidates
for this requirement with Israeli competition
also expected notably from the
Heron TP.
MALAYSIA
Fielded
Eagle 150B, CTRM; Conversion of CTRM’s
Eagle 150 trainer aircraft into an aircraft
which could function either as manned airl
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craft or a UAV, three aircraft and a GCS
entered service in 2002 and withdrawn in
Feb 2006.
Aludra Mk1, CTRM; Trials from October
2008 to late 2010.
Aludra Mk2, CTRM; Mk2 version leased by
Malaysian Armed forces since 2008 who
will continue to operate two from
Semporna in East Malaysia.
Yabhon Aludra, CTRM/Adcom; co-development
with UAE firm, 500kg MALE
design with endurance of 30 hours. Two aircraft
to be leased for counter-terrorism surveillance
via CTRM.
ScanEagle, Insitu Pacific; leased by CTRM
to Malaysian Armed Forces.
Trials and development
Cyber Eye, Sapura; demonstrated to
Malaysian Military, sales to Thailand,
Australia and Europe.
Cyber Shark, Sapura; demonstrated to
Malaysian Military.
Cyber Hawk, Sapura; 20kg with 6 hr
endurance.
Cyber Quad, Sapura; two sizes, linked to
SAKTI soldier programme.
S-100, Schiebel; Camcopter was the only
UAV taking part in LIMA 2011 flight
displays.
NEW ZEALAND
Trials and development
Kahu/Hawk, SKYCAM UAV NZ; New
Zealand is exploring SUAV concepts, 80
minutes endurance, 12km range.
NOTES: New Zealand troops benefited
from UAV coverage in Afghanistan. Kahu
Hawk is a 3kg design operated by 16
Field Regiment with two systems each of a
GCS and two aircraft having been acquired
to date.
PAKISTAN
Fielded
Uqab-II, ACES; First squadron inducted into
Pakistan Navy in July 2011 and tasked with
Maritime Interdiction Operation. The timing
coincided with the crash of an Uqab-II Navy
UAV near an oil refinery. Developed from
Eagle Eye system.
Uqab, Integrated Dynamics; Flight tests
completed in March 2008, developed with
Turkish help similar to the US Army RQ-7B
Shadow 200.
Burraq, Pakistan Aeronautical Complex;
Based on Falco-Selex Galileo technology
and is believed to be intended as Pakistan's
main equivalent to the American Predator
to be equipped with NESCom designed
laser designator and laser-guided missiles.
Falco, Selex Galileo; Pakistan bought 4-5
unarmed reconnaissance drones from Italy.
First Italian produced aircraft operational in
early 2009 after delivery 2006-8. Some produced
locally by Pakistan Aeronautical
Complex with local production beginning
in August 2009.
Bravo+/Jasoos II, AWC; in use of the
Pakistan Air Force since 2004 and supports
Operations and Training Programme.
CH-3, CASC; 20 UAVs reported ordered
from China and equipped with FT-5 PGM.
Luna, EMT; Acquired for Pakistani Army
in 2006.
Trials and development
S-100C, Scheibel; VTOL UAV tested on PN
Type 21 frigate in March 2008 in a four hour
mission.
RQ-7 Shadow 200, AAI; 12 UAVs in three systems
requested although now in limbo with
an estimated cost of $150m from the Pakistan
Counterinsurgency Capability Fund budget
The Republic of Singapore Air Force added
the Hermes 450 to its UAV fleet in 2007.
The drone, manufactured by Israel’s Elbit
Systems, and has an endurance of over 20
hours © Elbit Systems
‘UQAB III’, ACES; presumed designation
for HALE/’Strategic’ version with radius of
operation of over 300km.
K1, AWC; Trial by Army in 1997.
NOTES: Pakistan aviation firms involved in
UAV development include Integrated
Dynamics Surveillance & Target Unmanned
Aircraft, East West Infiniti, Air Weapons
Complex National Development Complex
(NDC) and Pakistan Aeronautical Complex.
PHILIPPINES
Fielded
Predator A, General Atomics; Two of the
UAVs operating in Philippines were reported
to be registered with the Office of the
National Security Advisor.
Hunter RQ-5, Northrop Grumman/IAI;
Reported to be from the US Army and operated
by the Philippines Air Force.
Trials and development
Blue Horizon, UVision Air; reportedly
obtained for trials and operational testing
in 2001.
SINGAPORE
Fielded
Searcher I, IAI; Fielded with No. 119 and
No. 128 Sqns RSAF operates at least ten sys-
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U A V D I R E C T O R Y
tems, deployed to Afghanistan as part of
Singapore’s deployment since 2010.
Hermes H-450, Elbit Systems; No. 116 Sqn
operates the UAV with 12 platforms fielded
since 2007.
Heron 1, IAI; delivered in 2012, equipped
with IAI/Tamam Multimission Optronic
Stabilized Payload, to replace Searcher 1
with 119 Sqn.
Skyblade III, ST Aerospace; Fielded with
Army in 2011, equipping units at battalion
and brigade level developed by Singapore
Armed Forces (SAF), the DSO National
Laboratories, ST Aerospace and the Defence
Science and Technology Agency.
Skyblade II, ST Aerospace; delivered to SAF
in mid 2005, 5kg range of 8km.
Skylark, Elbit Systems; Fielded by RSAF
from 2006.
ScanEagle, Insitu Pacific; Republic of
Singapore Navy successfully trialed the
ScanEagle in March 2009, the trials involving
the successful operation of the UAV
from a RSN frigate and LST. Fielded in
2012 operated in Exercise in May off RSS
Valiant corvette.
Trials and development
Blue Horizon, Singapore Technologies
Dynamics, MALE ordered in 1998 acquired
in 1999.
ST Skyblade IV, ST Aerospace, 54nm range
UAV unveiled 2006.
FanTail 5000, ST Aerospace, VTOL SUAV
30 min hover endurance 8km range ground
and naval role.
MAV-1, ST Aerospace; Low-observable
developmental UAV.
RQ-8A Fire Scout, Northrop Grumman;
Company believes it has interest from the
military.
Skyblade 360, ST Aerospace's, SUAV in
development 9kg 3 hour endurance with 6
hours with fuel cell, range 15km altitude
900m first flown May 2011.
NOTES: The Republic of Singapore Air
Force (RSAF) integrated its Heron 1 into 199
Squadron on 23 May 2012. Featuring stateof-the-art
avionics, communication systems
and detection capabilities, the Israel
Aerospace Industries drone, developed by
the Malat division, replaced the Searcher
UAV, in service since 1994. Compared to its
predecessor, the Heron 1 UAV features an
endurance of 40 hours and a range of 350
km. The advanced unmanned aircraft is
equipped with an Automatic Take Off and
Landing (ATOL) system, allowing the
desired flight route to be scheduled prior to
launch, as well as setting the return to a predesignated
recovery point. The potentials of
such vehicle are essential to the needs of
Singapore, as it provides the RSAF with an
enhanced situational awareness. Compared
to the Searcher, the Heron UAV gives the
possibility to see things in colour, as compared
to the monochrome video system of
the previous model. This allows the detection
of targets that could not have been
revealed using the Searcher.
SRI LANKA
Fielded
Searcher, IAI; Mks II and III variants equip
No 111 Air Surveillance Squadron based at
Anuradhapura with one or two systems in
service.
NOTES: No public plans for new UAVs
although in 2011 the Sri Lankan military
said they were testing an indigenously
developed UAV.
TAIWAN
Fielded
Chung Shyang II, CSIST; Initiated programme
in 2002 unveiled in 2005, entered
service with 601st and 602nd Airborne
Brigades in 2011, 32 platforms ordered.
“Zhongxiang III UAV", CSIST; Prototype
crashed and found by fishermen in June
2010, reported counter-radar role.
Trials and development
'MQ-9 Equivalent', CSIST; Concept shown
at last Aerospace and Defense technology
Exhibition.
UCAV, CSIST; Could be deployed in several
years similar to X-45/X-47B.
AI Rider, Gang Yu Corp; Indigenous sixrotor
1.5Kg design launched at Secutech, in
Taipei in April used by Taiwan’s military
and academic institutions for surveillance
and geographic surveying.
Kestrel II, CSIST; Early development nonoperational.
Cardinal, CSIST; Hand launched Mini-
UAV, 1.5 hour endurance military interest
reported.
Blue Magpie, CSIST; Hand launched Mini-
UAV, no military interest reported.
AL-4, Aeroland UAV Inc; Hand launched
UAV ordered by non-Military customer in
Taiwan.
‘Gray-faced Buzzard’, National Cheng
Kung University; Fuel-cell/lithium battery
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REGIONAL
U A V D I R E C T O R Y
The small, low-cost, long-endurance Unmanned
Aerial Vehicle built by Insitu, a Boeing
subsidiary, is widely employed by the Australian
armed forces. It provides tactical aerial
reconnaissance support to land forces ©
Commonwealth of Australia
powered 22kg UAV first flew in 2010.
Spoonbill, National Cheng Kung
University; Flew 92km in 52 minutes over
water in 2009.
THAILAND
Fielded
Cyber Eye, Sapura; Three systems acquired
from Malaysia in 2009.
Aerostar; Aeronautics Defence Systems
design; One system, ordered in late 2010.
Raven, AeroVironment; Successive contracts
with Aeronautics since 2008.
Searcher I&II, IAI; One system comprising
four UAVs and GCS and RVT, since retired.
Trials and development
G-STAR, Innocon/G-Force Composites;
based on MiniFalcon 2, RTAF has bought
one system for TUAV evaluation.
RQ-8A Fire Scout, Northrop Grumman;
Company believes there is interest.
NOTES: Thai Air Force is leading efforts on
UAV strategy with plans outlined in 2009 to
equip a squadron and calling for a three
systems with 15km, 30km and 100km range
aimed at acquiring capability and building
a domestic research and production base.
VIETNAM
Trials and Development
R&D UAV/Irkut-200 Variant; Irkut
Engineering; deal announced in March
2012.
NOTES: The Vietnam Aerospace
Association has signed a deal with Irkut
Engineering for a 100kg UAV system to
develop UAV competency and experience
in the country. This will initially be done for
civilian purposes, and evolved later for military
applications.
ACQUIRING THE DRONE: RQ-4 Block 10
Global Hawk (Northrop Grumman); - Being
one of the most reliable and well-known
UAVs, the Northrop Grumman RQ-4
Global Hawk has roused the interest in
many Asia-Pacific countries, with some
showing a strong interest in developing
similar technology.
Hermes 450 (Elbit Systems) - The Republic
of Singapore Air Force added the Hermes
450 to its UAV fleet in 2007. The drone,
manufactured by Israel’s Elbit Systems, and
has an endurance of over 20 hours.
