August 2014 Issue #317
KICKING UP A STORM - ISRAEL'S F-16I SUFAS
Officially the World's NUMBER ONE Military Aviation Magazine | www.airforcesmonthly.com
FORCE REPORT
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
THRACIAN STRIKE EXERCISE REPORT
EYES IN THE SKY MPAs of
Vipers, Fishbeds and Fulcrums
Asia-Pacific
MIGHTY MINHAS Pakistan's busy
AUGUST 2014 £4.60
airbase
BOMBERS AT THE BACKDOOR B-52Hs & B-2A at Fairford Flying the Pilatus PC-21
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IRAN'S NATIONAL DAY
Phantoms, Tomcats & Fulcrums
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CONTENTS
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News
All the world’s military aviation news, by region. 4-5 Headlines 6-7 United Kingdom 8-11 Continental Europe 12-17 North America 18-19 Latin America 20-21 Africa 22-23 Middle East 24 Russia and the CIS 25-27 Asia Pacific 28 Australasia 30-31 AFM AFM’s ’s Dave Allport details the world’s military accidents.
32 EXERCISE REPORT – Cope Taufan Dzirhan Mahadzir files from Butterworth AFB on Cope Taufan, which marked the F-22A Raptor’s first appearance in Malaysia.
34 American Bombers to Britain AFM’s Jerry Gunner visited RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire as USAF B-2As and B-52Hs deployed in June.
38 Warthogs Return AFM’s Dave Allport reports on the return of the A-10C to Europe for the first time in 12 months.
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40 Eyes in the Sky – MPAs of Asia Pacific As tensions increase in the seas of South East Asia Alan Warnes explains what the region’s air forces have in terms of MPAs.
48 Alpine Rescue Hueys Mathias Grägel reviews how Germany’s ‘flying angels’ Hueys have rescued climbers and hikers in the Alps for over 40 years.
54 Mare Nostrum The Italian Air Force 41˚ Stromo is in the front line of Europe’s effort to control the flow of illegal immigrants across the Mediterranean. Dino Marcellino visited the wing at its Sicilian base.
58 Farewell to the ‘Fléchette’ Gert Kromhout and Stephan de Bruijn were at Mont-de-Marsan in southwest France for the disbandment of the last French Air Force operator of the Mirage F1.
62 Storm Front The F-16I Sufa (Storm) has conducted countless strikes since coming into service with the Israeli Air Force a decade ago. Ofer Zidon explains the operational use of this combat-proven warrior.
72 KADEX 2014 The third Kazakhstan Defence Expo (KADEX 2014) was held at Astana International Airport in late May.
Chris Knott, Kieron Pilbeam and Robbie Shaw were there for AFM.
76 Minhas Air Base Alan Warnes recently visited Pakistan Air Force Base Minhas.
78 EXERCISE REPORT Thracian Star 2014 MiGs, Sukhois and F-16s from Bulgaria, Romania, Greece and the US fight it out. Rachel Morris reports. John Dibbs provides exclusive images.
84 FORCE REPORT United Arab Emirates Air Force & Air Defence Steve Rush describes how the oil-rich nation of the United Arab Emirates continues to buy the very best the world has to offer for its air force.
92 EXERCISE REPORT HEMUS 2014 An anti-terrorism demonstration held over the Bulgarian city of Plovdiv saw Hinds, Hips and Cougars operating at roof-top height hunting terrorists.
Editorial
Hindsight is something we all wish we had to save time, money and grief! Amid the ongoing problems of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, I wonder if anyone involved in the programme regrets the decision to cancel the General Electric/Rolls-Royce F136 turbofan development in December 2011. The two-pronged approach used on the latest blocks of Lockheed Martin F-16s, using the Pratt & Whitney F100 or the General Electric F110, gives company and customers a happy choice for this single-engine legend. Perhaps the idea could have been applied back in 2011 as the F-35 programme gained pace. Relying on one power plant proved economical, but given the programme’s significance was it practical? Despite nearly 32,000 hours of testing, availability has remained steady with the Pratt & Whitney F135 at nearly 98%. But as global air forces watch development of the West’s premier fifth generation fighter (see pages 4-5), I expect a few raised eyebrows from senior officers at the prospect of F-35s on the ramp in a few years. US Army Apaches are returning to Baghdad to protect 475 US military security personnel and the Baghdad embassy. According to Washington, it is just a protective measure to combat the militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (known as ISIS) reaches the outskirts of Baghdad. The true value of hindsight is as a lesson on how to make a better decision next time...
FREE DVD Claim your FREE Mirage F-1 or Flying DVD worth up to £19.99 when you subscribe to AirForces Monthly. See pages 14 & 15 for details.
Glenn Sands AFM Brand Editor
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NEWS HEADLINES
IRAQI INTERVENTION From the perspective of the successful air campaign conducted by French military forces in Mali, Dr Dave Sloggett explores the problems facing America if it chooses to intervene in Iraq.
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ITH UNITED States Navy F-18 fighters now flying over the northern part of Iraq from the USS George H W Bush and US Army AH-64D Apaches and US drones sent to the Baghdad area to protect American interests, it appears inevitable that American airpower is yet again going to be used to try and create a stable situation in Iraq. Iraq has also turned to Russia and Iran for ground attack aircraft (See Middle East News page 22). But will their efforts succeed? Given the history of military interventions in the Middle East the temptation might be to draw a negative conclusion and presume the chances of a successful outcome are close to zero. But analysis of conflicts where air power is being applied with some success suggests otherwise. In ongoing battles against similar insurgents in Yemen, Egypt and
Above: USS George H W Bush (CVN 77) patrols the seas off Iraq on June 24. Its Carrier Air Wing will be ready to strike if President Barack Obama gives the order. US Navy / Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Korrin Kim
Pakistan, air power has denied them freedom to manoeuvre. Without intervention from the air the security situation in each country would be materially worse. Perhaps the question to ask is what lessons can be learned from recent application of airpower to shape its use and reduce unforeseen outcomes? The rapid advance of the forces of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – otherwise known as ISIS – across vast tracts of Iraq has surprised many political leaders. But any seasoned observer of events in Iraq knew these areas already contained large Sunni populations alienated by the Shia-led government in Baghdad. The people in those cities ISIS has overrun have hardly lifted a finger to stop the advance. In fact, by their inactivity, fuelled by a deepseated resentment of the way in which the central government in Baghdad has marginalised them from Iraqi politics, they have sanctioned ISIS’ advance on the country’s capital. The movement of ISIS down the corridors of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers resembles the advance on Bamako, the capital of Mali, by Al-Qaeda in
the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) in January 2013. AQIM started its lightning assault from bases in the north around Timbuktu and Kidal. With the Malian Army, retreating in chaotic order in front of them, their chances of entering Bamako looked promising. That was until the French Government ordered an immediate military intervention to save the capital. The rapid deployment of a small force of Mirage and Rafael fighters and Tigre attack helicopters, assisted by imagery from satellite and airborne sources, blunted the attack. Lacking any effective form of counter-air capability, such as man portable air defence systems (MANPADS), the insurgents fell back in disarray. This created the conditions for a smaller ground force to drive them back into their previous sanctuaries around the Adrar des Ifôghas plateau on the border with Algeria. What was now needed was not fast-air and helicopter strikes against moving columns of so-called ‘technicals’ heading along rather narrow roads on a predictable route towards the capital – but a means to keep watch on the infiltrator’s remote
sanctuary so it could be attacked when targets became available. This is where armed unmanned aircraft have a vital role to play, as their use in Pakistan against the core of Al-Qaeda and the local Taliban forces has shown. The French Government quickly procured an initial two General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft (RPAs) to operate alongside a number of American Reapers that were swiftly based at Niamey, the capital of neighbouring Niger. This phase of the campaign proved more difficult, however. In Pakistan one of the key elements that helps cue strikes from RPA is human intelligence (HUMINT) from people on the ground. In North Waziristan, despite the grizzly end which some accused of spying for the Americans or Pakistani Government have endured, there are many who wish to see the back of Al-Qaeda and its various hangers-on. In contrast, in the remote areas bordering the Sahara Desert, HUMINT is far more difficult to obtain. Local nomadic tribes in the region are not easy to infiltrate and tend to side with the insurgents. The near-continuous presence of eyes in the sky has
Above and right: Sukhoi Su-25UBK (15-2458) '58', previously operated by the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Air Force, arrives at Baghdad-New Al Muthanna Air Base, Iraq, on July 1. It was one of seven IRGCAF Su-25s arriving on that day on delivery to the Iraqi Air Force. Iraqi Ministry of Defence
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not persuaded the rebels to leave their established sanctuaries where they wait to emerge and strike again. They have also adopted guerrilla tactics, planting improvised explosive devices and conducting short hit-and-run attacks on Malian Army soldiers and their French counterparts operating in the region. While the success of French airpower in Mali is a good example of a low-key, targeted military campaign that had an immediate, successful outcome, it has not created the conditions for long-term stability. As the French forces pulled back, the insurgents returned to attack Malian forces trying to secure the area. In recent clashes French ground troops have again been forced to intervene to stop the rebels gaining another foothold in northern Mali. The lessons emerging from the deployment of French forces in Mali provide some indication of the issues US airpower will face if President Obama chooses to intervene in Iraq. But despite the parallels between the two situations, there are some subtle, important differences.
Turkish CN235 MPA Visits UK
Turkish Navy MELTEM II-configured CN235M maritime patrol aircraft TCB-653 on the ramp at RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire, prior to the air show there that weekend. The type was making its first UK visit since becoming operational. Alan Warnes
The route to the Malian capital for AQIM is largely along open roads with few settlements along the route. The towns the insurgents in Mali overran were small and did not contain an established social network of supporters – and local people lived in fear of the kind of lifestyle the insurgents would impose on them. The HUMINT they supplied to the French contributed significantly to halting the rebel advance on Bamako. By contrast, in Iraq the use of airpower along the routes being used by ISIS would be more problematic. American airstrikes carry a much higher risk of
collateral damage, and collecting reliable intelligence in what is a dynamic environment on the ground would be difficult. The enemy is hardly static. Even the United States’ much-vaunted intelligence collection capabilities could be found wanting in such a complicated situation. Where mistakes are made, and innocent civilians fall victim to airpower, they would have the potential to harden the schisms the current conflict has opened up between Iraq’s Sunnis and Shias. The risks will weigh heavily on the mind of President Obama as he ponders his options about the use of America’s aerial armada.
Entire F-35 Fleet Grounded Following Engine Fire
Above: All three F-35 variants fly together on a training sortie from Eglin AFB, Florida, on May 21, 2014. From front to rear, they comprise a US Navy/VFA-101 F-35C, US Marine Corps/VMFAT-101 F-35B and US Air Force/58th FS F-35A. USAF/Staff Sgt Katerina Slivinske.
ALL 97 US Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy F-35A/B/Cs were still grounded as AFM went to press following a runway fire incident. Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby announced the grounding on July 3 following the engine fire, which involved an F-35A, on June 23 at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The cause of the incident remains under investigation and a return to flight date will be based on inspection results and analysis of engineering data, said Kirby, adding: “The US Defense Department leadership supports
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this prudent approach”. The order threatened the UK debut of the F-35 at RIAT (July 11-13) and Farnborough (July 14-20), but Kirby stated that preparations to participate in the UK shows were continuing at the time. All F-35 flights were temporarily suspended after the Eglin fire and on June 27 the US Marine Corps F-35B (USMC) variants were cleared to fly again. It allowed three of the USMC aircraft to be flown on that day from Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, ready for their transatlantic crossing to the
UK. They were due to be joined by UK F-35B ZM137 (BK-03) from Eglin Air Force Base (AFB), Florida for the flight to the UK. However, the UK was reluctant to clear the aircraft to fly until more was known and it remained at Eglin. As of July 7, most F-35 engines had been inspected and the remainder were expected to be completed by the end of that day. Results will be examined to determine when flights can resume.
Brand Editor: Glenn Sands Assistant Editor: Jerry Gunner Editorial contact: [emailprotected] Military News Editor: Dave Allport World Air Forces Correspondent: Alan Warnes Chief Designer: Steve Donovan Assistant Chief Designer: Lee Howson Production Editor: Sue Blunt Deputy Production Editor: Carol Randall Sub Editor: Norman Wells Advertising Manager: Ian Maxwell Production Manager: Janet Watkins Marketing Manager: Martin Steele Mail Order Subscription Manager: Ann Petrie Commercial Director: Ann Saundry Executive Chairman: Richard Cox Managing Director & Publisher: Adrian Cox Copies of AirForces Monthly can be obtained each month by placing a standing order with your newsagent. In case of difficulty, contact our Circulation Manager. Readers in USA may place subscriptions by telephone toll-free 800-676-4049 or by writing to AirForces Monthly, 3330 Pacific Ave, Ste 500, Virginia Beach, VA23451-9828. We are unable to guarantee the bonafides of any of our advertisers. Readers are strongly recommended to take their own precautions before parting with any information or item of value, including, but not limited to, money, manuscripts, photographs or personal information in response to any advertisem*nts within this publication. Postmaster: Send address corrections to AirForces Monthly, Key Publishing Ltd, c/o Mail Right International Inc. 1637 Stelton Road B4, Piscataway NJ 08854. Printed in England by Warners (Midlands) plc, Bourne, Lincolnshire. AirForces Monthly (ISSN 0955 7091) is published monthly by Key Publishing Ltd and distributed in the USA by Mail Right Int., 1637 Stelton Road B4, Piscataway, NJ 08854. The entire contents of AirForces Monthly is a copyright of Key Publishing Ltd and cannot be reproduced in any form without permission. The Editor is happy to receive contributions to AirForces Monthly. Please note that all material sent to the Editor is forwarded at the contributor’s own risk. While every care is taken with material, the publishers cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage incurred. All material rates available on request. Submitted material (especially illustrations) should have the contributor’s name and address clearly marked and a stamped addressed envelope should be enclosed if it is required to be returned. All items submitted for publication are subject to our terms and conditions, which are regularly updated without prior notice and are freely available from Key Publishing Ltd or downloadable from www.keypublishing. com. All digital imagery should be at least 300dpi and 10 x 8 inches (25.4cm x 20.3cm) in size and submitted on a CD/ DVD with thumbnail prints to the Editor at Key Publishing Ltd, PO Box 100, Stamford, Lincs., PE9 1XQ, UK. Telephone: +44 (0)1780 755131 Fax: +44 (0)1780 757261 Subscription: [emailprotected] Website: www.keypublishing.com Distributed by Seymour Distribution Ltd, 2 Poultry Avenue, London, EC1A 9PP. Tel: +44 (0)20 7429 4000 Fax: +44 (0)20 7429 4001
Correction: AFM would like to apologise to Arnold ten Pas for not crediting him for the Green Shield Four feature in the June 2014 issue.
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NEWS UNITED KINGDOM Contract Awarded to Integrate Brimstone 2 on RAF Typhoons BAE SYSTEMS announced on June 19 that it has been awarded an initial study contract, valued at £5 million, by the UK Ministry of Defence to evaluate the integration of the MBDA Brimstone 2 air-to-ground precision weapon with the Typhoon aircraft. Work is currently under way at BAE Systems' facility in Warton, Lancashire, to assess the aerodynamic properties of carrying the weapon, through a series of wind tunnel tests. This is intended to enable completion of Brimstone 2 integration for the UK Royal Air Force by 2018. The weapon will add to the swing-role capability of the Typhoon. The study contract will transition the Dual Mode Brimstone capability that is combat proven on the RAF Tornado GR4 to Typhoon, utilising the Brimstone 2 missile.
US Army Be350s Return Home via Prestwick
Above: US Army Beech King Air 350 N316W (c/n FL-456) arriving at Glasgow-Prestwick Airport, Scotland, on June 3 en route home from an overseas deployment, most likely in Afghanistan. It continued its journey via Keflavik, Iceland, the following morning. The aircraft was accompanied by another of the type, N374CH (c/n FL-449), both of which are being operated on behalf of the Army by L-3 Communications. Colin Gordon
More CHF Personnel Graduate After Merlin Training THE LATEST Merlin training course graduated at RAF Benson, Oxfordshire, on June 17. This marked a major milestone in the move to transfer the Royal Air Force Merlin HC3/HC3A fleet to the Royal Navy, as the course comprised solely of Commando Helicopter Force (CHF) personnel. The RAF’s 25 Merlin HC3/HC3As
are to be converted for operation by the Fleet Air Arm, with which they will be re-designated as Merlin HC4/HC4As. Modification for CHF operations will include fitting folding tails and main rotor heads. They will replace the veteran CHF Sea King HC4s, which are all scheduled to be retired by March 31, 2016.
TRANSFER OF the Eurofighter Typhoons of the Royal Air Force's 6 Squadron from RAF Leuchars, Fife, to RAF Lossiemouth, Moray, was completed on June 20, when nine aircraft departed from Leuchars in a ‘6’ formation heading for their new home. The move began on June 10, when the first three of the unit’s 12 Typhoons, ZJ809 ‘EY’, ZK312 ‘EM’ and ZK324 ‘EI’, flew to Lossiemouth. The other Leuchars Typhoon
unit, 1 (F) Squadron, is also due to transfer to Lossiemouth this autumn, ending the long-standing fast jet presence at the Fife base. On March 31, 2015, Leuchars will then be transferred to the Army. A third Typhoon unit at Lossiemouth will be II (AC) Squadron, which currently flies the Tornado GR4 at RAF Marham, Norfolk. It will disband at Marham on March 31, 2015, before re-forming the following day, April 1, 2015, as a Typhoon unit.
Royal Navy ScanEagle Operational on RAF’s 6 Squadron Completes HMS Somerset Transfer to Lossiemouth THE MINISTRY of Defence confirmed on June 23 that the ScanEagle remotely-piloted air system is now operational on the Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigate HMS Somerset (F82) in the Gulf, only seven months after a £30 million contract was signed with Boeing Defence UK. The system, which is controlled and launched by a pneumatic catapult from Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels, is unarmed and only used for real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. Pilots within a specialist team on board the ship plan ScanEagle’s missions and control its flight. Once its mission is over it returns to the vessel, where the information, gathered by its state-of-the art sensors, is then monitored and analysed. A ground control station is used to plan missions, control and monitor the aircraft and manage data received from the aircraft. The ScanEagle will complement the Royal Navy’s existing ISR capabilities, such as helicopters and long-range radar.
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Ex-RAF Tristars Sold to US-Based Leasing Company
FOLLOWING THE retirement and disposal of the last Royal Air Force Tristars earlier this year, the six aircraft that were acquired by GJD Services have now been sold on to a US-based aircraft leasing company. As previously reported, these were flown from their base at RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, into Bruntingthorpe Airfield, Leicestershire during March for storage, pending disposal (see RAF's 216 Squadron Disbands and Last Tristars Retire, May 2014, p8). All six have now been sold to CSDS Aircraft Sales and Leasing Inc of Palos Verdes Estates, Los Angeles County, California. They were allocated US FAA registrations on May 12, 2014, as follows: ZD948 (c/n 1157) as N304CS, ZD950 (c/n 1164) as N405CS, ZD951 (c/n 1165) as N309CS, ZD953 (c/n 1174) as N705CS, ZE704 (c/n 1186) as N507CS and ZE705 (c/n 1188) as N703CS. The US company is now advertising the aircraft for sale or lease, although all still remain at Bruntingthorpe.
Five More RAF Reapers now Operational
Above: Nine Typhoons from the Royal Air Force’s 6 Squadron departing from RAF Leuchars, Fife, on June 20 in a ‘6’ formation heading for their new home at RAF Lossiemouth, Moray. Phillip Hapka
UK MINISTRY of Defence officials announced on July 3 that an additional five RAF MQ-9A Reapers are now operational at Kandahar, Afghanistan. This brings the total RAF Reaper fleet there to ten. The new arrivals will provide enhanced force protection in support of UK, ISAF and Afghanistan troops on the ground as the drawdown of UK forces in the country continues.
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Gripen v Typhoon at RAF Coningsby ON THE face of it Saab’s Gripen multi-role fighter and the Eurofighter Typhoon are very different beasts – but they share common systems and weapons. That was partly why six JAS 39s (four single-seat ’Cs and two twin-seat ’Ds) visited RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire, in June. The jets came from a section of the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration’s (FMV, Försvarets Materielverk) Test Wing (FC, Försökscentralen) – the Gripen OT&E (Operational Test and Evaluation) unit at Malmslätt Air Base at LinköpingMalmen. The detachment was led by Major Mikael Olsson, callsign ‘Spotter’. He told AFM the jets deployed to Coningsby had the latest mission standard
Above: The Swedish detachment celebrates the successful conclusion of its detachment to RAF Coningsby. Major Mikael ‘Spotter’ Olsson is in the centre. Key – Jerry Gunner Left: The Swedish Air Force Försökscentralen (FC, Test Wing) badge on the tail of one of the Gripens. The Latin inscription, Semper Comperiemus, translates as ‘constantly probing’.
(MS) E19-3 software, now fitted throughout the Swedish Air Force’s Gripen fleet. The unit is currently working towards preparing MS20 software for fitting to frontline aircraft by the summer of 2015. The new software will integrate the MBDA Meteor long-range airto-air missile, for which Sweden will be the launch customer. Other improvements MS20 will bring include better functionality for the helmet-mounted display (HMD), which will make weapons targeting more efficient and accurate, particularly for the IRIS-T short range air-to-air missile. It will also make the Gripen more capable as an air-to-ground platform, enabling
it to use the Boeing GBU-39 Small-Diameter Bomb. Add to these improvements increased Link 16 connectivity – and better functionality of the SPK 39 Modular Reconnaissance Pod in the dark – and the Gripen will be a much more formidable opponent. Interoperability between the RAF and its Swedish colleagues was a key part of the exercise. Sweden is not a member of NATO but as a Partnership for Peace member it has taken part in NATO-led operations, notably during operations over Libya in 2011 when Gripens flying from Sicily provided vital reconnaissance information for the coalition. In combined air operations (COMAO), communication between different elements of an attacking force is essential so
Above: RAF/41 (Reserve) Squadron Typhoon FGR4 ZJ947 'EB-L' taxies out at RAF Coningsby for a mission with the Swedish Gripens. Key – Alan Warnes
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that everyone shares the same distributed air picture. So an important part of the trials at Coningsby was use of Link 16 between 41(R) Squadron’s Typhoons and the Swedish jets. Data was successfully exchanged between the two types, each designating targets for the other, but the Gripen has some way to go before it is as capable as the Typhoon.
Dogfighting The 41(R) Squadron representative for AFM’s visit was USAF exchange officer Major Travis Winslow, callsign ‘Snakeyes’, who formerly flew F-16Cs with the 555th FS, ‘Triple Nickel’, from Aviano Air Base, Italy. He said another part of the trial was dissimilar air combat (DACT). The learning curve was very steep. Engagements started as 1-v-1 but by the last day a formation of four Typhoons took on six Gripens while a Cobham Falcon 20 jammed communications. ‘Red air’ and ‘blue air’ forces sometimes comprised a mixture of the two types on the same side, the better to test communications and procedures for distributing the recognised air picture. Both sides agreed the exercise was very worthwhile and 41(R) is looking forward to a visit to Sweden to continue the two units’ work together.
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NEWS CONTINENTAL EUROPE Corrosion Issues Delay Last Seven Dutch NH90 Deliveries DELIVERY OF the final seven NH90 helicopters to the Netherlands Ministry of Defence has been postponed due to worse than expected corrosion and wear on in-service helicopters. The decision to defer acceptance of the remaining helicopters was announced on June 27 in a letter to parliament from Dutch Defence Minister Jeanine HennisPlasschaert. It applies from the 14th Dutch NH90, which had been due for delivery on September 1. The minister stated the Netherlands will take delivery of the helicopters only once agreement had been reached with the manufacturer on solutions and who would pay for the repairs. Although the NH90 has been used successfully by the Netherlands
Spanish UAV Det in Afghanistan Ends After Six Years
SPAIN HAS ended its unmanned air vehicle (UAV) detachment in Afghanistan, after just over six years of operation. The IAI Searcher Mk IIIJ UAVs of the Spanish Ejército de Tierra (Spanish Army), which flew from Forward Support Base (FSB) Herat, completed their mission on June 16. Operated by the UAV- PASI (Plataforma Autónoma Sensorizada de Intelifencia – Autonomous Intelligence Sensor Platform Unit), they were first deployed to Herat on April 16, 2008. Since arriving to support International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) operations, the Searchers have undertaken intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions, providing convoy escort and security around bases for Spanish troops or ISAF ground operations.
Third Belgian NH90 is 200th Delivery of Type A CELEBRATION during the annual NH90 Product Conference, held this year on June 20 at Bückeburg, Germany, marked the 200th delivery of the type. The helicopter was a Tactical Transport Helicopter (TTH) variant, the third NH90 for Belgian Defence. It will be based at Beauvechain Air Base and operated by the 1st Wing. The NH90 fleet has now logged more than 50,000 flight hours.
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during anti-piracy missions off Somalia and in the Caribbean, the extent of the corrosion was only found during routine inspections after the aircraft returned home. The Netherlands is the lead country for NH90 maritime operations, although after the problem was identified France also revealed less serious corrosion problems with its NH90s. Dutch NH90, serial number N227, had excessive rusting and wear while a second NH90, N233, showed less serious corrosion. Both had each flown about 250 hours in a saline environment, but the unexpected degree of corrosion in such a short period of time led to a full investigation into the extent of the damage. A 138-page report that was
produced earlier this year by the Nationaal Lucht- en Ruimtevaartlaboratorium (NLR – National Aerospace Laboratory) found 92 “corrosion occurrences” on the two helicopters. The report said these were variously caused by insufficient corrosion protection, incorrect choice of materials, unsuitable design and by manufacturing that was not in accordance with specifications. The Defence Minister first highlighted the problems on March 11 in a letter to parliament (see Corrosion Issues with Dutch NH90s, May, p10) which coincided with the NLR report becoming public. Manufacturer NHIndustries (NHI) was notified through the NATO Helicopter Management
Agency, which immediately put together a task force to identify solutions. Minister HennisPlasschaert says NHI has since developed technical solutions for about 60% of the problems and expects to have remedied the others by September. More use will be made of the Royal Netherlands Air Force AS532U2 Cougar II fleet, the out-of-service date of which has been extended to 2018, in order to cover the capability gap left by the NH90 delays. Delayed introduction of the NH90 and longer maintenance periods have reduced flying of the type. Training sufficient crews and maintenance personnel for full-scale maritime operations is now not expected until 2019.
Italian AF AMXs Return After Five Years in Afghanistan AFTER MORE than five years deployed in Afghanistan, the four AMX fighters of the Aeronautica Militare Italiana (AMI – Italian Air Force) have returned home. An AMI Boeing KC-767, trailing all three of its refuelling hoses, led three of the aircraft in to Pratica di Mare on June 20. Two Tornadoes and two Typhoons joined the formation for a flypast before landing. The return of the ‘Black Cats’ Gruppo di Volo (Flight Group), the AMX component of the Joint Air Task Force (JATF), is a significant step in the withdrawal of Italian military forces from Afghanistan. The AMX – crewed by personnel from 32° Stormo at Amendola and 51° Stormo at Istrana – had been in Afghanistan since November 7, 2009, when they were deployed to Herat to support International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) operations.
Above: An Aeronautica Militare Italiana (AMI – Italian Air Force) Boeing KC-767 refuels two of the AMXs as they returned on June 20 from Afghanistan to Pratica di Mare. AMI
French Navy Super Etendard 40th Anniversary Colours
Above: French Navy Super Etendard 57, on show at BAN Landivisiau on June 20, wears special colours to mark the 40th anniversary of the first flight of the Super Etendard, which took place on October 28, 1974. Mathias Leischner
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New Tails for the Tigers T
HE 53RD Tiger Meet was hosted by Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 51 (AG-51) at Schleswig-Jagel Air Base, Germany between June 16 and 27. Twelve nations attended, along with the NATO Airborne Early Warning Force, bringing more than 80 aircraft and helicopters. The proximity of the North and Baltic Seas enabled planners to conduct sorties over water, although high winds curtailed action during the first week. Sixteen attractive colour schemes were on show with the majority newly applied for this year. Membership is constantly in flux, with Poland’s 6 Squadron and Hungary’s 59/1 Squadron both elevated to full membership. In contrast, TLG 74 from Neuberg in Germany is a provisional member, despite having assumed the Tiger Association membership of long-time member, JbG-32. The latter disbanded at Lechfeld in March 2013. The 2014 event followed the traditional pattern of a fictitious conflict involving two neighbouring countries which required a NATO coalition response. Participants performed simulated attack, air defence and humanitarian sorties. The meet moves to Turkey in 2015. Bob Archer
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1 Bavarian Tiger – Typhoon 30+09, nicknamed the Bronze Tiger, of TLG 74 from Neuberg. Rene Köhler 2 To commemorate elevation to full membership of the Tiger Association, the Polish Air Force painted two F-16s with special schemes. F-16C 4055 of 6 Fighter Squadron from PoznanKrzesny AB wore a multi-grey camouflage with a tiger-eye on its fin. Rene Köhler 3 Czech Gripen 9240 of 211 Tactical Squadron from Cáslav AB, with a highly original tail marking of ferocious tiger’s head and skull. Bob Archer 4 French Mirage 2000C No.51 '118-AS' of ECE 5/330 from BA118 Mont de Marsan. The Legend ‘Hard to be Humble’ is a long held motto within the Tiger community. Rene Köhler
4
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#317 AUGUST 2014
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NEWS CONTINENTAL EUROPE All Swedish Air Force Gripen Es to be New-Build
SAAB HAS revealed that the 60 JAS39 Gripen Es to be acquired by Sweden will be new-build aircraft and not remanufactured Gripen Cs, as originally planned. Swedish parliamentary approval for the revised acquisition strategy was granted on June 11. Converting existing Gripen C airframes to 'E standard had been thought by the Swedish Government to be the most costeffective option but producing new airframes is now not thought to be any more expensive. In addition, it will allow all Gripen Cs to remain in service until Swedish Air Force transition to Gripen E is completed. Another advantage of the move is that more Gripen Cs will be available for lease to export customers as an interim measure while they await delivery of their new Gripen Es. This temporary lease option had been planned for the Swiss Air Force purchase of 22 Gripen Es, which was abandoned after the Swiss public voted against the acquisition in a referendum on May 18 (see Swiss Referendum Rejects Purchase of JAS39 Gripen E, July, p9). Sweden and Switzerland had planned to cut Gripen E costs through a joint purchase of the type, but the Swiss referendum result put a stop to the proposal. It is now likely that Brazil, which is planning to buy 36 Gripen Es, will become a strategic partner with Sweden on the programme. Brazil selected the Gripen E as the winner of its FX-2 fighter competition on December 18, 2013. Although a contract has yet to be signed, it is anticipated Brazil will also lease Gripen Cs in the interim. On December 18, 2013, Saab was awarded the series production contract to remanufacture 60 Swedish AF Gripen Cs to Gripen F standard but it will be amended to reflect production of new airframes. Although externally similar looking, Gripen E is an almost entirely new airframe and the remanufacture process would have used little of the old Gripen C aircraft. The switch to new-build airframes is unlikely to alter delivery to the Swedish Air Force between 2018 and 2026 as stipulated in the December contract. Plans for the Swedish Air Force’s 25 two-seat Gripen Ds to remain in service as lead-in fighter trainers until the last of the 60 Gripen E deliveries in 2026 are also set to remain. Increasing the Swedish purchase from 60 to 70 aircraft is being considered but parliamentary approval is needed.
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First Upgraded Polish Two-Seat MiG-29UB Delivered
Above: The first upgraded Polish Air Force two-seat MIG-29UB combat trainer, ‘28’, arrives back at 23 Bazy Lotnictwa Taktycznego (BLT – Tactical Air Base) Minsk Mazowiecki on June 3 after being completed at Wojskowych Zakładów Lotniczych 2 (WZL 2 – Military Aviation Plant No 2) in Bydgoszcz. Polish Ministry of Defence
MODERNISATION OF the first Polish Air Force MIG-29UB combat trainer has been completed. The aircraft , serial number ‘28’, was delivered back to 23 Bazy Lotnictwa Taktycznego (BLT – Tactical Air Base) Minsk Mazowiecki on June 3 from Wojskowych Zakładów Lotniczych 2 (WZL 2 – Military Aviation Plant No 2) in Bydgoszcz, where the modernisation work takes place. Under a $39.5 million contract signed with the Polish Ministry of Defence on August 12, 2011, the plant , working in collaboration with Israel's IAI, is undertaking
refurbishment and overhaul of 13 single-seat MiG-29As and three twin-seat MiG-29UBs of the Polish Air Force. All are assigned to 1 Eskadra Lotnicza Taktycznego (Tactical Air Squadron) at Minsk Mazowiecki. The upgrade is expected to be completed at the end of 2014. To date, WZK 2 has completed and redelivered ten single-seat MiG-29s and the first of the three MiG-29UBs to schedule, according to the Polish Defence Ministry. Modernisation work includes a new open architecture avionics suite and a life-extension programme that extends
airframe life to 40 years or 4,000 flying hours. Avionics include a new multifunction colour display, mission computer, up-front control panel, digital video recorder and data bus, INS/GPS navigation and Rockwell Collins RT-8200 UHF/ VHF radio. A new briefing/ de-briefing system, developed in association with IAI’s Lahav division, is also being installed by WZL-2. The refurbished aircraft are expected to remain in service until around 2028.
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SASEMAR’s First EC225 Helicopter Arrives in Spain
Above: The first EC225 helicopter for Spain’s SASEMAR, EC-004 (c/n 2982), arrives at Airbus Helicopters’ facility in Albacete, Spain, on June 11. Roberto Yáñez
THE FIRST EC225 for the Spanish Government’s maritime safety agency, the Sociedad Estatal de Salvamento Marítimo (SASEMAR –State Maritime Rescue Society) has arrived in the country. Temporarily registered as EC-004 (c/n 2982), the helicopter made
a three-and-a-half hour flight from the Airbus Helicopters factory in Marignane, France, to its Albacete facility. A contract for this helicopter was signed on September 5, 2011, as part of SASEMAR’s plans to gradually replace the Sikorsky
S-61Ns operating in the northeast of the country and the Canary Islands on all-weather rescue and surveillance missions. Currently still in primer, it will be repainted in SASEMAR’s standard white and red colour scheme before delivery. Roberto Yáñez
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France Replaces Rafales with Mirages on Polish Det
Above: Armée de l’Air (French Air Force) Dassault Mirage 2000-5 78 ‘116-EC’ from Groupe de Chasse 1.2 ‘Cigogne’ at Base Aérienne 116 Luxeuil lands at 22 Baza Lotnicza (22 Air Base) Malbork, Poland, on June 2. The aircraft was one of four French Mirages to arrive that day to replace the Rafales currently on deployment there. ECPAD
FOUR DASSAULT Mirage 2000s from the Armée de l’Air (French Air Force) arrived at 22 Baza Lotnicza (22 Air Base) Malbork, Poland, on June 2 to take over from the previous detachment of four French Rafale Cs that had been at the base since April 28. The new arrivals comprised two Mirage 2000-5s from Groupe de Chasse 1.2 ‘Cigogne’ at Base Aérienne (BA) 116 Luxeuil and two Mirage
Switzerland Selects Hermes 900 HFE as New UAV SWITZERLAND HAS selected theElbit Systems Hermes 900 HFE unmanned air vehicle (UAV) to replace its armed forces’ current UAV, the Oerlikon Ranger ADS-95, which has reached the end of its useful life. The decision was announced by Switzerland’s Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) on June 5. Switzerland had evaluated 11 systems from nine companies before an April 30, 2012, announcement that it had shortlisted the Hermes and a rival Israeli offering of the IAI Malat Super Heron as the most suitable. Evaluations of both types have since taken place in Switzerland. The DDPS said the Hermes delivered better overall results in all assessed criteria. It is an allweather, unarmed reconnaissance UAV system that the department says is more flexible, has longer endurance in the air and a wider operational range than the Ranger system currently in use. The ADS 95 Ranger, operated by the Swiss armed forces since 2001, will be replaced by the Hermes by 2020. Selection of the new model will allow contract negotiations to begin for a purchase, which is likely to be funded under the 2015 arms procurement programme.
