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OCTOBER 2013 4.20
USAF STRATEGIC BOMBERS
USAF SPECIAL ISSUE
FIGHTER FOCUS: SU-30 SUPER-FLANKER
IRANIAN TOMCATSOLD BUT BOLD
B-1B B-2A B-52H
Vol 14, No 10 | www.combataircraft.netNORTH AMERICAS
BEST-SELLING MILITARY AVIATION MAGAZINE
MARINE CORPS BATTLE HERCULES
USUSUSUSAAAAUSAUSUSAUSUSAUS F F
BBBBOOOOOOMMMBERSBERSBERSBERSBERSBERSBERSBERSBERSSPECISPECISPECISPECISPECISPECISPECIAAAAL
ISSUEL ISSUEL ISSUEL ISSUEL ISSUEL ISSUEL ISSUEL ISSUE
USAF BOMBERSSPECIAL ISSUE
STEALTHY SUPER HORNET FIRST FLIGHT
JOINT RUSSIAN-CHINESE EXERCISE
MARINE MUSCLE: SCARFACE COBRAS MARINE CORPS F-4S PHANTOM II
TACTICS
Glory Days
JOINT RUSSIAN-CHINEXCLUSIVE IMAGES
1 Cover c(UK).indd 1 22/08/2013 17:15
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72 SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FRIEND Dr San Wilson, assisted by Paul
Mulligan, visits Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 367
(HMLA-367) Scarface to sample some Marine Corps Whiskey, and meets
the successor to the Super Cobra, the impressive AH-1Z
78 GLORY DAYS: BLIVET TACTICS Lt Col John Scanlan (retd)
recounts what happened when two US Marine Corps Phantom crews took
on USAF F-16s over South Korea complete with underwing luggage
pods
82 EXERCISE REPORT: PEACE MISSION 2013 Combat Aircraft reports
on the joint Sino-Russian exercise held in early August that
attracted a small but significant Chinese aviation element, with
world exclusive images by Dimitry Pichugin
88 FIGHTER FOCUS: FLANKER ASCENDANT In the second of a two-part
series, Alexander Mladenov profiles the plethora of Su-30MK
sub-versions of the Flanker for export, as well as the thoroughly
re-designed Su-35S single-seater, already fielded in experimental
service with the Russian Air Force
96 CUTTING EDGE Combat Aircrafts monthly column reporting from
the front line of aerospace technology, by David Axe
HEADLINE NEWS
Boeing flies Advanced Super Hornet, South Korea indicates F-15SE
has won fighter competition and SABR selected for US F-16 radar
upgrade
US NEWS
NASAs third WB-57F flies, C-17 Globemaster III production
extended and latest F-35 test news
UK NEWS
BAE Systems in push to sell Typhoons to Bahrain and Puma HC2 on
test
EUROPE NEWS
Phinal F-4F flight as Manching test aircraft retires, A400M
achieves milestones and France revises Rafale production plans
WORLD NEWS
Exercise Talisman Saber, Egyptian F-16 deliveries are halted and
Sudanese Fencer breaks cover.
news68
141626
PLUS: Special reports on Trial MACE and Colombias F-AIR
exhibition, plus Robert F. Dorrs Front Line column and all the
latest military Losses
Whats insideVol 14, No 10 October 2013
In this issue we examine the USAF heavy bomber eet, spearheaded
by the mighty B-1B Lancer. Jim Haseltine
SUBSCRIBE AND SAVESubscribe to Combat Aircraft Monthly and make
great savings on cover price. See pages 86 and 87 for details.
34 A HELLUVA HAWK Ted Carlson discovers how the Harvest HAWK
adaptation of the C-130 Hercules is providing Marine Corps
leathernecks on the ground with a powerful counter-insurgency
capability
42 MAGIC BUFFS Voted the premier squadron in Global Strike
Command, Ted Carlson visits the 69th Bomb Squadron Knighthawks,
part of the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot AFB, South Dakota one of three
wings at two bases that continue to fly the mighty Buff
52 DYESS BONE TEAM Robert F. Dorr enters the world of the B-1B
Lancer at the bustling Dyess Air Force Base, home of the 7th Bomb
Wing. With exclusive photos by Jim Haseltine
60 FACT FILE: GLOBAL SPIRITS This December the US Air Force will
mark 20 years of the B-2 at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri.
Jamie Hunter details where this ultimate symbol of US air power is
situated two decades on, and how will it fit into a future air
force
USAF GLOBAL STRIKE
66 NINE LIVES OF THE PERSIAN CATS The Islamic Republic of
Iranian Air Force (IRIAF) continues to operate three squadrons of
the Grumman F-14 Babak Taghvaee describes how the combat-proven
Tomcat remains the pride of the Iranian air arm
60Fact File: Global Spiritsp60p60603 Contents C.indd 3
22/08/2013 17:28
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Combat Edge
CONTRIBUTOR PROFILE
TED CARLSON
Ted Carlson is a professional aviation photojournalist running
California-based Fotodynamics.com. With over 1,600 hours of flight
time performing aerial photography, he specializes in such work. As
a writer, Ted has had hundreds of his articles published worldwide.
His material can be found in magazines, books, calendars,
Department of Defense publications and posters, and his images
have adorned over 400 covers of various titles. He has flown with
all branches of the US military in just about every type of
aircraft, and has also flown with various agencies and several
foreign air forces. Ted has been a leading contributor to Combat
Aircraft for many years.
THE NEWS FROM Seoul that South Korea has probably selected the
F-15SE in its FX-III fighter contest comes as a big boost for
Boeing. Not only would this secure the future of the F-15
production line at St Louis past 2020, but it also casts doubt
over export ambitions for the Lockheed Martin F-35.Boeing
executives have subtly pressed customers,
including the US Air Force, to realise that their advanced Eagle
and Super Hornet offerings both provide viable alternatives to the
F-35. The push to include stealthy weapons pods on both types, new
large area display cockpits, AESA radars and embedded
forward-looking infra-red sensors all offer JSF-like capabilities,
albeit in much older core platforms, which are not inherently
stealthy.
US Air Force pilots have long suggested (off the record) that a
Block 60 F-16 on steroids, or new Silent Eagles, would provide
capabilities approaching those of the F-35, but with far lower
program risks and, as Korea has seemingly illustrated, at a more
acceptable and predictable acquisition cost.
In this issue of Combat Aircraft, we are cementing our status as
North Americas best-selling military aviation magazine, bringing
you all the latest news and features
on the important issues in military aviation. This includes an
exclusive report from the incredible Peace Mission exercise in
Russia, a rare up-close chance to view the Chinese JH-7A in
action.
Jamie Hunter, EditorE-mail: [email protected]
A boost for Boeing
4
4-5 Combat Edge C.indd 4 21/08/2013 12:13
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THIS MONTHCombat Edge
PEACE MISSION
5
Boeing appears likely to remain in the F-15 production business
well into the next decade. Jamie Hunter
In this issue we bring you extraordinary photographs from
Augusts Peace Mission exercise in Russia that featured ve
PLAAF JH-7As. Dimitry Pichugin
4-5 Combat Edge C.indd 5 21/08/2013 12:14
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News
6 October 2013 www.combataircraft.net
Stealthy Super BugBoeing test-ies F/A-18F with new features
BOEING HAS COMMENCED the first test flights of its Advanced
Super Hornet. The maiden flight of an F/A-18F fitted with new
conformal fuel tanks (CFTs) was made
from the companys St Louis, Missouri, facility, on August 5; the
initial sortie with both the CFTs and the Enclosed Weapons Pod
followed two days later. The tests are intended to demonstrate
flight characteristics with the new modifications and also to
assess radar cross-section (RCS) reductions compared with
wind-tunnel data.
The testing is set to be continued from NAS Patuxent River,
Maryland, alongside
the US Navy. It will likely comprise up to 20 individual
flights.
The new CFTs add 135nm of combat radius, an attribute valuable
to the Super Hornet that has been criticized in the past for not
being blessed with long legs. The centerline conformal weapons bay
will allow the Super Hornet to operate in a first day of war
stealthy mode. It will be configured to accommodate six Small
Diameter Bombs (SDBs) and two AIM-120 AMRAAMs, or a pair of 500lb
laser-guided bombs and two AMRAAMs.
Other enhancements may also be integrated, such as the new
large-area display in the cockpit and the chin-mounted infra-red
search and track (IRST) sensor.
Korea selects F-15SEBoeing candidate reportedly successful for
F-X Phase III
AS THIS MAGAZINE went to press, reports from Seoul indicated
that Boeings F-15SE had won through in the $7.3-billion F-X Phase
III future fighter competition.
Yonhap News Agency announced the Silent Eagles success on August
18. The decision was apparently made after the Defense Acquisition
Program Administration (DAPA) found flaws in the bidding
documentation provided by EADS, which was promoting its Tranche 3
Eurofighter Typhoon.
A matter of days earlier, the competition had been narrowed down
to two candidates
the F-15SE and Typhoon after the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning
II had been removed from the bidding process on cost grounds.
Meanwhile, although DAPA requested proposals based on 45
single-seat and 15 two-seat jets, EADS is reported to have quoted
prices for just six two-seaters in order to reduce costs and meet
the budget requirements.
Some observers had seen the F-35 as the leading contender for
F-X Phase III, which was launched in 2011, and which, after some
delays, now aims to field 60 new fighters for delivery between 2017
and 2021. The stumbling block for the Lightning II was
concern about the Foreign Military Sales price guaranteed by the
US government. With the company submitting a price exceeding the
fixed budget, the F-35 was subject to automatic rejection from
contract negotiations, although on paper at least it still remains
within the assessment phase of the evaluation.
