Changing Enviroments, Changing Threats, Changing Strategies Armoured Land Vehicles and Turkey
We have just turned the corner of the first decade of 21st century. Several political, social and economic events have occurred duringthis period. Also, increasing threats to security environment have been observed in this decade. Armed conflicts, terrorist incidents, piracy, reformist protests were and are still being encounteredon a daily basis. While political structure become as diversified, threats to security of sovereign nations and ethnic based focuses on land gains are made up asymmetrical conflicts which involves ideological terrorism. The asymmetric conflicts are largely based on ambiguity of the globalization and technical/economical unbalances, which started with the removal of borders and absence of counter balancing forces by the end of the cold war. As a result of the asymmetric conflicts, battlefields startedto have different dimensions and turned into complex synthetic environments.
Today, military battlefield is defined as multi-dimensional, more complex, more dynamic and ambiguous. Military tactical area is more complex as a result of changing power balances. Threats are changing and increasing day by day. In the past, conventional weapons and armoured vehicles were used in the battlefield, but today, terrorist identity has taken its place. Asymmetric warfare techniques are mostly used by terrorist groups against regular armies, especially in the irregular geographic areas and urban sites. In today’s world, terrorists use new technologies and that’s why new technological defence systems are required forpeace keeping.
There are instable, hot regional spots of the world: Middle East, Southern and Central Asia, Southern America, North Africa. It is reported that lots of major armed conflicts were active in mentioned regions. Syria, Egypt, Korea, Israel, Iran, Iraq, India, Pakistan, Libya, Sudan, China, Russia, Ethiopia, Venezuela, Thailand are some of these major countries. Also terrorism is an important problem in some regions. Unfortunately our country is amongst these regions. The Arab revolution, also known as the "Arab Spring" is one of the driving important hot spot problems of the world. Arab Spring and its effects are still continuing.
Also, some countries play an important role to sustain the peace and balance of the regions. Turkey, in Middle East, Central Asia and also North Africa, is one of these countries. However the level of threats against this kind of countries is very high and they have internal terror problems. On one handthey are trying to sustain the peace and stability in their regions, on the other hand they are trying to keep their internal stability in balance.
Military specialists emphasize the 5th generation war of the future. In the future, the ambiguity will increase and most probably we will live in the more chaotic environment.
More technological, unmanned, centrally operated defence systems will be designed for the future. New technologies such as biotechnology and nanotechnology will take place in the 5th generation wars. The symptoms of biological war became apparent. Increase in chemical and biological threat areashighlighted the importance of controlled studies and regime control parameters on these items since the terroristsare interestedin using these agents. Generic combination of CBRN infected environments require is a big threat upon civilian & military persons for their survival.Also cyber wars, cyber attacks on Estonia and Russian-Georgian Cyber wars have occurred in the past. These are the indications of change of the actors and battlefields. In the next term, beside the conflicts, individual or organized physical and cyber-attacks can be conducted oncritical information infrastructures.
It is obvious that the transition process is on-goingtoday. The risk of conflicts among the developed countries is very low however it does not mean that the conflicts should not be realized. Political and economic balance of the world is changing day by day, new relationships and agreements are considered between nations. If the power balance changes significantly onbehalf of one party, unwelcomed domination event can happen. Also potential risks of asymmetric threats around the world are being maintained by ethnic, religious states or non-state adversaries. Besides, the internal conflicts should be considered as a particular problem which long lasts and difficult to terminate. Thus, the states place great importance to keep their defence power at the maximum level while the studies on the new military concepts and technologies against changing threats increase.
The transition process can be defined among new threats and conventional wars. During this transition term, new platforms and systems are taking their places in armies and/or security agencies. Changing threats and operational requirements of this term define the technical specifications of armoured vehicles. However, due to the financial crisis, the procurement budgets are tight and that’s why modernization of conventional systems seem keeping their importance as well. For this reason,,the modernization programs are carried out and upgraded platforms are presented to users.
