Operation Bushfire Assist: The Australian Defence Force Responds

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01/13/2020

By Andrew McLaughlin

The Federal government has mobilized the ADF to support rescue and recovery operations for the ongoing bushfire crisis affecting NSW and Victoria.

Following a National Security Committee of Cabinet meeting on January 4, Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Defence Minister Senator Linda Reynolds, and Chief of Defence Force GEN Angus Campbell announced the mobilization of 3,000 mostly-Army reservists, and various air, ground and maritime transport units and assets to support civilian agencies across the vast area of the fires.

The announcement comes after Navy MRH 90 helicopters had already been assisting the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) from September right through to December to conduct fire ground surveillance and mapping and transport services near Sydney and Army Tiger ARH helicopters provided similar services in northern NSW and southern Queensland using their infra-red sensor

Civilian large aerial tanker aircraft and fire-fighting vehicles have also been utilising ADF base infrastructure for several months for refueling and reloading, maintenance and other support services, while ADF geospatial intelligence has been provided for fire mapping.

Further, the ADF has been supporting RFS and other state emergency management agencies with Defence Liaison Officers, Army has provided ground transport, there have been dozens of RAAF C-17A, KC-30A, C-130J and C-27J air transport missions, Army personnel had been assisting with fire break clearing, and all services have provided catering, base and field accommodation, and other support.

Following the rapid escalation of fire activity in Victoria’s East Gippsland area on New Years Eve, the Victorian Government formally requested additional ADF support to assist with the transport of fire crews and equipment around the state, and the evacuation of residents and holiday-makers from communities isolated by fire activity.

The RAN immediately started preparing its on-call humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) vessel for the Christmas/new year period, HMAS Choules, and the training vessel MV Sycamore to sail for from Sydney. Choules was loaded with Army LARC amphibious watercraft, an MRH 90 helicopter, and containers of relief supplies. Both vessels sailed on the afternoon on January 1, arriving off Mallacoota in far eastern Victoria early the next morning.

Army’s 5 Aviation Regiment (5Avn) also generated three CH-47F Chinooks of C SQN which self-deployed from Townsville and arrived at RAAF East Sale on the evening of January 3. Two S-70B-9 Black Hawks from 6Avn self-deployed to East Sale from Holsworthy near Sydney, and a C-17A from 36SQN, a C-130J from 37SQN, and three RAAF C-27Js from 35SQN also deployed to East Sale.

With further extreme weather forecast for January 4 expected to impact fires burning along the NSW south coast and the alpine regions, the Governor General GEN David Hurley authorized the mobilisation of the reserves, and the Commonwealth committed additional assets to the effort.

The federal response has been divided into three major elements; Joint Task Force (JTF) 1111 to support operations in South Australia and Tasmania, JTF 1110 to cover the NSW and ACT areas, and JTF 646 to support operations in Victoria.

The LHD HMAS Adelaide was prepared to deploy from Sydney to Eden on the NSW far south coast, and sailed with two MH-60R helicopters, 300 tonnes of relief supplies, Navy amphibious watercraft, and augmented medical and catering crews.

An additional Chinook and four MRH 90s have self-deployed from Townsville and two more Chinooks are preparing to deploy, while Army combat engineers and aeromedical evacuation (AME) teams were also generated to support the effort across all three JTFs.

RAAF Air traffic controllers have established a flight information service at Bairnsdale Airport in Gippsland to support increased operations there, while an RAAF P-8A Poseidon has provided overhead reconnaissance between East Sale and Mallacoota for ground transport engineering requirements. Also providing aerial reconnaissance is an Army Wasp small unmanned aerial system (SUAS) element from the 20th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery.

Other Army elements are spread across all three JTFs. For JTF 1111, engineers, logistics capabilities and personnel from 9th Brigade have deployed to Kangaroo Island to assist with recovery and clean-up efforts there. JTF 1110 and JTF 646 comprises some 400 personnel from 7th Brigade to support the state emergency services, while additional scoping and advice support have been provided to the ACT in case fires in the alpine region move north towards Canberra.

