Air Forces Monthly UK 2016 Digital Sample

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FREE DIGITAL SAMPLE ISSUE - 10+ FEATURES INSIDE

Typhoon Over the Horizon Officially the World's NUMBER ONE Authority on Military Aviation | www.airforcesmonthly.com

RAF Typhoon Force Cdr Speaks to AFM

FORCE REPORT

Taiwan's Air Force

Playing Catch-Up

Su-34 Fullback Russia's Star Over Syria

Death with Brother Finesse in Arms The USAF's 95th European Fighter Fighter Squadron

Fleets - Part One

CONTENTS Digital Issue 2016 66 Death with Finesse

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ELCOME TO AirForces Monthly (AFM), the world’s most authoritative monthly magazine on modern military aviation. From current combat operations and major exercises through to the very latest news and information on defence contracts, AFM has it all. The magazine is produced by an editorial team that are subject matters experts, and they are supported by respected and

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recognised defence contributors from around the world from Russia and Brazil to the United States and Japan. AFM goes behind the mainstream headlines, giving readers in-depth analysis on the world’s air forces with insights from decision makers serving within the military to aircrews on operations. Each month, a Force Report provides an essential up-to-the minute breakdown on air forces

around the world, listing their Order of Battle and inventory and illustrating how they operate as an effective armed force. Our features follow leading modern military types - from the prototype to operational service and the upgrades many fighters and bombers are now receiving. If you want the very latest news and detailed reports on what is happening on the front line of modern military aviation, AFM is essential reading.

Glenn Sands AFM Brand Editor

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48 Fullback Full Ahead

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04 NEWS Headlines

Latest military news from around the world.

06 Tornado Trainers at 100 As XV (Reserve) Squadron celebrates its 100th anniversary, Neil Pearson visits the squadron at RAF Lossiemouth to examine how the RAF trains its Tornado GR4 aircrew.

14 Attack Helicopters Made in China

China has harboured a keen interest in dedicated attack helicopters, but has consistently failed to procure them from foreign suppliers. In the late 1980s, the Chinese decided to develop a series of heavily armed machines on its own. Jakub Fojtík explains how.

24 Death with Finesse The F-22 Raptor is the pride of the USAF’s fighter community flown only by the USAF’s elite. John Dibbs provides exclusive images.

32 USAF TACAIR – the Combat Edge Tom Kaminski examines US Air Force tactical airpower,

which today relies on precisionguided munitions employed by a reduced fleet of fast jet and RPA platforms.

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The duck-nosed Su-34 is set to become the mainstay tactical bomber of the Russian Air and Space Forces. It should gain even greater importance later this decade when it’s scheduled to take on wider reconnaissance and electronic attack roles, as Alexander Mladenov explains.

58 ‘The Jungle King’

After 25 continuous operations on the front line with the Commando Helicopter Force, the Sea King HC4 will be withdrawn from service in March. For those who have flown and serviced the reliable warrior, it’s a momentous occasion tinged with sadness, as AFM’s Glenn Sands discovered when he visited 848 NAS at RNAS Yeovilton – the home of the ‘Junglies’.

64 Typhoon – over the horizon

New Typhoon Force Commander, Air Commodore Ian Duguid talks to Alan Warnes about the

RAF’s latest jet and its future.

70 Upping Its Game

Cameroon’s small air force has had to galvanise a diverse range of capabilities to good effect in the war against terrorism, as Erwan de Cherisey finds out.

78 Rough Rider Rolls In... AFM’s Glenn Sands caught the liberty boat from Portsmouth dockyard in late March to board the nuclear-powered carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, anchored in the Solent.

82 Brothers in Arms?

More than 1,000 fighters are flying with European air forces. In this three-part series, Alan Warnes looks at which countries are doing their bit for international operations and, along with many of AFM’s correspondents, reviews the fleets.

94 FORCE REPORT Playing Catch-Up

Gert Kromhout and Stephan de Bruijn recently visited Taiwan to bring AFM up-to-date on what’s happening in the Republic of China Air Force (RoCAF).

94 FORCE REPORT Playing Catch-Up

64 Typhoon Over the Horizon www.airforcesdaily.com

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HEADLINES UK Government hits back at Commons Defence Select Committee

UK ‘AT THE FOREFRONT’ OF IS OPERATIONS

Above: Two Sentinel R1s are being deployed to the Middle-East to support anti-IS operations. RAF/5 (AC) Squadron Sentinel R1 ZJ690 is seen here at RAFO Base Al Musana'a, Oman, on March 12, 2014, while deployed with the 902nd Expeditionary Air Wing, providing support to ISAF and coalition forces in Afghanistan and elsewhere in the region. MOD Crown Copyright/Sgt Ross Tilly

ONE OF the last acts of the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) before the dissolution of parliament for the general election campaign to start was a response to criticism in a report by the Commons Defence Select Committee. The report titled ‘The situation in Iraq and Syria and the response to al-Dawla al-Islamiya fi al-Iraq al-Sham (DAESH)’, which was published on February 5, claimed the UK’s contribution to tackling Islamic State (IS) was “surprisingly modest”. A robust rebuff from the MOD on March 25, rejected the Committee’s conclusions as “out-of-date or inaccurate

information and do not recognise the major role the UK Government has played since the beginning of operations.” It dismissed the suggestion that the UK’s contribution was “strikingly modest” by stating it was “at the forefront of the efforts to defeat IS”. Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said: “We have played a major role in the military campaign from the start and have conducted 194 air strikes in Iraq, second only to the US. “Throughout the campaign we have focused our military contribution where it can have the most impact – supporting

Iraqi forces from the air, providing vital intelligence, surveillance and air-to-air refuelling capabilities. “The RAF has contributed assets that few coalition partners can match and the US and other partners have acknowledged the impact these are having on the campaign.” The MOD press release noted: “…the Committee also stated the UK has only conducted 6% of air strikes – this is inaccurate. It is based on figures for Iraq and Syria and we only have parliamentary permission to conduct strikes over Iraq.” On March 25 the MOD announced that two 5 (AC)

Squadron Sentinel R1 surveillance aircraft were being sent to the Middle East. Their deployment from RAF Cranwell, Lincs where they are temporarily stationed due to runway repairs at their home base at RAF Waddington, will allow the allies to use the intelligence gathered by the aircraft over Iraq. The Sentinels will provide wide area surveillance while monitoring terrorists and track IED-laying activity, as it did with insurgents during 2011 in Libya. They will join eight Tornados, several Reapers, one C-130, one RC-135 and one Voyager supporting the UK’s contribution to defeat IS, Operation Shader. Alan Warnes 

Situation in Ukraine CLAIMS THAT pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine possess an operational ex-Ukrainian Air Force Su-25 Frogfoot ground attack aircraft (see Lughansk People’s Republic Forming an Air Force, April, p26) have proved to be a propaganda stunt. The aircraft shown to the media in late January was the repainted Su-25 ‘01 blue’ (c/n 25508101037) – a demilitarized and non-airworthy exhibit from the museum based at the Hostra Mohyla Airport near Luhans’k. This would also dispel claims that the aircraft was subsequently used in combat in the Debal’tseve area. Similarly, the two-seat L-29 trainer ‘36 red’ that was shown along with it is a privately-owned aircraft (c/n 792519, Ukrainian civilian registration LA0893)

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based at the same airport. Even if airworthy, it has no combat capabilities whatsoever. Despite claims by the rebels to the contrary, Ukrainian manned aircraft have not been directly involved in combat. The only aviation assets deployed over enemy-held territory were Tu-143 UAVs, one of which was shot down on February 3 near Irmino. It is believed the pro-Russian rebels now possess more sophisticated mobile SAM systems (in addition to MANPADS) that will enable them to engage a high-speed target, such as the Tu-143. This would also explain why Ukraine’s military aircraft were used only for MEDEVAC and resupply sorties behind the front line. Vladimir Trendafilovski 

Above: This L-29 Delfin, purportedly operated by the Luhans’k People’s Republic Air Force, was shown off as a publicity stunt and is a privately owned aircraft with no combat capability. Left: The rocket-assisted launch of the Tu-143 UAV is a breath-taking sight, even when viewed from a far. The high-speed Soviet-era UAV operated by the 383 opDKLA from Khmel’nyts’kyy was the only PS ZSU asset deployed directly over enemy-held territory during the recent fighting in eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian Ministry of Defence via Vladimir Trendafilovski

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Saudi-Led Air Strikes on Yemen

SAUDI ARABIA began a series of air strikes, along with its Arab coalition partners, against Houthi insurgents in Yemen overnight on March 25-26 under Operation Decisive Storm. The raids focused on attacking Houthi rebel positions, including air bases, air defence sites, command-andcontrol locations and army camps. The Royal Saudi Air Force committed 100 aircraft to the missions, including F-15C, F-15S and Eurofighter Typhoon fighters, plus support from E-3 AWACS, AS532 Cougar CSAR helicopters and other unconfirmed types, which are believed to have included AH-64 Apache attack helicopters. Other participants included: the UAE Air Force and Air Defence with 30 F-16E/Fs and Mirage 2000s; the Kuwaiti Air Force with 15 F/A-18C/D Hornets (some of which operated by King Khalid Air Base in Saudi Arabia); the Royal Bahraini Air Force with 15 F-16Cs and F-5s; the Qatar Emiri Air Force with ten Mirage 2000-5s (some at King Khalid); the Royal Jordanian Air Force with six F-16A/Bs; the Royal Moroccan Air Force with six F-16C/Ds and the Sudanese Air Force with three-to-six Su-24s (some at King Khalid). The Egyptian Air Force is also making an undisclosed contribution. Houthi rebels had commandeered numerous Yemen Air Force aircraft after

Brand Editor: Glenn Sands World Air Forces Correspondent: Alan Warnes Editorial contact: [email protected] Military News Editor: Dave Allport Chief Designer: Steve Donovan Assistant Chief Designer: Lee Howson Production Editor: Sue Blunt Deputy Production Editor: Carol Randall Advertising Manager: Ian Maxwell Production Manager: Janet Watkins Group Marketing Manager: Martin Steele Mail Order & Subscriptions: Liz Ward Commercial Director: Ann Saundry Executive Chairman: Richard Cox Managing Director & Publisher: Adrian Cox

Above: The air strikes on Sana’a-al-Dailami Air Base on March 26 put these two Yemen helicopters, an AB212 and UH-1H-II Huey II, out of action. Below: The gutted hulk of the Yemen Air Force and Air Defence’s only CN235M-300, 2211 (c/n 188), at Sana’a-al-Dailami Air Base after being destroyed during air strikes on March 26.

overrunning the main air bases, but on March 28, Saudi Arabia said that after three days of air strikes they “no longer possess jet fighters.” In the statement published the same day by the Saudi Press Agency, Brigadier General Ahmed bin Hasan Asiri also said the Arab coalition air strikes had destroyed most of the Shi’ite insurgent group’s weapons arsenals, including Scud missiles, air defences, communications lines and command-and-control centres. Precise details of the aircraft destroyed are unconfirmed, but the Houthis acknowledged that at least four Su-22s and one or two

Mi-8s had been lost. In addition, photographs of Sana’a-al-Dailami Air Base show a wrecked hangar with the burnt-out shell of Yemen’s sole CN235M-300 which had only been delivered in 2014 and the wreckage of an Agusta-Bell 212 and a UH-1H Huey II. On the first day of operations, air strikes were also carried out on Al Anad Air Base, which was seized by the Houthis earlier in the week. Additionally the rebels had taken over Taiz Ganed Air Base and Aden International Airport. On March 29 Arab leaders said the air strikes would continue until the Houthis withdrew and surrender their weapons. 

Kenyan Air Strikes in Somalia KENYAN AIR Force (KAF) fighter aircraft conducted air strikes on April 5 on two camps of the al-Shabaab militant Islamist group in Somalia. The raids were in response to the terrorist attack carried out

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by al-Shabaab on the Garissa University College in Kenya on April 2, which killed at least 148 people and injured 79 others. The KAF struck camps at Gondodowe and Ismail, both in the Gedo region bordering Kenya,

which are used by al-Shabaab to cross into Kenya. The missions followed a statement by Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, who said he would respond to the Garissa attack “in the fiercest way possible.” 

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Tornados U As XV (Reserve) Squadron celebrates its 100th anniversary, Neil Pearson visits the squadron at RAF Lossiemouth to examine how the RAF trains its Tornado GR4 aircrew.

Above: Wearing special markings to commemorate XV(R) Squadron’s 100th anniversary, Tornado GR4 ZA461 takes off from RAF Lossiemouth in formation with an aircraft inherited from 617 Squadron ‘Dambusters’, which disbanded in 2013. All photos by author

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SUSPICIOUS MINDS

s Up North

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he first of 228 Panavia Tornado GR1 aircraft entered service with the RAF in 1982. By the start of the Gulf War of 1990-91 there were 11 frontline squadrons and two training units equipped with the GR1 and GR1A reconnaissance variant. Today there are only three squadrons flying the updated GR4 operationally but, despite the introduction of the multi-role Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4, the Tornado remains the fast-jet workhorse of the RAF and XV(R) Squadron, the Tornado Operational Conversion Unit (OCU), continues to provide training for aircrew. “Our primary role is to produce Tornado GR4 aircrew for the front line,” explained Wing Commander Jon Nixon, Officer Commanding XV(R) Squadron. “Our main training is the ‘Long Course’, which is typically eight to nine months and is for ab-initio pilots who’ve graduated from RAF Valley. Our last ab-initio WSO (Weapon Systems

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Officer) graduated in May 2014. We run a tailored version, depending on their background and skill set, for exchange officers being posted to an RAF Tornado squadron. “We also do a refresher course for experienced GR4 pilots and WSOs who are returning to the aircraft after other tours of duty. That’s a three-month course with a couple of weeks of ground school to re-familiarise themselves with the systems and then a lot of hands-on training, both synthetic and live, to learn the new software and new weapons systems. “Throughout the year we deliver postgraduate training to frontline aircrew and the most difficult of those is the Qualified Weapons Instructor (QWI) course. It’s a six-month course that takes the cream of frontline aircrew and turns them into experts in all aspects of weapons and tactics. “We typically run one course a year with three crews. We have the Electronic Warfare Instructor

Course (EWIC), which is a ground-based course and teaches people how to instruct EW on the Tornado. It’s an annual three-week course for about ten students. The final course we do is the Instrument Rating Examiner Course (IREC) which is a bespoke two-week course run as and when there is a requirement to train instrument rating examiners for the Tornado force.” Delivering all the training courses are 25 instructor aircrew, split roughly equally between pilots and WSos, who undergo the three-month Qualified Tactics Instructor (QTI) course. At their disposal are 12 Tornado GR4s, which are rotated within the Tornado Force aircraft pool but are generally an equal balance of frontlinerepresentative ‘strike’ GR4s and the dual-control GR4T ‘trainer’ variant. The squadron flew around 2,400 hours during 2014, graduating nine ab-initio students and seven refresher course students.

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SUSPICIOUS MINDS Ab-initio pilot training

The OCU is the last step in the UK Military Flying Training System (UKMFTS) pipeline. Pilots accumulate 354 flying hours before they are ready to join XV(R) Squadron where they will fly an additional 69 hours on the GR4. The journey begins with Initial Officer Training (IOT) at RAF College Cranwell, which lasts 36 weeks, before the student pilots move on to Elementary Flying Training (EFT) on the Tutor for 28-31 weeks. They then reach a streaming point where they are directed to either fast-jet, rotary or multi-engined aircraft. Those selected for fast-jets will head to RAF Linton-on-Ouse for 42 weeks of Basic Fast Jet Training (BFJT) on the Tucano T1. The final phase is Advanced Jet Training (AJT) on the Hawk at RAF Valley and takes 54 weeks. The first XV(R) Squadron students who had trained on the next-generation Hawk T2 graduated in August 2014, but the OCU will continue to receive students from the T1 until the final course for RAF pilots is completed at Valley in early 2016. Wg Cdr Nixon told AFM that the standard of students from RAF Valley is consistently high. “While I’ve been squadron commander we haven’t had a single student fail. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not an attendance course and the students coming here have a pretty tough time. It’s a very busy and demanding training environment. We take a building-block approach to get them to the front line where they’ll soon be able to deploy on operations.” Officially known, but rarely referred to, as post-graduates under training, students are enrolled on the 34-week ‘Long Course’, which is a combination of classroom time, simulator

“I can teach about other nations’ defence systems and surface-to-air missile systems. I think that’s more important than just being able to teach how the Sky Shadow box works.”

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US Navy exchange officer On exchange from the US Navy, Lieutenant Commander Matt Thompson has flown some 800 hours as an EA-18G Growler Electronic Warfare Officer (EWO) and is on a three-year posting to XV(R) Squadron. He graduated as a Naval Flight Officer (NFO) in 2001 and joined the EA-6B Prowler community at Naval Air Station (NAS) Whidbey Island, Washington, as an Electronic Countermeasures Officer (ECMO). After amassing around 1,000 flying hours in Prowlers, he was chosen to be one of the first instructors on the new EA-18G Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS), VAQ-129 ‘Vikings’. He transitioned to the F/A-18F Super Hornet with VFA-106 ‘Gladiators’ at NAS Oceana, Virginia, and stayed for three years as an instructor building up 700 hours on the type before helping to stand up VAQ-129 at Whidbey Island. Following a course at the RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine and a UK orientation course on the Hawk at RAF Valley, he began a tailored version of the Long Course in January 2015. “The RAF hasn’t trained ab-initio Tornado navs for some time so the Long Course is now designed for pilots so I’ll miss out some events that aren’t particularly relevant to me in the back seat” explained Lt Cdr Thompson. “The aim is to complete by August/September if there’s room to do the night flying. As soon as I’m done, I’ll be going through the instructor course and then the plan is to do the EW instructor course.” At the time of AFM’s visit, Lt Cdr Thompson was around one-third of the way through the Long Course. “It’s a fun airplane to fly!” he enthused. “Eighty per cent of the flying I’ve done so far has been low-level and terrain-following radar (TFR) isn’t something I’ve experienced before. In the TFR mode, when the radar sees something up to six miles ahead, it automatically climbs to avoid it and it works really well. I have ground-mapping radar in the back that I operate, which sees out further than the terrain-following radar. When you’re flying it in the mode that it’s designed to be flown using TFR, it’s very smooth.” While flying the Prowler, Lt Cdr Thompson gradu-

Lt Cdr Matt Thompson in his ‘office’ for the next three years: the rear seat of a Tornado GR4. ated from the Electronic Attack Weapons School (EAWS). He said his knowledge and experience of electronic warfare was a key reason why he was chosen for the posting. “The RAF wanted someone who was a US Navy guy, a nav/EWO and who’d been through Weapons School. The Tornado Force wants a better understanding and knowledge of the threats that are out there and, as an EW expert, I can teach about other nations’ defence systems and surface-to-air missile systems. I think that’s more important than just being able to teach how the Sky Shadow box works. I’ve already given capability briefs on the Growler to the Typhoon guys, so my knowledge is being spread further than XV(R) Squadron.” Asked how the Tornado compared to the US Navy aircraft he has flown, Lt Cdr Thompson said the GR4 was similar to the Prowler. “The Prowler and Tornado are older technology but both countries have done a great job in putting new boxes onto the jet to keep them useful. “At heart, the Tornado is an old airplane but it’s very reliable with good parts. The RAF has adapted the jet with a good EW suite, Link-16 and a range of precision munitions. When you look at the Growler you’re talking ‘apples and oranges’. The digital electronics that are in there and the processing power makes everything much faster.” 

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SUSPICIOUS MINDS Left: In full reheat, the GR4’s RB199 engines each produce 16,000lbs (7,257kg) of thrust. Below: OC XV(R) Squadron is Wg Cdr Jon Nixon, seen here after completing an evasion sortie where he played the role of adversary.

events and flying hours in the Tornado. Flight Lieutenant Bill Read, a Tornado GR4 pilot and Qualified Flying Instructor (QFI), who has amassed around 4,000 flying hours, explained the early stages: “Initially they will spend around six weeks in groundschool, where they learn about the systems and checklists, both normal and emergency. They are also introduced to the crew concept because this will be the first time they’ll have flown with a navigator or WSO. They’ll do 15 simulator trips and a lot of computer-based learning before being assessed and moving on to the flying course.” The first phase of the course is Pilot Conversion (PCON). “PCON is six trips and we start with teaching them general handling with a staff pilot in the back seat of one of the trainer aircraft” explained Flt Lt Read. “At first it’s just about getting them airborne and letting them get

the feel for the aeroplane before we look at the effect of sweeping the wings. “Then we start introducing them to flying circuits and how to land the aeroplane, including approaches in various wing-sweep configurations, either flapless or 45/67° swept, single-engined approaches and with fly-by-wire failures. PCON6 is a captaincy check before they do two IF (Instrument Flying) trips and an IRT (Instrument Rating Test) and then we let them loose with the navs!” Flt Lt Chris Stradling, a QTI, is the most experienced WSO currently flying the GR4 and passed the 5,000 flying hour mark in September 2014 having been on Tornados for more than 27 years. “The NAV [Navigation] phase is three simulators and three sorties and is all about getting the pilots used to flying as a crew with a WSO,” he said. “The first trip will be flown with an ACO

[Aircrew Checking Officer] in the back. Next is the Formation phase, where they’ll fly four two-ship sorties; the first two with an instructor pilot in the back and last two with a nav. We teach them to fly close formation and tactical formation, and this sets them up for Air Refuelling and General Handling (ARGH), where they’ll practise different profiles for high-alpha handling and operational training manoeuvres such as we’d use in the event of having to do a missile defence for example. “The Night phase is three sims and four trips, and the fourth is usually flown with an instructor pilot to do air-to-air refuelling. ARGH and Night can be flown at any time after they’ve completed Formation, even right at the end of the course. Sometimes we’ll graduate guys during the summer without doing the Night phase with a caveat that they come back to us to do it later in the year before they can do night flying with their squadron.”

Above: Ground crew position the chocks as this GR4 returns from a sortie. Left: As the RAF Tornado Force is reduced, aircraft rotate between the remaining squadrons. As three XV(R) Squadron jets taxi to runway 23, one is in 617 Squadron markings and a IX(B) Squadron-marked jet sits on the flight line.

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Synthetic training There has been a huge increase in the use of synthetic training since Wg Cdr Nixon went through his instruction courses in 1997. “Back then, the sims were pretty much for emergencies and instrument training,” he said. “They were good for learning where the switches were and for system failures, but there were no visuals. Now they’re full mission simulators, at times, the sim is a better place to train than the aircraft. We’re looking to achieve about 75% live and 25% synthetic training.” In 2002, Thales UK won the contract to build and operate a complete synthetic training programme for the Tornado with sites at RAF Lossiemouth and RAF Marham. Mike Looseley, a former RAF navigator with 4,500 flying hours on types including the Vulcan, Buccaneer and Tornado GR1, is the Site Training Manager at Lossiemouth. “The groundschool is delivered using a combination of computer-based training and classroom lectures for two weeks before they get in the sim. After six weeks, an ab-initio pilot coming out of Valley is ready to get in the Tornado and fly. “We also do the refresher training and support the post-graduate courses. In fact, a lot of the elements of the post-graduate courses are much better done synthetically. The options for throwing Storm Shadows are pretty limited but they can do it all day long in the sim. “There are ten ex-RAF aircrew instructors, four pilots and six WSOs. We operate two full-mission simulators that use 13 projectors to display visuals 300° horizontally by 120° vertically. We can simulate all the aircraft sensors - the ground-mapping radar, TFR [terrain-following radar], the electronic warfare environment, forward-looking infrared picture, the NVG environment, the Litening III pod and Link-16. The full

range of weapons can be simulated and also RAPTOR [Reconnaissance Airborne Pod for Tornado]. We’re constantly modifying it to keep up with the aircraft and the latest thing is that we can simulate the collision warning system, which is being rolled out to the fleet. “The sims can be linked together and flown as a pair. We can also do a tactical environment of up to

150 computer-generated forces including friendly fighters, enemy fighters, SAMs, refuelling tankers and photo-realistic ground targets. “People can also be added which is useful when they’re learning about rules of engagement. We can give them clearance to engage a certain situation and then walk a group of civilians through the area to see how they react. A lot of our mission rehearsal play is done with that in mind, i.e. ‘we’re off to war, let’s practice the exact missions we’re planning to do over there’. “In the run-up to deploying the Tornado Force to Afghanistan we got all of the ‘bells and whistles’ that they would be taking to Afghanistan, even before they got them on the jet. Before each deployment, aircrew did a minimum of three serials in the simulator, which got them used to the geography and tactics they’d be using and how the aircraft would handle. The aircraft feels very different at +40° Celsius and 3,000ft [914m] above sea level to zero degrees at Lossiemouth at sea level!”  Above: Two Thales UK instructors man the computer consoles as a XV(R) Squadron simulator sortie taxies for take-off. Below: With the two ‘sims’ linked, a pair of GR4s enter the circuit at RAF Lossiemouth.

“In addition to being assessed on how successfully they hit targets on time, whilst dealing with air threats that will try and bounce the formation off their route, the students will also be coping with some ground threats.”

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SUSPICIOUS MINDS Operating the GR4 as a weapon system

Up to this point, all the training is based on how to fly the Tornado, and Flt Lt Read told AFM that although the GR4 is an easy aeroplane to fly, it is not as easy to operate. “You can get airborne and fly around the radar pattern easily enough, but operating the systems and getting that crew resource management going with the nav is the tricky bit.” The Academic Weaponry phase begins with three simulator events followed by six weapons sorties before a final weapons check sortie with a QWI or ACO in the rear seat. Flt Lt Stradling said: “Previously they’d be dropping practice bombs, but now the only weapons they actually release from the aircraft are 27mm bullets during low and high-angle strafe. They’ll learn low- and medium-level Brimstone and Paveway IV releases, although we only teach them Legacy Brimstone because DMB [Dual Mode Brimstone] requires an LDP [Laser Designator Pod/Litening III] to prosecute properly, so that will be taught on the front line.” Although not part of the ab-initio syllabus, many students are able to experience live weapons releases during a heavy weapons detachment. In 2014, XV(R) Squadron deployed to Hill Air Force Base in Utah for Exercise ‘Torpedo Focus’ to employ live Paveway III, Paveway IV and Brimstone. Wg Cdr Nixon said the detachment was invaluable training for the students. “The firing of a Brimstone, for example, is

Final checks before take-off on a Pilot Conversion sortie with a student in the front seat and instructor pilot in the back.

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Above: Flt Lt Phil Chalkley an initio student pilot (left) and QFI Flt Lt Bill Read outbrief for a training sortie. Below: The GR4T rear cockpit has flight instruments, a control column, engine throttles and levers to control wing sweep and flaps. The trainer variant is used mostly in the early phases of the Long Course.

something that you can do as many times as you want in the simulator but that ‘bigmatch’ temperament of releasing weapons is something that we want students to experience before they do it on operations. We deployed with combat-experienced Tactical Air Controllers (TACs) because they always went with us on deployment. So the students prior to leaving the OCU were firing live weapons and working with people on the ground in a scenario that is as close as we can emulate to operations in Afghanistan or northern Iraq, for example.” In the Air Combat Training (ACT) phase the students are taught how to get the best out of the aircraft in the event of finding themselves up against an air-to-air threat. Following two simulator trips, five sorties are flown with the aim of teaching them how to "max perform the aeroplane" said Flt Lt Stradling. “We have a limited air-to-air radar capability, nothing like the Typhoon or the [Tornado] F3 used to have, it’s just a raw radar, but we can use it to find other aeroplanes and manoeuvre around to try to get ourselves into a position of advantage. Currently, it’s all one-vs-one but we’re going to increase the profile up to two-v-one.” Two Electronic Warfare (EW) simulator events precede the two close air support (CAS) sorties that are flown at medium and low-level using Forward Air Controllers (FACs) on the ground whenever possible. “During AI [Air Interdiction] crews develop the skills learned in Academic Weaponry and learn to strike pre-planned tactical targets with rules of engagement and collateral damage issues as part of the scenario” continued Flt Lt Stradling. “We introduce them to Storm Shadow and they will have specific timelines to put them under pressure. We build up the pressure during the four AI sorties so students get less time

to do more complex tasking and then they’ll also get re-routing and re-tasking in the air. We’ll throw something at them when they’re airborne, which they know nothing about, and they’ll have to formulate a plan to prosecute the target to the best effect and then execute it. “The last phase is Evasion involving a two-ship formation of student pilots and a third aircraft, flown by instructors, which will get airborne and simulate an enemy fighter. Instructors position themselves to threaten the formation and it’s up to the students to manoeuvre to deny the threat whilst still making sure they achieve bombs on target on time. “The first Evasion sortie is precisely planned and briefed so everyone knows exactly which way the aeroplanes are going to go. It’s to practise what we call the ‘mouth music’, i.e. making sure communications are accurate and concise. The end-of-course check is another Evasion sortie where students have to plan the mission and be assessed on their weapon-to-target matching and choosing the most appropriate delivery profile. “In addition to being assessed on how successfully they hit targets on time, whilst dealing with air threats that will try and bounce the formation off their route, the students will also be coping with some ground threats. “We use Hawks quite often during the Evasion phase, but we’ll be using Typhoons for the AFFIL [Affiliation] phase, which will be added to the syllabus soon” explained Flt Lt Stradling. “Without radar and only infrared missiles, you’re looking at visual range attacks with the Hawk. With Typhoon we’re looking at BVR [Beyond Visual Range] and, potentially, quite long-range shots using AEW [Airborne Early Warning] like ‘Magic’ [E-3D Sentry] or a GCI [Ground-Controlled Interception] to give you information about where the threat is.”

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SUSPICIOUS MINDS After joining a frontline squadron, the newly qualified Tornado pilots carry out an arrival check flight with an experienced pilot in the rear seat, and work-up training in anticipation of being deployed. When not deployed, they look to achieve upgrade qualifications including becoming RAPTOR-qualified, being cleared to fly down to 100ft (30m) and being qualified to fly low-level at night using NVGs and FLIR but without the terrain-following radar.

Single-engined approaches are one of the elements taught during the pilot conversion phase.

Looking to the future

The Tornado is the most operationally experienced fast jet the RAF has ever operated, having been employed almost continuously since the first Gulf War sorties of Operation Granby in 1991. Eight GR4s are currently deployed to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus to carry out reconnaissance and air strikes against Islamic State militants in Iraq under the banner of Operation Shader. The GR4 remains an incredibly capable platform but the airframes are at least 30 years old. The Out of Service Date (OSD) is March 2019 and there are only three squadrons operating the type: IX (Bomber), 12 (B) and 31 Squadron. With the reduction in demand for Tornado aircrew, and no requirement for ab-initio fast-jet WSOs, is

XV(R) Squadron living on borrowed time? Wg Cdr Nixon said: “The squadron is shrinking to meet the demand of the front line and there’s been a gradual drawdown over the last year. I think we’ll continue to see a slight reduction in numbers [of students] going through the

OCU, which will continue until we’re absolutely sure that the Tornado OSD is set. We’ll get to a point 12-18 months before then where training someone for Tornado will make no sense. Under current assumptions, the plan is that XV afm should stay as the OCU until April 2018.”

100 years of XV Squadron The squadron was formed as a Royal Flying Corps training unit at Farnborough on March 1, 1915. By December they found themselves operating in France, flying BE2c single-engined, two-seat biplanes and supporting the Army in a reconnaissance role. The end of the Great War saw the disbandment of 15 Squadron but they reformed in March 1924 as part of the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment at Martlesham Heath to carry out trials of various weapons and aircraft types. The squadron became a full-time bomber unit in June 1934 at Abingdon, equipped with the Hawker Hart. It was during this period that the Commanding Officer, Squadron Leader Thomas Elmhirst AFC, decided that the squadron number should be written in Roman numerals. In May 1936 King Edward VIII approved a new squadron crest using ‘XV’ and featuring a hind’s head, which represented the Hawker Hind to which the squadron had transitioned. The design remains to this day. Having re-equipped with the Fairey Battle, XV Squadron again deployed to France as part of the RAF’s Advanced Air Striking Force in September 1939 but returned to the UK by the end of the year to fly Bristol Blenheims in the ground attack role. Vickers Wellington bombers arrived in November 1940 which, in turn, gave way to Short Stirling heavy bombers the following April. One of the Stirlings was named MacRobert’s Reply and was purchased with £25,000 donated by Lady Rachel MacRobert in memory of her three sons who were killed while serving with the RAF.

Above: The MacRobert family crest is proudly carried on the forward fuselage of ‘MacRoberts Reply’. This was the start of a tradition that the RAF has kept alive with a succession of RAF aircraft carrying the name and tail letter ‘F’. At the end of 1943, XV Squadron received its first Avro Lancasters, which it would operate until the end of the war before converting to Avro Lincolns in 1947 and the Boeing Washington (B-29) in 1951.

The first jet aircraft to be operated by the squadron was the English Electric Canberra in 1953. During the Suez Crisis, the squadron dropped more bombs than any other Canberra unit. The squadron was briefly disbanded in April 1957 prior to re-forming on the Handley-Page Victor nuclear bomber in September 1958, but would again be disbanded six years later. On October 1, 1970 XV Squadron was reborn with Blackburn Buccaneers at RAF Honington before moving to Laarbruch in Germany in January 1971. XV Squadron began its long association with the Tornado on September 1, 1983 as the first RAF Germany Tornado unit. It would continue to be a frontline squadron until disbanding in December 1991, having served with distinction in the Gulf War, although the squadron would only remain dormant for a short period. The following year the XV (Reserve) Squadron numberplate was given to the Tornado Weapons Conversion Unit (TWCU) at RAF Honington, replacing 45(R) Squadron, before relocating to RAF Lossiemouth in 1993. With the closure of the Tornado Tri-National Training Establishment at RAF Cottesmore in 1999, XV(R) Squadron became the Tornado GR1 OCU with sole responsibility for training all future RAF Tornado GR aircrew. 

Tornado GR4T ZA602/F is the current ‘MacRoberts Reply’ aircraft which features a MacRoberts tartan tail band.

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Outdoor F_P.indd 1

10/11/2016 10:49

CHINESE ATTACK HELICOPTERS

In a world where sanctions, vetoes, clones and copies all pl

EMERGING FROM as Jakub Fojtik explains

T

HE PEOPLE’S Liberation Army (PLA) of China was initially introduced to the concept of armed battlefield helicopters when eight HOT anti-tank missile-equipped SA342L Gazelles from Aérospatiale were delivered during the 1980s. These light and agile machines were used to develop antiarmour warfare tactics, as well as undertaking border patrols and simulating hostile aircraft during military training exercises for Chinese special forces. Licence production of the SA342L was under consideration for some time, but this was abandoned when the Cold War ended. Nevertheless, the PLA’s experience with its modest fleet of Gazelles eventually led to procurement of additional scout helicopters. Boasting the world’s longest land border 13,800 miles (22,000km), China clearly needed an armed helicopter capable of lengthy patrols more than any other country. This was particularly the case in the 1980s when China did not enjoy cordial relations or a secure border with many of its neighbours. War raging between Soviet-backed government forces and the Mujahideen in Afghanistan for much of the decade, during which Islamist insurgents routinely fled into China via Pakistan, was a typical example.

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Although such violations clearly threatened China’s homeland security, the PLA repeatedly failed to buy attack helicopters to tighten its borders. Nevertheless, armament options continued to be evaluated and evidence suggests Chinese engineers visited Angola to inspect locally operated Mil Mi-8TVK transport helicopters equipped with antitank guided missiles (ATGMs). Such trips were clearly worthwhile, for Folding-Fin Aerial Rocket (FFAR) pods and freefall bombs were subsequently introduced to PLA Harbin Z-5 (a Chinese licence-built version of the Mil Mi-4) and Mi-8 helicopters. China also looked at purchasing Mi-24s after the PLA managed to capture one of the type (probably from Mongolia) for evaluation purposes. Its weapon systems were studied to see if they could be manufactured in China for fitment to types already in PLA service at the time. Even if the Chinese had wanted to pursue the purchase of Mi-24s, it is highly unlikely the Soviet Government would have agreed due to concerns about the deployment of attack helicopters along the Sino-Soviet border. Their presence would almost certainly have evoked memories of the SinoSoviet conflicts of 1929 and 1969.

Right: A head-on view of the WZ-10, which originally was thought to be the first indigenous Chinese design for a dedicated attack helicopter. Subsequently, however, it emerged that the basic design had been developed by Kamov in Russia, although prototype construction, flight testing and further development were all undertaken in China. All photos via author

‘In the late 1980s China evaluated the Agusta A129 Mangusta’

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CHINESE ATTACK HELICOPTERS

s all played a big part, China's attack helicopters are finally

M THE SHADOWS In the late 1980s China evaluated the Agusta A129 Mangusta, and in 1988 secured an agreement with the US Government to acquire AH-1 Cobras and licence-build BGM-71 TOW missiles – it is no secret that Chinese engineers had visited Iran several years earlier to evaluate the type. Both deals were cancelled when a strictly enforced arms embargo was introduced on China by Western governments in the immediate aftermath of the Tiananmen Square protest repression in June 1989. With the collapse of the USSR in 1991, China approached Bulgaria, Ukraine and Belarus in the hope it could acquire a number of second-hand Mi-24s. The PLA planned to send the helicopters to South Africa for modernisation, but once again the purchase failed to materialise. In the mid-1990s China approached Russia about acquiring new Kamov Ka-50s and Mil Mi-28s, but the sale of both types was vetoed by the Kremlin although the recently formed People’s Liberation Army Ground Force Aircraft (PLAGFAF) could have been the helicopters’ first export customer. The final rejection convinced senior officers in the PLAGFAF to push to develop dedicated, indigenous, attack and scout helicopter.

