Project Review: The year that was: Project Review 2011 | ADM Dec 2011 / Jan 2012

Tom Muir | Canberra

Land 121/4 PMV-L

We felt that the procurement of some 1,300 Protected Mobility Vehicles – Light (PMV-L) under Land 121 Phase 4 must be proving something of a headache to project staff tasked with progressing the various acquisition options. These are:

• the US JLTV program,
• the Manufactured and Supported in Australia (MSA) option and
• a Market Available option. In respect of this last Defence says it will develop solicitation documentation for a ‘current-generation market available’ PMV-L capability.

Australian participation in the technology development phase of the JLTV program resulted in the delivery of three right hand operation prototypes from each of the three JLTV contenders (GTV, Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems) which underwent reliability, maintainability and ballistic testing by the Army at Monegeetta, Victoria.

The next major JLTV milestone, the engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) phase, will focus on program risk, supportability, producibility and affordability. Proposals will be sought from industry in the last quarter of 2011 with two EMD contracts awarded in early to mid-2012. The draft RFP indicated per-vehicle cost goals of between US$230,000 and US$270,000 with US$65,000, no more, for an additional armour kit. Three competitors will receive contracts for the 32-month engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) phase to be awarded in May. A single contract award is scheduled for 2015. Australia has yet to announce whether it will continue to participate in the EMD phase however there are indications that it will continue with references to RHO requirements and an Australian test site in the RFP.

Back in June 2009 the Australian Government released an RFP for a locally manufactured and supported PMV-L. Following assessment of responses three were contracted to undertake the development of two prototypes each by February 2011 for testing at Monegeetta. They were Thales Australia (Hawkei); GDLS Australia (Eagle IV); and Force Protection (Ocelot). Trialling of the prototypes was completed during the year and it is now up to Defence to determine which of the three MSA contenders will go forward to a competitive tender against the successful JLTV EMD phase contender.

Defence has said that it may also develop solicitation documentation for a ‘current-generation market available’ PMV–L. The RFT for this option would only be released to the open market subject to Government’s decision on the MSA and JLTV options.

JP2072 Battlespace Communications – Land

The first phase of JP2072 Battlespace Communications System-Land (BCS-L) is well underway, acquiring equipment to meet high priority gaps and more recently the digital radio backbone for the Land 125 Battle Management Systems and other radio equipment.

Phase 2A continues the process, rolling out new combat radio systems, tactical data radio systems and tactical HF and satellite radios, to high readiness land formations and units. This follows Phase 1 arrangements as the systems to be delivered will be potentially more of the same.

These initial phases have seen the first moves towards digitising ADF land communications at the tactical level providing the digital radio backbone for the Battlefield Command Support System (BCSS) currently in service and the Battlefield Management System (BMS) now being acquired under Land 200.

To provide these networking capabilities and for upcoming phases of JP2072, tactical radio systems are being acquired from Harris Corp. Under a $135 million order these consist primarily of Falcon III AN/PRC-152(C) multiband handheld radios and their in-vehicle adaptors, but also included AN/PRC-117G wideband, AN/PRC-117F multiband and AN/PRC-150(C) HF manpack radios. The AN/PRC-152(C) will connect soldiers to the BMS and serve as hubs for other soldier-carried C4 devices. The AN/PRC-117G is the first wideband manpack radio system with a JTRS-certified software architecture and Type-1 certified information security.

In January 2011, Raytheon Australia received a $69 million contract for the provision of more than 1,000 Enhanced Position Location Reporting System (EPLRS) and MicroLight radios and associated support also under Phase 1. EPLRS will be mounted primarily on Bushmaster PMVs and M113 armoured vehicles, while the handheld Microlite radios carried by soldiers in the field, will give them and their commanders instant information on their position along with high-speed data communications.

These first sallies into digitising ADF communications with modern high capacity bandwidth systems will replace static, analogue communications based on voice, which are incapable of providing effective support to commanders in the field. But these are a precursor to the major changes planned under Phase 2B which will see command and control services enhanced through new trunking and switching, underpinned by effective network management, to the ADF’s deployed headquarters.

By October 2011, Defence sought tenders for the provision of an Integrated Battlefield Telecommunications (I-BTN) and Terrestrial Range Extension System (TRES) under JP2072 Phase 2B.

Phase 2B’s prime contract scope embraces the battlefield telecommunications network (BTN) with its various terrestrial and space bearers, range extension systems (aerial and terrestrial), as well as local area system (LAS) and Satcom C2 on the move (SOTM) systems. These are to be leveraged off COTS technologies and will achieve major advantages over current deployed systems.

The following three teams are believed to be contending for the prime Phase 2B contract:

• BAE Systems Australia with Thales Australia;
• Raytheon Australia with General Dynamics C4 Systems and Raytheon Network Centric Systems; and
• Lockheed Martin Australia with Elbit Systems.

Each team has very significant expertise in tactical trunking systems, their support and management, and in the many and diverse capabilities of the ADF’s proposed I-BTN and TRES.

JP 2008 Phases 3H and 5B MILSATCOM

Defence has invested heavily in satellite communications capability through JP 2008, a multi-phased proposal that provides strategic and tactical satellite communications capabilities to support ADF operations. Now further acquisitions are underway for land elements.

Under JP 2008, two phases (3H and 5B) are involved with the acquisition of wideband terrestrial terminals. Phase 3H will optimise the early use of the Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) system by acquiring WGS pre-certified satellite communications terminals. The strategy for Phase 3H is to acquire terminal capabilities through tender, focusing on terminals that have achieved WGS certification. Industry requirements are based around utilising Australian industry to undertake a range of through-life maintenance and support activities. Phase 3H is focussing on the early acquisition of one type from the family of terminals planned to be acquired under Phase 5B.

