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VOLUME 10 NUMBER 1 JAN/FEB 2018 A SHEPHARD MEDIA PUBLICATION
China's
digital army
Inside the PLA's C4I revolution
FULLY INTEGRATED BIGGER PICTURES THE UNBREAKABLE
Air defence networks GEOINT solutions Rugged computers
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CONTENTS
Editor
Grant Turnbull grant.t@shephardmedia.com 3 EDITORIAL COMMENT FEATURE
Tel: +44 (0)20 3179 2583 New year, new you 24 THE BIG PICTURE
Asia-Pacific Editor Geospatial intelligence is crucial for military
Gordon Arthur gordon.a@shephardmedia.com
4 NEWS users, and many manufacturers take different
North America Editor
Ashley Roque ashley.r@shephardmedia.com • Raytheon falls out of JSTARS Recap approaches to designing tools for defence
programme applications. However, such technology is now
Staff Reporter
Alice Budge • US Army outlines new command post initiative also being explored for its potential in the
Contributors •Japan shifts military posture commercial sector.E
Claire Apthorp, Angus Batey, Joe Charlaff,
Gerrard Cowan, Peter Donaldson,
• Tactical radios for the Philippines
Krassimir Grozev, Alexander Mladenov, • Thales doubles down on cyber security FEATURE
Doug Richardson, Richard Scott,
Beth Stevenson, Alan Warnes, Andrew White 30 TOUGHER STUFF
Production and Circulation Manager
FEATURE Rugged computing is in a phase of rapid
David Hurst 8 A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH change in the military domain, as developers
Production Editor Huge C4I strides have been made in the seek to incorporate the best elements of
Elaine Effard
People’s Liberation Army, and while not without commercial technology while retaining the
Sub-editor its challenges, the advent of a new Strategic required levels of durability and security.
Georgina Smith
Support Force, with all its attendant secrecy, will
Digital Development Manager
Adam Wakeling undoubtedly prove a thorn in the side of future FEATURE
Graphic Designer US operations. 34 COMMANDING THE WAVES
Kam Bains To manage naval operations with success, a
Advertising Executive FEATURE C2 system must allow interoperability, data
Louis Puxley louis.p@shephardmedia.com
14 A QUESTION OF INTERCEPTION analysis and synchronicity, and navies such
Head of Advertising Sales
Kevin Bethell kevin.b@shephardmedia.com With technological evolution creating both a as the USN are investing heavily to ensure that
Tel: +44 (0)20 3179 2587 heightened risk of airborne threats and a they have the most robust technology in place.
VP Business Development diversity of ways of addressing these dangers,
Mike Wild
militaries globally are determined to select the FINAL WORD
Editor-in-Chief
Richard Thomas
best systems in order to take the menace of 40 SHAPING COMMUNICATION
missiles to task. Alan Dewar, C4ISR product line director at BAE
VP Content
Tony Skinner Systems, spoke to DB about how the company
Managing Director FEATURE is consolidating tactical data links to enhance
Darren Lake 19 THE SKY IS THE LIMIT capabilities for future operations.
Chairman Limited budgets and an often-fraught
Nick Prest
relationship with the West, including sanctions,
Subscriptions
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Tel: +44 (0)20 3179 2592 foreign equipment as well as developing
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Print by Buxton Press, Derbyshire, UK
© The Shephard Press Ltd, 2018.
ISSN 1759-345X
Front cover: Established in 2015, the People’s Liberation Army’s Strategic Support Force is now the Chinese military’s lead
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COMMENT
In the next issue
• SATCOM part 1
Grant Turnbull, Editor • SIGINT/ELINT
• Border surveillance EO/IR
New year, new you • Tactical comms
The start of a new year is a good chance for against a peer threat in a congested or Germany, France and the UK, are looking at
us to put the previous 12 months behind us contested environment’. It was criticised for moving forward with new communications
and start afresh with resolutions that aim to not being simple or intuitive enough, and and networking projects in 2018. The UK, for
break old, often bad, habits and the inevitable also for being heavily dependent on industry- instance, will continue to leverage work
poor life choices we sometimes make and, provided field service representatives. already done on the next-generation
instead, capitalise on the good things we’ve Instead, the US Army wants to leverage Morpheus programme, in particular a £330
done. Reducing the amount of alcohol we the ‘innovation explosion’ currently under million ($444 million) contract placed with
drink, stopping smoking and losing weight are way in the communications sector and General Dynamics UK last April for the
usually the top of the list for a revitalised self. transform its acquisition process to keep up development of a new architectural approach
It’s no different for the C4I community with these seismic changes. As part of this, known as Evolve to Open. The British Army is
as industry and the armed forces look to it will establish a new command aimed at expected to contract other elements of
start new initiatives in 2018 or build on modernisation, known as the Army Futures Morpheus this year, including the Battlefield
successes already achieved. As ever, a new Command, with networking being one of six Management Application.
year means a renewed purpose to achieve key priority areas that it will look at when it is The German Army is also undertaking a
goals set out. It also means taking a step stood up this summer. significant communications and overall
back and learning from the past, avoiding This new command for 2018 could battle management modernisation, with
the mistakes that sometimes plague major revitalise and reinvigorate army acquisition. two programmes known as Mobile Tactical
projects. Indeed, many individuals and Less-established players will also be hoping Communications and Mobile Tactical
organisations will be hoping that 2018 will that this new buying process could mean Information Network. Several companies
be the year that their endeavours bear fruit. their innovative solutions win out over the used 2017 to position themselves for a
same old multi-billion-dollar contractors. soon-to-be-released RfI. Both efforts could
Networking challenges Either way, the US Army has to find a be highly lucrative for industry, with
Nowhere is that more so than in major solution to its networking challenges, and estimates suggesting the German Army will
networking projects, which are often fraught this will be the year in which we get more of allocate around €4-6 billion ($4.8-7.2
with technical difficulties and so ambitious an idea about the direction in which its billion) to the modernisation process.