Boeing won the previous two F-X contracts that provided the
Republic of Korea Air Force with 60 F-15Ks. A final winner will be
formally announced in mid-September, but, with both the EADS and
Lockheed Martin bids apparently unsatisfactory, the way seems clear
for Boeing to continue its success story in Korea. Thomas
Newdick
Boeing has completed deliveries of the rst two batches of F-15K
Slam Eagles for Korea, with a third tranche of the more advanced
F-15SE now appearing likely. Boeing
6-7 Headlines C.indd 6 22/08/2013 16:01
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Headlines
7www.combataircraft.net October 2013
UK pitches Typhoon to Bahrain Euroghters Gulf sales push
continues. See UK News
NASAs third WB-57F returns to the skies Refurbished aircraft
makes rst ight in 41 years. See US News
Phinal ight The very last German F-4F ight was marked at
Manching on July 30. See Europe News
ALSO THIS MONTH...
Lockheed Martin chooses SABR USAF F-16s to receive Northrop
Grumman AESA upgrade
Boeings Advanced Super Hornet above St Louis on August 7,
carrying both the
Enclosed Weapons Pod and the conformal fuel tanks. Boeing
LOCKHEED MARTIN HAS selected Northrop Grummans Scalable Agile
Beam Radar (SABR) for retrofit to US Air Force Block 30/35/40/45
F-16s under the Combat Avionics
Programmed Extension Suite (CAPES) program. The multi-function
airborne fire-control radar was selected over Raytheons Advanced
Combat Radar
(RACR). The USAF plans to install the new radar on as many as
300 F-16C/Ds, under a project that forms an element of the Common
Configuration Implementation Program (CCIP), managed by Lockheed
Martin. The contractor had previously selected SABR for the
Republic of Chinas planned F-16 upgrade.
Joseph Ensor, vice president and general manager of Northrop
Grummans
ISR and Targeting Systems Division, commented:
SABR will provide
F-16s with unprecedented operational capability, greater
reliability and viability in threat environments beyond 2025.
The conclusion of the AESA radar competition marks the next
chapter in the Fighting Falcons ongoing evolution the F-16V, said
Roderick McLean, vice president and general manager of Lockheed
Martins F-16/F-22 Integrated Fight Group. Other AESA radars
developed by the company are currently flying on the Block 60 F-16,
F-22 and F-35 Lightning II.
6-7 Headlines C.indd 7 22/08/2013 16:01
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NewsWB-57 back in the airNASAs third high-altitude research
aircraft returns to the sky
NASA HAS TAKEN a major step towards increasing its fleet of
Martin WB-57 high-altitude research aircraft to three following the
return to flight of a recently
refurbished example on August 9. NASA currently operates a pair
of
WB-57Fs from Ellington Field, Texas. Its new aircraft, serial
N927NA, more commonly referred to as NASA 927, started life as a
B-57B with the 13th Bomber Squadron and with a serial of 53-3918.
In 1964 this airframe was one of 21 that were rebuilt as RB-57Fs by
General Dynamics, and was re-serialed as 63-13295. The RB-57F had
almost double
the wingspan of the original B-57B at 122ft, and the Wright J65
turbojets were replaced with Pratt & Whitney TF33 turbofans,
which provided twice the thrust of the original engines.
63-13295 was retired to the then MASDC (Military Aircraft
Storage and Disposal Center) on June 26, 1972. The aircraft was
displayed on Celebrity Row at the facility, now called AMARG
(Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group), for a number of
years, and was pulled from storage and dismantled in May 2011. It
was then trucked to the Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) at
Centennial Airport, Colorado, in order to be stripped and rebuilt
back to flying condition.
Following restoration, the aircraft is now known as a WB-57F,
which is simply a re-designation paper exercise completed when
these aircraft are transferred to NASA.
N927NA came out of major rebuild on July 30, 2013 to perform
engine and system runs for the first time. Taxi runs were performed
at Centennial on August 8 and were deemed to be a success, with
departure slated for the following day. On August 9, NASA 927 took
to the runway for its first flight in 41 years.
There will be further test flights from Colorado Springs before
the aircraft is handed over to NASA to join the other two WB-57Fs
in the fleet at Ellington Field. Paul Filmer
Moody receives Combat King IIsLockheed Martin delivered the rst
HC-130J to the 347th Rescue Group at Moody AFB, Georgia, on July
19. Serial 11-5725 will be operated by the groups 71st Rescue
Squadron. A second delivery took place on August 14 when serial
11-5727
made the short ight to the Valdosta base. The Combat King IIs
are the rst of nine HC-130Js that will be delivered to Moody AFB.
The squadron is due to begin ying missions with the new aircraft in
October.
Air Guard unit certied for nuclear operationsThe Missouri Air
National Guards 131st Bomb Wing has achieved full operational
capability with the B-2A and was certied to conduct nuclear
missions after completing a four-day initial nuclear safety
inspection. The milestone concludes the units six-year transition
from the F-15C to the B-2A. The wing operates the B-2s under a
classic association with the active-duty 509th Bomb Wing at
Whiteman AFB and is the only Air National Guard unit currently
cleared to deliver nuclear weapons.
Block 45 training under wayCrews assigned to the 22nd Air
Refueling Wing ew the rst training mission with a KC-135R that has
been equipped with the Block 45 upgrades
at McConnell AFB, Kansas, on July 22. Two of the wings
Stratotankers have received the upgrade, which installs a new
autopilot, radio altimeter and an electronic engine instrument
display that replaces numerous analog gauges, as well as other
minor changes. These aircraft are serving as the prototypes for the
project. A further batch of 17 KC-135Rs will be upgraded under the
initial production eort.
Keesler Herc move delayedThe USAF has postponed the planned move
of 10 C-130Js from Biloxi, Mississippi, to Fort Bragg, North
Carolina, until April 2014, at the earliest, and this could be
further delayed to October. The transfer of the aircraft from the
403rd Wing at Keesler AFB to the 440th Airlift Wing at Pope Army
Air Field had been scheduled to begin in October. The move will
result in the inactivation of the 403rd Wings 815th Airlift
Squadron, which shares the aircraft with the USAFs 345th Airlift
Squadron. Both the 403rd Wing and the 440th Airlift Wing are Air
Force Reserve Command units.
USAF UNIT NEWS
WB-57F NASA 927 gets airborne from Centennial Airport, Colorado,
on August 9. Paul Filmer
Above: The second HC-130J for the 347th Rescue Group departs
Dobbins ARB, Georgia, on August 14. Serial 11-5727 is one of nine
HC-130Js that will be delivered to the base. USAF
8 October 2013 www.combataircraft.net
8-12 US News C.indd 8 23/08/2013 09:01
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United States
F-35 latest
The F-35 Integrated Test Force, along with F-35B test aircraft
BF-01 and BF-05, embarked in the USS Wasp (LHD 1) for the second
phase of sea trials under the Developmental Test 2 (DT-2) effort
from August 12. Expected to last 18 days, DT-2 is the second of
three planned tests that will define and expand the F-35Bs
shipboard operating envelope and is one of several key milestones
required in order for the US Marine Corps to achieve initial
operating capability (IOC) with the Lightning II in 2015. DT-2 will
test refinements to the F-35Bs integrated propulsion and flight
control systems.
Tests will expand the F-35Bs allowable wind envelope for launch
and recovery and evaluate the dynamic interface between the
aircraft and the ships moving flight deck. They will include
initial mission systems evaluations at sea. Just two days after
arriving
on the ship, the F-35B conducted the first of eight night
launches and recoveries. Lt Col C. R. Jimi Clift conducted the
first F-35B night landing aboard the USS Wasp on August 14.
In advance, the Wasp underwent a series of shipyard
modifications that improved its ability to accommodate the F-35B.
In addition to receiving a new composite deck coating that offers
additional heat protection, some lights and sensors were re-located
to better support F-35 landings.
Meanwhile, having previously announced its intention to assign
the first overseas combat-ready F-35A unit in the Asia-Pacific
region, the Air Combat Command and the Pacific Air Forces are now
determining the most suitable location for the fighters. Nine
facilities are currently being considered but PACAF expects to
reduce that number to four by the fall and select its preferred
alternative location in early 2014. Likely options include Eielson
AFB, Alaska; Kadena and Misawa Air Bases in Japan; and Kunsan and
Osan in the Republic of Korea.
The first pilots destined to serve as the initial cadre of
instructors with the 61st Fighter Squadron were recently
transferred from Eglin AFBs 33rd Fighter Wing to the 56th Fighter
Wing at Luke AFB, Arizona. The wing is scheduled to receive the
first of a planned fleet of 144 F-35As next spring.
As part of the plan to re-balance US forces in the Asia-Pacific
region, the USAF will likely begin rotating fighter and tanker
aircraft through RAAF Base Darwin or RAAF Base Tindal in northern
Australia in 2015. The commander of the USAFs Pacific Air Forces
has revealed that Darwin will support the initial rotations, which
may eventually also include bomber deployments.
Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 2 (VMAQ-2) departed
MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina, at the start of a six-month
deployment to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, on July 14. The departure of the
Death Jesters allowed VMAQ-4 Seahawks to return to Cherry Point
from the Japanese base. The latter became the first EA-6B squadron
to deploy to Japan in support of the Unit Deployment Program (UDP)
since 2006 when it arrived in February 2013. VMAQ-4s Prowlers
remained at Iwakuni and were transferred to VMAQ-2.
The USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) Carrier Strike Group departed
Norfolk, Virginia, on July 22 for a deployment in support of 5th
and 6th US Fleet operations that will span eight to nine
months.
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 122 (VMFA-122) completed a
six-month deployment to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, and returned to MCAS
Beaufort, South Carolina, on July 11. While flying in support of
the Unit Deployment Program (UDP) the Werewolves were attached to
Marine Aircraft Group 12 (MAG-12) as part of the 1st Marine
Aircraft Wing. The Werewolves were replaced by aircraft from the
Marine Corps Reserves only Hornet squadron. Assigned to the 4th
Marine Aircraft Wings MAG-41, VMFA-112 Cowboys arrived at MCAS
Kaneohe Bay on Oahu, from NAS JRB Fort Worth, Texas, on July 9.
