Brimstone Completes Drone Test Trials

MBDA has successfully demonstrated the operation of Dual Mode Seeker Brimstone (DMB) missile from an MQ-9 Reaper Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA), scoring nine direct hits against a range of targets including very high speed and manoeuvring vehicles. The main advantage of Brimstone is its dual-mode operating capability, combining millimetre guidance with semi-active laser targeting, enabling the operator to accurately designate a target, after the milimeter-wave seeker locks on the designated target the missile independently follows that target independent of further laser designation, through the engagement. The tests pave the way for the deployment of the weapon on Britain’s MQ-9 Reapers. Beyond their use with aerial platforms, Brimstones were also been tested on fast naval crafts, fired against speedboat simulating swarm attacks.

MQ-9 Reaper carrying six Dual-Mode Brimstone missiles. Photo: MBDA

The trials began with captive carry of Avionics and Environmental Data Gathering Missiles, proving the successful integration of the two systems and gathering additional evidence to support future clearance activities. These were quickly followed by a series of live Operational Missile and inert Telemetry Missile firings. The firings were taken from realistic ‘middle of the envelope’ profiles; typically 20,000ft release altitude and 7km – 12km plan range, with the platform being remotely piloted in operationally representative beyond line of sight (SATCOM) conditions, with tracking and designation of targets being conducted in a mixture of manual-track and auto-track modes. Two of the more challenging scenarios were against trucks travelling at 70mph in a crossing target scenario.  At times, the targets were manually tracked by the REAPER crews, showing how the integrated Semi-Active Laser and Active MMW radar seeker works in tandem to ensure direct hits, even while operators are tracking and designating targets manually over satellite communications. “Every Operational and Telemetry missile performed as designed” MBDA announced, ”Following the successful demonstration Brimstone can now provide more flexibility to Reaper operators, reducing collateral damage risk while retaining first pass, single shot lethality against high speed manoeuvring targets on land, at sea and in complex environments.”

A Brimstone missile hitting a target moving at a speed of 50 miles per hour (80 km/h). Photo: USAF Big Safari

The original Brimstone missile used a milimeter-wave seeker to defeat massive armor formations in ‘fire and forget’ engagements. Royal Air Force (RAF) Tornado GR4 strike fighters were fitted to carry clusters of Brimstones, to kill multiple tanks in a simultaneous attack. DMSB, the new variant of the missile was optimised to engage asymmetric threats, by turning the fire-and-forget missile into high-precision weapon combining some ‘man in the loop’ capability, allowing the operator to designate the target for the missile, in case the MMW seeker couldn’t lock or was looking elsewhere. In an asymmetric engagement, ‘man in the loop’ function enables the operator to correct a missile that locks on the wrong target, divert the missile to an alternate target or order the missile to abort attack, hitting a pre-defined area, thus avoiding collateral damage. In addition to the dual-mode seeker capability, Brimstone fired from Tornado GR4 demonstrated the ability to engage, from a high off-boresight, targets travelling at up to 70mph. The targets were engaged from longer ranges, without the need to revert to straight and level flight, whilst operating in Close Air Support (CAS) role. These tests were carried out by the RAF in October 2013.

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 The use of MMW seeker enables the missile to effectively engage moving targets, a task that would require multiple Hellfire missiles. MBDA is employing a focussed, low fragmentation warhead optimised to defeat targets from Fast In-Shore Attack Craft Fast In-Shore Attack Crafts (FIAC) to fast moving armored or unarmored vehicles. In Libya, those characteristics reportedly made it one of the few weapons NATO commanders could use to hit enemy armored vehicles in urban areas.
MBDA is lobbying the USA to select the Dual Mode Brimstone missile to arm the Reaper drones operated by the US government, as an alternative to pursuing further investment in the Joint Air-Ground Missile (JAGM). This missile, developed by Lockheed Martin, was designed to replace Hellfires used by all US military services but is currently pursued only by the Army. It will also employ a dual-mode seeker combining the Hellfire laser seeker and Longbow MMW radar seekers in a similar way the utilised by the Brimstone.

