27 Jul 23. UK Royal Signals Corps tests ICAVS simulation training.
The ICAVS system, a virtual reality simulation system, delivers immersive tactical training to the Signal squadron.
The Royal Corps of Signals soldiers within the British Army recently tested out the Interim Combined Arms Virtual Simulation Deployable (ICAVS-D) on 26 July 2023.
ICAVS-D is a virtual reality (VR) simulation system acquired by the UK Defence Equipment & Support administration. The system soon reached full operational capability in September last year, when the Royal Eletrical and Mechanical Engineers tested the system at Salisbury Plain.
The British Army used ICAVS-D to deliver ‘immersive virtual training’ to reserve and regular soldiers, the ICAVS(D) replaces the Unit-Based Virtual Trainer.
The British Army selected Elbit Systems UK in November last year to deliver the ICAVS-D platform. It is one of the first pathfinder projects for the Army’s Collective Training Transformation Programme.
This computer-based training simulator uses Xbox and PlayStation controllers, VR headsets and steering wheels and pedals to control avatars within a virtual world. Soldiers can test out their driving, manoeuvre and fighting skills without leaving the comfort of camp.
“The ICAVS is an excellent alternative to using our Bulldog armoured fleet, with many of the vehicles located out in Germany. It helps us keep our drivers and commanders up to date with their training,” said Lieutenant Sam Cuthbertson, 207 Armoured Signal Squadron Operations Officer.
This is the first time the Royal Signals have used ICAVS, which also dramatically reduces both the cost and carbon footprint of training compared with a ‘live’ equivalent.
“The staff generate different scenarios to test our skills, from crossing rivers to dealing with enemy forces. The controls are very similar to what most of us are used to with our own gaming consoles, so it was very quick to pick up,” Signaller Pasquini, a 207 Armoured Signal Squadron Bulldog driver, stated.
For all the benefits of VR, it cannot wholly discount the pressure and nuances that live training provides. In autumn this year, 207 Armoured Signal Squadron will deploy to Germany on an armoured exercise that will test the skills they have been rehearsing using ICAVS-D.
(Source: army-technology.com)
27 Jul 23. Germany deploys Typhoon squadron to Iceland for high north training. Germany is strengthening its defence co-operation, as German Airmen train with NATO in Icelandic airspace.
Anotable development in defence cooperation between Germany and Iceland is set to occur as a squadron of six Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets from the German Air Force prepares to arrive in Keflavik for a training mission.
This mission aims to familiarize German airmen and their aircraft with the unique challenges of Icelandic airspace and the High North region. The deployment is separate but complements NATO’s enduring air policing mission in Iceland (ASIC IPPN), underscoring the growing security and defence partnership between the two nations.
A strategic location for air policing missions
The German airmen, totalling 30 personnel, will be based in the security zone at Keflavik, a strategic location known for its significance in monitoring and safeguarding the Northern Atlantic region. During their stay, the airmen will engage in joint training exercises with the NATO Control and Reporting Centre (CRC), ensuring integration with NATO’s air policing mission in Iceland (ASIC IPPN).
Partner Content
Various nations have undertaken air policing missions in Iceland within the last year. Both last year, Italy used their F-35A fleet to support a NATO air policing mission, and Denmark exercised their F-16 aircraft squadron in another NATO air policing mission. Norway also deployed F-35 jets from Keflavik Air Base, Iceland, in another mission this year.
Tristan Sauer, aerospace, defence & security analyst at GlobalData, provided his commentary on the air policing mission: “Iceland plays a unique role within the NATO alliance, as although it doesn’t possess a standing army, the nation’s geographical position makes it a critical node within NATO’s integrated Air Defense System as well as a key hub for training forces in extreme environmental conditions.”
The training mission presents an opportunity for the German Air Force to enhance its operational capabilities but also marks a milestone in the growing defence partnership between Germany and Iceland. Both nations recognize the importance of fostering closer ties and cooperation to effectively tackle evolving security challenges in the region.