DEPLOYMENT NEWS
Exercise Eager LionA pair of Royal Jordanian Air Force F-16s
leads a 120th Fighter Squadron, Colorado Air National Guard F-16C
and two US Marine Corps F/A-18Cs from VMFA-115 during Exercise
Eager Lion in July. US ANG/Sr MSgt John P. Rohrer
F-35B BF-01 prepares to land aboard the USS Wasp (LHD 1) during
the
second at-sea F-35 developmental test event on August 12. US
Navy
Rescue helicopter contract delayedThe US Air Force has delayed
plans to award a $6.8-billion contract for 112 new Combat Rescue
Helicopters (CRH) to Sikorsky Aircraft until the first quarter of
Fiscal Year 2014. Sikorsky became the only bidder for the project
when EADS North America, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman and its
partner AgustaWestland all dropped out of the competition in
December 2012. Sikorsky offered an updated variant of the UH-60M
Black Hawk with its partner Lockheed Martin.
Inset: The 100th Joint Strike Fighter has entered the nal
assembly phase at Lockheed Martins Fort Worth, Texas, facility.
Known as AF-41, the F-35A will be the rst example delivered to the
56th Fighter Wing at Luke AFB, Arizona, in 2014. Lockheed
Martin
9www.combataircraft.net October 2013
8-12 US News C.indd 9 23/08/2013 09:01
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NewsKC-46 makes progressFirst forward fuselage completed as test
unit established
SPIRIT AEROSYSTEMS ROLLED out the first completed Boeing KC-46A
fuselage section at its Wichita, Kansas, facility on July 26.
Forward fuselage section 41, which forms the cockpit, was
subsequently shipped to Boeings assembly facility in Washington,
where various fuselage sections will be mated together. In addition
to the forward fuselage section, Spirit is
responsible for the construction of the strut and nacelle
components, and the fixed leading edge, for the KC-46A tanker.
Meanwhile, Air Force Materiel Command activated Detachment 1,
418th Flight Test Squadron at Boeings Seattle facility at King
County International Airport/Boeing Field on July 11. The unit will
support the developmental testing of the KC-46A tanker and will
have around 40 personnel assigned
by next summer when the first aircraft is scheduled to make its
maiden flight. The personnel assigned to the detachment will
include pilots, refueling boom operators, flight test engineers,
logisticians, and engineers. The main body of the 418th FTS is
stationed at Edwards AFB, California, and is assigned to the 412th
Test Wing. KC-46A development testing is scheduled to run until the
end of 2016.
The cabin section for the USAFs rst Boeing KC-46A awaits
shipment from the Spirit Aerosystems facility in Wichita. Spirit
Aerosystems
Combat Air Forces resume flyingFollowing up last months news,
Combat Air Forces units assigned to Air Combat Command (ACC),
Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) and US Air Forces Europe (USAFE) that
had been grounded since April 9 as a result of the US budget
sequestration returned to the air on July 15. The USAFs restored
flying-hour program was funded with $208 million after lawmakers
allowed it to re-program $1.8 billion that had been allocated to
other projects in order to pay for near-term shortfalls in war
funding. The
authorization allowed the US Air Force to re-instate critical
training and test operations for the Combat Air Forces until the
end of Fiscal 2013 on September 30.
Within ACC, the flying hours have been allocated to combat
aircraft and crews assigned to operational and test units,
including the Air Warfare Centers Weapons School, Aggressors and
the Thunderbirds air demonstration squadron, and active-duty pilots
assigned to associate Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve
Command
units. In April, Air Combat Command announced it would reduce
its flying hours by 45,000 and 17 squadrons would be grounded
immediately or upon their return from deployments. The influx of
funding means that the squadrons that had stood down will begin to
return to full combat mission-ready status. According to USAF
officials, if the US Congress does not act to avoid a further round
of automatic cuts it could be forced to ground more than half of
the Combat Air Forces in Fiscal 2014.
10 October 2013 www.combataircraft.net
8-12 US News C.indd 10 23/08/2013 09:02
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United States
The Oklahoma Army National Guards Detachment 1, A Company, 641st
Aviation held a ceremony to mark the retirement of its last C-23C
at its facility at Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City on
July 23. While the US Army continues to place all but eight of the
National Guards remaining C-23s into flyable storage at Fort Sill,
the US House of Representatives passed a provision to the Fiscal
Year 2014 Defense Appropriations bill that would halt these moves.
As many as 26 of the aircraft are currently being put into storage
and the remainder have been scheduled to follow by the end of
September. The aircraft had previously been scheduled for a phased
retirement that stretched out to December 2014, but the Army began
placing the aircraft into flyable storage several months ago in an
attempt to save much as $34 million. In accordance with the Fiscal
2013 National Defense Authorization Act, the service is not
permitted to retire the aircraft. The amendment reportedly provides
funding for the Sherpa fleet, which has served in the homeland
mission, delivering relief supplies and personnel in the aftermath
of recent hurricanes and other weather events, and regularly
supports special operations missions and training.
C-23C serial 93-1328 is towed from the hangar at Will Rogers
World Airport in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in preparation for its
nal ight on July 23. Oklahoma National Guard via Tom Kaminski
Mildenhalls special ops upgradeOn June 24, the 352nd Special
Operations Group welcomed the first two of 10 CV-22B Osprey
tilt-rotor aircraft (serials 11-0057 and 11-0058) at RAF
Mildenhall, UK. The remaining eight Ospreys are scheduled to arrive
by the end of 2014, with the next batch of two due in September,
followed by another trio in February 2014, and the final three
arriving in August 2014. Meanwhile, the MC-130J inventory is
scheduled to take up to five years to complete, marking a phase of
major expansion at the base.
The 352nd SOG is composed of the 352nd Special Operations
Support Squadron, the 352nd Special Operations Maintenance
Squadron, the 321st Special Tactics Squadron, the 7th Special
Operations Squadron and the 67th SOS, the latter two being the only
flying squadrons.
Commander of the 352nd SOG, Col Christopher Ireland, commented:
Last summer as we started this growth
transition we had around 780 military personnel; by next summer,
two years on, we are looking to almost be around 1,200 total... We
are welcoming back vertical airlift to special operations forces in
Europe. Its been almost six years since weve had it here in Europe
and this modernization of the force improves our efficiency and
effectiveness.
The 7th SOS Aircommandos currently operates the MC-130H Combat
Talon II and now the CV-22B Osprey. The 67th SOS Night Owls flies
the MC-130P Combat Shadow and is upgrading to the MC-130J Commando
II. The first MC-130J (serial 10-5714) was delivered to the 67th
SOS on June 7, with the second (09-6210) being a loan airframe from
Lockheed Martin that is used purely as a ground loading and
maintenance trainer. Once all training is complete this example
will return to Cannon AFB in New Mexico. Ashley Wallace
The US Navys sixth carrier-based Electronic Attack Squadron
recently began its transition from the EA-6B to the EA-18G
electronic attack aircraft. VAQ-133s conversion to the Growler left
just four fleet squadrons flying the Prowler at NAS Whidbey island,
Washington. On July 1, VAQ-140 concluded its final Prowler
deployment when it returned from a five-month combat cruise aboard
the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69). Rather than going back to
NAS Whidbey Island, the squadrons EA-6Bs were turned over to the US
Marine Corps in advance of VAQ-140s switch to the EA-18G. While
deployed the Patriots flew 90 combat sorties, and logged over 661
flight hours in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
VAQ-209 Star Warriors, the Naval Reserves only Prowler squadron,
is also preparing to convert to the EA-18G. The squadron flew its
last EA-6B sorties at Joint Base Andrews-NAF Washington in May and
will re-locate to NAS Whidbey Island. The Navy continues to
transition two squadrons to the Growler annually and the final
Prowlers will be retired in 2015. In addition to the carrier-based
squadrons, three expeditionary VAQ squadrons also operate the
EA-18G. The Navys 2014 budget request includes funding that will be
used to establish two additional expeditionary squadrons, which
will replace capacity lost when the Marine Corps phases out its
EA-6Bs in 2019.
Ashley Wallace
Growler fleet grows
Sherpas retired
11www.combataircraft.net October 2013
8-12 US News C.indd 11 23/08/2013 09:02
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News United States
BOEING HAS ANNOUNCED that it will build as many as 12 more C-17A
airlifters using company funds in anticipation of receiving new
orders from international customers. It
has already spent $620 million on long-lead parts for those
aircraft. The decision could extend production at the Long
Beach,
California, facility by more than a year. Boeing already has
confirmed orders that will allow it to continue building C-17s into
the third quarter of 2014, but, based on current output of 10
aircraft per year and construction of the unsold so-called white
tails, production might continue into the fourth quarter of 2015.
The manufacturer is reportedly in discussions with several
new and existing customers that likely include India, Australia,
Saudi Arabia and Singapore. It will deliver the last of 223 C-17As
to the US Air Force in September. According to Boeing, if
additional orders are not received, the contractor will decide
later this year whether to continue building aircraft at a reduced
production rate or shut the line down.
Contractor support for African operationsBerry Aviation has
received a $10.7-million contract to provide Trans-Sahara short
take-o and landing (STOL) services in support of the US
Transportation Command, US African Command and a Joint Special
Operations Air Detachment based in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Under
this eort the contractor, which is based in San Marcos, Texas, will
provide casualty evacuation, personnel airlift, cargo airlift and
air-drop services. Work will be performed throughout the numerous
countries in North Africa and the sub-Saharan African
continent.
Bomber enters mod programThe rst B-52H to receive the Combat
Network Communications Technology (CONECT) upgrade was own from
Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, to Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, on July 16. The
CONECT updates include software and hardware such as new servers,
modems, radios, datalinks, receivers and digital workstations.