RAAF Heron (Commonwealth of Australia)
- IAI Heron MALE UAV, operated by the
Australian armed forces is based on leading-edge
technology with fully-automatic
take-off and landing features. It provides
deep-penetration reconnaissance, widearea
and real-time intelligence.
ScanEagle (Commonwealth of Australia) –
The small, low-cost, long-endurance
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle built by Insitu, a
Boeing subsidiary, is widely employed by
the Australian armed forces. It provides tactical
aerial reconnaissance support to land
forces.
Skylark I LE (Elbit Systems) - The Elbit
Skylark I miniature UAV. Launched by
hand, it is capable of sending real-time
video to a portable ground station. Skylark
is in operation with the Australian armed
forces.
US Navy’s First Triton Unmanned Aircraft
(Northrop Grumman) - The Northrop
Grumman MQ-4C Triton is being developed
to provide continuous maritime surveillance
and is expected to enter service
around 2015. The Australian government
and the Indian Navy have expressed their
interest in acquiring the drone.
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NIGHT VISION
T H E R M A L
I M A G E R Y
SEEING THROUGH
THE DARK
With the importance of dismounted soldiers so strongly brought to the
fore by the counter-insurgency campaigns of the last decade, the range of
products intended to increase their effectiveness in terms of target
detection, recognition and identification in all weathers and light conditions
has grown dramatically and the technology continues to evolve.
by Peter Donaldson
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NIGHT VISION
T H E R M A L
I M A G E R Y
DARPA’s Advanced Wide FoV Architectures
for Image Reconstruction and Exploitation
(AWARE) programme’s purpose is to drive
technology for new sensors that will enable
soldiers to see clearly in all weathers and light
conditions © DARPA
time or near it is a major driver behind
the development of digital sensors with
standard interfaces to link them with tactical
communication systems such as personal
role radios and fully integrated soldier
systems.
This important and lucrative market
naturally attracts big hitters among systems
houses from around the world
including: BAE Systems, Cassidian
Optronics, DRS Technologies, Elbit
Systems, FLIR Systems Inc, Indra, ITT
Exelis, L-3 Warrior Systems, Raytheon,
Sagem DS, Selex ES, Thales and Vectronix,
plus some notable smaller specialists such
as OIP Sensor Systems, STS-EO (part of the
US O’Gara Group) and Thermoteknix.
There has also been huge growth in the
number of form factors and mounting
options available with a parallel drive for
multi-sensor, switchable and even fused
systems and a premium on modularity. For
The emphasis is on increasing
performance while reducing
size, weight, cost and power
consumption. While the basic
sensor technology still relies on
analogue image intensifiers sensitive to
the visible spectrum and into the near
infrared, and thermal imaging devices that
operate in the mid-wave and long-wave
portions of the spectrum, key performance
parameters such as sensitivity, resolution
and signal-to-noise ratios are all improving
in both the smallest uncooled
microbolometer thermal imagers and their
higher-performing cooled cousins.
The need to share information in real
US soldiers demonstrate
helmet-mounted fused I2
and thermal goggles and
weapon-mounted night
vision devices © ITT Exelis
l JUNE/JULY 2013 l 35

NIGHT VISION
T H E R M A L
I M A G E R Y
BAE Systems’ HAMMER multi-sensor handheld
targeting system is designed to generate data
accurate enough to guide GPS- and laserguided
weapons in all weathers © BAE Systems
the infantry soldier whose primary weapon
is an assault rifle, the current trend is to provide
night vision devices that can be fixed
to the rifle, mounted on the head or a helmet
or held in one hand to provide an edge
in dismounted close combat. For tactical
leaders and observers there are monocular,
bi-ocular and binocular devices that have a
single sensor, either thermal or image
intensified, if the emphasis is on light
weight and compactness, gradually growing
in size and complexity through the
addition of more sensors such as laser
rangefinders and pointers, digital magnetic
compasses, GPS receivers and even inertial
sensors and accelerometers as the demands
of the mission for target location accuracy
grow. The most sophisticated of such
systems are those intended for specialists
such as Forward Air
Controllers (FACs), Joint Terminal
Attack Controllers (JTACs) and
artillery observers.
The state of the art among the smallest
systems now consists of dual-sensor
image intensified and thermal sensors
that enable the soldier to switch between
them or use a combination of the two,
depending on light conditions and the tactical
situation, along with the ability to
inject other information into the display,
which could be a feed from a rifle-mounted
camera, a map or a compass rose, for
example. An alternative approach is to
provide ‘clip-on’ thermal capability for
image-intensified devices already in
inventories around the world.
i-Aware, JETS set new targets
Perhaps the best-known fused dual-sensor
device is ITT Exelis’ i-Aware Tactical
Exelis’ offers the i-Aware Tactical or F6044 Series
Tactical Mobility Night Vision Goggle (TM-NVG)
with integrated colour display import and
camera capture export capabilities © ITT Exelis
36
Mobility Night Vision Goggle (TM NVG).
Integrating an image intensifier and an
uncooled thermal imager, i-Aware also
connects to soldier radios and has been
chosen by Selex ES for the Italian Army’s
Future Soldier programme in a deal
announced in April 2013. This follows an
exclusive cooperation agreement signed
between the two companies in October of
2012 and close cooperation among them
and the Italian Army throughout the
design phase of the system.
“For more than 50 years, Exelis has
been advancing night vision technology to
support the missions of our domestic
and international customers,” said
Nick Bobay, president of the Exelis
Night Vision and Tactical
Communications Systems division.
“Our i-Aware TM-NVG
provides the night vision capability
our customers have come to
expect and new capabilities that
our customers will need for the
future. We are pleased that Selex ES
has awarded Exelis this contract to provide
the most advanced technology availl
ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW
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NIGHT VISION
THERMAL
IMAGERY
able to support the Italian Army’s Future
Soldier program.”
At the other end of the spectrum in
terms of multi-sensor sophistication are
the systems that the US Army has selected
for the three-year Engineering and
Manufacturing Development (EMD)
phase of its Joint Effects Targeting System
(JETS) programme. BAE Systems and DRS
Technologies each received contracts
worth around $15 million for the Target
Location and Designation System (TDLS)
element of JETS.
BAE Systems is to supply its new
Handheld Azimuth Measuring, Marking,
Electro-optic imaging and Ranging
(HAMMER) precision targeting system:
“This lightweight precision targeting system
allows dismounted combat operators
to locate and mark targets in all weather
and lighting conditions, with the precision
required for GPS-guided and laser-guided
munitions,” said Dr. Mark Hutchins,
director of Targeting Programs at BAE
Systems. “With BAE Systems’ strategy to
Taken from a range of 15 km with a Sensors Unlimited SWIR camera, this image of the Berkeley,
California shoreline reveals clear details of buildings hidden from visual spectrum cameras by
atmospheric obscurants © Sensors Unlimited
grow our electronics systems offerings, we
look forward to working with the Army
on this next-generation product.”
HAMMER builds on the company’s
already fielded Target Reconnaissance
Infrared Geolocating Rangefinder (TRIGR)
system, adding a laser marker and a nonmagnetic
compass. Team member Elbit
SystemsofAmericaisprovidingthelaser
target marker based on designators
already fielded with the US Marine Corps.
DRS says that it will design and manufacture
its prototype systems in its facilities
in Dallas, Texas and Melbourne, Florida
and expects to complete the work by March
2016: “The DRS JETS solution is the result
of several years of innovation and development.
We offer an integrated design that
affordably improves soldier precision targeting
capability,” said Mike Sarrica,
PML7021-4 Rev(13.0)
THE TRIJICON BATTERY ACOG
®
Manually Adjustable Illuminated Reticle Built-In BDC and Ranging Reticle
Powered by a Single AA Battery (12,000 hours+) Waterproof to 100 Meters
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*Picture shown with optional Trijicon RMR ® reflex sight.
© 2013 Trijicon, Inc. Wixom, MI USA 1-800-338-0563 www.trijicon.com

NIGHT VISION
T H E R M A L
I M A G E R Y
President of DRS Network and Imaging
Systems. “This award is a testament to the
hard work and dedication of DRS team
members to understanding our customer’s
requirements and developing, qualifying,
testing and producing a superior product.”
AWARE pushes
sensor performance
While sensor fusion and systems integration,
aided by Size, Weight and Power
(SWaP) improvements are paying dividends
and taking much of the limelight,
there is still much to come from basic sensor
performance. For example, thermal infrared
cameras continue to advance in directions
that will benefit the dismounted warfighter.
DRS Technologies' engineers working
under the auspices of DARPA’s Advanced
Wide-field-of-view Architectures for image
Reconstruction and Exploitation (AWARE)
programme have demonstrated an LWIR
camera whose detector elements are only
five microns across, DARPA announced in
mid-April. This, says the agency, means that
the pixels are about half the size of the photons
they detect, around one twelfth the
diameter of a human hair or one sixth of the
area of current state-of-the-art detector elements.
The detector chip is configured as a
1,280 x 720 focal plane array.
As with the visual cameras in the latest
smartphones, smaller pixels allow the
optical elements and packaging to be
made much smaller without sacrificing
sensitivity, resolution or field of view,
DARPA points out. A higher density of
pixels over a given area makes it easier to
capture the photons from, and thus
image, a target. The cumulative result is a
smaller, lighter and more portable LWIR
camera, the organisation elaborates.
Because the cost of focal plane arrays is
proportional to the chip area, making
Night vision devices are critical for
dismounted troops and the trend
towards multi-purpose, multi-spectral
systems promises more capability and
reduced physical burden © ITT Exelis
them smaller could also make them
cheaper. DARPA explains that because
the arrays are created on wafers of a given
size and cost, the smaller they are, the
more each wafer can yield and the lower
the unit cost of each array. This technology
could be a game changer as current
high-resolution LWIR cameras are too big
for a soldier to carry into battle and too
expensive for individual deployment.
The AWARE programme under which
the five-micron LWIR imager has been
demonstrated has been created to address
what DARPA describes as the immense
need to increase field of view, resolution
and day/night capability at reduced
SWaP and cost. The main driver, says the
organisation, is to provide dismounted
soldiers, ground troops and near-ground
support platforms with the best available
imaging tools to improve their combat
effectiveness. The AWARE programme’s
purpose is to push the envelope of imager
performance though new detector and
camera designs and ground support systems
that use advanced distributed aperture
sensors.
AWARE is also advancing sensors in
other parts of the infrared spectrum. The
High Operating Temperature MWIR
(HOT MWIR) effort, for example, seeks to
fill the performance, SWaP and cost gap
between uncooled and cooled sensors for
soldiers through the use of an MWIR
detector that, although cooled, operates at
a significantly higher temperature than the
80°K typical today. Made from Mercury
Cadmium Telluride (HgCdTe), it features
micro-miniature pixels and a small, battery-powered
cooler, a combination that
allows for a large format sensor in a small,
low power package. The detector material’s
sensitivity across the IR spectrum is
enabled, says DARPA, by new optics
developed to combine MWIR and SWIR
capabilities into a single platform. The first
application is a long-range handheld sight
with laser detecting capability.
