January 31, 2014  : Strategy Page

An Indian deal to buy two South Korean mine hunters (MCMV, or mine countermeasures vessels) for $233 million each, and allow India to build six more in India under license (for about 25 percent less) has been stalled for three years by the anti-corruption measures India created to reduce misconduct in the procurement bureaucracy. But in many cases these measures are used to delay procurement decisions until those complaining (often a member of parliament) gets something in return. Not cash, of course, as that would be corruption, but something technically legal (like a future favor). To get needed purchases made the government has to give into these forms of legal corruption. As a result the quite lengthy delays continue.

The new South Korea mine hunters are 885 ton ships have a non-metallic hull and modifications to their engines and electrical gear to reduce noise and magnetic emissions. This reduces vulnerability to multi-sensor naval mines. Each of these MCMVs has a crew of 77 and is armed with two twin 30mm autocannon for defense. Top speed is 28 kilometers an hour, but the ship tends to operate at much slower speeds.

The most dangerous mines are bottom mines, which lie on the bottom of shallow coastal waters. These mines are effective in waters up to 26 meters (80 feet) deep. To deal with these mines a high-definition sonar seeks out the mine sitting on the ocean floor and then sends down a USVs (unmanned seagoing vehicle, a miniature submarine) down to place an explosive charge then back off as the explosion destroys the bottom mine. The USVs are connected to the mine hunter via a fiber optic cable so the crew can see what is down there and operate the USV.  Some USVs are built to be destroyed in the explosion, because they are simpler and cheaper to build that way and are simply considered am underwater “guided missile.”

The Indian Navy currently has only eight elderly and poorly equipped mine hunters. Two have to be retired this year because they are worn out. The navy believes it needs 24 modern mine hunters (16 on the west coast and sight on the east coast) to keep major Indian ports open in war time. The navy began a formal search for a new mine hunter in 2005. The notoriously sluggish Indian military procurement system was slowed even more by the recent anti-corruption measures. It may be this year, or a few more years before the South Korean MCMV deal is finally implemented.

January 29, 2014 By Ankit Panda - http://thediplomat.com

It is likely that Japan will sell India its indigenously developed US-2 amphibious aircraft in 2014.

29 January 2014 By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Toni Burton – Pacific Sentinel

YOKOSUKA, Japan - U.S. 7th Fleet, U.S. Forces Japan and Japan Self Defense Force (JMSDF) operators will hone their Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) skills in exercise Keen Edge 2014 which runs through Jan. 31.

Throughout the exercise, Japanese and U.S. headquarter staffs will simulate the tactical defensive steps that would be taken in the event of a crisis or contingency.

"The successful defense of Japanese and U.S. interests from unanticipated ballistic missile threats requires detailed planning, precision ship stationing and lightning quick reactions," said Lt. Cmdr. Matthew Klobukowski, 7th Fleet integrated air and missile defense officer. "BMD is one of the many missions the U.S. and Japan train for together."

Since 1986, the United States military and JMSDF have collaborated and planned a biennial joint-bilateral exercise referred to as Keen Edge.

"Keen Edge 14 helps the U.S. military and JMSDF build relationships ensuring we can work effectively together to defend Japan and U.S. forces based here. Our goal is to provide credible and tangible defensive combat power to ensure security and stability in the region." explained Klobukowski.

This year, Keen Edge will focus on the importance of bilateral coordination, force protection, host nation support, ballistic missile defense and non-combatant evacuation operations. More than 500 U.S. military personnel will participate in the exercise.

The exercise builds on recent Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense achievements such as the October 2013 intercept of a medium-range ballistic missile target over the Pacific Ocean by the Aegis BMD 4.0 Weapon System and a Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IB guided missile, the 28th successful intercept in 34 flight test attempts for the Aegis BMD program since flight testing began in 2002.

