Future of LAND 200 remains unclear - Asia Pacific Defence Reporter
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AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE IN A GLOBAL CONTEXT
JUNE 2021
VOL.47 NO.4
Future of LAND 200
remains unclear
KEEP THE TIGER THALES AUSTRALIA LAND 400
ARH AND ADD CEO CHRIS JENKINS RISK MITIGATION ACTIVITY
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CONTENTS
34 RUSSIAN ROBOTROOPERS A REALITY
REGULARS A lethal effect when combined with AI
Print Post Approved PP349181/00104
06 EDITOR'S LETTER Managing Director/Publisher
Is Defence heading for a major shakeup? 38 1ST PERSON INTERVIEW Marilyn Tangye Butler
Thales Australia CEO, Chris Jenkins Phone: +61 (0) 410 529 324
Email: marilyn.tangye@venturamedia.net
NEWS 42 ROOM FOR TWO ATTACK HELICOPTERS Editor
Keep the Tigers! Kym Bergmann
08 Milrem delivers first robot to XTEK Phone: +61(0)412 539 106
Email: kym.bergmann@venturamedia.net
46 MRH 90 HELICOPTER UPDATE
09 $30 million order for Queensland truck A work in progress Contributors
business Vladimir Karnozov
49 MORE CHINOOKS FOR AUSTRALIA Arie Egozi
10 Triton capability increase to operate in Mark Farrer
And possibly the region Mike Yeo
shared environment Geoff Slocombe
George Galdorisi
Soucy’s composite rubber tracks for 56 NEW GENERATION WATERCRAFT TO FILL
Redback A VITAL GAP Australia
A great opportunity for Australian industry Ventura Media Asia-Pacific Pty Ltd
11 KORD selected for US Army experiments PO Box 88, Miranda
NSW 1490 Australia
58 GROUND BASED AIR DEFENCE – LAND 19 ABN 76 095 476 065
PHASE 7B
FEATURES Ambitious project taking shape Subscriptions
Rose Jeffree
12 ELBIT BMS WITHDRAWN FROM SERVICE 63 TOP 30 DEFENCE ACQUISITION PROJECTS
Phone: + 61 (0)2 9526 7188
Fax: + 61 (0)2 9526 1779
The reasons remain officially unclear Latest budget summaries Email: subscriptions@venturamedia.net
16 LAND 400 PHASE 2 UPDATE 74 TOP 30 DEFENCE SUSTAINMENT PROJECTS ADVERTISING OFFICES:
Boxer CRV coming along The cost of operating things
Australia, NZ & Asia Pacific,
USA, Canada & South America
18 LAND 400 PHASE 3 PROGRESS REPORT 84 EOS DEVELOPING AN ANTI-DRONE HARD Graham Joss
Vehicles handed over to Army for the RMA AND SOFT KILL SYSTEM Sales Director
Phone +61 2 9526 7188
Recent events prove that the threat is now Fax +61 2 9526 1779
20 VEHICLE ACTIVE PROTECTION SYSTEMS very real Mobile +61 (0) 419 492 836
Email: graham.joss@venturamedia.net
An increasingly widespread capability
86 JP 9102 – DEFENCE MISSES A CHANCE TO Europe
26 ARMY HEAVY ARMOUR TO RECEIVE A BOOST SOVEREIGN CAPABILITY Diana Scogna
MAJOR BOOST An approach that favours overseas primes Mobile: +33 6 6252 2547
Fax: +33 1 7079 0534
It looks like 75 new M1A2s Email: dscogna@dsmedia.com.fr
90 SINGAPORE’S STRATEGIC ENABLER
29 HUNTSMAN 155MM SPH ODA ACTIVITY The MRTT fleet working hard Israel
STARTS Asa Talbar
Talbar Media
Hanwha and Kongsberg explain their offer 94 ROYAL NAVY TASK GROUP HEADS EAST Phone: +972-77-562-1900
The Empire returns Fax: +972-77-562-1903
Email: talbar@talbar.co.il
30 LAND 159 – NIOA FULFILLING THEIR
CONTRACT 96 NEWS FROM ACROSS THE TASMAN Printer
Studying future weapon options Our regular update Times Printers
ISSN 1446-6880
PREVIEW ‹‹ Sovereign guided weapons industry feature Design
Stun Media
Email: tdixondesign@gmail.com
NEXT ISSUE ‹‹ SEA 129 contenders
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publication are the copyright of Asia Pacific Defence Publications Pty Ltd (unless otherwise stated) and cannot be reproduced in any form without the written permission of
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Cover Image: Australian Army Soldiers from the 2nd/14th Light Horse regiment (Queensland Mounted Infantry) conduct live firing with the
M1A1 Abrams Tank on Exercise Howling Wolf in the Wide Bay Training Area, Queensland. (CoA / Hamid Farahani) © Ventura Media Asia Pacific Pty Ltd 2020
4 Asia Pacific Defence Reporter JUNE 2021
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EDITORIAL
IS THE DEFENCE
DEPARTMENT HEADING
FOR A MAJOR SHAKEUP?
stories – the Minister has issued an instruction to the country cannot afford for Defence to remain on
the Department containing the following extremely its current trajectory for a day longer.
restrictive measures when responding to requests No better example can be supplied than the
for information: ongoing revelations about LAND 200 and the
- Responses are to be as brief and succinct as withdrawal from service at Army’s direction of the
KYM BERGMANN // CANBERRA possible Elbit Battle Management System, the subject of
- Guidance is to limit responses to three paras, the main story in this edition. By rights the program
I
n Canberra we always like a good structure regardless of the breadth of the question(s); should have been cancelled in 2019 after a highly
of Government story, even if it might be a bit additional information can be offered on critical and detailed report from the ANAO. To be
of a yawn for ordinary Australians. The rumour background fair, at that time Army announced a pause of the
currently doing the rounds is that new Defence - Capability-related interviews are unlikely to be next part of the contract, which was set to cost
Minister Peter Dutton is planning an assault on approved, be rigidly flexible to revert to written Australia another $1 billion on top of the $2 billion
the Department – not in the physical sense but responses already invested.