“Never before has a MCT MWIR with
“see spot” capability been developed into
such small handheld sights and potentially
unequalled performance in future sniper
scopes,” explained Nibir Dhar, AWARE
programme manager. “The HOT-MWIR
38
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Basic image intensified pocket scopes like this Envis M703E can provide any warfighter with an
edge in challenging situations, such as survival, evasion, resistance and escape training © USAF
scope’s range is significantly farther than
the current thermal weapon sights. Such a
capability should lead to increased standoff
distance for snipers and provide a significant
advantage over adversaries.”
Short wave of the future?
Sensors entirely new to the battlefield
could also have a major impact in the near
future. One that is likely to find its way into
a wide range of military sensing and imaging
applications, particularly including
infantry night vision systems, is cameras
that operate in the Short Wave Infra-Red
(SWIR) portion of the electromagnetic
spectrum between 0.9 to 1.7 microns.
Invisible to the human eye, image intensifiers
and thermal imagers, SWIR radiation
is plentiful both by day and night from a
phenomenon known as night sky radiance.
This emits between five and seven times as
much illumination as starlight and almost
all of it is in the SWIR wavelengths, according
to Sensors Unlimited Inc, now a division
of UTC Aerospace Systems, which is
pioneering the uncooled indium gallium
arsenide (InGaAs) detector technology and
promoting it for a wide range of applications
in the military and beyond.
A further benefit of SWIR imagery is its
natural appearance brought about by the
fact that the light is reflected off the scene in
much the same way that daylight, starlight
and moonlight are, rather than being emitted
by objects and their surroundings the
way that MWIR and LWIR light is.
Because SWIR radiation is present by
day and night, cameras that can exploit it
could potentially be used instead of separate
day and night sights and could also
replace both image intensifiers and thermal
imagers in some night sensing applications—particularly
where SWaP constraints
are severe—and complement
them in others. SWIR sensors, however,
don’t work in total darkness but can be
used with dedicated SWIR illuminators—
lasers or LEDs—also invisible to the
human eye and other night vision sensors.
The on-going transition to eye-safe
lasers on the battlefield is also likely to
make SWIR sensors more useful because,
according to Sensors Unlimited Inc, they
can see all of the most common wavelengths
from the 850 and 1,060 microns
lasers that image intensified night vision
devices can also see to the eye safe systems
operating at around 1,500 microns
Sensors entirely
new to the battlefield
could also have a
major impact in the
near future
that they cannot.
A little over a year ago, Sensors
Unlimited (then part of Goodrich ISR
Systems) launched a ‘cubic inch’ SWIR
camera described as smaller, lighter and
more power efficient than any other on
the market. With a volume of less than
one cubic inch, weighing 26 g without its
lens and consuming just 1.5W, the
GA640C-15A is aimed squarely at applications
in handheld, helmet or weaponmounted
devices.
The sensor is a 640x512 element
InGaAs uncooled focal plane array with a
15-micron pixel pitch. It comes with the
company’s Camera Link digital output
designed to provide plug-and-play, 12-bit
video imagery at 30 Hz that can be
viewed, digitally processed and/or transmitted
over communications networks.
Capable of penetrating smoke, haze and
fog, it needs no temperature stabilisation,
using Non-Uniformity Correction (NUC)
instead, and also provides automatic gain
control. The GA640C-15A’s standard
spectral range is 0.9 to 1.7 microns, but it
can be extended into the Near Infrared
(NIR) band with an optional 0.7 to 1.7
micron sensor, which is what enables it to
see the shorter laser wavelengths. In April
of this year, the company launched a
slightly larger camera, the SU640C SX,
which the company claims is the highest
resolution VGA SWIR camera on the market,
thanks to its 640 x 512 element sensor
with a pitch of just 12.5 microns.
l JUNE/JULY 2013
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C L O S E
A I R
S U P P O R T
UP CLOSE AND
PERSONAL
Close Air Support (CAS), the art of achieving a
direct hit on enemy troops or materiel which
maybe just metres away from friendly forces on
a fast-moving battlefield has been an increasingly
precise exercise since it came to prominence
during the First World War.
by Thomas Withington
It was during this conflict that commanders
realized the utility of using
aircraft to attack targets close to the
Forward Edge of the Battle Area, but
it was arguably during the Second
World War that several of the CAS techniques
still used today were developed.
However, the application of aircraft to this
task was no easy matter almost seventy
years ago. The author Derek Robinson
depicts how much of a challenging and difficult
mission CAS was in his novel A
Good Clean Fight, set in the Western
Desert during the battles of 1942.
The novel depicts the difficulties experi-
40
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A I R
S U P P O R T
The Boeing GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack munition
adds a precision guidance tail kit to dumb bombs.
In its vanilla guise it uses satellite guidance to
reach its target. Later upgrades have added a
laser seeker in the form of the GBU-54 © US DoD
enced by a Royal Air Force pilot using a
Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk fighter aircraft to
perform CAS: “He resisted the roll, never
took his eyes off the target and bombed
from what he guessed was five hundred
feet.” Seventy years ago, a pilot had to rely
on their own flying acumen, the design of
their aircraft and the sharpness of their
eyesight to get a bomb on to its target. This
was further complicated by Anti-Aircraft
Artillery (AAA) that was invariably rushing
up to hit the diving plane, smoke
which may partially obscure the target
during the attack and hostile fighters determined
to knock the aircraft out of the sky.
During the intervening years which followed
the end of the Second World War a
revolution has occurred in the world of
CAS. Today this mission can be executed
using Precision-Guided Munitions (PGMs)
which can outfit existing dumb bombs with
guidance kits and, in some cases, propulsion
motors to improve accuracy and to
afford the delivering aircraft a degree of
stand-off range to place them beyond the
reach of hostile AAA. Guidance is usually
provided via Global Positioning System
(GPS) satellite and laser guidance. These
help to keep the munition on target as it
travels towards its quarry.
Although they first began to enter
widespread usage by the United States
Air Force (USAF), US Navy and Marine
Corps vis-à-vis CAS towards the end of
the Vietnam War, PGMs are now a standard
element of contemporary air operations.
As this article will show, several
systems are on the market which can
equip a range of aircraft. They include
Boeing’s Joint Direct Attack Munition
(JDAM) family, Rafael Advanced Defense
Systems’ Spice product, Raytheon’s
Paveway series and Sagem’s Armement
Air-Sol Modulaire (Modular Air-to-
Ground Armament or ‘AASM’).
JDAM
Much like Raytheon (see below), Boeing
was recently awarded a contract to produce
Joint Direct Attack Munition guid-
One of the latest incarnations of Boeing’s successful Joint Direct Attack Munition family is the GBU-54
LJDAM. This adds a laser seeker to the weapon’s Global Positioning System satellite guidance © US DoD

C L O S E
A I R
S U P P O R T
ance kits and spare parts, and to provide
repair and sustainment services as part of
a $99.9 million contract awarded by the
United States Department of Defense on
15th March. The contract will run until
January 2016, and includes the supply of
JDAM kits for a foreign customer,
although the identity of this buyer is not
being revealed.
The JDAM architecture is built around
a GPS kit and the weapon can achieve a
stand-off range of circa 28 kilometres (15
nautical miles). The rationale behind the
development of JDAM was to provide a
precision weapon which would not be
adversely affected by battlefield obscurants
such as smoke and moisture in the
air unlike laser-guided bombs. One of the
key attractions of JDAM has been its cost
with the price tag for guidance kits being
around $27,000 per unit. This compares
very favorably to other precision strike
systems on the market such as the
Raytheon BGM-109C/D Tomahawk Land
Attack Missile.
Throughout its service life, the JDAM
family has been progressively upgraded.
This has included the addition of a laser
seeker to provide a choice of guidance
options realized via the Precision Laser
Guidance Set (PLGS) initiative developed
by Boeing in partnership with Israel’s
Elbit Systems. Contracts followed for this
weapon in 2007 with Boeing delivering
400 laser seekers to the United States Air
Force and 200 to the Navy. The laser-guided
variant of the JDAM is known as the
GBU-54 LJDAM (Laser JDAM). It made its
first appearance in combat in August
2008, successfully destroying a moving
vehicle. Full rate production of the GBU-
54 LJDAM commenced in September
2012, with Boeing currently building 2,300
bomb guidance kits. Export sales
occurred, notably to Germany, which has
become the first customer for the weapon
signing a contract with Boeing for its supply
in July 2008. Alongside its fulfillment
of this contract, Boeing has been involved
in the provision of anti-jamming kits to
augment the weapon.
In addition to the GBU-54 LJDAM,
other variants of this weapon are under
development. In 2009, it was announced
that Boeing was developing the extended
range JDAM-ER. This will have a reach of
80km (43nm) albeit with no degradation
in accuracy. Moreover, the price of this
weapon is expected to be lower at circa
$10,000 per unit. Production of the JDAM-
ER is expected to commence in 2015.
42
Small Diameter Bomb
One perennial concern with any PGM is
the size of the bomb’s warhead. Although
accuracy has steadily improved over the
years, concerns regarding collateral damage
have resulted in design engineers
evolving weapons with comparatively
small explosive loads. This allows the
bomb to detonate destroying the target
while reducing damage to the surrounding
area. This is particularly relevant
when CAS is being performed in a builtup
environment.
Designated as the GBU-53B Small
Diameter Bomb-II (SDB-II) and produced
by Raytheon, the 114kg (250lb) weapon
reaches its target using GPS, laser,
Millimeter Wave (MMW) radar and Infra-
Red (IR) guidance. When the weapon is
released small wings pop out of its body
giving it a standoff range of 22km (40nm),
although as the weapon is un-powered,
this will vary according to launching altitude.
The four distinct guidance modes are
intended to provide the user with a large
number of targeting options. The semiactive
laser ensures pin-point accuracy,
while the MMW radar allows the detecl
ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW
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tion of moving targets and can be used in
all weathers, unlike the laser seeker. The
IR guidance system, meanwhile, allows
the detection of targets with a heat signature
such as vehicles with their engines
running and concentrations of troops. As
the IR seeker is uncooled, this can be done
rapidly, as the weapon does not require
any time for the sensor to chill before it can
be used. While the bomb itself contains
several sensor types, the same is the case
for the warhead which comprises both a
shaped charge, and a combined blast and
fragmentation warhead to provide a maximum
destructive effect against personnel
as well as buildings and vehicles.
To date, the SDB-II programme covers
the manufacture of up to 17,000 weapons;
The GBU-12 Paveway-II precisionguided
munition provides accurate
guidance for the Mk.82 general
purpose bomb. The weapon uses a
nose-mounted laser and small fins
for guidance © US DoD
The JDAM family has been
progressively upgraded.