Aegis BMD is the naval component of the MDA's Ballistic Missile Defense System. The Aegis BMD engagement capability defeats short- to intermediate-range, unitary and separating, midcourse-phase ballistic missile threats with the SM-3, as well as short-range ballistic missiles in the terminal phase with the Standard Missile-2 (SM-2) Block IV missile.

US Pacific Fleet

Two ROKAF KF-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft take off from Kunsan Air Base in South Korea. Photo USAF

28 January 2014 airforce-technology.com

Raytheon has been awarded a contract to support the upgrade of the Republic of Korea Air Force's (ROKAF) KF-16C/D Block 52 Fighting Falcon fighter aircraft fleet.

Awarded by BAE Systems, the contract covers supply of an integrated solution comprising Raytheon advanced combat radar (RACR), ALR-69A all-digital radar warning receiver, and advanced mission computing technology and weapon systems integration for the 130 KF-16C/D Block 52 fleet.

Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems International Strategy and Business Development vice-president Jim Hvizd said the competitive selection of RACR by South Korea last year gave the company an important foothold in the international F-16 upgrade market.

"The addition of our EW and mission computing expertise and our weapon systems integration will provide the Republic of Korea with an operationally superior solution that will keep their KF-16s relevant for years to come," Hvizd said.

Apart from making South Korea the first international customer for F-16 RACR radar, the contract also adds the aircraft to an inventory of fighters retrofitted with Raytheon active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars, such as F-15C, F-15E, F/A-18E/F and the EA-18G Growler.

Already built and test-flown on the F-16, the RACR is a compact, lightweight and scalable radar designed to enable pilots to simultaneously detect, identify and track multiple air and surface targets in the battlefield.

The contract's value and additional details, including delivery schedule, remain undisclosed.

Powered by F100-PW-229 engines, the KF-16 is a Korean version of the combat proven F-16 fighter, and was built by Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) under license from its manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, in the 1990s.

21/01/2014 Antoine BONDAZ -   IRSEM

Jan. 27, 2014 FG

The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) is to buy 11 Beechcraft T-6Cs to meet its requirement for an advanced pilot training capability. The NZ$154 million ($127 million) deal will also include simulators and classroom- and computer-based training packages.

New Zealand requires an intermediate trainer with a glass cockpit that will be able to take students from the Pacific Aerospace CT-4E Airtrainer to the Lockheed Martin P-3K2 Orion maritime patrol aircraft, Boeing 757 and upgraded Lockheed C-130H transports, plus the AgustaWestland AW109, NH Industries NH90 and future Kaman SH-2G(I) Seasprite helicopters.

The Pilot Training Capability project was announced in the Defence White Paper 2010. A request for information (RFI) was issued to industry in October 2011, and Beechcraft’s T-6C demonstrator made a tour to New Zealand in 2012, and was used to fly a number of Royal New Zealand Air Force officers. The extent to which other competing aircraft were evaluated is unknown.

At the time of the RFI, the government said that it was open to a purchase or lease, or to contracting a complete pilot training package from a commercial provider.

Under the deal, CAE simulators will be installed at the air force's Ohakea base and supported by CAE Australia. Also included in a 30-year contract is maintenance support by New Zealand company Safe Air, which will create around 21 new jobs at Ohakea.

The T-6Cs will be operated by 14 Sqn, which previously flew the Aermacchi MB-339CB in the advanced training and light attack roles, until the disbandment of the New Zealand’s air combat force in 2001.

A first aircraft will be delivered from Wichita, Kansas in mid-2015, but will be owned by Beechcraft and used to train maintenance personnel. Training facilities and simulators should also be in place by the same time, enabling the first qualified flying instructor course to begin.

The deal was signed by defence secretary Helene Quilter and Beechcraft Defense president Russ Bartlett on 24 January, and formally announced by defence minister Jonathan Coleman on 27 January.

“The new system is expected to be operational for the first trainee intake in early 2016," Coleman says. "It is estimated it will produce up to 15 graduate pilots and 12 qualifying flying instructors per year over the next 30 years.”

