Page 98 - Australian Defence Magazine September 2018

The soldier as a system:
Land 125 Phase 4 takes shape
THE project will deliver 14 varying ca- pability elements in three tranches, the first stretching from 2019-20 to 2022- 23; the second from 2023-24 to 2026- 27; and the third from 2027-28 to 2031- 32. Gate Two is anticipated around the middle of next year, after which Tranche One acquisitions can begin.
These will primarily focus on en- hancements to the Soldier Combat Ensemble (SCE) and refreshes to field equipment, but will also involve the augmentation of live instrumentation systems for large exercises, enhancing combat life jackets for amphibious op- erations, and upgrading initial targetry.
Developed by Diggerworks and a Capability and Sustainment Group (CASG) project team working closely with Army, the SCE comprises five el- ements: Load Carriage Equipment in- cluding packs (LCE); Protective Equip- ment (PE); Tiered Combat Helmet (TCH); Combat Hearing Protection (CHP); and Ballistic and Laser Ocular Protection (BLOPS).
Under Land 125 Phase 3B, deliver- ies of 22,000 sets of the SCE to the ADF began in 2015 and were complet- ed early this year with the most recent deliveries incorporating several itera- tive improvements thanks to a spiral development approach.
DSTG developed exoskeleton for load carrying.
These include adoption of a high cut combat helmet with rails to facilitate the integration of head-borne equip- ment, numerous small modifications to pouches, and a complete design of the large field pack.
Tranche One of Land 125 Phase 4 will see the delivery using extent con- tracts of SCE19, incorporating further enhancements that are currently being
refined, to ensure that ADF units con- tinue to maintain world-leading SCE.
Director of the Soldier Combat Sys- tems Program at Army Headquarters Colonel Marcus Fogarty, points out that the SCE equips not only Army combat units but also RAAF airfield defence guards, and RAN clearance divers and boarding parties.
“We’re receiving a lot of really posi- tive user feedback and where appropriate we’re incorporating that feedback into incremental improvements to the capa- bilities we deliver,” COL Fogarty said to
92 | September 2018 | www.australiandefence.com.au
LAND FORCES
SOLDIER SYSTEMS
JULIAN KERR | SYDNEY
First pass approval to progress a range of soldier combat-related capability elements under Project Land 125 Phase 4 is imminent, although details of what will be involved are still being finalised.
“The SCE equips not only equips Army units but some RAAF and RAN members too.”
DEFENCE