Norwegian Updates on The Standup of Their F-35s

Posted on | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment on Norwegian Updates on The Standup of Their F-35s
06/05/2018

On May 22, 2018, three additional F-35s arrived at Ørland Air Base in Norway.

According to a Norwegian Ministry of Defence press release dated May 23, 2018:

Six aircraft are now on Norwegian soil. – Our new F-35s are a major investment and the most important acquisition to strengthen the defence capabilities of our Armed Forces, said Defence Minister Frank Bakke-Jensen.

Delivered on time, the three new aircraft represent a new milestone in our acquisition program.

We are now another step closer to reaching Full Operation Capability with the F-35 in 2025. Until then, we have a lot of infrastructure to build on the two air bases Ørland and Evenes; New equipment and systems need to be fitted, and dedicated personnel are being educated and trained on the new combat aircraft system to be able to ensure Norway’s safety and sovereignty in the future.

The F-35 will significantly strengthen our Armed Forces’ joint defence capability, said the Defence Minister.

According to the plan, Norway will receive six new F-35s every year until 2024. Today’s arrival follows the delivery of the three first aircraft in November 2017. 

Since then, the Norwegian Air Force has been carrying out operational testing and evaluation of the F-35 in Norwegian conditions, aiming for Initial Operational Capability (IOC) in 2019.

“With the F-35, we are introducing a completely new concept, requiring our entire Armed Forces to adapt and innovate. I am confident of the efforts our dedicated personnel are putting in to reach Initial Operational Capability in 2019, and that we will reach this important milestone by the end of 2019, “ said the Defence Minister.

A major capability

 Based on the Storting’s (Norwegian Parliament) ambitions, Norway plans to acquire up to 52 F-35 combat aircraft for national defence purposes. The number is verified by analyses carried out by the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment and the Ministry of Defence, and confirmed by the latest threat assessments and the Armed Forces’ Long-term Plan.

‘We will conclude our acquisition and reach Full Operational Capability by 2025. The F-35 can identify, locate, strike heavily defended targets, and it offers high survivability faced with modern threats. The aircraft is difficult to detect on radar and can operate in high-threat areas where today’s F-16 cannot.

‘The F-35 has sensors with great reach and high resolution, which offers good situational awareness for both our own and allied forces. An advanced weapons system, the F-35 offers a major capability that will strengthen our ability to react quickly to threats over great distances,’ said Major General Morten Klever, Director for the F-35 acquisition program at the Ministry of Defence.

Major investment in national security

The F-35 acquisition is within the cost framework approved by the Storting.

“We conduct thorough cost analyses annually, and work continuously to ensure that we keep costs down. This is a major investment in terms of money, but it is an even greater investment in Norwegian security, “said the Defence Minister.

Training and education on track 

In addition to the six aircraft now at Oerland Air Base, the Norwegian Air Force has seven F-35s stationed at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, USA. These are being used for training and education.

https://www.regjeringen.no/en/aktuelt/three-new-f-35-aircraft-to-norway/id2601930/

And in February 2018, Norway successfully tested its drag chutes for its F-35s.

According to a Ministry of Defence press release dated February 20, 2018:

While The US Air Force is completing another round of cold-weather testing of the F-35A at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, Norway completed a successful verification of the drag chute system at Ørland Air Force Base in Norway February 16th.

“Receiving the first three aircraft in November 2017 was a major milestone for Norway. The program delivers on all key criteria: Time, cost and performance. Through the verification of the production version of the drag chute on our production model of the F-35, the weapons system is expected to fully qualify for arctic conditions this spring,” says Major General Morten Klever, Program Director for the F-35 program in Norway’s Ministry of Defence.

The chute — unique to the Norwegian aircraft — is housed under a small fairing on the upper rear fuselage between the vertical tails. It is being added in order to rapidly decelerate Royal Norwegian Air Force F-35s after landing on the country’s icy runways when there are challenging wind conditions. Other country’s may adopt the system.

The Royal Norwegian Air Force had three aircraft delivered to Norway, Ørland in November 2017. From 2018, Norway will receive six aircraft annually up until, and including, 2024.

https://www.regjeringen.no/en/aktuelt/historisk-forste-gang-kampflyet-f-35-benyttet-bremseskjerm-i-norge/id2590220/

For our look at the introduction and evolution of the F-35 in the Nordic region based on visits to Denmark and Norway, see the following Special Report:

https://sldinfo.com/2018/05/the-nordics-and-the-strategic-shift/

 

TALONEX and WTI: The Marines Shape Ground-Air Innovations Which Can Come from the Sea

Posted on | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment on TALONEX and WTI: The Marines Shape Ground-Air Innovations Which Can Come from the Sea
06/04/2018

As the Aviation aspect of Marine Corps capabilities are transformed over time, first Osprey, then the F-35 and then the CH-53K and onwards, working how the Ground Combat Element benefits from and contributes to the kind of innovations in operations that are possible is a major challenge.

One way the Marines are addressing this is running a GCE exercise interactively in conjunction with the MAWTS-1 WTI course. This video from 2017 describes the approach.

Credit Video: U.S. Marines and Sailors with 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, participate in Talon Exercise (TalonEx) 2-17, U.S. Army Yuma Proving Grounds, Yuma, A.Z., March 20 – May 1, 2017. The purpose of TalonEx was for ground combat units to conduct integrated training in support of the Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course (WTI) 2-17 hosted by Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1). (U.S. Marine Corps video by Cpl. Dani A. Zunun)

And in an article written by Lance Cpl. Isaac Cantrell, and published on March 30, 2018, innovations from the Ground Command Element working with the Aviation Command Element side by side to leverage simulation in the innovation process is highlighted,.

