At the fourth annual German-Japanese Defence and Security Technology Forum, Germany meets Japan, in Tokyo, Japan, organised by the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan (AHK), approx. 26 exhibitors and approx. 600 visitors met to intensify the dialogue between the two countries.

This being not as easy as it sounds was stressed by various delegates, explaining that the collaboration between Germany and Japan is still in its infancy. There are strict controls on defence technology transfer, and even though the Japanese government is actively promoting defence exports, the country still is very cautious. Future prospects for defence cooperation are under strict security, but can be enhanced, as both countries share the principles and direction.

A German delegation consisting of Uwe Beckmeyer, Parliamentary State Secretary, German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, and Gen. Klaus Veit, Deputy Director General for Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (AIN), German MoD, visited the event, where members of ATLA and METI gave presentations.

Current projects are currently running, e.g. LINK 22 data links for future fighter jets and MPA discussions, as well as more naval cooperation. Another larger cooperation is Airbus Defence & Space (DS) and Mitsubishi working on electronics and weapons together for a new fighter. 

In terms of defence equipment procurement, ATLA has produced new strategies for defence technology, including a mid- to long-term outlook for the next 20 years and an unmanned vision. Most important, is maritime security, and cooperation with Germany growing in this area. 

In the accompanying exhibition, Fujitsu and Airbus DS showcased Project Wolf. This consists of a Light Attack Aircraft (LCA) and a High Energy Advanced Trainer (HEAT) aircraft, both being based on the same aircraft design, including PIDS+ and GaN radar technology. Currently only in its conceptual phase, the LCA would be a multirole stealth aircraft with seven hard points for weapons.

Rheinmetall touted its HX 8x8 trucks, where the company is still in early phases with a Japanese partner, having delivered prototypes.

Photonis, having already delivered tubes to Japan, is currently pushing its 4G technology for the Japanese Self Defense Forces, alongside the SDI format for its NOCTURN and CNOD for law enforcement.

Dynamit Nobel Defence (DND) brought along its still in development RGW-110 recoilless lightweight multi-purpose weapon, which the South Korean Armed Forces have great interest in. With this weapon, which will be used by the German Armed Forces, once development is complete, DND can hit the market by mid next year. Japan could be a potential customer for this new weapon, as they are a user of DND's PANZERFAUST 3. The company is furthermore touting its simulation for its weapon systems, as well as a driving simulator that includes a Remote Weapon Station simulator, both of which were sold as a package to an international customer.

HP Marketing & Consulting Wüst informs on its RCIED and convoy jamming systems. A Counter-UAV system by Dedrone's DroneTracker is being touted as well. The C-UAV system is able to jam 2.4GHz, 5,8GHz, and GPS/GLONASS. HP Wüst showcased its EOD solution in the 20-700MHz and 700-2,800MHz range. The SME has sold jamming systems to approx. 50 countries, according to the CEO. HP Wüst's T-Series, for example, was developed for small tactical units and EOD teams, where it's booth partner at the event, Garant is showcasing the SPS 15 AvantGuard EOD/IEDD protection suit.

As the METI and ATLA put it, this forum embodies international defence cooperation. 

At a signing ceremony in New Delhi on 23 September the Indian government formally committed to the acquisition of 36 RAFALE combat aircraft – 28 single-seat and eight twin-seat variants. Contract was signed by Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, in the presence of the Chairmen and CEOs of Dassault Aviation (Eric Trappier) and Thales (Patrice Caine).

RAFALE will equip two squadrons of the Indian Air Force – although the original requirement was for 126 aircraft. Sources close to the programme indicate first deliveries are anticipated within 18 months.

Years of negotiations have led to a contract price of 58,000 crore rupees (approx. €7.8 billion), including the usual spares and logistics support and also – importantly – the MBDA METEOR beyond visual range missile. The latter capability will have a dramatic effect on the balance of power in the region – neither Pakistan nor China yet have a comparable capability.

