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2016-10-31 “On 28 October 2016, the Royal Australian Air Force marked the Centenary of Numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4 Squadrons with both ceremony and celebration with a series of events and activities held at RAAF Base Williamtown.
With the theme: ‘Celebrating the Centenary of Australia’s First Flying Squadrons’, the official program commenced with a full Colours Parade in acknowledgement of this significant milestone in Army, Air Force and Australian Defence Force history.
Following the parade, a Centenary Family Day event was held which consisted of static displays showcasing historic aircraft (Warbirds) and current Squadron aircraft in acknowledgement of the four Squadrons’ rich history in military aviation.
Personnel and staff at RAAF Base Williamtown, their families, a contingent of Number 1 Squadron personnel from RAAF Base Amberley who made the journey to join in the celebrations, as well as ex-Service organisations and veterans attended this historic event.
The Centenary Parade and Family Day was a simple and elegant celebration of this historic milestone, providing the opportunity for Army and Air Force to display the contributions and achievements of the first flying Squadrons over the last 100 years – showcasing the innovation and evolution of Air Power into the modern integrated Air Force of which we know today.
Importantly, the Centenary program brought into focus the dedication, commitment, sacrifice and exemplary service of the Australian Flying Corps and Air Force personnel past and present – highlighting the enduring spirit of ‘mateship’ and community.”
2016-10-31 Based on his recent travels to the former Soviet Union, Richard Weitz provides a series looking at the potential evolution of the Russian-American relationship and rivalry under the next Administration.
According to Weitz: “I spent the last few weeks in Russia giving presentations and holding meetings at various Russian institutions in Moscow, including The Gorbachev Foundation, the Moscow State University, the Financial University, the American Centre, the Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, the Institute for U.S. and Canadian Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and the Russian International Affairs Council.
“I then spent four days at the annual Valdai Conference in Sochi, attended by President Vladimir Putin and other senior Russian officials as well as more than one hundred foreign experts, many of whom were former high-level government officials or long-time Russian experts.”
He starts by looking at one might call the U.S. and Russian liberal perspectives.
Mutual Depression: Russians and American Liberals on The Bilateral Relationship
Many of the Russians and Americans present at these sessions adhered to what might be termed the “liberal school” of Russia-U.S. relations, favoring better bilateral relations under moderate democratic governments in both countries. However, whereas most liberals are optimistic by nature, both the Russian and American liberals contemplating current Russia-U.S. relations were pessimistic about the potential for good bilateral relations in coming years, even if Senator Hilary Clinton becomes the next president of the United States, as both groups preferred.
By contrast, as I will explain in a later post, some of the more conservative nationalist groups saw greater opportunities for cooperation.
According to the liberal analysts, Russian-U.S. relations have reached a post-Cold War low from which they will not soon recover. Both the Russian and the U.S. liberal analysts expect that Clinton will be elected as the next U.S. president and enter office with a pessimistic view of the possibilities of achieving much progress with Putin, who U.S. liberals see as irreconcilably hostile to the United States and Russian liberals believe has been demonized in the Western media.
Both Russians and Americans anticipate that Putin will remain Russia’s president for many years to come. They also expect that the U.S. political establishment, led by the Republicans in Congress, will pressure a President Clinton to adhere to a hostile attitude toward Russia.
In particular, the Russian liberals saw the Washington establishment as unanimous in seeking to contain Russia en route to replacing its regime with one that would pursue a pro-Western foreign policy. Meanwhile, Americans worried about threats to globalization from stagnation in many major national economics, the weakness of international economic integration and trade, and the rise of anti-immigrant, anti-trade popular movements.
As a result of these conditions, both the Russians and the Americans foresaw several years of confrontation that would impair both governments’ ability to address mutual global challenges, especially international terrorism and nuclear disarmament.
The best they would hope for would be reducing the intensity of the risks of their rivalry and avoiding direct military confrontations over Syria, the Baltic States, Ukraine, or other regions by minimizing dangerous misperceptions, developing improved crisis management and crisis prevention mechanisms through adoption of codes of conduct and enhanced rules of the road, and transactional deals in limited areas of strong common interest.
These measures would focus on achieving cooperation on a limited number of local issues that would be most important for both countries, where Russia and the United States would have the greatest potential impact (what one Russian expert termed “maximum added value”), and issues that could be embedded in a broader multilateral framework rather than a narrow bilateral one—the presumption being that involving third countries could help dampen bilateral tensions.
The topics that these experts saw as falling in this category included nuclear materials security, international terrorism, nonproliferation, European security, cyber security (which was seen as a major but manageable challenge through codes of contact and mutual restraint), and operational arms control through confidence-building, transparency, early warning. and crisis communications measures, perhaps through the NATO-Russia Council or OSCE.
The Russian and U.S. scholars were hopeful that Russian-U.S. relations would rebound after 4-8 years of confrontation as the two sides grew tired of it, desired to reduce the risks and costs of conflict, and realized that their conflicts only provided an opening for competing rising powers, such as China.
In my view, Russians exaggerate the determination and especially the capacity of the U.S government to change their regime.
When the United States potentially had the opportunity in the 1990s to integrate Russia into the West, Washington and its allies treated the question as a low priority—contributing to the current crisis in the relationship.
Conversely, both sides underestimate the challenge of achieving operational arms control measures, especially in the cyber domain, and because it may be Russian state policy to use war scares to rally domestic support behind the government and to raise alarm in Europe about the need to reduce tensions with Russia to avoid nuclear crises.
They also exaggerate the potential for stronger Russian-U.S. ties to drive global cooperation.
During the Cold War, Moscow and Washington could sign a ceasefire and then force Israel and the Arabs to accept it—but now, even if they could agree on Syrian peace terms, they can hardly expect the Syrian terrorists to accept them. If anything, the bilateral relationship looks to be more determined by external events—as we saw with the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the
Meanwhile, the United States has probably overcorrected for earlier security gaps in curtailing scientific and academic ties with Russia, whose universities have great scholars and students who would be open to pursuing a more pro-Western line once government ties improve.
Unlike in the case of China-U.S. relations, where the extensive social and economic ties provide a ballast to limit the damage of their bilateral security disputes, Russian-U.S. commercial and humanitarian ties are embarrassingly small given their potential.
However, some of these Russian and U.S. perspectives and proposals make sense—such as recognizing that bilateral and multilateral arms control agreements focused on force cuts are unlikely for the next few years due to difference Russian and U.S. priorities, mutual claims of cheating (though the Russian charges seem less genuine and more retaliatory), and the disinterest of other countries to accept limits on their own forces in the absence of deeper Russian-U.S. cuts.
These analysts are correct that for now Russia and the United States would find it easier to focus on curbing further nuclear proliferation to other countries through supply- and demand-focused measures aimed at factors facilitating and driving nuclear proliferation.
