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09 Apr 08. BATTLESPACE Editor Julian Nettlefold interviewed Colonel David Challes, Deputy Director Joint Land Forces Engagement about current British Army Precision Strike policy (DDEC(JLFE) and Acting DEC(DTA).
“What has changed from previous conflicts to drive the increased requirement for Precision Strike?”
“The British Army used MLRS rockets with bomblet ammunition during Operation GRANBY in 1991 and 155mm bomblet and HE shells on both Operation GRANBY and Operation TELIC in 2003. However, these were war-fighting operations, where collateral damage was less of a concern. The growth in peace support operations in terrain which contains significant population density (such as Iraq and Afghanistan) has caused all Military Forces to be more cautious in the use of non-precision systems. The targets tend to be smaller and the concerns over collateral damage much greater. In addition, there has been considerable pressure to ban cluster munitions. Thus, in 2007, the U.K. Secretary of State for Defence, Des Browne, made the decision to scrap the MLRS bomblet rocket and the RAF’s BL755 Cluster Bomb. Although this decision was mainly driven by the humanitarian desire to cause less civilian casualties it also, axiomatically, reduces the challenges of reconstruction and post-conflict battlefield clearance.” Colonel Challes said.
“Has the introduction of GMLRS in particular enhanced the role of the Royal Artillery on the battlefield?”
“The introduction of GMLRS has certainly changed the manner in which the Royal Artillery operates. It provides a step-change for the Indirect Fire community, giving ground commanders more choice in their deployment and employment of weapons. GMLRS gives us an indirect precision fire capability of up to 70kms, which we have never had before. With the demise of the bomblet rockets the Royal Artillery would have been in danger of losing its rocket capability without the deployment of GMLRS. Now GMLRS in Afghanistan is seen as complementary to the air-delivered weapons, the Attack helicopter, which uses Hellfire, CRV-7 rockets and 30mm cannon and the 105mm Light Gun. All of these are now deployed in a coalition environment using advanced targeting and Forward Air Controller systems. GMLRS has been a great success in Afghanistan and we have used many tens of missiles.”
“Is AS 90 deployed in Afghanistan?”
“No as we do not have a precision 155mm shell at present, thus the 105mm light gun is providing the fire support for ranges from 4-6kms out to about 15km; we also have 81mm mortars for close support.”
“How does the deployment of GMLRS affect theatre operations?”
“Given that precision munitions, by their nature, require fewer munitions to destroy a given target, not only is collateral damage reduced but so is the logistic footprint.”
“Were the targeting systems deployed up to the job of the accurate Precision Strike Requirements?”
“Before we deployed GMLRS, we realised that there was a shortfall in our targeting abilities. The ground picture provided was not going to be accurate enough to make use of the precision capabilities of GMLRS. Thus, inaccurate target co-ordinates would have been passed to the munition which would then have missed the target; we would have ‘precisely missed’.”
“Do you expect other European MLRS users such as France, Germany and Italy to progress to a GMLRS system?”
“Yes, our European Allies in the MLRS programme do intend to introduce a GMLRS capability, although the British Army chose the American Fire Control system whilst our European allies have chosen to develop their own indigenous system.”
“What systems have been developed to increase the accuracy of precision strike munitions?”
“As well as using the differential GPS system made by Rockwell Collins, we have also deployed a new system using mensurated imagery which has 3D coordinate data embedded in digitised imagery, thus enabling operators to extract precise target grid references. This is achieved by generating imagery of the area before or even during the operation and then processing it to embed the coordinate data. These mensurated images are then supplied to the FACs, FOOs and HQ staff on CD-ROMs or memory sticks as part of future operations planning. The FAC or FOO can then interrogate the pixels at the front line and generate accurate coordinates for GPS guided missiles or bombs. We are also exploiting the ability to provide Full Motion Video from an aerial source such as a UAV or targeting pod to FACs and FOOs, who can then talk the aircraft or UAV controller onto the target in real-time.”
“Does the British Army targeting doctrine differ from the U.S. Army in that in the latter case targets can be supplied direct to launchers rather than to the central planners?”