Basic pilot training is currently carried out on the CT-4E, but structural problems with the leased fleet have reportedly caused backlogs in the output of qualified pilots. The type is scheduled to reach the end of its service life in 2018. Advanced and twin-engined training is conducted with the Beechcraft King Air 200, which are leased under a contract that will expire in 2018.

21 January 2014 Pacific Sentinel

 

AGNI-IV, the 4000 kms range Nuclear Capable Ballistic Missile was successfully launched today at 1052 hrs from the Wheeler island off the coast of Odisha. This was the third consecutively successful trial and the last one in the series of development launches. The missile took off majestically, rose to a height of over 850 km, covered the intended range in about 20 minutes, hit the target with two digit accuracy; meeting all mission objectives and proving the capabilities of the missile. The AGNI-IV missile propelled by composite solid fuel rocket motor technology was launched from its road mobile launcher indigenously developed by DRDO. The long range Radars and Electro-Optical Tracking Systems (EOTS) located all along the coast have tracked and monitored all the parameters throughout the flight. Two ships located near the target point tracked the vehicle and witnessed the final event. The Defence Minister, Shri AK Antony congratulated the DG, DRDO and Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister, Shri Avinash Chander and his team on the success. 

“The event is of greater significance since the system was tested in its deliverable configuration with the active participation of Strategic Forces Command (SFC) personnel. The missile is now ready for induction and its serial production will now begin” said Shri Avinash Chander, who commanded the launch sequence. He congratulated all the team members from DRDO and SFC. ‘Today’s launch takes India’s level of deterrence and its preparedness and effectiveness to newer heights. Seen together with recent momentous events: the second launch of Agni 5, operational clearance of Tejas – Light Combat Aircraft, achieving the criticality of nuclear reactor of India’s first nuclear powered submarine ‘Arihant’, completion of development phase of underwater launched missile BO5 and development of mark II version of ‘Arjun – Main battle tank’, Shri Chander said. He further stated that it also reflects the high maturity level of India’s capabilities in design development and leading to production, contemporary weapons and platforms for strengthening its deterrence and defence capabilities. 

Agni-IV is equipped with state-of-the-art Avionics, 5th generation On Board Computer and distributed architecture. It has the latest features to correct and guide itself for inflight disturbances. The most accurate Ring Laser Gyro based Inertial Navigation System (RINS) and supported by highly reliable redundant Micro Navigation System (MINGS), ensured the vehicle reach the target within two digit accuracy. The re-entry heat shield withstood temperatures in the range of 4000 degree centigrade and made sure the avionics function normally with inside temperature remaining less than 50 degree centigrade. Agni-I, II, III and Prithvi are already in the arsenal of armed forces, giving them reach of over 3000 km, giving India an effective deterrence capability. 

Dr V.G. Sekaran, DS & DG (MSS) reviewed the launch activities and guided the team. Smt. Tessy Thomas, Project Director AGNI-IV led the team of scientists during the operation.

Indian Press Information Bureau

January 16, 2014 Archis Mohan* - stratpost.com

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has moved swiftly to convince New Delhi into an entente which is obviously directed at the containment of China.

Tokyo and New Delhi are currently in a cinch, a strategic embrace encouraged by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Abe has, within a year of his election as the Prime Minister of Japan, infused a pace into India-Japan ties that South Block is unlikely to have envisaged.

The Abe government’s new security doctrine has identified India as one of Japan’s most strategic of partners in the next decade. Abe’s government pushed for Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko to visit India when an invitation from New Delhi to host the Japanese royal couple had been awaiting a response from Tokyo for nearly a decade. Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko visited India in November-end and early December, reprising their visit to India over five decades back. The two had visited India as the Japanese Crown Prince and Princess in 1960.

In early January, Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera came calling to explain to the Indian leadership Japan’s new security doctrines adopted at the end of last year. Later this month, Abe will be the chief guest at this year’s Republic Day Parade, the first ever Japanese dignitary to grace the occasion.

