Air International 2014-09

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INTERNATIONAL

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UK AIRLANDER: THE WORLD’S BIGGEST AIRCRAFT

Australian F-35s Dressed to Kill in Fort Worth

A330neo

Attractively Efficient

HH-139

Italy’s Latest SAR Helo

Scorpion

America’s New All-Star Jet

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Produced by AIR International’s worldwide team, 135 The World’s Greatest Tanker... and more, is a 100-page publication giving a comprehensive profile of the KC-135 Stratotanker and all remaining special mission variants led by the RC-135 Rivet Joint.

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HISTORY

A synopsis of the evolution of Boeing’s veteran tanker.

SYSTEMS

Details of the KC-135’s engines, air refuelling boom, cockpit and upgrades.

MAINTENANCE

Maintaining 57-year-old aircraft for daily operations requires skill and diligence by dedicated maintenance personnel – we provide a special report from the main air logistics depot in Oklahoma City and behind the scenes insight into the work of the RAF Mildenhallbased 100th Air Refueling Wing.

OPERATIONS

Seven major US Air Force commands and four allied air forces fly KC-135 operations around the world: we present comprehensive coverage.

TEST TANKERS

AIR International visited Edwards Air Force Base and the 412th Test Wing – home of the KC-135R ‘Speckled Trout’ and flight test tankers.

SPECIAL MISSION VARIANTS

Offutt Air Force Base near Omaha, Nebraska is home to Air Combat Command’s 55th Wing and its fleet of OC-135, RC-135, TC-135 and WC-135 aircraft: we detail the aircraft, the systems and the missions.

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News

LEADING NEWS STORIES

04 BREAKING NEWS 10 GENERAL NEWS

06 Australian Lightnings Unveiled

RAF Tornados deploy for possible attack on Iraqi militants, Puma HC2 makes exercise debut, the Defiant and Valor make the shortlist for JMR, Greece plans to resurrect its P-3B Orions, Mexico seeks Grob G120TPs, and two Avro Lancasters fly together in British skies for the first time in over 50 years.

US launches airstrikes over Iraq, Belarus and China participate in Aviadarts-2014, the first Omani C295 MPA, second production Citation Latitude, third Xian Y-20 transport and fourth Chengdu J-20 fighter all take to the air, while North Korea grounds its Farmers and Pilatus rolls out the PC-24.

Nigel Pittaway attended the unveiling of Australia’s first F-35 Lightning IIs at Lockheed Martin’s plant in Fort Worth, Texas.

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14 US Air Force Faces its Future

Robert F Dorr outlines the latest Pentagon policy document ‘America’s Air Force: A Call to the Future’.

16 US Navy Delays Expeditionary EA18G Squadron Rick Burgess provides the top

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news stories from the US Navy and Marine Corps.

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FRONT COVER: This month’s leading news report is on Australia’s first F-35. Lockheed Martin

Features

LEFT INSET: Airbus MIDDLE INSET: Riccardo Niccoli RIGHT INSET: Textron AirLand

34 NOVELS OF NOVELLA

Ilyushin is upgrading Russian Naval Aviation’s veteran Il-38 May, as Piotr Butowski explains.

42 A330NEO

The A330 is to be re-engined as Airbus seeks to continue the twin-jet’s appeal for years to come. Mark Broadbent reports.

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TRAINING THE ITALIAN WAY

54 

TURKISH AMBITION

Fast-growing Gulf carriers grab

Editor Mark Ayton [email protected] Sub Editors Sue Blunt, Carol Randall

Riccardo Niccoli describes a time of change for the Italian Air Force’s 15° Stormo.

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THE RAIDERS

VMG-352 – the ‘Raiders’ – and its KC-130s are more than just aerial tankers, as Scott Dworkin reveals.

AIR DEFENCE PART 2 72 FRANCE’S

Henri-Pierre Grolleau witnesses how air defence emergencies are handled on

Designer Dave Robinson

Production Controller Sam Jarman

Managing Director & Publisher Adrian Cox

Subscriptions/ Mail Order Manager Roz Condé

Executive Chairman Richard Cox

Marketing Manager Martin Steele

Sri Lanka’s national airline has ambitious plans as the country’s recovery from years of turmoil continues. Andreas Spaeth reports.

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News Editor David Willis [email protected]

Commercial Director Ann Saundry

84 SRILANKAN ON THE RISE

MORE WITH LESS

Marketing Assistants Shaun Binnington

Production Manager Janet Watkins

France’s border with Switzerland.

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TRANSPORT TRAINING 88 EUROPEAN

Alexander Mladenov and Krasimir Grozev detail Europe’s premier military air transport training event, held this year in Bulgaria.

