Land Warfare: Heavily tasked ASLAV soldiers on | ADM Nov 2010
Some 113 variants of the Australian Army’s most heavily tasked armoured fleet – the ubiquitous ASLAV – are to receive additional protective armour and other enhancements, endowing them with the highest possible combat protection and capability in the future.
Tom Muir | Canberra
Since they were first deployed in East Timor in 1999, the ASLAV has been the armoured vehicle of choice for the Australian Army in both peacekeeping and task force deployments, and is serving with distinction in the Middle East Area of Operations, including Iraq and Afghanistan.
Following assessment of the Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV) for its suitability for wheeled reconnaissance in Northern Australia, based on trials with 15 vehicles leased from the US Marine Corps, and to develop specifications for an Australian version, seven variants of the versatile ASLAV were acquired in two main tranches.
The variants were ASLAV-25, Personnel Carrier, Command, Ambulance, Surveillance, Fitters and Recovery.
Under Land 112 Phase 2 delivery of the first 113 vehicles commenced in 1995, and, under Phase 3, a further 144 ASLAVs were ordered and deliveries completed by late 2004.
That same phase included the upgrade of the original vehicles to match the evolved capabilities of the Phase 3 build versions.
These enhancements to offensive capabilities and crew protection, included new electric turret drives, improved thermal sights, integrated laser range finder, second generation drive line and new suspension components.
An advanced gunnery simulator, the Crew Procedural Trainer, was also introduced into service with Army.
In preparation for their first deployment to Iraq in 2003 ten ASLAVs were equipped with Kongsberg Remote Weapon Stations (RWS) and spall liners.
Similar 'rapid acquisition' upgrades followed the announcement in early 2005 that a further 40 ASLAV vehicles would be deployed to Iraq by May 2005.
Of the many ASLAVs deployed since 2005 to the Middle East, all the ASLAV-PCs have been fitted with the Kongsberg Protector Remote Weapon Station (RWS).
Melbourne-based Seal Solutions supported the rapid acquisition of the 59 systems acquired mostly for ASLAV operation in Iraq and Afghanistan.
This involved design engineering to integrate the RWS while meeting all the ADF's safety and suitability requirements.
Armed with a 12.7mm heavy machine gun, the Protector RWS in particular has been seen as the key to improving the effectiveness of the ASLAV capability as a whole.
The observation and targeting sensors incorporated in the mount enabled targets to be identified and engaged at greater ranges and with improved accuracy by ASLAV-PC crews.
The vehicles also received improved protection, through being fitted with bar armour and internal spall liners to better withstand blast, small-arms hits and fragmentation.
The Australian-designed bar armour cage adds several hundred kilograms in weight but does not severely impact vehicle handling or mobility, although the extra 100cm or thereabouts of the cage added to the width of a vehicle can be a hindrance in moving through narrow streets or traffic congested roads.
The horizontal bars are designed to trap an RPG round and detonate its warhead at a stand-off distance from the vehicle's baseline armour, thereby dissipating its kinetic energy sufficiently to the point where it is unable to penetrate the baseline armour; or else at the very least deflecting its trajectory off-course and preventing it from setting off its shaped charge square against the vehicle's armour plate.
The Armatec contact spall liner provides a considerable measure of safety against over-penetrating projectiles and spall that manages to get through the baseline armour.
This involved considerable work by Armatec stripping out interior fittings to install the spall liners.
Spall liners are composite panels mounted to the inside of the shell structure of armored vehicles.
They protect personnel inside by catching spall-fragments of the outer shell blown into the vehicle by the concussion of incoming ordinance—before it contacts them.
Used alone or in combination with metals or ceramics, the Kevlar spall liners increase crew survivability in combat.
This 'rapid acquisition' work had to be done very quickly and under difficult circumstances, with much of the installation being conducted in Iraq or Kuwait.
It required significant project management and engineering effort and civilian contractors had to move to Kuwait.
It was testimony to the excellent cooperation between Defence and industry, with special mention of General Dynamics Land Systems-Australia (bar-armour), Seal Solutions (RWS) and Armatec (spall liners) on getting an urgent job done.
It was also testimony to the urgent need to improve the crew's protection in what was proving to be a far from benign working environment.
Role of the ASLAV
As employed by the Australian Army the ASLAV is well suited to its cavalry role and is highly versatile due to good balance between cross-country/highway mobility, firepower in both the ASLAV-25 and ASLAV-PC (personnel carrier) variants, and armoured protection.