These string of visits, the recent India-Japan maritime cooperation and the Japanese proposal to sell the Indian Navy the Japanese ShinMaywa US-2i amphibious aircraft are evidence of how important India is in the Abe-led Liberal Democratic Party’s geo-strategic matrix.

Significantly, Abe-led Japan has moved swiftly in its efforts to convince New Delhi into an entente which is obviously directed at the containment of China. Although India had, so far, pursued a policy of engaging with China, New Delhi has in the past few months shown an inclination to shed its characteristic reticence and has readily grasped the Japanese offer of a deeper strategic partnership. But some in South Block are not entirely convinced of this strategy and are wary of Tokyo’s ‘China threat theory’.

China and Japan have engaged in angry rhetoric and symbolic posturing since 2010 over the Senkaku islands, over which both countries claim sovereignty, although Japan occupies the islands. The squabble became more curious recently, in the context of Abe’s recent visit to the controversial Yasukuni shrine, with the envoys of both countries to the United Kingdom describing the actions of the other country with reference to Voldemort, the villain in the best-selling Harry Potter series. The two diplomats also, apparently had to be separated in a BBC studio last week.

India and China, too, have had strained relations over the last few years, with repeated intrusions by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops into Indian territory across the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Abe had initiated the process of closer India-Japan ties during his earlier stint as the Prime Minister of his country in 2006-07. Although Abe had little time as he was the PM for barely a year in that tenure, the Abe and Manmohan Singh governments inked the India-Japan Strategic Partnership Agreement, institutionalizing annual summits between the two countries.

This time Abe seems more determined to forge an India-Japan strategic entente during his stewardship. Abe during his years as an opposition leader campaigned for closer India-Japan ties. At a speech delivered at the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) in September 2011, ‘Two Democracies Meet at Sea: For a Better and Safer Asia‘, Abe minced few words to tell New Delhi why democratic India and Japan were natural partners against China.

At that speech, Abe pointedly omitted China to say that India and Japan, the former Asia’s largest and the latter its oldest democracies, were natural partners. He said India and Japan should “work even more closely together with the US, Australia and other maritime democracies” like Indonesia and Vietnam to build a safer, liberal, robust Asia.

He had then appealed to his government as well as New Delhi that the two navies should have naval exercises more frequently, something that is increasingly becoming a reality. The two Coast Guards held an exercise in January. He had said the Indian naval ships should be welcome at the Japanese base at Djibouti while India should host Japanese ships in the Andaman & Nicobar islands. He said the Americans were getting weaker and India and Japan should work together to fill that void in Asia, claiming the the Indonesians would also join in, if that were to happen.

Abe, a grandson of Japanese PM in the 1950s, Nobusuke Kishi, who was a good friend of Jawaharlal Nehru, has implemented some of this strategic thinking ever since his re-election in December 2012, the first Japanese PM since 1948 to be re-elected.

The new strategic doctrine of the Abe government has identified India as one of the “primary drivers” of change in the global balance of power. The Abe government has adopted the ‘National Security Strategy’ and ‘National Defense Guidelines 2014′ which specify areas of deeper India-Japan strategic engagement. This is for the first time that a Japanese government has so aggressively sought India as a strategic partner.

Sources say Abe’s visit to India would focus on deepening strategic ties, instituting defence exercises and maritime security in the region, as well as sale of defense equipment to India. Japan’s new strategic doctrine states that India was “important for Japan” for maritime security as well as overall security because of its geographic location. Abe’s party, along with its ally, has a two-thirds majority in the Japanese Diet’s lower house, giving the government stability and the power to ensure passage of contentious laws.

The India-Japan entente has not been received well in Beijing. China has criticized Abe government’s security doctrine as hyping the China threat theory and believes Japan is trying to encircle China.

* Archis Mohan has been a journalist for the last 14 years. He has worked with the Indian newspapers, Hindustan Times, and The Telegraph, as also with leading television news channels and has reported on issues like crime, politics, internal security and India's foreign policy.

