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29 Oct 20. US Navy to reduce wear on ‘Doomsday’ aircraft with E-3D trainer. The US Navy (USN) is looking to reduce wear on its 16 Boeing E-6B Mercury long-endurance command, control, and communications (C3) aircraft by using a Boeing E-3D Sentry Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AWACS) as a surrogate training platform.
The US Navy wants to reduce the training burden on its 16 E-6B Mercury nuclear command aircraft by purchasing an E-3D AWACS that can serve as a surrogate airframe. (Janes/Patrick Allen)
Under the plan, disclosed on the US government beta.sam.gov procurement website on 28 October, the USN will purchase an E-3D to act as a flight trainer for the E-6B in order to reduce fatigue on the C3 fleet of aircraft, dubbed ‘Doomsday’ on account of their nuclear control mission.
“The E-6B is integral to US nuclear C3 system, and provides assured capability for US nuclear force execution. Currently, the US Navy conducts all initial and recurring E-6B pilot training flight in E-6B mission aircraft,” the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) said in its notification, adding “These training flights expose mission aircraft to significant unnecessary wear-and-tear and negatively impact E-6B readiness and availability. Moreover, lack of a dedicated training aircraft increases the time required to train qualified aircrews needed to execute the E-6B mission. The purchase of an [E-3D] in-flight trainer aircraft will result in the reduction of 600 flight hours and 2,400 landings/cycles per year from the E-6B mission aircraft.” (Source: Jane’s)
26 Oct 20. Italian Army personnel train at US military facilities. Personnel from the Italian Army have undergone training at US military training facilities to strengthen their marksmanship skills.
Personnel from the Italian Army have undergone training at US military training facilities to strengthen their marksmanship skills.
The training sessions were hosted by Engagement Skill Trainer (EST) on Caserma ‘Ederle’, the Gun Fighter Gym and the Squad Advanced Marksman Trainer on Caserma ‘Del Din’, reported Anna Ciccotti.
The Italian teams that participated in the training are 183rd Regiment ‘Nembo’, from the ‘Folgore’ Paratroopers Brigade based in Pistoia and a squad-size element of the 4th Alpini Paratroopers Regiment from Montorio Veronese.
Additionally, 14 members of the Multinational Civil-Military Cooperation Group (MNCG) from the town of Motta di Livenza also took part in the training.
US Army 7th Army Training Command Regional Training Support Division South chief James Matheson said: “The EST is a basic rifle marksmanship and crew served weapons simulator.
“There are a limited number of basic rifle marksmanship simulators in the Italian army.
“Having access to two US Army ten-lane ESTs in Vicenza provides a great training resource for our Italian Army partners.”
The virtual environment permits the trainees to carry out simulated scenarios, which include ambushes, react to contact, patrols, or search for improvised explosive devices.
Additionally, it provides coaching tools, which will allow them to review the performance following a simulation. (Source: army-technology.com)
13 Oct 20. US Army Needs Science To Boost Training. The Army is returning “to the science of large-scale combat operations,” with training that is “hot, sweaty and intense,” said Col. Charles Lombardo, deputy commander of the Army’s Combined Arms Center-Training.
The idea, he said, is to force soldiers and their leaders to deal with simultaneous enemy actions in training that is “the key to building readiness across our formations.”
“Live training is the final gate before we enter the crucible of combat,” he said during a Warriors Corner presentation that was part of AUSA Now, the 2020 virtual annual meeting of the Association of the U.S. Army. “It is imperative that we require tough, realistic and vigorous training.”
It isn’t always easy because it isn’t supposed to be, he said, describing it as “ruthless repetition” intended to give soldiers confidence on a real battlefield.
The Army needs to do better, he said. Current training replicates only about 60% of what soldiers could face. More realism is needed, and it is needed within about five years.
With incoming fire possible at faster than the speed of sound, the Army needs to find a way of replicating that threat so soldiers can learn to react. They need to sense what is coming so they can be prepared to use their own capabilities to block or defeat it, Lombardo said.
“We need to ensure we have the right kind of practice so we can fight and win,” he said. Solving this will involve new technologies, particularly with synthetic training, he said, as he called on help from industry and from within the Army for new training concepts. (Source: AUSA 2020 News)
27 Oct 20. Australia, Singapore enhance joint interoperability. Defence Minister Linda Reynolds has announced a major milestone in enhancing the relationship between Australia and Singapore, after the Royal Australian Navy and Republic of Singapore Air Force have proven their ability to work together with Singaporean CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopter crews qualifying to take-off and land on Australia’s largest vessels, HMA Ships Adelaide and Canberra.