Effective deterrence against Russia
The Icelandic Coast Guard, in coordination with civil aviation authorities, will play a role in hosting the deployment on behalf of the Defence Directorate at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Iceland.
For Iceland, the presence of the German squadron not only adds to its airspace’s security but also signals the nation’s commitment to contributing to regional defence efforts and fulfilling its NATO responsibilities.
As the deployment unfolds later this week, the main priority will be to foster a stronger and more resilient alliance prepared to tackle any future challenges in the High North region and beyond.
Tristan Sauer concluded: “As tensions between the alliance and Russia continue to escalate, demonstrating the capacity to conduct joint defensive operations near and beyond the Arctic circle is critical to maintaining effective deterrence, particularly in light of Russia’s increased militarization of its territories in the high north.”
(Source: airforce-technology.com)
26 Jul 23. Talisman Sabre 23 Field Exercise Sets Benchmark for Combined Military Training in Indo-Pacific. Inside a small tent on a sprawling military training range on Australia’s northeast coast, U.S. and Australian exercise planners are immersed as the product of years of painstaking preparation unfolds in real time.
A large screen at one end displays red and blue dots overlayed on a digital topographic map depicting the real-time positions of thousands of troops from 10 different nations.
Just outside the tent, military helicopters take off and land as U.S. and Australian troops patrol the training area’s sprawling ranges alongside their partner forces.
“You’re currently standing in what we call the Field of Dreams,” said Australian Army Col. Ben McLennan, commander of the Australian Defense Force’s Combat Training Centre, as he welcomed reporters on Monday to the Townsville Field Training Area. The training area is the epicenter of the 10-day field training exercise taking place during Talisman Sabre 23.
“This activity that’s occurring here is just the richest, most immersive and most realistic, no-consequence training environment that we can possibly create,” he said. “We’re calling it the Olympics of war games because it’s the biggest, most ambitious Talisman Sabre ever.”
This year marks the 10th iteration of Talisman Sabre, a biennial exercise designed to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific by strengthening partnerships and interoperability among key allies. The spelling of the name — sabre vs. saber — reflects which country is leading the exercise: Talisman Sabre when Australia leads and Talisman Saber when the U.S. leads.
Thirteen nations from Japan to Germany are participating in this year’s full exercise.
The 15-day exercise includes a variety of large-scale logistics and amphibious assault training operations and multinational firepower demonstrations, in addition to the field training exercise. Several Pacific Island partners — including Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Tonga — are participating for the first time.
Ten nations will make up the combined force that will face off, as part of the field-training portion of the exercise, against an enemy designed to have “comprehensive overmatch” over the coalition forces across all warfighting functions.
“That enemy element has all the capabilities across space, cyber, land, maritime and air that one would anticipate a peer threat to be able to bring to bear against Australia, United States and coalition partners,” McLennan said.
U.S. Army Col. Ben Martin, operations commander for the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center, said the scenario “reads right out of the most recent, emerging doctrine from both of our countries.”
He said putting that doctrine into practice in a realistic and dynamic training environment is critical for being prepared to win in the next conflict.
“Big exercises like this are where we can induce the fog and friction of stress, the closest we can get to actual real combat on our respective combined forces, so that when that day comes, that they’re trained and they’re ready,” he said.
Creating that environment, which was designed with input from both U.S. and Australian planners, is the product of tireless planning and unprecedented execution.
Participating countries have, for weeks leading up to the exercise, undergone the planning and manpower-intensive process of moving equipment into theater. Many of the units will be deploying a variety of capabilities for the first time on such a large scale. There are 30,000 troops participating in the full exercise and 10,000 participating in the field portion.
McLennan said the training itself serves as a “demonstration of collective resolve” on behalf of each nation to train and operate together to preserve the rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific.
“United States and Australia have been aligned, have been close allies, and have been working together, training together for generations. But what we’re achieving here is really an amazing break into a new chapter in our story when it comes to how we train together, learning how we might operate together, how we might fight together,” he said.
