British Army Preps for Close-in Urban Warfare Attack

The following piece, written by Julian Nettlefold, first appeared on Warrior Maven, a Military Content Group member website.

The Army Warfighting Experiment

The Army Warfighting Experiment (AWE): The Urban Series 2022-24 focuses on warfighting in the urban environment, preparing the Army for future conflict in an increasingly urbanized world.

It is designed to align experimentation to the tactical functions, developing each focus area year-on-year until integrating them all during a final experiment.

This will provide the evidence to inform the Army and Defense which capabilities must be invested in and developed for the Army to remain competitive on the global stage. The Army Warfighting Experiment has been and remains the flagship experimentation programmed for the British Army.

Through AWE, the Army will forge relationships with industry, academia, allies, and partners, and also message our allies and adversaries that the British Army will adapt for the future with cutting-edge technological advances.

Purpose

The Urban Series will conduct experimentation focused on the urban environment to optimize the Army for Urban Operations, incorporating dawning technologies into brigade, battle-group, and sub-echelon capabilities.

The Urban Series 2022-24 will see a collaboration of the Army with subject matter experts to experiment with cutting and bleeding-edge technologies, focusing on how the Army can be optimized for future complex urban environments.

By taking a programmatic approach to the AWE to build upon each year’s feature events between 2022 and 2024, the Army will remain engaged with Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and industry throughout to build and strengthen relationships as well as enable iterative development of products through pre-defined exploitation pathways.

Throughout, the Army will collaborate with international allies and partners, achieve value for money and transform itself it to become more sustainable.

Aim

Through the most demanding and hypothesis-based experimentation, the Urban Series will demonstrate the future force requirements that contribute to the Integrated Review in 2025 by:

• Defining the digital ‘backbone’ which will underpin the future force, its systems and its sensors ability to communicate effectively.
• Bringing sustainment and protection to the forefront to reduce risk to the force and increase mission success.
• Leveraging cutting and bleeding-edge technology from industry to fight the urban battle.
• Demonstrating that all systems can be integrated effectively across all domains to reduce risk to our people, increase the tempo of decision-making and increase the mass of the desired effect.

Series Overview

AWE Urban Series: The Urban Series which will finish in 2024 focuses on warfighting in the urban environment, preparing the Army for future conflict in an increasingly urbanized world. It is designed to align experimentation to the tactical functions, developing each focus area year-on-year until integrating them all during a final experiment. This will provide the evidence to inform the Army and Defense which capabilities must be invested in and developed in for the Army to remain competitive on the global stage.

AWE B and D: AWE Blunt and Dislocate seeks to focus on Maneuver supported by Fires and Information Activities within an urban environment. AWE B and D will examine how a future Land Force can maximized advantage in the ‘first battle’ by blunting an enemy’s advance with organic and long-range firepower, whilst also finding and striking to drive home an early culmination. Concurrently, the experiment will explore how a future Land Force can dislocate the enemy throughout his depth, with ‘counter kill-chain’ at its core. It will also drive opportunity by (in)direct raids, vertical envelopment and anti-air ambush. Finally, this experiment will apply focus on our personnel and how we can accomplish operational advantage.

Land Environment Air Picture Provision (LEAPP)

Land Environment Air Picture Provision (LEAPP) is a UK sovereign Command and Control (C2) capability developed for the British Army by Lockheed Martin UK to provide a Recognized Air Picture (RAP) into the land domain. By ensuring the right data, is presented at the right time, and in the right place, LEAPP provides operators at all levels with the ability to efficiently and effectively coordinate, plan, decision make and strike.

LEAPP is an operationally proven capability that exchanges real time data via multiple Digital Data Links (DDLs), including Link 16 (the military’s tactical data link network used by NATO) and can seamlessly plug into the wider UK defense digital backbone. The upgraded system that now uses SkyKeeper software and core Publish and Subscribe ‘Plug and Play’ architecture, brings operational advantage, enabling military platforms across multiple domains to exchange a tactical picture in real-time; LEAPP has now become a real game changer in the battlespace as a true Multi Domain Integration enabler.

SkyKeeper Variants

Lockheed Martin UK is demonstrating LEAPP, providing the AWE Air Picture, utilizing two SkyKeeper variants mounted on an Ajax vehicle and networked across AWE and linked to the Saab 1X radar. The system will use the existing GVA displays onboard Ajax fed by Link 16 and secure radio comms.

The Air Picture will be displayed into the Ajax from a range of 3-5 kms. A number of targets will be tracked including the Lockheed Martin Indigo 4 UAV. In addition, Counter-UAS (C-UAS) tracking and engagements techniques will be run throughout AWE.

The Sky Keeper variants being demonstrated are:

• SkyKeeper Manoeuvre – Fully integrated into military vehicles’ operating systems through the General Vehicle Architecture.
• SkyKeeper Flex – Ruggedized Laptop and server case configuration; fully transportable and rapidly deployable using any type of vehicle. Ability to operate from austere locations, semi-prepared buildings or tented facilities.
• SkyKeeper Edge – Tablet / iPad data for use by the dismounted soldier.

LARES – Command and Control of the UAV Fleet

Connecting the SkyKeeper and Saab radars Indago drone is the Lockheed Martin’s LARES Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR)/Situational Awareness (SA) system.

Lockheed Martin’s LARES Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR)/Situational Awareness (SA) system provides an aerial unmanned Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) service to the warfighter. LARES is a networked IT service, which enables access to Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV)-gathered video and intelligence to troops across the battlespace, from Brigade and Battlegroup HQs to dismounted troops at the front.