Despite recent tensions, Russian-U.S. collaboration regarding preventing Iran and North Korea from acquiring nuclear weapons has persisted.
With the prospects of success for formal Russian-U. S government talks so limited, the analysts correctly highlight the importance of sustaining a robust unofficial Track II dialogue—not with the expectation that these talks can by themselves prompt their governments to change course, but to build a foundation for when the political relationship improves sufficiently that leaders in both capitals will look around for new ideas and initiatives for cooperative projects.
In Brazil, the consequences of the corruption scandal swirling around the state petroleum company Petrobras continues. And everyday it reaches higher up the political ladder.
The most recent casualty was the former speaker of the lower house of the Brazilian congress, Eduardo Cunha. He was arrested at his apartment in Brasilia by the federal police on the order of federal judge Sergio Moro, and was then flown to Curitiba, Parana, where he is now held as part of the sprawling corruption investigation, which began over two years ago.
Eduardo Cunha had orchestrated the impeachment of former president Dilma Rousseff. He had recently lost his congressional immunity, which under Brazil’s Byzantine rules protects sitting members of congress for prosecution.
The stakes are now higher than ever.
The next target is the most politically sensitive yet: former president Lula da Silva, who the federal prosecutor in São Paulo, has alleged was at the center of the whole corruption scheme.
But to put Lula in prison will not be a easy decision.
Lula, despite the corruption scandal, which has ensnared many members of his government, still retains much residual popularity among large segments of the poorer population, especially in the northeast of the country, which benefited from the social policies of the PT government. He is also a gutsy, feisty, and formidable street fighter.
Opposition to the corruption investigation, however, has also been growing.
Brazil is leading the way in a sense in enforcing accountability when dealing with political corruption. The center-right is in the ascendency. The Brazilian electorate is turning, to political outsiders: to a former TV reality star in São Paulo, and to a Pentecostal bishop in Rio de Janeiro. Credit Image: Bigstock
On the instruction of federal judge, Vallisney Souza Oliveira, in Brasilia, four security officials of the senate were arrested and documents seized, related to their use of senate equipment to detect and remove bugging equipment for the homes of three current and one former senator.
These are also presumed to be former president and former senator Jose Sarney, former president and current senator Fernando Collor, and current senator Gisele Hoffman, who have been allegedly involved in efforts to thwart operation “carwash” as the anti-corruption investigation led by federal judge Moro is called.
President Michel Temer was in Asia when Eduard Cunha was arrested in Brasilia. He had been attending the meeting of the leaders of the BRICS in Goa, India. He had then gone on to Japan. There are many Brazilians of Japanese ancestry living in São Paulo, where Michel Temer is from, and in Japan he met with the emperor, as well as attempted to repair relationships after his predecessor Dilma Rousseff, had cancelled two planned visits, as well as to encourage trade and investment. But in the light of developments in Brasilia, he returned to Brazil a day earlier than anticipated.
The arrest of Eduardo Cunha sent shock waves through the Brazilian political establishment since if anyone knows where the bodies are buried in Brasilia, it is Eduardo Cunha.
He is a masterful political operator, an evangelical Christian, and a Rio de Janeiro based member of the president’s own centrist political party, the party of the Brazilian democratic movement (PMDB). He has been charged with receiving kickbacks related to the Petrobras corruption scandal, and with allegedly holding, together with members of his family, multimillion dollar off shore accounts in Switzerland. All of which of course he has strenuously denied.
The arrest of the senate security officers, however, set of a major row between the three pillars of the Brazilian political system: the Senate, the Supreme Court, and the Presidency.
Renan Calheiros, the president of the senate, who is also a member of the PMDB, as is Eduardo Cunha, and Michel Temer, is being investigated in at least 12 alleged corruption cases by the Supreme Court. He called judge Vallisney Souza Oliveira “a little judge” as well as attacked the minister of justice.
The head of the Supreme Court, Carmen Lucia, then issued a statement saying that she regarded a attack on the federal judge to be an attack on her. In order to defuse the crisis president Michel Temer was forced to intervene to calm the waters. Eventually, the federal judge’s order was rescinded. The three heads of the various branches of the federal government then met together to declare how much they really loved and respected each other
But meanwhile in Curitiba, in the southern state of Parana, where federal judge Moro is conducting his investigation, the biggest shoe of all is about to fall: The plea bargain by Marcelo Odebrecht, the head of Brazil’s largest multinational construction company is apparently close to completion.
Already leaks have indicted that those implicated in the corruption network maintained by Odebrecht could involve not only Michel Temer himself, but also leading members of the PSDB (The Brazilian social Democratic Party), including in particular, Jose Serra, a former minister in the government of Fernando Henrique Cardoso, with whom he is a close friend, a former mayor and former governor of Brazil’s most important state, São Paulo, and an ever hopeful presidential candidate, and who is the current foreign minister in Michel Temer’s government.
The plea bargain is thought to contain evidence against 130 federal deputies and ministers, 20 governors and ex-governors, and 240 politicians and 22 political parties.
The Temer government is meanwhile attempting to push through a constitutional amendment, which would cap government expenditure for the next two decades. This is a measure that “the markets” regard as essential.
But voting for a constitution amendment is a complicated process requiring two thirds of the votes twice in both houses of congress. But so far Temer has gathered sufficient support in the house, but in the senate it gives leverage to Renan Calheiros.
And this partly explains his strong reaction to the actions of the federal police actions on the senate, and Temer’s intervention to defuse the crisis between the judiciary and the senate. After Temer orchestrated the settlement over the federal police operation in the senate, Renan Calheiros said he much preferred the role of a “fire man” to that of a “pyromaniac.”
In the interim, the voters have had the opportunity to have their first say on the continuing political and corruption crisis. In municipal election throughout Brazil (the second round was competed this Sunday, October 30th) saw the workers party of Lula and Dilma punished.
The PT’s votes fell from 38 million to 5.9 million nationwide, and the party even lost in their original long time bastions in the industrial zone of southern São Paulo, where Lula still lives, and where he made his career as a union leader and founder of the PT. The victors overall were the candidates of the center-right PSDB.
They had already taken the mayoralty of São Paulo in the first round, where a non-politician, and a reality TV star of the Brazilian edition of the “Apprentice” won outright. The PSDB increased its votes from 25.8 to 48.7 million nationwide, up 89% from its results on 2012. The PT’s vote fell by 85% from 2012.
Michel Temer’s PMDB gained most cities nationwide, but in Rio de Janeiro, the mayoralty was won this Sunday by Marcelo Crivella, a former gospel singer, and a bishop (on leave) of the neo-Pentecostal “universal” church, representing the PRB, a party controlled by the “universal” church, and linked to the TV Record. The “universal” church was founded by Crivella’s uncle Edir Macedo. Marcelo Crivella is anti-abortion, anti-gay carnival, and pro-traditional family values.
So in this sense Brazil is leading the way.
