Strengthening Indo-Pacific Security: Japan and India Reach a Bilateral Agreement on Military Logistical Support

09/16/2020

New Delhi

India and Japan signed an Agreement between the two countries concerning Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services between the Armed Forces of India and The Self-Defense Forces of Japan.

The agreement was signed on September 9th by Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar and Ambassador of Japan Mr Suzuki Satoshi.

According to India Strategic:

This agreement establishes the enabling framework for closer cooperation between the Armed Forces of India and Japan in reciprocal provision of supplies and services while engaged in bilateral training activities, United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, Humanitarian International Relief and other mutually agreed activities.

The agreement will also enhance the interoperability between the Armed Force of India and Japan thereby further increasing the bilateral defence engagements under the Special Strategic & Global Partnership between the two countries. 

And on September 10, 2020, the Prime Ministers of India and Japan talked with one another and highlighted the importance of the agreement.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs highlighted the exchange as follows:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today held a telephonic conversation with his outgoing Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe and conveyed his gratitude for playing a key role in greatly strengthening ties between India and Japan.

In the talks, PM Modi apprised Shinzo Abe his intention to work closely with the new government of Japan and wished him the very best for the future, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

It said the two leaders expressed confidence that the strong momentum attained in partnership between the two countries in the last few years will continue unabated in the future.

Last month, Shinzo Abe decided to resign citing health issues.

“Prime Minister Modi expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Abe for his personal commitment and leadership in greatly strengthening the relationship between the two countries,” the MEA said.

The two leaders also welcomed the signing of a reciprocal logistics support agreement between the Indian Armed Forces and the Self-Defense Forces of Japan.

“They concurred that the agreement will further enhance the depth of defence cooperation between the two countries and contribute to peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region,” the MEA said.

“Made a phone call to my dear friend @AbeShinzo to wish him good health and happiness. I deeply cherish our long association. His leadership and commitment have been vital in taking India-Japan partnership to new heights. I am sure this momentum will continue in the coming years,” PM Modi tweeted.

After years of negotiations, India and Japan on Wednesday signed the landmark agreement that will allow their militaries access each other’s bases for logistics support.

Reaffirming their mutual trust and friendship, PM Modi and Prime Minister Abe recalled their shared experiences during visits to each other’s countries, the MEA said.

It said the two leaders reviewed the status of ongoing cooperation, including the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) project, under the framework of the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership.

They agreed that the strong and enduring partnership between the two countries will play a critical role in charting the course for the global community in the post-COVID world.

The MEA said the two leaders expressed appreciation for the support provided to resident citizens in each other”s countries during the COVID-19 pandemic and agreed that such efforts must be continued to sustain the strong people-to-people ties between the two countries.

For India, Japan is the sixth country to sign such an agreement with India. The others are the United States, France, Australia, South Korea and Singapore. The focus has been upon strengthened naval cooperation through sharing logistics support and working to bolster interoperability among the fleets.

Ultimately, this about Indian focusing on extending its reach into the Indian Ocean.

Reportedly, India is negotiating similar agreements with the UK and Russia.

This agreement provides a boost to the QUAD efforts, involving the U.S., Australia, Japan and India as well.

Featured Photo: 2018 meeting between the two Prime Ministers. Credit; Reuters.

Also, see the following:

The QUAD and Its Evolution: An Indian Perspective

Working New Approaches to Support Naval Expeditionary Force Insertion

In a September 4, 2020 USAF article by Lt. Michael Hardy, Pacific Air Forces Public Affairs, a recent combined exercise in the Indo-Pacific region was highlighted.

It was an exercise which focused on a small naval expeditionary force’s ability to rapidly deploy, integrate with allies, coordinate airstrikes and call for close air support on targets within contested environments.

According to the article:

NAVAL SUPPORT FACILITY DIEGO GARCIA (AFNS) —

B-2 Spirits and B-1 Lancers participated in a combined United States-Australia exercise in Australia’s Northern Territory by providing long-distance air strikes as part of a combined task force with the Marine Rotational Force-Darwin and Australian Defence Forces in August.