Twentynine Palms — Marines with various aviation units completed Command Post Exercise 2 at the Battle Simulation Center aboard the Combat Center, March 29, 2018.

CPX-2 is a two-part training event that focuses on training battalion staff and is a part of TALONEX 2-18, a pre-deployment training event that coincides with Weapons and Tactics Instructors Course.

Throughout CPX-2, Marines at the Battle Simulation Center utilized multiple simulations in conjunction with other units at Camp Wilson aboard the Combat Center, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., and Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz. According to Maj. Jesse Attig, modeling and simulations officer, Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command, this is all part of an effort called Marine Air Ground Task Force Tactical Integrated Training Environment.

“The idea behind the MAGTF TITE effort is to create a persistent capability which permits collective training in a distributed and constructive environment in order to enhance integrated training,” Attig said. “During TALONEX 2-18, Marine pilots, Joint Terminal Attack Controllers, the Direct Air Support Center and Fire Support Coordination Center/Fire Direction Center will train in conjunction with battalion staff using distributed simulation.”

CPX-2 utilized a constructive simulation called MAGTF Tactical Warfare Simulation, which served as the hub for the training. To run their high-fidelity cockpit trainers and to fly a virtual unmanned aircraft system, the Battle Simulation Center used a virtual simulation called Virtual Battle Space 3.

“Using multiple simulations together does create a lot of challenges and issues, such as making sure that one model that comes up in one simulation will appear the same way in another and making sure that the terrain is the same across all platforms,” Attig said. “We continue to work through these issues to try to refine the simulations and make them more realistic.”

Another goal of the MAGTF TITE initiative is to provide more realistic training for Marines. According to the Ground Training Simulation Implementation Plan of June 2017, using simulations allows Marines and units to replicate situations and conditions that are more difficult to enact in certain on-the-ground training environments.

“This training helps to emphasize operational cohesion by providing more realism in an exercise where you’re relying on the proficiency of other Marines, as well as the realistic nature of the uncertainty and miscommunication that can occur when it’s real individuals participating instead of a role player,” Attig said. “It allows for more development on critical thinking and exposure to non-standard events and increased integration with external factors.”

“I’m very appreciative of the support and flexibility that we’re getting from the Marines who are participating because they understand that there are challenges associated with experimental training exercises,” Attig said. “The feedback we get from them helps to shape the way we move forward with setting up future simulation-based exercises. This wouldn’t be possible without the support of the Marines and agencies participating.”

 

 

The Naval Strike Missile for Cross Domain Fires

Posted on | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment on The Naval Strike Missile for Cross Domain Fires
06/03/2018

The recent decision by the US Navy to procure the Naval Strike Missile clearly opens up greater opportunities for the Raytheon-Kongsberg team.

In this excerpt from a video published by Navy Recognition from the Surface Warfare Symposium 2018, Raytheon and Kongsberg discuss one of those opportunities, namely supporting the US Army and Marine Corps for land-based cross-domain fire support.

The video is credited to Navy Recognition.

The U.S. Army will demonstrate the “cross domain fires / cross domain integration” concept by firing an NSM against a ship target at sea during the joint exercise taking place in (and off) the island of Hawaii. A contract was awarded to Raytheon for this.

The first mention of this live test came from the Chief of U.S Pacific Command, Amiral Harris, talking at the Association of the United States Army LANPAC Symposium and Exposition last year in May.

“Significant to this audience, during RIMPAC 2018, USARPAC will fire a Naval Strike Missile from the shore to sink a ship.”Admiral Harris said at the Army symposium last year.

Talking to Navy Recognition at SNA 2018, Tom Copeman, Vice President, Business Development, Air Warfare Systems at Raytheon Missile Systems, said “The missile, no matter where you shoot it from, can hit moving targets at sea or can hit a target stationary ashore so it is designed from the get go to be a cross domain capable weapon”.

Gary Holst, Senior Director, Business Development at Kongsberg said “We think that the emphasis on cross domain and bringing all shooters together in a distributed fashion to mass on a target or targets provides a wonderful opportunity, we are just really excited about it!”.

The Allied Dimension in Play: The US Navy Selects the Naval Strike Missile

Posted on | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment on The Allied Dimension in Play: The US Navy Selects the Naval Strike Missile

By Robbin Laird

Last week, the Pentagon announced that Raytheon has won a $14.8 million contract to purchase the Naval Strike Missile for the Littoral Combat Ship and to put it in line to do the same for the new class of frigates which the US Navy is postured to buy.

According to a story published by USNI News:

The award calls for the delivery of the Kongsberg designed, “encanistered missiles loaded into launching mechanisms; and a single fire control suite.” The contract did not specify how many missiles were paid for in the contract, but USNI News understands the Thursday award buys about a dozen missiles.

The subsonic NSM has been in service with the Royal Norwegian Navy since 2012. The weapon has a range of about 100 nautical miles with a cost of slightly less than the Raytheon Tomahawk Block IV cruise missile (the Navy quotes the price per round of the TLAMs at $569,000 per round in FY 1999 dollars (about $868,000 in 2018, adjusted for inflation).

The companies announced they would pair together to compete for new U.S. anti-ship missile contracts in 2015. In 2016 Raytheon and Kongsberg agreed to assemble and test the Norwegian missile’s components in Raytheon’s Tucson, Ariz. facility and the launchers at Raytheon’s plant in Louisville, Ky.

Raytheon has paired with Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace (KDA) in the missile world for some time, and they have a recent win as well in an Australian competition where the NASAM has been selected by the Australian Army.