It has the ability to carry both cavalry assault troops and infantry along with outstanding mechanical reliability.
However, despite being a very flexible light armoured fighting vehicle, the Australian Army light armored vehicle (ASLAV) has stressed the speed and mobility needed for reconnaissance and security operations in the north of Australia at the expense of capability needed for force protection.
In a paper* on the increasing prominence of ISTAR in the HNA, Colonel John Blaxland states that ground reconnaissance has always featured cavalry playing a prominent role.
In the Australian Army the infantry has been the predominant reconnaissance and surveillance tool, with foot-and vehicle-mounted patrols and observation posts.
However he notes that the information gathering roles of infantry and cavalry now receive less emphasis than their more dramatic manoeuvre role.
The ADF’s concept of manoeuvre warfare is the means for the military to disrupt the adversary’s strength or will to fight.
This requires knowledge about the adversary’s capabilities and vulnerabilities, and firepower sufficient to destroy, capture or neutralise the adversary’s key elements.
For the cavalry in particular Blaxland says the need in recent years to generate Battle Groups to support operations has meant that the manoeuvre unit role has been emphasised above the reconnaissance role.
“This spells trouble if their mounts, the ASLAV, is incapable of operating successfully in an anti-armour threat environment.”
Today it would seem that Blaxland’s concerns are being largely met through the earlier rapid acquisition upgrades for those vehicles deploying to the MEAO and now the impending Phase 4 enhancements.
Phase 4 midlife upgrade
Phase 4, the survivability enhancement and midlife upgrade of the ASLAV fleet received first pass approval in 2006.
According to the latest Defence Capability Plan, Phase 4 might include such possible enhancements as mine protection, ballistic protection, BMS integration, signature management and a defensive aid suite.
The additional weight from some of these enhancements, such as armour for protection against IEDs and RPG attack, would need to be offset and the motive power increased to handle a heavier vehicle.
A Systems Design and Development (SDD) activity was conducted to investigate options to enhance the survivability and situational awareness of the ASLAV.
This was principally a prototyping activity aimed at reducing the risk involved in the production and introduction into service of the phase 4 solution.
Two design studies were undertaken to determine options for upgrading the survivability of the platform.
These studies, in addition to an analysis with General Dynamics Land Systems – Australia (GDSL-A) during 2007, helped the project office to develop a robust set of requirements and identify other ballistic and mineblast protection options for enhancing the survivability of the platform.
ADM understands that the OEM had proposed a comprehensive solution to the Phase 4 requirements that included mine blast protection through mine protection covers under the rear two axles, and enhanced ballistic and fragmentation protection with applique aluminium armour and extended spall systems.
The powerpack would be upgraded and remanufactured to zero km and a multi-spectral camouflage system offered for signature management.
The market had also been surveyed to determine solutions to the Phase 4 requirement with options to meet the Phase 4 solution under consideration.
These had been reviewed and Defence's expectation was that a viable solution will be presented for second pass approval.
Second pass for ASLAV enhancement
In June 2010, second pass approval was granted for the Phase 4 upgrade of the ASLAV, although we understand a Rapid Acquisition (RA) sole source contract for the work had been in place with Armatec since January 2009.
The enhancements, which have a total project cost of $302.8 million, will up-armour the ASLAV fleet to provide greater protection to suit difficult and dangerous environments such as those in Afghanistan.
The enhancements will provide increased protection against a wider range of threats – including improvised explosive devices – by improving ballistic, fragmentation and blast protection.
The project will also see improvements to the vehicle's suspension, driveline and engine, ensuring the ASLAV remains a highly capable and versatile light armoured vehicle for the duration of its service with the ADF.
The project plans to deliver 113 upgraded vehicles, commencing by April 2012.
Defence is also investigating options for significantly expediting the schedule for the upgrade.
The same month, Defence Minister John Faulkner announced that Armatec Survivability Corporation (ASC) and General Dynamics Land Systems - Australia (GDLS-A) had been awarded the contract to provide survivability enhancements and refurbishment to 113 Australian Light Armoured Vehicles (ASLAV).
He said the enhanced-survivability kits represented world-leading, combat-proven, advanced, composite armour technology developed and produced by Armatec Survivability in Canada.
The pre-modification, refurbishment, automotive upgrades, and installation of the enhanced-survivability kits would be done by GDLS-A in Adelaide SA.