some sort of major shakeup of its structure and Updating a major program in three paragraphs is It is only due to the media that the Australian
leadership. This does not come directly from the impossible. public are now getting a sense of the extraordinary
Minister, who is generally contemptuous of the This instruction has had the immediate and events that have been taking place with Army’s
media and averse to even basic scrutiny, but from chilling effect of shutting down the flow of signature digitisation program – a key ingredient
the inner circle privy to his thinking. information about projects because people in for combat capability – and which has come to a
Some of this might be coming from the head uniform who have an instinctive wariness of the total, shuddering halt. Even worse, there is no viable
of his former Department of Home Affairs, Mike media now have justification for providing minimal alternative readily available, and the way forward
Pezzullo, who recently made headlines with his information – or as is increasingly the case, none seems opaque. To make matters worse, Army
views that the drums of war are beating loudly. He at all. Ironically the quoted memo was leaked to a then started selectively leaking information that the
spent the formative years of his career in Defence journalist. Leaving aside the issue of what “rigidly system is being withdrawn because of concerns
and has long been suspected of wanting to return flexible” could possibly mean, we are entering a that the software might have some sort of back door
as the head of it but has so far not succeeded. It has dark period where Australians will be denied any that could be used to access secure US networks
been unkindly suggested that since he is unable to information about where $40 billion of taxpayer’s when connected with them. There will now need to
control the Army from his current position, he has money is going every year. be a major investigation into who knew what and
created a substitute in the form of the armed, black While this might sound like a few journalists when inside Defence – especially CASG - and
uniformed Border Force. sulking, it is far more than that because Defence Parliament House.
It is possible that journalists who are starved of is not only responsible for national security – Elbit has reacted with fury, absolutely denying the
information are talking up the possibility of major admittedly a lot of which is highly classified, allegations about security concerns and pointing
changes without a lot of hard data. The Minister’s for good reason – but also for managing huge out that not only has this been a collaborative
office will not answer emails, phone calls or texts acquisition programs for ships, planes and program with the Army but that all source code has
from most sections of the media – it being unclear vehicles. Some of them are extremely poorly been transferred to Australia.
what they actually do with their time – with the managed and deserve scrutiny; many are going If it were up to Defence and the government,
partial exception of a couple of stenographers able well and the public, as well as the broader defence all of this would have been hushed up. There has
to accurately record the thoughts of their boss. The community including industry and academia, are been no official announcement about the situation
Minister himself largely limits his appearances to curious about what is happening. even though Army had made the decision about
right wing radio chat shows that typically feature This has us circling back to the possibility of withdrawing it from service last December. Should
introductions along the lines of “why don’t you structural changes to the Department. One school the Minister be looking for a good excuse to launch
tell the listeners how good you are and what a of thought says why bother with a Federal election into the Department, this will be it. To it should be
wonderful job the Government is doing.” less than a year away – but others argue that added the Attack class submarine program that is
To choke off any useful information about Defence change is long overdue and that with billions of consuming billions of dollars with seemingly very
reaching the general public – even for positive dollars wasted on procurement mismanagement little accountability.
6 Asia Pacific Defence Reporter JUNE 2021
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GENERAL NEWS
THeMIS UGV (Milrem Robotics photo)
for trial, evaluation, and quality support.”
demonstration purposes. Philippe Odouard, XTEK Ltd’s Managing Director
Including Australia, the said: ”The delivery of our first Milrem Robotics
THeMIS UGV has been THeMIS is a major milestone for XTEK. The THeMIS
acquired by eleven platform is ideally suited for a broad range of
countries, of which seven applications within the Australian Defence Force,
are NATO members, particularly the Australian Army. It is also the perfect
including Estonia, France, platform for us to further showcase our ‘AirWolf’
Germany, the Netherlands, sensor-to-shooter software, which distributes
Norway, the UK, and the US. targeting information from UAVs (Unmanned Aerial
Following the signing Vehicle) to advanced combat configured UGVs such
of an MoU in the end of as THeMIS.”
last year, Milrem Robotics XTEK has extensive experience and expertise in
also signed an agreement unmanned vehicle distribution, maintenance, and
with XTEK appointing value-added services.
the Australian homeland The company’s established maintenance facilities
MILREM ROBOTICS DELIVERED security specialist as the include a Logistics Engineering Business Unit
exclusive distributor of the THeMIS UGV, the Type-X based in Canberra, where a pool of technicians and
THE FIRST THEMIS TO AUSTRALIA Robotic Combat Vehicle, and Milrem’s Intelligent trainers with extensive Explosive Ordnance Disposal
22 April 2021 Functions Integration Kit (MIFIK) in Australia and (EOD) robot maintenance experience can provide
The European leading robotics and autonomous New Zealand maintenance for Milrem Robotics’ UGVs and RCVs.
systems developer Milrem Robotics signed a “I am thrilled about the synergy created with XTEK The company plans to leverage its Adelaide
distribution and maintenance agreement with XTEK and delivering the most advanced robotic capabilities Manufacturing Centre and unique XTclave™
Ltd. and delivered the first THeMIS Unmanned Ground to Australia,” said Kuldar Väärsi, CEO of Milrem technology for novel ballistic protection design, and
Vehicle to the Australian homeland security specialist. Robotics.” In collaboration with XTEK, we can be other engineering and manufacturing services for
This first THeMIS will be used by XTEK Ltd., close to our customer and secure continuous high- Milrem Robotics’ UGV systems.
8 Asia Pacific Defence Reporter JUNE 2021
$30M CONTRACT FOR SOUTH- Queensland.