B-2s of the 393rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, deployed from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, to Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia, flew roughly 3,991 miles, or 6,424 km, during multiple sorties to operate over Delamere, Bradshaw and Mount Bundley training areas in Australia. Additionally, a squadron of KC-135 Stratotankers from the 909th Air Refueling Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Japan flew to Darwin, Australia to support the bomber presence.

The exercise focused on a small naval expeditionary force’s ability to rapidly deploy, integrate with allies, coordinate airstrikes and call for close air support on targets within contested environments.  

During this combined exercise, MRF-D and ADF joint terminal air controllers coordinated airstrikes with U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancers deployed to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, and the B-2s before passing those same aircraft to tactical units to conducting dynamic targeting, which is striking unplanned and unanticipated targets. 

“It’s imperative that the U.S. Marine Corps and Australian Army work together,” said Australian Army Sgt. Aaron Costes, a JTAC with 102nd Coral Battery. “It’s such a feat that we can infill and have an aircraft come in from such long distances.”

The 393rd EBS bombers provided air-to-ground low pass coverage while U.S. Marines used both traditional and modern forms of target location and confirmation to call for coordinated, rapid-air strikes, including live munitions dropped on targets in a demonstration of the B-2 Spirit’s precision strike capabilities.

The B-2’s low-observable, or stealth, characteristics gives the bomber the ability to penetrate an enemy’s defenses and threaten heavily defended targets. The B-1B is capable of tracking, targeting and engaging moving vehicles, and the fully integrated data link with Link-16 capability provides improved battlefield situation awareness and security beyond line of sight reach back connectivity.

Both nations’ JTACs also worked alongside Australian Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopters and U.S. Marine Corps RQ-21A Blackjacks to identify and surveil simulated targets.

 “Airman and Marines integrate seamlessly together because we speak the same language,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Christopher Conant, Bomber Task Force commander. “We both understand how to maneuver cognitively and physically to achieve an objective.”

The training comes on the heels of the 2020 Australia-U.S. Ministerial Consultations in Washington, D.C., between U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne and Australian Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds July 28. During the meeting, both governments’ officials reaffirmed the countries’ commitment to a stable, secure and prosperous Pacific.   

The 393rd EBS was deployed to Diego Garcia Aug. 11, and also conducted missions into the Bay of Bengal. The 37th EBS was deployed to Guam July 17, where it conducted missions in the East China Sea, South China Sea, and with Japanese Air Self Defense Force and the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps.

Both aircraft deployed to the Indo-Pacific region in recent months as part of the United States’ commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific for both the United States and its allies. The successful deployment and execution of these missions demonstrate the bombers of Air Force Global Strike Command’s abilities to deliver lethal, long-range, strike options anytime, anywhere to allies in the Indo-Pacific region.

 

 

Sea Breeze 2020

Vice Adm. Gene Black, commander, U.S. 6th Fleet discusses Exercise Sea Breeze 2020. USS Porter (DDG 78) is participating in the exercise.

Sea Breeze is a U.S. and Ukraine co-hosted multinational maritime exercise held in the Black Sea and is designed to enhance interoperability of participating nations and strengthen maritime security and peace within the region.

NAPLES, ITALY

07.20.2020

Video by Petty Officer 2nd Class Jacob Stanley

AFN Naples

Valiant Shield 2020

09/15/2020

According to a story published by Anderson Air Force base, Guam on September 11, 2020,

U.S. Indo-Pacific Command forces are participating in exercise Valiant Shield (VS), Sept. 14-25, on Guam and around the Mariana Islands Range Complex.

Participants include USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), USS America (LHA 6), USS New Orleans (LPD 18), USS Germantown (LSD 42) and multiple surface ships — approximately 100 aircraft and an estimated 11,000 personnel from the U.S. Navy, Air Force, Army, and Marine Corps.

Valiant Shield focuses on integration of training in a blue-water environment. This training enables real-world proficiency in sustaining joint forces through detecting, locating, tracking, and engaging units at sea, in the air, on land, and cyberspace in response to a range of mission areas.