“This is historic,” McLennan said. (Source: U.S. DoD)
24 Jul 23. Government of Canada Announces Skyalyne as Preferred Bidder for Future Aircrew Training Program in Support of Royal Canadian Air Force The Government of Canada is committed to providing members of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) with the tools they need to deliver on their operational missions and protect Canadians.
Through the Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) Program, the Government of Canada is taking the necessary steps to renew its existing aircrew training services for the RCAF. This process will result in awarding a contract to cover all aspects of the required training, including pilot training, as well as aircrew training for air combat systems officers and airborne electronic sensor operators, and maintenance and infrastructure services, for a period of more than 20 years.
Following an open, fair and transparent procurement process with extensive industry engagement and Indigenous participation, the Government of Canada has identified SkyAlyne Canada Limited Partnership as the preferred bidder to provide a comprehensive aircrew training program to help maintain a multi-purpose and combat-capable air force.
While this represents a significant milestone in the competitive process, Canada will continue to work with SkyAlyne Canada Limited Partnership, in addition to preparations for the transition process from the existing contracts to the FAcT Program. During this time, SkyAlyne Canada Limited Partnership must remain compliant with the requirements of the solicitation process.
The identification of the preferred bidder follows a rigorous bid evaluation process. To ensure the fairness and integrity of this procurement, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) engaged the services of an independent fairness monitor to oversee the process, including the upcoming discussions with SkyAlyne Canada Limited Partnership.
Engagement with qualified suppliers has been an integral part of this procurement process. Through this engagement, the Government of Canada has defined its requirements, and industry representatives have had the opportunity to provide feedback on items such as procurement approach, schedule, solicitation documents and economic benefits to Canada.
The contract award is anticipated in 2024 and work will begin immediately following the contract award.
“This announcement marks another important step in the competitive process to provide integral aircrew training services for the Royal Canadian Air Force. We are continuing to ensure that members of our armed forces have what they need to keep Canada safe and secure,” said Helena Jaczek, Minister of Public Services and Procurement.
“It is critical that current and future Royal Canadian Air Force pilots have the most advanced training and equipment available to ensure they can deliver on the important work that we ask of them. This program will help ensure Canada can continue to defend North America, enhance our Arctic sovereignty and meet our NATO and NORAD obligations in the face of current and emerging threats. Canadians can be confident that this competitive process will deliver the best results for our Canadian Armed Forces for decades to come,” said Anita Anand, Minister of National Defence.
Quick facts
Future aircrew training services will include classroom instruction, simulator and flight training, as well as numerous on-site support activities and infrastructure services. The program will include delivery of pilot training, as well as aircrew training for air combat systems officers and airborne electronic sensor operators.
The new single contract will replace training services currently provided through 2 separate contracts and through in-house delivery by the RCAF:
— North Atlantic Treaty Organization Flying Training in Canada is provided by CAE Military Aviation Training through a contract that expires in 2027. The contract includes an additional option year, which could extend the services to 2028.
— Contracted Flying Training and Support is provided by Allied Wings. The contract will expire in 2027.
— Aircrew training for air combat systems officers and airborne electronic sensor operators currently being performed by the RCAF.
Initial aircrew training for pilots, air combat system officers, and airborne electronic sensor operators is conducted at: 15 Wing Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan; Southport (formerly known as Canadian Forces Base Portage la Prairie), Manitoba; and, 402 Squadron, operating from 17 Wing Winnipeg, Manitoba.
The Industrial and Technological Benefits Policy and Value Proposition applies to this procurement, requiring investments in Canada equal to the contract value. This procurement will leverage the strength of Canadian industry in Key Industrial Capability areas related to training and simulation, and in-service support. It will also incentivize investments in research and development, as well as skills development opportunities with under-represented groups.
To support Indigenous participation in the delivery of the program, qualified suppliers were asked to submit an Indigenous Participation Plan as part of their bids committing to invest a minimum of 5% of the contract value, excluding the cost of aircraft and simulators. PSPC and industry continues to engage with the Métis and First Nations of Manitoba and Saskatchewan on this procurement.
Canada engaged a fairness monitor for this procurement.