Changing Enviroments-Changing Threats-Changing Strategies
Terror keeps its place over the world as asymmetric war besides international conflicts. Thus threats against armoured vehicles are changing according to regions. Suicide bombers, snipers, KE ammunitions are most known terrorist threats. But as mentioned above, threats are changing with the changing world. Especially, around our region mines and improvised explosive devices are the biggest threats. Anti-tank rockets, anti-tank guided missiles are used by terrorist groups as major threats. Also, mortars and short ranges ballistic missiles are used in some conflict regions.
Change of threats affects the national and international security strategies and strategies are being changed accordingly. Without strategy, technical solution is nothing. Thus,the requirements of armoured vehicles are changing. But suchchange is not only related with the vehicle specifications, change of infrastructure is another important requirement. Today, the improved protection, mobility and compatibility with other systems are some attributes to improve the fighting ability of armies and security capability of security agencies. Compatibility, in the scope of network centric operations requires improved network infrastructure to enable effective command control capability.
It is obvious that new strategies and technical solutions are required against recent threats. Active/passive armour systems are important to improve protection capability. Protection level should be optimized with mobility according to operational requirements. Protection requirements for internal security are not at the same level with the combat vehicles. But in some cases, upgraded protection level, which includes additional or slat armour solution, is required by security departments to meet new operational requirements. Also protection is required against improvised explosive devices. Actually armoured protection is not enough by itself. That’s why protection can be redefined as survivability. Enhanced situational awareness, electronic devices, fire/explosion detection/suppression systems, electronic and electro-optical countermeasure systems, sensors, signature management techniques are included in survivability.
Mobility is another key attribute. High mobility wheeled platforms are used for the purpose of security. It is related with the weight so protection has a significant effect on the mobility. Protection affects the speed and cross-country mobility. Proper power systems, suspension systems, wheels etc. should be chosen for the operational mobility. Also there are other parameters like cursing range, pay load capability, deployment in the scope of mobility. Of course mobility characteristics are important for the firing capability. Mobility can be enhanced by changing the suspension system to provide not only better ride but also more stable gun platform. Fire power or lethality is the third key attribute especially for the combat vehicles. For internal security, light weapon stations are required but for heavy armoured vehicles heavy weapons are important for fire power. Remote controlled weapons are important to enable personnel protection.Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) is an indispensable requirement of new armoured vehicles to provide shared awareness to increase operational effectiveness on networked communications technology. It provides superior decision making and coordination of complex operations over long distances if suitable network infrastructure exists.
Reduced logistic budgets and life cycle costs are important. That’s why cost effective solutions, reduced system acquisition, sustained costs become as decisive for the procurement of armoured vehicles. Change of threat will continue and lightweight, hybrid vehicles will be potential solutions in the future, unmanned vehicles will be used for critical operations and to sustain security.
Armored Vehicles And Turkey
The technological statusof land vehicles is summarized above.
There are two main envisages/sights for Turkey; Turkey should be powerful to keep its role to sustain the peace and balance in the region as well as keep internal security. It means,making investmentswill be a need to sustain existing military and security capabilities. It requires new political and operational strategies and procurement of new systems. The UndersecretariatforDefence Industries (SSM)is the procurement agency for Turkish Armed Forces (TAF). SSM is authorized to perform some procurement for Turkish National Police (TNP) too. SSM has evaluated its responsibilities and established industrialization and procurement policy for the Turkishdefence industry.
These can be highlighted as; client-specific solution generation, development of product portfolio, international cooperation, R&D activities, sub-industry involvement, capability integration, focusing to basic scope, institutional productivity and professional human resource. Companies in this sector in one hand must consider expanding to overseas in their strategic plans while keeping their struggle on satisfying requirements of TAF.
Apparently, sectorial endeavour needs taking a step for making concerted efforts and joint actions regarding developing and conducting new technologies, specialization in certain domains and developingnew projects. To this end, active participation of user representatives from both TAF and TNP especially during design activities while SSMis conducting planned programs, will enhance the studies and value the fruitfulness of these struggles.The technology development data bank that Universities accumulated and mastered is needed to be considered during the studies.