in scope that they implode due to cost heading. In some good news at least, it Challenges still remain, and as projects
overruns and delays. Indeed, 2017 was appears that the army’s attempts to fuse its increase in scope and become more
challenging for the US Army in this respect air defence enterprise through a single ambitious (and unwieldy), the chances of
as it decided to effectively cancel its major network as part of its Integrated Air and failure inevitably increase. If that’s not
networking modernisation programme Missile Defense (IAMD) programme is daunting enough, the increasingly
known as the Warfighter Information progressing well, despite early software contested and congested nature of
Network-Tactical – or WIN-T. hiccups. With its underlying IAMD Battle communication networks, including the
WIN-T was supposed to be one of the Command System, the army will be able to growing cyber threat, is also adding to the
service’s flagship projects, but last exploit open architecture standards and a issues facing both OEMs and the armed
September the army’s Deputy Chief of Staff significantly improved air defence picture forces. Nevertheless, as 2018 goes on,
(G-6) Lt Gen Bruce Crawford announced its (see p14). industry will be hoping its new year’s
premature end, describing it as ‘not the And it’s not just the US embarking on major ambitions can achieve results, unlike trying
network that we need to fight and win C4I programmes. Several countries, including to cut down on those evening tipples. ▪
WWW.DIGITAL-BATTLESPACE.COM VOLUME 10 NUMBER 1 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 DIGITAL BATTLESPACE 3
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NEWS
Raytheon falls out of JSTARS Recap programme
Northrop Grumman is expected to be development) testing, particularly when
confirmed as the radar subcontractor for demonstrating its mission system
the USAF’s Joint Surveillance Target Attack interoperability at maximum data rates.
Radar System (JSTARS) Recap programme Northrop Grumman is also a contender
after the Government Accountability Office for the programme’s prime contract to
(GAO) dismissed three protests by Raytheon deliver 17 converted business jets to
on 28 December 2017. provide intelligence-gathering capabilities
Raytheon was originally awarded a using mature, modern subsystem
contract in 2016, alongside Northrop technology to reduce vulnerabilities and
Grumman, to mature its radar subsystem integration risks.
technology and perform risk-reduction The down-selection for the EMD phase of
efforts for the programme. The company the programme is anticipated in early 2018,
Photo: US DoD
had offered its Archimedes radar for the following technology readiness assessments,
new JSTARS fleet, and claimed last year with bids from Lockheed Martin and Boeing
that flight tests had demonstrated that it also in consideration for the prime. The ground surveillance aircraft have
met or exceeded key requirements. The programme, valued at just over $7 provided the service with wide-area
While specific technical details about billion, calls for JSTARS Recap to achieve moving target detection capabilities using
its radar design remain limited, Northrop initial operational capability by early 2024 to Northrop Grumman’s AN/APY-7 radar to
Grumman claimed that its subsystem replace the air force’s ageing fleet of E-8C locate, classify and track targets in all
performed well during pre-EMD JSTARS (pictured), which were first deployed weather conditions.
(engineering, manufacturing and during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. By Alice Budge, London
US Army outlines new command post initiative
evaluations, unit rotations at the National mechanism should allow for
Photo: US Army
Training Center and Joint Readiness Training collaborative, cost-effective acquisition
Center, and army warfighting assessments. during prototyping activities.
CPI2 was authorised in December 2017 To meet an ‘aggressive timeline’ for
and will be executed in three phases, with contracting, prototyping, testing and
the first seeing selected units equipped fielding, the initiative will look at
with mobile platforms, secure wireless and leveraging commercial and government-
intelligent power solutions. developed components.
According to the US Army, these units will CPI2 will bring together existing
The US Army has announced a new conduct their own integration of systems programmes through a ‘systems of
modernisation effort that will improve onto platforms to inform future command systems’ approach. The army will also
the expeditionary command post post designs. work with the science and technology
capability of its units. ‘We’re taking on this integration effort to community to keep pace with the rapid
Revealed on 10 January, the get the baseline design right,’ said Crosby. technical developments going on in this
Command Post Integrated Infrastructure ‘Then it’s a matter of modifying that design space. This may include technologies that
(CPI2) will address mobility issues and to fit the specific needs of a unit.’ enhance camouflage, reduce electronic
ensure the integration across platforms For Phase 2, the PM MC will lead and signatures and provide antenna remoting.
of communications hardware and execute the prototype activities of five Another essential component will be
mission command applications. brigade sets of command post solutions, working directly with soldiers for
The main goals for CPI2 will be with each unit’s assessments informing an continual feedback, and ensuring that a
reducing cognitive load on troops and eventual programme of record, to be proposed solution requires minimal
implementing network capacity for established in Phase 3. training, said Crosby.
expeditionary mission command, According to a US Army release, the The US Army will hold an industry day
according to Col Troy Crosby, Project service will invite industry to compete and in the near future to discuss CPI2 and
Manager Mission Command (PM MC). participate in certain aspects of the share a projected acquisition timeline,
The effort will leverage lessons integration effort via what is known as along with established requirements.
learned from past network integration other transaction authority. That By Grant Turnbull, London
4 DIGITAL BATTLESPACE JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 VOLUME 10 NUMBER 1 WWW.DIGITAL-BATTLESPACE.COM
DB-01-18_p04-06_News.indd 4 12/01/2018 12:00:32
NEWS
Japan shifts military posture
Japan’s MoD is considering the acquisition
Photo: US DoD
of EW aircraft to blunt enemy air defences
and command networks, with several jets
to be procured from FY2019-23.