The center-right is in the ascendency. The electorate is turning, in the two largest cities in Brazil, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, to political outsiders: to a former TV reality star in São Paulo, and to a Pentecostal bishop in Rio de Janeiro.
In the Post-Brexit, and post-Brazil corruption world, maybe Donald Trump is also not so far from capturing a similar popular, and populist, and anti-corruption wave, in the United States Presidential election.
2016-10-30 With the evolution of defense capabilities in Australia, Japan and the United States, notably with the arrival of fifth generation aircraft in all three nations, there is a need to expand the capabilities to exercise together and to share data.
“There is no point designing a combat system capable of defeating supersonic threats and throttling it with a slow network or cumbersome C2 decision architecture.
“Achieving an effective network topology is so much more complex in a coalition context in which the potential for divergence is higher.
“The paradox is that a coalition network is much more likely a requirement than a national network, and yet what investment we do make is based on national systems first.
“If we don’t achieve the open architecture design that enables the synergy of a networked coalition force, then the effectiveness of the coalition itself will be put at risk.
The Pacific Strategic Quadrangle. Credit: SLD
“The moment we insert excess command and hierarchical decision authority into the loop we will slow down the lethality of the platforms in the network.
“Before we even get in the battlespace we have to agree the decision rights and pre set these decisions into the combat system and network design; the fight for a lethal effect starts at the policy level before we even engage in combat operations.
“The network and C2 rather than the platforms can become the critical vulnerability.”
“This is why the decision making process needs to be designed as much as the network or the platforms.
“If the C2 matrix slows the network, it will dumb down the platform and the capability of the system to deliver a full effect.”
“The nature of the force we are shaping is analogous to a biological system in which the elements flourish based on their natural relationship within the environment.
“We have an opportunity to shape both the platforms and the network, but we will only achieve the flourishing eco system we seek if each harmonise with the other, and the overall effectiveness is considered on the health of the ecosystem overall.
“For example, an ASW network will leverage the potential of the individual constituent platforms and that in turn will determine the lethality of the system.
“A discordant network connection will, at least, limit the overall Force level effect of the network and at worst break the network down to discordant elements.”
Clearly, a key part of the evolution is about shaping a weapons revolution whereby weapons can operate throughout the battlespace hosted by platforms that are empowered by networks tailored to the battlespace.
And that revolution will have its proper impact only if the network and C2 dynamics discussed by Rear Admiral Mayer unfold in the national and coalition forces.
“The limiting factor now is not our platforms; it’s the networks and C2 that hold the potential of those platforms down.
“When the individual platforms actually go into a fight they’re part of an interdependent system, the thing that will dumb down the system will be a network that is not tailored to leverage the potential of the elements, or a network that holds decision authority at a level that is a constraint on timely decision making.
“The network will determine the lethality of our combined system.”
At the heart of such a change is enhanced information sharing.
Recently, the Australian Ministry of Defence announced that the US, Australia and Japan have made progress in this regard.
In an MoD media release dated August 28, 2016:
Today, representatives of the Australian Department of Defence, Japan Ministry of Defense and the U.S. Department of Defense signed a Trilateral Information Sharing Arrangement (TISA) to further strengthen defence cooperation.
Officials of defence authorities of the three countries met in Honolulu, Hawaii together with representatives of diplomatic authorities, for the eighth trilateral Security and Defence Cooperation Forum where the TISA was signed.
The TISA will further enhance the strategic trilateral relationship and support peace and stability in the Asia Pacific by expediting information sharing to enable higher capability defence exercises and operations among the three nations, taking into account situational awareness in the region.
At the trilateral dialogue, officials pledged to enhance trilateral defence cooperation on maritime security and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and continue to conduct high capability military exercises. The officials reaffirmed their strategic goals and commitment for trilateral cooperation to further peace and security in the Asia Pacific.
2016-10-29 According to an article published recently by our partner defenceWeb, “The Nigerian Air Force is looking at procuring the C295W light transport aircraft from Airbus Defence and Space, with a delegation from Europe visiting Nigeria.
The delegation comprising two Airbus executives and the Spanish Ambassador to Nigeria, Alfonso Barnuevo Sebastian De Erice, visited the Nigerian Air Force’s Headquarters in Abuja on 25 October where it met Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar.
Nigerian media report that Airbus made a proposal on the sale of the aircraft to Nigeria in January this year, which indicated interest in the purchase. The Nigerian Air Force has made provision to fund the purchase in the 2017 budget proposal.
Abubakar this week asked Airbus Defence and Space to look at options to train Nigerian pilots and support personnel on the aircraft should the purchase be approved by the Federal Government.
C-295 AEW platform tests. Credit: Airbus Military Photo
The Nigerian Air Force said it is looking to acquire the C295W in a multi-role configuration, which would likely be for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and cargo missions.
It is not yet clear how many aircraft Nigeria is interested in purchasing.
Before the Airbus visit, on 20 October, French Ambassador to Nigeria, Denys Gauer, said the Airbus Group will open an operational office in Nigeria. This will mainly be focussed on commercial aviation.
Elsewhere on the continent, Mali is due to take delivery of a single C295W any day now, after ordering the aircraft in February this year.
The winglet-equipped C295W is now the standard production version. It was unveiled in 2013 with the aim of improving performance and fuel economy, especially in hot and high conditions.
The winglets improve cruise and fuel consumption through a reduction in drag and increase in lift – the C295W features a 200 mile range increase over the baseline model as a result of changes, or a 30-60 minute increase in endurance. Meanwhile, updated Pratt & Whitney PW127 engines add power in climb and cruise, improving all round performance.
Regarding Africa, at the moment Algeria has six C295s in service, Egypt has ordered 24 and Ghana has three.
Airbus sees Africa as a key market for the C295 and helped bring a Portuguese Air Force C295 to the Africa Aerospace and Defence exhibition outside Pretoria in September, in maritime surveillance/patrol configuration.”
According to Airbus Military at the Trade Media Brief 2013:
Featuring winglets and uprated engines as standard, the new model will provide operators with enhanced performance in all flight phases but is particularly aimed at those operating at “hot and high“ airfields where payload increases in excess of 1,000kg are promised.
In intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) roles such as airborne early warning (AEW) the enhancements will increase endurance by 30-60min and permit an operating altitude up to 2,000ft higher than now.
The new features will also provide an overall reduction in fuel consumption of around 4% depending on configuration and conditions.
C-295 W Photo by Guy Martin, defenceWeb.
The C295W, assembled in Seville, Spain, is being offered to the market from now on and will be the standard version of the aircraft in all versions from the fourth quarter of 2014. Certification is expected in 2Q14.
Airbus Military is committing to the C295W following flight-trials with winglets fitted to its company development aircraft which showed positive results for a weight penalty of only around 90kg.