15.01.2014 DCNS

Le 14 août dernier, la Royal Australian Navy (RAN) a réalisé le premier tir de combat d’une torpille légère MU90, torpille  développée par le groupement européen d’intérêt économique EUROTORP formé par DCNS, Thales et l’entreprise italienne WASS.  Tirée à  partir de la frégate  « HMAS STUART » de la classe ANZAC, la torpille a détecté, classifié  puis engagé avec sa charge creuse* la cible immergée, représentative d’un sous-marin de petite dimension.

Ultime jalon d’un vaste et long processus d’évaluation

Ce tir de combat est venu conclure une campagne d’évaluation intensive qui s’est déroulée ces dernières années. En effet, de nombreux tirs d’exercice ont été réalisés pour tester la torpille dans différentes situations complexes : en eau tropicale, par très petits fonds (< 40m), à grande distance (stand off distance) et contre des sous-marins protégés par des systèmes de contre-mesures.

Avec un taux de succès de plus de 90% au cours de la campagne d’évaluation, la MU90 a démontré sa capacité à remplir ses missions quels que soient l’environnement et le scénario. Une réussite qui a permis de valider son acceptation en service opérationnel au sein de la flotte australienne.

La MU90 EUROTORP en « pole position »

Ces résultats ouvrent la porte à de nouvelles opportunités pour la torpille MU90 qui pourrait aussi équiper les avions de patrouille et les hélicoptères de la Marine australienne. Cette dernière reconnait en effet les performances de cette torpille légère : « La torpille MU90 améliore considérablement les performances en lutte anti sous-marine de tous les navires de combat de surface de la Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Cette arme dote la RAN d’une capacité d’engagement des sous-marins à grande distance, inégalée parmi toutes les autres torpilles légères ».**

Deux nouvelles marines viennent aussi d’acquérir la MU90 en 2013, ce qui porte maintenant à 8 le nombre de marines équipées dans le monde.

* La charge creuse est un type de munition destiné à percer un blindage.

** Extrait du communiqué officiel du Ministère de la Défense australienne après le tir de combat MU90 le 14 août 2013.

 En savoir plus :

La Torpille légère MU90

India tested its 4,000-kilometer-range Agni IV missile today. (Indian Defence Ministry)

Jan. 20, 2014 - By VIVEK RAGHUVANSHI  - Defense news

NEW DELHI — India’s flight test of its indigenous nuclear-capable Agni IV missile today could pave the way for user trials, according to the Ministry of Defence.

The surface-to-surface ballistic missile, with a range of 4,000 kilometers, can carry a warhead of up to 1 ton and is equipped with a re-entry heat shield, said a scientist at the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), which is developing the missile. The two-stage, solid-propelled missile is 20 meters tall.

“The Agni IV missile propelled by composite solid fuel rocket motor technology was launched from its road mobile launcher indigenously developed by DRDO. The long range radars and Electro-Optical Tracking Systems located all along the coast have tracked and monitored all the parameters throughout the flight. Two ships located near the target point tracked the vehicle and witnessed the final event,” according to a Defence Ministry statement.

The missile is equipped with state-of-the-art avionics, a fifth-generation onboard computer and distributed architecture, and has features to correct and guide itself for inflight disturbances, according to the Defence Ministry statement.

The missile is equipped with a ring laser gyro-based inertial navigation system and supported by a redundant micronavigation system, according to the statement.

The re-entry heat shield withstood temperatures in the range of 4,000 degrees centigrade, protecting the avionics within, said the statement.

18.01.204 Vassili Kachine, La Voix de la Russie

Le nouveau système pour les missiles balistiques intercontinentaux vient d’être testé en RPC. Les tests qui ont été menés démontrent que le déploiement des missiles chinois intercontinentaux équipés de ce nouveau système, est possible dans un avenir proche.