This requirement is expected to be
incorporated into the updated Medium-
Term Defense Program when it is released
later this year, as Japan experiences
heightened concern over North Korean
ballistic missile and nuclear aspirations.
Tokyo’s quest will be good news for
Boeing, OEM of the EA-18G Growler
(pictured), which is essentially the only
aircraft in this class that is available to Tokyo is also anxious about China’s The country is also looking to mount Joint
the country. Australia and the US are continued military build-up, including ships Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile Extended-
the Growler’s only operators to date. and aircraft that routinely encroach upon Range (1,000km) missiles on F-15J
The platform can carry AN/ALQ-99 high- the fringes of its territory. fighters. In addition, research is under way
band jamming pods, AN/ALQ-218 detection Notably, Japan is eyeing new assets to on an indigenous land attack cruise missile
pods and AGM-88 HARM missiles. The USN improve its strike capability and its ability to (which the MoD called a ‘high-velocity glide
already has Growlers based in Japan, so respond to regional threats. For example, it missile’) as well as a new anti-ship missile.
the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) will procure air-launched Joint Strike Missiles Although Japan previously stuck closely
presumably has some degree of familiarity from Kongsberg. These 500km-range to a strictly defensive military posture since
with the platform. munitions can be carried by the F-35A. its defeat at the end of World War II, all of
this now signals a blurring between a
defensive and offensive approach.
Tactical radios for the Philippines The country is set to establish two Aegis
Ashore installations to protect against
The third project funded by the Philippine North Korean ballistic missiles.
Photo: author
government is for an unknown number of Japan’s FY2018 Defense Budget request
5W VHF handheld radios for the navy’s was the largest ever at ¥5.19 trillion ($45.8
C4ISTAR programme. This batch is worth billion), a 1.3% increase from 2017. It
PHP300 million. included funding for two E-2D Hawkeyes,
These three projects fall under the part of a four-aircraft requirement to boost
reprioritised list of the AFP’s Horizon 1 surveillance over its southwestern region.
modernisation programme that covered the The JASDF is improving the capability of
2013-17 period. Originally, these purchases its E-767 AWACS aircraft, by funding new
were listed under Horizon 2 (spanning the central computing devices and installation
The Department of Budget Management in 2018-22 timeframe), but the army of EW support equipment for one of the
the Philippines has released funds for three re-ordered its priorities and decided it type. A total of ¥14.4 billion has also been
separate programmes encompassing needed the radios more urgently. allocated for the production of the first
communications to benefit the Armed Funding was made available when the RQ-4B Global Hawk UAV.
Forces of the Philippines (AFP). government decided to defer its PHP6.5 Finally, Japan is researching
The army will receive 3,185 VHF billion acquisition of a shore-based missile electromagnetic pulse (EMP) shells, with
handheld radios under a budget of PHP678 system that had been approved by former the aim of producing a prototype that
million ($13.8 million). It will also acquire president Benigno Aquino. ‘incapacitates the functions of sensors and
150 HF manpack radios of 20W output In early January 2018, the AFP announced information systems’. The MoD will also
worth PHP223.5 million. These are being further funding of approximately PHP25 study EMP protection technology.
supplied by Harris Corporation using the US billion for force modernisation in 2018. By Gordon Arthur, Hong Kong
government’s FMS mechanism. The types Among the big-ticket items are light attack
are likely to be from the Falcon III family, helicopters, combat utility helicopters and For more news, visit
which the AFP has previously ordered. First firepower upgrades for M113 APCs. www.digital-battlespace.com
deliveries are expected later this year. By Gordon Arthur, Hong Kong
WWW.DIGITAL-BATTLESPACE.COM VOLUME 10 NUMBER 1 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 DIGITAL BATTLESPACE 5
DB-01-18_p04-06_News.indd 5 12/01/2018 12:00:33
ANALYSIS
Thales doubles down on cyber security
The proposed Thales/Gemalto merger This is a problem that the defence
announced at the end of December 2017 community has struggled to address.
has helped shine light on the grey area The position presently adopted by most
where defence contractors and what might major militaries – that cyber is a domain,
be termed the ‘traditional’ information- like air, land, sea and space, with
assurance world are beginning to overlap. specialist operators and capabilities
The deal will be worth a total of €5.6 assigned to it – seems to make sense.
billion ($6.7 billion) in cash and debt, if This may create different stovepipes
approved by Gemalto’s shareholders, and to replace the ones the construct was
the Franco-Dutch company’s name will designed, in part, to eliminate. The risk is
become a brand under the wider Thales that cyber operations, which affect every
umbrella. domain, will be seen as a specialist
discipline, conducted separately and to
Cloud of confusion? be addressed only by trained personnel. Thales counts 19 of the world’s biggest 20
Beyond the financial implications, the The uncomfortable truth, of course, is banks as customers for its cybersecurity
announcement inadvertently highlighted that cyber security is everyone’s problem: offerings. (Image: Thales)
how difficult it can often be to understand if an intruder gains access to a classified
what goes on at the intersection of cyber system because someone in a non- Ultimately, the real significance of the
defence and information assurance. security role has not received appropriate proposed deal may not be that it is
Some of this is down to terminology. training, the system will be compromised unprecedented or surprising, but that it
Among those reporting on the deal, there regardless of how formidably trained and confirms a logical and potentially widely
was disagreement even on things as basic well-equipped the cyber division may be. beneficial trend.
as what Gemalto actually does. Both Cyber vulnerabilities put not just
Reuters and the Wall Street Journal Constructive combinations individuals or businesses but entire
described the company as a ‘chipmaker’ – With access to government departments, countries at risk; yet the organs of the
a reference to the part of the business defence primes are in an excellent position state have tended to appear uncertain
that makes integrated circuits used in to win state-level cyber security contracts. about how best to achieve the security a
so-called ‘smart’ payment cards using the Conversely, while experienced information nation requires, because so much of the
EMV standard, and SIM cards for phones. assurance providers often have the talent cyber infrastructure is in private, rather
The joint press release put out by the and expertise to deliver the capability, they than government, hands.
