Units ( RFSU) for sur veillance and patrols across an area equal in size to Western Europe.

The Army Presence In the North (APIN) project, initiated in 1991, will see about 60% of ARA combat troops based north of the Tropic of Capricorn by 2001 to reduce the need for long range strategic deployment from the South and the weeks required to acclimatize to the Norths demanding climate. As part of APIN, facilities were constr ucted just east o f Darwin to house the 1st Bde, and a Recce aviation squadron which will complete relocation (less GRes elements) from Sydney by 2001. Additionally, as noted by LGen. Frank Hickling, Chief of Army, a reinforced 1st Bde provides a capability for warfighting in a medium to high-threat environment in a coalition setting, but with considerable risk, and it is likely that the contingent would be deficient in aspects of firepower, manoeuvre and force protection.
Three Bushmasters were on trial last year before the current design was accepted by the Austalian Defence Force. B1and B3 are currently deployed on Operation Stabilise in East Timor as convoy escort and VIP protection vehicles. The vehicle is designed to move Infantry troops into the field with greater manoeuvrability and protection than the 6 x 6 Landrover currently performing this role. The armoured Bush Master can carry nine people for three days up to 1,000 kilometres on one tank of fuel.

Night vision devices are coming under project Ninox. Besides upgrading the Leopards (with LOTE to 2020) some 364 M-113A1, with four undergoing trials, are being upgraded to M-113AS3 standard (with L OT E to 2020) which includes the installation of a 12.7 mm heav y machine gun tur ret. The reopened Air 87 competition aims to procure up to 30 armed Recce/fire-support helicopters by late 2007 providing two operational squadrons, each with six helicopters on line, followed by a later purchase of troop-lift helicopters. The Australian LAV (ASLAV) program is replacing the M-113 in the Cavalr y Recce units of the 3 active Bdes with ASLAVs which will remain in service until 2020 and are based on the Canadian LAV II (8x8) and Bison APC (8x8 with specialised variants) with acquisition of up to 150 similar units planned from 2002, although integral armoured fire-support capability for the RDF is not planned as sources confirm there is no requirement for 120 mm mortar, 105 mm assault gun or 155 mm SP in the ASLAV project. 7TH Bde will receive most of the Bushmaster Infantry Mobility Vehicles, with a V-shaped hull designed to deflect mine blasts, being acquired from 2001, including variants (command, engineer, mortar, ambulance and direct fire support) which will remain in service until 2016.

Royal Australian Airforce

The RAAF, the most advanced force in the region, has significant long range strike assets by virtue of its F-111s. An example of the US presence in Australia, whereby the ADF obtains valuable surveillance data in return, is the joint defence space communications station at Pine Gap, just one of a number of joint facilities. In the 2004/05 time frame seven AEW&C aircraft (improved Boeing 737700) equipped with the advanced MESA radar (three Multi-role Electronically Scanned Arrays with 360 degree coverage and IFF capability) will enter service at RAAF base Williamtown NSW, with two permanently deployed at RAAF base Tindal near Darwin, to provide enhanced surveillance over the air and maritime approaches with the ability to co-ordinate and control ADF units. In a move that reflects the increasing trend towards concentrating on core capabilities the maintenance of the AEW&C fleet, along with the RAAFs Hercules fleet (major maintenance only), will be outsourced to airlines. AEW&C aircraft will complement the Jindalee Operational Radar Network (JORN), which has taken over 30 years to complete, should be fully operational by end 2001. It is designed as a tripwire to monitor air and sea movements off Australias northern and western approaches ,without the high cost of constant air and maritime patrols. The RAAFs Hornet phased UpGrade (HUG) progr amme, similar to the Canadian CF-18 IMP, seeks to upgrade the Hornets to late F/A-18C/D model standards and will enable the m to remain in service until at least 2015. Advanced weapons such as the AIM-132 ASRAAM and AIM-120 AMRAAM will enter service from 2001 so that the Hornet can maintain a qualitative edge as increasing numbers of highly capable late-generation combat aircraft such a s the SU-27/30 are entering service with regional nations, and AGM-142E Have Nap Stand-Off weapons are also being acquired for the F-111Cs. Unfortunately, the RAAF, as of April, only had 40 operational pilots for its 71 Hornets.

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RAAF C130 Hercules takes-off from Komoro Airfield, near Dili, on a sortie between the INTERFET Command and Darwin. At the height of the operation, the airfield saw upwards of 300 aircraft movements each day.

Besides Williamtown, an F/A-18 squadron is forward deployed at RAAF Tindal which became operational in 1989 and is today Australias main logistics airbase in the north. Tindal provides support to three bare bases, similar to those in northern Canada, on the northern coast to augment northern approaches defence in a crisis. By mid2000 some seven Hawk lead-in fighter trainers, out of 33 on order with a cockpit environment similar to the F/A-18 to minimise conversion training, were expected to have entered service to replace ageing Macchis. Australias F-111 Aardvark strike fighters are planned to serve until at least 2020. The RAAF is reviewing its surplus spares and the concept of an attrition reser ve fro m USAF boneyards. The F-111Cs (and RF-111Cs) have completed an extensive digital Avionics Upgrade Program (AUP), including secure communications and new AP-102 mission computers with a preprogr ammable mis sion data cartridge allowing pilots to just pop in fully planned missions before flight. Additionally, the F-111Cs are fitted with Pave
Supplier, FSGT Ray Loxley, Marshalls a RAAF C130 Hercules at Komoro Airfield near Dili.

Tack targeting pods in the seldom used internal weapons bay (where the RF-111C sensor pack is located) allowing carriage of a wide range of laser and TV-guided weapons, unlike the ex-USAF F-111Gs, as they lack provision for Pave Tack a nd their miss ion c omputer is the AYK-18, locally fitted with the same digital fly-by-wire flight system as with the F-111C(AUP). The land based maritime patrol P-3Cs are having their avionics and acoustics systems upgraded to AP-3C Sea Sentinel standard, similar to the

Canadian Aurora IMP, while three TAP-3 Orions (ex-US -3Bs modified for passenger/cargo tasking), plus one for spare parts, were acquired for training and to extend the life of the P-3C fleet until 2015. The RAAFs airlift fleet has stepped into the glass cockpit era with the introduction of twelve stretched C130J-30 (that allows carriage of two additional cargo pallets within overall weight restrictions as opposed to the regular 130J) that confer a vast improvement over the C-130Hs that are rapidly approaching their 2008 in-service horizon. Additionally, a program to equip all RAN and Army aircraft with GPS is well advanced. The long-running light tactical airlift program to replace the Canadian DHC-4 Caribou, which can operate from rudimentary airstrips on Pacific islands, is in jeopardy as the competitors did not meet all requirements and the RAAF has been so pleased with recent Caribou performance in East Timor that it may now just overhaul the fleet. b

Mark Romanow is an independent Defence/Geopolitical Analyst, based in Edmonton. He can be reached at: defencegeopol@sprint.ca

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