(Source: https://www.defense-aerospace.com/ Public Services and Procurement Canada)
24 Jul 23. Iran Begins Military Drill as US Sends More Fighter Planes to Region. Iran on Sunday began an annual air force drill in the central part of the country, state media reported, as the United States sends more fighter planes to the region to deter the Islamic Republic from seizing commercial vessels in the Persian Gulf area.
The official IRNA news agency said 11 Iranian air force bases participated in the drill, dubbed Fadaeian Velyat-11, or Devotees of the Supreme Leader-11. It said an air base at the southern port of Bandar Abbas at the mouth of the strategic Strait of Hormuz is active in the drill.
The Strait of Hormuz is the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 20% of all crude oil passes.
The report said more than 90 fighter planes, bombers and drones would participate in the drill.
Air Force Chief Gen. Hamid Vahedi said the drill’s message is one of friendship, peace and security in the region. “Sustainable security, improving and fostering regional ties, peaceful coexistence and defending air borders are on the agenda,” he said.
From time to time, Iran holds such drills and says they are designed to assess the force’s combat readiness and demonstrate the nation’s military capabilities.
The U.S. said last week it is sending additional fighter jets and a warship to the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman to increase security in the wake of Iranian attempts to seize commercial ships there. The Pentagon said the USS Thomas Hudner, a destroyer, and a number of F-35 fighter jets, will be heading to the area. The Hudner had been in the Red Sea.
The U.S. move comes after Iran earlier in July tried to seize two oil tankers, the Marshall Islands-flagged TRF Moss and the Bahamian-flagged Richmond Voyager, near the strait last week, opening fire on one of them. The U.S. Navy said in both instances the Iranian naval vessels backed off when the USS McFaul, a guided-missile destroyer, arrived on the scene.
The U.S. Navy says Iran has seized at least five commercial vessels in the last two years and harassed more than a dozen others. Many of the confrontations have happened in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
The West accuses Iran of using seized commercial vessels as bargaining chips. Iran denies the charge, saying it seized the vessels after they collided with local vessels and polluted the waterway.
Tensions have steadily risen since the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from Iran’s 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers and restored crippling sanctions. Iran has responded by ramping up its nuclear activities — which it says are purely peaceful — and provided drones to Russia for its war against Ukraine.
(Source: https://www.defense-aerospace.com/ Voice of America News)
24 Jul 23. Official Opening of Exercise Talisman Sabre. Australia’s largest bilateral military exercise with United States, Exercise Talisman Sabre, officially commences today with an opening ceremony on-board HMAS Canberra.
Deputy Prime Minister, Richard Marles, will join United States Secretary of the Navy, Carlos Del Toro for the official opening at Sydney’s Fleet Base East.
Over the next two weeks 13 nations will participate in high-end multi-domain warfighting across sea, land, air, cyber and space.
Now in its tenth iteration, 2023 is the largest Exercise Talisman Sabre in terms of its geographical area and the number of participating partners.
The exercise aims to enhance interoperability and develop strong relationships between participating military forces. It will involve field training exercises including force preparation and logistics activities, amphibious landings, ground force manoeuvres, air combat and maritime operations.
Talisman Sabre 2023 will involve more than 30,000 military personnel deploying across Queensland, Western Australia, the Northern Territory and New South Wales. For the first time exercises will also take part around Norfolk Island.
In addition to the United States, forces from Canada, Fiji, France, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Republic of Korea, Tonga and the United Kingdom will participate in the exercise. Personnel from India, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand are attending as observers.
Next week, the Deputy Prime Minister will travel to Queensland with United States Secretary of Defense, Lloyd J. Austin III to visit Australian and US service members participating in Exercise Talisman Sabre.
Quotes attributable to Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon Richard Marles MP:
“This year more than 30,000 personnel from 13 participating nations and four observer nations will take part in Exercise Talisman Sabre. The scale and design of the exercise will provide more depth, complexity and challenge for our defence forces as we work together to build our defence cooperation.