two manufacturers chose to describe often lack the trust and the relationships Awarding state-level cyber security
Gemalto as ‘the global leader in digital at higher levels. contracts to defence primes will not make
security’, stressing its expertise in A merger can provide all parties with the any difference if the products and services
biometrics, encryption and secure desired outcome – the customer gets the they provide are not up to the task.
software. The description of the company best security solution via a trusted long- However, if governments are looking to the
as a ‘digital security solutions provider’ term partner, while the companies win the same companies that provide their military
suggested a more obvious reason for why business they need to thrive. platforms and systems to secure their
a multinational defence/security prime BAE Systems, Boeing, Lockheed Martin wider digital infrastructure, it suggests that
might have taken an interest. and Raytheon are four of the highest- an appropriate level of attention may be
Similarly, most coverage referred to profile examples of defence primes that being paid to the problems our increasing
Thales’ expertise in aerospace, defence have increased capability and added reliance on digital technologies raises.
and transportation, but there was scant clients in the cyber security market Thales will be better placed to win those
mention in any of the reports about the through acquisitions. In this sense, Thales contracts after this deal goes through, and
French company’s dominance of the is simply following established practice. its customers will get a better, broader,
financial security market place. According It is a further bonus for Thales that more extensive suite of digital security
to its website, Thales counts 19 of the Gemalto sits at the nexus of financial capabilities.
world’s biggest 20 banks as customers services and security, dovetailing nicely Perhaps the fact that this deal appears to
for its cyber security offerings. with that banking security portfolio. The make business sense is evidence that
One of the biggest problems cyber security EMV chip work may be loss-making for cyber security is at last being seen as
professionals have to contend with is that Gemalto at present, but it was no surprise neither a defence problem nor a private
the challenge is big and all-encompassing, it that Patrice Caine, Thales’s chairman and sector problem, but a nation-state problem,
is sometimes difficult to even see where the CEO, confirmed that the division would be requiring nation-state-level solutions.
sector begins and ends. retained. By Angus Batey, London
6 DIGITAL BATTLESPACE JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 VOLUME 10 NUMBER 1 WWW.DIGITAL-BATTLESPACE.COM
DB-01-18_p04-06_News.indd 6 12/01/2018 12:00:33
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COUNTRY FOCUS: CHINA
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A force to be
Huge C4I strides have been
made in the People’s
Liberation Army, and while
not without its challenges,
reckoned with
domains. Upon its formation, Xi stated: it was created. Personnel numbers and
‘The Strategic Support Force is a new- total constituent units are unknown. It
the advent of a new type combat force to maintain national is also unclear to whom it directly
Strategic Support Force, security and an important growth point reports, though in peacetime it might
for the PLA’s combat capabilities.’ be the Joint Staff Department (JSD) of
with all its attendant Centralising many previously disparate the Central Military Commission (CMC).
secrecy, will undoubtedly PLA elements, the PLASSF is a force rather Units would be attached to theatre
prove a thorn in the side than a service. Gen Gao Jin, previously commands during wartime. The PLASSF
commandant of the Academy of Military is primarily staffed by the army, but a
of future US operations. Science, as well as a PLA Rocket Force small number of air force and navy
By Gordon Arthur (PLARF) member, is its commander. personnel also serve, possibly for
In a useful analysis of the PLASSF liaison rather than operational roles.
T
he People’s Liberation Army (PLA) for The Jamestown Foundation, John The PLASSF is formed of pre-existing
has been undergoing serious Costello wrote: ‘The SSF has become a building blocks from the four former
restructuring under President force optimised for combat in space, general departments, all rolled into a
Xi Jinping’s tutelage. One major cyberspace and the electromagnetic new umbrella organisation providing
transformation was the creation of domain that will enhance the PLA’s greater intelligence collection
the Strategic Support Force (SSF) on capability to fight and win future professionalism. ‘The reforms have thus
31 December 2015. informatised wars.’ far employed a “bricks not clay”
Supporting the PLA’s ‘information approach to reorganisation,
umbrella’, the PLASSF is responsible for Building a mystery repurposing whole, existing institutions
the space, cyber offence and defence, The PLASSF remains rather shadowy, and reforming them into new
technical reconnaissance and EW with scant information emerging when organisations to align with new
8 DIGITAL BATTLESPACE JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 VOLUME 10 NUMBER 1 WWW.DIGITAL-BATTLESPACE.COM
DB-01-18_p08-13_Chinese.indd 8 1/11/2018 4:13:12 PMCOUNTRY FOCUS: CHINA
paradigms, presumably with more minute units needed to be placed under some with integrating space more closely into
changes to follow,’ said Costello. other command. Thus, instead of bitter operations, the creation of the SSF
Within the force, a Space Systems competition between services as to who signifies an important shift in the PLA’s
Department (SSF-SSD) and Network gets what, a new organisation could simply prioritisation of space and portends an
Systems Department (SSF-NSD) have been absorb existing units and help retain increased role for PLA space capabilities.’
confirmed. It may also have an electronic/ officers in billets that might otherwise have The authors add: ‘We believe that
electromagnetic systems department. disappeared in the reorganisation into five the creation of the SSF was not intended
‘The force looks to be primarily designed theatre commands. to streamline all of China’s space
around two operational imperatives. One is Speaking on condition of anonymity, a enterprise under one command, but
peacetime/wartime integration… Two, the US-based cyber-intelligence professional was instead intended to facilitate joint
SSF is intended to shift the PLA’s most told DB: ‘We’re yet to see a designator operations by providing operational
strategic, informatised missions from a change in related units. There are not a lot commands with the information warfare
discipline-centric to domain-centric force of troop movements but there are shifts at infrastructure necessary to conduct
structure,’ Costello observed. the general staff level. They’re putting poles informatised local wars.’