“No, the doctrine in both Armies is very similar but depends on the type of mission. In pre-planned operations we are required formally to estimate the potential for collateral damage and we use a new tool called ‘The Collateral Damage Model’ which enables commanders to model what collateral damage will occur using different weapons types. An informed decision can then be made to use the most appropriate weapon or mix of weapons for the job to achieve success whilst minimising the risk of significant collateral damage. The model presents a ‘weapon specific picture’ of the effects of a strike using that particular weapon. Thus the Commander can then assess that his ROE allow him to conduct a specific mission with a particular weapon.”
“In a more dynamic Mission scenario, such as when troops are in contact, the FOO can be given the authorisation to issue a fire order direct to a gun or rocket battery within the parameters of the Rules of Engagement. Usually these controllers are given a task which authorises them to use specific weapons in a certain area over a specific time period. Pre-planned missions are a completely different scenario and take many hours to plan.”
“Can you now interoperate with coalition forces and other services?”
“Yes, we now have the technology to hand over targets from UAVs or pods to other services or coalition partners in theatre. This allows the best assets to be used in the fastest response time.”
Lockheed Martin GMLRS
Joe Garland of Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control told BATTLESPACE during SOFEX that the Missiles and Fire Control Segment of Lockheed Martin represents about 12 percent of the corporation's turnover. In addition, Missiles and Fire Control expects their international turnover over the next several years to increase to about 30% of the segment turnover. Today the international turnover within the corporation represents about 15%.
Morris Boyd Director of International Business Development told BATTLESPACE that there was considerable interest in the area for PAC-3, HIMARS and MLRS in particular.
“MLRS has developed from an unguided Cold War system to the precision strike system deployed today. We can supply the system with 2 pods of six rockets each or 2 pods with 1 ATACMS per pod.” The HIMARS uses the same fire control system as MLRS but mounted on a BAE Systems 5-ton truck chassis to provide better airportability and deployability. It is capable of carrying 1 pod of 6 rockets each or 1 ATACMS.”
“The ATACMS Block 1A unitary warhead system is undergoing an upgrade currently with all systems expected to be upgraded by 2030. Whilst the GMLRS has a range of up to 70kms, ATACMS has a range of up to 270kms with the 500lb warhead.”
Other systems available to the warfighter include the Hellfire and DAGR systems mounted on Apache in particular and the javelin missile co-produced with Raytheon.
In the U.K. it is likely that the MoD will place a further upgrade order for 12 M270A MLRS platforms to the GMLRS Standard as carried out on 12 systems last year, including a universal fire control system following an RFP. The likelihood is that a further 12 systems will be upgraded under a contract with ABRO.
The MLRS chassis is considered the most reliable in the U.K. inventory and Lockheed Martin is providing the bulk of missiles for current operations thru its Javelin, MLRS and Hellfire systems. The company is already converting 8000 Hellfire fragmentation heads to a universal standard to destroy other targets at its INSYS facility.
In the U.S. Guided Unitary MLRS is fully funded to ‘buy to budget,’ which is what the recent decision memorandum said. That will be done through FY 12. Full rate [production] begins in about second quarter of FY 09.
Recent Army decision memorandums reportedly provide a total acquisition objective of approximately 38,000 Guided Unitary MLRS rockets and approximately 5000 Guided DPICM rockets.
LMMFC now sells to fifty countries including the USA, UK, France, Germany, Norway, Japan, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Australia.
LEAPP
On April 2nd 2008, the U.K. MoD announced that the Land Environment Air Picture Provision (LEAPP) contract had been placed with the Lockheed Martin UK-led Team Athena, thus reinforcing the British Army’s abilities to provide a complete battlefield picture. Ground commanders are to get a new system that will tell them what is happening in the air, helping to reduce friendly fire incidents and improve their ability to counter air attacks, under a £100m contract with Lockheed Martin UK INSYS that will see systems delivered from 2010; a version of LEAPP is already deployed I in theatre under a UOR. The contract award comes after a two-year assessment phase during which the Lockheed Martin team proved the strength and capability of its solution.
Team Athena is led by Lockheed Martin and includes BAE Systems, L-3 Advanced Systems Architectures, Systems Consultants Services Limited, Saab AB, Rockwell Collins (UK) Ltd. and QinetiQ.