Armour will first be fitted on different variants of the Australian vehicles, four of which have already been shipped to Canada.
Based on those designs, kits will then be shipped back to Australia for installation on the vehicles that will serve in Afghanistan.
The 113 vehicles are the first phase and, according to Karl Pfister, president and chief executive of Armatec, there was the possibility of more.
The contract is the second largest for Armatec. In 2005, the company had a larger order for the US Marines, but Pfister would not discuss costs.
The previous month (May) it was announced that GDSL-A was the preferred tenderer for the contract to support the ADF's fleet of Abrams tanks, ASLAVs and Hercules.
GDLS-A had proposed a five-year deal for the sustainment of armoured fighting vehicles with greater efficiencies for the Australian Army.
The value of the contract was likely to be in excess of $100 million over the five-year period.
"What GDLS-A has proposed is a performance-based deal with greater incentives for improved efficiencies and performance," the then Minister for Defence Materiel Greg Combet said.
"Under this proposal GDLS-A could be rewarded for good performance with an extension to the life of the contract."
Armatec Survivability Corp
Since its founding in 1997, Armatec Survivability Corporation says a distinctive engineering philosophy has delivered significantly improved crew protection and vehicle survivability without compromising mission effectiveness or equipment sustainability.
The company says that it works closely with customers to identify, define and characterise threats and to develop, test and manufacture systems to defeat those threats.
“Wherever possible, Armatec uses advanced, lightweight composite materials in the development and production of its proprietary technologies.
“Further, Armatec use a systems integration approach to incorporate its products into the host vehicle to provide a truly holistic solution.
“This approach has earned Armatec a reputation for producing equipment that is combat proven against advanced ballistic, mine, IED, shaped charge and other threats.”
Having performed so well in providing and installing spall liners for ASLAVs in the MEAO, the company, regarded widely as an ‘incumbent’ in LAV protective enhancements due to its proximity to OEM General Dynamics in London, Ontario, kept a close eye on the upcoming Australian Phase 4 requirements.
But more than that it had access to an Australian ASLAV in Ontario that had previously been used for the installation and test of the Multi-Spectral Surveillance Suite.
ADM surmises that this smart company was then able to accurately determine the type and nature of composite armour to be fitted as an appliqué, to provide maximum protection within the limitations of additional weight, and thus produce accurate design and cost estimates for Land 112 Phase 4 requirement.
Interestingly the company says traditional survivability solutions require that appliqué armour be designed around the vehicle and its sub-systems.
This approach has limitations leading to vulnerabilities (the so-called ‘ballistic windows’) and structurally weak areas.
Armatec says that it evaluates the vehicle as a total system and reconfigures it to maximize survivability without degrading performance.
“In fact, the vehicle is more mission-capable after upgrading with an Armatec system because crews know they are better protected and have confidence in their equipment.
“The company’s external and internal armour upgrades, combined with its own customised seating system, provide a holistic survivability solution which maximizes the survivability of both vehicle and crew.”
*Colonel John Blaxland: “Harnessing the Spectrum”, pp 77-92 Australian Army Journal, Vol IV, No.3, Land Warfare Studies Centre, Canberra ACT.
Thales Australia boosts soldier safety with Bullet Trap Blank Firing Attachments
Thales Australia and the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) are boosting soldier safety with a contract to supply over 35,000 Bullet Trap Blank Firing Attachments (BTBFAs) for Austeyr F88 rifles.
The units will be manufactured at Thales’s Australian Soldier Systems Development and Support Centre in Lithgow, NSW.
The innovative, patented BTBFA is attached to the end of the rifle barrel and enables the weapon to function when firing blank ammunition.
If a live round is inadvertently fired, the bullet is retained within the BTBFA, preventing injury to bystanders or the soldier firing the weapon.
“Soldier safety is of paramount importance in training as well as on operations,” said Chris Jenkins, Thales Australia’s CEO.
“Our team has designed and produced a cost-effective system to achieve this critical safety function for the ADF.
“It meets the highest levels of safety standards while being easy to use.”
BTBFAs will be used on training ranges and are coloured red, enabling easy identification of their use during exercises.
They require no modifications to existing weapons and can be maintained for most purposes in the field by the operator, utilising existing equipment.
The units are about half the weight of the current in-service bayonet, and are optimised for the new Thales F3A1 blank round.
Thales Australia has also designed BTBFAs for use with other in-service weapons.