Regarding the integration, the PLA’s in the ground for foundations and, in the Indeed, the main function of the SSF-
ability to rapidly transition to a wartime next three years, they’ll probably close SSD appears to be the launch and
footing is greatly enhanced because facilities and consolidate.’ Underscoring operation of satellites to provide C4ISR,
operational groups are now under domain- the challenges in better understanding the such as space-based reconnaissance,
centric verticals already optimised for PLASSF, he noted that PLA operations communications and navigation.
warfighting. In the past, it would have security is ‘unbelievably better since Consequently, the department controls
required copious coordination across [Edward] Snowden’, assessing that it is four satellite/aerospace launch facilities
military regions and general departments ahead of the US at the moment. (Jiuquan, Taiyuan, Wenchang and Xichang)
to commence strategic operations. With and a variety of space telemetry, tracking
just one dedicated organisation responsible Deterrence division and control facilities.
for space and information warfare (IW) Let us take a more detailed look at the The SSF-SSD also took over some
forces, capabilities can be better integrated PLASSF’s components, beginning with the GSD units, including the Aerospace
into a joint structure. SSF-SSD. Mentioned in China’s 2015 Reconnaissance Bureau and Satellite Main
In terms of Costello’s second point, Defence White Paper as a military domain, Station. Some space units not directly
space, cyber and EW units were once space is critical as the PLA enhances related to the creation of the PLASSF were
organised according to their specific strategic deterrence and its ability to fight also transferred, examples being R&D
speciality, but now they form a warfighting informatised local wars. institutes like the China Nuclear Test
domain. Costello gave the example of The RAND Corporation recently Base/21st Experimental and Training Base,
cyber operations, where the Third published a report entitled ‘The Creation which also researches directed-energy
Department (3PLA) of the former General of the PLA Strategic Support Force and Its weapons. Such a focus aligns with the
Staff Department (GSD) conducted Implications for Chinese Military Space PLASSF’s mission to be a ‘new-type force
espionage, while the Fourth Department Operations’. The report notes that ‘tasked responsible for new-type capabilities’.
(4PLA) handled attack. Such missions are
now integrated so that intelligence, The PLA Air Force is rapidly improving its C4ISR and early warning capabilities with platforms such
defence and offence are dealt with in a as this KJ-500 AEW aircraft boasting an active electronically scanned array radar. (Photo: author)
single domain. ‘This new organisational
construct is also intended to enable
previously impossible levels of unified
planning, force construction and
operations,’ Costello concluded.
Before the creation of the PLASSF, IW
skills reposed in the two aforementioned
GSD departments, seven technical
reconnaissance bureaux and three service
technical reconnaissance bureaux (air
force, navy and army). The latter take care
of service-specific ELINT/COMINT,
electronic attack, defence and support
measures, and EW intelligence gathering.
This raises a third purpose for creating
the PLASSF, a bureaucratic one. With the
four general departments downgraded, key
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understand the enemy’s trend, help troops
plan combat operations and ensure victory
on the battlefield.’
Cyber forces fall under the SSF-NSD,
with the former 3PLA at its core. Costello
commented: ‘The 3PLA is the Chinese
military’s premiere cyber espionage
organisation, and their pre-eminence in this
domain makes them a natural fit as the
primary “tent pole” for the SSF’s cyber
force.’ Additionally, the SSF-NSD can jam
SATCOM and GPS, and conduct computer
network operations (CNO) against space
facilities and satellites.
Other allied units are the previous GSD’s
56th and 58th Research Institutes, while
These Dongfeng EQ2050E 4x4s of the PLA ground forces seen at a parade in Beijing are obviously former technical reconnaissance bureaux
configured for EW missions. (Photo: author) are also believed to have been transferred
to the SSF-NSD. ‘These moves are reliable
RAND’s authors claim: ‘We found no enterprise appears to do little to indicators not only that the core functions
evidence that units subordinated to the ameliorate the fragmented nature of the of the 3PLA have moved, including its
services have been handed over to the SSF or space programme. In fact, the PLA could administrative responsibilities, but also that
that units responsible for direct-ascent counter- have enacted a more drastic set of the NSD itself may be synonymous with the
space missions, missile defence and mobile organisational reforms, such as 3PLA, essentially acting as a renamed,
satellite launch have been subordinated to the establishing an executive agent for reorganised version of the former
SSF.’ Nor is the PLASSF responsible for the space… or giving the entire space mission department,’ Costello assessed.
China Manned Space Agency. to a particular service.’ For now, the PLA As well as cyber warfare, the 3PLA is
Less certain is the overall counter-space seems to think the creation of such an responsible for SIGINT/COMINT. Costello
operation, which Beijing is unlikely ever to overarching force premature. reflected: ‘If the NSD is solely focused on
acknowledge in any case. While the SSF- cyber warfare, as its name implies, then the
SSD could be responsible for co-orbital Cyber warfare traditional SIGINT mission of the nationwide
missions of this kind, where weaponised
satellites attack enemy satellites, other
related operations (eg direct-ascent
The 2015 White Paper identified
cyberspace as one of four ‘critical security
domains’ alongside far seas, space and
network of technical reconnaissance
bureaux would need to find a new home.