MBDA is lobbying the USA to select the Dual Mode Brimstone missile to arm the Reaper drones operated by the US government, as an alternative to pursuing further investment in the Joint Air-Ground Missile (JAGM).

Russia ‘Welcomes’ the US Destroyer Truxtun, by Moving Bastion Anti-Ship Missiles to Crimea!

Bastion launcher carriers were moved to Crimea last night.

Unconfirmed news reports claim the Russian Navy is deploying land-based ‘Bastion’ anti-ship missile systems as a response to the recent U.S. move entering two naval vessels to the Black Sea. The two American Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS Truxtun (DDG-103) crossed the Bosphorus Strait Friday, headed into the Black Sea, as tensions simmer over Ukraine’s Crimea region. The Russians also moved two naval combatants from the Mediterranean Task Force back to the Black Sea Fleet. Tension is mounting in the Crimea Peninsula with the preparations for a referendum on independence from Ukraine later this week.
As of today, the Truxtun remain the only US warship in the Black Sea following the southbound passage of FF(G)-50 USS Taylor through the Bosphorus. The Taylor, a Perry class frigate was deployed to the Black Sea before the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games started. USS Taylor and the flag ship of the US 6th Fleet USS Mount Whitney were sent to the Black Sea to help with the evacuation of US athletes and spectators in case of an terror attack to the Games. However, when visiting the Black Sea port of Samsun, Turkey, the frigate damaged her propelled and had to be towed away to Souda, Crete for repairs.

USS Taylor being towed by the tug Coastal Voyager. The tug Kurtaran 1 from Turkish Coastal Safety Agency is preventing the ship from drifting at the back. Turkish Coast Guard vessel TCSG-90 is providing security. Photo via Turkishnavy.net

The US Navy said in a statement on Thursday that the ship was bound for the Black Sea to conduct military exercises with Bulgarian and Romanian naval forces. According to the Montreux Convention, warships of countries which do not border the Black Sea can only stay in the waters for 21 days.
The Bastion anti-ship missile system was deployed last night (8-9 March) to Sevastopol from the Russian town of Anapa, Krasnodar, about 250 miles to the East. Follow bystanders recorded the movement of Bastion anti-ship launcher complex on the streets Crimea. The K-300P Bastion-P employs P-800 Yakhont (SS-N-26) anti-ship cruise missile hypersonic anti-ship missiles carried on mobile transporter-erector-launchers (TEL) is a Russian. The missiles are used as mobile coastal defence systems, having an effective range of 300 km.

USS Truxtun Passed Through The Bosphorus March 8, 2014. Photo: Ms. Eser Çelebiler, via Turkishnavy.net

Watchkeeper UAV

The British Army is expected to induct the long awaited Watchkeeper UAV system with its field units, following Release To Service (RTS) by the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MOD). Unfortunately, this milestone is achieved three years behind schedule.

The British Army’s Watchkeeper unmanned aerial system in flight over the UK during testing. Picture: Thales UK by Richard Seymour.

Certified to the same safety standard as manned aircraft, Watchkeeper is the first UAS to be awarded a full (RTS) and is the only UAS of its type allowed to fly in UK airspace. Although 26 air vehicles and 14 ground systems already produced, lack of the formal safety clearance prevented the full induction of the drone with Army units. Thales UK is on contract to deliver 28 additional systems and one additional ground system.
Cleared for operations in the UK, the RTS will allow army crews to fly Watchkeeper sorties in segregated airspace, integrating with the military exercises taking place on Salisbury Plain. The RTS follows the announcement (24 February) that the British Army will begin training flights from Boscombe Down, Wiltshire. Sofar the drone operations were restricted to testing and evaluation – nearly 1000 flight hours were performed by the operators of the prime contractor, Thales UK, 600 of these flights were performed in the approved test airspace near Parc Aberporth, West Wales.