The LEAPP programme will provide land commanders with a detailed local picture of their own and other forces' in the air so they can better coordinate airspace activity. This will help them to be more effective in combat and reduce the risk of friendly fire incidents. The system uses ground-based sensors connected to equipment on a vehicle or trailer; data from the sensors is collated to produce the air picture. The equipment can be deployed in different configurations for a variety of military tasks. The contract which has been awarded to Lockheed Martin UK INSYS is expected to sustain up to 100 jobs at the contractor's facilities in Ampthill, Bedfordshire and at other sites in the UK. The LEAPP system is expected to enter service in 2012.
Steve Wyatt, Joint Sensor and Engagement Networks Integrated Project Team Leader said: “LEAPP is a significant step forward in the arena of Network Enabled Capability. By effective fusing of the right data and ensuring it is presented rapidly and in the right usable format to the people who really need it, LEAPP provides a step-change in the level of situational awareness.”
Stephen Ball, Managing director Lockheed Martin UK – INSYS, on behalf of Team Athena said, “LEAPP draws together information from a variety of sources to provide troops on the ground with a precise and timely picture of what is going on in the air. By sharing this information quickly, securely and accurately LEAPP will have huge implications for the way future battles are fought.”
LEAPP gives ground commanders ‘decision-quality’ data in near real-time which they can use to co-ordinate, plan and strike effectively. By improving situational awareness it reduces the chances of ‘blue-on-blue’ incidents and ensures commanders get the most from their available equipment. The core capability is integrated into a truck, allowing it to move rapidly around the battlefield.
“LEAPP is an important programme for Lockheed Martin because it adds a key element to our Air and Missile Defence portfolio and it expands our global partnership,” said Mike Trotsky, vice president – Air & Missile Defence for Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.
“We anticipate the LEAPP capability to deliver modern integrated situational awareness will be a key building block in Air and Missile Defence systems of the future.” LEAPP works with the Saab Giraffe Agile Multi-Beam Radar on the ground and Link 16 in the air and other sources to create a comprehensive picture of the air component.
ATK
Jack Cronin the new President of ATK’s Mission Systems segment showed BATTLESPACE Editor Julian Nettlefold an impressive array of new technologies which were aimed at the U.K. market in particular during last year’s DSEI. ATK’s Mission Systems business composes one third of the total ATK revenue and has 16,500 employees and revenues of $1.6bn from a Group total of $3.6bn. The other segments are Space Systems making large composite systems; Land Systems manufacturing ammunition; Aerospace which makes special composite structures and nacelles and Weapons which makes motors and sub-assemblies for many missile systems including AMRAAM, Brimstone, Sidewinder, AIM 9-X, TOW and Hellfire.
Precision Guidance Kit (PGK)
In 2006, ATK Mission Systems was awarded one of two technology demonstration contracts from the U.S. Army to develop a Precision Guidance Kit (PGK) for the 155mm Howitzer artillery system. PGK will make the stockpile of existing artillery ammunition significantly more effective at a relatively low cost by adding GPS guidance and navigation capability in a package that fits into the fuze well of an existing 155mm projectile.
ATK’s PGK solution, featuring a highly effective fixed-canard guidance approach, gun-hardened electronics, self-generated power, and a minimum number of moving parts, not only meets but exceeds program requirements for accuracy, effectiveness, range, and cost.
The ATK PGK industry team includes Rockwell Collins and Draper Laboratory.
The company won the contract in competition with eight other bidders including BAE Systems.
“PGK is the Army’s answer to JDAM, its accuracy is unsurpassed, its affordable precision. Fitting PGK allows users to use up stores of 155mm shells which, in today’s environment have been declared redundant due to fratricide concerns. PGK’s unique technology allows accuracy within a few yards, should the shell overshoot the stated target area it will be set to become redundant as the fuze shuts down. Deployment of PGK means a staggering 78% reduction in numbers and thus 78% more targets to engage. More accuracy means fewer guns, fewer shells, fewer trucks and thus the supply chain slips as does the required inventory. The system is also applicable to 105mm shells,” Cronin said
Precision Guided Mortar Munition (PGMM)
The 120mm smooth-bore, semi-active laser Precision Guided Mortar Munition (PGMM) looks, feels, and loads almost identically to the mortar system in service today. But as a precision-guided mortar munition, it is capable of defeating hardened and stationary targets with far fewer rounds, at greater ranges, and with much less collateral damage than current mortar ammunition.