This is a substantial portion of the 3PLA’s
Do you kn
capabilities) have been retained by services
like the PLARF. Some counter-space
activities could fall under the PLASSF but
nuclear. The PLA’s 2013 ‘Science of Military
Strategy’ states that ‘local war under
informatised conditions is system-versus-
personnel, facilities and organisational
mass. Currently, it is unclear if the CMC will
split this operation away from the 3PLA but,
what‘s go
in your th
not its SSD, examples being EW missions system warfare’ and that ‘in the future, no given the trajectory of the reforms, this
against enemy SATCOM, navigation signals matter whether we will face an enemy with seems likely.’
and cyber operations against ground-based superior equipment or an enemy with If they have not already, the computer
facilities. inferior equipment, we will always need to network attack (CNA) capability of the 4PLA
China currently has 204 satellites in orbit, focus on paralysing enemy warfighting and computer network defence mission of
including over 75 for remote sensing (eg the systems and emphasise striking at the former GSD Informatisation Department
Gaofen, Haiyang, Huanjing, Jilin, Tianhui and systems, striking at vital sites and striking should also move to the SSF-NSD.
Yaogan families encompassing ELINT, EO, at nodes, with the most universal and Within the next decade, China plans to
synthetic aperture radar, staring camera and practical method of doing so being have set up a handful of world-class cyber-
stereoscopic imagers). By 2020, it will also asymmetrical operations’. security schools within universities to train
have expanded its BeiDou navigation system The Pentagon’s latest annual report a new breed of cyber warriors, offering
into a global constellation of 35 satellites. In on China adds: ‘PLA writings distinguish obvious advantages for the PLA. The first
August 2016, China launched its first between peacetime and wartime cyber batch of state-sponsored pilot programmes
experimental quantum communications operations. In peacetime, PLA cyber was approved in September, one recipient
satellite – technology that will have future missions include defending of which was the Strategic Support Force
defence applications. electromagnetic space and cyberspace Information Engineering University.
An incidental question is whether the because of China’s increasing reliance on Graduates will complete a three-year
PLA will establish a space force. The RAND the information economy. During wartime, degree and those with greatest promise will
report opines: ‘China’s post-reform space cyber capabilities can help the PLA be fast-tracked to the PLASSF.
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Force multiplier weapons, equipment and performance. have retained force-wide information
The PLASSF’s most mysterious section This helped improve the military’s support units because it fears losing
is EW. Previously the 4PLA (the Electronic confidence in conducting force-on-force, control over information.
Countermeasure and Radar Department) was real-equipment confrontation operations in Costello continued: ‘At this point, it
responsible for strategic and national EW, simulated EW environments.’ remains unclear whether and to what
and offensively and defensively jamming China could have merged cyber and EW extent the SSF will incorporate an
communications, radar and GPS, and this into a single integrated discipline, with one informatisation or information support
whole department could have moved across side focusing on data and the other on mission. Some informatisation units are
to the PLASSF. China can employ such effects electronic equipment. Indeed, those confirmed to have moved to the SSF, but
from the land, sea and air, including UAVs. units tasked with EW are believed to be these could be the exception rather than
‘Speculatively, the SSF may create an undertaking CNO. Such coordinated the rule.’ This suggests a bifurcation of
equivalent electronic or electromagnetic capabilities could conduct more holistic operations, where the JSD-ISB looks after
systems department, analogous to the SSD attacks against enemy command information assurance (ie ensuring C2
and NSD, to oversee a force to fight in the networks. Incidentally, it is inevitable that system integrity and functionality)
electromagnetic domain,’ Costello said. If China will use reclaimed islets in the South while the PLASSF pursues ISR and
so, the traditional SIGINT mission of the China Sea for EW purposes as it extends information support.
3PLA could also have ended up here. its defensive perimeter.
The Pentagon report states: ‘The PLA According to Costello, the Information China’s capability
sees EW as an important force multiplier, Communications Bureau of the JSD did The most interesting yet challenging
and would likely employ it in support of all not initially transfer to the PLASSF. Thus, aspect is assessing the PLASSF’s
combat arms and services during a conflict. the PLA’s highest-echelon organisation warfighting ability. China joined the party
The PLA’s EW units have conducted responsible for C2, the Information late in terms of network-centric and IW
jamming and anti-jamming operations, Support Base (JSD-ISB), remains under capabilities, so it is seeking to catch up
testing the military’s understanding of EW the JSD. The highly centralised CMC may with, and surpass, the US.
WWW.DIGITAL-BATTLESPACE.COM VOLUME 10 NUMBER 1 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 DIGITAL BATTLESPACE 11
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what‘s going on
in your theater?
Visit us at DSA 2018
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
April 16 to 19
German Pavilion
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08.12.174:13:19
10:24PM
UhrCOUNTRY FOCUS: CHINA
considerably behind the Five Eyes Alliance
(Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK
and the US) and Russia’.
Much has been written about China’s
use of ‘black-hatters’, but Stupples
believes the PLA is not employing
hacktivists. While the government is
reluctant to engage such people, it has
been willing to establish relationships and
obtain their hacking tools.
China has an advantage in terms of
secrecy too. As a large country, it can keep
some ELINT emissions secret as they are
disseminated deep in the interior. By
contrast, the US emits signatures all over the
world, allowing adversaries to analyse them.
The PLA operates a range of intelligence-gathering facilities around China. This secretive ELINT/ Addressing challenges
SIGINT facility with geodesic dome is located atop the tallest mountain in Hong Kong. Although the PLA is introducing new
(Photo: author)
equipment and modernising, challenges
in C4ISR undermine joint operations,
Technological areas that China is the use of malware to penetrate others’ something that requires efficient
researching are: directed energy; AI; industrial systems is widespread. A second cross-service information sharing and
hypersonic weapons; and quantum thread is intense technical intelligence intelligence fusion. As a traditionally stove-
technologies (eg communications, radar, reconnaissance to understand the piped organisation, the PLA thus suffers
navigation and sensing). The PLASSF is also capabilities of others’ electronic systems, from an incoherent, uncoordinated and
focusing on civil-military integration to particularly in Asia-Pacific. sometimes duplicated approach when
leverage innovations, including research into Thirdly, reconnaissance malware integrating various capabilities.
hardware device hacking and GPS spoofing/ penetrates critical infrastructure to identify When asked to compare China and the
mimicking. We may also expect a build-up in weaknesses in preparation for conflicts. US, the US cyber expert responded to DB:
China’s remote sensing capabilities. After that, China enhances capability by ‘It’s like comparing apples and oranges.