Army personnel operating the Watchkeeper unmanned aerial system. Photo: UK MOD

Lt Col Craig Palmer of the British Army commended the high safety levels demonstrated by the new system, “The safety bar for Watchkeeper has been set very high. The detailed reviews and testing of the whole system have provided significant evidence that the system is maturing rapidly; sufficiently enough to support an RTS recommendation.” Over the coming weeks the pilots and support crews of 1st Artillery Brigade will be trained to fly the drones in a restricted airspace over the Salisbury Plain Training Area. The flights, which will take place between 8,000 and 16,000 feet, will be overseen by military air traffic controllers.
“The process of achieving RTS and the other certifications required for Watchkeeper has been ground-breaking, not only for Thales but also for the MOD and the CAA”, said Victor Chavez, CEO of Thales UK. “Much painstaking work has been required by all parties to deliver the comprehensive and rigorous certification, but our collective achievement is a great one: the first tactical UAS allowed to fly in UK airspace.”
An RTS is the formal statement, on behalf of the Chief of General Staff, that an acceptable safety case has been prepared for the aircraft and its equipment. An RTS is required for all aircraft (manned and unmanned) subject to Military Aviation Authority (MAA) regulated service flying, and is written for the aircrew and engineers responsible for the day-to-day supervision of flying operations and the desk officers responsible for developing policy and procedures. 
Watchkeeper is a high-performance, multi-sensor, all-weather UAS that can remain airborne for more than 16 hours in a single mission. These unarmed tactical UAS will be deployed by the British Army surveillance, reconnaissance, intelligence gathering and target acquisition missions, in support of military operations at supporting brigade-level and below. Watchkeeper is expected to remain in service at least until 2040.
Watchkeeper has been developed by Thales with strong support from its supply chain, including UAV Tactical Systems Limited (U-TacS), which was established at contract award as a joint venture company between Thales and Elbit Systems.

Heron I Mission

  Heron I Missions in Afghanistan

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Heron I RPA are operating from Kandahar airbase, Afghanistan and from Woomera Test Range in South Australia, where operators are trained for the missions in Afghanistan. Photo: Australian defence by Aaron Curran

While coalition forces begin to withdraw from Afghanistan, the Heron I remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) operated with the Australian Heron Detachment is set to continue providing invaluable Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) information to coalition troops operating inside Afghanistan, well into 2014. Built by Israel Aerospace Industries, the Heron I is leased and operated by the Canadian company MDA.
In November 2013 the Australian Heron detachment marked the 20,000 operational flight hours milestone. The Heron RPAs (newspeak for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle or UAV) are flying between 400 to 500 hours each month, performing medium altitude, long endurance (MALE) missions. It can conduct single missions in excess of 24 hours, with a maximum speed of more than 100 knots (180 km/h) at altitudes of up to 10,000 metres.
According to Royal Australian Air Force sources, the decision to extend the Heron mission sees the Tri-Service Detachment working for a new client, ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) Regional Command South. Based at Kandahar Airfield, Heron Detachment’s ongoing tenure in Afghanistan originated from a request from ISAF to the Australian Government.

A Heron returns to Kandahar from a recce mission. On such mission the drone carries an EO/IR and COMING payload. The Australian Air Force Heron detachment operates from the Kandahar Airfield in Southern Afghanistan. Photo: RAAF, Raymond Vance

Heron detachment Payload Operator, Flight Lieutenant Zalie Munro-Rustean, in the Ground Control Station at the Heron compound at Kandahar Airfield, 2011. Photo: RAAF Paul Berry

Previously the Herons were supporting exclusively the Australian forces operating in Uruzgan. They will now support coalition forces through their operations in Southern Afghanistan. The Tri-Service Detachment Rotation 13 is expected to return to Australia by mid-year 2014.
Unlike small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the 1.1 tonne Heron Remotely Piloted Aircraft is operated from an airfield runway in conjunction with other manned aircraft. The Australian Heron is based at Kandahar, which is anecdotally the busiest single-runway airfield in the world. To ensure the safe and effective operation of the aircraft at such a busy airfield, Air Force uses military pilots who have experience with the complex and dynamic airspace to pilot the Heron.
Pilots qualified on Army helicopters, F/A-18 Hornets, F-111s, AP-3C Orion and C-130J Hercules have deployed and operated the Heron Remotely Piloted Aircraft since August 2009. The Heron pilot is supported by a Payload (Sensor) Operator who also acts as co-pilot for the Heron.
In addition, up to seven operational staff process, analyse and disseminate information from the Heron’s sensors. The operational staff may include aircrew, intelligence staff, operations officers, engineering staff, administration officers and logisticians.

