Memorandum from SELEX Galileo
SCOPE
1. This memorandum is intended to add to
the Committee's body of evidence by highlighting the benefits
of a coherent, cross-platform approach to the purchase and support
of defensive aids equipment for helicopters.[1]
The memorandum provides an overview of:
— Equipment Coherency, what it is, what
are the benefits
— What has been done and where we've got
to
— The impact of the current operational
environment
— The top-level conclusions and recommendations.
HELICOPTER SELF-PROTECTION
AND SELEX GALILEO
2. SELEX Galileo (herein referred to as
SELEX) has been at the forefront of Electronic Warfare (EW) in
the UK since the late 1960s, providing equipment to enhance situational
awareness and platform survivability. As part of the Marconi Company,
the company developed the radar warning receivers for the Phantom,
Jaguar and Buccaneer aircraft that were later fitted to helicopters.
Since that time the company, now part of the Finmeccanica Group,
has been continuously involved in the design, development, manufacture
and support of self-protection equipment for air and naval platforms.
3. As well as developing and supplying individual
equipments, we have worked with the MoD to develop Defensive Aids
Systems (DAS) by integration of EW equipments. DAS provides a
superior level of self-protection for platforms operating in the
most hostile environments. Starting in the 1980s with the introduction
into service of the Zeus system for the Harrier GR5 &
7, SELEX has worked continuously with the MoD to develop and evolve
the skill-sets and technology in order to provide a high level
of protection for front-line platforms. This culminated in the
HIDAS[2]
self-protection suite for the UK's Apache AH Mk1 Attack Helicopter
and the DAS for the Typhoon F2 multi-role combat aircraft,
both of which comprise EW equipment from SELEX. The efficacy of
HIDAS has been operationally proven in Afghanistan and, according
to Press reports; the system enjoys a high level of confidence
from those who fly the UK Apache (see Annex 1).
4. HIDAS is widely recognised as offering
the highest level of platform protection. The relatively high
cost of its development and deployment was entirely justified
on the grounds that a high level of protection was afforded the
complexity and spectrum of the anticipated threats. At the time
that HIDAS was introduced, the cost model used for the Apache
could not underpin the requirement for other platforms in the
fleet, which were expected to operate in a lower threat environment.
5. In the intervening period, we undertook
a series of company-funded studies into the cost benefits of a
holistic approach to the provision and support of Defensive Aids
across the UK helicopter fleet. In the same time period, as the
Committee is aware, the threat environment faced by transport
and support helicopters radically altered due to the nature of
the conflicts.
DAS COHERENCY WORK
AT SELEX, 2004 TO
2009
6. Our EW products are installed on a variety
of platforms in the UK helicopter fleet. In addition to HIDAS
for the Apache, we have provided and support radar warners for
the Sea King, Merlin, Puma, Gazelle, Lynx and Chinook. We have
also provided the integrated DAS capability for the Chinook and
have been selected to supply the integrated DAS for the Army and
Navy variants of the Future Lynx. Notably, the acquisitions were
made by individual MoD Integrated Project Teams (IPT) and/or platform
primes with each platform being subject to individual bespoke
support arrangements.
7. In 2004, with this situation in mind,
and against the background of the MoD's emerging Future Rotorcraft
Capability initiative, SELEX commenced a series of company-funded
studies to establish the cost-benefits likely to accrue from a
coherent, fleet-wide approach to the provision and support of
helicopter DAS. The results of the initial study were presented
to the MoD early in 2005 and this led to further work including
workshops with experts within the MoD.
8. Since 2007, as part of the UK EW Tower
of Excellence, we have been working with other UK industrial partners
on studies into the next generation of DAS architectures for helicopters
and other airborne platforms. One of the goals of this work is
to develop cross-platform coherency. The work will be continued
later this year as a Technology Demonstrator Programme in which
an open, integrated architecture will use some of the advanced
sensors and countermeasures that are being developed under UK
MoD funding. Whilst this vital capability improvement is sponsored
by the MoD research programme, it is worrying that there is as
yet no obvious pull-through to mainstream acquisition programmes.
9. A number of conclusions can be drawn
from the work to date:
— Adoption of a flexible, fleet-wide coherent
DAS solution could provide a number of benefits, including improved
usage and availability and better exploitation of investment leading
to assured capability maintenance and growth.
— Larger production runs lead to economies
of scale. Further savings can be made in the overall Through Life
Support costs.
— The current continuous competition that
results from the present, stove-piped IPT approach has an adverse
effect on the UK's EW capability. Funding that could be used to
invest in new or improved products, is instead used to fund expensive
competitive tenders. This promotes a short term view that weakens
the UK's overall capability.
RESULTS OF
DAS COHERENCY
10. Engagement with the MoD led to a coherent
DAS solution being selected for the Army and Navy variants of
the Future Lynx. This DAS, based on the HIDAS architecture, uses
equipment already fitted to other UK helicopters. This brings
capability and cost benefits from having common mission, equipment
support and training solutions.