“It is a privilege to officially open Talisman Sabre 2023 and welcome all participating nations. I look forward to welcoming Secretary Austin to Australia next week for AUSMIN which will occur on the sidelines of this important bilateral exercise.
“Talisman Sabre is a practical demonstration of our commitment to working with our international partners to maintain the security and stability of our region.”
United States Secretary of the Navy, The Hon Carlos Del Toro, said: “The scope of this exercise and the opportunity it provides for all of us to train above, at, and below the sea, as well as ashore, increases our ability to work together in the countering challenges we may face here in the Indo-Pacific region.
“The marines and sailors who are here as part of this exercise, alongside their partners throughout our Nation’s Joint Force, are a signal of just how serious we are about strengthening our partnerships with you.”
Chief of Joint Operations Lieutenant General Greg Bilton said: “Exercise Talisman Sabre provides an unrivalled opportunity for Australia, the United States and our partners to exercise our combined capabilities.
“Every nation who has joined us in Australia for Talisman Sabre will integrate operations across air, land, maritime, space and cyber domains, challenging our defence forces to synchronise military efforts from the tactical to strategic levels.
“Talisman Sabre 23 steps up the complexity of the exercise in a range of areas including a much larger geographic footprint which will test the logistical aspects of the combined force. We look forward to undertaking these new challenges with our very capable partners.”
Major General Jered P. Helwig (USA), Commanding General, 8th Theater Sustainment Command, said: “Talisman Sabre 2023 demonstrates the joint force’s ability to integrate with allies and partners and rapidly deploy large-scale logistics at a critical time in the Indo-Pacific. The Australian and U.S. alliance is critical to enhancing regional security and stability. The complexity in scope and operation of this exercise across all of our war fighting functions demonstrates the power of the alliance and like-minded partnerships in the region.”
(Source: https://www.defense-aerospace.com/ Australian Department of Defence)
21 Jul 23. French Air Force Heads East, Deploys Large Strike Force to Pacific Ocean. France is flying Rafale fighter jets, A400M airlifters and A330 MRTT tanker aircraft with allies in the Northern Edge exercise led by the U.S. Air Force in the Pacific, signalling a French political aim to project military power in the vast Indo-Pacific region.
Six Rafale, two A400M transport and two A330 multirole tanker transport (MRTT) aircraft are flying July 2 to 21 in “joint and combined trainings (sic) carried out from Andersen Air Force Base (AFB) on Guam island and from neighbouring islands,” the French air force said on the Northern Edge exercise, a key part of its broad Pegase 23 mission.
“The wings of… French diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific” was how the air chief of staff, general Stéphane Mill, described the Pegase 23 exercise.
“Air power has the ability to compress time and distance between people to convey the values we defend,” he said. “In this respect, air power goes hand-in-hand with diplomacy.”
That French diplomatic and hard power projection into the Pacific reflects a broader European interest in the region, seen as something of a geopolitical magnet.
Germany and the U.K. have sent warships to the Pacific in the last couple of years to fly their flags, and France sailed a nuclear-powered attack submarine, the Emeraude, into those waters in 2021, supported by a fleet auxiliary ship, the Seine.
China has increased its military presence in the Pacific, signing last year a security agreement with Solomon Islands, which sparked deep concern in the US and Australia.
Beijing claims territorial control over the Paracel and Spratly islands in the South China Sea, and has boosted its military presence by building bases and sailing naval patrols, sparking direct dispute with other nations in the region, including Vietnam.
Earlier this year, the Pacific Island nations Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Paulu, and Federated States of Micronesia said they expected US president Joe Biden to visit the Pacific soon.
Fly the Flag
To show the French flag, the air force launched on June 25 its Pegase 23 exercise, with a 19-strong fleet flying more than 18,000 km to the Pacific in a 72-hour deployment. Ten Rafale fighters, five MRTT and four A400M aircraft made up the large detachment. The exercise runs to Aug. 3 when the aircraft will land at their bases back in France.
The first part of the Pegase mission ran June 25-28, flying more than 11,000 km to the Pacific, with technical stopover at the French Al Dhafra air base in the United Arab Emirates. The mission then broke up into two separate flights and landed in Singapore and Malaysia.