Les essais de l’ogive pour le missile balistique intercontinental, qui viennent de se dérouler en Chine sont le premier résultat pratique du programme ambitieux de l’armement balistique, élaboré par ce pays. Cela fait plusieurs années que l’Empire du Milieu développe les armes balistiques. En juillet 2012, les médias chinois ont parlé de la mise en service d'un tunnel aérodynamique, qui assure la ventilation des modèles d’avions à une vitesse allant jusqu'à 9M. Et récemment, c’est le premier test d’un appareil hypersonique qui vient d’être réalisé. Se posent alors les questions d’influence de cette nouvelle technologie sur la stratégie nucléaire chinoise et de la direction du développement des projets d’armes hypersoniques en Chine.

La Russie a terminé les tests des ogives hypersoniques en 2005, dans le cadre du projet d'amélioration de la stabilité des forces nucléaires stratégiques russes face au bouclier antimissile américain. Apparemment, la Russie était le premier pays à se doter d’une ogive prête à être déployée. La Chine suit les traces du complexe militaro-industriel russe, mais avec un retard de plusieurs années.

Néanmoins, les tests démontrent que le déploiement des missiles balistiques intercontinentaux chinois avec des ogives de ce type est possible déjà dans un avenir prévisible. Une ogive hypersonique en vol ne peut être interceptée par aucun système de défense antimissile existant ou en projet. En commençant le déploiement des missiles, la Chine pourrait augmenter la fiabilité de ses forces nucléaires.

Les travaux de construction de l’ogive supersonique sont liés avec un projet du nouveau missile balistique intercontinental, crée l’année dernière. Ces systèmes sont plus lourds que leurs prédécesseurs, nécessitant la construction d’un nouveau type de missiles, plus puissants.

On peut supposer que dans les conditions actuelles, la Chine, à l'instar de la Russie et des Etats-Unis, ne se limite pas au développement des technologies hypersoniques pour sa triade nucléaire stratégique. Les Etats-Unis considèrent la possibilité d’utilisation de ses armes non-nucléaires dans ses systèmes de frappe conventionnelle rapide (Prompt Global Strike, PGS). La Russie mène aussi des travaux de développement de ses armes non nucléaires hypersoniques.

La création des armes hypersoniques non nucléaires permettra de porter le programme de lutte chinois contre les groupes aéronavals américains à un autre niveau. La Chine se déplace déjà dans cette direction pour la création des moyens de frappe puissants des porte-avions de l’ennemi, grâce à la création des missiles antinavires DF- 21D. Ce missile complique la protection d’une escadre de porte-avions d’une frappe éventuelle. Si un missile de croisière hypersonique maniable sera utilisé comme un moyen d’attaque, la défense antimissile du porte-avions sera inutile et il va falloir changer les moyens de défense des missions militaires de toutes les flottes du monde.

La présence d’une arme hypersonique est un attribut nécessaire d’une superpuissance au 21e siècle. Et la Chine est en passe d’en devenir une. Toutefois il faudra un certain temps avant que ces armes puissent êtres déployés et mis en service. Nous verrons donc les résultats de ce projet seulement d’ici une dizaine d’années.

December 2013 marked an important turning point in Japan’s evolving security and defence policies. While the debate about Japan’s so-called security ‘normalisation’ has been going on now for more than a decade, by releasing three national security-related documents the conservative government led by Shinzo Abe since 2012 has dissipated any doubts that may still linger regarding the ‘why, what and how’ of Japan’s national security.

In December 2013 the Abe administration adopted the first ever National Security Strategy (NSS) of Japan – together with the country’s new national security doctrine, namely the National Defence Programme Guidelines (NDPG), as well as the Mid-Term Defence Programme for 2014-2019. The last two documents replace the 2010 NDPG and the Mid-Term Defence Programme adopted by the previous, centre-left government of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ). Centred on a policy of ‘proactive contribution to peace’, the NSS sets out the main guidelines for Japan’s national security for the next decade, including for the areas of sea, outer space and energy. It also seeks to promote, both domestically and internationally, a better understanding of the country’s strategic objectives and responses.

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