EAST QUEENSLAND BUSINESS “These trucks have proven
highly capable in their short
6 May 2021 service-life to date, and given
A Queensland-based bulk liquid storage Holmwood’s continued delivery
manufacturer has signed a $30 million contract with of high-quality products, the
Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles to deliver fuel and company has been contracted to
water modules that will be fitted to Defence’s fleet of supply additional fuel and water
logistics trucks. modules for the tanker variant.
Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price said “Holmwood Highgate’s
the contract with Loganholme-based company partnership with Rheinmetall MAN
Holmwood Highgate would support ongoing jobs for Military Vehicles Australia is an
the company’s 150 Queensland employees. outstanding example of a small- MAN 40M truck with personnel pods deployed as part of Operation NSW
Flood Assist in Taree, New South Wales. (CoA / Sagi Biderman)
Minister Price said Holmwood Highgate had to-medium business working
previously secured more than $108 million worth with prime contractors to deliver
of work supporting Phase 3B of Defence’s Land top-class technology and Defence capability. recognised name in bulk liquid tankers.
121 Program. “Over the next decade, the Morrison Government “Holmwood Highgate employs a diverse range of
The new contract would support new modules for will be investing $575 billion in Defence, including highly skilled tradespeople, ranging from aluminium
additional trucks being delivered under Land 121 $270 billion in capability. welders, boilermakers and fitter welders to spray
Phase 5B. “Defence is a major partner of Australian industry, painters, mechanics and auto electricians,” Mr van
“The acquisition of more trucks by Defence offering broad opportunities to be involved with the Manen said.
is creating many opportunities for Australian cutting-edge technology and innovative capability “I’m very proud to see Holmwood Highgate’s
businesses,” Minister Price said. which support our national and strategic interests.” employees having such a positive impact on Forde
“Critically, this new $30 million contract with Member for Forde Bert van Manen said Holmwood and equally proud of the benefits the substantial
Holmwood Highgate will mean ongoing work for Highgate had grown from a simple operation on investment by the Morrison Government in Australia’s
the company’s 150 employees who are based in the outskirts of Brisbane in the 1950s to a globally defence capability is bringing to Australian industry.”
GENERAL NEWS
CAPABILITY WILL ENABLE
BABCOCK AWARDED KEY MQ-4C
HIGH “Our service women and men rely
RAAF Triton (Northrop Grumman image)
SOUCY’S COMPOSITE RUBBER
TRITON TO OPERATE
FREQUENCY IN SHARED
COMMUNICATIONS on communications to undertake the KEEPS TEAM REDBACK ON TRACK
tasks required of them, whether it be
AIRSPACE
CONTRACT MELBOURNE
SAN DIEGO – 10 May, 2021 humanitarian, constabulary or military
Babcock International, the Aerospace and Defence operations. In undertaking these tasks, ‘Where the rubber meets the road’ is a well-known
company,Grumman
Northrop is set to Corporation
become a leading (NYSE: provider
NOC) has they operate in some of the most remote adage that refers to a place where a new idea is
of High
been Frequency
contracted by the(HF) radio
U.S. Navycommunications
to prototype and regions on the planet, from deep in the put to a real-world test, and it could not be more
servicesthetorisk
reduce Newof Zealand
integrating and its international
sense and avoid (SAA) Southern Ocean to the vastness of the appropriate to describe Soucy’s highly innovative
‘Five Eyes’ into
capabilities alliesthefollowing the awarding
high-altitude, of a key
long-endurance Pacific. Composite Rubber Track system fitted to the
contract.
MQ-4C Triton autonomous system. This capability will “This is an investment in our Redback Infantry Fighting Vehicle.
allowBabcock’s
the Tritonexperts
to safely willoperate
deliverincritical
sharedequipment
airspace communities. Defence’s HF radio system The Redback, designed by Hanwha Defense
replacements
with to support the New Zealand Defence
manned aircraft. will support emergency services, enabling headquartered in South Korea, is under
Force
“Sense (NZDF) over the
and avoid willnear
helpterm,
ensurewith ouran extensive
customers them to maintain communications during consideration
A Royal Australian Air Forceby F/A-18
the Commonwealth
Growler takes offunderfrom RAAFan
Base Williamtown. Credit: CoA / Shane Gidall
customer
can safely through-life
operate Tritonsupport programme
out of almost forming
any airfield or crises. The current HF radio infrastructure ongoing tender process for Project LAND 400
the remainder
airport of theincontract.
in the world, Initiallywith
full compliance worth $30.6
current and was installed in the 1980s and has Phase 3, which is an $18 billion to $27 billion
million NZD
emerging to Babcock,
aviation regulations the around
new HFthe system
globe,”is said reached the end of its life.” project tasked to acquire 450 Infantry Fighting
expected
Doug to bevice
Shaffer, operational
president and by August
program 2023.
manager, Babcock Australasia CEO, David Ruff, said the
DEFENCE SIGNS MULTI-MILLION
Vehicles for the Australian Defence Force.
“This
Triton is one ofNorthrop
programs, a number of planned
Grumman. investments
“Incorporating contract represents a major milestone for Babcock DOLLAR
Soucy’s CompositeCONTRACT Rubber Track FOR(CRT) JOINT offers
fromcapability
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add tremendous Plan 2019 thattowill
flexibility the as a world-leading, trusted provider of High ADVERSARIAL
many advantages overTRAINING conventional metal AND
strengthen
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how the resilience,”
U.S. Navy,said RoyalNewAustralian Frequency communication technology. TESTING
track designs including up to 70 per cent less
Zealand
Air Force Defence
and potential Minister
future Ron Mark. seamlessly
customers “This contract leverages our long-standing, Defence has
vibration, uprecently
to 13.5signed decibels a $330
of noisemillion contract
reduction,
“High Triton
integrate frequencyinto radio provides of
their concepts communications
operation.” 18 year track record in the UK, where Babcock with weight,
less Raytheonbetter Australia Pty Ltd to deliver
manoeuvrability, up to Joint
80 per
coverage in places
A key partner thatdevelopment
in the satellites cannotof SAAreach and
is Aviation has been providing a Defence High Frequency Adversarial
cent Training and and
less maintenance, Testing Services
better (JATTS)
efficiency thatto
where ordinary radio
Communications communications
& Surveillance Systems will(ACSS),
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and Automatic to the UKSurveillance-
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enables higherDefence
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are actively willdriving
now provide
innovation eight
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to 30 per cent.