This has included the
addition of a laser seeker
to provide a choice of
guidance options realized
via the Precision Laser
Guidance Set
12,000 of which will be for the United
States Air Force and 5,000 for the US
Navy. The weapon will be deployed
onboard the Lockheed Martin F-35B/C
Lightning-II Joint Strike Fighter and
Boeing F/A-18E/F Hornet combat aircraft,
although other platforms may be
added in the future. Low rate initial production
is expected to commence by the
end of 2013. In fact, in January this year,
Raytheon announced that it had performed
a successful fit check of the GBU-
53B in the weapons bay of the F-35A, with
four weapons equipping the space alongside
a single air-to-air missile.
SPICE
While Elbit Systems of Israel has been
involved in the design and production of
Boeing’s JDAM family (see above) their
fellow Israeli defence specialists Rafael
Advanced Defense Systems has developed
the SPICE (Smart, Precise Impact
and Cost-Effective) guidance kit to augment
dumb bombs. Rafael has produced
the SPICE family in three distinct versions:
The SPICE-1000 equips 1,000lb
(454kg) weapons such as the BLU-110,
RAP-1000 and Mk.83 munitions. The
SPICE-2000 similarly equips warheads in
the 2,000lb (909kg) class such as the BLU-
109, RAP-2000 and Mk.84. Finally, the
SPICE-2000 uses the SPICE-1000 body but
adds deployable wings to provide the
weapon with a stand-off distance in the
region of 60km (32nm). The company says
that SPICE boasts a circular error probable
in the region of three metres (ten feet).
One of the features of the weapon is that it
can compare imagery gathered from its
optronic seeker with an integral database
of images to ensure that the bomb hits its
intended target. Moreover, it is possible to
designate SPICE to hit its target using a
specific attack profile so as to ensure the
maximum destructive effect against the
target. The Israeli Air Force is known to
use the SPICE family of PGMs.
Paveway
Raytheon’s highly successful Paveway
PGM family has been around since the
mid-1960s with the weapons originally
being developed by Texas Instruments.
Since then, Paveway has been progressively
modernized through several build standards
which have brought steadily increasing
capabilities to the design. Most recently,
on 30th March this year, Raytheon was
awarded a contract by the United States
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Department of Defense worth $31.4 million
for the supply of 396 GBU-49 and 96
GBU-50 PGMs, plus GBU-49 and GBU-50
inert training rounds. All of these items are
expected to be delivered by the end of
2018. The GBU-49 which, confusingly, is
also designated as the EGBU-12
(Enhanced GBU-12) adds a laser guidance
package to a Mk.82 500-lb (250kg) dumb
bomb. The size of the weapon makes it
ideally suited to attacking targets such as
Main Battle Tanks and relatively small
protected structures. As well as retaining a
laser guidance system, these bombs have a
GPS fitted. This latter capability is important
as obscurants in the atmosphere such
as smoke particles, fog or other weather
phenomena can degrade the performance
of the laser seeker, causing the weapon to
lose its target lock. The EGBU-12 was
introduced in 2001 and has been used
extensively during combat operations in
Afghanistan and Iraq. Users of the weapon
include the United States, United
Kingdom, Denmark and Spain.
Raytheon’s GBU-50 Paveway-II weapon
equips a Mk.84 bomb with a laser seeker
and wing guidance kit. Entering service in
the mid-1970s, this PGM has been used
operationally by several NATO air forces,
the Royal Australian Air Force, plus the
United States Air Force, Marine Corps and
Navy. Like the GBU-49, the GBU-50 has
conflicting designations. For example, it is
also known as the GBU-10. Like its GBU-49
sibling, the weapon is available with a
dual-mode guidance kit which adds a GPS
package; this PGM being designated as the
GBU-50/B or EGBU-10. Both of these
weapons are produced by Lockheed
Martin and Raytheon. The former company
has supplied them to the US Navy, with
the latter achieving export sales to the RAF.
Away from the theatres of Afghanistan
and Iraq, Paveway bombs have recently
been employed by the Royal Malaysian Air
Force during Kuala Lumpur’s combat
operations in Sabah, Eastern Malaysia.
AASM
Since its combat debut in Afghanistan
during 2008, Sagem’s AASM weapon has
been used in this conflict and during
NATO operations over Libya in 2011. The
AASM architecture includes a guidance
kit and propulsion system to equip a 250lb
bomb. The basic guidance kit includes a
GPS and Inertial Navigation System
(INS), although other versions are in the
pipeline adding laser guidance and
infrared optronics, along with guidance
kits to equip 125kg (280lb) and 1,000kg
The original version of the Small Diameter Bomb was Boeing’s GBU-39. The attraction of this
weapon is that several PGMs can be accommodated on a single airframe which may, in the past,
have had only sufficient room for one or two larger munitions © US DoD
(2,200lb) bombs. The AASM, which is also
known as the ‘Hammer’, is available in
three distinct versions: The SBU-38 is
equipped with a GPS/INS, the SBU-54
includes a laser guidance system, plus the
GPS/INS with the SBU-64 including an IR
seeker along with the GPS/INS. With a
range in the region of 50km (27nm), the
AASM guidance kits can outfit Mk.81,
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AIR
SUPPORT
Sagem’s AASM modular air-to-ground weapon
has been used extensively in several recent
campaigns, including combat operations in
Afghanistan and Libya, and most recently, in
Mali © Thomas Withington
Mk.82 and Mk.83 dumb bombs and, along
with France, export sales have been concluded
with Morocco. Saudi Arabia is also
strongly expected to receive the weapon
in the near future.
Current design trends point to the path
that PGM evolution may take in the future.
As Raytheon has demonstrated with the
GBU-53B, precision-guided munitions are
getting smaller enabling individual aircraft
to carry a larger bomb load to hit even
more aim points. In addition, several of the
weapons surveyed in this article, such as
the JDAM, Paveway and AASM series feature
a number of guidance systems to
make them as accurate as possible. The latter
point is especially relevant, as for CAS
the scalpel of precision airpower can never
be sharp enough.

M I L I T A R Y
TRAINING & SIMULATION
WARGAMES
The training potential offered by simulation
technology is a constantly evolving field.
Advances in computing and video graphics
provide an ever-deepening level of detail to
the instructor and student alike across
the land, sea and air domains.
by Thomas Withington
This article will discuss some of
the simulation products for
land, sea and air operations
training available from a number
of companies around the
world. Firms involved in the provision of
land warfare simulators include Roke
Manor and Rheinmetall. In the naval
domain, similar training aids are provided
by firms such as DCNS, Transas,
Kongsberg and VStep; while several air
operations simulation products are available
from L3 Link, CAE and e.Sigma.
Roke Manor
The United Kingdom’s Roke Manor has
enjoyed the benefit of working closely
with the British Army in the development
of its Dismounted Close Combat
Simulator (DCCS). One of the key benefits
of DCCS is that it can be used to replicate
future weapons systems in accurate combat
scenarios that are derived from realworld
experience before these weapons
systems grace the battlefield. The DCCS is
just one of several simulation technologies
offered by the company which also
includes the creation of synthetic environments
within which a customer can develop
their requirements for a new weapons
system or capability. Such techniques can
be very helpful for the rapid prototyping
of new product designs.
Rheinmetall
Germany’s Rheinmetall offers a full suite
of computer-based training aids. These
include systems able to monitor live training
exercises which may be several days in
duration, and combat simulators capable
of replicating specific weapons systems.
The company’s Combined Arms Tactical
Trainer can be utilized for the rehearsal
and training of combat scenarios including
formations of up to brigade size. TacSI is
Rheinmetall’s flagship product in this
regard, with the product being scalable
from running on a single laptop up to large
As well as being a leading provider of
warships and submarines, DCNS produces a
range of simulators. These include systems
designed for the Royal Malaysian Navy which
is purchasing the company’s ‘Scorpéne’ class
of conventional submarine © DCNS
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This picture gives a clue as to the dramatic performance of DCNS’s Dive Training Simulator. Such
capabilities are important in providing submariners with as realistic an impression of the subsea
environment as possible © DCNS
networks of users. TacSI is in use with the
German and Swiss armed forces.
Meanwhile a variety of land vehicles can
be reproduced with the company’s driving
simulators. To this end, Rheinmetall has
provided such systems to train crews operating
the Leopard-1A5 Main Battle Tank
and CV-9030N Infantry Fighting Vehicles.
In particular, such driving simulators are
extremely useful for mimicking dangerous
ice and snow conditions.
Along with its work in providing simulators
for land warfare, Rheinmetall is
involved in the manufacture of aircraft
simulators. In particular, the company
assists the development of the Eurofighter
Typhoon via its involvement in the
Eurofighter Simulation Systems GmbH
joint venture which is developing full mission
simulators to replicate the aircraft.
These will allow aircrew to train with simulated
ground-to-air missile threats, and to
practise electronic warfare techniques.
Similarly, Rheinmetall is engaged in developing
the Eurocopter EC-665 Tigre attack
helicopter simulator alongside Thales
Training and Simulation Limited. The
importance of simulators in aircrew training
is underlined when one realizes that
flight crew will spend up to 70 percent of
their time in the simulator during training.
Beyond these airframes, Rheinmetall is
involved in the development of the NH
Industries NH-90TTH/NFH medium-lift
tactical transport and naval support helicopter,
and has provided technologies for
the MiG-29K and Panavia Tornado
ECR/IDS combat aircraft simulators.
Finally, for the naval environment,
Rheinmetall produces several distinct
products which include its Team Trainer
for submarine command team training,
Combat Information Centre Team Trainer;
its Anti-Submarine Warfare and Mine
Hunting simulators; and its Naval Light
Gun Sensor and Weapons Systems Trainer.
DCNS
Given their expertise in designing and producing
warships and submarines, it is
unsurprising that French shipbuilder DCNS
also provides naval simulation solutions. To
this end, the firm has developed a comprehensive
training system for its ‘Scorpéne’
class of conventional hunter-killer submarine
which it is providing to Malaysia. The
facilities which the company has established
at the Royal Malaysian Navy base in Kota
Kinabalu in eastern Malaysia represent the
first training centre established for Scorpéne
submarine instruction.
Supplementing the ship and submarine
trainers DCNS provides to customers, the
company offers instructor training schemes
to allow nations to train their own personnel
who can then tutor their colleagues incountry
on new ships and submarines. In
addition, as part of the assistance which
DCNS is offering to the Brazilian Navy, the
firm is providing training for their Latin
American counterparts in submarine
design, operations and maintenance.