As described on the Kongsberg website:

When searching for missiles for its new frigates and coastal corvettes, the Royal Norwegian Navy studied thoroughly existing missiles on the market and the planned upgrades of these. None of these missiles were found to satisfy the requirements of a modern navy well into 2015 and beyond. It was therefore decided to develop a completely new missile based on latest technology, the NSM.

NSM is the only fifth generation long range precision strike missile in existence as per today. Already chosen by the Royal Norwegian Navy for its new frigates and new coastal corvettes, the NSM will be fully operational on these ships when they enter service in the near future. The NSM is also selected by the Polish Navy for use on its new coastal artillery installations.

The NSM is a very flexible system which can be launched from a variety of platforms against a variety of targets.

The airframe design and the high thrust to weight ratio gives the NSM extremely good maneuverability. The missile is completely passive, has proven its excellent sea skimming capabilities and with its advance terminal maneuvers it will survive the enemy air defences.  The Autonomous Target Recognition (ATR) of the seeker ensures that the correct target is detected, recognised and hit, at sea or on land.

Obviously, the US Navy agrees.

And in a little noticed deployment in 2014, the Norwegians brought a frigate to RIMPAC.

Chris Cavas of Defense News has highlighted the importance of the missile exporting mission as a motivator for coming to RIMPAC 14.

And the crew of the Aegis frigate Fridtjof Nansen — the first Norwegian ship to take part in the huge Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercises — did just that when they fired a single surface-to-surface missile and scored a dramatic hit on an old target ship.

“It was a very successful shot.

The missile performed exactly as programmed and expected,” Cmdr. Per Rostad, the ship’s commanding officer, said in an interview Saturday.

Speaking via satellite phone while his ship was underway near Hawaii, Rostad would not provide details of specific features demonstrated in the July 10 live fire exercise, when the Fridtjof Nansen launched a Naval Strike Missile (NSM) at the decommissioned US Navy amphibious ship Ogden.

“But the missile system has a number of features that make it unique on the market and we were able to demonstrate those features,” Rostad said. “We also demonstrated some agility.”

Developed by Kongsberg, the NSM is designed to be highly maneuverable, and features an autonomous target recognition capability that allows it to recognize ships of a particular class or design, and even to target specific areas of a ship based on its silhouette.

“The key takeaway from the NSM exercise,” Rostad said, “is the missile was demonstrated to work just as well in a tropical climate as in an arctic climate.

Norwegian Frigate at RIMPAC 2014: The Norwegian Naval Strike Missile on Display from SldInfo.com on Vimeo.

The NSM comes into the context of a broader set of developments underscoring the advantages of shaping a family of missile systems for a fleet as well.=

The JSM is designed to be a family of systems, with an air launched variant, and this has been a key driver for Norwegian government investment.

In looking at the F-35 as a global program, not simply an aircraft but a key enabler of a 21st century air-combat enterprise, we noted earlier:

With the F-35 the situation is totally different.  The F-35A to be purchased by Norway has the same software as every other global F-35, and so integration on the Norwegian F-35 provides an instant global marketplace for Kongsberg.  And the international team marketing the aircraft – is de facto – working for Kongsberg as well.

It is very likely, for example, that Asian partners in the F-35 will find this capability to be extremely interesting and important.  And so Kongsberg’s global reach is embedded in the global reach of the F-35 itself.

And since I wrote that in 2014, both the Australians and Japanese are working with Kongsberg along these lines.

In a story we published on June 29, 2107, we highlighted the allied engagement around this family of systems.

During a visit to Norway earlier this year, the Norwegian Deputy Minister of Defense underscored the importance of allies building new missile capabilities for the F-35 as a coalition aircraft.

In the discussion with Mr. Øystein BØ, the State Secretary and Deputy Defense Minister at the Norwegian Ministry of Defense, the F-35 and the Norwegian JSM was discussed as follows:

An aspect of the F-35 program, which is not generally realized, is the importance of allied investments in capabilities, which can be used across the F-35 global enterprise.

In the Norwegian case, the Joint Strike Missile (JSM), which is considered a crucial asset in providing for maritime defense of Norway, is available to other NATO-allies flying the F-35 as well.

“This is a 21st century aspect of burden sharing as our investments in ‘our’ missile benefits all F-35 users of this missile across the globe, whether in Japan, Australia or in Europe.”

“It is not money that just goes directly into our armed forces, but it’s a lot of money that goes into developing capabilities that the alliance needs. It is about contributing to our joint security as well.”

In April 2017, the Australian Department of Defence signed on with Kongsberg to work on the JSM.

According to Australian Aviation:

Kongsberg Defence Systems has entered into a contract with Defence for the integration of a new capability in the Joint Strike Missile (JSM) worth the equivalent of $23 million.

The unique, state-of-the-art radio frequency (RF) seeker sensor developed by BAE Systems Australia will enable the JSM to locate targets on the basis of their electronic signature, Kongsberg said in a statement.

This contract is a result of an agreement between Australia and Norway to cooperate on the further development of the JSM that was announced in February 2015.

“JSM is the fifth-generation long-range precision strike missile that will be integrated for internal carriage on the F-35,” Kongsberg stated. “Using a combination of advanced materials, ability to fly low, while following the terrain and using advanced passive seekers, the missile is extremely difficult to detect and stop, even for the most advanced countermeasures and defence systems.”

BAE Systems stated that the signing of the contract will enable Kongsberg to continue the integration and qualification of the passive RF sensor.

