News Story: Japan seeks new missile defense ‘assets,’ increased cyber cooperation

CGI of an Aegis Ashore Missile Defense System

By: Aaron Mehta

WASHINGTON — Japan is seeking new missile defense assets in light of the North Korean threat, while also looking at ways to expand a 2015 defense agreement with the United States.

Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera, speaking Thursday at the State Department following a meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, said that the threat from Pyongyang is driving Japan to look to accelerate certain defense decisions.

Among those changes is an increased focus on missile defense capabilities. In his opening comments, Onodera, speaking through a translator, said “we will continue to promote cooperation in ballistic missile defense, including acquisition of new assets,” a signal that the Japanese government would consider adding to its defensive capabilities.

While nothing official was announced during the 2+2, the Japan Times newspaperreported shortly before the event that officials expect to procure an Aegis Ashore missile defense system. The same report, citing government sources, said the Ministry of Defense is pushing to speed up planned procurement of another Aegis destroyed.

Japan currently has missile defense systems aboard its Aegis class ships, along with Patriot systems on the ground. If Japan sought the Aegis Ashore system, it would join Romania and, by 2018, Poland as partner nations using that design.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

Think Tank: Sea, air, land and space updates (16-Aug-2017)

Jack Viola, Eliza Chapman, Harley Comrie and Jacqueline Westermann

Sea state

It looks like the Russian government might have spoofed naval GPS in the Baltic Sea. A report from an American ship says that the GPS placed the ship at an airport 25 nautical miles from its actual position at the Russian port of Novorossiysk. GPS spoofing has been worrying experts for some time, but this is thought to be the first time the technique has been used ‘in the wild’. These technologies are of such concern that some countries, such as South Korea, have been developing alternative navigation systems in case of an attack on GPS.

Navantia of Spain has submitted its response to the request for tender for Australia’s future frigate project. The proposed F-5000 anti-submarine warfare vessel is an evolution of Navantia’s Hobart-class guided missile destroyer, currently used by the Australian navy, and will draw on lessons from Navantia’s F-310 for Norway.

The Chinese navy has conducted a live-fire drill in the Yellow Sea, which separates China from the Korean peninsula. During the exercise, ‘various missiles, dozens of torpedoes and hundreds of shells’ were fired. China’s defence ministry claimed that the drill was a regularly scheduled military exercise, but some pundits believe it was a response to North Korea’s recent missile tests.

News Story: Lucrative friendship - Israeli firms secure R&D, investment and trade with India

By: Barbara Opall-Rome

TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel’s top defense and aerospace firms are riding the wave of a high-profile friendship between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. More and more companies are benefiting from expanded defense trade, joint research and development, and a shared commitment by both leaders to augment strategic cooperation against common threats ranging from global terror to cybercrime.

With an average $1 billion in annual defense sales in recent years, India already constitutes a key export market for Israeli industry. From air-defense systems and drones to anti-tank missiles, cybersecurity and space, India is for many firms here the largest single defense market.

Just since the beginning of this year, state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries reported some $2.5 billion in new joint projects with New Delhi for medium-range and long-range surface missiles based on the Israeli-developed Barak-8 system, with state-owned Rafael Limited serving as a major subcontractor.

India also selected Rafael’s Spike anti-tank missile over a competitor by Lockheed Martin in a deal that could exceed $1 billion, industry executives say.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

Think Tank: Sea, air, land and space updates (18-Jul-2017)

Jack Viola, Eliza Chapman, Jacqueline Westermann and Harley Comrie

Sea state

The US Navy released a request for information (RFI) last week seeking proposals for a new guided missile frigate. Its previous plans for a new frigate were based on modifying the current littoral combat ships. But the RFI for the new replacement program, designated FFG(X), calls for a bigger crew and more guns, which the current hulls may not be able to deliver. That could mean a whole new design and a new ship in the seas.

The Chinese Navy has conducted a live-fire drill in the Mediterranean Sea. The Chinese flotilla was on its way to join in exercises with the Russian Navy in the Baltic. According to the China Daily, the flotilla ‘fired several rounds’ during a drill that ‘was aimed at honing crew members’ skills in attacking small targets’. The second phase of the exercises, planned for September in the Sea of Japan, will include ‘an amphibious assault component’.

If you’ve ever wondered what happens when you try to kill a submarine with a nuclear depth charge, War is Boring and Operation Wigwam have some answers.