Kongsberg
Joining DCNS as a maritime simulator
provider is Norway’s Kongsberg. The firm
provides the Proteus Action Speed
Tactical Trainer (Proteus-ASTT) for naval
instruction. Proteus-ASTT can be used to
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TRAINING & SIMULATION
Other products in VStep’s Nautis stable include
its premium trainer. This is a comparatively
larger system than the portable simulator and
can be permanently based at a fixed site © VStep
train a warship’s crew and, as well as having
an instructor station, it can replicate
many aspects of a warships’ specification
including its combat management system.
Additionally helicopter, submarine and
aircraft operations can be mimicked, along
with a vessel’s weapons systems. The company’s
official literature notes that
Proteus-ASTT is highly scalable and can
equip a laptop, or furnish dedicated workstations
which can be networked together
to perform a range of missions including
anti-surface, and anti-submarine warfare,
air defence, electronic warfare and mine
countermeasures missions.
It is worth noting that while Kongsberg
provide the Proteus-ASTT for naval training,
the firm builds several other training
aids including the Battlefield Synthetic
Environment (BaSE) and Protector
Combat Vehicle Simulator. BaSE can be
used for air, land and maritime scenario
training, providing high fidelity terrain
and models plus realistic battlefield
obscurants such as smoke and explosive
effects. BaSE can run on either a desktop
PC or a laptop. Meanwhile, Kongsberg’s
Protector Combat Vehicle Simulator can
train a complete crew, and several simulators
can be networked together simultaneously
for manoeuvre training.
VStep
Much as Kongsberg’s products can run on
either a desktop PC or laptop, VStep’s
Nautis’ Naval Task Force Trainee Station
can be used with any Windows operating
system onboard a standard desktop PC.
Designed for seamanship and navigation
training the Naval Task Force Trainee
Station can be employed for navigation,
ship-handling and communications training.
Furthermore, it is possible to train
crew members in specific operations such
as replenishment-at-sea, amphibious
landings and helicopter operations using
the system. Editing tools allow the
instructor to carefully plan the scenario
which they wish to employ.
Kongsberg’s Proteus
Action Speed Tactical
Trainer (Proteus-ASTT)
can be used to train a
warship’s crew,
replicating many
aspects of a warships’
operations
A complementary product to the Nautis
Naval Task Force Trainee Station is the
company’s Naval Task Force Instructor
Station Suite. Features such as the Ocean
Editor allow the instructor to change the
behaviour of the sea during the exercise
while the ChartData Editor enables them to
modify the positions of buoys on a map.
The weather can be changed during an
exercise while aircraft can be added to the
scenario along with specific situations such
as a ship in distress. According to Pjotr van
Schothorst of VStep, the Nautis Naval Task
Force simulator was “launched in 2010,
and has been bought by various navies
such as the Royal Australian Army and
most recently the Indonesian Navy.” The
two bridge simulators delivered to
Indonesia replicate the bridges of the country’s
‘Sigma’ class corvette.
According to Mr. van Schothorst, one of
the discriminating factors of the Nautis
product line is its easy-to-use software
which “makes it possible to create and run
exercises in a matter of minutes, thereby
enabling a client to get much more value
out of his investment.” In addition,
“Nautis uses similar computer graphics
technology in modern computer games.
This high graphics quality leads to a high
level of realism and training value.” The
hardware footprint required to run Nautis
is small, with Mr. van Schothorst noting
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M I L I T A R Y
TRAINING & SIMULATION
VStep provide a range of maritime and naval simulator systems; these include the company’s
Nautis product line. Nautis provides a range of systems which can be tailored to the needs of the
user, with portable systems such as this available © VStep
that a full bridge simulator can be run with
just two PCs, with a six-screen desktop
trainer needing a single PC.
One of the newest products to enter the
VStep portfolio is the Trainee Assessment
and Analysis Module. This enables
instructors to “define certain observation
and assessment parameters upfront, like
maximum sailing speed in a certain area,
minimum distance that should be kept to
other vessels and the correct communication
channel to be used,” says Mr. van
Schothorst. “When the trainee runs the
exercise, the instructor can see where the
trainee offends these criteria, and after the
exercise is finished, he can effectively run
through all these mistakes and print out
an assessment report with a score which is
based on the upfront defined criteria.”
L3 Link
Away from the oceans, L3 Link is one of
the major names in aircraft simulation. On
4th February this year, the company
announced that it had been selected to
build a Mission Training Centre (MTC)
for United States Air Force Lockheed
Martin F-16 aircrew at Spangdahlem Air
Base, Germany. This is the seventh such
system which has been purchased from
the company. The MTC includes four
high-definition simulators; a mission
observation centre, four instructor/operator
stations and two brief/debrief systems.
The secret to the high fidelity of L-3
Link’s aircraft simulator products lies in
its use of high definition display technology,
databases and image and physics processing
to create a highly realistic environment
for the crews.
Significantly, in 2012, the company purchased
Thales Training and Simulation
Limited’s civil aircraft simulation and
training business which, according to Sean
Clark, director of international business
development at the company “has already
opened up new markets and allowed us to
develop new products for new customers.”
The company is also a world leader in providing
networking for simulators,
enabling several machines in disparate
locations to work together in a synthetic
environment: “Today, devices can be
located in different parts of one country, or
in different parts of the globe. We are networking
these devices across multiple
time zones and multiple countries.” L3
Link is keeping a sharp eye on future technological
trends, especially regarding the
commercial computer industry and
advances in projection technology. “We
are always driven by technology,” says
Mr. Clark, “as the technology gets better,
we can bring this into the simulator.”
CAE
CAE joins L3 as a provider of aircraft simulation
solutions. According to Gene
Colabatistto, the firm’s Military Group
President “the company has a wellearned
reputation in flight simulation
and training.” In recent years, the firm
has won contracts to develop simulators
for Kuwait’s Lockheed Martin KC-130J
turboprop tanker/transport aircraft and
Oman’s Airbus Military C-295 tactical
freighters. Moreover, the firm is developing
simulators for the Airbus Military
A330-Multi Role Tanker Transport platforms
acquired by the United Arab
Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Beyond
the tanker and transport domains, the
firm has developed simulators for
the Sikorsky MH-60R/S Seahawk,
AgustaWestland AW-139, NH Industries
NH-90 and Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopters,
along with the Alenia Aermacchi
M346 and BAE Systems Hawk lead-in
trainers; plus the Boeing P-8A Poseidon
maritime patrol aircraft.
e.Sigma
Air defence training is a speciality of
e.Sigma of Germany which provides the
ALVE trainer to train Control and
Reporting Centre (CRC) personnel. A
range of tasks used by such individuals
can be practiced using the ALVE such as
fighter controller procedures, the handling
of radar surveillance data and the
rehearsal of air operations in busy envi-
50
l ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW
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There is a steadily increasing demand for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle simulators, to prepare aircrews
for their mission and for commanding such aircraft. L3 Link provide products to this end which can
mimic a UAV’s ground control station © L3
ronments. Of note is the trainer’s ability to
simulate the diverse number of weapons
and sensor systems which air defence personnel
may encounter during their work,
along with air operations mounted at the
NATO or multinational level. Open architecture
allows ALVE to be upgraded with
ease to take into account new weapons
systems as and when they appear, and to
allow a wide variety of missions and exercises
to be simulated.
Defence budgets in Europe and North
America are decreasing. This could offer
opportunities to computer simulation
providers as budgets may impact on the
frequency and size of training exercises
in the coming years. Simulation technology
could offer one means by which
some training efforts could be supplemented
or replaced at lower cost.
According to CAE’s Gene Colabatistto;
“Simulation offers a number of benefits,
notably cost advantages, which simply
cannot be ignored in today’s constrained
budget environment. The increased cost
of fuel, environmental impacts, and significant
wear and tear on weapon systems
all point to the greater use of simulation.”
This is echoed by Pjotr van
Schothorst of VStep who argues that in
the naval domain “training on real vessels
is extremely expensive: one corvette
can easily use $100,000 in fuel per day.
So a full mission vessel simulator or
classroom of desktop trainers can pay
itself back in just a few days time.”
Nevertheless, Mr. Colabatistto emphasises
that this is “not to say, however, that
we are advocating for no live training—
that is unrealistic and would be counterproductive
to preparing defence and
security forces for mission success. We
do believe, though, that the balance of
live and virtual training needs to shift
more toward virtual and there needs to
be more integration between the live, virtual
and constructive domains.”
L3 Link is one of the world’s leading companies
regarding the provision of flight training
simulators. The company recently won a
significant order to equip the United States Air
Force with its Lockheed Martin F-16 Viper
Mission Training Centre © L3
l JUNE/JULY 2013 l 51

N A V A L
ANTI-SURFACE WARFARE
ANTI-SURFACE
WARFARE: FROM
GUN TO MISSILE
Warships target other warships with
merchantmen as the secondary target, and the
weapon options for what is now called Anti-
Surface Warfare (ASuW) are surprisingly broad.
Since the 1960s the prime
weapon for ASuW has been
the missile both in the air-tosurface
version, first used
with spectacular success to
sink the battleship Roma in 1943, and the
surface-to-surface version whose value
was demonstrated by the Egyptian
Navy’s stand-off sinking of the Israeli
destroyer Eilat in 1967. The latter was
achieved with a first generation weapon
still much used in Asia, the Russian P-15
Termit, better known by the NATO designation
SS-N-2 ‘Styx’.
by Ted Hooten
In its original version ‘Styx’ continues to
be used by India, North Korea and Vietnam
while China has produced an improved
version HY-2 (CSS-N-3 ‘Seersucker’). All
are characterised by a large launch weight
(2.5 tonne) with simple autopilot guidance
augmented by active radar (HY-2 can use
an infra-red seeker) powered by a rocket
motor fuelled by kerosene and nitric acid
with a sub-sonic speed (Mach 0.9). They
have a maximum range of some 21.5-43
nautical miles (40-80 kilometres), although
HY-2 can reach 51 nautical miles (95 kilometres),
but it is a crude, relatively dumb
weapon, with a powerful (454 kilogramme)
warhead while its corrosive fuel system
requires careful maintenance.
The ‘Styx’ family are essentially shiplaunched
weapons, in major surface combatants
such as destroyers and frigates as
well as smaller ones such as corvettes and
fast attack craft, but the second-generation
of weapons are more versatile and can be
used from ships, aircraft and even submarines.
The most famous are Harpoon,
used by eight Asian navies, and Exocet
used by six Asian navies, but they have
similar sub-sonic speeds and are more
sophisticated.
Guidance is based upon inertial navigation
systems which receive inputs of
launch platform co-ordinates and approximate
target co-ordinates and then use
accelerometer motion sensors and gyroscopic
rotation sensors to provide data to a
computer which continuously calculates
the location, direction and velocity of the
missile and compares own location with
that of the target. Within proximity to the
target the missile activates its own radar to
detect it and to control the terminal phase,
this sensor having the ability to guide the
weapon into either the horizontal or the
vertical centre of the radar image.