The engines are the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127 turboprops which power all versions of the C295. New procedures recently certified by Canada and Spain permit operation in the climb and cruise phases at higher power settings at the discretion of the operator. As well as improved hot and high performance, the procedure improves operation over very high terrain such as the Andes or Himalaya mountains with only a minor influence on maintenance cost.
Gulshan Luthra of India Strategic highlighted the importance of the C-295W for a market such as that of India.
Airbus Military has launched an uprated C295W medium transport aircraft with winglets and more powerful engines with an eye on the Indian military and civil aviation market.
In official briefings at the recent launch ceremony here, company officials mentioned India more that a dozen times in view of the impending replacement of 56 HS-748 transporters of the Indian Air Force (IAF) while Airbus Military Chairman and CEO Domingo Urena-Raso told India Strategic (www.indiastrategic.in) that he expected the number of selected aircraft in this category to be more than 100.
According to India Strategic’s own estimates though, the figure could touch or exceed 200, keeping in mind the growing requirements of the armed forces, paramilitary organizations like the Border Security Force (BSF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), civil operations in India’s mountainous Himalayan states and even the secretive Aviation Research Centre (ARC) of India’s external intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).
And at this year’s Trade Media Brief, Fernando Ciria, Head of Marketing, Tactical Airlifters and ISR at Airbus Defence and Space (ADS), told journalists in Germany at the Trade Media Brief 2016 that Africa is a very promising region with many orders to come in the next few years.
According to Stephan Miegel, Head of Military Aircraft Services at Airbus Defence and Space, there are 148 C295s and 236 CN235s flying around the world today (168 C295s have been ordered) and these have accumulated 250 000 and 1.35 million flight hours respectively.
In Africa, there are 18 C212s, ten CN235s and 29 C295s in active service, primarily with air forces, although Republic of Congo’s Aero Service flies two C212s and South Africa’s Fortune Air flies a single CN235.
Most of these are built by Airbus but Burkina Faso and Senegal have aircraft produced by Indonesia’s PTDI.
Ciria said Africa has many fleets of transport aircraft made up of old types such as An-26s, Turbo Dakotas, Buffalos etc., meaning that these old fleets will have to be replaced, ideally by the C295, and augmented by intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) platforms.
Airbus also highlighted C295/CN235 use by non-African operators on the continent.
For instance, the Spanish Air Force has used the C295 for humanitarian assistance missions in Africa as it is cheaper to fly than the C-130, while its CN235 MPAs are used to patrol for pirates, gather intelligence on land and sea and monitor sea lanes around Somalia and the Gulf of Aden as part of Spain’s contribution to the European Union’s anti-piracy Operation Atalanta.
The Spanish Air Force also flies P-3 Orions for Atalanta, based in Djibouti. Airbus said the Spanish CN235s have flown over 1 525 flight hours and 179 missions as part of Atalanta, which also sees the aircraft fly off the Kenyan and Seychelles coasts.
Although piracy is being contained off the Horn of Africa due largely to greater stability on land and multinational sea and air patrols, Ciria noted that there is a shortfall of maritime patrol capability in the Gulf of Guinea, where pirates and militant groups are hijacking tankers for their contents, destroying oil and gas facilities and kidnapping crew for ransom.
Ghanian C-295. Credit: Airbus Defence
Ciria said only Nigeria, with its maritime patrol configured ATR aircraft, is able to patrol its maritime zone from the air and there is need for an aircraft like the C295 MPA in the region, not just to monitor for pirates but also to conduct environmental protection, fisheries protection, search and rescue and medical evacuation missions.
Other applications in Africa include border surveillance and maritime surveillance in the Mediterranean, where illegal migration and drug smuggling are major problems. Ciria said maritime patrol aircraft need to be active in North African countries where most trafficking vessels launch from.
Airbus is also promoting a C295 special mission aircraft for border surveillance, especially to monitor the illegal movement of people, drugs, weapons and terrorists.
For such a role, the C295 can be fitted with a synthetic aperture radar, ground moving target indicator (GMTI), video camera, infrared camera and communications and electronic intelligence systems.
Ciria said that Airbus is involved in a lot of commercial campaigns in Africa and sees a lot of opportunities in the coming years, especially as there are a number of countries that are replacing obsolete fleets.
2016-10-28 According to an article by Vishal Thapar published by our partner India Strategic, India has moved closer to having a nuclear triad.
New Delhi. India has moved a step closer to achieving the triad of nuclear weapons with the induction of its first ballistic missile firing nuclear-powered submarine (SSBN), Arihant, in the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) in August this year.
There is no official confirmation but indications are that Arihant was quietly commissioned in August in the presence of some top officials, including Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba in Vishakhapatnam.
The Navy has declined comment as the country’s nuclear assets are managed by SFC under the direct control of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
The tri-Service SFC is the custodian of both the nuclear arsenal and delivery systems.
There is no word yet on whether or not Arihant has commenced operational deterrence patrols but the indication is yes, this is so, as several firing tests have reportedly been conducted successfully over the past few months.
The Arihant – Sanskrit for annihilator of enemies – is the first of the three SSBNs, which will provide the beginnings for underwater nuclear deterrence for India.
The second of the Arihant class, Aridhaman is reported to be in an advanced stage of construction at the Ship Building Centre in Vizag, and slated to be handed over for sea trials in 2018.
Work on the third SSBN submarine is going on simultaneously but details are not available.
The induction of the Arihant suggests that the sea trials, which commenced in December 2014, are complete, technologies validated, and the Navy-led arm of the SFC has accepted the submarine.
It is armed with the K and B series of nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles. The K-15 and K-4 missiles have ranges of 750 and 3,500 km respectively. The K-series of missiles have been named after the father of India’s ballistic missile program, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, while the B series is reportedly named after Vice Admiral Promod Bhasin who worked on the early years of project development.
The Arihant class submarines and their missiles add teeth and credibility to India’s nuclear deterrence program.
Submarine-launched ballistic missile firing capability ensures maximum survivability for a country’s nuclear arsenal in the face of a decapitating first strike by an adversary, lending credibility to a second-strike capability, which is at the heart of India’s doctrine of No First Use.
It is, hence, considered the most reliable leg of the nuclear triad.
The SSBN allows India to deploy its nuclear weapons under water thousands of miles away from its shores for extended periods of time. Arihant’s 83 MW pressurized water reactor allows prolonged submergence without the need to surface, ensuring stealth and extended reach. The period of submergence is limited only by the human endurance of the crew.
Nicknamed the ‘Baby Boomer’ in global strategic chatter, the 6,000-tonne Arihant is the world’s smallest SSBN.
The Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project to build SSBN’s for India’s nuclear deterrence was conceived in the 1970s but actually got off the ground in the early 2000s following the strategic re-engagement between India and Russia during the tenure of AB Vajpayee as Prime Minister.
