Page 44 - Australian Defence Mag Jul-Aug 2020

44 WEAPONS
5TH GEN
JULY/AUGUST 2020 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
with a dual mode (semi-active laser and millimetric wave radar) sensor with a Metal Augmented Charge (MAC) war- head, and Mk.54 torpedo.
The Australian Army’s Airbus Helicopters Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter utilises the AGM-114R Hellfire variant, featuring the dual mode seeker but with a multi- purpose warhead. Other weapons include 70mm FN rock- ets in both guided (with BAE Systems Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System) and unguided form.
FUTURE WEAPONS
The desire to remain in lock-step with the US Air Force (F-35A) or US Navy (Super Hornet, Growler, P-8A, MH- 60R) has meant that weapons acquired by the ADF for each platform have been the same as those of the host service.
While this has temporarily resulted it two types of infra- red AAMs in service – MBDA Advanced Short Range Air To Air Missile (ASRAAM) on the Classic Hornet and AIM-9X on Super Hornet, Growler and F-35A - Director General of Air Combat Capability, Air Commodore Adrian Maso, says weapons acquired under each platform acquisition program are largely targeted at the whole of Air Combat Group.
“We’re looking at matching weapons to the mission set and making sure there’s maximum utility across our whole fleet. Given we’ve largely bought US platforms in recent times, it has made the task easier,” AIRCDRE Maso said to ADM.
“While the Super Hornet is a US Navy platform and the F-35A a USAF platform the standard suites of weapons are not always coherent, but we’re in a pretty good place.”
The next platform to be acquired is the General Atomics MQ-9B Reaper, to be purchased under Air 7003, and air to ground weapons will also be a feature of the program. The USAF’s standard weapons for its Reapers includes Paveway series LGBs and Hellfire missiles, however Australia is ac- quiring the MQ-9B Skyguardian version, similar to that of the UK, which calls it the Protector. Standard UK weapons will be the MBDA Brimstone missile and Lockheed Martin Paveway IV LGB, both of which are also standard across the British inventory.
Australia’s proposed timeline for service entry in the 2023-2024 timeframe, shortly after the UK’s introduction. At that time, the only weapons certified on the MQ-9B will be the Brimstone/Paveway IV combination, but AIRCDRE Maso says Australia is keeping its options open.
“I think we’ll run a competition, the Reaper platform has a range of users, so there are more options than just Hell- fire,” he detailed. “Trying to define what weapons we would like to acquire will depend on what we want the platform to do. So, until we have full government approval, I’m not in a position to say exactly what we think they will be.”
FROM THE TOP: MBDA’s Meteor beyond visual range air to air missile (BVRAAM) uses ramjet rather than rocket propulsion and, according to the manufacturer is capable of speeds up to Mach 4 and a range in excess of 100km.
The RAAF’s EA-18G Growler uses both kinetic and non-kinetic weapons. The former includes AGM-88/E ALARM/AARGM anti-radiation missiles and precision guided munitions and the latter the large ALQ-99 jamming pods.
NIGEL PITTAWAY
MBDA