“The company will provide a low-cost, lightweight and highly sensitive electronic support measure receiver for incorporation on JSM, which will feature an additional land attack and littoral attack capability, as well as a two-way communications line for target adjustment and inflight termination,” BAE Systems stated.

“In its work with Kongsberg, BAE Systems has delivered a pre-production passive RF sensor for the JSM program, which was used to perform fit checks, system integration and support flight-testing in a development-standard missile.”

In support of the contract, BAE Systems will supply new sensors to Kongsberg for use in its qualification activities.

“This is a great example of niche technology being developed through government and industry collaboration that has the potential to provide long-term, sustainable exports for Australia,” said BAE Systems Australia chief executive Glynn Phillips.

The company stated that the technology was developed with the support of a Defence-funded program, and that it received a grant in 2013 to help commercialise the technology.

“We are very pleased that Australia joins the development of JSM by funding the integration of the RF seeker, and that we together can increase the JSM capabilities,” said Eirik Lie, president of Kongsberg Defence Systems.

Now Japan is moving forward in considering JSM for its own F-35s as a land attack and naval attack component for its air combat force.

According to a June 26, 2017 article published by Yomiuri Shimbun, the Japanese Government mulls equipping F-35s with air-to-surface missiles.

The government is considering equipping cutting-edge F-35 stealth fighters with air-to-surface missiles, which are capable of striking remote targets on land, and plans to deploy these fighters to the Air Self-Defense Force, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.

It will become the first introduction of such missiles for the Self-Defense Forces. The government hopes to allocate relevant expenses in the fiscal 2018 budget, according to sources close to the government. The main purpose of the introduction is to prepare for emergencies on remote Japanese islands, while some experts believe the government is also eyeing possession of the capability of attacking targets such as enemy bases for the purpose of defending the country.

According to the sources, F-35 fighter jets that will replace the ASDF’s F-4 fighter aircraft are employed by U.S. forces and others. The F-35 aircraft has an advanced stealth capability that makes the aircraft less visible on enemy radar. The ASDF plans to introduce a total of 42 units of the F-35 and gradually deploy them to the Misawa Air Base in Aomori Prefecture starting at the end of this fiscal year. The government is considering introducing some additional capabilities for the aircraft.

The most likely option the government is currently focusing on is the Joint Strike Missile (JSM) that is being developed mainly by Norway, which also participated in an international project to develop the F-35. The ASDF currently has no air-to-surface missile capabilities, but the JSM has both air-to-ship and air-to-surface capabilities, with an estimated range of about 300 kilometers.

The Defense Ministry is building up national defense systems to defend remote islands, such as the Nansei Islands. In addition to deploying new Osprey transport aircraft to the Ground Self-Defense Force, the ministry plans to create an amphibious rapid deployment brigade, similar to other nations’ marines.

As an air-to-surface missile has a long range, it is possible to effectively strike a target from safe airspace. For this to be possible, the ministry decided it was necessary to consider introducing the JSM to prepare for situations such as preventing foreign military vessels from approaching remote islands or the SDF launching an operation to regain control of an occupied island.

Meanwhile, if the F-35 aircraft with an advanced stealth capability is equipped with long-range air-to-surface missiles, it will effectively be possible to use the F-35 to attack bases in foreign countries.

The government has said that the Constitution allows Japan to possess the capability of striking enemy bases, but the nation does not actually possess the capability as its political decisions have been based on an exclusively defense-oriented policy.

If Japan introduces air-to-surface missiles, it could prompt opposition from neighboring countries. Therefore, the government is believed to be seeking the understanding of those countries by explaining that it does not intend to use the capability to attack enemy bases, but to defend remote islands.

However, with North Korea continuing its nuclear and missile development programs and repeatedly conducting provocative actions, there are growing calls for the government to possess the capability to strike enemy bases to improve Japan’s deterrence.

Amid such a situation, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has expressed on multiple occasions his intention to consider the issue. On June 20, the Liberal Democratic Party’s Research Commission on Security compiled an interim report on proposals for the next medium-term defense program for fiscal 2019-23, in which it called for the government to swiftly start discussions on possessing the capability to attack enemy bases. 

Editor’s Note: In a briefing from Kongsberg on their naval and joint strike missiles, they highlighted the relationship between the two as follows:

In short, the US is leveraging allied investments along the line which I highlighted in my report on the strategic opportunity to do so.

As the US looks to develop new capabilities, in many ways, a key way to accelerate modernization is embracing foreign capabilities

The shift from slo mo to preparing for high tempo and high intensity operations is a major challenge for the US military and its allies. It is about a culture shift, a procurement shift, an investment shift. But mobilization is even more important than modernization.

To get ready for the shift, inventory needs to become more robust, notably with regard to weapons. In visiting US bases, a common theme in addition to readiness and training shortfalls, is the challenge of basic inventory shortfalls.

The Trump Administration has come to power promising to correct much of this. But there simply is not enough time and money to do readiness and training plus ups, mobilization and rapid modernization.

Donald Trump as a businessman might take a look at how DoD could actually functions as an effective business in equipping the force and having highlighted the question of allies might be pleased to learn of significant allied investments in new combat systems which his own forces can use, thus saving money and enhancing capability at the same time.

One way to augment the force would be to do something which would seem to be at odds with the Make America Great notion. As one of my Danish friends put it well: “I have no problem with the idea of making America great again. For me, the question is how?”

One way to do so would be leverage extant allied programs and capabilities which if adopted by the US forces would save money but even more importantly ramp up the operational capability of the US forces and their ability to work with allies in the shortest time possible. By so doing, the US could target investments where possible in break through programs which allies are NOT investing in.