The Singaporean CH-47 crews, permanently based at Oakey in Queensland, spent two days flying from Townsville to HMAS Adelaide at sea to undertake Deck Landing Qualifications, this process included communicating with the warship’s flight control room and being guided by Australian sailors on the flight deck.
Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said qualifying Republic of Singapore Air Force personnel, to operate their CH-47 aircraft with the Australian Navy, was a force-multiplier for both nations.
“Last week I conducted my second official visit to Singapore, and met with my counterpart Minister for Defence, Dr Ng Eng Hen. During the visit, we jointly marked 30 years of the Singapore Armed Forces training in Australia,” Minister Reynolds explained.
“The 30th Anniversary of Singapore training in Australia is a significant milestone in our bilateral defence relationship, and this activity is a clear demonstration of the closeness of our friendship and our growing interoperability.”
This latest capability aggregation builds on the foundations of the Australia-Singapore partnership of a shared strategic perspective and complementary economies, the two nations share interests in the political stability and economic prosperity of the region, and have worked together as like-minded partners to foster these interests. Singapore is Australia’s fifth-largest trading partner and one of its longest standing Defence partners in the south-east Asia region.
Minister Reynolds added, “The ability to operate our largest amphibious vessels with Singapore’s CH-47 Chinook helicopters means we can work together to mobilise and move personnel or supplies at sea, and enhance our combined joint capability.”
The ASMTI is a key element of Australia and Singapore’s Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which was announced by both governments in 2015. The Comprehensive Strategic Partnership outlines a long-term vision to enhance Australia and Singapore’s strategic trade, economic, Defence and people-to-people links, as well as deepen collaboration between the two countries.
“Singapore maintains an ongoing number of CH-47s at Oakey. These are the same aircraft that came to Australia’s aid during the 2020 bushfire emergency, underscoring the utility of being able to operate with Singapore in a crisis. We will always be grateful for Singapore’s assistance during our time of need,” Minister Reynolds said.
The ASMTI provides a unique opportunity to develop and enhance advanced military training areas in central and north Queensland and further strengthen Australia and Singapore’s Defence partnership.
The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is a versatile, twin-engine, tandem rotor heavy-lift helicopter. Its top speed of 170 knots (315km/h) is faster than many contemporary utility and attack helicopters. Operated by both Australia and Singapore, the Chinook’s primary roles include troop movement, artillery emplacement and battlefield resupply. There is a wide loading ramp at the rear of the fuselage and three external-cargo hooks underneath.
The Canberra Class amphibious assault ship (LHD), also known as a landing helicopter dock, provides the Australian Defence Force with one of the most capable and sophisticated air-land-sea amphibious deployment systems in the world.
These 27,000-tonne ships are able to land a force of over 1,000 personnel by helicopter and water craft, along with all their weapons, ammunition, vehicles and stores. The first LHD, HMAS Canberra, was commissioned on 28 November 2014, and the second ship, HMAS Adelaide, was commissioned on 4 December 2015.
The ship is a conventional steel mono hull design with the superstructure located on the starboard side of the flight deck. There are four main decks: the Well Dock and Heavy Vehicle Deck for heavy vehicles and/or cargo; Main Accommodation Deck, including the Primary Casualty Reception Facility; Hangar and Light Vehicle Deck for light weight vehicles and cargo; and the Flight Deck. (Source: Defence Connect)
26 Oct 20. PLAGF brigade displays urban combat skills in training exercise. China’s People’s Liberation Army Ground Force (PLAGF) is aiming to enhance the capability and preparedness of its troops to conduct military operations in urban terrain (MOUT), as shown in video footage released by state-owned broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) on 24 October.
Weihutang, a CCTV programme on military affairs, released footage showing members of a brigade belonging to the 71st Group Army conducting an urban combat training exercise in what appeared to be a mock village that included several large, multi-storey buildings.
The heavily edited video showcases some of the specialist equipment and skills the unit is employing to conduct its assault on the mock village. These include the use of small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as what appears to be dropping leaflets over the village. The latter is likely intended as a psychological operations tactic or as a warning to the civilian inhabitants.
Other notable equipment shown in the footage includes the use of a handheld tubular charge – similar to that of a Bangalore torpedo – used to clear obstacles such as mines and other anti-personnel defences.