Think Tank: Sea, air, land and space updates (4-Jul-2017)

HMS Queen Elizabeth (File Photo)

Zoe Glasson, Sophie Qin, Madeleine Nyst and Patrick Kennedy

Sea state

After a tricky few weeks, HMS Queen Elizabeth’s cyber security resilience has been called into question after photos taken during a tour of the ship appeared to show computer screens running the out-dated Windows XP operating system—the same system targeted by the recent WannaCry ransomware attack. In response, the Ministry of Defence said that Windows XP wouldn’t be used ‘when the ship becomes operational’, but many still criticised the claim that the system wasn’t vulnerable to attack. In defence of the carrier’s cyber capabilities, Commander Mark Deller said the crew included a specialist cyber team and that, with respect to naval procurement, we should ‘think more NASA than NHS’.

After Boaty McBoatface set off on its maiden mission earlier in the year, scientists have reported that it has obtained ‘unprecedented data’ from the Orkney Passage, about 800 km from the Arctic Peninsula. Water flow speed, underwater turbulence and temperature data collected by Boaty (from as deep as 4,000 m) will improve scientists’ understanding of ‘the complex ways that mixing ocean waters affect climate change’.

Also, Australia may soon get its very own Boaty McBoatface—the Australian Antarctic Division is running a competition for school students to name Australia’s new Antarctic icebreaker. Any suggestions?

News Story: Australian gov't announces new offensive cyber warfare division

CANBERRA, June 30 (Xinhua) -- The Australian government has announced that a new cyber warfare division with offensive capabilities will go online from July 1 to ensure the country remains at the "cutting edge" of the cyber security landscape.

Making the announcement in Canberra on Friday, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Cyber Security Dan Tehan said the new Information Warfare Division would conduct both offensive and defensive cyber attacks, in a move he said was necessary due to the changing nature of modern warfare.

"From tomorrow, Australia will have an Information Warfare Division within the Defence Department," Tehan told the press.

"This is a result of the changing character of contemporary conflict. The division will have the responsibility for military cyber operations, military intelligence, joint electronic warfare, information operations and our military's space operations.

"It will integrate existing operations across our forces to protect and support our Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel and systems, and the division is authorized to conduct self-defence, passive defence, active defence and offensive operations."

The minister said Australia's defence personnel were among the best in the world, and that under the new cyber warfare division, they would be able to stay "ahead of the curve" to keep Australians, businesses and governments safe from cyber attacks.

Read the full story at Xinhua

Think Tank: Sea, air, land and space updates (27-Jun-2017)

An unpainted Chinese Y-8Q/GX-6 ASW Aircraft during testing

Zoe Glasson, Sophie Qin, Madeleine Nyst and Patrick Kennedy

Sea State

Just in time for President Modi’s visit to Washington, the Trump administration has agreed to sell 22 Guardian drones to India, in a deal that’s been described as a ‘game changer’ for US–India relations. The drones would be a ‘force multiplier’ for the Indian Navy, improving its maritime surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities. Though yet to be approved in India, New Delhi reportedly sees the deal as ‘a key test of defence ties’. Defense News speculates that the sale of the unarmed Guardians could be a precursor to the purchase of armed drones—something India has sought previously but which is currently prohibited by US export laws. Finalising the deal is likely to require a fine balance between Trump’s “America First” platform and Modi’s “Make in India” policy.

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) successfully test-fired its Long-Range Artillery system (LORA) on 20 June. LORA’s strength is its portability: it launches from a container that can be trucked onto the deck of a cargo ship. According to The Drive, LORA’s relative low-cost and plug-and-play nature means that a range of auxiliary ships ‘could suddenly become impromptu combatants’. IAI says ‘several deals’ for LORA are underway, but it remains to be seen who’s in the market for the platform.

And for the final Sea State reads this week, here are two great pieces: one about how noisy herrings are creating (submarine) confusion; and another about marauding orcas fleecing fisherman.

News Story: India kick-starts military satellite programs

An Indian Space Rocket Launch (File Photo)

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI — To meet military space requirements, India plans to launch a 550-kilogram homemade military satellite within the next fortnight to join the heaviest homemade rocket, the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III, according a Ministry of Defence source. 

The GSLV Mk III rocket, fired earlier this month into space, has the capacity to carry the 4-ton class of satellites, prompting some analysts here to say this is a prerequisite for an anti-satellite weapon. 