PGMM addresses the need to provide coalition mobile assault battle units with an extended-range precision weapon they can quickly deploy against time-sensitive, protected threats — even in urban areas. The laser-guided PGMM is able to defeat bunkers, buildings, and light-armored vehicles with pinpoint accuracy. For all of its effectiveness, the PGMM is easy for the soldier to operate expeditiously and safely.
ATK’s PGMM design borrows from proven cannon-launched projectile technology and adds state-of-the-art seeker and guidance capability. Its elegantly simple design with few moving parts makes it affordable and will allow U.S. and allied forces to procure the weapon system in the quantities needed to have significant impact on the battlefield.
Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM)
ATK Mission Systems is developing the Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM), which will provide a vast improvement in the warfighters' capability to destroy enemy air defenses and other time-critical, mobile targets, regardless of threat tactics and capabilities, while minimizing friendly fire and collateral damage.
The AARGM weapon is a medium range, supersonic, air-launched tactical missile compatible with U.S. and Allied F/A-18, EA-6B, F-16 CJ/MJU and Tornado IDS/ECR aircraft. Its multi-sensor system, including a Millimeter Wave (MMW) transceiver, advanced digital Anti-Radiation Homing (ARH) receiver and a tightly coupled GPS/INS, is capable of selectively engaging a variety of time-sensitive strike targets in addition to enemy air defense targets even after radar emissions are shut down.
AARGM also provides near real-time Weapon Impact Assessments (WIA) to support joint force commanders. AARGM, the successor to the AGM-88 High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM), is a Navy major acquisition program. AARGM derivative programs are also underway to provide additional targeting capability and higher speed/reduced engagement times to the baseline system.
“ATK is not a well-known company outside the USA. Our products are proof in themselves of our excellence and capability. We are here at DSEI to show the U.K. in particular of the effectiveness of our technology, particularly in artillery systems,” Cronin said.
Raytheon XM982 Excalibur
The Excalibur 155mm Precision Guided Extended Range Artillery Projectile, also known as the M982 ER DPICM (Extended Range Dual Purpose Improved Conventional Munitions) Projectile, is the Army's fire and forget, smart munition. It provides capability to attack all three key target sets, soft and armored vehicles, and reinforced bunkers, out to ranges exceeding current 155mm family of artillery munitions. Because of its accuracy and increased effectiveness, Excalibur reduces the logistical burden for deployed ground forces. It also provides lower collateral damage through its concentrated fragmentation pattern, increased precision and near-vertical descent.
Excalibur is a family of precision-guided, extended-range modular projectiles incorporating three unique payload capabilities divided into Block configurations. Block I consists of high-explosive, fragmenting, or penetrating unitary munitions to enhance traditional fire support operations with increased range, improved accuracy, and reduced collateral damage against personnel, light materiel, and structure targets. Block II consists of smart munitions to search, detect, acquire, and engage fleeting and short-dwell targets common to open-terrain battlefields. Block III consists of discriminating munitions to selectively identify and engage individual vehicular targets in urban environments by distinguishing specific target characteristics. Excalibur's precision capabilities are intended to be used by Future Combat System (FCS) Non-Line-of-Sight (NLOS) Cannon units to provide close support to maneuver units in urban or complex terrain. Digitized lightweight 155mm howitzer systems will be used to develop and test Excalibur's capabilities before FCS NLOS Cannon is fielded.
The Excalibur development team combines U.S. guidance expertise with Swedish airframe experience. The projectile employs GPS-aided inertial guidance and navigation, free spinning base fins, four-axis canard airframe control, base bleed technology, and a trajectory glide to achieve increased accuracy and extended ranges beyond 30 km. The FCS NLOS Cannon will incorporate an inductive fuze setter to transfer target and fuze data to the integral fuze.