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CHINESE ATTACK HELICOPTERS Scout for any mission

By the mid-1990s the Chinese had fielded an armed helicopter, developed from the medium utility Harbin Z-9. Licence-built clones of the Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin, some 200 unarmed Z-9s, entered service with the PLAGFAF during the early 1990s. The type was deemed powerful enough to cope with the added weight of anti-tank missiles, their pylons and associated sighting sensors. It also had the lowest possible dependence on equipment supplied by foreign manufacturers of any helicopter then in Chinese production. Approximately 70% of the Z-9B was constructed from Chinese-made components, with the rest supplied by France. However, the latter’s input consisted of the most sophisticated items installed in the helicopter such as its avionics and engines. China worked hard to reduce the level of French equipment in the Z-9, and by the time the Z-9A100 model began flight-testing only 9% of the components in the engine and 18% of the airframe and its systems had been supplied by Eurocopter. The Z-9A-100 was later selected as the baseline model for series production of scout and attack versions of the helicopter. The first variant, designated the Z-9C, was intended for maritime patrol and support operations with the People’s Liberation Army Naval Air Force (PLANAF). It was followed by the Z-9W, which was equipped for scouting missions and providing direct fire support for PLA troops on the ground. The Z-9W’s principal weapon was the locally built

Above: Chinese People's Liberation Army Aviation Corps Aerospatial SA342L Gazelle LH94307. Eight of the type were delivered during the 1980s, providing China with its first armed battlefield helicopters. Below: China has had some degree of success in exporting the Z-9 in both armed and unarmed variants. Seen here is Royal Cambodian Air Force Z-9 MH-909 (c/n Z9-0669), one of 12 delivered in 2013.

‘The missile’s warhead was also upgraded so it could penetrate explosive reactive armour fitted to modern tanks’

China developed the Z-9W, an anti-tank version of the Harbin Z-9 (a licence-built Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin), which entered service in the early-to-mid 1990s. This was followed by the more advanced Z-9WA, which added an all-weather, day/night capability. Seen here are Z-9WAs from the 4th Army Aviation Brigade/65th Group Army, based at Beijing-Tongxian. Note that all are armed with TY-90 air-to-air missiles.

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CHINESE ATTACK HELICOPTERS

Above: The Kenyan Air Force (KAF) was the first export customer for the Z-9WE, buying four in 2010. This KAF example, 585 (c/n Z9-0685), is from a second batch of four that were delivered.

HJ-8 anti-tank guided missile, a non-licensed derivate of the optically tracked and wire-guided Russian AT-3 Sagger ATGM – the Chinese ‘copy’ incorporated improvements in the weapon’s construction, guidance systems and warhead effectiveness. The specially developed, increased range, HJ-8B model optimised for employment from a helicopter was the weapon of choice for the Z-9W. Locally manufactured, pod-mounted 57mm and 90mm unguided FFARs (the former are copies of Soviet-era S-5 rockets) and 7.62mm, 12.7mm and 23mm calibre cannon pods could also be carried by the helicopter.

The first Z-9Ws were spotted participating in a military exercise as early as 1989, two years after the prototype completed its maiden flight. Following exhaustive weapons acceptance trials, the helicopter was formally cleared for service with the PLAGFAF in 1993. Production of the Z-9W was well under way by then, Harbin reportedly manufacturing around 50 helicopters. In 1999 the development of the more advanced allweather day/night Z-9WA variant was launched by Harbin. The main difference between it and the Z-9W was a nose-mounted forward-looking infrared (FLIR) ball turret installed for weapons guidance and flight navigation. The HJ-8B missiles were replaced by the more modern HJ-8E version with thermal imaging, all-weather day and night guidance capability and an increased range of up to 3.7 miles (6km). The

missile’s warhead was also upgraded so it could penetrate explosive reactive armour fitted to modern tanks. Newer ATGMs such as the HJ-10 (sometimes referred to as the ADK-10) were cleared for use by the helicopter too. An indigenously developed weapon that is similar in capability to the American AGM-114 Hellfire, the missile is available in infrared-, laser- and TV-guided versions. For self-defence, the Z-9WA was cleared to carry the unique TY-90 infraredguided anti-helicopter missile, which has a range of 6km. The TY-90 is presently the only air-to-air missile developed specifically for dogfighting helicopters. The first Z-9WA prototype almost certainly started flight testing in 2000 with its first public appearance shortly after confirming significant improvements by the Chinese defence industry in local design and production of an armed helicopter. Most surviving Z-9Ws were subsequently upgraded with systems developed for the Z-9WA. China is also considering further improvements to the helicopter, including a crew helmet target cueing system, which is presently under development. In 2010 China achieved a notable first when four export-specification Z-9WEs were sold to the Kenyan Armed Forces. The helicopters made their combat debut during a six-month deployment to neighbouring southern Somalia in 2012, the Z-9WEs supporting ground forces and conducting armed patrols over territory occupied by Al-Shabaab Islamic terrorists. According to Kenyan military sources, two helicopters were permanently armed with FFARs

Licensed helicopters The Chinese aerospace industry’s introduction to helicopter construction came in 1958 after the Soviets agreed to deliver four Mi-4 piston-engined helicopters and blueprints to allow their local manufacture. Although Harbin managed to fly a prototype in 1959, production examples of the Z-5 (as the type was designated) only began to reach frontline PLA units from 1963 due to technical delays. By the time production ceased in the 1970s around 545 Z-5s had been built. While most served served the Chinese military, 40 were supplied to the Albanian Air Force and 50 to the Korean People’s Army Air Force. In 1976 China signed a contract with French company Aérospatiale that allowed Changhe to licence produce the three-engined SA321A Super Frélon heavy transport helicopter, locally designated the Z-8. The first example, which differed in many aspects from the French model (13 Aérospatiale-built helicopters had also been acquired in 1977-78), was delivered to the People’s Liberation Army Naval Air Force nine years later. Since then land- or ship-based anti-submarine warfare/search and rescue Z-8s, Z-8Ss and Z-8JHs have entered service with the navy, while Z-8As, Z-8Ks and Z-8KAs have been acquired by the People’s Liberation Army Air Force to perform the SAR mission. China has also recently developed a domestic civil helicopter variant of the Z-8 known as the Avicopter AC313, which is powered by three Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6B-67A engines. In 1980 China acquired rights for local assembly, and later production, of the AS365 Dauphin. Designated the Z-9, more than 200 examples have been built to date by Harbin. Another French-inspired Chinese helicopter is the Z-11, which, despite CAIC claims that it is an independent development, is clearly a reverseengineered AS350. Indeed, the machine uses identical dynamic parts and a locally produced version of the Arriel turboshaft engine.

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Harbin has also been building the AS350’s French replacement, the Eurocopter EC120, since 2004, the assembly line in northern China being the only plant for the helicopter outside of France. Both the PLAGFAF and local police forces have purchased examples, which is designated the HC-120 in China. Another Airbus Helicopters design is also set to go into production in China in the near future following the signing of an agreement between the manufacturer and Avicopter on March 25, 2014. As many as 1,000 EC175/AC352 seven-ton medium utility helicopters could be built as the Z-15, replacing the Mi-8, Sikorsky S-70, Z-8 and Z-9 in Chinese military service. According to an Airbus Helicopters press release at the time the agreement was signed: “While development work has been equally shared between Airbus Helicopters and Avicopter for the EC175/AC352 project, production is likewise shared, combining the capabilities of both companies. Coming from a common platform, two different rotorcraft are being built: the AC352, assembled and supported from China by Avicopter, mainly for the Chinese market; and the EC175, assembled and supported by Airbus Helicopters from Marignane, France, for the worldwide market.” On a much smaller scale, Italian manufacturer Agusta entered into licence production with CAIC in 2000 for construction of its A109E light utility type. A modest number of helicopters have since been built by the Jiangxi ChangheAgusta Helicopter Company under the designation CA109. Finally, Russian helicopter giant Mil established a joint manufacturing plant with the Sichuan Lantian Helicopter Co for local assembly of Mi-171 helicopters from 2008. Capable of delivering up to 80 helicopters a year, the plant was built in Sichuan province by Mil when it realised its two Russian factories could not cope with the volume of orders received China.

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CHINESE ATTACK HELICOPTERS

Unlicensed helicopters Chinese manufacturers have an unfortunate reputation of reverse-engineering technology supplied by foreign companies. For example, the Z-8 was used as the basis for the ‘fully domesticated’ AC313, the largest helicopter ever ‘developed’ in China featuring new avionics, a redesigned fuselage, new engines and many other upgraded systems not previously seen in the Super Frélon or the licensed Z-8. The first prototype made its maiden flight on March 18, 2010, and China views this type as a local counterpart to imported Mi-171 and Mi-17V-5/7 helicopters. The medium utility Z-9 platform has also been significantly upgraded and redesigned, allowing it to perform myriad armed and unarmed roles. In its most modified form the helicopter is the basis for the WZ-19 battlefield scout. The light Z-11 model has also recently been upgraded by Avicopter as the AC311, which evidentially combines features of both the AS350 and EC120. China now also has the economic power to influence the helicopter market. For example, with the EC175 model, Avicopter was initially contracted in 2008 to deliver airframes, gearboxes, fuel systems and undercarriage units, as well as to co-operate on the overall design of the helicopter. However, by early 2014 Chinese officials had ‘persuaded’ Airbus Helicopters to launch the locally built AC352 (Z-15 in military service) powered by Chinesemanufactured WZ-16 engines – a licence-built development of the Turboméca Ardiden turboshaft engine – rather than the PT6C67Es that will power the EC175. If production of the AC352 is a success, Airbus Helicopters will also offer the machine as an option to customers. Should this happen, it will be the first time that a leading aerospace manufacturer has agreed to sell a Chinese-developed version of one of its products. Proving China has not ‘kicked’ its habit of developing unlicensed versions of foreign military hardware, on December 23, 2013 a photo appeared on a Chinese website of a medium utility helicopter dubbed the Z-20 making its first flight. Clearly based on the Sikorsky S-70C-2 (24 of which were procured by China in 1983), the new machine has a five-bladed rotor, a larger cabin than the original and a different landing gear and tail. China has long sought a medium sized military utility helicopter, and having failed to legitimately buy more S-70s, it now appears to have taken matters into its own hands.

Above: A ground crew member talks to the crew of a WZ-10 as a pair of Z-9WAs prepare for landing in the background.

and cannon pods. Although operations in Somalia were of low intensity, successful deployment of the Z-9WE in combat greatly improved the marketability of the helicopter with other potential customers. Aside from the Kenyan Armed Forces, Z-9WEs have been delivered to Kampuchea, Laos, Mali, Pakistan and Venezuela, with further sales of baseline Z-9s to other countries.

SA342 replacement

With the SA342 helicopter clearly outdated by the 1990s, the PLAGFAF chose an upgraded version of the locally built Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation (CAIC) Z-11 as its replacement. Based on the Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil, the Z-11 project started in 1989 under the leadership of Wu Ximing, who would subsequently act as general designer for the WZ-10 attack helicopter and WZ-19 battlefield scout. The flight test programme for the Z-11 was completed in October 2000, and soon work on the CZ-11W battlefield surveillance, reconnaissance and light attack variant began. The CZ-11W variant was unveiled after three years of development. Capable of carrying up to four HJ-8 ATGMs, the helicopter was also equipped with a roof-mounted FLIR ball turret. Less than 24 CZ-11Ws

have been acquired by the PLAGFAF to date as direct replacements for the ageing SA342s, as the Z-9WA is considered a more flexible and powerful option for the armed scouting role. However, the CZ-11W’s ‘hot and high’ performance is superior to the larger Z-9WA, which means the CAIC-built machine is particularly suited to operating in mountainous areas.

WZ-10 – a real attack helicopter

Development of a dedicated attack helicopter was launched in China as a direct result of the overwhelming Coalition victory during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Targeting Iraqi tanks and armoured vehicles in Kuwait and southern Iraq, US Marine Corps AH-1 Cobras and US Army AH-64 Apache attack helicopters were in the vanguard of the Coalition ground offensive. Keen to use the experience of foreign manufacturers in the design and construction of a new machine, the Chinese Government courted overseas manufacturers to work alongside the 602nd and 608th Research Institutes to create the ostensibly civilian oriented six-ton class China Medium Helicopter (CHM). Eurocopter (rotor installation and design consultancy), Pratt & Whitney Canada (PT6C turboshaft engine) and Agusta

Below: Two WZ-10s from the 5th Army Aviation Brigade/1st Group Army at Nanjing seen in northern China during 2013 while participating in an exercise to test combat tactics in complex weather situations.

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CHINESE ATTACK HELICOPTERS China's first helicopter display team, the Fenglei (Wind and Thunder), was formed with five WZ-10s from the 4th Army Aviation Brigade/65th Group Army at Beijing-Tongxian, on August 25, 2013. They are seen here taking off to perform their first display ,on September 5, 2013, at the China Heli Expo in Tianjin.

Westland (transmission) all provided significant technical assistance. It soon became obvious the CHM project was merely a subterfuge for the Armed Helicopter Developmental Work Team that created at around the same time. Such clandestine activity was forced on the Chinese due to the long-standing, and often ignored, arms embargo placed on the country by the West following the bloodshed of Tiananmen Square. In 1998, after four years of development work, the 602nd Research Institute proposed the armed helicopter programme should take priority over the CHM. It was at this point that the new machine was first designated the Wu Zhi (WZ) 10. With the collapse of a deal to purchase Ka-50 helicopters from Russia in 2000, work on the WZ-10 assumed even greater importance. Its development was kept under stricter secrecy than the Chengdu J-10 fighter of the same period, the WZ-10 programme being called the Special Armed Project.

‘The helicopters made their combat debut during a six-month deployment to neighbouring southern Somalia in 2012’

Publicly, the 602nd Research Institute was assigned as the chief originator of the new machine to convince the outside world that the helicopter was a home-grown product. In reality, the Kamov design bureau had been secretly contracted by the Chinese Government to perform developmental work on the WZ-10 as far back as 1995. Indeed, the Russian company had a free hand when it came to establishing base specifications such as weight, payload capacity and speed. Ultimately, although prototype construction, flight testing and further development were performed by the Chinese, the WZ-10 was a Kamov design. This was confirmed, somewhat surprisingly, by Kamov’s chief designer Sergei Mikheyev during Heli Expo 2013 when he announced that the WZ-10 was the end result of a joint Russian-Chinese enterprise known as Project 941. United Technologies Corp and its subsidiaries Pratt & Whitney Canada and Hamilton Sundstrand had been fined US$75 million by the US Justice Department in June 2012, after they broke a long-standing arms embargo with China by supplying it with engine control software that aided development of the WZ-10. This charge was vehemently denied by the Chinese defence ministry. According to press reports, Pratt & Whitney Canada had agreed to help China build its first military attack helicopter in return for being in with a chance of securing lucrative contracts

to provide engines for civilian aircraft. Harbin of the CAIC was chosen initially to build the WZ-10, although responsibility was ultimately transferred back to the parent company in 2000. The first prototype was constructed the following year and made its maiden flight in April 2003. Six prototypes were eventually built, while WZ-10 components were also flown on Mi-171 and Z-8 testbeds. During the course of the exhaustive test programme the helicopter’s design was significantly modified in light of the results gleaned from the flight trials. For example, the streamlined fuselage panels, initially seen on the first two prototypes, were replaced by flat panels with a lower radar cross-section (RCS) signature. The engine mounts and exhaust outlets were also redesigned, while the nose-mounted sensors were replaced by upgraded versions of these systems. The first of 12 pre-production helicopters was seen at an air base near Beijing in 2009, and it is believed that as many as 74 WZ-10s are now in frontline service with the PLAGFAF. Although the WZ-10 was supposed to be a totally indigenous helicopter, initially it relied on locally built copies of the French Turboméca Makila engine during the early phase of its test programme. This was primarily because the Chinese-developed Wozhou-9 engine was then still under This close-in view of a WZ-10 shows its traditional attack helicopter layout, with a tandem, stepped, two-seat cockpit and nose-mounted sensor turret.

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CHINESE ATTACK HELICOPTERS development. Although the second least powerful engine of the five tested for fitment to the WZ-10, the Wozhou-9 has the advantage of being totally free of foreign-built components. Nevertheless, Western observers have claimed the Chinese turboshaft engine is merely a copy of the Russian Klimov TV3-117 as used in most Mil and Kamov medium-lift, utility and attack helicopters. However, unlike the latter engine, the Wozhou9s fitted to the WZ-10 have been installed aft of the helicopter’s gearbox – the layout of the TV3117 precludes such an arrangement. Designers working on the WZ-10 specifically chose this engine position due to the lower vibrations associated with this type of layout, as well as to ease main gearbox construction. Another key difference between the Russian and Chinese engines is that the TV3-117 relies on an auxiliary power unit when starting, while the WZ-10 has an inbuilt electrical starter. Looking at the crew layout of the production standard WZ-10, the helicopter has stepped tandem cockpits in typical modern attack helicopter fashion. However, unlike the Apache or the Mi-24, the pilot occupies the front cockpit and the weapon systems officer (WSO) is seated behind him – identical to the Eurocopter Tiger and Kawasaki OH-1 layout. It is believed both cockpits will be made fully NVG-capable during production, unlike the first examples now in service. In a first for a Chinese helicopter, the WZ-10 has reportedly been fitted with fly-by-wire controls, operated via HOCAS (hands-on collective and stick) buttons. However, on the few video clips of the helicopter’s cockpit uploaded onto the internet, the WZ-10 appears to have conventional controls – which were developed in parallel to HOCAS as a backup. In some imagery, pilots and WSOs are seen

Above: Four WZ-10s from the Fenglei (Wind and Thunder) display team fly past during their first display on September 5, 2013, at the China Heli Expo in Tianjin, while the fifth helicopter sits in the foreground.

wearing helmets similar to the Honeywell IHADSS (Integrated Helmet Display Sight System) used by AH-64D Longbow Apache crews. Each cockpit is equipped with two large LCD multifunction displays (MFDs), with the front cockpit also boasting a head-up display. The WZ-10 is one of the first Chinese helicopters equipped with a flight management system, which facilitates easy mission planning and debriefing. Both cockpit tubs, which are made of polycarbonate, are protected by composite armour on the bottom and sides. The canopy features bulletproof glass that is up to 38mm thick, making it capable of withstanding direct hits from both shrapnel and rounds fired from

machine guns up to .50-calibre in size. The WZ-10’s fuselage is primarily constructed from aluminium alloy, with composite materials accounting for around 30% of it. Although the helicopter was designed with a reduced RCS signature and reduced electro-magnetic characteristics, the WZ-10 cannot be called ‘stealthy’, although it has reportedly been camouflaged in radar-absorbent paints. Behind the cockpits within the fuselage structure is the main gearbox, which harnesses power from the two nacelle-mounted Wozhou-9 turboshaft engines. The engine inlets are protected by wire mesh to prevent possible FOD ingestion. The helicopter’s main rotor was designed by a team led

‘However, unlike the Apache or the Mi-24, the pilot occupies the front cockpit and the weapon systems officer (WSO) is seated behind him’ Right: Four WZ-10s from the 5th Army Aviation Brigade/1st Group Army at Nanjing participate in a training exercise. The weapons pylons carry HJ-10 anti-tank missiles.

20 AFM 2016 DIGITAL SAMPLE

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CHINESE ATTACK HELICOPTERS available to the WZ-10, namely a 23mm indigenously developed gun, a Chinese copy of the 2A72 30mm weapon and a reverse-engineered version of the 25mm M242 Bushmaster. Up to two smaller calibre machine guns can also be fitted into a nosemounted turret, along with a grenade launcher. The helicopter’s stub wings have two hardpoints each, and they are individually capable of carrying up to four ATGMs. These include the locally built HJ-8, HJ-9 and HJ-10. Although the latter weapon also has an anti-helicopter capability, the principal air-to-air missile used by the WZ-10 is the TY-90. The helicopter can also be equipped with a variety of FFARs ranging in size from 20mm to 130mm. Smaller calibre rockets are pod-mounted, while the 130mm weapons are carried individually on the hardpoints. Free-fall bombs up to 500kg in weight, and 7.62mm, 12.7mm and 23mm cannon pods can also be uploaded to the stub wings.

A WZ-10 demonstrates its agility in a steep climb, showing off its profile to advantage.

by Li Meng, who was deputy chief engineer at CAIC during the WZ-10’s early development phase. The rotor consists of five Type 95KT composite blades, which were developed by CAIC as one of ten critical home-grown technologies included within the WZ-10. The Spheriflex rotor head system installed in the AS350 was the inspiration behind the damping system fitted to the helicopter. Initially, a fenestron tail configuration had been planned for the WZ-10 following the success of the Z-9 – an early mock-up of the helicopter was seen with such an arrangement. However, the greater power requirements associated with the fenestron tail, as well as its increased weight and higher construction and maintenance costs, saw the ‘fan-in-fin’ replaced by a more conventional four-bladed X-shape tail rotor similar to that used on the AH-64. This simpler layout also has a reduced noise signature. Both main and tail rotor blades have been designed to withstand direct hits from 12.7mm bullets. The Chinese have said the avionics suite in the WZ-10 is more advanced than that of Russian attack helicopters. This equipment includes the fully solid state and digitised YH millimetre wave (MMW) fire-control radar, which is integrated with other subsystems of the helicopter’s electronic warfare system such as its radar warning receivers, laser warning receivers, electronic support measures and electronic countermeasures. The WZ-10’s primary fire control system (FCS) is electro-optical, and its development has been strongly influenced by China’s previous experience manufacturing similar French and Israeli systems. The software used by the FCS is indigenous, however. The system relies on colour daytime TV cameras, night vision cameras and imaging infrared cameras, and has a laser designator/illuminator and range finder in a conventional chin-mounted FLIR turret. The FCS can be slaved to the crew’s helmet-mounted sights. The prototype WZ-10 was also equipped with a Modernised Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor system similar to that installed in the AH-64D, but all production examples lack this device. Thanks to its modular design and GJV289A standard databus architecture (Chinese equivalent of the MIL-STD-1553B), the WZ-10 can be armed with a wide variety of weapons of both Russian and Western origin. Internal armament consists of a chain-fed autocannon installed under the chin of the helicopter. Three types of autocannon are www.airforcesdaily.com

WZ-19 scout

At the same time as the WZ-10 was being developed, Wu Ximing of the 602nd Research Institute began work on modifying the Z-9 into the WZ-19 reconnaissance and attack helicopter. One of the primary reasons for its creation was the price of the WZ-10, which at around US$27 million per unit is the most expensive Chinese helicopter built to date. With this figure firmly in mind, the Chinese defence ministry initiated the parallel development of a cheaper, and smaller, armed helicopter based on the Z-9. Unlike the WZ-10, which was designed exclusively for the PLAGFAF, the WZ-19 will also be used by the People’s Liberation Army Naval Air Force and the Ministry of Public Security, which is responsible for border security. After a series of design changes

Above: A rear view of the WZ-10 in a clean configuration, with its weapons pylons devoid of stores. Below: This head-on shot of a WZ-10 shows to advantage the stepped cockpit, which also gives the rear crew a good forward view.

DIGITAL SAMPLE AFM 2016 21

CHINESE ATTACK HELICOPTERS

Above: The WZ-19, which was developed in parallel with the WZ-9 and is intended as a cheaper and smaller reconnaissance and attack helicopter.

a final layout was settled upon in 2004 following a detailed evaluation of the combat experience of Coalition battlefield helicopters in Afghanistan and Iraq. Having analysed the tactics used by Western armed forces in these countries, the PLAGFAF asked for the development of a scout helicopter that could be employed in combined operations with the WZ-10, or independently of it in low-intensity conflicts. Indeed, this is how the French EC665 Tiger and SA342M Gazelle Viviane or AH-64D Apache Longbow and OH-58D Kiowa Warrior have been fielded in Afghanistan, operating in ‘hunter-killer’ teams. Scout and attack versions of the WZ-19 for maritime and border patrol use were subsequently expected to be introduced into service. In 2005 the first photograph of a mock-up version of the helicopter appeared on the internet, the WZ-19 being parked in front of the administrative centre of the Harbin manufacturing plant. At this time the mock-up featured a dummy radar above the main rotor mast, and a second photograph that emerged on the internet a year later showed a modified horizontal tail flap design. The definitive layout of the helicopter was revealed in May 2010 when the WZ-19 prototype made its first flight. Although such events are usually covered by Chinese media, strangely in this case, there was no official public announcement. Unfortunately the prototype crashed on September 18 that same year (more recently, on March 4, 2014, a PLAGFAF WZ-10 was written off in a crash in central Shaanxi province). As a result of this early setback, the public unveiling of the WZ-19 was delayed until the Zhuhai Airshow in November 2012, when two prototypes – devoid of fuselage numbers – were displayed. Study of these machines has revealed that the WZ-19 employs the dynamic system of the Z-9, including a pair of Arriel 1C1 turboshaft engines. However, press reports have also noted that the Chinese-developed WZ-8C derivative of the Arriel has been fitted to the helicopter too. Dispensing with the conventional Z-9 forward fuselage section, Wu Ximing and his team adopted stepped cockpits, as seen on most modern battlefield helicopters. Like the WZ-10, in the WZ-19 the pilot is seated in the front cockpit with the WSO behind him. The helicopter’s avionics suite is also similar to that installed in the WZ-10, with both cockpits being equipped with MFDs. There is also a HUD for the pilot, and the cockpits are helmetmounted sight compatible. The flight controls, however, are conventional, rather than employing a fly-by-wire/HOCAS system as seen in the WZ-10. The WZ-19 has a FLIR ball turret under the nose for 22 AFM 2016 DIGITAL SAMPLE

navigation, weapon guidance and tracking, and is also fitted with the YH millimetre wave (MMW) firecontrol radar system. Reflecting its battlefield scout role, the helicopter lacks an integral cannon – such armament is also missing from the OH-1 and OH-58 helicopters, for example. Four stub wing-mounted weapons racks can carry a combination of guided HJ-8 and HJ-10 ATGMs, 20mm, 57mm or 90mm FFAR pods, free-fall bombs up to a weight of 500kg or 7.62mm, 12.7mm or 23mm cannon pods. Finally, the WZ-19 is equipped with radar warning receivers, flare dispensers and reduced infrared signature exhausts.

‘The Chinese will at last have an attack helicopter in their inventory that is capable of operating from the flight deck of destroyers’ As previously noted, the WZ-19, thanks to its smaller size and cheaper cost, will also see service with the People’s Liberation Army Naval Air Force and the Ministry of Public Security. It is a particularly important type for the navy, as with the WZ-19’s introduction, the Chinese will at last have an attack helicopter in their inventory that is capable of operating from the flight deck of destroyers, assault ships and aircraft carriers. The WZ-10 has conducted deck trials in the recent past, but the more compact WZ-19 appears to be the favoured type for maritime service.

Increased power

With the imminent fielding of both WZ-10s and WZ-19s, the PLAGFAF is on the cusp of having a

‘hunter-killer’ team of battlefield helicopters that rivals, if not exceeds, the capabilities of any from its Asian neighbours. For the first time in China’s history it will be able to effectively defend its borders against the full spectrum of potential threats. The helicopters’ introduction will also significantly increase the PLAGFAF’s offensive capabilities. Presently, WZ-10s equip the 1st Army Aviation Regiment (of the 54th Group Army) based in Xinxiang, the 5th Army Aviation Brigade (of the 1st Group Army) in Nanjing, the 6th Army Aviation Brigade (of the 42nd Group Army) in Dalio (Sanshui), the 8th Army Aviation Brigade (of the 38th Group Army) in Baoding, and the 9th Army Aviation Brigade (of the 39th Group Army) in Liaoyang. The WZ-19 is still undergoing testing, and is not scheduled to enter service with the PLAGFAF until late 2015. Subsequent production of WZ-19 variants for the People’s Liberation Army Naval Air Force and the Ministry of Public Security will further increase the military effectiveness of China within its Asian sphere of influence. Chinese aerospace engineers are now working on fourth-generation attack helicopters that boast stealth capabilities. According to Wu Ximing, these programmes were initiated several years ago following China’s continued lack of success in obtaining the latest attack helicopters from Russia or the USA, CAIC commencing the ambitious development of a high-speed stealth (or at least low RCS) attack helicopter and a heavier ten-ton machine that will boast similar attributes. Funding for these helicopters could come from exporting WZ-10s and WZ-19s, although neither type has yet been officially offered for sale to foreign customers. One of the key attributes of both is that they are free of export-controlled systems supplied by the West or Russia. This means that China can sell them to anybody. At present it would appear that Pakistan could be the WZ-10’s first export customer, the type being bought as a replacement for combat-weary AH-1F Cobras – the Pakistanis are also being offered the T-129 by Turkish manufacturer TAI. There is concern, however, that the WZ-10 is as yet unproven in combat. The Chinese defence ministry is acutely aware of this, and, according to some press reports, is trying to find somewhere in Africa where it can send a small number of helicopters to operate in a peacekeeping capacity. It is hoped that the WZ-10’s performance in such an expeditionary role will demonstrate its credentials as a true afm battlefield helicopter.

Another view of one of the WZ-19 prototypes, two of which were built. Development is still under way and the type is not scheduled to enter service until late-2015.

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D I S C O U N T ! 29/11/2016 16:57

F-22 RAPTOR DEATH WITH FINESSE

“The G-force and pressure on your chest as you start to take off is unbelievable”

24 AFM 2016 DIGITAL SAMPLE

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F-22 RAPTOR DEATH WITH FINESSE

Above: Looking as though it’s straight out of a sci-fi movie, a Tyndall-based Raptor pilot shows off a plan view of ‘his jet’. The patchwork appearance of the Raptor comes from the multitude of carbon-fibre composite and stealth panels that make up the airframe. The so-called clipped delta wing configuration is extremely efficient at high speed.

O

n the horizon, towering cumulonimbus clouds discharge impressive bolts of lightning over the azure waters of the Florida Gulf. In hot and highly humid conditions, dramatic howling is heard as Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptors launch for multiple sorties. Nestled beside the Panhandle coast, Tyndall Air Force Base is home to the 325th Fighter Wing – known as the gateway to the Raptor community. Every Raptor pilot in the USAF will transition through the 43rd Fighter Squadron (FS) for training. Historically, Tyndall has fulfilled purely a training role for the USAF but with the reactivation of the 95th FS the base now comes under Air Combat Command. Both the 43rd and the 95th are supplemented by reserve forces from the 301st FS. Known as the ‘Boneheads’, the 95th FS proudly keeps a skeleton mascot called Mr Bones in the squadron bar, resident in his own coffin – it rather fits with the unit’s motto ‘Death With Finesse’. Commander, of the 95th FS, Lt Col Ronald Gilbert explains: “We activated in October 2013 so we’re not even a year old with the F-22”. However, the squadron goes back much further that that – it was first formed in early 1942 flying the Lockheed P-38 Lightning. “It’s really neat bringing Mr Bones back,” added Gilbert. “We’re the first

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Death With Finesse The F-22 Raptor is the pride of the USAF’s fighter community flown only by the USAF’s elite. Rachel Morris spoke with two active duty Raptor pilots on what the F-22 brings to the fight. John Dibbs provides exclusive images.

DIGITAL SAMPLE AFM 2016 25

F-22 RAPTOR DEATH WITH FINESSE

‘Although not a black project, many aspects of the Raptor including its performance data remain classified’

combat squadron Tyndall has ever had. So to have a full combat squadron that’s ready to go anywhere at any given time is pretty rare.” Receiving its F-22s from the 7th FS at Holloman AFB, New Mexico, between January and April 2014, the 95th reached combat readiness in record time. Later that summer it went on the road, dropping bombs at the Combat Hammer exercise in Utah before heading to Red Flag at Las Vegas. Formerly a Boeing F-15C Eagle pilot with 1,200 hours, Gilbert now has 500 hours on the Raptor. He speaks highly of the jet’s fifth generation capabilities: “The thrust is unbelievable – 35,000lb per engine. The airframe weighs about the same as the F-15’s, so you’re getting a lot more thrust to weight, and you feel it. You go into max afterburner and get pushed back even further into the seat. The g-force and pressure on your chest as you start to take-off is unbelievable. Airborne the manoeuvrability of the airplane is unmatched compared to what the US is currently flying.” Not only is the Raptor airframe the most innovative on the block, its systems are also a huge leap forward. Using the Northrop Grumman AN/APG-77 Active Electronically

Above: The F-22 is powered by two Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 afterburning turbofans capable of thrust vectoring, which is fully integrated with the flight control management system. Below: The grave of Mr Bones, mascot of the 95th Fighter Squadron, is outside the unit’s operational building at Tyndall.

Above left: A reserve pilot with the 301st Fighter Squadron, callsign ‘Hoolio’, describes flying the F-22 as “owning the sky” due to the level of information provided to him by the Grumman AN/APG-77 active electronically scanned array radar. Above right: A captain with the 95th Fighter Squadron, 'Lite', is immensely proud of the unit and the fact that it is Tyndall’s first combat squadron, ready to go anywhere at a moment’s notice – once given the ‘alert call’.

26 AFM 2016 DIGITAL SAMPLE

Scanned Array (AESA) radar, developed as a dedicated air-to-air system, gives the Raptor pilot a substantial advantage in the beyond visual range (BVR) environment. Gilbert explains that whilst four experienced F-15 pilots could handle 12 adversaries, the Raptor driver can take on much more: “I was fortunate enough to fly in scenarios down in Vegas where there were four of us against many adversaries. We would run out of missiles and there would still be adversaries but we still had an opportunity [with the gun]. Plus...with stealth technology we are able to convert and use the gun as appropriate, then ultimately say, ‘Okay we’re out of weapons, let’s get out of the fight’ and do so undetected. It’s a very impressive airplane.”

Fight management

He explained that the AESA radar’s advanced capability and other built-in sensors change Raptor tactics in other ways: “Now we’re getting high and low, left and right, a bit more of a global picture from the radar without as much pilot input. Because of that I don’t have to fly right next to my wingman and my tactics start to spread out a little bit further. On the F-15 as a wingman I was staring at my flight lead, while trying to run the radar on a small screen, while trying to make sure I’m not getting shot at the same time. It was very task-heavy. In the F-22 the AESA radar is doing a lot of stuff for you, getting a lot of good information, so you’re not as particular – although there is still work required. “With the F-22 we fly much further apart, the task management is much lower and each individual pilot is capable of doing much more, so tactically we can cover a lane or an area greater than we ever could with a four-ship of F-15s or F-16s. There is also much more independent execution, with each pilot running their own intercept set times versus running as a collective group. The best F-22 pilots and flight leads still know how to orchestrate each of those three, four or eight F-22s to have the best effect over the largest area and it’s absolutely a

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F-22 RAPTOR DEATH WITH FINESSE

Boneheads’ Vision There is great pride within the Raptor community at Tyndall, and squadron commander Gilbert spoke of his vision for the future: “When we activated last October we had four people in the squadron. We had no airplanes and an empty building with no furniture. So for us, our vision is just to get ready, get everybody here, to get the equipment here, to get the giant combat machine ready. Our maintainers are some of the hardest working people I’ve ever seen. They are out on the flight line working six or seven days a week around the clock doing these exercises, just trying to get Team Tyndall ready to go for our combat mission. We are on the verge of making that happen. That in itself is pretty awesome. “As far as going forward, and the vision in the future, I want to push our guys, our maintenance and this base to do better. It’s the next stage, where are we going to go, now that we’re combat ready, how do we sharpen the sword? How do we get prepared for the environment we’re unaware of, for the call we’re not expecting? For the, ‘Hey we’ve trained for this foe or this theatre but we go somewhere else’. How do we do that? I think we have a plan to make that happen. We have great folks – they’re the ones doing it all. I just sit back here with the expensive furniture and coffee and paperwork. They’re the ones out there really doing the work and it’s pretty neat.” Below: Reminiscent of the Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker’s cobra manoeuvre during the airshows of 1990s, a Raptor pilot pulls a similar manoeuvre demonstrating the aircraft’s agility. Pilots of the 95th, after a year of operating the Raptor, are dominating the airspace in stateside air exercises and achieving multiple ‘simulated kills’ against their opponents.

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DIGITAL SAMPLE AFM 2016 27

F-22 RAPTOR DEATH WITH FINESSE very methodical and scripted approach. It’s almost a chess game with the adversary, depending on what they do and what they put up, how to best organise your blue forces compared to what they’re giving you.” Despite minor airframe modifications, the Raptor is still designated the F-22A and the majority of modifications are digital. Gilbert says, “They are currently upgrading our F-22 fleet with newer avionics, capabilities and newer missions so it’s still evolving and is still not in its final stages. If anything, I think we’re just getting going.” Although not a black project, many aspects of the Raptor, including its performance data remain classified: “With any airplane or any military system there will be levels of classification, and some are going to be a little bit higher than others, which gives

more responsibility. We try to stress a couple of different types of security. OPSEC [operational security]: where are we going with the F-22s and what are we going to be doing there. Also security of the airplane, its classified components and aspects of it. We have a team of experts responsible for those, and then each person that’s associated with the jet needs to be aware of the environment it’s going to and potential threats or security issues that may arise. We have great infrastructure here at Tyndall that makes it very easy to manage but whenever we’re on the road we have to be a little more aware.” The Raptor pilot enjoys super manoeuvrability thanks to vectored thrust and large flight control surfaces with canted vertical stabilators and moving horizontal tail fins. The light and very powerful Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100

turbofan engines feature highly innovative engineering and are the first powerplants to incorporate hollow fan blade technology. Shark tooth-shaped slat-like nozzles nestle between the Raptor’s twin vertical tails to deflect the direction of the engines thrust.