Leverage Allied Investments and Combat Learning Experience in Modernizing the U.S. Military

From Sea Ceptor to Land Ceptor: The UK Trials Its New Air Defence Missile

Posted on | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment on From Sea Ceptor to Land Ceptor: The UK Trials Its New Air Defence Missile
06/02/2018

MBDA is building a new generation of missile defense capabilities, built in part around a common missile.

Recently, the UK MoD announced the arrival of the Sea Ceptor for its frigates. he Sea Ceptor is a sea-based supersonic missile defence system developed by MBDA for the UK’s Royal Navy.

The Sea Ceptor is based on MBDA’s common anti-air modular missile (CAMM). CAMM is being developed in three versions – CAMM (M) for maritime, CAMM (L) for land and CAMM (A) for air defence. CAMM (M) is the first to be developed, in the form of the Sea Ceptor.

https://sldinfo.com/2018/05/the-arrival-of-the-sea-ceptor-missile-system/

https://sldinfo.com/2018/01/sea-ceptor-test-firings-completed-a-21st-century-air-defense-capability-at-sea/

In a story published by the UK MoD on May 28, 2018, the focus was upon the Land Ceptor weapon system.

Trials of the new Land Ceptor weapon took place close to the Baltic Sea on a Swedish test fire range, with video footage showing a missile being launched from a vehicle and destroying an aerial target in a display of the new weapon’s accuracy and power.

Built by MBDA, Land Ceptor comprises the Common Anti-air Modular Missile (CAMM), a launcher vehicle and two fire unit support vehicles. It is being developed to protect British troops on operations from aerial threats, including hostile combat aircraft and air-launched munitions.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

“In the face of intensifying threats, it is vital that our Armed Forces have the capabilities to keep Britain safe.

“Land Ceptor will be a formidable battlefield barrier, protecting our troops from strikes and enemy aircraft while on operations.”

Land Ceptor is highly mobile, can be rapidly deployed across challenging terrain, and be brought into action in less than 20 minutes.

From the same family of weapons systems as Sea Ceptor, which will defend the Royal Navy’s Type 23 and Type 26 Frigates, Land Ceptor will provide the stopping power within the cutting-edge Sky Sabre air defence system, and will equip 16th Regiment, Royal Artillery.

The success of the Land Ceptor trials follows the Defence Secretary’s recent announcement of Sea Ceptor entering service with the Royal Navy proves CAMM’s effectiveness both in the land and maritime environments.

The trial, which followed previous munitions tests, was the first time Land Ceptor had been test-fired as a whole system, including the cutting-edge SAAB Giraffe radar.

The development and manufacture of Land Ceptor is enabled through a £250 million contract between Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) and MBDA. Work to develop both Land Ceptor and Sea Ceptor is sustaining 760 MBDA jobs in the UK.

DE&S Director Weapons, Richard Smart, said:

“This trials firing is an important stepping stone towards bringing Land Ceptor into service with the British Army as part of the wider Sky Sabre air defence system. Land Ceptor performed as expected and the firing has helped us to verify innovative modelling of overall system performance.

“The DE&S project team, based in Bristol, will continue to work closely with our suppliers to ensure this cutting-edge system provides an effective shield for UK troops as they, in turn, protect the UK’s security and interests.”

Land Ceptor has far greater battlefield awareness and intelligence than the current Rapier system as its engagement range is three times greater and the Giraffe radar and Rafael Battlespace Management Command, Control, Compute, Communicate and Inform (BMC4I) system within Sky Sabre will be able to observe incoming threats from seven times further away.

The missiles can be launched in quick succession to defeat as many as eight different threats at once, even if obstacles such as trees and terrain are in the way.

The system will now undergo further development and trials before Sky Sabre enters service, in the early 2020s.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/british-armys-new-air-defence-missile-blasts-airborne-target-by-baltic-sea

The featured photo shows Land Ceptor completing it’s first successful firing trials. Crown copyright.

UK Defense, European Defense and Brexit: Note 3

Posted on | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment on UK Defense, European Defense and Brexit: Note 3
06/01/2018

The defense industrial side of Brexit is clearly tied up with the general dynamics of whatever trade and circulation of skills and labor generally agreed to between the UK and the European Union.

But defense is an area where exceptions in regulations are often the rule; but they clearly are affected by the general state of trade, notably the commercial aerospace trade arrangements.

Brexit is occurring at a time of profound change in Europe, triggered perhaps in part by Brexit, but due to a wide range of dynamics which are clearly leading to the politics within nations focused on their future and the kind of European working relationships those nations wish to see.

It is very clear that Brexit provides a major challenge to UK defense and aerospace industry given that the major focus and major capabilities in those sectors rests on their role in global supply chains and programs, many of which are European. 

Airbus is a central player in the UK aerospace industry, and in defense as well.  Leonardo is many ways a UK-Italian company.  MBDA is a Franco-UK company with German and Italian aspects. Thales has a very large UK component which both complements and challenges its French dominant part of the company.

A recent note published by the London-based Centre for European Reform written by Sophia Beech underscores a way to look at the challenge:

The UK should also seek an administrative agreement, similar to Norway’s, with the European Defence Agency (EDA), which oversees EU defence capability development. It would not have full voting or veto rights, but could contribute to EDA projects and attend some committee meetings. 

And it should negotiate arrangements with the EU that allow UK organisations to tender for EU projects within the Defence Fund and the next framework programme for research and innovation. 

If it wants to protect British firms’ participation in European defence co-operation, Britain will also have to conclude an information-sharing agreement with the EU.