International military support has also been provided, with New Zealand deploying three RNZAF NH90s to RAAF Edinburgh via RAAF C-17A to bolster transport support in South Australia, and Singapore self-deploying two RSAF CH-47D Chinooks from Oakey in Queensland to East Sale.

This article was published by Australian Defence Business Review on January 7, 2020.

Also, see the following:

Operation Bushfire Assist 2019-2020

 

 

Smoke and haze over mountains near Cooma, New South Wales from a No 11 Squadron P-8A Poseidon conducting damage assessment and surveillance in the bushfire affected area.
Road damage assessment of areas near Cooma, New South Wales from a No 11 Squadron P-8A Poseidon conducting damage assessment and surveillance in the area.
Royal Australian Air Force C-27J Spartan pilots from No. 35 Squadron, work in arduous conditions as they assist evacuees during the bushfires in Mallacoota, Victoria.
Royal Australian Air Force C-27J Spartan pilots from No. 35 Squadron, work in arduous conditions as they assist evacuees during the bushfires in Mallacoota, Victoria.
Royal Australian Air Force C-27J Spartan pilots from No. 35 Squadron, work in arduous conditions as they assist evacuees during the bushfires in Mallacoota, Victoria.
Royal Australian Air Force C-27J Spartan pilots from No. 35 Squadron, work in arduous conditions as they assist evacuees during the bushfires in Mallacoota, Victoria.
Royal Australian Air Force C-27J Spartan pilots from No. 35 Squadron, work in arduous conditions as they assist evacuees during the bushfires in Mallacoota, Victoria.
Royal Australian Air Force C-27J Spartan pilots from No. 35 Squadron, work in arduous conditions as they assist evacuees during the bushfires in Mallacoota, Victoria.
6th Aviation MRH-90 was barely visible on the ground at Polo Flat, NSW, during Operation Bushfire Assist 19-20.
6th Aviation MRH-90 that was involved in bush fire recovery operations, covered in ash in NSW, Australia, during Operation Bushfire Assist 19-20.
Defence, Search and Rescue Aircraft and evacuees transiting Bairnsdale Airport with the Australian Defence Force Transportable Air Operations Tower of 44WG during Operation Bushfire Assist 19-20.
Lance Corporal Michael Coulson uses an Army JD450 bulldozer to manoeuvre a smouldering tree trunk away from an escarpment and onto burnt ground to prevent the log rolling downhill into unburnt bush along Old Bunga Road in Yengo National Park. Australian Army Reserve engineers from Joint Task Force 1110’s 4th Composite Engineer Troop are assisting Hunter Valley emergency services and partners to clear roads and tracks to allow ongoing access for residents and emergency services to the Yengo and Wollemi Nation Parks south of Singleton.
A Royal Australian Air Force C130J Hercules returns from mission to assist with Operation Bushfire Assist 19-20.
A Royal Australian Air Force C130J Hercules taxis through the smoke at RAAF Base Richmond headed on a mission to assist with Operation Bushfire Assist 19-20.
At RAAF Base Richmond, a C-130J Hercules is refuelled for its next task during Operation Bushfire Assist 19-20.
A Royal New Zealand Air Force C130 Hercules lands at RAAF Base Edinburgh delivering New Zealand Army Combat Engineers to assist in Operation Bushfire Assist 19-20.
A Royal New Zealand Air Force C130 Hercules arrives at RAAF Base Edinburgh delivering New Zealand Army Combat Engineers to assist in Operation Bushfire Assist 19-20.
Kobi, an evacuee from Mallacoota, disembarks a LCM8 at HMAS Cerberus during Operation Bushfire Assist.
HMAS Choules' MRH-90 Maritime Support Helicopter at Essendon Airport with the Melbourne skyline in the background.
An Australian Army LCM-8 Landing craft embarked from HMAS Choules and ferries evacuees to HMAS Cerberus.
HMAS Choules' MRH-90 Maritime Support Helicopter makes a final approach to land during Operation Bushfire Assist 19-20.
One of HMAS Adelaide’s landing craft sails towards Eden, NSW during Operation Bushfire Assist 2020.
1st Armoured Regiment ASLAVs (Australian Light Armoured Vehicles) drive along Hog Bay road after arriving on Kangaroo Island during OP Bushfire Assist.
Troopers from the 1st Armoured Regiment dismount their ASLAVs (Australian Light Armoured Vehicles) after arriving at the Kangaroo Island Airport during OP Bushfire Assist.
Troopers from the 1st Armoured Regiment dismount their ASLAVs (Australian Light Armoured Vehicles) consult with South Australian Water workers on routes to a Kangaroo Island water supply in Kingscote during OP Bushfire Assist.
Corporal Michael Russ from the 1st Armoured Regiment moves in a convoy of ASLAVs (Australian Light Armoured Vehicles) during tasks supporting South Australia Water during OP Bushfire Assist.
Plant Vehicles from the 6th Engineer Support Regiment create an urgent firebreak for the emergency services camp at the Kingscote Airport during OP Bushfire Assist.
Royal Navy exchange pilot Lieutenant Commander Nick Grimmer with an MRH-90 Maritime Support Helicopter in fire-stricken NSW.

