Defence

Defence Science and Technology Organisation

Supporting the Navy - a priority for DSTO

By Dr Darren Sutton, Scientific Adviser Navy

The application of Science and Technology in support of the Royal Australian Navy has a long and distinguished history, starting with the establishment of the Royal Australian Navy Experimental Laboratory in 1956. Subsequently renamed the RAN Research Laboratory in 1969, this single service research capability was ultimately amalgamated with equivalent single service and other Defence research capabilities to form the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) in 1974. Over the intervening period significant technological advances and contributions to operational capability were accrued.

Support for the Capability Life Cycle

In the last thirty years the nature of support that DSTO has provided to forces operating in the Maritime environment has evolved and now extends to all phases of the Capability Life Cycle.

Needs Phase

Through its participation in the Navy's Headmark, and other single service and Joint experiments, DSTO contributes to the development and assessment of future concepts and the likely operational impact of emerging technologies. In pursuing these activities DSTO works closely with Navy Headquarters staff, as well as development personnel from the Force Element Groups (FEGs) under the Maritime Commander.

Requirements Phase

In working with Capability Development Group staff in the Requirements Phase, DSTO undertakes detailed analysis of capability requirements and more recently, since the Defence Procurement Review, has conducted technology readiness evaluations and technical risk assessments in support of the preparation of capability development documentation.

Acquisition Phase

While arrangements for the provision of DSTO's support of the Acquisition Phase will change with the Defence Materiel Organisation's recent move to prescribed agency status, given the breadth of support historically provided, the scope is unlikely to change markedly in the future. DSTO has fulfilled a variety of roles during capability acquisition from the provision of 'smart buyer' advice and niche technologies to the fulfilment of formal technical authority responsibilities.

In-Service

The In-Service Phase provides the most diverse and challenging environment for DSTO's contribution to Maritime capability. Activities including analysis of capability deficiencies and the redress of technical problems from catastrophic failures through to incremental enhancements to capabilities and direct support for operations - often with very short turn around times - really drive the researcher in the lab, and provide significant job satisfaction.

Disposal

Not surprisingly, the level of DSTO effort in the Disposal Phase is relatively minor. However, on those rare occasions when a major disposal event - such as a SINKEX - occurs, DSTO maximises the scientific value of the activity by gathering data on issues such as weapons effectiveness, platform vulnerability and the spread of fire as a result of damage.

Long Range Research

Finally, DSTO undertakes research of an exploratory nature under its corporate Long Range Research (LRR) program. This 'Blue Sky' research has, as one of its primary goals, the discovery of scientific principles or concepts that might lead to 'leap ahead' technologies and capabilities. Contemporary capabilities - including the over the horizon tracking capability of the Jindalee Operational Radar Network (JORN), the rapid oceanographic survey capabilities provided by Laser Airborne Depth Sounding (LADS) and the increased survivability against anti ship missiles afforded by the NULKA Active Missile Decoy system - all had their genesis in the contemporary equivalent of the LRR program.

Strategic Priorities

Across the Maritime program, DSTO focuses on the Strategic S&T Priorities articulated by the Navy Science Committee, the first two of which are to maximise Navy's operational effectiveness and warfighting capability, and to reduce Navy's cost of ownership.

Examples of DSTO Support to the Development of Maritime Capability

Having outlined some of the ways in which DSTO support contributes to the development of maritime capability the remainder of this article will present two, deliberately diverse, examples of that contribution.

Example 1 - Network Enabled Undersea Warfare

NEUW CTD Team, including US TTCP participants, aboard HMAS ARUNTA. DFAD container visible to left behind towed array deployment system.

Staff from DSTO's Maritime Operations Division recently executed a complex series of undersea sensor data collection tests in the Indian Ocean off Perth, as part of DSTO's contribution to Project SEA 1656, the Network Enabled Undersea Warfare Capability Technology Demonstrator (NEUW CTD). The trial also included a Combined Multi-static Active Sonar Technology activity conducted under The Technical Cooperation Program (TTCP ¹) and involving three US personnel. The main objective of the CTD was to demonstrate the ability of multiple, networked, undersea sensors to improve Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Anti-Surface Warfare (ASuW) and Torpedo Defence capabilities, with the goal of addressing the Australian Defence Force's lack of a Force Level ASW capability.