"The capability to launch heavy rockets with heavier payloads is a prerequisite to put up anti-satellite weapons in the space," said a scientist with the Indian Space Research Organisation, which developed the rocket.

India officially maintains that space is for peaceful use and, as such, does not have an anti-satellite, or ASAT, program. However, sources within the state-run Defence Research and Development Organization say such a program does exist. 

On the relevance of the heavy GSLV Mk III rocket to an ASAT program, Ajey Lele, a senior fellow with the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, doesn't believe the GSLV Mk III is related to ASAT weaponry. "In fact, heavy satellites (more than 2 tons) are normally communication satellites, and they are in geostationary orbit. The concept of ASAT for satellites in that orbit is not possible with present level of technological expertise with any country in the world." 

But Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan, a senior fellow with the Observer Research Foundation, disagrees. "If you are aiming at satellites in low-Earth orbits, PSLV [Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle] would be sufficient to launch 'killer' ASAT satellites, but if you are aiming to destroy satellites in geostationary orbits, such as communication satellites, then of course GSLV Mk III would be useful." 

Pillai, however, said India doesn’t have any ASAT program. 

Read the full story at DefenseNews

AUS: $500 million for enhanced satellite capability

Minister for Defence Industry & Minister for Defence - Joint Media Release

The Turnbull Government has announced a $500 million investment to improve Australia’s space-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, to support ADF operations around the world and at home to secure our borders.

Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon Christopher Pyne MP and Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon Marise Payne today committed $500 million to improve Defence’s access to commercial satellites to provide information to government agencies.

This information will be used to support Australia’s defence priorities including defence operations, border protection and humanitarian missions.

Minister Payne said that Defence Project 799 was introduced in the 2016 Defence White Paper to enhance Australia’s geospatial-intelligence capabilities.

Phase 1 of the project will provide Australia with direct and more timely access to commercial imaging satellites to support a wide range of Defence and national security activities.

News Story: DPRK slams Japan for launching spy satellite

Japanese Space Rocket

PYONGYANG, June 2 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Friday slammed Japan for launching a spy satellite, describing it as a revelation of its ambition for the revival of militarism.

The Korean Central News Agency quoted a spokesman of the DPRK Foreign Ministry as saying that Japan launched a rocket carrying a spy satellite at the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture of Japan on Thursday morning "under the pretext of global positioning."

Read the full story at Xinhua

Think Tank: Sea, air, land and space updates (30-May-2017)

Zoe Glasson, Sophie Qin, Madeleine Nyst and Patrick Kennedy

Sea State

The Pentagon is looking at equipping the US Coast Guard’s planned three new medium icebreakers with heavy weapons. Speaking to a House subcommittee on Homeland Security, Admiral Paul Zukunft said it was necessary to ‘look differently at what an icebreaker does’ and that ‘US presence in the Arctic is… a matter of national security.’ The USCG currently has only two active icebreakers, which are split between the Arctic and the Antarctic. America’s arctic capabilities are far out-stripped by that of Russia, which has a fleet including a (huge!) ‘research’ submarine and around 40 icebreakers. And, in the last few years, Russia has activated 14 new operational airfields and 16 deep water ports as part of an arctic military build-up that one US commander has likened to China’s actions in the South China Sea.

Surprising evidence has emerged that the first ever Australian ship to reach Japan was in fact sailed by convict pirates from Tasmania. The Cyprus was hijacked by convicts in 1829, and, according to fresh translations of samurai accounts, anchored off the town of Mugi on Shikoku island on 16 January 1830—at the height of Japan’s feudal isolation.

Think Tank: Sea, air, land and space updates (23'May-2017)

Zoe Glasson, Sophie Qin, Madeleine Nyst and Patrick Kennedy

Sea State

At last week’s International Maritime Security Conference in Singapore, Rear Admiral Lai Chung Han, Singapore’s Navy chief, announced a number of initiatives designed to promote regional submarine operational safety, including a US$7.1m upgrade to the RSN’s submarine rescue ship. The MV Swift Rescue is the only ship in Southeast Asia with the capability to conduct ‘collective rescue and transfer of distressed submariners while under pressure’. Singapore’s Defence Ministry has warned submarine proliferation would increase the risk of ‘miscalculations at sea’—it said the number of submarines in the western Pacific is projected to rise from 200 to 250 within eight years, with China alone set to grow its fleet from 62 to 78 by 2020.