GPS 2

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The U.S. Air Force and its mission partners successfully launched the first Global Positioning Systems (GPS) III satellite at 8:51 a.m. EST, Dec. 23 from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.

The Lockheed Martin-built satellite, known as “Vespucci,” in honor of Amerigo Vespucci, the Italian explorer for whom the Americas were named, was carried to orbit aboard a Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) Falcon 9 Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle.

CAPE CANAVERAL, CA, UNITED STATES

1/7/19

Video by Krista Knaus

Space and Missile Systems Center Public Affairs

An Update on European Defense Industrial Generated Systems: January 2020

Posted on | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment on An Update on European Defense Industrial Generated Systems: January 2020
01/12/2020

Pierre Tran

Paris

Industrial partners Airbus and Dassault Aviation last month cut an offer to between €7 billion-€8 billion ($7.8 billion-$8.9 billion) from a previous price tag of some €10 billion, to win a production contract for a European medium-altitude long-endurance drone, an industry source said Jan. 9.

The partners slashed the price of their bid to build a twin-engined unmanned aerial vehicle after the four client nations — France, Germany, Italy and Spain — made it clear the initial price tag was too high, the source said.

Airbus is prime contractor, with French Dassault and Italian Leonardo as partners.

The new price is seen as acceptable and opens the debate on who and how an announcement will be made, the source said.

The program manager, European agency OCCAR, or the French arms procurement, Direction Générale de l’Armement, could announce the deal, the source said. Another possibility was for industry to make an announcement.

The DGA declined comment.

Industry presents the UAV as one of the key cooperative projects to boost European arms capability and boost autonomy. France has made it clear that a big price cut was needed to secure the deal.

“There is a major problem on price,” said a Nov. 21 parliamentary report from French senators Cédric Perrin and Hélène Conway-Mouret.

“It appears that there is a spread of close to 30 percent between the price set by the client states, in view of the specifications set in 2017, and the price offered by industry,” said the report on the 2020 budget from the committee for foreign affairs, defense and the armed forces.

In view of a price too high, the partner nations might buy a foreign UAV off the shelf and install a national payload, the report said. That might spark opposition but the fact was that the price sparked sharp debate.

“Industry and the DGA must reach an agreement before the end of the year, otherwise the program will be compromised,” the report said.

An offer has been submitted to OCCAR, Eric Trappier, chairman of GIFAS, the French trade association for aeronautics and space, said at the new year press conference.

“This is a major contract,” which will cover research and development, production and delivery, he said. The project might interest other European nations, he added.

There had been many meetings for negotiations all through 2019, he said, adding that it was important for Europe to acquire this equipment, which he hoped would be backed by financial support from the planned European Defense Fund.

Meanwhile, there was close prospect of a contract for a technology demonstrator for a New Generation Fighter, a key element in the Future Combat Air System.

“Call me an optimist, but the contract for the first phase should be signed in the next few days,” he said.

