Air Forces Monthly UK 2013-11

November 2013 ISSUE 308

RAF VC10 - AFM FLIES THE LAST EVER MISSION

Officially the World's Number One Military Aviation Magazine | www.airforcesmonthly.com

Exclusive Report

WAR READY United States Marine Corps Head for the Mediterranean

21st Century Gunship US Air Force AC-130 variants in detail

Chile Special

» ARMY AVIATION FORCE REPORT » NAVAL AVIATION FORCE REPORT » AIR FORCE CHOPPERS » FLYING WITH THE NAVY'S PC-7

Exercise Reports

» RED FLAG ALASKA » SAUDI-BRITISH GREEN FLAG

Flying Finns

At RAF Valley NOVEMBER 2013 UK £4.60

All the action from RAF Coningsby

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CONTENTS 30 F1 over the Baltic

For daily news stories please visit www.airforcesdaily.com e-mail the news team at [email protected]

Mirage F1CRs of the French Air Force recently deployed to Lithuania and Russia. Jan Kraak caught up with some of the pilots on their return.

Corps’ 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit is preparing to embark on a seven-month cruise – AFM’s Jerry Gunner visited North Carolina before the task force left.

32 Dying Hornets

46 21st Century Gunship

Mathias Grägel reports as the German Army’s retirement plan for its MBB Bo105 helicopters gathers pace.

Ben Montgomery investigates the special qualities of the US Air Force’s latest AC-130 gunship variants.

34 Flying Finns in Wales

50 End of the Empire

Derek Bower reports on the Finnish Air Force’s recent visit to RAF Valley in Anglesey.

38 COVER STORY Ready for War! As tensions rise in the Mediterranean, the US Marine

It was an emotional day at RAF Brize Norton when the RAF finally retired its last Vickers VC10s. AFM’s Gary Parsons was there to say goodbye to the ‘Queen of the Skies’.

58 Tip of the Spear The French Navy’s nuclear-powered

aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle has just completed a series of complex training exercises in the Mediterranean. Now, it is ready, if needed, to support a call to action – Henri-Pierre Grolleau reports.

76 CHILE SPECIAL Pilatus pilots Neil Dunridge and Kevin Jackson highlight VT-1, the Chilean Navy’s fixed-wing training squadron.

64 Polished Spark This year marks the 50th anniversary of the TS-11 Iskra in Polish Air Force service. Paul Gross and Hans Looijmans appraise this remarkable aircraft.

70 CHILE SPECIAL Chile’s Choppers Grupo 9 is the Chilean Air Force’s main helicopter unit, specialising in combat search and rescue, training, transport and helping the community, as Santiago Rivas explains.

Another month, another retirement this time it's the RAF's VC10 after 47 years of remarkable service. See our tribute to the Queen of the Skies from page 50. Geoff Lee/PlaneFocus

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REGULARS 8

Opinion

26 Deployments & Contracts 27 Attrition 72 Force Report: CHILE SPECIAL Chilean Army Aviation Álvaro Romero outlines this changing force.

78 Force Report: CHILE SPECIAL Chilean Navy Chile’s navy has had an air arm

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independent of the air force for nearly a century. Neil Dunridge tells the story of this small, but modern, South American force.

84 Exercise Report: Red Flag Alaska 13-3 Re-Flying the Flag – Curt Jans reports from Red Flag Alaska, one of the few American exercises to escape sequestration this year.

88 Exercise Report: Saudi-British Green Flag 2013 Key Publishing was privileged to interview the commander

of the Royal Saudi Air Force detachment to RAF Coningsby in late August, in what was one of the most eagerly anticipated aviation events of the year for UK enthusiasts and photographers.

and it was one to savour, being the best for many a year.

92 Postcard from... Malaysia

98 And Finally…

Babak Taghvaee reports on the 65th anniversary of Malaysian independence parade.

94 Postcard from... Scotland RAF Leuchars in Fife hosted its last-ever airshow in September

96 Ops Board All the events and airshows of the coming months.

Seventy-one years after the famous Doolittle Raid on Tokyo, a B-25 flew again with the Raiders in a unique formation.

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EDITORIAL

Change of tactics for Obama? As we go to press news is coming in of two actions by the United States in Africa. In one instance, men in plain clothes surrounded a car that the alleged al-Qaeda leader Anas al-Liby was parking outside his house in a Tripoli suburb. The American agents are reported to have disarmed and arrested al-Liby, who is suspected of masterminding attacks on US Embassies in Tanzania and Kenya in 1998 that killed more than 220 people. Witnesses have claimed that those making the ‘arrest’ looked like Libyans, suggesting that there may have been some collusion between the Americans and the Libyan government, although press releases from the latter suggest the Libyans were taken by surprise. State Department sources say the suspected terrorist chief is “Detained outside Libyan territory under the laws of war”. Fewer details are known about the incident on the Horn of Africa where a sea-borne assault, Editor: Gary Parsons Assistant Editor: Jerry Gunner Editorial contact: [email protected] Military News Editor: Dave Allport

World Air Forces Correspondent: Alan Warnes Military News Analyst: Steve Rush Editor’s Secretary: Julie Lawson 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: Roz Condé Commercial Director: Ann Saundry Executive Chairman: Richard Cox Managing Director & Publisher: Adrian Cox

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reportedly carried out by ‘Seal Team Six’, famous for capturing Osama Bin Laden, was made on the same day as the Libyan incident, October 5, on the coastal Somalian town of Barawe. This attack seems to have been aimed at capturing another senior al-Shabab leader high on Washington’s wanted list, Mukhtar Abu Zubeyr, believed to be responsible for planning the assault on the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi where at least 67 people died. However, the Navy Seals apparently met far greater resistance than they were prepared for and were forced to disengage; even worse, al-Shabab said the man they were after was not at home. Somali officials were reluctant to confirm co-operation with the US but the BBC reported Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon Saaid as saying: “Our co-operation with international partners on fighting against terrorism is not a secret.” It is well known that President 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 advertisements 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

Barack Obama has been coming under a lot of pressure both domestically and globally to curtail the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, to ‘surgically’ take out high-value targets a long way from home. Collateral damage – the loss of bystanders and other innocents – happens too often for such actions to be politically sustainable. These two operations may be the first indications that Obama has initiated a new policy to arrest and prosecute suspects instead of blowing them to pieces with Hellfire missiles, a policy that may gain him much credit around the world despite the sometimes tortuous American interpretation of international law.

JERRY GUNNER, ASSISTANT EDITOR 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

Main cover image: While the US Marine Corps prepares its AV-8B Harriers for possible action in the Mediterranean, its successor, the F-35B, is just entering service and won't be ready for years yet. Joe Copalman Inset images: VC10 by Key - Gary Parsons & AC-130 by Ben Montgomery Top: US NAVY SEALS (Sea, Air, Land) Special Forces soldiers fast-rope from a mini-gun-armed US Navy Seahawk helicopter in training for an assault mission. US Navy

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, Lincolnshire, PE9 1XQ, UK. CD/DVDs will not be returned unless accompanied by a stamped addressed envelope. Telephone: +44 (0)1780 755131 Fax: +44 (0)1780 757261 Subscription: [email protected] 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

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07/10/2013 16:54

NEWS HEADLINES

For daily news stories please visit www.airforcesdaily.com e-mail the news team at [email protected]

South Korea Defers FX-III Fighter Procurement Again The Republic of Korea Air Force appears to be set on acquiring the Lockheed Martin F-35A, as it has rejected the only aircraft to meet the set budget, the Boeing F-15SE. A reduced buy of F-35s is the most likely outcome – whether they would wear this camouflage scheme remains to be seen. Al Clark

A THIRD attempt to secure offers to supply 60 new fighters for South Korea’s FX-III requirement was abandoned in late September after the only remaining bid was rejected. Boeing’s F-15SE Silent Eagle had been the sole remaining eligible candidate for the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) requirement after the latest bids had been submitted on August 16. However, the Korean Defence Ministry announced on September 24 that, following a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Programme Administration (DAPA), which oversees the project, it had been decided to re-tender the contract for a fourth time. “DAPA’s Executive Committee

voted down the selection of the F-15SE after comprehensive, in-depth reviews of performances, costs and other elements of the aircraft,” DAPA spokesman Baek Yoon-hyung told reporters. “We’ll reopen a bid as early as possible after reconsidering both operational and budget requirements.” As both other contenders in the programme, the Eurofighter Typhoon and Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II, had come in over the strict 8.3 trillion won ($7.3 billion) ceiling set for the acquisition, it had been thought that the F-15SE would have been officially announced as the winner. The price cap had been a major problem for bidders

throughout the tender process. It seems that the F-15SE, however, does not meet the ROKAF’s current requirements after DAPA had taken into consideration “the current security situation, North Korea’s nuclear programme and…the rapid development of aviation technology,” said Korean Defence Ministry spokesman Kim MinSeok. He also said that “There is a consensus that South Korea needs a fifth-generation fighter jet to deter the growing threat posed by North Korea.” The ROKAF is known to have a preference for the F-35A, but its high cost has always been a problem in the tendering process. Many officials in Korea believe the F-15SE

does not have the advanced stealth capabilities for which the ROKAF has expressed a need. A complete review of the whole acquisition process will now be undertaken, which DAPA says will take about a year. This will include looking at various alternative options, among them reducing the number of aircraft, increasing the budget and considering a combined acquisition of different types. DAPA said the process will be expedited to minimise the defence capability gap. The ROKAF is seeking 45 single-seater and 15 twin-seat aircraft, although in the case of the F-35A, all 60 would have to be single-seaters, as there is no two-seat variant.

Netherlands Confirms Plans for Reduced Buy of 37 F-35As AFTER YEARS of debate, on September 17 it was finally confirmed that the Netherlands will go ahead with the purchase of 37 Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters. Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the Netherlands Defence Minister, announced the decision in a letter to parliament during the presentation of the government’s 2014 budget at the official opening of the Lower House in The Hague. The decision to buy only 37 F-35As (including the two test airframes already acquired), rather than the 85 originally planned, came as no

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surprise, as a cut-back in the order had been mooted for some time due to rising costs and a shrinking defence budget. The type will begin replacing the Royal Netherlands Air Force’s (RNLAF) F-16 fleet from 2019, with initial operational capability anticipated in 2021. The purchase of the additional 35 F-35As will be funded from the regular defence budget, with an investment of €4.5 billion reserved and spread over a period of more than ten years. It was also stated that, should acquisition costs reduce in the coming years, further F-35As could be purchased. As operating costs cannot accurately be

calculated at the present time, a 10% contingency reserve is being added to the budget to allow for any increases. It is intended that the F-35A will remain in RNLAF service for 30 to 40 years. It was also noted that acquiring 37 aircraft will still give the RNLAF the capability to deploy four simultaneously and continuously to support overseas deployment of Dutch troops, as with the current RNLAF F-16 detachment in Afghanistan. The goahead should now enable the two test F-35As already delivered to the RNLAF to return to normal flying operations. The Dutch defence ministry had announced in March that the two

aircraft would not participate in any flight training until a decision had been made on whether or not to go ahead with the F-35A purchase, and both were subsequently placed in flyable storage at Fort Worth and have only been used for some technical testing. The defence minister also announced that discussions are under way regarding plans to maintain a joint quick reaction alert (QRA) with Belgium for protecting Benelux airspace. This would reduce the costs for both sides in maintaining the capability, although it will require a formal treaty to allow these tasks to be undertaken in each other’s airspace.

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NEWS UNITED KINGDOM UK MFTS Preferred Bidder Nearing Selection THE AFFINITY team is believed to be the preferred bidder for the remaining fixed-wing flying training element of the UK’s Military Flying Training System (MFTS) programme. The team is a joint venture between Israel’s Elbit Systems and US-based private military contracting company KBR (formerly Kellogg, Brown and Root), which has UK offices in Greenford, Middlesex, and Leatherhead, Surrey. For MFTS, Affinity has offered the Grob 120TP for elementary training, the Beech T-6C Texan II turboprop for basic training and a modified Embraer Phenom 100 business jet for multi-engine training. Ascent, the UK Ministry of Defence’s Training Service Partner overseeing the contract, already uses the Hawk T2 to provide military fast jet training at RAF Valley, Anglesey, plus rear crew training with the King Air 350ER/Avenger T1 at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose, Cornwall. Ascent issued a request for proposals in December 2012 for the provision of elementary, basic, multi-engine and fixed-wing rear crew training for the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy and Army Air Corps. Bidders were given 90 days to respond with an offer that included supplying the aircraft, infrastructure and related support through to 2030 and beyond. In addition to Affinity, there were two other bidders: a BAE Systems-led team which includes Babcock, Gama Aviation and Pilatus; plus a consortium called Team C3, comprising Cassidian Air Systems, Cobham Aviation Services and CAE UK. Ascent is expected to sign a contract with the preferred bidder in 2015. If all goes to plan the new aircraft would be introduced from 2017.

Ten Years for RAF Merlin Force

Above: Merlin HC3A ZK001 'AF' of 78 Sqn photographed on September 27 from Merlin HC3 ZJ121 'E' of 28(AC) Sqn during the event at RAF Benson to celebrate the RAF Merlin Force’s return from ten years of continual operational deployments. Key – Jerry Gunner

TEN YEARS of continual overseas operational deployment by the RAF’s Merlin Force was celebrated with an event at its UK base, RAF Benson, Oxfordshire, on September 27. Two squadrons, 28 (AC) and 78, which fly AgustaWestland Merlin HC3 and 3As, first deployed to Bosnia in 2003 and have since provided essential helicopter lift for land forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. The force achieved initial operating capability on March 31, 2003, and a day later deployed

helicopters to Bosnia in support of Operation Oculus. Returning in late 2004, it retrained and redeployed in March 2005, this time to Iraq in support of Operation Telic, where in its first month it flew more than 300 hours and achieved full operating capability ahead of schedule. Its numerous roles included supporting the life-saving Incident Response Team which often deployed to the middle of a fire-fight to extract injured personnel and civilians. Acts of bravery earned two

aircraft captains the Distinguished Flying Cross: Flight Lieutenants Michelle Goodman and Kevin Harris. Flying 18,000-plus hours in the dust and heat of Helmand, the Merlin Force flew its final sortie at the end of May, having moved more than 7,900 tonnes of kit and transported some 130,000 troops. The force has now returned home to RAF Benson where it is busy training Royal Navy crews in the operation of the Merlin in preparation for its transition to a maritime role in 2016.

Last Germany-based Lynxes Head Home THE LAST Army Air Corps aircraft based in Germany left for the UK on October 4. Three 1 Regiment Lynx AH7s (XZ609, XZ617 and XZ653) departed from from Princess Royal Barracks, Gütersloh, at 1105hrs heading for Woensdrecht, Netherlands, for a fuel stop en route to AAC

Dishforth, North Yorkshire. Not long after departure XZ609 suffered a technical problem and was forced to return to Gütersloh, where it landed again. The problem could not immediately be rectified and when AFM went to press the helicopter remained there. XZ617 and XZ653 continued

on to Woensdrecht, but problems with XZ617 resulted in it being left behind to await repair. This left just XZ653 to complete the journey, arriving at Dishforth at 1815hrs. Princess Royal Barracks will be vacated by the Army by 2016 as part of the withdrawal of British Forces from Germany.

Army Casualty Takes to the Air ON SEPTEMBER 19, 2005, Private Karl Hinnett of the British Army’s Staffordshire Regiment was seriously injured in his Warrior armoured vehicle at Basra, suffering third-degree burns on 40% of his body. Karl is one of six former members of the armed forces to be awarded an inaugural Air League/Boeing flying scholarship. “When I found out I’d been given the chance to learn how to fly, it felt like I’d won the lottery,” he said. “After Iraq, I felt like I was at a crossroads in life. Either you let it take over or you decide to make the most of what you’ve got, and I chose the latter. Ever since I was fully rehabilitated I’ve

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been pushing myself to overcome new challenges. It’s difficult, but very rewarding and after I gain my pilot’s licence I plan to continue training to become a commercial pilot.” Karl is training with Aerobility at Blackbushe in Surrey and eight years to the day after being injured at Basra, he flew solo in a PA-28 Warrior aircraft on September 19. Helping former soldiers such as Karl to fulfil their flying potential only underlines the combined commitment of Air League, Boeing and Aerobility to widen the horizons of UK aviation. The flying achievements of the disabled veterans will be recognised at the Air League Annual Reception next year. WWW.AIRLEAGUE.CO.UK

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For daily news stories please visit www.airforcesdaily.com e-mail the news team at [email protected]

RAF Shines Some Light on ISTAR Front

Above: The RAF’s fleet of Shadow R1s, bought under a UOR, have been transferred to the RAF’s core budget and will not be withdrawn post-Afghanistan. Peter R Foster

In his keynote address at this year’s Defence and Security Event (DSEi) at London’s ExCeL exhibition centre on September 10, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Pulford, stated that as the clock ticks nearer to the UK’s planned withdrawal from Afghanistan and the run-down of Operation Herrick, the RAF is faced with a number of difficult decisions on how to balance its books in respect of assets procured under urgent operational requirements (UOR). Presenting alongside CAS, the ISTAR force commander, Air Commodore Jeff Portlock,

Two RAF TriStars to be Scrapped TWO RAF TriStarsstored at Marshall Aerospace at Cambridge are to be scrapped. Skyline Aero revealed at the MRO [maintenance, repair and overhaul] Europe 2013 exhibition at the ExCeL London centre on September 26 it had won the contract to break up the TriStars, a K1, ZD949, and a C2A, ZE706. ZD949 was the trials aircraft for the Minimum Military Requirement (MMR) – a planned £22 million avionics upgrade. It arrived at Cambridge on November 17, 2007, eleven months after the contract was awarded to Marshall in October 2006. Work on the programme was abandoned after 100 hours of test flying on November 5, 2010, following the MoD’s announcement in its 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) that the type would be retired in 2013 rather than 2015-16. ZE706, a C2A transport version, was delivered to Cambridge from RAF Brize Norton, Oxon, on August 7 after it was retired from RAF service. Work to scrap the pair at Cambridge is expected to commence in April. alan warnes

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confirmed that the current fleet of five Raytheon Shadow R1 aircraft assigned to 14 Squadron at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire, originally procured under UOR, has been absorbed as a core asset, securing its future. He also confirmed that there is no change to the planned retirement in 2015 of the five Sentinel R1 aircraft of 5(AC) Squadron, also based at RAF Waddington, as announced as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010 by the Prime Minister David Cameron. However the two chiefs emphasised that the quality of the real-time imagery provided by these ASTOR (Airborne Stand-Off Radar) platforms was of the highest quality, boosting speculation they may be retained, albeit funded by another agency. Air Cdre Portlock added that the RAPTOR system employed on Tornado as a tactical and semistrategic asset was providing some outstanding imagery to both the Combined Air Operations

Centre (CAOC) in theatre and the Joint Air Reconnaissance Intelligence Centre (JARIC) in its new purpose-built facility at RAF Wyton in Cambridgeshire. It was noted that RAPTOR has an out-ofservice date (OSD) with Tornado in 2019 and that no decision has yet been taken on a replacement. Both commanders were also excited about the impending arrival of the first of three Boeing RC-135W Rivet Joint strategic reconnaissance aircraft, the first being scheduled to arrive before the end of 2013 with an in-service date in 2014. It was stated that the RAF, in future having 15% of the Rivet Joint fleet, will share in the complete Rivet Joint package over the lifespan of the aircraft. It was pointed out that RAF co-manning with the US Air Force’s 55th Reconnaissance Wing has provided a core cadre of crews ready to hit the ground running when 51 Squadron receives its first aircraft. The current fleet of six Boeing E-3D Sentry AEW1 ISTAR aircraft

has an OSD of 2025, and a replacement will be needed. CAS hinted that there is scope for a multi-mission aircraft solution incorporating not only ISTAR but also the maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) requirement – again it was reiterated that despite the loss of the UK’s MPA aircraft when Nimrod was withdrawn from service, crews have been posted to other air forces, including Canada and New Zealand, to maintain their MPA skills and capability.

UAS

CAS confirmed that the remotely piloted aircaft system MQ-9 Reaper of 13 and 39 Squadrons is proving to be a very worthwhile asset in both the reconnaissance and armed reconnaissance roles. This system was procured under a UOR and to date no decision has been taken on its future, although both CAS and AVM Stuart Atha, AOC No 1 Group, spoke at length about it and gave the impression that it too will become a core asset. Peter R foster

Tornado Tankslapper in Malta

Above: Arriving at Luqa for the Malta International Air Show on September 27, RAF Tornado GR4 ZA410 ‘016’ from XV(R) Squadron suffered a structural failure of its port fuel tank when the rear third broke away, damaging a panel on the fuselage in the process. The aircraft landed safely but was still present at Luqa International Airport as AFM went to press. Malcolm Bezzina

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OPINION

For daily news stories please visit www.airforcesdaily.com e-mail the news team at [email protected]

“You can’t get the savings necessary by reducing all of your fleets. You have to take out some fleets entirely”

Way of the

It’s a very tough time for the US military at present – six months of sequestration has taken its toll on frontline readiness and the lack of an approved 2014 budget, which should have been in place on October 1, means the capability pain continues for the foreseeable future. AFM considers the US Air Force’s options

Above: An A-10C Thunderbolt II, affectionately known as a Warthog, departs after completing air-to-air refuelling from a KC135 Stratotanker while over Michigan on September 13. Both units are assigned to the Michigan Air National Guard and stationed at Selfridge Air National Guard Base. The A-10 is assigned to the 107th Fighter Squadron and the KC-135 to the 171st Air Refueling Squadron. US Air National Guard/MSgt David Kujawa

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Warthog A

S WE write, the US Government has effectively been shut down, costing the US economy an estimated $300m (£185m) per day, awaiting Congress to bash out a deal that will unlock the budgets and let all walks of life get back to normal. But its current debt ceiling of $16.7 trillion has been breached and unless Congress agrees to raise this, sequestration could continue for years, affecting the military’s ability to pay its bills. As a result the soon-to-beretiring air force acting secretary, Eric Fanning, has said “Everything is on the table”, when considering the next round of cuts. “If we go into [fiscal year 2014] with sequestration still in effect you have to look at cuts – you can’t get the savings necessary by reducing all of your fleets. You have to take out some fleets entirely.” On Fanning’s ‘table’ are the A-10 Thunderbolt II, B-1B Lancer and KC-10 Extender. The Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General Mark A Welsh III, favours axing the A-10 as it is a “single mission airplane” and is looking for the F-35 to

take over the Thunderbolt’s close air support mission. Retiring the KC-10 is surely a non-starter – the US Air Force is short of air-to-air refuelling capability and one of its top three priorities is the Boeing KC-46 programme for 179 tankers to replace the ageing KC-135Rs that form the bulk of the fleet. The 59 KC-10 Extenders in service are far too valuable to throw away, and Welsh knows this, the real choice being between the A-10 and B-1B. The air force has never been a big fan of the A-10 and has tried to axe the aircraft before, only to be defeated by Congress and the US Army, which sees it as vital to supporting its troops on the ground. The debate has already caused a stir in Washington. Senator Kelly Ayotte, a Republican, has placed a hold (a parliamentary procedure that prevents a motion reaching the vote stage) on the White House’s nominee for the next Air Force Secretary, Deborah Lee James, until the A-10 issue is resolved. An aide for Senator Ayotte said: “She isn’t necessarily

saying we must retain the A-10, but wants to ensure there isn’t a capability gap that could result in lost American lives.” According to the air force comptroller’s office, the A-10’s operating costs are around $18,000 per hour, the cheapest of any front-line attack aircraft in the air force inventory – in contrast the F-22A Raptor costs over $68,000 and has yet to drop a bomb in anger. Protecting fifth-generation aircraft such as the F-22 and F-35 may not be the best decision in today’s wars that require a country’s military air and ground forces to operate as one. But politics and economics seem to be the prime concern in modern-day America. The F-35 will be protected by the air force as it’s “too big to fail”, as Senator Dick Durbin hinted to a Senate Appropriations Defense sub committee hearing in June. If Congress gets its way and saves the A-10, it leaves the B-1B in the firing line – its capabilities can be covered by cheaper, albeit slower, platforms such as the B-52, B-2 and F-15E.

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NEWS EUROPE More Dutch MoD Changes IN A letter to the Dutch parliament, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the Netherlands defence minister, announced a further seven of the existing Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) F-16 fleet will be retired in 2014, leaving 61 operational. The letter of September 17 stated the withdrawn aircraft will provide spares for the rest of the fleet, rather than being sold. The number of operational F-16 squadrons will also be reduced from four to three, while Leeuwarden, which is currently a Main Operating Base, will be downgraded to a Deployed Operating Base in 2015, with the basic minimum of facilities remaining to reduce overheads. Both Leeuwarden and Volkel will, however, remain operational as the RNLAF’s two fighter bases, with one squadron at the former and two at the latter. All of the F-16s will be withdrawn from RNLAF service by around 2025. It was also confirmed that the RNLAF’s single Gulfstream IV – in service since 1995 and operated by 334 Squadron at Eindhoven Air Base – is to be withdrawn from use on January 1, after which it will be sold off. The previously announced early retirement of 334 Squadron’s DC-10-30CF T-255, scheduled for January 1, will also go ahead as planned.   To maximise use of the Defence Helicopter Command fleet, which will remain unchanged, the number of flight hours will be increased to improve availability. Delays in NH90 deliveries have led to retirement of the three search and rescue Agusta Bell 412SPs, operated by 303 Squadron at Leeuwarden, to be deferred by 12 months until January 1, 2015. Once all 20 NH90s are in service, which should be by 2017, the eight remaining AS532U2 Cougars will be withdrawn.

Swiss Parliament Approves Gripen E Purchase SWITZERLAND’S COUNCIL of States, the Ständerat (upper house of the Swiss Parliament), has voted in favour of removing the spending ceiling on procurement of 22 Saab JAS-39 Gripen Es for the Swiss Air Force. A majority of ten in a vote on September 18 followed approval a week earlier by the National Council (Nationalrat or lower house), which voted 113 for and 68 against, giving acquisition approval by both chambers of parliament. A public referendum must be held before any order can go ahead.

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Dassault Delivers First Tranche 4 Rafale Sale of 15 RNLAF F-16s to Jordan Finalised THE DUTCH Ministry of Defence has finalised a deal to sell 15 surplus RNLAF F-16AM/BMs to Jordan. All are in Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) configuration and the agreement, announced on September 25, includes 13

F-16AMs and two F-16BMs upgraded to M5 software standard. Also included are 52 AGM-65G Maverick air-to-surface tactical missiles and maintenance and user training of Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF) personnel. The aircraft will be de-modified to a standard agreed with the US before delivery in three batches between late 2015 and early 2016. The F-16s were offered for sale in 2011 when the RNLAF F-16 fleet was reduced from 87 to 68 due to budget cuts. Of the remaining retired aircraft, three are kept

as logistic reserves, supplying spare parts for the rest of the fleet, while a fourth (F-16AM J-640) was written off following a landing incident at Gosselies, Belgium on April 8, 2011. The Dutch MoD previously sold six F-16BMs to the RJAF, delivered in July 2009. According to the MoD the RJAF intends to replace its oldest F-16s with the former RNLAF jets, reducing its total number of F-16s in service in the process. Kees van der Mark

Above: Dassault Rafale B 399, the first Tranche 4 aircraft, was handed over to the DGA on September 12. Dassault Aviation

DASSAULT AVIATION handed over the first Rafale from tranche four to the Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA – General Directorate of Armaments) on September 12. The batch of 60 aircraft will all be fitted with nextgeneration sensors that include the RBE2 active electronicallyscanned array (AESA) radar with active antenna, Détecteur Départ

Missile Nouvelle Génération (DDM NG – new-generation missile launch detector) and frontal sector optronics identification and telemetry system as standard. The two-seater Rafale B 339, is the 121st production Rafale delivered and will join the French Air Force (Armée de l’Air – AdlA). It was delivered on September 17, along with a second example, 340,

to Base Aérienne 118 Mont-deMarsan for testing with Escadron de Chasse et d’Experimentation 5.330 ‘Côte d’Argent.’ To date the DGA has ordered 180 Rafales and the 121 delivered comprise 44 single-seat Rafale Cs and 39 two-seat Rafale Bs for the AdlA plus 38 carrier-borne Rafale Ms for the French Naval Air Arm (Aéronautique Navale).

New Falcon 50M for French Navy

Left: Newly-converted Dassault Falcon 50M SurMar No.5 was handed over at BordeauxMérignac to the DGA on September 11 for operation by the French Naval Air Arm in the maritime surveillance role. The aircraft is the first of four ex-French Air Force examples being converted, with the last to be delivered in early 2015. Its main missions will involve search and rescue at sea, surveillance of fishing zones and fighting against trafficking and smuggling. Modifications include new observation windows, a mission control system (provided by Thales) with a new radar installed in the nose cone, retractable infrared optronics and an operator console in the cabin. Dassault Aviation

Hellenic Air Force’s 348 Mira 60th Anniversary

Above: Personnel from 348 Mira Taktikis Anagnorisis (Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron), Hellenic Air Force, pose in front of the speciallypainted RF-4E Phantom II on September 20 at Larissa Air Base to mark the squadron’s 60th anniversary. HAF

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French Crew Flies MQ-9A Reaper at Holloman AFB TRAINING OF French Air Force (Armée de l’Air – AdlA) aircrew on the General Atomics MQ-9A Reaper unmanned air vehicle (UAV) is progressing at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico in the USA. After five weeks of theoretical and practical training, including five hours using a flight simulator, French crews undertook their first familiarisation flight operating an MQ-9A on September 24. The flight, which lasted two hours, involved two pilots/ sensor operators who had previous experience operating French UAV systems. The flight involved general handling of the UAV and sensor operation. Three AdlA crews from Escadron de Drones 1/33 ‘Belfort’ at Base Aérienne 709 CognacChâteaubernard are currently training at Holloman with the 49th Fighter Wing’s 16th Training Squadron. The remaining two crews are also expected to make their first flights with the MQ-9A shortly. The AdlA is planning to acquire 12 Reapers to replace the less capable Harfang UAV. In order to support France’s Operation Serval in Mali, two Harfangs are currently deployed to Niamey, Niger, and two Reapers are being diverted from US Air Force production to expedite delivery to France. A near-$50 million Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contract was awarded on September 30 to General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, by the US Air Force Life Cycle Management Center for France’s MQ-9A Reaper urgent request programme. The precise details of exactly what has been funded with this award were not announced, but it will presumably assist in facilitating the early delivery of the first two AdlA Reaper air vehicles. France does not require delivery of the remaining Reapers to commence until late 2015 or early 2016. Work under the programme is expected to be completed by July 2015.

Swedish Maritime Administration’s First AW139 Delivered

Above: The first Swedish Maritime Administration (Sjöfartsverket) AgustaWestland AW139, SE-JRH ‘001’, lifts off from the factory at Vergiate, Italy, on September 10 to start its delivery flight to Sweden. AgustaWestland

AgustaWestland AW139 SE-JRH ‘001’, the first of seven new search and rescue AW139s for the Swedish Maritime Administration (SMASjöfartsverket) was delivered to Sweden on September 10. Captaining the delivery flight was Michael Åkerlund, who is also in charge of the team that will test and evaluate

the new helicopter before it enters operational service. AgustaWestland announced the contract for the helicopters in November 2012 and they will progressively replace the existing SMA fleet of Sikorsky S-76A/Cs across five bases at Göteborg, Norrtälje, Ronneby, Umeå and Visby. The AW139s will be equipped with the unique

Spanish Tiger Ready for Handover

Above: Seen at Eurocopter’s facility at Albacete on September 17 was the first Tigre HAD for the Spanish Army Aviation (Fuerzas Aeromóviles del Ejército de Tierra – FAMET), HA28-07/ET-707/10008 (c/n HAD5001/E01), now wearing full FAMET colours. It was scheduled to be handed over in mid-October. Roberto Yáñez

French Mirage 2000N in ASMPA Nuclear Weapon Test FRANCE’S FORCES Aériennes Stratégiques (Strategic Air Forces) (see AFM October 2013) has undertaken a rare full-scale test similar to a real nuclear deterrence mission. It occurred in September and included the launch at a target of an Air Sol de Moyenne Portée Amélioré (ASMPA – Improved Medium-Range Air-to-Ground Missile) with a dummy warhead. The mission began with a French

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Air Force (Armée de l’Air – AdlA) Dassault Mirage 2000N nuclear bomber operated by Escadron de Chasse 2/4 ‘La Fayette’ from Base Aérienne 702 Avord, taking off for a three-hour sortie. Embodying all the characteristics of a real-world nuclear attack, the Mirage climbed to high altitude, refuelled from a Boeing C-135FR of Groupe de Ravitaillement en Vol 2/91 ‘Bretagne’, then descended for a low-altitude

penetration, undertaking terrain-following tactics before launching the inert ASMPA. The flight profile of the ASMPA was tracked by the Direction Générale de l’Armement’s (DGA) Biscarosse missile test centre to ensure the weapon followed its planned trajectory in all respects. The test brought together the staff and resources of the AdlA, DGA and missile manufacturer MBDA.

Full Ice Protection System (FIPS), allowing flights into known icing conditions and enabling all weather operations, when other types would be confined to the hangar. An additional baggage compartment space – accessible from inside or outside the helicopter – allows SAR equipment to be stowed, keeping the main cabin clear.

News briefs LOCKHEED MARTIN Missiles and Fire Control of Orlando, Florida, was awarded a $12 million contract on September 12 for five Sniper Advanced Targeting Pods (ATPs) for the Belgian DefenceAir Component. Additionally, the contractor will supply eight 1K forwardlooking infrared systems, four two-way datalinks and other equipment. The contract also includes integration, training, support and programme management. US NAVAL Air Systems Command awarded a $67 million Foreign Military Sales contract to Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training of Owego, New York, for the Royal Danish Air Force (RDAF) Sikorsky MH-60R helicopter acquisition programme on September 23. The new order includes Danish-specific equipment for the production and delivery of the nine aircraft. The RDAF will configure its MH-60Rs for wide-ranging shipbased operations, including anti-surface warfare (ASuW), maritime surveillance, anti-piracy operations, sovereignty patrols, fisheries protection, search and rescue, boarding operations and support to ground military missions. First deliveries are scheduled for 2016 and all nine are due to enter service by 2018 when they will replace the seven surviving AgustaWestland Super Lynxes.

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NEWS NORTH AMERICA USAF Begins to Look for VC-25A Replacement US AIR Force plans to replace the two ‘Air Force One’ Boeing VC-25As in the presidential fleet have taken a step forward. On September 9, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, issued a ‘Sources Sought Synopsis’ solicitation, a survey to identify sources capable of providing a new and more efficient aircraft for the Air Force One role. The aircraft will be uniquely configured to meet the requirements for the President of the United States to execute constitutional roles of Commander of the Armed Forces, Head of State, and Chief Executive worldwide while airborne. Responses were required by October 9, 2013. The synopsis notes that the VC-25As, the only passenger-carrying Boeing 747-200 models remaining operational in the US, will reach the end of their planned 30-year service life in 2017. The VC-25A’s replacement, required no earlier than 2021, will be a four-engined, widebodied, commercially-derived aircraft capable of inter-continental range when departing from Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, and able to operate from regional airfields. An open systems architecture design approach for any structural and system modifications to the basic aircraft is sought to make it easier to update in the future. Mission communications, data, voice and video must provide secure and interoperable command, control and communications using net-centric architectures. Extensive structural and system modifications to the basic aircraft might be required to enable self-sufficient operations at airfields with minimal or no ground support equipment and for access to baggage and equipment storage areas while in flight. The aircraft must also be able to fly in all types of airspace across the globe, complying with local and international laws. The survey also calls for an interior to provide a work and rest environment suitable for the president and his or her family, White House senior advisers, travelling staff, security forces, guests, members of the press and air force flight crew and maintenance personnel. Passenger load requirements and interior configuration will be comparable to the VC-25A. The requirement for a four-engined type effectively reduces the choice to one of three aircraft, the Airbus A340, Airbus A380 or Boeing 747-8.