92 AIRLANDER

A British company is developing the biggest aircraft ever built, the Airlander. Clive Simpson tells the story.

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Scott Dworkin

Riccardo Niccoli assesses Alenia Aermacchi’s approach to providing costeffective military training.

the headlines but Turkish Airlines’ rapid expansion is equally significant. Andreas Spaeth went to Istanbul to investigate.

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Breaking News

RAF Assets Muster for Possible Attack on Iraqi Militants

Tornado GR4 ZA560/‘050’ departing RAF Marham, Norfolk, on August 12 for RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus. Ministry of Defence

Three RAF Tornado GR4s arrived at RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus on August 12 after flying from their home base at RAF Marham, Norfolk. The aircraft, equipped with Litening III targeting pods, have officially been deployed to provide additional surveillance capability to monitor the situation on the ground in Iraq, using the wide area forwardlooking infrared sensor contained within the pod. However, they also provide a potential strike capability against Islamic State fighters, should a political mandate be established in the UK to conduct armed operations against the militants. The decision to equip the aircraft with Litening III, whose surveillance capabilities were designed primarily for battle damage assessment, rather

than the dedicated RAPTOR (Reconnaissance Airborne Pod for Tornado) system, indicates that consideration has at least been given to launching strikes against the militants. On August 12 the British Government also confirmed that a small, unspecified number of Boeing Chinooks would be deployed, initially to RAF Akrotiri and later in Iraq. The helicopters could potentially help move humanitarian supplies to where needed or equally support British special forces already operating in Iraq, but their role has not been announced. Four days later the Ministry of Defence revealed that the RAF’s sole Boeing RC-135W Rivet Joint (ZZ664, c/n 18773, ex 64-14833) had conducted operational missions

over northern Iraq. No.51 Squadron personnel are using the aircraft to monitor activity on the ground and the advance of the Islamic State militants. Sorties are understood to have been conducted from Al Udeid in Qatar, where the aircraft was deployed on July 14 to operate alongside US Air Force Rivet Joints. Humanitarian flights include two ‘Airbuses’ that landed at Erbil on August 16 carrying cooking implements. As AIR International went to press it was unconfirmed if they were RAF Airbus Voyagers or chartered civil aircraft. Two RAF Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules operating from RAF Akrotiri have dropped supplies to refugees displaced by the fighting seeking safety on Mount Sinjar (see US Launches Limited Airstrikes in Iraq,p13).

Greek Orions to Return to Service The Hellenic Navy is seeking to carry out aircraft upgrades as part of €1 billion of defence spending, which was deferred when the European financial crisis hit the Greek economy. On July 30 the Parliamentary Committee on Defence Procurement and Contracts approved the spending, which involves two aviation projects. Hellenic Aerospace Industries will return four Lockheed P-3B Orion maritime patrol aircraft to airworthiness, with an option on a fifth, and conduct minor upgrades to the fleet under the terms of a €350 million contract. The Greek Orions flew their last operational mission on September 22, 2009 and the five entered storage at Elefsis AB pending a decision on their future. The aircraft were assigned to an Elliniki Polemiki Aeroporia (Hellenic Air Force) unit, as the flight crews were air force personnel, but operational use was directed by the navy, which also provided the sensor operators in the aircraft’s cabin. The funds will also allow the General Electric T700-GE401C engines installed in the 11 Sikorsky S-70B Seahawk and S-70B-6 Aegean Hawk helicopters to be maintained. David C Isby and David Willis

Puma HC2s Debut in Hot Blade 2014 Hot Blade 2014, the seventh exercise supported by the European Defence Agency under the umbrella of the Helicopter Exercise Programme, took place in Ovar, Portugal, from July 16 to 30. Six countries participated with 25 helicopters, 12 fixed-wing aircraft and 3,000 military personnel, including the Portuguese armed forces that supported the exercise. The exercise aimed to facilitate individual instruction and training in an environment similar to a possible theatre of operations day and night, in hot, high and dusty conditions and mountainous areas. Several large-scale composite air operations were part of the exercise. A typical main mission was combat search and rescue (CSAR) extraction, with submissions planned to pull the ‘enemy’ focus away from the main event. These included suppression of a mortar position and potential seizure of a high-value target. The scenario and the mission were