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2000Cs from Escadron de Chasse 2.5 ‘Ile de France’ at BA115 Orange. Initial personnel from the two units began arriving at Malbork on May 28, followed by teams of ground crews the next day and finally the four Mirages on June 2. The following day, they officially took over the mission, replacing the Rafales, which were flown home. Around 100 personnel are supporting the detachment.
France’s Defence Ministry confirmed plans for the original deployment on April 24, following a NATO request on April 16. The aircraft are being used to boost fighter presence in the region in response to the continuing violence in Ukraine. They are available for surveillance and air policing Eastern Europe and the Baltic region 24hrs a day, seven days a week.
Swedish Air Force’s First Hercules Withdrawn from Use
SWEDISH AIR Force C-130H Hercules (local designation Tp84) 84001 (c/n 4039) ‘841’ was flown to the UK on June 9, landing at Cambridge Airport, Cambridgeshire, where it was immediately withdrawn from use and placed in storage. The aircraft was previously flown by F7 at Såtenäs.
One of the oldest of Sweden’s eight C-130Hs that are in service with the unit, it was originally delivered to the country 49 years ago in February 1965 as a C-130E. It was upgraded to C-130H standard in 1987. A second Tp84, 84002 '842', is also expected to be retired this year, leaving just six in the fleet, including a tanker aircraft.
Turkish Army’s First Three T129A EDHs Enter Service THE MAIN Türk Kara Kuvvetleri (TKK – Turkish Land Forces), based at Güvercinlik, Ankara, has officially accepted into its inventory the first three Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) T129A Erken Duhul Helikopteri (EDH – Early Delivery Helicopter) variants. A ceremony on June 10 to mark the occasion was attended by Turkish President Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Parliamentary Speaker Cemil Çiçek. The first of these helicopters was handed over by TAI on April 22 (see Nine T129A ATAK Helicopters Join Turkish Army, June, p11). Media reports at the time suggested all nine had been delivered, but only the first example was handed over. The T129A EDH is an interim version of the definitive T129B ATAK to be delivered later. An initial nine T129A EDHs have been ordered, under a contract announced on November 8, 2010, to fulfil an urgent operational requirement. They will later be upgraded to the multi-role T129B production variant. The T-129 is a version of the AgustaWestland A129 Mangusta developed for the TKK. The TKK ordered 51 of the T129B variant, with options on a further 41, on September 7, 2007. The order for nine interim T129As exercised an option on the original contract and cut the outstanding options down to 32.
Spain’s Ala 14 Finally Giving Typhoons Unit Marks
Above: Ejército del Aire (Spanish Air Force)/Ala 14 Eurofighter EF-2000 Tifón C.16-44 ‘14-09’ (ex ‘11-24’) lands at Albacete on June 17 carrying its newly applied Ala 14 codes and markings. Roberto Yáñez
AFTER OPERATING 15 Eurofighter Typhoons ‘borrowed’ from Morónbased Ala 11 for more than two years, the Ejército del Aire’s (Spanish Air Force’s) Ala 14 at Albacete has begun to apply its own unit
markings to the aircraft. Ala 14 is the second Spanish wing equipped with the type, designated locally as the EF-2000 Tifón, and its first aircraft with unit codes was C.16-31 ‘11-11’, re-coded to ‘14-01’ by the end of May.
Four aircraft have now been re-coded, the latest being C.16-44 ‘14-09’ (ex ‘11-24’), seen on June 17. Ala 14 began to receive Ala 11 aircraft at Albacete on April 30, 2012. Roberto Yáñez
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NEWS NORTH AMERICA USAF Combat Rescue Helicopter Contract Awarded SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT has been awarded a $1,277,618,606 contract to develop the US Air Force’s new Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH), based on the UH-60M Black Hawk. An initial $298,458,978 was released on June 26, when the engineering, manufacturing and development (EMD) contract for the CRH programme was awarded, including purchasing the first four helicopters. The CRH replaces the USAF’s HH-60G Pave Hawk fleet with new helicopters, training systems and support required for the personnel recovery mission. The requirement is for 112 new air vehicles but the contract has been structured for possible fluctuations of quantities. The deal includes development, integration, production and initial sustainment of the entire CRH system. Work is expected to be completed by June 2029, if all options are exercised. EMD covers development and integration of the rescue mission systems and delivery of four CRHs, as well as seven aircrew and maintainer training systems. Initial training of USAF aircrew and maintainers and delivery of five CRHs is anticipated by 2020, after additional aircraft and training options in the contract are exercised. Eventual production quantities will be determined year-by-year, based on annual funding allocations. Long-delayed plans to replace the HH-60G were thrown into turmoil on December 11, 2012, when all but one of the bidders decided not to make an offer for the CRH contract. Bell, Boeing, EADS North America and Northrop Grumman all indicated withdrawal from CRH, leaving Sikorsky as the sole competitor. On October 19, 2012, a Request for Proposals (RFP) had been issued, with bids due in by January 3, 2013. After examining the RFP thoroughly, industry executives said they felt the specification was so tight that it effectively favoured a variant of the Black Hawk and ruled out all other competitors. Despite the lack of competition, Sikorsky, teamed with Lockheed Martin (which will provide and install the mission equipment), submitted a lone response to the RFP. Although usually reluctant to go with a sole-source bidder, the urgency of the requirement has led the USAF to accept the bid, after careful analysis of the offer.
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Final Royal Canadian AF CH-147F Chinook Delivered
Above: The 15th and final Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Boeing CH-147F Chinook, 147315 (c/n M2065, ex N270CN), returns to Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, on June 16 after a test flight.
A CEREMONY was held at Boeing’s production facility in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, on June 30, to mark delivery of CH-147F Chinook 147315 (c/n M2065, ex N270CN). The 15th and final Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) example was
flown to Canadian Forces Base Petawawa, Ontario, to join 1 Wing’s 450 Tactical Helicopter Squadron after the event. The purchase contract for the 15 aircraft was signed with Boeing on August 10, 2009
Boeing Awarded $1.9 Billion Contract for USN F/A-18Es, USN & RAAF EA-18Gs US NAVAL Air Systems Command has awarded a $1,939,160,819 contract to Boeing for full rate production of F/A-18E Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler aircraft. The award on June 30 covers manufacture of 11 Lot 38 F/A-18Es for the US Navy, plus 33 EA-18Gs, the latter split between 21 for the US Navy and 12 for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) under the Foreign Military Sales
programme. Work is expected to be completed in December 2016. The RAAF originally planned to convert its last 12 24 F/A-18Fs to Growlers and had the aircraft wired on the production line to ease later modification. However, the Australian Defence White Paper 2013 revealed that the RAAF had decided instead to purchase 12 new Growlers to prevent a capability gap.
Northrop Grumman Awarded $3.6 Billion Multi-Year E-2D Production Contract US NAVAL Air Systems Command has awarded a multi-year production contract to Northrop Grumman for 25 full rate production E-2D Advanced Hawkeyes. The $3,643,333,802 deal modifies the contract awarded on May 20, 2013, which
provided long-lead materials for the first five Lot 2 aircraft. The new award, covering production Lots 2 to 6 in Fiscal Years 2014-2018, brings the total number of E-2Ds now on contract to 50. Contract completion is anticipated in August 2021.
and the first CH-147F, 147301/ N256CN (c/n M2051), made its maiden flight on June 24, 2012. The first RCAF CH-147F to be delivered, 147303 (c/n M2053, ex N258CN), arrived at Petawawa on June 27 last year.
Additional Funding Provided for X-47B Development US NAVAL Air Systems Command has awarded a $63,070,969 contract to Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, for further work on the navy X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System programme. In an extension to the original development contract awarded on August 1, 2007, the new deal covers the Phase II continuation of post-demonstration activities. The activities include continued X-47B aircraft systems, testbed and flight test support at shore-based locations and associated carrier detachments, plus continued development of fleet concepts of operations, X-47B maintenance support, lab and test-bed operational support and continued flight test opportunities. Work is expected to be completed next March.
USAF's 20th C-5M Super Galaxy Delivered
Above: US Air Force Lockheed C-5M Super Galaxy 85-0010 departing from Marietta, Georgia, on June 20 on delivery to the 60th Air Mobility Wing's 22nd Airlift Squadron 'Mulies' at Travis Air Force Base, California. This was the second C-5M for Travis and the 20th delivered overall. Lockheed Martin/Thinh D Nguyen
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07/07/2014 10:18
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First US Army UH-60A Trade-Ins
TRANSFER OF surplus US Army UH-60A Black Hawks to Sikorsky under the Black Hawk Exchange and Sales Transaction (BEST) programme has begun. The exchange/sale programme allows the manufacturer to buy back the older UH-60As at a fair market value. The proceeds are credited against new UH-60M multi-year procurement to offset the cost. An official handover of the first three UH-60As sold to Sikorsky under the programme, run by the US Army’s Utility Helicopter Project Office (UHPO), took place on June 11. Seventeen UH-60As, the first to arrive under the BEST programme, are parked at Madison County Executive Airport in Meridianville, Alabama, with just two considered non-airworthy. Over the next ten years, between 400 and 800 Black Hawks will be retired and replaced by new helicopters. Any UH-60As not selected by Sikorsky will be eligible for sale through the US Government General Services Administration’s (GSA) regular aircraft auctions. Under US Army regulations, the UHPO can pursue a one-for-one aircraft exchange (or other equitable exchange), sale, or reimbursable transfer, provided all proceeds are used to purchase, rent, or lease a replacement aircraft. The exchange/sale process cuts the cost of disposal. The Black Hawks will be exchanged or sold from a storage area at the US Army Aviation and Missile Research Development and Engineering Center’s Prototype Integration Facility at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. Sikorsky plans to either sell parts of the aircraft to customers, reset them, or upgrade them to an L model Black Hawk.
RCAF Withdraws Two CC-144 Challengers CANADA HAS reduced the Royal Canadian Air Force’s fleet of CC-144 Challenger aircraft from six to four. The country’s Minister of National Defence, Rob Nicholson, announced the move on June 27, stating that savings from the initiative were estimated at CDN$1.5 million (US$1.4 million) per year. The money will be redirected towards higher operational needs such as search and rescue. The CC-144s in RCAF service. are operated by 412 ‘Falcon’ Transport Squadron as part of 8 Wing and based at Ottawa.
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Last US Navy T-39N Trainers to Be Retired
Above: US Navy T-39N Sabreliner 165523 ‘6-TW-100’/‘F’ from Training Squadron 86 (VT-86) ‘Sabrehawks’ at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, seen on June 30 on the arrivals ramp at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) facility at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, awaiting processing into storage. It is painted in a special retro colour scheme, representing an Enterprise Air Group aircraft from around 1938, which was applied for the Centennial of Naval Aviation celebrations in 2011. With the wind down of VT-86, prior to retirement of the final T-39Ns in August, this aircraft was delivered to AMARG on May 22, 2014. USAF/309th AMARG
A NEWS item on June 24 in the US Navy League’s Seapower magazine has confirmed that US Naval Air Training Command will retire the last of its Rockwell T-39 Sabreliners in August. The only unit still using the type for training is Training Squadron 86 (VT-86) ‘Sabrehawks’ at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. It is responsible for training Naval Flight Officers to operate weapon and sensor systems in US Navy tactical jets, including the F/A-18 Hornet, EA-18G Growler and EA-6B Prowler. The squadron had been operating a combination of T-39G and T-39N variants, but the T-39G (non-radar) versions have already been retired to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, for storage. AMARG arrival dates were: 158844 ‘F-19’ (May 22, 2013), 159364 ‘F25’ (January 31, 2014), 159365 ‘F-20’ (November 21, 2013), 160053 ‘F-18’
(September 24, 2013) and 160055 ‘F-24’ (March 6, 2013); 160054 'F-22' is preserved at Pensacola. As the unit continued to wind down operations, six of VT-86’s T-39Gs were delivered to AMARG. The first was 165511 ‘F-03’ on May 22, 2013; followed by 165521 ‘F-13’, July 30, 2013; 165510 ‘F-02’ September 24, 2013; 165518 ‘F-10' February 20, 2014; 165523 ‘F-15’ May 22, 2014; and most recently 165512 ‘F-04’ May 23, 2014; 165509 ‘F-01’ has been used as a training aid at Pensacola since January. This leaves the following as the only T-39Ns believed to be operating with VT-86: 165514 ‘F-06’, 165515 ‘F-07’, 165516 ‘F-08’, 165517 ‘F-09’, 165519 ‘F-11’ and 165520 ‘F-12’. The US Navy originally acquired 42 T-39Ds, which first entered service in 1963, but were retired in 1984 in favour of a contracted-out service using 15 Cessna T-47As. Due to contract irregularities, their service contract was not renewed and they were replaced
by 17 Sabreliners refurbished as T-39Ns, which entered service in late 1991. Eight CT-39Gs, previously used as rapid-response transports, also joined them after being converted to T-39Gs. Retirement of the last of the aircraft in August ends four decades of training NFOs in navigation and radar intercept procedures. This will leave just one Sabreliner in service with the US Navy – T-39D 150992 ‘393’ – which will continue to fly with Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 31 (VX-31) ‘Dust Devils’ at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California. The aircraft is specially configured as a test-bed with a mounting rack in the radome area that is adaptable for many types of seeker, fuze or radar systems for captive carry trials purposes. In addition to its standard fitting, it has two alternative radomes adapted to accommodate modified configurations.
US Navy's 14th P-8A Poseidon Delivered
The 14th US Navy P-8A Poseidon, 168754 (c/n 42250, ex N736DS), departing from Boeing Field, Seattle, on July 2, for Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, on its delivery flight. The aircraft, which had made its maiden flight on November 5, 2013, is the first of 11 P-8As in in low-rate initial production Lot III. A further seven aircraft will be delivered by the year-end. Boeing
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NEWS NORTH AMERICA Revised Canadian CH-148 Cyclone Contract Signed
SIKORSKY AND the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) have finally agreed a revised contract for the CH-148 Cyclone. The new deal, announced by the Government of Canada on June 18, includes all required amendments to both the acquisition and long-term in-service support contracts with Sikorsky for 28 CH-148s. The revised terms ensure that deliveries of Cyclones will enable retirement of CH-124 Sea Kings from 2015. The RCAF will accept ownership of up to eight of the new helicopters in an interim test configuration, pending delivery of definitive standard helicopters. A programme to enhance the initial capabilities will see the fully capable CH-148 being delivered in 2018. The government noted that the total budget of CDN$1.9 billion (US$1.77 billion) for the 28 Cyclones has not changed. However, Sikorsky will only receive payment when it delivers them to the specification required. The amendment to the in-service support contract extends its term by an additional ten years, at rates based on those when the type was competitively selected in 2004. This ensures maintenance of the Cyclones until 2038. The first RCAF CH-148 flew on November 15, 2008. However, development delays had meant that the first helicopter, still only in an interim configuration, was not delivered until May 13, 2011, when 144806 arrived at 12 Wing, Shearwater.
USMC’s ‘Red Dogs’ Receive First UH-1Y
Above: Fresh off the production line, US Marine Corps Bell UH-1Y Venom 168788 prepares to touch down on the flight line at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, on June 11 following its delivery flight from the factory in Amarillo, Texas. The helicopter is the first for Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 773 (HMLA-773) ‘Red Dogs’, the last USMC unit to re-equip with the type. US Air Force/Roland Leach
RE-EQUIPMENT OF the final US Marine Corps unit to receive the new UH-1Y Venom has now commenced. Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 773 (HMLA-773) ‘Red Dogs’ at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, took delivery of its first UH-1Y, 168788, on June 11. The brand-new helicopter had flown for only ten hours when it was picked up from the final assembly facility in Amarillo, Texas, the previous day.
A further two UH-1Ys will be delivered to Robins later this year for the unit and a fourth in fiscal year 2015, to make up its full complement. As part of the US Marine Corps modernization programme, the new UH-1Y is replacing the Corps’ fleet of UH-1N Hueys. As previously reported, two HMLA-773 UH-1Ns had made the type’s final flight with the unit on April 25 (see USMC’s ‘Red Dogs’ Fly
Final UH-1N Huey Mission, July, p12). All four of HMLA-773’s previous UH-1Ns have now departed for storage with the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. The first two, 158263 and 158269 ‘MP-12’, were inducted into AMARG on April 30. They were followed by the remaining two, 158267 ‘MP-10’ and 158775 ‘MP-11’, on May 15.
Final USMC Harvest HAWK Delivered
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Northrop Grumman Awarded $9.9bn B-2 Upgrade Deal NORTHROP GRUMMAN has been awarded a $9.9 billion contract by the USAF for upgrade and sustainment of its B-2A Spirit fleet. The June 3 Flexible Acquisition Sustainment Team II contract includes B-2A enhancements and logistics elements and programmed depot maintenance. The baseline contract covers the period up to May 2, 2019. with an option to extend the deal to May 2, 2024. An initial $6.35 million in funding was released for work on Increment 1 upgrade of the B-2A’s Common Very Low Frequency Receiver.
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Above: US Marine Corps KC-130J Super Hercules 168067 ‘QB067’ from Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352 (VMGR-352) ‘Raiders’ at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, outside Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California, where it was handed over on June 5 after conversion to Harvest HAWK configuration. This was the tenth and final Harvest HAWK aircraft for the USMC. Lockheed Martin/David Henry
LOCKHEED MARTIN’S Skunk Work facility in Palmdale, California, has delivered the tenth and final US Marine Corps KC-130J Super Hercules tanker to be modified under the Harvest HAWK (Hercules Airborne Weapons Kit) programme. The aircraft, 168067 ‘QB067’ from Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352
(VMGR-352) ‘Raiders’ at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, was handed over at Palmdale on June 5. Harvest HAWK is a long endurance, armed intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance platform. The system includes a quad-mount AGM-119 Hellfire missile launcher, a Target Sight Sensor, a dual AGM-175 Griffin
missile launcher and a roll-on/ roll-off Fire Control Console in the aircraft’s cargo compartment. Six mission kits were produced for operations, while four more modified aircraft provide additional capability. The Skunk Works modified seven aircraft and delivered three mission kits under a production contract awarded by the US Navy on May 14, 2012.
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Last ‘Flying Razorbacks’ A-10Cs Leave Fort Smith
Above: US Air Force/Arkansas Air National Guard A-10Cs, 78-0646 ‘FS’ and 80-0188 ‘FS’/‘188 FW’ from the 188th Fighter Wing/184th Fighter Squadron ‘Flying Razorbacks’ over Kansas on June 7. These were the final two aircraft to leave the unit and were on delivery from their former base at Ebbing Air National Guard Base, Fort Smith Regional Airport, Arkansas, to Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. US Air Force/Senior Airman Sierra Dopfel
Additional DARPA VTOL X-Plane Contracts Awarded
TWO FURTHER contracts have been awarded by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for its Vertical Take-Off and Landing X-Plane programme. The first, on June 5, was a $10 million award to Sikorsky for air vehicle design, exercising the first 17-month option period that was part of the previous seven-month baseline contract. Sikorsky Innovations has teamed with Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works for its VTOL X-Plane development, which is based on its Unmanned Rotor Blown Wing concept. The Rotor Blown Wing is a unique integration of fixed wing aerodynamics and advanced rotor control giving a configuration of low complexity. Contract completion is due by November 5, 2015. A second $10.5 million contract was awarded to Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation on June 9 to design, develop, integrate, test and deliver two VTOL X-Planes, dubbed LightningStrike, to DARPA. LightningStrike uses proven VTOL technology to achieve high overall efficiency by tightly integrating propulsion into the air vehicle’s aerodynamic design.
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EBBING AIR National Guard Base at Fort Smith Regional Airport, Arkansas, has said goodbye to its last two A-10C Thunderbolt IIs. On June 7, the final aircraft of the US Air Force/Arkansas Air National Guard’s 188th Fighter Wing (FW)/184th Fighter Squadron (FS) ‘Flying Razorbacks’ departed for Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. These last two A-10Cs were
78-0646 ‘FS’ and squadron flagship 80-0188 ‘FS’/‘188 FW’, flown respectively by Major Doug Davis and 188th Wing commander Col Mark Andersen. This marked the end of 60 years of flying manned aircraft by the unit, which is now transitioning to a new mission with MQ-9A Reaper UAVs. On the same morning, a
Conversion Day ceremony was held at Fort Smith, during which the 188th Fighter Wing was formally re-designated as the 188th Wing in readiness for its new mission. As part of the change to the remotely piloted aircraft mission, the 184th Fighter Squadron also became the 184th Attack Squadron, which will operate the MQ-9As. In addition, the ceremony also saw the disbandment of the 188th Maintenance Group, 188th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 188th Maintenance Squadron and 188th Maintenance Operations Flight. At the same time, in their place under the new 188th Wing, were formed the 188th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group, 123rd Intelligence Squadron (previously at Little Rock AFB, Arkansas), 153rd Intelligence Squadron, 223rd Intelligence Support Squadron and 288th Operations Support Squadron. The first Razorbacks A-10Cs left Ebbing on September 10.
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First US Army Special Ops C-27J Aircrew Qualified
Above: One of the primary missions of the new UFC C-27Js will be training special forces parachutists. One of the UFC C-27Js, 10-27025, is seen here on May 6 undertaking the first round of airborne operations training with the newlyqualified aircrew over the Luzon drop zone at Camp Mackall, North Carolina. USASOC
US ARMY Special Operations Command Flight Company (UFC) held a coin presentation ceremony at Fort Bragg-Pope Field, North Carolina, on June 6, to mark completion of training of the first pilots and loadmasters on the C-27J Spartan. They will now be responsible for training and certifying additional UFC pilots and loadmasters. A month earlier, on May 6, USASOC had announced that training of four pilots and four loadmasters had been completed by civilian contractors from L-3 Communications. The contractors had been flying the UFC C-27J missions since the aircraft began
arriving at Pope in October 2013. UFC plans to train around 20 pilots on the C-27J, seven of which are being acquired from the US Air Force, following the latter’s previously reported retirement of the type, enforced by budget cuts. The seven UFC C-27Js will primarily operate from two locations, Pope and the Military Freefall School in Yuma, Arizona. Aircraft so far confirmed operating with UFC are 10-27074, 10-27075, 10-27026, 10-27028 and 10-27079. The remaining two C-27Js due to join UFC are 10-27027, which is most likely to also be in service by the time these words are read, and 10-27030, which
was still on the production line in Turin, Italy, in March. The type is being used by the UFC for training and airborne operations, particularly paradrop training, replacing the C-41A (CASA C-212 ) previously used for the role. Acquisition of the much larger C-27J has doubled the number of parachutists that can be carried in one load. In addition, the new type is cheaper to operate than the now ageing CASA C212s. During training, US Army Special Forces troops make more than 30,000 parachute jumps per year and the introduction of the C-27Js should cut the cost of these exercises.
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NEWS LATIN AMERICA
USAF Special Ops C-145As in Honduras
Above: US Air Force Special Operations Command PZL Mielec C-145A Combat Coyote 12-0338 (c/n AJE003-38, ex N338CH) arrives at Tegucigalpa’s Toncontín International Airport in Honduras on June 23 from Soto Cano Air Base to temporarily operate from the airfield. Mario Theresin
TWO US Air Force Special Operations Command PZL Mielec C-145A Combat Coyotes (M28-05 Sky Trucks) took up temporary residence in Honduras at Tegucigalpa’s Toncontín International Airport in June.
Following the arrival of 12-0337 (c/n AJE003-037, ex N337GU) earlier in the month, on an unknown date, 12-0338 (c/n AJE003-38, ex N338CH), flew in on June 23 from Soto Cano Air Base. Both were flying regularly from
the airport in late June, using callsigns ‘Coyote 01’ or ‘Coyote 02’. They are part of the 919th Special Operations Wing’s 6th Special Operations Squadron ‘Commandos’ from Duke Field, Florida. Mario Theresin
Mexico to Purchase Five More UH-60Ms APPROVAL HAS been given by the US State Department for a possible Foreign Military Sale to Mexico of five Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawks. The potential deal was notified to Congress by the US Defense Security Co-operation Agency (DSCA) on June 24 and will be worth an estimated $225 million, including associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support. The five UH-60Ms will be in standard US Government configuration, with designated unique equipment and Government Furnished Equipment (GFE). Also included are three spare T700-GE-701D engines, 12 Embedded Global Positioning Systems/Inertial Navigation Systems (ten installed and two spares), ten M134 7.62mm machine guns, five Star Safire III forward looking infrared radar systems, one aviation mission planning system and one aviation ground power unit. Communication equipment includes AN/ARC-210 RT-8100 series radios and Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) systems. It is unclear which branch of Mexico's armed forces will fly them.
Mexican Navy Expanding Zlin Z242L Guru Fleet ZLIN AIRCRAFT has completed deliveries of a new batch of Z242L Guru training aircraft to the Fuerza Aeronaval of the Armada de México (Mexican Naval Air Force), which placed an order for a further 15 of the type earlier this year. The last Z242L, ANX-1419,
was test flying on May 30 at the factory in Otrokovice, Czech Republic and is the 20th and final aircraft for the navy. By mid-June, the dismantled aircraft had arrived in Mexico after shipment and was awaiting re-assembly. The Mexican Navy had taken
delivery of an initial batch of ten of the type from May 2002, but at least three have been lost in accidents since then. Zlin announced on October 31, 2013, that it had received a firm order for five more, with a further five on option. All five of the
Above: The last of five additional Zlin Z242L Gurus for the Fuerza Aeronaval of the Armada de México (Mexican Naval Air Force), ANX-1419, during a flight test from the factory in Otrokovice, Czech Republic, on May 30. Zlin Aircraft
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firm order aircraft arrived in Mexico by January of this year. On January 1, 2014, the Czech manufacturer announced that contracts had been agreed in the first half of December for supply of additional Z242Ls and also, for the first time, the Z143LDi Genius. The numbers of each type were not disclosed, but in view of the appearance of ANX-1419, the additional Z242L order must have involved conversion of all of the five options into firm orders. A further press release from Zlin on March 23 announced signature of a contract for 15 Z242Ls for an unspecified Latin American customer. The press release stated that the twoseaters with digital avionics will be used as basic trainers. Zlin stated last October that contract negotiations over potential sales were under way at that time with other Latin American air arms, including Argentina, Chile and Peru. The company stated that all 15 aircraft will be delivered by the end of this year. All the Mexican Navy Zlins, either in service or on order, will be flown by the Escuela de Aviación Naval (Naval Aviation School) at BAN La Paz, Baja California Sur.
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First of Three C295s Delivered to Ecuador Air Force
Above: The first Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana (FAE – Ecuador Air Force) C295, ‘117’ (c/n S-117), returning to Seville-San Pablo Airport, Spain, on June 11 after a local flight. Although Airbus Defence said the aircraft had been delivered on June 6, it did not leave Spain and is thought to have been retained for training FAE pilots. Antonio Muñiz Zaragüeta
AIRBUS DEFENCE and Space announced on June 9 that the Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana (FAE – Ecuador Air Force) has ordered three Airbus C295 medium transport aircraft for immediate delivery. The first aircraft had already been handed over at the company’s facility in Seville, Spain, on June 6. The other two will follow later this year. The contract also includes a Full In Service Support (FISS) package for the operation and maintenance of the trio, which will be used by the FAE for military and humanitarian missions as well as supporting populations in remote areas or in emergency situations.
Delivery of First EC725 Wholly-Produced in Brazil AIRBUS DEFENCE and Space’s Brazilian subsidiary, Helibrás, held a ceremony at its production facility in Itajubá, Minas Gerais, on June 13, to officially deliver the first EC725 Cougar to have undergone all stages of its production in Brazil. The helicopter, Marinha do Brasil (Brazilian Navy) UH-15 N-7106, was the 12th delivered to date to the Brazilian Armed Forces. Of the 12, the Marinha now has three, five have joined the Força Aérea Brasileira (FAB – Brazilian Air Force) and the remaining four are with the Exército Brasileiro (Brazilian Army). The previous 11 had either been built by Airbus Helicopters in France or partially assembled by Helibrás in Itajubá. The latest UH-15 was received by the Comissão Coordenadora do Programa de Aeronaves de Combate (COPAC – Co-ordinating Committee for Combat Aircraft Programmes) and then delivered to the Marinha. It had made its first flight at Itajubá on November 21, 2013. Under the H-XBR programme, 50 Cougars are being acquired for the Brazilian Armed Forces, with progressively more technology transfer and local industry involvement. They include 16 for the FAB, which has designated the type the H-36 Caracal, plus two VIP transport VH-36 Caracal versions, also for the FAB. A further 16 will join the Exército, designated HM-4 Jaguars while the remaining 16 are for the Marinha, which will operate them in two different versions. Eight of the navy helicopters will be basic transport and search and rescue
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Above: Systems being developed for Marinha do Brasil (Brazilian Navy) UH-15 Cougars include the MBDA AM-39 Exocet anti-shipping missile – seen here carried by one of the prototype EC725s, wearing dual test registrations F-WMXA/F-ZWCY, during recent trials in France. Helibrás Below: The first EC725 Cougar to have undergone all stages of production in Brazil, Marinha do Brasil (Brazilian Navy) UH-15 variant N-7106, which was handed over on June 13. Helibrás
(SAR) UH-15 Cougars; the other eight are to be more advanced UH-15As equipped for additional missions, including anti-surface warfare (ASuW) and combat SAR. Development work is under way on the Marinha’s UH-15A ASuW and CSAR UH-15A variant of the Cougar. This includes integration of the AM-39 Exocet missile plus other, unique systems which will make them the most modern helicopters in the Brazilian Navy. The prototype has already had a new countermeasures launch system integrated and tested, and Helibrás is also working on development of a tactical operator’s console and an in-flight refuelling system, the latter adapted from the version already in use on French Cougars. Night-vision goggle operations are also being considered.
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NEWS AFRICA
Tanzanian Government F28 Back in Service After Overhaul
Above: Tanzanian Government Fokker F28 Fellowship 3000 5H-CCM (c/n 11137) seen on March 19 at Woensdrecht Air Base in the Netherlands, where it was being overhauled by Fokker Services. It returned home on May 7 to re-enter service. Antoine Bosboom
TANZANIAN GOVERNMENT Fokker F28 Fellowship 3000 5H-CCM (c/n 11137) has returned to service after being overhauled by Fokker Services at Woensdrecht Air Base in
Paramount Group Continues to Expand
SOUTH AFRICA’S Paramount Group is progressing with its new Advanced High-Performance Reconnaissance Light Aircraft (AHRLAC). The aircraft, developed jointly with Aerosud, has been undergoing engine tests and is expected to make its first flight by September. The prototype, ZU-XDM, was moved from the Aerosud facility in Centurion, near AFB Waterkloof, where it was built, to Pretoria’s Wonderboom Airport on May 18, ready for flight-testing, which had still yet to begin as we closed for press. Paramount had announced a strategic joint-venture between Jordan’s King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau (KADDB) and the Paramount Group at the SOFEX 2014 trade show in Jordan on May 6. This will open up the Middle East market to Paramount’s aviation division, according to its CEO, John Craig. During the event he told AFM that, after acquisition of the failing South African aerospace company, ATE, the latter’s Mi-17 and Mi-24 upgrade programmes are back up to speed and new UAV projects are under development. Craig is confident that, as a result of the joint-venture with KADDB, Paramount will be in a good position to pitch for the Royal Jordanian Air Force’s future AS332 Super Puma upgrade programme. David Oliver
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the Netherlands. The aircraft had arrived at Woensdrecht in order to undergo scheduled maintenance on October 21, 2013. After completion, it left Woensdrecht on May 7 for its
base at Dar-es-Salaam/Mwalimu J K Nyerere International Airport. The 35-year-old aircraft has been flown by the Tanzanian Government since being delivered new on
November 28, 1978. It is operated as a VIP transport to carry the President and other high-ranking officials, as part of a fleet that also includes a Fokker 50 and a Gulfstream 550.
Kenyan AF Fokker 70 Overhauled in the Netherlands KENYAN AIR Force (KAF) Fokker 70ER KAF 308 (c/n 11557) recently visited Fokker Services at Woensdrecht Air Base for overhaul. It arrived on February 6 and returned to Kenya on April 25 after the work had been completed. The aircraft was delivered new to the KAF on December 19, 1995, in VVIP configuration as the official presidential jet. It is based at Embakasi Air Base, Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport with the KAF VVIP Flight. With a customised interior, the aircraft only seats 26 passengers and is fitted with additional fuel tanks to increase range.