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USAF Test Pilots School Retires its Final T-38As

Above: US Air Force T-38A Talon 64-13302 'ED' (behind) flies in formation with T-38C 68-8205 'ED' for a final time from Edwards Air Force Base, California, on September 19 before the last two T-38A models departed from the base after almost 40 years’ service. USAF/Bobbi Zapka

THE NORTHROP T-38A Talon trainer was retired by the US Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base (AFB), California, on September 20 after almost 40 years’ service. The last two T-38As departed Edwards on September 23 for Holloman AFB, New Mexico, for maintenance and to have specialist testing apparatus removed.

They will then be delivered to Air Combat Command at Langley AFB, Virginia, or Tyndall AFB, Florida, for use as companion trainers for the F-22 Raptor, supplementing combat practice training as simulated missile targets. The 412th Test Wing’s 445th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards will continue to use the upgraded T-38C.

US Army Airborne Counter-IED Systems Contract Awards SCIENCE APPLICATIONS International and SRI International were awarded US Army contracts on September 17 for continued support, respectively, of the Saturn Arch and Desert Owl airborne ISR counterIED systems, both of which are installed in civilian-contracted King Air aircraft and deployed in Afghanistan. The US Army uses civilian contractors to provide large numbers of mission-specific modified King Airs but it is not known which aircraft have which system fitted. Both the Desert Owl and Saturn Arch programmes use airborne intelligence, surveil-

lance and reconnaissance (ISR) sensors to identify IEDs on the battlefield. The US Army’s Task Force Observe Detect Identify Neutralize-Enhanced (TF ODIN-E) at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, controls these programmes, along with a third counter-IED initiative, Radiant Falcon. US Army contract documents from 2012 confirmed that eight Saturn Arch and three Desert Owl systems were then deployed in Afghanistan on modified Beech King Airs. At the same time, just one Radiant Falcon system was in use in Afghanistan, mounted on a Dash 8 airframe.

Final AFSOC C-146A Handed Over to Sierra Nevada Corp UK-BASED COMPANY 328 Group revealed on September 25 it had recently delivered the 17th and final Dornier 328 turboprop for operation by US Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). It was handed over to Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) in a ceremony on July 9 at 328 Group’s facilities in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany. SNC acted as an agent for acquisition of the aircraft on behalf of AFSOC, which designates the type the C-146A Wolfhound. The delivery marked the completion of a four-year contract worth more than $200 million. The C-146As are operated by the 524th Special Operations Squadron, part of the 27th Special Operations Wing, at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico. Crews plan, prepare and execute nonstandard aviation (NSAv) missions in support of joint special operations forces while directly supporting special operations commanders by conducting night-vision goggle (NVG) infiltration, exfiltration, resupply and other combat taskings on unimproved runways.

Air Guard Changes

Above: Following the impending transition of the 124th Fighter Squadron (FS), part of the 132nd Fighter Wing (FW), Iowa Air National Guard (ANG) to the MQ-9 Reaper, its Lockheed Martin F-16s have been sent elsewhere. On July 2 two fighters - 85-1544 and 86-0230 - went straight to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) at Davis-Monthan, Arizona and on July 31 four aircraft 85-1493, 85-1501, 85-1546 and 86-0232 – transferred to the 457th FS, Air Force Reserve Command at Fort Worth in Texas, having been painted in their new unit's colours beforehand. The 457th FS will be sending a corresponding number of its older F-16s to AMARG before the end of October. The 124th FS final F-16 flew to the New Jersey ANG’s 177th FW at Atlantic City on September 26. Michael Keaveney

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MC-12W Fitted With ‘Buddy Lase’ Capability AIRMEN are training at Beale Air Force Base, California, and at deployed locations around the world to employ the ‘Buddy Lase’ laser targeting system aboard the MC-12W Liberty airframe. The equipment provides a precise laser spot for terminal guidance of laser-guided bombs and missiles, and has been added as a result of requests from troops on the ground. By fitting it to the MC-12W, a layer has been removed in the chain of command between detecting a threat, usually done by the MC-12W, and deploying kinetic effect. “Previously, Liberty aircrews would determine the target through use of ISR and then pass the information to a joint terminal attack controller for co-ordination with a strike aircraft,” Major Tanner, a 489th Reconnaissance Squadron (RS) pilot said. “Previously, Liberty aircrews would ...pass the information to a joint terminal attack controller for co-ordination with a strike aircraft. Buddy Lase allows the MC-12W to provide terminal guidance for laser-guided munitions. This increases the opportunities and timeliness of kinetic support available to the ground force commander.”

Boeing Confirms C-17A Line Will Shut-Down in 2015

Above: The final US Air Force C-17A Globemaster III, 10-0223 (c/n P-223), takes off on its delivery flight from Long Beach, California, on September 12. Boeing

BOEING HAS confirmed it will complete production of its C-17A Globemaster III and close the C-17 final assembly facility in Long Beach, California, in 2015. “Ending C-17 production was a very difficult but necessary decision,” said Dennis Muilenburg, president and chief executive officer of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, in an announcement on September 18. Boeing will continue after-delivery support of the worldwide C-17 fleet as part of the C-17 Globemaster III Integrated Sustainment Program (GISP) Performance-

Based Logistics agreement. The remaining 22 aircraft, all for export customers, will be completed at a rate of ten per year until they are all built. Among them are the remaining seven of ten ordered by the Indian Air Force. Two more are for an undisclosed customer, presumably Kuwait, which has announced a requirement for a single aircraft and also requested a second. Nan Bouchard, vice president and C-17 programme manager, confirmed Boeing does not have firm orders for the remaining 13 aircraft but said the company

V-22 Ospreys Visit New York City

Above: During the United Nations General Assembly in New York City in late September President Obama’s helicopter squadron (HMX-1) made its first trip to the city with its new V-22 Ospreys (see news AFM October). Three of the four Ospreys made the trip with two landing at the Wall Street Heliport. James De Boer

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is confident all will be sold. Boeing has delivered 257 C-17As, including 223 to the US Air Force, and 34 to Australia, Canada, India, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the 12-member NATO and Partnership for Peace nations’ Strategic Airlift Capability initiative. Since the first flight on September 15, 1991, the C-17 has amassed more than 2.6 million flying hours supporting airlift of troops and large cargo, precision airdrop of humanitarian supplies and lifesaving aero-medical missions.

More F-35 Contracts Awarded US NAVAL Air Systems Command awarded a $3.4 billion contract to Lockheed Martin for low rate initial production (LRIP) Lot VII of the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) on September 27. This provides for the manufacture and delivery of all 35 JSFs in Lot VII, comprising 19 conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) F-35As for the US Air Force; six short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) F-35Bs for the US Marine Corps; four carrier variant F-35Cs for the US Navy; two CTOL F-35As for Norway; three CTOL F-35As for Italy; and one STOVL F-35B for the United Kingdom. Deliveries are expected to be completed in October 2016. On the same day US Naval Air Systems Command awarded a further JSF contract to Lockheed Martin, valued at $743 million, for the manufacture and delivery of two CTOL F-35As for Australia and three for Italy as part of LRIP Lot VI production. In total, Lot VI production will include 36 JSFs: the five mentioned above plus 18 F-35As for the USAF, six F-35Bs for the USMC and seven F-35Cs for the USN.

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NEWS NORTH AMERICA US Navy Ceremony to Stand-up Grim Reapers US NAVY Strike Fighter Squadron 101 (VFA-101) ‘Grim Reapers’ was formally re-established in a ceremony at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, on October 1.  VFA-101 is the US Navy’s first Lockheed Martin F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter squadron and will be the only USN Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) for the type. The unit will function operationally as a subordinate unit to the US Air Force’s 33rd Fighter Wing at Elgin, although for administrative purposes it falls under the control of Commander, Naval Air Force US Atlantic Fleet and Commander, Strike Fighter Wing Atlantic. Vice Admiral David H Buss spoke about how the US Navy’s stealth fighter will ensure that future carrier air wings are capable of fulfilling two important missions – assuring access and projecting power.  “The F-35C brings stealth capability to the ultimate sea base – the flight deck of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier – for the first time in our history. The F-35C mixed with the capabilities of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, EA-18G Growler, E-2D Hawkeye and MH-60R/S helicopters will provide carrier-based naval aviation the ability to fulfil these requirements well into the future.”

Boeing QF-16 Completes First Pilotless Flight at Tyndall AFB

Above: Boeing QF-16A 83-1110 ‘QF-004’ during its first pilotless flight from Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, on September 19. USAF/Master Sgt J Scott Wilcox

THE FIRST unmanned QF-16 Full Scale Aerial Target (FSAT) flight was completed on September 19. Two US Air Force test pilots in a ground control station remotely flew the QF-16A, 83-1110 ‘QF-004’, a retired F-16A modified as an aerial target, at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. The mission profile included take-off at 1500hrs, a series of manoeuvres, supersonic flight and landing an hour later, all without a pilot in the cockpit. The flight is the first of several operational evaluations, including a live-fire test at Holloman

AFB, New Mexico. The US Navy, US Army and US Air Force will ultimately use QF-16s for weapons testing and other training. The USAF awarded a multi-year contract to Boeing on March 8, 2010, covering Phase I of the initial engineering, manufacturing and development (EMD) element of the QF-16 programme. This included an order for six EMD aircraft, converted from early model F-16s, plus options to buy up to 126 FSATs, although the ultimate requirement is expected to be for up to 210 aircraft. All six of the EMD QF-16s – two

First F-35A Arrives at Hill Air Force Base for Mods

Above: US AIR Force F-35A Lightning II 10-5009 ‘OT’/‘422 TES’, the first of the type ever to land at Hill Air Force Base (AFB), Utah, arriving there on the afternoon of September 13 from the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron, at Nellis AFB, Nevada. A ceremony on September 20 marked the formal induction of the aircraft into the Ogden Air Logistics Complex at Hill, and the commencement of depot maintenance of the F-35 at the base. This aircraft will be the first USAF F-35A variant to be used in the Block 2B operational test and evaluation (OT&E) programme in 2015, and will undergo a series of structural and systems modifications at Ogden to enhance critical capabilities needed during OT&E testing. USAF/Alex R Lloy

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F-16A Block 15s, two F-16C Block 25s and two F-16C Block 30s – were converted from airframes taken out of storage with the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. The first of these re-flew after QF-16 conversion at Cecil Field, Florida, where Boeing has set up a conversion line, on May 4, 2012. The company delivered the first of the six to the 53rd Weapons Evaluation Group at Tyndall AFB, Florida, on November 1, 2012, for testing.

Final ‘Phrog’ Flight in Japan THE ICONIC US Marine Corps Boeing-Vertol CH-46E Sea Knight, or Phrog to use its nickname, has made its last operational flight in Japan. The final examples of these helicopters remaining with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262 (VMM-262) ‘Flying Tigers’ were flown from Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to the USMC’s Makiminato Service Area logistics base at Camp Kinser in Urasoe City, Okinawa, on September 30. Both of the Japan-based CH-46E Sea Knight squadrons have now completed re-equipment with the new Bell-Boeing MV-22B Osprey tilt-rotor, which can fly twice as fast, carry three times the weight and fly four times the distance of a CH-46E.  Commenting on the final flight, Brigadier General Steven R Rudder, commanding general of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force, said:  “The historical flight marks the finalisation of the transition to the MV-22B for VMM-262.”

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USAF’s Fourth E-11A Delivered to Kandahar

Above: Newly-delivered US Air Force Bombardier E-11A 12-9506 on the ramp at Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands on September 22; it was preparing to depart after a night-stop during its delivery flight to the 430th Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron at Kandahar, Afghanistan. Peter Heeneman

US AIR Force Bombardier E-11A Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) aircraft 12-9506 (c/n 9506, ex N9506G, C-GOUR) passed through Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands on September 21/22 on its first deployment since delivery five days earlier. The aircraft, callsign ‘Velco 05’, arrived at Schiphol from Montreal, Canada, making a night-stop before departing for Kandahar, Afghanistan, where it will join the 430th Expeditionary Electronic

Combat Squadron (EECS), which operates the USAF’s three other E-11As from Kandahar. A $44.75 million contract to supply a single Bombardier BD-7001A10 Global 6000 business jet for conversion into the fourth BACN E-11A was awarded to Learjet Inc on August 28, 2012. The ‘green’ airframe was formally handed over to the USAF on August 30 at the Bombardier facility at Bradley IAP, Connecticut. It departed later the same day for St Louis Downtown Airport, Missouri,

prior to work commencing on the BACN installation. Northrop Grumman Space and Mission Systems was awarded a $33 million contract by the USAF on September 27, 2012, to provide the BACN payload for the new aircraft, ownership of which was officially transferred to the US Government the next day. The completed E-11A was formally transferred to the military with serial 12-9506 on September 4, 2013, and delivered to the USAF on September 17.

US Continues with Pacific Rim Expansion Plans US AND Japanese military leaders have announced details of increased defence and security collaboration between the two countries, including plans to deploy two or three US Air Force RQ-4 Global Hawks in Japan from spring next year.  A senior official said that it would be a seasonal, not all-year-round deployment, with Global Hawks detached from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, to an as-yet undetermined Japanese base for part of the year. It was also confirmed that the first deployment of the US Navy’s

new Boeing P-8A Poseidon outside of the USA will be to Japan in December as part of the gradual phase-out of the P-3C Orion.  Also making its first deployment outside the USA will be the US Marine Corps' F-35B Lightning II, which will deploy to Japan in 2017. The moves were ratified during a meeting on October 3 of the US-Japan Security Consultative Committee in Tokyo.  The agreement revises the 1997 Guidelines for US-Japan Defense Co-operation, advancing the re-alignment of US troops in Japan

while also increasing defence and security collaboration in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. KC-130J Super Herculesequipped Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron  152 (VMGR152) ‘The Sumos’, currently based at MCAS Futenma, will move to MCAS Iwakuni, while elements of the US Navy’s Carrier Air Wing 5 (CVW-5) will move from Naval Air Facility Atsugi to Iwakuni.  In addition, thousands of Marines currently based in Okinawa will move to Guam in the first half of the 2020s.

Roadrunners’ Beechcraft's New Colours

Above: The sole Beechcraft C-12J assigned to the USAF’s 46th Test Wing (TW) 586th Flight Test Squadron (FLTS) 'Roadrunners' based at Holloman AFB, New Mexico, 86-0080 has been painted in an anonymous civilian-looking paint scheme. The aircraft, which used to be painted in standard USAF transport colours, complete with tail code ‘HT’ for Holloman Test, still bears the name ‘Ms Mable’ on the nosewheel door. Joe Copalman

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US Army CH-47D in Joint Anti-Drug Op with Belizean Forces MEMBERS OF Joint Task Force-Bravo and members of the Belizean armed forces and national police used one of Joint Task Force-Bravo’s CH-47D Chinook helicopters, 89-00132, operated by Bravo Company, 1-228th Aviation Regiment, US Army (South), Honduras to conduct a marijuana eradication mission on September 26. The mission resulted in the Belizean government destroying 22 marijuana fields and around 40,000 marijuana plants with an initial estimated value of US$13 million. Joint Task Force-Bravo provided aviation support, on-call casualty evacuation and tactical assault for 38 Belizean personnel who participated in the operation.

News briefs US ARMY Contracting Command awarded a $78 million contract to Boeing for seven new-build MH-47G Chinooks on September 27. No delivery schedule and contract completion date have been announced for the helicopters, which are for US Army Special Operations Command. The contract satisfies a long-standing requirement for eight aircraft, the first new-build MH-47Gs. Funding for the first one was provided in the 2012 national defence budget and a contract to build it was awarded to Boeing in December 2012. US NAVAL Air Systems Command awarded Boeing a $70 million contract on September 27 for one C-40A Clipper aircraft for the US Navy, leaving just two more to be ordered to meet a requirement of 17. The type replaces the C-9B Skytrain II in use with the navy’s Fleet Logistics Support Wing. LOCKHEED MARTIN delivered the first F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter 168735 (CF-08) ‘ED-104’ to the F-35 Integrated Test Force (ITF) at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on September 13. It was flown from the factory at Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, Texas, by Lockheed Martin chief test pilot Al Norman FOLLOWING THE withdrawal of the USAF C-27J Spartan fleet, a formal inactivation ceremony was held at Warfield Air National Guard Base, Baltimore, Maryland, on September 27 for one of its operators, the 135th AG, whose135th Airlift Squadron was part of the 175th Wing US Air Force/ Maryland Air National Guard which was disbanded after 58 years service at home and abroad. The last C-27J, 09-27018, departed for storage with 309th AMARG at Davis-Monthan AFB, Tucson, Arizona 40 minutes after the ceremony with less than one thousand hours on the airframe. Mike Wilson

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NEWS LATIN AMERICA New Self-Protection System for Brazilian Super Puma/Cougars

Above: Airborne evaluations checked the dispensing of flares and chaff throughout the EC725’s entire flight envelope in a helicopter flown by Brazilian Helibras’ flight test pilot Patrik Correa and flight test engineer Dreyfus Silva. Eurocopter announced completion of the trials on September 17. Eurocopter/Anthony Pecchi

BRAZILIAN COMPANY Helibras has successfully completed flight testing of a chaff and flare countermeasures dispensing system for the Eurocopter EC725, completing a first-of-its-kind system integration project in Brazil.

Argentina Buys Surplus Spanish Mirage F1s ARGENTINA’S MINISTRY of Defence has approved the acquisition of 16 former Spanish Air Force (Ejercito del Aire) Dassault Mirage F1s spares and other support equipment for around €160 million. The former Spanish aircraft will probably serve with VI Brigada Aérea at Tandil alongside Argentina’s remaining M-5A Maras and IAI M-V Finger/Daggers, although this has not been officially confirmed. They will replace Mirage IIIEA/DAs.

Six flights were conducted with the self-protection system – used to detect and identify threats to the aircraft and confuse heat-seeking and radar-guided missiles – validating its operation and integration with the helicopter’s other systems.

The flights from Santa Cruz Air Base near Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, were co-ordinated through Brazil’s Aerospace Technology and Science Department. Helibras and its parent company, Eurocopter, have established a new final assembly line at Itajubá in the Brazilian state

Venezuela’s Specially-Marked Y8

Passing through Malta on September 17 heading further East, Venezuelan Military Aviation (Aviación Militar Nacional Bolivariana) Shaanxi Aircraft Company Y-8F-200W Pegasus 0102 carried tail markings for the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our Americas (ALBA), which promotes integration of Latin America and Caribbean countries. Four aircraft entered service in November 2012, operated by Escuadrón de Transporte 1 at BA El Libertador, Palo Negro, Aragua. Four more are on order. Malcolm Bezzina

Hermes on Show in Mexico City

Above: A highlight of the Mexican independence celebrations on September 16 was the first official public appearance of the Elbit Hermes 450 unmanned aerial system, until recently the Mexican Air Force’s (Fuerza Aérea Mexicana – FAM) most secret asset. It is thought there are four in the FAM inventory, operated by the Unmanned Aerial Systems Detachment of the Escuadrón de Vigilancia Aérea. The UASs, bought in 2009 for $23.5m, are part of the SIVA Integrated Air Vigilance System and were initially based at Ensenada, Baja California, but new information suggests the unit has recently been recently reassigned to Atlangatepec Air Station in the state of Tlaxcala. Mariano García

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of Minas Gerais. To date, seven EC725s produced by Eurocopter in France for the Brazilian armed forces have been delivered and an eighth is due before the end of the year. The next batch, in final assembly at Itajubá, will be delivered in early 2014.

Argentine AF May Acquire Aerolineas Argentinas Airbus A340s ARGENTINE NATIONAL airline Aerolíneas Argentinas’ four Airbus A340-211s airliners are believed to be under consideration for transfer to the country’s air force (Fuerza Aérea Argentina – FAA) to be used as cargo aircraft, tankers or presidential VVIP transport. The A340s – LV-ZPJ (c/n 063), LV-ZPO (c/n 074), LV-ZPX (c/n 080) and LV-ZRA (c/n 085) – are 18 and 19-year-old ex-Philippine Airlines aircraft delivered to Aerolíneas Argentinas in 1999. The FAA lost its strategic transport capability seven years ago with the retirement of its last five Boeing 707s. JUAN CARLOS CICALESI/AGUSTÍN PUETZ

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For daily news stories please visit www.airforcesdaily.com e-mail the news team at [email protected]

Mexican Air Force Disposals MEXICO’s Secretaria de la Defensa Nacional’s recently published annual disposal plan for 2013 reveals that 66 air force (FAM) aircraft will be transferred, sold, donated or scrapped over the next 12 months. The FAM’s sole Douglas DC-915RC, withdrawn in 2007, is to be transferred to an unknown recipient; one Mi-26T Halo and three Mi-8 Hip helicopters are to be sold or bartered; and a range of types will be donated to universities and state governments, including a Beech F-33C, an Arava 201, a Cessna Tu-206G, a Bell 206 JetRanger, a Second Word War-era PT-17 Stearman, an Mi-8 Hip, a T-33 Shooting Star and a Pilatus PC-7. Aircraft to be scrapped include four Arava 201s, four Arava 101Bs, an Arava 102, two Bell 206As, 13 Bell 206B-IIIs, seven Tu-206Gs, 18 Beech F-33Cs, two CH-53s and two PT-17s. A number of Cessna 182s of the 5 Grupo Aéreo (5th Air Group) have been transferred to the military aviation school for cadets in their second year, replacing the Beech F-33Cs. Santiago Flores

IA-63 Pampa III Progresses

Above: Pampa II EX-03 of the Centro de Ensayos en Vuelo will be upgraded to Pampa III standard. Juan Carlos Cicalesi

During Industry Day at the Argentine Aircraft Factory (Fabrica Argentina de Aviones - FAdeA) on September 1, its President, Raúl Argañaraz, detailed progress with the Pampa III upgrade. The first Pampa III airframe will be c/n 1027, serial number E-823 – although this will not

be the first to fly. The current Pampa II EX-03 of the Centro de Ensayos en Vuelo (CEV – flight test centre) is to be upgraded to Pampa III standard and will fly early next year. E-823 will be complete by the middle of 2014. The Pampa III has two additional Israeli Elbit Systems analoguedigital glass cockpit screens, and

Mexico’s Hurricane Relief Operations

is expected to acquire an Elbit TARGO helmet system for pilot training, reproducing the digital screens’ displays on its visor. The aircraft will also have a radar simulator and datalink, enabling it to launch semi-active or infrared missiles within a linked network environment. Juan Carlos Cicalesi – Agustín Puetz

News briefs Bolivian Prime Minister Juan Ramón Quintana says his country’s President, Evo Morales, has reached agreement with French President François Hollande to buy six Eurocopter Super Puma helicopters for use on anti-drug running operations. They are thought to be second hand aircraft released by the French armed forces. According to Quintana, the first two will be sent to Bolivia in the first half of 2014. Santiago Rivas The Colombian Army Aviation (Aviación del Ejército) received its last two Sikorsky S-70i Black Hawk helicopters on August 29 from an order for seven. They were ferried from the US by Colombian Army crews. The army currently operates 56 Black Hawks of different versions. Santiago Rivas

Above: Tourists disembark from a C295 at Mexico City airport on September 20. Mariano Garcia Rodriguez

The Mexican army and navy were mobilised to help local communities after tropical storm Manuel hit the states of Oaxaca, Chiapas, Baja California, Sinaloa and Guerrero in mid-September. In Acapulco thousands of tourists were stranded when the international airport was flooded, although the nearby air force Base at Pie de la Cuesta stayed open. The army and air force set up a command and control centre on September 16 to co-ordinate rescue efforts. More than 30

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helicopters from all government agencies deployed rescue teams to isolated towns. To evacuate tourists from Acapulco, the air force and navy operated flights with Lockheed C-130 Hercules, a Airbus Military C295, Boeing 727, Alenia C-27 Spartan and Boeing 737. On the outward journey to affected areas this aerial armada carried supplies and equipment and returned to Mexico City with civilians. The armed forces evacuated 14,500 people in eight days.

From Pie de la Cuesta and Icacos, helicopters rescued injured people from remote or otherwise inaccessible villages. Tragically, during one of these operations on September 19, Sikorsky UH-60M PF-1006 from the federal police crashed with the loss of all five crew. The navy reported that 19,000 Marines and engineers, 256 vehicles, 16 aircraft, 21 helicopters and eight vessels had been deployed during the rescue effort. Mariano Garcia Rodriguez

The Colombian Naval Aviation Command (Comando de Aviación Naval – CAN) has leased a single Mil Mi-17 helicopter from Colombian company Vertical de Aviación for use on medium transport duties. The heaviest helicopter in service with the navy, it has been given the serial ARC-306. The CAN is currently seeking other helicopters to supplement its Bell 412s, Bell UH-1Ns, Eurocopter Fennecs and Bk-117s. Santiago Rivas On September 29 the Chilean newspaper El Mercurio carried an advertisement from the Chilean Army’s logistics division, for the sale of military equipment, among which were three CASA 212-100 Aviocars, a Cessna 650 Citation III and the sole AS332B and AS332M1 Super Pumas. The tender, which was due to close on October 30, also includes spare parts for these aircraft. Álvaro Romero

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NEWS MIDDLE EAST

Airbus Military Finally Delivers CN235 to Yemen

Above: Yemen Air and Air Defence Force (al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Yemeniya) Airbus Military CN235M-300 2211 (c/n 188) passing through Malta on September 27 on its delivery flight. The aircraft had been in storage at Airbus Military’s facility at Seville’s San Pablo airport for more than a year. The figures 168988 applied to the tail may be a US Navy bureau number allocated to facilitate its flight across the Mediterranean as a US aircraft. The US Government paid for the machine, which is to be used to counter the Al Qaeda-led insurgency in Yemen. Berry Vissers

Twelve Light Observation Aircraft Ordered for Yemen Air Force

A CONTRACT valued at $16 million has been awarded to KIG Technical Services LLC of Sterling, Virginia, by the US Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division for 12 light observation aircraft for the Republic of Yemen Air and Air Defence Force under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme. The acquisition programme is being run by the US Naval Air Systems Command Counter Networks Illicit Trafficking Project Office, which requires the first aircraft to be delivered

within 18 months and all 12 within two years. The September 26 contract does not specify the type of aircraft to be supplied by KIG Technical Services to meet the requirement – but the tender documents said it must be a new-production, single piston-engine, high-wing type with side-by-side cockpit seating and single pilot/IFR certified. It has to have analogue cockpit instruments, all-metal fuselage and control surfaces and be capable of operating from

non-airfield locations. Original plans had been to make a direct purchase of the Seeker Aircraft America Inc SB7L-360, which appears to be the only type that exactly meets the specifications. One electro-optical/infrared system with encrypted downlink systems is to be fitted to each airframe, together with one government-furnished Harris Falcon III Multiband Manpack HCDR radio and associated hardware. Work is expected to be completed in September 2015.

L-3 Awarded F-16 Iraq Training Programme L-3 LINK Simulation & Training (L-3 Link) has been awarded a contract modification by the US Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, to build the Iraqi Air Force’s (IqAF) two F-16 Block 52 weapon tactics trainers (WTTs), two brief/ debrief systems and one mission observation centre. The deal, announced on September 16, follows L-3 Link’s November 2012 award to build two F-16 Block 52 full mission trainers (FMTs) for the IqAF. Plans call for the first FMT to be ready for training at Balad Air Base in

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northern Iraq during the first quarter of 2015 and the rest of the equipment in the fourth quarter of 2015. Each WTT combines a ‘tactically relevant’ physical cockpit with a single ‘out-the-window’ visual display monitor and uses the same computational system, software and models integrated on the FMTs. As a result, they can all be networked together to support four-ship tactical team training. The FMTs will enable pilots to conduct simulated air-to-air and air-to-ground combat exercises. During training exercises, Iraqi F-16

pilots will wear L-3 Link’s simulated Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System to control sensors and weapons through visual cueing. The FMTs’ visual system solution will enable pilots to acquire and identify targets and accurately deliver a wide range of ordnance over a 360-degree field-of-view. They will be able to practise take-offs and landings, in-flight refuelling, low-level flight and emergency procedures. All training exercises – which occur within a virtual, geo-specific database – can be conducted in a variety of simulated weather conditions.

News briefs THE US Air Force Life Cycle Management Center awarded a $33 million Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contract on September 27 to Al Salam Aircraft Corporation of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) F-15S to F-15SA conversion programme. Initially two aircraft will be converted at the Boeing facility in St Louis, Missouri. Following successful completion of these aircraft, production will resume under Phase II in Riyadh to complete the remaining 68 aircraft. The initial phase is expected to be finished by the end of 2015 with overall contract completion by 2020. A SECOND Cessna 208B Grand Caravan has been delivered to the Lebanese Air Force (LAF) after completion of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) modifications by Alliant Techsystems Inc (ATK) in Fort Worth, Texas. The second-hand aircraft, N208JF (c/n 208B1239), built in 2007, left ATK’s facility at Fort Worth-Meacham International Airport for Lebanon on August 5. The aircraft are in service with the 4th Squadron at Beirut Air Base. LIBYAN ONLINE newspaper Libya Herald reports that the Libyan armed forces are seeking to buy 22 Boeing Chinook helicopters from the US at an estimated cost of $700 million. Before the 2011 revolution, the Libyan Air Force (Al Quwwat al Jawwiya al Libiyya) operated eight CH-47C+s, supplied by AgustaWestland of Italy. Only one is thought to still be operational. It is believed that Libya has a requirement for six CH-47Ds and as many as 16 CH-47Fs which would be obtained through the Foreign Military Sales programme. A US Army spokesman said that only the older and less capable CH-47D variant was likely to be supplied to Libya.

www.airforcesmonthly.com

07/10/2013 11:57

NEWS RUSSIA & CIS - AFRICA Tunisian Air Force Seeking Avionics Upgrade for F-5E/Fs A POTENTIAL Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to Tunisia of F-5 avionics upgrades was announced on September 19 by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA). Including associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support, the estimated cost will be $60 million. The DSCA says the Government of Tunisia has requested Block 1 avionics upgrades for the Tunisian Republic Air Force’s (Force Aérienne de la Republique de Tunisie) fleet of 12 F-5E/F Tiger II aircraft, including an LN-260 standard positioning system embedded global positioning system/inertial navigation system (GPS/INS), a control display unit, electrical power and environmental control system along with repairs, material condition inspection, publications and technical documentation. The principal contractor will be Northrop Grumman of St Augustine, Florida. The Tunisian Air Force originally took delivery of 12 F-5Es and four F-5Fs, which entered service from 1984. The type is Tunisia’s primary air defence asset and is flown by 15 Squadron from the air force’s main air base at Bizerte-Sidi Ahmed.

For daily news stories please visit www.airforcesdaily.com e-mail the news team at [email protected]

ELINT Tu-214R at MAKS

Above: The secretive Tupolev Tu-214R special mission aircraft, 64511, designed to replace the Il-28 Coot ELINT aircraft, lands at Zhukovsky on the evening of August 23. Sergy Aleksandrov

MAKING ITS public debut at MAKS 2013 in Zhukovsky was the secretive Tupolev Tu-214R special mission aircraft prototype, 64511 (c/n 42305011, ex-RA-64511). Developed under the code name ‘Project 141’ as a replacement for the Ilyushin Il-20 Coot electronic intelligence (ELINT) platform, the Tu-214R is configured to carry the MRC411 multi-intelligence payload, which includes ELINT sensors, side-looking synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and other signals intelligence (SIGINT) and communications intelligence (COMINT) equipment. It is also intended to carry multi-spectral

electro-optical systems. The aircraft made its first flight on December 24, 2009, from Kazan, where it was built by the Kazan Aircraft Factory (KAPO). After tests last year at Zhukovsky, it flew to Khabarovsk on December 15. Two days later, it undertook a test flight over the Pacific Ocean in international waters close to Japan. This prompted the launch of Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) fighters to investigate the aircraft, which was then escorted and photographed. However, Russian Armed Forces officials are reported to be disappointed with the

Ghanaian C295 in UN Markings

performance of the Tu-214R. An article in the Russian newspaper Izvestia on January 4, citing a source in the General Staff of the Armed Forces, said there were “significant shortcomings in performance, particularly with stability at low speeds”. KAPO is currently assembling a second Tu-214R, but the Russian military has said it will not accept any more aircraft until the faults are rectified. It is not clear whether any further progress has been made to rectify the problems and, in view of the controversy, it was a surprise to see the aircraft at MAKS, although it left during the first day (August 27). Left: New production Airbus Military C295M ‘103’ (c/n S-103) on the ramp outside the factory at Seville-San Pablo Airport, Spain, on September 30 painted in an overall white United Nations colour scheme with UN titles. The aircraft is one of two ordered by Ghana on a lease-to-purchase agreement. They will be used by the UN for its humanitarian operations in Mali after Ghana won an air services contract to operate aircraft as part of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). The UN cannot own military aircraft but it can and does pay nations for the use their machines and personnel. This particular aircraft was noted on the Seville production line in May earmarked for Egypt but has apparently been dirverted for the urgent Ghanaian requirement. Announcing the deal on September 2, Ghana’s President John Mahama pointed out that his nation ranked fifth on the list of United Nations peacekeeping countries. José Ramón Valero

Belarus MiG-29 Upgrade THE BELARUSIAN defence ministry is to place an order for the modernisation of its Air Force and Air Defence Corps (Voyenno-Vozdushnyye Sily) fleet of MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter and ground attack aircraft in 2014. Following the withdrawal last December of the Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker fleet, the two squadrons of MiGs from the 61st Fighter Aviation Base at Baranovichi are the only fighters in the air force. The upgrade will be completed

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Above: Around 50 MiG-29s serve with the 61st Fighter Aviation Base at Baranovichi. Stanislav Bazhenov

at 558 ARZ (avia remontniy zavod), Baranovichi, and will include a complete overhaul and installation of a glass cockpit,

a GLONASS GPS navigation system and the capability to launch air-surface munitions. The maintenance unit has a

long history of overhauling and modernising Fulcrums for Belarus, Algeria and other nations. STANISLAV BAZHENOV

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NEWS ASIA PACIFIC $8.4 Million to Repair HailDamaged Afghan AF Ce208Bs A FOREIGN Military Sales contract valued at $8.4 million was awarded on September 27 to Cessna Aircraft to repair five hail-damaged Afghan Air Force Cessna 208B Grand Caravans. The work includes re-winging, repair, and re-certification of the aircraft and will be performed in situ at Kandahar Air Base, Afghanistan, with completion by by the end of September 2014. It is assumed the aircraft were damaged during a freak hail storm that struck Kandahar on April 23 – the unprecedented force of the storm, which rained hailstones larger than golf balls, also damaged more than 80 US Army helicopters operating with Task Force Falcon. Most of the helicopter damage impacted rotor blades, horizontal stabilisers, cabin windows and the sheet metal skins. US Army personnel managed to return 90% of the damaged fleet back to operational use within three weeks.

Indonesia’s First T-50i Golden Eagles Delivered

Above: One of the first pair of KAI T-50i Golden Eagles for the Indonesian Air Force, TT-5004, at the factory in Sacheon, South Korea, prior to its delivery flight. Martin Fenner/AviationKorea.com

THE FIRST two Indonesian Air Force (Tentara Nasional Indonesia – Angkatan Udara, TNI-AU) KAI T-50i Golden Eagles, TT-5003 and TT-5004, arrived at Iswahyudi Air Base, Madiun, Java, on September 11 to join Skadron Udara (SkU) 15. Indonesia ordered a batch of 16

weapons-capable T-50i trainers under a $400m contract signed on May 25, 2011, becoming the first export customer for the type. The remaining 14 are all due for delivery by December, four months ahead of schedule. They will replace the TNI-AU’s

Afghan Air Force Builds Its Capabilities

Personnel from the Afghan Air Force unload a brand new Kazan-built Mi-17-V5 helicopter, serial 737, from a VolgaDnepr Antonov An-124-100 heavy-lift airfreighter on the ramp at Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan, on September 17. US Army/Staff Sgt Richard Andrade, International Security Assistance Force HQ Public Affairs

US AIR Force Brigadier General John Michel, head of NATO Air Training Command Afghanistan, speaking at the Air Force Association’s Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition in National Harbor, Maryland, in late September, provided an update on the Afghan Air Force’s (AAF) capabilities – noting that the efforts were “the most complex undertaking NATO and the US Air Force had ever tackled”. He said the AAF is divided into three wings, located in Kabul, Kandahar and Shindand. The

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command centre is in Kabul and Shindand Air Base is the main training area. The current AAF fleet comprises 92 fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, with 12 more brand new Mi-17-V5s transport helicopters due to enter service in October – the first three of which arrived on September 1 at Kabul. It is planned for the AAF to have 58 Mi-17s, six Mi-35 Hind attack helicopters, 20 Cessna 208B Grand Caravans, four C-130H Hercules and 20 Embraer A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft. There are also plans to expand the AAF to 8,000 personnel.