According to the latest DCP, introduction of the capability will be deemed to be achieved by the provision and validation of 10 transportable WGS pre-certified terminals, together with the establishment of necessary support infrastructure and completion of personnel training necessary for the operation and support of those terminals. It is expected that the terminals will have a 15-year life of type with a midlife technology refresh also anticipated.

Phase 5B is aimed at enhancing the ADF’s satcom capability through the delivery of a satellite ground station and supplies in Australia’s east for WGS system anchoring. It also includes a range of transportable wideband ground terminals for land forces.

For the transportable WGS certified terminals introduction of the capability will be achieved by their provision and the infrastructure needed to support a land Signals Regiment, together with the establishment of necessary support infrastructure and completion of personnel training necessary for the operation and support of those terminals. Life of type for the transportable terminals is anticipated to be between 10 and 15 years, depending on terminal type.

The strategy for Phase 5B is to acquire the majority of the required capability through open competition for two separate tenders. The first addressing the WGS terminals requirement and the other the WGS anchor station east and associated supplies.

ADM understands that the 3H tender is for 45 terminals with an initial supply of 10 terminals by July 2013 and the remainder by December 2013. The terminal size has not been quoted although we suspect that most or all or focussed on the medium (2.4m dish) range. Instead of dish size throughput performance criteria has been used so that tenderers can determined the terminal size as required.

Phase 3H intends to optimise the early use of the WGS system by rapidly replacing satcom terminal installations in the Middle East with WGS certified terminals and introduce WGS certified terminals to deliver services currently provided by narrowband and L-Band terminals.

This suggests that the Parakeet satellite terminals will only be used over the Sing/Tel Optus C1 Military package or commercial Ku band satellites from now on. Defence has GigaSat 2.4M transportable terminals for voice comms, which were purchased for Middle East Operations some years ago with only a small number in service.

LAND 400 Ph.2 Land Combat Vehicle System

According to the DCP, Land 400 LCVS Phase 2 aims to deliver protected survivability and lethality systems to the mounted close combat capability of the Land Force. The project will replace and enhance those mounted close combat capabilities currently enabled by M113, Australian Light Armoured Vehicle (ASLAV) and Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle (PMV). The project is also the lead project to achieve integration of Army’s future Combined Arms Fighting System (CAFS).

At the June 2011 LEWG briefing Brigadier Nagy Sorial, Director General CAFS, told industry that the project had received successful clearance through initial internal Defence committees and the user requirement was now defined as the need for a deployable, affordable and sustainable mounted close combat capability, with enhanced lethality, survivability

& connectivity.

First Pass was anticipated in 2013 and would be followed by an open RFT (with the draft released to industry for comment). Second Pass was expected in 2018-19 coincident with the establishment of the Army’s future force structure.

Acquisition assumptions included the need for Australianised MOTS systems, to avoid development issues and the need to ensure there were no gaps in organic mobility or lethality in close combat. Crew numbers were postulated at up to three and platforms would need to carry a minimum of four, but preferably eight, close combatants. The Land 400 CONOPS had been released for internal comment with the intent that it would be publicly available later in 2011.

So what are the capabilities we may expect to see offered in response to the L400 Phase 2 LCVS requirement possibly in 2013?

BAE Systems has indicated that it would propose the tracked CV90 Mk III Armadillo, and wheeled RG41 vehicles. Combat Vehicle 90 represents a family of armoured combat vehicles developed by BAE Systems Land Systems Hägglunds. The new variant, the CV90 Armadillo, offers additional protection and flexibility without a turret. The vehicle weighs 27 tonne and has a payload capacity of eight tonne for armour and additional equipment. It can provide horizontal ballistic protection against mines of about 10kg.

According to BAE Systems, the RG41 is designed to provide mine and IED protection comparable to the much larger and heavier MRAP type vehicles, in a lighter 8x8 combat vehicle configuration.

ADM understands that GD Land Systems Australia will also be offering tracked and wheeled platforms likely based on the ASCOD 2 SV (the variant chosen for the FRES SV requirement) and the Piranha V (or an evolved Stryker).

The ASCOD 2 SV is a tracked armoured infantry fighting vehicle with the capacity for a combat group of seven riflemen and three-man crew, and designed to a 42 t rating. In Spanish service the vehicle is called Pizarro, while the Austrian Army version is called Ulan. The Piranha has evolved from 18 tonne to 25 tonne since 1997 and has been sold to many countries, mainly as the Piranha III. With survivability requirements evolving very rapidly GDUK commenced the type’s next evolution, the Piranha V, starting from a baseline of 26 tonnes.

Another major Land 400 contender is PSM, a joint venture between KMW and Rheinmetall Land Systems, proposing the Puma AIFV, one of the newest armoured fighting vehicle developments. With modular armour that can be removed for A400 transport, the Puma offers the option of three levels of protection to suit operational needs, the weight of the vehicle varying from around 31 tonne to 43 tonne accordingly.

In 2009 PSM was contracted by the German government to deliver 405 Puma with the first two AIFV handed over to the German Bundeswehr in December 2010. Further vehicles are currently in production which ends in 2020.

Doubtless there will be proposals from the French Nexter VBCI, and the German-Dutch Boxer built by ARTEC, both 8x8 vehicles originally proposed for the FRES Utility Vehicle program.

As L400 progresses through its various requirements definition and costing phases, and later the exhaustive assessment and comparison of tender responses, perhaps there will be a growing realisation that some of the existing component systems of the CAFS are no longer up to the tasks ahead of it. Perhaps the Land 400 project should, in the first instance, be used to fast track the early acquisition of troop protecting combat vehicles—in particular the Infantry Fighting Vehicle that originally featured as Land 400’s primary requirement. Given the stated MOTS nature of the project, the given timeline seems more than a little long.