Above: Kenyan Air Force Presidential VVIP Fokker 70ER KAF 308 (c/n 11557) returns to Woensdrecht Air Base in the Netherlands on April 22 after its final test flight following overhaul by Fokker Services. It departed backto Kenya on April 25 to re-enter service. Antoine Bosboom
Mozambique Air Force Hawker 850XP at Lanseria
Above: Força Aérea de Moçambique (FAM – Mozambique Air Force) Hawker 850XP FAM-002 (c/n 258750, ex N1776A) was at Lanseria International Airport, South Africa, on May 14 undergoing maintenance. It was later delivered back to Maputo where it is operated as the presidential jet by the FAM’s VIP/Communications Squadron. It was purchased second-hand in the USA last year, marking a rare new acquisition by the FAM, which has few operational aircraft, due to a severe shortage of funding. Morné Booij-Liewes
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Ex-USAF C-130E Hercules on Delivery to Ethiopia Former US Air Force C-130E Hercules 62-1858 at RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk, on June 10, while on delivery to the Ethiopian Air Force. Until retired last September, the aircraft had been operated by the Puerto Rico Air National Guard’s 156th Airlift Wing/198th Airlift Squadron ‘Buccaneers’ at Muniz ANG Base, San Juan International Airport and the unit’s ‘PR’ tailcode is still visible, roughly painted over, on the tail. Other US military markings have also been similarly covered over, apart from the US flag on the fin. Bob Archer
EX-USAF C-130E Hercules 62-1858 is a new acquisition by the Ethiopian Air Force, although reportedly only on loan. The aircraft arrived at RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk, on June 9, on its delivery flight. Until last year it had been operated by the Puerto Rico Air National Guard’s 156th Airlift Wing/198th Airlift Squadron ‘Buccaneers’ at Muniz ANG Base, San Juan International Airport. The unit’s markings are still
applied, but roughly painted over, with just a US flag applied to comply with international aviation regulations. After being retired by the USAF it was placed in storage with the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, on September 11, 2013, with total flight hours recorded at that time as 22,739.1. During either last February or March it was
withdrawn from AMARG storage. It left Tucson, Arizona, on June 3, after preparation for delivery to Ethiopia. Following a refuelling stop in Texas, it arrived on June 7 at St John’s International Airport, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Using callsign ‘RCH488’, it departed St John’s the following morning but encountered a technical problem and returned to the airport. Two days later, it
departed for RAF Mildenhall. The Ethiopian Air Force has operated the Hercules since 1998, taking delivery of two former USAF C-130Bs initially and later adding two commercial L100-30 variants previously operated by the Ethiopian Government on the civil register. The aircraft are all with 15 Squadron at Debre Zeit, although it is unconfirmed whether all are still operational. Bob Archer
Botswana AF and Chad Govt PC-12s at Lanseria TWO RARELY seen military Pilatus PC-12s were both noted visiting Lanseria International Airport, South Africa, on May 19. One, Botswana Defence Force-Air Wing (BDF-AW) PC-12/47E JK-2 (c/n 1264, ex A2-JMK), is one of two acquired locally on the civilian market by the BDF-AW in 2012. The other BDF aircraft is JK-1 (c/n 1105, ex A2-MDM). The second aircraft at Lanseria was PC-12 TT-AAF (c/n 128, ex JA8599), which is operated by the Chad Government. This aircraft is also second-hand, having been acquired eight years ago and officially registered as TT-AAF on December 1, 2006. During 2008 to 2009, it was with Aerodata in Braunshweig, Germany, at which time it is believed a retractable forward looking infrared (FLIR) system was installed. It now wears a slightly modified scheme, with only a small registration on the fin along with a national flag. Previously, it had no national markings on the fin and the registration was carried in much larger lettering on the rear fuselage.
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Above: Botswana Defence Force-Air Wing (BDF-AW) Pilatus PC-12/47E JK-2 (c/n 1264, ex A2-JMK) visiting Lanseria International Airport, South Africa, on May 19. Morné Booij-Liewes Below: Chad Government PC-12 TT-AAF (c/n 128, ex JA8599), which also visited Lanseria International Airport, South Africa, on May 19. Morné Booij-Liewes
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NEWS MIDDLE EAST Yemen Planning to Acquire Insitu Scan Eagle UAVs
YEMEN IS planning to acquire the Insitu Scan Eagle unmanned air vehicle (UAV) system through a proposed US Navy contract with the manufacturer. Details of the proposed purchase were first revealed in a pre-solicitation notice posted on May 19 on the US Government’s Federal Business Opportunities website. This indicates that the US Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division in Lakehurst, New Jersey, intends to negotiate a firm-fixed price (FFP) contract on a noncompetitive basis with Insitu Inc. The contract wil procure just one complete Scan Eagle System. It will consist of nine Scan Eagle Electro-Optic and three Scan Eagle Infra-red UAVs. Also part of the deal will be a 12 month/3,600 flight hour sustainment package, comprising: acceptance testing, spares, technical manuals and training, a site activation team and Field Service Representatives (FSRs) for the NAVAIR 4.5 Project Office Counter Networks and Illicit Trafficking (CNIT). The notice states that Insitu, as the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), is the only company able to provide the Scan Eagle and its related equipment to meet the technical and operational requirements. Insitu, as the OEM, is also able to provide FSRs with the qualified knowledge and expertise to work on their proprietary system. A proposal, which was submitted in writing by May 30, may be used by the government in determining whether or not to conduct a competitive procurement, based upon the company's response to the notice.
Manufacturing of Oman Hawk AJTs Under Way
BAE SYSTEMS’ factory in Brough, East Yorkshire, has started building the initial components for the first Hawk aircraft for the Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO). The milestone was announced on June 2. Detailed manufacture and sub-assembly work on the type is carried out at Brough. Further manufacturing work is undertaken in Samlesbury, Lancashire, followed by final assembly and test flying at the Warton site, also in Lancashire. Maiden flight of the first RAFO aircraft is anticipated in 2016, followed by first delivery in 2017. Eight Hawk Advanced Jet Trainers (AJTs) are on order for the RAFO.
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Iran and Russia Deliver Su-25s to Iraqi Air Force
Above: One of the five new Iraqi Air Force Su-25s being unloaded from a Russian Air Force An-124 after being delivered to New Al Muthanna Air Base, Baghdad, on June 28. The aircraft carries c/n 25508106078, identifying it as one that was originally based in East Germany with the Russian Air Force/16th Air Army’s 357th Attack Aviation Regiment, then later moved to Buturlinovka Air Base, where it was operated by the 899th Guards Attack Aviation Regiment.
RUSSIA HAS started delivering second-hand Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot combat aircraft to the Iraqi Air Force (IqAF). An initial batch of five ex-Russian Air Force Su-25s arrived at New Al Muthanna Air Base, Baghdad, on board one or more Russian Air Force/224th State Airline Flight Unit Antonov An-124-100 Ruslans on June 28. The aircraft have been taken from stored Russian Air Force surplus stocks and put through a rapid basic overhaul at the 121st Repair Plant at Kubinka Air Base, Russia, before delivery. Iraq’s Defence Ministry stated in an announcement
on June 29 that they were expected to be flying missions within three to five days. Deliveries are being expedited to meet an urgent requirement for air power to fight the rising tide of Sunni extremists that are threatening to over-run the country. Rather more surprisingly, a further batch of Su-25s flew into Iraq under their own power on July 1. The surprise was that these were Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Air Force (IRGCAF) aircraft. A video showed two single-seat Su-25s, (15-2451) '51' and (15-2456) '56', plus two-seat Su-25UBK (15-2458) '58') flying in.
Although their IRGCAF markings and serials had been painted out, the last two digits of the serial were still carried on the nose of each aircraft. It is reported that a total of seven IRGCAF Su-25s flew in on that day, representing all of its airworthy aircraft. Ironically, some of these aircraft were former Iraqi Air Force examples that had been flown to 'safety' in Iran during the first Gulf War. Instead they were commandeered by Iran and put into service with its own armed forces. The Su-25s are being delivered as a stop-gap pending the arrival of new production F-16s, the first of which are due in Septemeber.
Rare Sighting of Lebanese Air Force Bulldog
Above: This shot snatched through the heat haze at Beirut International Airport on May 15 shows Lebanese Air Force SAL Bulldog Srs 126 L-142, one of three made operational again in 2010 for basic training, after spending many years in storage at Rayak Air Base, but rarely seen since. The other two are L-144 and L-145. David Oliver
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Yemen Air Force Order for Four ISR Aircraft
A US Air Force Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contract awarded on June 2 to L-3 Communications covers the procurement and modification of four intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft for the Yemen Air and Air Defence Force. The $41.5 million award, which also includes training and spares, is in support of counterterrorism efforts in Yemen. L-3 Communications’ Platform Integration Division in Waco, Texas, will carry out the work, which is due for completion by September 30, 2015. The type of aircraft was not announced, but as L-3 has developed the SPYDR ISR aircraft, based on the King Air 350ER, it is likely to be the type used for the Yemen programme. The US has lately been increasingly supportive of measures to improve Yemen’s military capabilities as part of efforts to crack down on the operations of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). Details were leaked on March 24 by US publication BuzzFeed of a US Central Command memo dated February 3, setting out requirements for delivery of four precision strike aircraft to Yemen from the second quarter of 2015. The memo specifies a tandem two-seat, single-engine turboprop in tail-dragger configuration that is NVG-compatible with an armoured co*ckpit and a seven-hour endurance on station while carrying a full weapons load on six hardpoints. It should also have an ISR capability to include full-motion video and laser designation. This appears to be aimed at something similar to the Air Tractor AT-802U, weaponised by IOMAX, or the latter’s Archangel Border Patrol Aircraft, which is based on the two-seat Thrush Aircraft S2R-T710P. Other recent Yemeni acquisitions have included two ISR-configured Cessna 208B Grand Caravans that arrived in Sana’a on September 16, 2013 to assist in the fight insurgents.
First Iraqi AF F-16 Handed Over
Above: F-16D 1601 during its maiden flight from Fort Worth, Texas, on May 2, piloted by Lockheed Martin test pilot Paul ‘Bear’ Randall with Bill ‘Gigs’ Gigliotti, as co-pilot. It was then handed over in a ceremony at Fort Worth on June 5. Lockheed Martin
A HANDOVER ceremony for the first Iraqi Air Force (IqAF) F-16 Block 52 took place at the Lockheed Martin factory in Fort Worth, Texas, on June 5. The aircraft, F-16D 1601 (RB-01), had made its first flight at Fort Worth on May 2, piloted by Lockheed Martin test pilot Paul ‘Bear’ Randall with Bill ‘Gigs’ Gigliotti, as co-pilot. Iraq’s US Ambassador, Lukman Faily, confirmed on June 3 that work on infrastructure at Balad Air Base, where the F-16s will operate, is nearing completion. However, since then the current unrest has led to contractors being withdrawn from the base. The US State Department has said that first deliveries will take place in September 2014, when an initial two aircraft will be flown to Iraq. Training of IqAF pilots has been under way for the last 18 months with the Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Fighter Wing at Tucson International Airport, Arizona. The first two IqAF pilots, graduated there on June 27, 2013. Since then, a further nine have completed training. A total of 36 F-16C/D Block 52s have been ordered by the IqAF in two batches, each of 12 F-16Cs and six F-16Ds. All 36 are scheduled for delivery by autumn 2017.
Kuwait Air Force KC-130J Now Test Flying
Above: New Kuwait Air Force (KAF) Lockheed Martin KC-130J Super Hercules KAF327 (c/n 5749) returns to Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Marietta, Georgia, on June 7 after a pre-delivery test flight. Adam Hodge
A NEW Kuwait Air Force (KAF) Lockheed Martin KC-130J Super Hercules KAF327 (c/n 5749), – the second of an initial order for three, none of which have yet been delivered – undertook a test
flight at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Marietta, Georgia, on June 7. Plans for the KAF’s acquisition of eight KC-130Js as US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) were notified to US Congress on July 15, 2009. A
$245.4 million FMS contract was then placed with Lockheed Martin on May 4, 2010, through the US Navy for the first three. There has yet to be official confirmation of an order for the additional five.
The AC-295 will join the two AC-235s recently delivered to Jordan (see Jordanian Special Forces AC-235 Gunships at SOFEX, July, p21). The new AC-295 configuration will be similar to the AC-235 Light
Gunship, with Hellfire missiles, 2¾in guided rockets, ATK’s sidemounted M230 30mm chain gun, an integrated defensive suite, mission and fire control systems plus electro-optical and radar sensors.
Jordan Orders AC-295 Gunship AIRBUS DEFENCE and Space, ATK and the King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau (KADBB) signed an agreement on June 17 to co-operate in developing a gunship version of the C295 transport
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aircraft. One of the two C295s currently operated by the Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF) will be used for the conversion programme, which will be undertaken by ATK in the US.
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NEWS RUSSIA & CIS First TaganrogBuilt Be-200ES for Delivery By Year-End UNITED AIRCRAFT Corporation (UAC) announced on May 30 that the first Beriev Be-200 amphibian to be completed at its new production site at Taganrog will be delivered to the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MChS Rossii) at the end of this year. The aircraft is one of 12 being manufactured for the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) and for the emergencies ministry, which have ordered six aircraft each. The next three of these aircraft will be delivered during 2015, according to UAC President Mikhail Pogosyan. Series production of the Be-200 was transferred to Taganrog from the Irkutsk Aviation Production Plant in summer 2011. The MChS Rossii order for six Be-200ES fire-fighting variants was placed in May 2011, while the Russian MoD deal was announced on May 24, 2013. The first two Russian MoD aircraft will be in basic Be-200ES configuration, similar to the MChS Rossii aircraft, but the remaining four will be Be-200PS variants that will not have the fire-fighting capability. Although not officially announced, it is expected that all the aircraft ordered by the MoD will be operated by the Russian Navy. When the Russian MOD order was announced, it was stated that consideration was being given to buying eight more.
For daily news stories please visit www.airforcesdaily.com e-mail the news team at [emailprotected]
New Batch of Su-34s Delivered to Russian AF
Above: One of the new Russian Air Force Sukhoi Su-34s prepares to depart from the Novosibirsk factory on its delivery flight on June 10. Sukhoi
AN ADDITIONAL batch of Sukhoi Su-34 Fullback bombers left the Novosibirsk aircraft plant on delivery to the Russian Air Force’s 6972nd Aviation Base at Morozovsk on June 10. These were the first Su-34s from the 2014 State Defence Order.
They had been ordered under a State contract that was signed on March 1, 2012, for a total of 92 of the type, deliveries of which began on December 24, 2013, and will continue through to 2020. The last of 32 aircraft from the previous five-year contract,
USAF’s 376th Air Expeditionary Wing Inactivated in Kyrgyzstan THE US Air Force’s 376th Air Expeditionary Wing (AEW) was inactivated on June 3 as part of the closure of Transit Center Manas (TCM), Kyrgyzstan. The base was transferred back to the Kyrgyzstan Government on the same date. For more than 12 years Manas served as the primary US military transport and logistics hub for operations in Afghanistan. In the course of its existence
the 376th AEW flew 33,000 air refuelling missions, offloading in excess of 1.8 million pounds of fuel to 136,000 coalition aircraft. The Transit Center supported 5.3 million coalition personnel en route to or from Afghanistan. TCM handled 98% of all ISAF/ Coalition forces in and out of Afghanistan, and supported 42,000 cargo missions, transporting 1.4 billion pounds of cargo.
signed in December 2008, were delivered on December 16, 2013. The two contracts, for a combined total of 124 Su-34s, represent the largest orders for combat aircraft under the State Armaments Programme for the years 2011-2020.
Three More Su-30SMs Delivered to Domna Air Base THREE MORE Sukhoi Su-30SM multi-role fighters were delivered to the Russian Air Force in June. They were flown from the JSC Irkut Corporation production plant in Irkutsk to the 412th Aviation Base at Domna, Trans-Baikal region, in the Eastern Military District. This brings the number delivered so far to 21 out of total orders for 60, the last of which is scheduled to be delivered in 2016.
First Production Il-476 for Russian Air Force Rolled Out
Above: The first production Russian Air Force Ilyushin Il-76MD-90A being rolled out on June 17. Aviastar
THE FIRST production Russian Air Force Ilyushin Il-76MD-90A military transport, c/n 0103, was rolled out at manufacturer JSC AVIASTAR SP’s
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factory in Ulyanovsk on June 17. A $4 billion order for 39 of the type for the Russian Air Force (VoyennoVozdushniye Sily – VVS), with which
it will be known as the Il-476, was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 4, 2012. The VVS intends to take delivery of
a total of 100 Il-476s. Aviastar has 13 of these aircraft at various stages of production and the first delivery is planned for later this year.
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NEWS ASIA PACIFIC Indian DRDO Dornier 228 Test Bed Delivered
A MODIFIED HAL-built Dornier 228 has been delivered to the Indian defence ministry’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for use as a flying test bed. Dubbed ‘Nabhrathna’ (Jewel of the Sky), it was handed over at HAL's manufacturing site at Kanpur on May 1 and will be used for testing airborne radars and aerospace systems being developed by the DRDO. The Dornier was handed over by HAL Chairman Dr R K Tyagi to Shri Avinash Chander, scientific adviser to the defence minister, who said: “There are many systems lined up for testing, such as maritime patrol radar, synthetic aperture radar, data link, electrooptics and EW systems,” and noted that use of the flying test bed would considerably reduce the time taken for developing airborne systems. He added that the aircraft is already fitted with an indigenous synthetic aperture radar, state-of-the-art avionics and communications systems. The DRDO’s Bangalorebased Electronics and Radar Development Establishment (LRDE) had signed a contract with HAL for the Dornier 228, plus spares and equipment, on May 30, 2013. Delivery had been expected within 18 months, but HAL was able to deliver it in less than 12. Previously, when the LRDE needed an aircraft for flight trials it had to borrow a Dornier 228 from the Navy or Coast Guard, but operational requirements meant an aircraft might not be available. ‘Nabhrathna’ will be flown on behalf of the LRDE by test pilots from the Indian Air Force’s Aircraft Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE) and is expected to be in service for at least 20 years.
Brunei May Buy C-130J AS PART of plans to upgrade its capabilities the Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAF) may buy a C-130J Super Hercules. The plan was revealed by the RBAF Commander, Brigadier General Hj Wardi Hj Latip, on June 24 during the RBAF’s 48th anniversary celebrations at Rimba Air Base. The aircraft would boost RBAF humanitarian aid efforts. The commander also that the S-70i Black Hawks will be declared fully operational on August 1.
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For daily news stories please visit www.airforcesdaily.com e-mail the news team at [emailprotected]
Final ex-Jordanian F-16s Delivered to Pakistan AF
Above: Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Chief of the Air Staff, His Excellency Nawaf Khalifa Araieh, Jordanian Ambassador to Pakistan and the PAF pilots who flew the aircraft from Jordan, at PAF Base Mushaf-Sargodha on April 27 following delivery of the first five ex-Royal Jordanian Air Force F-16A/Bs to the PAF. The remaining eight arrived on May 21. PAF
,
THE LAST eight of 13 ex-Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF) F-16A/ Bs for the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) were flown to PAF Base Mushaf-Sargodha on May 21,
joining the initial five aircraft which arrived on April 27 (see Former Jordanian F-16s Delivered to Pakistan, June, p25). All 13 jets will be operated by 19
Squadron ‘Sherdils’, which was officially re-formed at Mushaf as an F-16 unit on April 27. The package comprises 11 F-16As and two twin-seat -16Bs.
First ex-USMC KC-130R Begins JASDF Crew Training
Above: Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) C-130R Hercules 61-9051 (c/n 4629, ex USMC/160015) on the ramp at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, on June 13, ready to start training of JMSDF aircrew on June 16. It is the first of six ex-USMC KC-130Rs being converted to standard transport C-130Rs for the JMSDF. USAF
FLIGHT TRAINING began at DavisMonthan Air Force Base (AFB), Arizona, on June 16 with the first of six ex-US Marine Corps (USMC) Lockheed KC-130R Hercules destined for the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) transport fleet. They are being refurbished as standard C-130R transport aircraft. The first, 61-9051 (c/n 4629, ex USMC/160015), had been in storage with the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) at Davis-Monthan since September 11, 2007. It was then transferred to Hill AFB, Utah, by August 2012 for refurbishment and in November that year went
into Hill’s Ogden Air Logistics Complex (ALC) for phased maintenance interval regeneration. It has returned to DavisMonthan in full JMSDF colours to begin training Japanese aircrew under a contract with CAE Inc. According to officials at Davis-Monthan, flight training is scheduled to continue for 90 days. Another four KC-130Rs have arrived at Hill to be prepared for the JMSDF –160013 (c/n 4615, arrived AMARG January 7, 2008), 160016 (c/n 4635, arrived AMARG February 6, 2008), 160017 (c/n 4677, arrived AMARG May 17, 2006) and 160018 (c/n 4683, arrived AMARG
February 9, 2006). The identity of the sixth is unconfirmed. Previously used as tankers by the USMC, their refuelling equipment is being removed, as it is not required by the JMSDF. The aircraft are being fitted with roll-on, roll-off cargo compartment configurations to support troop and cargo movements, humanitarian aid missions, transport of senior leaders and medical evacuation. Once training is completed, the first C-130R will be delivered to the JMSDF at Atsugi, Japan. The six C-130R aircraft will replace the JMSDF’s ageing NAMC YS-11M/M-As.
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NEWS ASIA PACIFIC Moody AFB Preferred Option for Afghan A-29B Training
MOODY AIR Force Base (AFB), Georgia, has been selected as the preferred alternative for the US location to train Afghan personnel on the Embraer A-29B Super Tucano. Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, and Shaw AFB, South Carolina, were selected as reasonable alternatives, in the announcement by the US Air Force on June 25. A contingent of 20 two-seat A-29Bs will be used for Afghan Air Force (AAF) pilot and maintenance training. The Department of the Air Force will purchase the aircraft for the AAF, on behalf of Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan, using the Department of Defense’s Afghanistan Security Forces Fund appropriation. The aircraft will be handed over to the AAF when training is complete. The A-29 will provide an indigenous air interdiction, close air support and aerial reconnaissance capability to support the country’s counterinsurgency operations. This Light Air Support (LAS) programme will increase the AAF’s capacity in airborne self-defence for its government and citizens. Under current plans, the A-29Bs may begin arriving at the host base as early as September of this year for initial cadre training, but the first Afghan trainees are not expected to begin training until February. The initial proposed commitment for the training mission entails a presence at the base from this year to 2018.
For daily news stories please visit www.airforcesdaily.com e-mail the news team at [emailprotected]
French Rafales in India for Exercise Garuda
Above: A four aircraft formation of an Indian Air Force Su-30 MKI, MiG-27UPG and MiG-21 Bison, plus an Armée de l’Air (French Air Force) Rafale C from Escadron de Chasse 3/30 ‘Lorraine’ at Base Aerienne 104 Al Dhafra, UAE, during an Exercise Garuda V familiarisation flight on June 6. Notably, the IAF serials have been removed from the aircraft in the photograph although the markings on the French Rafales remain. The Indo-French exercise got under way at Jodhpur Air Force Station on June 2 and ran through to June 13. IAF
Pakistan Negotiating Mi-35 Hind Purchases from Russia PAKISTAN IS moving ahead with plans to buy an unspecified number of Mi-35 Hind attack helicopters from Russia. Federal Minister for Defence, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, confirmed the intended deal to the media on June 12 after attending a ceremony in Islamabad, hosted by Russian Ambassador Alexey Dedov.
Earlier, at a press conference on June 10, Dedov confirmed Russia had agreed to sell Mi-35s to Pakistan to assist the country in its battle against terrorism and other security issues. On the previous day, head of Russia’s state-owned Rostec, Sergei Chemezov, stated negotiations were already under way regarding the proposed deal.
Bids Submitted for ROKAF Tanker Aircraft Requirement THREE BIDDERS submitted proposals on June 30 to supply four aerial refuelling tankers for the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) under the KC-X programme. Sircraft offered are the Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport, Boeing KC-46A Pegasus
and a Boeing 767-300ER converted by Israel Aircraft Industries. South Korea launched the bidding on March 31, 2014. It is hoped to finalise a contract by the year end. It should enable the ROKAF to take delivery of the four tankers between 2017 and 2019.
Two More C-130J-30s Delivered to ROKAF
Above: Republic of Korea Air Force C-130J-30 Super Hercules 45-747 (c/n 5747) and 45-750 (c/n 5750) taxi out at Marietta, Georgia, on May 30 to start their delivery flight. The third and fourth of the type delivered to the ROKAF, they join two others that left Marietta on April 1. Lockheed Martin John Rossino
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Second ex-RAAF C-130H Now in Indonesian Service
A SECOND ex-Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) C-130H Hercules has been delivered to the Tentara Nasional Indonesia – Angkatan Udara (TNI-AU – Indonesian Air Force). The aircraft, A-1331 (c/n 4787, ex RAAF/A97-009), arrived at Halim-Perdanakusuma Air Base, Indonesia, on June 4. It had been stored at RAAF Base Richmond, New South Wales, where work started last August with an initial strip down and corrosion inspection, service and maintenance. Qantas Defence Services (now Northrop Grumman Integrated Defence Services) completed the work in six months. After flight testing bfrom April 26 to 30, the aircraft was flown on April 30 to Townsville, Queensland, for painting in TNI-AU colours. On May 22 it was flown back to Richmond where final preparations were made for delivery. The ferry flight to Indonesia began on June 2, when the aircraft left Richmond, initially for Darwin, Northern Territory. After a 24-hour delay due to minor damage at Darwin, the aircraft left for Jakarta. Four retired RAAF C-130Hs are being donated free-of-charge to the TNI-AU: A97-001 (c/n 4780), A97-003 (c/n 4783), A97-006 (c/n 4786) and A97-009 (c/n 4787). The first to be refurbished, A97-006, became A-1330 with the TNI-AU and arrived in Jakarta on November 28, 2013. In addition, Indonesia has purchased five other ex-RAAF C-130Hs at low cost. The aircraft: A97-002 (c/n 4782), A97-004 (c/n 4784), A97-005 (c/n 4785), A97007 (c/n 4787) and A97-008 (c/n 4788) have yet to be delivered.
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Myanmar Air Force Operating Beech 1900Ds RECENT VISITS to Myanmar (formerly Burma) have revealed that its air force has put at least three Beechcraft 1900D commuter transport aircraft into service. They are operating without any nationality markings and painted in an overall white colour scheme. Two aircraft, 4601 and 4602, have been seen flying from Mingalon Air Base at Yangon International Airport, but their origin is unknown. A third, 4604, is believed to be c/n UE-177, which was previously PK-TRW with Indonesia Air Transport. As serials normally follow in sequence, it seems likely a fourth aircraft, 4603, is also in service, but it has yet to be sighted. As reports from the country
Above: Myanmar Air Force Beechcraft 1900D 4602 departing from Mingalon Air Base, Yangon International Airport. The aircraft is one of at least three in service, all operating in this overall white colour scheme with no nationality markings. Richard Vandervord
are extremely rare, it is unclear when the aircraft entered service. The first time one of
these aircraft was noted was on November 21 last year when a local media photograph
showed one transporting a Royal Malaysian Navy delegation during a visit to Myanmar.
Work Progressing on Next Two Afghan Air Force C-130Hs US AIR Force officials at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, issued a progress update on June 13 on the preparation of two additional C-130H Hercules transport aircraft for the Afghan Air Force (AAF). The pair –1665/74-1665 (c/n 4604) and 1689/74-1689 (c/n 4681) – arrived at the Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex at Robins last autumn. Both were still active with the USAF until recently, but were allocated for Afghanistan after being replaced by new C-130J-30s. Preparation work by the 402nd Expeditionary Depot Maintenance team included removing the wings, horizontal and vertical stabilisers,
engines, ramp and cargo doors. The first aircraft being worked on is 74-1665, previously flown by the 317th Airlift Group/40th Airlift Squadron at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, which suffered a heavy landing in Afghanistan (date unknown) causing major structural damage to the nose. A complete new nose section has been fitted from a donor aircraft scheduled for retirement; its remaining parts will be used for aircraft battle damage and repair training. The damaged nose was detached from 74-1665 on March 6 after a three-week disassembly process which included removal of the 364 bolts holding it in place, eight hydraulic lines, four air conditioning
ducts, two oxygen lines, flight control cables and wiring. The ‘new’ nose was attached on June 10 by personnel from the 402nd Aircraft Maintenance Group. Over the following week, the nose was secured again, after which it was expected to take a further three weeks to reinstall all the aircraft’s systems. When all structural work is completed, the aircraft will undergo an isochronal inspection along with engine work and continued application of a corrosion prevention compound and installation of floorboards and primary flight controls. The Hercules has also been fitted with a new centre wing box and is scheduled to be delivered to
the AAF by the year’s end. The second aircraft, 74-1689, last flown by the 19th Airlift Wing/53rd Airlift Squadron ‘Black Jacks’ at Little Rock AFB, Arkansas, should prove more straightforward to work on. Without the need for damage repairs, it will undergo a standard programmed depot maintenance package before delivery, which is also anticipated by the end of this year. The pair will be the third and fourth C-130Hs to join the AAF, supplementing 1675 (c/n 4640, ex-USAF/74-1675) and 1677 (c/n 4643, ex USAF/74-1677) which were delivered last year, arriving at Kabul International Airport on October 9.
Pakistan Air Force Flying ex-PLAAF FT-7As THE PAKISTAN Air Force (PAF) is now flying four ex-Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) FT-7As donated by China back in May 2010 (see AirForces Daily, April 4, 2012). Since arriving, all have undergone inspection before being pressed into service with 14 Squadron ‘The Tail Choppers’ at Minhas. Interestingly, all four still operate with their original Chinese TY-2 ejector seats, although it is usually standard for the PAF to operate with tried and trusted MartinBaker seats. The TY-2s are classed as being safe for use in the 0-138kt (0-260km/h) range, which means ejection can be at ground level as long as the aircraft is travelling faster than 260km/h. Alan Warnes
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Above: One of four ex-PLAAF FT-7As now in Pakistan Air Force (PAF) service, in the colours of 14 Squadron ‘The Tail Choppers’ at PAF Minhas on May 28, 2014. It wears its construction number, A0105, as a serial. Alan Warnes
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NEWS AUSTRALASIA
RAAF’s First F-35A Rolls off the Production Line LOCKHEED MARTIN has completed manufacture of the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF’s) first F-35A, A35-001 (AU-1). It was towed off the production at Fort Worth, Texas, on May 5 and moved to the aircraft final finishes facility to be sprayed-up in RAAF colours. An official roll-out ceremony for the aircraft was planned for July, followed by delivery later this year to the US Air Force’s Integrated Training Center at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. The F-35A is being acquired for the RAAF through the Defence Materiel Organisation’s Project AIR 6000, under which Australia has committed to 72 aircraft for three operational squadrons. Two will be based at RAAF Base Williamtown, New South Wales and the third at RAAF Base Tindal, Northern Territory.
Above: The Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF’s) first F-35A Lightning II, A35-001 (AU-1), ready to be towed off the production line on May 5 at Fort Worth, Texas, to be moved to the aircraft final finishes facility, where it was then due to be sprayed-up in RAAF colours. Lockheed Martin
After initial pilot training in the USA, the first RAAF F-35A is due to arrive in Australia in 2018, with the first unit, No 3 Squadron,
expected to be operational in 2021. All 72 aircraft are scheduled to be fully operational by 2023. An additional fourth operational
squadron at RAAF Base Amberley, Queensland, is being considered, which would bring the total number of F-35As to around 100.
Grounded Ex-USN MH-60R to be RAN Maintenance Trainer US NAVAL Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) has revealed that a retired US Navy airframe will be supplied in addition to 24 operational Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawks for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). MH-60R 166402 ‘(TS)-400’ will be a dedicated maintenance training helicopter, NAVAIR announced on May 6. The MH-60R was last operated by Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 41 (HSM-41) ‘Seahawks’ at Naval Air Station North Island, California. As the squadron commander’s helicopter, it carried a colourful depiction of the unit’s Seahawk insignia emblazoned across the rear fuselage and tail. The helicopter’s history goes back to the early days of the MH-60R programme, being the first of seven initial conversions from older SH-60Bs, before all remaining MH-60Rs were built new. It was previously SH-60B 162098 before conversion – which led the aircraft to be dubbed ‘Bromeos’ by the US Navy. After being retired by HSM-41, on August 9, 2010, 166402 was inducted into storage with the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at DavisMonthan Air Force Base, Arizona, and allocated inventory number ( Process Control Number) ANIM0015. More recently, it was delivered by road on the back of a truck to the US Navy’s Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE) at Naval Air Station
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Jacksonville, Florida for a facelift prior to delivery to the RAN. On March 28 of this year, after FRCSE sandblasters had stripped the helicopter of its striking HSM-41 colours, it was repainted in overall coat of grey paint. It also had the RAN kangaroo logo applied in readiness for its delivery to the navy’s 725 Squadron, which will fly the operational
MH-60Rs and be based at HMAS Albatross, Nowra, New South Wales. Use of a dedicated, grounded airframe, will allow more time for maintenance training than with an operational squadron helicopter. To date the RAN has taken delivery of four MH-60Rs, which are with NUSQN 725 (New Squadron 725), as the unit is currently designated until being
formally commissioned. The four are presently being used at Jacksonville for training, which will end late this year when the squadron and all its assets, including the new maintenance training airframe, will be flown to Australia on RAAF C-17A Globemaster IIIs. The Bromeo will be used as a ground training tool at the planned MH-60R schoolhouse at HMAS Albatross.
Third RAAF C-27J Spartan Now Flying
Above: The third Royal Australian Air Force C-27J Spartan, A34-003/I-RAID, was noted for the first time undertaking a test flight at Turin-Caselle, Italy, on June 30. The first two RAAF aircraft, A34-001/I-EASC and A34-002/I-RAII, have both now been delivered to L-3 Communications in Waco, Texas, where they arrived in April and May, respectively, for outfitting with additional RAAF-specific equipment. Marco Rossi
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CONTRACTS & DEPLOYMENTS
For daily news stories please visit www.airforcesdaily.com e-mail the news team at [emailprotected]
US Air Force B-52H Deployment to RAF Fairford
Above: Looking as though it is ready for a new coat of paint, USAF B-52H 60-0059 ‘LA’/‘96 BS’ from the 2nd Bomb Wing/96th Bomb Squadron ‘Red Devils’ prepares to take on fuel from a 100th ARW KC-135R from RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk, during a mission over the UK on June 11, while three of the type were deployed to RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire. See pages 34-36 for more on this deployment. US Air Force/Senior Airman Christine Griffiths
Military Aircraft Deployments
New Contract Award Summary
Date
AF/Unit
Type
Air Force/Organisation
June 2
French AF/GC.1/2
2 x Mirage 2000-5 Malbork, Poland, arrived on detachment
June 2
French AF/EC.2/5
2 x Mirage 2000C
June 3
French AF/EC.2/30 4 x Rafale C
Return home from Malbork, Poland
June 4
USAF/2nd BW and 5th BW
3 x B-52H
To RAF Fairford, UK, departed again June 19
Iraqi Air Force
June 8
Polish AF
2 x Mi-8s
Return from Afghan deployment
2 x B-2A
Deployed to RAF Fairford, UK, departed again June 15
June 18 Spanish AF
Searcher Mk IIIJ
Ending of Afghan deployment at Herat
June 20 Italian Air Force
4 x AMX
Return home from Afghanistan
July
? x AH-64D
Deployed to Baghdad, Iraq
June 8
USAF/509th BW
US Army
Location and Notes Malbork, Poland, arrived on detachment
Company
Royal Australian Air Force Boeing Ecuador AF
No & Type 12 x EA-18G
Airbus Defence 3 x C295
Date
Delivery Date and Notes
June 30 By December 2016 June 9
First on June 6, 2014
Beechcraft
1 x King Air 350ER
June 30 By March 30, 2015
US Air Force
Sikorsky
4 x CRH-60
June 26 Not announced
US Navy
Boeing
11 x F/A-18E June 30 By December 2016
US Navy
Boeing
21 x EA-18G
June 30 By December 2016
US Navy
Northrop Grumman
25 x E-2D
June 30 By August 2021
French Rafales Return Home from Polish Detachment
Above: Armée de l’Air (French Air Force) Rafale C 143 ‘118-GV’ from Escadron de Chasse 2/30 ‘Normandie-Niemen’ at BA118 Mont-de-Marsan powers off the runway at Malbork, Poland, on June 3 to return home to France following its detachment to the base. ECPAD
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ATTRITION Accident Reports D: Jun 9 N: French AF/Det Chasse Serval T: Mirage 2000D S: 665 ‘133-AE’
While returning to base from an Operation Serval mission over Mali, the aircraft encountered a technical problem and crashed in neighbouring Niger, half way between Gao and Niamey. Both crew members ejected safely. D: Jun 9 N: Spanish Air Force/Ala 11 T: Eurofighter Typhoon S: C.16-34 ’11-14’
The aircraft crashed about half-amile (1km) short of the runway at Morón de la Frontera Air Base at around 1400hrs. The pilot was killed. D: Jun 10 N: Russian Air Force/Sukhoi T: Sukhoi T-50 S: ‘055’
A starboard engine fire broke out on landing at Zhukovsky, but the pilot was able to stop the aircraft and exit safely. Although the fire was quickly extinguished, a large section of the upper fuselage over the front of the starboard engine was completely burnt away. D: Jun 11 N: Myanmar Air Force T: MiG-29UB
While on a sortie from Magwe Air Force Base, the aircraft was destroyed in a crash near Yaung Ma Nge village, close to Magwe, Myothit. The two crew ejected and sustained some injuries. D: Jun 12 N: Iraqi Air Force T: Unidentified helicopter
It is reported that ISIS rebels shot down this helicopter in the Hitaween district in the Karmah area of Anbar province. There has been no independent confirmation of this report.