11. In parallel, the MoD Central Customer
developed the Common DAS (CDAS) Air Platform Protection (APP)
Strategy that seeks to provide:
"more capable systems, which deal with the
full range of potential threats; using DIS-compliant equipment;
to provide common solutions across the range of air platforms;
supportable and affordable through-life".[3]
One of the cornerstones of the Strategy is to achieve
maximum DAS coherency across platform types to improve overall
availability and minimise cost of ownership. The APP Strategy
is intended to be accomplished incrementally through various funding
routes, including UORs and Equipment purchases. Successful accomplishment
will require cross-platform and cross-IPT buy-in.
12. The heart of the CDAS strategy is the
common architecture, which is based on HIDAS. As well as the Apache
and Future Lynx platforms, the architecture has been implemented
for the recent Chinook DAS upgrade and is planned for the Puma
Life Extension Programme.
Coherency on the equipment support side is making
some progress with moves underway to provide a common cross-platform
support solution for the Sky Guardian 2000 radar warner,
an integral component of HIDAS. On the Mission Support side, SELEX-produced
Merlin Integrated Electronic Warfare System is used by the Air
Warfare Centre for mission data programming and replay for a range
of platforms.
CHANGING OPERATIONAL
PRIORITIES
13. Urgent Operational Requirements (UORs)
are generally a disrupter to coherency. One of the early arguments
against DAS Coherency was that only part of the fleet (Attack
Helicopters) was expected to operate in a truly hostile environment
and hence justification for fitting a comprehensive DAS to all
helicopters was weak. Clearly, recent combat operations have involved
a wider range of helicopter platforms.
14. The need to react rapidly to asymmetric
threats, in order safely to provide support to the troops on the
ground, mandated the use of UORs. Unfortunately this results in
a disjointed solution across the fleet that only addresses today's
perceived threat, cannot readily be absorbed into the coherent
solution and has larger longer-term costs
15. A coherent approach would have benefited
the short term and long term platform capability and through-life
support.
RECENT UOR EXPERIENCES
16. As stated above, it is our experience
that UORs are a disruptor to coherency strategy. For the recent
round of helicopter DAS UORs, SELEX responded in line with the
MoD's APP coherency strategy. Solutions were worked-up for, and
presentations made to, a wide range of interested parties including
the MoD Central Customer Chinook, Puma, Sea King, Helicopter and
Islander, and Merlin IPTs, and the Joint Helicopter Command. Only
the Chinook IPT took up the challenge. By adopting an intelligent
approach to the UOR, they have gained a growth-capable architecture
using legacy equipment that is coherent with the MoD's APP strategy.
This will ease capability & technology insertion in the future.
For instance, Hostile Fire Indication can be readily integrated.
17. Timeframes, funding and lack of inter-IPT
coordination militated against coherent solutions on the other
platforms (Sea King Mks 4 and 7, Puma, Merlin Mk1). Instead,
the MoD generally adopted an interim solution that met the immediate
requirements, allowing a small number of aircraft from each fleet
to be deployed. However, the downstream consequence of this is
that money has been spent on a "fleet-within-fleet"
short term solution with no long-term support strategy. In addition,
future capability insertion will be more onerous.
NON-EQUIPMENT
DEFENCE LINES
OF DEVELOPMENT
(DLOD)
18. Our experience is that for both Equipment
Purchase (EP) and UORs, insufficient attention is paid to the
Logistics tail. For UORs, DLOD only get the limited attention
necessary for the short-term needs. Equipment programmes have
varied approaches but, in our experience, generally only cover
an initial, short period of support. In our experience also, the
support package included in UK EP contracts can vary from the
supply of limited support documentation, to one including documentation,
spares, test equipment and extended warranty.
19. Despite being a key enabler to getting
the full capability from modern defensive aids equipment, the
tools used for DAS mission planning, testing and replay, are often
relegated to a less important role. They are rarely included in
the EP contract and the user can be faced with capabilities that
are present in the equipment but cannot be used operationally
because the Mission Support Tools to exploit them have not been
procured.
20. DAS training is another key area that
is often neglected. It is hampered by lack of hardware with the
result that the aircrew's first experience of the equipment is
when they use it in anger in theatre. In association with the
Chinook UOR, we worked up novel, low-cost, bench-top and in-cockpit
DAS training solutions that were rapidly prototyped using the
SELEX Concept to Capability Synthetic Environment at Luton. The
proposed solutions were extensively demonstrated to the prospective
stakeholders such as the platform IPTs and the relevant MoD players.
However, despite everyone agreeing that it was an innovative,
low-cost solution, there was no take up.
RELEVANCE TO
OTHER SECTORS
21. Coherency is also highly relevant to
DAS for Fixed Wing platforms and to platforms in the Naval and
Land domains. Of course, there is nothing unique about DAS. The
principle applies equally to other military equipments. In fact,
we have an early example of the benefits of coherency in the MoD
Thermal Imager Common Module (TICM) programme that was started
in the early 1970s. Looking forward, areas such as AFVs, ISTAR
and Battlespace Integration would appear to be ideal candidates
for adopting a coherent approach for selected capabilities across
their "fleet".