In November 2013 the Royal Australian Air Force Air Component completed 20,000 combat flying hours in Afghanistan. In this photo, the unit commander Group Captain Tony McCormack stands alongside members of the Heron Remotely Piloted Aircraft Detachment (Rotation 13) that operated the mission on this milestone flight. Each Heron detachment consists of about 30 ADF personnel based at Kandahar Airfield in Southern Afghanistan. Photo: RAAF Chris Moore

On 1-2 March the RAAF hosted the Centenary of Military Aviation Air Show at RAAF Williams – Point Cook. Among the popular attractions at the show was the Heron Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA), displayed in a deployable hangar. Photo: Australian Defence by Aaron Curran

VMAQ-3 ”Moondogs”

As part of the redeployment from Afghanistan, the U.S. Marine Corps is shifting Electronic Attack (EA) assets from Bagram to Qatar, where VMAQ-3 ”Moondogs” has deployed to last week.

In recent years Prowler detachments were regularly operating from Bagram in Afghanistan, tasked primarily in providing electronic support for ground operations, assisting ground forces in Afghanistan and Iraq with counter IED jamming, signals intelligence and selective jamming. Photo: US Air Force Capt. Raymond Geoffroy

In recent years Prowler detachments were regularly operating from Bagram in Afghanistan, tasked primarily in providing electronic support for ground operations, assisting ground forces in Afghanistan and Iraq with counter IED jamming, signals intelligence and selective jamming. Supporting traditional marine corps missions, such as amphibious operations, and other high intensity warfare operations require different techniques, tactics and procedures the units currently deployed to Japan can practice. Such activities are regularly performed in exercises they deploy to in Korea, Japan and other parts of the Pacific theatre.

The Prowlers who were previously deployed to Afghanistan have been moved to Al Udeid and are currently being supported by more than 200 Marines from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C.

The EA-6B Prowler is a four-seat, twin-engine tactical electronic attack aircraft capable of attacking and jamming enemy radio, communications and radar operations. In service for 37 years the Grumman EA-6B Prowler is one of the Marine Corps’ oldest combat aircraft serving today, yet it carries out one of the most challenging and sophisticated missions – electronic attack. “Electronic warfare is always changing by its nature,” Whitten said.

The Prowlers who were previously deployed to Afghanistan have been moved to AUAB and are currently being supported by more than 200 Marines from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jared Trimarchi)

“The airframe was capable of being updated over the years and that’s why it was able to stay around for so long. Thirty-five years later, they’re still doing another evolution to keep up with the threat.” said Retired Col. Wayne Whitten who flew as a crew member with the first Prowlers.

Prowlers have been supporting ground troops during Operation Enduring Freedom for more than 10 years. Photo: USMC

The aircraft was designed to suppress enemy air defense so Marine aircraft could traverse hostile airspace in relative safety. However, in the past 10 years, the Prowler has flown almost exclusively in support of ground forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Whitten said it is unique for an aircraft to fulfil completely different roles as the Prowler has.
The Prowler may be the last Marine aircraft dedicated solely to electronic warfare. The Marine Corps still plans to cycle the Prowler out of service for the stealthy F-35B, which will perform some electronic warfare roles using its powerful radar’s Active Electronic Scanned Array as a directional jammer.

“There is a huge shift in the mindset, going away from kinetic fires and dropping bombs… Sometimes the targets are easier to attack electronically than they are kinetically.” Maj. Bart Macmanus, VMAQ-4 XO