fail,“Asarea disrupted or are unavailable.
leader in integrated Traffic Collision Avoidance in its operational
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Hanwha that formCorporation
the ability to (HDC)
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platforms,” exercises
have had witha long ‘enemy’ airborne force relationship
and collaborative aircraft, aerial
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vice targets,saw
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of similar
them futuresafely
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Leading the way in the supply of global customers
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ofZealand Navy,industry
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Mr Richard Cho,
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the MQ-4C requirements
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Quality
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Darwin
Ph (08) 89843533
enabling
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Royalof and“Soucy
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Mr Normand
based
8 Asia
10 AsiaPacific
PacificDefence
DefenceReporter
ReporterMAR 2020
JUNE 2021benefit, into the hands of Soldiers to solve
small unit tactical problems. Experimentation is
executed through Live Fire, Non-networked and
Force on Force phases. It is the Army’s premier
prototype technology and concept event focused
on modernisation at the squad and small unit
level. It is seen to play an essential role in shaping
the future US Army between now and 2025, and
is designed to provide capability developers, the
Science and Technology (S&T) community, and
industry with a repeatable, credible, rigorous, and
validated operational experiment for supporting both
concept and materiel development.
Managing Director, Dr Peter Moran, said
that “the Company was extremely overjoyed to
have been selected as it provided a significant
opportunity to showcase the operational benefits
of its technology to the biggest army in the world.”
He went on to say that “as far as we know, we’re
the only Australian company to have been selected
Close-up of Redback track (Hanwha photo) for this prestigious event”.
Kord’s inclusion in AEWE follows from
successful testing undertaken by the US Marine
Lalonde from Soucy, “and we are excited to see that paces in an operational field environment. Corps over the last 4 years. The National Defense
relationship extend into Australia with our CRT on The AEWE is an annual campaign of Authorisation Act (2021) has identified Kord’s
the Redback IFV. Soucy has a long-term strategy for experimentation to place prototype technologies, Technology as an Item of Special Interest for rapid
the Asia-Pacific region and our co-operation with which show potential for a significant capability procurement by the USMC.
Hanwha is an important part of that.”
There is also strong interest in the Soucy CRT Australian Army riflemen of 8/9 Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment,
during a demonstration of KORD Defence's innovative wireless systems
system from other parts of the world with Soucy control technology in Fyshwick, Canberra. Caption: (CoA / Jay Cronan)
International recently being awarded a contract
to deliver prototype CRT systems to the US Army
Ground Vehicle Systems Centre where they will
be used during experimentation of manned and
unmanned Next Generation Combat Vehicle
platforms.
KORD SELECTED FOR US ARMY
TESTING
CANBERRA, MAY 5, 2021
KORD DEFENCE PTY LTD, a world leader in the
provision of programmable, push-button Control
Systems for the defence and law enforcement
markets, announced today that its technology
had been selected by the US Army to take part in
the 2022 Army Expeditionary Warrior Experiment
(AEWE 2022) at Fort Benning, Georgia.
Kord Defence,in conjunction with its sister
company, Kord USA, will be providing its
centralised soldier control systems for testing
and evaluation by the Army’s full-time tactical
experimenters —along with a standard opposition
force from a regular Army unit and foreign
participants to put the technology through its
Asia Pacific Defence Reporter JUNE 2021 11LAND 200
KYM BERGMANN // CANBERRA
ELBIT BMS WITHDRAWN FROM SERVICE
– BUT THE REASONS REMAIN UNCLEAR
As has been very widely reported, the Battle Management System part of Army’s LAND 200 project has been withdrawn from
service - and we can say with confidence that this happened on or before May 15. Unless people have been disobeying orders,
that was the date on the internal instruction issued by Army to their people to stop using it. Neither Defence Minister Peter
Dutton nor the Department have been prepared to comment – a situation that becomes less tenable the more that is known
about the situation.
THE DECEMBER 16, 2020,
CANCELLATION ORDER FROM
ARMY
While rumours about problems with the Battlegroup
and Below Battlefield Command System have been
swirling for a while - and the project was officially
paused last year for a re-evaluation. The events
nevertheless have come as a shock, partly because
the situation has developed without any form of public
information, taking everyone by surprise.
The Army instruction was very specific about what
needs to have happened:
- The employment of the BMS-02 system version
7.1 within Army’s preparedness environment is to
cease no later than May 15
- The following items are to be withdrawn,
consolidated and quarantined by Signals Support
Staff: memory portable solid state BGC 3 software
USB memory stick; disc drive unit BMS-LAN PC,
256GD SSD, complete with mounting caddy; disc
drive unit BMS ETC/SPLIT ETC, 64GB HDD;
Personal Data Unit
- The BMS-C2 system version 7.1 is not to be
configured or accessed on the following systems:
APDR will not publish those details, but readers
undoubtedly will get the point. The BMS training
system version 9.0 also needed to be withdrawn at the
same time – with the exception of RMC-A. This is a
reference to the Royal Military College Australia, which
is told to be prepared to adopt BMS C2 version 9.1
after the Commonwealth has reached an agreement,
the details of which are not explained.
The instruction says that the withdrawal and disposal
of physical hardware will occur at a later date.