“Exercises such as Valiant Shield allow U.S. forces the opportunity to integrate warfighting concepts such as all-domain strike group operations in a joint high end warfare training environment to continuously improve joint lethality,” said Rear Adm. Michael Boyle, director maritime operations, U.S. Pacific Fleet. “It is vitally important that we demonstrate to our allies and partners our strong commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.”

The participating forces will exercise a wide range of warfighting capabilities and demonstrate the inherent flexibility and capability of U.S. naval fleet operations and integration of joint forces.

The range of capabilities include maritime security operations, anti-submarine and air-defense exercises, amphibious operations, and other elements of complex warfighting.

In coordination with military medical personnel and public health personnel, every aspect of Valiant Shield 2020 has been analyzed to ensure the appropriate mitigation measures are taken against COVID-19. The planning focused on protecting service members and their families; preventing the spread of the virus to U.S. forces, local residents, allies, or partners; and ensuring warfighting readiness in order to accomplish assigned missions.

The lessons learned from exercises like Valiant Shield assists U.S. forces in developing regional and global power projection capabilities by integrating warfighting concepts that provide a full range of options to succeed in defense of U.S. interests and those of its allies and partners around the world.

Valiant Shield is a series of military exercises that promote integration among joint forces. Each successive exercise builds on lessons learned from the previous training to enhance complementary capabilities and develop new tactics, techniques, and procedures. This training will provide the deterrence and stabilizing effects of a force-in-being, ready at the outset of a contingency, without the need for force buildup or extensive mission rehearsal.

This is the eighth exercise in the Valiant Shield series that began in 2006.

CH-53K Air Refueling: Reach, Range and Impact for the Insertion Force

Unlike the Chinook, medium lift helicopter, the CH-53K is capable of being refueled while in flight.

If you are looking for speed, range, and heavy lift delivery to an insertion point, the CH-53K is a unique combat asset in the US joint force.

The photos below show the CH-53K King Stallion successfully plugging into a funnel-shaped drogue towed behind a KC-130J during aerial refueling wake testing over the Chesapeake Bay (Pax River, April 6, 2020).

And this refueling capability is part of why the King Stallion is an important capability when considering how to get to the fight with the right kit, at the right time and to make a combat difference.

It is not about building Walmarts any more such as in the Middle East land wars; it is about shaping effectively crisis management events.

In the German case, we looked at how to compare the Chinook and the CH-53K for the German forces, and the two offer very different options and capabilities.

As we pointed out in a comparison of the two platforms as options for the German forces:

If this was the Cold War, where the primary focus was really upon moving support around Germany to reinforce the direct defense of Germany, then there might be a compelling case for the legacy Chinook.

But that is not what Germany is facing in terms of the return of direct defense in Europe.

In our forthcoming book, The Return of Direct Defense in Europe: Meeting the 21st Century Authoritarian Challenge, we focus on the major challenges facing the allies in terms of defense against the Russians in terms of the Poland-to Nordic arc. Within this arc, the challenge is to move force rapidly, to reinforce deterrence and to be able to block Russian movement of force.

Germany faces the challenge of reinforcing their Baltic brigade, moving rapidly to reinforce Poland, and to move force where appropriate to its Southern Flank. In the 2018 Trident Juncture exercise, German forces moved far too slowly to be effective in a real crisis, and it is clear that augmenting rapid insertion of force with lift is a key requirement for Germany to play an effective role.

This is where the CH-53K as a next generation heavy lift helicopter fits very nicely into German defense needs and evolving concepts of operations. The CH-53K operates standard 463L pallets which means it can move quickly equipment and supply pallets from the German A400Ms or C‑130Js to the CH-53K or vice versa.

This is not just a nice to have capability but has a significant impact in terms of time to combat support capability; and it is widely understood that time to the operational area against the kind of threat facing Germany and its allies is a crucial requirement.

With an integrated fleet of C-130Js, A400Ms and CH-53Ks, the task force would have the ability to deploy 100s of miles while aerial refueling the CH-53K from the C-130J.

Upon landing at an austere airfield, cargo on a 463L pallet from a A400M or C-130J can transload directly into a CH-53K on the same pallet providing for a quick turnaround and allowing the CH-53K to deliver the combat resupply, humanitarian assistance supplies or disaster relief material to smaller land zones dispersed across the operating area.

