The Royal Norwegian Air Force's ability to develop and field network-centric warfare (NCW) capabilities is expected to be significantly strengthened by the proposed adoption by the country's parliament of a policy mandating networking as the basis for all future Norwegian defence planning.
Key parliamentary debates on the policy start this week. This follows a top-level national defence review completed late last year recommending NCW as the conceptual basis of force structure and capability planning.
NCW roll-out within the air force would be largely an evolutionary process, says Maj Gen Arnvid Lovbukten, commander air forces with the RNAF. However, "we think rapid implementation of new technology is important with all this", he says.
Lovbukten told IQPC's Network Centric Warfare Europe 2004 conference in Stockholm that the 2003 defence review had recommended "a common defence information and communications structure by 2008, and Link 16 will of course be the most expensive component here. Then we have a new common ISTAR [intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance] unit coming up, with a UAV also included in that."
For the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF), the future pace of networking is being guided at a national defence planning level with a white paper due for finalisation late this year.
An initial draft of that document, which is purely focused on the development of NCW concepts and capabilities, went into initial circulation within the Dutch ministry of defence in May. A final version is due for release late this year.
Initial drafts emphasise upgrading defence force capabilities with emphasis on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capability and communications capacity between all three service arms.
For the RNLAF, this would see continued priority on networking its "shooter" platforms, led by its Lockheed Martin F-16 mid-life update (MLU) aircraft. The MLU programme is at an advanced stage and has provided the F-16s with an improved data modem (IDM), secure radios and Link 16. The air force has also acquired the Boeing Joint Direct Attack Munition.
The combined capabilities are expected to achieve initial operational readiness later this year.
According to Col Peter Wijninga, assistant chief of staff for policy and planning in the RNLAF, options being examined for a follow-on upgrade include acquisition of a third-generation targeting pod.
Development of an advanced reconnaissance capability on some aircraft is being looked at, with the most likely solution comprising the tactical common datalink and integration of photo-reconnaissance intelligence strike module into the IDM.
Source: Flight International