Fancy building the US Navy of 2046? An app developed by CSIS lets you try your hand at just that! Integrating Navy budget data and accounting for key factors such as unit acquisition cost, capacity constraints and current procurement and inventory plans, the app aims to be an ‘interpretable analytic model of the Navy’s force structure’. And it’s pretty user-friendly: simply ‘slide’ your way to a 355-ship navy by using the controls to add or subtract everything from aircraft carriers to support vessels.

Think Tank: Sea, air, land and space updates (9-May-2017)

Zoe Glasson, Sophie Qin, Madeleine Nyst and Patrick Kennedy

Sea State

Delays are catching, it seems—at least when it comes to building frigates. We heard on The Strategist last week about the rumoured delays of Australia’s own future frigate program; now the US Navy has announced a postponement of at least a year in awarding a construction contract for the Littoral Combat Ship’s successor. The reason for the delay is perhaps best be summed up by the title of The National Interest’s blog on the subject—‘U.S. Navy delays buying more frigates until they know how to build them’. The USN now intends to award the initial contract for the new frigates in fiscal year 2020, ‘to ensure designs are mature’, a postponement that’s been welcomed by the Government Accountability Office due to the number of unknowns about the frigate’s costs and capabilities.

Talking underwater just got a whole lot easier, thanks to JANUS. Developed by the NATO Science and Technology Organisation Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation, JANUS will enable interoperability between networks of unmanned systems from different manufacturers. The JANUS protocol has now been recognised as standard by NATO member states, making it the first internationally recognised digital underwater communication protocol.

News Story: India launches South Asia satellite

Indian Space Rocket Launch (File Photo)

NEW DELHI, May 5 (Xinhua) -- India Friday launched the South Asia communication satellite from the spaceport of Sriharikota in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.

State-owned Indian Space Research Organization's (ISRO) Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), carrying the satellite, called GSAT-9, lifted off from second launch pad at Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota at 4:57 p.m. local time.

ISRO, which has built the satellite for use by countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) region, said that GSAT-9 has been launched with an objective to provide different communication applications in Ku-band with coverage over South Asia.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the date of launch of the satellite in his monthly radio programme, Mann ki baat (talk from the heart) Sunday.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: India to launch South Asia satellite Friday

Indian Space Rocket (File Photo)

NEW DELHI, May 4 (Xinhua) -- India will launch the South Asia communication satellite, built for use by countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), on Friday.

State-owned Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which has built GSAT-9, the South Asia communication satellite, said that preparations for the launch are going on smoothly and the satellite will take off from the southern spaceport of Sriharikota on Friday afternoon.

"We have the launch tomorrow (Friday) at 4.57 p.m. (local time)... All activities are going on smoothly," ISRO chief A.S. Kiran Kumar told the media.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the date of the satellite launch in his monthly radio program, Mann ki baat (talk from the heart), on Sunday.

Read the full story at Xinhua

Think Tank: Sea, air, land and space updates (18-Apr-2017)

Boeing WC-135 Constant Phoenix (Image: Wiki Commons)

Zoe Glasson, Sophie Qin, Madeleine Nyst and Patrick Kennedy

Sea State

Some worthy new analysis on the future of the US Navy surfaced last week. The crux of the analysis in Foreign Policy is that the three Congress-commissioned proposals for naval force structure—mentioned recently in this feature—‘are all overwhelmingly preoccupied with China’ and only tangentially address the threats posed by Russia and Iran. The author argues that Congress should be advised whether those proposals believe ‘a Navy built for the Spratly Islands will play just as well in the Black Sea.’ And, a Politico piece sets out ‘How Trump Can Build a 350-Ship Navy’. The writers acknowledge that growing the naval fleet will present both industrial and fiscal challenges, but nevertheless argue that taking bold actions now is the only way to meet President Trump’s goal of a highly-capable 350-ship Navy—by the end of his second term…

New research is challenging the traditional “bludgeoning” method of icebreaking, used by Russia in the Arctic to speed up melting and create clear shipping lanes. The research shows that using submarines and ‘flexural gravity-wave resonance’ would offer a faster and more elegant approach. Data demonstrates that, by using this method, a submarine could forge a passage through ice ten times faster than America’s heavy icebreaker, Polar Star. Read all about it in The Economist.

