Australian Army Discussions and Updates

StevoJH

The Bunker Group
There's enough example of Russian tanks with counter drone technology being hit by drones because the jamming system did not work if Thales is confident fit them to some of those over in Ukraine
So that the Russians can develop a counter measure, rendering it obsolete or obsolescent?

Keeping in mind that any counter measure will likely be shared or sold to China, North Korea and Iran at some point.
 

Stampede

Well-Known Member
Why would we?

Look at the shelf life of these Ukrainian examples? Drones from two years ago are obsolete, replaced by better/faster/more resilient models. Gosh - just compare a DJI Mavic now to 2022. The life cycle of a drone is small that fleets (unless they are being chewed up through war) quickly go out of date. And remember, assume $3k per drone and a fleet of 10 000 (which is much lower than what Ukraine or Russia are running) and that's $30 m. Bumping up numbers of either could push that to over $1 b for a wartime fleet. Rotating every 2 - 3 years is going to chew up money quickly, especially as noting they don't replace any of our capabilities, just enhance, so we have to keep the rest of the ADF going.

Better to have just enough to train up users, commanders and counter-users to keep them familiar enough as tech changes, and then a mobilisation plan that can pump out what we want/need when we have to.
It would be interesting to know what % of the current Ukrainian and Russian Army is devoted to drone warfare.
Offensively - operators and their logistic support plus training
Defensively- operators and the equipment needed plus logistic support and training.
Only a couple of decades ago it would have been a tiny % of human capital and coin.
Today a very different situation.

This question I’d also ask of the Australian Army.
What % is devoted to drone / unmanned warfare.

Don’t expect a concise answer in a public forum but resent global hostilities do highlight the rapid growth of the unmanned space.

Cheers S
 

old faithful

The Bunker Group
Verified Defense Pro
The Australian Army Himars Regiment is going to be quite large.
Each battery will have 12 Himars launchers.That is twice as many launchers per battery as a U.S. Marine Corps Himars battery.
So presuming there are three batteries in the regiment that is 36 Launchers in the regiment.
How many rounds did we order again?
How long before we will manufacture our own ammunition for these, and how many rounds will that factory be able to make a month?
 

Reptilia

Well-Known Member
How many rounds did we order again?
How long before we will manufacture our own ammunition for these, and how many rounds will that factory be able to make a month?
GMLRS
Purchased 300 rounds + 54(GMLRS-AW)
Beginning small batch manufacturing/assembly 2025.
Up to 4,000 a year from 2029.

Standard crawl, walk, run -starting with gmlrs.
 
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old faithful

The Bunker Group
Verified Defense Pro
4000 a year is not running. Maybe a casual jog.
That's 95 rounds per unit per month at 4000 a year, which will take several years to achieve.
Until then...crawl, crawl crawl, walk, stumble walk...
The 155mm factory will be able to produce 15000 per year, and then be capable of ramping it up if needed.
HIMARs is a great capability, but we will still need the 155s, and I wonder if the 30 Huntsman that we're cancelled will be revived?
I would really hope to see another lot of Huntsman, even another 12 units would be meaningful.
The ARES really needs a total re org, I have not seen any interest in the Reserve at all, I am hoping that some plans are there in the background.
 

Reptilia

Well-Known Member
4000 a year is not running. Maybe a casual jog.
That's 95 rounds per unit per month at 4000 a year, which will take several years to achieve.
Until then...crawl, crawl crawl, walk, stumble walk...
The 155mm factory will be able to produce 15000 per year, and then be capable of ramping it up if needed.
HIMARs is a great capability, but we will still need the 155s, and I wonder if the 30 Huntsman that we're cancelled will be revived?
I would really hope to see another lot of Huntsman, even another 12 units would be meaningful.
The ARES really needs a total re org, I have not seen any interest in the Reserve at all, I am hoping that some plans are there in the background.
15,000 by 2028, up to 100,000 per year in the future. That’s up to 200,000 per year between Benalla and Maryborough.
The 2nd batch of AS9(5 crew) is unlikely, they have the A2(3 crew + auto loader) available now and are currently developing the unmanned (A3) variant for entry in the 2030s.

Production
2025-2027 > 30 AS9 + 15 AS10
2027-2029 > 129 AS21
2030 > ?

I think we will see more Redbacks followed by K9A3s, just my prediction.

GMLRS for now but maybe Prsm down the track.
 

seaspear

Well-Known Member
Is it practical to fit the "Iron Fist" self defence to the AS9 Howitzers I understand they are being attached to the Boxers and would provide a similar anti drone protection ?
 

MARKMILES77

Well-Known Member
15,000 by 2028, up to 100,000 per year in the future. That’s up to 200,000 per year between Benalla and Maryborough.
The 2nd batch of AS9(5 crew) is unlikely, they have the A2(3 crew + auto loader) available now and are currently developing the unmanned (A3) variant for entry in the 2030s.

Production
2025-2027 > 30 AS9 + 15 AS10
2027-2029 > 129 AS21
2030 > ?

I think we will see more Redbacks followed by K9A3s, just my prediction.

GMLRS for now but maybe Prsm down the track.
First Precision Strike Missiles for the Australian Army will arrive before the end of the year.
Not sure how many but they will be in Australia in 2025.
 

Stampede

Well-Known Member

SammyC

Well-Known Member
Typhon unit coming to Talisman Sabre to fire SM6. Wonder if it’s a sales pitch.

I do like the Typhon, however I get confused how it would fit with our requirements. It's not exactly "all terrain", so limited places that it could be sent, and it uses two of the lowest produced and most expensive missile types.

While we are getting the block V Tomahawk with the maritime strike capability, it's a flying bus and I would think vulnerable to most ship air defence systems. So it's an expensive and unreliable anti ship capability, albeit with long range. I would have thought our limited cash is better spent on the NSM/PrSM systems for this purpose.

SM6 on the other hand is a good long range anti missile system, and could provide the much needed outer layer for a NASAMS battery. I would have thought however that cheaper systems such as Davids Sling/Skyceptor would be more integratable with NASAMS and cheaper.
 

MARKMILES77

Well-Known Member
Typhon unit coming to Talisman Sabre to fire SM6. Wonder if it’s a sales pitch.

Definitely a sales pitch. LM confirm they are providing information to Australia about containerised launchers. Likely both Mk 70 for Navy use and Typhoon for Army. Would give Army and any ship in the Navy, which has a deck which can support the container, a capability to fire SM6, Tomahawk, Patriot and probably Quad packed ESSMs. Theoretically, a single Mk 70 on the deck of an Arafura would give it the capability to carry 16 ESSMs.

 

Volkodav

The Bunker Group
Verified Defense Pro
Good to see we are looking at Typhon.



That's they way to go, instead of bespoke capabilities we need to be getting as many systems agnostic effectors as we can.



BAEs adaptable deck launching system is a similar capability that may be a superior option for the RAN in regard to weight, complexity and durability.



The land based Typhon could potentially be operated from the decks of the Canberra's and Choules, maybe even the new LMV-H.
 
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