PULL-THROUGH
OF RESEARCH
AND DEVELOPMENT
22. Export sales generate the financial
returns that allow UK industry to invest in Research and Development
across a wide range of technologies applicable to helicopters,
fixed wing, naval and land platforms. The products and services
provided to the UK by SELEX benefit substantially from our company
funded R&D. Recent examples of DAS programmes that have benefited
include those for the Chinook and for the Future Lynx. We are
also supporting the UK's work on Hostile Fire Indication and on
advanced DAS architectures.
23. Despite the demonstrated effectiveness
of integrated defensive aids, most of the DAS and other sensor
equipment used by UK Armed Forces is procured as individual items.
The user therefore cannot benefit from integration of data and
functions. This approach is largely due to emphasis of competition
for the individual items rather than taking a holistic view and
fully engaging the principle suppliers. The success of HIDAS,
and its derivatives, indicates what can be achieved. It should
be noted that elements of the UK MoD, in particular on the Science
&Technology staff, are totally supportive of the holistic
approach. However, because of the constraints placed upon them,
the platform IPTs are driven to make independent equipment selections.
It is anticipated that this situation will improve with the creation
of the Programme Boards.
SOVEREIGNTY
24. There are many areas of military capability
where it is vital that the UK maintains an on-shore, strategic
EW capability. This is not about jobs for the UK; rather, it is
about the UK retaining independent control of vital platform capability.
Various issues must be taken into account, including both short
and long-term affordability, supportability, exportability and
insertion of new and improved capabilities and technologies.
25. We believe that it is vital to maintain
and develop the UK's scientific and technological (industrial)
capability. Lack of UK MoD business means industry will concentrate
on export opportunities where the requirements may not be aligned
with those of the UK Armed Forces. The other danger is a loss
of relevant skills and facilities. Electronic Warfare expertise
is a strategic capability, highlighted in the Defence Industrial
Strategy, that once lost will prove very difficult to recover.
Without a coherent approach to DAS fits in the future, this strategic
capability is at risk.
CONCLUSIONS AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
26. It has been recognised that DAS coherency
has the capability to provide substantial cost savings. These
would be realised though commonality in a number of areas, including
technology and capability development, equipment qualification,
validation & verification, training, equipment & mission
support, the MoD support infrastructure, capability enhancement,
procurement and programme management. It should also be recognised
that DAS coherency is fundamental to retaining a strategic capability
within the UK.
27. A coherent approach to the purchase
and support of Helicopter DAS would:
— Lead to better solutions
— Assure long term sovereign capability
— Assure industrial commitment to the UK
28. To date the coherent approach has only
been partially implemented. To get full benefits of coherency,
MoD needs to adopt a different procurement approach. One approach
would be for the MoD to negotiate with potential suppliers at
an early stage in order to get cross-platform coherency. The results
of such negotiation might be, for example, the appointment of
a cross-platform DAS system prime, or architecture lead. Working
with MoD, this lead would then be responsible for:
— competing sensors and countermeasure
components at the appropriate level, either across platforms or
for individual platform types
— technology insertion and capability growth
29. All parties in the procurement chain,
including MoD, Primes and Suppliers, would need to be bought in.
It seems likely that a different skillset would be required to
negotiate the best deal for UK. IPTs and Platform Primes, in particular,
would need encouragement to take a wider, sustainable view of
procurement and support.
3 April 2009
Annex 1
ABSTRACT FROM
INTERNATIONAL DEFENCE
REVIEW
1 December 2007
Attack helicopters adapt their role for the
asymmetric battlefield. By Rupert Pengelley
One difference in tactics is that the pilots
of UK Apaches are generally content to operate above the small-arms
threat, having, as Lt Col McGinty puts it, "a high degree
of confidence in the level of technical protection provided against
surface-to-air missiles" by the Apache AH.1's Selex HIDAS
integrated defensive aids suite (DAS).
ABSTRACT FROM
INTERNATIONAL DEFENCE
REVIEW
1st February, 2007
UK Apache proves itself in Afghan service. By
Joris Janssen Lok
In answer to a question about the differences
between the operating methods of British Apache units and Dutch
or US units operating the AH-64D, Jane's was told that the AH.1 was
likely to be flown at a higher altitude. Because of the AH.1's
HIDAS defensive aids suite (which is integrated and not a bolt-on
solution) and its superior flare capability, "we can afford
to fly higher because we are less worried about surviving a surface-to-air
missile attack than our opposite numbers".
1 Hereinafter referred to as DAS Coherency. Back
2
Helicopter Integrated Defensive Aids System. Back
3
This quotation is taken from a 2008 UK RESTRICTED presentation
given by DEC(TA). Back
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