Continuing enhancement of the ADF’s surveillance
capabilities in the land domain, in recent years largely driven by urgent
operational requirements, can be expected to remain a high priority within the
Defence Capability Plan despite the withdrawal from Afghanistan.
This will be facilitated by additions and upgrades to the
already extensive portfolio of ADF land surveillance assets, the digital
communications backbone that will be provided by Joint Project 2072 Phase 2B,
and a focus by DSTO research in the land space on empowering the individual
soldier.
Further impetus will be provided by the restructuring under
Plan Beersheba of Army’s regular brigades into three ‘alike’ multi-role
manoeuvre formations, and the development of spiral approaches to acquisition.
This will involve a brigade receiving updated equipment as
it moves through the Ready phase, with any modifications or enhancements
incorporated in the equipment issued to the next brigade in the cycle. This
will ensure the deployment by each formation and assigned forces of the most
up-to-date equipment available.
The bulk of land surveillance continues to be provided by a
range of airborne sensors, starting with the hand-launched Elbit Skylark -1,
whose replacement under JP 129 Phase 4 is expected to receive first pass
approval in 2014-2016. This seeks an ongoing ISR capability for land forces
operations together with the ability to operate from or within confined areas
such as urban environments.
Tier 2 Scaneagle UAVs leased from Boeing subsidiary Insitu
were replaced in Afghanistan in May 2012 by the first of two RQ-7B Shadow 200
tactical UAV systems purchased at a total cost of $175 million; but not before
flying an average of 22 hours a day over the four years and 10 months of their
deployment.
Each Shadow system comprises nine aircraft, ground control
stations, ground data terminals, launchers and a tactical automatic landing
system. Although endurance is limited to 8-9 hours against the more than 24
hours featured by the much smaller ScanEagle, each Shadow has the capacity to
carry concurrently an electro-optic camera, infra-red camera, and three
separate lasers for target designation, pointing and range finding, together
with a communications relay payload.
From 2010 the ScanEagle capability in Afghanistan was
supplemented by three IAI Malat Heron medium range, long endurance UAVs leased
from Canadian service provider McDonald Dettwiler and Associates.
The 1.1 tonne Heron can stay airborne for more than 30 hours
and has racked up more than 15,000 flight hours, operating since last year in
tandem with the Shadow 200 fleet. The value of the long-legged Heron is widely
recognised, but its future in ADF service is as yet undecided.
Last November saw RAAF AP-3C Orions end nearly 10 years of
operational service in the Middle East where their primary role moved rapidly
from maritime patrol to overland Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance
(ISR) in support of Australian and coalition forces, first in Iraq and then in
Afghanistan.
A fully-integrated version of the FLIR Systems Star Safire
III EO/IR system linked to the AP-3C’s digital, track-while-scan ELTA 2022
multi-mode radar furnishes real-time high resolution colour video and infra-red
imagery. This is transmitted in real time to commanders on the ground via
Tactical Common Data Link, allowing the aircraft to provide imagery over ranges
of more than 150 nautical miles.
With AP-3C tasking now largely refocused on maritime patrol
and anti-submarine drills, it’s to be hoped this hard-won land surveillance
expertise is not neglected. Meanwhile, a significant future role in land
operations is anticipated for the RAAF’s six-strong Wedgetail Airborne Early
Warning and Control (AEW&C) fleet.
This is expected to centre on Army’s desire to access the
Recognised Air Picture, and the ability for Wedgetail to pass tracks from
Army’s Saab Giraffe Agile Multi-Beam (AMB) radar system to a Regional
Operations Centre for fusion with other information within the Vigilare Command
and Control system. A further aspiration is the ability to control Ground-Based
Air Defence System assets within an integrated air defence system.
Radars
Of the three Giraffe radars purchased at a cost of $86
million, two are currently deployed at Tarin Kot multinational base in
Afghanistan in the counter rocket, artillery and mortar (C-RAM) role. The third
is used by16th Air Land Regiment at Woodside for training.
According to informed sources, one Giraffe system will be
withdrawn from Tarin Kot shortly and the second will leave next year. Prior to
returning to Australia, both will undergo refurbishment in Sweden and a
possible upgrade to the latest Block C technology, which would maximise their
effectiveness as air defence radars under Land 19 Phase 7B (Ground-based Air
and Missile Defence Enhancements or Replacement) with C-RAM as a secondary
role.
Fifty-eight AMSTAR (Australian ManPortable Surveillance and
Target Acquisition) radar systems with the all-weather ability to detect
personnel, vehicles and helicopters at ranges of up to 40km are currently in
service. The radars also provide an indirect all-weather, day/night target
acquisition and fire adjustment capability for artillery observers.
Of these systems, 15 utilising a nine metre telescopic mast
have been fitted to the ASLAV-S surveillance variant of the Australian Light
Armoured Vehicle, coupled with the US-manufactured Multi-Spectral Surveillance
Suite (MSSS), a suite of electro-optical sensors. This provides long-range
target detection and automatic “slew and cue” alignment of the sensor package
to the target.
DSTO role
The ability in the near future to network existing ISR
capabilities, and further out the ISR capabilities resident with individual
weapons systems, is very much on the mind of Steve Quinn, Chief Land Operations
Division at the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO).
“We’re not there yet, but the move to digital night vision
systems and advanced thermal systems, together with the high bandwidth digital
backbone furnished by JP2072 will provide the opportunity for much greater
sharing of data,” Quinn said to ADM.
“Even on weapons systems such as Javelin, the optics are
such that they’re a considerable surveillance or reconnaissance enhancement
capability.
“So that’s largely the focus within the land space, the
enhancement of the individual’s capabilities, expanding as much as possible the
signatures that can be interrogated and exploited and interfacing that into the
higher end capabilities that exist at the joint level.”
While JP2072 will provide the means for more extensive
integration and dissemination of land ISR data, Quinn is happy with progress to
date on exploiting surveillance capabilities.
“There’s a
considerable amount of talk about the strength that quantum sensing might bring
to sensor suites although that’s some way down the track. But ensuring we’re
aware of existing and emerging sensor capabilities is an essential element of
DSTO’s remit.”
Surveillance and space systems is one of three priority
areas highlighted in the DSTO five-year Strategic Plan, released in April. This
takes into account broader ramifications than might at first be apparent.
“As we move into the future, we’re really focusing on land
surveillance and being absolutely aware of our environment. Even something as
simple as knowing your signature is being interrogated is vital,” Quinn said.
“If you were looking at me with ground surveillance radar
and I knew that before you found me, I could stop, I could disperse, I could
alter my radar signature, I could convince you I had a force of several hundred
instead of a very noisy half dozen.
“But it’s not just an issue of what wonderful sensor systems
you’re putting out there; the issue becomes one of any active interrogation of
Australians by others is something that needs to be picked up, sensed, and
exploited.
“We need to be able to do that in all environments and
across all exploitable spectra.”