Similarly, after aerial refueling from a C-130J, the CH-53K using its single, dual and triple external cargo hook capability could transfer three independent external loads to three separate supported units in three separate landing zones in one single sortie without having to return to the airfield or logistical hub.

The external system can be rapidly reconfigured between dual point, single point loads, and triple hook configurations, to internal cargo carrying configuration, or troop lift configuration in order to best support the ground scheme of maneuver.

If the German Baltic brigade needs enhanced capability, it is not a time you want to discover that your lift fleet really cannot count on your heavy lift helicopter showing up as part of an integrated combat team, fully capable of range, speed, payload and integration with the digital force being built out by the German military.

It should be noted that the CH-53K is air refuelable; the Chinook is not.

And the CH-53 K’s air refuelable capability is built in for either day or night scenarios.

A 2019 exercise highlighted the challenge if using the Chinooks to move capability into the corridor.

In the Green Dagger exercise held in Germany, the goal was to move a German brigade over a long distance to support an allied engagement. The Dutch Chinooks were used by the German Army to do the job.

But it took them six waves of support to get the job done.

Obviously, this is simply too long to get the job done when dealing with an adversary who intends to use time to his advantage. In contrast, if the CH-53K was operating within the German Army, we are talking one or two insertion waves.

And the distributed approach which is inherent in dealing with peer competitors will require distributed basing and an ability to shape airfields in austere locations to provide for distributed strike and reduce the vulnerabilities of operating from a small number of known airbases.

Here the CH-53K becomes combat air’s best friend. In setting up Forward Operating Bases (FOBs), the CH-53K can distribute fuel and ordnance and forward fueling and rearming points for the fighter aircraft operating from the FOBs.

Being a new generation helicopter it fits into the future, not the past of what the Bundeswehr has done in the Cold War. It is not a legacy Cold War relic, but a down payment on the transformation of the Bundeswehr itself into a more reactive, and rapid deployment force to the areas of interest which Germany needs to be engaged to protect its interests and contribute to the operational needs of their European allies.

For our report on the CH-53K, see the following:

 

 

 

Presidents Macron and Erdogan: Navigating or Generating a European Crisis?

09/14/2020

By Pierre Tran

Paris – France may be a middle rank military power but the head of state pursues an active foreign policy, seeking to be a bridge over troubled waters around the world.

President Emmanuel Macron has strengthened political ties with Greece, opening the way to the prospective sale of Rafale fighter jets to the Greek air force, part of Athens’s  drive to re-arm its forces.

But that diplomatic, military and commercial victory will have poured more fuel on fiery relations between Macron and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

There is something highly personal in the row between Macron and Erdogan.

The Turkish leader spoke clearly Sept. 12 when he told Macron to be careful: “don’t mess with Turkey.”

Erdogan spelled out that warning in a speech to the nation, marking the 40th anniversary of army general Kenan Evren seizing power in a military coup in 1980.

Erdogan has steered Turkey through deadly conflicts in Iraq, Libya, Syria, and other points of tension around the Mediterranean.

France is also playing an active role in those armed struggles, as countries bordering the Mediterranean are clearly in the Paris back yard.

To make it clear it was personal not political, Erdogan called on Macron to consider the clock was ticking and his term as president was running out.

French voters go to the polls in 2022, while Erdogan was re-elected in 2018 and can stay in office for two five-year terms.

Macron was a surprise candidate in the May 2017 election and won on a reform ticket. Then along came the coronavirus.

Erdogan was speaking in response to Macron calling on European partners to act firmly with the Erdogan administration, making clear that was not an attack on the Turkish people.

Macron was speaking ahead of a meeting of leaders of seven Mediterranean nations, held on Corsica, dubbed in France as the island of beauty.

French relations with Turkey have been troublesome for some time.

Nicolas Sarkozy, the then president, called on Ankara to assume responsibility for the massacre of Armenians in 1915, and campaigned for a French law to make it illegal to deny the slaughter took place.

That draft legislation failed to make it on the statute books, but the message was clear to the Armenian community in France.

