CDE hosts a visit for potential suppliers at a STANTA FOB

CDE hosts a visit for potential suppliers at
a STANTA FOB

Forward Operating Base – Powering the future

Capability Vision looks to replace fossil fuels

The Forward Operating Base (FOB) is a haven from the stress and strains of battle, providing respite from the heat of the elements and the demands of theatre. It is here that troops live, rest and prepare themselves and their equipment without the need to leave the battlefield. MOD Centre for Defence Enterprise (CDE) invited a number of suppliers, scientists and engineers to visit Stanford Training Area (STANTA) in Norfolk to investigate how electric power is supplied, managed and used in a FOB.

The lush countryside and the tranquillity of a warm spring day in rural Norfolk offer little preparation for the reality of life on the front line. But, the STANTA FOB effectively replicates the facilities and situations that troops face on operations in Afghanistan and has transformed how Armed Forces train for operations in different environments.

With the opportunity to replicate as closely as possible situations which troops could face on operations in Afghanistan, the facilities consist of a group of brick built structures and a helicopter landing area surrounded by Hesco Bastion perimeter fencing which is an easily assembled modular, prefabricated, multi-cellular system, made of Galfan coated steel welded mesh and lined with non-woven polypropylene geotextile. This provides a realistic environment in which to train troops and familiarise them with conditions they may experience in operation.

FOBs provide all the facilities needed to sustain troops in the field for months at a time including accommodation, communications. They are often located in remote, hostile areas and can only be reached by air or heavily protected convoys carrying essential supplies such as food, ammunition and fuel.

Power supply is essential to the effective running of a FOB and is currently provided through diesel generators that have to be regularly supplied with fuel. Any disruption from hostile action, deliberate denial or conflict over supply or from sustained increase in cost could have a wide impact on operations.

A challenge has been issued to industry and academia as part of the MOD Capability Vision, ‘Reducing Operational Dependency on Fossil Fuels’ for ideas to create a ‘self sustaining’ FOB – through reduction in demand, better power management and provision of alternative sources of energy.

Power is required immediately upon deployment as it is vital for communications and weapons and sensor management. It must also be uninterruptible and delivered as soon as the base is set up. Diesel generators also provide the power for the field kitchen, medical facilities, air conditioning, battery chargers and all other electrical needs.

A reduction in fuel needs through better management, more efficient use or providing alternative power generation will help reduce the need for dangerous supply convoys which place great demands on the operational logistic chain.

Additionally although FOBs only account for 3% of the fuel usage in Afghanistan, they account for 25% of total fuel costs when delivery and force protection is taken into account. A reduction in the demand for fossil fuel would constitute significant savings on fuel costs.

The military environment is harsh and any new equipment needs to withstand extremes of temperature, humidity, altitude and dirty, dusty environments. It needs to be able to tolerate shock and vibration in transit and the weight of the equipment taken into account. Minimising the human cost is also essential.

The opportunity to develop solutions and submit proposals through the CDE portal is open to anyone who has an innovative idea that could have significant impact on operational capability. The Self Sustaining Forward Operating Base is looking for ‘High Risk – Quick Win’ solutions, and MOD will facilitate a concept demonstration of ideas next year to examine solutions that could go on to meet the power requirements of a FOB.

www.science.mod.uk/enterprise

Innovative proposals

MOD is looking for innovative proposals in four specific areas:

  • Replacement of fossil fuel (diesel) powered generators
  • Reduction in the need for power
  • Remote sensors
  • In-situ fuel generation

Middle Eastern facilities transform training

A brand new £14 million training area was recently opened at Stanford Training Area (STANTA) in Norfolk providing troops deploying to Afghanistan with the most advanced and relevant training facilities in the UK.

The facilities consist of a Rural Middle Eastern Village and an Urban Middle Eastern Complex designed by the Operational Training Advisory Group (OPTAG) to replicate situations which troops could face on operations in Afghanistan and South Asia.

With the help of Afghan nationals and others who take on the role of insurgents in these training areas, OPTAG can replicate sights, sounds and smells of South Asia – from the call to prayer heard across a busy market place, a bustling family home, to a network of claustrophobic alleyways with high walls. The areas provide a complex and realistic way to train troops and test their skills under demanding conditions.

The STANTA training area is used 350 days each year and on average 80,000 troops use the area annually.

The present training area comprises 17,346 acres (7,020 hectares) of freehold acquired by the War Department after the Second World War, and a further 3,200 acres (1,295 hectares), formerly parts of the Clermont and Hilborough Estates, which were acquired in 1987 along with the RAF airfields at Watton and Sculthorpe. This adds up to a total of 22,386 acres (9,060 hectares) of freehold with a further 5,215 acres (2,111 hectares) leased or licensed for Army training use. The whole is some 43 square miles (124 square kilometres) and represents over two per cent of the county of Norfolk.

Capability Visions

The Capability Visions programme seeks to identify innovative solutions to address long term defence challenges. They are intended to promote a longer term perspective, to stimulate new activity in the wider R&D community and to act as a guide for industry-funded research and for suppliers to seek new applications for existing technologies.

Working alongside the mainstream research programme, they add a further dimension in the drive to get the best innovation from the UK science and technology community in order to deliver a major step change in key military capabilities.

www.science.mod.uk

Reducing Operational Dependency on Fossil Fuels

This CV aims to establish the options for energy supply for future forces and operations by investigating the impact of, and the opportunity to exploit alternative energy sources and technologies that are under development in the civilian market.

The challenge is to:

  • understand the potential of alternative energy sources and technologies developed in the civilian market to meet future defence needs;
  • understand the potential of alternative systems designs and usage in reducing energy demands;
  • enable the exploitation of alternative energy sources and new approaches to power management in military systems;
  • understand current and projected fuel usage and energy needs in defence compared with likely supply issues; and
  • establish the scope for reducing fuel usage through innovative approaches to mission management, training and infrastructure development.

British Antarctic Survey

Bas field camp

The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is one of the world’s leading environmental research centres and is responsible for the UK’s national scientific activities in Antarctica. The call to reduce dependency on fossil fuels is relevant to their work in Antarctica and the need for more renewable sources.

Currently, almost all their activities use fossil fuels as their main source of energy; from heating and lighting Antarctic stations to powering ships, aircraft, electricity generators and scientific equipment For BAS, wind power and solar power are the most obvious alternatives except that during the Austral Winter there may not be enough light to generate sufficient power and in the summer (when the power demands are at their greatest due to the number of visiting scientists), the energy sources need to be able to produce continually.

BAS has similar challenges to MOD in supplying and maintaining power in remote locations and is collaborating in their call to reduce dependency on fossil fuels. They have participated in recent Centre for Defence Enterprise presentations to inform industry of their work and requirements and also displayed some of their current equipment during the STANTA Forward Operating Base visit. BAS will be involved in assessing and funding suitable proposals that may help their work.

www.antarctica.ac.uk