The general said the mission set for the AAF rests on core capabilities of air movement, aerial fire-fighting, aerial reconnaissance, force protection, sustainment and intelligence. “That integration of capabilities is crucial to the selfsustaining force that Afghanistan needs. The maintainer number that we’re going to is sub-1,400, and we’ll number less than that for pilots. The A-29 Super Tucano programme aims at 30 pilots for 20 aircraft. I have 39 months from today to finish this mission. We’re not building capabilities they don’t need to have.”

Hawk Mk 53s, only a handful of which are thought to remain in service with SkU 15 at Iswahyudi. A second pair (TT-5001 and TT-5002) arrived on September 25 after completing two-day flights from the KAI factory in Sacheon, South Korea.

First Hawk Mk 132 AJT for Indian Navy A CEREMONY on September 23 at the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) facility in Bangalore marked the handover of the first of 17 BAE Systems Hawk Mk 132 Advanced Jet Trainers to the Indian Navy. HAL plans to deliver four more before the end of the year and the remainder over the next three years. The 17 jets were ordered as part of a 57-aircraft contract announced on July 29, 2010, which included 40 for the Indian Air Force. India is currently the largest operator of the Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer with 123 aircraft ordered so far, more than 70 of which have now been delivered. BAE Systems has worked closely with the Indian defence ministry and HAL to establish a production line in India for them.

Above: Officials pose with the first Indian Navy Hawk Mk 132 Advanced Jet Trainer at the handover ceremony in Bangalore ON September 23. HAL expects to deliver four more by year's end. HAL

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Singapore F-15SGs Achieve Full Operational Capability A CEREMONY at Paya Lebar Air Base on September 18 celebrated the achievement of full operational capability (FOC) by the Republic of Singapore Air Force’s (RSAF) Boeing F-15SG Strike Eagle multi-role fighter. The type is operated at the base by 149 Squadron and also by the Peace Carvin V Detachment at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. Speaking at the ceremony, Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen said: “The attainment of FOC is a major milestone for Singapore’s defence capabilities. We have one of the most modern and capable fighter aircraft fleets in the region. But we didn’t get here easily. It’s taken about a

Above: Singapore’s Minister for Defence, Dr Ng Eng Hen (centre), accompanied by Minister of State for Defence Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman (second from right), unveil a plaque to commemorate the achievement of FOC by their air force’s F-15SGs at Paya Lebar Air Base. Singapore MinDef

decade to conceptualise, plan, acquire and adapt the F-15s and train our pilots in vigorous conditions. Steady progress to FOC required the sustained commitment, efforts and high standards of our airmen over the past ten years." The RSAF originally ordered 12 F-15SGs, plus eight options, in October 2005. The first four were delivered to the newly established 428th Fighter Squadron ‘Buccaneers’ on May 6, 2009, as part of the US Air Force’s 366th Fighter Wing at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, for training with the Peace Carvin V Detachment. An eventual 24 F-15SGs were acquired, the final aircraft being delivered in early 2012.

First P-3C for Republic of China Air Force TAIWAN TOOK delivery on September 25 of the first of 12 refurbished former US Navy Lockheed P-3C Orions. The aircraft, 3301 (c/n 5585, ex USN/158913), arrived at Pingtung Air Base to a traditional water cannon salute after being delayed for two days by tropical storms in the western Pacific Ocean. Three more are due before the end of the year and the rest by 2015. The P-3Cs were to be operated by the Republic of China Navy (ROCN), but instead a new Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) ASW Group will be formed at Pingtung to operate them alongside eleven former ROCN S-2T Turbo Trackers – which transferred to ROCAF charge on July 2, moving from the ROCN base at Taoyuan to Pingtung. The S-2Ts and P-3Cs

The first of 12 refurbished ex-US Navy P-3C Orions for the Republic of China Air Force arriving at Pingtung Air Base. Republic of China Ministry of National Defense

will now come under the control of the ROCAF’s 439th Composite Wing at Pingtung, where a new maintenance and repair facility has been built for the Orions. Taiwan's Orions buy was confirmed on February 16, 2008. Lockheed Martin was

then awarded another contract on – March 13, 2009 – to refurbish the airframes which had been stored for five years with the 309th Aerospace Regeneration and Maintenance Group at DavisMonthan Air Force Base, Arizona. The Orions were moved by

Two C-130Hs Delivered to Afghan Air Force

Above: Two formerUS Air Force Lockheed C-130H Hercules delivered to the Afghan Air Force (AAF) in late September via RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk, UK, were 74-1677, formerly with the 19th Airlift Wing/53rd AS ‘Black Jacks’ at Little Rock AFB, Arkansas, and 74-1675, previously operated by the 317th Airlift Group/39th Airlift Squadron (AS) ‘Trail Blazers’ at Dyess Air Force Base (AFB), Texas. Both units have re-equipped with the new C-130J-30 Super Hercules. The pair were reportedly prepared for the AAF at the Ogden Air Logistics Complex at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. On arrival at Mildenhall on September 24 they wore basic markings with AAF roundels on the fin and wings plus Arabic titles on the undercarriage fairings and the last four numbers of their USAF serials under the cockpit. The second pair is scheduled for delivery during 2014. Bob Archer

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road from Davis-Monthan to Lockheed Martin’s facility in Greenville, South Carolina where, in addition to phased depot maintenance, they have undergone structural life extensions, avionics modifications and the fitting of new mission systems.

News briefs MD HELICOPTERS Inc (MDHI) announced on September 24 that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has placed orders for 12 new MD 530F helicopters to be delivered during the fourth quarter of 2013. The aircraft will be equipped with an NVG-compatible cockpit, high-powered searchlight and advanced avionics. Two MD902 Explorers have also been ordered. Four Grob G-120TP-As were handed over to the Indonesian Government on September 20 in the Skadron Pendidikan (Skadik) 101 (Training Squadron 101) hangar at the Indonesian Air Force base at Lanuma Adisucipto, Yogyakarta, Java. They were then formally transferred to the air force from the defence ministry. Theyare the first of 18 for Skadik 101, replacing AS202 Bravos and T-34C-1 Turbo Mentors.

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NEWS ASIA PACIFIC/AUSTRALASIA Australia Ends Final Afghan CH-47D Chinook Deployment AUSTRALIA’S DEPARTMENT of Defence announced on September 16 that the army’s Chinook mission in Afghanistan is now complete. Rotary Wing Group – Eight (RWG-8), the Australian Army Aviation detachment in theatre, marked the ‘End of Mission’ at Kandahar Airfield (KAF) on September 14. The RWG comprised two CH-47Ds which had operated throughout the Afghan summer as part of the American-led Regional Command South Aviation Task Force. Australian Army Aviation Task Groups have completed eleven tours in Afghanistan, starting in 2006 as the Aviation Support Element. It was renamed RWG in 2008 and completed eight rotations (RWG-1 to RWG-8) between 2008 and 2013. Lieutenant Colonel James Brown, RWG-8’s CO, said: “The men and women of RWG-8 achieved 780 flying hours over 90 missions between April 2 and September 4. We carried more than 3,400 passengers and around 373 tonnes of cargo to dozens of forward operating bases in Southern Afghanistan.” RWG personnel were drawn from across the Army Aviation community, but most were from the 5th Aviation Regiment.

For daily news stories please visit www.airforcesdaily.com e-mail the news team at [email protected]

Last Russian-Upgraded Indian Air Force MiG-29UPG

Above: Newly-modernised Indian Air Force MiG-29UPG KBU3123 comes in to land at Zhukovsky, Russia, on August 21 after a test flight. Sergy Aleksandrov

NEWLY-MODERNISED Indian Air Force (IAF) MiG-29UPG KBU3123 (c/n 2960532019/4111) was test flying from Zhukovsky, Russia, on August 21. The aircraft is the last of four single-seat MiG-29s and two twin-seat MiG-29UBs from the IAF modernised in Russia as part of a deal signed on March 7, 2008, to update all 64 of India’s surviving MiG-29s (57 single-seat MiG-29s and seven twin-seat MiG-29UBs). The remaining aircraft will be upgraded at the IAF’s 11 Base Repair Depot at Ohjar, Nasik, India. The first MiG-29UPG, KBU3301, flew after upgrade on February 4, 2011, at Zhukovsky. Flight testing lasted longer than

expected and it was not until December 10, 2012, that RAC MiG announced the first three modernised aircraft had finally been air freighted to India, more than two years behind schedule. The upgrade includes new Zhuk-ME radar, new avionics with colour multi-function cockpit displays, a new weapons control system, in-flight refuelling capability, improved air-to-air capability and precision air-toground weapons similar to those on the MiG-29SMT and MiG-29K/ KUB. New, enhanced RD-33 Srs 3 engines are also installed. The contract also involves repair and modification of the aircraft to extend its service life up to 3,500 flight hours, or 40 years.

Japan Seeks E-767 AWACS Upgrade THE JAPAN Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) is looking to upgrade its fleet of four Boeing E-767 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft with a new mission computing system. On September 27 the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of the prospective $950 million deal. The request from the Japanese Government includes four electronic support measures and eight UPX-40 next-generation identification of friend or foe systems, eight APX-119 IFF transponders and four KIV-77 cryptographic computers for the JASDF’s four E-767s, which are based at Hamamatsu and flown by the AEW Squadron.

New Contract Awards and Military Deployments New Contract Award Summary

Military Aircraft Deployments Location and Notes

Air Force/ Organisation

Company

Date

Aug 27 Royal Saudi AF

4 x Tornado, 4 x Typhoon

To RAF Coningsby for Ex Saudi Green Flag

Belgian AF

4 x F-16AM

to Siauliai, Lithuania, for Baltic Air Policing

Almaty Rescue Service

Russian Helicopters

Aug 30 Mi-8AMT

Sep 2 Sep 3

Pakistan AF

Mirage V, F-7PG To Hetien, China, for Ex Shaheen-II

Royal Australian AF

Lockheed Martin Sep27

2 x F-35A

Not announced

Sep 4

USAF/20th FW

12 x F-16C

Via Morón, Spain, to unknown location

Italian Air Force

Lockheed Martin Sep 27

6 x F-35A

By Oct 2016

Sep 5

USAF/125th FS

3 x F-16C

Via Morón, Spain, to unknown location

Sep 5

USAF/112th FS

3 x F-16C 12 x A-10C

Date

AF/Unit

Sep 24 USAF/75th EFS

Type

RAF/Fleet Air Arm

Lockheed Martin Sep 27

1 x F-35B

By Oct 2016

Via Morón, Spain, to unknown location

Lockheed Martin Sep 27

2 x F-35A

By Oct 2016

Via Lajes to Bagram, Afghanistan

US Air Force

Lockheed Martin Sep 27

19 x F-35A

By Oct 2016

Via Morón, Spain, to Middle East

Sep 28 USAF/335th FS

12 x F-15E

Via Morón, Spain, to Middle East

Oct 2

4 x F-22A

Via Morón, Spain, from Middle East

Above: USMC F/A-18D 165411 ‘CE-01’ , the 'CAG-bird' from VMFA(AW)-225 ‘Vikings’, lands at Moron Air Base, Spain, on September 27. It was one of 12 en-route to the Middle East. Antonio Muñiz Zaragüeta

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2014

Royal Norwegian AF

Sep 27 USMC/MFA(AW)-225 12 x F/A-18D USAF/525th FS

Delivery Date and Notes

No. & Type

US Air Force

Northrop Grumman

Sep 27

3 x Global Hawk

By Feb 28, 2015 (long-lead items only)

US Army

General Atomics

Sep 13

? x MQ-1C Gray Eagle

Not announced

US Army

Boeing

Sep 24

48 x AH-64E

Not announced

US Army

Boeing

Sep27

7 x MH-47G

Not announced

US Marine Corps

Bell Helicopter

Sep 12

1 x UH-1Y

By Dec 2015

US Marine Corps

Lockheed Martin Sep 27

6 x F-35B

By Oct 2016

US Navy

Lockheed Martin Sep 27

4 x F-35C

By Oct 2016

US Navy

Boeing

Sep 27

1 x C-40A Clipper

By Nov 2016

US Navy

Northrop Grumman

Sep 27

Yemen Air Force

KIG Technical Services

Sep 26

1 x E-2D Adv Hawkeye 12 x Light Observation Aircraft

By Jan 2019, to be IFR-capable By Sep 2015 (see news), type not specified

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ATTRITION

For daily news stories please visit www.airforcesdaily.com e-mail the news team at [email protected]

Accident Reports D: Apr 23 N: Afghan Air Force T: 5 x Cessna 208B Grand Caravans

Wreckage of Canadian Coast Guard Bo105S-CDN-BS-4 364/C-GCFU on the deck of the CCGS Amundsen after its recovery on September 25, two weeks after it had crashed into Arctic waters on September 9. Canadian TSB

The five aircraft suffered extensive damage during a hail storm and Cessna Aircraft was awarded an $8.4 million contract on September 27 to repair them. This included re-winging, repair and re-certification. The contract stated that repair work was to be undertaken at Kandahar Airfield and would be completed by September 30, 2014. The date of the damage being incurred has been assumed, as this was the day a freak hailstorm hit Kandahar and also caused damage to 80 US Army helicopters at the base. D: Sep 7 N: Afghan Air Force/Rotary-Wing Training Squadron T: MD530F

This helicopter, from the Rotary Wing Training Squadron at Shindand Air Base, was undertaking a routine training mission when it landed on an improvised explosive device (IED) on a hilltop close to the airfield.  The detonation of the IED blew off one of the helicopter’s skids and threw pieces of the rotor blades down the hill, also setting the aircraft on fire and resulting in its destruction.  Both personnel on board, an Afghan student and US Army instructor, sustained serious injuries.  Initial assistance to the injured crew was provided by US and Afghan personnel from two AAF Mi-17s operating with the 838th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group at Shindand.  They were then evacuated from the crash site by a US Air Force HH-60G Pave Hawk.

D: Sept 9 N: Canadian Coast Guard T: Bo105S-CDN-BS-4 S: 364/C-GCFU

While on a routine patrol from the icebreaker CCGS Amundsen, which was sailing through the McClure Strait near Banks Island, North West Territory,

Canada, the helicopter crashed into the sea and sank.  All three on board were killed.  On the afternoon of September 23 the sunken helicopter was located by ArcticNet’s remotely operated vehicle (ROV) in the Arctic.  On September 25, the wreckage was raised to the surface of the

Hatay province, and continued to violate Turkish air space, despite repeated warnings. Two Turkish Air Force F-16s that were already airborne on a combat air patrol were diverted to intercept the helicopter at 1425hrs. The Mi-17 then fell to the ground just 1,300ft (400m) from the border, on the Syrian side. Although details are unconfirmed, at least two crew members are thought to have been killed and the helicopter was destroyed.

D: Sept 11 N: Royal Air Force of Oman T: 2 x Sepecat Jaguars

The two aircraft were involved in a mid-air collision while undertaking a training mission over Salalah in Dhofar province. Both crashed and one pilot was killed, while the pilot of the second aircraft survived. D: Sep 16 N: Syrian Air Force T: Mi-17 Hip

The Turkish Air Force shot down this helicopter after it violated Turkish air space. Turkey claimed that the Mi-17 had flown 1¼ miles (2km) over their border into the Güveççi area of Yayladaği in

water, lifted onto the deck of the Amundsen and then transferred to the CCGS Henry Larsen.  It was then taken to Resolute, Nunavut, before being transported to a location where the Transportation Safety Board of Canada could undertake a full investigation.

Above: Royal Air Force/208 (Reserve) Squadron Hawk T1 XX250 seen entangled in the emergency barrier at RAF Mona, Anglesey, on September 13 following a bird strike on landing at the base during a training flight. Anthony Williams

D: Sep 13 N: RAF/208 (Reserve) Squadron T: Hawk T1 S: XX250

This Hawk suffered a bird strike while practicing a forced landing at RAF Mona, Anglesey, which is regularly used for training by aircraft from Valley. The Hawk crew of instructor and pupil had been practicing routine touch

and goes at the time. The aircraft had touched down at 1050hrs but then struck several birds. It overshot the runway and ran into the emergency barrier, which brought it safely to a halt with its nose in the air. It appeared to be undamaged and both instructor and pupil remained with the aircraft and exited without injury after it came to a halt.

D: Sep 16 N: United Arab Emirates Air Force and Air Defence T: Unidentified Helicopter

This unidentified helicopter crashed during a training mission in the UAE. A statement from the Armed Forces Command the following morning revealed that one crew member had been killed but gave no further details of the circumstances or location of the accident. The announcement said that authorities were at the crash site seeking to determine the cause.

Abbreviations: D: Date N/U: Nationality/Units T: Type S: Serials

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ATTRITION Accident Reports after the nose suddenly pitched up. The pilot was unable to make an emergency landing and was forced to eject. He was taken to a nearby military hospital. Martin-Baker, the ejection seat manufacturer, noted that this was the first ejection from a ROKAF F-5 after the fleet had been retrofitted with the new Mk 16 KR16J seats. The company also said that this was the 7,422nd life to be saved by one of their seats. 

D: Sep 18 N: Ukrainian Army Aviation T: Mi-24P Hind S: ‘01’

The Hind was involved in a heavy landing at Sevastopol-Bel’bek Air Base in Ukraine. It was one of two helicopters on approach to participate in an emergency landing exercise when it suddenly became uncontrollable and began rotating at a height of 30ft (10m), and then plunged onto the runway. It suffered extensive damage but all three crew members suffered only minor injuries. Two of them were taken to hospital, while the third declined medical attention. D: Sep 19 N: Mexican Federal Police (Policía Federal Preventiva - PFP) T: UH-60M Black Hawk S: PF-106

This helicopter had been assisting rescue efforts following the devastating storms that hit Mexico. It had been involved in the rescue of a number of people from the mountain village of La Pintada in the south-west of the country, north-west of Acapulco. Contact with the helicopter was lost and bad weather hampered the search for it. It was finally found on September 21 and it was confirmed that all five on board had been killed. D: Sep 22 N: Royal Air Force of Oman/18 Sqn T: F-16C/D

A Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) pilot was killed in a training accident involving this aircraft in southern Oman.

Above: US Navy/HSC-6 MH-60S 167895 ‘7’ flies near the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) on September 18, 2013, during operations in the Red Sea. Just four days later, the same helicopter was thrown into the sea while landing on the guided-missile destroyer USS William P Lawrence (DDG 110) after a freak wave caused the ship to suddenly pitch up. Two crew members were killed. US Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Chris Bartlett

D: Sep 22 N: US Navy/HSC-6 T: MH-60S S: 167895 ‘7’

The helicopter crashed in the central Red Sea while operating from the Arleigh Burke Class guided-missile destroyer USS William P Lawrence (DDG 110). The MH-60S was attempting a landing on the deck at approximately 1240hrs Bahrain time. The vessel was buffeted by a large wave, which caused the rear flight deck to pitch up as the helicopter was that he had lost control 30 miles (49km) north east of the airfield. He managed to divert the aircraft to an open area before it crashed. A search and rescue Ka-27 helicopter was dispatched to try to find him, but although the crash site was found by a search team at 2105hrs, the pilot could not immediately be located. The search continued through the night, but it was not until 0832hrs the following morning that his body was found near the crash site.

descending. This resulted in the MH-60S slamming into the deck and then rolling over into the water. Three of the five crew members were recovered late the same afternoon and were reported to be in good condition. An extensive search and rescue effort for the remaining two crew was suspended at approximately 1500hrs Bahrain time the following day, after officials concluded that aircrew survivability was extremely unlikely, given the time elapsed since the incident. D: Sep 26 N: Republic of Korea Air Force/ 192nd Tactical Development & Training Sqn T: F-5E Tiger II

The aircraft crashed into a hillside near Jeungpyeong in central South Korea after the pilot ejected safely just before impact. The aircraft had taken off from its base at Cheongju at 1048hrs for a training exercise. A ROKAF press release said that the aircraft had become uncontrollable

D: Sep 23 N: Russian Air Force/960th ShAP T: Su-25 Frogfoot

This aircraft was on a training flight from Primorsko-Akhtarsk, as part of the 4th Air Force and Air Defence Command of the Southern Military District. Contact was lost with it at 2017hrs after the pilot reported

The aircraft crashed at around 1100hrs while on a spraying mission to eradicate coca plants in southern Colombia. It is believed to have had a mechanical failure about half an hour after take off from Larandia Air Base, where the PNC maintains an AT-802 detachment. It crashed close to the village of La Carpa, near Montañita township in Caquetá province, killing the pilot and seriously injured the co-pilot, who were both American. Although the PNC has a fleet of AT-802s, these are owned by the US Government and are on loan through the US Department of State Air Wing (DoSAW) as part of the billions of dollars’ worth of assistance that are being provided under Plan Colombia to fight drug trafficking. These aircraft are largely flown by US pilots from private defence contractors employed by the US DoSAW. Following the crash, the US Embassy in Bogotá said that the US Department of State had initiated a full investigation into the the crash. D: Sep 30 N: Turkish Air Force T: RF-4E Phantom II

D: Sep 23 N: Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force T: F-4E Phantom II

This Phantom overshot the runway on landing at Buˉšehr Air Base. The pilot was killed during an unsuccessful ejection sequence and his co-pilot was injured. No further details about the circumstances surrounding the accident were reported.

D: Sep 27 N: Colombian National Police (Policía Nacional de Colombia) T: Air Tractor AT-802

Above: Colombian Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Colombiana - FACh) IAI Kfir TC12 FAC 3003, which was operated by Palanquero-based Grupo de Combate 11/Escuadron de Combate 111, crashed on September 27 following a technical malfunction. Both crew members ejected safely. Jeff Welker via Juan Carlos Cicalesi

D: Sept 27 N: Colombian Air Force/ Grupo de Combate 11/Escuadrón de Combate 111 T: Kfir TC12 S: FAC 3003

At 0700hrs, while undertaking a training mission over the Puerto Salgar area in the Department of

Cundinamarca, this aircraft had a technical failure which forced the crew to eject. The crash site was in the Magdalena Medio region, near Base Aérea Militar 2 (BAM 2) Palanquero. Both crew members were unhurt and were taken for assessment to a military medical facility at the base.

The aircraft crashed in the Kangal district near the city of Sivas in central Turkey at about 1515hrs. Both crew members ejected safely but were reported to have suffered unspecified injuries and were taken to a local hospital for treatment. D: Oct 1 N: Iraqi Army Aviation Command T: Unidentified helicopter

This helicopter was shot down while providing aerial support to troops on the ground during a gun battle with militants outside the city of Tikrit, Iraq, 100 miles (160km) north of Baghdad.  All five crew members on board

Abbreviations: D: Date N/U: Nationality/Units T: Type S: Serials

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Above: The wrecked UNAMID MI-8 helicopter on the Zalengei helipad following its crash while attempting an emergency landing on September 29. All 19 passengers and four crew escaped, with only three minor injuries reported. UNAMID

D: Sep 29 N: United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) T: Mi-8

This helicopter developed a fault shortly after a morning take off for a flight from Zalingei to Nertiti, in Central Darfur. The pilot turned back to the Zalingei helipad and attempted to make an emergency landing but the aircraft crashed and was badly damaged. The Mi-8 came to rest on its starboard side with its tail boom severed were killed in the crash. The fighting was part of the Iraqi military’s counter-insurgency operation, dubbed ‘Revenge for Martyrs’, that was recently launched in the Sunni-dominated areas of central and northern Iraq. Although Iraqi intelligence officers and a military official have confirmed the loss, they provided no further details.

and main rotors destroyed. A UNAMID statement said that all 19 passengers and four crew were immediately and safely evacuated. Only three passengers suffered minor injuries and were taken to UNAMID’s Level 1 hospital in Zalingei for treatment. An investigation has been launched into the cause of the crash. A statement from UNAMID said that it was also conducting a check on all its rotary assets to ensure their technical safety. D: Oct 3 N: Fleet Air Arm/848 Squadron T: Sea King HC4 S: ZE428 ‘H’

The helicopter was extensively damaged in an accident at its base at Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, Somerset.  During a training flight, the Sea King made a very heavy landing on Runway 04,

Above: Finnish Army MD500E HH-12, which was damaged in a hard landing during a training flight on October 2, but the solo pilot was uninjured. Finnish Army

D: Oct 2 N: Finnish Army/3 Helicopter Company T: MD500E S: HH-12

This helicopter was damaged in a heavy landing at approximately 1000hrs in a marshy area at Kuovola Utti Haukkasuo, near its base at Utti. The helicopter was from 3 Helikopteri Komppania (Helicopter

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Company) of the Utti Jaeger Regiment/Helikopteri Pataljoona (Helicopter Battalion). The solo pilot, who was uninjured, was attempting a practice emergency landing which simulated engine failure, but the engine remained running throughout the incident. The helicopter came to rest upright, but tilted back at a sharp angle with the rear section of the tail boom severed. 

resulting in the rear fuselage/tail being sheared off and at least one of the main undercarriage legs collapsing.  Despite the extensive damage, the helicopter remained upright and the main rotor blades appeared to still be intact after it came to rest.  All of those on board escaped safely, but it is unclear as yet whether there were any injuries to the personnel, who were taken to the base medical bay. D: Oct 5 N: USAF-Airborne Svs Global II LLC T: Dash 8-202 S: N356PH

Four of the six people on board this aircraft, which was operating in support of a counter-narcotics mission under contract to the US Air Force, were killed when it crashed in Colombia.  Four US contractors working for the USAF, one US serviceman and a Panamanian National Guardsman were on board the aircraft.  The Panamanian and three Americans were killed, while the two seriously injured survivors, who suffered multiple bone fractures and burns, were rescued by Colombian Army Brigade IV soldiers and flown to hospital in Bogota.  Panama’s National Air Service identified the deceased National Guardsman as Lt Lloyd Nunez.  The identities of the US personnel have not been revealed.  The aircraft had been operating out of a US base

in Panama and was tracking a suspected smuggling vessel, along with a Colombian boat, over the western Caribbean when radio contact with it was lost as it was returning to base.  It crashed at around 0100hrs in a remote, mountainous jungle area near the city of Capurgana, in the Acandi municipality of Choco province, close to the border with Panama, for as yet unknown reasons.  The aircraft was working with Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-South), based in Key West, Florida, which controls drug-interdiction operations in the region.  It had been regularly used to undertake intelligence and surveillance mission along the 165 mile (266km) Colombian-Panama border in the Darien jungle region.  JIATF-South described the Dash 8 as a ‘Prospector’ aircraft, which is equipped with surveillance equipment that is used to track the ‘Go Fast’ speedboats that smuggle cocaine from Colombia into Central America and the Caribbean.  It was providing detection and monitoring of drug trafficking routes in Central American coastal regions as part of the counter-narcotics Operation Martillo (Hammer).  Additional material from: Rick Burgess, Donny Chan, Juan Carlos Cicalesi, Alfonso Glade, Cristobal Soto Pino,Augustin Puetz and Scramble/Dutch Aviation Society.

Above: Indian Air Force/National Cadet Corps Wing Zenair STOL CH701 V-3472 being dismantled following its precautionary landing on October 6 in a park in New Delhi. Neither crew member was injured. NBT Dilli

D: Oct 6 N: Indian Air Force/National Cadet Corps Wing T: Zenair STOL CH701 S: V-3472

After taking off from Hindon Air Force Station to check on bird activity around the base, where the IAF was undertaking a full dress rehearsal for its IAF Day parade, the aircraft suffered

a technical problem with the engine. The aircraft made a precautionary landing at around 1100hrs in an open area of the DDA Park, near Shastri Park metro station in a residential area of New Delhi. Both crew members were unhurt and the aircraft appeared to be undamaged. It was later dismantled and moved by road back to Hindon.

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BALTIC MIRAGES

F1 over the Baltic After a deployment of four months, the Mirage F1CRs of the French Air Force returned home from the Baltic and Jan Kraak caught up with some of the pilots

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ROM APRIL 30 to September 1 Mirage F1CRs from Escadron de Reconnaissance (ER 2/33), French Air Force (Armée de l’Air – AdlA) took command of the NATO Baltic air policing mission. Normally based at Base Aérienne (BA) 118 Montde-Marsan in the south-west of France, the jets deployed to Šiauliai in northern Lithuania in late April. This was the fifth time that the AdlA had been responsible for the mission but the first time that the F1CR had been sent. The airmen were very positive about the mission. Lt-Col Philippe Diamin, second in command at Mont-de-Marsan, called it: “Prestigious, and an excellent opportunity to show the skills and professionalism of the Mont-de-Marsan units involved.” About 80 ground personnel and six pilots were based at Šiauliai, with the pilots being relieved every four weeks and other personnel every eight weeks. All the pilots were from ER 2/33 and the mechanics from ESTA 2E118, the maintenance unit at Montde-Marsan. Personnel from other air bases around France were involved in supporting roles – firemen, guards, and medical personnel. The basic task of the Baltic air policing mission is to provide two jets and crews for 24-hour quick reaction alert (QRA). The fighters on alert can be scrambled for two different reasons: training (Tango) or real interceptions (Alpha). When the alarm sounds, the pilots sprint to their fighters and Operations then informs them of the type of scramble. Sometimes they can be on a practice mission when they are re-routed by air traffic control for an Alpha-scramble as air-bound QRA. The NATO QRA procedures are almost the same as those of the French. According to Lt-Col Benjamin Souberbielle, who took command of ER 2/33 two

Above: All Mirage F1CRs back from Lithuania on the aircraft servicing platform at Mont-de-Marsan. Below: Lt-Col Benjamin Souberbielle.

days after returning from Lithuania, this meant that the detachment did not need a lead-in period. “All the combat-ready pilots of the squadron are qualified and can take over the QRA to NATO standards,” he said. The main difference for the pilots was that they planned most of the Tango scrambles themselves,

whereas in France this is done by the Centre National des Opérations Aériennes (CNOA) in Lyon. While at Šiauliai the F1s intercepted a wide variety of aircraft such as a Lithuanian An-2, Mi-17 and C-27, Polish C295, French C-160, and Estonian L-39s. According to Captain ‘Nataf’ (whose full name cannot be revealed for security reasons) the ‘slow-movers’ are especially challenging and therefore most interesting for fast jet pilots. “The fighter jet cannot slow down to the speed of these slow-movers,” he said. “The pilot has to move past the target, make himself noticed and perform tight turns to come round again for another try.” In order to maximise safety during Tango scrambles, a briefing was held when other NATO partners were involved. ‘Nataf’ explained: “We flew different training missions to practice intercepting 'planes and helicopters from other nations. All these missions were preceded by a face-to-face briefing where we could make sure that everybody was talking about the same thing and understood the security aspects involved.” The pilots from ER 2/33 also intercepted several

A Mirage F1CR lands at Mont-de-Marsan after the return flight from Lithuania. Note the red stars representing the number of ‘Alpha Scrambles’ against Russian aircraft performed by this particular F1. All images by the author unless stated

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flights during a single sortie. On one occasion the scrambled F1s were directed to two Su-27 Flankers that were escorting two Su-24 Fencers. After handing these over to their Swedish counterparts the Mirages intercepted a second group of Su-27s and a Beriev A-50 Mainstay. The Savoie pilots seemed to light up when talking about intercepting Russian aircraft. “From a pilot’s point of view it was wonderful to fly so close to 'planes that we don’t often see in our country,” added Nataf. “The 'planes could approach one another and a friendly wave was common practice.” The previous ER 2/33 commander, Lt-Col Benjamin Vinot-Préfontaine, wanted to have the maximum training opportunities at Šiauliai. Lt-Col Souberbielle said: “Where other NATO detachments usually fly an average of one sortie a day, we flew two or more. This allowed us to continue the regular training of pilots not on QRA alert. We flew two to three times the number of missions as the other NATO deployments.” Reconnaissance missions were flown at different levels, and targets such as abandoned Russian installations gave pilots and intelligence officers the opportunity to keep up their skills. The detachment also flew close air support (CAS) sorties with NATO ground troops and took part in the Baltic Region Training Event XV in Latvia. Captain ‘Mezy’ explained: “It was a good experience to fly CAS with the Lithuanian Special Forces - they are used to working to NATO standards, are skilled in communicating with the pilots and know our armament. The co-operation was just as smooth as with any French unit.” Sometimes training opportunities presented themselves without extensive prior planning. “In late August we ended up flying simulated attacks on Danish naval ships that happened to be on manoeuvres near the Lithuanian coast,” said Lt-Col Souberbielle. The F1 detachment also relocated to other bases temporarily - in May two F1s and support moved to Kaunas airport in central Lithuania and one month later landed at Palanga airport in the west. These forward deployments helped pilots and ground personnel assess the facilities and resources available at airports they might have to use for forced landings or in an emergency. Knowing what facilities are available beforehand may help shorten the time getting the F1s back into the air.

Mirage F1s in Russia Aside from the Baltic deployment, ER 2/33 also took part in a unique exercise with the Russian Air Force between August 18 and 23, led by Lt-Col VinotPréfontaine. The preparation for this exercise took five months, with planning conferences in Moscow and Paris. A delegation from Mont-de-Marsan and the military attaché from the French Embassy visited Savasleyka, an air base about 250 miles (400km) from Moscow in the Nizhny-Novgorod district, to assess if the F1 could operate from there. The goal of this exercise was to study how the French and Russian Air Forces could co-operate in the future. Lt-Col Souberbielle said: “We are used to flying composite air operations (COMAO) with NATO partners, but we have never done this with the Russians. This was a first step to establish contact and to test-fly mixed two-ship formations with F1s and MiG-29s.” It was the first exercise of this kind since the Second World War, and had come about because Russian Commander-in-Chief Lt Gen Viktor Bondarev had attended the 70-year celebrations of the Normandie-Niemen squadron at Mont-deMarsan in September 2012 and had hinted at developing Franco-Russian joint training. The Mirage F1 was selected to go to Russia for operational reasons, and because it is a very robust aircraft that can operate from an austere airfield. Two F1CRs and a single twin-seat F1B flew from Mont-de-Marsan to Savasleyka. Ground personnel and equipment were flown to Russia in two AdlA C-130s and a C-160. This might seem excessive for just three F1s, but as Lt-Col Souberbielle explained: “The Russian air bases do not have the necessary NATO-standard equipment and facilities such as cross-servicing, oxygen, and oil. Therefore, we had to take everything with us.” This is one reason the

F1s flew into Russia via Šiauliai – as all the necessary facilities were available in Lithuania, they were able to fly directly to Savasleyka, with the support aircraft flying non-stop from Mont-de-Marsan.

“We are used to flying composite air operations (COMAO) with NATO partners, but we have never done this with the Russians. This was a first step to establish contact and to fly mixed two-ship formations” During the exercise the Mirages flew sorties with based MiG-29s. Besides flying two-ship formations, a number of simulated strafing and bombing runs at a nearby range were also performed. The briefings were done together, with several translators present to make sure that everybody understood the procedures. Lt-Col Souberbielle said: “During the sorties the aircrew executed the flight plan to the letter. There was hardly any communication between the 'planes in the air, except for certain code-words assigned to manoeuvres during the briefing.” A French air traffic controller fluent in Russian guided the AdlA fighters back to base. The evaluation of the exercise by ER 2/33 was very positive. “On a personal level all the airmen involved were delighted,” said Lt-Col Souberbielle. “They exchanged stories and patches, and everybody hoped that we would be able to have another joint exercise in the near future. These exercises are valuable to us because they help us discover other methods and procedures.”