The order also provides a bit of context, saying
that the Elbit ‘Torch’ Command & Control BMS has
been in service since 2011. Torch is the reference C2
Australian Army soldier from the 7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, scans for enemy forces while patrolling system fielded by the Israeli Army and which is the
during a live-fire platoon attack as part of Exercise Maroon Dawn 2021 at Cultana Training Area, South Australia. (CoA /
Rodrigo Villablanca) LAND 200 parent. Another section is worth quoting
12 Asia Pacific Defence Reporter JUNE 2021LAND 200
in full as it sheds some light on why the move has understood that the US has expressed its concern agencies into the future.”
been made: directly to Australia on the topic. Israel’s strategic Defence Minister Peter Dutton is now in a tricky
- Rapid evolutions in technology and interoperability circumstances are fraught, and some people might position. To confirm that the security concerns are
needs have necessitated Defence to seek a consider it in the national interest to be aware of legitimate would basically be accusing Israel of
replacement Battle Management System under secret talks between the US and Iran, for example. spying on the Australian Army as a mechanism for
LAND 200 Phase 3 in 2024 What we don’t know is whether shutting down accessing Top Secret files in Washington. For that
Phase 3 has an approximate value of $1 billion, which the Elbit system has been caused by a particular position to be sustainable – even if the government
would be on top of the $2 billion spent to date. We event – someone caught with their fingers in the wished to go that far – would require some firm
will return to the topic of interoperability because that till, so to speak – or whether it is based on general evidence. To just say vaguely “we don’t trust you” is
relates to security concerns about the BMS, which concerns. This might be similar to the thinking about not helpful to anyone and would be insulting to Israel
are not referred to in the quoted document. the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei – they and enormously commercially damaging to Elbit.
It also says that the in service BMS operational and have never been shown to supply insecure systems, Apart from that, there are now numerous questions
training baselines were specified in REF A (whatever but when it comes to protecting vital Australian for Army and Defence to answer behind closed
that is). This CEASEORD rescinds this direction. infrastructure the risk of them doing something bad doors – assuming that the issue of a software back
CEASEORD is military speak for an order to stop is just far too great to take. At least that appears door is valid. The National Security Committee of
doing something. to have been the position of the Australian Signals Cabinet will presumably want to know:
The instruction also points out that Army is in the Directorate (ASD), which has now been translated - When did ASD advise Defence / Army of their
process of investing $55 billion in new platforms into Government policy. concerns and who in Defence knew of them?
such as the Boxer CRV and the Infantry Fighting The situation is compounded because Israel is a - What evidence has been provided to Defence /
Vehicles being purchased through LAND 400. It also world leader in cyber warfare and cyber espionage. Army about BMS security issues?
mentions upgraded M1A1 Main Battle Tanks and Working with the US, they developed the STUXNET - Has the US refused to connect with the BMS –
the Tiger helicopters – even though the latter will be virus that set back Iran’s nuclear program for years – and if so, how long ago was this view expressed
phased out in the mid-2020s. It says: and follow up cyber attacks have continued. Anyone and who in Australia knew?
- It is prudent that Army transitions to a new from defence industry or government visiting Israel - Has Defence / Army ever informed the Defence
Battle Management System in time to inform the needs to be aware that their laptops can be accessed Minister / Prime Minister of any security concerns
introduction into service of these capabilities and the contents downloaded. This even applies to – and if not, why not?
In summary: Defence is to cease use of the Elbit journalists, though the intelligence value of numerous - Has Defence / Army raised any of this with Elbit –
BMS-C2 in accordance with timings (May 15) in photographs of a cat and downloaded recipes must and if not, why not?
order to prepare for the transition to an interim battle surely be minimal.
management system capability. A DEVASTATING ANAO REPORT
LAND 200 has been a mess and with the benefit ELBIT IS NOT TAKING THIS VERY Elbit is understood to be considering legal action –
of hindsight should have been cancelled at least WELL but that might be completely negated if their contract
five years ago because of cost overruns, schedule is terminated not because of security concerns but
slippage, poor oversight by Army – and a large There are credible suggestions that Defence finally for the more mundane reason of poor commercial
number of other issues. However, the most exciting removed the BMS at the suggestion of the ASD. performance, with multiple failures to deliver on time.
rumours and allegations – at least from the public’s Like many other details, this cannot be confirmed. There is ample evidence for this position and a report
viewpoint – is that flaws have been discovered in the For their part Elbit reacted vigorously with CEO Paul of the Australian National Audit Office released in
software that allow an interested party to access it McLachlan – a retired Major General – issuing a May 23, 2019 was devastating – and it must have
and snoop around. That party is presumably Israel. statement: been the reason why just a few months later the Army
If true, it gives rise to the question of why Israel “Elbit Systems of Australia strongly refutes the announced two year freeze on the roll out of Tranche
would wish to spy on Australia. The reality is that it security rumours raised in recent media articles. 3 of the BMS.
doesn’t – though the overseas intelligence agency “Elbit Systems of Australia utilises secure software To pick just a few summary paragraphs:
Mossad has been caught out using faked Australian development processes in collaboration with the - The difficulties encountered in Land 200 Tranche
passports on some of its missions. The real target in Department of Defence, including the provision of all 2 stem in large measure from one project office’s
any such operation would be to use the Australian source code. release of a Request for Tender with a scope that
system as a back door into highly classified US “Elbit Systems of Australia will continue to work exceeded the approved cost and did not fully
networks once it was connected during a coalition closely with the Australian Defence Force to deliver assess the budget consequences or governance
operation or even during an exercise. its network capability requirements, utilising our and coordination arrangements at a program level.
