RAN air defence training without the Skyhawks

Prior to the New Zealand government's decision to dispense with the combat elements of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, a detachment of their A4 Skyhawk aircraft based at Nowra in NSW was used in Royal Australian Navy (RAN) air defence training exercises.

A ship's ultimate defence against aerial threats lies with the precision of its fire control systems and the skill of its operators, and with the Skyhawks no longer available the RAN clearly has to examine its options.

In February this year, well before the official demise of the Skyhawks, ADM asked the then Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Errol McCormack, what the implications would be for Australia if those aircraft were not available.

"The effect on us will be the lack of Skyhawks to do the naval support out of Nowra. We were already committed to doing a lot of that with the Hawk, but I think Navy really needs to look at simulation," he said.

"We are going into a lot of simulation and to punch holes in the sky so that a bit of aluminium can look like a missile, which it never can, when the fellow in the ship is in a dark room and can't see outside anyway brings the need into question. I think Navy has to look at more cost-effective ways of doing business."

While it remains unclear just how much participation will be required of the RAAF's Hawk fast jet training aircraft in naval air defence training exercises, it is clear that Navy is already examining alternative options.

The Target Radar Augmented Projectile (TRAP) manufactured by SNC TEC is a simulation product designed for the training requirements of navies world-wide. TRAP is capable of emulating different types of threats and is designed to improve the air defence capabilities of modern warships.

To test this innovative technology, the RAN acquired TRAP samples from SNC TEC that served to evaluate their air defence system during a training exercise conducted by the RAN and the Royal New Zealand Navy. These TRAP samples consisted of fifty 5'/54 and fifty 76mm shells. The purpose of the evaluation was to test the suitability and cost-effectiveness of using TRAP for naval air defence training.

The HMNZS Te Mana and HMAS Melbourne were part of a practical evaluation that took place in the Great Australian Bite last June. During the test session, Melbourne fired at Te Mana a series of gun-launched TRAP projectiles built with special reflecting lenses in order to allow Te Mana to detect, track, identify and recognise the projectiles as a threat.

The Te Mana's air defence system is reported to have performed as designed in tracking both single and multiple shots and engaging those incoming threats successfully.

A subsequent test was conducted in July between HMAS Arunta and HMAS Adelaide where TRAP shells were again used to simulate incoming anti-ship missiles. This second trial was also reported to be a success, which suggests that TRAP is a relatively economical way of training a ship's air defence system operators without the burden of co-ordination with aircraft or towed targets.

ADM understands that the RAN is continuing to study the possibility of procuring this training aid as a viable complement, or alternative, to using manned aircraft for air defence training.

By Daniel Cotterill, Canberra