If the EU excludes the UK from the Union’s defence infrastructure, it would not only lose British expertise and capabilities, but also potentially undermine its own ambitions.

In order to be credible, EU defence structures need the involvement of the UK, one of the few European powers with serious military capacity. 

But some in the EU see Britain’s decision to leave as an attack on the fundamentals of European co-operation and no longer trust the UK as a strategic partner. 

What is more, the UK’s threat to launch a competitor to Galileo suggests to EU hardliners that London’s commitment to European security co-operation is thinner than Theresa May has repeatedly promised.

The UK, in turn, would not benefit from distancing itself from the EU’s defence structures. But there is a lack of tolerance in the UK for the EU’s legal and political red lines. Some in Britain also mistrust other EU member-states, as they feel that their defence industries are seeking to benefit from Brexit.

Both sides need to be careful to prevent what should be a positive-sum game from turning into a zero-sum one. 

UK Frigate Type 31: Leveraging the Danish Frigate

Posted on | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment on UK Frigate Type 31: Leveraging the Danish Frigate

We would like to thank Rear Admiral Nils Wang for bringing the development of the Arrowhead 140 design for the UK Type 31e frigate to our attention.

We have looked at the Danish frigate in the past and have underscored our sense that the Danes had come up with a very effective design and build strategy  for a very effective frigate.

Notably one which can provide for a wide range of missions at a very effective cost and could operate in tough conditions as well.

Apparently Babcock agrees with us and has unveiled their design for the Type 31e frigate which leverages the Danish frigate.

A Babcock-led industry team has officially unveiled the Arrowhead 140 concept as their design for the UK defense ministry’s Type 31e general purpose light frigate program.

Babcock, Thales, OMT, BMT, Harland and Wolff and Ferguson Marine are all part of the team bidding for the UK MoD’s £1.25 billion Type 31e program.

As announced on Thirsday, the Arrowhead 140 will have a hull form based on the Iver Huitfeldt-class frigates OMT designed for the Royal Danish Navy.

The decision to base the Arrowhead on the in-service Danish frigates is aimed at lowering program risks, the team said, adding that their Type 31e contender was engineered to minimise through-life costs.

At almost 140m the platform will optimise operational flexibility. This ‘wide beam’ ship is easier to design, easier to build and easier to maintain due to its slightly larger size, Babcock said.

“Arrowhead 140 will provide increased survivability, operability and capability – compared to a standard 120m design. When you consider that this ship can be delivered at no extra cost and that it will support improved radar performance, increase platform stability and facilitate better helicopter operations in bad weather, whilst enhancing crew comfort – we believe it will bring a significant edge to modern naval capability,” Craig Lockhart, Babcock’s managing director, Naval Marine said.

https://navaltoday.com/2018/05/31/arrowhead-140-design-for-uk-type-31e-frigate-revealed/

For earlier pieces on the Danish frigate, see the following:

Visiting the HDMS Niels Juel: An Interview with Commander Lars Holbaek

The Danish Frigate and Flexible Operations: Thinking Through an LCS Alternative

 

 

The USMC Shapes a Way Ahead: The Perspective of the Commanding Officer of MAWTS-1

Posted on | by Robbin Laird | Leave a Comment on The USMC Shapes a Way Ahead: The Perspective of the Commanding Officer of MAWTS-1

By Robbin Laird

MAWTS-1 plays a unique role within the USMC and in the joint force.

In our book on the reshaping of Pacific strategy and the role of new technologies and concepts of operations, we highlighted the role of the warfighting centers in the development and evolution of US forces, for which MAWTS-1 has played a key role with the Marines first introducing Ospreys and then F-35s into the warfighting force.

MAWTS pilots and trainers are looking at the impact of V-22 and F-35 on the changes in tactics and training generated by the new aircraft. MAWTS is taking a much older curriculum and adjusting it to the realities of the impact of the V-22 and the anticipated impacts of the F-35.

MAWTS is highly interactive with the various centers of excellence in shaping F-35 transition such as Nellis AFB, Eglin AFB, the Navy/ Marine test community at Pax River, Maryland, and with the United Kingdom.

In fact, the advantage of having a common fleet will be to provide for significant advances in cross-service training and CONOPS evolutions. 

Additionally, the fact that MAWTS is studying the way the USAF trains combat pilots to be effective flying the F-22 in shaping the Marine F-35B Training and Readiness Manual is a testimony to a joint-service approach.

This is all extremely important in how MAWTS is addressing the future.

An emerging approach may well be to take functions and then to redesign the curriculum around those functions.1

What we forecast in our book is certainly happening.

WTI 2-18: Flight Phase Begins from SldInfo.com on Vimeo.

During my recent visit to Yuma Marine Corps Air Station in May 2018, I had a chance to discuss the recent experience of Marines shaping and participating in the latest warfighting exercise or WTI Course.

The course is a seven-week training event hosted by the squadron’s cadre. The squadron provides standardized tactical training and certification of unit instructor qualifications to support Marine aviation training and readiness and assists in developing and employing aviation weapons and tactics.

The role of the WTI was described in an article by Sgt. Sarah Fiocco and published on April 21, 2015 as follows:

In a seven-week period, the cost of sending one Marine through Weapons and Tactics Instructors course is comparable to the cost of a four-year education at an Ivy League university.

Sponsored by Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron 1, the cost to graduate one certified weapons and tactics instructor from the course is $200,000. A cost, which puts each candidate through a full range of advanced aviation operations.