A Mirage F1B flies in formation with two Russian Air Force MiG-29s during ER 2/33’s recent visit to Savasleyka. Sirpa Air

Back home

Lt-Col Souberbielle was one of the four pilots to fly the jets back home on September 3. Asked about his experiences during the deployment, he said: “The Lithuanian Defence Ministry really opened its doors for us so that we could practice beyond the Tango and Alpha scrambles stipulated in the contract for the Baltic mission. We are a reconnaissance squadron and have to train constantly for a variety of tasks in order to be prepared for any future deployment. There was a clear willingness to co-operate.” The F1s from ER 2/33 accumulated 800 flying hours in 300 sorties and Lt-Col Souberbielle’s outlook on the future of the Baltic mission is positive: “The Lithuanians have built new hangars for the participating fighters and are investing in new housing areas for the crews.” ER 2/33 will now start preparing the retirement of the Mirage F1. The last operational flights should take place in June afm next year. www.airforcesdaily.com

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GERMAN ARMY BO105

Dying Hornets Mathias Grägel reports from Roth in Germany as Kampfhubschrauberregiment 26 ‘Franken’ prepares to retire its MBB Bo105 helicopters

D

URING TREMENDOUS floods across Germany in June the German Army Aviation (Heeresflieger) Bölkow (now Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm – MBB) Bo105P Hornets of Kampfhubschrauberregiment (KHR – Attack Helicopter Regiment) 26 ‘Franken’ operated around the clock. But the unit’s flight operations at the small army airfield at Roth in Bavaria were due to stop by the end of October before it officially disbands on June 30 next year. On July 28 about 10,000 local people attended a last open day to say farewell to the helicopters that have flown in the locality for the last 35 years. “Rarely have I attended such a large funeral,” said Roth’s Mayor Ralph Edelhäußer in a speech to the assem-

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Above: A Bo105 wearing a special livery to mark the disbandment of the Verbindungs und Aufklärungsstaffel 100/ Heeresfliegerinstandsetzungsstaffel 1 from Celle at the final open day at Roth. All images by the author Below: Specially-painted Bo105s over Nuremberg. Both were designed by a team led by Sergeant Christian Waldinger from the Weapon System Support Centre of the Geman Air Force at Erding. At least one will be preserved in Roth.

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bled crowd. The regiment’s commanding officer, Colonel Bodo Schütte, thanked the citizens of Roth and the surrounding area: “The German Army has been supported amazingly. This connection was consolidated through partnerships with the squadrons, departments, and the whole regiment and surrounding cities.” To commemorate the occasion two Bo105s had been painted in special paint schemes celebrating the unit’s links with the locality.

35 years in Bavaria Above: Hand in hand – Roth’s Mayor Ralph Edelhäußer (left) and the commander of KHR 26, Colonel Bodo Schütte, after the ferry flight of the two Bo105s from Erding to Roth in early July. The city and regiment had a very good relationship and were closely linked. Below: High concentration in the cockpit during close formation with four other Bo105s in the Bavarian sky.

After KHR 26 was formed in 1979, the first Germanbuilt Bo 105s entered service at Roth a year later. The unit had up to 60 helicopters at its peak and in 1993 celebrated 100,000 flying hours. Its first foreign assignment was as part of the European Force (EUFOR) in Sarajevo in 2007 and its last the civil protection intervention in this year’s summer floods. A question mark remains over the future of the garrison at Roth – KHR 26 personnel will move to other units or leave the Bundeswehr in accordance with the government’s military reduction programme. Although Roth is a modern air base capable of hosting the Eurocopter Tiger, it is no longer required by the Heeresflieger – only the future of the OttoLilienthal barracks next to the airfield is secure – it will become the new home to the Officer Candidate School of the air force.

The Tiger, successor to the Bo105, will be procured in reduced numbers and will be based with KHR 36 at Fritzlar in the Schwalm-Eder district. Currently, it has received around 30 of an eventual 57 Tigers including ten upgraded to Afghanistan Stabilization German Army Rapid Deployment (ASGARD) standard. Four of the optimised Tigers have been flying in Afghanistan since the end of last year.

Future of the Bo105

The Bo105’s time is coming to an end - as part of the Bundeswehr’s reform plan it will be retired by 2016. Over the last few months other Bo105 units have taken the type out of service or been disbanded: Heeresfliegerunterstützungsstaffel (army aviation support squadron) 1 at Holzdorf and Verbindungs und Aufklärungsstaffel (liaison and reconnaissance squadron) 100/Heeresfliegerinstandsetzungsstaffel (army repair squadron) 1 at Celle. KHR 36 ‘Kurhessen’ and the German-French Army Aviation Training Centre Tiger at Le Luc/Le Cannet in France operate a few Bo105s, but they will leave in the next few months. All remaining 24 Bo105s in service will be operated within the Heeresfliegerwaffenschule/Ausbildungszentrum (HFWS – Army aviation school/Training centre) C at Celle. The centre will provide training for young pilots, liaison and reconnaissance flights afm and continuation training of active pilots.

Above: Two large hangars, a maintenance hall and a flight simulator have been built at Roth to accommodate the Bo105’s successor, the Eurocopter Tiger, but the scaling back of army aviation means they are no longer needed.

Flood mission Devastating floods prompted emergency operations in the states of Bavaria, Thuringia, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt on June 1. The army's support of the civil power was impressive: for 17 days up to 20,000 soldiers were in the field and more than 30 helicopters of the Heeresflieger completed 1,400 flying hours. The men and women of KHR 26 were involved on the ground and in the air – three Bo105s flew approximately 160 hours of the type’s 400-hour total with a readiness of 100% over the whole period. KHR 26 operated directly from Roth with a single Bo105VBH, and in the flood area near Dresden with two out of Holzdorf and Fassberg. Tasks were varied from connecting flights, monitoring dykes, checking evacuation routes in the flood area were still usable and airspace co-ordination for search and rescue helicopters. During a reconnaissance flight 60 cattle, 20 horses and

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two people trapped by floods were discovered and rescues launched. Two people who at first refused to give up their farm close to the River Elbe were rescued by a Bell UH-1D directed by a Bo105. The Bo105 was in high demand as a liaison helicopter because of its small size – it could operate in enclosed and unfamiliar landing zones such as school playgrounds and sports fields. The resulting low rotor downwash made the Bo105 indispensable to transport sandbags on soggy embankments. “People appreciated our help and we were able to help them. This motivated us even more,” said Bo105 pilot Major Mathias Meier. German defence minister Thomas de Maizière thanked his soldiers for their tremendous achievements: “You can be sure, through what you have done in the fight against the flood, the people in Germany will not forget quickly. You can be proud.”

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FINNS AT RAF VALLEY

Flying Finns in Wales

Derek Bower reports on the Finnish Air Force’s recent visit to RAF Valley in Anglesey

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N A move aimed at promoting a mutual exchange of training ideas and air combat training, Fighter Squadron 41 (FS41) of the Finnish Air Force (FinAF) visited RAF Valley, Anglesey, for one week commencing September 2. The arrival of the six BAe Hawk Mk51As was the final leg of a 2 hour, 50 minute flight from their home base of Kauhava. Using callsigns ‘FinForce 213’ to ‘218’, the first leg had taken the Hawks from Kauhava to the Royal Danish Air Force base at Aalborg, where they refuelled before the 90-minute leg overflying Scotland and Northern England, to arrive at RAF Valley. This visit had been planned for well over 12 months. The purpose of the detachment was a reciprocal

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Above left: All sorties were flown with a mixed crew of FinAF and IV(R) Squadron pilots. Here the detachment commander, Lt Col Jussi Virtanen, looks on as Cpt Marc Fuss briefs Flt Lt Rich Dennis on the next sortie details. Derek Bower Above right: Unlike RAF aircrew, the FinAF crews sign to accept an aircraft by the aeroplane. Here Lt Col Virtanen signs for his Hawk Mk51A before his sortie. Derek Bower

squadron exchange, originating from a request by FS41 to IV(R) Squadron to visit Kauhava a year ago to assess how RAF pilot training compared with the FinAF. Over recent years FS41 has invited other foreign air forces to Kauhava, principally the Swedish and French, to gauge the final phase of its cadet pilot training. An

additional aim of inviting IV(R) Squadron to bring its brand new, state-of-the-art Hawk T2s to Kauhava was for the FinAF to assess its capabilities and determine if the extra expense of fitting such things as synthetic radar to its Hawk Mk51A Mid Life Update (MLU) fleet was worthwhile. A decision was made by FS41 Squadron Commander and detachment leader Lt Col Jussi Virtanen, that the Finnish flight crews visiting RAF Valley should all be Instructor Pilots (IP). Fifteen IPs arrived to fly with, and against, IV(R) Squadron Instructors in a number of flight scenarios. Of the 15, half were relatively inexperienced IPs who had not previously deployed overseas.

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Above: A pair of Finnnish AF Hawks caught as they blast through a Welsh valley. Pat Reilly Below: Generally sorties were flown with one Hawk Mk51A and one Hawk T2. Derek Bower

The arrival of FS41 allowed IV(R) Squadron pilots to experience an exchange of training ideas, but in order to prevent interference with regular student training, all FS41 v IV(R) flights were scheduled around the main training activities on the airfield. Minimum disruption to cadet training at Kauhava was also a decider as to which type of Hawk FS41 brought to Valley. The squadron operates three marks of Hawk - one Mk51, seven Mk51As and, currently, 15 (from an eventual 18) ex-Swiss Air Force Mk66s (see

AFM Nov 2012). The Mk66s are used exclusively for cadet training and so, with the firm proviso that training was not to be interrupted, the Mk51/As were made available for the detachment. These eight aircraft have received the Patria-designed MLU update, but are only used by IPs for staff continuation training and a number of other, less frequent tasks. Another important consideration for the ferry flight was fuel capacity and the ability to carry longrange fuel tanks - the Mk51As are often fitted with

The IV(R) Squadron aircraft are painted in the high-visibility black training scheme but continue the long tradition of wearing squadron tail codes and fighter bars. Due to Finnish Defence Force policy, the FinAF Hawks retain a rather dull overall grey scheme. Paul Heasman

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FINNS AT RAF VALLEY

Approximately 70 sorties were flown during the four days flying, and many were in the low-level flying systems. Clare Scott

100 gallon (455l) drop tanks, almost doubling the aircraft’s range. Currently the Mk66s are undergoing trials at the FinAF Flight Test Centre at Halli to clear them to carry the tanks.

A week in Wales

Flying started in earnest on day two following detailed briefings regarding flying in the UK’s congested airspace. Initially, four sorties were planned for each day, with RAF T2s and Mk51As flying in one-v-one pairs to begin with, then later building to two-v-one and two-v-two. Each sortie, whatever profile was flown, had mixed crews, with both RAF and FinAF pilots cross-flying in the back seat of each other’s aircraft. This allowed both nations’ pilots to experience tactics and flying habits at first hand, rather than just talking about flying in a crew room. The main sortie scenarios were dissimilar air combat training (DACT), which may seem strange as both squadrons fly Hawks, albeit vastly different versions. However, DACT is not just one fighter in combat with a different type of fighter, it can often be applied to the result of one air force’s pilot training fighting against another. Typical sortie profiles included

high-level air-to-air combat in one-v-one, one-v-two and two-v-one scenarios. Low level sorties were also flown, although due to poor weather in the low flying system around Wales (LFA 17) a number of these were flown north of RAF Valley up to the Scottish Border (LFA 20). No weapons ranges were used during the detachment, as weapons delivery is not included in the FinAF Hawk cadet training syllabus. However, a number of low- to medium-level simulated ordnance releases were practised.

Keeping the Finns flying

A long lead-time for deployment planning allowed time for the FinAF to plan scheduled maintenance

for the deploying Hawks, ensuring none would require any significant work during their time at Valley. FS41 Senior Engineer Officer 1st Lt Juha Liinamaa explained that engineering preparations had commenced six months earlier, with all planned maintenance - both hours-based and time-based - scheduled to be complete the week before the Hawks left Finland. In reality, this was completed earlier than planned, so in the week prior to leaving the aircraft were flying general day-to-day missions and were not put to one side. In fact, Lt Liinamaa explained the only major non-scheduled work that had to be completed was to download UK maps into the Hawks’ mission planning computers and fit longrange fuel tanks. Non-routine maintenance was covered by prudent packing of everyday spares and ‘wear and tear’ items, conveyed to RAF Valley by road in two ISO shipping containers. To cover any immediate issues, a FinAF CASA C295 arrived at RAF Valley shortly after the Hawks with 12 mechanics of sufficient trades to cover any eventuality. Fortunately, other than day-to-day maintenance, no major problems developed other than one aircraft that suffered a low-level bird strike. In this case, the mission was aborted early and the crew returned to Valley to have the results inspected, although no damage was found to the aircraft.

Satisfying end

After flying around 80 hours during 70 local sorties and utilising four of the six available Hawk Mk51As each day, Lt Col Virtanen said his aim had been achieved of introducing his junior pilots to flying in areas away from Finland and experiencing other nations’ tactics and flying systems. “Working with IV(R) Squadron and learning from people who are amongst the best in the world will undoubtafm edly benefit any air force visiting RAF Valley.”

Above: Same but different – the Hawk Mk51A and Hawk T2. The new Hawk T2’s heritage is still very evident. Derek Bower Below: Six Hawk Mk51As arrived at RAF Valley and all remained serviceable during the detachment. They were parked outside overnight on the IV(R) Squadron servicing ramp. Derek Bower

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MCAS New River

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READY FOR

WAR! The United States Marine Corps’ 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit is preparing to embark on an at least eight-month cruise off Mediterranean hotspots. AFM’s Jerry Gunner visited North Carolina to find out more

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N MANY ways the United States Marine Corps (USMC) is the poor relation in the US military – indeed an unofficial motto is ‘do more with less’. Numerically speaking it is the smallest of the big four armed services, but even so it has more troops than many nations have in their armies. Its raison d’être is to act as an amphibious, expeditionary, air-ground, combined-arms task force, capable of forcible entry from the air, land, and sea. The key to achieving those aims is mobility – getting Marines’ boots on the ground quickly. Since the Korean War more than 60 years ago, this has meant helicopters, and for most of that time one particular helicopter – the Boeing Vertol H-46 Sea Knight. The first H-46 flew in August 1962 with initial deliveries to the Corps starting in November 1964. Countless Marines have ridden to war in H-46s, or ‘Phrogs’ as they are affectionately known. Each could carry 17 fully-equipped troops and protect itself with door-mounted machine guns. Although lightly armoured, vulnerable to ground fire and slow in the air, the Phrog saw service in trouble spots around the world and has been constantly upgraded with more modern technology. But they are worn out – only 80 remain operational as this is written – and a replacement was urgently sought. It came in the shape of the Bell-Boeing MV-22B Osprey, which isn’t a helicopter at all. It’s not an aeroplane either but a mixture of the two, a tiltrotor that can take off like a chopper, change shape, fly like a transport aircraft and then land like a helicopter again. All of this doesn’t come cheap: the V-22 is said to cost more per unit than a Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Left: Captains Brett Collins (front) and Chad Rudisill prepare for take-off in AH-1W SuperCobra 162567/EG-20 of VMM-263 (Rein) ‘Thunder Eagles’. USMC/Sgt Austin Hazard

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08/10/2013 09:12

Article MCAS New title River

($70 million versus $43 million), but speak to Marine aviators and they’ll tell you it’s worth every penny. Lieutenant Colonel Sam Schoolfield, commanding officer of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 (VMM-263), part of Marine Air Group 26 (MAG-26) at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River, North Carolina, is a former Boeing AV-8B Harrier II pilot and strong supporter of the V-22. He says he wouldn’t change his assignment to tiltrotors for anything. He describes the Osprey as the ‘Swiss Army knife’ of warplanes. Lt Col Schoolfield took over as commander of the ‘Thunder Eagles’, as VMM-263 is known, in June. It will fall to him to command the aviation combat element (ACE), based around his squadron but reinforced with other types, when it deploys aboard one of the US Navy’s Wasp-class Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) amphibious assault landing ships, the USS Bataan (LHD-5), early next year. Known in the fleet as the ‘Big Five’, the Bataan and its Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) will be operating in the 5th and 6th Fleets' areas of operational responsibility (AOR). The 5th Fleet’s AOR, geographically smaller than any other, ‘only’ encompasses about 2.5 million square miles (6.47 million square kms) of water area and includes the Arabian Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman and parts of the Indian Ocean. This expanse, encompassing the coastlines of 20 countries, includes three critical choke points: the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal and the Strait of Bab al Mandeb at the southern tip of Yemen. The 6th Fleet’s AOR is huge, covering around half of the Atlantic Ocean, from the North Pole to Antarctica, as well as the Adriatic, Baltic, Barents, Black, Caspian, Mediterranean and North Seas. The AOR covers more than 20 million square nautical miles of ocean, touches three continents and encompasses more than 67% of the earth’s coastlines, 30% of its landmass and nearly 40% of the world’s population. Of course, the Bataan can only be in one place at a time and that is likely to be the eastern end of the Mediterranean, conveniently placed to nip through the Suez Canal to the Red and Arabian Seas should the need arise. 40

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Mission Commander’s viewpoint Captain Scott Pope from VMM263 (Reinforced) was the leader of the flight of six Ospreys on the evening of AFM’s visit to New River. The 30-year-old has been flying the Osprey for four years and is one of the most highly qualified pilots on his squadron. Key - Jerry Gunner

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Above: The 2014 cruise of the USS Bataan ESG will be the first to feature the much-improved version of the veteran Huey helicopter, the UH-1Y Venom. Key - Jerry Gunner Left: A crew chief leads 24 marines out to their waiting Osprey. Six tiltrotors launched to carry them to the training area. Each Marine is a fighting soldier first and a specialist second. Key - Jerry Gunner Below: AH-1W SuperCobras assigned to VMM-263 (Rein) share the ramp at MCAS New River with V-22s before taking part in a training mission on a wet August evening. Key - Jerry Gunner

Organisation

The four main elements of a Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) are the command element (the top brass), ground combat element (GCE), aviation combat element (ACE) and logistics combat element (LCE). For its 2014 cruise the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) command element took charge of its three major subordinate elements to form a complete MAGTF on July 10. The ground combat element, which is what everything else is there to support, comprises some 1,400 Marines of 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment commanded by Lt Col Paul Merida. The battalion will be reinforced to become a Battalion Landing Team (BLT) – the point of the MEU’s spear. The additional assets typically include an artillery battery equipped with six M777 Lightweight 155mm howitzers, an amphibious assault vehicle platoon with 15 AAV-7 amphibious assault vehicles, a combat engineer platoon, a light armoured reconnaissance company with between seven and 16 LAV-25 Marine Light Armored Vehicles, a tank platoon with four M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks, a reconnaissance platoon and other units as

the mission and circumstances require. Other vehicles likely to be available include HMMWVS, better known as Humvees, and specialist mine-clearance machines. Also embarked will be RQ-7B Shadow and RQ-11 Raven unmanned aerial systems (UASs) for reconnaissance and surveillance, relaying communications and assisting in target acquisition. Additionally, the Marines have guns, rockets, mortars and missiles. This is a serious force. The whole is designed to ‘kick in the door’ and hold an objective without being resupplied or reinforced for a period of 30 days. It is unlikely of course that such a capability will ever be needed – the‘big green machine’, as Lt Col Schoolfield calls the US Army, will soon follow their brothers-inarms. VMM-263 (Reinforced) is the aviation combat element. When she sails early next year the Bataan will be the flagship of Expeditionary Strike Group 2 (ESG-2). Part of a relatively new doctrine, ESGs can be seen as smaller, but still very potent, Carrier Strike Groups, with which they sometimes operate. A typical ESG will comprise two large amphibious ships in

addition to the LHD. ESG-2 stood up in 2007. The Bataan will be accompanied by the USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44) – a dock landing ship – and an amphibious transport dock, the USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19). These three vessels are the major surface ships of the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (ARG). Other surface combatants will include guided-missile destroyers and frigates; a submarine may be attached as well. Lt Col Schoolfield will have an air force under his command that would be the envy of many nations. As well as the core of 12 Ospreys, the ARG will be able to call on six or seven AV-8B Harrier IIs, four Bell AH-1W SuperCobra attack helicopters, three Bell UH-1Y Venom Super Hueys, four Sikorsky CH-53E Sea Stallions and two or three US Navy H-60 helicopters assigned to vessels in the ESG. There aren’t many tasks that such a force cannot deal with. It should be remembered that an MEU has roles other than combat. During 2010 the Big Five was tasked with relief work following the earthquake that devastated Haiti.

Sitting on the ramp with its rotor blades folded, MV-22B 166742/EG-10 has been modified to receive the interim defensive weapon system (IDWS), a belly-mounted variation of the GAU-17 (a 7.62mm mini-gun) guided via a dedicated electro-optical/infrared system. Both systems are lowered through the floor when deployed, because otherwise there is insufficient ground clearance to land the aircraft. Key - Jerry Gunner

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MCAS NEW RIVER

V-22 - a new era for Marine Aviation

Lt Col Sam Schoolfield is CO of VMM-263 and a keen advocate for the Osprey in Marine Corps service. He will be in command of a small, powerful air force during USS Bataan’s upcoming cruise. Key - Jerry Gunner

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IEUTENANT COLONEL Schoolfield is not a man who keeps you guessing about what he thinks, being refreshingly honest and forthright in his opinions. The former Harrier pilot told AFM that flying the Osprey was not a comedown from his time on the AV-8. He is not unusual in moving from fixed-wing flying to the tiltrotor fleet; indeed, the majority of the ‘Volun-tolds’, as he called them, have a fixed-wing background. However, VMMT-204 (Marine Medium Tiltrotor Training Squadron 204) ‘Raptors’, the Osprey training squadron for both the Marines and the air force, also based at New River, is turning out more and more pilots and crews who have known nothing else. As an example of

the flexibility the V-22 brings to the Corps and the military in general, he cited the airlift mission from Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, to the Kajaki Dam – a journey far too dangerous to make by road because of the threat from improvised explosive devices. Ospreys can make seven journeys in the time helicopters make two. He gave the V-22’s ‘hot and high’ performance as another winner. Although the H-46 the Osprey is replacing is supposed to be able to carry a similar number of troops, in reality it rarely could because of its lack of power. “With the V-22 you have a service ceiling of 25,000ft, but it’s still going up like a lift. It climbs like a homesick angel!” the colonel told AFM. He was dismissive of any suggestion the aircraft was unreliable or dangerous, saying that he wouldn’t fly it, or let his men and women fly it, if there was any suggestion that it was not safe – and pointed out the type has the best accident record of any aircraft in the Marines’ inventory, saying “criticism comes from a dated paradigm”. His message was that those who denigrate the Osprey have failed to keep up-to-date with the programme and what it is doing day in, day out in some of the harshest environments on the planet. There have been two fatalities involving the MV22B this century. Corporals Robby Reyes and Derek Kerns were killed in the loss of 165844 ‘EM-11’ of

VMM-261 on April 11, 2012 (see Attrition, June 2012). The investigation into the incident (the other was in December 2000) determined the aircraft did not suffer any mechanical or material failures and there were no issues with its safety. Some critics say the V-22 is flawed because of its lack of forward-firing defensive weapon. A M240D general purpose machine-gun can be mounted on the rear ramp and guns can be mounted at the side doors but there is nothing, on most Ospreys, to engage targets in front. A small number have a defensive weapon system (DWS) mounted on the belly. Controlled from the cockpit via a video screen and video game-like handset, the weapon gives all-round coverage, but it is heavy and so a trade-off has to be made between carrying it or a bigger cargo. AFM asked Lt Col Schoolfield about the perceived problem and whether he felt vulnerable flying the big transport. “The only time I feel vulnerable is on the ground or on approach. But I don’t need a gun. I’ve got 20mm cannon covering me.” He explained that part of the MEU ethos meant he wouldn’t be going into a ‘hot’ landing zone without the appropriate level of fire support, which ranges from the Marines already on the ground to heavily armed SuperCobra, Venom, Viper and Huey helicopters up to the AV-8s. “If it’s a hot LZ we’re going to make it cold!”

Above: The contraption on the lowered rear ramp on 168239/EG-13 is the mount for the M240D generalpurpose machine gun. Key - Jerry Gunner Right: MV-22B Osprey 168233/EG-14 – one of VMM-263’s more recent acquisitions – taxies out on New River’s busy ramp. Key - Jerry Gunner

“With the V-22 you have a service ceiling of 25,000ft, but it’s still going up like a lift. It climbs like a homesick angel!”

USS Bataan (LHD-5) will be the flagship of Expeditionary Strike Group 2 (ESG-2) when it sails early next year. As can be seen, the deck is very crowded. US Navy

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Getting ready to fight

When AFM visited New River in mid-August, the work-up towards deployment was in full swing. A series of exercises aimed at training for every foreseeable eventuality was under way and one largescale, long-lasting scenario was scheduled to come to a head on the first evening of our visit. Some of the aviation assets had already moved north to Ft Pickett and Ft Eustis, Virginia, where further predeployment work, this time realistic urban training (RUT), was scheduled. MCAS New River is part of the huge Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base which covers 246 square miles (63,713 hectares) near Jacksonville, North Carolina. The terrain is flat, mostly wooded and crossed with rivers and creeks. Unpleasant wildlife abounds. There are 37 species of snake in North Carolina but ‘only’ six are really poisonous. Five of them are pit vipers – deadly to humans and equipped with heat seeking sensors to track warm bodies in the dark – and all are found out in the boondocks where the Marines train. Not to forget the biting insects. Or the alligators. In August it’s hot – damn hot – and humid; it rains a lot. So, not the most comfortable place to be. Marines had been living out in the field for at least two weeks for the exercise, with the operation tonight being

Above: This MV-22B had just emerged from the paint shop when AFM visited New River. The full-colour markings feature VMM-263’s badge on the vertical tail surfaces. Key - Jerry Gunner

the culmination. A suspected arms cache had been located in a building in a purpose-built town on the training range. It was near both the market and the mosque. Marines had been keeping observation on it. Atmospherics (the ‘feel’ of the place) were said to be good and the bad guys didn’t seem to have a clue what was about to hit them.

The briefing

For AFM the evening started with the briefing for the aviators involved in the night’s mission. It started at 1700hrs local time on the dot, with a countdown in the minutes running up to the start and then a time-hack to synchronise watches. For the purposes of the exercise, six Ospreys from the Thunder

Above: Lance Corporal Grant Smith, a member of the 22nd MEU’s BLT and a scribe with the tactical site exploitation (TSE) draws a layout of a building during a vertical assault course. The TSE’s act as forensic examiners, hence the plastic gloves which prevent contamination of evidence. USMC Sgt Alisa J Helin Right: Lance Corporal Christopher Fettes a member of the Bataan BLT’s TSE team checks a simulated casualty during site exploitation during a vertical assault course at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. USMC Sgt Alisa J Helin Below: Captain Brett Collins, a hugely experienced attackhelicopter pilot, led the flight of two AH-1W SuperCobras that covered the Ospreys during the exercise witnessed by AFM. Key - Jerry Gunner

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MCAS New River

Above: US Marine Corps Capt Brett Collins, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 263 (Reinforced), 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), AH-1W Super Cobra pilot inspects the systems of a Super Cobra prior to flying in support of the MEU’s Realistic Urban Training exercise at Fort Pickett, Virginia on September 3. The MEU is scheduled to deploy in early 2014 to the US 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility with the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group as a sea-based, expeditionary crisis response force capable of conducting amphibious missions across the full range of military operations. USMC/Sgt Austin Hazard

Eagles were each to take in 24 Marines. They would be escorted by two AH-1Ws. A UH-1Y armed with a M240D machine-gun with 1,200 rounds was the command ship. The participation of Super Stallions was simulated. Two flight leaders, Captain Collins for the AH-1s and Captain Pope for the V-22s, led the briefing, taking it in turn to run through each part of the mission using PowerPoint projections and aerial imagery. Although the V-22s and helicopters would in reality be launching from and recovering to New River, for the purposes of the exercise they were flying from two of the ESG’s surface vessels, the USS Bataan and USS Mesa Verde; the ships’ locations were shown on the briefing map as off the North Carolina coast. The briefing, which lasted 45 minutes, described, named and gave the locations of the two landing zones (LZs, ‘Dodo’ and ‘Hawk’) which would be illuminated with infrared markers by ground forces already in place. The target, a weapons cache, was described, and the objective of the mission, to destroy that cache, was set out. A no-fly zone would be established over the target area. Lt Col Merida would be in charge of the troops, the ‘enablers’. They would be carried to the objective on the six Ospreys led by Capt Pope, in two flights of three aircraft each. Phase One of the mission would comprise the loading of those Marines at 2030L (local time) with lift, or

“My Marines are the best of the best. Remember, never walk when you can fly, and with the Osprey I can get my highly motivated young men and women to where they need to be – fresh, hydrated and ready to fight!” take-off scheduled for 15 minutes later. The assault aircraft would be escorted by Captain Brett Collins’ two rocket and Hellfire missile-armed SuperCobras. Two CH-53Es, known as the ‘Cherry-pickers’, would remain on the ground to provide MEDEVAC. The level of attention to detail was impressive. The direction of the assault was planned so that the breathtaking (when it wasn’t hidden by rain clouds) blue moon was illuminating the target. Phase Two would begin with simultaneous landings on Dodo and Hawk LZs at 2145L. While the ground forces grouped at the objective rally point (ORP), Captain Collins’ AH-1Ws would split up. One would check for reinforcements moving towards the objective and check the surrounding area while the other kept eyes

Above: Ospreys operated by MV-22B ‘Thunder Eagles’ bask in the sunshine at New River. Key - Jerry Gunner

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on the target. A great deal of stress was placed on rules of engagement, particularly responsibility for authorising the use of kinetic effects and fire control. Phase Three, running from 2145L to 2315L, would begin with gaining a foothold in a specific building identified by its number on a map, and end with the destruction of the arms cache. Before that a crime scene investigation would take place. Part of the Battalion Landing Team is an organic tactical site exploitation (TSE) team made up of a leader, photographer (stills and video), scribe and, crucially, two searchers. These evidence-gatherers would later be able to show how the search was conducted and what was found – vital to refute allegations of misconduct. Because they are operating in a combat zone the searches have to be conducted very quickly, usually in a matter of minutes. Writing about the team, Sergeant Alisa J Helin described how the Marines operate: “[They] move through the building labelling rooms and evidence, photographing everything they find. Anything that could have fingerprints or DNA samples is handled carefully and placed into evidence collection bags. Any items found are sent back to military criminal investigation services for research. Every bit of evidence collected can reveal information that can help keep Marines and civilians safe.” Phase Four, running from 2315L to midnight, dealt with the regroup at the LZs and Phase Five the return to base and the end of the exercise. Marines have been carrying out missions like this for decades and they’ve done them using the Phrog. However, the V-22 means commanders can plan with a high level of confidence that the machines scheduled for the mission will actually be available – whereas the H-46s are increasingly unreliable. Another bonus is that the V-22s can carry many more Marines and their equipment, and because of their speed they spend less time over enemy territory. To give Lieutenant Colonel Schoolfield the last word: “My Marines are the best of the best. Remember, never walk when you can fly, and with the Osprey I can get my highly motivated young men and women to where they need to be – fresh, afm hydrated and ready to fight!” www.airforcesmonthly.com

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US AC-130 Gunships

Gunship 21 Century st

Ben Montgomery investigates the special qualities of the US Air Force’s latest AC-130 gunships

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s with any military aircraft type, the AC-130 fleet has continually evolved since launch, and today provides the most effective and reliable version of the gunship yet, with the highest lethality. With the introduction of the AC-130W Stinger II and the advent of the AC-130J Ghostrider, the AC-130 continues to grow – and evolve.

Spookys and Stingers

The AC-130H Spectre and AC-130U Spooky II operated by Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), are successors to the first gunship, the Douglas AC-47 Spooky, which was designed for operation over Vietnam. The ’H and ’U versions of the AC-130 have proved their worth in the skies over multiple conflict zones, most recently Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya. However, with an average fleet age of 43, the AC-130H has been slated for retirement by AFSOC, and will be replaced by the AC-130J. In recognition of the increased demand on the AC-130 fleet worldwide, 37 AC-130Js are being acquired to replace the eight-strong AC-130H fleet, as they will also supersede both the AC-130U and AC-130W. It was the need to replace the AC-130H fleet that was the driver of the Lockheed Martin AC-130W and AC-130J programmes. The first look at a replacement for the ’H came in 2001 when a Department of Defense Program Budget Decision (PBD) called for the acquisition of an additional eight AC-130U Spooky II gunships to ease the pressure on the existing fleet. Four were eventually delivered in 2007, which were known as the AC-130U+4. This PBD also initiated work on the study of a possible replacement gunship

termed AC-X. Work to create an advanced concept technology demonstrator (ACTD) was fully funded by the PBD, but it was open-ended as to whether the AC-X could be a major overhaul of the AC-130, an entirely new airframe or conversion of another type. In 2005, with mounting pressure on the already strained AC-130H fleet, the Alenia C-27J Spartan was chosen as an airframe for AC-X study. In service, it was to be known as the AC-27J Stinger II – the name having been chosen to link back to the AC-119 Stinger, a variant of the Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar. The AC-27J was to be a light gunship model, designed for light support strike tasks. However, cancellation of the C-27J from the US Army budget led to the air force re-evaluating its position with that airframe. As such, the AC-27J concept never progressed further than the delivery of C-27A 90-0170 to Eglin Air Force Base (AFB) in Florida for weapon integration feasibility studies. However, the AC-130H was still overstretched operationally and getting older, so the decision was taken to convert the MC-130W Dragon Spear airframes serving with the 73rd Special Operations Squadron (SOS) at Cannon AFB in New Mexico, into AC-130W Stinger II aircraft. The AC-130W contract to upgrade the full fleet of 12 airframes was awarded to L3 Communications in 2010. The programme went from concept to operational in less than 18 months, and is centred on a modular ‘precision strike package’ comprising a 30mm Mk44 Bushmaster II cannon together with stand-off precision guided munitions (SOPGM). The 30mm cannon was chosen for its accuracy and lethality over the AC-130U’s 25mm GAU-12U Equalizer and the

Right: AC-130U Gunship Aerial Gunner SSgt Sarah Mrak from the 4th Special Operations Squadron loads the 105mm gun during a local training mission at Hurlburt Field. The ‘U model is an upgraded version of the ‘H, equipped with side firing, trainable 25mm, 40mm, and 105mm guns. US Air Force/MSgt Jeremy T Lock

Left: The AC130U’s three massive guns are evident on 90-0163 at RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk. Ben Montgomery

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US AC-130 Gunships

40mm L/60 Bofors cannon, common to both the ’H and ’U variants. Indeed, the 30mm had been fronted as a replacement for the GAU-12 and L/60 on the AC-130U, but was cancelled after a trial installation was found to be unsatisfactory. The US Air Force stated the weapon had insufficient accuracy at the altitude it wished to use it. The SOPGM integration with the AC-130W provides the ability to launch the GBU-44/B Viper Strike and AGM-175 Griffin precision munitions. It was planned during fiscal year (FY) 2013 to integrate the AGM-114 Hellfire with the AC-130W, together with funding for studies into the integration of a larger calibre weapon and small diameter bombs, but sequestration may have delayed this. Alongside weapons development, funding had also been approved for the study of a synthetic aperture radar for the AC-130W to be mounted in a pod, as well as the introduction of an all-weather weapons capability and enhanced human systems interface, all of which made for a more efficient fighting machine. While the AC-130W does not have the overwhelming firepower that the AC-130U can bring to the battlefield, its price tag of $60 million for the aircraft and $39 million for the precision strike package (PSP) is comparable to the $120 million cost of a single AC-130U and provides increased flexibility, as the aircraft can be operated as both an MC-130W and AC-130W. Operating in a reconnaissance and support role, the AC-130W would be a more appropriate utilisation of force in many situations, freeing the AC-130U assets for other operations.