India has acknowledged significant Russian assistance for the project, particularly in respect of miniaturizing the reactor. The Indian private sector has also played a leading role, both in building the pressurized hull and other critical sub-systems for the strategic submarines.
It has taken seven long years for the induction of the Arihant after the high-profile launch of this submarine by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on July 26, 2009. The long lead-in time for induction is a reflection of multiple technical glitches and project delays. The reactor turned critical in August 2013 and sea trials started in December 2014.
Besides SSBNs, India has also embarked on a project to make a fleet of nuclear-powered, conventionally armed attack submarines.
Early-2015, the 30-year submarine building plan was modified to make a provision for the construction of six such SSNs. This was flagged off by the Cabinet Committee on Security.
INS Chakra, an Akula-class SSN leased from Russia for 10 years in 2012 is meant to help India prepare to operate nuclear powered vessels. The K-series of submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) have also been successfully test-fired.
There are plans also to lease a second Akula class submarine from Russia. If this matures, then it will be fitted with the Indo-Russian supersonic 300-km range Brahmos missile, as shown in the official illustration above.
2016-10-28 Recently our partner, India Strategic, conducted an interview with the Indian Air Force Chief of Staff, Air Chief Arup Raha.
The Indian Air Force marked its 84th Anniversary this October 8, with the Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, saying that IAF is looking forward to increase its combat strength.
He disclosed that the Government is considering the Make in India offers from the US Boeing for F/A 18 Super Hornet, Lockheed Martin for its F-16 (Block 70) and Swedish Saab for Gripen.
IAF is also open to offers for more Rafales as well as Eurofighters but under the Make in India program of the Government. He agreed that IAF needed another manufacturing line besides that of HAL’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) to make up for the depleting number of its squadrons.
IAF is happy though at the Rafale deal, he observed pointing out that the aircraft will be equipped with the best of technologies.
He said there had been some delays but upgrade of the Jaguar with new engines and avionics is likely to be finalized soon. The MiG-29 and Mirage 2000 are already on upgrades.
A French Air Force (FrAF) Dassault Rafale arrives for the inaugural Trilateral Exercise at Langley Air Force Base, Va., Dec. 1, 2015.(U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Kayla Newman)
He said that the requirement of midair refuelers is being considered afresh, but gave no details if the competition will be restricted to Airbus whose A300MRTT had been selected earlier or is also open to Boeing, which has meanwhile come up with a new tanker. As for more AWACS, he said, IAF will continue to use IL-76 based platforms. The Brazilian Embraer, which is being fitted with AEW capability by DRDO, will also continue to be used.
A beaming Air Chief Marshal Raha had this to say in an interview with India Strategic:
IS: The key to build and maintain an air power is periodic renewal of inventory. Unfortunately, after the allegations over Bofors acquisition for the Army in 1986, this process was stalled for the Indian armed forces. Baseless allegations erupt even now as and when the Army, Navy or Air Force is on the verge of vital decisions, thereby hurting the three Services.
There seems to be a trend now to acquire direct from a manufacturer under government-to-government (g-to-g) deals, and the RM has also indicated this as a preference. As the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee, how do you navigate and coordinate this process for the armed forces?
AR: All procurement schemes in the armed forces are progressed as per the Defence Procurement Procedure, formulated by the Govt. of India. The DPP gets fine-tuned regularly, the latest being DPP-2016, to ensure that the entire’ process’ is ‘outcome’ oriented. The emphasis is on meeting operational requirements and at times it may involve g-to-g route.
Highest priority is being given to equipment that is designed, developed and manufactured indigenously. Equipment which cannot be developed indigenously is being procured from abroad, following the specified procedure.
It has been IAF’s endeavor to procure equipment through multi-vendor bidding as it encourages competition and ensures that the right equipment is procured at optimum cost.
However, there have been cases wherein, due to the proprietary nature of equipment or equipment having a particular niche technology and also to meet certain operational requirements; the Government has chosen the g-to-g route to ensure that critical capabilities are acquired.
IS: IAF has in fact overcome several challenges in the past few years, particularly in the transport domain with the acquisition of Boeing C-17 and Lockheed Martin C-130J aircraft. Although very capable, their numbers are few. However, and IAF needs to do something about the large number of An-32 aircraft, which are at the end of their lives.
The agreement with Russia for MTA doesn’t seem to be maturing. Your comments please, including on the Tata-Airbus venture for C-295 turboprops?
AR: Deliberations on replacement of An- 32 aircraft are already under progress. There were certain observations on the design of the MTA and the project is under review.
The field evaluation trials of Avro replacement aircraft have been completed. The case is progressing well and the contract negotiations are likely to commence soon. The C-295 MW aircraft is a 5-10 Ton class aircraft. The OEM will supply the initial batch of aircraft and the remaining will be manufactured in India.
India is already operating a total of 176 Israel-made drones including 108 IAI Searchers and 68 unarmed Heron-1 aircraft for surveillance and reconnaissance missions. The IAF also fields a fleet of IAI Harpy drones – a self-destruct aircraft carrying a high-explosive warhead and primarily used for taking out enemy radar stations. Between 1985 and 2014, India was the top importer of UAVs worldwide. In September 2015, the Indian government apprroved the purchase of 10 missile-armed Heron TPs. Credit Photo: Israeli Aerospace Industry
IS: The IL-76 has served us well and so has the An-32 since 1980s. They have gone through upgrades but are still at the end of their lives.We are sure the An-32 which recently crashed in the Bay of Bengal was airworthy, but there are questions in the public mind over the old inventory with the Services generally, and the aircraft particularly.
Transport aircraft are the backbone of the Air Force and as vital for the country as the fighting units are.
Your comments please?
AR: An-32 aircraft has been an extremely reliable aircraft and has been the workhorse of the IAF transport fleet. They have performed exceptionally well in tactical airlift operations. IAF’s An-32 fleet is presently undergoing a mid-life upgrade program.
The upgrade for the first 40 aircraft was undertaken in Ukraine from 2011 onwards. The remaining aircraft are being upgraded in India. The upgraded An-32 aircraft will continue to be exploited by the IAF to their full service life.
IS: Any latest updates on the ill-fated An- 32 aircraft?
AR: A coordinated air-sea search and rescue operation involving assets from IAF, Navy, Coast Guard and Aviation Research Centre was launched on July 22, 2016 for the missing An-32 aircraft. Data from satellites was also utilized for the search operations. Inputs from Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services were utilized by the Indian Navy to update the search area.
For sub-surface search, IN submarines and survey ship Nirupak were employed. Specialized Deep Sea Research Vessels are also being utilized for seabed profiling. All available commercial vessels, foreign ships and fishing boats have been alerted for visual sightings of any wreckage or debris over the sea for locating the missing aircraft and the survivors.
Approximately 280 sorties/1,275 hrs. have been flown towards airborne search over the sea. Unfortunately, nothing related to the missing An-32 has been found in more than two months of search. However, we continue to be hopeful and the search is continuing with enhanced focus on seabed search.