France has also refused Turkey joining the European Union, a struggling community of nations but still an economic force to be reckoned with.

Turkey may also be a key member of NATO, holding a strategic position with the Middle East, North Africa, and Western and Eastern Europe within reach.

But in Macron’s view, that alliance is brain dead.

For the Elysée office, a reflection of that lack of mental activity can be seen in NATO  declining to back French allegations a Turkish warship switched on its targeting radar on a French warship while on a Nato naval mission in the Mediterranean.

In Beirut, Macron was hailed as a force for political reform when he flew to the Lebanese capital in the wake of the deadly explosion last month.

That warm welcome in the street was abroad, while French critics said Macron should stay at home and deal with the deadly spread of COVID 19.

At home, the pandemic has led to a spike up in unemployment to 4.5 million jobless, and Macron has unveiled a €100 billion recovery plan.

At a time when Germany is seeking an orderly hand over of political power, Macron can claim to be the European trouble shooter in world affairs, now he has focused upon Turkey and the Turkish-Greek conflict.

Turkey is a regional force, with which France must deal.

How to do so is hard, given the bitter relations between the two leaders.

Featured photo: NEW YORK, USA – SEPTEMBER 19, 2017 : President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) shakes hands with President of France Emmanuel Macron (R) during the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly in New York, United States on September 19, 2017. (Photo by Kayhan Ozer/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Re-Shaping Infrastructure for the Defense of Australia: The RAAF Base Tindal Upgrade

By Australian Defence Business Review

An extensive construction program to upgrade RAAF Base Tindal in the Northern Territory to be able to better support and operate new RAAF and foreign air power capabilities has commenced.

The $1.1 billion project will see almost every element of Tindal’s infrastructure, services, and facilities upgraded.

These include a major airfield works and associated infrastructure project which will see the runway and taxiways lengthened and widened, a new air movements ramp and terminal, a dramatic increase in aviation fuel storage, a major re-investment in the base’s electrical, water and sewerage services, and will provide additional living-in accommodation for RAAF personnel posted to the base.

Also planned are new facilities to accommodate the F-35 Lightning II fighters of 75SQN, new visiting squadron headquarters building and accommodation, and facilities to accommodate the MQ-4C Triton maritime UAS.

The longer runway, larger fuel farm, and increased air movements ramp will allow up to four KC-30A MRTTs to be based at Tindal during major exercises or operations in Australia’s north.

“Over the next decade, the planned works will further enhance Defence air combat capability and our engagement with allies and other nations through the conduct of joint exercises, including our Enhanced Air Cooperation with the United States Air Force,” Defence Minister Senator Linda Reynolds said in a statement.

The “RAAF Base Tindal redevelopment project will also address critical upgrades to base engineering services including power, water, and sewerage to support current and future projected demands on base infrastructure.”

The runway will be lengthened from 9,000 feet to 11,000 feet and the shoulders widened from three metres to 10.5 metres to accommodate large aircraft wingspan overhang, while the taxiways will also be widened to accommodate the larger aircraft. These larger aircraft include bombers, tanker, and transport aircraft that may be deployed to Tindal as part of the US Force Posture Initiative.

The runway will have an operational readiness platform at each end, while the new air movements ramp and terminal will be located north of the current ramp.

Work is expected to be complete in 2027.

This article was published by ADBR on September 8, 2020.

The author of this article was Andrew McLaughlinR

243rd Air Traffic Control Squadron

Members from the 243rd Air Traffic Control Squadron with the 153rd Airlift Wing Wyoming Air National Guard, deploy their mobile air traffic control tower equipment to guide multiple C-130 Hercules airplanes with the Wyoming Air National Guard to a tactical airstrip on July 14, 2020 at Camp Guernsey, Wyo.

The 243rd ATCS is one of only ten Air National Guard Air Traffic Control Squadrons located throughout the United States.

Their mission is to deploy and employ Air Traffic Control services worldwide and an important part of the Guard air traffic control mission includes establishing bases in locations without existing air traffic control facilities.

GUERNSEY, WY, UNITED STATES

07.14.2020

Video by Tech. Sgt. Jonathon Alderman

153rd Airlift Wing