Owning the sky

Gilbert explains how that works in flight: “All the flight controls are moving in concert to include the vectored thrust. So I can’t just control vectored thrust by hitting a button. I just ask the aircraft for command input on the stick or throttles or rudder pedals and from those inputs the jet calculates whether you are slow, fast or at a high AOA’ [angle of attack] and it will command the appropriate input to include the thrust vector. What is nice with thrust vectoring is that when you are

Super cruise and beyond To maintain its stealth ability, the Raptor carries its weapons load-out in three internal weapons bays. Appropriately, given the Boneheads’ motto, Captain Andy 'Lite' Gray explains: “My favourite thing about flying the Raptor is how much finesse it has. When you’re flying a clean jet there is no drag, your take off thrust that you have combined with the minimal drag when the doors are all closed and everything, it’s so sleek and smooth. It’s very aggressive. One of the most eye-opening things is to be right next to another plane and you both go into max AB [afterburner] and then climb together – there isn’t a plane that can out-climb the Raptor in our inventory. So having that and knowing that you are the fastest and most agile thing on the block is kind of a cool and prideful thing. I can get myself out of jams sometimes if I need to because of the plane’s capability.”

28 AFM 2016 DIGITAL SAMPLE

Above: The F-22’s structure comprises 39% titanium, 24% composite, 16% aluminium and 1% thermoplastic. Titanium is used for its high strength-to-weight ratio in critical stress areas. The remaining 20% is composed of carbon-fibre composites used for the fuselage frame, doors and spars on the wings. Below: Raptor pilot training at Tyndall AFB is set to increase significantly over the next few years with an estimated 30 pilots graduating in 2015.

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F-22 RAPTOR DEATH WITH FINESSE

The Raptor’s side weapons bays can each be loaded with one AIM-9M or AIM-9X Sidewinder all-aspect shortrange air-to-air missile

slow or when you are at the high AOAs you get much more nose authority and the ability to threaten where other airplanes don’t, and that’s where we really start to see the benefit.” The combination of sensor fusion, super-cruise, manoeuvrability and stealth, enables the Raptor to take air dominance to a new level. ‘Hoolio’, a 301st FS reserve pilot assigned to the 95th as Total Force Integration Weapons Officer, describes it as “owning the sky”. He explained that sensor fusion makes a big difference for the pilot: “In a fourth generation aircraft, your brain is sensor fusion. You’re going to see this, you’re going to hear this and you’re going

to combine it altogether into the picture. The F-22 takes all that radar information that you normally get displayed just as raw data and combines it on your behalf.” With 1,500 hours on fighters, Hoolio has flown the F-15, F-16 and now the F-22. He says he often gets asked what he likes best about the jets he has flown. “The F-22 combines all the capabilities. I frequently tell people, if you want to go to the current conflict and drop bombs then the A-10 is awesome. If you want to do the air-to-air role, and only that, but still fight against a peer, then the F-15 is great. But if you’d like to win, if you just like winning, afm then you’re going to love the F-22.”

Into combat

Active since 2005 but untested in combat, the Raptor is finally demonstrating its fearsome prowess in the Middle East. The 1st FW from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, is fighting with the coalition campaign against ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant). As well as using GPS-guided munitions during air strikes, the Raptor will carry out specific mission sets such as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. Its integrated avionics, AESA radar and fused sensors will provide situational awareness to other aircraft in the strike package.

“There isn’t a plane that can out-climb the Raptor in our inventory”

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DIGITAL SAMPLE AFM 2016 29

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Combat E US AIR FORCE TACTICAL AIRPOWER

USAF TACAIR

M

ORE THAN 25 years have passed since the Cold War ended, and in that time the US has greatly reduced the size of its military forces. Cuts have whittled down the number of US Air Force (USAF) fighter squadrons by more than 70%. Most of inactivations occurred shortly after Operation Desert Storm in 1991, although between 2001 and 2012 the USAF’s fleet of fighter-class aircraft – comprising the A-10, F-15, F-16 and F-22 – was reduced by almost 20% from some 2,500 to around 2,000; it currently includes fewer than 1,150 combatcoded (primary fighter mission) aircraft. The loss of this capability has been partially offset by the addition of new capabilities, including GPS- and other precision-guided weapons, and targeting pods. However, continued deployments and combat operations have put a strain on the fleet and its personnel. As a result, the USAF now relies heavily on Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) and the Air

specified a requirement for 971 fighters assigned to 26 active duty and 22 reserve component fighter squadrons. The plan called for retiring the entire A-10 fleet by 2019, with the majority of the stand-downs occurring in Fiscal Year 2015 and FY16, when 164 aircraft would be divested, along with 51 F-15s. The remaining A-10s would be retired over a three-year period. As part of its justification for the A-10 withdrawal, the USAF claimed other aircraft, including B-1Bs, equipped with precisionguided munitions (PGMs), would offset the loss of the type’s close air support (CAS) capability. However, the A-10 retirement was temporarily halted when elected officials refused to approve the plan, although the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2015 did permit the service to place 36 A-10Cs into Backup Aircraft Inventory (BAI) status. Ultimately only

National Guard (ANG) to meet its commitments. Limited procurement funding has also forced it to retain legacy aircraft longer than planned and to modify them to extend their service lives. In response to the US Government’s 2012 Defense Strategic Guidance (DSG), which imposed a reduction of $487 billion in defence spending over ten years, the Air Force rebalanced its force structure across its core functions, resulting in the current Primary Mission Aircraft Inventory (PMAI) requirement of 1,100 and Total Active Inventory (TAI) of 1,900 fighters. Considered a blueprint for the joint force of 2020, the DSG also emphasised a shift in geographical priorities towards the Asia and Pacific region, while retaining focus on the Middle East. In February 2012, Secretary of the Air Force Michael B Donley announced that 102 A-10s and 21 F-16s would be retired. Between April 2013 and May 2014, 49 additional A-10Cs were placed in storage. Subsequent fiscal constraints led the service to propose the divestiture of 334 additional fighter-class aircraft as part of its Fiscal 2015 budget proposal. The suggested reduction aligned with the 2014 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR), which

18 aircraft, comprising nine at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, six at Moody AFB, Georgia, and three at Nellis AFB, Nevada, were affected. At the end of FY14, which finished on September 30, 2014, the total inventory included 1,962 fighter and attack aircraft and the average age of the fleet had reached 21.6 years. Split across all commands, the fleet included 1,273 fighters assigned to active component squadrons, 585 to the ANG and 104 to the AFRC.

32 AFM 2016 DIGITAL SAMPLE

USAF Fighters – 30 Sept 2014 Inventory Type

Average Active ANG AFRC Total Age (years)

A-10C 32.5

159

91

47

297

F-15C 29.6

101

112

0

213

F-15D 29.5

13

23

0

36

F-15E 24.2

220

0

0

220

F-16C 23.8

465

294

55

814

F-16D 23.7

110

45

2

157

F-22A 7.7

167

20

0

187

F-35A 1.8

38

0

Total

1,273 585

0

38

104

1,962

F-15Es are the USAF’s primary air-to-ground fighter/ bomber. There are three front-line wings flying the ‘Mud Hens’ as they are known in the USAF – at Seymour Johnson AFB, Mountain Home AFB in the States and RAF Lakenheath in the UK. They have all been very active on combat ops in recent years. Rick Llinares

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Edge

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US AIR FORCE TACTICAL AIRPOWER

Tom Kaminski examines US Air Force tactical airpower, which today relies on precision-guided munitions employed by a reduced fleet of fast jet and RPA platforms.

DIGITAL SAMPLE AFM 2016 33

US AIR FORCE TACTICAL AIRPOWER Air Combat Command (ACC) – Joint Base Langley-Eustis, VA Wing/Group

Sqn

Location

Aircraft

Code

95th FS

Tyndall AFB, FL

F-22A

USAF Warfare Center (USAFW/OGC) – Nellis AFB, NV

Air National Guard (ANG) Units – JB Andrews-NAF Washington, MD

53rd WG

Eglin AFB, FL

104th FW/OG 131st FS

Nellis AFB, NV

Westfield Barnes AP/ ANGB, MA (*2)

F-15C/D

53rd TEG

113th WG/ OG

JB Andrews-NAF Washington, MD (*2)

F-16C/D (Blk 30) DC

31st TES (*1) Edwards AFB, CA

F-22A, F-35A

ED/ OT

85th TES

Eglin AFB, FL

F-15C/E, F-16C/D (Blk 40/50)

OT

422d TES

Nellis AFB, NV

A-10C, F-16C/D (Blk 42/52)

OT

Nellis AFB, NV

F-15C/D/E, F-22A, F-35A

57th WG

57th ATG

USAF ADS

Nellis AFB, NV

F-16C/D (Blk 52)

64th AGRS

Nellis AFB, NV

F-16C/D (Blk 25/32/42)

WA

USAFWS

Nellis AFB, NV 16th WPS

Nellis AFB, NV

F-16C (Blk 42/52), F-16D (Blk 52), F-35A

WA

17th WPS

Nellis AFB, NV

F-15E

WA

66th WPS

Nellis AFB, NV

122rd FW/OG 163d FS

Fort Wayne IAP, IN

A-10C

IN

127th WG/ OG

Selfridge ANGB, Mount Clemens, MI

A-10C

MI

107th FS

169th FW/OG 157th FS

McEntire JNGS, Eastover, SC (*2)

175th WG/ OG

Martin SA/Warfield A-10C ANGB, Baltimore, MD

104th FS

180th FW/OG 112th FS

Toledo Express AP, Swanton, OH (*2)

F-16C/D (Blk 42)

187th FW/OG 100th FS

Montgomery RA Dannelly Field, AL

F-16C/D (Blk 30) AL

192nd FW/OG 149th FS (*4) JB Langley-Eustis, VA F-22A Twelfth Air Force/Air Forces Southern (12AF/AFSOUTH) – Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ 355th FW/OG 354th FS

Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ A-10C Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ A-10C

A-10C

WA

F-15C/D, F-22A

WA

366th FW/OG 389th FS

F-16C/D (Blk 32) AT

Mountain Home AFB, ID

F-15E

AATC

391st FS

Mountain Home AFB, ID

F-15E

428th FS

Mountain Home AFB, ID

F-15SG

4th FS

Hill AFB, UT

F-16C/D (Blk 40) HL

34th FS

Hill AFB, UT

F-35A

421st FS

Hill AFB, UT

F-16C/D (Blk 40)

Tucson IAP, AZ

DP

Air National Guard (ANG) Units - JB Andrews-NAF Washington, MD 125th FW/OG 159th FS

Jacksonville IAP, FL

Det. 1

Homestead ARB, FL (*2) F-15C

F-15C/D

Portland IAP/ANGB, OR (*2)

F-15C/D

144th FW/OG 194th FS

Fresno-Yosemite IAP/ANGB, CA

F-15C/D

148th FW/OG 179th FS

Duluth IAP /ANGB, MN (*2)

F-16C (Blk 50)

158th FW/OG 134th FS

Burlington IAP, VT

F-16C (Blk 30)

177th FW/OG 119th FS

Atlantic City IAP/ ANGB, NJ (*2)

F-16C (Blk 30)

123d FS

388th FW/OG (*6)

114th FW/OG 175th FS

Sioux Falls RA - Joe Foss Field, SD

F-16C/D (Blk 40)

Det. 1

March ARB, CA (*2)

F-16C

115th FW/OG 176th FS

Dane County RA -Truax Field, Madison, WI (*2)

F-16C (Blk 30)

WI

124th FW/OG 190th FS

Boise AirportGowen Field, ID

A-10C

ID

1st FW/OG

27th FS 94th FS

JB Langley-Eustis, VA

F-22A

4th FW/OG

333d FS (FTU)

Seymour Johnson AFB, NC

F-15E

334th FS (FTU)

Seymour Johnson AFB, NC

F-15E

140th WG/ OG

335th FS

Seymour Johnson AFB, NC

F-15E

159th FW/OG 122d FS

336th FS

Seymour Johnson AFB, NC

F-15E

Tenth Air Force (10AF) – NAS JRB Fort Worth/Carswell Field, TX

55th FS

Shaw AFB, SC

F-16C/D (Blk 50) SW

77th FS

Shaw AFB, SC

F-16C/D (Blk 50)

79th FS

Shaw AFB, SC

F-16C/D (Blk 50)

(*3)

Det. 100

JB Langley-Eustis, VA F-22A

138th FW/OG 125th FS

Tulsa IAP, OK

F-16C/D (Blk 42) OK

Det. 1

Ellington Field JRB, TX (*2)

F-16C/D (Blk 42)

301st FW/OG 457th FS 44th FG

442nd FW/OG 303rd FS 476th FG

Burlington IAP, VT

F-16C (Blk 30) F-16C (Blk 52)

Det. 303

Whiteman AFB, MO

A-10C

CO

NAS JRB New Orleans, LA (*2)

JZ

F-15C/D

NAS JRB Fort Worth/ F-16C/D (Blk 30) TX Carswell Field, TX F-22A

378th FS

Dane County RA, WI

F-16C (Blk 30)

Moody AFB, GA

A-10C

75th FS

Moody AFB, GA

A-10C

325th FW/OG 43d FS (FTU) Tyndall AFB, FL

F-22A

TY

A-10C

KC

A-10C

FT

Homestead ARB, FL

F-16C/D (Blk 30) FM

706th FS (*11)

Nellis AFB, NV

A-10C, F-16C/D, WA F-15C/D/E, F-22A

84th TES (*12)

Eglin AFB, FL

F-15C/E, F-16C/D OT (Blk 40/50)

944th FW/OG (*13) FT

Whiteman AFB, MO

76th FS (*10) Moody AFB, GA

482nd FW/OG 93rd FS

F-16C (Blk 30)

74th FS

TY

F-16C/D (Blk 40) HL

926th OG

NAS JRB Fort Worth, TX F-16C (Blk 30) Homestead ARB, FL

Buckley AFB, Aurora, F-16C (Blk 30) CO (*2)

301st FS (*8) Tyndall AFB, FL

F-16C (Blk 30)

McEntire JNGS , SC

367th FS

120th FS

419th FW/OG 466th FS (*9) Hill AFB, UT

Det. 134

23rd WG/FG

SJ

Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) Units – Robins AFB, GA (*7)

Det. 157 Det. 457

FF

Shaw AFB, SC Dannelly Field, AL

MO

Air National Guard (ANG) Units – JB Andrews-NAF Washington, MD

Ninth Air Force (9AF) – Shaw AFB, SC

495th FG

DM

433d WPS (*1) Nellis AFB, NV

First Air Force/Air Forces Northern (1AF/AFNORTH) (ANG) – Tyndall AFB, FL

20th FW/OG

MD

357th FS (FTU)

Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ A-10C

142nd FW/ OG

121st FS

MA

Luke AFB, AZ

LF

924th FG

47th FS (FTU) Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ A-10C

DP

414th FG

307th FS (*14)

SJ

Seymour Johnson AFB, NC

F-15E

Notes: *1: Utilizes aircraft borrowed from host 412th TW/OG. *2: Aerospace Control Alert (ACA) site. *3: Active associate squadron. *4: Wing operates F-22A as an associate to the 1st FW/OG. *5: Squadron supports Republic of Singapore training. *6: The 4th FS will transition to the F-35A in Fiscal 2016. *7: AFRC’s 301st FW/OG, 419th FW/OG and 442d FW/OG are gained by 12th AF. 482d FW/OG is gained by 9th AF and 926th Group is gained by 57th Wing/OG. *8: 44th Fighter Group is an associate unit and is integrated with the 325th FW/OG. *9: Wing operates F-16C (Blk 40) as an associate to the 388th FW/OG. *10: Squadron operates as an associate to the 23d FG. *11: 706th FS is an associate unit and is integrated with the 57th Wing/OG. *12: 84th TES is an associate unit and is integrated with the 53d Wing/OG. *13: 944th FW/OG is AETC gained. *14: Associate unit supports ACC training operations.

34 AFM 2016 DIGITAL SAMPLE

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US AIR FORCE TACTICAL AIRPOWER The USAF’s FY15 budget submission included a plan to retire the entire A-10C fleet by 2019. In support of the plan the budget removed funding for proposed A-10 upgrades, but continued to fund modifications required to keep the aircraft viable until its retirement. As part of its FY16 budget request the USAF once again proposed retiring the A-10, citing the need to free up maintainers for the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) – and cost savings of $4.7 billion by 2019. This time the plan called for withdrawing the aircraft over four years, with 164 ‘Warthogs’ removed from service in 2016. Calling the Air Force’s attempt to retire the aircraft “misguided”, lawmakers again rejected the plan. This time a provision in the defence spending bill required the new Secretary of the Air Force, Deborah Lee James, to “maintain a minimum of 171 A-10 aircraft in primary mission aircraft inventory” and prohibited the movement of “more than 18 A-10 aircraft in the active component to back-up flying status”. It also directed her to “commission an independent entity outside the Department of Defense to conduct an assessment of the required capabilities and mission platform to replace the A-10 aircraft”. Submission of that report is due by September 30. The NDAA also provided full funding for A-10 operations, maintenance and modifications.

Above: A pair of 56th FW F-16s from Luke AFB go through their final checks prior to a night mission. Having taken on the F-35 training mission, Luke is slowly swapping out F-16 units for F-35 squadrons. Joe Copalman Below: The future of the A-10A is not looking good, and a decision on the aircraft will be made later this year. The Arkansas ANG lost its A-10As in early 2014, when the 188th Fighter Wing traded its jets for the MQ-9 Reaper. USAF

Purchase plans

Ultimately the USAF aims to buy 1,763 F-35As by 2038 – and the Lightning II will completely replace the F-16C and A-10C. In accordance with the Annual Aviation Inventory and Funding Plan for Fiscal Years 2016-45, the USAF will procure 272 F-35As during the Future Year Defense Programs (FYDPs) that run from 2016 to 2020. Annual F-35A purchases continue to increase and in FY16 the service will procure 44 aircraft. Full-rate production is scheduled to begin in 2019 and plans call for the purchase of 60 F-35As until 2021 and 80 annually from 2022. Despite its shift towards the Pacific theatre, the US has been forced to adjust its plans for Europe after recent Russian incursions in Crimea and eastern Ukraine. In response, it has increased its support to European security and its NATO allies as part of the European Reassurance Initiative and Operation Atlantic Resolve by deploying assets from its stateside units. These Theatre Security Packages (TSPs) have seen A-10Cs, F-15Cs, F-16Cs and F-22As deployed to bases throughout Europe. At the same time, the service has been forced to expand its commitment to Operation

Total Fighter Inventory 2015 Role

Inventory

Mission

1,141

Training

436

Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E)

116

Back-up (attrition reserve and other primary aircraft)

272

Total Aircraft

1,965

Active Component

1,274

Reserve Component

691 1,965

Inherent Resolve over Syria and Iraq. The need to support these missions has led to increased reliance on the A-10C, and Air Combat Command (ACC) commander General Herbert J ‘Hawk’ Carlisle recently admitted that demand for the aircraft means the Air Force may be forced to delay its controversial plans to retire it in two to three years. As recently as December 2, Deborah Lee James referred to the A-10 when she said: “We’re using it, rotating it into the Middle Eastern theatre. It’s doing a good job for us. So that’s a reason to keep it a bit longer.” Facing a $17 billion reduction in funding in 2017, the service will likely put the aircraft on the chopping block again as it tries to preserve funding for other projects, including the F-35A.

Below: As the 56th FW’s first F-35 squadron, the 61st FS spent its first year training new instructors to fill the squadron’s ranks, with the first class of students converting to the F-35 in May 2015. Joe Copalman

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DIGITAL SAMPLE AFM 2016 35

US AIR FORCE TACTICAL AIRPOWER Combat Forces

The largest of ten Major Commands (MAJCOMs) that comprise the USAF, ACC is headquartered at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. To support global implementation of national security strategy it operates fighter, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, battle management and electronic combat aircraft. It also provides command, control, communications and intelligence systems and conducts global information operations. Since its creation through the merger of Tactical Air Command and Strategic Air Command on June 1, 1992, there have been numerous changes to ACC’s organisation. Responsibility for the B-52H and B-2A bombers, along with the Eighth Air Force, was reassigned to Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) in February 2010. On October 1, 2015, ACC’s B-1B bombers also passed to AFGSC. Air Combat Command is the lead agency for Combat Air Forces and serves as the primary force provider for the Combatant Commands (CCMDs) and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).

A pair of 33rd FW F-35As fly alongside two F-16CM Block 40s of the Hill AFB’s 388th FW/421st ‘Black Widows’. The unit’s F-16s are now equipped with the HARM targeting system and the Sniper targeting pod. Hill is now transitioning to the F-35A. USAF

Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) - Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, HI WG/Group

Sqn

Location

Aircraft

Code

15th WG/OG

19th FS (*15)

JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, HI

F-22A

HH ZZ

Fifth Air Force (5AF) - Yokota AB, Japan 18th WG/OG 35th FW/OG

44th FS

Kadena AB, Okinawa (Japan)

F-15C/D

67th FS

Kadena AB, Okinawa

F-15C/D

13th FS

Misawa AB, Japan

F-16C/D (Blk 50) WW

14th FS

Misawa AB, Japan

F-16C/D (Blk 50)

Seventh Air Force/Air Forces Korea (7AF/AFKOR) - Osan AB, Republic of Korea 8th FW/OG 51st FW/OG

35th FS

Kunsan AB, Republic of Korea

F-16C/D (Blk 40)

80th FS

Kunsan AB, Republic of Korea

F-16C/D (Blk 40)

25th FS

Osan AB, Republic of Korea

A-10C

36th FS

Osan AB, Republic of Korea

F-16C/D (Blk 50)

OS

Eleventh Air Force (11AF) - Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, AK 3rd WG/OG 354th FW/OG

90th FS

JB Elmendorf-Richardson, AK (*2)

F-22A

525th FS

JB Elmendorf-Richardson, AK

F-22A

18th AGRS

Eielson AFB, AK

F-16C/D (Blk 30) AK

AK

Air National Guard (ANG) Units - JB Andrews-NAF Washington, MD 154th Wing/OG

199th FS

JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii (*3)

F-22A

HH

F-22A

AK

Tenth Air Force (10AF) - NAS JRB Fort Worth/Carswell Field, TX Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) Units - Robins AFB, GA 477th FG

302nd FS (*16) JB Elmendorf-Richardson, AK

Note: *15: Active associate unit operates F-22A assigned to the Hawaii Air National Guard’s co-located 199th FS. *16: Squadron operates F-22A as an associate to the co-located 3rd Wing. Below: The 57th Wing at Nellis AFB flew F-15C/Ds in the aggressor role with the 65th AGRS until the unit was inactivated on September 26, 2014, due to budget cuts. Ted Carlson

36 AFM 2016 DIGITAL SAMPLE

According to its online mission statement, ACC “organises, trains, equips and maintains combat-ready forces for rapid deployment and employment while ensuring strategic air defence forces are ready to meet the challenges of peacetime air sovereignty and wartime air defence”. The command’s numbered air forces (NAF) provide the air components to US Northern Command (NORTHCOM), US Central Command (CENTCOM) and US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), and augment the forces permanently assigned to US European, African and Pacific Commands. As well as combat-coded fighter and strike aircraft, ACC is responsible for the Formal Training Units (FTUs) that provide conversion/type training for the F-15E, F-22A and A-10C. The FTUs for the F-15C, F-16C and F-35A are assigned to Air Education and Training Command (AETC). Air Combat Command’s forces are organised under a direct reporting unit, four NAFs and – when mobilised – an AFRC numbered air force. Its NAFs control Active Component (AC) wings and gain Air Reserve Component (ARC) organisations comprising ANG and AFRC wings and groups. Each of the USAF’s MAJCOMs reports to the Secretary of the Air Force via the Air Force Chief of Staff, and most provide operational forces to the nine Unified Combatant Commands (UCCs) or to Sub-Unified Commands. Those MAJCOMs are known as Component

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US AIR FORCE TACTICAL AIRPOWER

Major Commands (C-MAJCOM) and their forces can be assigned to NAFs or Component Numbered or Named Air Forces (C-NAFs). Whereas the NAF is generally focused on ensuring the readiness of assigned forces and preparing them for deployment and employment, the C-NAF is tasked with performing an operational and war fighting mission in support of a UCC. The C-NAF plans, commands, controls and executes air, space and information capabilities in support of the full range of military operations. In addition to ACC, tactical fighters are assigned to the Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) and US Air Forces Europe/Air Forces Africa (USAFE/ AFAFRICA). Serving as the USAF component of US Pacific Command (PACOM), PACAF is allocated three NAFs at bases in Alaska, Japan and the Republic of Korea (RoK). Its area of responsibility spans more than 100 million square miles extending from the US west coast to the east coast of Africa and from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Headquartered at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, PACAF is responsible for fighter wings located in Alaska, Hawaii, Japan and the RoK. Serving as the USAF component of US European Command (EUCOM) and US Africa Command (AFRICOM), USAFE/ AFAFRICA’s area of responsibility includes Iceland, Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East and the African continent. Headquartered at Ramstein Air Base (AB), Germany, it directs air operations in a theatre covering more than 19 million square miles and containing more than 100 independent countries on three continents. Its USAFE component is the oldest of the USAF’s ten MAJCOMs and is responsible for a single NAF.

ACC breakdown

Reporting directly to ACC headquarters, the USAF Warfare Center’s (USAFWC’s) wings and groups are tasked with test and evaluation, and tactics development. The USAF Weapons School (USAFWS), which reports to the USAFWC via the 57th Wing, provides advanced training in weapons and tactics employment to USAF personnel assigned to several MAJCOMs. First Air Force (1AF) or Air Forces Northern (AFNORTH) is headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base (AFB), Florida, and is responsible for ensuring the air sovereignty and air

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Above: Deployments still continue to Bagram AB in Afghanistan to support Afghan and other allied troops there. The 421st FS F-16s were in evidence during late 2015, this example is seen departing with an AGM65 Maverick under its starboard wing. USAF Below: Air Combat Command saw its B-1Bs reassigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command on October 1, 2015. The Lancer is now equipped with the Sniper targeting pod, and will help to fill the gap left by the A-10s if they are retired in the near future. USAF

defence of the contiguous US (CONUS), the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. As the Continental United States Region (CONR) for NORAD, it provides air defence through airspace surveillance and airspace control. The two defence sectors under CONR’s responsibility are the Western Air Defense Sector (WADS), headquartered at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, and the Eastern Air Defense Sector (EADS), at Rome, New York. The First Air Force is also designated as the C-NAF for NORTHCOM. Six ANG fighter squadrons are currently aligned with 1AF. Headquartered at Shaw AFB, South Carolina, Ninth Air Force (9AF) is responsible for managing six fighter wings and groups. It also maintains oversight of operational readiness and ensures the standardisation and evaluation (staneval) of its aligned ANG and AFRC units. Shaw is also headquarters to Air Forces Central (AFCENT), the air component of USCENTCOM, responsible for air operations and developing contingency plans in support of national

objectives for USCENTCOM’s 20-nation area of responsibility in Southwest Asia. Twelfth Air Force/Air Forces Southern (12AF/AFSOUTH) is headquartered at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona. As a C-NAF it serves as the air component for SOUTHCOM and is responsible for three AC fighter wings as well as the mission readiness of gained wings and other units of the ANG and AFRC. The Air Force Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency (AFISRA) was realigned and redesignated as the 25th Air Force under ACC on September 29, 2014. Headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, as a NAF it assumed responsibility for ACC’s ISR aircraft the same day. The Tenth Air Force is responsible for ten AFRC units which, when mobilised, are gained by ACC. Headquartered at Naval Air StationJoint Reserve Base, Fort Worth, Texas, as a NAF it ensures that in excess of 13,300 reservists and 900 civilians maintain the highest combat capability to augment active forces when required.

DIGITAL SAMPLE AFM 2016 37

US AIR FORCE TACTICAL AIRPOWER Air Combat Command’s active component squadrons operate more than 650 tactical fighter aircraft. Almost 600 fighter/ attack machines are assigned to the ANG, and the AFRC accounts for around 100 additional jets. The ANG total includes aircraft gained by ACC, AETC and PACAF.

Pacific Air Forces

A single ANG composite wing, reporting directly to PACAF, is responsible for F-22As jointly operated by an active associate fighter squadron. Headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan, Fifth Air Force (5AF) is tasked as the C-NAF for US Forces, Japan (USFJ). Its assets comprise a single fighter wing and a large ‘composite’ wing which includes two fighter squadrons. The Seventh Air Force/Air Forces Korea (7AF/ AFKOREA), the C-NAF for US Forces Korea (USFK), is headquartered at Osan AB, RoK. It provides support to United Nations Command and RoK/US Combined Forces Command (CFC) and is responsible for two fighter wings. The largest of PACAF’s three NAFs, Eleventh Air Force, is headquartered at Joint Base ElmendorfRichardson, Alaska, and is responsible for two active component wings and a gained AFRC associate fighter group which reports to the 10AF. Tasked as the C-NAF for Alaskan Command (ALCOM), its assets operate from numerous bases and remote operating sites throughout the state and often deploy across the northern Pacific. Whereas PACAF’s active component squadrons are currently responsible for more than 260 fighters, the command is supported by additional aircraft from ACC units that deploy for specified periods as Theater Support Packages (TSPs).

USAFE/AFAFRICA

The structure of USAFE changed greatly from 2001 and further changes are in store as the US Forces in Europe are consolidated and relocated. On April 20, 2012, USAFE’s mission was expanded and it became USAFE/AFAFRICA. Third Air Force (3AF) is the C-NAF for US European Command (USEUCOM) and US Africa Command (USAFRICOM). Headquartered at Ramstein AB, it assumed responsibility as the C-NAF for USAFRICOM when the 17th Air Force was inactivated on April 20, 2012. More than 150 combat-coded fighter aircraft are permanently assigned to the command.

The 3rd Wing at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, flies two squadrons of F-22A Raptors to protect the USA’s northern regions. It is the most lethal air defence fighter in the world and its secret technologies mean it is never likely to be exported. USAF

Above: A pilot taxies out his F-16C at Luke AFB during a night mission, equipped with a Litening targeting pod. The 309th FS ‘Wild Ducks’ are one of only four F-16 training squadrons at the Arizona base. Joe Copalman

United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) - Ramstein AB, Germany WG/Group

Sqn

Location

Aircraft

Code

F-15E

LN

Third Air Force (3AF) - Ramstein AB, Germany 48th FW/OG

52nd FW/OG 31st FW/OG

492d FS

RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk, England

493d FS

RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk, England

F-15C/D

494th FS

RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk, England

F-15E

480th FS

Spangdahlem AB, Germany

F-16C/D (Blk 50)

SP

510th FS

Aviano AB, Italy

F-16C/D (Blk 40)

AV

555th FS

Aviano AB, Italy

F-16C/D (Blk 40)

An 18th AGRS F-16C from Eielson AFB flies inverted past Denali, the highest peak in Alaska, formerly known as Mount McKinley. The unit plays a major part in the Red Flag exercises held in Alaska at least twice a year. Ted Carlson

38 AFM 2016 DIGITAL SAMPLE

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US AIR FORCE TACTICAL AIRPOWER A pair of fully laden A-10Cs spit out flares – these come in very handy when the aircraft are flying down low, where SAMs may be a threat. Rick Llinares

Test and Evaluation

Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) is tasked to support the development, test, acquisition and support of the USAF’s weapon systems. Headquartered at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, the command’s five centres include the Air Force Test Center (AFTC) at Edwards AFB, California, and the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) at Wright-Patterson. The AFTC is responsible for test wings at Edwards and Eglin AFB, Florida, that conduct aircraft and weapons development test and evaluation (DT&E) to ensure they meet operational war fighting requirements. A fleet of around 60 fighters currently supports test duties. Responsibility for three Air Logistics Complexes (ALCs) is assigned to the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) and the Air Force Sustainment Center (AFSC) at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma. Its assigned organisations include the Ogden Air Logistics Complex (OO-ALC) at Hill AFB, Utah, which is tasked with programmed depot maintenance (PDM) and modifications plus repairs to crashed or battle-damaged F-16, F-22, F-35 and A-10 aircraft. The Warner-Robins ALC at Robins AFB, Georgia, performs similar work on the F-15.

Training

Headquartered at Joint Base San AntonioRandolph, Texas, AETC is the second-oldest command in the USAF and traces its history to 1942, when it formed as the Army Air Corps Flying Training Command. It is responsible for training aircrew, and its five flying wings provide Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot (ENJJPT), Joint Service Undergraduate Pilot (JSUPT) and Combat Systems Officer (CSO) training. Two active component wings also serve as AETC FTUs, providing advanced transition/type training for the F-16 and F-35. Almost 140 fighter aircraft support AETC’s training commitments. Expansion of F-35 training at Luke AFB, Arizona, has resulted in the activation of a new fighter group at Holloman AFB, New Mexico, which is taking on the F-16 FTU role. Air Education and Training Command also gains the ANG wings that serve as FTUs for the F-15 and F-16, while the AFRC supports F-16 and F-35 training at Luke.

A-X competition in 1967 and the first YA-10 flew on May 10, 1972. The USAF took 713 A-10As from Fairchild Republic between 1975 and 1984, when the last was delivered. Although the fleet has been reduced by 60%, more than 280 remain in service with active duty, ANG and AFRC units. At the height of the Cold War, almost 150 of the ‘tank busters’ were based in Europe and more than 40 at bases in Alaska and Korea. Today, A-10Cs are operated by seven active duty USAF, four ANG and four AFRC units, including ten combat-coded squadrons. Only 24 A-10Cs are based outside the CONUS. The type’s combat debut was over Kuwait and Iraq during Operation Desert Storm, when 142 A-10As and 15 OA-10As flew more than 8,000 CAS, air interdiction, suppression of enemy air defence (SEAD) and other sorties, delivering almost 24,000 bombs. The A/OA-10s destroyed almost 2,000 tanks, 500 armoured vehicles, 1,000 artillery pieces and 2,000 vehicles during the 42-day conflict. The aircraft subsequently saw action over Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, again in Iraq, and Libya. Most recently it has flown combat missions over Iraq and Syria. Numerous upgrades had been proposed for the A-10A, but only minor changes differentiated the earliest aircraft from the later production machines. The jet’s first large-scale

modification came in the early 1990s, when the Low-Altitude Safety and Targeting Enhancements (LASTE) were installed. The work provided computer-aided capabilities, including ground collision avoidance, enhanced attitude control for aircraft stabilisation during gunfire and a low-altitude autopilot system – along with ballistic weapons control and target detection and tracking. By the mid-1990s, night-vision modifications had also been installed on more than 370 aircraft and incorporation of an embedded GPS inertial navigation system (EGI) capability began in 1999. Fielding of the A-10A+ began in 2007, when the first of around 100 ANG and AFRC A-10As were equipped with a single liquid-crystal multi-function colour display (MFCD) which replaced a smaller television monitor. Additionally, the Situational Awareness Data Link (SADL), which enabled data transmission from and to other platforms, was incorporated along with the AN/AAQ-28 Litening Advanced Targeting (AT) pod. Pod compatibility had initially been added in 2003. Flight testing of the first A-10A+ began in November 2007 and in May 2008 the new variant was deployed to Afghanistan. Today only the A-10C remains in service. Unveiled at Eglin AFB, Florida, in January 2005, the first modified aircraft preceded

The USAF hierarchy wants to withdraw the A-10, but US politicians have blocked the move. With big budget cuts being imposed the USAF command is willing to sacrifice the unique looking fighter primed for close air support so other platforms can stay in service. Rick Llinares

Warthog

Universally known as the ‘Warthog’, the A-10A was selected as the winner of the USAF’s

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DIGITAL SAMPLE AFM 2016 39

US AIR FORCE TACTICAL AIRPOWER

Weapons The use of so-called ‘smart’ ordnance has greatly reduced the number of aircraft and weapons required to prosecute and destroy a target. The USAF’s smart weapon inventory means its tactical aircraft can attack disparate target types across a broad spectrum, from the 250lb GBU-39 and GBU-53 SDBs to the 2,000lb AGM-158A Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-off Missile (JASSM) and extended range AGM-158B JASSM-ER. These missiles offer maximum ranges of 200 and 500 miles (322 and 805km) respectively, and provide a launch-and-leave stand-off capability. First used in combat during 2006, the SDB has enabled commanders to conduct precision attacks in populated areas with minimal collateral damage. Low-rate GBU-53 production began in June 2015. The GBU-53/B SDB II is equipped with a tri-mode seeker and can be launched against moving targets in adverse weather; it has a maximum range of 45 miles (72km). By comparison, the 5,000lb GBU-28, designed to destroy reinforced bunkers, is the largest PGM in the inventory. 

The ‘JZ’ coded F-15Cs of the 159th FW/122nd FS based at NAS JRB New Orleans are part of the network of Aerospace Control Alert (ACA) sites located around the USA. Rick Llinares

large-scale deliveries of the variant, which began in August 2006. It achieved initial operational capability (IOC) with the Maryland ANG’s 104th Fighter Squadron (FS) in August 2007. The A-10C began its first deployment, to Al Asad AB, Iraq, in September 2007. Development work had begun in February 2001, when Lockheed Martin received a $74 million engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) contract to develop the Precision Engagement (PE) upgrade programme. Merging several smaller projects, the PE included a redesigned main instrument panel, smart weapons capabilities and aircraft DC power upgrades.