AC-130J

The success of the PSP system on board the AC-130W has meant that much of the work required to integrate it with the new AC-130J Ghostrider has been proven. The AC-130W is involved in risk reduction work to prepare the first AC-130J. On December 4, 2012 Lockheed Martin produced the first MC-130J Commando II that will be converted to a new AC-130J. The aircraft, 09-5710, was delivered to Eglin AFB Florida in January and is expected to fly by December. Sixteen AC-130Js were initially on order for AFSOC with an expected initial operating capability for four aircraft (including one primary training aircraft) during 2016. The numbers were later upped to 37 and the project cost is $2.4 billion. Mission Qualification and continuation/unit training is expected to be conducted at Cannon AFB, New Mexico. The evolution of the AC-130 fleet will

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begin with the retirement of the AC-130H from 2014. The AC-130W and ‘U models will begin to be phased out after the AC-130J reaches initial operational capability in 2016. The funding currently allocated for analysis of a larger calibre gun on the AC-130W will be transferred to the AC-130J.

Harvest HAWK

While the US Air Force is currently the only air arm to operate the AC-130, the US Marine Corps has made no secret of its desire to obtain its own AC-130 assets. This aim, coupled with the financial and logistical restrictions preventing the purchase or conversion of AC-130s for the USMC, has in part led to the development of the Harvest HAWK (Hercules Airborne Weapons Kit) programme, which gave the USMC KC-130J aircraft some of the capabilities of the AC-130. Harvest HAWK is fielded under four capability levels: Capability I consists of a fire control system located in the aircraft’s cargo bay and an AN/AAQ-30 Target Sight System (TSS); Capability II adds a missile pylon (for AGM-114 Hellfire) on the port wing of the aircraft; Capability III adds a gun system to the aircraft similar to the AC-130, however the 30mm Mk44 Bushmaster II was tested and rejected; and Capability IV adds a rearmounted missile system. The missiles fielded were the Viper Strike and Griffin, launched from a ten-round dispenser on the cargo ramp. This was later moved to the rear paratroop door to avoid the requirement to open the cargo ramp to launch. The success of the Harvest HAWK programme for the USMC was rolled into the PSP being fielded on the AC-130W. Weapons commonality between each system is significant, although the AC-130W is not yet equipped with the Hellfire. Funding was awarded to Lockheed Martin

in early 2012 for an additional three Harvest HAWK kits, and the modification of seven further KC-130J airframes to allow them to be employed.

Rearming the AC-130H/U – Exploring options

Feasibility studies for new weaponry aboard the AC-130H and ’U have also been conducted. Because of the vulnerability of the AC-130 to man-portable air defence (MANPAD) weapons, the gunship has been using the natural defence of night, with daylight operations avoided wherever possible. One study designed to allow the AC-130 to operate safely in daylight has proposed using the 105mm Howitzer as an indirect fire weapon. The Ballistically-Launched Aerodynamic Missile (BLAM) would be fired from the 105mm while the aircraft was in a right-hand (as opposed to conventional left-hand) orbit, from altitudes of around 25,000ft (7,600m) and 50 miles (80km) away from the target. By using the 105mm in this mortar-style role, the aircraft would be far removed from any threats in the conflict zone. A precision missile would also be more effective than a round from the 105mm in many modern combat situations in built-up areas where collateral damage reduction is a high priority. However, while this proposal would protect the aircraft from harm, it would also remove the situational awareness and overview that the AC-130 can provide to a team on the ground in an urban environment. In addition, there have been studies into replacing the 105mm with a larger calibre weapon – possibly based on the M102 120mm howitzer. Research has shown that while the weapon is physically larger, stress and damage from blast pressure and recoil on

Above: The first flight of an AC-130J took place on November 30, 2012 from Lockheed Martin’s Marietta facility in Georgia. At the time the aircraft, 09-5710, was in MC-130J specification but flew to Eglin AFB, Florida on January 3 to be converted into an AC-130J. Lockheed Martin/Todd R McQueen

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02/10/2013 12:26

Above: The AN/AAQ-39 is the electro-optical/infrared fire control system for the AC-130U Gunship. The Q-39 targeting system consists of a large-aperture, mid-wave infrared (MWIR) sensor, two image-intensified television (I2TV) cameras, a near-infrared (NIR) laser pointer and a laser designator/rangefinder (with eyesafe mode). These components are integrated into a stabilised turret to ensure image quality and accurate line-of-sight pointing for gunfire control. Lockheed Martin Right: AC-130U 90-0163 departs RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk during a transit journey from Afghanistan. Ben Montgomery Left: An AC-130U gunship jettisons flares over an area near Hurlburt Field in Florida. The aircraft is from the 4th Special Operations Squadron. US Air Force/Senior Airman Julianne Showalter

AC-130s in service Serial

Variant

Name

Unit

Base

69-6568

AC-130H Spectre

Night Stalker

16th SOS, 27th SOW

Cannon AFB, NM

69-6569

AC-130H Spectre

Excalibur

16th SOS, 27th SOW

Cannon AFB, NM

69-6570

AC-130H Spectre

Bad Company

16th SOS, 27th SOW

Cannon AFB, NM

69-6572

AC-130H Spectre

Grave Digger

16th SOS, 27th SOW

Cannon AFB, NM

69-6573

AC-130H Spectre

Heavy Metal

16th SOS, 27th SOW

Cannon AFB, NM

69-6574

AC-130H Spectre

Iron Maiden

16th SOS, 27th SOW

Cannon AFB, NM

69-6575

AC-130H Spectre

Wicked Wanda

16th SOS, 27th SOW

Cannon AFB, NM

69-6577

AC-130H Spectre

Death Angel

16th SOS, 27th SOW

Hurlburt Field, FL

87-0128

AC-130U Spooky II

Big Daddy

4th SOS, 1st SOW

Hurlburt Field, FL

87-9286

AC-130W Stinger II

73rd SOS, 27th SOW

Cannon AFB, NM

87-9288

AC-130W Stinger II

73rd SOS, 27th SOW

Cannon AFB, NM

88-1301

AC-130W Stinger II

73rd SOS, 27th SOW

Cannon AFB, NM

88-1302

AC-130W Stinger II

73rd SOS, 27th SOW

Cannon AFB, NM

88-1303

AC-130W Stinger II

73rd SOS, 27th SOW

Cannon AFB, NM

88-1304

AC-130W Stinger II

73rd SOS, 27th SOW

Cannon AFB, NM

88-1305

AC-130W Stinger II

73rd SOS, 27th SOW

Cannon AFB, NM

88-1306

AC-130W Stinger II

73rd SOS, 27th SOW

Cannon AFB, NM

88-1307

AC-130W Stinger II

73rd SOS, 27th SOW

Cannon AFB, NM

88-1308

AC-130W Stinger II

73rd SOS, 27th SOW

Cannon AFB, NM

89-0509

AC-130U Spooky II

Total Carnage

4th SOS, 1st SOW

Hurlburt Field, FL

89-0510

AC-130U Spooky II

Gunslinger

4th SOS, 1st SOW

Hurlburt Field, FL

89-0511

AC-130U Spooky II

Predator

4th SOS, 1st SOW

Hurlburt Field, FL

89-0512

AC-130U Spooky II

Dead On

4th SOS, 1st SOW

Hurlburt Field, FL

89-0513

AC-130U Spooky II

Killer Instincts

4th SOS, 1st SOW

Hurlburt Field, FL

89-0514

AC-130U Spooky II

Maximum Carnage

4th SOS, 1st SOW

Hurlburt Field, FL

89-1051

AC-130W Stinger II

73rd SOS, 27th SOW

Cannon AFB, NM

89-1052

AC-130U+4 Spooky II

4th SOS, 1st SOW

Hurlburt Field, FL

89-1053

AC-130U+4 Spooky II

4th SOS, 1st SOW

Hurlburt Field, FL

89-1054

AC-130U+4 Spooky II

4th SOS, 1st SOW

Hurlburt Field, FL

89-1056

AC-130U+4 Spooky II

4th SOS, 1st SOW

Hurlburt Field, FL

90-0163

AC-130U Spooky II

Bad Omen

4th SOS, 1st SOW

Hurlburt Field, FL

90-0164

AC-130U Spooky II

Bad Intentions

4th SOS, 1st SOW

Hurlburt Field, FL

90-0165

AC-130U Spooky II

Thumper

4th SOS, 1st SOW

Hurlburt Field, FL

90-0166

AC-130U Spooky II

Hell Raiser

4th SOS, 1st SOW

Hurlburt Field, FL

90-0167

AC-130U Spooky II

Terminator II

4th SOS, 1st SOW

Hurlburt Field, FL

90-1058

AC-130W Stinger II

92-0253

AC-130U Spooky II

165735 165738

73rd SOS, 27th SOW

Cannon AFB, NM

4th SOS, 1st SOW

Hurlburt Field, FL

KC-130J Harvest HAWK

VMGR-352, 3rd MAW

MCAS Mirarmar, CA

KC-130J Harvest HAWK

VMGR-252, 2nd MAW

MCAS Cherry Point, NC

165809

KC-130J Harvest HAWK

VMGR-252, 2nd MAW

MCAS Cherry Point, NC

167110

KC-130J Harvest HAWK

VMGR-352, 3rd MAW

MCAS Miramar, CA

166511

KC-130J Harvest HAWK

VMGR-252, 2nd MAW

MCAS Cherry Point, NC

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Eight Ball

the AC-130 can be reduced by approximately 30%. However, the lower muzzle velocity may cause accuracy issues due to the gun wobbling during flight.

Fearsome reputation

In addition to its conventional weapons, the fearsome reputation of the AC-130 is one its greatest assets, especially in the 21st century when most people have access to the internet. It has been noted that when the AC-130 is in combat, its presence alone is often enough to turn the tide of an engagement. The USAF capitalised on this fact in Iraq, by airdropping leaflets in Arabic warning of the presence of the AC-130 in the theatre. Aside from exploiting its psychological impact, the AC-130 is likely to employ non-lethal weaponry in future, and the most logical method of doing so would be in combination with the existing weapons systems. Several existing munitions could be modified to suit the 40mm and 105mm cannons on the AC-130. For example optical flash munitions – shells filled with plastic dye laser rods, which can be used to blind humans temporarily. Or electro-optical sensors and shroud munitions – rounds that detonate just before impact, coating the target with an aluminium mesh reinforced polymer, capable of disrupting communications and optics, and disabling engines. There are also electro-magnetic pulse munitions – explosive-delivered and packed into a 105mm round. There are current problems with fitting the required equipment into a round of this size, but it is expected that these will be overcome. It may also be possible to modify systems such as the laser target designator range-finder for directed energy weapons application, which was a desired stipulation under the AC-X programme. NC-130H 65-0979 was test flown in 2009 with the Advanced Tactical Laser (a chemical oxygen iodine laser variant) onboard, developed between Boeing and United States Special Operations Command with the intention of incorporating it into a future AC-130. It successfully defeated a ground target in August of that year. Whatever combination of non-lethal and lethal weapons are to be considered, it is likely to be some years before their full integration with the AC-130. The DoD, and in particular the USMC, have defined non-lethal weapons as an essential asset for 21st century warfare, so it is likely that the AC-130U and AC-130J will have some in the future, as will the KC-130J afm Harvest HAWK. #308 November 2013

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RAF VC10

Empire End of the

The RAF has retired its last Vickers VC10. AFM’s Gary Parsons was at RAF Brize Norton to say goodbye to the ‘Queen of the Skies’

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I

“ T WAS a ground-breaking aeroplane. When you look at the other commercial aircraft around at the time – apart from the Boeing 707 – most commercial companies were flying with turboprops. The VC10, alongside the Comet, was the first useable jet transport aircraft. And it was very quick – even to this day, the VC10 is very, very quick.” The words of Air Commodore Dave Lee, Air Mobility Force Commander before the final operational sortie of the VC10 in RAF service on September 23. Graceful and beautiful, it was a design ahead of its time in the early 1960s and a shining example of British ingenuity, but stymied by poor marketing it was a commercial flop with just 54 aircraft ever made. Despite its lack of popularity with airlines, the RAF saw its potential and ordered 14 in 1963 for use on its long-distance air transport routes to the far-flung corners of what remained of the British Empire. Nicknamed ‘RAF Airlines’, the ‘Shiny Ten’ began flying to locations such as Australia, Singapore, India, Suez and Yemen in early 1967, transporting VIPs, high-ranking officers and airmen posted to the few RAF bases left.

Above: Ready for contact – the pilot of ZA150, Sqn Ldr Tim Kemp, closes in on the hose trailed by Tartan 52, ZA147. It is a skilled operation and one the VC10 pilots had to keep current with. Tim flew ZA150 into Dunsfold just four days later. Key – Gary Parsons Below: VC10 K3 ZA147 makes the type’s last refuelling mission on September 23, servicing two Tornado GR4s from 617 ‘Dambusters’ Squadron over the North Sea. Key – Gary Parsons

A pilot’s aeroplane

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RAF VC10 ZA147 trails its centreline hose in formation with sister-ship ZA150 as they head to the refuelling area on September 23. Key – Gary Parsons

Record holder

The VC10 is currently listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for completing the fastest non-stop flight from the UK to Perth, Australia in 15 hours, 53 minutes. The navigator on board ZA147 was Air Commodore Ian Elliott, a previous OC 101 Squadron and Station Commander at RAF Brize Norton. The VC10 was the fastest airliner, second only to Concorde. It could fly at around Mach 0.96, which for an airliner is “just incredible”, said

“For an awful long time it set the benchmark for those flying across the Atlantic – transatlantic flights were transformed by the VC10”

Gp Capt Lushington.

But 46 years on, the world has changed – those RAF bases have long since closed, excepting RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus and RAF Gibraltar, and more efficient aircraft have been developed that have rendered the VC10 uneconomic. It has, however, been a remarkable length of service, only beaten by another British world-leading design, the English Electric Canberra (which achieved 55 years of operational service). Group Captain Steve Lushington is the RAF Brize Norton Station Commander and a former VC10 pilot: “You only have to look through the chapters of aviation history to find the VC10 has played a part somewhere along the line, be that the returning of those people held hostage around the world, [or] flying the Royal Family, The Queen, heads of state and Prime Ministers to all sorts of wonderful locations as

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part of state visits. And for an awful long time it set the benchmark for those flying across the Atlantic – transatlantic flights were transformed by the VC10.”

A wonderful aircraft

Above: The Flight Engineer’s panel behind the co-pilot where all refuelling operations are handled. Key – Gary Parsons Below: Wg Cdr Kevin Brookes was the last Officer Commanding 101 Squadron with the VC10. He passed command to Wg Cdr Ronnie Trasler on October 1, who will take on the task of integrating the unit into Voyager operations at RAF Brize Norton. Key – Jerry Gunner

“The Royal Air Force had such a capable and wonderful aircraft,” continued Gp Capt Lushington. “There are a couple of differences between the military and civilian variants – we’ve got slightly better engines, a slightly better wing and all the seats face backwards for safety. There’s so much I could talk about VC10s, and being an ex-OC of 101 Squadron, I was really very, very proud when we had a Royal parade on Wednesday [September 18] – Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, who is the Honorary Air Commodore for RAF Brize Norton, attended to present a new squadron standard. Standards normally only last 25 years, and because the future of 101 Squadron was undecided until recently, the standard went on for 27 years and it was looking a little worn. Twenty-one years ago I was the standard bearer, so I’m woven into the history of 101 Squadron. “You’ll notice by the aircraft door there are the names of some Victoria Cross holders. Originally all 10 Squadron VC10s were named after VC medal winners. We used to just have one name, but as the aircraft are retired, rather than see those names disappear we transferred them to the remaining aircraft. We don’t leave the names on if the aircraft could be scrapped – we don’t think it’s right if something as important as that goes to the scrap yard. Each and every single one of those VC holders has got an incredible story to tell, it’s part of our very proud RAF history. No 101 Squadron picked up all the VC10s back in 2006 when 10 Squadron was disbanded. There’s talk of the names being transferred to the Voyager – OC 10 Squadron Wing Commander Dan James is running that particular project at the moment.” www.airforcesmonthly.com

02/10/2013 16:05

All the RAF's VC10s The table below lists the aircraft in order of build. C/n

Type

Serial

C/n

Type

Serial

C/n

Type

806

K2

ZA144

828

C1K

XR808

835

C1K

First flight February 21, 1963. Ex Gulf Air A4O-VC. Sold on March 28, 1978 to the MoD at Boscombe Down for GIA use. It was scrapped at St Athan in 2002 with the nose preserved by the Aircraft Recovery and Transportation Flight for training. It is frequently seen ‘road-running’ throughout the UK being taken for use in exercises.

First flight June 9, 1966 and delivered to RAF on July 7 of the same year. This was the first VC10 delivered to the RAF. It made its last flight on July 30, 2013 to Bruntingthorpe as it was too big to land at the RAF Museum, Cosford, Salop where it was to be preserved. Stored at Bruntingthorpe.

809

First flight July 28, 1966 and delivered to RAF August 31, 1966. It was used by Rolls-Royce as a flying test-bed for the RB211 engine between 1969 and 1975, and was briefly allocated the markings G-1-1 and then G-AXLR, which is the registration it wore at several Farnborough airshows. When received back by the RAF it was discovered the fuselage had been badly stressed during the trials. It was deemed to be beyond economical repair and scrapped at Kemble, Gloucestershire on October 25, 1982.

K2

ZA141

First flight October 17, 1963. Ex Gulf Air A4O-VG. Sold to MoD on March 30, 1978. Flown to St Athan on July 16, 1999 and scrapped on May 30, 2002. 811

K2

ZA142

First flight December 20, 1963. Ex Gulf Air A4O-VI. Sold to MoD on March 28, 1978. Flown to St Athan on March 27, 2001 and scrapped on May 30, 2004. 812

Srs. 1101 ZD493

First flight February 25, 1964. Ex BOAC G-ARVJ. To MoD as 8977M for spares, scrapped at Brize Norton in May 1994. 813

K2

ZA143

First flight March 28, 1964. Ex Gulf Air A4O-VK. Sold to MoD on March 29, 1978. Flown to St Athan on August 21, 1998 and subsequently scrapped. 851

K4

ZD230

First flight May 7, 1964. First Super VC10. Ex BOAC G-ASGA. To MoD on April 3, 1981. Scrapped at St Athan in September 2006 – the cockpit was preserved and delivered to GJD Services, Farnborough, Hants. 814

K2

ZA140

829

882

C1

K3

XR809

ZA147

First flight October 12, 1966. Ex East African Airways 5H-MMT. Sold to MoD on May 16, 1977. Flown to Bruntingthorpe on September 25, 2013 for disposal. 830

C1K

XR810

First flight November 29, 1966 and delivered to RAF December 21, 1966. Scrapped at St Athan, Glamorgan in 2006. 831

C1K

XV101

First flight January 11, 1967 and delivered to RAF on January 31, 1967. Scrapped at Bruntingthorpe in May 2012. 860

Srs. 1151 ZD238

First flight June 2, 1964. Ex Air Ceylon/Gulf Air A4O-VL. Sold to MoD on April 3, 1978. Scrapped at St Athan in March 2001.

First flight February 22, 1967. Ex BOAC G-ASGJ. To MoD in May 1981. Scrapped at RAF Abingdon in April 1987.

852

883

Srs. 1151 ZD231

First flight September 29, 1964. Ex BOAC G-ASGB. To MoD on April 3, 1981. Scrapped at RAF Abingdon, Oxon in March 1987. 854

Srs. 1151 ZD232

First flight February 11, 1965. Ex BOAC G-ASGD. To MoD on May 27, 1981. Allocated 8699M and burnt during training at RAF Brize Norton in April 1994. 855

Srs. 1151 ZD233

First flight March 6, 1965. Ex BOAC G-ASGE. To MoD on May 6, 1981. Broken up at RAF Brize Norton in 1982 and its remains scrapped at Manston, Kent in 1999. 856

Srs. 1151 ZD234

First flight March 24, 1965. Ex BOAC G-ASGF. To MoD on May 1, 1981. Broken up at RAF Brize Norton in 1982 and nose allocated maintenance serial 8700M. 857

K4

ZD235

First flight May 17, 1965. Ex BOAC G-ASGG. To MoD in April 1981. Scrapped at St Athan on January 7, 2004. 825

Srs.1103

XX914

First flight June 18, 1965. Ex British Caledonian G-ATDJ. Sold to MoD on March 2, 1973 for use by Royal Aircraft Establishment at Bedford. Broken up in July 1983 and fuselage taken to RAF Brize Norton for use as a Ground Instructional Airframe (GIA). Maintenance serial 8777M. 858

K3

ZA148

First flight March 21, 1967. Ex East African Airways 5Y-ADA. Sold to MoD on May 31, 1977. Flown to Newquay, Cornwall on August 28, 2013 where it will be preserved by the Classic Air Force museum. 832

C1K

XV102

First flight May 5, 1967 and delivered to RAF on May 23, 1967. Flew to Bruntingthorpe on December 12, 2011 and scrapped there in May 2012. 833

C1K

XV103

First flight June 14, 1967 and delivered to RAF on July 5, 1967. Flew to St Athan on December 11, 2000 and scrapped there by November 20, 2002. 834

C1K

XV104

First flight July 14, 1967 and delivered to RAF on August 3, 1967. Its last flight was on July 4, 2012 to Bruntingthorpe for scrapping, and no longer present September 2013. 861

Srs. 1151 ZD239

First flight September 1, 1967. Ex BOAC G-ASGK. To MoD in May 1981. Broken up in April 1987, with the fuselage going to Manston where it was scrapped in 1999.

Serial XV105

First flight October 3, 1967 and delivered to RAF on October 21, 1967. Scrapped at Bruntingthorpe in May 2012. 836

C1K

XV106

First flight November 17, 1967 and delivered to RAF on December 1 of that year. Its last flight was on November 7, 2012 to Bruntingthorpe. Partially scrapped airframe still there September 2013. 862

K4

ZD240

First flight December 22, 1967. Ex BOAC G-ASGL. To MoD on May 1, 1981. Scrapped at St Athan in September 2006 with the cockpit section preserved and sent to GJD Services, Hants. 863

K4

ZD241

First flight February 26, 1968. Ex BOAC G-ASGM. First flight as K4 on May 10, 1995 and delivered to RAF on June 9, 1995. Final flight to Bruntingthorpe on March 1, 2013 and still present in September 2013. 837

C1K

XV107

First flight March 22, 1968 and delivered to RAF on April 17 of that year. Flew to Bruntingthorpe December 12, 2011 and scrapped there by May 2012. 838

C1K

XV108

First flight June 7, 1968 and delivered to RAF on June 18 of that year. Its last flight was on November 7, 2012 to Bruntingthorpe. Partially scrapped airframe still there in September 2013. 839

C1K

XV109

First flight July 18, 1968 and delivered to RAF on August 1, 1968. Scrapped at Bruntingthorpe in June 2010 – the cockpit has been preserved and was still on the aerodrome in November 2011. 866

K4

ZD242

First flight November 20, 1968. Ex BOAC G-ASGP. To MoD on April 6, 1981. Last flight on August 29, 2008 and scrapped in February 2011 at Boscombe Down, Wilts. 867

Srs. 1151 ZD243

First flight February 12, 1969. Ex BOAC G-ASGR. To MoD in May 1981. After being stored at RAF Abingdon it was moved to British Aerospace’s facility at Filton for spares recovery and then scrapped by 1991. 884

K3

ZA149

First flight April 19, 1969. Ex East African Airways 5X-UVJ. Sold to MoD on July 26, 1977. Last flight on March 18, 2013 to Bruntingthorpe for scrapping. 885

K3

ZA150

First flight February 16, 1970. Last VC10 to be built. Ex East African Airways 5H-MOG. Sold to MoD on August 3, 1977. Flown to Dunsfold, Surrey, on September 24, 2013 for preservation.

Srs. 1151 ZD236

First flight October 2, 1965. Ex BOAC G-ASGH. To MoD on April 29, 1981. Scrapped at RAF Abingdon in April 1987. 826

C1K

XR806

First flight November 26, 1965 and delivered to RAF on April 19, 1967. Damaged beyond economic repair in a ground de-fuelling accident at RAF Brize Norton when the aircraft overbalanced, damaging the rear pressure bulkhead and lower rudder. Struck off charge December 19, 1997 and allocated maintenance number 8296M for GIA. Scrapped at Brize Norton in October 2009. 859

Srs. 1151 ZD237

First flight January 28, 1966. Ex BOAC G-ASGI. To MoD in May 1981. Scrapped at RAF Abingdon in April 1987. 827

C1K

XR807

First flight March 25, 1966, and delivered to RAF November 17 in the same year. Scrapped at Bruntingthorpe, Leics, in July 2010.

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Above: The crew of ‘Tartan 51’ (ZA150) at work. The VC10’s cockpit has changed little over the last 50 years and demanded a four-man crew to get the best out of it. Key – Gary Parsons

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RAF VC10 Life extension

RAF Museum and 'Bob'

One aircraft has been earmarked for preservation at the RAF Museum, Cosford but to date the airframe has not arrived at the Shropshire site. Originally C1K XR808, affectionately known as ‘Bob’ and the first to enter RAF service was selected, but attempts to fly it into RAF Cosford were thwarted. Gp Capt Lushington explained: “Although the VC10 is a very capable aircraft and has some incredible devices to help it stop, the runway was just too short. "We went to look at the approach profiles and managed to figure out that it was legal to get the aircraft in to land – we put the pilots into a light aircraft so they could fly a couple of approaches all the way down to the runway to know exactly what it was like. “We sat down, considered all the different considerations but to erode many safety factors in making an approach into Cosford was unacceptable. We could not justify taking the risk.” As a result ‘Bob’ was flown into Bruntingthorpe and the disposal company, GJD Services, will determine which airframe, from those remaining, will best be dismantled and taken by road to Cosford. ‘Bob’s future is assured in that it will remain intact, whether at Cosford or Bruntingthorpe.

Above: On deployment: VC10s await another mission while at Riyadh during Operation Granby in 1991. Matt Ellis Below: The crew of ZA150 after the final sortie: from front to back Sqn Ldr Tim Kemp (captain), co-pilot Flt Lt Damien Massingham, navigator Flt Lt Dave Coombs and Flight Engineer Flt Lt Kevin Booth. Key – Gary Parsons

Originally slated for retirement last March, the VC10 fleet was given a six-month extension due to delays in getting the A330 Voyager into service. It had been intended that in March it would go out in style with six aircraft still flying, but the extension of service meant that aircraft have been withdrawn one-by-one until just two – K3s ZA147 and ZA150 – remained by the end of operations. Most of the fleet had been flown into Bruntingthorpe in Leicestershire for scrapping and spares recovery to keep those still in service flying. Air Cdre Lee added: “This is an old aeroplane, bought in 1963. Those of you who have got classic cars will know that you don’t use them as your everyday transport, but we have kept the VC10 operational throughout the decades. It is an absolute tribute to those who built it, those who designed it and those who’ve maintained it.” “It’s a team effort that goes into maintaining these wonderful old ladies,” continued Gp Capt Lushington. “They’re long in the tooth, but they’ve gone on with dignity. They have caused me the odd head scratch when I needed to get a spare part to a farflung part of the world, but it’s never let me down.” “Spares became an issue because nobody else operates these aeroplanes,” added Air Cdre Lee. “Some parts had to be fabricated or ‘robbed’ off other aeroplanes as they go out of service. So there comes a point at which – and it’s not a phrase I like to use – but the fleet starts to ‘eat’ itself by consuming the aircraft as they go out of service. And that’s an inevitable part of keeping an old aeroplane serviceable. Over recent years we have been through it with a ‘fine-tooth comb’, looking for faults, cracks, anything that would undermine its air worthiness. And there were incidences where we found cracks in the axles of the undercarriage, but sorted them in very swift time and kept the aircraft flying. It’s a tribute to the aeroplane that it has had so few issues and we’ve had so few problems keeping it going. But the amount of vigilance that this has taken by the ground crew is just exceptional.”

Value for money

“We’ve got our money’s worth out of them – they’ve done so much,” said Gp Capt Lushington. “I’ve been on pretty much every operation since 1991 – I finished my training on December 19, 1990 and found myself in Riyadh for the first Gulf War on the 28th. I went straight onto a VC10 and was woven

“Spares became an issue because nobody else operates these aeroplanes”

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02/10/2013 16:10

Above: In 2007 101 Squadron celebrated its 90th anniversary and painted C1K XV105 with a special tail paint scheme. It was scrapped at Bruntingthorpe in May 2012. Derek Bower Right: To celebrate 40 years of VC10 operations in 2006, C1K XV104 received an all-red tail. It was scrapped at Bruntingthorpe in early 2013. Derek Bower Below: Air Cdre Dave Lee (left) and Gp Capt Steve Lushington. Key – Gary Parsons

into the very fabric of the first operational tasks for Operation Granby. The VC10s were available every single time and there were several times when we had all nine aircraft deployed airborne at the same time. It was just incredible – you can’t buy that.” Air Cdre Lee continued: “It’s always been an enormously smooth aeroplane, both for the passengers and for the receiver crews – as a Nimrod pilot I used to tag behind it and it was an absolute delight – the airflow was always so smooth, there was very little turbulence behind it, even in quite challenging conditions. TriStar has a lot more turbulence and was a lot more challenging.”

Final chapter

The VC10’s final chapter began on September 23 with that last operational refuelling sortie over the North Sea. Tornados and Typhoons tanked for the last time and farewell flypasts were made over RAF stations across the country. After the flight Squadron Leader Jess Gannon, Captain on ZA147 ‘Tartan 52’, said: “It’s probably going to take a little time to sink in, but we’re all a little subdued – it’s a bit of a sad day. It’s been a big part of all of our lives for quite a long time and it’s such an iconic aeroplane, so to be the guys that flew it on the last operational sortie was an absolute pleasure.”

Above: Gp Capt Lushington (centre) and the crew of ZA147 at Bruntingthorpe on September 25. Key – Gary Parsons Left: The very last VC10 to fly was K3 ZA147 (c/n 882), which landed at Bruntingthorpe at 1602hrs on September 25. It had amassed just over 50,000 flying hours; most VC10s achieved between 40,000 and 50,000 hours each. Key – Gary Parsons

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RAF VC10

History of the ‘Shiny Ten’ Andrew Brookes looks at the history of the ‘Shiny Ten’

T

HE VICKERS Commercial 10 first flew at Brooklands in 1962. Eleven years earlier Vickers-Armstrong had been asked for a military troop/freighter development of its Valiant V-bomber to replace the de Havilland Comet. A civil version, known initially as the VC7, was pitched for long-distance routes into hot and high airports such as Nairobi in Kenya, but the RAF order was cancelled during the 1955 round of defence cuts. A redesign, known as the VC10, emerged with Rolls-Royce Conway engines – each (on the Super VC10) producing 22,000lb thrust. The tail-mounted engines gave an efficient clean wing, reduced cabin noise and minimised asymmetric control problems. The VC10 had a large wing equipped with wide-chord Fowler flaps and full-span leadingedge slats for good take-off and climb performance. The flight-deck incorporated a quadruplicate flight control system to fly fully automatic zero-visibility landings. In 1960, an RAF specification for a strategic transport translated into an order for five VC10s. An additional six were added in August 1962, together with three cancelled by BOAC in July 1964. There was a forward freight door, an in-flight refuelling probe on the nose and all passenger seats faced backwards to enhance survivability in the event of an accident.

Memories

VC10 C1 XR810 in its original 1967 Air Transport white and silver colour scheme. The clean lines of the classic VC10 are uncluttered by refuelling pods and hoses. Key collection

RAF service The RAF originally intended to operate the VC10 from RAF Gaydon in Warwickshire, but in the mid-1960s it decided to base the new VC10 and Shorts Belfast fleets at the former US Air Force base of Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. The first RAF VC10 C1 was delivered for testing in November 1965 and to 10 Squadron for operations in December 1966; the squadron reaching full strength with 14 by August 1968. The names of 15 aviators awarded the Victoria Cross (VC) would adorn the VC10s – XR807 bore two names (Donald Garland and Thomas Gray) who were each awarded the medal in the same action. The Commander-in-Chief who introduced the VC10s into service was Air Chief Marshal Sir Kenneth Cross – ‘Bing’, as he was affectionately known, insisted that only the best was good enough for his shiny VC10 fleet, and initially all aircraft captains were Squadron Leaders. It was a standing joke amongst airmen – “Are you a real Squadron Leader or are you a VC10 captain?” From 1977 British Aerospace converted five former

BOAC Air Standard VC10s and four East African Airways Super VC10s into air-to-air refuelling tankers. Additional tanks were fitted in what had previously been the passenger cabin, increasing the maximum fuel load to 85 tons/77 tonnes (K2) and 90 tons/82 tonnes (K3) – the fin fuel tank of the Super VC10 made the difference. K2 and K3 aircraft were three-point tankers with two wing-pod Hose Drum Units (HDU) and one centre-line HDU. In the air transport role, the VC10 C1 could carry 124 passengers and nine crew. In full-freight mode, the cabin could hold up to 20 tonnes of palletised freight, ground equipment or vehicles, on its permanently strengthened floor. Up to 68 aero-medical stretchers could be fitted. In 1981, 14 former British Airways Super VC10s were placed in storage to be used for spare parts. VC10 C1s would take part in the air bridge between RAF Brize Norton and Ascension Island during Operation Corporate in 1982 to recapture the Falkland Islands, but more clandestine efforts down the west coast of South America saw VC10s

Above: Final flypast: the last two VC10s overfly RAF Brize Norton on September 23. Mike Kerr Right: The very first VC10 to fly, GARTA (c/n 803), makes its maiden flight from Vickers-Armstrongs’ factory at Weybridge in Surrey on June 29, 1962. The clubhouse of the former Brooklands motor racing circuit can be seen in the background. Key collection

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A family affair The VC10 force was a family firm in many ways. In 1962, Captain ‘Flaps’ Rendall was the first BOAC flight manager on the Standard VC10, one of which was aircraft G-ARVI. This was later converted into K2 ZA142, entering service with 101 Squadron in 1984. The captain on ZA142’s final flight to St Athan on March 27, 2001 was Flaps’ granddaughter, Captain Lucy Rendall. flown direct from Dakar to Montevideo, from where they brought back seriously injured Welsh Guardsmen after the attack on RFA Sir Galahad. Two of the Carousel inertial navigation systems were borrowed from the ex-BA Super VC10s and fitted to the ‘Black Buck’ Avro Vulcans for navigation across the Atlantic Ocean. In the early 1990s, five of these Supers were resurrected for conversion to K4 tankers – as there was no forward freight door, no interior tanks could be fitted to the K4s and fuel capacity remained at 80 tons/70 tonnes. In 1991 K2s and K3s deployed to Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Oman from where they flew 381 sorties in support of Operation Desert Storm, while the VC10 air transport fleet flew over 5,000 hours on supply, re-supply and aeromed duties. VC10 tankers enabled Tornado GR1s to strike Serbian targets from RAF Brüggen in Germany during Operation Allied Force in 1999. Omanbased VC10Ks refuelled US Air Force and Marine Corps aircraft over Afghanistan as part of Operation Veritas in 2001, while nine boosted the UK’s contribution to Operation Iraqi Freedom. Less well known were the two VC10s deployed to Okinawa, Japan, in October 2006 with sampling pods replacing their refuelling pods to ‘sniff’ a North Korean nuclear test. Foreign Secretary Jack Straw was the last VIP to be carried by a VC10 on November 21, 2001 when he went to Tehran, Islamabad, Bahrain and back to RAF Brize Norton Brize aboard XV102. During her time as Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher insisted on using the VC10, but her successor John Major hated its outdated air-conditioning system. The K2s were retired by 2003, and the C1Ks were operated by 10 Squadron until October 2005 when, on the unit’s disbandment, 101 Squadron became the sole operator of all remaining K3, K4 and C1K aircraft. The only defensive aids were their low infrared grey paint scheme, a radarwarning receiver and a Matador IRCM (Infrared Counter Measures) missile-protection system comprising two infrared jammers mounted under the engines. During British air strikes on Libya in March 2011, a 3,000 nautical mile (5,560km) Storm Shadow mission flown to and from RAF Marham in Norfolk depended on ten VC10s from the remaining 13 flying in support. In a typical 2011 summer month, there were two VC10Ks in Italy, one in Akrotiri, two for Operation Herrick (Afghanistan), one in the Falklands, and one for standby tasking in the UK.