There are responsibilities for industry and other official agencies. SSM policy needs to be supported by both official agencies and industry. Especially procurement of vehicles, technological and critical systems for Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Internal Affairs, out of supplies, should be performed by SSM.
Turkish companies such as NurolMakinaveSanayi (NMS), FNSS and others have capabilities to design, produce and test different kinds of land vehicles according to different requirements. That’s why the technical and operational solutions should be created together with Turkish companies for the procurement programs. Requirements should be shared in a timely mannerin order to have enough breath to surviveindesigning and producing the system.
We cannot reckon without allies that we are in and global developments while under-lining new strategies for future considerations. Turkey has itsown systems being added / planned to be addedin itsdefence inventory. Ithas choice-worthy appreciation for former endeavours and driven methods regarding these systems for analysing and making right decisions. Turkish Defence Industry, one example of which is NMS has very valuable accumulation on this regard. It is possible to design and take into inventory new systems as per our own strategies.Regarding geographical situation of our country and regional developments, it is also possible to support our policies with our individual designs. Looking from this perspective, it is to be considered to includegenuine armoured vehicles and in the near future unmanned vehicles inTAF and TNP inventory. Regarding "Network Centric Operations",armoured vehicles that can be integrated to this network areconsidered to take place as well. In this context, within a transition process to be generated, a new type of vehicle family must be identified that manned/unmanned armoured and support vehicles take part in. In order to meet this requirement, under the lead of a primecontractor, a program to include all companies taking part in land vehicle sector can be planned and achieved.
Each individual and enterprise in this sector need to be aware of its own responsibilities and conduct good service in order to carry our country forward in the world and to be a more powerful country. Remembering the word "unity is strength", all intuitions, establishments and enterprises in this sector need to make great efforts for the elimination offoreign dependency and satisfaction of the requirements of TAF, which is one of most leading armies of the world in terms of developing national defence industry.
In modern Army Forces, the programs regarding land combat vehicles have been maintained. Taking into account the programs being driven in our country, the disposition and preparations towards future concerns have been obviously planned.This can be speculated as Transition Period. Transition Period makes it necessary to conduct new concepts, place new systems to inventory, integrate some of old systems by modernizing with new ones while old ones removed, provide interoperability, train personnel due to new system requirements etc.
The subjects need to be taken into accountemerge during this Transition Period. One of the most prominent topics is the planning of how current systems and the systems that procurement processes are still on the way be integrated with the concepts and systems that TAF will require in the future. There emerges a detailed planning requirement between today and the date that new generation land combat vehicles planned to be taken into inventory in the future.The question "what kind of policy will be followed till the procurement time of future new generation combat systems" is highly noticeable and important for SSM,the procurement authority, and all intuitions, establishments and enterprises in this sector, as well as TAF. On this account, technical and operational specifications of vehicles anticipated to be in inventory in the future need to be identified today.
In this process the studies covering minimal requirements regarding the left service life of vehicles in TAF/TNP inventory need to be put forth. Interoperability, compatibility, and system integration requirements between new systems and old ones being taken out of inventory is to be considered as well.
Turkish Army is one of the biggest armies of the world; also Turkish Police has important experience and capability. Vehicles and systems used by TAF and TNP have substantialreference for the world market. This advantage highly deserves consideration and must be evaluated.
When looked at armoured vehicle sector and relevant world market, it is obviously seen generic high volume potential for our country. This potential must be evaluated together with companies, R&D organizationsand governmental institutions.NMS in each step itmakes, targets adding value to our country. NMS anticipates this target to be shared by other companies and also desiresto exhibit a powerful picture for constructive competition in global markets for a better and wealth future.
The most relevant and important issue that we need not to forget is, each step being made forward in defence industry will be a milestone in the future of our country. The stronger we set the bricks, the safer we may look forward to future horizons.