The F-35B will not replace each of the specific function the Prowler has today, it will provide the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Electronic Warfare with the same capabilities the Prowler has today as a dedicated EA platform. The US Navy is maintaining the dedicated EA role with the EA-18G Growler, which is also geared to fire guided missiles against radars and other targets that can be identified by their electronic signature.uses
One of the new rotations announced this week is the deployment of Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 3 (VMAQ-3) “Moondogs” at Al Udeid Air Base (AUAB), Qatar. The squadron arrived here with its EA-6Bs, on February 17, 2014, to support the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. The Prowlers were previously deployed to Afghanistan have been moved to AUAB and are currently being supported by more than 200 Marines from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina.
Though the Prowlers will continue to fly missions to Afghanistan, their main mission is to be ready to support any contingencies or operations which may need electronic attack in the Central Command (CENTCOM) Area Of Responsibility (AOR). ”We are excited to be back at Al Udeid Air Base and look forward to providing electronic attack for U.S. and coalition forces in the area,” said Marine Capt. Keith Hibbert, a Moondog pilot who hails from Ithaca, N.Y. “Prowlers have been supporting ground troops during Operation Enduring Freedom for more than 10 years, and we look forward to continuing that support.”

An EA-6B Prowler aircraft sits ready to conduct training missions at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea. Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 4 is supporting these deployments out its base at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan. Photo: USMC by Sgt. Charles McKelvey

Another Marine Corps electronic attack squadron, VMAQ-4 “Seahawks” has deployed to Marine Corps Air Station, (MCAS) Iwakuni, Japan in November, replacing VMAQ-2 “Death Jesters” that were deployed here since August. The squadron was returning to the Pacific Area of Operation after six year of absence, when all electronic attack were directed at the ongoing conflicts in Southwest Asia and the Middle East. VMAQ-1 is based in the SUA and is responsible for operational training of air crews and personnel for the EA-6B fleet.
”There is a generation who has done nothing but (Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom) and they never got the chance to do UDP [Unit Deployment Plan]” said Maj. Bart Macmanus, VMAQ-4 executive officer. “We are trying to do a lot of training,” said Macmanus. “This is the first time Prowlers have been out here in a while, so we are trying to reeducate people, mainly on the capabilities that we bring to the fight.”

”There is a generation who has done nothing but OIF and OEF… With the vacuum that’s been here since the Prowlers have been gone, there’s a lot of resident knowledge that has been lost” Maj. Bart Macmanus, VMAQ-4 XO

Although now fully employed, the unit’s mission in OEF and OIF varied from what the Marine Corps now expects of its electronic experts. “Being back out here is a totally different mindset and it’s good to get us back out here,” said Macmanus. “It is more dynamic out here and it requires a lot more work to understand your mission set.” Macmanus also said one of the unique opportunities of this UDP is the ability to work with other military branches, such as the U.S. Air Force, stationed at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea.
“With the vacuum that’s been here since the Prowlers have been gone, there’s a lot of resident knowledge that has been lost,” said Macmanus. “So, we’re just trying to reeducate the masses on what are our capabilities and what we bring out here, not just with the Air Force, but the Marines as well.” Last year the squadron deployed to Iwakuni’s for a short introductory exercise with Marine Corps Hornets and Harriers, plus joint operations with U.S. Air Force and Naval units.
On their current deployment the Seahawks focus again on training. While it’s not putting rounds down range, their presence in the combat arena is certainly felt. “There is a huge shift in the mindset, going away from kinetic fires and dropping bombs,” Macmanus said. “Sometimes the targets are easier to attack electronically than they are kinetically.”
While absent in the Pacific, the Prowler’s reputation became comparable to an old novel with a bookmark. The Seahawks now re-open that book and prepare to write new chapters, almost 45 years in the making.

ARMY'S LATEST - HAMMER Precision Targeting System

BAE Systems HAMMER precision targeting system successfully completes Critical Design Review for the U.S. Army’s JETS program. Photo: BAE Systems

BAE Systems has completed the U.S. Army’s Critical Design Review for its HAMMER precision targeting system, one of two candidates for the Army’s the Joint Effects Targeting System (JETS) program’s Target Location Designation System (TLDS) system. JETS is an Army-led, joint-interest program with the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Marine Corps.

Current systems are too heavy, lack the capability to deliver precision fire support in day and at night and do not interface easily with modern, digital radios.