The Army plans to extend the range and accuracy of the M-109 Paladin SPH by adapting it to fire the Excalibur. This would extend the Paladin's range by 30 percent. It would improve accuracy by reducing dispersion from 370 meters for traditional artillery projectiles to 10 meters for Excalibur. The Excalibur also can be used both by the M-198 155mm howitzer currently employed by the Army and Marines, and by the XM-777 lightweight 155 mm gun that the services are considering as a replacement.
The XM982 Extended Range Projectile is jointly developed by Raytheon TI Systems' [RTIS] (Guidance and navigation systems), Primex (Projectile design and manufacturing), and KDI (Fuzing) to deliver a state-of-the-art, high performance, extended range weapon which will result in substantial savings to the U.S. Army. Weapons to be equipped include the towed M198 and XM777 (Joint Light Weight), and the M109A6 Paladin and XM2001 Crusader self-propelled howitzers (SPHs).
Teamed with Raytheon Systems Company, General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems is developing the Army's new 155mm guided projectile. The XM982 utilizes a modular concept to provide a multiple warhead payload capability. In addition to submunitions, the projectile can carry two SADARM sensor fused submunitions or a single Unitary warhead. The XM982 will provide 40% greater range and increased effectiveness over the currently fielded M864.
The XM982 projectile began development at ARDEC's Artillery and Mortar Division of the Fire Support Armaments Center. The government's projectile design combined the technologies of base burn and rocket assist to achieve significant increases in range capability and will, in fact, be the longest range artillery projectile in the US Army inventory. It is designed to contain 85 dual purpose XM80 grenades with XM234 Self Destruction Fuzing providing both anti-materiel and anti-personnel effects while virtually eliminating hazardous duds.
In January 2003 Raytheon Company was awarded a $265.8 million U.S. Army contract modification that expands the capability of the Excalibur program to meet the war fighter needs of both the U.S. Army and the Kingdom of Sweden (KOS). The contract modification merged the guidance development of Raytheon's on-going Excalibur program with the airframe concepts developed by Bofors Defence of Sweden, as part of the US-Swedish Trajectory Corrected Munitions (TCM) program.
In late 2006 the Raytheon Missile Systems and BAE Systems Bofors' Excalibur team successfully concluded safety testing of the Excalibur global positioning system-guided 155 mm artillery projectile. The Sequential Environmental Test-Safety (SET-S) series of 15 Excalibur projectiles took place 24-30 August 2006.
The projectiles were fired from an M109A6 Paladin howitzer during the tests at Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz. The Excalibur rounds in the SET-S firing series were conditioned at extreme hot and cold temperatures, subjected to shock and vibration testing to simulate logistical and tactical transportation, initialized with the portable Excalibur fire control system, and fired at much higher than normal charge levels to demonstrate safety margin in the projectile design. Some of the rounds also were fired at 5 degrees off-axis to demonstrate the projectile's enhanced maneuverability and operational flexibility.
The goal of the SET-S series was to verify that Excalibur is safe to handle, transport, and fire as part of the Army's safety confirmation for fielding. Despite the over-margin test conditions, Excalibur continued to exceed its accuracy requirements. Average CEP (Circular Error Probability) was demonstrated at about 5 meters (16.5 feet), significantly better than the 10- meter (33 feet) requirement. One projectile detonated with devastating effects less than two feet from the target center.
The success of the SET-S series brought the team closer to the early fielding goal. The next steps prior to fielding to deployed forces in 2007 were production verification tests, first-article tests and a limited user test. The Excalibur program was responding to an urgent request from the warfighter to accelerate fielding because of the projectile's better than 10-meter accuracy that is not available from any other artillery projectile.
The Raytheon Company Missile Systems and BAE Systems Bofors Excalibur team test fired Excalibur Block Ia-2 precision-guided artillery projectiles at the White Sands Missile Range, NM, testing range 10-17 April 2007. The primary test objectives were to demonstrate the navigational function throughout the flight with live base bleed and to verify Excalibur's Modular Artillery Charge System zone 5 maximum-range performance with base bleed. Base bleed is a solid fuel that burns in the base of the projectile, expelling gas to reduce drag and extend range. The test shots were fired from an M109 series self-propelled howitzer using Modular Artillery Charge System zone 5.
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