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Military/Intelligence Bulletin 05/2018 – Challenger 2 MBT LEP.

The Challenger 2 MBT LEP selection draws closer.

The 24-month Assessment Phase (AP), to determine which of the two bidders for the Challenger 2 MBT Life Extension Programme will be completed by the end of 2018.

There are currently two competitors, a BAE Systems-led team that includes General Dynamics Land Systems UK, and Rheinmetall, a German company.

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Challenger 2 MBT – Bovington Tank Museum

Photo – Harvey Black

The plan is to upgrade 227 Challenger 2 MBT’s operated by the UK’s three Armoured Infantry Brigades.

The two companies have each been supplied with two Challenger 2’s to use for the assessment. One is a fully functioning MBT, while the second one is to be used as a demonstrator for new subsystems. These will include stabilised sighting systems for commander and gunner, associated control handles, gun control equipment, elements of the fire-control systems and crew displays.

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Challenger 2 MBT – Bovington Tank Museum

Photo – Harvey Black

 BAE is considering utilisation of turret elements developed for the Ajax reconnaissance vehicle.

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Ajax Reconnaissance vehicle

Photo by: Richard Watt/MOD, OGL

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Challenger 2 – Bovington TankFest

Photo – Harvey Black

On the other hand, Rheinmetall will leverage it’s development experience with the Leopard 2 MBT turrets and other vehicles.

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Leopard 2A4

Photo – Harvey Black

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Megatron

Photo – Harvey Black

The Invitation to tender for a demonstration by both companies for the Demonstration, Manufacture and In Service, is  expected to be released around August 2018. A response is expected by December 2018, with a potential contact awarded in mid-2019.

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Megatron – Bovington Tankfest

Photo – Harvey Black

Each of the the British Army’s three Armoured Infantry Brigades are assigned a Challenger 2 regiment of 56 MBTs. Two for the headquarters. The first squadron with the new upgraded Challenger 2’s, is expected to be operational during 2022-2023.

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Megatron – Bovington Tankfest

Photo – Harvey Black

The earlier attempt at an upgrade, the Challenger 2 Capability Sustainment Programme (CSP) has been dropped in favour of of the LEP.

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Megatron – Bovington Tankfest

Photo – Harvey Black

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Post and photos copyrighted to Harvey Black

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Military/Intelligence Bulletin 04/2018 – Russia’s new maritime doctrine.

Russia’s renewal of its major surface ships continues with the building of a number of new classes. But Russia faces a challenge with the procurement of these new surface combatants.

The construction programme for Russia’s new surface fleet indicates that President Putin is planning a regeneration if his navy with fewer but more capable ships.

Russian surface ships have been more prominent in recent years, shadowing NATO naval operations in greater numbers. The return to the World stage, has resulted in a small number of ageing platforms conducting a large number of operations stretching their capabilities to the limit. The use of the Admiral Kuznetsov, and the technical issues surrounding it, a sea-going tug having to shadow the aircraft carrier, demonstrates the difficult journey they’re on.

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Russian Frigate – Admiral Gorshkov – One in service, one new (Admiral Kasatonov) 2018, three under construction, eleven planned.

By Walle83

The purpose of Russia’s navy, according to Russia’s maritime doctrine, is to establish and maintain conditions for the safe conduct of Russian maritime activities, to provide a naval presence (flying the flag), combatting piracy; and supporting International military, peacekeeping, and humanitarian operations, the surface ship being a core force element.

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Admiral Gorshkov – (1 x 130mm gun, 2 x 30 CIWS, 16-cell VLS Kalibr-NK cruise missiles, P-800 Oniks ant-ship missiles, 91RTET anti-submarine missiles and 2 x quadruple 330mm torpedo launchers).

BMPT Strazh. Photo: wikipedia.org

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Russian Frigate – Admiral Grigorovich – (1 x 100mm gun, 2 x 30 CIWS, 8-cell VLS Oniks anti-ship missiles or NK cruise missiles, 3 x 12-cell VLS for air defence missiles, 2 x twin 533mm torpedo tubes and 1 xRBU-6000 anti-submarine rocket launcher). Two in service (Admiral Makarov the 2nd one), four under construction.

By Mil.ru, CC BY 4.0

In November 2016, during combat operations in Syria, Admiral Grigorovich fired the Novator 3M-14T Kalibr SLCM.  Syria possibly being used as a testing ground for new Russian technology.

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The Sea Launched Strategic and Tactical Land-Attack Cruise Missile being fired.

 Russia’s Kalibr cruise missile is a land-attack cruise missile carried by Russia surface vessels. It is believed to have a range of between 1,500-2,500 km. A salvo of Kalibr missiles was launched from the Caspian Sea during late 2015, the target being ISIS forces inside Syria.

Russia’s new navy is centred on five primary ship programmes. The Steregushchiy I/II-class frigate, Derzkiy-class frigate, Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate, Admiral Gorshokov-class frigate and the Buyan-M corvette/patrol vessel. A future destroyer programme is believed to be under way. The Lider-Class heavy destroyer (12 ships), to replace the Udaloy,  Sovremenny destroyers and the Slava-class cruiser.

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Stoikiy – Steregushchiy I/II-class frigate. Five in service with 12 planned. (3K-96 Redut surface-to-air missile (vertical launch) system and a surface-to surface cruise missile system). Five in service, five building, two Mod Steregushchiy building.

Photo- Alex ‘Florstein’ Fedorov

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Model of a Derzkiy-class frigate. One building, nine planned.

By Artem Tkachenko

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Buyan-M corvette/patrol vessel

By Mil.ru, CC BY 4.0

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Russia’s surface ship development now appears to be in line with the western trend of building fewer, but larger and more complex surface platforms. But they are finding this new approach costly and technically challenging.