IS: Fighter jets: The MMRCA completion was scrapped in favor of a direct deal with France, whose Rafale was selected by the Indian Air Force (IAF). The aircraft is expensive, and the number asked for-36- is too small. IAF had planned for 126+63 aircraft for the MMRCA competition in 2007. That requirement should now be touching 300, as more of its existing aircraft are due for phase-out. Could you give an update on the IAF’s fighter fleet?
AR: The Ministry of Defence has prepared a road map for induction of fighter aircraft in the IAF with an aim to build up to the sanctioned strength of 42 fighter squadrons at the earliest. Various options are being considered by MoD. To start with, the deal for procurement of 36 Rafale aircraft has been signed and it will greatly enhance the operational capability of the IAF. We should receive the first aircraft in 36 months time and delivery of all aircraft would be completed in 66 months.
Meanwhile, upgrade programs of Mirage-2000, MiG-29 and Jaguar fleets are progressing well. The LCA has also been inducted and manufacturing of another type of Fighter aircraft under the ‘Make in India’ initiative is also being considered by the Government.
IS: Numbers and Capability both are important. How would you describe capability for IAF aircraft, those operational now and the new ones to be acquired? We have to keep in mind that the new generation of combat aircraft will serve the IAF for three to four decades?
AR: The capability build-up in the IAF is a continuous process and is being carried out through the procurement of state-of-the-art aircraft and upgrading of legacy fleets. The induction of remaining contracted Su-30 MKI, LCA and Rafale aircraft, the ‘Make in India’ Fighter, the FGFA and the AMCA will ensure that the IAF transforms into a modern and a formidable force.
At the same time, upgrades of MiG-29, Mirage 2000 and Jaguar aircraft will ensure that these aircraft continue to maintain combat and operational relevance. Similarly, in the Transport and Helicopter fleets, the induction of C-17, C-130, Apache Attack Helicopters and Chinook Heavy Lift Helicopters will give an added boost to these fleets.
Group Captain Adam Williams greets Wing Commander Vishal Khanna and the crew of the Indian C-17 Globemaster on their arrival at RAAF Base Amberley. An Indian C-17 Globemaster lands in Australia for the first time at RAAF Base Amberley. The Indian C-17 Globemaster is stopping en-route for refuelling support from RAAF Base Amberley, loaded with humanitarian supplies for Fiji in the wake of the devastating Cyclone Winston. Air staff talks between Australia and India in 2015 agreed to increase interaction and cooperation between the Royal Australian Air Force and the Indian Air Force C-17 Globemaster crews.
IL-76 and An-32 aircraft and Mi-17 helicopters are also being upgraded with better avionics and systems to enhance their performance. With the induction of Hawk-132 and Pilatus PC-7 Mk-II aircraft, the IAF trainer fleet is already a modern and capable fleet.
IS: What are the new technologies in terms of propulsion, speed, standoff attacks, intelligence missions, and electronics that you perceive will play decisive roles in future combats. And the role of EW systems specifically?
AR: We are at present on the threshold of absorbing Fifth generation technologies wherein sensor fusion, net centricity, long range standoff weapons, smart engines, stealth/ low observable technologies etc. will be the basic tenant of any future airborne platform. Ground based sensors and weapons will also see a quantum jump in sensor technology, ranges, lethality and redundancy.
EW systems play an important role and will continue to do so in the future also. In the modern battlefield, no weapon system can survive or perform optimally without a comprehensive EW suite, whether it is carrying out offensive or defensive operations. It is a Force Enhancer in the true sense.
IS: Growth of IAF’s AWACS/AEW capability?
AR: AF has already inducted IL-76 based AWACS aircraft. Presently, AEW&C aircraft based on Embraer platform are under development by CABS and are likely to be inducted shortly. Additionally, AWACS are being acquired through the indigenous route with DRDO. AWACS (India) project is at the proposal stage.
The gap between the inductions of the CABS developed AEW&C and AWACS (India) has necessitated acquisition of additional AWACS aircraft to meet operational requirements. These will be IL-76 based AWACS and are being procured under the repeat purchase clause of the present AWACS contract.
IS: As the number of combat jet requirement is large, larger than what it was 10 years ago, foreign manufacturers, Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Saab Gripen have offered Make in India projects. They have made presentations to the Government, IAF and Media.
Has a selection process begun?
This also raises another question on the choice of single or twin-engine machines. Your observations on the possible IAF preference please. We take it that whatever IAF buys, will conform to the MMRCA standards, and plus, laid down in 2007 RFP. Technology should have changed since this due to onboard force multipliers. If one is late, then taking advantage of the late start is the logical choice in picking up the latest?
AR: Government is preparing the roadmap for induction of fighter aircraft in the IAF in order to attain the sanctioned strength at the earliest.
Various options are being considered for induction through the ‘Make in India’ route. Suitable aircraft will be selected based on certain guiding principles that will govern manufacturing of these aircraft in the country and meet IAF’s operational requirements.
Combat aircraft procurements will be distributed over the entire spectrum of heavy, medium and light weight categories, as well as weaponry for various air campaigns and twin/single engine configurations.
IS: IAF’s decision to acquire Airbus A330 MRTT has been reversed. That should affect your plans. Is IAF looking afresh at newer systems, now that Boeing has also put its latest tankers in the market?
What are the options now?
We have been told earlier that IAF plans for 100 per cent midair refueling capability?
A400M being refueled by A330MRTT tanker, July 2014. Wing of F-18 chase plane in foreground.Credit Airbus Military
AR: The IAF has been pursuing the case for acquisition of additional Flight Refueler Aircraft. This case is being progressed based on Total Cost of Acquisition model, which considers the Life Cycle Costs. Various options are being considered to ensure that the Flight Refueling Aircraft are acquired at the earliest with emphasis on meeting our operational requirements.
IS: Helicopters: IAF is acquiring Chinook and Apache helicopters from the US, as also Mi-17s from Russia. There are still some more requirements, like larger numbers of these choppers, utility helicopters and VVIP requirements. Your comments please?
AR: A case is under progress for procurement of 200 Kamov 226 T helicopters from Russia under an Inter-Governmental Agreement. Out of 200 helicopters, 140 would be coproduced by a Joint Venture between the Russian companies and HAL. 65out of the 200 helicopters will be inducted in the IAF.
Subsequently, based on the success of 2-3 Ton class indigenous LUH being designed and developed by HAL, balance requirement of helicopters in the Light Utility category will be progressed. Both these helicopters are planned to replace Cheetah and Chetak fleets of the IAF. At present, Mi-17 V5 helicopters are being utilized to meet VVIP requirements.
IS: MAFI: This project has been there for some time. Your comments on progress please?