52
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N A V A L
ANTI-SURFACE WARFARE
One of the most popular long range gun systems
is Oto Melara's 127mm (5 inch) mounting. Oto
Melara are developing a range of extended
range ammunition, Vulcano, for this mounting
© Oto Melara
Similar weapons are MBDA’s Otomat Mk 2
used by Bangladesh and Malaysia, the
Russian 3M24 Uran (Uranium) selected by
India and Vietnam and China’s YJ-83 or
CSS-N-6 ‘Saccade’ whose export version is
designated C-802 with version used by
Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Myanmar,
Pakistan and Thailand. Asian-produced
weapons are Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy
Industries Type 90 (SSM-1B) and South
Korea’s LIG Nex1 Haeseong (Sea Star) or
SSM-700K as well as Taiwan’s Hsiung Feng
II (Brave Wind II).
There is a growing Asian interest in
supersonic anti-ship missiles which have
the advantage of reducing a target’s reaction
times; indeed they can halve the
effective range of close-in weapon systems.
But their very velocity is the problem,
and the reason they are not more
widely used for they have less time for
their radar processors to evaluate information
from the sensor and allow the
guidance system to react. Indeed it has
been suggested they may be more vulnerable
to electronic counter-measures than
sub-sonic weapons which have sufficient
fuel to re-acquire lost targets.
India uses both the Russian
3M80/3M82 Moskit (Mosquito) or SS-N-22
‘Sunburn’ and the PJ-10 Brahmos, jointly
developed with the Russians, while China
also uses ‘Sunburn’ but only in Russianbuilt
Sovremenny class destroyers.
‘Sunburn’ is capable of Mach 3, has a range
of 65 nautical miles (120 kilometres) and
carries a 320 kilogramme warhead while
Brahmos is a Mach 2.8 ramjet-powered
These missiles also have a degree of
intelligence approaching their target indirectly,
turning at a predetermined way
point or even way points, and at varying
heights depending upon whether or not
the mission requirement is for fuel efficiency,
to achieve greater range or a
covert approach, flying just above the
waves to make them more difficult for the
target’s radars to detect. Alternatively, the
missiles can be pre-set to dive upon the
target at a steep angle for greater lethality.
Because they are designed to strike the
most vulnerable part of a ship both
Harpoon and Exocet have smaller warheads
than ‘Styx’; 221 and 165 kilogrammes
respectively. The turbo-jet powered
Harpoon had the longer range, up to 130
nautical miles (240 kilometres) compared
with 38 nautical miles (70 kilometres) in the
rocket-powered Exocet MM40 but Exocet
Block 3 has a turbo-jet engine giving a
range of 97 nautical miles (180 kilometres)
with greater accuracy thanks to the incorporation
of a Global Positions System (GPS)
unit using satellite navigation inputs.
The Boeing (formerly McDonnell Douglas)
Harpoon anti-ship missile is used extensively by
Asia's navies © Boeing
l JUNE/JULY 2013 l 53

N A V A L
ANTI-SURFACE WARFARE
The latest version of Exocet is the MM 40 Block 3
which replaces the rocket motor with a jet to
extend range. This is now being actively marketed
in the region © MBDA
Light anti-ship missiles, such as the
MBDA Sea Skua, are an increasing
feature of ASuW operations. Usually
launched by helicopter they are now
being sought for small fast attack
craft © MBDA
this threat scenario producing Hsiung Feng
I as a development of the Israeli Gavriel
(Gabrial) II, a rocket propelled weapon also
acquired by Sri Lanka. This has semi-active
radar and manual guidance, a 225 kilogramme
warhead and a range of 20
nautical miles (36 kilometres). Indonesia
announced last year it plans to acquire a
class of 24 fast attack craft from PT Palindo
Marine which will receive Chinese
designed C-705 with turbo-jet propulsion.
Indonesia is the launch customer for these
weapons which have a 110 kilogramme
warhead. It is worth noting that helicopters
embarked on surface combatants such as
frigates are sometimes equipped with
short-range anti-ship missiles, such as the
MBDA Sea Skua used by the Republic of
Korea Navy, and these are primarily for
small, high-value, targets.
Compared with the missile the gun may
seem an anachronism in ASuW yet it
remains a useful tool, especially against
smaller targets and merchantmen. Indeed
large calibre weapons have been used to
disperse and drive back formations of Fast
Inshore Attack Craft in the Gulf. The
weapon with a range of 160 nautical miles
(290 kilometres). Air and submarinelaunched
versions are under development
and recent tests indicate the weapon now
has a manoeuvring approach capability
while Russia and India have recently
agreed to develop hypersonic BrahMos 2
missile capable of flying at speeds of Mach
5-Mach 7. Taiwan has developed a supersonic
weapon, Hsiung Feng III for the
Cheng Kung (Oliver Hazard Perry) class
frigates. It is reported to have a range of
110 nautical miles (200 kilometres) a speed
of Mach 2 and a 190 kilogramme warhead.
Shorter range weapons are a major
requirement for navies which operate in
archipelagos and use fast attack craft both
for patrol purposes to restrict similar, hostile,
craft and also to combat amphibious
warfare threats. Taiwan was the first Asian
country to develop weapons to operate in
BAE Systems' 5 inch (127mm) Mark 45 gun is used by Japan and South Korea and has been
selected for Australia's Hobart class destroyers © BAE Systems
54
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N A V A L
ANTI-SURFACE WARFARE
advantages of the gun are faster reaction
times than any missile and greater versatility
because it can also be used in the Naval
Gun Support (NGS) to provide fire support
for troops ashore and it also has an Anti-
Air Warfare role, although this is limited
especially in larger calibre weapons.
The most common larger calibre
weapons are 76mm (3 inch), 100mm,
127mm (5 inch) and 130mm. The Oto
Melara 76mm family is used by a dozen
Asian navies while the Russian single
barrel AK-176 and the twin barrel
AK-276 by India and
Vietnam; the Russian 100mm
AK-100 and the Chinese derivative
the ENG-2 are used by five
navies. The largest calibre
weapons are 127mm by Oto
Melara 127/54 (licencebuilt
in South Korea as KD
127) used by two navies
while the BAE Systems Mk 54
is used by six. The Chinese
Navy uses twin-barrel SM-2 mountings.
With ranges of 8.5 nautical miles (16 kilometres)
for the Oto Melara 76/62 to 15
nautical miles (38 kilometres) these
The MSI Defence Systems' DS Seahawk DS30M
gun system is typical of modern medium to light
calibre gun mountings. It is stabilised, remotely
operated and can take a variety of ordnance
© MSI Defence Systems
weapon mountings tend to be unmanned
with below-deck magazine or magazines
which feed high explosive, semi armourpiercing
and multi-mode ammunition to
the breech through a remotely controlled
handling system. However, they are
relatively short ranged and would not
normally be used in engagements with
major surface combatants. They, too, are
very versatile with an AAW role, and
though their range reduces their effectiveness
they can still protect against
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
(UAV) and in-coming missiles.
While the 76mm gun is often
used in fast attack craft small
surface combatants of this type
as well as patrol boats have alternative
gun systems for the ASuW
role, as well as for ship self protection
especially in harbours or
restricted waterways against FIAC
or suicide type threats. The most popular
calibre weapons are 30-40mm
because they have high sustained firing

N A V A L
ANTI-SURFACE WARFARE
rates; 650-700 rd/min for Oerlikon 30mm
and 300 rd/min for Bofors 40mmL/70, as
well as longer ranges up to 3.2 nautical
miles (6 kilometres) for an Oerlikon (with
extended range ammunition) and 6.75
nautical mile (12.5 kilometres) for the
Bofors. One of the most unusual Asian
gun mountings is the Indian Ordnance
Factory’s CRN-91 Sarath based upon the
turret of the Russian-designed BMP-2
infantry combat vehicle with 30mm gun.
It has been navalised for the Indian Navy
and Coast Guard in patrol boats as well as
the Magar class tank landing ships.
The older weapons are manned but
there is a tendency towards unmanned
mountings with Oto Melara producing
the widest range in both with single and
twin calibre mountings in use with half-adozen
navies while 40mm mountings
have been made in South Korea and
Singapore. Bofors enhanced their
weapon through the 3P (Prefragmented,
Programmable Proximity) rounds which
may be set to impact, post-impact or proximity
settings before being fired. BAE
Systems Weapon Systems and Support
are completing development of the Bofors
40mm Mark 4 gun system which incorporates
technology from the Mark 3 (bought
by Brazil and Japan) as well as weapons
used in the CV90 infantry combat vehicle.
The objective is to cut the weight, cost and
volume of the Mark 3 mounting by at least
The holy grail of modern naval guns is a
155mm mounting. BAE Systems developed
one based upon the 4.5 inch Mark 8 but the
financial crisis means development was
abandoned. This is an artist's impression of
the mounting in service © BAE Systems
The Saab RBS 15 is another anti-ship missile
which is associated with fast attack craft
© Saab Bofors Dynamics
40 per cent so that it could fit into smaller
vessels to broaden the market.
The mounting is available with remote
and manual control and weighs 2.3 tonnes
unloaded compared with 4 tonnes for the
Mark 3 and it is only 1.99 metres high and
2.14 metres wide. It is deck-mounted with
70-round reloadable magazine in the 1.845
metre diameter mounting ring to augment
the 30 rounds in the mounting. The
70 calibre weapon can fire 300
rounds/minute up to 6.75 nautical miles
(12.5 kilometres) and should be available
to customers early in 2014 and the company
plan to offer packages with electrooptical
directors.
There is a growing tendency towards
mountings which are compatible with several
guns. One is Rafael’s Typhoon which
can carry seven different models, and with
on-mount electro-optics is produced by
BAE Systems in the United States as the US
Navy’s Mk 38 Mod 1 (unmanned) and Mod
2 (unmanned) with 25mm Bushmaster gun.
Typhoon is used by six Asian navies. BAE
Systems Land and Armaments, which produces
the mounting under licence, revealed
at Euronaval in October a mock-up of a
Mod 3 version with 25mm or 30mm Mark
44 Bushmaster II. The mounting, with onboard
electro-optical director as in Mod 2, is
being developed in anticipation of a
requirement for a 30mm gun to equip the
Littoral Combat Ship with a formal requirement
anticipated this year. The elevating
mass and most of the barrel are fully
enclosed with a shaped housing and, compared
with the 1.04 tonnes unloaded
weight of the Mod 2, the new mounting,
which will also be marketed for export and
can accept coaxial machinegun, will have
unloaded weights of 1.35 tonnes with
30mm gun and 1.28 tonnes with 25mm. The
Oto Melara Model 504 Marlin, for example,
accepts 30mm and 25mm weapons as does
MSI’s Seahawk family, and the AAW capability
of the latter is enhanced with shortrange
Thales LML surface-to-air missiles.