Incorporating Lockheed Martin’s Versatile Control System International (VCSi) Common Ground Control System (GCS) system, LARES enables multiple UAVs (Lockheed Martin and third-party) to be monitored and controlled from the remote HQ positions, offering commanders a complete view of current UAV operations across the battlespace.

Features

• Remote Command and Control (C2) of multiple unmanned vehicles from a single platform.
• Situational awareness (SA) across managed unmanned assets.
• UAV video and intelligence sharing, to augment the analyst.
• Automated threat detection with machine learning.
• Targeting and Fire Correction.

LARES leverages NATO standards in UAV data protocols in order to offer support to a wide range of UAV types, offering an open system approach to UAV management and ISR services at a UAV fleet level. LARES incorporates Machine Learning technology to provide automated aids to the user, highlighting and pinpointing potential threats seen in the environment. LARES is a networked IT solution, agnostic of individual comms bearers and radio types.

How It Works

• Reduces time to act given shared SA from all unmanned assets in the battlespace.
• Capable of supporting the analysis of imagery from virtually any source (aerial video from fixed and rotary wing aircraft, static CCTV cameras, armored vehicle sights, etc.).
• Unconstrained sharing of unmanned asset footage across battlespace and back to HQs.
• More efficient utilization of unmanned assets across the battlespace by planning and managing the deployment of all unmanned assets in a single, shareable, environment.
• Increased force generation capability with respect to unmanned assets with easy integration of any unmanned asset.

Sky Sabre Saab Radars

Sky Sabre has replaced Rapier, which served the UK Armed Forces for more than 40 years. It is composed of three main elements: ‘the brain,’ ‘the sensor,’ and ‘the missile system.’

‘The brain,’ supplied by Rafael, refers to the Surface to Air Missile Centre (SAMOC) command and control system. This includes the Link 16 tactical datalink that allows Sky Sabre to communicate with Royal Navy and Royal Air Force ships and aircraft, as well as UK allies.

‘The sensor,’ supplied by Saab, is the Giraffe Agile Multibeam (GAMB) radar, which provides 360-degree coverage over a range of up to 1,200km.

The Land Ceptor launcher and missile system is supplied by MBDA and fires Common Anti-Air Modular Missiles (CAMM) missiles.

Fir the first time two versions of the recently procured Saab Giraffe 1X radar were shown. The Saab Giraffe 1X radar complements the exiting Saab Giraffe radar giving the LEAPP system increased C-UAS capability.

Giraffe 1X Lightweight multi-mission surveillance radar

Giraffe 1X is an ideal air surveillance component in the Ground Based Air Defense (GBAD) domain that provides ground based air defense commanders with engagement quality target data, drone detection and Counter-Artillery, Rocket and Mortar (C-RAM) sense and warn within a single solution. It is the ideal main sensor for a Very Short Range Radar (VSHORAD) system and can be used as a gap filler that complements larger GBAD systems, or as a Counter-UAS (C-UAS) solution.

Small, lightweight, high-performing 3D radar

The compact concept makes Giraffe 1X the perfect choice when continuous air surveillance is desired as part of short-range surveillance and ground based air defense. The weight, together with its very low power consumption makes it easily integrated into any type of mobile platform or fixed structure. The total system weighs less than 150 kg with a topside weight of 100 kg.

Giraffe 1X provides swift understanding of the air situation, enabling immediate and effective response to changing threats, new tactics and shifting operational conditions. The compact high performing 3D radar covers the entire search volume every second and will detect any air threat, including Low, Slow, and Small (LSS) targets.

Fixed, mobile or deployable with small footprint

Giraffe 1X Deployment Set

Giraffe 1X can be used as either a mobile, a deployable or a fixed asset for short-range surveillance and GBAD. Giraffe 1X has an exceptional small integration footprint. In fact, the complete radar can be transported on a pickup truck-sized vehicle, by helicopter or towed on a trailer. It can be permanently installed on a building or a mast, or integrated into a suitable vehicle. The system can be operated remotely or locally.

Multifunctional protection

Giraffe 1X provides simultaneous air surveillance, GBAD target acquisition, and RAM sense and warn capabilities without performance degradation. It can also be delivered with sea surface surveillance capability and can be configured fully self-contained with C3 capabilities.

The automatic tracking functionality provides quick and reliable feedback to the operator. Giraffe 1X can detect fixed and rotary wing targets, fast missiles and RAM targets as well as small UAVs in high-clutter environments. It covers the entire search volume every second and provides forces with early warning.

It also offers flexible integration of weapon systems and tactical data links giving the user great flexibility in their connectivity options.

Conclusion

Russia and Ukraine have both developed and deployed the use of singular and multiple drone swarms during war in Ukraine for ISTAR, loitering munition and other uses.

Thus, a key focus for international militaries is the swift development of networked C-UAS systems with a dedicated networked Air Picture which can locate targets at least 5 kms range.

The threat posed by multiple UAV swarms requires a variety of C-UAS target acquisition technologies linked in a real time seamless network to locate the swarms or singular UAV and pass the target to the required defeat system, be in kinetic, laser or non-kinetic.

To demonstrate the urgency of the swift technology developments on the battlefield, in his fascinating insight into the tempo of the Ukraine battlefield at our Chepstow Military Raceday in November, Denys Demko, from the Ukraine Embassy, said that technology is developing so fast that it has only a six week window before a technology refresh is required.