Above: Spanish Air Force/Ala 11 Eurofighter Typhoon C.16-34 ’11-14’ seen here on February 25, 2009, was written-off on June 9, 2014, in a crash at Moron Air Base which killed the pilot. Roberto Yáñez D: Jun 14 N: Ukrainian Air Force T: Su-25 Frogfoot
D: Jun 17 N: South African Air Force/41 Sqn T: Cessna 208 Caravan I
While bombing a police station at Gorlovka, near Kayutovo, eastern Ukraine, this Frogfoot is reported to have been shot down by separatists. The pilot was said to have ejected safely.
This helicopter was shot down near Fallujah, Anbar province, killing both crew members.
The aircraft crashed in the Misty Mountain area, near Lydenburg, Mpumalanga. Three of those on board were killed and two others, who were seriously injured, were evacuated to the Medi-Clinic in Mbombela. The aircraft was from 41 Squadron at Air Force Base Waterkloof and was attending a mountain flying training camp. It was en route from Sabi Sabi to an airfield in the Lydenburg area at the time of the crash.
D: Jun 17 N: Austrian Air Force T: OH-58B Kiowa S: 3C-OD
D: Jun 19 N: Salvadoran AF/EAM T: T-35A Pillan S: 73 (c/n 236)
This Kiowa was involved in a hard landing at an altitude of around 6,560ft (2,000m) in the Wattener Lizum area of the Tirol. One crew member was killed and the two others on board were injured and flown to hospital for treatment. Damage to the Kiowa appeared to be extensive and it is expected to be declared a write-off. It was participating in Exercise Shutz 2014 (Protection 2014).
This T-35A Pillan was destroyed in a crash at approximately 1015hrs near Ilopango. Both crew members were injured and flown by helicopter to the Central Military Hospital. The aircraft had taken off from Ilopango Air Base for a training flight but after a few minutes an explosion was heard and the crew was forced to put the aircraft down near the Los Cipreses cemetery in Ilopango.
D: Jun 16 N: Iraqi Army T: Unidentified Helicopter
D: Jun 21 N: Ukraine State Emergency Service T: Mi-8T S: ‘28 Yellow’
This helicopter crashed en route from Nezhin Air Base to Chuhuiv Air Base with three crew members on board. The Mi-8T was found the next day in a forest near Lyzohubivka in the Kharkiv area. It was completely burnt out and there had been no survivors. D: Jun 23 N: German Air Force/TLG-31 T: Typhoon
This Typhoon collided with Learjet 35A D-CGFI,chartered from GFD by the German military, near the town of Elpe, Germany. The Learjet was destroyed when it crashed in an an open area. Both crew members were killed. The Typhoon returned safely to its base, but was seriously damage. Two Eurofighters had been training with the Learjet. The second, undamaged, Eurofighter accompanied the accident aircraft back to base. Once the damaged aircraft had landed safely, the second pilot flew to Cologne-Bonn Airport and landed.
D: Jun 14 N: Ukrainian Air Force T: Il-76MD S: 76777
Pro-Russian separatists shot down this aircraft at around 0100hrs, killing all nine crew members and 40 troops on board. It crashed on approach to Luhansk Airport in eastern Ukraine. The Il-76 came down on farmland near the village of Novohannivka, about 12 miles (20km) south of Luhansk.
Above: Russian Air Force Sukhoi T-50 fifth prototype ‘055’ seen after its incident on June 10 at Zhukovsky, clearly showing the fire damage above the starboard engine intake. Sukhoi
Abbreviations: D: Date N/U: Nationality/Units T: Type S: Serials
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For daily news stories please visit www.airforcesdaily.com e-mail the news team at [emailprotected]
D: Jun 23 N: Syrian Air Force T: MiG-23BN Flogger-H S: 1665
D: Jun 24 N: Ukrainian Armed Forces T: Mi-8MT S: '63 Yellow'
Militants shot down this aircraft in the Qalamoun area, north of Damascus. The pilot was killed.
This helicopter was reportedly shot down by a shoulder-launched missile fired by pro-Russian separatists while it was flying near the separatistcontrolled town of Slaviansk. A Ukrainian government spokesman, Vladyslav Seleznyov, confirmed the loss of the helicopter and said that there were nine fatalities, comprising the three crew and six others on board.
D: Jun 23 N: US Air Force/58th FW/33rd FS T: F-35A Lightning II
While on the runway at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, this aircraft was damaged by a significant fire. The pilot was not injured and was able to safely egress the aircraft after bringing it to a stop and shutting down the engine. The fire originated in the tail of the aircraft and although the extent of the damage has not been revealed, it is thought to have been substantial. All flying with the F-35A model (later extended to the F-35B and F-35C) was suspended at Eglin pending the results of an investigation. The F-35B variants were cleared to fly again on June 27. However, on July 3 the US DOD issued a fleetwide grounding order. D: Jun 24 N: Kenyan Army T: Unidentified helicopter
After experiencing a mechanical failure during a training flight, this helicopter crash-landed at around 1015hrs. Both pilots sustained non-life threatening injuries when the helicopter came down at Komu village, Matungulu, in Machakos County. The two crew were taken to Memorial Forces Hospital. The helicopter, which was reported to be en route to Garissa, was extensively damaged.
D: Jun 25 N: Pakistan Army Aviation Corps/ 33 Squadron T: AH-1 Cobra
During a night flying training mission, this helicopter crashed on the runway at Multan Army Aviation Base, reportedly due to a technical fault. Both crew members were killed. A dust storm had hit the base as the helicopter was taking off and officials said this may have also been a contributary factor in the accident. D: Jun 26 N: Iraqi Air Force T: Mi-35M Hind S: YI-352
During an airborne assault by Iraqi forces on the rebel-held city of Tikrit, this helicopter was one of a number that were flying commandos into a stadium at the city’s university when it was brought down by ground fire from insurgents. All five personnel on board were killed in the crash and the helicopter was destroyed by a post-crash fire.
D: Jun 26 N: US Army T: AH-64D Apache Longbow
D: Jul 2 N: Ukrainian Air Force T: Su-24 Fencer
During a routine flight training, this helicopter made a hard landing near the Molinelli Training Range at Fort Rucker, Alabama. The two crew members were not injured, but the helicopter was damaged in the accident.
While flying over the Donetsk region, this aircraft was hit by a man-portable air defence system (MANPADS) fired by pro-Russian separatists. The MANPADS struck one engine, forcing the crew to shut it down. The crew were able to return safely to base, but after landing a new fire erupted. The crew exited safely, but the aircraft was said to have been extensively damaged by the time the fire was extinguished.
D: Jun 29 N: Iraqi Army Aviation Corps T: Unidentified helicopter
On the second day of a major push against Sunni militants in the northern Iraqi city of Tikrit, this helicopter was reported to have been shot down by insurgents. D: Jul 1 N: Ukrainian Air Force T: Su-25 Frogfoot
This aircraft was reportedly damaged by ground fire, but was able to return safely to base and the pilot was uninjured. D: Jul 1 N: Ukrainian Air Force T: Su-27 Flanker
Unconfirmed reports suggest that this aircraft was shot down near Luganskaya village. The two crew were said to have ejected safely. D: Jul 2 N: Ukrainian Air Force 255 BrTA T: Su-25M1 Frogfoot S: '06 Blue' (c/n 10121)
The pilot of this aircraft reported control problems and was attempting to make an emergency landing at Dnipropetrovsk Airport. However, he was unable to maintain control and the Su-25 crashed on approach after he had ejected safely.
D: Jul 3 N: Afghan Air Force/Presidential Airlift Squadron T: Mi-17 Hip
Taliban militants fired two rockets onto the military ramp at Kabul International Airport, one of which did not explode. The other, however, set fire to President Hamid Karzai's official helicopter, which was destroyed. Three other helicopters on the ramp, also thought to be Mi-17s, were also damaged during the attack. D: Jul 2 N: Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations T: Mi-26T Halo S: RF-31351
While being refuelled at Khabarovsk-Tsentralniy Airport, the Mi26 caught fire and was destroyed. One technician suffered minor injuries. Additional material from: Juan Carlos Cicalesi, Agustín Puetz, Scramble/Dutch Aviation Society and René L Uijthoven.
D: Jun 24 N: Peruvian AF/Escuadrón de Transporte 843 T: Antonov An-32B S: FAP-327-P
After undertaking a flight test, the aircraft was returning to its base at Lima-Callao/Jorge Chávez International Airport when it was discovered the starboard main undercarriage could not be extended. The crew carried out standard emergency procedures, landing successfully on just the nosewheel and port main undercarriage. None of the occupants were injured, but the aircraft suffered some unspecified damage when it settled on the runway.
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Above: Austrian Air Force Bell OH-58B Kiowa 3C-OD seen following its crash on June 17, which killed one crew member and injured the two others. Bundesheer
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EXERCISE REPORT COPE TAUFAN
F-22s sent to Malaysia
The six F-22s sent to Malaysia arrived at RMAF Butterworth from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam on June 6. They were from the Hawaii Air National Guard’s 199th Fighter Squadron and associate USAF squadron, the 19th Fighter Squadron, both based at Joint Base Pearl Harbor – Hickam. They were: 03-4045 ‘HH’, 03-4046 ‘HH’, 03-4052 ‘HH’, 03-4054 ‘HH’, 03-4055 ‘HH’, 04-4063 ‘HH’
RAPTORS ROAR Dzirhan Mahadzir reports from Butterworth AFB on Exercise Cope Taufan, which marked the F-22A Raptor’s first appearance in Malaysia.
into Butterworth
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ALAYSIA HOSTED the USAF for a number of manoeuvres during June, which included the F-22A Raptor’s Malaysian debut during Exercise Cope Taufan 2014. The biennial exercise between the USAF and Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), took place from June 9 to June 20. Running simultaneously was Exercise Balance Mint involving special forces from the USAF and Malaysian Army’s ‘Gerakhas’, as well as the annual Teak Mint special operations exercise between the USAF and RMAF. Most of the attention was focused on the six F-22 Raptors which would provide a cutting edge to Malaysia’s air defences in the unfolding air war scenario. The jets came from the Hawaii Air National Guard (ANG)
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F-22A Raptors 03-4051' HH' (left) and 03-4054 await clearance to enter the taxiway at RMAF Butterworth.
199th Fighter Squadron and its USAF associate unit, the 19th Fighter Squadron from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. The exercise concentrated on a joint air operation, with Red versus Blue over the Malaysian Peninsula. The air war saw the Blues fighting a hostile air force based in Malaysia’s east coast and a portion of the South China Sea. A whole range of air-to-air and air-toground missions were carried out, including dissimilar air combat
training, integrated force missions, day and night supply and personnel drops and air-to-ground strikes. Other US assets involved were: • Eight F-15Cs from 131st Fighter Squadron, Massachusetts ANG, Barnes ANGB • Three C-17s, one each from 517th Airlift Squadron (AS)/3rd Wing, Joint Base ElmendorfRichardson; 535th AS/15th Wing and 204th AS/Hawaii ANG the last two from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam
Three C-130Hs from PACAF’s 36th AS, Yokota, Japan Two MC-130Hs from 1st Special Operations Squadron/353rd Special Operations Group at Kadena, Japan The RMAF in turn deployed: Four Su-30MKMs from 11 Squadron at Gong Kedak Four MiG-29s from 17/19 Squadron at Kuantan Two F/A-18Ds from 18 Squadron Butterworth Four Hawks from 15 Squadron, Butterworth
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Location: Malaysia Particpants: Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), United States Air Force
F-22 Raptor 03-4046 ‘HH’ receives attention from ground crews after arriving at RMAF Butterworth on June 6. All photos, author unless stated Three C-130s from 20 Squadron,
Left: A formation of aircraft involved in Exercise Cope Taufan at Royal Malaysian Air Force Base Butterworth flying over Penang on June 18. Leading is a Massachusetts ANG F-15C, followed by an RMAF SU30MKM, Hawaii ANG F-22A Raptor, RMAF MIG-29NUB, RMAF Hawk Mk 108 and RMAF F/A-18D Hornet. US Air Force/Tech Sgt Jason Robertson Below: A 1 SOS MC-130H Combat Talon II 90-0162 sits on the ramp at RMAF Subang. As well as the air defence exercise, there were various manoeuvres that involved up to 100 special forces personnel. Below right: RMAF F/A-18D M45-08 taxies back to its shelter at RMAF Butterworth after a sortie.
Subang A CN235 from 1 Squadron, Subang Two S-61 Nuri helicopters from 3 Squadron, Butterworth. There were just under 100 special ops troops from both countries taking part. Those from Malaysia comprised the RMAF’s PASKAU (PASukan Khas Angkatan Udara - Air Force Special Forces) and the Malaysian Army’s Gerakhas special forces. US personnel came from Special Operations Command Pacific, which included troops from the USAF’s 320th Special Tactics Squadron and the US Army’s 1st Special Forces Group. The RMAF’s MiG-29s were deployed to RMAF Butterworth for the exercise, while all the other
RMAF aircraft operated from their home bases. The USAF’s fighters flew from RMAF Butterworth, while USAF transport and special operations aircraft were largely based at RMAF Subang but also flew in and out of RMAF Butterworth and RMAF Kuantan depending on the tasking and exercise missions. RMAF Kolonel Suri Mohamad Daud, the exercise director told AFM that the most important aspects of the exercise were planning, logistics and integrating and co-ordinating the two air forces. He also added: “Flying is the easiest part, but planning the missions, getting everything into position and co-ordinating it all is vital and this exercise allows the officers afm involved to gain experience.”
An F-22 Raptor lifts off the RMAF Butterworth runway during the exercise. US Air Force/Tech Sgt Jason Robertson
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B-52 - B-2 FAIRFORD
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AY THE word “Fairford” to anyone with even a passing interest in military aviation and they will invariably come back with “RIAT”. The world’s largest military airshow, the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) has made the Gloucestershire base its home (apart from a two-year gap in 2000 and 2001 for runway repairs) since 1985. Those with slightly deeper knowledge might well opt for “B-52” (or one of its many nicknames) or even “B-2”, because the airfield’s more serious purpose as the USAF in Europe’s (USAFE’s) only bomber forward operating location (FOL) is to house and equip those bombers in times of war or for training detachments. RAF Fairford is maintained on a care and maintenance basis by the USAFE’s 420th Air Base Squadron, part of the 501st Combat Support Wing at RAF Alconbury in Cambridgeshire. The unit’s task is to keep the field ready to receive a deployment of aircraft and personnel with 48 hours’ notice.
The Yanks are here!
In late May aviation enthusiasts’ grapevines started to carry the news that no fewer than eight Stratofortresses were going to make their way to Fairford. Excitement was high because it’s been a long time since such a large deployment 34 AUGUST 2014 #317
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Above: Lt Col Ryan Link was in charge of the B-52 deployment to RAF Fairford. Key - Jerry Gunner
appeared in the UK. It was soon established that the big bombers were going to be taking part in an exercise called Saber Strike. A notice on the Fairford Town Council’s website warned residents: “There will be aircraft activity on the airfield throughout the month of June, with several aircraft operations, and up to 500 additional personnel.” It takes a lot of people (381 on this occasion) and materiel to maintain a deployment of B-52s, or BUFFs as they are known. An advance guard arrived at Fairford on Monday June 2. The first military aircraft to arrive was Lockheed C-5B Galaxy 86-0016 from the 60th Airlift Wing (AW) at Travis AFB, California. It touched down just before noon using the callsign ‘Reach 403’. Later in the afternoon ‘Reach 954’, a Boeing C-17A Globemaster III, 07-7170 from the 436th AW at Dover AFB, Delaware joined it. They had
Above: High over England a Sniper pod toting BUFF takes on fuel from a USAFE KC-135R from RAF Mildenhall’s 100th Air Refueling Wing. The second B-52 in the formation can be seen waiting its turn behind. USAF / Senior Airman Christine Griffiths Right: Northrop B-2A Spirit 93-1088 ‘Spirit of Louisiana’ from the 393rd Bomb Wing’s 13th Bomb Squadron the ‘Grim Reapers’ seconds before touching down at RAF Fairford. Dylan Eklund
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B-52 - B-2 FAIRFORD
AMERICAN BOMBERS
TO BRITAIN
been beaten by civilian Boeing 767 N640GT of Atlas Air that had landed at 0600 local time. The objects of most interest arrived in formation in mid-morning on Wednesday the 4th. Disappointingly only three BUFFs had made the crossing as ‘Exult 11’ flight. First to land was 61-0004/LA from Barksdale AFB Louisiana’s 2nd Bomb Wing’s (BW’s) 20th Bomb Squadron (BS). Next down was 60-0017/MT B-52H from Minot AFB North Dakota’s 5th BW’s, 69th BS and this was quickly followed by another Barksdale BUFF, 60-0059/LA from the 96th BS. With all the players assembled the two Louisianabased BUFFs took off for a familiarisation flight around the UK on Saturday June 8. While B-52s are not common visitors to the UK, the next day’s arrivals at Fairford – representing 10% of the USAF’s Northrop B-2A Spirit fleet – are as rare as hen’s teeth and all the more welcome for that. Two jets, 82-1069 ‘Spirit of Indiana’ and 93-1088 ‘Spirit of Louisiana’ flew in from their Whiteman AFB, Missouri home base as ‘Death 11’ flight.
the crews who had had patches made to wear on their flight suits to commemorate the exercise! The official line was now: “Multi-role heavy bombers will conduct training flights in the USEUCOM [US European Command] area of operations, providing opportunities for aircrews to sharpen skills in several key operational sets and become familiar with airbases and operations in the region.” The B-2 base at Fairford comprises two semi-detached conventional-looking hangars, like enormous car garages and another more unconventional hangar for specialised servicing. When they were installed in 2002 the £100 million spent on preparing the base for B-2 ops represented the largest single NATO expenditure since the end of the Cold War.
RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire played host to two of America’s most iconic warplanes in June – the stealthy B-2A Spirit and the legendary B-52H Stratofortress. AFM’s Jerry Gunner found out AFM why.
The first surprise when we arrived at the hangar was that one of the four pilots selected to meet the press was a Brit. Flt Lt Ian Hart, a former Tornado GR4 man, is the fourth RAF pilot to exchange with the USAF’s 509th BW. Detachment commander for the B-2s, Lt Col Brad Cochran, a graduate of the USAF Weapons School and the 393rd Bomb Squadron’s Commander told AFM that his jets had never been intended to take part in Saber Strike and that the deployment had nothing to do with the political situation in Ukraine. He went on to say that during their stay in the UK his team, which was operating as the 2nd Expeditionary Group, would be conducting long-range training flights in the USEUCOM
The scene is set
By the time AFM arrived at Fairford on the afternoon of June 10 we already knew that neither type of bomber was taking part in Saber Strike or, as had been rumoured, a major maritime exercise running at the time, BaltOps. This must have disappointed www.airforcesdaily.com
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B-52 - B-2 FAIRFORD Suspended from the port wing of 5th BW, 96th BS B-52H 61-0017 is a Sniper advanced targeting pod which has greatly increased the versatility of the USAF’s most capable bomber. Dylan Eklund.
area of operations but none of the exercises had specific names. “We have brought nearly the entire squadron, about 24 pilots … and a little over 150 people from the B-2 community – maintainers, pilots and communications specialists – all providing support to our mission here,” he said. With such a small fleet, the jets are pooled and crews frequently fly a machine assigned to another squadron. When asked if the bombers would be training with live munitions, he replied: “We are not scheduled to drop any munitions right now, we are doing simulated training runs.” Exchange pilot Flt Lt Ian Hart said he had been at Whiteman AFB, assigned to the 13th BS ‘Grim Reapers’ for two and a half years. He acts as an instructor on the jet and had deployed to Guam and Diego Garcia during his time on the squadron. He was asked to compare the Tornado with his present mount: “Slightly different! They have completely different roles; you get much more involved in systems management in this [the B-2]. There are two pilots, not a pilot and a weapons
Above: Lt Col Brad Cochran and RAF exchange officer Flt Lt Ian Hart take questions from the media in front of 13th BS B-2A Spirit 93-1088. Key - Jerry Gunner Below: The 13th Bomb Squadron’s ‘Spirit of Louisiana’ had a bird strike on an undercarriage door on June 11 as it recovered to Fairford. Without shutting down, after a quick inspection and a change of crew, both it and the ‘Spirit of Indiana’ took off on a mission down to the South Atlantic and back lasting over 20 hours. Bob Franklin
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systems officer. You divide up the roles of chief pilot and so on. Obviously you can get out of the seat in the B-2. When you look at the roles, the training sorties we do are longer, and of course the longrange capability is different. My longest flight in a Tornado was eight hours over Iraq and I’ve done over 20 hours in a B-2.”
The B-52 folks
Lt Col Ryan Link is the boss of the 96th Bomb Squadron from Barksdale AFB, Louisiana and was the commander of the B-52 detachment at Fairford, the 96th Expeditionary Squadron. (The BUFF contingent included representatives from every USAF B-52 unit). Link told a similar story of a round of training missions to that of his B-2 colleagues. “We get together and do ground training, giving briefs on each other’s capabilities. When we fly, we talk to each other over the radio about our tactics and how we could integrate together. We also try to integrate with the 603rd AOC [Air and Space Operations Center, the main USAF command and control ops centre in Europe] in Germany. Basically we’re spreading the word about our capabilities to US forces and our allies.” He continued: “We spend most of our time in the Pacific because we [the United States] have a continuous bomber presence in Guam. We very rarely get to come over here, so this really is a golden opportunity for us. All of our missions so far on this deployment have been confined to within UK airspace. They’re of relatively short duration for a B-52, between five and eight hours.” AFM asked when the first Stratofortress fitted with the new CONECT (Combat Network Communications Technology) upgrade would be ready for service, the first one having been delivered back to Barksdale AFB in April. The colonel could not give a date, but confirmed that his 96th Bomb Squadron would be the first unit to field the upgraded bomber. The B-52 can carry nearly every weapon in the USAF inventory, which creates its own difficulties, as
Colonel Link explained: “We are Jacks of all trades; that’s what’s great about coming here and training. Since nobody really specialises in one role, we all have to be proficient in all of our missions. We have people that are more experienced than others, like weapons officers who know everything, but even they don’t specialise. They are subject matter experts for all of our missions and profiles, and they teach the young lieutenants all of them. Everyone can do everything. As long as they [crew members] are combat mission ready, they can fly any afm mission.”
BUFF – Always Improving Aircraft Maintenance Officer Captain Bryan Garris explained how the Sniper advanced targeting pod has increased the BUFF’s lethality: “The difference between the B-52 before the Sniper pod is that now I can use a wider array of weapon systems. I don’t have to use unguided or dumb bombs or weapons that are programmed even before they are loaded on to the aircraft. I can actually change targets [in flight] and I can hit mobile targets with laser-guided bombs. That’s a huge advantage, especially when you’re taking out someone who is moving in a vehicle, or if the target goes from one building to the next. “Not only that, I can actually use it to target my GPS-guided weapons, even though they are not integrated with the Sniper pod. It has a lasing capability very similar to the laser range finders golfers use to find out how far away the tee is. We use Sniper not only to tell us the distance to the target but also its GPS co-ordinates which I can use to target my GPS weapons. “It gives the force commander flexibility ... this is a global bomber that can carry a vast array of weapons. This is the most versatile weapons platform in the air force; we can get any kind of weapon to any kind of target.” His colleague Weapons Loader Senior Airman Matthew Fernandez said, depending on the load, it can take anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple of hours to bomb up a B-52.
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30/06/2014 15:01
A-10C in Europe
Warthogs Dave Allport reports on the return of the A-10C to Europe for the first time in 12 months
S
EVEN US Air Force A-10C Thunderbolt IIs were recently deployed to Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, to participate in Exercise Combined Resolve II. All were from the Idaho Air National Guard’s 124th Wing/190th Fighter Squadron ‘Skullbangers’ at Boise Airport-Gowen Field, Idaho. Approximately 100 airmen from the unit accompanied the aircraft to provide support. Arriving on May 16 were 80-0218 ‘ID’, 78-0625 ‘ID’ and 79-0084 ‘ID’, callsigns ‘Tabor 61’ to ‘Tabor 63’, respectively, together with 78-0634 ‘ID’, 78-0653 ‘ID’, 78-0707 ‘ID’ and 81-0955 ‘ID’, callsigns ‘Tabor 71’ to ‘Tabor 74’. The aircraft arrived at Spangdahlem via Lajes Field in the Azores. This marked the first time the type has been seen in Europe since the departure of the last A-10Cs of the 52nd Fighter Wing/81st Fighter Squadron ‘Panthers’ from the base on May 17, 2013. The unit then disbanded on June 18, 2013.
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return to Spangdahlem for Combined Resolve II
US Air Force/Idaho ANG A-10C Thunderbolt II 78-0707 ‘ID’ from the 124th Fighter Wing/190th Fighter Squadron ‘Skullbangers’, turns in on short finals to land at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, on May 30 after a close air support sortie during Exercise Combined Resolve II. All photos, Joris van Boven, unless stated otherwise
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A-10C in Europe Left: Colonel Paul K Kingsley (callsign ‘Kingman’), who is commander of the 124th Operations Group, 124th Fighter Wing, stands in front of one of the unit’s A-10Cs on May 30 during the deployment to Spangdahlem. Below: Idaho Air National Guard A-10C 80-0218 ‘ID’ fires its 30mm GAU-8/A Avenger cannon over the Grafenwoehr Training Area in Germany on May 20 while participating in Exercise Combined Resolve II. US Army/Markus Rauchenberger
Combined Resolve II was a US Army Europeled multi-national live-fire exercise held at the Grafenwoehr and Hohenfels Training Areas in southeast Germany from May 15 to June 30. Over 4,000 participating personnel included the US Army’s European Rotational Force, plus troops from 14 other NATO allied, partnered and co-operative nations. The exercise involved complex and demanding tasks such as operational planning, manoeuvre of forces, and effective employment and synchronisation of air and ground forces. The ‘Skullbangers’ A-10Cs had been invited to Germany by US Army Europe to provided close air support for troops on the ground during force-on-force manoeuvre training elements of the exercise. US Air Force 1st Lt Kristen Daigle, officer in charge of intelligence with the ‘Skullbangers’, said prior to the exercise: “I think it’s going to be great, both for our pilots and for those troops on the ground. It sounds like we will be working with Joint Terminal Attack Controllers who have not done a lot of calls for close air support. It will be good training for them and for our pilots working with JTACS who do not use English as a primary language.” Afterwards, Colonel
Paul K Kingsley, commander of the 124th Operations Group, confirmed that the co-operation with JTACs from Belgium and Croatia had been a success. Combined Resolve II was the largest multinational exercise in Europe scheduled for 2014, and involved personnel from Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Georgia, Hungary, Kosovo, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and the US. It marked the first use of the US Army’s European Activity Set, a group of combat equipment and vehicles pre-positioned at Grafenwoehr to outfit and support rotational forces when they arrive in Europe. This included the most updated versions of the Army’s M1A2 Abrams tanks and M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles. After the last of 12 missions, on May 30, the A-10Cs’ involvement was over and they prepared to head for home. They departed in two waves, again routing via Lajes. The first wave, comprising 78-0707, 78-0653, 81-0955, 78-0625 and 78-0634, respective callsigns ‘Tabor 61’ to ‘Tabor 65’, left Spangdahlem on June 3. The two remaining aircraft, 79-0084 ‘Trend 71’ and 80-0218 ‘Trend 72’, followed afm on June 8.
Above: Heading for home. One of the ‘Skullbangers’ A-10Cs, 78-0653 ‘ID’, takes off from Lajes Field in the Azores on June 10 as it heads back to the USA after taking part in Combined Resolve II. US Air Force/Tech Sgt Paul Villanueva II Left: The pilot of Idaho ANG A-10C 78-0707 ‘ID’ prepares to taxi out for a mission from Spangdahlem Air Base on May 30 while deployed for Exercise Combined Resolve II.
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#317 AUGUST 2014
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MPAs OF ASIA PACIFIC
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KIRMISHES BETWEEN China and other nations in recent months over disputed territories in the South China Sea have highlighted the need for a more sophisticated maritime surveillance aircraft; even an armed maritime patrol aircraft (MPA). Many countries are looking at options to detect potential trouble long before it arrives - and to have a solution when it does.
Recent Clashes
Clashes between Vietnam and China off the Paracel Islands in late May 2014 highlighted the emerging confrontation. The Straits Times reported: “Vietnam claims four ships were attacked and at one point on May 26 there were reportedly 113 ships standing off against 60 Vietnamese vessels.” Later that day, a Vietnamese vessel was sunk, though all ten people on board were saved. This was the latest in a series of stand offs between China and Vietnam and has led the Vietnamese to investigate the acquisition of an armed maritime patrol aircraft. The tensions are not likely to go away. China’s Vice-Foreign Minister told reporters in Beijing in late May: “Being the lifeline for China, the South China Sea is far more important to China than to other countries.”
Above: One of the two RAAF AP-3Cs permanently deployed to RAAF Butterworth, Malaysia, returns to base after a long mission over the Indian Ocean. Dzirhan Mahadzir Below: One of the two Bombardier 415MPs operated by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) nestles in the water. The aircraft is fitted with the SSC MSS 6000 maritime surveillance system and was used during the Sabah uprising in early 2013. Just under the port wing you can see the pencilshaped Sideways Looking Airborne Radar. Sukasom Hiranphan
The Philippines has also confronted China at sea recently over the poaching of endangered turtles. Clashes between the two are now a regular occurrence after China took control of the rich fishing grounds of the Scarborough Shoal in 2012. The Philippines and China claim ownership of the Shoal as part of their territories, as do other countries. This is one of a number of disputed territories in the South China Sea. Others include the Paracel Islands, as mentioned earlier, and the Spratly Islands. The sovereignty of the Spratlys, a group of around
750 islands spread over a 164,093 square mile area (424,968km2) off the coasts of the Philippines and Sabah in Malaysian Borneo, is the focus of much of the region’s tensions. Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam all claim them. While none of the islands have any native population, there are several military bases. The islands are believed to have large oil and gas reserves around them and are areas of rich biodiversity and wildlife. The Senkaku Islands (known in China as Diaoyu
Eyes in the Sky MPAs of Asia Pacific
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MPAs OF ASIA PACIFIC islands) are also surrounded by rich fishing grounds and large, untapped deposits of natural gas. Japan effectively nationalised the islands in 2012 and the tensions with China threatened to escalate from a local, containable, manageable spat into a state-onstate conflict. All this uncertainty and mistrust of each other’s intentions can be likened to a game of chess. Most states have realised the value of intelligence and
many are committed to strengthening maritime surveillance fleets, with maritime patrol aircraft a priority. There is a growing need for cost-effective early warning aircraft to work for long periods off coastlines. On land, similar tensions have arisen Thailand has a border dispute with Cambodia; as well as a long-running issue over Moslem autonomy along its southern border areas with Malaysia. Singapore still relies on fresh water
Spratlys China – the world’s second largest economy – has claimed ‘indisputable sovereignty’ over most of the waters around the Spratly and Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, including large blocks off Vietnam. The area is believed to contain 213 billion barrels of oil, or the equivalent of 80% of Saudi Arabia’s reserves. The huge expanse of territory claimed by China extends hundreds of miles south from its own Hainan Island to equatorial waters off the coast of Borneo, overlapping areas claimed by Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan. Vietnam and the Philippines reject China’s map and have pushed forward oil and gas exploration projects in blocks that exist within areas claimed by China. In March 2011, Chinese ships chased away a vessel working off the Philippines. Some three months later, Chinese vessels allegedly
rammed the cables of a survey ship doing work for Vietnam, the second such incident in a month. The USA’s Exxon, which according to the New York Stock Exchange is the world’s third most valuable company after Apple and Google, discovered oil and gas reserves off the Vietnam coast in 2012, while Russian, French and British companies have also discovered oil in the South China Sea. India, the world’s third largest economy, according to the World Bank, is also interested in exploring offshore blocks for oil and gas. China has responded by saying in its staterun People’s Daily on October 14, 2011: “Once China and Vietnam initiate their exploration, China can send non-military forces to disturb their work and cause dispute or friction to halt the two countries’ exploration.”
from its Malaysian neighbours in an often tense relationship. It is also concerned about Indonesia, another state to the west and south, which it does not fully trust. All fear attacks from personnel using the seas to avoid detection and strike their countries. Around 100 Filipino Sulu rebels deployed this tactic in February 2013 to attack and kill several policemen in Malaysia’s eastern state of Sabah, which they claim as their land. Tension over sovereignty disputes is a concern to the western world, as the South China Sea is critically important, not just for security and stability reasons but because it is crucial to local economic activity. One of the biggest threats to maritime vessels in the South China Sea is pirates, particularly along the region’s key shipping route, the Malacca Straits. Aircraft are among some of the assets used to ensure the waters are safe. In some cases, pirates have been known to hijack a multi million dollar oil tanker, rename it and paint it, then divert to a friendly port and offload the valuable cargo. There is also a need to work together. The loss of Malaysian Airlines MH370 in early March 2014 highlighted the lack of cohesion, during the early stages of the search, between all the nations as they tried to find the Boeing 777 in the seas off eastern Malaysia.
Tensions are increasing in the seas of South East Asia as territorial claims escalate. The exploitation of deep-sea gas and oil reserves is often at the heart of disputes, as Alan Warnes explains. What do the region’s air forces have in their inventories to counter the threats?
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MPAs OF ASIA PACIFIC Maritime Surveillance/ Maritime Patrol Aircraft in the region
Rising regional tensions have not led to governments funding an efficient airborne maritime patrol force, although Vietnam has upgraded its oceanic surveillance capabilities. Here is our country by country guide to air assets deployed.
Australia
The Royal Australian Air Force deploys two AP-3C Orions to RAAF Butterworth, Malaysia, to monitor the Indian Ocean for ships that could pose a threat to Australia’s security. They fly from the airbase and patrol for up to eight hours before returning to Malaysia. Ideally, the local nations would be doing this but none has the sophisticated equipment or funding to do the job properly.