Remotely operated and stabilised
mountings, such as Nexter’s Narwhal
20mm gun family and MSI-Defence
Systems’ Seahawk 20 are becoming available
to provide even greater versatility.
Narwhal has a mass of 350-400 kilogrammes,
an on-mount director with
optional laser rangefinder and plans for
25mm and 30mm versions. Seahawk has
been developed for the retrofit market
and while based upon the Denel G12
20mm it can take any 20mm weapon
allowing the continued use of stocks of
20mm x 139 ammunition.
While the gun’s importance in ASuW is
much smaller than it was it still remains
important with the smaller calibre
weapons also being valuable in the field
of EEZ protection where collateral damage
can be politically unacceptable.
56
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l

BUSINESS WITH ROSONBORNEXPORT
A NEED OF NATIONAL INTEREST,
SAYS US DEFENCE DEPARTMENT
Despite from scrutiny from US
Congress, the Pentagon has decided
to go ahead with the procurement of
MI-17 transport helicopters for Afghan
Military from Russian arms exporters
Rosobornexport, terming it as a move in
national interest. The opposition to the
procurement has come over the sales of
arms to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad
by the Russian company.
However a recent news suggests that US
Deputy Defence Secretary Ashton Carter
wrote to the US lawmakers stating that the
defence department “has an urgent, nearterm
need to purchase an additional 30 new
military-use MI-17 helicopters” for counter
terrorism forces in Afghanistan. He has also
outlined the steps that were taken to reevaluate
the purchase.
The letter was addressed to US
lawmakers including Republican
Representative Bill Young of Florida,
chairman of the House defense
appropriations subcommittee, and

Democratic Senator Richard Durbin of
Illinois, who heads his chamber’s defense
appropriations panel.
He added that the US Army tried and
failed to find any alternative that would meet
the requirement. “Careful consideration of all
the information available to the department”
after the Army evaluation “confirms it
would be in the public interest to procure the
MI-17s needed” from the Russian firm,
Carter wrote.
Rosoboronexport is the main contributor
to the Russian arms export and according
to Pentagon has been the only company
controlling the export of MI-17. The US
Army had initially bought 21 helicopters
worth $375 million and further agreed in
to buy ten more.
The Mi-17 helicopters are meant to help
Afghanistan fulfill its tasks now that military
forces from the US and other countries are
in the process of being withdrawn.
Compared to other options such as the
American Black Hawk helicopters, the Mi-
17 is a better fit, including:
The ability to use existing infrastructure,
support and service already in place for
Russian helicopters.
Familiarity of Afghan pilots with the Mi-17
eliminates the need to train them to use a
new helicopter type.
The Mi-17 helicopters are lower in cost.
This is not the first time that the US
has bought military equipment from Russia,
but the purchases of Mi-17 helicopters
are still notable since they don’t occur
very often between the two former rivals
during the Cold War.
As per the defense authorization law for
the current fiscal year funds cannot be used
to pay the Russian company unless the
Pentagon invokes a national security
waiver. But as per Ashton Carter this
prohibition would not apply to the funds
approved in 2012 which will be used in
buying 30 helicopters.
Also, Frank Kendall, Undersecretary for
Acquisition in a letter to Senator John
Cornyn has mentioned that although he
shares the concern about the origin of
these helicopters but he also believes that
the mission in Afghanistan is of huge
importance and should be preferred over
ending relationship with Russian company.
Even James Miller, Undersecretary for
Policy, in another letter to the Senator did
mention that the company is supplying
weapon to Syria which are being used by
Assad’s forces in atrocities against civilian
population but the acquisition is still needed
to build capacity of security forces in
Afghanistan because these helicopters can
perform in extreme weather and are
easy for Afghans to use items that have
‘low technical complexity’.
ROSOBORNEXPORT
ANNOUNCES SUPPLY OF
ADDITIONAL 12 MIL
MI-17V5 HELICOPTERS
The Russian arms exporter
Rosobornexport announced their
decision to supply 12 Mil Mi-17V5
military transport helicopters to Afghan
National Army by 2013 as part of agreement
between Pentagon and the company in
2011 for 21 helicopters.
This transact was a part of $367.5
million agreement between Rosobornexport
and Pentagon in May 2011 for 21 Mi-17V5s
and could be worth possibly worth
$900 million with spares and services,
according to US officials.
In his statement to a Russia’s news
agency, Grigory Kozlov, director of
Rosobornexport’s helicopter exports said
that the option agreement has been
signed and the delivery will be done by the
end of the year. He mentioned that
the payment by Pentagon for the same has
already been started along with
delivery of special equipments to be
fitted in the helicopters that are meant for
security mission in Afghanistan.
US and Russia may soon enter into a
fresh agreement of additional additional
Mi-17 helicopters for Afghanistan.
“I reckon this issue (the additional buy) will
be resolved by the end of May and we will
enter a new round of talks on the manner of
language of helicopters on top of the current
21 plus 12 units,” said Kozlov.
—Anandita Bhardwaj
Expert’s Opinion

REGIONAL NEWS
A N D D E V E L O P M E N T S
s o u t h a s i a
ASIA PACIFIC PROCUREMENT UPDATE
by Pierre Delrieu
DISPUTE DIALOGUE
Chinese Premier Li
Keqiang and Indian Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh met
in New Delhi as part of the
newly-elected Chinese
Premier’s first visit abroad.
During talks on 19th May, they
discussed the boundary dispute
between their two countries.
Indian Defense Minister AK
Antony and National Security
Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon
announced they planned to
visit Beijing over the summer
to discuss means of resolving
the boundary dispute.
In April, troops from the
had been discussed with Prime
Minister Singh and passed off
as “an incident”.
Meanwhile, New Delhi
announced it would deploy an
additional 40,000 troops in the
form of a mountain corps to bolster
its strength on the Chinese
border, just a couple of weeks
after Prime Minister Keqiang’s
visit. According to Indian MoD
this deployment had been
planned for about 2 year and
had been waiting for approval
of Ministry of Finance.
This ongoing dispute
involves the longest contested
boundary in the world. China
SPENDING INCREASES
One week after taking
office, Pakistan’s new government
announced a ten percent
raise in defence spending,
despite a crippling budget
deficit of 8.8 percent. The budget
for fiscal year 2013-14 will
begin on 1st July amid a weak
economic growth, high inflation,
decreasing foreign
exchange reserves and unprecedented
power cuts. The new
budget will allocate 627 billion
rupees (US $6.3 billion) for
defence, a ten percent increase
compared to the 570 billion
rupees allocated in the outgoing
year, ending 30th June.
The army is the most
powerful institution in Pakistan,
a country ruled for half its life
by the military. Pakistani Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif, who had
troubled relations with the army
in the past, took office in early
June after winning the 11th May
elections; marking an historic
transition of democratic power.
Finance minister Ishaq Dar
announced that the government
would clear $5 billion in circular
debt from the energy sector
within the next 60 days and
help minimize power cuts in the
country, but gave no details on
how the government would
find the necessary money,
considering Pakistan is still
paying off an $11.3 billion loan
made from the International
Monetary Fund in 2008. Years
of under-investment,
mismanagement and corruption
cause power outages of up
to 20 hours a day in the
Pakistani blistering summer
heat, when temperatures can
reach up to 50°C.
two countries came face-to-face
in the northern region of
Ladakh, when Chinese troops
entered nearly 10 kilometres
inside Indian territory across
the Line of Actual Control, the
de-facto boundary between the
two countries. The incident
threatened to increase tensions,
and Indian opposition parties
asked the government to take a
tough line against the Chinese
intrusion. However, during last
month’s visit of China’s premier
in New Delhi, the issue
claims 92,000 square kilometres
of Indian territory. The border
between India and China is
defined by the 4,056-kilometre
LAC, which is neither marked
on the ground, nor on mutually-accepted
maps.
Although the deployment of
additional troops along the border
is bound to raise tempers in
Beijing, analysts agree that
India and China can ill-afford
to go to war in the immediate
future as both seek to grow
their economies.
US-2 PROGRESS
India and Japan have
agreed to form a joint working
group to explore cooperation
on the US-2 amphibious aircraft
made by Japan’s ShinMaywa
during talk in Tokyo on 29th
May. Indian Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh and his
Japanese counterpart, Shinzo
Abe, agreed on a joint working
group to decide the terms of
this cooperation, which could
include joint production, operation
and training on the US-2.
The amphibian has a sensor fit
capable of detecting and tracking
surface vessels, ships, submarine
periscopes, and low-flying
aircraft and missiles.
TRI-PARTITE TALKS
In Canberra on 5th June,
Indian Defence Minister AK
Antony and his Australian counterpart,
Stephen Smith, agreed to
step up military exchanges and
naval combat exercises between
the two countries, as part of its
policy to strengthen defence ties
with countries in the Asia-Pacific
Region, including Thailand.
They agreed to pursue “a
regular bilateral Defence
Ministers’ meetings to promote
exchanges between the Defence
establishments and the Armed
Forces of both sides”, said the
Indian Ministry of Defence in a
joint statement issued after the
talks. Without specifying concerns
over Chinese assertiveness
in the South China Sea, the
statement added that: “maritime
security and freedom of
navigation in accordance with
principles of international law
is critical for the growth and
prosperity of the Asia Pacific
and Indian Ocean Region.”
AK Antony also said he
would discuss possible areas of
cooperation and collaboration
in defence production with
Thailand with his Thai counterpart,
Air Chief Marshal
Sukumpol Suwanatat.
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REGIONAL NEWS
A N D D E V E L O P M E N T S
s o u t h e a s t a s i a
SHANGRI-LA
DIALOGUE
The 12th International
Institute for Strategic Studies
(IISS) Shangri-La Dialogue Asia
Security Summit was held in
Singapore from 31st May to
2nd June.
The annual inter-governmental
security forum, initiated
in 2002, gathers key policymakers
in the defence and
security establishments from
regional states and from major
powers with significant stakes
in Asia-Pacific security.
Nguyen Tan Dung,
Prime Minister of Vietnam,
opened Asia’s largest informal
defence gathering with a
Keynote Address in which he
called on the countries of
the region to 'build strategic
BILATERAL
COOPERATION
Singapore will continue
using military facilities in India
for the exercise and training of
its troops for another five years,
as stated in an agreement
signed in Singapore on 4th June
by new Indian Defence
Secretary Radha Krishna
Mathur, and Singaporean
Permanent Secretary of
Defense, Chiang Chie Foo.
India and Singapore had first
signed a five-year defence cooperation
pact in 2007 allowing
Singaporean troops to exercise
regularly on Indian territory.
This agreement will now be is
trust' to overcome disputes.