For the trial, the containerised Deployable Force ASW Demonstrator (DFAD) - which includes a passive towed array and a sonobuoy receiver system - was installed on the flight deck of HMAS ARUNTA. A Spherion Hull Mounted Sonar (HMS) broadband recording system was also installed on HMAS ARUNTA. The HMS and DFAD sensor systems were networked together with all sensor displays available in the DFAD container. A Deployable Remote Monitoring Array (DRMA) was also deployed on the sea bottom near the trial site with the array data sent via satellite to a remote monitoring station at DSTO Stirling. The main target during the trial was a Collins Class submarine.

Excellent cooperation between DSTO, Maritime Ranges Systems Program Office (SPO), ANZAC SPO, TENIX, HMAS STIRLING and HMAS ARUNTA, enabled more than 20 tonnes of equipment comprising the DFAD to be installed on HMAS ARUNTA and tested within 24 hours. Once at sea mono static active sonar, multi static active and passive ASW, and passive Torpedo Defence/Force Protection runs were conducted with over 30 hours of concurrent, multiple sensor data being recorded.

Initial analysis of the data has shown that:

• networking of multiple undersea sensors can be achieved to improve the ASW detection and tracking, Force Protection and Torpedo Defence capabilities;
• the provision of real time sonar performance predictions, bathymetry plots and combat system surface tracks to an operator, significantly improves their situational awareness; and
• evolving technology facilitates the rapid insertion of system upgrades and the effective evaluation of multiple sensor system performance via in-lab replays.

Example 2 - Military Capability Costing Tools

The formation of Navy Systems Command (NAVSYSCOM) in March 2000 was intended to provide a systems approach to managing 'whole-of-Navy' issues, with a key goal being the provision of standardised assistance and support to the Royal Australian Navy's seven Force Element Groups (FEGs). The development of capability costing tools is seen as one activity in furthering that objective.

NAVSYSCOM invited DSTO to participate in the FEG Management Model Study and subsequently to take on the role of developing the required capability costing tools. Both 'off-the-shelf' solutions and external consultants were considered before Navy decided to engage DSTO. The decision to work with DSTO was made for several reasons including domain knowledge, continuity of effort and visibility of 'whole-of-Defence' considerations.

Capability Costing Tools are software that assist managers in analytical decision making based on objective data, particularly in the area of 'what-if' analysis. Such analysis has been used in military decision-making but not as consistently or accurately for business-related decision making. Using capability costing tools decision-makers can investigate various scenarios made up of discrete combinations of variables representing possible choices.

Since 2000, DSTO has worked with Navy to identify what they require their capability costing tools to do - that is what their business processes are and how they should be supported. As a consequence the tools being developed under this program are:

• a Simple Cost Estimator in line with the Defence Output Attribution and Reporting Framework;
• a Planner / Scheduler for large scale FEG activities (e.g. exercises and trials), with cost and cash flow projections;
• a Strategic Planning and reporting tool based on a modified Boston Consulting Group Growth-Share matrix and portfolio approach to reflect FEG sub-output capability and funding; and
• a Return to Capability Estimator to project the time and resource implications of returning a naval vessel to a defined level of capability following an issue, and estimation of Reconstitution following a deployment.

The first two of these, called FORCE (FEG Output Resource Cost Estimator) and CAPS (Capability Activity Pricing Scheduler), have been developed to prototype stage and are being used and evaluated by Navy, while work continues on the development of the other two.

The benefits to Navy of implementing capability costing tools will include reduced duplication of FEG management and reporting processes, better decision making and better capture of information required to make decisions.

Conclusion

As can be seen from these examples DSTO's support for Maritime capability extends from high technology, sea trials, to business process focussed elements. These examples are also well aligned with the RAN's Strategic S&T Priorities.

1. TTCP - The overarching defence science information exchange and collaboration activity between Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

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