The course serves to train the best pilots in the Marine Corps to return to their units as training experts.  This process requires countless hours from the MAWTS-1 instructors and staff to ensure they are sending exceptionally-trained WTIs back to the fleet Marine force.

“These students will be the people, who the commanding officer looks to when it comes to handling the training plan of an entire squadron,” said the Academic Department Head, WTI, MAWTS-1. “He looks at them to be the guy, who says, ‘We’re good to go to combat.’

“He’s the guy the CO will trust.”

Before pilots can even attend the advanced course, they must fulfill a slew of prerequisite certifications, to include low-altitude tactics instructor and air combat tactics instructor. Pilots achieve most of these certifications from their units, building their experience base in order to qualify them for the WTI course.

“These pilots are already instructors before they come out here,” the Academic Department Head said. “We also go see these Marines fly three to six times a year before they come to WTI.

“We can say, based off our experience, if a Marine we observed is ready to go to WTI, or if they need to work on something.” 

On the first day of class, the pilots receive a 50-question inventory test. This is followed by nearly two months of classroom instruction, flight simulators and piloting training flights on their specific aircraft.

The course begins with instruction exclusive to each student’s aircraft then expands to advance training that incorporates other platforms and units.

The students will graduate as experts on their particular aircraft, with the knowledge of how to plan and how to train others. These skills acquired from the course will ultimately be applied to their fleet units and Marine Corps operations as part of the Marine Air Ground Task Force.

“During the final exercise, everyone is working together. From close air support, to battalion lifts, the whole MAGTF is involved,” the Academic Department Head said. “When we get to that final exercise in WTI, it’s all on the students. They know how to put together a plan and execute, so we are sitting back for the most part just being safety backstops.”

Much like the selection process for the students, the staff is selected for the high-level of expertise they bring to course. WTI instructors’ contribution to training and standardization of coursework is what makes WTI the valuable asset it is to the Marine Corps.

“All the instructors, who teach here are handpicked,” the Academic Department Head said. “We do everything we can to ensure the fleet is getting back the best instructors possible.”

The Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course is a seven-week course consisting of advanced tactical aviation training designed to produce weapons and tactics instructors.

The course will serve in key training officer billets to act as a training expert in the fleet, ensuring that Marine aviation units continue to train effectively and to a standard across the Marine Corps. It is courses like WTI, which reinforce the Marine Corps’ role as our nation’s force in readiness.

WTI has become especially significant as the Marines are going through the strategic shift from a predominant counter-insurgency and stability operations period of warfare to preparing for higher-intensity, peer-to-peer conflict.

It means as well that crisis management in a counter-insurgency operations is clearly different from those involving higher levels of conflict and potentially including peer competitiors.

And as the Marines have already introduced the F-35 into the MAGTF and are adding the CH-53K and other new capabilities, there is a clearly a shaping and learning process underway for the USMC and the joint force.

MAWTS-1 is clearly at the center of this process.

During this visit, I had a chance to talk with the outgoing CO of MAWTS, Col. Jim Wellons about his time at MAWTS. 

We have talked before during his time at MAWTS and those interviews as well as follow-ons can be read here:

https://sldinfo.com/2016/12/the-way-ahead-for-usmc-con-ops-the-perspective-of-col-wellons-co-of-mawts-1/

https://sldinfo.com/2017/11/evolving-the-capabilities-of-the-magtf-the-case-study-of-the-f-35-and-himars/

https://sldinfo.com/2017/11/an-overview-on-wti-1-18/

With the coming of the F-35, the Marines have led the way at the outset for the US services which has meant that the Marines have been working closely with the USAF as that service brings its F-35s into initial operating capabilities.

According to Col. Wellons: “We have always had a close relationship with the US Navy.

“We are after all Naval aviators.

“I cannot over-emphasize our close working relationship with the US Navy and Top Gun, where we have always had several USMC aviators filling highly sought after exchange tours.

“We have some challenges but also many opportunities.

“Top Gun has a strong emphasis on Super Hornet and are just beginning to roll out their F-35C course, which we intend to support.

“We have legacy F/A-18s but do not fly the Super Hornet and the USMC has been leaning forward on the establishment of the full spectrum of F-35 tactics, having already executed five WTI classes with the F-35B.

“Recently we have made huge strides in establishing ASLA joint communications standards and we are closer now than ever before to aligning all the service standards with joint communications – all the service weapons schools have been cooperating in this effort.

“With regard to working with the USAF — over the past decade, as we operated together during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, we became much closer and better integrated across the service weapons schools.

“But the advent of the F-35 has really accelerated our close working relationship with the USAF.

“The standup of F-35 was “joint” from the very beginning, and the USMC has been  aggressive with the stand up of our operational F-35s – the first of all the services to declare IOC, deploy overseas, and conduct weapons school courses with the F-35.

“As a result, we have been at the forefront of lessons-learned with the aircraft in terms of sustainment, deployability, expeditionary operations and tactical employment.”

“We currently have a former USMC F/A-18 instructor pilot flying F-35As on an exchange tour with the USAF Weapons School, and we will soon have the first USAF F-35 exchange pilot coming to Yuma for a tour as instructor pilot in the F-35 division at MAWTS-1.

“We are all learning about employing, supporting and sustaining the F-35, and deploying it to places like the Western Pacific, where VMF-121 has been in place now a year.”

Question: During my time in Australia earlier this year, the Commander of the 11thAir Force raised a key question about the need for the USAF to ramp up its mobile basing capabilities.

How has the USAF interacted with the Marines at Yuma with regard to working through a new approach?

Col. Wellons: “Within the USMC, expeditionary operations are our bread and butter. In a contested environment, we will need to operate for hours at a base rather than weeks or months.