AR: Phase-I of Modernization of Airfield Infrastructure Project, which covers a majority of IAF’s airfields, has made good progress and will be completed shortly. Thereafter, the remaining airfields would be taken up for modernization. The infrastructure at the airfields has seen an extensive upgrade as part of the project and this project has greatly enhanced IAF’s operational capability.
IS: Make in India, Offsets and Technology Transfer: These are imperative parameters now in acquisition and modernization. You comments on how IAF is implementing these elements?
AR: In an effort to strengthen the indigenous defense production base, the Government has put in place a Defence Production Policy, which endeavors to enhance the defense R & D base of the country. The DPP-2016 includes several initiatives to encourage local R & D and increase in indigenous content in defense procurement.
The ‘Make’ procedure of DPP-2016 seeks to address the multiple objectives of self-reliance, wider participation of Indian industry, impetus to MSME sector, sound implementation, transparent execution and timely induction of equipment into the Indian Armed Forces.
IAF has always encouraged development of indigenous defense production capability and capacities. IAF firmly believes that indigenization provides flexibility by reducing dependence on external agencies and leads to economic growth of the nation and it is the only way to have true strategic autonomy.
The IAF has been at the forefront in inducting indigenously manufactured weapon platforms and systems.
LCA Flying at Bahrain Airshow. Image Courtesy: Basani Satheesh Kumar, Indian MoD
The formation of the first LCA squadron in Bangalore and the substantial order for LCA aircraft are testimony to the importance that the IAF places on self-reliance. A number of indigenously developed and manufactured aircraft, helicopters, radars, missiles and electronic equipment have been inducted or are in the process of being inducted. Projects like AEW&C, AWACS (India), IACCS, Akash SAGW & Astra Missile are being fully supported by the IAF.
IAF has recently conducted a number of seminars to foster greater interaction with the defense industry. To have greater clarity in the industry so that it can map its capabilities and potential with the requirements of the IAF, the ‘Indigenisation Roadmap Indian Air Force (2015-2025)’ was released by the IAF in April this year.
Another seminar was conducted in Lucknow in September 2016 to encourage participation by MSMEs.
IS: IAF needs to be commended for the extraordinary HADR operations undertaken by it. However, are there are any lessons to be drawn from these? In the same context and to further build on its strategic/tactical airlift capabilities, is the IAF thinking of acquiring more aircraft like the C-130J?
It is the advanced avionics suite and onboard equipment including sensors and infrared cameras that give the C-130J the capability to operate in adverse circumstances like it has done in the past in Indian flood relief. Credit India Strategic
Several IAF officers seem to favor deployment of this aircraft even for ferry flights to A&N and other islands, particularly after the recent loss of an An-32?AR: IAF has indeed performed commendably in all HADR related missions not only within the country, but abroad also. Lessons drawn during various HADR operations are constantly reviewed.
Also, HADR Table Top exercises are being planned every year by the three Services for better integration of NDMA, Civic functionaries and the Armed Forces at the field level. IAF is acquiring additional C-130J aircraft. However, C-130J is a Special Operations aircraft with heavy operational and training task; it therefore may not be available for routine airlift or courier operations.
IS: Could you give an update on the LCA Mk I/Mk II program? Will Tejas be able to come up to IAF’s expectations? HAL Chairman has told us that new version will have an AESA radar and some key electronic systems in accordance with IAF requirements?
AR: The first squadron of LCA was formed on July 1, 2016. This is a significant step towards indigenous capability building. However, it will still take some more time before these aircraft are operationalized in IAF with their full capabilities.
IAF will be carrying out extensive flying on these aircraft in order to exploit their entire envelop for optimizing their roles and tasks. I am confident that the LCA Mk 1A which would have enhanced capabilities, would be able to meet the requirements of the IAF.
2016-10-27 The global defense market is a confluence of three dynamic markets: advanced Western militaries, near peer competitors and their global outreach, and ruggedized classic militaries seen in the developing world.
The first is the advanced military market in which US and allied militaries are shaping integrated military structures.
The second is led by near peer competitors who are shaping new approaches to competing with the US and its allies by shaping capabilities which seek to enhance their advantage, whether it be based on quantity, or missile technologies, or an ability to market core equipment in third world nations for political advantage and production mass.
The third is the broad market of developing nations militaries which provide a variety of examples of how to build military power, but built around variants of late 20th century Western militaries, in terms of hub and spoke air power, and platform centric forces.
A variant of this third type of market are militaries shaping baseline ruggedized aircraft which can operate in austere conditions and be operated by third world militaries. Training focuses on core platform functional use; relatively straightforward logistical support is essential; and an ability to operate in rugged terrain, such as unpaved runways is significant.
An example of this variant is the rebuilding of the Mali military.
In a recent piece by our partner defenceWeb, the approach being taken to rebuild the Mali military was nicely identified.
Mali’s Air Force has taken delivery of its first Airbus Helicopters H215 Super Puma helicopter as part of efforts to revitalises its capabilities.
The aircraft was officially handed over on 17 October during a ceremony attended by Minister of Defence Abdoulaye Idrissa Maïga at Air Base 101 at Bamako Senou International Airport. The ceremony was also attended by Chief of Staff Major General Gabriel Poudiougou and other officials.
Air Force Chief of Staff Souleymane Bamba said the helicopter will strengthen the Malian military’s capabilities and added that French personnel have been training Malian pilots and technicians.
The second helicopter will be delivered within two months’ time.
A Jordanian Armed Forces SA-330 Super Puma helicopter returns to a training area after completing a medical evacuation rehearsal in support of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit during Exercise Eager Lion 2014 in Jordan. Eager Lion is a recurring, multinational exercise designed to strengthen military-to-military relationships, increase interoperability between partner nations and enhance regional security. The 22nd MEU is deployed with the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group as a theater reserve and crisis response force throughout U.S. Central Command and the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Austin Hazard/Released)
According to the Journal du Mali, the acquisition of the Super Pumas is ahead of the Netherlands withdrawing its seven helicopters with the United Nations mission (MINUSMA) next year. The publication added that the purchase is part of a larger capability improvement drive that will see the recruitment of 10 000 troops and the acquisition of additional equipment for the Air Force.
Bamba said expansion of the Air Force includes the repair of Balser BT-67 aircraft as well as helicopters. Mali is due to take delivery of a single C-295W transport aircraft from Airbus Defence and Space this month and will be acquiring Russian attack helicopters in 2017. The winglet-equipped C-295W was ordered in February this year.
The C295W will join Mali’s small fleet of fixed-wing aircraft, which includes nine Mikoyan MiG-21s (although most of these are believed to be unserviceable), one Alenia SF-260, one Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander, two Basler BT-67s and several An-2s, An-24s and An-26s.
In June last year Mali ordered six A-29 Super Tucano light attack and advanced training turboprops from Embraer. The aircraft will deployed for advanced training, border surveillance, and internal security missions, giving a major boost to the Mali Air Force’s combat fleet, which includes the MiG-21s and several Mi-24 attack helicopters.