Above: The crew of Tartan 52 after landing on September 23 – Sqn Ldr Jess Gannon is second from right. Crown copyright/ MoD/SAC Helen Farrer

“We’re going to miss it – it’s been an absolute stalwart, it’s been the backbone of our air transport and air-to-air fuelling fleet for many, many years” The final two aircraft were disposed of the following week – on Tuesday, September 24, ZA150, the very last VC10 to be built, flew into Dunsfold aerodrome in Surrey to become part of the Brooklands Museum collection. The following day Gp Capt Lushington piloted the very last VC10 flight in the world when he flew ZA147 into Bruntingthorpe – this aircraft was the one that set the Guinness record of flying from London to Perth in just over 15 hours. Its eventual fate is at present unknown, but is unlikely to escape the scrapman’s axe. It was left to Air Cdre Lee to sum up the VC10’s time with the RAF: “The VC10 is a beautiful aeroplane and has been a very, very reliable aeroplane throughout its life. So we’re going to miss it – it’s been an absolute stalwart, it’s been the backbone of our air transport and air-to-air fuelling fleet for many, afm many years.”

Military VC10s Of the 54 VC10s of all marques to roll off Vickers’ production line at Weybridge, Surrey, the Royal Air Force eventually took 38 on charge. As well as 14 Vickers Type 1106s bought as VC10 C1s, further jets were bought in the 1970s and ’80s, as BOAC in the UK and foreign operators retired their fleets. One other VC10 received a military serial number – XX914 was delivered to the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Bedford after flying with British United Airlines and then British Caledonian as G-ATDJ. It was scrapped at Bedford and sections moved to RAF Brize Norton where they were reassembled for use as a load trainer until the end of VC10 operations. Fourteen of the 29 second-hand VC10 airliners were converted to air-to-air refuelling tankers for the RAF. Five former BOAC Type 1011 ‘Standard’ VC10s were converted to K2 tankers and four K3s were former East African Airlines VC10 Type 1154 ‘Super Combis’, all fitted with three refuelling points, although the K3 only had fuel tanks in the cabin. Lastly, five former BOAC Super VC10s, Type 1151s were fitted out with three refuelling points but no cabinmounted fuel tanks. They were known as K4s in RAF service. All the others were used as spares sources (see table on page 53). 53).

Hand-made

Above: VC10 C1K XR808, affectionately known as ‘Bob’, was the first to begin operations with 10 Squadron in December 1966. It is likely to be preserved at the RAF Museum, Cosford. Tim Senior

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Marine Nationale Charles de gaulle

Spear Tip of the

France's nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle has just completed a series of complex training exercises in the Mediterranean. Now, the French Navy’s flagship is ready, if needed, to support a call to action – Henri-Pierre Grolleau reports

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Right: During all carrier operations, a Dauphin or Alouette III is on duty ready to repond to any emergency. Below: Rafale M17 flown by a young fighter pilot - from now on, all new navy fighter pilots will transition straight to the Rafale. All images by the author

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N JULY young French Fleet Air Arm (Aéronautique Navale – Aéronavale) pilots conducted the required number of traps to win the coveted carrier qualification (CQ) from the deck of the nuclear-powered carrier Charles de Gaulle. After more than six months in dry dock for a comprehensive refit that included modernising a long list of systems she departed her home base of Toulon on July 12. Her initial mission was to carry out basic training in the Toulon Zonex (Zone d’exercice – training area) to get crew back to operational mode. The officers, NCOs and sailors spent days rehearsing basic seamanship manoeuvres, man overboard drills, fire-fighting techniques and even cyber warfare defence to prevent intruders from hacking into the carrier’s command and control (C²) systems. Between July 18 and 24 CQs were carried out before more complex scenarios were initiated to exercise the whole carrier battle group.

Ten fast jet pilots per year

An average of around 30 French Navy pilots, equally

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split between fast jets, maritime patrol and rotary streams, are trained each year – a figure that is likely to remain stable for the foreseeable future. “We normally try to carry out two CQ cycles each year for fighter pilots,” revealed Rear-Admiral Hervé de Bonnaventure, the Commanding Officer of the Aéronavale. “Operations in the Indian Ocean in late 2010 and early 2011, and over Libya the same year, disrupted the Aéronavale’s natural training cycle – this forced us to stop both CQs and organic training from the Charles de Gaulle. It led to significant delays in the regeneration programme, with young pilots having to hold for a while before moving on to the next phase. The progress of some older pilots was stopped too, with an obvious impact on the training of two-ship and four-ship leaders. We had to react; Flottille 12F focused on the training while the latest Dassault Rafale squadron, Flottille 11F, was the duty unit ready to deploy at short notice. As a way to ensure we had enough experienced pilots for the future, 12F first concentrated on division and

section leaders before switching to wingmen.” Along with the rest of the French armed forces, the Aéronavale has been hit by budgets cuts and the number of allocated flying hours is already diminishing: “Financial constraints have had an impact on our daily activity and we had to temporarily stop a few young pilots from flying,” continued Admiral de Bonnaventure. “We sent them on various courses, or to a short posting in headquarters, and they will start flying again after a few months away from cockpits. The problem arose for two reasons: we do not have enough aircraft or flying hours because of the ongoing transition from the Dassault Super Étendard Modernisé (SEM) to the Rafale, and we recently switched to what we call ‘an all-American’ syllabus where all our students are trained in the USA, first on the T-6 Texan II, and then on the T-45 Goshawk.” This syllabus has proven quicker than the French/US mix previously used and now has young pilots ‘holding’ at Landivisiau before they start converting onto the Rafale. “Because of the anticipated reduction in

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Marine Nationale Charles de gaulle

“Everything was done very quickly to ensure that each and every Charles de Gaulle day spent at sea was fully utilised”

Aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle is the largest warship in service in Western Europe.

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the number of flying hours, it will take us some time to absorb the number of new pilots into front-line squadrons. Another modification of the syllabus is being considered and we are closely monitoring what the Armée de l’Air [French Air Force] does in terms of training. In fact, all our future decisions will be driven by the new 2014 to 2019 Defence Procurement Law.”

Carrier training

French naval aviators are trained in the USA at NAS Meridian, Mississippi, on the Boeing T-45 Goshawk before coming back to France to convert onto the SEM (until recently) or onto the Rafale. The course at Meridian includes four touch-and-goes and ten arrested landings on a US carrier, before the young fast jet pilots have to convert onto the Rafale in France. Northrop Grumman E-2D Hawkeye aircrews follow a similar stream in the USA, but with conversion training at Norfolk NAS (Chambers Field) by VAW-120, the US Navy’s Hawkeye Fleet Replenishment Squadron. All new SEM, Rafale and Hawkeye aircrews have to obtain their Charles de Gaulle initial CQ before becoming fully operational with their new mounts. The number of pilots transitioning to Rafale from the SEM is rising amid a major French Navy conversion effort, which has resulted in more transition CQs being organised. All pilots had to successfully carry out six traps to become qualified. Pilots in France are not qualified to fly at night immediately after ab initio training and become ‘Hiboux’ (owls, or carrier qualified in darkness) only after a couple of years’ experience. Safety measures are extremely strict during CQs and access to the flight deck, the Landing Signal Officer (LSO) platform and even to ‘vulture’s row’ is forbidden to non-essential personnel. For the Charles de Gaulle’s commanding officer, the strategy was to organise all training activities (fire-fighting drills, for example, simulating a crash on the flight deck with a fire that spreads below deck) without negatively affecting the on-going CQs.

Above: Rafales M19, M33 and M34 are readied for the next wave of missions. Below: A Flottille 4 E-2C Hawkeye is pushed back into its parking spot.

number of exercises – first was Gallic Marauder in Wales, where Rafales and SEMs had flown from their Landivisiau home base on close air support and firing training sorties on the Castlemartin and Pembrey Sands training ranges. In April the GAE deployed to RAF Leuchars for Exercise Joint Warrior (see AFM June, p94) and in May Air Defence Week, held at Landivisiau, saw the group train with other assets (including Swiss Air Force F/A-18C/D fighters, Royal Navy Sea King ASaC Mk 7 AEW helicopters, British Type 45 destroyer HMS Diamond and French air-defence frigate Cassard) in the art of operating with complex Link 16 datalink networks. In late July and early August wide-ranging training conducted from the Charles de Gaulle aimed to ensure the GAE, the carrier and the escort vessels were capable of all missions asked of them. “Everything was done very quickly to ensure that each and every Charles de Gaulle day spent at sea was fully utilised,” explained Captain Eric Aymard, the GAE Commanding Officer. “On July 30 we organised a major training exercise and the whole spectrum of missions was rehearsed when waves were launched to defend the task force against‘enemy’aircraft and to carry out raids against ‘enemy’ surface vessels.”

Advanced tactical training

Once the pilots were all qualified, the Groupe Aérien Embarqué (GAE – embarked air group) began a period of intensive tactical training to return the French carrier battle group to full operational status. Over the previous six months, while Charles de Gaulle was in refit, GAE squadrons had taken part in a large www.airforcesdaily.com

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Two SEMs and two Rafales ready for a night cat shot. For safety only the minimum number of deck personnel are present.

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MARINE NATIONALE CHARLES DE GAULLE SEM S5+

The SEM will soon reach the end of its operational life with the Aéronavale and only one unit, Flottille 17F, still operates the type in France. “We will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Super Étendard’s first flight in 2014, but we are still fully operational with the upgraded type,” said Commander Louis Maloux, 17F Commanding Officer. “The aircraft has long been fully mature and we maintain advanced operational know-how. The SEM has been so well designed that we basically have no worrying ageing and maintainability issues. We currently have 22 pilots and 14 aircraft and the 2013-2014 timeframe will remain extremely busy and exciting. Nevertheless, the last two SEM ab initio pilots have just converted to the type and all future Aéronavale fighter pilots will transition to the Rafale. By mid2014, the number of SEM pilots will have dropped to 18 and will progressively come down until 2016, when the fighter will be withdrawn from use.” Flottille 17F is now equipped with the latest variant of the SEM, Standard 5+, which has extended capabilities. S5+ SEMs are fitted with the ROVER (Remotely Operated Video Enhanced Receiver) system, the Fightacs kneepad and the IDM (Improved Data Modem) datalink. With the advent of the IDM,

Hook down, SEM 17 on final approach to the Charles de Gaulle.

SEM pilots can automatically share their position and exchange data using Digital CAS (close air support) protocol. “We have tested the IDM with up to eight SEMs on the same network,” said Commander Maloux. “The capabilities offered by the system are still being increased and the entry into service of the MARC DL (Multi-Asset Recording Computer for Data Links) system on the Hawkeyes of Flottille 4F will

allow us to receive Link 11 and Link 16 data sent by ships, Hawkeyes and Rafales. The MARC DL will be used as a link between Link 11 and Link 16-equipped platforms on one side and the SEMs on the other.”

New tactics for the SEM

Although the Rafale omnirole fighter is progressively taking over from the SEM, 17F is still tasked with a wide range of missions that include precision strike, anti-ship attacks, air-defence, close air support and reconnaissance. “The Rafale is now armed with the AM39 Exocet missile, but we are still leaders in the anti-ship role,” reveals Commander Maloux. “We retain the capability to launch reconnaissance missions with our CRM280 system as a way to supplement the Rafale and its NG reconnaissance pod. The decision has been taken to keep on training in the air-to-air role to maintain our self-defence skills and, each year, we receive an allocation of 30mm rounds and Magic 2 air-to-air missiles.” Conflicts in Afghanistan, Libya and Mali have confirmed the importance of close air support and 17F keeps on developing and adopting new tactics to be more effective while supporting friendly forces on the ground. “We are always closely monitoring what other allied units do and we sometimes adopt their tactics as a way to improve our own operating

Above: For naval aviators, cat shots and traps require a high level of concentration. Below: For safety reasons the kerosene used on board the French flagship has a different flash point than that used on land, hence the white smoke sometimes emitted from SEM and Rafale exhaust nozzles.

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After landing, all SEMs are parked on the forward end of the deck.

modes,” added Commander Maloux. “We already knew that other operators had developed gun attack profiles optimised for the engagement of hostiles located too close to our own troops while remaining well outside the engagement zone of enemy small arms, even in darkness. I tested that technique during an exchange tour with the US Navy, from 2006 to 2009. I was flying F/A-18 Hornets with VFA-106, at NAS Oceana, and I regularly flew the profile with them. I brought back my experience and we developed a tactic to take full advantage of the SEM’s two powerful 30mm cannons. We had already been cleared to fly high-angle cannon attacks in daylight, but we felt we needed to expand this into darkness. A training programme was developed accordingly.” Pilots have reported that the high-angle gun attack profile reduces dispersion and enhances impact kinetic energy, but remains tricky and dangerous at night. “Only the most experienced ‘hiboux’pilots are trained to perform such a profile with night vision goggles,” admitted Commander Maloux. “For obvious safety reasons, we strictly adhere to the profile – we roll in at 10,000ft [3,000m] above ground, establish a 25-degree dive and we fire at a distance that must not be allowed to be anything less than 0.6 nautical miles. On the Hornet, US Navy pilots are

“We had already been cleared to fly highangle cannon attacks in daylight, but we felt we needed to expand this into darkness. A training programme was developed accordingly”

allowed to dive at any angle up to 30 degrees, but the angular coverage of the SEM’s radar altimeter limits us to 25.” April’s French Defence White Paper (Livre Blanc Défense et Sécurité Nationale – 2013) confirmed that the nuclear aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle will remain the ‘tip of the spear’ of the French Navy for the next 25 years. Fast jet pilot training requirements remain high, but it is the price paid to maintain a reactive, powerful, mobile, fully autonomous afm strike force.

The faithful Alouette III will remain in service for the foreseeable future.

Engineers work at night to carry out scheduled maintenance and to rectify any fault that may have arisen during the day.

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POLISH ISKRA

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N 1951 the Russian-built MiG-15 entered service with the Polish Air Force (Sily Powietrzne Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej – SPRP) as its first jet fighter, opening a wide performance gap between itself and the piston-engined TS-8 Bies training aircraft. Development of a new jet trainer was started in 1956 to fill the gap, the task of designing it being given to a team from the Institute of Aviation led by Dr Tadeusz Sołtyk, one of the most successful Polish aircraft engineers. His previous designs included the TS-8, of which 242 were built. The new aircraft, designated TS-11 (TS after the designer’s initials) and named Iskra (Spark), was the first jet aircraft to be designed in Poland. The preliminary design was accepted by the SPRP headquarters in 1957 and subsequently Sołtyk’s team was transferred to Warsaw-Okęcie airfield for further development work. The TS-11 was originally designed as an all-metal tandem-seat aircraft with ejection seats. It had trapezoidal-shaped mid-mounted wings, a single jet engine, a gun

Above: Team Iskry leader, Major Tomasz Czerwinski (right) and his boss, base commander Colonel Waldemar Gołebiowski (left), return from the morning weather flight, ready to brief the other pilots. Below: Loaded with S-5 rockets on Mars 4 launchers, Iskra 1606 takes off for an air-to-ground training mission.

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and no radar. Construction of the first prototype began in 1958 and the production line was set up at Wytwórnia Sprzętu Komunikacyjnego Mielec (Communication Equipment Factory Mielec – WSKMielec) in 1962. In parallel with the airframe, engine design started in 1956, also by the Institute of Aviation. This first Polish-designed jet powerplant, the SO-1, had many development issues, so the first TS-11 to fly was equipped with a British Viper 8 engine which produced only 7.8kN thrust. On February 5, 1960, prototype 02 (serial 119PR-2) took off in the hands of pilot Andrzej Abłamowicz. In all, four prototypes were built, the first two with the Viper 8 and the others with the interim HO-10 engine, a local copy of the Viper. Neither engine provided the desired thrust, so further development was needed. Nonetheless, the first 56 production TS-11s were fitted with the HO-10 engine and had fuel tanks in the wings (‘wet wings’). The jets were delivered to the 60th Air Training Regiment at Radom air base in 1964 and 1965. The

long-awaited SO-1 was finally introduced in 1964, producing 8.9kN thrust. It was the first jet engine designed and built locally by WSK Rzeszow and an SO-1-powered TS-11 set several speed and distance world records in its class, though it still suffered development problems: the engine and several systems – especially the fuel and engine control systems – needed further work, and it was not until 1968 that production aircraft were fitted with the SO-1. From 1969 the more powerful WSK SO-3 engine was installed. It required less maintenance while an improved version, the SO-3W, had a thrust of 10.8kN, enabling the aircraft to achieve a maximum speed of 720km/h (450mph) with a cruise speed of 600km/h (375mph). Its range was 1,250km (780 miles) and the service ceiling 11,000m (33,500ft). The SO-3W is still installed in currently active TS-11 aircraft.

‘The new aircraft, designated TS-11 (TS after the designer’s initials) and named Iskra (Spark), was the first jet aircraft to be designed in Poland’

Losing the competition but winning a contract

In 1959 a competition was held for a standard jet

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The Iskra that never was In 2008 the SPRP’s Institute of Technology proposed a modernised PZL Mielec Iskra trainer, the TS-11F. A General Electric CJ610 turbojet would replace the SO-3W engine and the cockpit structure rebuilt to house Martin-Baker Mk 11 ejection seats. Modern navigation and communication equipment was to be fitted with modernised avionics, including colour screen displays and a head-up display. Despite this the design was never funded.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the TS-11 Iskra in Polish Air Force service. This unique Polish-designed jet has outlived competitors and even its own replacement, but now its days may be numbered. Paul Gross and Hans Looijmans appraise this remarkable aircraft

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POLISH ISKRA training aircraft for Warsaw Pact countries. There were three candidates: Aero (Czechoslovakia) with the L-29 Delphin, Yakovlev (Russia) with the Yak-30 and WSK Warsaw-Okęcie (Poland) with the TS-11. In 1961 the L-29 was declared the winner, narrowly beating the TS-11. The Czech jet won as it could operate from grass landing trips, which the TS-11 could not; it became the standard Warsaw Pact jet trainer with more than 3,700 produced before production stopped in 1974. Despite losing the competition, WSK Warsaw-Okęcie was given a contract to produce the TS-11 for the SPRP. In retrospect it is remarkable to see that, while the majority of L-29 users had retired the aircraft by the end of the 20th century, the TS-11 is still soldiering on successfully in Poland.

TS-11 versions

The basic trainer version which entered production in 1962 was the TS-11 Iskra bis A, powered by the HO-10 engine. It had two under-wing hardpoints to carry Mars-3 unguided missile launchers and was fitted with the NS-23 20mm cannon. Construction numbers started with the prefix ‘1H’. The TS-11 Iskra bis B, factory designation Iskra 100, was introduced in 1969 and 134 were produced, powered by the SO-1 engine. Four under-wing hardpoints were provided and it had better radio equipment and came with disc brakes. Construction numbers started with ‘2H’, and the aircraft were later converted into

Team Iskry Officially formed in 1991 with eight red and white-painted Iskras, Team Iskry’s first public display came during an air show at Poznan-Ławica on August 24, 1991. The team used some of the longest-serving airframes in the inventory and in 1993 the five eldest were replaced, while the team strength was increased to ten. In 1998 the theneldest airframe (1H-0210, delivered 34 years earlier in 1964) was replaced and the rest of the aircraft overhauled. On November 11 that year 1H-0713 crashed in bad weather near Otwock during a weather reconnaissance flight for a flypast over Warsaw, killing both pilots. In June 2000 the team moved from Radom to Deblin. For the 2013 air show season the team had ten Iskras available, though it only performs with six. Its TS-11s are unofficially referred to as TS-11MRs, modified by removing the NS-23 20mm cannon and adding a RS-6106 radio and more

modern navigation equipment. A diesel drum is fitted to inject fuel into the hot exhaust and create red or white smoke (the colours of the Polish flag). The TS-11 is an easy aircraft to fly, but it takes experienced instructor pilots to display the aeroplane as it has a slow-accelerating engine which makes swift corrections hard to make within formation flying. While the pilots are specially assigned to the team – though not full-time – the maintenance crew are not. One of the highlights of the 2013 season was the airshow at Radom where 50 years of TS-11 service with the Polish Air Force was celebrated. The replacement of the Iskra could be a challenge for the team’s future. The current fleet of 38 Iskras will be replaced by 16 advanced trainers from the Lead-In Fighter Training (LIFT) programme, and it is not certain if any will be spared for display flying.

This Iskra from Team Iskry takes off on a test flight under supervision of WZL-3 technicians. These aircraft are also used for regular training.

Right: After an air-to-ground mission this Iskra returns with empty Mars 4 launchers, which will be rearmed with S-5 unguided rockets.

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TS-11 Iskra bis D aircraft, the construction number prefix being altered to ‘3H’. The next version was the TS-11 Iskra bis C, or Iskra 200 ART. This version was designed for reconnaissance and artillery co-operation. Only five were built, used as liaison aircraft. After eleven years of service they were rebuilt as the final version of the TS-11, the Iskra bis D. A single-seat version was built in 1972 for attack and reconnaissance roles. This, the TS-11 Iskra 200BR, had the new OS-3 engine and could carry more weapons on its four hardpoints. However, the SPRP had no interest and the sole example (c/n 4H-0823) was withdrawn from 45 Air Test Squadron, based at Modlin, in 1985. The Iskra 200SB was the most common version of the TS-11. It is normally referred to as the Iskra bis D or Iskra bis DF. The ‘D’ version was built as a combat trainer from 1974 until 1987; the DF version added a reconnaissance capability with three A(FA)-39 cameras. Both had the weapons capabilities of the TS-11 Iskra 200BR, better avionics and radio equipment and an improved engine, the SO-3. In 1979 the improved SO-3W powerplant was introduced to the production line. Fifty TS-11 Iskra bis Ds were exported to India in 1975 and 1976, the only foreign customer for the type. From 1984 they were re-equipped with the SO-3W but withdrawn in 2004. Production of the DF version began in 1975 and

Flying operations

Typical morning flight operations at De De˛ blin start with a briefing at 0700hrs where all instructors and students are present. All Iskras are equipped with a video-data recorder behind the nose cone for debriefing, which is changed for every flight. A weather reconnaissance flight is daily conducted in the reserved airspace by a senior pilot, often the squadron commander. After this a decision is made whether to fly or not and the flight schedule finalised accordingly. Iskra sorties vary in time between 30 and 60 minutes, depending on the type of training. Flying time is limited to a maximum of 1 hour and 40 minutes as the Iskra has no provision to carry an external fuel tank.

Above: One of the Cessna 150s used for primary training. Below: Before flying the TS-11, student pilots fly the PZL-130 Orlik at 42. BLSz, Radom.

ended in December 1985 with aircraft 3H-1920. But it restarted in 1987 when 15 additional TS-11 bis DFs were produced between May and October as attrition replacements, making aircraft 3H-2015 the last aircraft to leave the production factory. Polish Naval Aviation (Lotnictwo Marynarki Wojennej) modified six TS-11 Iskra bis DF aircraft for the maritime reconnaissance role, featuring a Bendix/ King RDS-81 surveillance radar in the nose instead of the NS-23 gun. It also had the RS-5500 GPS system among other avionics updates. Modifications were complete by 1992 and the aircraft are known as TS-11R ‘Novax’ Iskras. For the maritime task, they were given an olive/black/grey colour scheme with ‘bird of prey’ eyes painted on the nose to scare off birds. Currently five are still active at Dęblin air base, but their guns have been refitted instead of the radar. A total of 419 Iskras were built, including the 50 for India, with 366 delivered to the SPRP. Nearly 200 were in use by the 60th Air Training Regiment (ATR) at Radom where all new types were introduced. TS-11s were also used in small numbers with frontline squadrons for liaison flights and to keep high-ranking officers current.

TS-11 maintenance

Designed almost 60 years ago, the TS-11 airframe was intended for 35 years’ service life. The youngest airframe currently in service was delivered 26 years ago. After 35 years each aircraft is withdrawn from use, as are any remaining Russian-made spare parts. Aircraft no longer in service are cannibalised for spares. Apart from maintenance each flying day before the first take-off, special engine maintenance is required every 25 engine hours. Heavy maintenance is conducted after 100 to 120 flying hours or every 12 to 14 months and a complete overhaul every ten years or after 1,200 flying hours. Most maintenance is done at the home base, but heavy maintenance and overhauls are undertaken by Military Aviation Works 3 (Wojskowe Zaklady Lotnicze – WZL-3), also at Dęblin.

Pilot training

Today a fleet of 38 Iskras is based with 41. Baza Lotnictwa Skolnego (BLSz – Air Training Base) Dęblin as part of 4. Skrzydło Lotnictwa Szkolnego (SLS – Flight Training Wing) under the supervision of Colonel Waldemar Gołębiowski. Recently the TS-11 training syllabus was altered, with theory and practical

As this Iskra taxies out, another behind it is covered to protect it from the elements. At the end of the flying day all Iskras remain outside.

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POLISH ISKRA Team Iskry is a regular traveller to European airshows - here it displays in the blue skies that shone over Zhukovsky in 2012 for the Russian Air Force centenary airshow. Key - Gary Parsons

flying now mixed, and for 2013 the SPRP plans to train 39 pilots, for which 18 instructor pilots are assigned. Student pilots destined to fly either the Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter or MiG-29 Fulcrum will first fly a screening programme of 20 flight hours on civil-registered Cessna 150s of the Academic Aviation Training Centre, also situated at Dęblin, before proceeding to the PZL-130 Turbo Orlik at Radom for a 60 flight-hour course. Then they go to Dęblin to start training on the TS-11 Iskra in two blocks of 60 flight-hours: one for basic jet training; and one for advanced, where air-to-air and air-toground missions, weapons training, limited night flying, navigation and formation flying are learned. After successfully completing the Iskra course, the new pilots will either fly the MiG-29 with 41. Eskadra Lotnictwa Taktycznego (ELT – Tactical Air Squadron) at Malbork Air Base or 1. ELT at Minsk-Mazowiecki; or the Su-22 with 8. ELT or 40. ELT at Świdwin. Pilots destined for the F-16, however, do not train on the TS-11 but with the Euro-NATO Joint Pilot Training Programme, flying T-6As and T-38Cs with the US Air Force’s 82nd Training Wing at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. They eventually join the F-16 squadrons of 3. ELT and 6. ELT at Poznan-Krzesiny and 10. ELT at Lask. The training contract with the USAF expires in 2015 and is expected to be replaced by the new LIFT training programme in Poland.

Replacing the Iskra

As long ago as 1977 development started on a twin jet-engined combat-capable multirole trainer, the I-22 Iryda, as a replacement for the TS-11 and SB Lim6. The Iryda first flew in March 1985, but technical issues plagued the aircraft. It was later renamed the M-93 and nine were initially ordered by the SPRP in 1992, but only a handful were used for flying from Dęblin. They were withdrawn from service in the late

LIFT: The contenders

Aero L-159: Offered in the first RFP, Aero bid again in 2013. The Czech Republic had said it was willing to offer Poland the use of Czech Air Force trainers as an interim step. A tender with high risk obligations for the contractors created too much financial uncertainty for Aero, forcing it to drop out of the competition on June 10. Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master: Developed out of a joint programme with Russia which also produced the very similar Yak-130, at present the M-346 is only a trainer – its light attack version is still under development. Russia’s Yak-130 is a noncontender because of the need to work with NATO weaponry and systems. BAE Systems Hawk AJT: Poland is reportedly examining proposals to buy some of Finland’s Hawk trainers as well as new variants like the Hawk T2 in service with the RAF. Finland has 49 Hawk Mk51 trainers, expected to reach the end of their lifespan around 2018. Polish officials believe the Mk51s might be flyable until 2025 as a stopgap. KAI T-50 Golden Eagle: This competitor appears to have advantages: it’s a fully supersonic trainer, offers the prospect of improving relations with a growing Asian economy and is backed by Lockheed Martin, which sold Poland its F-16s. Media reports suggest, however, that the Lockheed Martin tie could be the T-50’s big weakness – the firm’s implementation of the F-16 sale’s industrial economic offset commitments in Poland has come in for criticism in the national press. On June 18 Lockheed Martin announced its UK division has offered to create a new integrated aircrew training systems (IATS) centre at Deblin, based on that used for Britain’s Ascent Flight Training programme. The firm is highlighting the potential for a T-50-equipped IATS in Deblin to become a regional training complex for other NATO forces.

1990s due to continuing technical problems, and so the Iskra soldiered on. After the failed Iryda project, Poland’s defence ministry re-examined the requirements for a new trainer with a view to replacing the TS-11 from 2010. On September 2, 2010, the ministry issued a new request for proposal (RFP) for 16 combat-capable training jets, plus support and related training simulators under the Lead-In Fighter Training (LIFT) programme. It also included initial training for six instructors, six pilots and 50 ground crew. Poland’s requirements indicated an interest in a secondary fighter capability, including provision for 2,000lb of ordnance (GPS/laser-guided bombs), targeting pods, an internal 20mm cannon, electronic countermeasures, supersonic performance, an inflight refuelling probe, Link 16 datalink and an active electronically-scanned array (AESA) radar. Some 1.5 billion zlotys (about $470 million) was budgeted for the project. Initial proposals were due for October 2010 and bids that met the RFP’s conditions would move on to the technical negotiation stage. The goal was to sign a deal by early 2012 and have the first two trainers delivered by December 2013, with completion by the end of 2015. The requirements proved to be a problem for some contenders. In June 2011, BAE Systems pulled its Hawk LIFT aircraft out of the competition, saying: “We have offered a trainer with combat capabilities, while Poland’s defence ministry went for combat first, and training second.” The RFP had indicated the new jets would have had secondary duties of air policing and light attack to offset the retirement of Su-22 Fitters. Poland stepped back from its existing RFP in October 2011 and announced it would retender the competition. Its defence ministry seemed surprised at the difficulties in meeting their previous specifications but opted for a trainer with lesser combat capabilities. The new RFP was released on May 13 this year and the Fitter replacement requirement downgraded, Poland now leaning towards unmanned aerial vehicles for the close air support role. Although the number of airworthy TS-11s is diminishing there will be enough to sustain operations for a further five years if needed. On retirement it is expected many will be sold to the civilian market, providing new owners with a good, stable and low-cost jet. Currently Dęblin is having a makeover to prepare it for the future of pilot training: a huge air traffic control tower is nearly finished, the fire section has new housing and equipment and the runway has been afm renewed. Dęblin now awaits its new jets.

Below: Iskra 1918 taxies out for an air-to-ground training mission armed with two 50kg iron bombs. A few Iskras have a black/grey colour scheme, being former navy aircraft.

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FORCE REPORT CHILEAN ARMY AVIATION

Chile’s choppers Grupo 9 is the Chilean Air Force’s main helicopter unit, specialising in combat search and rescue, training, transport and helping the community, as Santiago Rivas explains

The Chilean Air Force purchased different batches of Bell 412, but only Grupo 9 uses the latest deliveries.

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F ALL the Chilean Air Force (Fuerza Aérea de Chile – FACh) units, Grupo de Aviación Nº 9 is the one specialised in helicopter operations, having a mixed fleet comprising the ubiquitous Bell UH-1H Iroquois, Bell 206B-3 JetRanger and Bell 412/412EP. The unit reports to II Brigada Aérea of the Comando Aéreo de Combate and is based at Santiago de Chile Arturo Merino Benítez international airport in the town of Pudahuel. Before 2008 BA (Base Aérea) Los Cerrillos to the south-west of Santiago was home to the unit. The Brigada is also responsible for Grupo de Aviación Nº 10, the

main transport unit, and the Servicio Aerofotogramétrico, for photo reconnaissance.

Current operations

The Grupo is divided into two Escuadrilla (squadrons) – Escuadrille de Operaciones (operations) and Escuadrilla de Apoyo Operativo (support). Operations comprises two flights – Bandada Combate

(combat flight) and Bandada Escuela (training flight), the first equipped with all the helicopter types except the Bell 206. The Bell 206Bs are used for initial training and were first received in 1997, when two were purchased (H-21 and H-22). They were followed in 2001 by a third, H-23, and a fourth, H-25, was received in 2012. The main mission of the Grupo, said commander Comandante de Escuadrilla Carlos Madina, is: “Being the tactical helicopter

school of the air force – the second is to provide combat rescue, transport and to support the civilian community.” New helicopter pilots arrive from Grupo 5 at BA El Tepual for instrument flight rules training in the DHC Twin Otter before moving to Grupo 9 to fly the Bell 206. Training on the 206 takes two to three months and after that student pilots go to the Bell

A UH-1H taking off at Grupo 9’s base at Santiago’s International Airport. All images by the author

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Branch: Fuerza Aérea de Chile – FACh Role: Combat Search & Rescue, Training, Transport and helping the community

Veteran UH-1H

UH-1H for advanced training, finishing with tactical flying training. After some experience with the UH-1H the pilots proceed to the Bell 412, equipped with a winch above the door and MAG 7.62mm door guns, for specialist training such as combat rescue. For night operations they are equipped with night vision goggles, searchlights and an IAI Tamam-built POP 200 gyrostabilised day/night observation, surveillance and targeting system that was installed in 2004. Currently, the Bell 412EP is the unit’s main aircraft. The unit received five in 2009, from 12 purchased by the FACh, which joined five already in service with other helicopter units. As Comandante Madina explained: “It made it possible to increase operations – they are twin engined and take an active part in presidential flights, humanitarian

Above: The Bell 412 was a great improvement over the UH-1H, especially for operations over sea and mountains. Below: In the past the UH-1Hs operated with rockets and machine-guns, but this is rare today.

relief operations and transport. When they arrived the MBB BK117 was retired. We continue to use the Bell 412 as we did the BK117, but with increased capabilities that are particularly effective on search and rescue missions. The Bell also has 15 to 20% more capacity than the UH-1H.” He added that since the 412’s arrival they are the priority for operational missions, releasing the UH-1Hs for training. At the end of 2012 the unit performed its first mission outside the country with the Bell 412 during Exercise Solidaridad in Mendoza, Argentina, where it deployed with two helicopters. There they reported to the Mendoza Province Emergency Operations Centre, which was simulating a large-scale humanitarian operation after a big earthquake. “We integrated into the Argentine Air Force

The UH-1H was first received by the FACh in 1967, when 12 arrived for Grupo 10 (H-80 to H-91), but in 1971 they were transferred to Grupo 3. In 1978 another two arrived from the army – one replaced H-80, which had been lost in an accident. Between 1991 and 1992 six helicopters were sent to patrol the border between Kuwait and Iraq after the Gulf War in a peace mission (Misión Paz). In March 1993 all were transferred to Grupo 9, while another ten ex-US Army examples were received (H-74 to 79 and H-93 to 96). One was later sent to Grupo 19 for Antarctic Operations and others were sent to Grupos 2, 5, 6, and 8. In August, 1996, five UH-1s were again sent to Iraq as part of Misión Paz – Chile II, this time to transport UN inspectors across the country, operating in Baghdad from an Iraqi Army base with five helicopters and 55 people. But in November 1998 tension in the country led to the expulsion of UN forces and the FACh had to abandon the helicopters, which were later cannibalised by the Iraqis. In 2003 another five UH-1Hs arrived for spares and at least another two were delivered between 2006 and 2007, one with the serial H-80 and the other as H-82 to replace aircraft lost in previous years. and co-operated on the rescue and transport operations,” added Comandante Madina. “It was the first time the Bell 412 of Grupo 9 crossed the border and that meant crossing the Andes Cordillera at its highest point – a very complex operation.” There they operated together with the SA-315B Lama and Mil Mi-171 of the Argentine Air Force afm (Fuerza Aérea Argentina).

Mission in Haiti In 2004 four UH-1Hs of Grupo 9 were deployed to Haiti with 42 personnel to serve with the UN peacekeeping operations in the country. They were sent together with three army Pumas. There the FACh supported UN forces and helped the civilian population, rescuing people or taking medical teams to small isolated towns. Despite those helicopters belong to Grupo 9, Comandante Madina explained: “The peacekeeping missions were directed by the Joint Staff – we only provided the aircraft and crews.” Captain Jaime Fernández, a former Grupo 9 pilot and a veteran of the Haiti operations, said that one

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specialisation was night operations, as they were the only unit equipped for such work. “We made rescues all across the country during the night, evacuating UN personnel to the Argentine field hospital and then to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. We operated from Port Au Prince. After the revolution against [Haiti’s] President Aristide the rebels had weapons. We had engagement rules from the UN and the Haitian Government about what to do if we were attacked – sometimes the helicopters were shot at by ground fire, but we never had to use our weapons.” They were armed with the 7.62mm door guns.