Offset arrangements include a commitment to invest 30% of the contract price in Indian military aerospace programmes and a further 20% in local manufacture of RAFALE components.

This success for the RAFALE team comes on the heels of contracts with Egypt (24 aircraft ordered in February 2015) and Qatar (24 aircraft in May 2015). RAFALE supports some 7,000 jobs in the major team members, Dassault Aviation, Thales and Safran, as well as throughout the supply chain of more than 500 companies.

So far this year, in two separate incidents, at least 33 Philippine soldiers have been killed and more than 60 wounded in firefights with militant groups. The government has been making strenuous efforts for over a decade to acquire some 50,000 sets of body armour for its 115,000 soldiers but, in common with their counterparts in many nations, the troops tend to discard heavy, burdensome armour in favour of ammunition, water and food. The price they sometimes pay is their lives.

MKU Limited, headquartered in Kanpur, India, has developed the 6th GENERATION ARMOR SOLUTION – PERSONALPROTECTION lightweight body armour kit, based on the twin technologies AMMOFLEX 6 and POLYSHIELD 6. Up to 40% lighter, 30% thinner and 50% more flexible than traditional solutions, the armour meets all relevant international standards (MKU is a registered NATO supplier) and provides the user with enhanced agility, manoeuvrability, endurance and speed. The benefits stemming from the thin, flexible AMMOFLEX 6 soft armour and the energy absorption and dissolution of the POLYSHIEL 6 hard armour – even in multiple impact situations – make a compelling case for replacement of more traditional solutions.

Citing the statistics of recent Philippine experience Neeraj Gupta, MKU’s Managing Director, said, “an easier, leaner and more flexible armour would bring a lot of relief and save some precious lives. This is where the military and the security forces can use our expertise.”

Easing the weight burden on the soldier and enhancing his endurance and comfort levels in some of the most challenging operational environments on Earth can only be beneficial to the effectiveness of the Philippine Army – and others.

On 21 September, the US DoD awarded Cessna, a Textron company, a $24 million contract for six 208B GRAND CARAVAN EX aircraft, plus three spare Pratt & Whitney PT-6A-140 engines and associated spares and ground handling equipment to US Africa Command and Pacific Command Areas of Responsibility, to support counterterrorism capabilities in Cameroon, Chad and the Philippines.

Configured for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) operations, the aircraft are scheduled to be delivered by September 2017. The award follows two contracts concluded in May this year for modification of CARAVANs to an ISR configuration: $14.2 million to L-3 Communications – Communication Systems West, for ISR equipment and spares; $40 million to North American Surveillance Systems for aircraft modification and systems integration, training and field support.

Previous recipients of similarly modified aircraft to support counter-terrorism operations include Niger, Kenya and Mauritania (one aircraft each in 2014) and Uganda (two aircraft in 2015). Niger also received two CARAVANs in 2013, configured for transport tasks and donated by DoD, while Mauritania received an additional two in 2014 to assist in maritime crime prevention and counter-terrorist operations.

At Modern Day Marine, starting tomorrow, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems is featuring its portfolio of advanced land systems for force survivability, maneuverability and lethality. The company is unveiling IMPACK, a revolutionary high explosive, insensitive demolition charge designed as a safe solution for explosive handling, to be used by combat engineers, infantry troops and bomb squad units in demolition operations.

IMPACK has a high level of safety in storage, transportation, handling and use, to minimise potential proximate and collateral damage. It meets IM - STANAG 4439 requirements for Insensitive Munitions (IM) and can withstand a direct large shape-charge impact. IMPACK will not detonate in safe mode. Arming is on the spot and takes only a few seconds. 

In addition, Rafael is presenting the following systems:
TROPHY HV, LV - one of the world's only combat-proven Active Protection Systems for heavy and light armored vehicles.