During the Airbus Trade Media Event held in Munich earlier this year, a good overview of building aircraft for the ruggedized market was provided by Fernando Ciria, Head of Marketing, Tactical Airlifters and ISR at Airbus Defence and Space (ADS).
And in an article written by Guy Martin, editor of defenceWeb, the approach was highlighted.
This year Mali will receive a single C295 and Egypt will take delivery of the remaining three of 24 examples it has on order, according to Airbus officials, who believe Africa is a key market for the tactical airlifter.
Airbus announced in February that Mali would get a single winglet-equipped C-295W.
Fernando Ciria, Head of Marketing, Tactical Airlifters and ISR at Airbus Defence and Space (ADS), told journalists in Germany at the Trade Media Brief 2016 that Africa is a very promising region with many orders to come in the next few years.
According to Stephan Miegel, Head of Military Aircraft Services at Airbus Defence and Space, there are 148 C295s and 236 CN235s flying around the world today (168 C295s have been ordered) and these have accumulated 250 000 and 1.35 million flight hours respectively.
In Africa, there are 18 C212s, ten CN235s and 29 C295s in active service, primarily with air forces, although Republic of Congo’s Aero Service flies two C212s and South Africa’s Fortune Air flies a single CN235.
Most of these are built by Airbus but Burkina Faso and Senegal have aircraft produced by Indonesia’s PTDI.
Ciria said Africa has many fleets of transport aircraft made up of old types such as An-26s, Turbo Dakotas, Buffalos etc., meaning that these old fleets will have to be replaced, ideally by the C295, and augmented by intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) platforms.
Airbus is also hopeful of repeat orders from Africa, pointing out that half the company’s tactical transport customers took out repeat orders, something it describes as unique in this market segment.
Egypt is the world’s largest C295 operator and a repeat customer, having ordered its 24 aircraft in five different batches.
Ciria said that one of the notable features of Egypt’s fleet is that it has been used to take over missions previously carried out by the C-130H Hercules, as it is far cheaper to fly (one third that of a C-130).
In addition to personnel and cargo transport, Egyptian C295s are configured with removable VIP transport interiors.
Ghana has acquired three C295s which it flies on behalf of the United Nations. These have been deployed to Mali with the Minusma mission there.
Ciria said the Ghana Air Force supplies an aircraft that can fly 80-100 hours a month, including ten days of high intensity operations (eight hours a day) and 15 days of low intensity operations (five hours a day).
Three days of maintenance are required every month while a basic A-check inspection is done every 300 hours. Ghanaian C295s are used primarily to transport cargo and passengers, including wounded and sick. Ciria said flights are important as terrorists threaten the main land supply routes in Mali.
Ghanian C-295. Credit: Airbus Defence
Ghana has taken the lead in acquiring and operating aircraft on behalf of the United Nations, but Ciria believes there are many other humanitarian missions that could make use of the C295/CN235, such as the Red Cross, European Union, Doctors Without Borders and World Food Programme. Many of these organisations are flying elderly aircraft like the An-24, HS-748 and DHC-5.
Airbus also highlighted C295/CN235 use by non-African operators on the continent.
For instance, the Spanish Air Force has used the C295 for humanitarian assistance missions in Africa as it is cheaper to fly than the C-130, while its CN235 MPAs are used to patrol for pirates, gather intelligence on land and sea and monitor sea lanes around Somalia and the Gulf of Aden as part of Spain’s contribution to the European Union’s anti-piracy Operation Atalanta.
The Spanish Air Force also flies P-3 Orions for Atalanta, based in Djibouti. Airbus said the Spanish CN235s have flown over 1 525 flight hours and 179 missions as part of Atalanta, which also sees the aircraft fly off the Kenyan and Seychelles coasts.
Although piracy is being contained off the Horn of Africa due largely to greater stability on land and multinational sea and air patrols, Ciria noted that there is a shortfall of maritime patrol capability in the Gulf of Guinea, where pirates and militant groups are hijacking tankers for their contents, destroying oil and gas facilities and kidnapping crew for ransom.
Ciria said only Nigeria, with its maritime patrol configured ATR aircraft, is able to patrol its maritime zone from the air and there is need for an aircraft like the C295 MPA in the region, not just to monitor for pirates but also to conduct environmental protection, fisheries protection, search and rescue and medical evacuation missions.
Other applications in Africa include border surveillance and maritime surveillance in the Mediterranean, where illegal migration and drug smuggling are major problems. Ciria said maritime patrol aircraft need to be active in North African countries where most trafficking vessels launch from.
Airbus is also promoting a C295 special mission aircraft for border surveillance, especially to monitor the illegal movement of people, drugs, weapons and terrorists.
For such a role, the C295 can be fitted with a synthetic aperture radar, ground moving target indicator (GMTI), video camera, infrared camera and communications and electronic intelligence systems.
Ciria said that Airbus is involved in a lot of commercial campaigns in Africa and sees a lot of opportunities in the coming years, especially as there are a number of countries that are replacing obsolete fleets.
Airbus has received two C295 contracts this year, one from Mali and one from Indonesia, which ordered two aircraft.
Indonesia already has nine in service. Ciria was confident that Airbus will have secured additional C295 orders by the end of this year.
Last year Airbus Defence and Space took the C295 on a South American sales tour and earlier this month began a sales tour of Latin America and Canada, with an eye on Canada’s requirement for a new maritime surveillance and search and rescue aircraft and is confident of being awarded a contract later this year.
Ciria said it is possible that Africa is one possible are for a C295 sales tour, if there is enough market potential on the continent. At the moment there are no short term orders or interest from Africa.
Fernando Alonso, Head of Military Aircraft at ADS, said that C295 sales have been very thin this year, but they have in the past fluctuated from five to 30 a year. However, he is encouraged by developments in India, as Airbus has been selected to supply the type to replace the Avro transport fleet, in partnership with Tata under the Make in India programme.
Alonso said the C295 is a winner that will keep the company going until it produces a replacement aircraft.
Jean Pierre Talamoni, Head of Sales and Marketing at Airbus Military Aircraft, said that the company is committed to Make in India but cautioned that one has to be ‘careful’ with trying to establish aircraft production from scratch without producing a supply chain.
“If there is no supply chain we will have to import and obviously the cost will be destroyed. A full system has to be put in place.”
Republished with permission of our partner defenceWeb
Of course, the advantages of a ruggedized platform can be leveraged as well by more advanced militaries but their use could be quite different as the platform becomes transformed into a more multi-mission platform designed to be connected and integrated into the battlespace.
A key challenge for Western and allied Asian manufacturers is to be able to build platforms which can be used by their own militaries, allies and in some cases be exportable into the Third World where they will face direct competition from the Chinese and the Russians who are hoping to shape mass by global exports.