Installed by the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, the upgrade
will allow B-52 crews to receive and send real-time digital
information such as updated intelligence, mapping or
targeting information at a cost of $1.1 billion. Funding has
been provided to upgrade 30 aircraft and the service plans to fund
10 additional upgrades annually until the entire eet is
upgraded.
Upgraded Orion deliveredLockheed Martin delivered an upgraded
P-3B airborne early warning aircraft to the US Customs and Border
Protections Oce of Air and Marine on July 18. The upgrades were
completed in just 10 months and the Orion was delivered 78 days
earlier than required by the contract. It is the eighth of 14 CBP
P-3s that will receive the Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) modications and
undergo phased depot maintenance at the contractors facility in
Greenville, South Carolina.
Presidential Osprey actionA pair of MV-22Bs operated by Marine
Helicopter Squadron 1 (HMX-1) conducted the types rst operational
mission in support of the President on August 10 when they
transported sta, Secret Service personnel and the Presidents dog
from Washington DC to Marthas Vineyard, Massachusetts.
IN BRIEF
Boei
ng
Globemaster continuesBoeing extends C-17 production
Spartans retiredThe first C-27J to be retired arrived at
Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, on July 21. Serial 09-27021, which had
been operated by the 186th Air Refueling Wing at Key Field Air
National Guard Station in Meridian, Mississippi, will be placed in
storage with the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group
(AMARG) at the Tucson base.
Although some of the C-27Js could be made available to the US
Forest Service, an analysis commissioned by its Fire and Aviation
Management determined that the aircrafts fire retardant-carrying
capacity will likely not meet the 2,000-gallon minimum required for
a medium tanker asset. If the USAF does decide to dispose of the
Spartans, in accordance with the 2013 National Defense
Authorization Act (NDAA) both the Forest Service and the US Coast
Guard have been authorized to obtain the aircraft and the former
has first right of refusal over seven examples. US Special
Operations Command has also reportedly expressed an interest in
obtaining eight.
With budgetary restrictions slowing its recapitalization plans,
the Coast Guard is seriously pursuing the purchase of 14 of the
Spartans. Obtaining the C-27Js would allow the service to reduce
acquisition of its planned fleet of 36 HC-144A Medium-Range
Surveillance (MRS) aircraft, saving as much as $500 million.
12 October 2013 www.combataircraft.net
8-12 US News C.indd 12 23/08/2013 09:02
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News United KingdomEurofighter export targets UK in Typhoon push
to Bahrain
BAHRAIN HAS EMERGED as the latest target for BAE Systems as it
spearheads the Eurofighter sales
effort in the Gulf region. Having secured orders from Saudi
Arabia for 72 aircraft and from Oman for 12 jets, additional orders
are being sought. Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and
Bahrain are all thought to be potential customers. Saudi Arabia is
also widely expected to place a follow-on order for
Typhoons, with a Bahraini deal possibly being included.
BAE Systems is known to be targeting the six nations of the
Co-operation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, leaving the
Typhoon well placed to become the fighter of choice in the
region.
Officials have been clear to point out that negotiations with
Bahrain are at a very early stage, and it is unclear whether
Bahrain currently has a formal requirement to replace its F-16C/Ds
and/or its F-5E/Fs.
Royal Navy receives Merlin HM2The first AgustaWestland Merlin
HM2 helicopters have been handed over to the Royal Navy. The
delivery of the initial five helicopters to the Navys Fleet Air Arm
allows the establishment of the first squadron to use the mark.
Based at RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall, 824 Naval Air Squadron will
serve as the training unit, with its Merlins now equipped with a
new mission system and avionics suite in an effort led by Lockheed
Martin as part of the Merlin Capability Sustainment Programme
(MCSP).
The Merlin HM2 features a new glass cockpit and improved aircrew
console and avionics, with touch-screen displays, and an enhanced
ability to detect and track targets and share data with
other aircraft and ships while airborne.
Lockheed Martin is converting 30 Merlin HM1s to HM2 standard,
the upgrade being part of a 750-million contract. The helicopters
are expected to be ready for operations by summer 2014.
Cdre Andy Lison, responsible for the Merlin, Lynx and Sea King
teams for the Ministry of Defences Defence, Equipment and Support
Organisation, said: I am delighted that we are now firmly in the
delivery phase of the project. The Merlin Mk2 is a truly
exceptional aircraft and the program to develop and build this
aircraft has brought together the very best of the MoD and defense
industry to future-proof this vital capability.
Puma Two on testRoyal Air Force Puma HC2 serial XW232 was noted
in July operating from MoD Boscombe Down, Wiltshire, sporting an
orange test probe. The helicopter is part of the test program for
the HC2 upgrade, which has been under way since January when
XW216 joined the Rotary-Wing Test and Evaluation Squadron at
Boscombe. This photo shows XW232 at work on the Salisbury Plain
Training Area, carrying out conned landing operations. Liam
Daniels
13www.combataircraft.net October 2013
13 UK News C.indd 13 22/08/2013 16:01
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GLOOM AND UNCERTAINTY were the themes when the Pentagons chief
spoke about the broken-down budget process in Washington and likely
forthcoming cuts in the
US armed forces. In his terse, no-nonsense manner, Secretary of
Defense Chuck Hagel talked about problems without defining a
solution and spoke not at all about a US Congress that wont fix the
budget mess but wont allow Hagel to make key cuts, either.
At a July 31 press conference to discuss the Pentagons Strategic
Choices and Management Review, or SCMR, Hagel talked bluntly about
a bleak future in which the US armed forces may lose $1 trillion in
funding over the next 10 years.
Hagel appeared before reporters at a time when automatic budget
cuts, known as sequestration or the sequester, leave US military
leaders with no choice but to plan painful cuts in the full
knowledge that Congress wont appropriate the money to prevent them
but wont allow them to take place. Even before the sequester took
effect late last year, the Obama administration had already laid
plans to cut $487 billion from defense spending by 2023. The
sequester, which results from Congress not doing its job, means the
total would double.
The SCMR recommended options and spoke in generalities rather
than suggesting steps for the Pentagon to take. The review doesnt
have the force of law but it bolsters the credibility of whatever
military cuts Hagel ultimately chooses to recommend and makes
it harder for lawmakers to block them on narrow, parochial
grounds.
Hagel hinted strongly at coming measures that will be painful
for people in uniform involuntary separations, a freeze on military
pay, and limits on access to health care for some.
Hagel didnt say which of the SCMR options he would choose. The
options listed in the review are many and notably vague but they
can be summed up as a choice between technology and numbers or, as
Hagel put it, between high-end capability and size. As one senior
officer described it to me, We fight smart or we fight big. This
officer repeated the widely-held view that the United States
succeeded in World War Two not because of advanced technology but
because of sheer numbers.
Without ruling out other options, Hagel pointed to expected
reductions in the size of the US Army and Marine Corps, of
potentially as many as five US Air Force tactical combat squadrons,
and of the C-130H Hercules airlifter fleet. He said that, unless
the budget environment changes, the US Navys aircraft carrier fleet
could be reduced (probably from 10 to eight hulls) and many Navy
and Air Force squadrons will cease to exist.
The US defense chief acknowledged difficult trade-offs and
strategic choices but didnt bother to mention that lawmakers on
Capitol Hill once they return from their five-week summer vacation
would be fighting hard to resist any cuts that affect their home
districts.
HAGEL DISCUSSES OPTIONS BUT NOT DECISIONS IN A TIME OF
TROUBLE
Hagel said that unless the budget environment changes, the US
Navys aircraft carrier fleet could be reduced (probably from 10 to
eight hulls) and many Navy and Air Force squadrons will cease to
exist
Left: Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel answers questions during
the Pentagon press brieng on the recent Strategic Choices
Management Review on July 31. Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Sta ADM James Winnefeld Jr joined Hagel for the brieng. DoD/Glenn
Fawcett
This photo: A pair of F-35Bs on delivery to MCAS Yuma in August.
The Joint Strike Fighter has so far evaded any ocial talk of order
reductions in the US. Lockheed Martin/Liz Kaszynski
14 October 2013 www.combataircraft.net
Combat Aircrafts regular column taking a look behind the
headlines
by Robert F. DorrContact the author at
[email protected]
FRONT
14-15 Front Line C.indd 14 21/08/2013 12:14
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Air Force inventoryThe SCMR speaks of the minimal risk of
reducing the C-130H inventory, something the Pentagon has long
wanted to do anyway but Congress has resisted. Some in the Air
Staff would like to quickly transition to a fleet consisting
entirely of second-generation C-130J-30s, while relegating
first-generation H-models to overseas allies or the boneyard. As
Brian Everstine reported in the trade journal Air Force Times, last
year Capitol Hill lawmakers directed the Air Force to retain 32
older C-130Hs that had been earmarked for retirement, including 22
scheduled to go before September 30. Congress also blocked a plan
last year to retire two A-10 Thunderbolt II squadrons.
Its a time of incredible paradox, said a Pentagon officer. Hagel
is under orders to make cuts because nobody expects Congress to do
its job, enact a real budget, and overturn the sequester. But
Congress wants it both ways. Congress wont open the purse strings
but it wont allow bases to be closed or aircraft to be retired,
either. The gloom and uncertainty beneath all this is exacerbated
by the simple reality that no-one in the Pentagon can realistically
plan anything.
So if the US Air Force cant retire a small number of C-130Hs,
can it take an aircraft type entirely off the boards? Getting rid
of at least one fleet of aircraft is what the Air Staff is talking
about. Despite its rock-star successes satellite-guided munitions
and advanced targeting pods have transformed it into a precision,
close air support asset that can remain tens of thousands of feet
above the fight and pick off insurgents ruthlessly the
B-1B Lancer, alias the Bone, is at the top of the list of
potential retirees because it costs too much to operate.
This isnt the first time somebody in the Pentagon wanted to give
the Bone a pink slip. Then-chief of staff Gen T. Michael Moseley
wanted to rid himself of all B-1Bs in 2006. Moseley told me the
B-1B is a drag on all of us. But that was before its transformation
and before it began to appear that a new bomber is being rendered
out-of-reach by the budget mess.
