Airforces

http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #359 FEBRUARY 2018 // 71

Airforces

Intelligence

‘In association with ....’

support the School of Artillery.
The Shadow was recently
upgraded with an extended
wingspan and fuel-injected
engine. The capability is also
the subject of a replacement
acquisition project, known
as Joint Project 129 Phase 3
(Tactical Intelligence, Surveillance
and Reconnaissance System),
which will run between 2016 and
2026, when initial operational
capability will be achieved.

Future projects
Aside from the tactical UAS
replacement project, the 2016
White Paper and Integrated
Investment Programme (IIP)

forecast Capability Assurance

Programmes for both the Tiger

and MRH90 (under Projects

Land 9000 and 4510 Phase 2

respectively) and a Capability

Alignment Programme for the

CH-47F, to maintain commonality

with the US Army fleet.

The projected Tiger Capability

Assurance Programme has been

scaled back notably from earlier

versions and an ARH replacement

project (Land 4503) will be

undertaken between 2021 and 2030.

The IIP forecasts that the

Commonwealth will invest in a

future armed reconnaissance

capability to replace the Tiger,

which could include manned

or unmanned systems or a

combination of both, and predicts

that future ARH operations will

increasingly rely on intelligence

and mission data, as well as

access to a common operating

picture and other real-time data.

The timing of the AUS$6bn

programme is arguably too early

to consider the US Army’s Future

Vertical Lift (FVL) solutions, but

candidates would likely include

current or future versions of the

Bell AH-1Z Viper and Boeing

AH-64E Apache, together with

Airbus Helicopters’ proposed

Mk3 variant of the Tiger.

Also revealed with the White

Paper and IIP was a AUS$3bn

project (Air 2097) to acquire a

squadron of light deployable

helicopters in the decade

between 2018 and 2028. The

armed light reconnaissance and

attack helicopters will be capable

of being readily deployed by

RAAF C-17As, to provide mobility

support for special operations.

“The new helicopters will likely

feature some light armament and

modern ISR and communications

capabilities for integration

with the joint force,” an army

spokesperson said. “They

will be able to be deployed

rapidly as a small force element

of three to four aircraft and

personnel by the Globemaster.”AFM

Australian Army Kiowa A17-

039 leads a Royal Australian

Navy AS350BA Squirrel and

its replacement, an EC135T2+

over the skies of Nowra, New

South Wales. The 23 surviving

Kiowas are flown by the Army

Aviation Training Centre at

Oakey. LSIS Jayson Tufrey/

Commonwealth of Australia