The summit brought together
defence ministers, military chiefs
and senior government officials
from 31 countries as well as
experts and journalists from
around the world with discussions
focusing on issues such as
“Defending National Interests;
Preventing Conflict”, “Military
Modernisation and Strategic
Transparency”, “New Trends in
Asia-Pacific Security” and
“Advancing Defence
Cooperation In The Asia-
Pacific”. However, maritime disputes
and the risks of conflicts
that could hurt Asia’s economic
growth were a running theme
during the three-day conference.
During the summit, Lt. Gen.
Qi Jianguo, deputy chief of the
general staff of the Chinese
People’s Liberation Army
announced that China would
continue to consider its patrols
in Asian seas as legitimate.
Adding that Chinese warships
would continue to patrol
waters where Beijing has
territorial claims, regardless of
growing rows with neighbouring
countries over the
South China Sea and islands
controlled by Japan.
China is locked in a territorial
dispute with Brunei,
Malaysia, the Philippines and
Vietnam in the South China Sea
and affirms that it has sovereign
rights to nearly all of the
sea, including areas much closer
to other countries, and thousands
of kilometres from the
Chinese coast. The four countries
dispute the Chinese claims
over several Pacific islands,
much as Japan refuses China’s
claim over the Senkaku islands
in the East China Sea, which
Beijing calls the Diaoyus.
China’s peaceful intentions
have come under growing scepticism
in the region, as they are
inconsistent with moves to send
naval patrols to waters claimed
by other countries such as
China’s occupation of a shoal
near the Philippines’ main
island last year and the deployment
in March of naval ships to
within 80 kilometres (50 miles)
of Malaysia’s coast.
extended up to October 2017.
Singapore is the only country
that India has offered its facilities
to for training and exercises.
As the world’s fourth leading
financial centre with one of
the busiest ports, Singapore has
a strategic importance for India
in its efforts to contain the
growing influence of China.
SINGAPORE AND
AUSTRALIAN
SUBMARINE RESCUE
ARRANGEMENT
Singapore Navy (RSN)
Chief Rear-Admiral Ng Chee
Peng has signed the Submarine
Rescue Arrangement with
Royal Australian Navy
(RAN)’s Chief of Navy
Vice-Admiral Ray Griggs on
board the RSN’s submarine
rescue and support vessel,
MV Swift Rescue.
The Submarine Rescue
Arrangement establishes a
framework between the RSN
and RAN in the area of submarine
rescue support and cooperation.
Under the arrangement,
the RSN will make
available to the RAN MV Swift
Rescue and other resources to
render support and assistance
in the event of an RAN
submarine incident.
SAGEM WINS MAJOR
CONTRACT FROM
SINGAPORE NAVY
Sagem has signed a contract
with the Singapore’s
Defence Science and
Technology Agency to develop
and produce a new Gun Fire-
Control System (GFCS) for
eight Littoral Mission Vessels
ordered by Singapore Navy.
Sagem’s new GFCS is a centralized
system located at the
ship’s operations center that
integrates several functions:
main and secondary guns,
radar, optronics and navigation
systems. Capable of operating
from several multifunction
consoles concurrently,
Sagem’s GFCS will also be
interfaced with the combat
management system.
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REGIONAL NEWS
A N D D E V E L O P M E N T S
e a s t a s i a
REARMAMENT MOVES
On 30th May, the ruling
Liberal Democratic Party of
Japan (LDPJ) decided set in
motion a proposal for the fullscale
rearmament of the country's
armed forces. The reform
will focus on the creation of a
marine corps, increasing the
efficiency of air and missile
defences, as well as upgrading
the equipment of the army and
navy with modern weapons
capable of attacking enemy
naval bases. Japan is currently
ranked fifth in the world in
terms of military expenditure
and the Japanese Self-Defence
Forces has been actively
modernising; spending an
approximate $44 billion in
armament each year.
However, since the end of
the Second World War, the
Japanese authorities have not
been allowed to possess fullfledged
conventional armed
forces, and cannot engage in
the production and procurement
of cruise missiles or
strategic bombers, for example.
Following the end of the
RISE OF THE KOREAN
T-50 GOLDEN EAGLE
The South Korean aerospace
company KAI (Korea
Aerospace Industries)
announced it would deliver 16
T-50 Golden Eagle advanced jet
trainer aircrafts to Indonesia by
February 2014. Jakarta had
ordered T-50s in May 2011,
marking the first export sale for
this type of supersonic
advanced trainer and multirole
light fighter.
The T-50 Golden Eagle, formerly
known as the KTX-2, is a
jet trainer and light attack aircraft
which was initially built
for the Republic of Korea Air
Force (RoKAF) and has been in
active service since 2005.
Manufactured at the KAI facility
in Sachon, the T-50 is the
result of collaboration with
Lockheed Martin, which funded
13% of the aircraft’s development.
The RoKAF, which
now owns 50 units, offered to
dispense training to Indonesian
pilots and maintenance
crews to familiarize them
with the aircraft.
KAI is confident it will soon
close another deal for 12 FA-50s
- an armed variant of the T-50 -
with Manila. The Philippines
Second World War, the country
adopted a new constitution significantly
limiting its military
capabilities; even as regards
self-defence.
Ex-ministers Shigeru Ishiba
and Gen Nakatani, the two
men behind the proposed rearmament,
have drafted a reform
that was approved and sent to
the government for consideration.
Shigeru Ishiba stated that
the restrictions introduced after
the war relating to the size of
the Japanese armed forces have
long been out of date and that
it was time for Japan to move
towards the establishment of
conventional armed forces.
If changes in the
Constitution come into effect,
the Japanese armed forces
could potentially perform fullscale
air strikes against enemy
military bases, as well as
increasing the effectiveness of
anti-missile defence capabilities
intended to defend the
country against the tense situation
on the Korean peninsula.
In addition, Japan will create
marine units capable of
defending remote Japanese
islands in the Pacific.
said they wanted to use the aircraft
for training and for light
fighter/attack missions. In
other projects, KAI and
Lockheed Martin also made an
offer to meet an eight aircraft
requirement to Poland. Warsaw
is reviewing the technical proposals
issued by the different
bidders, and could issue a decision
as soon as early 2014.
TAIWAN’S SECOND
HAND ROLLS-ROYCE
T56 TURBOPROP
ENGINES
With the support of the
US Foreign Military Sales
(FMS) mechanism, which
facilitates sales of U.S. arms,
but also defence equipment,
defence services, and military
training to foreign
governments, Taiwan is about
to acquire 16 reconditioned
Rolls-Royce T56 turboprop
engines. These T56 engines
will serve to power some of
the 12 former US Navy
Lockheed P-3C Orion
maritime patrol and antisubmarine
warfare aircraft
Taiwan also bought from the
US in 2011, to ultimately
replace the Grumman
S-2 Tracker aircraft now
operating in its navy.
The T56 engine - formerly
known as the Allison T56 - is
a single shaft, modular design
military turboprop with a 14-
stage axial flow compressor
driven by a four stage turbine.
Originally developed by the
Allison Engine Company for
the Lockheed Martin C-130
transport, entering production
in 1954, this turboprop engine
is now produced by the
British manufacturer Rolls-
Royce, which acquired Allison
in 1995. The commercial version
of the T56 is know under
the designation 501-D. The
T56 has an unusually long
and numerous production
run; over 18,000 engines
have been produced since
1954, logging over 200 million
flying hours.
Worth a total of $10.6
million, the deal between
Taiwan and the FMS was
contracted to the US Naval
Air Warfare Center Aircraft
Division and is expected to be
completed in February 2014.
In an online statement, the US
Department of Defense
announced the overhaul will
be undertaken by
StandardAero, in San
Antonio, Texas.
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REGIONAL NEWS
A N D D E V E L O P M E N T S
a u s t r a l a s i a
AUSTRALIA, JAPAN AND
US CONCLUDES FIRST
JOINT EXERCISE
Australia, Japan and the
United States have concluded
Exercise Southern Jackaroo,
the first ground exercise
involving the three nations held
in Australia. The inaugural
exercise took place from 18
to 26 May 2013.
Exercise Southern Jackaroo
saw Australian Army, Japan
Ground Self Defense Force
and US Army personnel participate
in skills-based live-fire
training and adventurous
training, at Puckapunyal and
Melbourne.
During the exercise, 14 personnel
from each of the three
nations participated in live-firing
activities focused on
advanced marksmanship skills
within urban terrain, as well as
adventurous training including
abseiling from buildings in the
Melbourne CBD.
AUSTRALIA
CONSIDERING TRITON
UNMANNED AIRCRAFT
Australian MOD
announced that the
Government would issue a
Letter of Request to the United
States (US) to gain access to
detailed cost, capability and
availability information on the
US Navy’s MQ-4C Triton
unmanned Aircraft.
The acquisition of high-altitude,
long-endurance
unmanned aircraft for maritime
patrol and other surveillance is
being developed under project
AIR 7000 Phase 1B.
One of the options being
considered for AIR 7000 Phase
1B is the US Navy MQ-4C
Triton Broad Area Maritime
Surveillance Unmanned
Aircraft System produced by
Northrop Grumman.
To help assess the suitability
of the Triton for Australia’s
requirements, the Government
will establish a Foreign
Military Sales Technical
Services Case with the United
States Navy to obtain
detailed cost, capability and
availability information to
inform future Government
consideration of Project
AIR 7000 Phase 1B.
The release of a Letter of
Request for the FMS Technical
Services Case does not commit
Australia to the acquisition of
the MQ-4C Triton.
AUSTRALIA US
DEFENCE TRADE
COOPERATION TREATY
Australian Minister for
Defence Stephen Smith and US
Ambassador to Australia,
Jeffrey Bleich, exchanged
diplomatic notes to bring the
Australia – United States
Defence Trade Cooperation
Treaty into force.
The Treaty’s entry into force
reflects Australia and the US’
commitment to cooperation in
Defence capability and technology.
The Australia-US
Defence Trade Cooperation
Treaty was signed in Sydney
on 5 September 2007. The
Treaty creates a framework for
the transfer of eligible defence
goods, services and technology
between approved entities in
Australia and the US, known
as the Approved Community,
without the need to apply for
separate export licences.
The Treaty will improve
delivery times, improve
sustainment and give
Australian industry better
access to technical data to
tender for US contracts.
MAINTENANCE
CONTRACT
Australian Department of
Defence has signed a major
Land Materiel Maintenance
(LMM) contract with
Transfield Services of
Australia. The contract is for
an initial term of six years,
with five one-year options.
The LMM agreement
will provide equipment
maintenance services to Joint
Logistics Command Units
across Australia.
The contract covers the
maintenance of land-based
vehicle fleets primarily operated
by Army. The work will
include inspection, scheduled
servicing, repair and
modification of equipment,
programmed maintenance and
project work, maintenance of
regional loan pools, management
of repair pools and
support to operations.
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