A satisfactory outcome to the risk reduction activity now underway on Hawkei prototypes may see a Request for Tender (RFT) for the Manufactured and Supported in Australia (MSA) option of Land 121 Phase 4 issued to Thales Australia later this year.
Brigadier Nagy Sorial, Director General Combined Arms Fighting System in the DMO, told ADM that a risk reduction contract had been agreed with Thales last December and the work should be completed in October of this year.
This involves finalising issues still outstanding following the technical evaluation of the six Hawkei prototypes – two utility, two command, and two reconnaissance – that began in northern Queensland last May under Stage 2 of the MSA option. The evaluation had gone well, BRIG Sorial disclosed.
“As you’d expect from prototype vehicles there were several issues, some of which were resolved pretty quickly, and some of which remain to be resolved.”
Draft RFT
A draft RFT had been under discussion between Defence and Thales since early this year and, dependant on reduction to an acceptable level of the overall risk profile, including productionisation, an RFT may go to Thales late this year.
“We are having a serious look at what Thales has been doing to ensure that not only can they make a few prototypes but they can also produce it repeatedly without having to fundamentally change the risk profile for the vehicle,” BRIG Sorial said.
“As long as they continue to reduce the risk profile and continue to meet the Army’s stipulated requirements then we will continue to progress.”
While requirements and/or schedule could be affected by next year’s White Paper and Defence Capability Plan (DCP), the intention until then is to press ahead within acceptable tolerances with the intention of seeking second pass approval from government for Phase 4 in 2015-2016.
Should it become apparent that Thales cannot provide what Defence requires, the program will move to the market-available option which includes any of the three contenders for the US Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) program.
At stake is a contract for up to 1301 Protected Mobility Vehicles Light (PMVL) to provide a protected replacement for one-third of the ADF’s Land Rover fleet, in particular the reconnaissance and fitted-for radio variants, with unprotected Mercedes-Benz G-Wagons currently being delivered to replace the other two-thirds.
In December 2011 Hawkei was named as the preferred vehicle for the MSA option, beating competition from what was then Force Protection’s Ocelot, and an evolution of the Eagle IV proposed by General Dynamics Land Systems Australia. Six months later Thales received $37 million to develop six prototype vehicles.
The MSA component was belatedly introduced after fierce lobbying by local industry in the wake of a US$40 million investment by Defence in the Technology Development phase of the JLTV program. Defence did not participate in the subsequent Engineering and Manufacturing Development phase, but continues to track JLTV developments closely.
Brig Sorial said the six Hawkei prototypes had clocked up a total of more than 100,000 km during the six-month technical evaluation, which covered reliability, survivability and communications. Survivability included some blast testing.
Vehicle weight continued to be “in the ballpark” of 7,000 kg, driven by the requirement to get Hawkei lifted ashore from a Canberra class Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) by an Army CH-47F Chinook, with a lift capability of 9,500kg.
“Hawkei cannot swim, so getting it from the LHD to where it is needed has to be via either a ship-to-shore connector, or a rotary wing asset,” BRIG Sorial commented.
“If it weighs 8,000 kg it does not mean it cannot be lifted, however it cannot be carried as far; the heavier it is the shorter the distance the helicopter can take it. You’ve also got to consider other limiting factors such as wind and sea state.”
While he was confident that the newer vehicles in the Land Rover fleet retained sufficient life to take them comfortably to the replacement timeframe for the Hawkei, “you want to retire them sooner rather than later because of the increased technology, safety and other attributes you inherit with a new vehicle.”
Cost Per Vehicle
BRIG Sorial disclosed that Thales had not been given a specific target cost per vehicle, but pointed out that Defence was aware of the JLTV’s baseline cost of US$250,000 and had access to general data from the program in order to calculate what was being provided for that figure.
Defence therefore had a good insight into JLTV capability and schedule, and JLTV’s Milestone C, which initiates production and deployment, was scheduled for about the same time as Phase 4 Second Pass.
“So while we have not given Thales a specific figure that they must meet, they are as aware as us that if they do not have a competitive price for what they are offering, then we have a fallback option to go to open market.
“Capability is the first issue, if it is not what the ADF requires then the price is of little relevance. But if Thales can provide what is actually required by the ADF then that is the first tick in the box; the next tick in the box has to be competitive price in order to provide value for money for the Commonwealth,” BRIG Sorial noted.
However, there was a fundamental difference between the JLTV and Hawkei approaches, with the JLTV program providing a basic vehicle for the lowest possible cost with purchasers “then electing which options to add to that to get the requirement they need to meet within the funding they have available.”
With Hawkei, “Army and the DMO have done a lot of work to produce an agreed and achievable set of requirements that this vehicle needs to have in terms of survivability, self-protection, mobility, communications etc.
“And then we contract Thales to provide what is required for the best available cost, with Thales and us doing everything we can to keep that cost to a minimum. That’s just the way we do business.”
A one-for-one comparator would be available at the time of Second Pass only if it was possible to buy a baseline JLTV with all ADF’s requirements added.
“If you want something as part of the vehicle capability then it’s sometimes best designed into the vehicle as a semi-permanent fixture rather than something you plug in after market, whether from the original manufacturer or not. This allows you to minimise overall weight, minimise overall power consumption, minimise overall volume etc,” BRIG Sorial added.
Although Thales declined to comment on technical details, the company told ADM it had completed a series of country-wide industry briefings supported by various industry bodies, attracting hundreds of expressions of interest for about 30 Hawkei major work packages.
It had also hosted a number of days for potential suppliers in Bendigo, where representatives from industry visited the site, saw the vehicles and discussed work package specifics.
“The company is now well progressed with the sourcing activities, selecting and engaging supply partners to support the productionisation of the Hawkei,” it said in a statement.
Thales also disclosed it is developing a left-hand drive Hawkei to promote the vehicle to the export market. The Alpha prototype, demonstrating an advanced integrated C4I solution to support digitised networks, will be displayed at Eurosatory in Paris in June.
Hawkei’s export credibility will benefit from the broadly similar requirements it shares with the JLTV – notwithstanding the differing approach to the configuration of the basic vehicle.
“They are not identical but the requirements are similar. A lot of interoperability relates to C4I systems, the ability to fit various weapon systems, share ammunition natures etc,” said BRIG Sorial.
“Other nations who may require a vehicle in the same category would no doubt have overlapping requirements as well – not identical but there would be an overlap with what we’re asking for.”