Some of the soldiers are also seen using a system similar to the Israeli-made CornerShot system, known as the CF-06, while others are employing what appears to be a man-portable, wall-penetrating radar. (Source: Jane’s)
26 Oct 20. FURIOUS AXE 1, NATO EFP BG EST In Latvia. British and Danish eFP Battle Group troops serving alongside 1st [Estonian] Infantry Brigade have exercised in Latvia on FURIOUS AXE.
Exercise FURIOUS AXE 1, which started last Monday [19th October] at the Ādaži training ground in Latvia, trained the Allied Battle Group of the 1st [Estonian] Infantry Brigade, which performed tasks in the framework of the exercise both in defence and counter-attack.
“The main goal of the exercise is to ensure the functioning of the Allied Battle Group in cooperation with our own Scout Battalion within the brigade. The exercise itself gives us the opportunity to test different tactical situations and find out how commanders understand their solutions, how they can implement them, but most importantly – how they implement these solutions side by side or together,” said Colonel Vahur Karus, the leader of FURIOUS AXE 1 and Commander of the 1st Infantry Brigade.
On the one hand the United Kingdom and Danish Defence Forces of the Allied Battle Group located in Estonia [eFP BG EST] and the Eesti Scout Battalion fighters, who also included a company consisting of Latvian Defence Forces, participated in the FURIOUS AXE exercise. On the other side was the Latvian Allied Battlegroup [eFP BG LAT]. In the first days of the exercise, activities were practised in an attack; defensive battles began Wednesday [21st] and the exercise culminated in a counter-attack.
“As a battle group, we have not yet had the opportunity to participate in an exercise where battalion could fight against battalion, although our main task is to prepare a headache for the Allied Battle Group and the Scout Battalion located in Estonia. Through this, we too can learn quite a lot, starting from planning and ending with the implementation of various manoeuvres, “said Lieutenant Colonel Norton, Commander of the Latvian Battle Group.
In total, almost 2,300 members of the Defence Forces from the 1st Infantry Brigade Headquarters, Scout Battalion, Staff and Liaison Company, Rear Battalion, Air Defence Battalion, Pioneer Battalion, Artillery Battalion, Intelligence Company, Defence Forces Academy, General Staff, Estonian and Latvian Allied Battle Groups took part in the exercise. FURIOUS AXE training lasted until the end of the week.(Source: www.joint-forces.com)
26 Oct 20. Australian Navy frigate conducts exercises with Malaysian Navy. Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Arunta has joined KD Perak of the Royal Malaysian Navy to successfully complete a passage exercise as part of the ship’s East Asia Deployment. The ships, which rendezvoused off the coast of Kota Kinabalu, remained in company while they conducted various maritime evolutions.
Commanding Officer Arunta Commander Troy Duggan said passage exercises allowed navies of allied nations to work together to improve interoperability and to enhance cohesiveness.
CMDR Duggan explained, “Exercises such as those we carried out are extremely important in building confidence and knowledge among allied navies. They allow us to develop common goals and have a better understanding of how we conduct business in the maritime environment.”
During the exercise, the ships conducted a series of maritime evolutions, collectively referred to as officer-of-the-watch manoeuvres.
CMDR Duggan explained that exercises such as this demonstrated that Malaysia and Australia can continue operating effectively in the region despite the challenges of the global pandemic.
Arunta’s Navigating Officer Lieutenant Patrick Velu said the navies learned from each other and developed close working relationships.
“When exercising with foreign navies it’s imperative that we both know what the others standard operating procedures are across a range of maritime evolutions. Officer-of-the watch manoeuvres provide an opportunity to exercise complex navigational manoeuvres at sea and the most important aspect when working with other countries is building our communication skills to allow us to integrate seamlessly,” LEUT Velu said.
On completion of the passage exercise, Arunta continued her East Asia Deployment where the ship will work with a number of allied navies to underscore Australia’s commitment to a secure, open and prosperous region.
Because of the global pandemic, the ship is only conducting essential logistics visits while deployed and all resupply evolutions are being carried out in accordance with strict COVID-19 mitigation methods.
On completion of her deployment, Arunta will return to her home port of Fleet Base West, Rockingham, Western Australia.
Homeported at HMAS Stirling in WA, Arunta is a long-range frigate capable of air defence, surface and undersea warfare, surveillance, reconnaissance and interdiction.
HMAS Arunta recently returned to Australia from a three-month deployment across south-east Asia and the Pacific as part of the Navy Task Group.
Joined by HMA Ships Canberra, Stuart, Hobart and Sirius, Arunta engaged in exercises with 11 regional partners, including Brunei, Canada, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, the Philippines, Republic of Singapore, and the US. (Source: Defence Connect)
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