Cockpit work included the addition of a pair of MFCDs, a new armament/HUD control panel and an upfront controller (a small, rugged keypad) along with a new control stick grip and right throttle in common with the F-16 and F-15E. A MIL-STD-1760 data bus and the AN/AAQ-28 and AN/AAQ-33 Sniper targeting pods were integrated with the aircraft’s digital stores management system (DSMS) and a central interface control unit (CICU). MIL-STD-1760 capabilities were also incorporated into six of the A-10’s stores pylons, enabling a new precision weapons capability which initially included up to four 2,000lb

Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) – Wright-Patterson AFB, OH WG/Group

Sqn

Location

Aircraft

Code ED

Air Force Test Center (AFTC) – Edwards AFB, CA 412th TW/OG

96th TW/OG

USAF TPS

Edwards AFB, CA

NF-16D

411th FLTS

Edwards AFB, CA

F-22A

416th FLTS

Edwards AFB, CA

F-16C/D (Blk 30/40/42/50)

461st FLTS

Edwards AFB, CA

F-35A

40th FLTS

Eglin AFB, FL

A-10C, F-15C/D/E, F-16C (Blk 25/40/42/50), F-16D (Blk 40/50)

40 AFM 2016 DIGITAL SAMPLE

ET

GBU-10 or six 500lb GBU-12 laser-guided bombs (LGBs) or four 2,000lb GBU-31 or six 500lb GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs); or six CBU-103/104 Wind Corrected Munitions Dispensers (WCMDs). The A-10C employed a JDAM during its maiden deployment to Al Asad, on September 19, 2007. Subsequent updates cleared the aircraft to deploy the 500lb GBU-54 Laser-Guided JDAM (LJDAM) in 2009, and work to facilitate the carriage of up to 98 Laser-Guided Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) rockets began in February 2013. The system combines a 2.75in (70mm) Hydra 70 rocket with an M151 warhead. Other, later A-10C modifications installed AN/ARC-210 multi-band and multi-mode beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) radios and the AN/ AAR-47 missile approach warning system. Further upgrading the A-10C’s combat capabilities, a Helmet-Mounted Integrated Targeting (HMIT) solution, the Gentex Scorpion Helmet-Mounted Cueing System (HMCS), was integrated from July 2010. First fielded by the 74th Fighter Squadron in

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US AIR FORCE TACTICAL AIRPOWER Three 391 FS/366th FW F-15E Strike Eagles fly in formation over an Idaho mountain range. Under each jet’s right air intake is the AN/AAQ-13 navigation pod, while the AN/AAQ-14 targeting pod is mounted under the left one. Mountain Home AFB hosts two F-15E units and a single Republic of Singapore Air Force F-15SG squadron. Rick Llinares

2013, it provides day/night colour displays. The 576th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Squadron’s ‘Desert Speed Line (DSL) Project’ at Davis-Monthan AFB has also been responsible for several recent A-10C projects. In March 2014, for example, the DSL began replacing the aircraft’s liquid oxygen system with an onboard oxygen generating system (OBOGS) that improves the jet’s ability to operate from remote locations. The latest Mode 5 identification friend or foe (IFF) capability and Lightweight Airborne Radio System (LARS) improvements were fielded in 2015 as part of the Operational Flight Program (OFP) software Suite 8. Plans for OFP Suite 9 were cancelled due to the Air Force’s planned A-10C retirement date. The final A-10C had been delivered at Hill AFB, Utah, after the OO-ALC’s 309th Maintenance Wing completed the 349th production upgrade in June 2011. The Société Anonyme Belge de Constructions Aeronautiques (SABCA) at Brussels South Charleroi Airport, Belgium, and Korean Air’s Aerospace Division at Gimhae International Airport in Busan,

RoK, also upgraded more than 40 aircraft based in Germany and Korea respectively. Originally designed for 6,000 flight hours, the service life of late production A-10s, built with more durable wing assemblies, was extended to 8,000 hours, and then 16,000 hours, through service life extension programmes (SLEPs). The project to replace the wings on earlier aircraft began in June 2007 when Boeing received a contract to construct up to 242 sets of Enhanced Wing Assemblies (EWAs) rated for 16,000 flight hours. Installation of this Thick Updated Skin (TUSK) wing assembly extends the A-10C’s service to around 2030. Budget cuts and planned retirements originally reduced the project to 233 sets, although Boeing has received orders for only 173. Delivery of the first EWA to the OO-ALC came in March 2011. The initial upgraded aircraft flew again in November and was formally rolled out at Hill AFB in February 2012. Completion of the TUSK effort is scheduled for Fiscal 2017. Although Boeing held options for an additional 69 wing sets, the AFLCMC recently issued a

request for information seeking other sources for production of the TUSK wing assembly. In June 2009, the USAF jointly awarded a four-year $1.6 billion A-10 Thunderbolt Lifecycle Program Support (TLPS) contract to Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, under which individual modernisation and sustainment efforts are completed as task/delivery orders among the three prime contractors – delivering the ‘best value’ solution. If all of its options are exercised, the programme could run until 2019.

Eagles

The McDonnell Douglas F-15 was chosen as winner of the USAF’s Fighter-Experimental competition in December 1969 and the initial full-scale development (FSD) F-15A flew for the first time at Edwards AFB in July 1972. Production aircraft entered service at Luke AFB, Arizona, in November 1974 and in July 1975 the jet achieved IOC. The 1st Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW) became the first combat-coded Eagle operator in 1977. Beginning in 1979, production switched to

Above: Leaving a long trail of afterburner as it roars down the runway, this 48th FW F-15E heads to Turkey for an Operation Inherent Resolve deployment. USAF Right: An F-15E Strike Eagle from RAF Lakenheath’s 48th FW and assigned to the 492nd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron departs Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, on June 9, 2014. It is fitted with precision guided munitions, which are the responsibility of the weapons systems operator in the rear seat. USAF Left: The 142 FS/Oregon ANG flies the oldest airworthy F-15Cs in the US. The unit is responsible for training west coast F-15 pilots in air-to-air combat. Its air defence alert capabilities have been partly taken over by the deployment of F-15s from the 144th FW at Fresno IAP. Joe Copalman

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DIGITAL SAMPLE AFM 2016 41

US AIR FORCE TACTICAL AIRPOWER Air Education Training Command (AETC) – JB San Antonio - Randolph, TX Wing/Group

Sqn

Location

Aircraft

Code

Nineteenth Air Force (19AF) – JB San Antonio - Randolph, TX 33rd FW/OG (*17) 58th FS

Eglin AFB, FL

F-35A

EG

56th FW/OG

21st FS (*18)

Luke AFB, AZ

F-16A/B (Blk 20)

LF

61st FS

Luke AFB, AZ

F-35A

62rd FS

Luke AFB, AZ

F-35A

309th FS

Luke AFB, AZ

F-16C/D (Blk 25)

310th FS

Luke AFB, AZ

F-16C/D (Blk 42)

425th FS (*19)

Luke AFB, AZ

F-16C/D (Blk 52)

56th OG Det. 1

(*20)

Tucson IA AZ

F-16C/D

56th OG Det. 2

(*20)

Klamath Falls Airport - Kingsley Field, OR

F-15B/C/D

311th FS

Holloman AFB, N.M.

F-16C/D (Blk 42)

314th FS

Holloman AFB, N.M.

F-16C/D (Blk 42)

54th FG

AZ

Air National Guard (ANG) Units – JB Andrews-NAF Washington, Maryland 149th FW/OG 162nd FW/OG

173rd FW/OG

182nd FS (FTU)

JB San Antonio-Kelly Field, Lackland AFB, TX

F-16C/D (Blk 30)

SA

148th FS (FTU) (*21) Tucson IAP, AZ

F-16A/B (MLU)

AZ

152nd FS (FTU)

F-16C/D (Blk 42)

Tucson IAP, AZ

195th FS (FTU)

Tucson IAP, AZ

F-16C/D (Blk 25/32)

Det. 1

Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ (*2)

F-16C/D (Blk 32)

114th FS

Klamath Falls Airport Kingsley Field, OR

F-15B/C/D

Tenth Air Force (10AF) – NAS JRB Fort Worth/Carswell Field, TX Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) Units – Robins AFB, GA 944th FW/OG

69th FS (*22)

Luke AFB, AZ

F-16C/D (Blk 25/42)

Notes: *17: 33d FW/OG is home to F-35 training center. *18: 21st FS trains Republic of China AF pilots. *19: 425th FS trains Singapore AF pilots. *20: Detachment is responsible for active duty instructor pilots and maintenance personnel that support FTU. *21: 148th FS trains RNLAF pilots using Dutch-owned aircraft. *22: AETC gained associate unit operates F-16C/D in support of 56th FW/OG.

Above: Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, is now home to just one F-16C/D Block 40 squadron, the 480th FS. The 22nd and 23rd FS made up the 52nd FW until they were deactivated in August 2010, and the 81st FS (with A-10Cs) followed suit in June 2013. Ted Carlson Below: The Seventh Air Force, headquartered at Osan AB in South Korea has three F-16 squadrons under its responsibility. The jets regularly attend Red Flag exercises in Alaska, where this example, sporting special marks of the 35th FS/8th FW based at Kunsan, was seen in April 2011. Robin Polderman

42 AFM 2016 DIGITAL SAMPLE

the more capable F-15C and two-seat F-15D. Improvements included a 2,000lb (900kg) increase in internal fuel, provision for conformal fuel tanks and an increased maximum take-off weight of up to 68,000lb (30,600kg). The US Eagle fleet has been actively engaged in combat since Operation Desert Storm, when the deployed F-15s accounted for 36 of the 39 air-to-air victories claimed by the USAF. F-15Cs later shot down four Serbian MiG-29s during Operation Allied Force in March 1999. The USAF accepted 905 air superiority ‘light-grey’ Eagles, including 408 F-15Cs and 62 F-15Ds. Today F-15Cs are assigned to three active duty combat-coded squadrons, the 18th Wing’s 44th and 67th FSs at Kadena AB and the 48th FW’s 493rd FS at RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk, England. The Eagles assigned to the latter had been scheduled for retirement in 2015, but have since been extended until 2017. The squadron recently deployed six Eagles to Incirlik AB, Turkey, in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. Most of the Eagle fleet is operated by ANG units in California, Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts and Oregon, which will retain 17 F-15Cs that had been planned for retirement in 2015. In addition to a combat-coded squadron, the Oregon Air National Guard is responsible for a second squadron, which has been tasked as the sole F-15 FTU since late 2010. It is supported by a detachment of active duty personnel. Five other active duty (and one AFRC) squadrons operate Eagles on test and evaluation, tactics development and graduate-level training duties. Today the USAF’s light-grey Eagle fleet comprises 213 F-15C/Ds; the last F-15As were retired in October 2009. Around 196 F-15s will remain in service until at least 2040, upgraded with systems enabling them to operate alongside the fifth-generation F-22A and F-35A. Under current plans the USAF will spend around $1.7 billion on the Eagle across the FYDP. The largest of these projects replaces the mechanically scanned radar systems that equip 179 F-15Cs with Raytheon AN/APG-63(v)3 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars. Upgraded (v)3 radars were first fielded by F-15Cs assigned to the Florida ANG’s 159th FW at Jacksonville International Airport in April 2010 and by the 18th FW at Kadena AB, Okinawa, that November. The advantages of AESA include improvements in range and resolution and increased capability against advanced

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US AIR FORCE TACTICAL AIRPOWER

The New Jersey ANG operates a fleet of F-16C Block 30s, which stand on ACA. They are armed with AIM120 AMRAAM and AIM-9 Sidewinders. Rick Llinares

electronic attack (EA) systems – as well as significantly better reliability and maintainability. Technologies incorporated in the earlier AN/ APG-63(v)2, first fielded in 2000, and the F/A18E/F’s AN/APG-79 AESA radars were incorporated in the (v)3. Under current contracts Boeing will install the radar in 127 F-15Cs. Furthermore, the addition of an infrared search and track (IRST) sensor will give the Eagle a capability considered vital to operations in contested environments. Coupled to the radar, it will create an integrated fire control system that continues to function under jamming conditions. A new high-resolution colour display will replace the Eagle’s current vertical situation display (VSD) and computer processing is being upgraded through the installation of the Advanced Display Core Processor (ADCP) II. Replacing the F-15C’s current mission computer, the enhanced mission processor will also enable future upgrades, providing data fused connectivity with other fighter aircraft, including the F-22A and F-35A for example. A more robust and powerful data link is also being incorporated. The Eagle Passive/Active Warning Survivability System (EPAWSS) will replace the fighter’s ALQ135 Tactical Electronic Warfare System (TEWS). Developed by BAE Systems under a subcontract from Boeing, EPAWSS incorporates a digital radar warning receiver (RWR), digital radio frequency memory jammer and AN/ALE58 BOL advanced countermeasures dispenser. The result is an integrated electronic attack suite that will counter current and future air-to-air and surface-to-air radars, and infrared threats; fielding is scheduled to begin in 2018. Structurally, the F-15C is certified to 9,000 hours and Boeing is evaluating the airframe for alternative service lives of 13,500 and 33,000 hours. A full-scale fatigue test, which

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will be completed in 2016, will determine the feasibility of an airframe service life extension. Boeing has proposed numerous improvements for the Eagle and most recently unveiled its 2040C Eagle Upgrade. An evolution of the Silent Eagle proposed to the RoK, it contains some low-observable improvements, but would primarily double the aircraft’s missile capacity to 16, via ‘quad pack’ munitions racks. It will also feature the podded Talon HATE, which integrates the F-22’s Intra-Flight Data Link (IFDL) with the Multifunctional Information Distribution System-Joint Tactical Radio System (MIDS-J). Currently undergoing test, the quickreaction capability (QRC) programme is designed to provide connectivity between fourth- and fifth-generation fighters.

Mud Hens

Although the F-15 was intended to serve as an air superiority fighter, its design included provision for air-to-ground weapons. After studying the feasibility of adapting the basic F-15 for the air-to-ground role, McDonnell Douglas began a series of demonstrations using an early FSD F-15B two-seater. The aircraft featured a modified AN/APG-63 radar, equipped with a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) mode, and first flew in July 1980. After a fly-off with the General Dynamics F-16E, it was chosen as the basis of the USAF’s Dual Role Fighter (DRF) and developed as the F-15E; FSD was authorised in May 1984. The F-15E flew for the first time in December 1986 and the first production aircraft was delivered to the 405th Tactical Training Wing at Luke AFB, Arizona, in April 1988. Although the

Three F-16Cs of the 158th FW/Vermont ANG highlight the multi-role capabilities of the ageing jets. The nearest two are carrying JDAM bombs as well AIM-120 AMRAAMs and AIM-9 Sidewinders for air defence. Ted Carlson

DIGITAL SAMPLE AFM 2016 43

US AIR FORCE TACTICAL AIRPOWER

service planned to acquire 392 F-15Es, only 236 ‘Mud Hens’, as the type is nicknamed, had been delivered when production ended in 2004. The Strike Eagle first saw combat during Operation Desert Storm and later in the Balkans, Afghanistan, Libya and, most recently, in support of Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq and Syria. Six F-15Es operated by the 48th FW’s 492nd FS arrived at Incirlik on November 12. They were deployed to the southern Turkish base to attack Islamic State (IS) targets in Syria and Iraq. Lakenheath’s F-15Es have also flown direct strikes against targets in Libya. On November 13, 2015, for example, Strike Eagles operating from the Suffolk base hit a compound near Darna, killing the senior IS leader in Libya. Originally fielded with the AN/AAQ-13 navigation and AN/AAQ-14 targeting pods of the Low-Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night (LANTIRN) system, the Strike Eagle has since been made compatible with the Sniper and Litening AT pods. It has had numerous further upgrades and 217 F-15Es will be equipped with Raytheon AN/APG-82(v)1 AESA radars in place of the original, mechanically steered AN/ APG-70. The first F-15E with the new radar was assigned to the 366th FW’s 389th FS at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, in June 2014. Developed by Boeing and Raytheon under the $238 million Radar Modernization Program (RMP) contract, the new radar entered flight test at Eglin AFB in January 2011. Approval for lowrate initial production (LRIP) was granted in September 2011 after a 110-sortie test programme.

44 AFM 2016 DIGITAL SAMPLE

A November 2015 contract for 29 systems brings AN/APG-82(v)1 orders to 47, enabling upgrade of the F-15Es with the 389th and 391st FSs at Mountain Home by 2017. As well as the modified radar, the Strike Eagle will receive EPAWSS and ADCP II/VSD modifications in common with the F-15C. Fielding is scheduled to begin in 2018. The USAF plans to spend some $2.2 billion on updating the Strike Eagle fleet through the FYDP. Besides the two squadrons assigned to the 366th FW at Mountain Home, F-15Es are operated by the 4th FW at Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina, which is responsible for two combat-coded squadrons and two tasked as Strike Eagle FTUs. An associate AFRC squadron also operates 4th FW aircraft. Strike Eagles are based at RAF Lakenheath, where two squadrons are assigned to the 48th FW. Three active duty and two AFRC squadrons carry out test and evaluation, tactics development and graduate-level training duties.

Viper

Universally known as the ‘Viper’, the F-16 was developed as part of the Lightweight Fighter (LWF) programme. The General Dynamics Model 401 first flew as the YF-16 in February 1974 and was selected as the basis for the USAF’s Air Combat Fighter (ACF) campaign. The F-16A first flew in December 1976 and deliveries to the 58th Tactical Training Wing at Luke AFB, Arizona, began in August 1978. The first operational F-16A was delivered to the 388th TFW at Hill AFB, Utah, in January 1979. In 1983 production switched to the F-16C,

Above: By August 2020, 152 Raptors will have been upgraded with the latest capabilities to improve the jet’s survivability. There are two F-22 squadrons based at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, the 27th FS and 94th FS. Rick Llinares

Abbreviations AAF-Army Air Field; AATC ANG/AFRC Test Center; ACA-Aerospace Control Alert; ACC-Air Combat Command; ADS - Air Demonstration Squadron; AETC Air Education and Training Command; AFB Air Force Base; AFNORTH Air Forces North; AFMC Air Force Materiel Command; AFRC Air Force Reserve Command; AFTC Air Force Test Center; AGRS Aggressor Squadron; ANG Air National Guard; ANGB Air National Guard Base; ANGS Air National Guard Station; AP Airport; ARB Air Reserve Base; ARS Air Reserve Station; AS Air Station; ATG Adversary Tactics Group; AWC Air Warfare Center; FG Fighter Group; FS Fighter Squadron; FW/OG Fighter Wing; FTU Formal Training Unit; MAP Municipal Airport; NAF Naval Air Facility; NAS Naval Air Station ; OG Operations Group; RAP Regional Airport; TDY Temporary Duty; TEG Test & Evaluation Group; TES Test & Evaluation Squadron; TPS Test Pilot School; TW Test Wing; USAFE United States Air Forces Europe; USAFW/OGC USAF Weapons Center; USAFW/OGS USAF Weapons School; USCENTCOM U.S. Central Command; USEUCOM U.S. European Command; USPACOM U. S. Pacific Command; USSOUTHCOM US Southern Command; USSPACECOM U.S. Space Command; USSTRATCOM US Strategic Command; WEG Weapons Evaluation Group; WG Wing WPS Weapons Squadron

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US AIR FORCE TACTICAL AIRPOWER

The sleek lines of a 3rd Wing F-22A Raptor are clearly evident. All its missiles are housed in the aircraft’s internal weapons bay. This keeps the USAF’s premier jet as stealthy as possible. Ted Carlson

featuring AN/APG-68 radar and modified cockpit controls and displays. The first of the initial C-model, the Block 25, flew in June 1984 and was delivered the following month. The Block 25’s Pratt & Whitney F100-GE-200 turbofan was later upgraded to the more reliable F100-PW-220E configuration. Block 30/32 and subsequent F-16C/Ds are powered by either the General Electric F110-GE-100 turbofan (Block x0) or F100PW-220 (Block x2); the engines are not interchangeable. The Block 40/42 aircraft were the first capable of carrying LANTIRN pods. Block 50/52 aircraft were respectively powered by F110-GE-129 and F100-PW-229 Improved Performance Engines. Block 50D/52D jets were equipped with the High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM) avionics/launcher interface computer (ALIC) and the AN/ASQ-213 HARM Targeting System (HTS), which provided full autonomous employment of the AGM-88 missile. As well as AIM-9 and AIM-120 missiles, the Block 50/52 is compatible with a variety of precision laser and GPS-guided weapons and

AN/AAQ-28 Litening and AN/AAQ-33 Sniper targeting pods. The latter capability has also been ‘back-fitted’ to the Block 30/32s. Between 2002 and 2011 an upgrade known as the Common Configuration Implementation Program (CCIP) provided enhanced mission capabilities and integrated a common avionics configuration for more than 200 Block 50/52 and 420 Block 40/42 F-16C/Ds. It installed a new MMC, colour displays, common missile warning systems, advanced data link IFF systems and the Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS). Lockheed purchased the General Dynamics Fort Worth division in 1993 and, as Lockheed Martin, delivered the last of 2,231 USAF F-16s in 2005; more than 950 remain in service. The inventory primarily comprises Block 30/32, 40/42 and 50/52 aircraft, but a small number of Block 25s continue to support test and training missions. The F-16C remains the USAF’s primary multi-role fighter, representing 50% of its tactical fleet. The USAF intends to invest $1 billion across the FYDP on upgrades and modernisation plans, including an SLEP enabling the Viper to remain in service until at least 2025. The SLEP will extend the airframe structural service life of 300 aircraft from the current 8,000 to more than 10,000 hours, adding eight to ten years’ service life. It is initially planned for Block 40/42 and 50/52 aircraft and was originally included in the cancelled Combat Avionics Programmed Extension Suite (CAPES), which also included AESA radar. The F-16’s modular mission computer (MMC), programmable display generator (PDG) and MIDS will also be upgraded and updates to the operational flight programme (OFP) will enable new weapons, avionics and improved targeting pods to be integrated. In response to an urgent operational need (UON) submitted by NORTHCOM, the USAF is reconsidering options for integrating AESA radar on Block 30 and later F-16Cs. Active duty squadrons fly Block 40 and 50 F-16Cs, while 12 ANG and three AFRC squadrons fly Block 30, 40, 42 and 50 jets operationally. Personnel assigned to active duty fighter groups also operate and maintain

the F-16s of the ANG and AFRC units. Seven active duty, one AFRC and four ANG squadrons are tasked as FTUs, while seven active duty and two AFRC squadrons conduct test and evaluation, tactics development and graduatelevel training. The USAF Air Demonstration Squadron, the Thunderbirds, also flies F-16C/Ds.

Raptor

Stationed at Tyndall AFB, Florida, the 325th FW serves as the Raptor FTU. It received its first F-22A in September 2003 and the initial assignment to a combat-coded squadron occurred when deliveries to the 1st FW at Langley AFB began in May 2005. The Raptor achieved full operational capability, at Langley, in December 2007 and Lockheed Martin delivered the final aircraft to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, in May 2012. The Raptor is operational with five combatcoded active duty squadrons at Tyndall, Langley and Elmendorf. Additionally, F-22As are assigned to a single ANG unit at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. Associate squadrons at each of the facilities include one active duty, one ANG and two AFRC units. A single squadron at Tyndall serves as the FTU and four active duty and one AFRC squadron conduct test and evaluation, tactics development and graduate-level training. Air Combat Command’s plans originally called for the acquisition of 648 Raptors, but production was curtailed and only 195 were delivered. Whereas the baseline Increment 1 aircraft was designed as an air superiority fighter, Increment 2 jets featured a Global Strike Basic capability and all operational aircraft had been updated to that configuration by 2009. The update enabled employment of AIM-9M and AIM-120C air-to-air missiles and two 1,000lb GBU-31 JDAMs, upgraded the IFDL and enhanced connectivity with other Raptors. Despite cutting back the number of production aircraft, the Air Force committed to an incremental upgrade plan for the Raptor. Increment 3.1 added advanced air-to-ground capabilities, including a SAR ground-mapping mode for the Raptor’s Northrop Grumman AN/APG-77 radar. Additionally, EA and threat geolocation capabilities enable it to

An F-22 Raptor lands at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, on August 28, 2015, as part of the inaugural F-22 training deployment to Europe. Four F-22s from the 95th FS at Tyndall AFB were part of the European Reassurance Initiative and will serve to assure allies of the Air Force’s commitment to European security and stability. USAF/Staff Sgt Chad Warren

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DIGITAL SAMPLE AFM 2016 45

US AIR FORCE TACTICAL AIRPOWER

A 61st FS F-35A prepares to touch down at Luke AFB, fitted with two dummy GBU-12s. Joe Copalman

locate enemy radars. The fighter also gained the capability to deliver up to eight 250lb GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs (SDBs). Increment 3.2 upgrades are separated into a series of smaller packages and Increment 3.2A, which should be fielded by October 2017, is a software upgrade. It provides additional enhanced electronic protection and improved communications, including a Link 16 data link receive mode and enhanced combat identification and targeting capabilities. Increment 3.2B production will begin in 2016 and its hardware and software updates are scheduled for fielding from 2018. By August 2020, 152 Raptors will have had the upgrades. They will improve the IFDL and enhanced stores management system (ESMS), upgrade emitter geolocation and electronic protection capabilities and integrate AIM-9X and AIM-120D. The USAF is also moving forward with plans to equip Raptor pilots with a Helmet-Mounted Display and Cueing System (HMDCS) by 2020. The early Block 10 Production Representative Test Vehicle and Block 10 and 20 aircraft from LRIP Lots 1, 2 and 3 were upgraded to a common Block 20 configuration under the Common Configuration Program (CCP), which added computer memory, faster processors and new power supplies. Additionally, 39 Block 20 aircraft from Lots 3 and 4 will be upgraded to Block 30/35 configuration. Ultimately, when modifications are complete, the Raptor fleet will include 139 combat-

coded Block 30/35s, 32 training Block 20s, 12 development test/operational test (DT/OT) Block 20/30/35s and two pre-block test aircraft. Raptors assigned to the 1st FW’s 27th FS flew the F-22A’s first combat missions, against IS targets under Operation Inherent Resolve, on September 22, 2014. The type’s initial strike mission delivered GPS-guided munitions against a command and control facility in Raqqa, Syria.

Lightning II

The multi-role F-35A JSF, or Lightning II, is the centrepiece of the USAF’s future fighter precision attack capability and will form the backbone of its force. Complementing the F-22A’s air superiority capabilities, it is designed to penetrate air defences and deliver a wide range of PGMs. A single F-35 prototype was followed by four production-representative ‘weight optimised’ F-35As built as part of the system design and development (SDD) contract; the first of them took its maiden flight in November 2009. The first flight of the initial LRIP F-35A followed in February 2011 and deliveries to the Integrated Training Center at Eglin AFB, Florida, began in July 2011. The F-35A is powered by the Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 turbofan and features the Northrop Grumman AN/APG-81 AESA radar, Lockheed Martin AN/AAQ-40 Electro Optical Targeting System (EOTS) and Northrop Grumman AN/AAQ-37 electro-optical

An F-35A from the 61st FS ‘Top Dogs’ taxies back to the squadron’s ramp at Luke AFB. Air Force F-35 pilots are currently sourced from the A-10, F-15C, F-15E, and F-16 communities. Joe Copalman

46 AFM 2016 DIGITAL SAMPLE

Distributed Aperture System (DAS). The radar has 32 operating modes, including air-to-air, air-to-ground, maritime, EW, navigation and weather. The EOTS is an all-weather active targeting sensor supporting air-to-air and air-to-ground missions and the DAS is a passive infrared sensor that relies on six high-resolution infrared cameras embedded in the airframe to provide a spherical day/ night vision capability that allows the pilot to ‘see’ directly below and behind the aircraft. As well as short-range IRST, DAS warns of approaching missiles, locates the point of origin of a missile launch and delivers navigation imaging. Imagery is displayed on the aircraft’s panoramic cockpit display (PCD) and the pilot’s Helmet-Mounted Display System (HMDS). Developed from the F-22A’s BAE Systems AN/ALR-94, the F-35’s AN/ASQ-239 EW system performs several functions, including radar warning, emitter location, direction finding and electronic countermeasures. Sensor fusion provides the capability to search, detect, track and identify targets of interest using individual or multiple sensors that can be directed against a single track. Three data links facilitate information sharing with other platforms and the Multifunction Advanced Data Link (MADL) shares sensor data with other Lightning IIs. The jet has 11 weapons stations: three under each wing, two in each of its two bays and one on the fuselage centreline. The F-35A can carry 18,000lb (8,165kg) of ordnance and is equipped with an internal four-barrel 25mm GAU-22/A cannon. The first fully capable Block 4 F-35As are expected to enter service in 2021. Although the configuration is still being developed, Lockheed Martin has proposed the incorporation of an Advanced EOTS to deliver improved targeting capabilities. The system includes short-wave infrared and high-definition television capabilities along with an infrared marker and improved resolution, which will make for increased recognition and detection ranges. The Block 4 could also include a number of additional weapons, among them the Raytheon GBU-53/B SDB II, the Kongsberg/ Raytheon Joint Strike Missile (JSM) and the B61-12 guided nuclear bomb, which is under development by Boeing, the USAF and the National Nuclear Security Administration.

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US AIR FORCE TACTICAL AIRPOWER The USAF plans to achieve IOC between August and December 2016. It will be realised when the first operational squadron is equipped with between 12 and 24 aircraft and personnel capable of conducting basic CAS, interdiction and limited suppression and destruction of enemy air defence (SEAD/ DEAD) operations in a contested environment. The jets will be equipped with Block 3I software. Full combat capabilities, including data link imagery, a complete weapons set and embedded training, will be delivered with the subsequent Block 3F release in late 2017. The first eight LRIP lots include 110 F-35As, and more than 80 aircraft have been delivered to the USAF at five bases. Training is the responsibility of the 33rd FW at Eglin and the 56th FW at Luke AFB, which received its first aircraft in March 2014. The last of 26 F-35As was delivered to Eglin in May 2014. Three active duty squadrons provide training, including two at Luke responsible for instructing pilots from partner nations. Four squadrons conduct test and evaluation, tactics development and graduate-level training duties. Testing continues at Edwards AFB and Nellis AFB, where advanced training and tactics development is under way. The first two operational F-35As were fielded to the 388th FW at Hill AFB on September 1, 2015. The USAF recently announced that Eielson AFB and RAF Lakenheath had been selected as the first OCONUS (Outside the Contiguous US) bases to support the F-35A. Each will host 48 fighters with two squadrons; Eielson’s first Lightning IIs are scheduled to arrive in 2019 and Lakenheath’s in 2020.

Predators and Reapers

The USAF operates a large number of unmanned remotely piloted aircraft (RPAs) capable of carrying out precision strike missions. The systems are often forward-deployed with their Mission Control Element (MCE) located thousands of miles away from the Launch And Recovery Element (LRE) or the combat arena. Numerous MCEs are located throughout the CONUS, operated by active duty units and those of the ANG and AFRC. First deployed to Bosnia in July 1995 as an ISR platform, the General Atomics RQ-1A Predator later gained a strike capability, resulting in assignment of the revised MQ-1B designation, first fielded in 2002 (the Department of Defense uses the ‘R’ role designator to indicate reconnaissance and the ‘M’ designator for multi-role; ‘Q’ refers to unmanned). The final

An MQ-9 Reaper modified for extended range, from the 62nd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron, sits on the ramp at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan on December 6, 2015. The ER modification enables an additional 20 to 40% of flying time dependent on the aircraft’s load out. USAF/Tech Sgt Robert Cloys

Predator was delivered in March 2011. The type has seen combat over Afghanistan, Bosnia, Iraq, Libya, Serbia, Somalia, Syria and Yemen. Predator is equipped with the AN/AAS-52 Multi-Spectral Targeting System (MTS-A), which integrates an infrared sensor; colour/ monochrome daylight TV camera; imageintensified TV camera; and laser designator and illuminator. Full-motion video from each of its imaging sensors can be viewed as separate video streams, or fused. The aircraft can employ two laser-guided AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-ground missiles. Although more than 140 Predators are currently operated by 13 active duty, six ANG and three AFRC units, the RPA will be phased out by 2018. General Atomics developed the Predator B in 1999 and it first took to the air at the company’s flight operations facility in El Mirage, California, in February 2001. After purchasing two Predator Bs in October 2001 to assess their advantages over the baseline Predator, the USAF initially acquired four pre-production examples. Assigned the designation MQ-9A Reaper in service, the new aircraft is larger than Predator A and powered by a single Honeywell TPE331 turboprop, which enables operation at higher altitudes than Predator. The MQ-9A therefore operates at greater stand-off ranges and provides coverage for longer periods. Reaper and Predator share a common avionics system and ground control station,

but the former also features triple redundant avionics and dual mechanical control systems. Viewed as a hunter/killer, the MQ-9A is equipped with the AN/AAS-52 MTS-B and AN/ APY-8 Lynx II radar, which includes SAR and ground/dismount moving target indicator (GMTI/DMTI) modes. Its four wing hardpoints carry a 3,000lb (1,361kg) payload of laserguided Hellfires, 500lb GBU-12 Paveway II LGBs, GBU-38 JDAMs and GBU-54 LJDAMs. The USAF recently began fielding the Extended Range (ER) Reaper, capable of carrying external fuel tanks and equipped with heavyweight landing gear, a four-bladed propeller and a new fuel management system. Endurance is increased from 27 to between 33 and 35 hours. General Atomics is producing a revised Block 5 MQ-9A for the USAF and the operational fleet is being updated to this latest configuration. The Block 5 incorporates improved main landing gear for operations at heavier gross weights, an upgraded and more powerful electrical system, an additional encrypted data link, a redesigned avionics bay and a digital electronic engine control system along with new lightweight bomb racks and a high-definition video capability. Operationally the MQ-9A was first fielded in March 2007. It deployed to Afghanistan in September that year and completed its first combat strike in late October. Almost 250 Reapers are in service with 13 active duty, afm ten ANG and four AFRC squadrons.

The MQ-9 Reaper is part of a remotely piloted aircraft system. This fully operational system consists of several sensor/weapon-equipped aircraft, a ground control station, Predator primary satellite link, and spare equipment along with operations and maintenance crews for deployed 24-hour missions. USAF/432nd Wing

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AIRCRAFT PROFILE Sukhoi Su-34 Fullback

T

he Sukhoi Su-34 (ASCC/NATO reporting name Fullback) is a supersonic tactical attack and suppression of enemy air defences (SEAD) aircraft endowed with a significant air-to-air capability. It is also equipped as an escort jamming platform and is expected to take over some of the conventional long-range strike missions previously assigned to the now depleted Tu-22M3 Backfire-C fleet of the Russian Air and Space Forces’ (RuASF’s) Long-Range Aviation branch.

Below: The Su-34’s cockpit is configured with the pilot seated on the left and the weapons systems operator to the right. This is a view into the Fullback simulator produced by Zhukovsky-based AO TsNTU Dynamika Company. AO TsNTU Dynamika via author

Origins

Development work on a new attack aircraft to replace the swing-wing

Su-24/24M Fencer in Soviet Air Force service began in the mid-1980s, with the aim of placing the new type into service in the early to mid-1990s. The first Soviet Government decree tasking the Sukhoi Design Bureau to develop a dedicated two-seat frontal bomber derived from the Su-27 Flanker dates back to June 1986. The first prototype, initially designated as the Su-27IB and bearing the internal Sukhoi designation T10V-1 (serial number 42), used the baseline fuselage of the Su-27UB Flanker-C. It featured an all-new flat nose section, while the rest of the fuselage and all general systems remained unchanged. Assembled

Left: This is the longest ‘tail sting’ of the Su-27 based derivatives – the one in the Fullback houses an APU and self-protection equipment. All images by author unless stated Right: A production-standard Fullback fitted with an external tank (used only for ferry flights) arrives on its delivery flight to the 47th SAP at Voronezh-Baltimor in January 2013. The jet is trailing the Su-34’s distinctive twin brake chutes. UAK via author

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FULLBACK

FULL AHEAD The duck-nosed Su-34 is set to become the mainstay tactical bomber of the Russian Air and Space Forces. It should gain even greater importance later this decade when it is scheduled to take on wider reconnaissance and electronic attack roles, as Alexander Mladenov explains.

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AIRCRAFT PROFILE Sukhoi Su-34 Fullback

Above: An Su-34 belonging to the 47th SAP is escorted over the Baltic Sea by RAF Typhoons from 6 (F) Squadron, which were scrambled from RAF Lossiemouth, Scotland to intercept four Fullbacks on July 24, 2015. MOD

at the company’s experimental plant in Moscow, the aircraft made its first flight on April 13, 1990 at Zhukovsky airfield near Moscow, in the capable hands of Sukhoi test pilot Anatoliy Ivanov. The second prototype, T10V-2 (serial 43), featured a much refined airframe design, broadly similar to that of the follow-on pre-production and production aircraft. It was assembled at the Novosibirskoye Aviatsionnoye Proizvodstvenoye Obedinenie (Novosibirsk Aviation Production Enterprise – NAPO) aircraft production plant in Novosibirsk (part of the Sukhoi company since 2013) and took to the air for the first time on December 18, 1993. The bitter realities of the turbulent post-Soviet era in Russia caused serious slippage in the Fullback’s development and testing schedule through systematic underfunding, despite the high priority assigned to the project. By the early 2000s only six aircraft – two prototypes and four pre-production machines – had been built for the notably protracted joint state test and evaluation programme.