Brunei
The country’s first Defence White Paper in 2004 said maritime patrol aircraft should be a major procurement programme. Ten years on nothing has changed. This is quite surprising, given Brunei’s vast oil reserves which are the country’s main source of income. The Sultanate’s small air arm operates a single IPTN-built CASA CN235. It was initially intended to install a maritime surveillance
Above: The Royal Brunei Air Force operates this single IPTN (now PTDI) CN235. There has been some discussion in the past on converting this to a maritime surveillance aircraft, or alternatively buying a new aircraft with a system on board. Dave Donald
avionics suite but this does not appear to have happened. The aircraft is used mainly for VIP/ transport purposes and is not known to house any special mission equipment. Speculation that Brunei had ordered three Indonesian-developed CN235MPA Persuader aircraft in the early-2000s proved to be unfounded. Boeing was allegedly contracted as the systems integrator for the aircraft, which would have been equipped with a FLIR Systems AN/AAQ-21 Safire FLIR, a BAE Systems Sky Guardian electronic support measures electronic
warfare system and an AN/APS-134 radar. Indonesian Aerospace (more commonly known by the initials PTDI – PT Dirgantara Indonesia) is now believed to be talking again to Brunei about a maritime surveillance aircraft.
Indonesia
Indonesia has a large number of special mission aircraft to patrol the 17,000-island archipelago. Three Boeing 737-2X9 Surveillers, acquired in 1983, and operated by the Hasanuddin-based Skadron Udara (SKu) 5 are the biggest aircraft. They are equipped with the Motorola AN/APS-135 (V) high resolution Side Looking Airborne Modular Multimission Radar (SLAMMR). The aircraft have two dorsally-mounted fairings running down each side of the fuselage to house the 16ft (5m)-long blade antennas linked to the internal SLAMMR console. The installation enables the aircraft to detect a small ship at ranges of up to 100 miles (185km) on each side of the aircraft’s flight path. The last time they were known to have been upgraded was in 1993, when Boeing incorporated a nose-mounted APS504(V)-5 search radar, GPS, IFF (identification friend or foe) and a new five console data processing and
Above: Four Beech 200Ts of the Royal Malaysian Air Force’s 16 Skuadron at Subang are having their systems upgraded with the Telephonics RDR 1700B radar. Work on two is known to have been completed. These are the only RMAF aircraft fitted with maritime surveillance systems. Dzirhan Mahadzir Below: A RAAF AP-3C Orion on patrol, they played a major part in the search for 'MH370'. RAAF/LAC Cotton
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MPAs OF ASIA PACIFIC display system. The SLAMMR was also installed at that time. PTDI has also been carrying out small incremental upgrades such as the installation of a forward looking infrared (FLIR) turret in the nose. Missions include maritime patrol and the detection of surface targets but the focus depends upon communication from the Department of Agriculture, whichisresponsibleforfisheriesprotection. Theaircraft carry 12 strategic intelligence personnel, including five console operators (commander, mission commander, SLAMMR operator, radar operator and navigations communications operator, as well as engineer, photographer, loadmaster and four observers). With approximately 5,000 miles (8,000km) separating the north-west tip of Sumatra from the eastern point of Timor, the five-hour endurance limit often means they deploy to other bases. The three Boeing 737s are also configured with 14 first class and 88 economy class seats to act as government transports when not needed for maritime surveillance. In February 2008, Indonesia exhibited its newly developed CN235-220MPA at the Singapore Air Show. It was the first of a batch of three in an $80 million deal between the state owned PTDI (formerly IPTN) and the Indonesian Air Force. The aircraft is equipped with a Thales Airborne Systems Airborne Maritime Situation Control System (AMASCOS) 200 that houses a Thales/EADS Ocean Master Mk II search radar, Elettronica’s ALR 733 radar warning receiver and CAE’s AN/ASQ-508 magnetic anomaly detection (MAD) system. This latest MPA was delivered to SkU 5 at Hasanuddin to work alongside the three Boeing 737s, while the other two aircraft were never delivered as maritime patrol aircraft because of budget issues and operate purely in a transport role. With obsolescence now creeping in, PTDI has been contracted to replace the Thales radar on the original aircraft with a Telephonics AN/APS 143C3 system. A second MPA has been ordered, which will be delivered with the same radar and join the same unit. According to PTDI, there is a requirement for six of these MPAs
Above: The Indonesian Navy operates several NC212s fitted with a FLIR for maritime surveillance. This example was seen at Pondok Cabe in July 2013. Alan Warnes
by the end of 2014. Another squadron tasked with maritime duties, SKu 4, works out of Abdulrachman Saleh with NC212MPAs, but it is not clear how sophisticated these aircraft are. The Indonesian Navy will receive a third CN 235MPA as part of the Maritime Patrol (MARPAT) 1 contract within the next few months. The aircraft is currently at PTDI’s Bandung facility being fitted with the AMASCOS 300 system and a Star Safire FLIR. All three will be operated by Skuadron 800 at Surabaya. A second follow-on contract for two more CN 235MPAs under MARPAT 2 is expected in the near future.
Malaysia
The protection of Malaysia’s maritime resources, illegal oil extraction, disputes over the Spratly Islands and supervision of its economic exclusion zone led to the activation in 1980 of three C-130HMPs, or PC-130Hs as they are designated by the
Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia (Royal Malaysian Air Force – TUDM). The ever increasing workload of these specialised C-130s, and the need to carry out more intense work, led to four Beech 200Ts being ordered in late 1991 to replace them. Today, they are still operated by 16 Skuadron, based at Subang, although they do forward deploy to Labuan occasionally. They monitor high-tech pirates, smugglers, ships tipping waste, oil-rig inspections to prevent illegal transfer of oil, illegal fishing and people-trafficking. The aircraft are also fitted with hard-points to carry smoke-markers. Two of the King Airs have been modified by AIROD with Telephonics RDR 1700 radar, while similar work on the other pair is also now under way. Local media reports in March 2010 suggested that a letter of intent (LOI) for the purchase of four Indonesian-built CN235-220MPA aircraft was to be issued within week. PTDI confirmed recently
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MPAs OF ASIA PACIFIC CN 235ASW to the Philippines Navy in a $135 million deal, that will see a Raytheon Systems suite installed. The aircraft will be delivered 26 months after the contract is signed.
Singapore
Above: Efforts by the RTN to field an efficient maritime patrol aircraft saw a state-of-the-art Seaspray 7300 being installed in this Fokker 27-200ME, 1201 (c/n 10666), but the aircraft was later grounded due to a shortage of spares. Analayo Korsakul
to AFM that it is still in discussions with the TUDM over such a deal, which could see the four existing CN235s upgraded with a Thales AMASCOS system. Two Bombardier 415 amphibians were acquired in 2009 by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) and subsequently converted by the Swedish Space Corporation into a maritime patrol configuration with its MSS 6000 airborne maritime surveillance system. The two 415MPs operate alongside a small fleet of helicopters in Malaysia’s territorial waters. The Malaysian Police ordered five Beech 300 aircraft in 2004, with deliveries from 2009 onwards. The final two aircraft delivered in late 2013 have been fitted with 360° Telephonics RDR 1700 surveillance radars, FLIR turret and satellite downlink capability. The Malaysians have a long-running need for an airborne early warning and control aircraft but as of yet nothing has materialised.
Philippines
Despite the vastness of the Philippines, covering some 115,840 square mile2 (300,000 km2), the Philippine Air Force (PhAF) is geared mainly for counter-insurgency (COIN) operations because of the Islamic militants in
Mindanao, the largest island in the south. Its sovereign integrity, including the exclusive economic zone (EEZ), is prone to intrusion at any time, because it does not have any of its own fighters, a modern maritime patrol aircraft or an airborne early warning platform. In 2011, the government did authorise the acquisition of one special mission aircraft and two light aircraft for P1.6 billion (£21,454,473). No more details have emerged. The Philippine Air Force does have three Fokker F-27MPAs on strength. They were delivered more than 30 years ago but only one is believed to be airworthy. It was delivered with a Litton APS-504 Search Radar housed in a blister under the aircraft’s fuselage, but the aircraft is now grounded. It was flown by the 27th Maritime Patrol Squadron/240th Composite Wing based at Sangley Point, Cavite. The Philippine Air Force also operates a Nomad Searchmaster but its operational status is unknown. In a bid to deter pirates in Philippine waters, six of its SIAI S211 trainer aircraft have been armed with guns. The Philippine Navy has around five Britten Norman BN-2A Islanders, although it is thought they are predominantly used for liaison. During mid-June 2014 PTDI told AFM it had been selected to supply two
Singapore has four sophisticated Conformal Airborne Early Warning (CAEW) Gulfstream 550s based at Tengah with 111 Squadron to monitor piracy in the Malacca Straits as well as monitor movements in its air space and that surrounding it. A veteran E-2C Hawkeye had provided airborne intelligence for 23 years before being retired in 2010 when the first CAEWs were delivered. The CAEW is revolutionising the way the RSAF carries out its airborne early warning role. The aircraft can operate at a greater height, stay on station for longer, has a longer range and has an enhanced AEW performance. The onboard EL/W-2085 sensor suite, developed by Israel’s Elta Systems, provides rapid target acquisition and information because of its 360º coverage. The latter comes courtesy of a forwardfacing hemisphere radar array and a weather radar mounted in the nose radome. Lateral arrays are housed in conformal radomes along the sides of the forward fuselage, while the radome located in the tail cone houses the rear-facing hemispherical array. Singapore Technologies provides maintenance and logistical support for the RSAF’s CAEW. Eight RSAF crew members are believed to man the aircraft during flying operations – two aircrew and six operators. The RSAF also has five MPA-configured Fokker 50MPAs based with 121 Sqn at Changi (West) AB. They are used to patrol Singapore’s EEZ and other interests. A Fokker 50MPA was deployed to Djibouti from April to July 2011 as part of multinational Task Force 151 and charged with counter-piracy duties in the Gulf of Aden. After the detachment finished,
‘The South China Sea – which is heavily travelled by shipping companies, including tankers transporting oil from the Persian Gulf’
Above: This, the first and only CN235-220MPA currently serving the Indonesian Air Force, was seen at Singapore Air Show in February 2008 prior to being delivered. The aircraft now serves 5 SkU at Hasanuddin Air Base, Sulawesi, but is expected to see its on board AMASCOS 200 system upgraded with a Telephonics AN/APS 143C3 maritime radar. A second aircraft is now on order according to PTDI. Alan Warnes Right: There are five Fokker 50MPAs serving the RSAF. At least one, seen here, was involved in the search of missing Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777 MH370 during March. AirTeamImages.com/Frikkie Bekker Below: The Royal Thai Navy uses six Do228s for maritime surveillance with the Telephonics RDR-1500 radar. Tenders have been issued for a replacement but no decision has yet been made. Analayo Korsakul
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MPAs OF ASIA PACIFIC
Above: The Republic of Singapore Air Force Gulfstream 550 Conformal Airborne Early Warning (CAEW) is one of the most sophisticated special mission aircraft in the region. While its role focuses on AEW, it also carries out high level surveillance of Singapore’s coastal waters. Alan Warnes
Singapore’s Minister for Defence commented: “That as a responsible member of the international community and a major maritime nation, Singapore understands why it is important that sea routes continue to be free and that trade routes are safe. When freedom of navigation is threatened and where we can make a useful contribution, we will do our part to counter piracy. This is why we are in the Gulf of Aden to assist the shipping community and maintain maritime trade.” The 121 Squadron CO, LTC Song Chun Keet, added: “The Gulf of Aden is a strategic waterway and ensuring safe passage along the Gulf is integral to the economic stability of Singapore.”
Thailand
The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) is tasked with maritime surveillance, mainly from U-Tapao Naval Air Base. It uses six Dornier Do228s operated by 101 Squadron and delivered in the early-1990s, plus two P-3Ts delivered in 1995 and three Fokker 27MPAs which
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are even older, having been delivered in the mid1980s they still fly with 102 Squadron. All the Dornier Do228s are in desperate need of modernisation, as they are still using the old Telephonics RDR-1500 radar. Although the RTN issued a tender to replace them, no contract was awarded so they soldier on with the original obsolete maritime surveillance radar. Telephonics, Raytheon, Thales and Selex ES could all provide solutions. The two P-3Ts continue to use the Raytheon SeaVue Radar that they were delivered with in the mid-1990s. It was the standard equipment fit in any Foreign Military Sales (FMS) deal. Pakistan Navy aircraft have a similar radar. Three Fokker F27s are also on the navy’s books. Southend-based Avionicare put a Seaspray 7300E into an F-27-200ME but there was no follow on order for the other two aircraft. The upgraded aircraft is now grounded due to a lack of spares and there is only one F-27-200ME airworthy, with painfully old technologies.
Vietnam
The Vietnam Government has begun spending more on defence and maritime patrols appear to be at the top of the agenda. The Vietnam Marine Police (VMP) operates three new CASA 212-400 Aviocars, fitted with Swedish Space Corporation’s (SSC’s) MSS 6000 surveillance radar system. The contract between SSC and the VMP includes installation and test of the systems in the aircraft, setting up of a ground station and a mission command centre (MCC), as well as operational and technical training of the customer’s personnel. The MSS 6000 system is designed to fulfil the specific needs of the coast guard mission and will provide the VMP with an efficient tool in its surveillance task. The systems will be used for patrolling the Vietnam seas, to detect and suppress oil spills and illegal fishing activities, to protect the economic zone and to take part in search and rescue operations. The MCC allows mission command to plan, follow, analyse and archive the missions of all aircraft.
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MPAs OF ASIA PACIFIC Preparations before flight allow ground controllers to follow and manage in real time during a sortie. The MCC displays the flight track of all units on the tactical map and receives data from the aircraft including position, updates, incident reports, Automatic Identification System (AIS) and target information, images and streaming video. Further instructions can be issued from the MCC to the aircraft in real time on how to proceed with the mission. Important information about ship movements and the identity and activity of observed vessels can be easily seen on the screen by using the filter functions and background databases. The Vietnam Navy has bought six amphibious DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 400 aircraft, which will include special mission equipment. David Curtis, Viking president and CEO, commented in 2011: “After a long and thorough procurement process, Viking is proud to have been selected by the Vietnamese Navy to supply new DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft, perfectly suited for Vietnam’s extensive 3,400km coastline.” The Series 400 Twin Otters are now being delivered and will be equipped for amphibious operations. The six aircraft will be configured with convertible interiors, giving the option of VIP, commuter and utility layouts, with three of the six designated Guardian 400 maritime patrol variants. Ideally suited for the navy’s operations, all six Twin Otter Series 400 aircraft will be used for transport, resupply, maritime surveillance and search and rescue throughout Vietnamese coastal regions.
Improving Security
Vietnam and Indonesia agreed in September, 2011 to establish joint patrols on their maritime border to improve security in the heavily disputed South China Sea where Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone overlaps with China’s claim. Indonesia does not claim any of the islands in the disputed Spratly or Paracel chains but does claim the Natural islands,
Above: Vietnam established the marine police in 1998 and took delivery of three C212-400s between August 2012 and July 2013. This example was the last to be delivered, on July 16, 2013, but it is not known what part they are playing in the recent skirmishes between Chinese and Vietnamese vessels off the Paracel Islands. Airbus Military
which China recently claimed as its own. Vietnamese Prime Minister, Nguyen Tan Dung, said his country and Indonesia needed to better patrol their border. “We agreed to task our foreign ministries with negotiating and signing an agreement to establish joint patrols in the sea area and lines of communication between our two navies,” Dung said. Vietnamese poachers are often caught in Indonesian waters where authorities have seized hundreds of trespassing vessels in recent years. Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said: “We agree that there needs to be effective co-operation in maritime and fishery affairs to bring benefits to both countries, including the prevention of illegal fishing.” Indonesia loses around 30 trillion rupiah ($3.5 billion) each year because of illegal fishing in its waters, according to ministry figures. This prompted the passage of a law in 2009 that allowed marines to shoot and sink poaching vessels. The neighbouring nations also agreed to increase trade from $3.3 billion in 2010
to $5 billion by 2015 and signed a rice co-operation framework to ensure food security for all ten Southeast Asian nations in the ASEAN bloc. The USA also has commercial and military interests in the region. During late 2011, the outgoing Pacific Fleet Commander of the US Navy, Admiral Patrick Walsh, said claims by the six Asian nations on the oil-rich Spratly Islands in the South China Sea could descend into conflict and lead to serious military confrontations. The South China Sea – which is heavily travelled by shipping companies, including tankers transporting oil from the Persian Gulf – is vital to the Asia-Pacific region. With so much at stake for everyone, the region could become the focal point of a worldwide conflict. That is why the USA’s strategic defence paper, issued in January 2012, was keen to deploy more assets to the region to support many strategic military partners and, of course, its own oil interests. The US would like to see the Asian nations helping themselves and that would include the afm acquisition of airborne surveillance assets.
Surplus P-3 Orions could be one solution for countries wanting an efficient maritime patrol aircraft. RAAF
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EINSATZGRUPPE SAR
ALPINE RESCUE
HUEYS F
LAP-FLAP-FLAP – the characteristic ‘whopping’ sound of the Bell UH-1D Huey is very well known in Germany - it´s the sound of rescue. The noise, together with the bright orange doors emblazoned with the huge blue letters ‘SAR’, characterise SAR (search and rescue) flying in Germany. The public refers to Hueys as ‘flying angels’ because of their more than 40 years supporting the civilian rescue services. Nowadays Einsatzgruppe SAR (EinsGrp SAR Operational Group/Task Force SAR) is the only unit responsible for providing a SAR service in Germany. Commanded by Captain Georg Messerle, who has seven years’experience flying the Huey, EinsGrp SAR consists of around 60 personnel including some 18 pilots, 18 flight engineers and 20 paramedics. The unit’s main task is searching for downed or missing aircraft and rescuing their crews but, in addition to this classic SAR role, the unit provides transport support for German and other military forces. EinsGrp SAR also supports civilian rescue services when they are overstretched or do not have the requisite skills or equipment for a particular task. The unit based at Landsberg-Lech Air Base, in southern Bavaria, is the sole German military organisation trained for mountain rescue flying. Its crews are experts in flying SAR missions in high terrain such as the Bavarian Alps.
The main business of Einsatzgruppe SAR, based at Landsberg-Lech Air Base in southern Bavaria, is military search and rescue. But as Mathias Grägel reports, these experts in mountain rescue flying also help hikers, climbers and anyone else who gets into trouble in the region.
Stations and Structure
EinsGrp SAR’s structure is somewhat complex. Like every ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) member, Germany has to provide SAR services as a sovereign function. In Germany the Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs, is responsible for SAR services but has devolved responsibility to the Ministry of Defence, specifically the Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces). Luftwaffe (German Air Force) transport wings’ Huey squadrons provided the service over the mainland for more than 40 years from 1959. And more than 15 SAR units were based at civilian hospitals to aid local authorities until 2006. As part of the reorganisation of the Bundeswehr, the whole Bell UH-1D Huey fleet was transferred from Luftwaffe to Heeresflieger (German
Above: Navigation is done the old-fashioned way using paper maps, chinagraph pencils, a slide rule and a stopwatch. Right: Lowering a rescuer using the winch is one of the Huey crew’s most demanding tasks – teamwork is essential. All images by author
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Einsatzgruppe SAR
“We are on duty 24/7, 365 days a year.”
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EINSATZGRUPPE SAR Army Aviation) control at the end of 2012. This led to the army forming EinsGrp SAR as part of Niederstettenbased Transporthubschrauberregiment 30 (Transport Helicopter Regiment 30 - THR 30). Although nominally a subordinate group of THR 30, the unit is completely self-contained. When under Luftwaffe command it was the second squadron of LTG 61 (Airlift Wing 61), the last Luftwaffe transport wing with a SAR role. It still occupies the same facilities at Landsberg as it did as an air force squadron. Indeed, maintenance and technical assistance is provided under a performance agreement by the Technical Group of LTG 61, which still flies C-160D Transalls from the base. Nearly all of the unit’s personnel are still assigned to the Luftwaffe and ‘on loan’to the army. The group covers the entire German mainland from three locations and one helicopter is required to be fully mission-capable at each base. As well as its home base at Landsberg, responsible for southern Germany and the Alps, the two other detachments are at Nörvenich Air Base in the west and Holzdorf Air Base in the east. Maritime SAR, covering the North and Baltic Seas, Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg is the responsibility of the German Navy’s Marinefliegergeschwader 5 (Naval Air Squadron 5), at Nordholz, which flies AgustaWestland Sea King
Mk41s from Nordholz, Helgoland and Warnemünde. Two Rescue Coordination Centres (RCCs) provide SAR command and control at Münster (Westfalen) for the mainland and Glücksburg for the maritime sector.
24/7 SAR Crews
“We are on duty 24/7, 365 days a year,” explains Messerle, “with a response time of 15 minutes in daytime or from 0730hrs until nightfall [sunset plus 30 minutes]. At night flight preparations are much more complex, especially for mountain rescue, so the Huey has to be in the air within an hour maximum after the call.” During the day the helicopters are parked outside ready to fly. Each station has one SAR crew on duty for seven days, during which time its members spend most of their time waiting; on average there are only one or two scrambles a week. There has been a marked decrease in the number of call-outs for the military over the last few years as more and more civilian operators have taken over the rescue part of the mission. German military SAR has launched approximately 250,000 SAR flights and rescued, or helped, 190,000
people since 1969. In 2012 the Hueys flew 186 missions and rescued 165 people in 320 flying hours. A standard SAR crew comprises the pilot, flight engineer and a paramedic. A doctor, while not part of the standard crew, can be picked up if needed. The Heeresflieger has traditionally flown its Hueys with two pilots, but the SAR crews continue the Luftwaffe method. The flight engineer is responsible for navigation. “This crew concept offers us higher flexibility, very important in the rescue flying b u s i n e s s , ” Messerle said.
1. Landsberg’s SAR Hueys are ready for take-off around the clock. The cabin temperature is maintained at 25°C (77°F) to stop the medicines kept on board deteriorating. 2. Crews assemble for briefing before a night NVG exercise in the Alps. 3. The Huey’s carry all the medical equipment one would expect to find on a civilian air ambulance helicopter.
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EINSATZGRUPPE SAR The Huey – A Flying Legend
The venerable Bell UH-1D Huey, a sturdy workhorse in the German SAR service for more than 40 years is a flying legend. With the exception of the first four pattern aircraft obtained directly from the American manufacturer Bell, the 345 Bundeswehr Hueys were built in Germany under license by Dornier. Although they carry the designation UH-1D, they are in fact identical to the UH-1Hs flown by US forces. In this case the ‘D’ stands for Deutschland. Around 60 remain in service and EinsGrp SAR operates between 12 and 15, depending on readiness. Maintenance is straightforward. The helicopters have old-fashioned ‘steam gauges’ and there’s not much to go wrong, but spare parts are becoming a bit of a problem. Two wide rotor blades are responsible for the type’s particular sound, leading to the nickname ‘Teppichklopfer’, or carpet beater, and the vibrations through the airframe. The noise in the cabin can be so loud that air traffic control can’t understand what the pilot is saying. They know from the background noise they are talking to a Huey and that’s about it.
“Flying the Huey is pure fun, it’s the Harley of helicopters.”
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Above: Very little has changed in the Huey co*ckpit during the last 40 years, but for pilots as skilled as those of the German SAR community it’s good enough.
German SAR Hueys are equipped with an additional fuel tank in the cabin, which extends flight time to up to three hours, a winch, night vision goggles and medical equipment equivalent to that found on a civilian rescue helicopter. However, they do not have an electro-optical/infrared camera, autopilot, auto-hover, special search lights, obstacle warner or search or weather radar found on most modern SAR helicopters. Navigation is done the traditional way with a map, slide rule, chinagraph pencil and stopwatch – there is no GPS system. Searching for casualties or crash sites is done with the eyes of the crew members, unaided by technology. The Huey is an old bird and it’s not unusual for the airframe to be older than the pilot. Some of the EinsGrp SAR’s helicopters have clocked around 4,000 flying hours. However, the crews are very satisfied with their veteran. “It is a very tough, reliable and robust helicopter. With control cables instead of fly-by-wire it’s pure seat-of-the-pants flying, pure craftsmanship,” says Messerle. One of
his colleagues added: “Flying the Huey is pure fun, it’s the Harley of the helicopters.”
Alpine Flying
Mountain rescue flying in the German Alps where crews have to deal with challenging terrain and changing weather conditions is the most demanding part of EinsGrp SAR’s business. The winch, with a 147ft (45m) long rope and capable of carrying a payload of 606lbs (275kg), is an essential part of the aircraft’s equipment because on many occasions the terrain makes landing impossible. “The winch is the most difficult operation. I have to hover the Huey at a certain spot, keeping it still, keeping clear of obstacles or sheer rock walls and checking the winds. Flying like this is only possible with excellent communication between the winch operator and the rest of the crew,” a pilot told AFM. Understandably, the weather is uppermost in the crew’s concerns as the same pilot explained: “Abrupt changes in cloud base, visibility, winds, with up and downdraughts on slopes, turbulence, thermals –
Drama on the Zugspitze In the summer months the Zugspitze, Germany’s highest peak and the surrounding area the Jubiläumsgrat, are favourite, but demanding, destinations for hikers. On the afternoon of August 3, 2011, two groups of people got into trouble at the same time on these 6,500ft (2,000m) plus high slopes. Mountain Rescue HQ, at GarmischPartenkirchen, received two emergency calls – from one group of five and another of four hikers who were being lashed by a severe thunderstorm. The appalling weather, with heavy rain, hail and lightning, meant the ridge which the walkers were on was cut off from rescuers on foot. The area was covered by a civilian rescue helicopter but both it, and the local federal police machine, were already assigned elsewhere. The only hope for the hikers was the SAR Hueys of EinsGrp SAR, and they were lucky – a scheduled training flight in the mountains had already been planned and a Huey was available. Every minute counted. Quickly, but carefully, the crew planned the rescue taking into account variables such as the weather and fuel load and checked for hazards to navigation both en route and in the rescue area. Soon after the alert the Huey took off from Landsberg, in bad weather, and set course for the Zugspitze. After 30 minutes in the air the helicopter landed at the Mountain Rescue Service’s (MRS) control
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centre. While the crew conferred with MRS colleagues on how best to effect a rescue, they were told the storm had suddenly abated – a window of opportunity had opened and it had to be used. Very soon the chopper was on its way again with a MRS team on board. The hikers were found at 9,000ft (2,741m) and rescuers were winched down. Having rendered first aid the Huey crew prepared four of the most seriously injured to be winched into the helicopter – the rest would have to ride out the storm. However, the weather was deteriorating rapidly so the pilot decided to make a risky ‘one-skid landing’ to load the four people more quickly. This technique involves setting down the chopper on the side of a steep slope with one skid in the air and the other touching the ground as the helicopter hovers above the abyss. Within an hour the exhausted, hypothermic casualties, some of whom had suffered injuries from rock falls, had been taken to safety at the MRS centre. While this had been going on a federal police Airbus Helicopters AS332 Super Puma, which did not have the performance to make the rescue itself, had been called to meet the Huey and evacuate the four casualties to a Garmisch-Partenkirchen hospital. Directly after the mission the weather turned again and the storm intensified. It had been a very close call!
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EINSATZGRUPPE SAR you have to consider a lot of factors on the weather side. If you fly into a valley and the cloud base drops or the visibility is decreasing, and both could happen rapidly within minutes, you are in big trouble. We have to keep a close eye on possible escape routes.” The weight of the helicopter and available power are key factors as well. At high altitude every additional pound of weight influences the helicopter’s flight characteristics. “The Huey doesn’t have infinite power, but if you manage it properly it’s enough for all tasks,” the pilot added. EinsGrp SAR at Landsberg always has two Hueys on alert for mountain rescue missions. One of these carries a bare minimum of kit to save as much weight as possible to give it the performance to operate on top of the Zugspitze, the highest mountain in Germany. If it carries out a rescue at these rarefied altitudes, the other alert chopper can be scrambled to meet it at lower level to continue the patient’s journey to hospital if his treatment requires more than basic care. The Huey’s robust construction makes it ideal for flying in all weather conditions. Even in snow or really cold winter temperatures, the helicopters always fly. In the absence of modern flight aids, keeping a good lookout for obstacles such as power
Above: Bell UH-1D 70+88 received this special paint scheme in December 2012 to commemorate the transfer of the Bundeswehr’s SAR service from the Luftwaffe to the Heeresflieger. The aircraft made its final flight on December 16, 2013 and will be preserved at Niederstetten.
lines and cable cars is essential. The crews spend a lot of time practising for ‘whiteout’ landings. “You need reference points to be able to estimate distances and the position of the helicopter correctly. We fly a minimum distance of one rotor diameter from the rock walls,” a pilot explained. Among the elite rescue crews at Landsberg it is said that those who can fly in the Alps can fly anywhere.
The Future
All good things must come to an end and the
Bundeswehr plans to retire its UH-1Ds in 2016. Its replacement, the NHI NH90, is already in service with the Heeresflieger. However, it is not clear when the new larger, much more expensive helicopter, will take over. The performance agreement with the Luftwaffe to maintain the Huey expires at the end of this year and EinsGrp SAR doesn’t know if it will continue to operate out of Landsberg after this date. Wherever it flies from, EinsGrp SAR will continue to live up to its mission statement ‘Animus et afm Audax’ – Intelligence and Courage.
Special Training Course
EinsGrp SAR crews prepare for the specific challenges of mountain flying in an eight-week training course. The theory part pays particular attention to the peculiar meteorology in the mountains, search techniques and strategies for dealing with the dangers of such flying. Flying training, comprising about 35 hours, concentrates on working in such an environment, winch operations and flights with external loads. Trainees learn to work closely with the Bavarian Mountain Rescue Service and Fire Department.
Above: The Huey’s predecessor – the late 1940s-vintage Bristol Sycamore complete with wooden rotor blades – is preserved at Landsberg. Below: Mountain flying is a vital part of the Landsberg-based EinsGrp SAR’s duties.
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ITALIAN AIR FORCE 41˚ STORMO
T
O THE citizens of Europe, Sicily, in the extreme south of Italy, is a land of sun, warm seas, good food, historic sites and spectacular landscapes. Viewed through the eyes of refugees and prospective migrants from Africa and the Middle East, it is the gateway to Europe – the first stop on the road to a better life, free from the horrors of starvation and persecution. Boats laden with migrants, real ships of shame totally unsuited to making the dangerous crossing of the turbulent Mediterranean from the African coast, set off for Europe every day. Many of them founder on the way, drowning their hapless occupants. In 2004, Italy launched Operation Constant Vigilance. Its mission was to control vessels engaged in illegal migration beyond 24 miles (40km) from the Italian coast and co-ordinate the operations of air force, navy and other state assets engaged in the task.
Mare Nostrum
In the ten years since the inception of Constant Vigilance, the humanitarian emergency caused by the exodus from Africa has grown massively. More than 25,000 migrants were recorded in just the first four months of 2014. Many more are believed to have drowned attempting to reach Europe. The Italian Government has beefed up its response to the tragic situation in the 90 mile (145km) wide Strait of Sicily between Italy and Tunisia. Named Mare Nostrum (Our Seas), the new initiative, which
Above: The island of Linosa, near Lampedusa in the Sicily Channel, is in the middle of ‘Dagger 02’s’ lowlevel patrol area. Dino Marcellino
was announced on October 18, 2013 has the twin objectives of not only preserving the lives of immigrants in transit between Africa and Europe but also bringing to justice all those who profit from illegal trafficking. Command and control of the mission is vested in the navy, which co-ordinates the activities of
“Our Atlantics are the most advanced eyes and arms along Europe’s southern boundaries.”
all parties involved via CINCNAV’s (Comandante in Capo della Sqaudra Navale – Italian Naval Fleet Command) control centre. Those assets comprise ships, personnel and aircraft from the Aeronautica Militare Italiana (AMI – Italian Air Force), Marina Militare Italiana (MMI – Italian Navy), Esercito Italiano (EI – Italian Army), Carabinieri, Guardia di Finanza (GdiF – customs service), Guardia Costiera (GC – Coast Guard), police and other national agencies. The man in charge of air and sea operations is Rear Admiral Giuseppe Rando, who flies his flag from the Italian Ship (ITS) L9893 San Marco, a landing platform/dock (LPD) small aircraft carrier designed
Mare Nostrum The Italian Air Force’s 41° Stormo is in the frontline of Europe’s effort to control the flow of illegal immigrants across the Mediterranean. Dino Marcellino visited the wing at its Sicilian base.
‘Dagger 02’ on the runway with Mount Etna in the background. Savoca Carmello
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41˚ STORMO ITALIAN AIR FORCE for amphibious operations. Mare Nostrum works closely with the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union (FRONTEX) that is in charge of monitoring the EU’s borders.
The Italian Air Force’s 41° Stormo
Among the aerial assets involved in the daily activities of Mare Nostrum are the Breguet Br1150 Atlantics of the AMI’s 41° Stormo (Wing), based at Catania – Sigonella Air Base in Sicily. Talking to AFM, base and wing commander, Colonnello Pilota Vincenzo Sicuso, said: “The geostrategic position of Sicily and Sigonella is comparable to an aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean Sea. It’s not for nothing that NATO countries use the base as their major support point in the region.” He went on to say: “Our Atlantics are the most advanced eyes and arms along Europe’s southern boundaries.” The primary task of 41° Stormo is still antisubmarine and anti-surface warfare (ASW and ASuW), but its secondary role of maritime search and rescue is very important. The Stormo comprises two flight groups: 88° Gruppo AS (Antisom – Antisubmarine Group) and 86º Gruppo CAE (Centro Addestramento Equipaggi – Crew Training Group). Most of its time is currently dedicated to its Mare Nostrum commitments, but the Stormo maintains a year-round 24/7 alert, with a crew of 13 always ready to take off.
Above: As well as operating various sensors, weapons and communications equipment, each member of the crew in the back of the Atlantic has a designated lookout position to assist the pilots searching for objects in the water. Dino Marcellino
The mission
Today’s mission is a routine patrol flight. The weather is ideal for making a boat crossing from Africa – no wind and calm seas. In the case of a distress call, the CINCNAV ops room evaluates all available information, develops an operational plan and orders 41° Stormo to mount a Mare Nostrum mission. The Atlantic was designed more than 50 years ago and it is affected by all the problems and limitations of such an old machine. According to the books, pre-flight checks require approximately two hours, but with the benefit of experience acquired over
many years, the Stormo’s mechanics can launch an Atlantic from a cold start in about 30 to 40 minutes. Sicuso emphasises that: “Our men don’t have to work like this, but our consciences dictate that we do everything possible to launch our aircraft as quickly as possible. We know every minute is vital for the survivors at sea and can make the difference between a rescue and a tragedy.” Our task for today is to patrol the seas around the island of Lampedusa looking for small- to medium-size vessels carrying migrants. These will typically be slowmoving wooden boats, from 16ft to 80ft (5m to 25m) in length with no fishing, radar or radio equipment.
41° Stormo and Sigonella Air Base
The Squadron was formed in 1939 as a Bombardment Unit of Italy’s Regia Aeronautica (Royal Air Force). It was disbanded at the end of World War Two but reconstituted in 1965 at Catania-Fontanarossa Airport, equipped with Grumman S-2F Tracker anti-submarine aircraft. In 1971, it moved to its current base at Sigonella, receiving its first Atlantic the following year. As the result of an agreement signed by Italy and the USA in 1959, part of the base forms US Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella – one of the
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US’s most important bases in Europe. The USAF bases a detachment of Grumman RQ-4B Global Hawk un-manned surveillance aircraft there, and the navy’s Sigonella Air Operations Division, equipped with C-26 liaison aircraft, also calls the station home. There are regular detachments of US navy P-3C Orions and the field is used as a stopping off point for aircraft in transit to locations further east. Approximately 1,100 Italians are based there as well as 2,200 Americans.