SPIKE FAMILY - Spike MR, ER, NLOS – Part of the wider Spike Family, Spike MR, ER and Spike NLOS are airborne, precise, multi-purpose tactical missiles, for ranges of 4-30km. PLUSSPIKE-SR (Short Range, 1500m) - Man portable, Multi-purpose Electro-  optical Guided Missile System. Spike-SR is especially designed for the infantry combatant. Spike-SR can be operated under all-weather conditions, on all terrain types, including populated urban areas and densely forested areas. It is adaptable to various levels of conflict in various environments.

DOOR BREACHING 40mm Bullet - A new generation of light, easy to use system, with the benefit of being fired from an M203 rifle launcher. It has a patented feature that makes it effective against light and heavy doors without the need of incorporating it with a long standoff probe.

MOBILE SPIKE NLOS LAUNCHER for special forces, suitable for small, quick platforms, carrying up to 4 missiles.

RAMBOT – A man-portable lightweight mini Remote-Controlled Attack Robot which easily locates targets inside buildings and beyond line-of-sight in urban areas.

ARMOR SHIELD – Passive and reactive protection, designed to protect combat vehicles from a broad range of threats such as small and medium kinetic energy (KE) armor piercing (AP) projectiles, high energy anti-tank Shaped Charges (SC), and more.

FIRE FLY - Loitering sensor for the lowest tactical echelon for typical ranges of 500m in urban terrain and up to 1,000m in open terrain.

IRON DOME - Combat-Proven active defence system against Short Range Artillery Rockets, with more than 1,500 combat interceptions.

LITENING - Attack and navigation pod, a multi-spectral airborne targeting and navigation pod.  Designed for navigation and target illumination, LITENING significantly enhances day and night attack capabilities.

Elbit Systems of America (ESA) is a global supplier in advanced sensors, handheld targeting systems, and M1A1 Main Battle Tank electro-mechanical controls for the US Marine Corps. At this year’s Modern Day Marine, starting tomorrow, held on Marine Corps Base Quantico, Quantico, VA, ESA will demonstrate these next-gen solutions at booth #2105. 

“Elbit Systems of America is committed to protecting our highly skilled marines by providing cutting-edge technologies. Our systems, coupled with the combat power of the USMC, ensure ground combat forces have the ability to fight and win in most complex environments,” Dr. Amela Wilson, Elbit Systems of America’s vice president of Sensors and Fire Control Solutions, told MT.

ESS is advancing the field of precision targeting systems. Laser designators and laser range finders have evolved, giving Marines enhanced targeting capabilities, while increasing the effectiveness of guided munitions and indirect fires. The electro-optics of the targeting systems provide combat commanders the ability to recognise and range targets in day or night and good or bad weather. The Common Laser Range Finder-Integrated Capacity (CLRF-IC), recently acquired by the USMC, gives dismounted Marines a handheld targeting system that integrates a rangefinder, day and night cameras, GPS, and celestial positioning precision to Forward Observers.

The Enhanced Joint Terminal Attack Controller Laser Target Designator (EJTAC-LTD) is a light weight laser designator that combines day and night laser designation and marking with range finding capabilities. With this system, Forward Observers benefit from the digital magnetic compass and targeting message output to GPS systems.

As information is transmitted across the battlefield, ESA’s Common Intelligent Displays (CID/CID2) and Smart Display Units (SDU) provide cutting-edge processing. The CID and SDU enhance the Marines ability to precisely fire high volumes of rockets and missiles into identified target areas. With a dual quad core processor, picture-in-picture overlay ability, and modular processing units tailored to meet mission requirements, ESA’s family of displays are capable of providing increased fire control data.

“In operations on battlefields around the world, our products stay in the fight,” Wilson continued. “We truly are improving the effectiveness and situational awareness for our nation’s sons and daughters with the honorable title of Marine. Our advanced systems give our Marines a distinctive advantage over their adversaries.”

At MDM16, ESA will highlight the Satellite-On-The-Move (SOTM) low-profile antennae. Mounted on any type of land vehicle, SOTM’s advanced tri-band satellite antennae provides maneuver elements continuous voice, video, and data communications while in motion. When linked with ESA’s CID or SDU, the SOTM antennae gives the USMC a technical advantage to destroy targets.