A batch of four pre-production aircraft, intended for use in the Fullback’s extensive flight testing and evaluation campaign, followed the two prototypes. Designated T10V-4 to -7 (serialled 44 to 47), they took to the air between December 1994 and December 2000. Meanwhile, a fifth airframe from this pre-production batch, T10V-3, was used for static tests. The RuAF’s 929th GLITs (Gosudarstvenniy LyotnoIspytael’niy Tsentr – State Flight Test Centre) at Akhtubinsk completed the first stage of the T10V’s joint state flight testing and evaluation programme in 2006, using the two T10V prototypes and the four pre-series examples. This enabled production to begin – the first five productionstandard aircraft, serialled 01 to 05, rolling out in 2006 (one), 2007 (one), 2008 (one) and 2009 (two). These early-production machines were earmarked for the second and more comprehensive phase of joint state flight testing and evaluation, which began in 2006 and was completed in 2011. In the event, 01 and 03 were

involved in the state test and evaluation programme, while 02, 04 and 05 joined the 4th TsBPiPLS (Tsentr Boevogo Primenenia i Pereuchyvanya Letnogo Sostava – combat training and aircrew conversion centre) at Lipetsk for so-called experimental operation – including the development of new tactics, techniques and procedures – and the conversion training of an initial instructor cadre.

Designation Games

The Su-34 designation appeared in December 1993, when T10V-2 flew for the first time. Then, in June 1995, the Su-32FN export version was used for promotional purposes at the Paris Air Show. Featuring the Leninets Sea Dragon mission suite, this radically redesigned Su-27 derivative was touted as a land-based supersonic naval strike and reconnaissance aircraft capable of countering surface ships and submarines. In 1999, the Fullback was presented under yet another designation, Su-32MF, and promoted as a multi-role fighter for engaging air and ground targets.

The following year, the new aircraft was demonstrated at Farnborough International Air Show in a bid to attract international customers; none have been reported. So far, the Fullback has only been built for the Russian air arm and seems unlikely to find an export market, at least in the near-to-medium term.

Design Features

The Su-34 retains the general aerodynamic configuration of the Su-27UB but features an all-new fuselage structure, enabling the accommodation of bulky, heavy targeting equipment in its forward fuselage and nose sections, as well as more fuel. All the main airframe structural members have been strengthened to withstand the aircraft’s increased operating weight. Nevertheless, the Su-34 retains much of its predecessor’s impressive manoeuvrability. The new forward fuselage seats the crew in a side-by-side cockpit arrangement, the pilot occupying the left-hand seat with the weapons system operator (WSO) to the right,

Above: One of the wingtip pods used by the twin-pod L265 Khibini-M ECM system. It can help protect against radar threats and enables one Su-34 within a formation to function as a high-speed escort jammer. Right: The Fullback is equipped with tandem-wheeled bogies on the main undercarriage units which are designed to withstand the increased operating weight when landing with unused weapons. Additionally, the wheel arrangement allows for operations from rough airstrips normally found at FOBs. Chris Lofting

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‘ex-Fencer drivers who have converted to the Fullback report that its ride is noticeably rougher than Su-24M’s under the same conditions.’ Su-34 Fullback Specifications Wing span:

48ft 3in (14.07m)

Length without probe:

76ft 7in (23.36m)

Length overall:

81ft 4in (24.80m)

Canard span:

21ft (6.40m)

Height:

20ft (6.08m)

Wing area:

667sq ft (62m2)

Maximum take-off weight:

99,400lb (45,100kg)

Normal operating weight:

92,594b (42,000kg)

Empty weight:

48,488lb (22,000kg)

Maximum weapon load:

17,637lb (8,000kg)

Normal weapon load:

8,819lb (4,000kg)

Maximum internal fuel load:

26,676lb (12,100kg)

Maximum external fuel load:

15,873lb (7,200kg)

Maximum speed at sea level, clean:

755kts (1,400km/h)

Maximum speed at sea level with external stores:

594kts (1,100km/h)

Maximum speed at high altitude:

1,025kts (1,900km/h)

Maximum operating speed:

Mach 1.8

Landing speed:

135kts (250km/h)

Practical ceiling:

45,930ft (14,000m)

Ferry range:

2,157nm (4,000km)

Combat radius with 8,818lb (4,000kg) warload at low altitude on internal fuel:

324nm (600km)

Combat radius with 8,818lb (4,000kg) warload at low altitude with external fuel:

610nm (1,130km)

Take-off distance:

4,134ft (1,260m)

Landing distance:

3,610ft (1,100m)

G limit:

+7

Powerplant from 2010:

Two Saturn AL-31F-M1 turbofans each rated at 29,754lb (132.44kN) thrust with full afterburner and 16,751lb (74.56kN) thrust dry. In 2014, the uprated AL-31F-M2 was tested, developing 31,950lb (142.24kN) in full afterburner

Above: The duck-shaped nose contains the V004 radar set, designed and produced by Leninets Holding. Its wealth of air-to-air modes and poor weather targeting enable the Su-34s to be used as fighter-interceptors when necessary removing the need for Fullbacks to be escorted on bombing missions.

as on the Su-24. It also mounts canard foreplanes similar to those of the carrier-borne Su-27K. The Su-34 features the Su-27K’s sharp leading edge root extensions forward of the foreplanes, which generate stable vortices that interact with the fins to improve yaw stability in high angle-of-attack flight. The canards help restore the aerodynamic balance altered by the Su-34’s much-heavier nose and forward sections compared to those of the Su-27UB, improve its manoeuvrability and relieve fuselage stress caused by turbulence in ultra-low-level flight (the canards automatically move in response). In fact, the Su-34’s relatively low wing loading affects its stability at low level, and ex-Fencer pilots who have converted to the Fullback report that its ride is noticeably rougher than Su-24M’s under the same conditions. The side-by-side seating proven

on the Fencer is claimed to provide a considerably improved crew working environment compared to the tandem layout of the Su-27UB and Su-30. The pilot and WSO can understand each other better in high-workload situations without the need to speak – body language provides sufficient communication and faster reaction times. With dual controls, the arrangement also facilitates cross-tasking. In addition, the Su-34’s cockpit is designed for better crew comfort, including an option to unstrap from the ejection seat and stand up to stretch or even take a brief nap during long-endurance missions. The K-36DM ejection seats have zero/zero capability, with ejection initiated after jettisoning the canopy panels. Cockpit access is via a door situated in the aft wall of the nosewheel bay. The all-new twin-wheel nose undercarriage has a revised retraction scheme compared to the Su-27’s. The main undercarriage features tandem-wheel bogies to support the increased landing weight and allow operations from rough surface runways. Another distinctive Su-34 feature is the notably enlarged tail boom, with increased diameter and length, used to incorporate additional equipment and systems. A twin brake ’chute to shorten the landing roll is housed on top of the fuselage, nestling between the engine nacelles. The fixed air intakes reduce complexity and weight. In combination with the powerful engines, they enable the ‘clean’ bomber to fly at a maximum speed of 755kts (1,400km/h) at sea level. A fully retractable in-flight refuelling probe is fitted as standard on the port side of nose. The Su-34’s airframe has a

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AIRCRAFT PROFILE Sukhoi Su-34 Fullback robust structure incorporating system redundancy to resist combat damage from small-arms fire and high-energy missile warhead fragments. The crew members sit deep inside a titanium ‘bathtub’ protecting them from direct hits, while some important systems also have ballistic protection. Reticulated polyurethane foam, for explosive wave and fire suppression, occupies a proportion of the fuel tank volume. The tanks are also lined with double-layer porous resin protectors that prevent large leaks if they are punctured by projectiles or shrapnel.

Targeting Suite

Seasoned RuASF test pilots have noted that, after a painful and protracted developmental test campaign, the Su-34 has turned out to be much more capable than its Su-24M predecessor. This may turn out to be especially true in terms of guided and unguided weapons accuracy, mission radius and the variety of guided weapons it has been cleared to carry. The flattened, elliptical-section nose radome houses a passive phased-array multi-mode radar. The Sh-141 weapons control system, based on the V004 radar set and designed and produced by Leninets Holding of St Petersburg, is the principal targeting sensor in poor weather, using a 1,250 × 850mm (49 × 33in) fixed antenna and offering a plethora of air-to-surface and air-to-air modes in addition to weather and navigation functions. The radar is optimised for the long-range detection and tracking of surface targets and obtaining their co-ordinates for subsequent employment of precision-guided munitions. According to Russian sources, its detection range against small radar-cross section (RCS) ground targets is 81 to 110nm (150 to 200km), while range against fighter-sized targets is up to 65nm (120km). It can engage two targets simultaneously in the air-toground mode and four in the air-to-air mode when deploying R-77-1 active-radar-guided air-to-air missiles (AAMs). The Sh-141 system also offers automatic terrain following and avoidance – this gives the Fullback an automatic transonic, ultralow-level penetration capability. In the past, rumours abounded over the possible installation of aft-looking radar in the Su-34’s tail ‘sting’, but no such system has

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Above: The Su-34 is a fast strike aircraft capable of reaching 870mph (1,400km/h) at sea level in a clean configuration; with a full war load its top speed is reduced to 685mph (1,100km/h). Andrey Zinchuk via author Below: The GNPP Region KAB-500S is a 1,100lb (500kg) satellite-guided bomb used by Su-34s in combat for the first time during the RuASF’s Syrian campaign against Islamic State (IS) – the first recorded drop was in early October 2015.

yet been spotted on a prototype or production-standard aircraft. The Fullback’s second targeting system is the UOMZ Platan TV/ laser optronic system, which enables the WSO to visually detect and track surface targets (including those initially acquired by the radar) by day and night. It also provides laser designation for the aircraft’s laser-guided munitions as well as targeting cues for launching or dropping the entire range of electro-optic (EO) and unguided munitions. Platan is built into the forward fuselage and ‘sees’ through a retractable sensor mounted between the forward ends of the engine trunks (it is stowed flush inside the fuselage to reduce drag when not in use). The package includes a

Above: This Su-34 ‘Red 29’ from the 47th SAP based at Voronezh-Baltimor lands at Tchernyakhovsk airfield in the Kaliningrad enclave during the Zapad-2013 air exercise that September. Andrey Zinchuk via author

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‘The Sh-141 system also offers automatic terrain following and avoidance – this gives the Fullback an automatic transonic, ultra-low-level penetration capability.’ high-magnification TV camera (with image enhancement and low-light capabilities) slaved to a laser rangefinder/designator. The sensors look forwards and downwards through a system of three optically-flat windows. Compared to the state-of-theart podded targeting systems commonly used in air-to-air and air-to-surface modes in the West, the bulky, heavy Platan is tailored for air-to-surface work and suffers from restricted steering capability. The pilot is unable to perform defensive manoeuvring after releasing a laser-guided bomb or missile without fear of ‘breaking lock’. No official information has been released on Platan performance, but its steering parameters are most likely similar to those of the Su-24M’s Kaira-24 targeting system– so the sensor package is probably steerable through +6 to -140 degrees in elevation (in the vertical plane) and +/-12 degrees in azimuth (the horizontal plane), enabling laser-guided bomb and missile employment from level flight. It is believed the TV sensor has a useful target detection range of up to 5.4nm (10km) in the best visibility conditions. Platan also features the GRPZ ATT auto-tracking device, capable of simultaneously tracking two targets selected by the WSO, for engagement with laser- or EO-guided weapons. Targeting and navigation information, and weapons cues,

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Recce & Electronic Attack Fullbacks

Above: A Fullback four-ship from the Lipetsk training centre in close formation during the large air display held to celebrate the Russian Air Force’s 100th anniversary in September 2012.

are displayed on five multifunction colour displays in the cockpit – three for the navigator and two for the pilot. The pilot also has an ILS-2 monochromatic HUD (an improved derivative of the 1970s-vintage ILS-31 used on the Su-27 and MiG29) for flying and employing forward-firing weapons. The jet’s flight/navigation avionics suite was integrated by Ramenskoye Priborostroitel’noye Konstruktorskoye Buro (RPKB – Ramenskoye Instrument Design Bureau) and incorporates inertial and satellite navigation systems as well as short-range and instrument landing aids. An open-architecture system with

future growth capability, it is driven by dual Baget-53 highspeed processors, while data exchange is based on GOST R 52070-2004 digital data buses, equivalent to MIL-STD-1553B. The integrated self-protection suite includes the L150 Pastel radar homing and warning receiver system (RHAWS), a battery of seven 24-round APP-50A chaff/flare dispensers (using downwards-firing 50mm cartridges installed on the lower part of the tail sting) and, housed in the fuselage and wingtip pods, the L265 Khibini-M active radar jammer system, which replaced the less powerful L175M Khibini-10 in 2011.

In addition to complete replacement of the Su-24M/M2 in RuASF service, the Su-34 is also to take over the missions of the five squadrons of Su-24MR Fencer-E recce aircraft. The capability will be embodied in standard Su-34s modified to house the Sych podded recce system. It is being developed and tested in three versions, sharing a common body with different sensor sets, recording equipment and data links. Developed by Orenburg-based PO Strela, the pod is carried on a deep under-fuselage centreline pylon. The initial version will facilitate electro-optical recce, the second will employ side-looking synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and the third will carry an electronic intelligence (Elint) payload. The first order for developmental testing covers eight units: two for ELINT, three with EO equipment and three with SAR. The first Sych pod, apparently equipped with SAR, began test flights in late 2014 or early 2015. It was first seen in May 2015, on an early-production Su-34 (T10V-7, serialled 47) of the 929th GLITs during a deployment to Kubinka airfield near Moscow. Based on progress to date, it is estimated that development, testing and entry into service of the three Sych versions will take some time and that first deliveries to the frontline Su-34 squadrons are unlikely before late 2017.

Electronic Attack The Su-34’s ability to provide group protection is possible through integration of the powerful KNIRTI Khibini electronic countermeasures (ECM) system with radar warning and jamming functions, as tested for the first time on the Su-34 in January 1995. The L175M Khibini-10V uses internally mounted components in addition to wingtip pods, each 15ft 11in (4.85m) long and 1ft (0.3m) in diameter. Each pod weighs 661lb (300kg) and is capable of jamming in forward and rear hemispheres within a 45˚ cone. The system uses digital radio frequency memory (DRFM) technology and provides multichannel jamming. The new L265 Khibini-M fitted to later production aircraft is promoted as being designed for group protection, enabling the Su-34 to fly as an escort jammer. Two pods are used for individual protection while a four-pod configuration provides effective formation protection. Russian sources,say the latter covers 4 to 18 GHz frequencies. 

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AIRCRAFT PROFILE Sukhoi Su-34 Fullback Weapon Selection

The Su-34 is capable of employing a wider selection of air-to-surface guided weapons than any other Russian tactical aircraft. Stores are carried on three hardpoints under the fuselage, eight under the wings and two on the wingtips. The aircraft’s guided munitions load includes up to six 500kg (1,100lb) KAB-500L or three 1,500kg (3,300lb) KAB-1500L laser-guided bombs or their KAB-500Kr and KAB-1500Kr EO-guided equivalents. The short-range missile selection includes up to six Kh-29L (AS-14 Kedge), Kh-25ML (AS-10 Karen) or S-25LD laser-guided missiles or one Kh-29T EO-guided missile. Long-range air-to-surface weapons include the Kh-59M (AS-13 Kingbolt) and -59M2 (AS-18 Kazoo) TV-guided missiles (up to three), with manin-the-loop guidance in the terminal phase of flight for precise targeting via a data link pod. Anti-ship capabilities are becoming possible through the integration of the Mach-3 Kh-31A and -31AD (AS-17 Krypton) missile, while for the suppression of enemy air defences (SEAD) mission the Su-34 employs Kh-31P, -31PM or -31PD high-speed anti-radiation missiles and the

In Combat The Su-34 Fullback received its baptism of fire during the August 2008 war that took place between Russia and Georgia over South Ossetia. Two aircraft, assigned to the 929th GLITs, were called into action to support Russian SEAD operations. One took on Georgian military radars with Kh-31P anti-radar missiles while the other escorted Su-24M Fencer formations attacking targets deep inside Georgian territory, using its L175 Khibini active radar jamming system.

The jammer proved effective, preventing air defence radars from locking-on to aircraft in the protected formations. It also suppressed the launch of radar-guided surface-toair missiles from 9K37 Buk (SA-11 Gadfly) systems. In the autumn of 2012, Su-34s from an undisclosed unit (anti-terrorist missions are regarded as top secret) were used against insurgent bases in Dagestan and Ingushetia, Russian republics in the troubled North Caucasus. Flown in various weather

conditions, the strikes employed guided weapons and the Platan system. They destroyed insurgent camps and sometimes proved very challenging in the difficult mountainous terrain. According to RuASF sources, all targets were hit. The Su-34’s deployment in the attacks could lead to the conclusion that, by 2012, the type had reached an acceptable level of operational readiness, with sufficiently reliable targeting systems and well trained crews. 

Pictured between combat sorties, Fullback ‘Red 21’ is one of a number from the 47th SAP deployed to Latakia/Bassel al-Assad Air Base in Syria for combat missions against IS, (See News, p26-27). Russian MOD

Above: The T10V-5, coded ‘45’, was the second pre-production Su-34 used in the type’s extensive testing and evaluation trials at the RuASF’s 929 GLITs (State Flight Testing Institute) at Akhtubinsk in southern Russia. Sukhoi via author Below: A look at the Fullback’s extensive air-to-air arsenal, which in theory, can include ten air-to-air missiles. Here the second pre-production aircraft carries a weapon load of eight air-to-air missiles; two R-77-1s, two R-73s and four R-27ERs along with two Kh-31 anti-ship missiles and one KAB-1500L laserguided bomb under the belly. Sukhoi via author

Above: The first Su-34 production order placed in 2008 called for an initial delivery of 32 Su-34s; a second order in March 2012 added a further 92 examples. All of these Fullbacks are intended to replace the ageing strike Fencers currently in RuASF service on a one-to-one basis. Andrey Zinchuk via author

54 AFM 2016 DIGITAL SAMPLE

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‘The Fullback can also use the entire range of Russian unguided bombs and rockets and retains the Su-27’s standard GSh-301 30mm cannon.’ Kh-58U (AS-11 Kilter) and -58UShK. The Su-34 has been tested with the 1,100lb (500kg) KAB-500S munition analogous to the US Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) series of satellite/INS-guided bombs. According to Boris Obnosov, director general of the Tactical Missile Armament Corp, the company has developed a 3,300lb(1,500kg) satellite/INS-guided bomb. In 2014, it was revealed that the Su-34 had already been tested with several new-generation Tactical Aviation Armament Corp guided missile types. Among them was the Kh-38M, an all-new modular air-launched missile compatible with several types of guidance system and warhead, plus the upgraded and extendedrange Kh-35D (AS-20 Kayak) anti-ship missile which uses a Terminal radar guidance system. The Kh-38M was commissioned into RuASF service in December 2012 and is known to have been tested in laser- (Kh-38ML), thermal imaging- (Kh-38MT) and active radar-guided (Kh-38MA) versions, while the Kh-38MK derivative uses INS and satellite guidance. The Kh-38M’s range is between 1.6 and 22nm (3 and 40km) and its warhead weighs 550lb (250kg). The Fullback can also use the

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Above: The Su-34 Fullback and the upgraded Su-24M Fencer-D currently form the backbone of the RuSAF’s frontal bomber fleet. Both types are seen formating behind an Il-78 Midas tanker ready to take on fuel. Andrey Zinchuk via author

entire range of Russian unguided bombs and rockets and retains the Su-27’s standard GSh-301 30mm cannon. Built into the starboard leading edge extension, the weapon fires at a maximum of 1,500 rounds per minute and carries 150 rounds. Maximum ordnance weight across the Su-34’s 13 stations is 17,637lb (8,000kg), although an overload option for 19,836lb (9,000kg) is possible with a reduced internal fuel load. Maximum loads for low- and medium-altitude ‘dumb’ bombing comprise 34 220lb (100kg) OFAB-100 fragmentation/

high-explosive bombs, 22 550lb (250kg) OFAB-250-270 bombs or 12 to 16 1,100lb (500kg) FAB-500 bombs. An alternative warload comprises seven KMGU-2 mine/bomblet dispensers. In ferry flight configuration the Su-34 can carry three PTB-300 external fuel tanks (one under the fuselage and two under the wings) for a total of 1,980 Imp gal (9,000 litres). The Su-34 is due to become the primary Frontal Aviation nuclear weapons platform, but no information has been made public. Nothing is known about atomic bomb types cleared or planned for

the Fullback because of the highly classified nature of the Russian nuclear weapons programmes. In the air-to-air role the Su-34 can be armed with between two and eight R-73 (AA-11 Archer) within visual range (WVR) heatseeking air-to-air missiles or their improved derivative, known under its project designation RVV-MD. Beyond visual range (BVR) air-toair capability is provided by up to six R-27R (AA-10 Alamo) or -27ER semi-active radar-homing missiles, two R-27ET heat-seeking missiles or up to eight active radar-guided R-77-1s (AA-12 Adder) or its improved derivative, the RVV-SD.

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AIRCRAFT PROFILE Sukhoi Su-34 Fullback RuASF Service

In December 2006, the two initial production-standard Su-34s were delivered to the 968th Instructional and Research Composite Regiment (Izsledovatel’sko-Instruktorsko Smeshannyi Aviatsionyi Polk – IISAP), assigned to the Lipetskbased 4th State Aviation Personnel Training and Field Testing Centre, for so-called experimental operation. Another Fullback was handed to the 929th GLITS for test work. The first production order in 2005 was for 18 aircraft, although only five had been delivered four years later before it was cancelled. A new contract, signed in October 2008, called for delivery of 32 Su-34s and was completed in 2013, while a third, dating from March 2012, added 92 more for delivery by 2020. The new bomber has been earmarked to equip no fewer than ten frontline squadrons flying the Su-24M or its upgraded derivatives; each will have 12 aircraft. Fullback regiments will have up to three squadrons. In 2010, NAPO built four aircraft, six in 2011, ten in 2012, 14 in 2013 and as many as 18 in 2014. Production plans for 2015 call for the delivery of 16 Su-34s, seven of which had been handed over by mid-August. The type was at last inducted into squadron service in February 2012, but only commissioned into RuASF service as a fully combat-capable air system as late as March 2014.

This notable event was only possible after a large number of design shortcomings had been overcome– along with resolution of teething problems reported during initial experimental and conversion training at the RuASF’s Lipetsk training centre and, later, the 47th Composite Aviation Regiment (Smeshannyi Aviatsionnyi Polk – SAP). The radar and complex targeting suite initially proved the main sources of problems, including hardware and software failures. In 2010, a capability upgrade package was tested on a 929th GLITS pre-series aircraft and the following year it was implemented on the NAPO production line. It included new software, uprated AL-31F-M1 engines, a vastly improved L150 RHAWS and a TA-14-130-35 APU inside the tail sting. Meanwhile the upgraded radar, designated Sh-141M, received new air-to-air modes. The improved Su-34, which retains the original designation, can be distinguished externally by the aerodynamic fence near each wingtip, installed to improve airflow.

Entry into service began with deliveries to one of the two bomber squadrons of the 1st Aviation Group of the 7000th Air Base, stationed at Voronezh-Baltimor, about 220nm (400km) south of Moscow. At the time, the 1st Air and Air Defence Command parented the 1st Aviation Group, but the former was subsequently remustered as the 6th and Air Defence Army, within the Western Military District (MD). By mid-2013, the 1st Aviation Group of the 7000th Air Base was reported to have completed transition to the new bomber, replacing the Su-24M in both its squadrons. In January 2014 the aviation group re-formed as the 47th SAP. In June that year it deployed Su-34s to Monchegorsk in Russia’s far north to practise firing R-73 and R-27 missiles against aerial targets and two months later the 47th SAP flew its first extended-range missions, over the Polar Ocean, reaching the North Pole with multiple air-to-air refuellings. Comparing the Su-34 to the Su-24M for the official Russian MOD newspaper, Krasnaya Zvezda (Red Star), 47th SAP pilots comment that, compared to its predecessor, the Fullback is very agile, easy to control and packed with computers that endow it with enormous combat capability. It is also noteworthy that aircraft produced after 2011 have demonstrated good

reliability and are said to be compliant with the requirements for mean time between failure (MTBF) set out in the RuASF’s original technical specification. The next frontline unit to take the Fullback was the 559th BAP (Bombardirovochnyi Aviatsionnyi Polk – Bomber Aviation Regiment). Stationed at Morozovsk, it is assigned to the 4th Air and Air Defence Army in the Southern MD. The first three aircraft arrived in November 2013 and four more in December. Last year the unit took 17 Su-34s, with another seven delivered by mid-August 2015. By the end of the year, the 559th BAP will have reached its full strength of 36 aircraft, distributed between three squadrons. Aircraft delivered from October 2014 onwards feature a new camouflage scheme dominated by an overall light blue tone, with white radome and wingtips. Those taken on strength between late 2011 and October 2014 had dark blue upper surfaces and light blue undersides, with white radome and fin tips. Between 2016 and 2020, the Su-34 is set to supersede the upgraded Su-24M2s serving with both bomber squadrons of the 277th BAP at Khurba in Russia’s Far East, the two bomber squadrons of the 2nd BAP at Shagol and the bomber squadron assigned to the 98th afm SAP at Monchegorsk.

Above: By mid-2013, the 47th SAP, the first frontline unit operating Fullbacks was reported to have completed its transition from the Su-24M Fencer. At the time, two units were equipped with Su-34s. Each squadron had 12 aircraft, however one was lost in a landing accident at Buturlinovka (see, Attrition, July 2015, p95) on June 4, 2015. At least six Fullbacks have been deployed to Syria for combat operations. AirTeamImages.com/Artyom Anikeev

56 AFM 2016 DIGITAL SAMPLE

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30/11/2016 14:15

848 NAS - SEA KING HC4

Jungle Kin The

MARINE officer glances at his watch ‘Train for the Arctic, AROYAL and looks to the sky – is the weather too for a helo extraction? Surrounding him is dress for the jungle, bad his patrol, young and highly experienced but after a heavy firefight behind enemy lines. sent to the desert’ tired They’re keen to vacate the area and get back to

A Sea King HC4 ZG821, callsign ‘Avenger 2’ flies low over Somerset for the media on one of the last training flights for the squadron. Despite their age, during the final few weeks of service the seven remaining helicopters of 848 NAS proved extremely reliable. All images Key – Glenn Sands

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the safety of their ship that’s waiting off shore. Within minutes thrashing rotors are heard in the distance and, out of the murkiness, the familiar sight of a Sea King looms into view. Low cloud, driving rain and enemy fire can’t stop this veteran from completing its trooping mission. After all, it’s been doing this work for three decades in all theatres, on all continents and on behalf of the UK’s defence interests. Versatility and reliability – that’s what the Sea King HC4 has become known for by those that fly it, fix it, or simply use it as a

‘cab’ to get around the battlefield. This veteran warrior was scheduled to leave the Royal Navy’s Commando Helicopter Force (CHF) in March this year and will be replaced by the Merlin HC4. The groundwork for this transition began nearly six years ago and for the last three this incredibly complex scheme has been overseen by the Commanding Officer of the CHF, Capt Niall Griffin MBE, a veteran Sea King HC4 pilot who began flying the helicopter in 1990. He described some aspects of the on-going transition to AFM: “There’s a lot going on, and has been for a couple of years, but now it’s reaching its conclusion in March when we start converting the last Sea King unit 848 Naval Air Squadron [NAS], here at RNAS Yeovilton, to the Merlin. But we’ll also be learning to convert the Merlins

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848 NAS - SEA KING HC4

King from a battlefield helicopter to a maritime platform. It’s been an absolute pleasure as I have seen personnel, the equipment and all the training from different angles melded together and woven in to ensure that, as we lose one capability, the next one is all ready to go before the Sea King HC4 retires. But yes, it’s a sad day.” The Sea King HC4 has been in every operational theatre to which the UK has deployed since the Falklands War in 1982. At that time the aircraft, having only recently entered service with the Fleet Air Arm, pioneered the use of flying on night-vision goggles. It continued to lead the way, introducing a multitude of systems and tactics over the following decades, many of which have been fitted to more modern types. For the aircrews that have flown into harm’s way, such as troops

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After 25 continuous operations on the front line with the Commando Helicopter Force, the Sea King HC4 will be withdrawn from service in March. For those who have flown and serviced the reliable warrior, it’s a momentous occasion tinged with sadness, as AFM’s Glenn Sands discovered when he visited 848 NAS at RNAS Yeovilton – the home of the ‘Junglies’.

retrieved under fire in Afghanistan, the withdrawal of the Sea King from the CHF brings out a wealth of emotions. Capt Griffin continued: “We added it up last year and the HC4 has spent the past 25 years being on constant operations somewhere around the globe, that in itself is unparalleled in terms of its contribution to UK defence. But equally important is the peace support and humanitarian aid work, as recently as Operation Patwin in the Philippines and Operation Gritrock in Sierra Leone. So the versatility of the aircraft is just incredible.”

Terrorism, Training and Tech The squadron has been operational only since

May 1, 2015 following the standing down of 845 NAS to enable it to convert to Merlins. Along with the pending retirement of the Sea King in March 2016, it would be right to assume the last year for 848 NAS has been relatively quiet. But nothing could be further from the truth, as Capt Griffin explained: “For us, these past few weeks have just been incredible. We’ve had five or six out of the seven aircraft on the line every single day waiting to be flown and some of these airframes have more than 10,000 hours, which is pretty high. I am sure their design life was probably one-third of this. “It was always the plan to keep the Sea King

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848 NAS - SEA KING HC4

‘Avenger 1’ and ‘Avenger 2’ make their way back to RNAS Yeovilton’s main hardstand after a local flight. The old-style instruments and gauges are clearly visible in the cockpit.

on the front line right up until the bitter end. With the types’ withdrawal from Afghanistan it enabled 848 NAS to support the maritime counter terrorism role (MCT), something the helicopter has always supported. But this time we have also been training the Merlin crews in this role. The MCT role passes over to the Merlin and the headquarters staff within 846 NAS - up until now it has entirely been run by 848 NAS - so we needed to make sure the Merlin crews are ready to go. Only last week we conducted a MCT exercise down in Portsmouth dockyard with the new helicopter crews doing exactly what they used to do in Sea Kings. Although this is all part of the wider FAA’s [Fleet Air Arm’s] role, 848 NAS has been the lead unit for some time, so it’s inevitable that this gets handed over to 846 NAS Merlin in March. “Along with this, we’ve also continued to conduct deck landings in order to keep the aircrews current. Our last embark was during Exercise Joint Warrior in early 2015 aboard HMS Ocean off the coast of Scotland. “It’s where the Sea King excelled - the versatility of having a medium-sized helicopter that can troop lift, carry underslung loads and support any additional role you’d want a helicopter to do. All this from a battlefield helicopter that is able to operate at sea – this is what makes the Sea King different.” When AFM asked if the Merlin would be as operationally effective as the HC4, there was a pause for thought by the Captain before he replied. “Well, crikey, there are quite a few things the Merlins bring to the CHF. Firstly, it’s far more modern, it’s bigger so you can carry more troops, you can sling more in terms of load lifting, it can go further and get you there a lot quicker. Add to that the avionics systems and upgrades in there and it brings us a far more modern up-to-date battlefield helicopter than the Sea King, which is why we are now replacing them. So it goes further, faster and does more

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Commando Helicopter Force - Operations Date

Op'

Location

Date

Jan '93 - Sep '93

Grapple

Former Yugoslavia

Nov '00 - May '01 Agricola

Kosovo

Dec '93

Angel

Former Yugoslavia

Nov '01 - Nov '02 Oracle

Afghanistan

Northern Ireland

Jan '03 - Feb '08

Iraq

Mar '93 - Nov '02 Banner Oct '93 - Jan '01

Op'

Location

Telic

Palatine/ Former Yugoslavia Occulus

Jun '02 - Nov '02 Palatine

Oct '98 - Nov '98

Tellar

Honduras & Nicaragua

Jul '06

Highbrow Lebanon

Jun - Nov '02

Palatine

Former Yugoslavia

Oct '07 - Oct '14

Herrick

Jul '04 - Mar '05

Occulus

Former Yugoslavia

May - Jun '00

Pallisar

Sierra Leone

Nov 2000

Silkman

Sierra Leone

Former Yugoslavia Afghanistan

Jun '11 - Sept '11 Ellemy

Libya

Dec '13

Patwin

Philippines

Nov '14 - Nov '15

Gritrock

Sierra Leone (Merlin)

Much, Much More with Less THE RETIREMENT of the Sea King HC4 also means the structure of the CHF is changing. Gone will be the three Sea King squadrons to be replaced by just two of Merlins, (see RAF Loses Last Merlins, Sept 2015, p62-63). For those on the outside this may seem like a backward step with far fewer helicopters available to support the Royal Marines, but Capt Griffin explained this was not the case. “We will have slightly fewer helicopters available when we switch to the Merlin, but we have what we need to support operations. When the Sea King was first introduced, the combat effectiveness and size of the Royal Marines [force] was a lot bigger and kit requirements were much larger. So the scaling-down in terms of the numbers of aircraft is commensurate with the size of the Royal Marines today. Capacity-

wise we don’t need as many helicopters as we would have needed with the Sea King anyway.” Keen to discuss the advantages of the Merlin squadron structure and how they will deal with training new aircrews he continued: “Of course there will be a training requirement with converting former HC4 aircrew on to Merlins, but we have constructed the new Merlin Squadrons [845 NAS and 846 NAS] to each have three flights. “One squadron will have a maritime counter terrorism flight and two deployable flights, the other will have two deployable flights and a training flight as well. So basically training is run under a flight construct rather than a squadron construct, but it will be a fairly sizeable flight with all the instructional staff to accomplish the job.” 

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848 NAS - SEA KING HC4

Afghanistan: October 2007-2014

WHILE THE mass news media focused on the combat exploits of RAF Chinooks and Army Apaches during Operation Herrick, the CHF quietly went about its work away from the gaze of TV cameras and reporters. Capt Niall Griffin, a two-tour veteran, summed up the Sea King HC4s role in Afghanistan: “It was a very hot environment, so the troop-lifting capacity of the Sea King was reduced a lot. Of course, we simply didn’t have the power of the Chinook, but we were still able to lift troops in threes, fours or even tens, which enabled the RAF to go off and do the bigger troop movements. “So it was less tactical missions for us on occasion, but we had a secondary role, of having a camera fitted for those Police, Camera, Action type of missions, whereby we could support a foot patrol on the ground. It was a niche capacity as we had a nice

which is a great improvement for our prime customer, 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines. “But with regard to the Merlins and their new role with CHF, it’s vital that the ship-optimised aviation package for the fleet is carried out. It’s our role operating from the sea that makes the CHF different from other UK defence forces.”

Never a Dull Moment

Above: Commanding Officer of the CHF, Capt Niall Griffin MBE, flew two tours in Afghanistan on the Sea King HC4, along with a number of special forces support missions around the world. Left: The future of the CHF rests with the Merlin HC3 that is set to equip two squadrons. Below: Lt Tom Lofthouse only qualified on the Sea King in December 2014, but will miss the hands-on flying needed on the old helicopter. He will begin converting to the Merlin later this year.

There is a phrase that aircrews within the CHF often use: ‘Train for the Arctic, dress for the jungle, sent to the desert’. While this may have been the case when operations were at their height in Iraq and Afghanistan, aircrews can now find themselves back on exercise at RNoAF Bardufoss Norway, mountain flying in Europe, or operating off the British coast. The only environment missing in recent years is the jungle where the CHF earned its reputation, and where the helicopters won the nickname ‘Junglies’. But despite the contrasting temperatures, aircrews and, in particular, the maintenance crews find many similar parallels within these harsh conditions. Touching a metal spanner in -20°C (-4°F) in Norway will hurt a hand as much as touching a tool in 40°C (104°F) in Afghanistan, therefore many of the disciplines when servicing helicopters on deployment in contrasting climates are the same.