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ITALIAN AIR FORCE 41˚ STORMO The Atlantic in Italian AF service The first of 18 aircraft was accepted on June 24, 1972. Nine aircraft were assigned to each of the two Stormo to fly the machine with the AMI - 41° at Sigonella and 30° at Cagliari – Elmas on Sardinia. The latter was disbanded in 2001 and the fleet was consolidated at Sigonella with 41° Stormo. Code
Serial
c/n
Flight hours
Retirement date
13,419 04-Sep-2004
Retired aircraft: 41-10
MM40123
85
41-71
MM40109
71
13 241 09-Feb-2005
41-70
MM40108
70
13,402 14-Feb 2005
41-04
MM40119
81
13,163 07-Nov-2005
41-05
MM40120
82
12,905 28-Dec-2005
41-11
MM40124
86
13,043 15-Nov-2006
41-72
MM40110
72
14,113 13-Jun-2007
41-75
MM40113
75
14,678 03-Dec-2007
41-73
MM40111
73
14,941 19-Mar-2008
41-01
MM40116
78
15,000 12-Oct-2009
41-76
MM40114
76
15,000 01-Mar-2010
41-74
MM40112
74
14,580 13-Dec-2010
41-02
MM40117
79
14,719 30-Jun-2011
41-06
MM40121
83
14,980 06-Apr-2012
Active aircraft: 41-77
MM40115
77
41-07
MM40122
84
41-12
MM40125
87
41-03
MM40118
80
“In December 2011 the AMI’s Atlantic fleet exceeded 250,000 flying hours.”
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We board our aircraft, serial number MM40125 coded ‘41-12’, which will go by the callsign ‘Dagger 02’, by a steep ladder into the two-level doublebubble shaped fuselage. The lower part is the hold containing conventional armaments and equipment for search and rescue, while the upper section is the crew compartment that can be pressurised. A standard Italian Atlantic crew is made up of 13 people from both the navy and air force. Nowadays three pilots are carried and missions last between eight and ten hours. During the Cold War, when flights up to 18 hours duration were not uncommon, a second flight crew was carried; a crew rest area, complete with a couchette and a small kitchen is fitted. Two TEVs (Tecnico di volo – flight technicians) are responsible for on-board systems, pre- and postflight checks and generally assisting the pilots. They also act as lookouts from the bubble-windows on the Atlantic’s port side. Two OSAs (Operatori Sensori
Acustici – Acoustic Sensor Operators) monitor the various listening devices on and off the aircraft. Two OTTs (Operatore Tavoli Tattici e di Situazione – Tactical/Search Table Operators) manage the navigation system and control searches. Four OEs (Operatori elettronici – Electronic Operators) complete the crew. They are responsible for radios, radar, the MAD (magnetic anomaly detector) and ESM (electronic support measures). When they’re not engaged in those duties they act as lookouts on the starboard side of the aircraft. In deference to the type’s 42 years and to keep the fleet flying until its out of service date of 2015, the fuel load is limited to 14 tons – four fewer than the maximum. For the same reasons cruising speed is reduced to 180 knots, although dashes at up to 300 knots are authorised in emergencies. During AFM’s flight the shipping we intercept varies in size from really big to tiny. Once we reach
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41˚ STORMO ITALIAN AIR FORCE height from which the stores are launched depends on several factors: how many people are in the sea, how close to each other they are, the sea state and the strength and direction of the current and wind. The life raft should land near the survivors, but far enough away to ensure it doesn’t land on top of them. When it hits the water the dinghy inflates automatically and ejects a long rope for survivors to use to reach the boat and climb aboard. On AFM’s flight we identify only a tuna-fish trap, some sailboats, a submarine and commercial vessels. Despite the perfect weather, no migrants were seen, either on boats or in the water. Back at base the captain stops on a taxi-way for the essential washing down of the airframe with fresh water. This is an anti-corrosion measure necessary after the aircraft spends any time at such a low level over salt water.
The Future Above left: Each mission is preceded by a comprehensive briefing. Savoca Carmello Above: Just four Atlantics, including MM40125/41-12, remain active with the Italian Air Force. Savoca Carmello Right: A selection of sonobuoys, all designed for different functions, stowed near the launch tubes in the rear of ‘Dagger 02’. Dino Marcellino Below: To remove corrosive salt, 41° Stormo’s Atlantics are washed with fresh water after every low-level flight. Dino Marcellino
the search area we leave our transit altitude of 1,000ft (273m) and descend to 300ft (91m), the standard height for patrolling. The Atlantic does not have sophisticated electro-optical equipment so we go right down to 100ft (27m) above the waves to have a really close look at particularly interesting vessels. Every spare porthole is manned. During a rescue attempt the human eye has particular advantages over infrared sensors. A person quickly loses heat when immersed in cold water and doesn’t show up very well on such equipment. An advantage of the low-level search pattern flown by the Atlantics is that it becomes very clear to the person in the water that they have been spotted. This greatly increases morale and may give the confidence necessary for the person to hang on that little bit longer until they can be plucked from the water. Once survivors have been found, the first job is to notify CINCNAV and any other aircraft and ships in the area. Coloured smoke markers are used to guide rescuers and also to evaluate the strength and direction of the wind and ocean currents; the latter are very unpredictable in the Strait. While this is going on the crew may decide to drop supplies or even a life raft that is carried in the weapons bay. The
The Breguet Atlantic is the only operational aircraft in the world specifically designed as a maritime patrol aircraft (MPA). Other MPA such as Lockheed’s P-3 Orion and the superlative British Nimrod were developments of commercial airliners that were already in service. At the end of its career, it has found perhaps its most important mission in Mare Nostrum – guardian rather than avenging angel. However, of the 18 Atlantics acquired in 1972, only four remain operational. They are already beyond the limit of their originally certified operational lives. They lack the advanced surveillance, command and control, and communications equipment found on newer platforms, and are ever more expensive to operate and maintain. The AMI signed a contract for four new ATR 72-500MPs in December 2008. They were scheduled to be supplied with initial maritime patrol capabilities, plus all the fittings for the later addition of ASW/ASuW capabilities. Service entry was set for 2012 but was delayed. Delivery of four ATR 72-600MPs, the current version offered by manufacturer Alenia Aermacchi, is now expected next year, so the rump Atlantic fleet will have to soldier on for at least 12 more months. However, the rapid advance of technology means that the ATRs will work in conjunction with remotely piloted aircraft, or APRs, (Aeroplani Pilotaggio Remoto) as they are known in Italy. The AMI proposes to station such drones at Sigonella. The attractions for the bean counters, of aircraft that require fewer personnel, are cheaper to operate and offer longer persistence in search mode than conventional MPA, are obvious. The hope is that the new machines will match the qualities and durability proven by that wonderful twin-engine, expression of an era now over – afm Monsieur Breguet’s venerable Atlantic.
Above: All too often migrants drown long before they can be located and rescued by the patrolling Atlantics. Guardia di Finanza
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French F1 Retirement
T
he mood among service personnel and aviation enthusiasts alike at Base Aérienne 118 (Air Base 118) Mont-de-Marsan on Friday, June 13 was reflective. They had gathered in glorious weather to say farewell to Monsieur Dassault’s Mirage F1 after 40 years’ service with the French Air Force (Armée de l’Air – Adl’A). Coincidentally, 2014 is the year that the Adl’A celebrates its 80th anniversary and France 100 years of aerial reconnaissance.
The Fléchette
The French Air Force’s Escadron de Reconnaissance 2/33 ‘Savoie’ (ER 2/33), the last unit to fly the Mirage F1, put a lot of effort into giving the jet a fitting farewell. Dignitaries, high-ranking military officers, pilots, veterans and other invitees attended the ceremony and speeches were made with a Mirage F1 and its successor, the Dassault Rafale, forming the backdrop. Air displays entertained the crowds but the stars of the show were specially painted F1s, each one’s colour scheme designed to commemorate a notable episode in the retiring fighter’s career. Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin ‘Soubi’ Souberbielle, the last commanding officer of ‘Savoie’, told AFM this was done as a thank you to all the people who worked with the jet in decades past. “The blue camo of the single-seat Mirage F1 is the original scheme of the Mirage F1C. The desert camo is the famous pattern worn by the Mirage F1 during its operations in Chad and Iraq and the greennosed aircraft is a reminder of the Mirage F1CT.” The design painted on the jets’ tails represents a ‘Fléchette’ (dart), the French nickname for the F1, and a stylised sunset. Savoie flew the Mirage F1C from 1974 to 2003, the two-seat F1B from 1981 until 2014, the F1CT from 1992 to 2012 and the reconnaissance F1CR from 1983 to 2014.
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Farewell to the
‘Fléchette’ Gert Kromhout and Stephan de Bruijn were at Mont-de-Marsan in southwest France for the ceremony marking the disbandment of Escadron de Reconnaissance 2/33 ‘Savoie’, the last French Air Force operator of the Mirage F1.
Above: The grey-blue scheme on F1CR 660/118CY was the standard camouflage for F1C airsuperiority fighters. Left: With the retirement of the F1, this pilot and his groundcrew will soon be taking up new jobs in the French Air Force. Above right: Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin ‘Soubi’ Souberbielle presents the flag of ER 2/33 to Général de Corps Aérien Antoin Creux, secondin-command of the French Air Force and a former Mirage F1 pilot. The general awarded the squadron a medal for service in Opération Serval, the recent French intervention in Mali.
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French F1 Retirement
Distinguished career
First squadron
‘Savoie’ was the first of three squadrons to receive the F1CR, which replaced its Mirage IIIRs in 1983. Together with ER 1/33 ‘Belfort’ and ER 3/33 ‘Moselle’, it formed Escadre de Reconnaissance (Reconnaissance Wing) 33 (ER 33) at BA124 Strasbourg-Entzheim in the far northeast of France. Ten years later the wing moved to BA 112 ReimsChampagne and ER 3/33 disbanded, passing some of its jets to the other two squadrons and increasing their complement from 15 to 20 aircraft each. When
the last Mirage F1CT squadron disbanded at BA 132 Colmar-Meyenheim in 2009, a number of these fighter-bombers as well as F1B trainers were transferred to the two recce squadrons at Reims. The last ’CT was withdrawn in late 2012. ER 1/33 ‘Belfort’ had already been disbanded (in 2010) leaving ER 2/33 as the sole Mirage F1 squadron; it moved to Mont-de-Marsan in 2011. Tactical reconnaissance has always been the primary mission with ground-attack and air defence as secondaries. ‘Savoie’ took on the training role for the type when it became the Adl’A’s sole Mirage F1 unit.
During its long and distinguished career the F1 has been involved in every combat operation Adl’A fighters have participated in. In 1983 and 1986, for instance, it was used in Chad and then in the 1990s saw service in Rwanda, Iraq and the former Yugoslavia. In this millennium it was in action in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, Afghanistan, Libya and Mali. Operations the F1CR participated in: Opération Epervier (Chad) . . . . . . . . . . 1986-2013 Opération Daguet (Desert Storm) . . . . 1990-1991 Opération Aconit (Operation . . . . . . . . 1991-1994 Southern Watch, Iraq) Opération Godoriat (Djibouti) . . . . . . . 1991 Opération Turquoise (Rwanda) . . . . . . 1994 Opération Crécerelle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1993-1995 (former Yugoslavia) Opération Salamandre . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1995-1996 (former Yugoslavia) Opération Alysse (Saudi Arabia) . . . . . 1996-2003 Opération Almandin I and II . . . . . . . . 1996-1997 (Central African Republic) Opération Trident . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1999 (Opération Allied Force) Opération Pamir (ISAF, Afghanistan) . 2003-2012 Opération Héraclès . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2001-2002 (Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan) Opération Harmattan (Libya) . . . . . . . 2011 Opération Serval (Mali) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2013 Opération Baltic (Baltic States) . . . . . . 2013 Opération Héraclès was the French Navy operation in support of the war in Afghanistan. Mirage F1s flew their missions within Héraclès alongside navy Super Étendards Modernisés. Opération Pamir was the same mission in Afghanistan in support of NATO and ISAF. Below: A line of F1s specially painted for the ceremony at Mont-de-Marsan.
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FRENCH F1 RETIREMENT Fond memories
With the retirement of the F1, roughly a third of the squadron’s cadre of 22 pilots has been assigned to flying other fighters, a similar number to instructor posts and the rest to non-flying jobs. Many of them are very experienced pilots. Captain ‘Schultey’ Schultz for instance has logged 2,700 hours in his 20-year air force career – he has transferred to flying Alpha Jets at BA 120 Cazaux. His former colleague, Captain Rodolphe Goin, with 2,400 hours since he joined the air force in 1999, will join him there. They both have fond memories of the Fléchette. “It’s such a sexy aircraft – the sleek appearance, the tiny co*ckpit and its speed,” Captain Goin said. “The Fox One can go more than twice the speed of sound and do a lot of missions for such an old aircraft. The Mirage F1 can do recce with internal as well as external systems, air defence, drop bombs, strafe, and gather electronic intelligence.” He had flown his jet over a lot of countries: “Libya, Afghanistan, and Chad to name a few. It’s really reliable and I can still clearly picture in my head events such as dropping bombs and the shadow of my own aircraft while low flying.”
Above: The radome of Mirage F1CR 611/118-NM, painted green to represent a Mirage F1CT fighterbomber. The type served with ER 2/33 from 1992 to 2012.
Lt Col Souberbielle regards the F1 as the father of multi-role aircraft. “I successfully performed all the missions with the different sub-types of this jet: air defence with the F1C, air-to-ground with the F1CT and recce with the F1CR. Moreover, the F1CR is able to perform all these missions, although not at the level of dedicated platforms or real multi-role aircraft such as the Rafale.”
Above: This F1 tail guards the entrance to ER 2/33’s squadron headquarters. It sports the emblems of every squadron that has flown the F1. Below: Mirage F1CR 653/118-CV in the desert colour scheme worn by F1CRs and F1Cs for operations over Africa and Iraq.
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Final flight
As a further tribute, four Mirage F1s will make the type’s very last official flights during the Bastille Day flypast over Paris on July 14. They will be second in the aerial cavalcade behind the French Air Force aerial demonstration team, the Patrouille de France. The last six F1s will have flown to BA 279 Châteaudun on June 11, four of them conducting the Paris flypast while a photographer in the back of an F1B will record the event for posterity. After landing they will be put in storage. They have plenty of life left and it is rumoured foreign sales are being discussed. Libya and Morocco – which had pilots trained at Mont-de-Marsan until very recently because they lack two-seat F1s of their own – could be in the market for a number of F1B trainers. Reconnaissance is now the responsibility of the Rafale, using the Thales Reco NG pod, and unmanned air vehicles. All Rafale squadrons perform the recce mission but Escadron de Chasse (Fighter Squadron) 2/30 ‘Normandie-Niémen’ is its centre of excellence. Reco NG, introduced in 2012, can capture digital imagery both day and night from high, medium and low altitudes. It sends its high-definition images to ground stations by data link and can be operated in fully autonomous mode. The Adl’A has ordered 12 pods with three ground systems for use with its Rafale F3 fighters. Like former F1CR unit Escadron de Drones 1/33 ‘Belfort’ at Cognac, ER 2/33 will probably re-form as an afm unmanned aerial system squadron.
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Advertorial
T
he Radio-Electronic Technologies Corporation (KRET), having completed the consolidation of its key assets, will unveil its new brand to the international community at the Farnborough International Airshow in July. The move is part of the corporation’s strategy of strengthening its position as a supplier of integrated avionics around the world. For the first time under its new business model, KRET will display its latest innovations for modern aircraft and helicopters including up-to-date avionics, radar and navigation systems. The re-branding reflects the company’s leadership in the radio-electronic industry and will increase its profile on the international market. KRET places great emphasis on making the brand a by-word for excellence in its field and also on telling the world about the excellent value its products and services represent. Re-branding is a logical step on the road to making the compact acronym ‘KRET’ synonymous with excellence in the fields of avionics and electronics. The new brand symbolises the company’s corporate development strategy, adopted in 2013, of transitioning to a new business model as a comprehensive supplier of integrated avionics systems. KRET has been consolidating its position in the radio-electronic industry since its founding in 2009. In 2013, the company acquired stock in 51 subsidiaries in the radio-electronic industry. Its holdings now comprise 97 plants, research institutes and design bureaux throughout Russia. It employs upwards of 50,000 personnel. Another important achievement last year was the early meeting of all of its commitments under the governmental defence acquisition programme, to the tune of 40 billion roubles (over US$1.1 billion). KRET is emerging as major player in the global market for radio-electronic solutions for governments, businesses and domestic consumers. KRET offers up-to-date radioelectronic products based on innovative Russian technologies designed for outer-space, aviation, maritime and military applications. Anechoic chamber.
Russia’ s KRET to Re-launch at Farnborough
Zhuk-A AESA radar equipping MiG-35 combat aircraft.
KRET also offers a wide range of products for use in the medical, power generation, transport and other spheres. The company’s steady growth and good financial standing bolster its commitment to continuing its global security mission with the best traditions of the Russian radio-electronic school of thought at its core. “KRET is the leader of the Russian military and commercial radio-electronics market and a key company of the defence industry”, says parentcompany Rostec’s CEO Sergei Chemezov. “The concern evolves in compliance with its corporate development strategy, which has a
direct influence on the increasing effectiveness of its production processes and financial discipline. Its subsidiaries annually develop and produce unique electronic warfare, identification friend or foe and avionics systems”. Today, the concern’s order portfolio, placed by domestic and foreign customers, is worth 25 billion roubles (over US700 million).
Diversification
KRET’s sustainable development model focuses on achieving industrial diversification by developing parallel business lines – getting access to new civilian markets. The company’s subsidiaries deliver a wide range of competitive hi-tech products for private consumers and industry. KRET has achieved notable success in the household appliance, medical equipment and car component markets as well as control and metering systems for the fuel and energy industry and rail transport. KRET subsidiaries comprise scientificresearch institutes, design bureaux and industrial manufacturing facilities are grouped into five divisions according to the branches of technology they focus on, namely: electronic warfare; avionics; IFF systems; complex radio-electronic measurement equipment; electrical connections and cabling.
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ISRAELI AIR FORCE F-16I SUFA
STORM FRO
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ront
The F-16I Sufa (Storm) has conducted countless airstrikes since coming into service with the Israeli Air Force a decade ago. Ofer Zidon explains the introduction and operational use of this combat-proven, heavyweight warrior. Below: An IDF ground crew man inserts safety pins into a Python AAM on a Sufa from 'The One' Squadron before the aircraft returns to its hardened shelter.
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Israeli Air Force F-16I Sufa
A
total of 102 Sufa fighters were delivered to the Israeli Air Force (IAF) between February 2004 and February 2009 to equip four operational squadrons. Three – 253 Squadron (known as 'Negev'), 119 'Bat' Squadron and 201 'The One' Squadron – are stationed at Ramon air base. The fourth – 107 'Knights of the Orange Tail' Squadron – operates from Hatzerim, alongside 69 'Hammers' Squadron, which is equipped with the F-15I Ra’am (Thunder). The Sufa is an extensively modified, twoseat Lockheed Martin F-16D Block 52 airframe, equipped with Israeli developed avionics. These include navigation and targeting pods, satellite communication, an electronic warfare and selfprotection suite, an Elbit DASH IV helmet-mounted display and target acquisition systems. The Sufa is powered by the same engine as used in the Ra’am, the Pratt & Whitney PW F100-229. The aircraft’s upper fuselage-mounted conformal fuel tanks give the Sufa a similar range to the larger Ra’am. The two types complement one other on longrange, precision strike missions. Being a two-seat aircraft, this allows the Sufa’s weapons system operator to focus on navigation, target acquisition and weapons delivery during sorties. The Sufa’s
identifiable weakness in long-range missions, caused by its single engine and relatively small weapons load, is compensated to some degree by the large number of aircraft in IAF service.
Ra’am or Sufa?
The Sufa’s procurement process began in the 1990s, when the F-4 Kurnass (Hammer) fleet was cut from five squadrons to two. The F-16D Block 52 had many attractions when the IAF looked for a two-seat, long-range, heavy payload carrying platform to replace the F-4 in a ground attack role. They included: state-of-the-art avionics, among them Northrop Grumman’s APG-68(V)9 synthetic aperture radar; a Lockheed Martin AN/AAQ-13 Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night (LANTIRN); the Northrop Grumman/Rafael LITENING combined navigation and targeting pods; plus a 40% increase in range over previous F-16 variants flown by the IAF. At that time, the IAF was also looking to purchase another batch of Ra’ams. The cost of these aircraft led to the decision to select ‘quantity over quality’ and a larger number of Sufas were sought. The most
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Israeli Air Force F-16I Sufa
Above: Under the cover of darkness, Sufa 440 leaves its shelter at Ramon AFB armed with a GBU-10 under its wing. All images Ofer Zidon unless stated Right: F-16I 421 from 253 Negev Squadron performs a flypast during one of the squadron’s deployments to Ovda’s Advanced Training Centre. Below: Sufa 468 from the Negev leaves its shelter for a ground attack mission over Lebanon. It is armed with a JDAM under its wing.
distinctive difference between the Ra’am and Sufa is the twin-engine configuration of the Ra’am, which increases crew safety during long-range missions over hostile territory. Additionally, the large number of hard points allows the Ra’am to carry a greater weapons load per sortie. A US$2.5bn contract for 50 Sufas was concluded in January 2000, with an option for a further 60 airframes, at an additional cost of US$2bn, signed during 2001. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) later converted 52 of the 60 Sufas offered via the option clause into a firm order. The Sufa fleet is the most advanced in the IAF. The four squadrons work in close co-operation to develop new capabilities, new avionics and operational tactics. This allows the learning curve for the aircrews to be greatly reduced within the fleet. However, each squadron does specialise in one particular mission.
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The aircraft are able to carry autonomous, precision-guided bombs such as the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) and Rafael SPICE, which are directed to their target using GPS, along with TV and laser-guided weapons such as the GBU-10 Paveway II and GBU-15. The most recognisable feature of the Sufa is its conformal fuel tanks (CFTs), which can hold 2,976lb (1,350kg) of fuel. These tanks free the under-wing weapons stations for medium-range missions or enable long-range sorties to be completed by adding an extra 100 miles (160km) to its operational radius, with the addition of drop tanks. The CFTs do not degrade the aircraft’s manoeuvrability, because they are attached to the fuselage above the wings. During high angles-of-attack the CFTs are hidden from the airflow, so there’s no resulting drag.
Above: Pilots and ground crew swarm over Sufa 415 from Negev Squadron as the aircraft is scrambled on a practice quick reaction alert (QRA) sortie. The F-16I Ramon squadrons take it turns to provide QRA cover. Below: F-16I Sufa 857 from the Orange Tail lifts off from Hatzerim’s runway, armed with a GBU-12 500lb (227kg) bomb. Nir Ben Yosef
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ISRAELI AIR FORCE F-16I SUFA
The Negev Squadron The Negev Squadron was selected to be the first Sufa unit and the initial pair of aircraft landed at Ramon Air Force Base (AFB) on February 19, 2004. Training operations began soon afterwards. The squadron was formed on July 27, 1976, at Hatzor AFB, and equipped with the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Nesher (Vulture) – an indigenously produced version of Dassault’s Mirage V. In October 1976 the squadron moved to Eitam AFB in the Sinai. Two years later, during the conflict in southern Lebanon (codenamed Operation Litani by Israel), the unit flew 26 combat patrols. In 1979 the IAI Neshers
were sold to Argentina, allowing the Negev Squadron to re-equip with Mirage IIIs on June 14, 1979, which came from the First Jet Squadron, the latter then transitioning to the F-16A Netz. Following the signing of the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty, Israel withdrew from Sinai and Eitam AFB closed. On April 25, 1981, the squadron’s Mirages were transferred to the Midland Squadron – a reserve unit established at Hatzor AFB. Six months later the unit was re-activated at Ramat David AFB, to become the third F-16A/B Netz squadron, moving to Ramon AFB in February 1982. During the Lebanon War of 1982 the squadron conducted
192 combat air patrols and escort missions. As part of Operation Accountability in 1993, it flew 20 missions, consisting of 18 air strikes and two interception sorties. In 1995 the unit received surplus USAF F-16Bs and began training navigators. In March 2003, the squadron transferred a number of its F-16A/Bs to Nevatim AFB to serve with the Defenders of the South Squadron. This was part of the process of preparing to be the IAF’s first Sufa unit. During the last decade the Negev Squadron has flown countless operational missions with its Sufas, and was heavily involved in the second war in Lebanon between 2006 and 2008, as part of Operation Cast Lead.
The transition to the F-16I took place on February 19, 2004 with the arrival of the first pair of Sufas at Ramon AFB. A few days later Negev Squadron crews flew their first training sorties.
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ISRAELI AIR FORCE F-16I SUFA
Above: An Orange Tail Sufa 873 returns from a reconnaissance sortie carrying the Condor Two pod under its fuselage. The aircraft is also armed with an AIM-120 (port) and AIM-9 on its wingtips for self-defence. Below: The activation ceremony at Ramon AFB on December 28, 2004, which saw the establishment of IAF’s second Sufa squadron.
The Bat Squadron The Bat Squadron was re-activated on December 28, 2004 to become the IAF’s second Sufa unit. In the course of the past decade the squadron has flown in all of Israel’s conflicts, including the Second Lebanon war, during which one Sufa was lost on take-off, after its undercarriage failed. In 2008, during Operation Cast Lead, the unit flew more than 200 operational missions. The Bat Squadron formed on August 9, 1956, became the IAF’s first all-weather and night fighter unit, equipped with three Gloster Meteor NF13 aircraft, operated from Ramat David AFB. The unit’s motto – ‘in the day, in the night and in fog’ – was adopted at this time. On the night of October 28, 1956, a day before the outbreak of the Sinai Campaign, a Meteor NF13 shot down an Egyptian Il-14 flying from Damascus to Cairo, killing all of the high-ranking Egyptian officers
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aboard. The squadron moved to TelNof AFB on December 15, 1957, to be closer to the Israeli-Egyptian border. The Bat Squadron’s expertise in night operations led to it being selected to receive the new Sud Aviation Vautour IIN; a type modified for all-weather and night-time operations. The Vautours served with the squadron from July 1958 to July 1963, when the unit converted to the Mirage III. During the Six Day War, the Bat Squadron flew more than 300 operational sorties with the Mirage III, claiming a total of 23 MiGs shot down during combat operations. In 1970, the squadron became the third F-4 Kurnass operator in the IAF. In October 1973, during the Yom Kippur war, it flew more than 1,000 operational sorties against targets throughout Egypt and Syria. These included long-range attacks over Egypt and 162
photo-reconnaissance missions. The squadron’s most famous mission of the war was the attack on the Syrian army HQ in Damascus. Because of bad weather, out of the three F-4 squadrons dispatched to undertake the task Bat pilots were the only ones to complete the mission. Three of its pilots received citations for their part in this high-risk mission. The squadron shot down 14 enemy MiG aircraft, losing five of its own Kurnasses during the conflict. The unit’s last aerial victory took place on January 3, 1981, when an Iraqi MiG-21MF that had chased a pair of F-4E(S)s over H-3 air base in Iraq’s eastern desert crashed, having run out of fuel. During the First Lebanon War in June 1982, 18 Kurnasses attacked Syrian missile sites located in Lebanon. On July 24, 1982, one of the squadron’s F-4s was shot down, killing one of the aircrew, while the other became a PoW in Syria.
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Israeli Air Force F-16I Sufa
Death of a Drone An Iranian-built, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was shot down over southern Israel on Saturday, October 6, 2012, in the vicinity of Be’er Sheba, the largest city in the region. The UAV was monitored by the IAF after its take-off from Lebanon and its subsequent flight over the Mediterranean Sea, towards the Gaza Strip. The UAV penetrated Israeli air space and made its way east. Two Sufas from the One Squadron at nearby Ramon AFB were scrambled. The leader of the pair, Lt Col A, was the unit’s commanding officer. The fighters intercepted the UAV and escorted it until the IAF’s central control ordered its destruction. One of the two Rafael Python 5 missiles fired gained a direct hit. The kill was assigned to Sufa 844. The Python 5 missile was chosen due to its advanced guiding system, which allows missile-lock on small targets with a low heat signature. It is also integrated with Elbit’s display and sight helmet (DASH) system. The pilot’s eye is used as a cueing device to direct the missile seeker to a target, merely by directing his head and actuating a switch via the aircraft’s hands on throttle and stick (HOTAS) controls. The UAV flew for less than 30 minutes in Israeli airspace before being shot down. Sources say it was not armed and was probably used for information gathering, including intelligence about the IAF detection and surveillance systems of such a small and slow-flying object. The Hezbollah organisation in Lebanon, which took responsibility for launching the UAV, makes considerable efforts to establish a formidable UAV force.
Operational history October 2005
The first combat sortie of the Sufa took place in October 2005, when a formation from the Negev Squadron launched air strikes against Hamas terrorist camps along the Gaza strip, in response to rockets fired by the group at Israelis living in the south of the country. Laser-guided GBU-10 Paveway IIs were successfully used against the Kassam launchers and their crews. A second air strike took place a few days later, which ended the rocket attacks in the short term.
The Sufa is pictured to the left of the exploding UAV. This was the fifth attempt to launch a UAV into Israel’s airspace. Hezbollah uses the Iranian Ababil (Persian for swallow) – an 181lb (82kg) UAV with a 9.6ft (2.9m) wing span, a payload of about 77lb (35kg), and the Mohajer (Persian for Migrant) – a 374lb (170kg) UAV with a 17.4ft (5.3m) wing span. Two of these successfully flew for a few minutes over northern Israel, without being detected by IAF air defence systems, in November 2004, and April 2005. Another two were discovered and immediately shot down in August 2006, during the Second Lebanon War, demonstrating the progress made in improving Israel’s air defence systems. Iranian military sources said the October 6, 2012, mission was to gather intelligence on the Israeli nuclear reactor near Dimona and the mission was successful. The IDF said the UAV was under supervision during its entire flight in Israeli air space and was shot down only when flying over a remote area, to minimise the risk of damage to people on the ground.
F-16I Sufa 107 from the Orange Tail Squadron takes off for a routine air-to-air training sortie. This photo was taken less than two months prior to the crash.
July 2006 – Second Lebanon War
During the first days of the campaign the IAF focused on destroying Hezbollah’s long-range rocket launchers and storage facilities. The targets were struck with JDAMs, based on intelligence gained by the IDF. Despite these strikes, rocket attacks continued, reaching up to 100 a day from teams concealed in urban hideouts. The
Sufa fleet was also involved in the bombing of Hezbollah’s headquarters in the Dahieh quarter of Beirut, Lebanon. People living in the area were warned to leave before the Sufas struck the building with precisionguided munitions.
Operation Cast Lead 2008
Operation Cast Lead in 2008 was aimed at stopping and preventing further rocket launches by Hamas against the cities in southern Israel. In the first phase more than 100 Hamas targets, including launchers, rocket depots and manufacturing facilities, headquarters buildings and Hamas commanders and leaders, were attacked. All four Sufa squadrons took part. This was the baptism of fire for the One Squadron, having only been activated a few months earlier.
October 2009 . The Orange Tails and Condor Two LOROP pod.
Sufa 844 from the One Squadron taking off for a training sortie from Ramon AFB.
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Development of the Long-Range Oblique Photography Pod (LOROP), based on a 300 gal (1,364 lit) centreline fuel tank, with two windows cut into either side, began in 1998. It provides simultaneous high-resolution, visible and infrared images and can be utilised in a stand-off mode from a target. The images are sent back to a ground station via a data link. The fully autonomous system can operate from altitudes of up to 50,000ft (15,240m). #317 AUGUST 2014
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Israeli Air Force F-16I Sufa An F-16I 491 from Bat Squadron flies a low-level practice strike sortie over the Greek mountains in October 2012. K Ntasios
Joint Training in Greece
A joint Hellenic Air Force and Israeli Air Force training exercise took place between October 21 and 26, 2012, at the 110 Combat Wing, Larissa Air Base in Greece. This was the third time that IAF fighters had participated in such an exercise, since the beginning of military co-operation between Greece and Israel in 2008. Israel was represented by ten Sufas from the Bat, Negev and One squadrons from Ramon AFB. Deployments allow IAF aircrews to train over different terrains and participate in missions outside the ‘comfort zones’ of familiar training areas. Crew capabilities are enhanced by undertaking day and night navigation sorties in mountainous terrain, flying with and against unfamiliar aircraft, using different methods of operation and co-operation with unfamiliar central control units in a different language. Such exercises provide experience in adapting quickly to unknown and unfamiliar combat circ*mstances.
November 2012 – Operation Pillar of Defense
The operation began in response to the launch of more than 100 rockets on Israeli territory during a 24-hour period, an attack by Gaza militants on an IDF mobile reconnaissance patrol and an explosion caused by an improvised explosive device that injured IDF soldiers on the Israeli side of the border. The Israeli government stated the aims of the military operation were to stop rocket attacks against civilian targets, which were originating from the Gaza Strip, and to disrupt the capabilities of militant organisations. During the course of the operation, the IAF struck more than 1,500 sites in the Gaza Strip, including rocket launch pads, weapon depots, government facilities, and apartment blocks. Sufa squadrons conducted a large number of the air strikes using their precision-guided munitions arsenal.
A Tragic Loss An IAF F-16I Sufa 480 from the Bat Squadron, crashed on the night of November 10, 2010, with the loss of both crew members – Majors Amihai Itkis and Imanuel Levi. The Sufa was taking part in night time training exercises over Ramon crater in southern Israel. For unknown reasons, Sufa 480, which was part of a two, four-ship formation of F-16I aircraft taking part in the exercise, descended from an altitude of 13,123ft (4,000m) and crashed inside Ramon crater. A preliminary investigation of the Sufa wreckage showed no technical malfunction with the aircraft. The Sufa’s black box was recovered and checked. IAF commander, General Ido Nehushtan, appointed an investigation committee and ordered a temporary halt of Sufa training flights at the time. It was concluded that the crew were distracted during the training mission, as the aircraft started its descent towards the ground.
Above: Sufa 447 from Negev Squadron waits in its hangar armed with six Mk83 bombs. During Operation Pillar of Defense, Sufas would wait on alert, fully armed, with crews in the co*ckpit.