Today, the bomber inventory has been reduced to just 162
airframes: 76 B-52 Stratofortresses, 66 B-1Bs and 20 B-2 Spirits.
In that circumstance, retiring the B-1B would have huge
implications for overall readiness.
Fighter forceAlso imperiled by the gloom and uncertainty is the
US Air Forces tactical air armada. The inventory currently includes
343 A-10s (down from 502 a couple of years ago); 249 F-15C/D Eagles
(down from 500); 229 F-15E Strike Eagles and 1,015 F-16C/D Fighting
Falcons (an F-16C of the District of Columbia Air National Guard
was lost in a collision over the Chesapeake Bay on August 2; the
pilot ejected and was rescued). Hagel said SCMR recommendations
include drastically reducing these numbers and/
or slowing down efforts to upgrade some of the types. The
updates include installation of AN/APG-63(V)3 active electronically
scanned array radar on 150 of the F-15Cs and service-life extension
work and avionics improvements for 350 F-16C/Ds.
The elephant in the room that received barely a mention from
Hagel was the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter. Air Force
chief of staff Gen Mark Welsh has repeatedly said his top
priorities are a new bomber, the KC-46 air refueling tanker and the
F-35. While neither Hagel nor the SCMR said as much, the F-35
program is increasingly viewed in Washington as a prime target for
cancellation. Despite some recent improvements, the JSF continues
to experience delays, cost issues and technical glitches. The idea
of scrapping the F-35 and equipping, instead, with advanced F-15s
and F-16s once taboo in Washington was being discussed openly by
reporters and staffers when they walked out of the Hagel press
conference.
The gloom and uncertainty in the US capital elicited a quip from
retired Col Charles Vasiliadis, a Vietnam veteran of combat in the
A-1E Skyraider and F-105 Thunderchief. The only answer is to run
for Congress, Vasiliadis told me. That way, you can grab a
five-week vacation while everybody else is watching everything fall
apart.
Despite its rock-star successes, the B-1B Lancer, alias the
Bone, is at the top of the list of potential retirees because it
costs too much to operate
15www.combataircraft.net October 2013
14-15 Front Line C.indd 15 21/08/2013 12:14
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XVXVXVSPECIAL REPORT
FROM JULY 1 to 12, aircraft from the UK, Denmark, Poland,
Belgium and Spain participated in Trial MACE XV. Running on an
ad-hoc basis since 1978, MACE is a series of NATO
aircraft electronic warfare trials, and the aim of MACE XV was
to continue the development of radio frequency countermeasures
(RFCM) and tactics to enhance aircraft capability, and
survivability, in hostile RF environments against both existing and
emerging threats.
Week one saw Royal Air Force Chinook HC2, Royal Navy Sea King
HC4 and Lynx HMA8 helicopters, together with an RAF C-130J
Hercules, operating against threats on the Electronic Warfare
Tactics Range at RAF Spadeadam in Cumbria, and at nearby Brunton
Airfield. They were joined by Royal Danish Air Force F-16AM
Fighting Falcons flying from their home base of Skrydstrup. The
second week saw activity ramping up with an influx of aircraft and
140 personnel to RAF Leeming, 60 miles south-east of Spadeadam. The
North Yorkshire station hosted Polish Air Force Block 52+ F-16C/Ds,
Belgian F-16A MLUs and Spanish EF2000s, each nation deploying three
aircraft. Spains C-295M transport aircraft also stayed to
participate in the trials and a No 41(R) Squadron Tornado GR4
operated from RAF Coningsby.
Leading the trials was the Air Platform Protection Test and
Evaluation Squadron (APP TES), headquartered at the Air Warfare
Centre at RAF Waddington, in conjunction with Defence Scientific
Technical Laboratories (DSTL), and operating under a NATO banner.
Our remit is to conduct mainly trials work
to evaluate aircraft countermeasures and defensive aids systems,
whether it is new equipment, improvements to current systems, or
new software in response to operational requests, explained Sqn Ldr
Paul Sanders, APP TESs Trials Management Officer. We continuously
develop our programs to stay ahead of what the other side might be
doing with their threat systems and we try to de-risk the future in
terms of allowing our aircraft to operate safely when theyre in
theater.
Each nation was usually allocated two one-hour slots on the
range per day, flying set patterns at high and low altitudes into,
and away from, the various threat systems to evaluate their
defensive aids suites. RAF Spadeadam offers a mix of real
surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems including SA-6s and SA-8s, SAM
emulators that mimic real threats, and simple simulators. Each
nation came to the trials with its own objectives and a total of 35
analysts and scientists from 13 countries were on hand at Spadeadam
to help achieve those aims. In addition to representatives from the
flying nations, personnel came from the US, Canada, the
Netherlands, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden and Australia. There
is a lot of knowledge-sharing going on within the group here, said
Sqn Ldr Sanders. Absolutely key is the sharing of best practice.
With personnel now flying on other nations aircraft in theater its
vital that we understand each others systems. Almost certainly any
future operation will involve a coalition and most of those people
are here.
Sqn Ldr Sanders said that they dont ask the specifics of what
the participants are looking to achieve, but, generically its
all
about improving platform self-protection. So, understanding your
defensive aids suite better, knowing how your RWR [radar warning
receiver] might work better with new software, evaluating new chaff
programs and new countermeasure techniques that have been
programmed into aircraft systems.
Trial MACE XV was a continuation of September 2012s MACE XIV
that also took place at Spadeadam and was the first MACE to be
hosted by the UK. The infrastructure at Spadeadam was developed
between the two trials to include a semi-permanent analysis
network, which has advanced the way data can be shared locally and
among the nations. Aircrew could be debriefed almost as soon as
they had returned to RAF Leeming. Sqn Ldr Sanders told Combat
Aircraft that feedback from the countries involved had been very
positive and that they had exceeded their expectations.
Aerospace Capability Group 3 within the NATO Air Force Armaments
Group (NAFAG) addresses the survivability of NATO nations aircraft
and interoperability within the organization, and Sub Group 2
specifically looks at EW self-protection measures. Sqn Ldr Sanders
told Combat Aircraft that the board sits every six months to decide
on what the nations want to do in a co-operative way and that,
while further MACEs are likely to be held, there are no plans for
further trials at Spadeadam in the near future.
This Belgian F-16A MLU carries an ALQ-131 jamming pod on the
centerline.
Acknowledgments: Thanks to Wg Cdr Matt Lawrence, Sqn Ldr Paul
Sanders, Sgt Jamie Johnson and Mrs Heidi Garstang.
TESTING NATOS ELECTRONIC COUNTERMEASURESTRIAL MACEXVreport and
photo: Neil Pearson
SPECIAL REPO
XVXVXVXV
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18 October 2013 www.combataircraft.net
News
First Dutch F-35 deliveredOn July 15 the Netherlands took
delivery of the first of two F-35A Lightning II test aircraft at
Fort Worth, Texas. The aircraft will both be put into storage at
Eglin AFB, Florida prior to a final decision on the program by the
Dutch government. This is the first F-35A conventional take-off and
landing variant to be delivered to an international customer.
Ordered in 2009, it was intended for use in the operational test
phase of the F-35 program. A second test aircraft ordered in 2011
is now undergoing test and acceptance flights. Meanwhile, Saab has
again pitched its Gripen NG to the Netherlands as an alternative
F-16 replacement. The latest offer includes compensation for
possible late delivery.
Germany bids PharewellFinal F-4F Phantom II ight at Manching
ON JULY 30 the last flight by an F-4F Phantom II was conducted
at Manching in Bavaria, Germany. The WTD 61 test unit officially
marked the final retirement of the type a few days earlier on July
24, when the units two Phantoms were formally decommissioned after
40 years of service within the German military. The F-4F bowed out
in style, with a flying demonstration by Lt Col Hierl and Herr
Kilian in 37+15, and Lt Col Ritter and Lt Col Geisee in the
specially marked 38+13. In keeping with tradition, the air base
fire service provided both aircrews with a shower on landing.
Portuguese Persuader flies with SLARThe Portuguese Air Force
C-295MPA Persuader has begun flying with the new SSC MSS6000
side-looking airborne radar (SLAR). The new pods are seen here
attached to both fuselage sides of C-295MPA serial 16710 (S-063)
during a test flight from San Pablo Airport in Seville on July 17.
Antonio Muiz Zarageta
Antonio Muiz Zarageta
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19www.combataircraft.net October 2013
Europe
First NFH for BelgiumBelgium received its first NH90 NATO
Frigate Helicopter (NFH) on August 1. The machine is also the
initial NH90 to be completed on the German production line at
Eurocopters Donauwrth facility. Belgium ordered a total of eight
NH90s, comprising four NFHs for the Naval Component of the Belgian
Armed Forces, and four Tactical Transport Helicopters (TTHs) for
the Belgian Land Component. The aircraft was delivered in Full
Operational Capability (FOC) and is identical to the NFH for the
Netherlands. Training of Belgian flight and maintenance crews on
the NFH began in August, and operations with an initial two
aircraft are due to begin in 2014.
A dramatic study of F-4F 38+13 over the
Manching facility on July 4. Dietmar Fenners
Belgium has ordered four NH90 NFHs to succeed its Sea Kings.
NHIndustries
Italian F-35A progressNorthrop Grumman has delivered the center
fuselage for Italys first F-35 Lightning II. After arrival on board
a US Air Force C-5B, the fuselage barrel was handed over at Italys
recently completed Final Assembly and Check Out (FACO) facility at
Cameri on July 12. The receipt is the first step in the initial
assembly of an initial F-35A (AL-1) for Italy. In all, 90 center
fuselage sections will be delivered to the Italian FACO facility in
order to provide for the full production run of Italian
conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) variants of the Lightning
II. Work on AL-1s center fuselage began in September 2012 and it is
the 115th to be constructed by the contractor on its Integrated
Assembly Line (IAL) at Palmdale, California. In related news,
Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $70.4-million contract
modification to provide long lead-time parts, material and
components required for seven CTOL F-35As and one short take-off
and vertical landing F-35B for Italy.