250-strong workforce, including 80 military veterans The desired outcome shifted from the procurement
ISRAEL AND ESPIONAGE and 100 systems and software engineers. of radios to the procurement of a complex digital
The further question arises: why would Israel wish to “Elbit Systems of Australia is expanding and communications solution, as Army developed its
spy on its most powerful ally, long standing friend – enhancing our proven ability to bring world- leading understanding of how it would operate in a digital
and supplier of billions of dollars of military hardware innovative technologies to meet Australian capability environment.
for free every year. It is beyond the scope of this article requirements for the Australian Defence Force, - Defence did not establish fully effective project
to speculate – but it has happened before, and it is homeland security and emergency management governance arrangements. Defence established
Asia Pacific Defence Reporter JUNE 2021 13LAND 200
an appropriate review framework, with successive At the time, Defence in answer to a question from contract with even a single comma. While receiving
reviews identifying project coordination risks from APDR, bizarrely claimed that this activity had nothing money to develop the system, Celsiustech warned
2013. Defence management’s failure to implement to do with LAND 200. repeatedly and loudly that when Defence took delivery
the recommendations of these reviews until 2017 However, as effective as an Australian replacement of the obsolescent product they were insisting on,
constitutes a failure of governance that negatively might be it will not be in a position to be fielded Army would take one look at it and decide they didn’t
affected the 2015 tender outcomes. immediately. Even if everything goes precisely to plan want it. Sure enough, the company delivered the
- Defence did not conduct an effective requirements and Defence throws the financial kitchen sink to fix a product exactly as specified – and Army took one
definition process. The need to align the capability problem of their own making the best possible case look at it and decided they didn’t want it.
being procured by the two responsible project looks to be a replacement system starting to come However, rather than go back to the drawing board,
offices was recognised in 2012 but the project into service around 2024. the project arose phoenix-like and was rebadged
offices did not align requirements for the the Battlefield Command Support System (BCSS).
interconnected projects and developed different Celsiustech was then paid via a highly unusual
conceptions of the capability, adding layers of time and materials contract to turn Austacs into the
risk and duplicated effort. Army’s final stakeholder modern product that the Army actually wanted – and
review before contract signature in 2017 raised so disaster was turned into triumph. As the name
concerns about the lack of verification statements suggests, BCSS had an initial focus on automating
for many requirements, which was considered to a great deal of procedural and logistics information,
present risk to the achievement of an integrated providing commanders with information at their
network. fingertips about how much ammunition remained
- By late 2016, Defence had assessed Elbit’s tender in the area and how much fuel was in the vehicles.
as offering value for money but could not conclude Rather than spend hours of to-and-fro on the radio
the tender process until the overall affordability ordering stuff, it could now be done with the click of
of the Land 200 Tranche 2 program — including a mouse. BCSS continued to evolve to include more
the Tactical Communications Network — was and more features, such as route planning based on
addressed. Cost and risk ratings were adjusted to the availability of 3D mapping information.
be more positive in successive tender evaluation In the mid-2000s, Defence decided that rather
reports, but the reasons for these changes were than continue to evolve BCSS they would release
not documented. an RFT for a Battle Management System. With
And on it goes – page after page of documenting a their pedigree, Saab thought that they were in a
litany of failures by Army and Elbit. If ever a project was good position – and to make sure that a future
in need of termination, LAND 200 was it. The current system had full connectivity with the US teamed with
2A Phase has a budget of $962 million – and that has Northrop Grumman. To the surprise of many, they
now been flushed away, along with all of the earlier were unsuccessful, having been underbid by Elbit,
expenditure on Tranche 1 which was a similar amount. which at the time had no Australian presence, no prior
None of this stopped Army continuing to declare contact with the Australian Army and were believed to
An Australian Army soldier from the 3rd Combat Engineer
until quite recently that LAND 200 was one of the Regiment delivers fire control orders during a platoon have fudged the results of their field trial.
world’s best Battle Management Systems. attack on Exercise DINGO FURY at Townsville Field The Elbit Torch system is extremely effective – in
Training Area on 09 March 2021. (CoA / Brandon Grey)
its home environment of Israel. Israel is a tiny country
WHERE TO NOW? Some US sharks are starting to sniff around the with a dense communications infrastructure – the
That is a big question – and nothing looks to be blood soaked BMS waters but are unlikely to have complete opposite of Australia. This has been one of
immediately available to fill the void. In the medium anything available as an interim system that could the continuing technical problems that has bedevilled
term there are very high hopes that the Australian match Australia’s needs and budget. the program here – achieving the network density
C4 EDGE consortium will be able to develop a and quality required for rapidly moving large amounts
sovereign solution, which was first reported by APDR IT DIDN’T HAVE TO BE LIKE THIS: of data with no time delay.
in February: https://venturaapdr.partica.online/apdr/ A QUICK HISTORY LESSON On the other hand, the Saab-Northrop Grumman
apdr-feb-2021/flipbook/30/. solution – BAE Systems and Thales were also
The report had the headline: C4 EDGE to develop The very first attempt to digitise the Australian Army part of the bid - was believed to be too dependent
an Australian Battlegroup and Below Battlefield came in the mid-1990s through a program called the on L-Band satellites, of which Australia had none.
Command System Demonstrator. Led by EOS, the Australian Tactical Automated Command and Control Nevertheless, most experts believe that an evolution
team was made up of 18 Australian companies, System (Austacs) won by Celsiustech, which is now of BCSS into a terrestrial, highly effective Australian
listed in the article. That has now grown to 24 local Saab Australia. Austacs was doomed from the start system could have been achieved with relative ease
companies – including three separate world class because of the rapid pace at which communications – but back then no one in government gave a toss
radio suppliers – and they are all working methodically technology was evolving – remember the internet about sovereign capability. The Israeli system looked
to demonstrate their system in November. There is no was not really a Thing back then – combined with the dazzling – and it was cheap.
slippage. The event will happen. customer’s staunch refusal to update the acquisition The rest is history.
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LAND 400 PHASE 2
MIKE YEO // MELBOURNE
BOXER CAVALRY RECONNAISSANCE VEHICLE
PROJECT UPDATE
With so many upcoming programs, its easy to sometimes forget those major decisions that have already been taken, or at least
flying under the radar. This can be said about the acquisition of the Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle under Project
LAND 400 Phase 2.
sustainment of the vehicles, with three-quarters of the
work expected to go to local companies.