China is copying the Russian route of
building IW capabilities, according to Dr
David Stupples, professor of electronic
fully integrating CNE and CNA. Finally, it
ties all these threads together with an IW
strategy to achieve information dominance
The US tends to be very targeted – there’s
not much splatter. They’re self-controlled
and there’s a lot of oversight. The US has
Get comp
situationa
and radio systems and director of EW in a major conflict. significant technical capabilities for
systems research at the University of Stupples said China’s ELINT satellites hardware and supply chain attacks.
London. ‘They’re taking this very seriously are not yet on par with US equivalents but However, the PLA doesn’t have so much
awarenes
indeed. It’s aimed specifically at Asia- they are catching up. The thing to watch, capability in this way. The US has levels of
Pacific but they’re putting in more global he highlighted, was the army’s rapid sophistication that outweigh China.’
assets,’ he warned. This is reflected in increase in ELINT assets as part of ‘a He added that China ‘grabs everything,
the fact that an estimated 200,000 major thrust’. including intellectual property and
Chinese personnel (civilian and military) He assessed: ‘Certainly, China’s EW financial data. They steal everything they Rohde & Schwarz technology p
are engaged in IW, consuming an annual capability is improving in strides, but the can and they have a system to digest that decision-making information. W
budget of $10-15 billion. technology employed within the EW assets for the government, Communist Party and of signal intelligence systems
Stupples reported: ‘The dominant is not as modern as it appears and could military. They have armies of people to mission. Our complete turnkey
strategy of the PLA is to coordinate the use be ten years or more out of date, although digest it all. Their capabilities are very scalable, customizable – and a
of CNO, computer network exploitation intensive industrial espionage is being good, as are their defences, but the US
(CNE), EW and kinetic strikes designed to employed to catch up.’ still leads in tailored access operations.’ www.rohde-schwarz.com/ad
neutralise/degrade an enemy’s C4ISR Stupples said China does not have the Nevertheless, the PLASSF is becoming
systems, thus creating blind spots that worldwide reach of Russia, but that will more professional and deadly. ‘They’ve
could be exploited.’ change going forward. He added: ‘China’s cleared house and advanced quickly, and
The professor highlighted five major CNE/CNA/CNO capability is good and there’s no moonlighting allowed by troops
threads to China’s IW strategy. One is could be approaching parity with the US, now.’ After being fingered for some high-
industrial espionage to acquire hi-tech but it has some way to go to reach parity profile cyber attacks in the US, China did
intellectual property rights to boost with Russia.’ While its EM and cyber not desist from such operations but it did
indigenous industry. He pointed out that SIGINT capabilities are improving, they ‘lag pause and retarget its efforts.
12 DIGITAL BATTLESPACE JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 VOLUME 10 NUMBER 1 WWW.DIGITAL-BATTLESPACE.COM
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The cyber expert said China could dead reckoning and celestial navigation process will presumably entail
‘cripple logistics and finance’ in the US, instead of relying solely on GPS. undertaking deeper, more difficult
maybe even the Pacific Fleet’s logistics so changes than previous changes have
as to impact its warfighting capabilities. Future steps presaged. For the SSF, this will be the
Nonetheless, he said the US military Costello concluded that the CMC had test to see whether the PLA can fully
‘would be relatively immune’ from Chinese initially focused on broad strokes to effect implement the concepts and guiding
cyber attacks. change in larger PLA organisations like paradigms that will enable better
How then does China rate against Asia- the PLASSF in ‘above-the-neck’ reforms. warfighting, or institutional barriers and
Pacific peers? The American source said: This minimises their disruptiveness and vested interests will win the day.’
‘Regional countries are completely helps generate buy-in from leadership on RAND concluded that the PLASSF is a
overmatched by China. For the foreseeable future cuts, though ‘some incongruences work in progress. ‘The significance of
future, certainly in the next five years, remain at lower levels’. the SSF’s establishment should not be
China will have the upper hand against Additionally, the PLA needs to establish underestimated, however. The pathway
Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Southeast principles to guide IW in both peacetime provided by the SSF to further develop the
Asia and India. These have defences that and wartime, as well as create promotion PLA’s information warfare forces, including
are like cheesecloth.’ pathways for information warfighters into its space forces, opens the door for these
In the face of such an overmatch by the theatre commands. capabilities to be further integrated into
PLA, the cyber expert said militaries need Costello said: ‘To fully follow through PLA warfighting through the development of
to disconnect from the traditional internet on the conceptual framework employed both doctrine and personnel.’
and go proprietary with end-to-end for the SSF, deeper, more painful cuts There is no doubting that the PLA’s
encryption. Militaries also need the will need to happen. The PLA is now IW and space warfare capacities are
capability to return to high-frequency embarking on “below-the-neck” reforms, significantly advancing, and in such a way
radios when networks degrade, and likely to be implemented over the that will critically affect US military
services need to be able to fall back on remaining three-year period… This operations of the future. ■
WWW.DIGITAL-BATTLESPACE.COM VOLUME 10 NUMBER 1 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 DIGITAL BATTLESPACE 13
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08.12.174:13:21
10:27PM
UhrAIR DEFENCE NETWORKING
Manufacturers such as MBDA are
looking at how they can network a
With technological evolution creating both a range of their systems for increased
capability in the air defence space.
heightened risk of airborne threats and a diversity (Photo: MBDA)
of ways of addressing these dangers, militaries
globally are determined to select the best systems
in order to take the menace of missiles to task.