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ISRAELI AIR FORCE F-16I SUFA
The Orange Tail squadron The Orange Tail Squadron was activated as the third F-16I Sufa unit on July 5, 2006. It retained its F-4 Kurnass legacy by remaining at Hatzerim AFB, where it had flown F-4s during the 1970s and 1980s. The unit is the only Sufa squadron not to operate from Ramon AFB, but it is based alongside the F-15I Ra’am-equipped Hammers Squadron. Orange Tail Squadron was established as a fighter-bomber unit flying the Supermarine Spitfi re from Ramat David AFB on January 25, 1953. It was the IAF’s third Spitfire squadron and was in charge of operational training courses. Between 1954 and 1956 the unit flew the P-51D Mustang, returning to its origins as a Spitfi re operator, after receiving aircraft from Scorpion Squadron in June 1956. However, the unit was soon disbanded with the sale of the Spitfi res to Burma in September 1956. In February 1962 it was re-activated
at Ramat David AFB as a Meteor outfit. After flying the Meteors for two years, Orange Tail was once again disbanded. The squadron was activated for a third time on September 15, 1965; this time dedicated to the ground-attack role using Ouragans. During the Six Day War the unit deployed to Lod AFB, near Tel Aviv, so that the short-range Ouragans could attack airfields and radar installations close to the Egyptian and Jordanian borders. When the war ended the squadron transferred its Ouragans to the Hornet squadron and was once again disbanded. On December 1, 1971, the squadron was re-formed yet again, this time at Hatzerim AFB, and equipped with the newest and most advanced fighter in the IAF; the F-4 Phantom II (Kurnass). The Orange Tail Squadron became the third F-4 unit of the IAF and on January 2, 1973, was credited with its fi rst kill, of a
Syrian Air Force MiG-21 over Lebanon. During the Yom Kippur War the squadron flew 752 operational sorties, in both interception and ground- attack roles, along the Egyptian and Syrian fronts. On the first day of the war a pair of Kurnass aircraft was on quick reaction alert at Ofir, the most southerly base in Sinai, when the airfield came under attack by Egyptian MiGs. During the battle the two Kurnasses shot down seven enemy jets. The area was also a target for an Egyptian Army commando battalion flown in by Mil Mi-8 helicopters, seven of which were destroyed. During the war, the squadron downed 28 enemy aircraft, for the loss of just four of its own, with all of the Kurnass crews successfully recovered. Since the Yom Kippur war the squadron has flown countless operations, seeing action in Operation Litani in 1978, the First Lebanon War in 1982, and air strikes in Lebanon throughout the 1990s.
Above: Old meets new – the arrival of the first F-16I Sufa for the Orange Tail Squadron signalled the end of the F-4 Kurnass. The handover ceremony took place at Hatzerim AFB on July 5, 2006. Below: A rare picture of all four Sufa squadrons together as this six aircraft formation prepares to take off from Hatzerim AFB
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An Orange Tail loss
Above: F-16I Sufa 480 from Bat Squadron takes off for an air combat training exercise from Ramon AFB. Below: Sufa 451 prepares to take off from Ramon AFB for a combat sortie fully loaded with GBU-10 Paveway II laser-guided bombs, Python 4/5 and AIM-120 AAMs
A Sufa from the Orange Tail Squadron crashed into the Mediterranean Sea, 31 miles (50km) west of the Israeli shoreline on July 7, 2013. Sufa 107 was part of a four-ship formation, taking part in a regular training sortie over one of the IAF’s offshore flying areas. The crew reported an engine flameout. Attempts to restart the Sufa’s single engine failed. After five minutes of gliding, the aircraft descended to an altitude of 3,281ft (1,000m) and the crew was ordered to eject. The pilot and navigator landed in the sea and were recovered after 45 minutes in the water by a team from the Aeromedical and Evacuation Unit 669. A Sikorsky CH-53 Yas'ur flew them to hospital. The Sufa and Ra’am fleets, which both use the same P&W F-100-PW-229 engine, were temporarily grounded. The IDF Chief of staff, Lt Gen Benny Gantz, was on board an Israeli navy ship near the crash site and assisted in the recovery of parts of the crashed aircraft.
The recovery of the Sufa pilot (circled in red), aboard a CH-53 Yas'ur, on July 7, 2013. IDF
One Squadron One Squadron was the last of the four Sufa units to form, being activated on July 9, 2008, at Ramon AFB, joining the Negev and Bat Squadrons already flying the type at the same location. Formed on August 17, 1969, at Hatzor AFB, it was Israel’s first F-4 Kurnass squadron, established at the height of the War of Attrition. The arrival of the F-4 allowed the IAF to increase its long-range strike capability deep into enemy territory. On November 11, 1969, the Kurnass scored its first kill, downing an Egyptian MiG-21. The main task
of the F-4 fleet was to undertake air strikes against the massive SAM sites deployed by the Russians between Cairo and the Suez Canal. The One Squadron, along with the Hammers, attacked a SAM site array on July 18, 1970. The commanding officer of the One Squadron was hit by a SAM-3 missile and killed, while the commander of the Hammers was also struck by a SAM, but was able to perform an emergency landing in the damaged Kurnass. During the 1973 Yom Kippur War the
squadron flew 758 operational sorties, most of them high-risk missions against SAM sites. It shot down 32 enemy aircraft, for the loss of 14 of its own Kurnasses, most of which were downed by Egyptian SAMs, with seven of the unit’s aircrew killed and 14 becoming prisoners of war. On January 19, 1988, the unit was transferred to Tel Nof AFB and a year later, on April 9, 1989, became the fi rst squadron to convert to the Kurnass 2000, an Israeli upgraded and modernised development of the venerable F-4 Phantom II.
Sufa 844 takes off for a training sortie from Ramon AFB. Mounted on the wingtip is an Ehud instrumentation pod, which measures the fighter’s flight data and is transmitted to a ground station for later analysis.
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kadex 2014
KADEX 2014 The third Kazakhstan Defence Expo (KADEX 2014) was held at Astana International Airport in late May. Chris Knott, Kieron Pilbeam and Robbie Shaw report for AFM.
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ith a land mass larger than that of Western Europe but with a population of only 18 million, the Republic of Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country in the world. On December 16, 1991, it became the last Soviet republic to declare its independence, and its communist-era leader, Nursultan Nazarbayev, became the country’s first president – a position he retains today. The landlocked country shares borders with Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and China. Rich in natural resources it has the potential to become one of the wealthiest nations in the region, and in 2000 it became the first former Soviet republic to repay all of its debt to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), seven years ahead of schedule. During his annual state of the nation address on December 15, 2012, President Nazarbayev announced his ‘Kazakhstan 2050 Strategy’ which
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Above: Airbus Military C295M ‘01 red’ (c/n 093) was delivered in January 2013. The ‘KAZAKHSTAN AIR FORCE’ titling on the front fuselage and the c/n underneath it are recent additions to its paint scheme. The type serves with the 218th Air Transport Squadron. Kieron Pilbeam Below: It is believed that 14 An-26 Curl transports remain in service with the Kazakhstan Air Force including ‘03 red’ (c/n 9704). Kieron Pilbeam
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New Mils Kazakhstan is unusual for a member of the Confederation of Independent States (CIS) in that it is buying a lot of aircraft from sources other than Russia and Ukraine. Members of the CIS usually confine their purchases of military hardware to those countries for financial reasons. The co-operation between Eurocopter and Kazakhstan Engineering to build and sell Eurocopter (now Airbus Helicopters) aircraft is unique within the CIS. But this does not mean the country has turned its back on more traditional sources of equipment. Two new Mi-171E Hip-Hs were on display. One, in an attractive two-tone green and brown camouflage, was for the Kazakh National Guard (KNG) while the other belonged to the Kazakh Border Guard (KBG) which also displayed a Mi171Sh. Both KBG machines wore a three-tone desert camouflage. The national and border guards received their first helicopters in 2013, with more expected to follow by the end of 2014. Also present and participating in the combined air and ground assault during the short air display, were locally-based red-coded air force Mi-17V-5s. With these were several yellow-coded Mi-17V-5s from a different unit, plus an Mi-8MTV – a veteran from the Soviet 486 OBVP (Independent Combat Helicopter Regiment) at Altes Lager in what was then East Germany. After the withdrawal of Soviet forces from German soil in August 1991the helicopter was redeployed to the Soviet base at Yenbekshi-Ucharal. It is still there but now operated by the Kazakhstan Air Force. The Mi-24V that flew in the air display has a similar heritage.
Above: The Su-30SM invited to perform at KADEX by the Kazakh Ministry of Defence, ‘16 red’, was flown by Irkut chief test pilot Vyacheslav Averyanov. He demonstrated the unique capabilities of this latest version of the Russian Air Force thrust-vectored fighter during daily displays. Robbie Shaw Right: Kazakhstan Ministry of Defence Tu-134A Crusty UN-65683 (c/n 62199) made a welcome visit during the show. The veteran airliner, which has a brake ’chute fitted in the tail, and a glass nose for the navigator, was built in 1979 and is a former Aeroflot aircraft. Robbie Shaw
aims to elevate his nation to the ranks of the world’s 30 most-developed countries by the middle of the 21st century. A major step along the way to achieving this was moving the nation’s capital from Almaty to the new purpose-built Astana in the north of the country in 1997. The city’s international airport has also undergone major reconstruction and KADEX 2014 was held at its eastern end from May 22 to 25.
KADEX 2014
Building on the success of the events at Astana in 2010 and 2012, KADEX 2014 attracted nearly 300 companies from over 25 different countries. Six
Above: The MiG-35UB is derived from the MiG-29M2 and MiG-29K/KUB family. The jet on display at KADEX, 747 ‘blue’ (c/n 7011) was flown by RAC MiG test pilot Stanislav Gorbunov and navigator Nikolay Murmilov. Both it and the Su-30SM are contenders to replace Kazakhstan’s MiG-29 and Su-27 fleets. Several demonstration flights were performed with local personnel onboard. Robbie Shaw Left: This recently delivered Airbus Helicopters EC145 illustrates the advances made by Kazakhstan in recent years. The government signed a deal with the then Eurocopter in 2010 for Eurocopter Kazakhstan Engineering to assemble and eventually manufacture its helicopters and market them in the region. Kieron Pilbeam
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KADEX 2014 separate pavilions housed numerous aviation and military related companies, most of which came from Russia, Turkey and the host nation. The static display was dominated by a recently upgraded Mil Mi-26T operated by MchS Kazaviaspas – the Kazakhstan Ministry of Emergency Situations. The country, which already uses Airbus Military products, is considering buying two A400Ms and one was displayed at KADEX. It was announced on February 29, 2012, that the Defence Ministry had concluded a contract for two C295Ms (plus six further options) with Airbus Military. The two were delivered, ahead of schedule, in January 2013 and one was exhibited at the show.
Land/air assault & flying display
The display opened with a flypast by a pair of Mi-17V-5 helicopters trailing the host’s national flag and that of KADEX. This was followed by a very well choreographed air and ground assault, which also featured a rescue demonstration. A group of soldiers
Above: The Kazakhstan Border Guard flies an unknown number of Mi-171E Hip-Hs, including ‘08 yellow’. Russian Helicopters signed an agreement during the show to supply the Kazakhstan Ministry of Emergency Situations with an Mi-171E in 2015. Kieron Pilbeam Below: Kazakhstan Border Guard Antonov 74TK-200A 74082 was a brand new aircraft delivered during the show. Kieron Pilbeam
Above: Kazakhstan AF Mi-17V Hip-H ‘14 yellow’ (c/n 398M02) prepares to take off with a Bambi Bucket fire-fighting kit attached to its central hook. Robbie Shaw
under attack by armed insurgents had called for support and a pair of air force Mil Mi-17V-5s quickly arrived. They fired their mini-guns, while troops rappelled down to support their colleagues on the ground. After a short time the friendly forces were extracted by a pair of air force EC145s. Next came a dynamic display by ground-based military hardware. The conventional air display was opened by six Su-27P Flanker-Bs from Taldykorgan Air Base that delighted the crowd by ejecting flares. The Flankers were followed by several formation flypasts from four MiG-29s from Shymkent Air Base. A newlydelivered air force EC145 then demonstrated its manoeuvrability and after that a much bigger Mil Mi-24V from Yenbekshi-Ucharal proved that it too was very agile. The finale comprised several flypasts by five Su-25s of the ‘Eagles’ aerial demonstration team which trailed blue smoke, the national colour of Kazakhstan. The authors would like to thank all the personnel that assisted with our visit, in particular, Press Officer Ms Zhansaya Omarova from the Kazakh Ministry of Defence. Below: Mi-26 UP-M1602 (c/n 34001212133) of the Ministry of Emergency Situations dominated the static park. Kieron Pilbeam
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Minhas air base
Mighty Minhas Alan Warnes recently visited Pakistan Air Force Base Minhas, from where he provides a pictorial overview of the varied mix of local resident aircraft.
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STABLISHED AS a fighter base at Kamra in 1984, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Base Minhas was renamed in 1989 after Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas, the sole PAF recipient of the Nishan-e-Haider medal. He won this top award for heroism in the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War: after struggling with a Bengali instructor pilot, Matiur Rahman, who was trying to defect to India in the T-33 they were flying, Minhas forced the aircraft to crash, killing them both. Minhas is home to 14 Squadron ‘Tail Choppers’, a unit steeped in tradition. named after a F-86 Sabre strike on Kalaikunda which led to several Canberras lined up on the ramp having their tails shot off during the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War. Today it flies the Chengdu F-7P and FT-7P, and recently acquired some FT-7As (see news), all operated in the air defence role. Another resident unit is 16 Squadron ‘Black Panthers’ flying the newly inducted JF-17 Thunder, having converted from the A-5III in March 2011. Tasked for air defence alert, it also assists in the
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minhas air base
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6 1: A 3 Squadron Saab 2000 Erieye taxies back to the hangar after completing a six-hour mission. 2: This unmarked, ‘clean’ JF-17 departs on a functional check flight (FCF). The last-but-one Block 1 aircraft, it was being checked out by a ‘Black Panthers’ pilot. All photos, Alan Warnes 3: Showing off their great lines are two ‘Tail Choppers’ Chengdu F-7Ps preparing to depart from the Minhas runway in late May. 4: A ‘Black Panthers’ JF-17 returns to base after a sortie. The F-7Ps and JF-17s always use their brake ’chutes when landing and usually take off from opposite ends of the runway. 5: An 87 Squadron Alouette III hovers over vthe taxiway – with an aircraft chief checking clearance from the ground. 6: An unmarked ROSE II Mirage VEF is taken on a fast taxi down the Minhas runway. When its brakes got too hot, the base’s fire engines were called into action, but after they cooled down the pilot managed to taxi the aircraft back to PAC Kamra’s Mirage Rebuild Factory (MRF).
development of the JF-17 and its envisaged role – making it a hybrid tactical evaluation squadron. No 3 Squadron ‘Eyes in the Skies’ flies the Saab Erieye in the airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) role. The unit stood up on June 30, 2009 although the first aircraft did not arrive until the following December. The fourth flying unit at Minhas, 87 Squadron‘Dragon Fly’, was formed in July 1997 and operates three Alouette IIIs. Used for search and rescue, it was heavily involved in flood relief operations in 2010 /2012. With Pakistan Aeronautical Complex Kamra based on the other side of the runway, the base is kept very busy – not just with operational sorties but also test flights from the factory, which manufactures the JF-17 and Mushshak/Super Mushshak as well afm as undertaking aircraft overhauls. www.airforcesdaily.com
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EXERCISE REPORT THRACIAN STAR 2014
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AMED FOR its warriors, the historical region of Thrace lent its name to the multinational Thracian Star exercise at Bulgaria’s Graf Ignatievo Air Base between May 26 and June 4, the hot summer skies in the Plovdiv region playing host to airborne weaponry from Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and the US. The 179th Fighter Squadron ‘Bulldogs’ from the Minnesota Air National Guard’s (ANG) 148th Fighter Wing deployed from its home base at Duluth Air National Guard Base (ANGB) with eight F-16 Block 50s, their tail fins freshly painted with the unit’s bulldog symbol. They joined
Bulgarian Air Force (BuAF – Bulgarski Voennovazdushni Sili) MiG-29 Fulcrums, MiG-21 Fishbeds and Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoots at Graf Ignatievo while Romanian Air Force (RoAF – Fort¸ele Aeriene Române) MiG-21 LanceRs and Hellenic Air Force (HAF – Elliniki Polemiki Aeroporia) F-16s flew from their home bases without landing. The Romanians deployed to Mihail Koga ˘ lniceanu Airport, the former RoAF Constan¸ta Air Base on the Black Sea for the duration of the exercise. Tanker support was provided by KC-135Rs of the 134th Air Refueling Wing, Tennessee ANG, flying from Burgas on Bulgaria’s
Black Sea coast. The unit’s tankers are regular visitors to the country as Bulgaria is the wing’s partner nation in the National Guard State Partnership Program. Formerly a Warsaw Pact nation, Bulgaria joined NATO in 2004 and annual US-Bulgarian military training exercises began the following year. The two countries signed a defence co-operation agreement in 2006, giving US forces shared use of four Bulgarian military facilities, including Graf Ignatievo. Lieutenant Colonel Nikolay ‘Hunter’ Rusev, chief of the planning and scheduling branch at Graf, said of the alliance: “We started this bilateral training with NATO partner countries back in 2005. In the beginning we tried to get familiar with all NATO
procedures because everything was very new for us. The people who really helped us with all the missions, the procedures, for preparing documents were the American pilots who came here. Step by step there’s been really big progress. “Language is not such a big barrier as before as we’re familiar with most of the procedures, and when we
Lt Col Nikolay 'Hunter' Rusev with Col Jon Safstrom fly in the two-seat MiG-29UB Fulcrum. Maj Grant ‘Grunt’ Brown flies the F-16C Block 50 carrying AIM-120 AMRAAM on wingtip stations, an AIM-9X on station two, Sniper targeting pods plus a centre line fuel tank.
Thracian Star Exercise Thracian Star pitted MiGs, Sukhois and F-16s from Bulgaria, Romania, Greece and the US against each other. Rachel Morris reports. John Dibbs provides exclusive images.
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Location: Bulgaria: Graf Ignatievo AB Particpants: Bulgaria, Romania, Greece and US ANG
The Romanian AF Perspective Lt Cdr Vlad Cretu, the RoAF liaison officer for Thracian Star and Chief Navigator of the 86th Aerian˘a Aerian ˘ (Air Wing), said of the exercise: “The ‘Mighty MiGs of the 86th’ were involved in DCA, OCA and TI missions, having the opportunity to meet a large variety of airborne threats. The experience gained in those exercises is invaluable for the personnel involved. There are many lessons to be learned and tactics to be tested in a truly dissimilar air-warfare environment where even today a Romanian MiG-21 LanceR can prove its value in the proper hands.”
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EXERCISE REPORT THRACIAN STAR 2014 start the briefing or debriefing for the mission we speak one language and understand everything the same way, which is much easier and safer. “We enjoy flying in this exercise, mastering new skills and making new friends and that’s very important to us – to stay in touch with them and to exchange experience. This is the only way to make progress in our air force because we are former Warsaw Pact members who have converted to a different set of tactics. So now we try to be compatible with our NATO partners in all aspects.”
Mutual Admiration
This year funding from the USAF in Europe (USAFE) enabled the Minnesota ANG to travel the considerable distance from Duluth to Graf Ignatievo and USAFE chief
Bulgarian Air Force Su-25UBKs from 22 Shturmova Avia Eskadrila deployed to Graf from their home base at Bezmer for the exercise.
Participating Aircraft Location
Type
Squadron
MiG-29A/UB
2/3 Iztrebitelna Avio Eskadrila
Bulgaria Graf Ignatievo
MiG-21bis/UM
2/3 Iztrebitelna Avio Eskadrila
Bezmer
Su-25K/UBK
22 Shturmova Avio Eskadrila
Dolna Mitropolia
L-39ZA
1/12 Utchebna Avio Eskadrila
F-16C-30/50
330, 341and 347 Mira
MiG-21 LanceR-C
861 Escadrilla Av.Vt
Greece Néa Anghialos Romania Borcea – Fetesti USA Duluth, Minnesota ANGB
F-16C/DM-50
179th FS, Minnesota ANG
McGhee Tyson, Tennessee
KC-135R
134th ARW, Tennessee ANG
General Frank Gorenc attended the exercise’s opening ceremony on May 30 along with Bulgaria’s defence minister Angel Naydenov, Chief of Defence General Simeon Simeonov and BuAF commander Major-General Constantin Popov. Aiming to promote interoperability between NATO forces, Thracian Star is an excellent arena for American and Bulgarian pilots to get up close and personal with each other’s hardware. Two launches were planned each day to practise tactical intercepts, BFM (basic fighter manoeuvres) and DCA and OCA (defensive and offensive counter air), the
HAF joining for five missions and the RoAF participating on all but two days of the exercise. Graf-based pilots also had the opportunity to experience the missions from their counterparts’ jets. As well as six F-16Cs, the Americans took two-seat ’D-models to Thracian Star, enabling them to give backseat rides to the Bulgarians who reciprocated using two-seat variants of their MiGs and Sukhois. ‘Hunter’ Rusev describes the Bulgarian viewpoint: “The flying is fast and aggressive and very exciting. For most of the Americans it’s the first time they’ve met the MiG-29
Wheels off: Maj Lubomir 'Lubo' Slavov eases his MiG-29 Fulcrum off Runway 08 for the first launch of the day.
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Location: Bulgaria: Graf Ignatievo AB Particpants: Bulgaria, Romania, Greece and US ANG
or MiG-21 in the air and they’re really impressed by the MiG-29’s manoeuvrability and thrust. They realise they have to be very well prepared if they want to fight versus the MiG-29 or Sukhoi family. So here we try to help them, to train them how to do that and to reduce surprises to the minimum.” Bulgaria had an abnormally long thunderstorm season this year. Large cumulonimbus thunderheads bubbled up over the distant mountains each day during the first week of the exercise, indirectly causing the cancellation of some afternoon sorties. The problem was not the weather itself: Bulgaria’s thunderstorms produce large, crop-flattening hail, and in the worst affected regions the government has, since 1968, fired rockets to seed the clouds with silver iodide to prevent large hailstones forming. Reaching considerable altitudes, the rockets necessitate airspace closure in the Plovdiv region. After a few afternoons of such stoppages the exercise’s mission timings were reworked in an attempt to complete the flying ahead of the rocket launches. The 148th’s Lt Col Nate ‘Shaggy’ Aysta visited Bulgaria for exercises Rodopi Javelin in 2007 and Nickel Javelin in 2008 and was instrumental in the year-long organisational process to get the unit out to Bulgaria. He describes a typical day at Graf for the Duluth pilots: “We have mass briefings at
0730hrs and then fly the first mission with and against the MiGs. We’ll air-refuel then work against the ground-based air defence. After we land we’ll debrief with US and Bulgarian pilots together. The pilots on the second go [mission] arrive at 0900hrs and fly the same profile as the morning push but without the air refuelling. Finally we’ll start mission planning for the next day.” The 148th FW’s Block 50 F-16s’ primary role is suppression of enemy air defence (SEAD). Also known as ‘wild weasels’, they are tasked with seeking out enemy ground-based air defence systems and radar and destroying them with weaponry such as the AGM-88E advanced anti-radiation guided missile (AARGM). Thracian Star offers another unique attraction for the Duluth pilots – the opportunity to practise against a range of surface-to-air defence systems including the SA-3 Goa, SA-6 Gainful, SA-8 Gecko and SA-10 Grumble. Aysta told AFM: “These are proliferating around the world so it’s great for us to come here and test our jets and systems.” Second in command of the 148th, Colonel John Safstrom, emphasises the ‘real-world’ advantage of Thracian Star: “It’s wonderful – the ability for us as SEAD players to come here and see real-world emitters [radars] instead of just going to the Nellis Ranges or places like that. Here we can actually come with our
Major Ryan ‘Slim’ Durand, callsign ‘Wolf One’, departs runway 26 at Graf Ignatievo on an unrestricted climb in his F-16C. Note the aircrew patch worn for the exercise.
Maintaining Support The 148th FW deployed with eight jets and 110 personnel to Graf Ignatievo for Thracian Star before heading to Estonia to take part in two more exercises, Saber Strike and BaltOps. Lt Col Robert Roningen, aircraft maintenance commander for the 148th, described the work required for a back-toback deployment: “We started preparing at least 60 days before we came. We did a lot of our hourly and flight inspections early, so while we’re here we don’t have to do those. We also take the jet off the local schedule at home and give the crew chief, the guy whose name is on the canopy, and maintainers extra time to ‘gold plate’ the airplane – to fix all the little things that could be a problem. I call it preventative maintenance.” Careful consideration was given to bringing everything required for both deployments – from enough spare rags to wipe the F-16 canopies to the kit in the aircrew flight equipment shop to equip the Bulgarians riding in the F-16Ds, as well as
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for the squadron’s own pilots. Roningen emphasises: “The bottom line is if we didn’t bring it, we don’t have it. So the preparation we did ahead of time was very important.” Arriving in a country brings its own considerations. “There are a lot of challenges – the unfamiliarity, bringing people from the US and housing them downtown, getting them on base here... There are all kinds of issues with jetlag, making sure people are working and working safe, taking care of them. People are number one, that’s the start. “And then the aircraft, making sure our requirements are met for cleanliness and FOD [foreign object damage] on the ramp.” FOD is less of a concern to the BuAF as the MiG-29 features protective doors over the air intakes that deploy at low speed, low level and on the ground to prevent FOD damage and enable operation from ‘rough fields’. A swept runway is vital for the F-16: “We had a sweeper brought in from USAFE that we could use,” Roningen said. The Americans also
contracted in their fuel. “At home, there’s always fuel in the tank. Here I have to go down to the customs office in town and sign for it!” The ‘Iron Curtain’ stood strong when Lt Col Roningen began his 33-year military career flying fullyloaded F-4s on alert in 1980s Europe. He admits that seeing the F-16s parked next to former adversaries “makes my brain hurt... I’m an old ‘Cold War’ guy!” His experiences flying against Fulcrums and Bear bombers gave Thracian Star extra personal meaning: “It’s a real special treat to come here, to be able to interact with these guys and work with them.” He explains it’s not just the pilots who are forging relationships during the exercise: “We’re doing a lot of interaction with the Bulgarian maintenance guys. We’ve been doing basic familiarisation training about the aircraft, rank structures and how we both operate while also getting into the nuts and bolts of the aircraft. They were interested in how we do our NDI,
our non-destructive testing, so we gave a class on that and they did a mutual. We’re doing classes on the engines, hydraulics, typical flightline maintenance and the phase inspections we do every 400 hours. We’ve really got good stuff from their guys with the mutual training we’ve been doing; to our guys it’s been fascinating.”
Vice Wing Commander of the 148th Fighter Wing, Col John Safstrom, on the co*ckpit rail of the F-16 bearing his name.
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EXERCISE REPORT THRACIAN STAR 2014 pilots, talk to MiG drivers, talk to SAM operators, crawl around and get a lot more familiar with them. It’s quite an opportunity.” He speaks highly of the reception the 148th received in Bulgaria. “It’s a very nice community here, very welcoming people.” Like Hunter, the Colonel places great importance on the personal side of the deployment. “It’s all about relationships and once we establish those and get to know people you tend to move through your military career together. Therefore the relationships build over time and it’s a much better way to interact than just stopping by once in a while. Thracian Star is a continuation of getting to know the people of the Bulgarian Air Force, and will improve our interoperability and readiness”.
‘Cold War’ Warriors
Safstrom himself flew Hornets during a three-year tour in an aggressor squadron at Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada. “As an adversary instructor in the
Above: Lt Col Nikolay 'Hunter' Rusev, Chief of the Scheduling and Planning branch at Graf Ignatievo. Below: BuAF MiG-29A and contemplative pilot in a HAS on north side of the Graf Ignatievo base.
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Above: Take-offs always involve afterburner for the Graf-based MiG-21bis of 2/3 Iztrebitelna Avia Eskadrila. The legendary MiG ‘fast-movers’ provided daily tactical intercept tests for the F-16 pilots.
early 1990s it was my job to try to figure out these jets, and here we are now riding in the backseat of some of them.” After experiencing the MiG-29 in flight during a photo sortie, the colonel said it was as he expected, considering it “a great airframe, just like any fourth-generation fighter. It’s very smooth, very easy to fly and very honest.” He added that, in terms of basic performance – thrust, weight ratio and turn capabilities – the Fulcrum is very close to the F-16. However, although he thinks there is little to choose between the two in BFM, he believes the Viper is superior in engagements at greater distances because of its better avionics. Hunter agrees, and acknowledges the BuAF MiGs’ ageing technology leaves them at an overall disadvantage: “The MiG-29 is very good for BFM, close dogfights and for demo flights, but when
it comes to modern tactics like TI [tactical intercepts] and BVR [beyond visual range] the MiG-29 lacks information. If [F-16s] fly TI – even young guys – versus me, I’m dead. At 40 miles [65km] I am already dead. And I will never think about going closer. I will try to survive but... the MiG-29 is an old aircraft with all the gauges and needles for old systems. We can’t exchange information automatically between the pilots. We have to speak to each other to do that. It’s a 20th century aircraft. We need something new, otherwise this is the future of our air force – old aircraft.” The gulf is widening between the capabilities of the BuAF’s MiG-29 fleet and NATO’s more modern platforms. Lacking the ability to communicate electronically with modern fighters, Bulgarian MiG-29s cannot fully integrate in multinational strike packages,
limiting them to playing the aggressor during exercises like Thracian Star: “We must narrow this gap between our air force and NATO air forces and it can only happen with a new fighter. Then, step by step, we can catch up with NATO standards and fly in mixed formations” Hunter concluded. Bulgarian discussions over a new fighter have been going on for many years, their progress hampered by political changes and budget cuts. Against a background of conflict in nearby Ukraine and frequent probes of its airspace by the Russians, the government in Sofia is debating whether to upgrade Bulgaria’s MiG-29 fleet or buy new machines (the F-16, Eurofighter Typhoon and Saab Gripen are all contenders). While the individual airframes are more than 20 years old, the equipment the Americans bring to Graf shows Hunter that a new fighter will need “a new mentality”, and a digital-minded pilot to fly it and develop tactics on the ground on the computer. “After that you put the memory stick in the aircraft and you have everything on board. The most important work is done on the ground. “Here, we sit over the map with a pencil and start planning the mission, then get in the MiG-29 and spend a lot of money for a mission that we could do on the computer or simulator. We have to change that. Without the new platform we afm can’t continue.” The author and photographer would like to thank Capt Jodi Kiminski, Lt Col Nate Aysta, Col Safstrom – plus the pilots and maintainers of the 148th FW – and Major-General Popov, General Radev and Lt Col Nikolay Rusev, BuAF. Major Ryan ‘Slim’ Durand flew the camera-ship.
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FORCE REPORT United Arab Emirates Air Force & Air Defence
DESERT KINGS W
HILST TWO of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Air Force and Air Defence’s (UAE AF&AD) largest and longest-running acquisition programmes appear to have stalled, this doesn’t mean the oil-rich Emirate is keeping its well-filled coffers firmly closed. In late 2011, both Dassault and Alenia Aermacchi were publicly confident they would each secure lucrative sales to the UAE of around 60 aircraft, involving their ‘omnirole’ Rafale and M-346 Master lead-in fighter trainer (LIFT), respectively. The M-346 had been down-selected to remain the sole contender as the replacement for the BAE Hawk Mk 102 in February 2009. And the Rafale seemed favourite to succeed the air arm’s upgraded Mirage 2000-9EADs and 'DADs in the air defence and ground attack roles, as part of a US$10 billion programme. However, to the surprise of many observers, neither of these major re-equipment proposals
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Steve Rush describes how the oil-rich nation of the United Arab Emirates continues to buy the very best the world has to offer for its air force.
Above: Joint Aviation Command has been the recipient of 24 Air Tractor AT-802U Border Patrol Aircraft, the last of which was delivered in June 2013. Alan Warnes
appears any nearer to resolution. The recent procurement of Pilatus PC-21 turboprop trainers, and a supplemental order for 30 Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 61 Desert Falcons nearing completion, may suggest the air arm’s priorities have shifted. The two much-published tenders are now on hold.
Incremental Investments
Informed observers were sceptical when a background briefing by the US Department of Defense (DoD) in April 2013 hinted at the sale of a further tranche of 25 F-16E/F aircraft to the UAE. However, in January 2014 the US
Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) informed Congress that the UAE AF&AD had requested permission to acquire a US$270 million package of equipment. It included the logistics to support its purchase of 30 Block 61 aircraft and upgrades for the 78 surviving Block 60 Desert Falcons. Lockheed Martin has declined to comment on the equipment fit for the new Block 61 variant, but it is believed that any differences to the UAE’s current F-16s will mainly concern the radar. Northrop Grumman has stopped production of its AN/ APG-80 agile beam active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, which is installed in the UAE’s Block 60 aircraft.
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Branch: UAE AF & Air Defence Role: Aerial Surveillance, Troop Transport, Air Defence
So the new designation may reflect the choice of the scalable agile beam radar (SABR) from the same manufacturer or, Raytheon’s Advanced Combat Radar (RACR). Whilst the procurement of further F-16s was a surprise, a DSCA notification, in October 2013, (see www.airforcesdaily. com October 16, 2013 ‘UAE Seeking $4 billion-Worth of Weapons for F-16E/F Fleet’), revealed the air force intended to increase the potency of its F-16 fleet– a variety of sophisticated, precision-guided weapons being detailed in a substantial ‘wants list’. Notable amongst these was the request to procure 1,200 AGM-154C Joint Stand-Off Weapons (JSOW), 300 AGM-84H Standoff Land Attack Missile – Expanded Response (SLAM-ER) and 30 AN/AWW-13 Advanced Data Link pods, the latter for use with the SLAM-ER. The PC-21 acquisition took place without any delays, with the order for 25 aircraft, plus an integrated ground-based training system and logistics support, announced in November 2009. Initial deliveries began during the first quarter of 2011, with all of the aircraft supplied to the Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed
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Above: Pictured transiting via Shannon Airport, Ireland, during its delivery flight, in April 2012, this Bombardier DHC8Q315 is one of a pair supplied by Provincial Aerospace Ltd., to fulfill the maritime surveillance role. Malcolm Nason Below: Two UAEAF&AD F-16Es taxi out at Dubai International Airport in November 2011. The 80 or so Desert Falcons with their cutting edge AN/APG-80 Agile Beam Radars provide the UAE with an impressive defensive shield. The aircraft will be upgraded and 30 Block 61s acquired with a newer generation Scalable Agile Beam Radar. Alan Warnes
Air College within 12 months. It has been reported that the induction of PC-21s into the pilot training syllabus made it possible to withdraw a number of the college’s BAE Hawk Mk 63s from service, the oldest of which were delivered over 30 years ago. There is speculation that these surplus Hawks may be supplied to Lebanon.