During March 2010 a Grupo 9 UH-1H flies over the Talca region on relief operations after an earthquake.

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FORCE REPORT CHILEAN ARMY AVIATION

Brigada de Aviacion While Chile’s air force maintains a high profile on the international stage, the activities of the army air corps are less well known. Álvaro Romero outlines the measures being taken to update its equipment and tactics

Airbus Military (CASA) 212-300 'Volcán Llullaillaco' (Ejército 231) is one of two in service with the BAVE.

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UST BEFORE the First World War Chilean army officers were sent to France to learn from the aviation branch of the French army. As a result, a separate Chilean army aviation service was established in February 11, 1913, with the opening of the Escuela de Aviación Militar (Military Aviation School). On March 21, 1930, the Fuerza Aérea Nacional (National Air Force, now known as the Chilean Air Force / Fuerza Aérea de Chile - FACh) was formed by combining the aviation services of the army and navy. The

status quo was maintained until 1969 when a study was ordered to assess the viability of re-establishing an independent army air corps. Thus the Army Aviation Command (Comando de Aviación del Ejército) was formed on October 1, 1970, at Tobalaba airfield near Santiago,

the nation’s capital. Ten years later the Aviation Battalion and Studies Secretariat (Batallón de Aviación and Secretaría de Estudios) moved to Rancagua’s La Independencia airfield and on August 2, 1984 the 1st Aviation Regiment (Regimiento de Aviación Nº 1 ‘La Independencia’) was created.

From January 2 1995, the Comando de Aviación based in Rancagua changed its name to Army Aviation Brigade (Brigada de Aviación del Ejército - BAVE). Its mission, then and now, is to support the Chilean army’s land forces all over the country, providing

Above left: The three CASA C212-100s (such as the one pictured here, Ejército 211, 'Volcán Llaima)' were retired from service in 2012 and are stored at Rancagua. A fourth is also there as a gate guardian. Above right: Inside Club Aéreo de Rancagua’s hangar on September 7 was Cessna Hawk XP II CC-AKM, still painted as Ejército 112, Volcán Calbuco Below: Seen at its Rancagua base in September, CN235M Ejército 218 'Volcán Parinacota' wears a new camouflage scheme. All fixed-wing aircraft are named after Volcán (Spanish for volcano), while helicopters are named after Cerro (Spanish for hill). Images by the author unless stated otherwise

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Branch: Chilean Brigada de Aviacion Role: Aerial Surveillance, Troop Transport, Search and Rescue and Training

mobility and fire power as well as transporting personnel, carrying out reconnaissance and aerial scouting, and providing transport and support to special forces units. BAVE links different army bases, provides medical aero evacuations and aid during natural catastrophes. It also administers and controls training and certifies personnel participating in aviation-related tasks, as well as aircraft maintenance.

Organisation

Chile’s Brigada de Aviación is currently constituted as an independent brigade, comprising its headquarters, the Service Battalion (Batallón de Servicio Base) in charge of the maintenance and security of Rancagua’s air base, the Maintenance and Supply Aviation Battalion (Batallón de Abastecimiento y Mantenimiento - BAMA) responsible for looking after the aircraft and the aircraft battalions. There are two of the latter – the Helicopter Battalion (Batallón de Helicópteros) 1 ‘Germania’, operates all BAVE helicopters. Heaviest are Pumas and their derivatives,

Peace missions

Above: Citation III Ejército 303, Volcán Tronador, is currently up for sale awaiting a buyer. Below: The trio of Cessna Grand Caravans (such as Ejército E-133 Volcán Osorno) are used across Chile for liaison, air ambulance and special forces insertion missions.

comprising Aérospatiale SA330L Pumas and AS332B/L Super Pumas as well as the more recently arrived Eurocopter AS532AL Cougar.

Lighter choppers include the MD Helicopters’ MD530F, (knowns as HU-53) and Eurocopter AS350 and AS355 Écureuils. The battalion is closely integrated with ground forces, providing air-mobility and transport as well as armed reconnaissance and air-assault support. The fixedwing battalion (Batallón de Aviones) 1 ‘La

The Brigada de Aviación was the first Chilean Army unit to participate in peace missions on behalf of the United Nations. The first request to the army was made in 2000, with the Brigada sending a pair of SA330 Pumas and a SA315B Lama to support the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) mission, as the Air Scout Platoon Nº 8 (Pelotón de Exploración Aérea - PEXA). They stayed there until that territory was granted independence in May 2002 when the East Timor Government took over running of the country. The next request came in 2004, this time to participate in the MINUSTAH mission in Haiti, the UN’s stabilization effort in the Caribbean island following the collapse of civil authority in the wake of the 2010 earthquake. Three SA330 Pumas were sent, remaining in the Caribbean until August 2006. Independencia’ provides logistics support and liaison to increase mobility and flexibility of land units on a tactical level. It is responsible for of all of the Ejército’s fixed wing aircraft: CASA C212-300; Airbus Military CN235M; Cessna 208B Grand Caravan and Cessna 680 Citation Sovereign; the latter is mostly used for VIP transport. This force is subdivided into aviation platoons (Pelotones de

CN235M Ejército 216 is named Volcán Lonquimay and was one of the aircraft operated on relief operations after the earthquake of March 2010.

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#308 NOVEMBER 2013

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FORCE REPORT CHILEAN ARMY AVIATION

Aviación - PAVEs) assigned to a specific division of the Chilean Army and bear that division’s identification number: • Pelotón de Aviación Nº 1 Antofagasta is based at that city’s airport (Cerro Moreno International), and belongs to the army’s 1st Division. • Pelotón de Aviación Nº 3 Valdivia is based at the city of Valdivias Las Marías airfield. • Pelotón de Aviación Nº 4 Coyhaique is located at Coyhaique’s Teniente Vidal airfield. • Pelotón de Aviación Nº 5 Punta Arenas belongs to the 5th Division and is based at Punta Arenas’s Carlos Ibáñez del Campo International airport. • Pelotón de Aviación Nº 6 Iquique is located at that city’s Diego Aracena International Airport. There is no PAVE Nº 2 because the army’s 2nd Division is based in Santiago, very close to the main aviation unit in Rancagua, from where major operations are co-ordinated. Major overhauls of all of BAVE’s aircraft are also arried out at Rancagua.

Training

In 2010 the Secretaría de Estudios was re-designated Army Aviation School (Escuela de Aviación Ejército), bringing it in line with other Chilean army educational branches. It is now a part of Chile’s Military School (Escuela Militar) and reports to the army’s Schools Division (División Escuelas). Initial training for an ejército pilot takes two years. The first year is spent on theory and at the end of it pilots are selected for fixed-wing or helicopter flying. In the second year, the non-rotary-wing students are sent to the Joint Military Flight Course (JMFC - Curso Conjunto de Vuelo Militar) run by the Chilean Air Force on its Enaer T-35 Pilláns. Successful students progress to instrument training on the army’s Cessna Hawk XP IIs at Rancagua where those streamed for rotor-craft

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Above: HU-53 (MD369FF) H-134 Cerro Tapaca armed with FN Herstal 30mm cannon pods. Below: HU-53 Ejército H-131 armed with rocket pods.

undergo their entire flying-training course on MD530s. Extensive use is made of flight simulators and from the end of the last decade a night-vision goggle (NVG) capable simulator has been available as well as internet-based flight training programs. The school also provides training for mechanics and other technical trades. Both pilots and ground crews are taught emergency procedures in simulators and undergo submerged cockpit escape training, the latter at Chilean Navy Base Aeronaval Viña del Mar. Graduates of JMFC travel to El Buitre airfield in northern Chile for more advanced training with the Army Aviation Tactical Training Centre (Centro de Entrenamiento Táctico de la Aviación de Ejército - CETAE). The centre introduces trainees to more complex tactics and manoeuvres as well as the deployment of weapons, working closely with the co-located 1st Armoured Brigade (1a Brigada Acorazada) learning army co-operation and close air-support skills.

Emergency relief

Above: Eurocopter AS532AL Cougar Ejército H283, Cerro Fitz Roy.

From its creation, Chilean army aviation has supported the civilian authorities in times of crisis, most notably after natural disasters. Worthy of particular note in relatively recent times are the earthquake in Aysén (southern Chile) in April 2007, the Chaitén volcano eruption in February 2009 and the ‘white earthquake’ (an extreme snowfall) in Coyhaique in July 2010. But the major tragedy was the earthquake and tsunami of February 27, 2010 that killed at least 525 in Chile and caused disruption across the Pacific region. Although it did not receive the same level of global attention as the tsunami

Above: (H)265 Cerro Sombrero is one of four Aerospatiale SA330 Pumas currently in service.

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Branch: Armada de Chile Role: Aerial Surveillance, Troop Transport, Search and Rescue and Training

that struck Sri Lanka on Boxing Day 2004, it nonetheless caused significant damage in Chile and islands off shore and its effects were felt as far afield as Japan. It adversely affected most of Chile’s population, it was estimated that the insurance bill came to between US$6 and 7 billion globally. aircraft from Brigada de Aviación were among the first sent to help the affected regions, around the major cities of Talca and Concepción in central Chile. Army helicopters, mostly HU-53s and AS350B3s, carried officials to assess the extent of the damage and determine what steps needed to be taken. Newlydelivered Cougars demonstrated their value by carrying people and supplies, as well as serving as air ambulances on MEDEVAC flights. Four days after the catastrophe, BAVE aircraft were operating from Panguilemo airfield near Talca, as an independent helicopter flight or Pelotón de Helicópteros. This small pelotón comprised a Cougar, Super Puma and an HU-53, while at Carriel Sur airfield at Concepción another platoon was headquartered, operating two Cougars, a Super Puma, an HU-53, plus a Cessna Grand Caravan. These assets proved to be invaluable as the earthquake had left many roads in a perilous state. Other army transport aircraft flew between the main aircraft base established by the Chilean AF at Santiago. This acted as a hub for air-bridges between the capital city and airfields in the most badly affected regions, carrying freight and performing liaison and MEDEVAC duties. Nine army aircraft were involved: two CN235Ms, two C212s and five helicopters (two Ecureuils and three HU-53s). Within a few days these machines

Ecureuil AS355NP H-271 Cerro Manquehue is mainly used for VIP flights.

SA330 Puma H258 Cerro Challay during a display in September 2010.

Above: Eurocopter AS532AL Cougar Ejército H284 is called Cerro El Plomo.

had carried 80 tonnes of freight (38 tonnes on helicopters and 42 on fixed-wing aircraft), and transported 900 passengers. Emergency accommodation was established for refugees at BAVE facilities in Rancagua. The Brigada’s CN235s were part of Operación Loreto, carrying personnel and equipment to and from Robinson Crusoe island off the Chilean coast in September 2011 after the crash of FACh C212 966. Many of Chile’s far-flung villages and towns rely on army helicopters - a good example is the support provided by army aviation to isolated communities in and around Coyhaique, where the geography and meteorological conditions mean that helicopters are literally life savers. The Brigada de Aviación presence in that region also supports ground forces patrolling the border between Argentina and Chile at Campos de Hielo Sur in the extreme south of the country. An unusual use of state assets has seen BAVE aircraft supporting the Chilean Telethon campaigns (on behalf of disabled children) and the 2011 Dakarafm Argentina-Chile rally.

Modern equipment – modern outlook Chile’s army aviation has moved with the times. Modern technology, avionics, sensors and the like have been added to its aircraft and crew training has been enhanced by the acquisition of flight simulators and other synthetic devices. CN235Ms have had avionics upgrades, Puma and Super Puma cockpits have been integrated with NVG systems, enabling the use of aviation night vision systems (ANVIS) equipment supporting special operations. In 2011 the last of BAVE’s SA330 Pumas returned from undergoing overhaul and upgrade by Eurocopter Romania SA, and all of the more modern AS532ALs have now been delivered. Together these aircraft represent a quantum leap in the Ejército’s assault and support capabilities. Because of the

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experience gained with Cougars, two more have been acquired. A decision has been made to standardise multi-purpose helicopters on one basic model, Eurocopter’s Écureuil. There are now plans to replace the HU-53s currently flown on armed reconnaissance missions for aircraft with better performance - Bell Helicopters’ B407AH and Boeing’s AH-6i are being evaluated. Training with the HU-53 has been intensive, alongside attack and reconnaissance operations, and there is a requirement for cheaper piston-engined helicopters to undertake the training task. Another aim is to achieve commonality of systems across aerial- and ground-based units at brigade level to improve communications and co-operation by improving compatibility.

A comprehensive vision of the future has been set out in the Army Aviation Development Plan (Plan de Desarrollo de la Aviación de Ejército) 2012-2024 which aims to update aircraft and infrastructure. One of the first steps to be taken was the retirement (announced in November 2012) of both Cessna R172K Hawk XP IIs and all three CASA 212-100s because of their age and the difficulty in maintaining them. The Cessnas will be replaced by newly-built Cessna 172 Skyhawks by 2014 and in mid-July 2013 local sources indicated that the Chilean Army had shortlisted both the Alenia C-27J and Airbus Military C295 as competitors to meet a tender requirement for up to eight medium transport aircraft; these will also replace the CN235Ms. Any initial

order is foreseen as involving a batch of two or three machines, with further acquisitions following when funding allows. Chile is not immune to the worldwide financial situation, but with a limited budget army aviation does a great job supporting the civilian authority and carrying out its core military duties. In early 2013, Cessna 650 Citation III Ejército 303 was retired from service and replaced by a Cessna 680 Citation Sovereign. The Cessna Hawk XP IIs were auctioned and acquired by Chilean civilians; the Citation III was also offered for sale in August but without success and the trio of C212-100s are stored at Rancagua’s base. Finally, the Ejército is investigating the convenience of continuing participating of the Joint Military Flight Course with the FACh and Chilean Navy.

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FORCE REPORT CHILEAN NAVY AVIATION

Pilatus pilots Neil Dunridge and Kevin Jackson highlight the work done by VT-1, the Chilean Navy’s fixedwing training squadron

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UILT BY Pilatus Aircraft in Switzerland, the PC-7 Turbo Trainer has enjoyed a long and successful production run. It is capable of performing all functions of basic training including aerobatics, instrument, tactical and night flying. Consequently it has been selected by more than 20 air forces worldwide as their basic trainer. Since the aircraft’s introduction in 1978 close to 500 have been sold, with the majority still being in service at the present time. One notable early customer was the Chilean Navy (Aviación Naval), which placed an order for ten to be delivered in 1980, replacing its T-34A Mentor aircraft. Having been flown on delivery all the way to Chile from Switzerland, the PC-7s were put to work immediately.

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Naval Flight Training

Assigned to the Escuela de Aviación Naval (Naval Aviation School) at Base Aeronaval Concón-Viña del Mar, VT-1 operates the PC-7 providing the basic course for student pilots who chose naval aviation following initial officer training at the Escuela Naval Arturo Prat (Naval Academy) in nearby Valparaiso. VT-1’s executive officer, Capitán de Fragata Rodrigo Graff Araneda,

Above: A VT-1 student awaits his Instructor on the flight line at Base Aeronaval Viña del Mar. Kevin Jackson Left: Student T2 Stanley Franz Trench returns from a formation flight over the coast near Base Aeronaval Viña del Mar. Since 2012 the navy took back basic flight training from the Chilean Air Force. Neil Dunridge Below: Flown by instructors under the guise of VA-1, coastal patrol and light attack missions supporting the fleet are a secondary role for VT-1. The squadron’s instructors will fly simulated attack profiles against ships primarily to test the vessel’s radar operators. Neil Dunridge

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Branch: Armada de Chile Role: Fixed-wing Training

talked about the squadron’s primary role, providing trained pilots to the operational fixed- and rotary-wing squadrons. “The initial pilot course is for two years. The first year consists of six months at the Naval Polytechnic Academy; after that they come here and specialise in aviation for a further six months. “In the second year the pilots begin the Pilatus basic course, starting with six months’ ground school followed by six months of basic training on the PC-7, flying 120 hours. Then the pilots move onto either fixed-wing or helicopter operational squadrons for further specific training on the types they will fly operationally – only when qualified on those types will they get their wings. “We have five instructor pilots here at VT-1. I have flown the CASA 212, the P-111 and the Skymaster. I was an exchange officer flying with the Argentine Naval Academy for a year. I also flew in the air force on an instrument flight instructor course, flying the Cessna CJ1. All the instructors need to have 500 or more hours as a minimum, although all of our current instructors have many more than that.”

Going ‘All Navy’

Until 2012 new naval aviators began their basic course flight training with the Chilean Air Force (Fuerza Aérea de Chile) flight school in Santiago/El Bosque flying the ENAER T-35A Pillán, a two-seat primary trainer, before returning to VT-1 for instrument and formation training. Following a trial in 2012 the navy now conducts the entire flying course at VT-1. The trial consisted of splitting the last 2012 class, with half following the normal route of training on the T-35A with air force instructor pilots and the others starting their flying career at Concón-Viña del Mar on the PC-7 with VT-1 instructors. “We typically train eight to ten new pilots each year and we’re happy with the new training system,” continued Capitán de Fragata Araneda. “The pilot course is practically the same, but I think it helps when we have new naval pilots close to the sea, around pilots that work with the ships, talking the language of the ships and the antisubmarine and anti-ship language. That’s the difference between the navy and the air force training: all of the conversations here on base are about supporting the fleet.” Teniente 2 (T2 - 2nd Lieutenant) Stanley Franz Trench was one of the final students of the 2012 course to train on the T-35A. “We started the basic flying course

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P-3 for the pilots that join VP-1. Trench explained how the new students in 2013 will gain from conducting all flying training at Concón-Viña del Mar. “The advantage of doing the entire basic course here with VT-1 is that we learn everything on the PC-7 from the beginning, including the way the navy operates.”

Secondary Role

Above: The PC-7 airframe and its Pratt & Whitney PT6A-25A engine offer a reliable and cost-effective training solution for the Chilean Navy. Kevin Jackson Below: The PC-7 can carry two wing-mounted 7.62mm guns and four 250lb (112kg) bombs. Neil Dunridge

with ten students. Five went to the Pillán in the air force and five started on the PC-7. We five on the Pillán then returned to VT-1 and continued with our instrument flying training on the PC-7. “We had 105 hours in the Pillán and right now I have 17 hours’ instrument training time in the PC-7, working towards a total of 45 hours to complete my training.

We also have 50 hours in the simulator – it helps a lot, and you can fly the whole mission. It enables us to practice the correct procedures constantly before we fly the actual training mission.” Instrument flying consists of basic training, then airways-type training, airfield approaches, and more intense radar navigation training, carried out on the CASA 295 or the

The PC-7 is also used for coastal patrol and light attack duties, supporting the fleet under the guise of VA-1 (attack squadron). The squadron instructors will fly simulated attack profiles against ships primarily to test the vessels’ radar operators. It is not a role specific to the PC-7 as other aircraft can also perform the task – they do it as a training benefit for the ships. Capitán de Fragata Araneda summarised: “VT-1 is the aviation school. We have two distinct roles: the training side and the operational side. All our students belong to the Education Command and all operational flying with the instructors falls under COMAVNAV (Naval Command).” He praised the PC-7 as the perfect training platform for Chilean Naval Aviation requirements and predicted it will remain in service for many more years. “We started flying the PC-7 in 1980. They are very well maintained and still very capable aircraft and I think we’ll have them for another ten to 15 years. It’s a good aircraft to learn on and it performs all of the afm roles we ask of it very well.”

Above: VT-1 Instructors T1 Francisco Vásquez Arias and T1 Javier Sepúlveda Rodriguez complete the necessary paperwork on the wing of a PC-7 after AFM’s photo sortie. Neil Dunridge

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FORCE REPORT CHILEAN NAVY AVIATION

Armada de Chile Chile’s navy has had an air arm independent of the air force for nearly a century. Neil Dundridge tells the story of this small but modern South American force

C

HILE’S FIRST naval aviators attended the first military flying training course to be held at the newly created School of Military Aeronautics in 1916. But it wasn’t until 1919 that the Chilean Navy (Armada de Chile) received its first aircraft, supplied by a grateful Great Britain as thanks for allowing ships built for Chile to be delivered instead to the Royal Navy during the First World War. In 1925 the Armada de Chile purchased its first new aircraft, Dornier Wal flying-boats from Germany and British Avro 504N and Fairey IIIF seaplanes. In 1953 the naval aviation service, Servicio de Aviación, received its first helicopters, four Bell 47Gs, which were given the designation

Above: The Cessna O-2A Skymasters of VC-1 are officially the highest priority for replacement, with just two remaining at Viña del Mar to conduct local maritime patrol and search and rescue operations while three others are forward deployed. Kevin Jackson

SH-9 in Chilean service. In 1957, one of them was deployed to Antarctica – the first naval aircraft to operate in the area. Five years later the navy received its first ASW (anti-submarine warfare)capable helicopter in the form of the Sikorsky SH-34J Seahorse. The Armada de Chile faces many geographical challenges. The country’s coastline extends for more than 2,700 miles (4,300km), roughly the distance from London to Halifax, Nova Scotia; and nowhere is Chile

more than 150 miles (240km) wide. Its territorial waters encompass more than five times its land area and the nation has considerable economic interest in asserting its rights over Antarctic territory. While the Chilean Air Force (Fuerza Aérea de Chile – FACh) has progressively updated its aircraft and its ability to extend its operational area, the Servicio de Aviación has been quietly carrying out its roles of naval fleet support, ASW, anti-surface warfare (ASuW), search and rescue (SAR), MEDEVAC and maritime patrol. Despite these daunting responsibilities, the navy has a relatively small fleet

of fixed-and rotary-wing aircraft.

Current Organisation

The naval surface fleet, homebased at the port of Valparaiso, Chile’s third-largest city, supervises the country’s 200-mile (320km) exclusive economic zone. It also protects national interests in island territories such as Easter Island and the Juan Fernández archipelago and is regularly involved in international operations to maintain peace and stability in the region. The principal role of the navy’s aviation assets is to provide support to naval surface forces,

Two variants of Eurocopter’s AS365 helicopter are currently flown – four previously civilian-operated Dauphin N2s and four FIs formerly flown by the Irish Air Corps. Kevin Jackson

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Branch: Armada de Chile Role: Aerial Surveillance, Troop Transport, Search and Rescue and Training

submarines and the marine corps. Situated 57 miles (97km) northwest of the capital Santiago, Viña del Mar is home to Naval Air Force base Nº 1 (Fuerza Aeronaval Nº 1). The purpose-built base has hosted the navy’s aircraft and maintenance facilities since 1989 after they outgrew the original headquarters at nearby El Belloto/Quilpué.

Flying Units – Rotary HU-1

The primary role of Utility Helicopter Squadron 1 (Helicopter Utilitaire 1 – HU-1) is the instruction of new pilots. Once the new students gain their wings at training unit VT-1 flying the PC-7 they are routed either to fixed-wing or helicopter units to continue their training; HU-1 provides rotary-wing courses. The squadron uses a mix of four 1970s-vintage Bell 206B JetRangers and two Bell TH-57 Sea Rangers acquired from US Navy stocks for pilot training and as light transports; HU-1 refers to them all as JetRangers. HU-1’s commander, Comandante Francisco Magini Keitel, explains: “The main role for this squadron is instructional. When the pilots come from VT-1 we teach them how to fly helicopters on the JetRanger. We then teach them search and rescue [SAR] along the coast. When they reach 40 hours on the JetRanger the new pilots have check rides and then qualify as flight commanders. Another 50 hours of instruction follow to become fully qualified.” The JetRanger fleet is also used in a coastal SAR role for which HU-1 Instructor pilots stand alert in addition to their instructional duties. Light transport duties include supporting the nearby naval academy’s diver training by dropping and winching up divers close to the beaches of Viña del Mar. The JetRangers are expected to remain in service for another four or five years before a replacement is sought. HU-1 also operates three UH-05 (Bölkow Bö-105C) light utility helicopters in roles similar to the JetRangers’ – instrument training, short-range MEDEVAC and SAR. They are also regularly deployed to detachments in the north and south of the country for SAR duties. The squadron’s main helicopter is the medium-weight multi-purpose twin-engined HH-65 – which is what the Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin II is known as in Chilean Navy service. Its main role is SAR. A new pilot arriving from the JetRanger needs 30 hours’

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Above: HA-1 operates two versions of the Super Puma, collectively referred to as the SH-32 in Chile. AS532C Cougars are employed in the anti-surface warfare and anti-submarine warfare role and are capable of launching two AM-39 Exocet missiles. Neil Dunridge

instruction on the Dauphin II to become operationally qualified. They qualify as a co-pilot first and build experience and hours before becoming an aircraft commander. Two distinct variants are flown. Four AS365N2 Dauphin IIs were purchased second-hand from civilian operators. They have a three-axis autopilot optimised for daylight SAR. The other four HH-65s are AS365FI Dauphin IIs previously flown by the Irish Air Corps but completely refurbished by Eurocopter Chile and zero-timed to ‘as new’ condition. These have the more advanced four-axis autopilot system, which includes auto-hover, and are prioritised for night SAR missions. Comandante Keitel says HU-1 is very happy with the HH-65: “The Dauphin II is ideal for the roles we perform. It’s very fast and reliable. We fly more missions here than

any other squadron. They’re not long-duration missions but we fly many. Around the Viña del Mar coastline we have many visitors on vacation from Argentina, Brazil and of course Chile, and there are always instances of people getting into trouble as the seas here can be rough. So we’re often called to rescue people close to the coast.”

HA-1

The attack helicopter squadron (Helicopter Ataque – HA-1) flies two versions of Eurocopter’s Super Puma, collectively referred to as SH-32s in Chilean service. The more potent of the two is the AS532C Cougar, the military version of the Super Puma. HA-1’s five Cougars are employed in the ASuW and ASW roles. First Lieutenant (1° Teniente) José Oxley, HA-1s Operations Officer, explains: “We use the term SH-32 to

describe our fleet, just as the AS365 is known as the HH-65 in military service. You’ll find this used in the air tasking order, whether it’s the 332 or the 532 Super Puma. “Our principal mission is to attack surface units [and] search and detect and then destroy submarines with the 532 version. As a secondary mission we conduct SAR and transport troops with the AS332B version. All our frigates are Cougar-capable and the assault ship Sargento Aldea, LSDH-91, is capable of operating four. Our role in the fleet is to protect the ship and to extend its range in anti-surface and antisubmarine operations. We clarify the surface picture for the ship.” The Chilean Navy is often involved in international exercises and will usually deploy a frigate with an SH-32 and up to three crews and maintenance engineers

Above: The remaining P-3ACHs of VP-1 continue to receive upgrades and will remain a vital part of the fleet due to its longer range over the new P-295 with which it serves. Neil Dunridge Below: The navy’s latest acquisition is the Airbus Military C295MPA Persuader, in service since May 2010 with VP-1. Kevin Jackson

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FORCE REPORT CHILEAN NAVY AVIATION aboard. In recent years HA-1 has taken part in exercises RIMPAC, PANAMEX in the Panama channel, UNITAS, TEAMWORK South and TEAMWORK North. Teniente 1° Oxley adds: “For the ASW role the [SH-32] crew consists of two pilots, the aircraft commander and the second pilot who handles radio communications with ships and any other aircraft and keeps his eye on the radar picture, looking out for other aircraft, and general situational awareness tasks. Immediately behind the pilots we have another officer, the TACCO (tactical officer). He is the [mission] co-ordinator who watches the surface picture for threats and is always in contact with the ships ready to share information on surface threats. Behind the TACCO we have a sonar operator and an ESM operator. That’s the principal crew, the five guys. With the ESM station we can present a surface picture to the ship, with the sonar operator dropping the sonar buoy from the Cougar via a cable.” The Cougar’s ability to carry sidemounted machine-guns not only gives it self-protection but cover for other helicopters inserting troops during merchant vessel interdiction and inspection missions, which are mainly carried out to prevent drug trafficking. In its ASW role the Cougar can carry two Raytheon Mk. 46 torpedoes. They each have a warhead containing 96lb (43.5kg) of PBXN-103 highexplosive and can be launched from 1,500 to 12,000 yards (1,371m to 10,972m) from the target. For the ASuW mission the Cougar can launch two AM39 (AM signifying air-mer, French for air-to-sea) Exocet sea-skimming over-the-horizon (OTH) missiles, which have a low radar signature and a maximum range of up to 44 miles (70km), depending on

Above: The Naval Aviation School is tasked with providing the Chilean Navy with qualified pilot officers. The Pilatus PC-7 is perfectly suited to the role (see accompanying feature). Neil Dunridge

Units that call Viña del Mar home Variant

Squardons

Type

VT-1/VA-1

Escuadrón de Instrucción VT-1/ Escuadrón de Ataque VA-1

Pilatus PC-7 Turbo Trainer

HA-1

Escuadrón Helicópteros de Ataque – attack helicopter sqn

Aérospatiale SH-32 (AS532 Cougar, AS332 Super Puma)

HU-1

Escuadrón Helicópteros de Propósitos Generales – general purpose helicopter sqn

Bell 206B, HH-65 (Aérospatiale AS365N/FI), MBB UH-05 (Bö-105CBS)

VC-1

Escuadrón de Propósitos Generales

Embraer P-111 (EMB-111AN), Cessna O-2A

VP-1

Escuadrón de Exploración Aeromarítima – Maritime patrol sqn

Lockheed P-3ACh, P-295 (Airbus Military C295MPA)

launch altitude and speed. For training exercises an inert Exocet, the same weight as a live round, is carried. It affects the handling characteristics of the Cougar in the same way as a live missile. Of the seven original Super Puma/ Cougar helicopters acquired in 1990, six were configured for the ASW role – with the seventh equipped for transport, patrol and search and rescue missions. That, and one of the others, has been lost. The navy is keen to add more Cougars to its inventory, envisaging the acquisition of five transport helicopters in total, but funding for the full programme has yet to materialise. The five remaining Cougars have recently been joined by two ex-civilian AS332Ls, each able to transport

more than a dozen troops. The head of the Servicio de Aviación, Rear Admiral Alberto Undurraga, remains hopeful that funding will be secured for the three remaining aircraft in the medium term.

Flying Units – Fixed Wing VC-1

VC-1, the Servicio de Aviación’s cargo flight (Vuelo de Cargo), uses a mixed fleet of five Cessna O-2A Super Skymasters and two Embraer EMB-111ANs (known within the Servicio de Aviación as the P-111). The squadron acquired its cargo designation when it flew CASA C212 Aviocars, the last two being withdrawn from service in August 2012 and mothballed at Viña del Mar. This followed the crash of a

Above: VC-1 (Vuelo de Cargo) conducts a variety of roles with three Embraer EMB-111ANs Bandeirantes, known as P-111s. Neil Dunridge

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Chilean Air Force C212, serial 966, on September 2, 2011, with the loss of 21 passengers and crew on one of the islands of the Juan Fernandez archipelago. An enquiry found the crash was caused by bad weather and not a fault on the aircraft. Meanwhile VC-1’s C212 pilots and maintenance personnel have been transferred to the unit’s P-111 fleet.

Skymaster

With dwindling numbers and heavy tasking, VC-1’s Cessna O-2A Skymasters are in urgent need of replacement. A request for proposals for a replacement search and rescue aircraft is scheduled to be issued this year and although a final decision has yet to be made the Italian Partenavia P68 is thought to be a strong contender. The five remaining airworthy Vietnam-era Skymasters were part of an original purchase of 20 airframes from surplus US stocks between 1997 and 2000, with half used for spares. The ten original airworthy examples have been gradually whittled down to five as airframe hours expire. Two remain at Viña del Mar for local maritime patrol and SAR training flights and operations. The other three are forward-deployed to detachments in Iquique to the north and at Punta Arenas and Puerto Williams in Chile’s extreme south on a rotational basis and only return to Viña del Mar for major maintenance. Maritime patrol being the principal trade of the Servicio

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Branch: Armada de Chile Role: Aerial Surveillance, Troop Transport, Search and Rescue and Training

The Bell 206Bs of HU-1 often support departments of the nearby naval academy. Neil Dunridge

Map by Pete West

de Aviación, the Skymaster is tasked with short-range patrols and fishery inspection. With an airborne duration of more than five hours the Skymaster is also a very effective search and rescue aircraft. For this role it uses the port wing’s hardpoint to carry a six-person liferaft while a Mk. 25 smoke bomb is carried on the other wing to drop as a marker. Comandante Fernando Rojas Cabejos, VC-1’s commanding officer, explains how they operate: “We drop the smoke canister first to get the wind direction and speed to enable us to drop the life-raft close enough to the rescue target. “The Skymaster is always the first aircraft to react within its area of operation along the coast and up to 50 miles (80km) out to sea. Once it finds the subject in distress we send a helicopter to [carry out the] rescue. Typically we’re looking for swimmers that get into trouble and small fishing vessels in distress, and we’ll remain in the area until the helicopter arrives.” In July 2013 it was reported locally that two aircraft types are being considered for the requirement of five machines to replace the surviving Skymasters: the Tecnam P2006T and Vulcanair AP68T, both Italianbuilt twin-engine light aircraft.

In 2010 the Chilean Navy took part in Chile's Bicentennial Celebrations, which included a naval review where fixed wing and helicopters flew along the coast by Valparaíso and over invited ships such as HMCS Algonquin (DDG 283) from the Canadian Navy.

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Embraer P-111

For short-to-medium range SAR and maritime reconnaissance missions VC-1 has three Embraer EMB-111AN Bandeirante Patrulhas which remain from six originally purchased new in the late 1970s. Known in the Servicio de Aviación as the P-111, the Bandeirante remains a versatile and reliable aircraft, VC-1 utilising it as a multi-engine training platform for naval students transitioning to the P-3ACh or the C295ASW – as Comandante Cabejos told AFM: “In the pilot instruction role we receive the pilots from the flight school [VT-1] and they have two years here learning on multi-engine and more advanced ’planes; then they go to VP-1.” Describing its operational SAR and maritime patrol roles, the Commander said: “The P-111 would launch on longer range SAR missions, from 50 miles up to 200 miles [80 to 320kms]. Initially to search and locate [the vessel and any survivors], [and] leave them a life raft. The helicopter would go and pick them up if necessary. It has very good radar for SAR and pollution monitoring patrols, and a six-hour endurance.” “[As regards] reaction times for a call-out, on a weekday it is immediate. On a weekend you have to be in the air within an hour, but it’s normal to be airborne within 30 minutes. All the time we have the ’planes ready to go.” Asked about his unit’s future plans, Comandante Cabejos said: “We have two priorities – to replace the Skymaster and the CASA 212. We need to recover some capabilities lost when the CASA went off line, like cargo, transport and parachute drops.” Press reports in 2012 suggested the surviving P-111s had been offered for sale to Uruguay but nothing has been heard since. Should the navy take up the option to purchase five more C295s the P-111s will be retired.