TRAINING/AMPHIBIOUS
OPERATIONS
The first Boxer for the Australian Army was delivered
on the 24th of September 2019 at Gallipoli Barracks
in Brisbane. This was what is known as a Block
1 vehicle, one of 25 that will be delivered in this
configuration.
These will be 13 MPVs fitted with a Kongsberg
Protector Remote Weapon Station (to be replaced
by an Electro-Optical Systems RWS in the Block
2 vehicles) and the remainder being fitted with the
Lance two-man turret with 30mm Mk30-2/ABM
autocannon.
The Block 1 MPVs will be used mostly for training,
utility and other non-mission specific roles, and all
Block 1s have been assigned to the 7th Brigade’s
2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment (Queensland
Mounted Infantry) at Gallipoli Barracks. The first
Block 1 DFHSL CRV arrived in Australia in late
Chief of Army, Lieutenant General Rick Burr (left), is taken for a drive in an 8x8 Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle 2020 with deliveries of Block 1 vehicles expected
as soldiers from 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment undertake familiarisation training on the vehicle at the Greenbank
Training Area, Queensland. (CoA / Colin Dadd) to be complete in the first half of 2021, with focus
then on the manufacture of Block 2 vehicles at
S
ince the contract between the Common- due to costs. The Boxers will be operated by all three Rheinmetall’s Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence
wealth and Rheinmetall for 211 vehicles and Armoured Calvary Regiments within each of the (MILVEHCOE) at Redbank in Queensland.
223 mission modules was signed in August Army’s Combat Brigades, as well as at the School The delivered vehicles have been used to train
2018, the program has been proceeding though not of Armour at Puckapunyal and the Army Logistic future operators on the Boxer, with the first driver
without some hiccups, mostly due to cost pressures. Training Centre at Bandiana. conversion course taking place in the second
The acquisition cost for the Boxers was put at $5.2 The new vehicles will fill seven different roles on half of 2020. One MPV also took part in Exercise
billion, and the new CRVs will replace the ASLAVs the battlefield in part using the swappable mission Sea Wader 2020 between 24 October and 8
(Australian Light Armoured Vehicle) in the Army’s modules. These include reconnaissance, command November 2020, where the vehicle took part in
order of battle, and are more heavily armed, armoured and control, joint fires, surveillance, ambulance, training activities with an Amphibious Task Group
and fitted with more advanced sensors compared to battlefield repair and recovery, and are fitted with centred on the LHD HMAS Adelaide.
their predecessors, which have been in service for modern sensors and communications equipment, During the exercise the MPV was embarked on
more than two decades. Of the 211 vehicles, 133 their role is to locate, monitor and engage with enemy the LHD and ferried to shore on LCM-1E and LCM-8
will be the turreted Direct-Fire, High Survivability forces and provide security to Australian forces. landing craft. The activity took place at the Cowley
Lift (DFHSL) variant, with the rest being the Multi- Australian industry content of the project is one of Beach area of north Queensland, and saw the MPV
Purpose Vehicle (MPV) variant without the turret. the key drivers of LAND 400, and through the tender and its three-person crew attempt to bog it in the
It was originally planned for 180 of the 211 vehicles process was increased to over 50 per cent. Australian sand, although the vehicle successfully extricated
to be DFHSL variants, although that was scaled back industry will contribute significantly towards future itself without assistance on each occasion.
16 Asia Pacific Defence Reporter JUNE 2021LAND 400 PHASE 2
Australian Army soldiers and officers from the 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment (Queensland Mounted Infantry), load
the new Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle (CRV) onto the Royal Australian Navy’s Light Landing Craft during
Exercise Sea Wader 2020 at Cowley Beach Training Area, Far North Queensland. (CoA / Jonathan Goedhart)
TURRET and although details are scarce we will continue to named it as its APS of choice, it has nevertheless
Going back to the Rheinmetall Lance turret on the try to find out more. asked Rheinmetall Defence Australia to fit the system
DFHSL CRVs, it has been reported that the turret However, not all the DFHSL CRVs will be on the Boxer CRV as well as both remaining
fitted to the Boxer CRVs will have a “common base” to equipped with the Spike LR2, as Defence has opted contenders for LAND 400 Phase 3.
the Lance 2 turret for the Lynx KF41 Infantry Fighting to purchase only 40 launchers for the CRVs with the The Iron Fist is a radar-directed hard-kill APS for
Vehicle being offered for LAND 400 Phase 3. rest of the turrets being “fitted for” the missile. The defeating incoming projectiles such the RPG-family
Commonality between the two includes turret- Spike LR2 is a fire-and-forget ATGM with a range of of anti-tank rockets or ATGMs. Its primary sensor
chassis interface, the complete human-machine
interface, all subsystems and the welded structure,
although Rheinmetall declined to put a percentage
It was originally planned for 180 of the 211 vehicles to be DFHSL
number on the commonality between the two. variants, although that was scaled back due to costs.
Both the Lance and Lance 2 will also be able
to mount the Rafael Spike LR2 Anti-Tank Guided up to 5.5 km (3.4 miles) with multimode guidance is a fixed active electronically scanned array radar
Missile (ATGM) and Elbit Iron Fist Active Protection and twin shaped-charge warheads. developed by RADA Electronic Industries and an
System (APS). Defence selected the Spike LR2 in Guidance modes include lock-on before launch, optional passive infrared detector developed by
February 2020 for the Army’s Long Range Direct automatic self-guidance, and Lock-on After Launch Elbit's Elisra division.
