PARADIGM SHIFT IN MARITIME WARFARE

Introduction:

The degree of maritime supremacy where in the opposing force is incapable of effective interference will change with the role of Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAV) as this will become the key component in conflicts. Worldwide there would be many UCAVs customized for maritime applications for naval forces which will add another dimension in determining the outcome of battle amidst challenging technologies. Presently maritime missions with UAV are ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) missions. Developing a stealthy long range drone with a weapon payload that could go beyond and survive against the modern air defence is a challenge. UCAVs would show promise in achieving these missions.

Navies of the world have decided to go for an Unmanned Carrier Launch and Surveillance & Strike (UCLASS) system. The UCLASS is being designed to provide Navy carriers with long range surveillance and strike capabilities to target terrorists (Anti Piracy). UCAVs would be capable of rapid deployment from carriers which could stay out of the range of threats. A persistent surveillance capability that could also strike vital command & control and air defence sites if required could shift the paradigm of strategies/patterns/theories of Maritime Warfare.

UAVs Maritime Missions:

In present day scenario Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), are offering comprehensive maritime solution, which complies with every country's operational needs. There is a need to positively and unambiguously identify, in time, threats that originate in the maritime arena and prevent hostile and illegal activities in its territorial water or against areas within its range. Such activities may include illegal fishery, piracy, terror activities and any other activity aimed against the country's sovereignty. These threats can be small or large targets with various radar cross sections and thus require means with pin-point detection and identification capabilities.

The maritime UAV systems are providing Over The Horizon Targeting (OTHT) in security, paramilitary and wartime missions. The maritime UAVs are being employed for real time battle damage assessment. During peace time the maritime UAV system prevents the penetration of any sea borne hostile intruder, protects the country's rights and interests in the Economic Exclusive Zone (EEZ) and supports in Search and Rescue operations. In war time the maritime UAV system achieves naval superiority, assists in destruction of enemy naval forces and defends the coast lines and support ground operations (littoral warfare). UAV systems are capable of carrying multiple payloads and sensors simultaneously and provide a array of intelligence gathering capabilities from target detection to its positive identification.

UAVs with maritime capabilities enable total mission control on both from land based or sea based. The control of UAV can be transferred from land to sea and vice versa in real-time. With SATCOM controlled UAVs the scanning area and time over target is increased thus enhancing its mission flexibility. UAV with SATCOM control can play the role of a force multiplier to various vessels in any maritime theater with over the horizon ISR and target designation. Concept of operation with maritime UAV system will be prepared in order to support the navy missions in war and peacetime. The role of the Maritime UAV system is to provide unmanned, long endurance, aerial reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition. In addition, the UAV can create a comprehensive, real time, naval tactical picture for the ship’s commander and naval headquarters. Aircraft equipped with a SATCOM dish can fly to a distance limited only by the fuel quantity carried on board and the SATCOM coverage.

VTOL UAV Systems is based upon a conversion of a commercial helicopter platform into a VTOL UAV. The unmanned Helicopter configuration is available at low price and can utilise existing platforms. The VTOL UAV systems will fulfill the missions of the manned naval helicopter mainly in the Dull Dirty and Dangerous missions.

Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV):

An Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle is a UAV that is armed and has no pilot onboard, commonly known as “Drones”. Drones have changed the nature of modern aerial combat. Controllers of drones are in no immediate danger unlike jet pilots. In UCAV, much of equipment necessary for a human pilot (such as cockpit, ejection seat, flight controls and environmental controls) can be omitted from a UAV resulting in a decrease in weight. This allows greater payload, range and maneuverability.

UCAVs are great force multiplier. In a network centric environment where we have less response time between situational awareness, sensing and destruction, the UCAV will be the most important weapon. UCAVs are capable of undertaking very high risk or typically very high attrition roles in which the use of manned aircraft is regarded to be problematic. Current systems tend to be remotely ‘piloted’ by a ground controller, who is then also responsible for conducting any armed engagements. However, future concepts focus on UCAVs that can operate with higher degrees of autonomy, conducting missions with little controller influence following the input of mission information. The weapons employed from a UCAV are generally conventional air-to-ground guided munitions. In the future, micro-munitions, Directed Energy Weapons and weapons for air-to-air combat could be used from UCAVs.

The vertical take-off and landing capabilities of Camcopter UAV is very suitable for maritime operations. Landing on helicopter deck-equipped ships without requiring launch and recovery equipment will be future of UAV/UCAV. It could either be programmed to fly an autonomous mission profile via a simple point-and-click graphical user interface or controlled manually. The vehicle is capable of carrying variety of payloads depending on the mission. These include day and night thermal cameras (simultaneously), multi-spectral sensors, a synthetic aperture radar, a laser imaging radar and a ground penetrating radar.

Weapons for UAV:

Operational finesse can only be achieved by tuning these machines and equipment for our theater of operations. UCAV’s are the machines of future, thus there is a need to reconfigure our doctrine and war fighting capabilities and see as to how best can these be configured in overall process. UCAV’s should be capable of engaging air to air and air to surface targets. Types of weapons available worldwide that give precision, surprise and lethality are appended below:-

(a) Loitering Missiles - These missiles are capable of achieving pin point accuracy. Loitering missiles are very effective for surgical strikes. They can be pre programmed or controlled from the ground.

(b) Laser Guided bombs - LGB’s require high accuracy and a line of sight between the deployment platform and the target. Greater technological challenges will be to produce the UCAV’s which are stealthy accompanied with high speed so that these UCAV’s can shoot and scoot from the theater of operation.

(c) Air to Air Missiles - LGB’s require high accuracy and a line of sight between the deployment platform and the target. Greater technological challenges will be to produce the UCAV’s which are stealthy accompanied with high speed so that these UCAV’s can shoot and scoot from the theater of operation.

(d) Air to Surface Missiles - Conventional air to ground missiles for ISR UAV’ s will be required for providing greater precision and more localized effects. These will be required for advanced stealthy UCAVs. Air to surface missiles will ensure survivability. Large UCAVs will have an edge over the enemy when fitted with new small agile expendable UCAVs.

(e) Micro Munitions - This class of weapons will be required for smaller UCAV’s which demand for greater stealth and high speed. Micro Munitions will be smaller and lighter than conventional missiles and can also be carried internally improving the stealth characteristics of delivering platforms. These will have application across all types of UCAV’s. The range of these munitions may be limited, reducing their suitability for platforms that stand off from the targets.

Conclusion:

UCAVs will employ a range of new and advanced weapons many of which will depend on overcoming some significant technological challenges. There employability will depend on the size and weight of the weapons. In line with evolving UAV technology, manufacturers continue to design and develop more advanced UAVs with increased payload and performance capabilities. The technology is leap forging worldwide for arming the UAV’s.

UAV technology continues to improve in terms of platforms, flight control systems, autonomy, and sensors. UAVs are proceeding to the next stages of research and development and will integrate with UCAVs on the future battlefield to accomplish such missions as target identification and handoff. UCAVs may operate as armed UAVs for some missions or as UAV protection. Some UAV and UCAV subsystems probably will use synchronous technologies and even interchangeable components.

Evolving concepts of operation call for simultaneous and co-ordinate operation of multiple UAV’s, operated partly autonomously, while mutually supporting each other with ISR and weapons coverage. Such constellations of UAV’s will provide war fighters with rapid response when engaging time critical targets at reduced rate of response between target detection, targeting and engagement. Thus call for a paradigm shift in Maritime Warfare.

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