The last CO and a Newbie

While the combat operations are the Sea King’s bread and butter, for the last Commanding Officer of 848 NAS, Cdr Gavin Simmonite DFC, it’s the humanitarian missions that brought most satisfaction. He recalled: “I have always enjoyed operating the aircraft in its natural environment, at sea. For me, that’s where are expertise is focused and where, as Royal Navy personnel, we feel most at home. While I have too many proud memories of operating the Sea King to single out one mission, our disaster relief contribution as a squadron in the Philippines

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Destined for display in the FAA Museum, ZA298 is known as the ‘King of the Junglies’, due to its exceptional combat record. Shot down three times during a far-reaching operational career, it will be restored to Afghanistan-style configuration for static display. aircraft that can sit up high with no one knowing it’s there, while we relayed images to the local ground commander. “Then there was the medical evacuation role. We didn’t need to carry as many people in the back, so we could get to a situation relatively quickly and into small spaces that other helicopters couldn’t. Once the wounded soldier was picked up, there was enough room in the back for the medical team to work on the casualty. Personally, I think the medevac role the Sea King played, particularly in Afghanistan and also Iraq. was critical and helped save countless lives.” 

following Typhoon Haiyan [in 2013] shows just what a valuable contribution the Sea King made to the CHF. People were in distress and in desperate need of help and the HC4 got us to the scene. It gave 848 Squadron a great sense of pride and achievement.” For newly qualified Sea King pilot Lt Tom Lofthouse, who has been flying the Sea King HC4 for only 18 months, his 350 hours on the aircraft have been a consolidation process in the Junglie role. He learned to operate from a ship at night and expanded his experience in the trooping role. He recalled some of his flying highlights: “Having qualified in December 2014, I’ve not got as much experience as some of the older pilots, but it’s been a fantastic privilege to fly the aircraft before it goes out of service. Taking part in Exercise Joint Warrior, where I operated from the deck of HMS Ocean at night on shipto-shore sorties, was very challenging, but certainly some of the most enjoyable I have flown. “It’s definitely a pilot’s aircraft. With the Sea King it is very much eyes out of the cockpit picking out features on the landscape to navigate yourself – it’s very hands-on. The Merlin has a lot of integrated flight control systems, whereby you can essentially plot the waypoints and the aircraft will fly itself. But I am looking forward to the transition. A lot of pilots are going through the pipeline, so it is obviously going to take a bit of time to convert on to type, but it’s a fresh aircraft for me.” As the last seven Sea King HC4s of 848 NAS see out their final days at RNAS Yeovilton, the Commander of the CHF, Capt Griffin, best summed up the views of the force. “Although we won’t miss the oil leaks or the smell, for those that have flown the Sea King it’s like putting on an old pair of gloves. Crews feel comfortable with the aircraft. It’s hard to single out anything in particular that makes it remarkable afm – it’s simply just a good aircraft.”

DIGITAL SAMPLE AFM 2016 61

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30/11/2016 12:25

RAF TYPHOON FORCE COMMANDER

Typhoon

over the horizon New Typhoon Force Commander, Air Commodore Ian Duguid talks to Alan Warnes about the RAF’s latest jet and its future.

A

s an RAF Harrier GR pilot, Air Commodore Ian Duguid’s last flying job was commanding IV (AC) Squadron. He took the jet to Afghanistan three times during his three year tenure from 2005-07, providing close air support to troops on the ground, regularly engaging with the Taliban, in the days when a ‘show of strength’ was more than a low, noisy flyby. Eight years on he is using all his experience to further develop the Typhoon in the air to ground role.

Big Ticket Items

Today, as commander of the entire force of around 130 Typhoons and six squadrons across the UK he is charged with the long-term strategy and future multirole use of the RAF’s jewel in the crown. He told me: “The Typhoon programme is enormous, complex and challenging – we can’t really do too much about the size and complexity, as it’s a four-nation project but when I arrived [at the end of March] I

64 AFM 2016 DIGITAL SAMPLE

wanted to find out what the big ticket items were, so that I could try to have an effect on and add value to the overall capability.” The Typhoon was originally conceived as an air-to-air fighter, and many people still see it that way but it became obvious the jet needed to provide the tax-payer with more value for money. So it’s no surprise that much of Air Cdre Duguid’s time is being taken up with developing the aircraft’s air-to-ground capabilities and the demands that come with the role. Dovetailing the aircraft’s future requirements, with the out-of-service date of the Tornado in April 2019, means the countdown has begun to fully harness Typhoon’s multirole capabilities. He remarked: “Ensuring the Typhoon Force has all the skills and capabilities to replace the Tornado is what we call Project Centurion. We have to develop and transition the Typhoon’s multirole needs in a planned way, so that by December 2018 the aircraft can take on the full range of air to surface missions, similar to Tornado.”

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RAF TYPHOON FORCE COMMANDER The RAF has six squadrons of Typhoons, and since 2008 the aircraft’s tasking has shifted from solely air defence to swing-role, which has brought many challenges. No 1 (F) Sqn was heavily involved in introducing the new P1E(A) and P1E(B) enhancement to the Typhoon Force which was completed by April this year. John Dibbs

“Centurion will see the introduction of three major weapons systems, Storm Shadow, Meteor and Brimstone II on to the platform, plus some really impressive upgrades for the Defensive Aid Sub System (DASS), Captor-M radar as well as generally good housekeeping.” When delivered, those systems will more than offset the Tornado’s capabilities when it retires after nearly 40 years of service. Tornados were deployed to Kuwait after Saddam Hussein invaded the tiny neighbouring state (for Operation Granby in 1991) and have since been on continuous overseas operations. Tornado has undergone numerous upgrades and urgent operational requirements (UORs), to keep it on the front line, flying over northern Iraq, targeting Islamic State and providing intelligence with its RAPTOR and Litening pod to track the militant’s movements. Typhoon will need a similar capability – but not with RAPTOR. “The pod was due to go out of service around now but is continuing because of Operation

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Shader [UK’s contribution to fighting IS] revealed Air Cdre Duguid. “Options are now being considered to provide a recce capability on the platform, including the development of an advanced targeting pod. It is not being touted as a replacement for RAPTOR. “Some of the likely operational scenarios support the need for such a capability to have a data link ability. So rather than a post-mission debrief you could have imagery analysts looking at near real-time imagery while the aircraft is airborne and a larger post mission analysis carried out when it returns. There is no timeline for its introduction into service as it is not part of the Centurion package.

Weapons integration

Air Cdre Duguid detailed the status of the three air-launched missile systems [see also info panels]: “Storm Shadow is a proven weapon system capability so the work we need to do now is to integrate it on to Typhoon, whereas with Meteor

we have to get it on the aircraft and ensure it works. The Meteor is a very capable Beyond Visual Range (BVR) system which is being proved through a series of tests on Typhoon. “Dual-mode Brimstone is proving itself again in Iraq and the capability of having a laser target tracking mode with its own autonomous mode is proving very worthwhile, which will change the way in which we do business. “Despite its superb performance in Libya during Operation Ellamy, some of the public’s perception of the Typhoon is that of an air-to-air fighter platform, but in reality P1E(B), Paveway IV and the older Tranche 1 with Enhanced Paveway II capability make it more than that. Working with industry, the RAF will move the jet down the development path, particularly through Project Centurion, the aircraft’s full multi-role capability will come to the fore. “In Libya in 2011 the Tranche 1 aircraft were dropping Enhanced Paveway II laser-guided bombs, and from April 1 of this year the RAF

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RAF TYPHOON FORCE COMMANDER

A 1 (F) Sqn Typhoon FGR4 is seen with a full QRA fit – four AMRAAMs for BVR purposes and two ASRAAMs for within visual range (WVR). Carrying both types enables the Typhoon to cover any eventuality. John Dibbs

formally accepted Tranche 2 P1E(B) jets which, amongst other things, gained a Paveway IV capability. It is those jets and Tranche 3 aircraft that will go through the Centurion programme, and while the Full Operational Capability (FOC) is December 2018, we will get many of the capabilities before then. However, Typhoon will not go down the Tornado route of different squadrons having their own specialised roles. Air Cdre Duguid said: “We won’t be doing that because of the challenges it provides. However these aircraft

Typhoon Phased Enhanced Enhancements (PxE) – courtesy of BAE Systems P1E - Swing Role/Stand-off targeting (integration completed by April 1, 2015) Typhoon becomes a high-end swing-role weapon system, fully capable of combining different operational tasks in a single mission. Stand-off targeting of high-value assets through the integration of Storm Shadow. Additional cockpit interface developments. P2E – Beyond Visual Range Meteor integration provides beyond visual range (BVR) air superiority against a variety of targets, from agile fast jets to small unmanned air vehicles and cruise missiles. P3E – Fast Moving Air-To-Surface/Advanced Sensor Integration of Brimstone 2 with fast-moving air-tosurface precision effect. Integration of E-Scan radar, evolution of cockpit and common launcher to support weapon persistence, SPEAR 3 missile integration. 

66 AFM 2016 DIGITAL SAMPLE

will be the ‘go-to’ aircraft for contingent ops – so we have to ensure that the pilots and ground crew are well versed in all capabilities. Each squadron will have Storm Shadow and Brimstone integration and as the ‘mods’ go through the rest of the force, that will negate the need for squadrons to be specialised. “By December 2018 we should have a truly multi-role fleet,” declared Air Cdre Duguid. “We have the multi-role capability with Paveway IV now doing air-to-surface, but really the role needs to be developed further and the utility of Storm Shadow and Brimstone as air-to-surface weapons will broaden the target sets the typhoon can be used against.” While Tranche 3 Typhoons are now rolling off the BAE Warton production line, they are not yet going into service because their future avionics and capabilities are still being developed. “That’s fine because of the capability that Tranche 3 will be at,”

added the Air Commodore. “Tranche 1 has been developed pretty well over the past five years and it suits our current purpose – with a 1,000lb (454kg) Enhanced Paveway II and 1,000lb (454kg) laser-guided bomb. More importantly, its air-to-air role and capabilities are outstanding. Tranche 1 aircraft contribute significantly to the QRA intercept mission and it will hold its own for the foreseeable future in that role. By 2019 the Tranche 1s will have been phased out and Tranche 3 will have replaced them. “The Tranche 3 jets will be phased in aligned to Tranche 1s being phased out. We start getting the Tranche 3s at the end of 2016.” Air Cdre Duguid then added: “Tranche 2 is absolutely multi-role capable with Paveway IV and the advanced air-to-air weapons. As Tranche 3 is delivered throughout Project Centurion that is not a problem as it means the jet will only ever get better.”

The RAF’s Typhoon force is going through a series of phased enhancements under Project Centurion, that will enable it to take over the Tornado’s role in 2018. This full-scale Typhoon replica was seen at the RIAT 2015 carrying models of the weapons being outlined for integration over the next three years. Alan Warnes

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RAF TYPHOON FORCE COMMANDER

It has been a busy year for the Typhoon Force with all the frontline units being deployed at some time. No 11 (F) Sqn spent two weeks at Konya, Turkey in June participating in Exercise Anatolian Eagle. The Typhoons flew with the likes of the Turkish Air Force and Pakistan Air Force – allies it seldom gets to work with. MOD Crown Copyright

DMB/Brimstone 2

The current Dual Mode Brimstone is an airto-ground attack weapon that was first used operationally by the Tornado in Afghanistan (Operation Herrick), then Libya (Op Ellamy/Unified Protector) and currently in Iraq (Operation Shader). It was developed by MBDA following a UOR issued by the RAF for an upgrade to its existing capability. The UOR called for a precision, low collateral damage weapon with a man-in-the-loop capability to defeat a wide range of static and fast-moving targets in restrictive rules of engagement (ROE). The first operational sortie with DMB was carried out on December 18, 2008 and the first combat firing occurred in June 2009 during RAF missions in Afghanistan. Brimstone 2 is being evaluated by the RAF for entry into service on the Tornado GR4 in the second half of 2015. Work to integrate the Brimstone 2 onto Typhoon was given the go ahead in late December 2014, with an entry into service date expected to be December 2018. 

New radar

Last November, Selex ES and the four Eurofighter partners signed a contract worth just under €1 billion to develop the new Captor-E active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. The main advantage of the Captor-E is its ability to perform several tasks almost simultaneously. This will allow the pilot to scan a wide area in front of the aircraft or on the ground while identifying ground targets or tracking other aircraft at the same time. The new technology enables an increased range in target acquisition and target tracking and, thanks to the rotating antennae, a considerably larger field of view, compared with other state-of-the-art combat aircraft. An upgraded BAE Systems Typhoon, ZJ700/IPA5 has already undergone a series of modifications as part of ongoing Captor-E Scan development. The aircraft flew for the first time in July last year and will continue ground testing and flight trials. The Air Commodore said: “The Captor-E AESA radar isn’t in the Centurion timeframe, but we have a requirement along with other members of the Eurofighter consortium. It is funded, but we are exploring opportunities to underwrite a requirement for a UK level radar capability – ie enhance it for our own requirements. That’s for the early 2020s, so it won’t meet Project Centurion timelines.

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“The Captor-M mechanically scanned radar in the Typhoon is constantly receiving significant radar software upgrades and, as such M-Scan is still world class. The Typhoon hold their own in exercises like Red Flag, but the rapidly evolving threat indicates it needs to move on – improvements in electronic warfare and the increasing threats we now face, all points to a need for a new AESA radar. Hopefully it will be operational early in the next decade. It’s definitely a requirement, but we are trying to find how we can slot it into the Typhoon programme.”

Ops

The Typhoon Force is firmly focused on ops. Quick Reaction Alert – one of the core missions of the RAF – is a full-time responsibility to protect the skies and the citizens of the UK all day, every day. “We have a permanent commitment in the north [from RAF Lossiemouth], south [RAF Coningsby] and the Falklands [Mount Pleasant Airfield] as well as the Baltic Air Policing [BAP] commitment based at Amari in Estonia. We are half way through a four-month deployment to Estonia, which 6 Squadron is serving. “With the Tornado Force being heavily committed to supporting ops in northern Iraq, the need is for the Typhoon Force to continue to develop its skills and competencies. They undertake a lot of high-quality exercises – in the UK, Europe and further afield. Most can’t be done in the UK, but Red Flag is the benchmark exercise, which we have been going to for many years. There are many others that provide significant value, supporting the Typhoon Force requirements in the air exercise programme. “We attend these for two reasons as a whole – professional development of individuals and the

Typhoon Force. We work with our likely partners around the world, developing high-end tactics and procedures. The other key element of these manoeuvres is about working with our partners and influencing those we consider not to be our partners as well. We might even go to some countries to reassure our allies, and remind and deter others who might not be so friendly – in essence that is what we are doing with BAP. “As we have a close relationship with the US, they allow us to come to their highest end missions at the [Nellis AFB based] Red Flag serials, where there is a really good testing environment. Typhoons do very well in that. This year we proved the Tranche 2 P1E(B) capability on the jets there, where we carried out self-escort, sweep missions which go into multi-role and air-to-surface taskings with Paveway IV. We also used the helmet mounted sighting system (see Typhoon Det for II (AC) Sqn, August 2015, p63) which, like most high-end technologies, provides its own challenges. It is

Meteor

Meteor has been developed to meet the requirements of six European nations (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and UK). It is a fast and highly manoeuvrable beyond visual range air-toair weapon. It boasts the largest ‘no escape zone’ of any developed air-to-air weapon resulting in a long stand-off range. The BVR AAM will be integrated on to Typhoon, Gripen and Rafale. Production deliveries are now under way. The missile is due into service in June 2018. 

No 6 Sqn deployed Typhoons to Ämari Air Base in Estonia, as part of the Baltic Air Policing mission on May 1. They have been kept busy intercepting Russian fighters and bombers that have flown close to Baltic air space during their detachment which was due to finish on August 31. For more on this see Page 51. MOD Crown Copyright

DIGITAL SAMPLE AFM 2016 67

RAF TYPHOON FORCE COMMANDER Another big exercise for the Typhoon Force this year was Indradhanush, which took place during July and involved 3 (F) Sqn hosting four Indian Air Force Su-30MKIs. It provided both sides with a chance to practise air-to-air combat and work in combined air operation (COMAO) missions. MOD Crown Copyright

not perfect but we are working with the project team to continue to develop the HMSS. “There is a lot of ongoing development work, but it is an outstanding aircraft. As an aerodynamic platform it is just awesome, the engines are really reliable and the thrust they produce is pretty incredible.” “What we need to do is develop it more as a weapons platform and, as we get closer to the end of this decade, we will look at defining requirements beyond that more clearly. Those would include the AESA radar and SPEAR [Selective Precision Effects At Range] Cap III [which is about eight to nine years away] and those kinds of systems. We have quite a good understanding about them and there will definitely be more development beyond Project Centurion.”

Working with F-35

The RAF is doing a lot of Generation 4/5 fighter integration. BAE Systems announced in July 2014 that a series of live simulated-mission scenarios had taken place, involving the latest standards of F-35 and Typhoon aircraft. Tests continue in the UK at BAE Systems’ facility in Samlesbury, Lancashire, at RAF Lossiemouth, Moray, and RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire, to help the UK’s armed forces to prepare for operating Typhoon and F-35 together in 2018. One scenario saw four F-35s operating alongside two Typhoons and an E-3D Sentry, each simulator being equipped with the latest representative mission system from the aircraft. Last year’s trial was the fourth of its kind linking simulation facilities from multiple UK locations to create a common synthetic environment in which to evaluate F-35 interoperability with other UK platforms. “While Typhoon is Generation 4; there are only two Generation 5 aircraft in the West – F-22 and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. We have a close relationship with the USAF, particularly the F-22 Raptor Force and as a result have done a lot of work with F-22. We now have those tactics and procedures as a baseline to work with when we start

68 AFM 2016 DIGITAL SAMPLE

Storm Shadow

Storm Shadow is a conventionally armed, stealthy, long-range stand-off precision weapon designed to strike high-value targets. This day or night, allweather missile system is optimised for pre-planned attacks on static targets whose positions have been accurately pin-pointed before the mission. Typically, these would be well-defended, infrastructure targets, such as port facilities, control centres, bunkers, missile sites, airfields and bridges that might require multiple attacks during the opening days of a conflict, perhaps before air-superiority had been achieved. It is expected to enter service on the Typhoon in August 2018. The Storm Shadow was successfully deployed on Tornado GR4 combat aircraft by the RAF’s 617 ‘Dambusters’ Sqn during Operation Telic in 2003. 

integrating with the F-35 Lightning force. “Longer term, we know that when the F-35 Force comes to Marham from the US, the two Typhoon bases at Coningsby and Lossiemouth will work with them not just in the air but synthetically on the ground too. We want to ensure the synthetic environment is all wired up before they arrive, so we can fly virtual tactics. Right now we are learning from the lessons, tactics and procedures while working with US.” As the RAF F-35 Force starts to build over the next two years, it will work more with the Typhoon Force. “The US is looking to send JSFs to Red Flag in January and we are also looking at another exercise later next year when the UK’s and US JSFs work together.” The Air Commodore concludes: “The F-35 Lightning specialises in the air-to-surface role, with low observability stealthy characteristics. It can still look after itself, with its own air-to-air missiles. We are looking forward to working together to deliver a really potent combat air capability. We believe this is how we will deliver optimum air power – with a mixed formation. In the more pressing and challenging environments, mixed packages of Typhoon and F-35 will exploit the best skills and best capabilities from both platforms and we believe afm this will provide a world class capability.”

Above: The dated computerised systems on Tranche 1 Typhoons means they are not being modified to fly swing-role but they are still as good as the Tranche 2/3s when it comes to air defence and training. They are primarily required to man QRAs at RAF Coningsby, Lossiemouth and the Falklands until around 2017, when they will be withdrawn from use. Alan Warnes

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30/11/2016 14:12

FORCE REPORT Cameroon Air Force

Upping

its Game

Cameroon’s small air force has had to galvanise a diverse range of capabilities to good effect in the war against terrorism, as Erwan de Cherisey finds out.

70 AFM 2016 DIGITAL SAMPLE

Above: This Alphajet MS2, seen flying over northern Cameroon, is one of eight delivered to the CAF since 1984. Five remain in service today. Pascal Schwarz Right insert: Badge of the Cameroon Air Force.

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e

A

FORMER GERMAN colony placed under the administration of France and Great Britain after World War One, Cameroon became independent from France on January 1, 1960; the British-administered part joined the newly independent portion of the country in 1961. An Escadrille Nationale (National Flight) was established at Yaoundé on January 1, 1961 with three Max Holste MH.1521 Broussard light utility aircraft. In 1966 it formed the nucleus of Armée de l’Air du Cameroun (Cameroonian Air Force, CAF). Command of the air force officially passed in 1973 from a French officer on loan to a Cameroonian captain. Ten years later the Air Force General Staff was created. Nowadays the CAF is commanded by the Chef

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d’État-Major de l’Armée de l’Air (Air Force Chief of Staff), Général Jean Calvin Momha, who answers to the Chef d’État-Major des Armées (Chief of General Staff), Général René Claude Meka. The CAF has six air bases, of which five house aviation squadrons. These are divided into three of four Régions Militaires Interarmées (RMIA; Joint Forces Regions), each under the command of a general, which centralise army, navy, air force and gendarmerie units and resources under single authorities.

War against Boko Haram

An Islamist insurgency led by the Boko Haram terrorist sect in

neighbouring Nigeria began spilling into Cameroon in early 2013 when a French family holidaying in the Far North region of the country was kidnapped. There were more kidnappings throughout the year and on March 2, 2014 the jihadists stepped up their action when they targeted a Cameroonian army patrol. The Cameroonian Defence Forces (CDF) then mobilised the troops it already had in the area. With the situation worsening, a decision was taken in May 2014 to launch a full-blown deployment to meet the threat. A major airbridge effort enabled thousands of additional soldiers and hundreds of tons of equipment to be moved in.

Armoured vehicles and artillery pieces were also dispatched and Opération Emergence 4 began, co-ordinating the fight against the terrorists under the newly created RMIA 4. In August 2014, the Bataillon d’Intervention Rapide (BIR; Rapid Intervention Battalion) an elite high readiness component of the Cameroonian military launched Opération Alpha as a seperate, yet integrated component of Opération Emergence 4. During the year a succession of high-intensity gun battles broke out between the terrorists and CDF, the former relying heavily on frontal attacks and superior numbers in their attempts to overwhelm the Cameroonian forces. In battles, including that at Amchidé in October

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FORCE REPORT Cameroon Air Force BIR Aviation CREATED IN 2001, the BIR was established to neutralise the many armed bandit groups crossing from neighbouring Chad and the Central African Republic into Cameroon's Far North region. Unlike the rest of the CDF, the BIR has its own dedicated budget, allowing for a much more rapid equipment procurement process. Through the 2000s, BIR troop numbers swelled and its capabilities expanded to include maritime anti-terrorism, coastal interdiction and the protection of Cameroon’s oil exploitation platforms at sea. A strong coastal and riverine operations unit, BIR Delta, was set up in the Bakassi peninsula. A pair of Bell 412EPs were delivered in February 2010 and inducted into a new unit, the Groupement d’Intervention Rapide Aéromobile (GIRAM; Rapid Intervention Airmobile Group) based at Man O’War Bay near Limbe. One of the new helicopters, TJ-XSA, crashed on November 22, 2010 with the loss of all on board, including a high-ranking Israeli military adviser. It was replaced, and the two Bells conduct routine air support flights for BIR Delta and other BIR coastal units. Last summer, the need to centralise the BIR’s air surveillance capabilities led to the creation of the Groupement d’Observation Aérienne (GOA; Air Observation Group), based at Maroua airport. The unit operates an Orbiter UAV for surveillance role, while a single FLIR-equipped Cessna 208EX Grand Caravan special mission aircraft, delivered in the summer, supplements the UAVs. A ScanEagle UAV system ordered last September should be delivered by September this year. Meanwhile, the first of two Mi-24s on order was delivered in mid-February, after undergoing an extensive refurbishment and modification programme while the second will arrive later in the year. Both helicopters will operate under direct authority of Opération Alpha. 

2014, Boko Haram even used captured armoured vehicles, but suffered a series of defeats. The well trained CDF effectively combined the capabilities of their elite units, armoured vehicles and artillery strikes. Since then the situation has evolved further in the CDF’s favour, with an increased commitment to more than 9,000 men in the Far North. Chad’s involvement, as well as improving co-operation with Nigeria throughout 2015, has seen Boko Haram dealt a series of crushing blows. The group reacted by placing greater emphasis on improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and suicide attacks. Separately, the long-delayed activation of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), grouping forces from Cameroon, Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Benin under a joint command, is increasing pressure on the terrorists.

Fighter town Cameroon Built in 1982 to house the CAF’s future combat aircraft, Garoua’s Base Aérienne 301 (BA 301; Air Base 301) has been home

Above: An Alpha Jet in its hardened shelter at Garoua Air Base, with two of its main weapons on display: the Matra SNEB 68mm rocket launcher and BAP 100 bombs. All photos, Erwan de Cherisey unless stated Below: Personnel from the French company SOFEMA Aviation Services overhaul most of the CAF’s aircraft at Garoua.

to the entire Cameroonian fighter fleet since the Atlas Impalas based at Yaoundé were withdrawn in the mid-2000s. Five Dassault Alphajet MS2 light-attack aircraft, out of a total of eight delivered in 1984, 1987 and 2000, now serve 31ème Escadron (31 Squadron), following the loss of an aircraft on August 24, 1984, a second on September 15, 1997

and another damaged beyond repair on March 15, 2011. The unit made its combat debut on December 28, 2014 when Boko Haram overran the army camp at Ashigashia in the Far North , on the border with Nigeria. The outnumbered garrison conducted a tactical withdrawal and immediately requested an air strike. Following presidential approval, a pair of Alphajets took off from

The CAF’s Alphajet MS2 fleet had a baptism of fire on December 28, 2014, when two jets flew a strike mission against Boko Haram terrorists who had overrun the Army garrison at Ashigashia.

72 AFM 2016 DIGITAL SAMPLE

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Garoua, heading for the objective at full speed. Both flew two strikes with rockets and cannon, forcing the terrorists into a hasty retreat. The outpost was successfully reoccupied by Cameroonian land forces barely four hours after they had been obliged to vacate it. As a result of the sortie, the defence minister decorated BA 301’s battle standard. Cameroon’s Alphajets are all MS2s, a version optimised for light attack, which was initially developed to to meet an Egyptian Air Force requirement. They feature a Thomson CSF VE-110 head-up display (HUD), SAGEM ULISS 81 inertial navigation system (INS), Thomson CSF/CNI AHV-9 radar altimeter, SFIM CG90 back-up heading reference sensor and Thomson CSF TMV630 laser rangefinder. The latter is mounted in the tip of the aircraft’s nose, while the avionics are co-ordinated via a digital multiplexed databus. The aircraft are equipped with four underwing, and one underbelly, hardpoints. The former can be loaded with external fuel tanks, BAP 100 bombs or MATRA SNEB 155 F4 68mm rocket launchers. The latter mounts a single DEFA 553 30mm cannon pod. A single Alphajet is kept missionready, on alert around the clock in one of Garoua’s hardened aircraft shelters, which are built to sustain a direct hit from a 500lb bomb. Local crews conduct maintenance and servicing up to Level III, since the CAF has the workshops and equipment necessary to service the Martin-Baker ejection seats and SNECMA Larzac engines. Depot maintenance and major inspections were initially done in France, but now take place at Garoua under the supervision of technical teams from French company SOFEMA. At the time of AFM’s visit, one of the MS2s was undergoing overhaul. As explained by Colonel Tsilla, the base

Above: A fleet of eight Humbert Aviation Tétras 912 ultralight aircraft serving the CAF are used for training and surveillance over the country’s borders and national parks. Below: The CAF’s 32ème Escadron flies the PANVR’s Tétras 912 fleet as well as a pair of Joker J300 ultralights in surveillance and patrolling missions.

commander, the process grounds the aircraft for ten to 12 months. Despite their limited numbers, excellent servicing ensures that Cameroon’s Alphajets enjoy a high rate of availability and that a number of aircraft are always combat-ready. In the war against Boko Haram the nimble jets are a good insurance policy for the forces on ground, which know they can rely on their firepower when needed. Cameroon’s fighter pilots have been trained in France – at the École d’Aviation de Chasse (Fighter School) at Tours – on French Air Force Alphajets. While others have been trained on the type in

Two PANVR Tétras flying over Lake Lagdo. French and Cameroonian instructors train students from several African countries, some of whom are later sent to France for advanced training. Humbert Aviation

Cameroon Air Force (CAF) Order of Battle Base

Unit

Type

BA 101 Yaoundé

11éme Escadron

2 Bell 206B-3

12 éme Escadron

2 SA330

BA 102 Bertoua

13 éme Escadron

2 Mi-17-1V, 3 Mi-17V5

BA 201 Douala

21/22 éme Escadron

1 MA60, 1 CN235-300, 2 C-130H, 1 C-130H-30

BA 202 Bamenda

23 éme Escadron

3 Z9WE

BA 301 Garoua

31 éme Escadron

5 Alphajet MS2

32 éme Escadron

8 Tetras 912, 2 J300, 2 FK9ELA

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Above: Two FK9ELA ultralights based at Garoua are flown in a surveillance role and can be fitted with underbelly panoramic video cameras.

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FORCE REPORT Cameroon Air Force CAF Inventory Type

Identity

c/n

Bell 206B-3

TJ-XCX

3951 11ème Escadron

BA 101 (Yaoundé)

Bell 206B-3

TJ-XCY

3952 11ème Escadron

BA 101 (Yaoundé)

SA330F

TJ-XCG

1181 12ème Escadron

BA 101 (Yaoundé)

SA330J

TJ-XCR

1119 12ème Escadron

BA 101 (Yaoundé)

Mi-17-1V

TJ-XDH

-

13ème Escadron

BA 102 (Bertoua)

Mi-17-1V

TJ-XDI

-

13ème Escadron

BA 102 (Bertoua)

Mi-17V-5

TJ-XDN

-

13ème Escadron

BA 102 (Bertoua)

Mi-17V-5

TJ-XDO

-

13ème Escadron

BA 102 (Bertoua)

Mi-17V-5

TJ-XDP

-

13ème Escadron

BA 102 (Bertoua)

MA60

TJ-XDE

-

21ème Escadron

BA 201 (Douala)

CN235-300

TJ-XDG

208

21ème Escadron

BA 201 (Douala)

C-130H

TJ-XCD

4752 22ème Escadron

BA 201 (Douala)

C-130H-30

TJ-XCE

4933 22ème Escadron

BA 201 (Douala)

C-130H

TJ-XCF

4747 22ème Escadron

BA 201 (Douala)

Z9WE

TJ-XDJ*

-

22ème Escadron

BA 202 (Bamenda)

Z9WE

TJ-XDK*

-

23ème Escadron

BA 202 (Bamenda)

Pôle Aéronautique National à Vocation Régionale (PANVR, Regional Vocation National Aeronautics Pole) – an aviation school established with assistance from the French Military Co-operation Mission in Cameroon in 2000. It provides aviation training to military students from Cameroon and neighbouring countries, sometimes as a prelude to more advanced instruction abroad. Courses taught on the Tétras train pilots, mechanics, observers and instructors.

Z9WE

TJ-XDL*

-

23ème Escadron

BA 202 (Bamenda)

Z9WE

TJ-XDM*

-

23ème Escadron

BA 202 (Bamenda)

Alphajet MS2

TJ-XBU**

CA1

31ème Escadron

BA 301 (Garoua)

Alphajet MS2

TJ-XBV **

CA2

31ème Escadron

BA 301 (Garoua)

Alphajet MS2

TJ-XBW ** CA3

31ème Escadron

BA 301 (Garoua)

Alphajet MS2

TJ-XBX**

CA4

31ème Escadron

BA 301 (Garoua)

Alphajet MS2

TJ-XCH**

CA7

31ème Escadron

BA 301 (Garoua)

Alphajet MS2

TJ-XCI**

CA8

31ème Escadron

BA 301 (Garoua)

J300 Joker

TJ-XCK

-

32ème Escadron

BA301 (Garoua)

J300 Joker

TJ-XCS

-

32ème Escadron

BA 301 (Garoua)

Tétras 912 BSM TJ-XCT

73

32ème Escadron

BA 301 (Garoua)

Tétras 912 BSM TJ-XCU

74

32ème Escadron

BA 301 (Garoua)

Tétras 912 BSM TJ-XCV

75

32ème Escadron

BA 301 (Garoua)

Tétras 912 BSM TJ-XCZ

83

32ème Escadron

BA 301 (Garoua)

Transport fleet

Tétras 912 BSM TJ-XDA

88

32ème Escadron

BA 301 (Garoua)

Tétras 912 BSM TJ-XDB

115

32ème Escadron

BA 301 (Garoua)

Tétras 912 CSM TJ-XDC

174

32ème Escadron

BA 301 (Garoua)

Tétras 912 CSM TJ-XDD

187

32ème Escadron

FK9 ELA

TJ-XSB

-

BA 301 (Garoua)

FK9 ELA

TJ-XSC

-

BA 301 (Garoua)

Above: A pair of C-130Hs and a single C-130H-30, fly from Douala Air Base. These aircraft have played a pivotal role in establishing and maintaining the logistical air bridge that supports the armed forces deployment in the Far North region against Boko Haram.

Cameroon after going through initial aviation training abroad. Older officers, including Tsilla, have experience on the Fouga CM.170 Magister and Atlas Impala.

Ultralights

Garoua also houses 32ème Escadron, a surveillance unit equipped with ultralights. It operates over Cameroon’s borders and national parks, helping prevent poaching which, as in many African countries, threatens biodiversity. Eight Humbert Tétras 912 BSM/CSM aircraft are in service along with a pair of Aero Synergies Joker J300s. The use of ultralights for surveillance is not uncommon in Africa – Mali, Niger and Madagascar operate the Tétras in a similar role. They are not involved in the fight against Boko Haram because their slow speed and low operational altitude would make them easy targets. A pair of FK-Lightplanes FK9 ELA ultralights, under BA 301’s command, supplements 32ème Escadron’s aircraft in the surveillance role. The Humber Tétras is also employed by the Cameroonian

74 AFM 2016 DIGITAL SAMPLE

All CAF transport assets are pooled together at BA 201 in the port city of Douala, Cameroon’s economic capital. The air base is home to 21ème Escadron and 22ème Escadron, which share a pool of aircraft that comprises a pair of C-130H Hercules which were both taken up in 1977, a single C-130H-30 received in 1982, a Xian MA60 and CN.235-300. The latter two were pressed into service in 2012 and 2013. Since May 2014, when the tempo of military operations

Unit

Base

BA 301 (Garoua)

* One Z-9WE was damaged beyond repair on April 23, 2015; serial unknown ** One Alpha Jet MS2 was damaged beyond repair on March 15, 2011; serial unknown Below: Seen on its arrival at Maroua airport in the Far North region, this CAF C-130H is maintained by the Portuguese aviation services company, OGMA, along with the rest of the CAF’s Hercules fleet.

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Lake Chad

NIGERIA

Benue

CHAD Garoua

Ngaoundere Bamenda

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

CAMEROON Douala

Bertoua Yaoundé

Gulf of Guinea EQUATORIAL GUINEA

GABON

against Boko Haram dramatically increased, the air transport fleet has provided vital logistical support to deployed units. The better part of the reinforcements sent to the area of operations over the past 20 months have been deployed by air to the airport at Maroua, the primary logistics hub for Opération Emergence 4. With road infrastructure poorly developed in the region, air transport has proven the only practical method for rapidly bringing in troops and equipment. The CAF’s Hercules fleet provides a permanent link between southern Cameroon and the operational area, as AFM experienced on a flight from Yaoundé to Maroua in late September 2015. Aside from several dozen military and civilian passengers, the C-130H was loaded with 5 tonnes of supplies

REPUBLIC OF CONGO

for the troops (sleeping bags, fresh uniforms etc) involved in Opération Emergence 4. Cameroon’s three C-130s and single CN235 also serve as jump platforms for the paratroopers of the Bataillon des Troupes Aéroportées (BTAP; Airborne

Above: This Bell 206B-3 at Maroua is one of two examples in service with the CAF. Right: Looking out over the savanna from an Mi-17V5 overflying the Far North region. The helicopter’s hard points can take 57mm rocket launchers and 23mm cannon pods. Below: This 13ème Escadron Mi-17V5 is one of three examples in service together with a pair of Mi-17-1Vs. It is seen in the Waza National Park in the Far North.

Troops Battalion) at Koutaba and the BIR, affording Cameroon an insertion capability few countries in the region possess. Meanwhile BA 201’s aircraft also transport for military families. They are permitted aboard scheduled resupply flights – AFM’s

Above: The CAF still flies a pair of SA330 Pumas, both based at Yaoundé. This aircraft was photographed during the USsponsored Central Accord 2013 exercise in Douala. US DoD

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C-130 return flight carried 30 civilians, along with a group of several dozen gendarmes heading for R&R at Yaoundé. Most CAF transport pilots have trained at the French École d’Aviation de Transport (Transport Aviation School) at Avord. Some have also been sent elsewhere for additional courses, including C-130 conversion in the US or C-130 flight simulator training in Belgium. In recent months the CAF has relied on a contracted ex-Força Aérea Portuguesa (Portuguese Air Force) Hercules instructor. He works as a pilot, and flew AFM’s C-130 from Yaoundé to Maroua, and as an instructor, he has the responsibility of qualifying a group of new CAF pilots as C-130H co-pilots. C-130 maintenance is carried out locally up to Level II, while depot level maintenance,

DIGITAL SAMPLE AFM 2016 75

FORCE REPORT Cameroon Air Force

Above: The Mi-17 undertakes a wide range of duties in support of anti-terrorist operations, including MEDEVAC. They can also be used as gunships, although with the delivery of four Mi-24s to the CAF they are unlikely to perform this role very often. Etienne Fouté

overhauls and major servicing are performed abroad. Over the past four decades many companies have worked on the CAF’s Hercules fleet, including Denel in South Africa and Sabena Technics, in France. The past few years have, however, seen maintenance conducted by the Portuguese company OGMA, which also maintains the French C-130 fleet and has provided servicing to several other African Hercules operators, including Gabon and Chad.

Helicopters and air mobility

The CAF’s helicopter fleet comprises 12 aircraft of four different types.

Yaoundé’s BA 101 houses two rotary-wing units. The first, 11ème Escadron, flies a pair of Bell 206B-3 JetRanger IIIs tasked primarily with liaison, observation and light utility duties, although they can also be called upon for medical evacuation (medevac). A Bell 206 was operating from Maroua when AFM visited late in September 2015, transporting military personnel around the operational area for briefings and inspections. Two Aerospatiale SA330 Pumas serve 12ème Escadron for logistics and troop transport work. They have been involved in bilateral exercises with US forces in Cameroon over the past few years, but are not believed

BIR Aviation Order of Battle Unit

Base

Type

Serial

GIRAM

Man O’War Bay

Bell 412EP

TJ-XEM (c/n 36524), TJ-XRI (?)