ESA provides the electro-mechanical controls for the Tank Commander’s Single Hand-station (TCSH), one of the heaviest pieces of land equipment in the USMC’s portfolio – the M1A1 Main Battle Tank. This upgrade gives commanders a unique advantage in identifying and engaging threats. With reduced targeting engagement time and increased gunner-commander collaboration, this system improves the tank crew’s ability to coordinate fires, extending lethality.

Prepare for the Next Encounter
Unattended ground sensors (UGS) are instrumental in protecting against advanced enemy encounters. Using proven technology from some of the world’s most challenging borders, the UGS distributed surveillance solution continuously monitors perimeters in any location across a sophisticated wireless sensor network. This networked solution gives Marines operating in hostile environments a pivotal advantage in identifying threats before engagement.

Marking a major milestone in Japan’s enhanced national defence and further strengthening the US-Japan security alliance, the first Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) F-35A LIGHTNING II was rolled out at Lockheed Martin’s production facility in Fort Worth, TX, on 23 September. The aircraft completed its maiden flight at Fort Worth on 24 August.

“As the security environment surrounding Japan has become increasingly severe, because of its excellence, it is very significant for the defence of Japan to commit to acquiring the F-35 year by year,” said State Minister of Defence Kenji Wakamiya at the event.

Japan is acquiring 42 F-35A aircraft through the Foreign Military Sales programme. The first four are being built at Fort Worth, while the remaining 38 will be built at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Final Assembly & Check-Out facility in Nagoya, Japan, where assembly is already under way. The first JASDF pilots are scheduled to begin training at Luke AFB, AZ, in November; JASDF technicians are already training at Eglin AFB, FL.

Picture shows JASDF Chief of Air Staff Gen. Yoshiyuki Sugiyama, addressing the roll-out ceremony at Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo Lockheed Martin)

During Exercise “Black Dart” off the coast of Florida on 20 September, US Navy destroyers USS JASON DUNHAM (DDG 109) and USS LASSEN (DDG 82) tested counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) capabilities.

Planned, coordinated and overseen by the DoD Joint Integrated Air and Missile Defense Organization, “Black Dart” provides an opportunity for industry, government and operational forces to bring different system together for evaluation, share awareness of the latest developments and train, evaluate and improve upon current systems. The exercise is fully nested within the Chairman's Joint Integrated Air and Missile Defense Vision 2020.

“Overall, the communication across all the Department of Defense agencies and different entities that we have here has been great. We have the opportunity to employ some systems that we have not tested before, so it's a great experience for not only the ship, but the outside operators as well," said Cmdr. Kevin Hoffman, commanding officer of the JASON DUNHAM.

“The goal here is to test our organic sensors radar systems, camera systems and interface with the shore side [operators] who are testing systems for the same purpose," said Lt. Cmdr. Carl Poe, the vessel’s combat systems officer. "We want to communicate and coordinate to expand our battlespace and reduce reaction time we have from detection to engagement of these UAS.”

Photo US Navy

Mikros Systems Corporation has received a U$3 million task and delivery order from the US Navy for production, support and further development of the ADEPT Distance Support Sensor Suite (ADSS) for the LITTORAL COMBAT SHIP (LCS). This award, which covers the first eight of the 28 ship class, is the first under a $48 million ceiling contract awarded earlier in September, which will cover multiple ship classes, including AEGIS, which Mikros already supports.

Using smart sensors, model-based prognostics and secure fault-tolerant networking, ADSS is a condition-based maintenance system for mission-critical complex distributed systems that connects to the vessel’s combat system sensors for continuous monitoring and upload to the shipborne network.

Schiebel, Vienna-based manufacturer of the S-100 CAMCOPTER UAS (of which some 300 have now been sold) and Diehl Defence, with long experience of integration of systems onto German Navy vessels, have strengthened their existing teaming arrangement in order to address German UAS requirements, the companies recently announced.

