Peter La Franchi/CANBERRA
Australia's Department of Defence has restructured its Air 5398 stand-off weapons project, with further stocks of AGM-142 Popeye missiles to be purchased to provide a capability against semi-hardened targets, while a new generation modular missile will be acquired to support strikes at distances of at least 300km (185 miles).
The new long-range weapon will be required to be effective against area, radiating and moving targets. Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) requirements call for a dual-spectrum seeker head and a tactical data link to provide man-in-the-loop control during the terminal mission phase. The new missile is expected initially to enter service with the RAAF in 2005.
The additional AGM-142 missiles will be equipped with a penetrating warhead, believed to be the Rafael I-800, as compared to the blast fragmentation warhead which is to be carried by missiles now on order from Lockheed Martin via the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme.
Details of the restructured project were released to international missile manufacturers at the end of August. Planning for a statement on the project by Australian defence minister Ian McLachlan has been shelved in the wake of the calling of a federal election for 3 October. That statement had been expected to address concerns that Australian Defence Force requirements may contravene the Missile Technology Control Regime, to which Australia is a signatory.
The restructuring of Air 5398 follows extensive studies of RAAF mission requirements over the past 12 months. The project had been proceeding as a six-phase acquisition involving a general purpose stand-off capability, an anti-radiation missile, a combined area and semi-hardened target weapon, a hardened target penetrator, and a long-range weapon for maritime strikes in coastal waters.
The RAAF selected the AGM-142 to fulfil the general purpose requirement in May 1996, with the first FMS orders being placed recently. A competition for the anti-radiation missile began in late 1995, but lapsed last year.
The restructuring has seen the hardened-target penetration requirement suspended pending further studies by the ADF. The combining of the area, radiating and coastal target requirements into a single missile "family" is aimed at minimising integration and support costs throughout its service life.
The long-range maritime strike aspect of the project is likely to see the RAAF's Lockheed AP-3C Orions modified to support the carriage of at least two missiles on the inboard weapons stations. The requirement is intended to enhance ADF capability in the crowded coastal waters of South- East Asia, and will substantially expand the RAAF's existing anti-shipping capability which is based on the Harpoon missile.
Lead contenders for the project include two variants of Taurus Systems' KEPD-350/350A missile. The other principal weapons which are on offer include Boeing's SLAM-ER, a powered version of Raytheon's JSOW, Lockheed Martin's JASSM, Storm Shadow from Matra BAe Dynamics, a MUPSOW derivative from Denel Kentron, and Israeli Military Industries' Delilah.
The Australian Department of Defence is expected to release a paper outlining its requirements early next year, with this followed shortly afterwards by the release of a request for proposals in the second quarter of 1999.
Source: Flight International