By Grant Turnbull
A
ir and missile defence is one of the most challenging and especially if the latter have a limited or
complex tasks that a military can undertake. The difficulty is ambiguous air picture. Conflicts over the last
growing as airborne threats from state and non-state actors two decades have shown that both
become faster, stealthier and increasingly deadly. The potential for technology and crews can misidentify targets,
friendly fire incidents also remains. To address these challenges, leading to fratricide and even the shooting
armed forces worldwide are looking at how they can improve overall down of civilian airliners in the case of MH17
networking capabilities to get the most out of their sensors, shooters over eastern Ukraine. During the invasion of
and soldiers in a more contested and complex environment. Iraq in 2003, there were several friendly fire
Defending the skies from enemy air attacks – whether by UAVs, incidents involving Patriot missile batteries,
ballistic missiles or various manned aircraft – involves a wide variety the US Army’s premier air defence system.
of technology from sophisticated radar sensors that detect and track Dozens of these systems – consisting
an incoming target to potent interceptors that complete the kill chain of radars, launchers and command
and eliminate the threat. Those tasked with air and missile centres – were deployed during the
defence are often responsible for hundreds of lives, including invasion, providing an air shield for
those of civilians, and so must ensure they detect, correctly advancing forces. Despite its valued role
classify and engage a threat as rapidly as possible to avoid defending massed troops from theatre
mass casualties. ballistic missiles in Iraq, it was involved
in two fatal surface-to-air (SAM)
Patriot problems engagements involving both US and
However, these stressing targets can place extreme pressures UK fighter aircraft on bombing sorties.
on systems as well as on air defence personnel, Those blue-on-blue incidents, as
A question
of interception
14 DIGITAL BATTLESPACE JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 VOLUME 10 NUMBER 1 WWW.DIGITAL-BATTLESPACE.COM
DB-01-18_p14-17_Air_Defence.indd 14 1/12/2018 3:52:17 PMAIR DEFENCE NETWORKING
well as several instances of being ‘lit mission command components of all air weapon components so they can be
up’ by unknown Patriot radars, had a defence systems – including Patriot – share network-enabled and hook in to the IFCN.
destructive effect on the air force’s trust the same interfaces and connect into a This capability is expedited by government-
of the missile batteries. At one point, an common C2 network. This interdependency, owned, non-proprietary interfaces and an
F-16 unknowingly destroyed a Patriot radar according to the service, will provide ‘total open architecture that utilises common
with an anti-radiation missile owing to operational capabilities not achievable by messaging protocols such as the Data
miscommunication and a lack of signature the individual elements’. Distribution System.
in its radar warning threat library. The US Army’s overarching modernisation
In his comprehensive analysis of the programme for its air defence enterprise is Revolutionary measures
role of air power in the Iraq War, Benjamin Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD), Speaking to lawmakers in June,
Lambeth wrote in The Unseen War that which is run by the US Army’s Program programme executive officer for PEO
‘many allied pilots believed that the Patriot Executive Office Missiles and Space. This Missiles and Space, Barry Pike, said that
posed a greater threat to them than did any aims to resolve the deficiencies discovered in IBCS remains the US Army’s number one
SAM in Iraq’s inventory. past conflicts, including increased chances of missile development priority. ‘The IBCS
‘Among the main problems associated fratricide as a result of an ambiguous air will facilitate affordable, competitive
with Patriot batteries was their failure to picture and critical decisions being made by modernisation at the AMD component
remain linked into the overall air picture as lower-level soldiers with inadequate level through standardised government-
they moved forward along with the ground information. It also aims to significantly controlled interfaces to the Integrated
forces’ advance,’ he stated. This was update the army’s existing ‘antiquated’ and Fire Control Network.
attributed to many Patriot crews setting up stovepiped mission command system, which ‘The IBCS will be fielded to all echelons
and going operational before linking back limits sensor and shooter choices, resulting in of army AMD battlefield forces to defend
into the air picture and at times not even threats often being missed. against: close- to medium-range ballistic
notifying the main centre responsible for The foundation for this modernisation is missiles; cruise missiles; manned and
all air assets throughout the theatre of the IAMD Battle Command System (IBCS), unmanned aircraft; air-to-ground missiles;
operations, known as the Command Air with the prime contractor for this being and rockets, artillery and mortars,’ he added.
Operations Center. Northrop Grumman. Along with IBCS According to PEO Missiles and Space, the
This ‘contributed to the fratricide software, IAMD will also include an benefits of the IAMD include: a significant
potential, in that disconnected but Engagement Operations Center, which is improvement in combat identification (vis-à-
operating Patriots could not use the a mission command centre that provides vis fratricide reduction); defence of a larger
common air picture to help identify radar command, staff and engagement functions. area against a full spectrum of threats;
targets as friendlies’, Lambeth explained. An ‘organic communications infrastructure’ more responsive engagement in complex
With these operational lessons in mind, known as the Integrated Fire Control operational scenarios with advanced
the US Army has used the years since the Network (IFCN), allows fire control engagement techniques; greater situational
Iraq War to develop a technology roadmap connectivity and distributed operations. awareness and understanding of the
that follows a ‘system-of-systems’ acquisition There are also common ‘plug-and-fight’ airspace through a composite and
approach, whereby sensors, shooters and interface kits that adapt sensor and distributed air picture; flexibility in the
A visual representation of
MBDA’s new Network-Centric
Engagement Solutions, which
brings together various assets
using common C2 software and
secure interfaces to expand and
increase the quality of the air
picture. (Image: MBDA)
WWW.DIGITAL-BATTLESPACE.COM VOLUME 10 NUMBER 1 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 DIGITAL BATTLESPACE 15
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