Fire Support Weapon capability under Project LAND (LOAL). This latter is from the missile being When a threat is detected, an explosive projectile
159 Lethality Systems. connected by a fibre-optical wire that is spooled out interceptor is launched towards it from the slaved
The Boxer CRV is already a relatively heavy vehicle, between the launch position and the missile. With projectile launchers. The interceptor explodes
due to the high level of armoured protection required this, the operator can obtain a target not in their very near the threat, destroying or deflecting and
by the original LAND 400 Phase 2 specification. line of sight, switch targets mid flight, or make fine destabilizing it by detonating its warhead. To minimize
Subsequent requirements to add anti-tank missiles adjustments to the missile post-launch using a video the likelihood of collateral damage the interceptor
and active protection systems would further add to feed from an imaging infrared seeker in the nose of works using blast effects alone. Fragmentation is
the weight of the vehicle, and APDR understands the missile. minimised with the use of combustible materials for
there are issues associated with the Lance turret, As for the Iron Fist, while Defence has not officially the interceptor’s casing.
Asia Pacific Defence Reporter JUNE 2021 17LAND 400 PHASE 3
KYM BERGMANN // CANBERRA
INFANTRY FIGHTING VEHICLES BEING PUT
THROUGH THEIR PACES
The competition to choose next generation tracked, heavily armoured infantry fighting vehicles under LAND 400 Phase 3 has entered
its most critical phase. The two bidders – Rheinmetall from Germany with the Lynx and South Korea’s Hanwha offering the Redback
– have now handed over three vehicles each to the Army. For the past several months the companies have been training uniformed
Australian personnel in their operation and support and they will have minimal involvement from now on.
Main Battle Tanks, artillery, helicopters ammunition is fed into the breach in a manner
and air support. To perform these resembling a high speed bottling machine. The
missions, they need not only to be well Mauser has a classic and more violent gas operated
protected but also must be fast, agile system where the force of each exploding cartridge
and heavily armed with a combination blows the breech back and open to accept the next
of 30mm automatic cannon and anti- round. They each can fire a variety of programmable
tank guided missiles. projectiles, from armour piercing through to air burst
From a distance, the Redback and munitions out to a distance of three kilometres.
the Lynx might look similar, but there Both turrets will carry two Spike anti-tank
are a number of major differences guided missiles mounted externally in specialised
between them. They were each short containers. The Redback turret has undertaken
listed on the basis that they will numerous firing tests in Israel; the status of
be able to meet Army’s stringent the Lance is less clear, with the Department of
(l-r) Hanwha Defence Australia REDBACK Infantry Fighting Vehicle,
Australian Army Armoured Personnel Carrier M1123 AS4, and Rheinmetall requirements – especially for Defence refusing to supply specific details about
Defence Australia LYNX KF41 Infantry Fighting Vehicle at Russell Offices, protection. The Redback is lighter at the integration effort on the Boxer vehicles. What
Canberra. (CoA / Lauren Larking)
42 tonnes compared with 45 tonnes is clear is that Spike is a formidable anti-armour
T
he first four vehicles are now in Puckapunyal for the Lynx and has achieved this with a number weapon that is able to lock on a target and fly
and will be extensively tested in various harsh of innovations, most noticeably the use of the automatically to it, while still giving the operator
environments, from deserts to the tropics. aforementioned rubber tracks. As well as being a manual override that allows aiming points to
One more from each supplier will later be blast lighter than traditional metal links, they are around be updated until the last second. Combined with
tested to destruction to find out how tough they 50% less noisy and – very importantly for the the 30mm cannon and coaxial 7.62mm machine
really are. If everything goes to schedule, this phase infantry sitting in them – generate less vibration, gun these vehicles are designed to hold their own
will end in October – and after that the paperwork which greatly reduces fatigue on longer missions. against anything except for a head on engagement
will go through the Defence committee system with The Lynx uses a turret also made by Rheinmetall, with an enemy main battle tank.
a recommendation in 2022 – probably just in time which will be common to those on the 8x8 Boxer Both Hanwha and Rheinmetall have put together
for the Federal election campaign. cavalry reconnaissance vehicles being supplied comprehensive Australian industry packages – and
We wish we had more information to convey to the Army under the earlier Land 400 Phase 2. will continue to develop those right up until a winner
about the process but unlike for Phase 2, Defence Known as the Lance, this is currently being modified is announced. If chosen, the Lynx will be built at
refuses to divulge any information – probably at the to incorporate customer improvements and its main Rheinmetall’s massive vehicle integration facility
direction of their new Minister. Anecdotally, it is said weapon is a Mauser 30mm cannon. In contrast, the in Ipswich that is currently producing Boxers. The
that the Redback is making a favourable impression, Redback uses an Israeli turret that will be packed with Redback will be built in the Geelong area in a new
while there is little feedback about Lynx. Nothing sensors and electronics developed by Australian plant that will be opened to produce 155mm Self
should be inferred from that – the Redback uses company EOS – and it will be manufactured here. Propelled Howitzers that Hanwha will soon be
somewhat novel rubber tracks and that alone might It will use a Bushmaster 30mm chain gun from US contracted to supply.
account for why it has been mentioned a few times. supplier Northrop Grumman, which is one of the Whichever is chosen, Army will be receiving
Worth anywhere between $18 billion and $27 most accurate, lethal and widespread weapons for arguably the most advanced and best protected
billion, the project is by far the most expensive in armoured vehicles in the western world. infantry fighting vehicles in the world. The Lynx has
Army’s history and will provide up to 450 platforms The Mauser uses specialised steel cased already been ordered by Hungary and the South
able to carry between six and eight fully armed ammunition while the Bushmaster consumes Korean Army is known to have a strong interest in
soldiers plus a crew of three into high intensity more common aluminium cased rounds. This is the Redback. Both Rheinmetall and Hanwha are
combat. They will be an integral part of combined because of the different firing mechanisms involved: also competing for the biggest order of them all –
arms operations, working in conjunction with M1A1 the Bushmaster is externally powered and the next generation armoured vehicles for the US Army.
18 Asia Pacific Defence Reporter JUNE 2021You can also read