Russia also appears to have a strategic focus on the artic region. Russian ships Admiral Essen and Admiral Gorshkov, have both conducted sea trials in the High North. Submarine-launched versions of Kalibr have also been tested in the region.

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Post copyrighted to Harvey Black

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Military/Intelligence Bulletin 03/2018 – Ukraine unveils new support vehicle.

The vehicle is designed to provide armoured forces with close-range support and heavy firepower against infantry units with hand-held anti-tank weapons.

It is well known that tanks are not the best of weapons for engaging infantry in built up areas, the likelihood of hand-held anti-tank weapons an ever present threat.

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BMPT Strazh (Sentinel)

BMPT Strazh. Photo: wikipedia.org

Ukraine’s Zhytomyr Armoured Plant unveiled its new fire support vehicle at the Arms and Security Exhibition in Kiev. The vehicle is due to enter trials with the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence early 2018, with an expectation of orders following soon after.

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Source: IHS Markit/Samuel Cranny-Evans

The Strazh on display at the Arms and Security Exhibition in Kiev.

The vehicle is heavily covered in Explosive Reactive Armour, ERA, to protect it from Main Battle Tanks. The design is as a consequence of the experience gained by the Ukrainian defence forces operating in the Donbass region where a number of T-64s were lost in urban combat.

The Strazh is mounted with the Doublet remotely operated weapon station. its main armament is a pair of 30mm ZTM-2 automatic cannons mounted side-by-side, with two KT 7.62mm machine guns in-between them. In addition, on top of the turret is a 30mm KBA-117 automatic grenade-launcher, along with two pods of Bar’er-212 anti-tank guided missiles. The ZTM-2 cannons, Ukrainian version of the 2A42, are capable of defeating lightly armoured targets such as a BTR-70 at 1,500m.

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The Strazh is based on a T-64 Main Battle Tank and resembles UralVagonZavod’s BMPT armoured fighting vehicle shown above. Designed and manufactured by the Russian company, the BMPT is based on the chassis of a T-72 and is armed with four 9M120 Ataka missile launchers and two 2A42 30mm auto cannons.

Picture By Nucl0id  CC BY-SA 3.0

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Post copyrighted to Harvey Black

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Military/Intelligence Bulletin 02/2018 – What can China see?

How capable is China’s long-range surveillance to support its existing military requirements?

China, to support its plans to expand its control over its maritime approaches, along with a desire to operate further afield, has been developing its long-range surveillance capabilities to support this.

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Liaoning is China’s first in-service aircraft carrier, seen here entering Hong Kong waters on the 7th July 2017.  With a planned growth in its carrier fleet, and a wish to operate further afield, China will require an equal enhancement in its long-range surveillance capability.

China needs the capability to achieve air, surface and subsurface surveillance in the East China Sea, along with the South China Sea, the Philippine Sea and the West Pacific. With the growth of their carrier force, China will also need eyes on the Sea of Japan and Indian Ocean.

Its not only eyes on that is required, but the ability to provide targeting data for its large inventory of long-range anti-ship cruise missiles, along with China’s anti-ship ballistic missiles.

Photo credit – By Baycrest – Own work, CC BY-SA 2.5

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Chinese VHF radar on the South China Sea Island (Fiery Cross Reef).

China certainly requires Over-the-horizon radar (OTH) and is one of the few countries to have developed this. A Chinese warship would only be able to detect an enemy ship on the horizon out to about 50km. Airborne radar, at a height of say 10km, would increase this range out to around 200km.

But much greater ranges are required. This can be achieved by exploiting the backscattering (B) effect of the electromagnetic waves emitted by the radar reflected by the ionosphere in the Earth’s upper atmosphere. The OTH-B radar has to use frequencies in the High Frequency band (3-30MHz), this is a lower frequency than most radars use, and so require large arrays.  Usually, these arrays will be a few hundred metres in length for the transmitter array and 2-3km for the receiver array. Also, to avoid interference, the two arrays need to be sited at least 100km apart.

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The Large phased-array radar, LPAR at Huanan, east of Harbin, is aligned to the north, and may be set up to detect ballistic missiles on a polar trajectory. Equally, it could be used as a space tracking radar.

North of Taiyuan, there is an Over-the-horizon back scatter (OTH-B) base.

The Hangzhou and Yiyuan (just southeast of Ji’nan) LPARs, are both aligned in the same direction, possibly there to support China’s ant-ship ballistic missile targetting.

Northwest of Hangzhou, there is a OTH-B transmitter and receiver.

At Korla, southwest of Urumqi, China has positioned a trainable array, its primary use for tracking ballistic missiles during tests.

At Jiuquan, Xichang and Wencheng are primarily used as Space launch sites.

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Large phased-array radar.

China now has coverage out to 2,500 kilometres from the coast, just a few hundred kilometres

short of Guam.

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China is also enhancing its satellite coverage and currently has 192 satellites in orbit, versus US 593 and Russia’s 135.

On the 29 September 2017, a three Yaogan surveillance surveillance satellites were launched on a Long March 2c rocket from China’s Xichang Satellite Launch Centre. In November, a further three  were sent into orbit.

Photo credit – Xinhua

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Separation of a YG-30-01 surveillance satellite.

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Eighteen of the Yaogan satellites are believed to have an Electronic Intelligence, ELINT, function. The none ELINT Yaogan satellites have placed in a near-polar, sun synchronous orbit. It is believed that six of these are military surveillance satellites.

China, therefore, has a comprehensive capability for long-range surveillance out to 2,500 kilometres from its coastline. A technological milestone for China will be the building of an imaging satellite that can support target identification and tracking from a 35,000 kilometre orbit.

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Post copyrighted to Harvey Black