Think Tank: Sea, air, land and space updates (11-Apr-2017)

Zoe Glasson, Sophie Qin, Madeleine Nyst and Patrick Kennedy

Sea State

The USN needs an extra $2.1 billion this year to address immediate readiness shortfalls, says Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson. Testifying last week before the House Armed Services Committee on the impact a new Continuing Resolution would have on naval readiness, Richardson argued deterrence would be diminished without the extra funds. But, according to The Diplomat, the Navy’s deterrent effect is already blunted, with its fleet ‘still more-or-less deploying at peacetime levels’.

Norway will start construction of the world’s first ship tunnel in 2019. The Stad Ship Tunnel will allow vessels to avoid a particularly nasty patch of sea on Norway’s south-west coast (apparently even the Vikings were intimidated!) The tunnel will accommodate cruise and freight ships up to 16,000 tonnes and allow leisure boats access. The passageway will be 1.7km long, 37m high and 26.5m wide, and is estimated to cost 2.7 billion kroner (AU$416 million). Wired explains a bit more about the engineering process and how exactly you go about removing nearly eight billion kilograms of rock from a mountain.

Fancy a low-risk life and death experience? Check out ‘Titanic the Exhibition’, which opened in Sydney this weekend. Attendees receive a ticket which correlates with a real-life former passenger, and upon leaving find out if they were among the 1,500 casualties.

News Story: US dominance in space set to be challenged

The United States military should make clear that it is ready for space warfare. Navy Vice Adm. Charles Richard, deputy commander of US Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) said that the US should demonstrate it is ready for warfare extending into space. According to him, such a preparation would help prevent conflicts from flaring up in space.

"Just as nuclear assets deter aggression by convincing potential adversaries there's just no benefit to the attack, we have to maintain a space posture that communicates the same strategic message," Richard was quoted as saying by Space.com.

"I submit [that] the best way to prevent war is to be prepared for war, and we're going to make sure that everyone knows we're going to be prepared to fight and win wars in all domains, to include space," he added.

According to him, US supremacy in the field is under threat today as Russia and China are creating anti-satellite weapons.

"While we're not at war in space, I don't think we can say we're exactly at peace, either," the vice admiral said.

Richard underscored that the standoff between global powers has been back on the agenda in an unprecedented way in the last 15-20 years and it applies also to space.

Read the full story at SpaceDaily

Think Tank: Sea, air, land and space updates (4-Apr-2017)

Zoe Glasson, Sophie Qin, Madeleine Nyst and Patrick Kennedy

Sea State

Indonesia is continuing with its program of literally blowing up illegal fishing boats in its waters. On Saturday, authorities simultaneously destroyed 81 foreign vessels at 12 different locations, in what Maritime and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti called ‘a victory for Indonesia’s war against illegal fishing’. Since ramping up its anti-poaching efforts in 2014, Indonesia’s special maritime task force Satgas 115 has captured 317 illegal boats, primarily from Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia; all have been confiscated and destroyed. The Indonesian government has linked the crackdown with its plan to revive its fisheries industry and re-establish itself as a maritime power.

Israeli defence electronics firm Elbit Systems has completed operational testing of its Seagull Unmanned Surface Vessel. The Seagull can carry out underwater mine hunting and clearing, as well as anti-diver and anti-submarine missions, enabling navies to use a single platform (with interchangeable modules) for different purposes. Its strategic value isn’t bad either—according to the brochure, Seagull’s ASW capability ‘returns the asymmetric advantage’ to those seeking to counter threats from terrorists, who are increasingly using midget submarines to target bigger and more powerful forces.

Ever heard of Project Combo? If not, you can read all about the US Navy’s Cold War plan to develop a secret communication system by mimicking sea mammal noises here.

News Story: Russia Hopes India to Join Initiative on Non-Deploying Weapons in Space

Russia hopes India will join the Russian initiative on non-deployment of weapons in outer space, Russian Foreign Ministry's Non-Proliferation and Arms Control Department Director Mikhail Ulyanov said on Thursday.

Ulyanov reminded that in 2004, Russia took a unilateral decision not to be the first to place weapons in outer space, setting a good example for other countries to follow suit.

"A total of 16 countries, including Brazil, Sri Lanka, Cuba and Argentina, have already joined this initiative. Each year, we submit a draft resolution for the UN General Assembly's consideration. We are grateful to India for voting for it. We hope that India would fully join this initiative in a form of bilateral statement or in a different manner. At this stage, as we see, Indian colleagues are not ready to do that," Ulyanov said at the Foreign Service Institute in New Delhi.

The diplomat pointed out the Russian intention to prevent arms race in outer space.

Read the full story at SpaceDaily