“At WTI we are working hard on mobile basing and, with the F-35, we are taking particular advantage of every opportunity to do distributed STOVL operations.

“It is a work in progress but at the heart of our DNA.

“We will fly an Osprey or C-130 to a FOB, bring in the F-35s, refuel them and load them with weapons while the engines are still running, and then depart. In a very short period of time, we are taking off with a full load of fuel and weapons, and the Ospreys and/or C-130s follow close behind.

“We are constantly working on solutions to speed up the process, like faster fuel-flow rates, and hasty maintenance in such situations.

“Of course, we have operated off of ships with our F-35s from the beginning, and that is certainly an expeditionary basing platform.

“We have been pleased with what we have seen so far in regard to F-35 readiness at WTI.

“For example, in the last WTI class we had six F-35s and we had five out of six up every day, which was certainly as good as anything we have seen with legacy aircraft.

“During the most recent class, F-35s supported us with over 95 sorties and a negligible cancellation rate.

“Our readiness rates at WTI are not representative of the fleet, where we continue to work on enhancing overall readiness goals with F-35.”

We then discussed the F-35 and USMC operations beyond MAWTS-1.

Col. Wellons: “This is still an early variant of this airplane.

“It is the early days for the F-35 and we are working things like software evolution.

“Yet the aircraft has already had an impact in the PACOM AOR.

“We can put this airplane anywhere in the world, sustain it and fly it and get a key deterrent impact, as we have already begun to see.”

Question: Looking back at your two and half years in command at MAWTS-1, what are some of your thoughts about the dynamics of change which you have seen while here?

Col. Wellons: “When I came here, the squadron was in great shape. I had the impression that what I needed to do was to focus on trying to sustain the standard of excellence that had already been established,  because the squadron was really firing on all cylinders.

“I felt we were training at a world-class level and were training to the appropriate skills.

“But during my first year we faced dramatic and significant readiness challenges across Marine aviation, almost at an historic level.

“This led to significant reductions in the level of pilot proficiency and material readiness, and challenged our ability to meet training objectives during WTI.”

“The readiness cratering also impacted morale and placed our staff in a difficult position.  If you have students that are coming to WTI that are barely qualified, who have just barely achieved the prerequisites necessary to come to a WTI class, that creates a risk management problem and makes it difficult to train at the graduate level.

“We were looking at dips in proficiency from flying 15-20 hours a month down to 10 or 11 hours a month or lower, and this required us to make some substantial adjustments to how we approached and ran the WTI class.

“Fortunately, this situation has dramatically changed for the better. 

“During this last WTI course we had the highest level of readiness that I think we have ever seen for our fixed wing fleet, and our pilots are back above 20 hours a month across all communities.

“I would caution that we view this readiness recovery as fragile at this point, but it is definitely headed in the right direction.”

Question: Clearly, there is a strategic shift underway for US and allied forces to now operate in contested environments. That has happened during your time here. 

How has that affected what you have had MAWTS-1 focus upon?

Col. Wellons: The team at 29 Palms as well as at Yuma have ramped up the contested and degraded environment that we present to our training audience at WTI and across all the other service level MAGTF training venues.

“We have challenged our students, especially this year, to operate in environments where communications and navigation systems are challenged, facing the most sophisticated and capable adversaries we can find.

“We focused on the idea that in the future fight our primary means of navigation and communication will probably be denied, and certainly degraded and our operators may have to use old fashioned techniques to get bombs on target.”

Question: You are clearly working what might be called F-35 2.0 while flushing out the dynamics of 1.0. 

And one key area where that is happening is with regard to the sensor-shooter relationship.

We talked last year about this dynamic, what has been happening since then?

Col. Wellons: In part, it is about the transformation of the amphibious fleet whereby the shipboard strike systems or sensor systems can work with the reach of the F-35 as a fleet.

“For example, we see clear interest from the Navy’s side in exploiting 5thgeneration capabilities in the amphibious fleet using the Up-Gunned ESG, that will better leverage the capability they have got with the F-35.

“Naval integration will be a major line of effort in the WTI course going forward.”

“The F-35 is leading to a fundamental reworking of where we can take the sensor-shooter relationship.

“We tend to focus on the airplane’s sensor and how that sensor can go out and find a target and employ its own ordinance on that target.

“That is certainly something which the F-35 can do.

“But it can also enable an off-board shot, as in the case of HIMARS/F-35 integration.

“Or it can work with the G/ATOR radar on the ship or the ground to enable weapons solutions for other platforms in the distributed battlespace.

“It then becomes a question of how do I maximize the number of targets I can hit with the F-35 distributed force rather than how many targets can an individual fighter hit.”

“This is part of the combat learning we are working on at MAWTS-1 as well.”

Question: Assuming readiness remains at an appropriate level, what challenges do you see in the near term with regard to training?

 Col. Wellons: Clearly, a major challenge we face is the limitations of our training ranges.

“We need to expand the potential of tasks we can do on these ranges to replicate a realistic and lethal contested environment.

“This is another consequence of our budget challenges in recent years, and we are pushing hard for upgrades of all our emitters, target sets, and simulation capability in order to enable full spectrum training at the high end.”

The slideshow shows Col. Wellons at MCAS Yuma. Credit Photos: USMC

Footnotes:

  1. Laird, Robbin; Timperlake, Edward; Weitz, Richard (2013-10-28). Rebuilding American Military Power in the Pacific: A 21st-Century Strategy: A 21st-Century Strategy (Praeger Security International) (pp. 258-259). ABC-CLIO. Kindle Edition.