“We are in the process of notification. There is no problem.”

That was a deal which should have been sealed in 2019, as industry had submitted an offer in June, he said.

Work started in the last quarter of last year to bring Spain into the fighter project and engineers in the three partner countries — France, Germany and Spain — should start soon, he said.

A budget for the development project had yet to be agreed, he said.

The new fighter is due to operate in 2040, with the demonstrator expected to take off in 2026.

“We are right at the beginning,” he said. That is of “fundamental” importance as there was not a program if there was not a start, he added.

Trappier said he constantly told the DGA there was need to build a demonstrator, to cut risk to the program. Such a de-risking could not be done simply on paper and required “the reality of flight” to test the technology.

Now it was time to “mobilize” the budget, energies, and agree the industrial work share, he said. Cooperation between Airbus and Dassault — the lead industrial partners — was not easy but they managed, he added.

It was also important to factor in the supply chain in France, Germany and Spain.

On a new engine for the fighter, Safran and MTU said in a Dec. 3 joint statement the partners had agreed the French company would be prime contractor. The agreement resolved an attempt by the German partner to take a leading role on the project.

The pact referred to the letter of intent signed in February 2019 which said Safran would take the lead in engine design and integration, with MTU leading in engine services.

“In the framework of the contractual scheme defined by France and Germany, Safran Aircraft Engines will be the prime contractor and MTU Aero Engines the main partner for the first phase of research and technology (Phase 1A),” the joint statement said.

The two companies will set up a 50/50 joint venture by the end of 2021 for development, production and service of the new engine.

On the proposed €13 billion for the European Defense Fund, that amount might fall as the overall multi-year budget of the European Union will shrink with the departure of the UK, Trappier said.

France and Germany said in a joint statement at the Oct. 16 bilateral summit in Toulouse, southwest France, the two nations reaffirmed their support for industrial cooperation, in particular the Next Generation Weapons System/Future Combat Air System and Main Ground Combat System programmes.

The latter refers to a system of systems comprising a new tank and a network of manned and unmanned land vehicles.

The photo is from 2018 and shows a full scale model of the proposed European medium-altitude long-endurance drone.

According to an article by Mike Ball published on April 30, 2018: “Airbus Defence and Space has announced that, in conjunction with Dassault Aviation and Leonardo, it has unveiled the first full scale model of the European Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance Remotely Piloted Aircraft (MALE RPAS) at the 2018 ILA Berlin Air Show.

“The unveiling of the full scale model and the reaffirmed commitment of the industrial partners to jointly develop a sovereign solution for European Defence and Security comes after a nearly two-year definition study launched in September 2016 by the four participating nations, Germany, France, Italy and Spain, and follows the Declaration of Intent to work together on a European MALE unmanned aerial system signed by the countries in May 2015.”

Also see the following report which brings together the articles by Pierre Tran, based in Paris, published in 2019 on Second Line of Defense.

A PDF Version of the report can be read below:

Updates from Pierre Tran 2019

An e-book version of the report can be read below:

 

 

B2 Bomber

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01/08/2020

The B-2 Spirit is a multi-role bomber capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear munitions.

A dramatic leap forward in technology, the bomber represents a major milestone in the U.S. bomber modernization program.

The B-2 brings massive firepower to bear, in a short time, anywhere on the globe through previously impenetrable defenses.

11.18.2019

Video by Staff Sgt. James Richardson

Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

Perspectives on French and European Defense Policies: 2019

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01/07/2020

During the past year, Pierre Tran, based in Paris, has provided our readers with insights on the evolution of French and European defense policies.

The series of articles has provided insight into how the Macron Administration has been addressing European defense policy as well, as in the case of Australia, its Pacific policy as well.

We have brought together in one report, the various articles by Pierre Tran which we have published over the past year.

The table of contents for the report can be seen below:

A PDF Version of the report can be read below:

Updates from Pierre Tran 2019

An e-book version of the report can be read below:

Also, see the following:

President Macron’s Economist Interview: Reactions and Implications

French Arm Their Reaper UAVs: Conduct a Strike in Mali

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By defenceWeb

France has for the first time conducted an air strike with one of its Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles in Mali, days after guided bombs were added to the aircraft.