Extending the Reach
The most significant improvement to the UAE AF&AD’s airlift capabilities has occurred in the last three years – the
result of two major procurement programmes. In February 2007, an order for Airbus Military A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transports (MRTTs) resulted in three aircraft being delivered to the base at Al Ain, on the eastern border of Abu Dhabi, in early 2013. Mirage 2000-9s and F-16E/Fs have now been certified for refuelling, so can receive direct tanker support for overseas deployments from UAE tankers. The A330
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FORCE REPORT United Arab Emirates Air Force & Air Defence
The fleet of Grob G115TAs are used for elementary flying training at Al Ain, where the UAEAF Air College is based. Alan Warnes
MRTT is equipped with Airbus Military’s fly-by-wire Aerial Refuelling Boom System (ARBS) and a Universal Aerial Refuelling Receptacle Slipway Installation (UARRSI) so the aircraft can be refuelled in the air itself. The jet can also be configured to carry up to 256 passengers. In February 2014, an A330 MRTT supported the transatlantic deployment of six F-16E/F Desert Falcons to Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, to participate in Exercise Red Flag. In addition to the new MRTTs, six Boeing C-17A Globemaster IIIs were acquired, greatly increasing the air force’s ability to support overseas operations. The possibility of an order for four was first hinted at in February 2009, but this increased to six when the contract with Boeing was signed in January 2010. The first C-17A was handed over at Boeing’s facility in Long Beach, California in May 2011, and the sixth example entered service with the UAE AF&AD in June 2012. The new C-17As have been used to support coalition operations overseas. At
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least one aircraft deployed to Mali in April 2013 to assist in Operation Serval (the French intervention there). The C-17As also provided support during the multi-national search for the missing Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777, flight MH370. On the same day in February 2009 that the C-17A acquisition became public, it was announced that Lockheed Martin’s C-130J-30 Super Hercules had been selected to replace the UAE’s fleet of six
ageing C-130Hs. An order for 12 C-130J-30s was anticipated. In contrast to the Boeing deal, which secured early delivery of six Globemasters, the Super Hercules procurement has stalled. The signing of the contract looked to be a formality in late December 2009, with the DSCA issuing notification of the US$119 million request made on behalf of the UAE. This included training and logistics support related to 12
aircraft procured via a Direct Commercial Sale (DCS). Despite no formal notice being issued to indicate that the procurement of the C-130J-30s has been delayed, or cancelled. In February 2013, a 157 million dirham (US$42.75 million) contract to install digital co*ckpits and upgrade the avionics of six C-130Hs was awarded to the Advanced Military Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul Centre (AMMROC), an Abu Dhabi-based company created as a joint venture between Mubadala Aerospace, Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin. When the C-130Hs are redelivered, following their modification, the improved capabilities along with the new fleet of C-17As should remove any need to proceed with the C-130J acquisition, in the short term.
Maritime Patrol and Special Mission Assets
The UAE’s position on the Arabian (Persian) Gulf, and close proximity to the strategically
Above: A total of 25 Pilatus PC-21 turbo-prop aircraft were delivered to the Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Air College, at Al Ain, during 2011 and 2012. Alan Warnes Below: The F-16E/F Desert Falcon aircraft have been regular participants in multinational, overseas exercises. This F-16E is seen returning to Konya Air Base, in Turkey, following a sortie during Anatolian Eagle 2013-2, on June 14, 2013. Jan Kraak
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Branch: UAE AF & Air Defence Role: Aerial Surveillance, Troop Transport, Air Defence
important Strait of Hormuz, has ensured that priority has been given to the procurement of a modern maritime patrol aircraft (MPA). It was originally reported that Airbus Military’s C295MPA Persuader had been selected to fulfil this role. However, the acquisition was not pursued; instead a pair of second-hand Bombardier DHC-8Q315 Dash 8s were purchased in mid-2007. A 1.071 billion dirham (US$337 million) contract for their conversion to MPA configuration was awarded to the Canadian company, Provincial Aerospace Ltd (PAL), in February 2009. Both aircraft were flown to PAL’s facility in St John’s, Newfoundland, where they were modified to accept the systems and sensors required to meet the UAE’s requirements. PAL declined to provide details of the equipment fit, but key components have been provided by Thales, FLIR Systems, Saab Aviatronics, Elettronica and Honeywell. The company describes the aircraft as “the most sophisticated Dash 8s on the planet”. Two were delivered in March and April 2012 and both are tasked with patrolling UAE’s territorial waters, monitoring pollution and supporting search and rescue missions. In line with UAE’s increasing contribution to overseas involvement, one Dash 8 was deployed to help search for Flight MH370 in March. Although the two new MPA have proved to be a good investment, this hasn’t stopped the UAE’s search for a more sophisticated capability within the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) role. The Italian aircraft manufacturer Piaggio Aero announced it had signed an agreement in July 2012 with Abu Dhabi Autonomous Systems Investments (ADASI), a subsidiary of the Tawazun Group, to develop an ISR-configured variant of its P180 Avanti II. The development has been dubbed a Multirole Patrol Aircraft, with Saab selected as the systems supplier. The aircraft’s sensor suite is expected to be able to operate on ISR missions over land and water. In February 2013 it was announced that Telephonics Corporation’s RDR-1700B radar had been chosen as the centrepiece of the aircraft’s surveillance system, with the two P180 MPA prototypes due to fly in late 2014. They will then be delivered to the UAE, where further development work will continue.
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IRAN STRAIT OF HORMUZ
Manama BAHRAIN
OMAN
Q ATA R
Doha
PERSIAN GULF
Dubai Al Minhad AB
Abu Dhabi
GULF OF OMAN
Sas Al Nakheel Al Bateen AB
Al Dhafra AB
Al Ain Falaj Hazza Camp
Al Safran AB
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES OMAN SAUDI ARABIA
Joint Aviation Command
Above: The UAEAF&AD Mirage 2000-9s are likely to be replaced when the batch of 30 F-16 Block 61s are delivered. Industry sources are speculating the Pakistan Air Force will acquire them when they become surplus. Alan Warnes Below: The Hawk Mk.102s are based at Al Minhad where they fly in a limited air defence role. They are also believed to be used for lead in fighter training and although the M-346 Master was selected as a successor in 2009 a contract is yet to be signed. Alan Warnes
Perhaps the most significant reorganisation of the UAE armed forces’ aviation assets implemented during the past five years, has taken place outside the direct control of the air force. During 2012 the tri-service Joint Aviation Command (JAC) was established and it reports directly to the General Headquarters of the UAE Armed Forces. The new JAC has absorbed all of the aviation elements from the UAE land forces and the special operations command, along with the naval squadron, the latter having formerly operated a variety of helicopters
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FORCE REPORT United Arab Emirates Air Force & Air Defence Unmanned Aircraft Systems
Above: Like so many other areas of UAE industrialisation, the UAV sector is heading towards indigenisation. Abu Dhabi-based Adcom Systems is developing a number of options including the United 40 with a Block 5 the latest variant on offer. It has an endurance of more than 100 hours without being refuelled, flying at 30,000ft (9,144m), with a maximum take-off weight of 4,410lb (2,000kg). Alan Warnes Below: Clearly displaying its ISR and strike capabilities, this Cessna 208B Grand Caravan has been subjected to an upgrade by Sierra Nevada Corporation, which has integrated FLIR’s Star SAFIRE 380-HD EO/IR sensor and AGM-114K/M Hellfire missiles. Alan Warnes
from Al Bateen, under the control of the UAE AF&AD, in support of the UAE Navy. The restructuring has been accomplished in tandem with equipment acquisition programmes, which has allowed for a significant expansion in the command’s capabilities. The 30 Boeing AH-64D Apaches and 18 Airbus Helicopters AS550C3 Fennecs, which remain based at Al Dhafra, have been transferred from the 10th Army Aviation Brigade to the JAC. Both types are currently subject to an ambitious upgrade and improvement
programme. The Apaches, having been modernised from AH-64A to ’D standard by Boeing between 2008 and 2010, may be upgraded to AH-64E Guardian specification. The DSCA issued a formal notification to Congress on November 4, 2010, of the UAE’s wish to undertake this modification, and to acquire 30 new-build AH-64E Guardians for an estimated value of around US$5.0 billion. At the time of writing, it is believed that no contract has yet been signed, although initial formalities to conduct
During the past decade or so, the UAE has undoubtedly emerged as the Arab nation most committed to establishing and maintaining a credible inventory of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). A small number of Seeker II air vehicles, and a single ground control station (GCS) was acquired from the South African company Denel Dynamics (named Kentron at the time of purchase) in 2003. They patrol Abu Dhabi’s western border with Saudi Arabia. In 2004 it was planned to deploy the Seeker IIs to Afghanistan in support of ISAF operations, but this was cancelled due to a shortage of air vehicles for the ongoing domestic commitments along the Saudi Arabian border. However, following the delivery of a second batch of Seeker IIs during 2009, it is reported that three air vehicles were dispatched to Afghanistan the following year. The type remains in active service with the UAE AF&AD, with Denel Dynamics awarded a US$6.3 million contract in February 2011 for new engines, spares and routine maintenance in support of the Seeker UAS. The UAE AF&AD has also acquired a large number of rotary-wing Schiebel Camcopter S-100s and an order for 60 was fulfilled by the Austrian manufacturer during late 2010. As has become increasingly common with recent procurement programmes, the sale of the S-100s was undertaken in partnership with a local industrial sponsor, in this case Abu Dhabi Autonomous System Investments (ADASI). This joint venture resulted in the establishment of the Al Sabr programme in 2003, which developed the Camcopter to meet the
UAE’s specific requirements and continues to support the system in operational service today. The UAE AF&AD became the first customer for General Atomics’ Predator XP in February 2013, when the 722 million dirham (US$196.5 million) deal was announced at the International Defence Exhibition and Conference in Abu Dhabi. It is well known that the UAE had sought to acquire a sophisticated UAS from American sources, but the Missile Technology and Control Regime (MTCR) had effectively prevented any sales of the MQ-1 Predator or MQ-9 Reaper to customers in the Middle East. With MTCR compliance in mind, General Atomics developed the Predator XP as an export variant of its successful platform, which is unable to carry any weapons and has tamper-proof guidance and control systems installed. The Predator XP UAS is being acquired by the International Golden Group, on behalf of the UAE AF&AD, and will oversee the supply and support of the system in the ISR role. Although the UAE has so far relied on purchasing its UAS technology from overseas suppliers, in co-operation with local industry, efforts continue to design and develop an indigenously built capability. Abu Dhabi-based Adcom Systems began manufacturing aerial target drones in the mid1990s and the company has now developed a significant portfolio of different UAS platforms, such as the ambitious high-altitude, longendurance (HALE) United 40 Block 5 and Global Yabhon platforms. However, it is not known if any of the designs have entered full operational service with the UAE AF&AD.
Below: The UAE AF&AD’s three A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transports (MRTT) have already been utilised to support overseas deployments. This example is pictured at Manchester Airport, in February 2014, where it stopped after assisting with the ferry flight of six F-16 Desert Falcons, across the Atlantic Ocean. Karl Nixon
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Branch: UAE AF & Air Defence Role: Aerial Surveillance, Troop Transport, Air Defence
the procurement through the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process were due to have taken place in October 2013. The target identification and designation capabilities of the armed Fennecs have been partially upgraded. They have operated in support of UAE land forces since entering service in 2002. As is becoming common practice, the upgrade was undertaken indigenously, by Global Aerospace Logistics (GAL), part of the International Golden Group. The company has subcontracted the installation and integration of a FLIR Star SAFIRE III EO/IR system to the Emirates subsidiary, Highland Integrated Surveillance Systems (HISS). The majority of airframes now operated under the auspices of the JAC have come from the special operations command, which had previously been referred to as Group 18 of the Presidential Guard. Adding to the fleet of battlefield, naval and VIP-configured helicopters, is a fixed-wing element established at Falaj Hazza Camp, located within the city boundaries of Al Ain. The unit is tasked with low-altitude surveillance, border patrol and close air support (CAS) missions. It operates an eclectic fleet of around 30 turboprop special mission aircraft, the most numerous being the Air Tractor AT-802U border patrol aircraft (BPA). Designed as a crop-sprayer, the AT-802 was marketed by Air Tractor as a potential low-cost CAS platform in 2008. Although it had never been equipped with munitions, a small fleet of armoured examples provided a decade of service in the
Above: This C-130H-30, 312 was operated by Maximus Air Cargo when seen in November 2011. The Abu Dhabi-based company claims to be the largest all-cargo airline in the Middle East and works with the United Nations in an airlift role when required. Alan Warnes
Above: The joint-venture collaboration between Piaggio Aero and Abu Dhabi Autonomous Systems Investments (ADASI) has resulted in the ambitious new Multirole Patrol Aircraft, based on the P180 Avanti II. This artist’s impression details the configuration of the new platform, which is scheduled to perform its maiden flight during 2014. Piaggio Aero Below: Although very rarely seen, the UAE AF&AD has been operating a pair of Piaggio Avanti IIs, configured for air ambulance tasks, since September 2010. This example is pictured at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan on October 11, 2011. Christian Shrick
anti-narcotics role, performing aerial fumigation to eradicate coca plants in Colombia. The aircraft’s robust qualities, and its ability to operate in an austere environment, led to the development of the AT-802U variant. In early 2010 it was reported that the UAE had agreed to purchase 24 aircraft from Air Tractor and deliveries began in December that year. Airframe modifications included the installation of a large internal fuel tank, allowing for an endurance of around ten hours. Other structural improvements saw the installation of six underwing hardpoints with a fuselage-mounted centre pylon available for surveillance sensors. Whilst Air Tractor supplied the aircraft, the systems and weapons integration was undertaken in Orlando, Florida and Mooresville, North Carolina by IOMAX USA, a specialist provider of ISR solutions. A variety of weapons options are available, including AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bombs (LGBs), Direct Attack Guided Rockets (DAGRs), 500lb (227kg) Mk
Delivered between May 2011 and June 2012, the six new Boeing C-17A Globemaster III aircraft have vastly increased the air arm’s transport capabilities. Alan Warnes
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FORCE REPORT United Arab Emirates Air Force & Air Defence The Search for Network Solutions
82 unguided bombs, seven-round M260 rocket launchers and threebarrel GAU-19/A 12.7mm gun pods. The 24th and final BPA was delivered in June 2013, although the fleet has since been reduced to 18 aircraft, following the recent donation of six examples to the Royal Jordanian Air Force. The remainder of the fixed-wing assets flown from Falaj Hazza Camp comprise eight Cessna 208B Grand Caravans and three de Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otters, all of which are now configured to undertake similar tasks to the Air Tractors. As with the JAC’s Fennecs, local company GAL has overseen the upgrades on both aircraft types, with the Cessna 208s entrusted to Sierra Nevada Corp (SNC), and
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the installation of FLIR’s Star SAFIRE 380-HD EO/IR sensor on the unit’s three Twin Otters subcontracted to HISS. All eight of JAC’s Cessnas are reported to have been modified to a similar configuration, commonly referred to as ‘AC-208B Combat Caravans’. They are capable of firing AGM-114K/M Hellfire anti-armour missiles. Future acquisitions are anticipated to be a batch of four brand-new Viking Air DHC-6-400 Twin Otters, which would be acquired on behalf of the JAC by GAL. The first of these arrived at Al Ain in December 2013, for modification and upgrade to ‘Guardian’ standard, incorporating an EO/IR turret, low-light camera and digital recorder, plus an
The UAE’s search for a suitable airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) platform has been long and fairly tortuous. For many years Northrop Grumman’s E-2C Hawkeye 2000 had been the strong favourite to fulfi l this role. A DSCA request for a batch of five refurbished exUS Navy aircraft was lodged back in September 2002. No sale was concluded, however, and Boeing entered the competition with its 737 AEW&C, which began to emerge as a serious contender for selection from 2005 onwards. It was therefore surprising that in November 2009 Saab announced it had signed an 814.4 million dirham (US$220 million) contract to supply two surplus Swedish Air Force Saab 340s, fitted with Erieye active phasedarray pulse-Doppler radars. Although the sale represented a coup for Saab, it was later made known that the Erieye system was considered an interim solution and the UAE AF&AD would continue to pursue several options to meet the nation’s long-term AEW&C requirements. The two aircraft were delivered in mid-2011, with Saab also supplying ground equipment,
plus logistical and support services, as part of the original contract, which is believed to have a five-year lifespan. This enables the UAE AF&AD to meet its operational requirements in providing an AEW&C capability and allows for training in modern, network centric airpower management. It has also enabled Saab to develop some strategic industrial links within the UAE, most notably the joint venture with Tawazun in February 2013 to establish Abu Dhabi Advanced Radar Systems (ADARS), to produce, maintain and develop next-generation radar systems. The selection of a permanent AEW&C platform for the UAE AF&AD remains unfulfilled. The timescale for the selection of a permanent AEW&C solution remains unconfirmed. However, Saab’s Erieye system, mounted on its 2000 turboprop aircraft is in competition with Northrop Grumman’s E-2D Hawkeye, and the Boeing 737 AEW&C for the contract. The company’s current operational presence in the UAE, together with the establishment of ADARS, are testament to its commitment to the region.
Above: The most recent acquisition of the Joint Aviation Command involves a batch of 30 Bell 407MRH helicopters, which will be modified and supplied by the Abu Dhabi-based NorthStar Aviation LLC. NorthStar Aviation Below: This UH-60L Black Hawk 2607 is one of around 20 in service with Joint Aviation Command. Alan Warnes
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Branch: UAE AF & Air Defence Role: Aerial Surveillance, Troop Transport, Air Defence
UAE AF & AD: Order of Battle via www.AirForcesIntelligence.com
Above: Seven AW139s are used by the UAE Air Force for SAR purposes, although one acts as a spares source. Abu Dhabi Aviation is contracted to fly the missions from Al Minhad and Al Bateen with their civilian personnel coming from all over the world. Alan Warnes Below: Al Ain-based Horizon Flight Academy is responsible for training all UAEAF&AD helicopter pilots as well as a large number of foreign personnel including many from Afghanistan. It has a fleet of ex UAEAF Bell 206s and newer Bell 407s (seen here) to do the work. Alan Warnes
Headquarters
Abu Dhabi City
Western Air Command
Al Dhafra Air Base, Abu Dhabi
Fighter Wing
Al Dhafra AB
I Shaheen Sqn
F-16E/F Block 60 Desert Falcon
II Shaheen Sqn
F-16E/F Block 60 Desert Falcon
III Shaheen Sqn
F-16E/F Block 60 Desert Falcon
71 Sqn
Mirage 2000-9EAD/DAD
76 Sqn
Mirage 2000-9EAD/DAD
Al Safran AB 86 Sqn
Mirage 2000-9EAD/DAD
Transport Wing
Al Bateen AB
4 (C-130) Sqn
C-130H/H-30, L-100-30
6 (SAR) Sqn
AB412HP/SP, AW139
CASA Sqn
PTDI CN-235M-110
MSA Sqn
DHC-8-Q315
Al Ain IAP MRTT Sqn
A330 MRTT
Sas Al Nakheel VIP Sqn
AS365N3 Dauphin II, AW109S, AW139
Central Air Command
Al Minhad Air Base, Dubai
Al Minhad AB 12 Sqn
Hawk Mk102
AEW&C Sqn
SAAB 340 AEW&C
Al Fursan – National Aerobatic Team
MB-339A(NAT)
C-17 Sqn
C-17A
SAR Sqn
AW139
Various Locations
NVG-compatible co*ckpit. The JAC still maintains the biggest presence at Sas Al Nakheel, the island base very close to Abu Dhabi city. This is home to the command’s increasing number of Boeing CH-47F Chinook and Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters. An initial batch of four Chinooks was supplied via DCS in August 2010. The first pair from a follow-on order for 16 examples, concluded via the FMS process, arrived in October 2012. These latest acquisitions raise the total number of Chinooks in service to 28, as the UAE has operated a batch of eight refurbished and upgraded CH-47C+ variants, acquired from the Libyan Air Force in 2003. As many as 40 UH-60M Black Hawks were bought from Sikorsky, with the most recent contract signed in December 2009 for 14 examples. Most of these were supplied in an armed configuration, with a door-mounted GAU-19/A 12.7mm machine-gun and an EO/IR turret installation beneath the helicopter’s chin. In addition to the impressive number of Black Hawks being inducted into JAC service, Sikorsky’s earlier UH-60L variant
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has also been purchased in recent years. It was announced in November 2007 that a batch of ten was being acquired via DCS, and this number was later doubled. Initial deliveries took place during 2009, with all 20 arriving by the end of October 2010. It is believed the UH-60L variant serves in the aircrew training role at Al Minhad in Dubai, where a new apron has been constructed for the afm unit’s flight operations.
UAV Unit
Seeker II, S-100 Al Sabr
Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Air College
Al Ain IAP
Air College Sqn
Grob 115TA Acro
Basic Flying Training Squadron
PC-7
3 Sqn
PC-21
Horizon Flight Academy
Bell 407, Bell 206
Joint Aviation Command
Sas Al Nakheel, Abu Dhabi Sas Al Nakheel
Group 18
AS550C3 Fennec, CH-47C+/F, IAR-330SM, UH-60M, AS565SB/UB, Bell 407MRH
Falaj Hazza Camp Group 22
AT-802U BPA, Cessna 208B, DHC-6-300
Al Dhafra AB Group 10
AH-64D
Above: Leaves swirl as UAE Army AH-64D, 071, one of 30 flying from Al Dhafra, provides a good example of the downdraft from its two General Electric T700-GE-701D engines. The UAE Presidential Guard has taken over responsibility of all the Apaches and UH-60Ms as well as the Bell 407s currently being delivered, as part of homeland defence. The UAE is now looking at the AH-64E Guardian as a step-up in capability. Alan Warnes
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EXERCISE REPORT HEMUS 2014
Bulgarian Anti-Terrorism Demonstration Helicopters from the Bulgarian Air Force’s 24th Helicopter Aviation base at PlovdivKrumovo played a major part in antiterrorist exercise in Plovdiv recently, as Chavdar Garchev reports
T
HE BIENNIAL Specialized International Defence Equipment Exhibition (HEMUS) was established in 1995 by the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Bulgaria. It is held in the last week of May in the nation’s second largest city, Plovdiv. The scenario, played out in pouring rain before senior military officers and other delegates from the conference, supposed that a
terrorist group was in the area and had to be located and neutralized. A Bell 206B-3 JetRanger was used for the first job of finding the suspects. Because Bulgaria’s JetRangers have been grounded, awaiting engine repairs, this marked the type’s first military exercise for more than three years. Once the ‘terrorists’ had been detected a heavily-armed
Above: Bulgaria uses the Mi-17 for the close air support mission because its Mi-24 Hinds have been out of service for some time. This example, ‘417’ is armed with two 7.62mm machine guns as well as six rocket launchers. The guns are a new addition to the Hip’s armament - training on the weapons started in April. It is hoped that the Hind will be back in service by the end of the year. All images by author.
Mi-17 Hip-H provided top cover and close air support for an Airbus Helicopters AS532AL Cougar which brought a special forces team to the location. From beginning to end, the entire operation which involved three helicopter types flying very low over the River Maritsa lasted ten minutes. It culminated with the special forces and their prisoners being evacuated by the Hip. afm
Above: Low over Plovdiv a Bell 206B JetRanger ‘01’ from 24th Vertoletna Aviacionna Basa (24.VAB - Helicopter Aviation Base) searches for ‘terrorists’. Right: A crewman leans out of the door of AS352AL ‘712’ as it approaches the landing zone in the centre of Plovdiv.
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30/06/2014 14:57
DEBRIEF Harpia Publishing Modern Chinese Warplanes Andreas Rupprecht and Tom Cooper 35.95 euros ISBN 978-0-9854554-0-8 Harpia Publishing’s latest title addresses a supposed lack of up-to-date military aviation information by uncovering in great detail how the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) and the People’s Liberation Naval Air Force (PLANAF) operate. The PLAAF has the third largest air force in the world, after personnel numbers in the United States and Russia. The authors have taken the clever step of breaking the development of PLAAF into five periods, a tried and tested method
Casemate Publishing Da Nang Diary A Forward Air Controller’s Gunsight View of Flying with SOG Tom Yarborough £20.00 ISBN 978-1-61200-220-0 This is the story of how an elite group of USAF pilots fought a secret war in Cessna O-2s and Rockwell OV-10 Broncos over the Vietnam jungles of South East Asia. Flying as low as they dared, these pilots acted as Forward Air Controllers (FACs) for the fast moving jets that brought death and destruction to the enemy. Acting as the
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adopted by Western publications. The early days of Chinese airpower has been told many a time in other publications but, if this is your first book on the subject what is provided is more than adequate. Detailed and thorough, the coverage is supplemented with photographs from the 1950s and 60s which, given the scarcity of cameras, is testimony to the tremendous research by the authors. But it has to be the last two decades that have seen the greatest strides in technology with China’s military aviation the main beneficiary. It’s clear that stealth technology has arrived and that fifth generation fighters are being developed ‘according to the book’. Smartly broken down into types, the Combat and Combat Support chapters list every type currently in service, with some exclusive
jet pilot’s eyes and ears, they turned their skill into an art form – knowing where the targets were, the location of friendly troops and ultimately enemy positions. The FACs made split-second decisions that often affected the entire outcome of the battle. Originally published in 1990, this revised and expanded edition now has an additional 50,000 words, new pilots’ accounts and previously unpublished photographs, putting the reader ‘right in the co*ckpit’ of the O-2s and OV-10s. The unique bird’s-eye perspective of the secret war fought by the Studies and Observation Group (SOG) along the Ho Chi Minh Trail is given in chilling detail. It is a tale of how desperate FAC pilots fought to save stranded special forces teams deep behind enemy lines, risking their own lives as they flew above the teams at treetop height, calling in rescue helicopters. Sometimes the missions were a success but occasionally the US soldiers were never heard of again. The exploits of the USAF’s ‘Prairie Fire’ operations, which the author flew on are explained. During these sorties he earned the dubious reputation of being the most frequently shot-up pilot in Laos. A great book that recalls how USAF pilots took the war into the enemy’s backyard. Glenn Sands
information on the H-6Hs of the PLAAF. The depth of detail about the aircraft types is fantastic and alone worth the cover price. Following this chapter are others on aircraft weaponry, PLA aircraft markings and order of battle. Throughout the book are exceptionally accurate colour profiles, which, in my opinion, could have been slightly larger to take account of their excellent standard. A stunning piece of work and one highly recommended to any serious observer of the modern military aviation scene. Glenn Sands
AirDoc Publications Jagdgeschwader 71 ‘Richthofen’ 1975-2013 Hartmut Feldmann 16.95 euros ISBN 978-3-935687-70-6
One of the most famous fighter squadrons in the German Air Force, Jagdeschwader (JG – fighter wing) (JG) 71 ‘Richthofen’ had the distinction of operating the legendary F-4F Phantom II. It is these years that the book focuses on with a selection of stunning historical and recent images covering the operational history of the F-4F with the squadron. Beginning in 1975, when the first F-4Fs arrived at Wittmundhafen, the bilingual German/English text is extremely informative. It lists the serials of the first examples, the squadron commanders and how the initial training cadre of pilots and navigators was formed, and how they learnt to operate what at the time was one of the most complex combat aircraft in the world. From here the book is chronicled in years with the highlights of each
period explained in the copy and with appropriate images attached. The level of information contained in the photo captions is excellent and the author has certainly done his research. Phantom upgrades are explained and fancy paint schemes applied to commemorate the occasions are shown in glorious colour. As with other books within the AirDoc series this title ticks all the boxes for an authoritative book on the legendary F-4 Phantom and its service with the German Air Force. Long may such titles continue. Glenn Sands
These titles are available from: The Aviation Bookshop, 31-33 Vale Road, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 1BS, United Kingdom. Telphone: +44(0)1892 539284 Website: www.aviation-bookshop.com
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DEBRIEF Book Guild My Secret Falklands War
Sidney Edwards £7.99 ISBN: 978-1-909716-27-8 Only now, 32 years after the Falklands War, are some of the most secret stories of the conflict emerging. With the 30-year rule on keeping government secrets having passed, Wing Commander Sidney Edwards has stepped forward to tell his part in events that the British general public knew nothing about at the time. Wing Commander Edwards was called from his home on Sunday
Casemate/Stackpole Military Photo Series Vietnam War Helicopter Art: Volume Two John Brennan £16.99 ISBN: 978-0-8117-1349-8
April 11, 1982 to a top-secret meeting at Joint Force HQ at Northwood just outside London. A former fighter pilot, and fluent Spanish speaker with diplomatic and intelligence experience, he was uniquely qualified to work with the Chilean armed forces and their ruling military junta. At the time Chile was offering to covertly support the British Task Force in the region. Within hours of the meeting the author was on his way to Chile and starting to gain a unique perspective on the war. Part of his work involved liaising with the Chilean intelligence services on the strength of Argentine forces in the region, which could be deployed The Vietnam War is regarded as the first ‘helicopter war’ and it’s no surprise that aircrews drafted into the US Army were quick to decorate their mounts with artwork ranging from the risqué and bizarre to the completely offensive. Back in those days it was a case of ‘anything goes’ and this second volume in the series shows there are still plenty of great period colour images out there, many of which are from the personal archives of the aircrews. There’s plenty for the war historian and helicopter enthusiast to look at. The author goes beyond the AH-1 Cobra gunships and includes the CH-47 Chinook and OH-6 Loach as well. One notable image is OH-6A ‘ZigZag’ on the helicopter pad at Camp Di An, South Vietnam in 1970. The crew had brought back a dead elk, tied to the
against the British warships, and seeking suitable airbases from which British warplanes could operate, out of sight of prying eyes. One of his most remarkable accomplishments was creating a cover story for a British helicopter crew, found near the Chilean/Argentine border – claiming it was a navigation error. It is now known their role was to insert members of the special forces into the area to monitor Argentine airbases. This collection of memories takes the reader on a frantic journey from the corridors of diplomacy within the embassies at Santiago to recovering the crew of a Sea King helicopter from a beach, miles from the British Task Force. Glenn Sands
helicopter’s skid, for a barbecue that night at the army base! Each image is matched with a comprehensive caption listing the aircrew plus the fate of the helicopter and operating unit. While there are no combat
accounts and many of the images simply show parts of the helicopter, this book provides a vivid slice of American opinion about the war from fliers who fought above the rice paddies in Hueys, Cobras and Chinooks. Glenn Sands
These titles are available from: The Aviation Bookshop, 31-33 Vale Road, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 1BS, UK. Telephone: +44(0)1892 539284 Website: www.aviation-bookshop.com
Assistant Editor – AVIATION NEWS WOULD YOU like to play a big part in the growing success story of Aviation News magazine? This could be your chance. As we gain more readers and plaudits from both enthusiasts and the aviation industry, we are seeking an Assistant Editor to help us to further develop Aviation News. Based at Key Publishing’s offices in Stamford, Lincolnshire, this is a full-time post. You will assist editor Dino Carrara in the writing, compilation and editing of
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articles on all aspects of aviation past, present and future, as well as in sourcing top-quality imagery and contributors. The successful candidate should also be bursting with ideas for interesting and exciting features. It is a challenging and demanding role, but the rewards include the chance to travel all over the world to cover the best aviation stories. You will need to be an aviation enthusiast who thinks nothing of spending a day by the fence
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Royal Marines from the Commando Mobile Air Operations Team conduct load lifting operations with a Sea King HC4 from 845 Naval Air Squadron during Exercise Pashtun Commando in Jordan. UK MoD Crown Copyright/PO(Phot) Mez Merrill
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WarthogsPages Dave Allport reports on the return of the A-10C to Europe for the first time in 12 months
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EVEN US Air Force A-10C Thunderbolt IIs were recently deployed to Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, to participate in Exercise Combined Resolve II. All were from the Idaho Air National Guard’s 124th Wing/190th Fighter Squadron ‘Skullbangers’ at Boise Airport-Gowen Field, Idaho. Approximately 100 airmen from the unit accompanied the aircraft to provide support. Arriving on May 16 were 80-0218 ‘ID’, 78-0625 ‘ID’ and 79-0084 ‘ID’, callsigns ‘Tabor 61’ to ‘Tabor 63’, respectively, together with 78-0634 ‘ID’, 78-0653 ‘ID’, 78-0707 ‘ID’ and 81-0955 ‘ID’, callsigns ‘Tabor 71’ to ‘Tabor 74’. The aircraft arrived at Spangdahlem via Lajes Field in the Azores. This marked the first time the type has been seen in Europe since the departure of the last A-10Cs of the 52nd Fighter Wing/81st Fighter Squadron ‘Panthers’ from the base on May 17, 2013. The unit then disbanded on June 18, 2013.
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A-10C in EuropE Left: Colonel Paul K Kingsley (callsign ‘Kingman’), who is commander of the 124th Operations Group, 124th Fighter Wing, stands in front of one of the unit’s A-10Cs on May 30 during the deployment to Spangdahlem. Below: Idaho Air National Guard A-10C 80-0218 ‘ID’ fires its 30mm GAU-8/A Avenger cannon over the Grafenwoehr Training Area in Germany on May 20 while participating in Exercise Combined Resolve II. US Army/Markus Rauchenberger
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US Air Force/Idaho ANG A-10C Thunderbolt II 78-0707 ‘ID’ from the 124th Fighter Wing/190th Fighter Squadron ‘Skullbangers’, turns in on short finals to land at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, on May 30 after a close air support sortie during Exercise Combined Resolve II. All photos, Joris van Boven, unless stated otherwise
Combined Resolve II was a US Army Europeled multi-national live-fire exercise held at the Grafenwoehr and Hohenfels Training Areas in southeast Germany from May 15 to June 30. Over 4,000 participating personnel included the US Army’s European Rotational Force, plus troops from 14 other NATO allied, partnered and co-operative nations. The exercise involved complex and demanding tasks such as operational planning, manoeuvre of forces, and effective employment and synchronisation of air and ground forces. The ‘Skullbangers’ A-10Cs had been invited to Germany by US Army Europe to provided close air support for troops on the ground during force-on-force manoeuvre training elements of the exercise. US Air Force 1st Lt Kristen Daigle, officer in charge of intelligence with the ‘Skullbangers’, said prior to the exercise: “I think it’s going to be great, both for our pilots and for those troops on the ground. It sounds like we will be working with Joint Terminal Attack Controllers who have not done a lot of calls for close air support. It will be good training for them and for our pilots working with JTACS who do not use English as a primary language.” Afterwards, Colonel
Paul K Kingsley, commander of the 124th Operations Group, confirmed that the co-operation with JTACs from Belgium and Croatia had been a success. Combined Resolve II was the largest multinational exercise in Europe scheduled for 2014, and involved personnel from Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Georgia, Hungary, Kosovo, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and the US. It marked the first use of the US Army’s European Activity Set, a group of combat equipment and vehicles pre-positioned at Grafenwoehr to outfit and support rotational forces when they arrive in Europe. This included the most updated versions of the Army’s M1A2 Abrams tanks and M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles. After the last of 12 missions, on May 30, the A-10Cs’ involvement was over and they prepared to head for home. They departed in two waves, again routing via Lajes. The first wave, comprising 78-0707, 78-0653, 81-0955, 78-0625 and 78-0634, respective callsigns ‘Tabor 61’ to ‘Tabor 65’, left Spangdahlem on June 3. The two remaining aircraft, 79-0084 ‘Trend 71’ and 80-0218 ‘Trend 72’, followed afm on June 8.
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Above: Heading for home. One of the ‘Skullbangers’ A-10Cs, 78-0653 ‘ID’, takes off from Lajes Field in the Azores on June 10 as it heads back to the USA after taking part in Combined Resolve II. US Air Force/Tech Sgt Paul Villanueva II Left: The pilot of Idaho ANG A-10C 78-0707 ‘ID’ prepares to taxi out for a mission from Spangdahlem Air Base on May 30 while deployed for Exercise Combined Resolve II.
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