GOA

Maroua

Cessna 208EX, Orbiter UAV

unknown

76 AFM 2016 DIGITAL SAMPLE

to have deployed north. Both feature nose-mounted weather radar and retain their original Turbomeca Turmo IV engines. Most of Cameroon’s airmobile fleet consists of two Mi-17-1V and three Mi-17V-5 Hips, pooled in 13ème Escadron at BA 102 Bertoua, east of Yaoundé. The aircraft were delivered in two batches in 2013 and 2014. Under Opération Emergence 4 they are frequently deployed in the extreme north, moving cargo and personnel throughout the area. The Mi-17s have also proved their worth as medevac platforms, extracting wounded soldiers from the field. They can also be fitted with

external hardpoints for 23mm UPK-23 cannon pods and UB-32 launchers for 57mm rockets. A live-fire exercise last November qualified Cameroonian crews in weapon use and 13ème Escadron is now equipped for close air support and attack missions. It’s believed the Hips have not yet fired in anger, but ongoing operations against Boko Haram could easily see the situation change. Aircrew are trained locally, with assistance from contracted Ukrainian and Croatian instructors. Maintenance is conducted in country, up to Level II. More complex interventions will require aircraft to visit a certified maintenance centre abroad.

Above: Four Harbin Z9WEs were delivered to Cameroon in 2014. One of the aircraft was lost in a crash and the remaining three are in service with 23 Squadron at Bamenda. Etienne Fouté Right: These BIR soldiers are attached to Operation Alpha, itself part of Operation Emergence 4, which oversees the Cameroonian military deployment against Boko Haram in the Far North region. Currently, over 9,000 Cameroonian troops are mobilized in the fight against the jihadists. Left: Each Z9WE is equipped with an optronic turret with laser designator and can be armed with HJ-9 anti-tank missiles. Etienne Fouté

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The CAF’s other helicopter unit is 23ème Escadron, flying Chinese-built Harbin Z9WE attack helicopters. Four were delivered in 2014 after a Chinese loan and three remain operational after one was severely damaged during a test flight on April 23 last year. The Z9s fill the void left by the retirement of the HOT-armed Gazelle in the early 2000s, and can be equipped with HJ-9 anti-tank missiles. In addition to combat sorties they also provide a useful reconnaissance capability, thanks to their nose-mounted forwardlooking infrared (FLIR) turrets. Aircrew were trained in China prior to the Z9s’ delivery, but future pilots are likely to train in Cameroon. It’s thought the helicopters have yet to see combat against Boko Haram.

Future Airpower

Crew training

There is no CAF training school apart from the PANVR, so most pilots and engineers are trained abroad. For years, France trained most of Cameroon’s pilots at the Salon de Provence École de l’Air (Air Force Academy), where they undertook officer training and basic flying instruction before being sent to other schools, including those at Tours and Avord, for specialist training. Nowadays, many CAF officers are trained in different countries. Some still go to France, others are sent to Greece and a few are even trained at civilian aviation schools in Europe before subsequently going through officer training at the École Militaire Interarmées (EMIA, Joint Forces Military School) in Cameroon. Helicopter pilots go to either the Dax Army Aviation School or civilian company Héli-Union. Mechanics and engineers still train at the French École de Formation des Sous-officiers de l’Armée de l’Air (Noncommissioned Officers’ Training School) at Rochefort, specialising in avionics, engines and other areas.

Above: The BIR has its own aviation component which flies two Bell 412EP helicopters in maritime surveillance, anti-piracy and counter-terrorism missions from its home base at Man O’ War Bay in southern Cameroon. Etienne Fouté

Escadrille Présidentielle Serial/C/n

Type

Base

TJ-1BC (c/n 2495)

AS332L1

Yaoundé

TJ-AAQ (c/n 6059)

AS365N

Yaoundé

TJ-AAW (c/n 486)

Gulfstream III

Yaoundé

THE CAMEROON authorities are acutely aware of the importance of airpower in the conflict against Boko Haram. Without BA 201’s transport aircraft the rapid deployment of troop reinforcements to the Far North would have been impossible. So it’s hardly surprising that renewed efforts are being made to further expand and modernise the CAF. Indeed, 2016 should see the delivery of four Mi-24 Hinds, purchased second-hand from Russia. The helicopters are likely to go to the newly established BA 302 at Ngaoundéré, providing much needed firepower for anti-terrorist operations. Also expected is a single CN.235300 MPA maritime surveillance aircraft, which will fill the void left by the withdrawal of a pair of Dornier Do 128-6 MPAs in the late 1980s and provide Yaoundé with a boost in its capabilities against the growing piracy threat in the Gulf of Guinea. It’s also likely that additional orders for transport aircraft and helicopters will be announced. The establishment of a dedicated air training school enabling Cameroon to become self-sufficient in pilot training is also on the agenda, albeit in the longer term. Although Cameroon is believed to be looking at the EMB-314 Super Tucano as a potential candidate to strengthen its attack capabilities, it has not discarded the possibility of acquiring a supersonic jet. The origins of such a requirement date back to the 1980s, when there was an unsuccessful attempt to procure a batch of IAI Kfir C2s and, subsequently, a small fleet of Dassault Mirage F1s. The F1 is again a likely candidate for procurement and the CAF is reportedly looking for good quality second-hand aircraft. 

Presidential aircraft

Presidential air mobility is the responsibility of a dedicated aviation unit, the Escadrille Présidentielle (Presidential Flight), which operates under orders from Cameroon’s Presidency. Its personnel hail from the CAF, but are not under its chain of command. The unit has flown a variety of types, including the C-47, HS.748, Arava, Alouette III, Bell 206B-III and SA330 Puma. It currently flies single examples of the AS332L1 Super Puma and SA365N Dauphin afm as well as a Gulfstream III.

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DIGITAL SAMPLE AFM 2016 77

USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT PORTSMOUTH

Rough Rider R AFM’s Glenn Sands caught the liberty boat from Portsmouth dockyard in late March to board the nuclear-powered carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, anchored in the Solent.

W

ith the radio callsign ‘Rough Rider’, named after US President Theodore Roosevelt’s volunteer cavalry unit, the nuclear-powered carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) anchored up in British waters at Stokes Bay, Gosport on March 22, for a five-day shore visit as part of its worldwide deployment. The carrier

The Carrier Air Group (CAG) Commander’s ‘bird’ for VFA-211 ‘Checkmates’ F/A-18F BuNo 166797/‘AB200’ was positioned in the hangar deck during the port visit undergoing routine maintenance. The days of brightly coloured CAG aircraft are slowly making a comeback aboard US carriers. (Inset) The squadron badge worn by VFA-211 aircrew. All images by author unless stated

78 AFM 2016 DIGITAL SAMPLE

belongs to the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group (TRCSG) comprising Carrier Air Wing One (CVW 1), the guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60) and the guided-missile destroyers USS Forrest Sherman (DDG 98), USS Farragut (DDG 90) and USS Winston S Churchill (DDG 81). The TRCSG is bound for the Middle East, where it is expected to replace the USS Carl Vinson strike group to conduct air strikes against Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria. The carrier’s visit to the English Channel coincided with an increase in US military exercises and deployments to Europe in response to Russian military activity in Ukraine and elsewhere in the region. According to US and NATO defence officials, Russian aircraft, ships and submarines have become more active in Europe over the past year. The Strike Group left the US East Coast on March 11 for an anticipated eight-month deployment, after which the carrier will arrive at its new home port of San Diego. The move is part of a threecarrier shift to bring USS George Washington (CVN 73) back from the Pacific for nuclear refuelling and to relocate the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) to Yokosuka, Japan.

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USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT PORTSMOUTH

r Rolls In...

Maiden Deployment for the E-2D Hawkeye The E-2Ds of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 125 ‘Tigertails’ replaced the ageing E-2C Hawkeyes aboard the Roosevelt. And it is the first time they will serve as the primary early-warning aircraft aboard a deployed aircraft carrier. The latest variant features a new radar system, theatre missile defence capabilities, multi-sensor integration and a tactical glass cockpit. Lieutenant Commander Christopher Moran, assigned to VAW 125 stated: “It is the first completely newly developed radar, it represents about a fourgeneration leap in technology to what we had, so it is pretty incredible. When you look at the world and the changing threats out there, it was clear we needed upgraded radars.”

Above: Present day US Navy airpower is illustrated in this view with carrier decks now home to Super Hornets. The air wing aboard CVN 75 totalled 34 Super Hornets spread across three squadrons; VFA-111 ‘Red Rippers’, VFA-136 ‘Knighthawks’ and VFA-211 ‘Fighting Checkmates’. Right: Five E-2D Advanced Hawkeyes from VAW-125 were serving with CVW 1; the variant was making its operational debut aboard the carrier. Below: Dominating the Solent during its five-day visit, USS Theodore Roosevelt CVN 71 was provided with a support vessel from Portsmouth Harbour, seen tied up alongside the carrier’s port side. Ian Harding

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DIGITAL SAMPLE AFM 2016 79

USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT PORTSMOUTH

‘The carrier’s visit to the English Channel coincided with an increase in US military exercises and deployments to Europe in response to Russian military activity in Ukraine and elsewhere in the region.’

Farewell ‘F’ This deployment is the last for the SH-60F Seahawk variant, with Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HS) 11 ‘Dragonslayers’ having the honour of retiring this early model. The squadron is also equipped with the HH-60H combat search

and rescue version. Upon return, HS-11 will move from Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, to Norfolk and will be redesignated as a Helicopter Sea Combat (HSC) squadron as it trades in its SH60Fs for new Sikorsky-built MH-60S Seahawks.

Above: Electronic warfare support for the Air Wing was provided by the five EA-18G Growlers of VAQ-137 ‘Rooks’. Mounted under the centreline on BuNo 168270/‘AB503’ is an ALQ-99 low band jammer pod. The wingtips each contain ALQ-218 jamming antenna pods. Left: The ‘Dragonslayers’ operated a mixed fleet of seven helicopters composed of three SH-60Fs and four HH-60Hs. This HH-60H Ocean Hawk BuNo 165115/‘AB614’ was fitted with a nose-mounted FLIR turret. Below: Veteran F/A-18C Hornets equipped VMFA-251 ‘Thunderbolts’ one of which – BuNo 164975/‘AB403’ – is pictured at the rear of this line-up, at the bow of the carrier.

80 AFM 2016 DIGITAL SAMPLE

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The ‘main players’ of CVW 1, an F/A-18E Super Hornet, an E-2D Hawkeye and an EA-18G Growler. The Super Hornet BuNo 166820/‘AB300’, complete with American flags on its upper surfaces, is the CAG Commander’s mount from VFA-136. Below: Another CAG ‘bird’ positioned below deck was F/A-18F BuNo 166628/‘AB100’ of VFA-11 ‘Red Rippers’. Both aircraft looked as though they had been thoroughly washed prior to the port call.

Carrier Air Wing One (CVW 1) VFA-11 ‘Red Rippers’ F/A-18F

166817/‘AB313’

166628/‘AB100’ (Hanger) CAG

VMFA-251 ‘Thunderbolts’

166634/‘AB101’

F/A-18C+

164902/‘AB400’ CAG

166624/‘AB102’

164892/‘AB401’ (Hanger)

166625/‘AB103’

164598/‘AB402’

166629/‘AB104’

164975/‘AB403’

166610/‘AB105’

164900/‘AB404’

166631/‘AB106’

164980/‘AB405’

166633/‘AB107’ (Hanger)

164964/‘AB406’

166623/‘AB110’

164952/‘AB410’

166626/‘AB111’

164909/‘AB411’

166627/‘AB112’

164973/‘AB412’

VFA-211 ‘Checkmates’

VAQ-137 ‘Rooks’

F/A-18F

E/A-18G

166797/‘AB200’ (Hanger) CAG

168267/‘AB501’

166805/‘AB202’

168269/‘AB502’ (Hanger)

166807/‘AB203’

168270/‘AB503’

166809/‘AB205’

168274/‘AB504’

166812/‘AB206’

VAW-125 ‘Tigertails’

166813/‘AB207’

E-2D

168592/‘AB600’ CAG

166814/‘AB210’

168593/‘AB601’

166815/‘AB211’ (Hanger)

168594/‘AB602’ (Hanger)

166816/‘AB212’

168595/‘AB603’

VFA-136 ‘Knighthawks’ F/A-18E

168266/‘AB500’ CAG

166799/‘AB201’

168321/‘AB604’

166820/‘AB300’ CAG

HS-11 ‘Dragonslayers’

166821/‘AB301’

SH-60F

166822/‘AB302’

164801/‘AB611’ (Hanger)

166823/‘AB303’ 166824/‘AB304’

164800/‘AB610’ (Hanger) 164615/‘AB612’

HH-60H

165115/‘AB614’

166825/‘AB305’

163795/‘AB615’ (Hanger)

166826/‘AB306’

165120/‘AB616’

166827/‘AB307’

165256/‘AB617’

166828/‘AB310’

HSM-46 ‘Grandmasters’

166829/‘AB311’

MH-60R

167038/‘HQ466’

166818/‘AB312’ Note: All are from CVW 1 except MH-60R which is from USS Winston S Churchill Abbreviations: VFA: Fixed Wing Strike Fighter Squadron, VMFA: Marine Fighter Attack Squadron, VAQ: Fixed Wing Electronic-Attack Squadron, VAW: Fixed Wing Airborne Early Warning Squadron, HS: Helicopter Squadron, HSM: Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron, CAG: Commander Air Group.

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DIGITAL SAMPLE AFM 2016 81

EUROPEAN FIGHTER FLEETS 2016 - PART ONE

Brothers in Arms A

TOP REQUIREMENT of any air force is to defend its country’s sovereign airspace and protect its citizens. The most significant contribution is the quick reaction alerts (QRAs) maintained by fighters armed with air-to-air missiles. Their role is to intercept unidentified aircraft entering their territory, identify them and shoot them down if necessary as a final resort. Not every nation can afford fighters. Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia for example have their airspace protected by foreign jets under the NATO’s Baltic Air Policing (BAP) mission. Air forces take turns in deploying to air bases at Ŝiauliai (Lithuania), Ämari (Estonia) or even Malbork (Poland) for QRA for 3 to 4 months. The duty has taken on more significance since Russia annexed the Crimea in March 2014, as the possibility lingers that the Baltic states could be next. A surge in unidentified Russian Air Force aircraft flying through international air space has led to an increase in QRA launches over the past three years. Northern European states such as Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany and the UK all regularly intercept and escort them on their way as they head out of northern Russian bases heading west. Besides the Baltic States, there is no nationally-provided QRA in Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro or Slovenia. Italy looks after the skies

More than 1,000 fighters are flying with European air forces. In this three-part series, Alan Warnes looks at which countries are doing their bit for international operations and, along with many of AFM’s correspondents, reviews the fleets. of neighbouring Albania, while Croatia looks after Slovenia during daylight hours. The others have no agreed QRA mechanisms. The focus on defending your own airspace or confronting Russia, which took up most of the European air forces’ doctrine in the Cold War era, is no longer valid. Operation Deny Flight – which ran from April 1993 to December 1995 and saw 10 air forces provide fighters to enforce the United Nations No Fly Zone over Bosnia and Herzegovina – was the first real coalition effort of European nations, which included Belgium (F-16s), Denmark (F-16s), France (Mirage 2000C/Ds and Mirage F1CRs), Germany (Tornado ECRs), Italy (F-104s, Tornados and AMX), the Netherlands (F-16s), Norway (F-16s), Spain (EF-18 Hornets), Turkey (F-16s), the UK (Sea Harriers, Harriers, Jaguars and Tornados) as well as the US and Canada. . Since then, combined air operations (COMAOs) and air integration have become a way of life for European air forces. Participating in exercises like Joint Warrior (UK), Red Flag at Nellis AFB (Nevada, USA) and NATO’s Tactical

Leadership Programme (Albacete, Spain) ensures everyone understands what’s expected from them. Smart weapons have also meant air forces have to keep their aircraft updated with the latest software to use ordnance such as JDAMs, Storm Shadow, AIM-9X Sidewinder and AIM-120 AMRAAM, if budgets dictate it.

War Veterans

Fighters are regularly used as ‘big sticks’ whenever diplomacy fails and a military solution has to be found. With terrorism now on most countries’ agenda, NATO air forces are expected to play a part in fighting it – as was the case in Afghanistan against Al Qaeda/Taliban (Operation Enduring Freedom, from October 2001 to December 31, 2014) and now against Daesh in Iraq/ Syria (Inherent Resolve). There was also the allied effort to stop Colonel Muammar Gaddafi from inflicting genocide on his own people in 2011 (Unified Protector, from March 23, 2011 to October 31, 2011), which ultimately led to his death. Several air forces have deployed fighters or bombers to all three of the above campaigns – including those of Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Norway

and the United Kingdom. Armée de l’Air (French Air Force) Mirage 2000s and Rafales played a big part in Opération Serval (December 20, 2012 to July 15, 2014), attacking Islamic fighters in Mali; and then Opération Barkhane, from August 1, 2014, when the focus was widened to an anti-insurgent campaign in Africa’s Sahel region (Burkino Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger) – placing a huge burden on personnel and fighters. In September 2015, French aircraft began attacks against

European fighters lined up at RIAT in 2015 include two Hellenic Air Force F-16Cs (nearest), a pair of Belgian F-16AMs and two RAF Typhoons. Alan Warnes

82 AFM 2016 DIGITAL SAMPLE

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Daesh in Iraq and, later, Syria (Opération Chammal) with Mirage 2000s, Rafales and, subsequently, Super Étendards, fighting the terrorist threat on two fronts. France’s fighter force has flown more hours taking on terrorism since February 2012 than any other European country. It helps that the French military has a bigger fighter inventory than any other European nation, operates the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier and makes unilateral decisions on air strikes, as it did in Mali. Without doubt the Armée de l’Air has played a massive part in combating the increasing terrorism threat. The multirole Rafale has proved itself in combat in recent years, so it’s hardly surprising that Egypt, Qatar and India have all bought the aircraft along with many precision guided munitions (PGMs) including the SCALP EG stand-off weapon in the past year. Meanwhile, of the four Eurofighter partner nations, only the UK’s Typhoons have deployed for joint operations on a regular basis – Germany, Italy and Spain concentrating their efforts until now in the air defence role. The UK has spent more time enhancing its jets for the air-toground role and six Typhoons are working alongside eight Tornado GR4s as part of the coalition effort against Daesh in Iraq and Syria (Operation Shader). Italy deployed to Red Flag 2016 in February,

the first time its Typhoons had been there, and has also covered BAP twice since January 2015. Despite clear budget constraints, Belgium and the Netherlands have done their bit, even when their citizens haven’t always supported the deployment of F-16s. Denmark and Norway may not have the largest of fighter forces but they have committed their F-16s to all three campaigns too. Denmark, a small country with a moderate 30-strong F-16 fleet, fights well above its weight. In terms of demographic size, Denmark is one of the top three contributors to NATO-led operations. During the Royal Danish Air Force’s seven-month deployment to NAS Sigonella, Sicily, its six F-16AMs flew 600 missions and dropped a remarkable 923 PGMs. With Norway boosting its defence budget by US$526 to $6 billion in 2016 it is now the largest defence spender among the Nordic countries. Sweden, despite not officially being a NATO member, stepped up to the plate against Libya in 2011 when it deployed eight Gripens to NAS Sigonella. It has also featured in the NATO Response Force, which was activated in 2002. During the first six months of 2008, Swedish Gripens were on stand-by as part of the EU’s Nordic Battle Group and were close to deploying to Chad to support European Union troops in and around Darfur on the Sudan-Darfur border, but it didn’t materialise. In 2009/10 the Swedish Air Force was on a 90-day alert to deploy Gripens to Afghanistan. They would have gone to Mazar-e-Sharif to relieve the GAF Tornado ECRs, but again they were not needed. In 2013, Sweden became a contributor to the NATO Response Force (NRF) and has played an active role within NRF ever since.

Bigger Forces

The German Air Force has deployed to the BAP eight times – more than any other nation – although its government did not send aircraft on offensive operations to Afghanistan, Libya or against Daesh. However, recce-configured Tornado ECRs were used over Afghanistan and more recently over Iraq and Syria. The Turkish Air Force and Greece’s Hellenic Air Force have sizeable fighter fleets but face their own challenges. Having Iran, Iraq and Syria among its neighbours, Turkey is on the edge of a war zone, while its relationship with Greece, a long-term foe, ensures trouble is always close by. The Greek Government is

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Above: The Swedish Air Force’s sole Tp84/C-130E Hercules tanker refuels a couple of Czech Air Force JAS 39C Gripens. Pilots flying the latter were sharpening their air-to-air refuelling skills prior to the Czech’s Iceland Air Policing mission in 2014. Milan Nykodym

meanwhile bogged down with austerity measures, preventing it from contributing much more than defending NATO’s southern flank – although it does allow the US and other foreign forces to use its bases at a time of crisis, as in the Libyan conflict in 2011.

Former Warsaw Pact nations

In the east, former Warsaw Pact countries rebuilding their air forces have mostly abandoned their Russian fighters. Bulgaria is an exception, and continues to fly the MiG-29 Fulcrum and Su-25 Frogfoot under some challenging maintenance issues. Romania operates around 20 MiG-21 LanceR Cs for QRA duties, but with the first of nine ex-Portuguese Air Force F-16s due to arrive later this year, along with three from the US, the future looks a lot brighter. Of all the former Warsaw Pact nations, Poland has gone through the most impressive modernisation over the past decade, buying 48 F-16C/D Block 52s in 2003, with deliveries between 2006 and 2008. The Polish Air Force also acquired the Goodrich DB-110 reconnaissance pod but has done next to nothing with its F-16s in the international arena. It hasn’t committed F-16s to Baltic Air Policing duty but has sent four MiG-29s on four separate occasions since January 2006. However, isn’t it time, having flown the F-16 for nearly ten years now, and even visiting a Red Flag in Alaska during 2012, that they did something with all that capability? The neighbouring Czech Air Force has leased 14 Saab JAS 39C/D Gripens and committed to the BAP twice, as well as Icelandic Air Policing in 2014 and 2015. Hungary, too, leased 14 Saab JAS 39C/D Gripens (although it has lost a JAS 39C) and, having grown in expertise since acquiring the jets

in 2006, is totally committed to the European cause, making its first BAP deployment last September and now planning another. In the Balkans, having reequipped with 12 new MiG-21bisD and UMDs in 2014/15, you probably wouldn’t expect the cash-strapped Croatian Air Force to do much more than man their own QRAs. However, they also protect Slovenia’s airspace. Non-NATO countries like Austria and Switzerland have done little in the international arena, preferring to concentrate on their own domestic needs. However both governments have had issues over their fighter fleets. Debates continue to run in Austria over the cost of the Eurofighter fleet in relation to their role, and it is questionable whether the taxpayers are getting real value for their money. A Swiss referendum in May 2014 rejected the acquisition of 22 newly developed Saab Gripen E/Fs, ordered in early 2012, meaning the air force will continue to soldier on with its old F-5E/Fs for a lot longer.

PART ONE FIGHTER FLEETS Albania

nil

Austria

15 x Eurofighters

Belgium

54 x F-16AM/BM

Bosnia & Herzegovina

nil

Bulgaria

15 x MiG-29 Fulcrums

Croatia

12 MiG-21bisD/ UMD

Czech Republic

14 x JAS 39C/D

Denmark

30 x F-16AM/BM

Estonia

nil

Finland

61 F-18A/B

France

140 x Rafales B/C/M, 15 x Mirage 2000Cs, 20 x Mirage 2000Ns, 20 x Mirage 2000-5s, 6 x Mirage 2000B, 60 x Mirage 2000D

DIGITAL SAMPLE AFM 2016 83

EUROPEAN FIGHTER FLEETS 2016 - PART ONE ALBANIA

AUSTRIA

Chinese fighters lay abandoned IN THE 1970/80s, when the Albanian Air Force was at its most powerful, it boasted around 400 Chinese-built fighters comprising Guizhou FT-5s (licence-built MiG17UTIs), Shenyang F6s (illegal copies of MiG-19s) and Shenyang FT-7As (licence-built MiG-21F-13). Albania’s communist leader Enver Hoxha had feared an attack by Yugoslavia and so built up his country’s defences, with aid from China. Hoxha died in 1985 and, eventually, in the early 1990s political reform got under way. Civil unrest in 1997 saw many air bases and aircraft attacked by rebels and the uprising toppled the government marking a turning point for the country and its air force. Today, most of the fighters lay abandoned at bases, stored in long lines or in caverns built into the side of the mountains. There is no appetite to spend money breaking them up and so their condition will continue to deteriorate. Albania joined NATO in 2009, along with Croatia, and today the Albanian Air Brigade only operates helicopters. Its air space is defended by Italian Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons.  The Austrian Air Force’s Air Surveillance Wing at Zeltweg flies 15 single-seat Eurofighters devoted entirely to air defence. Eurofighter GmbH

Two Austrian Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons escort an Austrian Airlines Boeing 767 to a simulated landing in Zeltweg on March 2. This is one of many exercises carried out by Eurofighter pilots to ensure that, in a real emergency, manoeuvres such as escorted landings can be undertaken effectively and safely. Eurofighter GmbH

Eurofighters just for air defence AUSTRIA’S AIR defence system, known as Goldhaube (Golden Hat), has been operational since 1988 and consists of fixed radar sites and mobile radar stations. From July 1, 2008, and crucial to this system, Eurofighters based at Zeltweg with the Air Surveillance Wing, have been permanently held on quick reaction alert (QRA) to intercept unidentified aircraft approaching Austria’s borders. The aircraft are used exclusively in the air-policing role and are armed only with the Mauser BK27 27mm cannon and two IRIS-T short-range

air-to-air missiles. They work in conjunction with Saab 105Ös, Pilatus PC-7s and Bell 206 JetRanger helicopters as part of the tiered air defence umbrella. All the Austrian Eurofighter pilots train in Germany, having earlier gone through a lead-in fighter training course on T-339As at Lecce, Italy. Although the 15th and final Eurofighter was delivered in September 2009, there has been considerable internal political controversy over the purchase of these aircraft. The opposition party had made an election promise

to scrap the order if it got into power, which it did, unexpectedly in the October 2006 elections. Its plans, however, never came to fruition due to the prohibitive costs of cancelling the project. In October 2013, work to upgrade the jets to the highest Tranche 1 standard was completed, according to Eurofighter GmbH. The work involved fitting enhanced software, new radio systems, GPS, and an identification friend-or-foe transponder. When two Austrian Eurofighters ventured as far as RAF Leuchars Airshow in September 2013, it was the first time they had ever landed at an air base outside their home country. In June 2014, five jets deployed to Deci, Sardinia to exercise on the local Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation (ACMI) range but that has accounted for most of their travelling so far. It is thought the Austrian Eurofighters have flown around 7,000 hours to date, which means that in just under nine years each jet has clocked up about 500 hours. It is probably the most under-utilized Eurofighter fleet of all. There has been a lot of speculation surrounding the operational readiness of the fleet, but they are doing exactly what they were bought to do - defend Austria's air space. Whether they needed Eurofighter for just that, is debatable. 

Fighter ORBAT Air Surveillance Wing Zeltweg

84 AFM 2016 DIGITAL SAMPLE

1 Sqn

Eurofighter

2 Sqn

Eurofighter

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BELGIUM

Battling On All Fronts Despite Cutbacks

Above: An F-16AM, armed with a pair of AIM-9M Sidewinder and AIM-120D AMRAAMs, during air policing duties over Lithuania. Belgian Defence via author

THE BELGIAN Air Component’s overseas air combat capability has been serving operations since 2008. In Afghanistan, Libya and Iraq, F-16AMs undertook armed reconnaissance, air interdiction and close air support missions on behalf of allied ground forces. In Lithuania, Poland and Estonia they have been preserving the Baltic states’ airspace integrity on a regular basis since the three countries joined NATO in 2004. Belgium’s Operation Guardian Falcon in Afghanistan saw the introduction of the AN/AAQ-33 ‘Sniper XR’ advanced targeting pod, the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) and new weapons such as the GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) and GBU-54 Laser JDAM. During Operation Freedom Falcon in Libya, F-16AMs attacked Libyan military infrastructure with GBU-24 Paveway III and GBU-31 JDAM 2,000lb general-purpose or bunker buster bombs, as well as other targets, with the smaller GBU-12 Paveway II and GBU-38 JDAM. In Operation Desert Falcon, six F-16AMs supported the US-led multinational coalition against Daesh in Iraq from October 2014 till June 2015. A follow-up mission

is expected to start on 1 July. When the Baltic states joined NATO on March 29, 2004, the first fighters the alliance deployed to Šiauliai, Lithuania, in the air policing role were Belgian F-16AMs armed with AIM-9M Sidewinder and AIM-120B AMRAAMs. Two more rotations were accomplished in 2006/2007 and 2013. When tensions rose on NATO’s eastern flank in response to the Ukrainian crisis, Belgian F-16AMs deployed to Malbork, Poland, in 2015 and to Ämari, Estonia, in 2016. At home, a pair of F-16s are also on alert duty round-the-clock to defend Belgium’s national territory,

and varying numbers of aircraft are assigned to the NATO Response Force (NRF) – which from this year becomes the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF). For small F-16 operators, joining up resources in international co-operative bodies – such as the European Participating Air Forces Expeditionary Air Wing (EEAW) – is paramount to achieve a cohesive, interoperable and effective combat entity at affordable costs. When it comes to national air policing, Belgium co-operates closely with France and the Netherlands. An agreement with France facilitating cross-border interceptions of renegade civil

aircraft was ratified on August 30, 2015. Meanwhile a joint BENELUX Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) agreement agreed on March 4, 2015 is expected to be implemented by next January. Three decades of service and upgrades have seen the F-16 become a mature weapon system mastered by Belgium planners, pilots, ground crews and maintenance personnel, and as a combat system the jet can keep up with most of its present-day adversaries. The latest mid-life software upgrade, to Tape M6.5 standard, comprises improvements in radio communication, data exchange, navigation and reconnaissance systems to enhance capabilities and interoperability. New weapons to be introduced by Belgium are the AIM-9X Sidewinder this year and the GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb in 2017. With its oldest airframes approaching 6,000 out of an original design service life of 8,000 hours, Belgium expects to use the F-16 as its air combat capability until 2025. Its replacement process began in 2014 with a request for information to government agencies in France, Sweden, the UK and the US. Shortlisted types are the Boeing Super Hornet, Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, Lockheed Martin Lightning II and Saab Gripen. They will be bought off-the-shelf without any unique Belgian requirements, facilitating collaboration with international partners A purchase agreement for 34 aircraft is planned during the second quarter of 2018. First deliveries are expected in 2023, initial operational capability by 2027 and full operational capability by 2029. Jos Schoofs 

Fighter ORBAT 2 Tactical WG Florennes 1 Sqn

F-16AM/BM (MLU)

350 Sqn

F-16AM/BM (MLU)

10 Tactical WG Kleine Brogel

Above: This F-16AM is seen in a ground attack configuration while on Operation Guardian Falcon duty in Afghanistan. Vador/Belgian Defence via author

31 Sqn

F-16AM/BM (MLU)

349 Sqn

F-16AM/BM (MLU)

OCU

F-16AM/BM (MLU)

BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA

No jets, just helicopters www.airforcesdaily.com

AFTER THE break-up of Yugoslavia, the Republic of Srpska (a Serbian enclave of Bosnia) inherited several J-1 Jastrebs, J-22 Oraos and NJ 62

Super Galebs. However, in June 2006, the RSAF was merged into the Bosnia and Herzegovina Air Force but by 2009 all of the jets had been grounded and

lay redundant at Banja Luka Air Base. Today the Bosnia and Herzegovina Air Force and Air Defence Brigade only flies helicopters. 

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EUROPEAN FIGHTER FLEETS 2016 - PART ONE BULGARIA

Frustrating Fulcrums

Above: In early 2016 the BuAF had to extend the MiG-29’s time between overhaul yet again to ensure there were enough airworthy aircraft for pilot training and the QRA mission. Both photos, Alexander Mladenov

FOLLOWING THE retirement on December 31, 2015 of the last two MiG-21bis Fishbeds and a MiG21UM1 two-seater, the Bulgarian Air Force (BuAF) now relies on a fighter fleet of 12 single-seat and three two-seat MiG-29 Fulcrums. These twin-engine jets are serving with a single squadron at Graf Ignatievo – the only active BuAF fighter base. Since April 29, 2004 the facility has been Bulgaria’s principal contribution to NATO’s Expanded Integrated Air Defence System – with either two MiG-29s or two MiG-21bis (now retired), plus one back-up example on Quick Reaction Alert (QRA). Between 2006 and 2009, the BuAF Fulcrum fleet was put through an airworthiness restoration programme undertaken by RSK MiG. The airframe life extension programme was intended to enable the fleet to remain in service until 2029. However, with little investment from the MoD to cover maintenance, the Fulcrum fleet was suffering from serviceability issues by late 2014/early 2015. In October 2015, BuAF’s CinC, Major General Rumen Radev, alarmed at the low airworthiness rate of the ailing MiG-29 fleet, knew something had to be done or the Air Policing mission would be halted. In 2014, the air force

86 AFM 2016 DIGITAL SAMPLE

had already extended the service life of a handful of MiG-21bis/UM fighters until the end of 2015. To ease the situation further the time between overhauls (TBOs) of the MiG-29’s RD-33 Series 2 engines and KSA-2 accessory gearboxes was prolonged. But as Maj Gen Radev explained, the service barely had enough airworthy aircraft to maintain its QRA commitments until mid-2016. In 2015, the Bulgarian MoD severed all ties with the aircraft’s design authority, RSK MiG, which

had done the TBO work. Instead, a deal was struck with Poland’s statecontrolled aircraft maintenance industry to keep the MiG-29s in the air. Further to this, the Bulgarian and Polish governments signed an agreement in October 2015 to overhaul six Bulgarian RD-33 engines this year, which would allow three additional Fulcrums to be returned to airworthiness, at the cost of 1.023 million euros each. While Maj Gen Radev welcomed the co-operation with Poland he has voiced concerns that

Poland alone might not be able to offer a complete solution to all the logistic support problems facing the BuAF’s MiG-29s. Maj Gen Radev, expects the MiG29s will continue to be unreliable and increasingly expensive, so maintaining the type might be only a short-term fix. The only midterm working solution, he claims, will be the prompt procurement of a new Western fighter. The BuAF has been looking a long time to purchase an affordable type to replace the MiG-29, and Maj Gen Radev has been pushing for this to happen as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the BuAF retains a fleet of ten single-seater Su-25Ks and four two-seater Su-25UBKs. Several are kept in an airworthy status with one squadron assigned to the Forward Deployment Air Base at Bezmer airfield. As the only dedicated strike type within the inventory today, the Frogfoot is planned to stay in Bulgarian service, with numerous service life extensions, until at least 2017. Further life extensions might also be considered so that the type can operate until the end of decade. Alexander Mladenov 

Fighter ORBAT Above: The BuAF operates the last Su-25s in Europe. One Frogfoot-equipped squadron serves at Bezmer Forward Deployment Air Base. The armoured attack fighter is likely to continue flying in Bulgaria until the latter part of this decade.