Spanish Mirage F1s continue to fly onThe Spanish Air Force
resumed flights with the Mirage F1M on August 8 within the
framework of a maintenance program that is intended to keep a
number of these aircraft airworthy. The F1M fleet was officially
withdrawn from use on June 23, although some aircraft continued to
fly additional missions until the last day of June. Since the
Spanish government intends to try to sell a number of aircraft to a
third country with Argentina being seen at present as the most
likely option some aircraft were taken out of preservation status
in July for immediate flight testing from August onwards. Roberto
Yez
Landing at Albacete on August 8 is Mirage F1M C14-64/14-37,
wearing its old Tiger Meet color scheme and with 142 Escuadrn pilot
Cdr Salls at the controls. Such check ights last around 40 minutes
per aircraft and have been staged regularly following formal
retirement of the type in June. Roberto Yez
18-21 Europe News C.indd 19 23/08/2013 09:02
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20 October 2013 www.combataircraft.net
News
A400M latestFrench Air Force receives MSN7 First Turkish example
takes flight
ON AUGUST 2, the French Air Force received the first production
Airbus A400M to be formally delivered to a customer.
Arriving from Seville, Spain after a two-hour flight, MSN7
(wearing the French civil registration F-RBAA) landed at
Orlans-Bricy at 14.30hrs, flown by a French crew. It had previously
been accepted by the DGA (Dlgation Gnrale de lArmement) armament
procurement agency, having already flown French President Franois
Hollande to the Paris Air Show and taken part in the Bastille Day
flypast over Paris prior to delivery. Known as the Atlas in French
service, two further aircraft are expected to be delivered to
France by the end of 2013. The arrival of the A400M comes at a good
time for the Arme de lAir, as its existing C-130 and C-160
transport fleets have become increasingly tired while still being
worked hard on overseas operations.
Meanwhile, the German Defense Ministry has countered reports
suggesting that delivery of the A400M to the Luftwaffe will be
delayed. The news magazine Der Spiegel said that
the existing schedule could be subject to setbacks due to a
mistake in the ministrys certification procedures. An initial
delivery is planned for November 2014. Der Spiegel uncovered
documents from 2003 showing that errors in the original sales
contract mean that the chosen commercial certification procedures
fail to comply with German military standards, leading to potential
delays and cost over-runs. Germany has allocated 9.5 billion for
the purchase of 53 A400Ms. In response to the dilemma, the Defense
Ministry has moved to establish a new military aviation authority
responsible
for the certification of all service aircraft.
In further news, the first production A400M for the Turkish Air
Force made its maiden flight on August 9. MSN9 took off from
Seville, Spain, at 13.56hrs and returned after a flight lasting 5
hours and 30 minutes. Turkish Air Force pilots, loadmasters and
maintenance technicians have already begun instruction at the
Airbus Military International Training Center at Seville. Turkey
has ordered 10 A400Ms. MSN9s maiden flight was preceded by a
simultaneous run of its four engines on July 29.
This photo: Pictured arriving at Orlans-Bricy on August 2, MSN7
will initially be used for continued aircrew training before
joining the operational transport eet. Patrick Bigel
Inset: The rst production A400M for the Turkish Air Force made
its maiden ight on August 9. Airbus Military
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21www.combataircraft.net October 2013
Europe
TF-X cost analysisReports in the Turkish media have highlighted
the cost of Turkeys planned ghter purchases. Hrriyet Daily News
puts a price tag of $50 billion on plans to build and acquire 200
locally-built TF-X ghters and 100 Lockheed Martin F-35s, plus the
cost of engines for the TF-X. The cost of building eight TF-X
prototypes is put at over $10 billion. Should Turkey eventually
order 200 indigenous ghters, ocials hope to provide a unit cost of
$100 million, representing a total expenditure of at least $31 to
$33 billion. Added to this are costs of around $16 billion for the
Lightning II acquisition. Turkey is hopeful of ying a prototype
TF-X by 2020, and TAI is currently working on three dierent design
congurations. Whether further development is authorized will
probably be decided before the end of the year.
Turkish Navy receives rst ATR-72 TMUAAlenia Aermacchi has
delivered the rst of two ATR-72-600 Turkish Maritime Utility
Aircraft (TMUAs) to the Turkish Navy, the company announced on July
24. Under a contract signed with Turkeys Defense Industries
Undersecretariat on May 8, Alenia is supplying a total of eight
ATR-72-600s, comprising two in the TMUA conguration and the
remaining six congured as Turkish Maritime Patrol Aircraft (TMPAs).
The second aircraft was due to follow in the rst half of August.
The rst TMPA will
arrive with the Turkish Navy in February 2017 and deliveries
will be completed by 2018.
An-124 renaissance? Russia and Ukraine have begun talks
regarding the possible re-opening of production of the Antonov
An-124 heavy airlifter. A memorandum of understanding could be
signed as early as September, according to reports in the Russian
press. In order to provide the Russian Air Force and commercial
operators with additional An-124s, Moscow and Kiev are considering
joint production of a modied version, likely to feature a reduced
load capacity and advanced D-18T engines.
MiG-35 purchase delayedOn August 17 it was reported that the
Russian Defense Ministry had delayed signature of a contract to
purchase 37 MiG-35 ghters for the Russian Air Force. Originally
expected in June, the deal will now be postponed until 2016. The
move is apparently intended to save the Ministry some $1.1 billion
within its current budget. Another reason cited for the move is
cited as delays in drawing up the design. In its place, MiG is
hopeful of a possible Russian order for the MiG-29SMT, for delivery
by 2016.
Blackjack upgradeThe Russian Defense Ministry has signed a deal
worth $103 million with Tupolev and the Kazan Aircraft Plant to
upgrade three Tu-160 strategic
bombers. The updated aircraft are expected to be delivered to
the Russian Air Force in December 2015. In 2012 it was announced
that at least 10 Tu-160s would be modernized by 2020, in order to
remain in service until the elding of a successor, under
development in the PAK-DA program.
Russia buys An-148sRussias Defense Ministry has bought 15 An-148
regional airliners. The contract between the Defense Ministry and
Voronezh Aircraft Production Association (VASO) was announced on
July 31. According to Russian press reports, the rst An-148 will be
delivered to the Russian Air Force in 2013. Four more aircraft will
follow in 2014, another quartet in 2015, three in 2016 and the
remaining three in 2017.
Polish helo tender progressesOn July 15 the Polish Defense
Ministry opened talks with prospective candidates to supply 70 new
helicopters to the Polish military. Warsaw hopes to have decided on
a bidder in 2014, followed by initial deliveries in 2016. The
program is worth an estimated 1.6 to 2.1 billion. Poland favors
local production or assembly of the aircraft, with Sikorsky
apparently being the front-runner thanks to its manufacturing
facility at Mielec. Other candidates are Eurocopter and
AgustaWestland, the latter with established interests at
Swidnik.
IN BRIEF
Luftwaffes latest Tornado specialLuftwaffe Tornado IDS 43+01
from Jadgbombergeschwader 33 has received these special markings in
honor of the 55th anniversary of the fighter-bomber wing and the
re-naming of JaBoG 33 as Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 33
(Tactical Air Force Wing 33) from October 1. The jet was painted at
Erding before returning to its home base at Bchel.
Rafale production revisedFrance is likely to halve its purchases
of Dassault Rafale fighters in the coming years, it has been
revealed. In a bid to reduce defense spending, the government has
proposed acquisition of just 26 Rafales over the next six years. In
order to keep the Rafale in production after 2016, therefore,
Dassault will be reliant upon securing sales in India, as well as
winning potential new contracts in Brazil, Malaysia, Qatar and the
United Arab Emirates. Previously, Dassault was to supply Rafales to
the French military at a rate of 11 per year already considered the
minimum necessary to keep the production line open. The latest plan
relies upon at least one country placing an order for the Rafale
before 2019. Overall, France still plans to acquire 180 Rafales, of
which around 120 have been delivered.
Dr Andreas Zeitler
18-21 Europe News C.indd 21 23/08/2013 09:02
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In a world in which the focus of the aviation industry is
shifting to new regions, the latest edition of the F-AIR exhibition
in Colombia showed that the local market is fast becoming a key
concern.
report and photos: Santiago Rivas
BETWEEN JULY 11 and 14, the fifth edition of the Feria
Aeronutica Internacional (F-AIR) airshow and exhibition took place
at Jos Mara Crdova airport in Ro Negro,
near the Colombian city of Medelln. Perhaps the most significant
feature of this latest show was the increased presence of European
companies, as in previous editions the event had been dominated by
US and Israeli firms. Eurocopter, Thales, MBDA, EADS, Sener and Let
were among the European concerns present at Ro Negro. All were
trying to break into a difficult market, in which Colombia has
traditionally bought US, Israeli or Russian equipment.
On the military side, Canada attracted much attention with its
CF-188 demonstration. Two Hornets were taken to
Colombia, escorted by an Airbus CC-150 Polaris tanker.
Another interesting presence was that of the Beechcraft AT-6
Texan II, part of the Raytheon delegation. The model is being
offered to the region, despite the Super Tucano dominating the
local market. It is difficult to imagine the US model gaining a
foothold in Latin America, as all potential operators have so far
ordered the Super Tucano or, in the case of Peru, the Korean KT-1.
The company also showed for the second time the Beechcraft 350
Special Missions, which is being offered for a variety of duties
including intelligence and maritime reconnaissance. The Colombian
Air Force and Police already use different versions of the Super
King Air for special operations.