Systems delivered as part of the JETS program will provide the dismounted Forward Observer and Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) the ability to acquire, locate and mark for precision Global Positioning System-guided and laser-guided munitions. The TLDS component of this system will provide the dismounted Forward Observer with a common and light-weight handheld precision targeting capability.
Current systems are too heavy or lack the capability to deliver precision fire support in day and at night. Current systems are also lacking efficient interface with modern digital communications, to receive, transmit, store, display, plan, and coordinate targeting data.
The system enables dismounted observers to rapidly identify, precisely locate, and accurately mark targets for precision strike. It works in all weather and lighting conditions, and transmits targeting data to existing forward entry systems. The new targeting system will help soldiers distinguish friends from foes with satellite positioning and surveillance information, and allow them to rapidly receive, transmit, and coordinate targeting data.
In April 2013 the Army awarded two contracts to BAE Systems and DRS. Each company received about $15 million cost-plus-fixed-fee for a three-year engineering and manufacturing development (E&MD) contract to supply prototypes that will meet the JETS TLDS requirements. In the next phase the systems will go through the program’s qualification phase, in which several systems will be manufactured and tested against JETS technical requirements throughout 2014 and early 2015. The program remains on schedule for initial JETS TLDS fielding in 2016.

“HAMMER will provide forward observers and JTACs with the lightweight, compact, and highly advanced system with the precision required for GPS-guided and laser-guided munitions” Dr. Mark Hutchins

BAE Systems developed the Handheld Azimuth Measuring, Marking, Electro-optic imaging, and Ranging (HAMMER) addressing the army requirement for a lightweight precision targeting solution. As such, HAMMER weighs less than one-half the weight and cost about half the cost of the targeting systems currently in the Department of Defense inventory.
The system employs the company’s Target Reconnaissance Infrared Geolocating Rangefinder (TRIGR) system which has already been fielded. HAMMER architecture enhances precision targeting capabilities by adding a compact laser marker and a non-magnetic compass. For the laser designator BAE Systems teamed with Elbit Systems of America, to provide a laser marker based on laser target designators they have developed and fielded with the U.S. Marine Corps.
BAE Systems and DRS Technologies, Inc., are required to deliver between five and 20 prototypes for testing, between 2014 and 2016. DRS, the U.S. based member of the Italian Finmeccanica group said it will design and produce their TLDS prototypes at DRS facilities in Dallas, Texas and Melbourne, Florida.

HAMMER Precision Targeting System. Photo: BAE Systems

Piranha based LAV 8×8 Vehicle!

General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) Canada has won a major arms procurement contract from Saudi Arabia, for the procurement of armored vehicles worth over $10 billion. The vehicles will follow a new design to be built at GDLS Canada plant at London, Ontario.

GDLS Canada is currently producing at London, Ontario the Ocelot light armored vehicle and the Piranha based LAV 8×8 vehicle. Photo: DLS Canada.

Two vehicle families are currently built at the plant – the Piranha based Light Armored Vehicle (LAV) and Ocelot originally designed by Force Protection Inc. The first vehicles will roll off the production line in 2016. The number of vehicles included in the deal has not been disclosed. The package includes training in Canada and Saudi Arabia, as well as logistical support.
The Saudi government has been shopping for light, fast and off-road maneuverable armored vehicles from different manufacturers since 2009.
Responding to criticism about selling arms to a country that have systematically violated human rights, the Canadian Government defended the deal saying that the Saudi deal will create and sustain more than 3,000 jobs a year for 14 years and will benefit 500 Canadian companies. “Canada won these jobs over rival bids from our western allies Germany and France. We supported this agreement to bring these jobs to Canada.” Trade Minister Ed Fast said, adding that the value of the deal could climb to nearly $14 billion if all options are exercised.
The contract with the Saudis follows an agreement last year that saw General Dynamics win a $65.3-million US contract with the Colombian government for the acquisition of 24 light armored vehicles. General Dynamics continues to bid for other international orders, including one from Morocco.
In contrast, last December the Canadian Ministry of Defense cancelled the procurement of 108 ‘Close Combat Vehicles’ (CCV) in a deal that would have worth $2 billions. GDLS Canada, the French Nexter and KMW of Germany were all competing for this program.

GDLS is currently producing the upgrade kits for the Canadian LAV III vehicles (LAV UP) for the Canadian Army. Photo: GDLS Canada