Despite the drawdown of Australian forces from Afghanistan,
the 2013 Federal Budget promises ‘no adverse implications’ for equipment used
on deployment and the protection of soldiers remains one of Defence’s highest
priorities.
Since the force protection measures review undertaken by the
government in 2009, several important measures have been implemented in
response to the 48 recommendations made by the report and the situation remains
under constant review.
However with the withdrawal from Afghanistan there will be a
lot of equipment left behind – either destroyed in situ or handed over to
either the Afghan National Army or coalition partners remaining in-theatre.
Other equipment will be repatriated to Australia and presumably placed into
storage.
Looking towards the future, projects in the existing Defence
Capability Plan, such as JP154 Phase 2 (Joint Counter Improvised Explosive
Device Capability), together with the CIED Task Force (see P44), will ensure
that the ADF keeps abreast of world developments.
Force Protection
history
In June 2010 then Defence Minister John Faulkner publicly
responded to the force protection review commissioned the year before and
conducted by (then) Chief of Joint Operations Lieutenant General Mark Evans.
Senator Faulkner advised that the CJOP’s report had been
reviewed by the Chief of Defence Force (AM Angus Houston) before being passed
to VCDF (LTGEN David Hurley) for development.
The result was the 48 recommendations for enhancement of the
ADF’s force protection measures, particularly reflecting the casualties
suffered to rocket attacks and IED strikes during operations in Oruzgan
Province.
“The force protection improvements recommended from the
review cover a variety of active and passive measures, which range from
personal protective equipment for our soldiers, to unmanned surveillance
systems,” Senator Faulkner said at the time. “Since the review was completed,
Defence has been working hard to progress and implement the outcomes of the
Force Protection Review. Some measures have already been implemented, including
improved counter measures against IEDs and improving IED detection equipment.”
A total of $1.1 billion was allocated to force protection
measures in the 2010/11 budget and in addition, a further $485 million had been
received by the ADF through Operation Slipper supplemental funding, which
catered for ongoing aspects of operations, including force protection.
Some of the measures outlined in the report included
increased armour protection and firepower for the Bushmaster and ASLAV vehicles
used in-theatre; CIED improvements, including improved route clearance
capability, Electronic Counter Measures and additional bomb detection dogs;
Enhanced ECM; Protection against indirect fire (C-RAM and the hardening of
facilities); Enhanced Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR); and
enhanced personal equipment and preparation, such as improved body armour, replacement
helmets, enhanced night fighting equipment and training areas, ranges and
equipment suited to Afghan operations.
Current status
Defence declined a request for an interview with a subject
matter expert regarding either current or future force protection measures,
citing operational security reasons, but a Defence spokesperson offered the
following:
“The ADF employs a suite of Force Protection measures to
enhance the safety of deployed personnel. As well as physical measures, such as
Armoured Vehicles, Route Clearance Vehicles, Body Armour, hardened working and
accommodation facilities and systems such as CRAM (Counter Rocket Artillery and
Mortar), our personnel utilise constantly evolving tactics, techniques and
procedures to enhance their protection levels.”
However the spokesperson said that equipment such as the
Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicles, body armour, C-RAM and some of the
relocatable hardened working and accommodation buildings will be returned to
Australia for future use. “The ADF also constantly reviews Force Protection
measures including materiel and Tactics, Techniques and Procedures and will
continue to enhance and adapt the measures utilised to protect our deployed
personnel,” the spokesperson said.
One example of this is CASPEAN (Casualty and Casualty
Protective Equipment Analysis), which aims to understand the operational and
environmental context in which battlefield incidents occur and the causes and
physical mechanisms of weapons-related trauma to both individuals and protected
vehicles and systems.
DSTO is also playing a major part in developing technology
which can be applied to force protection measures, including the haptic arm
system developed in conjunction with Deakin University, which provides bomb
disposal personnel with a realistic grasp and feel of remote objects; and the
recently-unveiled Land Motion Platform, a vehicle simulator designed to
replicate field conditions across different terrain
Defence says that a number of acquisition and/or development
projects are currently underway to enhance ADF vehicles and equipment. Included
in DMO’s ‘Top 30’ projects list are projects such as:
LAND 19 Phase 7A (C-RAM) which delivered two operational
systems based on the SAAB Giraffe for the Multi-National Base at Tarin Kot and
a third system for training and development in Australia.
JP 154 Phase 3A (Protected Route Clearance Capability, or
Project Ningaui), which acquired three
US Husky 3.3 protected vehicles (two of which were fitted with Ground
Penetrating Radar and the third with an interrogator arm), two Self -Protected
Adaptive Roller Kit (SPARK) Mine Roller Mark II (SMRII) systems, and two
protected High Mobility Engineer Excavator (HMEE) vehicles.
Looking towards the future JP154 Phase 2 is aimed at
supporting a ‘technology refresh’ of current CIED operational and support
systems.
“JP154 Phase 2 will ensure that the ADF’s Force Protection
Electronic Counter Measure (FPECM) capability remains effective against
evolving IED threats,” the Defence spokesperson said.
The project will also oversee new and enhanced IED
capabilities and enhance the ADF’s Weapons Technical Intelligence (WTI)
capability.
First Pass Approval, according to the 2012 DCP, is planned
to occur between now and 2015 with Initial Operating Capability (IOC) between
2016 and 2019. Given the rapid pace of change in IED threats, Life of Type is
only five years.
The total cost of initiatives triggered by the Force
Protection Review is now in the region of $1.6 billion.
2013 Federal Budget
In his recent budget speech, current Defence Minister
Stephen Smith underpinned spending for force protection measures, promising no
cuts to force protection spending.
“There will be no adverse implications for equipment for
forces about to be deployed or on deployment,” he said.
Included in the budget statements was a proposal for
Government and the Public Works Committee for facilities for Force Protection
and Research and Training (under JP154), which will be presented in the early
part on next calendar year and due to be heard by the PWC in the middle of
2014.
“This project (JP154) aims to provide test and evaluation
facilities at Narrungar (Woomera, South Australia) and Edinburgh (Adelaide,
South Australia), plus storage and training facilities at 14 other sites across
Australia,” the statement reads. “Subject to Government and Parliamentary
clearance, construction is scheduled to commence mid 2014, and be completed in
mid 2015.”
In addition, budget papers reveal that the net additional
cost of operations for enhanced force protection in Afghanistan had been $435.4
million between 2000 and 2011/12 and in the 2012/13 year was an estimated
additional $164.6 million. Reflecting the drawdown of Australian forces
in-theatre, the estimated budget for 2013/14 is $10 million and $16.2 million
in the 2014/15 forward estimate period.
Beyond Afghanistan, additional funding has been allocated to
the Multi-National Force and Observers (MFO) in the Sinai, in the form of a
grant of $487,995 (US$500,000). The funding forms part of a multi-year grant of
$1,469,865 (US$1.5 million) to the MFO, which has been operating since 1982
supervising the security provisions of the Egyptian-Israeli Treaty of Peace.
“The grant is to enhance force protection measures and
facilities in the Sinai which will directly benefit ADF members serving the
mission,” said the budget document.