As always, the Colombian Air Force was the main exhibitor, with
most types in use being shown. As usual, especially interesting
were the relative rarities: the Rockwell OV-10 Bronco, the
Basler AC-47T Fantasma, the Cessna T-37C and the IAI Kfir C10 and
C12 this time including an example that took part in the recent Red
Flag exercise. The latest version of the Calima trainer, the T-90C,
was also on view, with changes that include a new instrument panel,
landing lights, new wing with different leading edge, and other
modifications. The Corporacin de la Industria Aeronutica Colombiana
(CIAC) has delivered 11 Calimas from a total of 24 ordered.
Also on display were the two newly-received Boeing 737-400Fs and
the last Airbus Military C-295 received by the Colombian Air
Force.
The forces interest in the F-16 as a replacement for the Kfir
fleet is growing. Lockheed Martin sent two US Air Force two-seaters
to be exhibited, and in particular
2013
22 October 2013 www.combataircraft.net
22-23 F-AIR Special Report C.indd 22 14/08/2013 10:29
-
SPECIAL REPORT
to carry high-ranking Colombian officers on familiarization
flights. The company also brought an F-16 simulator and showed a
model of the jet in Colombian colors. Colombian Air Force officers
announced that a contract could be signed very soon and that the
aircraft might arrive in two to three years. Most probably, a deal
will involve modernized second-hand jets.
The flying display was less spectacular than at the previous
F-AIR, but the presence of four Broncos flying together was perhaps
the most interesting item. Currently, the air force has just six
OV-10s operational and a seventh is being returned to service. As
well as the four specimens flying, a fifth was shown in the static
display.
The Sikorsky AH-60L Arpa was arguably the star of the programme,
this time with two examples performing an impressive aerobatic
display. Another was present on the ground, together with a
UH-60 Angel, used for combat search and rescue operations. During
the demonstration, another UH-60, not modified to Angel standard,
performed a CSAR demonstration escorted by an Arpa. In total, the
air force has three Angels, which are Black Hawks modified with a
FLIR turret and cameras and equipped with extra fuel tanks, a hoist
and self-protection equipment.
A new version of the Arpa was also announced, which could
include anti-tank missiles, improved avionics and multi-function
displays among other changes. The plan is to modernize all examples
to bring them up to this definitive standard.
The Colombian Air Force also exhibited its Boeing Scan/Night
Eagle tactical UAVs, used by the Grupo de Proteccin de
Infraestructura Vital to search for guerrilla forces around
major
military and strategic civil facilities. Another innovation was
the XMT-14 door gunner simulator, developed by the Comando Areo de
Combate 14, which includes a simulated
This photo: Four of Colombias seven remaining OV-10 Broncos
perform a ypast at F-AIR.
Right top to bottom: A Colombian Air Force Boeing 737-400F
transport.
A Basler AC-47T Fantasma gunship.
Inset right: This model of an F-16 in Colombian markings reected
growing interest in the type locally. Many expect a deal to be
forthcoming soon.
23www.combataircraft.net October 2013
22-23 F-AIR Special Report C.indd 23 14/08/2013 10:30
-
Huey or Bell 212 helicopter cabin and which can be equipped with
weapons including GAU-17 and GAU-19 Miniguns.
Other forcesColombian Army Aviation put on show its first
recently-delivered Sikorsky S-70i, a major advance over the earlier
models in use with the force. In total, there are now more than 50
Black Hawks of different versions in Army service. The service also
participated with the Mi-17 veteran of the famous Operacin Jaque
rescue mission, which has been present at every F-AIR since
2008.
Naval Aviation brought its third and final CN235MP Persuader,
another recent newcomer in service. Plans were announced to buy
three more, for a total of six: two based in the Caribbean, two on
the Pacific coast and a final pair in maintenance and reserve.
Furthermore, the Navy is ordering four Bell 412 helicopters for
interdiction operations, to operate on the Almirante Padilla-class
frigates. It intends to buy a bigger and more capable helicopter,
preferably the H-60 Seahawk, to fly from the future frigates, and
to offer more capacity and range. For the show, the Navy sent a
Bell 212, equipped with a GAU-17 Minigun, an M240 machine gun and a
Barrett .50 sniper rifle, the latter being used to destroy the
engines of the go-fast vessels used by drug traffickers in the
Caribbean Sea.
From its impressive inventory, the National Police provided one
of its medevac Fairchild Metros, an Air Tractor used in the past
for the eradication of illegal plantations (now employed for ground
training after being replaced by the Turbo Thrush) and a Huey II
armed with a GAU-17. The Police Basler BT-67 was missing from the
exhibition.
The challenge for the next F-AIR, in July 2015, is to keep
showing new products and to develop a more interesting aerial
demonstration. On the military side, an increased Navy, Army and
Police presence would be welcome. The Colombian market, together
with the entire region, is growing fast and becoming a very
attractive area for companies from around the world.
Above: The Sikorsky AH-60L Arpas are already in line for a
further upgrade to bring them up to a denitive standard.
One of ve new Colombian Army Sikorsky S-70i Black Hawks was on
show. Delivered in March, the ve aircraft were built in Mielec,
Poland, and were then custom-equipped in the USA to meet Colombian
requirements.
Below: A pair of upgraded Kr C10s in the static display at
F-AIR.
24 October 2013 www.combataircraft.net
22-23 F-AIR Special Report C.indd 24 14/08/2013 10:30
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593 CAM Digi Iss.indd 25 21/08/2013 10:48
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News
EXERCISE TALISMAN SABER is a large-scale exercise held every two
years involving Australia and the US, with the objective of
improving interoperability
between the armed services of both nations. This years exercise,
the fifth and largest in the series, was held between July 15 and
August 5, and was conducted mainly on land, water and airspace
around Queensland. The US committed almost 20,000 personnel, along
with 15 ships and significant aviation elements drawn from the US
Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, which trained alongside their
counterparts from the Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force
and Royal Australian Navy.
TS13 marked the debut of a number of aircraft types, notably the
MV-22 Osprey from the Dragons of VMM-265
(Reinforced), as part of the USS Bonhomme Richards Expeditionary
Strike Group. Other than the Ospreys, VMM-265 (Reinforced)
comprised CH-53Es, UH-1Ys and AH-1Zs detached from other USMC
squadrons and deployed to Futenma, Okinawa under the Unit
Deployment Program (UDP). The helicopters were augmented by another
UDP detachment of AV-8B+ Harrier IIs from VMA-214 Blacksheep.
However, if one combat aircraft type dominated the skies at TS13,
it was the Super Hornet. RAAF F/A-18Fs were heavily committed
during TS13, with flights of four to eight aircraft completing up
to two sorties a day between RAAF Base Amberley and Shoalwater Bay.
They were joined by their US Navy counterparts from Carrier Air
Wing Five (CVW-5) on board the carrier USS George Washington (CVN
73), contributing four
more squadrons of Super Hornets. CVW-5 also included the EA-18G
Growlers of VAQ-141 Shadowhawks, which joined Japan-based CVW-5 in
early 2012. The Super Hornets mostly flew offensive and defensive
counter-air (OCA/DCA) missions, and also supported ground forces
working with Joint Terminal Air Controllers (JTACs).
Meanwhile, in the first operation of its kind, USAF C-17s
conducted tactical supply air-drops alongside RAAF C-17s of No 36
Squadron. For the supply drops, all the C-17s operated from
Amberley. Special operations-related aircraft that were sighted
operating out of Australian airfields during the exercise included
HH-60H Seahawks of HSC-85 Firehawks, S-70A-2s of the Australian
Army, and USAF Special Operations Command MC-130H/Ps and Dornier
C-146As. Mike Yeo
Talisman Saber 2013Australian-American combined arms
exercise
A trio of RAAF F/A-18F Super Hornets formates on a RAAF KC-30A
Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) o the coast of the Australian
state of Queensland prior to refueling. Mike Yeo
26 October 2013 www.combataircraft.net
26-31 World News C.indd 26 23/08/2013 10:14
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World
Rapid progress for RomeoOn July 24 the rst Royal Australian Navy
MH-60R arrived at the Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training
facility in Owego, New York. Here, the Seahawk will receive its
digital cockpit and integrated mission systems and sensors.
The rst ight of an Australian MH-60R on June 26, followed by its
acceptance on June 29, occurred only two years after contract
signature and six months ahead of the original schedule as approved
by the Australian government in 2011. An initial mission-ready
aircraft is to be delivered to the Australian Defence Force in
December. Sikorsky has three additional aircraft for the RAN in
various stages of assembly at its Seahawk completion line in
Stratford. Those will be handed over to the US Navy in August and
September for completion by Lockheed Martin in early 2014.
Australia is expected to take delivery of all 24 MH-60Rs by late
2016 via the US governments Foreign Military Sales program.
RNZAF NH90s on exerciseThree Royal New Zealand Air Force NH90s
undertook an intensive ying training program around Waiouru in
July. The exercise was designed to evaluate the helicopters ability
to deploy in a more austere environment, and involved around 90 Air
Force personnel and 30 Army personnel. It was the rst time that the
NH90 had carried fully equipped NZ Army troops, as well as the rst
occasion that low-level formation ying had been undertaken away
from the NH90s home base at Ohakea. Two A109s were also deployed to
Waiouru and trained alongside the NH90s as part of this types
operational test and evaluation.
Australasia
Egyptian F-16 deliveries haltedAs civil unrest continues in
Egypt, Washington has put a stop to arms transfers to the country.
US officials announced that delivery of the latest batch of four
Block 52 F-16s, due to arrive with the Egyptian Air Force on July
23, has been halted. US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel informed
Egypts military chief, Gen Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, of President
Barack Obamas decision to stop the delivery. According to available
information, the first batch of EAF F-16s from the latest order was
delivered in January 2013 and consisted of four aircraft. The next
quartet was noted passing through Lajes in April. The third group
of aircraft comprised those that were due to be delivered on July
23. An additional batch of eight F-16s was set to follow in
December, competing the 20-aircraft Peace Vector VII contract.
