Land Warfare: Slow march to the Army's second milestone | ADM Oct 2009
Even their destination appears to be receding...
Tom Muir | Canberra
Three projects, comprising elements of Land 125, Land 75 (Land 200) and JP2072, will provide the physical capabilities of this first networked battle group based on mounted and dismounted members of 6 RAR - the Land NCW testbed - a motorised infantry battalion, equipped with Bushmaster IMVs and supported by other combined arms team units.
These capabilities will include dismounted battle management systems (BMS) and their C2 (command and control) comms, which will be fielded down to dismounted close combatant fire team leaders, while mounted BMS and C3 (command, control and communications) systems will be provided to all manoeuvre (ie mobile) elements of the Battle Group and its HQ.
While legacy radio systems such as Raven and Wagtail, will provide a limited capability, including voice C2 for the so-called enhanced land force plus access to the Battlefield Command Support System (BCSS), the need for digital data communications and the ever-growing demand for bandwidth, underlines the urgency of the communications grid to be provided by the JP2072 program.
As the latest DCP tells us, JP 2072 (Battlespace Communications - Land or BCS-L) is a multi-phased proposal to progressively define and acquire an integrated communications system for the ADF's land elements.
Phase 1 (now progressing) is to acquire equipment to address urgent shortfalls to support the ADF's land communications needs.
This priority support will focus on providing the digital radio backbone for the in-service BCSS and the various battle management systems.
Defence anticipates that this phase will assist in achieving Milestone 2 and the test bed transition of 6 RAR to the first fully networked combat team.
But is Milestone 2 receding? In its Land C3 update, the recent Land Environment Working Group (LEWG) refers to Milestone 2 as now straddling 2011 for its establishment (whereas last year it fell neatly between 2010 and 2011).
This has had a slight knock-on effect with Milestone 3 (1st Networked Bde) now straddling 2013, and Milestone 4 (2nd Networked Bde) straddling 2014 to 2017.
JP2072's first phase
When General Dynamics (now GDSA) as Prime Systems Integrator (PSI) was awarded what in effect was part of the Phase 1 contract in late 2005 it was tasked with:
• the definition and design of the 2015 tactical communications system architecture,
• definition of the 2015 mission and support systems,
• mapping out the plan for implementation of the system over three phases, and
• identification of potential technical solutions for the high priority capability shortfalls for Phase 1.
This part of the Phase 1 contract was worth some $28 million and was to be followed by a contract amendment to cover Phase 1 Orders.
These were aimed at acquiring and introducing new equipment as well as enhancements to existing capabilities according to the PSI's implementation plan.
With its acquisition of mostly overseas-sourced radios and communications infrastructure, orders were going to soak up the balance of the Phase 1 budget of $97 million.
And while GD has departed the JP 2072 scene, it undertook a Market Survey in mid-2006 so it could make recommendations on its proposals for the evolving JP2072 system architecture, the implementation plan (matching capabilities against phases), and finally the equipment and capabilities to be procured under Phase 1 orders to address the most urgent capability deficiencies (eg the digital bearers for the various BMS).
The surveys sought information, for a Commonwealth-directed Trade Study, on the following:
• Combat Radio Subsystem,
• Local Area Subsystem,
• Trunk Subsystem,
• Tactical Data Distribution Subsystem,
• Communications Management Subsystem, and
• Batteries and Alternate Energy Sources.
So, based on specifications developed by JP2072 and desktop evaluation of the CNRs trawled in the market survey, and presumably in consultation with the end-users, Second Pass indicates government approval to acquire the selected radios from the Phase 1 funding which would then be supplied as GFM and introduced into service as bearers for the BMS-M and BMS-CP variants.
For what is now termed the Mobile Systems Segment of BCS-L, we assume these capabilities include:
• Combat Radio Systems comprising Harris AN/PRC-152 (C) and AN/PRC-110, and
• Tactical Data Radio Systems (EPLRS).
Other Phase 1 lesser priorities are the Tactical Data Distribution Subsystem (TDDS), the HF component of the CRS (a potential contender being the Harris AN/PRC 150C) and TACSAT radios.
Since JP2072's first phase has Second Pass approval, we assume that a submission is now being prepared for a go-ahead by government for the acquisition of this first tranche of digital communications equipment to fire up the battle management systems and other communications needs to meet the Milestone 2 deadline.
But wait.
A contract for the provision of the battle management systems they'll be driving has yet to be signed.
The BGC3 capability
Israeli electronics specialist, Elbit Systems, was the only contender selected for the operational development activity (ODA) testing that began late last year for
the BMS and related components of the Land 200 Battle Group and below C3 requirement.
The ODA included requirements validation, prototype designs and installations, system demonstrations and risk workshops.
In addition to retiring technical risk, this activity was also to provide high fidelity cost information to support Second Pass approval.
As mentioned previously in ADM, Boeing Australia Limited (BAL) was part of the original Elbit bid, but their component of the bid was assessed as high risk by the Commonwealth and subsequently Elbit replaced BAL with other sub-contractors, primarily Raytheon Australia on integration issues.
And assuming the outcome of the ODA has proved to be satisfactory and that Elbit hasn't pulled out of the race, no contract can be signed until Second Pass approval is sought and gained for Land 75 Ph 3.4 and Land 125 Ph 3A C4I.
ADM's information is that approval for these will be sought during the last quarter of 2009, that is, in the next month or so.
The capabilities to be supplied by Elbit are based on its D for Dominator (and Dismounted) BMS which will be used to form the dismounted element of the Battle Group C3, whereas the mounted element will be based on the WINBMS-type system which is already in Israeli Army service.
With the Dominator BMS soldiers can send and receive information in real time, view up-to-the-minute Common Operational Picture (enemy and own forces) on personal displays as well as live video from either external or on body sensors and transmit images and positions back to the CP and colleagues.
Also supplied will be the network management system controlling the BMS, which is based on Elbit's Tiger, an IP-based tactical internet system, combining HF and VHF CNR nets into a single tactical network.
It both acts as a router and handles security issues for the data traffic.
Land 75-3.4 will lead integration on vehicles while Land 125-3 will lead integration on all dismounted platforms.
JP2072's next phases
As noted, the initial rollout of equipment may include capabilities to be acquired under JP2072 Phase 2A for which First Pass has yet to be approved.
Phase 2 is intended to continue the roll-out of modern communications infrastructure to high readiness land formations and units of the ADF through sub-phases 2A and 2B.
Phase 2A aims to align with other Land Communications Information Systems (CIS) projects, in particular Land 75 Phase 4 and is intended to provide the digital communications backbone and other low risk communication capabilities to address key shortfalls.
Phases 1 and 2A provide most of what is now termed the Mobile Systems Segment of BCS-L, whose capabilities include Combat Radio Systems, Tactical Data Radio Systems, and Tactical HF and TacSat radios.
The systems will be controlled by the underpinning network management and support systems.
Tactical Range Extension Systems for the mobile segment will be provided by Phase 2B, which aims to provide enhanced C2 services including enhanced trunking and switching infrastructure.
This phase will provide the following for the Deployable Systems Segment of BCS-L:
• Satellite-On-The-Move Radio,
• Battlefield Telecommunications, and
• Local Area System.
Phase 3 will continue the expansion of enhanced communications to support joint operations.
This phase is intended to continue to equip a second brigade and its supporting elements, as well as other high readiness units.
Equipment acquired in earlier phases may also be refreshed during this phase.
Comment
While the question may not be on everyone's lips, ADM wonders whether the systems to be acquired under JP2072 and the Land 200 combo, can be introduced into
service before the end of 2011.
If so, where are they?