“The renewal of the teaming agreement is the result of the longstanding cooperation between Diehl Defence and Schiebel. We consider Schiebel a highly competent partner and believe the CAMCOPTER® S-100 is the best possible product for all remotely piloted aircraft operations of the German Navy,” says Helmut Rauch, member of the Division Board of Diehl Defence.

CAMCOPTER has been successfully proven on board more than 30 vessels in a wide variety of maritime environments. It is currently deployed with several forces and has contributed strongly to the location and rescue of around 25,000 migrants in the Mediterranean since 2014.

Extensive flight trials were conducted aboard K130-class corvettes BRAUNSCHWEIG and MAGDEBURG in 2008, with the system achieving over 130 take-offs and landings during a flight time of 20 hours. Since then, the availability of a heavy fiuel engine increases the system’s attractiveness for naval applications.

Photo: Schiebel

In meetings with fellow defence ministers in Bratislava, Slovakia on 27 September UK Secretary of State for Defence Michael Fallon, MP, urged greater co-operation between the EU and NATO, building on the Warsaw summit which gave impetus to the NATO-EU partnership. He also signed a Joint Declaration aimed at turning commitments into practical outcomes in areas such as maritime cooperation, cyber collaboration and stepping up efforts to counter hybrid attacks.

Reassuring European partners that Britain would continue to play a proactive role in tackling security threats, he said: “We’re leaving the EU, not leaving Europe, but it’s in our national interest to strengthen security. We’re stepping up our efforts with the Royal Navy in the southern Mediterranean tackling illegal migration, people smuggling and arms trafficking.”

He emphasised the pressing need for greater competitiveness in the European defence industry and highlighted the UK’s Defence Growth Partnership, which encourages British companies to be more globally competitive.

He added “Three months on from the EU vote, we’re doing more in the world, not less. Our F35 planes, the world’s most advanced fighter jets, made their debut at the Farnborough Air Show – alongside multi-billion pound investments in attack helicopters and maritime patrol aircraft. And in Warsaw at the NATO summit the UK committed 500 troops to Estonia to defend NATO’s eastern flank and pledged to continue transforming the Alliance to meet the challenges both from East and the South.”

Photo: British Embassy Slovakia

Under a contract valued at U$40 million Lockheed Martin is to deliver a new simulation-based F-16 training environment to the Royal Jordanian Air Force. The company will deliver a family of training systems including a comprehensive suite of full mission trainers and combat tactics trainers capable of being networked. The suite of simulators is scheduled for delivery in 2018, at which time the company will also provide contractor logistics support services.

The training environment will include the Scalable Advanced Graphics Engine (SAGE) image generator developed by Lockheed Martin, which blends the company's expertise in military simulation with advanced gaming technology to provide richly detailed images and motion for increased realism in flight simulation.

“Our solution builds on our proven fifth-generation training system with hardware and software tailored for the F-16," said Sandy Samuel, vice president of Lockheed Martin's Training and Simulation Solutions. "By fielding a family of training systems, we can help the Royal Jordanian Air Force reserve higher fidelity devices for more advanced training scenarios and optimize their pilot throughput in training."

King Abdulla II of Jordan and President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya announced on 26 September that the two nations will forge stronger military cooperation links in order to deal better with emerging security threats. Special forces from the Kenyan Defence Force and Jordan’s Quick reaction Force have already begun joint training, while Jordan has sent an instructor to train Kenyan fighter pilots, 38 of whom will be trained by February 2017.

The announcement was made while both leaders observed Exercise “Swift Eagle” at the Humanitarian Peace Support School, located at Embakasi Garrison in Nairobi. The exercise focused on counter-terrorist and hostage rescue techniques.

President Kenyatta said he appreciated, “the assistance the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has extended to our defence forces, enhancing our Air Force and air crew capacity through a training programme covering diverse skills.” King Abdullah is conducting his first state visit to Kenya, during which it is understood the two nations will seek to improve trade relations, strained in recent years.