Sudanese Fencer breaks coverThe Sudanese Air Force has been
confirmed as the latest operator of the Su-24M fighter-bomber.
Delivery of four former Belarusian Air Force aircraft occurred in
April 2013. It was initially rumored that the Fencers had been
transferred to Yemen, until photographs emerged of the Su-24s at
Wadi Sayyidna air base near Um Dorman in Sudan, together with
Belarusian personnel and crews.
27www.combataircraft.net October 2013
26-31 World News C.indd 27 23/08/2013 10:14
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News
Brazilian ghter developmentsThe Brazilian Air Force commander,
Lt Brig Juniti Saito, recently attended an open meeting with the
Congressional commission responsible for defense and foreign aairs.
The talks concerned the current status of the Brazilian ghter eet
and the retirement of the Mirage 2000s, now planned for before the
end of the year. Saito announced that the Mirages will be replaced
by upgraded F-5EMs currently deployed in four Brazilian Air Force
squadrons. They will be augmented by former Jordanian Tiger IIs as
soon as a modernization program for these aircraft is
completed.
September is the deadline for the current proposals presented by
the F-X2 contenders. If any one of these is selected, the rst
ghters should arrive within a timeframe of four to six years. Saito
declared a preference for the Super Hornet, although the recent
revelations by Edward Snowden concerning US espionage in Brazil may
make the acquisition of F/A-18E/Fs problematic. During the meeting
Saito stated that the best ghter is the one which can made by
ourselves, words that were interpreted by some as a reference to
the Gripen NG, since the Brazilian
manufacturer AKAER is involved in the design and production of
certain parts of the aircraft, including the wings. Srgio
Ricardo
Modernized Skyhawk iesThe rst prototype of the modernized A-4KU
Skyhawk (locally named AF-1) ew for the rst time at Embraers Gavio
Peixoto facilities in So Paulo state on July 17. The new model,
designated AF-1B and C (for the single- and two-seat versions,
respectively) is now beginning its ight tests after development of
the new version started in 2009. It is planned to deliver the rst
of 12 modernized jets in March 2014, while the remaining 11
aircraft will be used for spares.
The Skyhawks will receive new radar and avionics, including MFDs
and a new HUD for the cockpit, using most of the systems already
installed on the Brazilian Air Forces upgraded F-5EMs. Santiago
Rivas
Brazilian police to receive Air Force helosThe Brazilian Air
Force is to deliver two UH-1H and four Esquilo helicopters to the
Rio de Janeiro Civil Police. The aircraft are currently stored at
the Parque de Material Aeronutico
dos Afonsos (PAMA-AF), in Rio. They will reinforce the force,
which lost an Esquilo last May, and will be used to provide
security in the city during the 2014 World Cup and the Olympic
Games in 2016. The helicopters to be transferred are UH-1Hs FAB
8695 and 8688, and Esquilos FAB 8811, 8816, 8818 and 8819. The
Brazilian Air Force UH-1Hs are being supplanted by Black Hawks and
Super Cougars, while the Esquilos of the Poti Squadron were
succeeded by the Mi-35. Santiago Rivas
Chile interested in Indra P2006TWith the intention of replacing
its Cessna O-2As, which are being withdrawn from use, the Chilean
Navy is studying the purchase of a batch of up to eight Indra
P2006T MRI small maritime patrol aircraft for coastal patrol and
search and rescue duties. The Cessnas were used extensively to
patrol Chiles coasts for the past 20 years but are still considered
to not be well-suited to the mission. The intention is to eld a new
aircraft that can also supplement the force of P-3 Orions and P-295
Persuaders that are already in service, and which could also be
used to replace the EMB-111 Bandeirulhas.
Latin America
First Omani C-295M appears in full markingsThe first Airbus
Military C-295M for the Royal Air Force of Oman, serial 901 (c/n
S-100) is seen with full markings during a test flight from San
Pablo Airport, Seville on July 29. This aircraft is the 100th C-295
built, and although it was displayed at the Paris Air Show earlier
in the year it was exhibited there without full markings, with the
tail markings covered up. Antonio Muiz Zarageta
Indonesian Hercules rolled outFormer RAAF aircraft provided as
gift
Antonio Muiz Zarageta
28 October 2013 www.combataircraft.net
26-31 World News C.indd 28 23/08/2013 10:14
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World
The P2006T MRI uses the Selex Galileo Seaspray 5000E scanned
array radar and other systems in order to operate at night and in
adverse weather. The aircraft sends the information obtained by its
sensors to a ground station in real time, making it possible to y
with only a pilot and a co-pilot. Santiago Rivas
Chilean Navy to modernize OrionsInstead of buying more P-295
Persuaders, the Chilean Navy has decided to extend the service life
of its three remaining Lockheed P-3A Orions to retain them in
service until 2030. They are the last from a total of eight
received 20 years ago from the US Navy, while a fourth is used for
transport. The aircraft will receive new wings, and new avionics,
making them capable of deploying AGM-84 Harpoon missiles, while the
engines and airframes will be overhauled. Two of the P-3As recently
received new equipment in New Zealand, including Elta EL/M 2022A
scanned array radars. Santiago Rivas
Colombia moves closer to F-16The Colombian Air Force is
negotiating with Lockheed Martin for the provision of a batch
of F-16 Fighting Falcons in order to replace the Kr C10 and C12s
currently in service. Air Force ocials expect to receive the rst
ghters in two or three years. Although not ocially announced, the
negotiations concern a batch of second-hand jets, most likely Block
30 or 40 examples, which will receive some degree of modernization.
The quantity under discussion is 12 to 24 aircraft, perhaps in two
separate batches. Santiago Rivas
Additional Bell 412s for Colombian Navy The Colombian Navy will
receive four new Bell 412s before the end of the year, to increase
its eet of helicopters used on interdiction, assault and transport
missions. The Bells will mainly serve on board the Almirante
Padilla-class frigates against the go-fast vessels used by drug
trackers. They will be equipped with GAU-17 Miniguns and Barrett
sniper ries.
The force is also interested in buying a larger helicopter to be
used on a future class of frigates, which will have a larger ight
deck. The Navy is especially interested in the H-60 Seahawk.
Santiago Rivas
THE FIRST OF four C-130H Hercules that will be transferred from
Australia to the Indonesian Air Force was recently rolled out of
the maintenance hangar at RAAF Base Richmond, New South Wales,
where Qantas Defence Services conducts heavy maintenance on the
RAAF Hercules fleet. The aircraft, which formerly wore the RAAF
serial A97-006, will be delivered to Indonesia in October wearing
serial
A-1330. Australia retired its C-130H fleet in November 2012 and
subsequently announced that it would provide four of the aircraft
to Indonesia as a gift. Qantas will upgrade the three remaining
C-130Hs under a $58-million contract signed in July 2013 and the
aircraft will be delivered in April, August and October 2014.
Indonesia subsequently agreed to purchase five additional C-130Hs,
a simulator and associated equipment from Australia at a cost of
$13.9 million. Tom Kaminski
Second C-17 for IndiaBoeing has delivered the second C-17A
Globemaster III to the Indian Air Force. The airlifter was handed
over at the companys Long Beach, California facility on July 22, a
month after the IAFs rst C-17 arrived in India. Boeing will deliver
three more C-17s to India this year and ve in 2014, thus providing
the full complement of 10 aircraft.
India launches carrierIndias rst Indigenous Aircraft Carrier
(IAC), the Vikrant (P 71), was launched at the port of Kochi on
August 12. The 37,500-tonne vessel is due to enter service in 2017.
The previous Vikrant, Indias rst carrier, was decommissioned in
January 1997. The new carrier is equipped for short-take o but
assisted recovery (STOBAR) operations, with a ski jump ramp. Design
and construction of the IAC was approved by the government in
January 2003 and the keel was laid in February 2009. In addition to
MiG-29K and Tejas ghters, the Vikrant is intended to operate Ka-31
and Dhruv helicopters. The next phase of construction will see the
outtting of the ship, tment of various weapons and sensors, and
integration of the propulsion system and the aircraft complex. The
carrier is due to be handed over to the Indian Navy in around
2016-17.
In related news, the Indian Navy aircraft carrier Vikramaditya
began a series of ight tests recently. It departed the Russian port
of Severodvinsk on July 3 for sea trials in the White Sea. In early
August the Vikramaditya proceeded to the Barents Sea to begin
trials of the MiG-29K carrier-borne ghters and related maintenance
equipment.
Kaveri dropped for TejasAfter numerous setbacks, Indias Defence
Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has nally abandoned
plans to use the indigenous Kaveri engine to power the HAL Tejas
Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). Design and development work on the
Kaveri began in 1989, but the engine has consistently failed to
generate the required thrust for combat aircraft applications.
While the Tejas will rely on the General Electric F404 and F414
engines, a non-afterburning version of the Kaveri is intended for
use in the Indian Unmanned Strike Air Vehicle (IUSAV).
IndiaThe second C-17A for the Indian Air Force departs Boeings
Long Beach facility during its delivery ight on July 22. Boeing
ADF
29www.combataircraft.net October 2013
26-31 World News C.indd 29 23/08/2013 10:14
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News
First flight for RoKAF C-130J Lockheed Martin receives boost in
Korea
THE FIRST C-130J-30 Hercules for the Republic of Korea Air Force
completed its maiden flight at the Lockheed Martin production
facility adjacent to Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, Georgia,
on August 14. C-130J serial 5730 is scheduled for delivery to the
RoKAF in 2014.
Meanwhile, ockheed Martin has received a $223-million contract
to supply South Korea with Modernized Target Acquisition
Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor (M-TADS/PNVS) systems
for the nations AH-64E Apache helicopters. The contract includes 36
M-TADS/PNVS systems and spares, with production being due to
continue into 2018.
North Korean Candid camouage Spotted recently in North Korea is
this Il-76TD wea