In the second part in July 2-21, some flight crews and support staff will operate in allied exercises besides Northern Edge, including Talisman Saber and Mobility Guardian, operating from two bases, namely Guam for the tactical level and Hawaii for the multilateral command structure. Those exercises will include allied and US forces.
Meanwhile, the other French aircraft will split up and fly in two groups to New Caledonia and French Polynesia. The latter is some 22,000 km from France. The French air force and navy operate from those two French overseas territories, flying the turboprop Casa CN-235 tactical transport, Falcon maritime surveillance jets, and Puma and Dauphin helicopters.
A French detachment comprising 10 Rafale B and C fighters, five A330 MRTT tankers, four A400M transports and 200 airmen took off from Istres air base on June 25 on a 18,000 km deployment to the Pacific Ocean.
France sees its armed forces in New Caledonia as defending the territorial sovereignty of the island archipelago, and vital to protecting French interests in the Pacific region.
The third part of the exercise, July 24-Aug. 3, is the return leg, with the aircraft flying back to France, with stopovers for the first time in South Korea and Japan, before further visits to Indonesia, Qatar, and Djibouti. Those stopovers include training with partner air forces, and round-table discussion on themes such as space, multi-domain operations, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
The exercise seeks to show France’s capability to deploy aircraft to the far side of the world within 72 hours, with the service planning a future mission, flying a full 20-strong Rafale squadron, backed by 10 A330 MRTT tanker aircraft, reaching the Pacific in 48 hours.
That projection of air power calls for a command and control “both robust and high performance,” based in France, the air force said.
The Pegase 23 mission deployed 200 aircrew, and carried 55 tonnes and 300 m3 of cargo.
French Operate with Allies
The French aircraft in the Northern Edge exercise will fly with the US Pacific Air Forces and the Air Mobility Command, and air forces of Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, and the UK.
Over the course of the Pegase exercise, French crews will work with 10 nations and 14 air forces, seeking to boost interoperability and international cooperation. This year’s Pegase exercise follows Pegase 22 last year, Heifara-Wakea 21 in 2021 and Pegase 18 in 2018.
A key element of the latest Pegase exercise is applying the operational concept of Morane, based on the US Agile Combat Employment approach, the air force said. This is effectively flying out of forward operating bases in overseas deployment.
“Deploy quickly to act fast,” the service said. The concept refers to a highly dynamic airborne logistics support, relying as much on national resources as working with combined, joint resources or those provided by a host nation.
“It reasserts the role of the rear air bases,” the service said. “They play a full and ongoing role in regenerating the fleet’s technical and operational potential as close to combat zones as possible.”
There are various training scenarios, consisting of deploying fighter units swiftly, with highest interoperability, and providing support as close to combat as possible.
The exercise seeks to support several fighter units composed of four to six aircraft, armed or unarmed, with a small logistics footprint, the service said, while speeding up reaction time and shifting reliance on support hubs.
Germany Shifts Policy
For Germany, the Indo-Pacific political concept is seen as important, with a new role for Berlin in the region, something of a powder keg.
Germany in 2022 deployed six Eurofighters to Singapore and Australia for the first time, with the goal of arriving in 24 hours, but the demonstration was marred when one of the aircraft was stuck in Singapore for several days because of an equipment failure.
“In the strategically highly tense region, there is increasing competition for sources of raw materials, trade routes and strategic access by land and sea,” Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, a German think tank, said on its website.
A new German military presence in the Pacific could be seen with the sailing of a frigate, the Bayern, through the South China Sea two years ago.
That was the first time in nearly 20 years a German warship sailed through that part of the Pacific, where China claims control of the waters, in dispute with other Asian nations.
But Berlin sent an “unclear” message with the Bayern, said a May 4, 2021 research note from Chatham House, the London-based think tank.
“Due to internal differences within the German government, the original plans for the deployment appear to have changed to specifically avoid antagonizing Beijing,” the note said.
(Source: https://www.defense-aerospace.com/)