The French military said the strike took place after an operation during the night of 20/21 December that saw French troops neutralising 33 jihadists in the central Malian region of Mopti. The Reaper strike took place on 21 December during a follow-up operation, killing seven fighters. A Mirage 2000 was also used to support ground troops.

French Reapers carried out a firing campaign from Niamey air base in Niger between 15 and 17 December, with four evaluation drops carried out using GBU-12 laser-guided bombs.

France operates three Reaper block 1 UAVs from Niamey and two more from Cognac.

“The armed drones will considerably improve the security of our soldiers on the ground and will strengthen our means in the face of an increasingly fleeting enemy (…) The pressure on armed terrorist groups will only be greater,” said French defence minister Florence Parly in December.

France’s Reapers are first being armed with four GBU-12 laser-guided bombs, already fitted to the Mirage 2000s deployed in the Sahel, and then towards the end of 2020 with Hellfire air-to-ground missiles.

This article was published by defenceWeb on January 7, 2019.

 

 

Nigeria Builds Out Maritime Capacity in 2020

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By defemceWeb

The Nigerian Navy (NN) plans to take delivery of 41 new vessels in 2020, including patrol boats, interceptors and a hydrographic survey vessel.

In mid-December, the Nigerian Navy’s head of policy and plans Rear Admiral Beegroy Ibe-Enwo said it will receive new vessels from France, Malaysia, Vietnam and local manufacturers, adding to the 42 patrol boats and other vessels acquired in 2019.

Ibe-Enwo said the new acquisitions include a 60 metre OSV 160 hydrographic survey vessel from France’s Ocea, two 40 metre fast patrol boats from Damen Shipyard in Vietnam, four Manta class boats from Malaysia’s Suncraft, one helicopter from Italy (most likely an AW109) and 15 riverine patrol boats from Nigeria’s Epenal Group. The Nigerian Navy already has 20 18 metre Manta Mk III boats in service.

Ocea is also constructing two 35 metre FPB 110 fast patrol boats, a 24 metre FPB 72 fast patrol boat and four 17 metre C-Falcon interceptors for the Nigerian Navy, which has already received two FPB 110s, seven FPB 72s and a 35 metre FPB 98.

The Nigerian Navy is constructing its own vessels, and is busy with a third Seaward Defence Boat at the Naval Dockyard in Lagos State as well as two 500-ton self-propelled barges.

Earlier this month Vietnamese media reported that Hanoi-based James Boat Technology Company had delivered 50 composite patrol boats to Nigeria in mid-December 2019. They will be used for patrol, search and rescue and oil rig protection duties. Hong Ha Shipbuilding Company, meanwhile, received an order for ten 15 metre armoured patrol boats from Nigeria.

Naval acquisitions in 2019 included 20 riverine patrol boats, 20 rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIBs) and house boats. Earlier in December, the Nigerian Navy announced it had ordered an LST 100 landing ship from Damen, which is building the vessel at its facilities in the United Arab Emirates.

Maritime security continues to be a major issue in Nigeria, with numerous attacks against vessels in Nigerian waters. Rear Admiral Tariworio Dick, chief of training and operations, said 16 pirate attacks were reported from January to December 2019, with six successful and ten unsuccessful. “This is an improvement in comparison to the records for 2018 where a total of 34 pirate attacks were reported with nine successful and 25 unsuccessful.”

Dick said Nigeria’s oil and gas facilities and shipping is being threatened by piracy, sea robbery, crude oil theft, illegal oil bunkering, unregulated fishing, militancy and hostage taking, which is a major concern to the Navy. Several operations have been launched to combat these threats, with 378 illegal refineries destroyed in 2019, 62 speedboats impounded, 463 wooden boats destroyed and 275 suspects arrested.

This article was published by defenceWeb on January 6, 2020.

The featured photo show an Ocea FP 72 patrol boat.