3rd Air Base, Graf Ignatievo

MiG-29/UB

Forward Deployment Base Bezmer

Su-25/UBK

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CROATIA

Croatia’s ‘new’ MiG-21s A DOZEN MiG-21s, comprising eight single-seat MiG-21bisDs and four MiG-21UMD twin-seat trainers make up the Croatian Air Force and Air Defence (Hrvatsko Ratno Zrakoplovstvo i ProtuZraˇcna Obrana, HRZ i PZO) fighter fleet. They are flown by the unit known simply as the Fighter Squadron (Eskadrila Borbenih Aviona– EBA), with the 91st Air Base (Zrakoplovna Baza – 91 ZB) at Zagreb-Pleso, which also functions as the main civilian airport for the Croatian capital. The D suffix has been added as a local designation stemming from the Croatian word Doraden ˉ (modified). All 12 aircraft have recently undergone a complete overhaul and modest upgrade by the Ukrainian company Odesaviaremservis Aviation Repair Plant (OARP) at Odessa. Five of the single-seaters are new acquisitions, originally part of a failed order for Yemen, and had been stored outside the Odessa plant for several years. However, on March 22, the Croatian daily newspaper Jutarnji list reported that an investigation is taking place into the five newly acquired MiG-21bisDs bought from the Odessa plant. Allegations are now brewing over the past histories of these MiGs. Croatian sources claim the Odessa plant painted Algerian MiG-21 construction numbers on the airframes but left the original c/n plates in place, showing that at least four of them are ex-Bulgarian! It’s unclear what this means for their future. The upgrade was primarily concerned with installing new

Above: One of the Croatian Air Force’s ‘new’ MiG-21bisDs armed with an AA-8 Aphid comes in to land at Zagreb-Pleso. Both photos, Chris Lofting

navigation and communications equipment for the jets to comply with standards stipulated by both NATO and ICAO and allowing them to safely operate within civilian airspace. Noticeable external differences resulting from the modernisation include a GPS antenna located on the nose of both variants, while the blade aerial (previously positioned under the fuselage) has been relocated to the top behind the cockpit on the MiG-21bisD aircraft. A radically new colour scheme has also been adopted, with the previous green and brown camouflage pattern abandoned in favour of a NATOstyle air defence grey overall finish. The only exception is provided by MiG-21UMD serial number 165 – locally known as ‘Kockica’ (small square), which is flown in a red and white check colour scheme based on the Croatian flag. Until the grounding, the eight MiG-21bisDs were enough to have two aircraft standing permanently on QRA, while the twin-seaters don’t have such responsibilities

as they cannot carry weapons. A new and bigger ramp has been laid in front of the Fighter Squadron’s original hangars to house the whole fleet as a new modern civilian terminal is being built on part of the old base area. The QRA falls within the NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defence System (NATINAMDS), under the Combined Air Operations Centre CAOC at Torrejón, Spain. Currently, the alert is maintained only during the hours of daylight, but this will soon become a round-the-clock operation. QRA aircraft carry a 108 imp gallon (490 lit) auxiliary fuel tank on the centreline stores station, which gives them enough endurance to cover all of Croatia’s airspace. Missile armament consists of a pair of Vympel R-60MK (AA-8 Aphid-C) weapons, with Croatia’s stock recently sent to Hungary for inspection and shelf-life extension. There is no denying the age

and limitations of the MiG-21 but it is still more than capable of performing the required task. Nevertheless, even before all 12 aircraft had been delivered, it was announced a new fighter would be acquired to replace the ageing Soviet-built MiGs. It followed a meeting between Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovi´c and Prime Minister Zoran Milanovi´c. Initial responses to the Croatian Request for Information (RFI) put the SAAB JAS 39 Gripen, Lockheed Martin F-16 Falcon (possibly second-hand), Dassault Rafale and the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) FA-50 under consideration. A decision on which type will be chosen is still awaited, but government sources are optimistic a deal will be agreed and signed by the end of 2016. Chris Lofting 

Fighter ORBAT 91st Air Base, Zagreb-Pleso Fighter Squadron MiG-21bisD/ (Eskadrila UMD Borbenih Aviona)

With its afterburner kicking in, this MiG-21bisD starts to move down the Pleso runway.

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DIGITAL SAMPLE AFM 2016 87

EUROPEAN FIGHTER FLEETS 2016 - PART ONE CZECH REPUBLIC

Leasing Gripens WHEN LEASED JAS-39C/D Gripens arrived in 2005 on a ten-year lease to replace obsolete MiG-21MFNs, nobody on the Czech Air Force’s only fighter unit – 211 Squadron, based ˇ at Cáslav AFB – knew what would happen after 2015. The agreement covered 14 jets – 12 single-seater JAS-39Cs and two dual-seat JAS-39Ds. As the lease came close to being run down, the Czech Government renewed it on March 12, 2014 for 12 years until 2027, with a two-year option. Under the original request, the jets’ main task is air policing within the NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defence System (NIAMDS), but an amendment to the lease covers an upgrade to give them an air-to-surface capability. Over the 12 years, Sweden will train 25 new pilots and 90 technicians in a contract worth around SEK 450m ($67m) each year. The Gripens are being continuously modified during routine maintenance in Sweden. By the beginning of 2016, new Gripen software was being introduced. No 211 Squadron’s main task is to defend Czech airspace round-the-clock. Its pilots are trained in tasks such as air-to-air refuelling, and about ten of them are currently qualified in this complex role.

A dual-seat JAS 39D taxies out of the squadron dispersal area at ˇ Cáslav AFB. Milan Nykodym

Last year saw several major events both at the Gripens’ home base and abroad. Four Typhoons from the RAF’s XI ˇ Sqn visited Cáslav in March for Dissimilar Air Combat Training (DACT) in Exercise Quo Vadis. Cross-border co-operation with Germany meanwhile includes DACT and BVR training with Eurofighters from the Luftwaffe’s JG 74 at Neuburg. Last year’s main domestic event was Lion Effort 2015 for all Gripen-using countries, the largest air exercise held in Czech Republic. Twenty-two aircraft took part – six from Czech Republic, five from Hungary and 11 from Sweden – and pilots from Thailand were present as observers. The Czechs are able, with only 14 jets, to fulfil NATO requests – not just to guard just their own

skies but also the sovereignty of the three Baltic states and Iceland. No 211 Squadron has stood Quick Reaction Alert, with four Gripens, twice in the Baltic states – between May 1 and September 1, 2009 and again from September 1, 2012 till January 3, 2013. The first mission to Iceland ran between October 10 and December 3, 2014 with five JAS-39Cs, the squadron beginning preparations for the deployment within two months of Lion Effort ending. Employing NATO’s Air Surveillance and Interception Capabilities (ASICIPPN), Icelandic Air Policing addresses the country’s readiness issues. The latest mission lasted from July 28 until August 28, 2015 – again with five JAS-39C Gripens – with the journey to and from Iceland

supported by an Italian Air Force Boeing KC-767 tanker. The Czech fighter unit plans to take part in two big exercises in 2016 – the NATO Tiger Meet, in May, at Zaragoza, Spain; and JAWTEX 2016 in Germany in June. Another mission in its sights is air policing over Iceland in the autumn. It seems that everyone is happy with the decision to lease Gripens, not just the politicians and accountants but also the pilots and technicians. In having an air-to-ground capability, the Gripens will be able to cover the full spectrum of missions. Jaroslav Špacˇ ek 

Fighter ORBAT 21 Zäkladna Tactickeho Letectva (21 Tactical Air Base) 211 Takticka Letka (211 TL)

JAS 39C/D Gripen

Under a full moon, four Czech Air Force Gripens head for Iceland in early December 2014 tucked in behind an Italian Air Force KC-767. Milan Nykodym

88 AFM 2016 DIGITAL SAMPLE

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DENMARK

F-16s & Beyond

Above: Two RDAF F-16s from the QRA fly low over the North Sea armed with two live AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles. Both photos, Søren Augustesen

HAVING RECEIVED its first F-16 Fighting Falcons in January 1980, the Royal Danish Air Force (RDAF) eventually took delivery of 77 F-16 A/B Fighting Falcons. The F-16s have been flown by Eskadrille (Squadron) 723, 726, 727 and 730. However, with only around 30 left in operational service they are now only flown by Esk 727 and 730 at Skrydstrup Air Base, in southern Jutland. Having originally been delivered as F-16A/Bs in Block 10/15 configuration, the RDAF F-16s have been extensively upgraded over the years, the Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) programme being the most comprehensive. Today

most of the active RDAF F-16s have been brought up to the latest MLU standard (with M6 software), and are capable of deploying a variety of smart weapons. The first time RDAF F-16s, or any type of RDAF aircraft, flew in combat was during Operation Allied Force (NATO’s mission against Yugoslavia). On October 13, 1998, six F-16s from Esk 730 took off from Skrydstrup, along with a total of 115 support personnel, and headed for Grazzanise Air Base in Italy. In April 1999 a further three F-16 were sent to Grazzanise, where they operated until June 2000. Further international missions

were to follow, in Operation Enduring Freedom (October 2002 - October 2003), Baltic Air Policing (2004, 2009, 2013 and 2014), Icelandic Air Policing (2009 and 2010), Unified Protector (April - October 2011) and most recently Inherent Resolve (October 2014 - September 2015). In March 2016 the government agreed that RDAF F-16s would once again be deployed to the Middle East to fight Daesh, as part of Inherent Resolve. The deployment is scheduled to start in June 2016. Although the search for an F-16 replacement didn’t officially start until August, 2005, the Danish Government entered the JSF

programme back in 1997 and is now a Level 3 partner. In August 2005, a Request for Proposals was sent to four manufacturers: Lockheed (JSF), SAAB (JAS-39 E/F Gripen NG), Eurofighter (Typhoon) and Boeing (F/A-18E/F Super Hornet). In 2007 Eurofighter pulled out of the competition, claiming that Lockheed had been given unfair advantages. A decision on a new fighter was expected in 2009 but then postponed until 2010, and then in March 2010 the competition was put on hold. In March 2013 it restarted, at which point Eurofighter re-entered. In April 2014 a Request for Binding Information was sent to all four manufacturers. Following this, SAAB pulled out, leaving just three types in contention. A final decision on which type will replace the F-16s is expected in by July 2016, and first delivery is planned for 2020, with the retirement of the F-16 expected to follow by 2024. Søren Augustesen 

Fighter ORBAT RDAF Skydstrup One of the two-seat F-16Bs used by the RDAF for pilot training.

Esk 727

F-16AM/BM

Esk 730

F-16AM/BM

ESTONIA

Relies on Baltic Air Policing www.airforcesdaily.com

ESTONIA JOINED NATO on March 29, 2004 but being governed by such a small budget means it is hard to comply with NATO

standards and doctrines. So Estonia relies on NATO fighters on Baltic Air Policing duties to protect its skies. The Estonian Air Force

has never had any fighters, but it does fly two civilian leased Aero L-39C Albatros which are used primarily as training aircraft. 

DIGITAL SAMPLE AFM 2016 89

EUROPEAN FIGHTER FLEETS 2016 - PART ONE FINLAND

More sting For Finland’s Hornets

THE FINNISH Air Force (FAF) once had one of the most diverse fighter fleets in Europe, its Swedish Saab Drakens and Russian-built MiG-21bis summing up Finland’s good relationship with its two neighbours. Today the friendship with Russia is strained. Regular Russian Air Force airspace violations in the Gulf of Finland have seen to that. Finland has reacted strongly and published photos of the ‘guilty’ aircraft, and no violations have occurred in recent months. The nation’s fighter force is made up of 61 F-18 Hornets – 55 single-seat ’A models and six two-seat F-18Ds, divided between three squadrons (see Fighter ORBAT). They form the backbone of the FAF’s combat capability. A few Hornets are operated by the Finnish Air Force Test Centre at Halli. Two F-18Cs have been lost in accidents – HN-430 on November 7, 2001 and HN-413 which, converted into a dual-seat F-18D and serialled HN-468, was lost during testing on January 21, 2010. In June 2010 the FAF Boeing F-18 Hornet fleet passed 100,000 flight hours, nearly 15 years after the first F-18D was delivered on November 5, 1995. The leading airframe at the time was the first single-seat F-18C Hornet, HN-401 (delivered on June 28, 1996), with 2,414 flight hours. The jet has purposely been flown more than the others to check in advance for any possible airframe structural changes and problems. Another F-18C, HN-414, with 931 flight hours, had the lowest flying time in June

90 AFM 2016 DIGITAL SAMPLE

2010. The Finnish Air Force will fly 4,500 hours on each airframe. Finland’s Patria Aviation (part of Airbus Group) received a significant order from the Finnish Air Force on January 11, 2011 for a series of MLU2 upgrades to be installed on the Hornets. The earlier MLU1 upgrade concentrated on improving the jet’s air-to-air capability with a helmet cueing system; and new AIM-9X missile, but the latest AMRAAM version will come in MLU2. A Litening targeting pod was also introduced during MLU1 phase, but it is MLU2 that gives the Hornets the air-to-ground capability. A new IFF (identification friend-or-foe interrogator), for easier identification during combat, was also fitted. These features were supplemented by a tactical moving map capability. The FAF’s goal is to upgrade all its 62 fighters by the end of 2016. Patria implemented MLU1 between 2007 and 2010

and performed the final assembly and testing of 57 single-seat F-18C models when the fighters were purchased. The MLU1 upgrade started in 2001 and was followed by an implementation phase; full operational capability will be declared later this year. The work spanned more than a decade and the price tag for the MLU1 is around 325 million euros, spread over the period 2001 to 2010. With MLU2, new weapons have been integrated on the Finnish F-18 Hornet fleet, comprising: AIM-120C-7 AMRAAM, JDAM, AGM-154C Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) and AGM-158 JASSM (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile). The new Link 16 also features in MLU2, for better compatibility with the air forces of NATO countries. Additionally, MLU2 involved software updates and spares purchases to cover the remainder of the Hornets’ service life as well

as strengthening the airframes, and overhauling the powerplants. Without MLU2 the FAF would have found that, by 2020, its capabilities would have fallen far behind the Russians, fielding some of the best fighters in the world: their new Su-35S and PAK-FA are to be based near St Petersburg, next to the Finnish border. After MLU2, the Finnish Air Force will have the youngest and most capable ‘classic’ Hornet fleet in the world. Perttu Karivalo 

Fighter ORBAT Lapland Air Command Hävittajälentolaivue 11

Rovaniemi

Satakunta Air Command HavLLv 21

TamperePirkkala

Karelia Air Command HavLLv 31

KuopioRissala

Finnish Air Force Test Centre

Halli

Hävittajälentolaivue = Fighter Sqn

Top: A Finnish Air Force F/A-18D spits out flares. The FAF flies six dual-seat Hornets. Both photos, Perttu Karivalo Above: A typical wintery scene at Tampere-Pirkkala where an F/A-18C pilot prepares to move his jet off the parking spot.

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FRANCE

High-Tempo Ops in Two Regions

SINCE SEPTEMBER 2014, when Opération Chammal (France’s participation in Operation Inherent Resolve) began, the French fighter force has been operating at a level not envisaged in the nation’s current White Paper defence strategy. These high-tempo, long-running operations have taken their toll on equipment and increased maintenance costs. The Armée de l’Air (French Air Force) is still struggling to support long-term war operations in the Sahara (Opération Barkhane); and in Iraq and Syria against Daesh (Opération Chammal). Around 20 combat aircraft have been deployed on a semi-permanent basis in these two campaigns – to Niger (two Mirage 2000Cs and two 2000Ds finally left in late February), Chad (three Rafales), the UAE (up to six Rafales) and Jordan (six Mirage 2000Ds and Ns).

Above: Two FAF Rafales fly over Iraq during an Operation Inherent Resolve mission. US Air Force - Tech Sgt Nathan Lipscomb Below: The Charles de Gaulle in the Persian Gulf, with Rafale Ms and Super Etendards on board. Alexandre Paringaux

Carrier Ops

The French Navy is also kept busy with its embarked air wing. In early 2015, its Mission Arromanches took the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to the Indian

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EUROPEAN FIGHTER FLEETS SURVEY2016 - PART ONE FRANCE (Continued)

Above: FAF technicians work on Hammer AASMs below the deck of Charles de Gaulle. Eventually they will be fitted on Rafale Ms launching from the carrier. AFP-Anne-Christine Poujoulat

Ocean and the Gulf, where it was involved in Opération Chammal, the third war the nuclear-powered carrier has participated in following Afghanistan (2001-2010) and Libya (2011). The vessel left the Gulf on April 18, 2015 and sailed back to Toulon, its aircraft having accumulated 800 flying sorties. A few hours before the terrorist attack in Paris on November 13, the French Government announced the carrier would be heading back to the Gulf again. The attacks in the city upped the tempo and the Charles de Gaulle left Toulon five days later with 24 attack aircraft on board (18 Rafales and six Super

Étendard Modernisés – SEMs), tripling the French strike force over Iraq and Syria. Carrier-based Rafale Ms also conducted reconnaissance missions over Libya when the Charles de Gaulle sailed in the eastern Mediterranean towards the Gulf and more such flights are likely to be launched when the vessel returns to France. The current deployment will be the last for the SEMs,

which will retire in July. The SEM made its last trap on the carrier on March 16 (see Continental Europe news). Flottille 17F will then transition to the Rafale M (with former F1 aircraft being upgraded to F3 standard), giving the Aéronavale a homogenous force of three Rafale M squadrons. The Charles de Gaulle will be back in France during the coming weeks and is expected to enter an 18-month heavy maintenance period in February 2017. It is likely that naval aircraft will then operate from land bases alongside their Armée de l’Air counterparts in Opération Chammal. On the home front, a sudden surge in Rafale exports is also stretching the Armée de l’Air. It gave up six aircraft to Egypt (which will be given back before 2018, when newly produced Rafales will replace them) and is heavily committed to training crew and mechanics for Egypt and Qatar. The outgoing French Air Force Chief of Staff, General Denis Mercier, warned that additional Rafale export orders will not be pilfered from aircraft intended for French forces, adding that “future export customers will have to adapt to the service’s capacity to absorb the extra support required to train foreign pilots and technicians”.

A French White Paper released in 2012 called for a reduction in the number of combat aircraft – the Armée de l’Air and Aéronavale being pegged back to 225 (185 and 40 respectively). By late 2012, only 180 Rafales had been contracted, the most recent order being placed in late 2009. Current orders include 48 Rafale Ms for the Navy and 132 Rafale B and C variants for the Air Force. To date 142 Rafales have been delivered to both services. In 2015 the Armée de l’Air received only five new aircraft while the Aéronavale took on two retrofitted jets (former F1 standard upgraded to F3 standard) – six fewer than previously planned because of the allocation of Rafales to the Egyptian Air Force as a stopgap measure. With priority being given to export orders, the delivery schedule of the remaining aircraft for France is not yet known, All Rafales delivered in the earlier F2 configuration have now been upgraded to F3 standard (with a full air-to-air and air-to-ground capability) and are receiving further software improvements through incremental upgrades. Unable to get as many Rafales as it wanted, the Armée de l’Air will need to upgrade some of its Mirage 2000s, 152 of which (of all types) remain in service. The last Mirage 2000N K3s are

Aéronavale Fighter ORBAT Flottille/Squadron

Base

Aircraft

Flottille 11F

Landivisau

Rafale M

Flottille 12F

Landivisau

Rafale M

Flottile 17F

Landivisau

Super Etendard (to Rafale)

Right: A ‘tooled up’ Rafale C taxies out at Al Dhafra with four GBU-12 (250kg) LGBs and a Damocles targeting pod. The jet has been heavily involved in recent conflicts. ECPAD

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Above: A Super Etendard pilot climbs into the aircraft. The jet which has served the French Navy for over 35 years has completed its last mission aboard the Charles de Gaulle and will be retired later this year. Alexandre Paringaux

L’Armée de l’Air Fighter ORBAT Escadre (Wing)

Created

Code

Base Aerienne

2eme Escadre de Chasse

Sept 3, 2015

2-XX

Luxeil (BA116)

3-xx

Nancy-Ochey (BA133)

EC 1/2 ‘Cigognes’, Mirage 2000-5F 3eme Escadre de Chasse

Sept 2014

EC 1/3 ‘Navarre’, EC 2/3 ‘Champagne’, EC 3/3 ‘Ardennes’, ET2/7 ‘Argonne’ Mirage 2000D 4eme Escadre de Chasse

Aug 26, 2015 4-xx

Saint Dizier (BA113)

EC 1/7 ‘Provence’ , EC 1/91 ‘Gascogne’, ETR 2/92 ‘Aquitaine’ Rafale B/C 30eme Escadre de Chasse Sept 3, 2015 30-xx

Mont de Marsan (BA118)

ECE 5/330 ‘Côte d’Argent various fighters, EC 2/30 ‘Normandie Niemen’ Rafale B/C Orange-Caritat (BA115)

115-Ox

EC 2/5 'Ile de France' Mirage 2000B/C Al Dhafra (UAE) (BA104)

7-xx

EC 3/30 ‘Lorraine’ RafaleC

to be withdrawn from service in 2018, while 2000Cs will be retired later than expected (unofficially in 2020). The Armée de l’Air still operates 15 2000Cs – ten flying with the Orange-based EC 2/5 ‘Ile de France’. They are used mainly for the air defence mission in France but three were recently sent to Opération Barkhane in an airto-ground role, working in MFFO (Mixed Fighter Formations) with laser-equipped Mirage 2000Ds. Mirage 2000Bs and 2000-5s are expected to remain in service until 2025. Meanwhile, mid-life upgrades (MLUs) for the Mirage 2000D have been held up for a number of years

as a cost-saving measure. Eighty-six Mirage 2000Ds entered service in 1993 and around 60 remain in service today; 55 will be modernised to soldier on until at least 2030. Managing their radar and avionics’ obsolescence will be the most important task. Today less than 30% of the Mirage 2000D fleet is said to be fully modernised and ‘opex’ (overseas operations)-capable with the Rover radio, GBU-49 Enhanced Paveway II, data link, encrypted radios and other equipment. The MLU Mirages will also trade their Magic II short-range air-to-air missiles (due to be withdrawn around 2023) for MICA IRs (with infrared seekers). A gun pod will be mounted for air-to-ground close air support missions and possibly air-to-air in a low-threat environment or during air policing missions. For the air-to-ground mission, the Mirage 2000D will gain the Hammer Armement Air-Sol Modulaire (AASM, Air-to-Ground Modular Weapon) and, along with the Rafale, will be able to use the new-generation Thales Talios multifunction targeting pod. It is unclear at this stage if the ASTAC ELINT pod previously flown under the Mirage F1 will be integrated on the aircraft although tests have been carried out at the Centre d’Expériences Aériennes Militaires (CEAM). The first MLU aircraft should reach Nancy in 2019. Frédéric Lert 

Part Two - Next Month Germany –Portugal

A Mirage 2000D prepares to depart on another mission over Syria. ECPAD

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FORCE REPORT Republic of China Air Force

An F-CK-1C taxies out of its shelter at CCK AFB, where the 3rd TFW/427th TFW is located. The Indigenous Defence Fighters (IDF), as it is also known, was built by Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC). This example is used for solo displays at local airshows, hence its specially marked tail.

S

ituated just 100 miles (160km) from the coast of mainland China is the island of Taiwan. It is regarded by its giant neighbour as a ‘rogue province’ that should come under the control of the government in Beijing, a view that might one day be backed up with military action. Not surprisingly, Taiwan’s air force, the ROCAF, has to be on a high state of alert. Air defence is its primary mission. New fighter aircraft are urgently required but no nation is willing to supply them. The rapidly growing economy and military might of the People’s Republic of China

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means countries are now reluctant to deliver weapons to the ROCAF. Even Taiwan’s major weapon supplier, the United States, has reduced its support in recent years. For a long time the technological and tactical superiority of the ROCAF was sufficient to match the numerical superiority of China’s air arms. The situation ended ten years ago, but Taiwan is not concerned, for now, that China will enforce reunification. The political relationship between the two countries is ‘warming’ and economic co-operation is close. Many see the possibility of a voluntary reunification one day.

According to Jack Lee, once the highest official in the Taipei Representative Office in the Netherlands (Taiwan has no embassy there as the Dutch do not recognise it as a country), there are three conditions that determine whether China will invade or not: “If we [Taiwan] develop a nuclear weapon (the project was stopped a few decades ago due to enormous pressure from the US); if we declare independence; or if, for whatever reason, large-scale civil unrest develops in our country.” Taiwan has a population of 23 million. Its defence budget stands at £6.15 billion (€8.3 billion),

2.2% of GDP (gross domestic product), the percentage having steadily decreased over the years. Accounting for almost £960 million (€1.3 billion), the air force is the highest spender of the three armed forces. The navy’s budget is marginally less while the army is well behind at £382 million (€517 million). The Ministry of National Defense does not disclose what the remainder of the £6.15 billion is spent on.

Air superiority

The Taiwanese defence doctrine is that the ROCAF is the first responder against any hostile

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Playing Catch-Up Gert Kromhout and Stephan de Bruijn recently visited Taiwan to bring AFM up-todate on what’s happening in the Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF).

action from China, tasked with gaining air superiority quickly. While smaller than the Netherlands, Taiwan nevertheless has a fleet of around 400 fighter aircraft – many in the air defence role – assigned across six wings at six air bases. Two are equipped with Lockheed Martin F-16A/Bs; two with the locally-developed Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) Indigenous Defence Fighter (IDF); one with Dassault Mirage 2000-5Ei/Dis; and one with Northrop F-5E/F Tiger IIs. Four of the air bases are positioned on the western side of the island, facing China, and

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two are on the other side of the north to south-running mountain range that dominates two-thirds of the country. The two IDF wings also maintain a detachment on the island of Penghu, 31 miles (50km) west of the main island. All the bases have armed fighters on quick reaction alert (QRA) status 365 days a year and are scrambled frequently to intercept intruders. But not all the ‘targets’ are Chinese – often they are USAF and US Navy aircraft, such as EP-3Es and RC-135s operating in the Taiwan Straits from Japan on intelligence-gathering missions. The ROCAF also has a composite

wing with 20 Lockheed Martin C-130Hs, six Northrop Grumman E-2K Hawkeyes and 11 Grumman S-2T Trackers. The Trackers – currently being replaced by 12 Lockheed Martin P-3 Orions – were, until the summer of 2013, the property of the RoC Navy but a reorganisation of the armed forces has since brought them under control of the ROCAF. Six airborne early warning (AEW) Hawkeyes were upgraded to Hawkeye 2000 standard with new radars and software. They fulfil a crucial role in early detection of hostile or unknown aircraft and are supplementary

to a network of land-based early warning radars. One of these is the Raytheon AN/FPS-115 Pave Paws near the city of Hsinchu. Raytheon says it’s capable of detecting aircraft and low-flying cruise and ballistic missiles and has a sophisticated jamming capability. Pave Paws can track up to a 1,000 targets and has a range of 3,100 miles (5,000km). Taiwan cancelled a second such radar because of its high cost.

Mountain hideaway

The ROCAF’s biggest fear is that any first strike by China would destroy its runways while

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FORCE REPORT Republic of China Air Force launching hundreds of ballistic missiles aimed at Taiwan. For this reason, the air force has invested heavily in rapid runway repair kits along with taxiways and highways that could, in times of rising tensions, be used as runways should airbases be destroyed. Four air force bases (AFBs) have unusual infrastructures. The most southerly, Pingtung, consists of two parts, each with a single runway: Pingtung South and Pingtung North. The taxiway and runway systems are connected by a pair of 2 mile-long parallel taxiways each wide enough to operate aircraft such as C-130s and P-3 Orions. Pingtung South is home to these types while the north side houses S-2 Trackers and E-2 Hawkeyes. In the northeast of the island, near the city of Hualien, is Chiashan AFB. It is composed of two parts, its western side only activated during large scale exercises. Connected to the other part by a 1.5 mile-long (2.5km) taxiway, the western section features large underground hangars adjacent to mountains and can accommodate at least 100 fighter aircraft. Zhihang AFB near the city of Taitung has a similar cave complex. ROCAF officers acknowledge the presence of the caves but refuse to say how many fighters they house. In times of tension, Chiashan and Zhihang serve as the operating airfields for aircraft normally based on the west coast.

Biggest base

According to the ROCAF, Ching Chuan Kang (CCK) Air Force Base is the largest in Southeast Asia. During the Vietnam War the US Air Force stationed KC-135 tankers, F-4 Phantoms and B-52 bombers here in the early 1970s. At 4,300ft (1.3km) long and 920ft (280m) wide, the dimensions of the main hardstand are immense for an Asian

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country. They are a 4,300ft (1.3km) long and 920ft (280m) wide. Although the Americans left Taiwan decades ago, their influence is visible everywhere. The ROCAF command structure is along the same lines as the USAF’s; and on an air base the wing is the predominant unit. It is the umbrella under which the different groups (called squadrons until some years ago) are aligned – and the wing commander is the senior officer on base, not the base commander. The bases are all kept in immaculate condition and are well equipped. It’s the same for the aircraft. Many are ageing, but externally they appear new – surprising considering the F-5s are nearly 30 years old and the S-2 Trackers more than 40 years old.

New fighters

The acquisition of a new weapon system is a long-term issue for Taiwan. In the early 1980s the United States was Taiwan’s main supplier, but as the People’s Republic of China and the US improved economic and diplomatic ties, obtaining new fighter aircraft and weapons systems has proved difficult. Other countries have also chosen not to sell arms to Taiwan. So Taiwan decided to develop its own fighter jet to replace the F-5E/Fs and Lockheed F-104 Starfighters. It became the AIDC IDF (F-CK-1), later named the Ching Kuo after the President of Taiwan who initiated the programme. The IDF, as it is more commonly known, entered operational service in 1994. The fighter was developed with foreign assistance and has

never been exported. General Dynamics played a huge role in its design, and it has many features from the F-16. It’s powered by twin ITEC F125-70 jet engines developed in association with US engine manufacturer Garrett. The IDF’s primary weapons are the Tien Chien 1 (TC-1) and Tien Chien 2 (TC-2) air-to-air missiles, which resemble American AIM-9 Sidewinders and AIM-120s. Its GD-53 Golden Dragon multi-mode monopulse Pulse Doppler radar is based on the General Electric AN/ APG-67 with components from the Westinghouse APG-66.

Dream not delivered A planned production run of 256 IDFs was quickly reduced due to unexpected thawing in the relationship between China and

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Left: A member of the 2nd TFW ground crew, acknowledges the pilot of a Mirage 2000-5Ei at Hsinchu. Right: Gangshan is the ROCAF’s main training base, where this AT-3 is used for training pilots to fly fighters. Below: An F-16B of the 455th TFW prepares to touch down at its home base, Chiayi AFB. Bottom left: A dual seat F-1CK-1D comes into land at CCK. Bottom: An F-5E and F-5F sit at the end of the runway ready to depart at Zhihang AFB.

Republic of China Air Force (Chung-Hua Min Guo Kong Jun) Order of battle Tainan

1

1st TFW - 443rd TFW 1st TFG

F-1CK-1C/D

3rd TFG

F-1CK-1C/D

9th TFG

F-1CK-1C/D

Hsinchu

2

2nd TFW - 499th TFW) 41st TFG

Mirage 2000-5Ei/Di

42nd TFG

Mirage 2000-5Ei/Di

48th TFG

Mirage 2000-5Ei/Di

Ching Chuan Kang

3

3rd TFW- 427th TFW 7th TFG

F-CK-1A/B

28th TFG

F-CK-1A/B

Chiayi

4

4th TFW - 455th TFW 21st TFG

F-16A/B

22nd TFG

F-16A/B

23rd TFG

F-16A/B

Rescue Sqn†

S-70C, EC225

Chiashan (Hualien)

the West, and production ended at just 130. But the demonstrations in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, in 1989 and the violent reaction taken by the Chinese authorities brought a halt to the improving relationship with the West in 1992. Taiwan took the opportunity to order 150 F-16s under the Peace Fenghuang programme from the US; and 60 Mirage 2000-5s from France. The first two F-16 wings received their aircraft in 1997, and were declared operational on December 18, 2002 with three squadrons. The second wing acquired its F-16s in 1998 and was operational on January 16, 2002, again with three squadrons. It added a fourth a short time later. In the US, 14 ROCAF F-16s fly with the 21st FS at Luke AFB, Arizona, for pilot training. The ROCAF’s F-16s

are Block 20s and have mid life upgrade (MLU) specifications. Originally, they did not have the software to launch AIM-120 AMRAAMs – their air-to-air armament comprising AIM-9M Sidewinders and AIM-7M Sparrows. In 2004, Raytheon delivered the first AMRAAMs, but in such limited quantities that the Sparrow remains in use today. The F-16s’ air-to-ground weapons are ‘dumb’ bombs, AGM-65 Mavericks and the AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile. The ROCAF also has Pathfinder/ Sharpshooter night navigation and targeting pods, but currently no laser-guided bombs are in service.

F-16 update

A major update programme is planned for the F-16s, after which the type will be renamed the F-16V.

Originally, the upgrade of the 145 ROCAF F-16s was to include the US Air Force Combat Avionics Programmed Extension Suite (CAPES) programme– under which 300 F-16s would have been modernised – but the USAF withdrew from it in early 2014 as a cost-saving measure. The modernisation for the ROCAF will, however, proceed as planned but F-16 upgrade will not be as comprehensive. Important components of the programme are the Northrop Grumman Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) AESA radar, an embedded Global Positioning System inertial navigation system and the Terma ALQ-213 Electronic Warfare Management System. Additionally, the ROCAF F-16s will get the Boeing GBU-31 and GBU38 Joint Direct Attack Munition

5

5th TFW - 401st TFW 12th TRG

RF-5E/F-16A/B

17th TFG

F-16A/B

26th TFG

F-16A/B

27th TFG

F-16A/B

Pingtung

6

6th CW - 439th CW Anti-Submarine Warfare Group 33rd Sqn

P-3C*, S-2T**

34th Sqn

P-3C *, S-2T**

20th Electronic Warfare Group 2nd EWS

E-2K**

6th EWS

C-130HE*

10th Tactical Airlift Group 101st TCS

C-130H*

102nd TCS

C-130H*

Zhihang/Taitung

7

7th TFW - 737th TFW 44th TFG

F-5E/F

45th TFG

F-5E/F

46th TFG

F-5E/F

Gangshan

8

Basic Training Group T-34C Fighter Training Group AT-3 Airlift Training Group Beech 1900C Songshan (Taipei)

9

Special Beech 1900C/ Transport Sqn Fokker 50 Presidential Flight Section Makung

Boeing 737/ Fokker 50 10

Detachment F-CK-1 of 443rd TFW or 427th TFW *located at south base. **located at north base. † maintains detachments at several air bases including Zhihang.

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FORCE REPORT Republic of China Air Force (JDAM), AGM-154 Joint Stand-off Weapon (JSOW), laser-guided bombs, Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System, new AIM-9 Sidewinders, improved targeting pods, upgraded ECM systems and more powerful engines. The first two test aircraft are now being readied for evaluation at Edwards AFB, California. The remainder of the fleet will follow from 2016.

‘For more than eight years, the ROCAF has been trying to purchase 66 F-16C/Ds to replace the Mirages, but the US has already refused the sale three times.’ This C-130H moves slowly along the taxiway at Pingtung South AFB. The ROCAF has a fleet of 20 C-130s, one of which is used for electronic warfare.

IDF updates

Another fighter due for modernisation is the IDF, enabling it to soldier on for at least another 20 years. The type was originally an air defence fighter but modifications gave it improved attack capabilities. The upgrades focus on avionics, radar, flight control and a new stand-off weapon while new software provides multiple target tracking and better jamming resistance. The IDF’s official type designation changed to F-CK-1 C/D Hsiang Sheng. The improved IDFs are now capable of employing the new Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST) Wan Chien (Ten Thousand Swords) stand-off air-to-surface missile, which has similar capabilities to the AGM-154 JSOW. It is primarily developed for use against air bases, ports, missile and radar sites at distances of up to 124 miles (200km). Conformal fuel tanks on top of the fighter’s fuselage were considered but, according to aircrews, costs meant they were not purchased. The 443rd Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW) at Tainan has now fully converted to the F-CK-1C/D while the 427th TFW at CCK recently commenced transition to the type.

New indigenous fighter There doesn’t seem to be much of a future for the Mirage 2000. Costs per flying hour are much higher than the F-16 and there are no plans for an update programme. For more than eight years, the ROCAF has been trying to purchase 66 F-16C/Ds to replace the Mirages, but the US has already refused the sale three times. It is said the ROCAF will now opt for the F-35B Lightning II. Not only is it much more modern,

the ’B variant can operate from very short runways. But the chances of the US selling the F-35B to the ROCAF are remote. With no replacement for the Mirage 2000, the fighter will remain in service for the time being. It has to, because the number of available F-16s will drop sharply during their modernisation programme – the equivalent of a whole squadron will not be available for at least five years. Repeated unsuccessful attempts to get new US fighter aircraft have

again forced Taiwan to develop its own ‘new’ fighter aircraft. While still in its early stages, the jet will be stealthy, capable of flying long distances, equipped with in-flight refuelling and able to attack air, ground and maritime targets.

Training Training for young pilots starts at Gangshan Air Force Base in the city of Tainan. The facility is also home of the Air Force Academy where Beech T-34C

Above: A P-3C Orion wearing the emblem of the 33rd Anti Submarine Warfare Squadron, parked on the ramp at Pingtung South. Twelve aircraft are on order (the first two in the high visibility marks) and are due to be delivered by the end of this year. Left: The ROCAF’s Air Rescue Squadron flies with the Sikorsky S-70 Blue Hawks and three Eurocopter EC225s. Right: All the E-2Ks serve the 20th Electronic Warfare Group at Pingtung North. The aircraft still wear the original E-2C designation under the horizontal tail plane above the US BuNo.

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Above: A Beech T-34C comes into land at Gangshan. The ROCAF is seeking a replacement for these basic trainers. Below: Eleven Grumman S-2Ts soldier on with the Anti-Submarine Warfare Squadron at Pingtung South AFB. They will be retired when the Orion work-up programme has progressed sufficiently.

Turbo Mentors are used by the Basic Training Group. For pilots selected for fighters, the training proceeds on the AIDC AT-3 Tzu Chiang jet trainer with the Jet Training Group. Successful students then go to Zhihang AFB for lead-in fighter training on the F-5E/F. After that it could be the IDF, F-16 or Mirage 2000. Pilots heading to other fixed-wing types such as the C-130 and P-3

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Orion continue their training on the twin-engine Beech 1900C, flown by the Airlift Training Group. The ROCAF intends to replace the T-34C soon. It is over 30 years old and just passed its projected useful service life of 16,000 hours per aircraft. A replacement is also needed for the AT-3 and F-5, the ROCAF looking to replace both with a single type capable of flying combat

missions in the event of a conflict. One wing with three tactical fighter groups is equipped with the classic F-5; current plans call for the type’s retirement in 2019.

Expensive

Replacing the trainers will be relatively easy. Taiwan’s isolated position on the arms market will, however, create problems with the replacement of its navy’s

submarines and frigates. Like the purchase of a new fighter, the ROCAF has initiated a development programme for a maritime aircraft too. The cost for the trainer for the air force, submarines and frigates for the navy is estimated at US$16bn. Considering the magnitude of these needs, it would come as no surprise if the costs rose beyond this, but Taiwan has to maintain a potent ‘defensive force’ that is able to counter any afm threat from its neighbour.

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