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FORCE REPORT CHILEAN NAVY AVIATION VT-1/VA-1

The training squadron (Escuadrón de Instrucción – VT-1) is a department of the navy’s education command and is primarily tasked with providing newly trained flying officers to operational units. It has two distinct roles, instructional and operational. A fleet of seven Pilatus PC-7s are used mainly for pilot training. Operational missions are a secondary role flown by VT-1’s instructors using the Pc-7s under the guise of Attack Squadron 1 (VA-1 / Escuadrón de Ataque Nº 1) and COMANAV (Naval Aviation Headquarters/Comandancia de Aviación Naval), supporting the fleet in the coastal patrol and light attack roles. As another task the unit flies attack profiles in the PC-7 against the fleet to test ships’ radar operators in target detection and acquisition. Although not seriously considered an attack aircraft, the PC-7 can carry two wing-mounted 7.62mm guns and four 250lb (112kg) bombs. Until 2012 new naval aviators began their flight training with the Chilean Air Force’s flight school at Santiago/El Bosque – flying the ENAER T-35A Pillán, a two-seat primary trainer – before returning to VT-1 for instrument and formation training. But following a trial in 2012 the Servicio de Aviación will conduct the entire flying course at VT-1 from 2013 onwards. Capitan Rodrigo Graff Araneda, VT-1’s executive officer, explains: “The next course will see all the training carried out on VT-1 on the PC-7. The last course had four pilots do their visual training with the air force

stores, and a comprehensive suite of sensors including a search radar and digital avionics compatible with night-vision goggles, an automatic identification system, acoustic system and a magnetic anomaly detector (MAD). Data gathered by these sensors are processed by the aircraft’s FITS, which provides information in an easily understood form to pilots and tactical operators via mission consoles. The options for the further five are on hold until a re-evaluation of the original plan to replace the longer-ranged Orions takes place. Above: For training exercises an inert AM-39 Exocet missile can be carried by the Super Puma/Cougar. Neil Dunridge

on the Pillán and four start their course here as an experiment, and now we’ll start the next course here and not use the air force at all.” The initial pilot course lasts for two years. The first is devoted to academic work but trainees spend six to nine months embarked on Esmeralda (BE-43), a navy tall ship – a requirement for all Chilean naval officers. In the second year the pilot officers start on the Pilatus-based basic course, starting with six months’ ground school then six months of basic training on the PC-7, and flying an average of 120 hours in order to graduate. Although the PC-7 entered service with the navy in 1978, there is no requirement for a replacement for another 10 to 15 years.

VP-1

Patrol Squadron 1 (Escuadrón de Exploración Aeromarítima – VP-1) operates the newest type in naval service, the Airbus Military

C295MPA Persuader, and the second-oldest fixed-wing, the Lockheed P-3ACh Orion – which celebrates its 20th anniversary in Chilean service this year.

P-295 Persuader

The newest aircraft in Chilean naval service is the C295MPA, known locally as the P-295 Persuader. Chile purchased three of the mid-tier maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) in October 2007 with deliveries complete by 2011. The first, in basic unarmed MPA configuration, was delivered on schedule on April 30, 2010. The other two have Airbus Military’s Fully Integrated Tactical System (FITS) installed and are configured for the ASW/ ASuW mission. If options for five more are exercised, three will be for FITS-equipped MPAs and two in basic transport configuration. The ASW variant is equipped with two under-wing hardpoints, designed to carry weapons or other

Recently HA-1 gained three AS332B/Ls optimised for troop transportation as the squadron puts more emphasis on special forces and interdiction operations, alongside its primary ASW role. Kevin Jackson

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P-3ACh Orion

Eight Lockheed UP-3A Orions were handed over to Chile from US Navy stocks in 1993 with all weapons systems removed. They were primarily meant for long-range maritime surveillance, search and rescue and counter-drug operations. Of the original eight, only two upgraded P-3AChs remain in service with VP-1. In 2003/2004 three aircraft were locally modified under Project ‘Imagen’ with mission equipment based on systems used on Chilean surface ships, helicopters and submarines, and re-designated P-3ACh. The three (serial numbers 402, 404 and 407) are equipped with a datalink system, a French ‘Varan’ radar system, Condor Systems’ ALR-801 electronic support measures suite and a digital self-compensating MAD.

Meeting the challenge

Chile’s naval aviation is equipped with a varied mix of new and ageing equipment. It works in a challenging operational environment with a fleet of aircraft and helicopters that, however capable, is severely limited in numbers given the massive area the Armada de Chile is tasked with patrolling. In spite of this, the training and performance of the Servicio de Aviación personnel in maintaining and flying their fleet can only be described as outstanding. The Chilean Government approved a defence budget of $2,772 million for 2013, of which $2,429 million was distributed to the army (38%), navy (28%), air force (18%) and the joint staff. Although this represents an increase of 1.9% on 2012, it does not leave much for new purchases. Qualitatively, Chile’s naval aviation remains among South America’s most effective air arms and aims to continue to meet its many afm challenges in the future.

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EXERCISE REPORT RED FLAG ALASKA 13-3

Re-Flying the Flag Curt Jans reports from Red Flag Alaska, held between August 8 and 24

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ITH SEQUESTRATION and reduced funding affecting the US military, 2013 has largely been a year of force reductions, reduced flying hours and cancelled military exercises. A rare exception this year was Red Flag Alaska 13-3, the third scheduled exercise of fiscal year 2013. Red Flag Alaska (RFA) is a multi-service, multi-national, air combat training exercise sponsored by the Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) of the US Air Force. RFA traces its roots to Cope Thunder, an exercise that began in 1976 at Clark Air Base in the Philippines. In 1992, following the eruption of Mount Pinatubo, Cope Thunder was moved to Eielson Air Force Base (AFB) in Alaska, and in 2006, the exercise was renamed Red Flag – Alaska. The 353rd Combat Training Squadron (CTS) designs and creates each mission during RFA, and missions may be tailored to meet specific training requests of participating squadrons, including command-and-control integration, electronic warfare, surface-to-air missile (SAM) threat simulations, specific air-to-air or air-to-ground scenarios, airdrops, and search-and-rescue operations.

Above: Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptors from the 90th FS, based at JB Elmendorf-Richardson, refuel from a KC-135R tanker during an RFA mission. All images by the author Below: F-15K 08-048 from the ROKAF taxies past A-10s from the 163rd FS, Indiana ANG before a mission.

From its beginning, the main objective of RFA has been to improve the ability of aircrew to handle high-stress combat situations that translate to survivability and mission success. While these goals remain unchanged, the exercise has greatly expanded over the years and regularly features 100 or more aircraft and participants from multiple

countries and branches of service. A typical exercise day includes morning and afternoon missions, with launch and recovery operations conducted simultaneously at Eielson AFB and Joint Base ElmendorfRichardson (JBER). RFA operations are conducted over the vast Pacific Alaska Range Complex, which measures over 67,000 square miles (174,000km2) – this is over four times the size of the ranges near Nellis

AFB where Red Flag is also held.

Back in the air

The 18th Aggressor Squadron (AGRS) ‘Blue Foxes’, based at Eielson AFB, provides the majority of the airborne opposingforce component during each RFA exercise. Their mission is to “know, teach and replicate” the threat

Right: F-15Ks from the Republic of Korea Air Force taxi out at Eielson AFB during RFA 13-3.

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Location: Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska Particpants: RAAF, JASDF, ROKAF, USAF, USMC, USN

practising emergency procedures and instrument procedures and some threat replication. We also focused on academics – the know, teach, and replicate side of our training mission.”

Multi-national participation Above: JASDF 306 Hikotai F-15J 52-8956 from Komatsu AB launches from Eielson for a mission on August 13.

– providing realistic training for American and allied nation aircrew. Accurate threat replication includes the abilities, strategy and tactics of potential adversaries. Capt Cory ‘Stone’ Farrer has been a Blue Fox for nearly two years and has 1,000 hours in the F-16. He explained the mission of the 18th AGRS: “We lean more towards the air-to-air role, but it’s really based upon what the Blue Forces ask of us. They tell us what they want to train to and we replicate that threat.” He stated that Red Flag offers the participant “the opportunity to see that large force structure. Going back to my previous assignment in the Blue World, VAQ-132 ‘Scorpions’ was the official participating US Navy squadron, but brought EF-18 Growlers loaned from other units such as this example from VAQ-139 ‘Cougars’.

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at most we would see four to six aircraft as adversaries in our day-today training. Coming to this exercise allows you to train against many more adversaries and to co-ordinate with other airframes and platforms – not just aircraft but even people on the ground.” A significant benefit of his current assignment is that he is able to participate in so many largeforce exercises. “There’s a lot to do with deconfliction and there’s a lot to do with co-ordination. It opens my mind to what it’s like to operate in a cluttered environment and how to operate mass forces in the same piece of sky. It definitely broadens my perspective of what it would

really be like to go into air combat.” This year has been a tough one for the 18th AGRS. The squadron was one of 17 combat-coded units to stand down or endure a dramatic reduction in flight hours due to forced spending cuts under sequestration. From April 9 until July 15, it was grounded with no flying hours. On the subject of maintaining skills and avoiding loss of proficiency during the grounding, Capt Farrer said: “It’s difficult. Our squadron really tried hard to get people into the simulator on a routine basis to keep some form of currency. While that’s not ideal, it kept us using the avionics,

Red Flag Alaska 13-3 included aviation assets from Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the US Air Force, the US Marine Corps and the US Navy. With approximately 75 participating aircraft and two combat missions per day, RFA participants flew over 1,000 sorties during the two-week exercise. Lt Col ‘Kazan’ Miyake is the Commanding Officer of 306 Hikotai (Squadron), Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF), which flies the McDonnell Douglas F-15J. He explained JASDF participant selection for Red Flag: “Pilots are selected based on flying experience and qualifications. They are experienced air commanders with full operational readiness.

ROKAF pilots get ready for the next mission in their Boeing F-15Ks, a variant of the F-15E Strike Eagle.

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EXERCISE REPORT RED FLAG ALASKA 13-3 countries, so that we may improve our own tactics and raise our level of expertise.” ‘Bravo’ specifically cited the high value of Red Flag training and felt it was his duty to share the lessons learned with others in his squadron and at the 11th Fighter Wing. He also planned to encourage other ROKAF pilots to attend, and mentioned the pride that comes from the privilege of representing his country at a premier, multi-national exercise.

The Next Red Flag Alaska?

Above: An Elmendorf-based Boeing C-17A Globemaster III takes off from Eielson, with a JASDF E-767 in the background.

Of course, they must also pass an English comprehension test.” Like most Red Flag participants, Lt Col Miyake was focused on integration, mission planning and learning the differences in strategy and tactics of other forces. “Improving our capability and bilateral interaction is key. The most valuable lessons are the experience of what we learn in aerial combat victories and defeats. By participating in practical exercises, we confirm if our tactics are effective and adjust to improve.” The Republic of Korea Air Force

(ROKAF) has participated in Red Flag twice before, but RFA 13-3 was its first time in Alaska. Maj Kim ‘Bravo’ Taewook has flown the Boeing F-15K since 2008 and previously attended Red Flag at Nellis AFB in 2012. Participating ROKAF aircrew all volunteered for Red Flag. He described the Red Flag experience and benefits: “I came with two personal objectives – first, the Red Flag exercise is much larger than the exercises in Korea. The range space in Alaska allows for a much larger scale of exercise. I

Above: A Lockheed Martin F-16C from the 18th AS gets ready to play the bad guy. Below: F/A-18C Hornets from the US Navy’s VFA-113 line up on Eielson’s taxiway prior to launch.

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want to see and experience what is different at Red Flag so that we can improve exercises such as Max Thunder at home in Korea. Second, I want to learn some of the tactics and capabilities of other

The 353rd CTS has proposed four Red Flag Alaska exercises during fiscal year 2014, which began on October 1. However, this is not yet finalised – military funding is a constant challenge considering the ongoing US federal budget deficit, and at the time of writing, the fiscal year 2014 budget had not been approved. One good sign is that Nellis AFB has already scheduled two Red Flags during the first half of 2014, so the 353rd CTS is very hopeful for the continuation afm of Red Flag Alaska.

Red Flag Alaska Participating Flying Units

Aircraft

Cmnd

Home Base

18th Aggressor Sqn

F-16C/D

PACAF

Eielson AFB, AK

90th Fighter Sqn

F-22A

PACAF

JB Elmendorf-Richardson, AK

100th Fighter Sqn

F-16C

ANG

Dannelly Field, AL

163rd Fighter Sqn

A-10C

ANG

Fort Wayne, IN

962nd Airborne Air Control Sqn

E-3C

PACAF

JB Elmendorf-Richardson, AK

41st Electronic Combat Sqn

EC-130H

ACC

Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ

517th Airlift Sqn

C-17A

PACAF

JB Elmendorf-Richardson, AK

210th Rescue Sqn - Det 1

HH-60G

PACAF

Eielson AFB, AK

203rd Air Refueling Sqn

KC-135R

ANG

JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, HI

909th Air Refueling Sqn

KC-135R

PACAF

Kadena AB, Japan

Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Sqn 352 (VMGR-352)

KC-130J

USMC

MCAS Miramar, CA

Electronic Attack Sqn 132 (VAQ-132)

EA-18G

USN

NAS Whidbey Island, WA

Strike Fighter Sqn 113 (VFA-113)

F/A-18C

USN

NAS Lemoore, CA

306 Hikotai

F-15J

JASDF

Komatsu AB, Japan

401 Hikotai

C-130H

JASDF

Komaki AB, Japan

Air Warning Control Sqn

E-767

JASDF

Hamamatsu, Japan

11th Fighter Wg

F-15K

ROKAF Daegu AB, Republic of Korea

No.2 Sqn

E-7A

RAAF

RAAF Base Williamtown, Australia

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EXERCISE REPORT SAUDI GREEN FLAG 2013

Saudi Arabia Side-by-side with

Key Publishing was privileged to interview the commander of the Royal Saudi Air Force detachment to RAF Coningsby in late August. Jerry Gunner was there for AFM

Above: The leafy hedgerows of Lincolnshire were strange territory for the RSAF Typhoons, normally based at King Fahd Air Base, Taif. As with the Tornados, although serials indicated the aircraft were from 3 Squadron, it was 10 Squadron leading the Typhoon element of the deployment. Key – Gary Parsons

M

ORE THAN six years ago, in August 2007, RAF Lossiemouth in Moray played host to Panavia Tornado aircraft and personnel from the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF – al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Malakiya as Sa’udiya) as part of Exercise Saudi Green Flag. On that occasion eight Tornado IDSs from 75 Squadron based at Dharan Air Base (AB) deployed to the UK along with supporting Lockheed C-130 Hercules transporters. Fast-forward to 2013 and a lot has changed for Exercise Saudi British Green Flag, held at RAF Coningsby

in Lincolnshire between September 2 and 13. This time the Saudi hardware comprised Eurofighter Typhoons as well as Tornados. The latter again came from Dharan’s King Abdul Aziz AB, but instead of the desert camouflage worn in 2007, today’s Tornados are painted in a similar grey to that of their RAF counterparts. Another change has been the painting of the words ‘God Bless You’ in both Arabic and English underneath the cockpit, a feature of all Saudi aircraft now. No Typhoons participated in ‘Saudi Green Flag

Right: A Saudi Typhoon pilot shortly before a mission on September 12. The pilots were busy over the two-week exercise, which featured two mission waves each day – one said he had flown seven sorties by the second Thursday. Key – Gary Parsons

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Location: RAF Coningsby, UK Particpants: RAF, RSAF – al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Malakiya as Sa’udiya

07’ for a very good reason – the first jet wasn’t delivered to the Kingdom until two years later. The first Saudi Typhoon pilots and engineers received part of their training at RAF Coningsby with the RAF’s 29(R) Squadron under Project Salam. The leader of the Saudi detachment for this year’s exercise, Brigadier General Mohammed Al-Shahrani, was the first man to qualify at Coningsby under that programme. Before moving to Typhoon the general had flown both Tornados and Boeing F-15 Eagles. It was during his stay in the UK that he struck up a lasting friendship with Group Captain Johnny Stringer, a fighter pilot through and through, who is one of those privileged to fly Spitfires and Hurricanes with the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight from Coningsby. Gp Capt Stringer has been Officer Commanding RAF Coningsby since October 19, 2012. The exercise, which had been in the planning for around ten months, was a massive logistical challenge – testing the organisational and planning skills of the RSAF to the limit.

A unique formation – RAF Tornado and Typhoon joined by their counterparts from the Royal Saudi Air Force. Geoff Lee/Planefocus Below: Although the pilots spoke good English, warning signs around the aircraft were marked bilingually. Key – Gary Parsons

Moving eight combat aircraft of two different types and capabilities – Typhoon pilots prefer to fly much higher than the Tornados – was no easy task. The aeroplanes are useless without their support infrastructure. As in 2007, C-130s provided some of the airlift capability, four of the type making repeated flights to and from the Kingdom to Coningsby. Like its RAF colleagues, the RSAF is in the process of integrating the first three of an eventual six Airbus Military A330MRTTs (Multi-Role Tanker Transport) into its fleet and Exercise Green Flag saw them used for the first time in an overseas deployment or ‘trail’. It’s more than 3,000 miles

(4,800km) from Saudi Arabia to the UK, but because of the A330MRTT’s remarkable refuelling and carrying capacity all four Typhoons were able to make the journey in one leg. The MRTTs meanwhile were also able to carry more than 200 Saudi military personnel and their equipment: remarkably, the first two of the type were not accepted into Saudi service until last February and the third jet did not arrive in the Kingdom until June 25! Gp Capt Stringer explained: “For Coningsby and for the RAF this is a hugely significant exercise, giving the opportunity to fly the same aircraft types with our RSAF friends and to share our tactical thinking and our mutual thoughts on how we employ our platforms.” He said another challenge was for Coningsby to support a detachment from a fellow air force, adding that success could be defined in a number of ways. The fighter pilots, engineers, fighter controllers and the other people the RSAF deployed to the UK will understand and know each other a little bit better; and that “if we ever had to go and fly and fight alongside each other for real, then at the end of this two-week exercise we have the confidence in each other that we’re able to do that”.

Above: Supporting the deployment in the first few days was Cessna 550 Citation HZ-136 from 1 Squadron, based at Riyadh-King Khaled Air Base. Peter R Foster Below: An RSAF Tornado waits while one from the RAF taxies past for a mission on September 12. Despite two RSAF aircraft serials denoting them to be from 83 Squadron, the deployment was led by 75 Squadron, based at King Abdul Aziz Air Base, Dhahran. Key – Gary Parsons

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EXERCISE REPORT SAUDI GREEN FLAG 2013 RSAF aircraft deployed to UK, August/September 2013 Type Eurofighter Typhoon

Panavia Tornado

A330 MRTT

Lockheed C-130 Hercules Two of the RSAF Tornados were delayed in arriving due to technical issues – 8306 was one of the first pair to arrive, landing at Coningsby at 1730L on August 27. Gaz West

The group captain explained there was a lot more to the exercise than just the fast jets at Coningsby. “We have embedded RSAF personnel with our GCI [ground controlled intercept] personnel up at Boulmer; we also have them supporting the ‘White Force’, the exercise directing staff. We have RSAF TAC-Ps [tactical air control parties] training as well. I think you can see from that breadth that this is more than just flying some aircraft – it is a significant engagement.” General Al-Shahrani pointed out: “This is the first time for us to deploy Typhoon for a long period outside our Kingdom and that means we’re stretching our logistics support over 3,000 miles [4,800km], which is very important for us. Also it’s the first time for us to use the Airbus MRTT for trailing [providing air-to-air refuelling and logistical support for a deployment of fast jets] from Saudi Arabia, which has proved very successful

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in this exercise. Those are the two most important things for us.” Talking about the Typhoon element of the deployment, he said: “It was a one-shot for us from Saudi Arabia to Coningsby, refuelling three times. That was good enough for us to test the system and the trail. All our logistic support was delivered by C-130s, but we used the MRTT too [for] our main party of personnel to the UK. That was a big test for the MRTT and proved the worth of buying the aircraft. I’m sure the RAF agrees with us on such aircraft as the MRTT.” The RSAF’s MRTTs are essentially the same aircraft as the Voyagers being introduced into service with the RAF. Asked whether there were any lessons to be learned for the RAF by the Typhoon trail, Gp Capt Stringer said: “The service has for decades done trails over a significant distance… you’ve had a number of aircraft deployed from the

Kingdom to here with a significant amount of gas left at the end of it and a lot of people on board. It’s not a lesson, but what it does give is confidence, if we needed it, that the A330 is a good aircraft and it’s a very competent platform to deploy force at range quickly. It was superb to see the aircraft arrive, all of them, on finals as planned. A very well-executed trail by the RSAF.” Much of the nitty-gritty of the exercise is, understandably, classified, but General Al-Shahrani told AFM: “We’re flying Tornado in the same role as the RAF, in air-to-ground missions, and the Typhoon in air-to-air, again like the RAF. We’re combining the two platforms together.” Gp Capt Stringer elaborated: “Initially, the very first flying serials [flights] were familiarisation, which is exactly what we do when we deploy to other countries; then some that

Cessna 550 Citation

Serial 310 312 313 322 7507 7512 8306 8312 2401 2402 475 483 1623 1625

Sqn 10 Sqn

75 Sqn

24 Sqn 4 Sqn 16 Sqn

HZ-136 1 Sqn

were specific to individual aircraft roles… but we’re looking to build onto that and actually run COMAO [combined air operations] missions so that, as the general was saying, we integrate UK and Saudi Tornado and Typhoon with an increasing level of complexity in the mission. Some of the support we’re drawing on – as well as the GCI – is UK E-3, Cobham Aviation supporting with its DA20 and also 100 Squadron providing ‘Red Air’ assets, so they’re quite developed missions.” Gp Capt Stringer was then asked if it was a campaign-based exercise, or were disparate scenarios played out each day? “There is intelligence support to the serials, but we reset the scenarios to get what we want out of that particular mission.” General Al-Shahrani added: “We are using the ranges in the UK… like the EW [the RAF’s electronic warfare range at RAF Spadeadam,

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Location: RAF Coningsby, UK Particpants: RAF, RSAF – al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Malakiya as Sa’udiya

“We’re flying Tornado in the same role as the RAF, in air-toground missions, and the Typhoon in air-to-air, again like the RAF. We’re combining the two platforms together”

To see all four RSAF Tornados together away from the flightline was rare over the two weeks – here the four line up on the runway before departing for home on September 16. Derek Bower

Cumbria] range,” and revealed there are plans to build a similar facility in Saudi Arabia. The group captain emphasised that all UK airspace had been “opened up for this exercise” and explained that Coningsby-based 3(F) Squadron was the lead Typhoon unit for the exercise while the Tornado complement comprised crews from RAF Marham’s II(AC) and 31 Squadrons. General Al-Shahrani was asked if the British weather had posed any problems (although this had been the sunniest, warmest summer for many years, the second week of the exercise saw rain and high winds): he explained that although the RSAF trained to fly and fight in all weathers, and both aircraft types are optimised for all weather operations, care was being taken during the exercise not to compromise safety. Gp Capt Stringer pointed out: “In Typhoon you just fly above the

weather” – to which the general replied: “Way above the weather!” Talking about the experience level of his crews, the general said: “With an opportunity like this we usually try to bring an assortment, but for the first deployment of Typhoon I picked high to medium-experience crews to make sure that they will

do it right. For Tornado, it’s the second time for them to deploy to the UK – and they have experienced and, not inexperienced but perhaps lower experience, crews. When the crews return home they will spread the knowledge they have gained to their colleagues on the squadrons.” Gp Capt Stringer added:

“Without making a trite sound bite, it’s not only how you fly, but it’s how you think as well. So in exercises like this, sharing that experience, sharing your thinking, are fundamental to growing your overall capability and your approach to your business. That’s true of aircrew, engineers and everybody involved. There is so much that is generated well beyond a spreadsheet; the fact we have our engineers engaging on a daily basis, that our aircrew from met [meteorological briefing] through to planning, execution and debrief are chatting about it afterwards – you can’t render that as a teaching package, you only get those benefits by getting people together in the same place.” Both leaders would be delighted if there was a similar exchange in the other direction, with RAF Tornados and Typhoons deploying to Saudi Arabia, but as they afm said, that is not their decision!

Top: Expectations were high among UK photographers that the RSAF aircraft would take to the Welsh valleys for some low-level flying, but it wasn’t until the final couple of days that they did so. Here Typhoon 312 blasts round the ‘Mach Loop’. Pat Reilly Above: Exercise Saudi Green Flag was the first opportunity the RSAF had to test its A330 MRTT operationally – two aircraft deployed to RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire to support the Typhoons and Tornados at Coningsby. Ian Harding Left: C-130 Hercules from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia were kept busy before and after the deployment, each flying a sortie for three days at both ends of the exercise. Craig Sluman

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POSTCARD FROM MALAYSIA

Bomba Agusta A109E 9M-BOB performed its flypast while Malaysian fire department personnel, cars and trucks marched in Merdeka Square (formerly Times Square).

Malay magic Babak Taghvaee reports on the 65th anniversary of Malaysian independence parade on August 31

F

OURTEEN AIRCRAFT and 20 helicopters of various types from different Malaysian military forces paraded for the public over Merdeka (Independence) Square near central Kuala Lumpur. Planning had started weeks before and involved the Royal Malaysian Air Force (Tentera Udara DiRaja Malaysia - TUDM),

Malaysian Army Aviation (Pasukan Udara Tentera Darat - PUTD), Royal Malaysian Navy (Tentera Laut DiRaja Malaysia - TLDM) together with Royal Malaysian Police Air Wing Unit (Polis DiRaja Malaysia - PDM), Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (Agensi Penguatkuasaan Maritim Malaysia – APMM)

and the Malaysian Fire & Rescue Department (Aviation Unit) (Unit Udara Bomba dan Penyelamat - Bomba). Rehearsals were held in the lead-up to the day with all fixed-wing aircraft operating from Subang/Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport and the helicopters from Simpang Airport.

Above: TLDM Eurocopter AS555SN Fennec M502-3 is one of six operated by the navy. Left: Leading the parade was this TUDM Eurocopter EC725 Cougar Mk2+, M55-05, recently delivered to the air force. All images by the author

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Above: The most anticipated part of the air parade involved four Sukhoi Su-30MKMs (M5209, M52-11, M52-12, and M52-17), flying in diamond formation before breaking and each performing a low pass and a max-rate climb over the square. Left: One of the two TUDM Sikorsky S61A-4 Nuris in the flypast was M23-22. The type is due to be retired from service within the next few months. Below: Three PDM helicopters flew in formation – Aerospatiale AS-55F-2 Ecureuil 2 9M-PHA and Eurocopter AS355N Ecureuil 2s 9M-PHE and 9M-PHL.

Right: Next were four BAe Hawk 208s (M40-29, M40-31, M40-33 and M40-38), all from 6 ‘Cakra’ Skuadron based at Kuantan air base (Sultan Ahmad Shah). Left: This PUTD Super Lynx Mk300, M5015, is one of six operated by 501 Skuadron at TLDM Lumut. Below left: Fixed-wing formations started with a flypast of the sole TUDM Lockheed C-130H-MP (Maritime Patrol) Hercules M30-09 with C-130H-30 M20-16 belonging to 20 ‘Cloud’ Skuadron based at Sultan Abdul-Aziz (Subang) air base. Below: PUTD AgustaWestland A109 LUH M81-10 is one of eleven serving with 881 Skuadron at Keluang.

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POSTCARD FROM SCOTLAND

Last Hurrah RAF Leuchars in Fife hosted its last ever airshow on September 7, and it was one to savour, being the best for many a year. It will be much missed north of the border, say Scottish enthusiasts. Captions by Derek Bower

Above: To open the show the Red Arrows were accompanied by a formation of four homebased Typhoons. Chris Milne Top: Star of the show for many was the role demo by the Austrian Air Force. Two Typhoons, normally based at Zeltweg air base, simulated intercepting an unidentified aircraft (played by an Austrian Air Force C-130) and performing internationally recognised procedures, forcing the C-130 to land. It was the first time the Austrian Air Force had given this demonstration outside its home country. Chris Milne Left: The organisers should be applauded for their forethought in presenting the Typhoon force to the public. With the possibility that the fighters might be needed for any British involvement in Syria, some were withdrawn at the last minute, but other squadron marks were applied to resident aircraft to represent all the UK-based Typhoon squadrons. The original squadron tail codes were probably only noticed by enthusiasts. Derek Bower

Above: The ‘100th Anniversary’ V(AC) Squadron Sentinel R1 was overshadowed by several large aircraft on display beside it. Derek Bower Right: To end the airshow, and the long history of Battle of Britain Airshows at RAF Leuchars, the Massed Pipes of the Royal Air Force played traditional bagpipes as an RAF Tornado and Typhoon pair made a flypast. Derek Bower

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POSTCARD FROM BELARUS

Lida’s Centenary O

N SEPTEMBER 15 the oldest Belarusian Air Force & Air Defence Corps (VoyennoVozdushnyye Sily) base at Lida (in the west of the country) celebrated its centenary. Today designated the 206th Attack Aviation Base, it hosts two units: the 116th Guards ‘Radomskaya’, with Sukhoi Su-25/ Su-25UB Frogfoots, and the 206th Training Centre with ten Aero L-39C trainers, which are also used by the five-ship Belaya Rus (White Russian) aerobatic team. The future of Lida is very much connected with Russia – by the end of this year a Russian Air Force (VoyennoVozdushniye Sily) air group (probably equipped with Sukhoi Su-27SM3 and/or Su-30SM2 Flankers) will be relocated there under a bilateral agreement between the two countries. Lt-Gen Viktor Bondarev, commander-in-chief of the Russian Air Force, told reporters earlier this year: “The creation of a Russian air base in Belarus is a result of the fulfilment of an intergovernmental agreement on the strengthening of the military component of the Union State, which we have a duty to fulfil. As a member of the Union State, Russia has a duty to have its air base there.” The base is also expected to receive four Yakovlev Yak-130 Mitten combat training aircraft by the end of 2014. STANISLAV BAZHENOV

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Above: The VVS operates ten Aero L-39C Albatros trainers at Lida, all painted in the colours of the aerobatic team Belaya Rus, which occasionally appears at parades and flypasts around the country. Left: A Mil Mi-24V Hind-E gives a display at Lida. The helicopters are based at Pruzhany in Brest Voblast and Borovukha, Vitsyebskaya Voblasts, and there are around 50 of the type in service. Below: Three of the somewhat gaudilypainted L-39s of the five-ship Belaya Rus team performed during the centenary open day. Below left: One of the based Sukhoi Su-25UB Frogfoots taxies out for a demonstration display. It is thought the VVS operates 30+ single-seat FrogfootAs and half a dozen twin-seat FrogfootBs at Lida.

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OPS BOARD If it’s a major military airshow or exercise being held somewhere in the world, here’s the place to find it with our operations board, which is updated every month. With sequestration affecting airshows in the US, we strongly advise you check before making travel plans! Date

Exercise/Event

Location

Remarks

Oct 19

Open House

Switzerland – Emmen

www.lw.admin.ch

Oct 19 – 20

Alliance Air Show

USA – Fort Worth, Texas

www.allianceairshow.com

Oct 22 – 27

Seoul Airshow

South Korea - Seoul

www.seoulairshow.com

Oct 26 – 27

NAS Jax Air Show

USA – NAS Jacksonville, Florida

CANCELLED

Oct 26 – 27

Wings Over Houston

USA – Houston, Texas

www.wingsoverhouston.com

Nov 1 – 2

Open House

USA – NAS Pensacola, Florida

CANCELLED

Nov 2 – 3

Seoul ADEX

South Korea – Seoul

www.seouladex.com

Nov 2 – 3

Melbourne Air & Space Show

USA – Melbourne, Florida

www.airandspaceshow.com

Nov 8 – 11

Open Door

Greece – all air bases

Static only

Nov 17 – 21

Dubai Airshow

UAE - Dubai

www.dubaiairshow.aero

Nov 18 -29

Exercise Blue Flag

Israel - Ovda

IAF, AMI, Hellenic AF, Polish AF & USAFE

Jan 13 – Feb 7

TLP 2014-1

Spain – Albacete

www.tlp-info.org

Jan 16 – 18

Bahrain Airshow

Bahrain – Sakhir AB

www.bahraininternationalairshow.com

Jan 26

Tauranga City Air Show

New Zealand – Tauranga

www.taurangaairshow.co.nz

Feb 3 - 21

Iceland Fighter Meet

Iceland - Keflavik

www.nato.int

Feb 11 – 16

Singapore Airshow

Singapore - Changi

www.singaporeairshow.com.sg

Mar 9

Tyabb Air Show 2014

Australia – Tyabb, Victoria

www.tyabbairshow.com

Mar 10 – Apr 4

TLP 2014-2

Spain – Albacete

www.tlp-info.org

Mar 15

Air Show

USA – MCAS Yuma, Arizona

TBC

Mar 15

Air Show

USA – NAF El Centro, California

www.mwrtoday.com/elcentroairshow

Mar 22 – 23

Thunder Over The Empire

USA – March ARB, California

www.marchfieldairfest.com

Mar 25 – 30

FIDAE

Chile – Santiago

www.fidae.cl

Mar 29 – 30

Wings Over South Texas

USA – Brownsville, Texas

TBC

Mar 31 – Apr 11

Exercise Frisian Flag

Netherlands – Leeuwarden

European air forces exercise

Apr TBC

Exercise Green Shield

France – Nancy

Joint training with Royal Saudi Air Force

Apr 1 – 6

Sun ‘n’ Fun Fly-in

USA – Lakeland, Florida

www.sun-n-fun.org

Apr 12 – 13

Fort Smith Regional Air Show

USA – Fort Smith, Arkansas

www.188fw.ang.af.mil

Apr 15 – 17

ABACE 2014

China – Shanghai

www.abace.aero

Apr 18 – 20

Warbirds Airshow

New Zealand – Wanaka

www.warbirdsoverwanaka.com

Apr 23 – 26

Marrakech Aero Expo & Air Show

Morocco – Marrakech

www.aeroexpo-morocco.com

Apr 26 – 27

Fort Worth Air Power Expo 2014

USA – Fort Worth, Texas

www.airpowerexpo.com

May 3 - 4

Shawfest

USA – Shaw AFB, South Carolina

May 3 – 4

Spirit of St. Louis Air Show

USA – St. Louis, Missouri

www.spirit-airshow.com

May 5 – 30

TLP 2014-3

Spain – Albacete

www.tlp-info.org

May 6 – 8

SOFEX

Jordan – Amman-Marka AB

www.sofexjordan.com

May 10 – 11

Vero Beach Air Show

USA – Vero Beach, Florida

www.veroairshow.com

May 12 – 22

Exercise JAWTEX

Germany - TBA

2014

Star of MAKS 2013 in late August was the Chinese Air Force's August 1 demonstration team. Mike Kerr

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07/10/2013 12:51

AND FINALLY

Raider Formation Seventy-one years after the famous Doolittle Raid on Tokyo, a B-25 flew again with the Raiders

O

N AUGUST 26 two very different Washington state-based aviation outfits joined forces to commemorate US Army aviation history. The 4th Battalion of the Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR) flew two very high-tech machines from Joint Base Lewis McChord to Paine Field, home of the Historic Flight

Foundation (HFF). When HFF’s North American B-25D Mitchell ‘Grumpy’ got airborne, the rumble of its Pratt & Whitney radials was joined by the distinctive ‘thwacking’ rotor slaps of the 160th’s Boeing MH-47G Chinook and Sikorsky MH-60M Black Hawk helicopters. This unusual formation connected the 160th SOAR, an ultra-modern specialist branch of army aviation, with its tactical origins in the US Army Air Corps of the Second World War. The B-25 bomber was made famous

by the Doolittle Raid, when 16 B-25s were launched from the deck of the USS Hornet on an unprecedented long-range one-way mission to bomb Tokyo and other targets, in response to the infamous Japanese attack on American forces at Pearl Harbor. Today the 160th SOAR considers secret long-range infiltration a hallmark of its elite capabilities. In tribute to their historic forerunners, the ‘Doolittle Raiders’ of the Army Air Corps, this present day battalion uses the call sign ‘Raider’. RACHEL MORRIS

‘The B-25 Mitchell was made famous by the Doolittle Raid, when 16 were launched from the deck of the USS Hornet on an unprecedented long-range one-way mission to bomb Tokyo and other targets, in response to the infamous Japanese attack on American forces at Pearl Harbor.’

Grumpy takes up the rear of the formation as a 160th SOAR MH-60M Black Hawk leads an MH-47G Chinook from the same unit. Flying the MH-60M was Maj John Raby; in the MH-47G it was CW3 Michael Rutledge and piloting the B-25 were John Sessions and Michael Kopp. John Dibbs/Plane Picture Company

Next Issue of AirForces Monthly on Sale November 21st* *UK scheduled on sale date. Please note that the overseas deliveries are likely to be after this date.

98 #308 NOVEMBER 2013

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03/10/2013 11:24

Wargaming F_P.indd 1

02/10/2013 09:56

Gaijin F_P.indd 1

19/09/2013 10:03