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complex and had to be conducted in a fluid, ill-defined context – much like real life. The main mission package showed the integration of forces involved: Portuguese F-16 Fighting Falcons provided overwatch and close air support (CAS), while Belgian AgustaWestland A109s escorted a Portuguese AgustaWestland EH-101 tasked with the CSAR pick up. British Westland Pumas, Dutch Boeing CH-47 Chinooks, Austrian AgustaBell AB212s and German Bell UH1Ds carrying infantry from Portugal, Germany and the Netherlands carried out diversionary attacks. The Dutch CH-47 and Belgium A109 aircrews used Hot Blade for their ‘dust landing’ training, which was particularly relevant as they are soon to encounter such conditions on deployment in Mali. The UK detachment comprised three RAF Puma HC2 helicopters and 50 personnel including six threeman Puma aircrews. The HC2s, participating in their first international

One of the RAF Puma HC2s at Ovar in Portugal during the recent Hot Blade 2014, the first overseas exercise for the new variant. David Oliver

overseas exercise, flew from RAF Benson, Oxfordshire, to Ovar in a day, refuelling at Cazaux in France. Two undertook dust trials at Beja in southern Portugal prior to the exercise. The RAF Puma HC2s will continue

their hot weather training in Jordan later this year as part of the work-up towards achieving initial operational capability in April 2015, after which it will be able to deploy to wherever and whenever required. David Oliver

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Breaking News

Defiant and Valor Go Forward in JMR Bell Helicopter and SikorskyBoeing have been selected to proceed in the US Army Aviation Technology Directorate’s Joint Multi-Role (JMR) Technology Demonstrator Phase 1 programme. The SikorskyBoeing team offered the SB>1 Defiant co-axial design, based on technology evaluated by the Sikorsky X2, for JMR. The team announced on August 12 that it had been selected to build a JMR Technology Demonstrator. Bell Helicopter’s design, the V-280 Valor, is a tiltrotor that builds upon experience gained with the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey and (now) AgustaWestland (originally Bell-Agusta) AW609. Bell’s and Sikorsky-Boeing’s designs were selected in preference to those of AVX Aircraft and Karem Aircraft. Prototypes of the SB>1 and V-280 will be produced and are expected to fly in late Fiscal Year 2017. They will be used in a three-year evaluation, with the technology and configurations developed feeding into the US Army’s Future Vertical Lift (FVL) programme, planned to lead to a family of vertical take-off and landing aircraft to replace the current generation of helicopters. Initial focus is on replacing the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk, with an initial operational capability in the mid-2030s.

Historic Lancaster Duo Tour UK

A sight not seen in the UK for a very long time - two airworthy Lancasters with engines running. The nose of B.Mk I PA474 frames the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum’s Mk 10MR at Biggin Hill on August 14. Phil Whalley

before joining up with the RAF Battle of as it is unlikely to be repeated. Public The world’s only two airworthy Avro Britain Memorial Flight’s B.Mk I PA474 interest in the opportunity to see two Lancasters flew together in British airworthy Lancasters together is so skies on August 13. This was the based there for the historic formation great that many of the air displays and first time that a pair of Lancasters on August 13. had flown in formation since 1964 (in After the aircraft completed their ground events scheduled to host the Public Display Authority approval two vintage bombers during their fiveCanada), and the first such occasion week tour sold out long in advance. flights at RAF Coningsby the next in the UK for almost 60 years. Jagdgeschwader at Neuburg won the ‘Painted Tail’ duringthe the NATO Tiger Meet Although Canadian Lancaster day, the Lancasters embarked on award OnTyphoon August 30+09 8 the of Canadian Warplane 74 based at Schleswig-Jagel in Germany between June 16 and 26. The award is presented for the aircraft judged to have the fl ies in accordance with Canada’s the Thwaites Lancaster Bomber Heritage Museum’s aircraft, Mk 10MR best scheme. The wing took over the Tiger Association membership of Jagdbombergeschwader 32 after that wing civil aviation regulations, it carries Tour Willis 2014, which began with a C-CVRA (c/n 3414,eld ex FM213), disbanded at Lechfi in March 2013. David the markings of KB726/‘VR-A’ to completed a four-day transatlantic joint appearance at the Eastbourne represent the aircraft of No.419 journey from Hamilton, Ontario, to International Airshow in East Sussex, ‘Moose’ Squadron, in which air that same afternoon. As this edition RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire, via gunner Andrew Mynarski of the Royal Goose Bay and Keflavik in Iceland. It went to press, a busy schedule was Canadian Air Force posthumously set to take the two World War Twowas the first trans-Atlantic flight by a era machines to numerous locations won the Victoria Cross in June 1944. Lancaster since 1975. Following routine maintenance checks, across the UK. The Canadian Widely referred to as the ‘Mynarski the Canadian aircraft performed a test Lancaster’s operators dubbed the Lancaster’, it is scheduled to return home on September 22. Tom Allett flight at RAF Coningsby on August 12 tour as a, “once in a Lanc time”, event

AirAsia X’s Xcintillating PhoeniX

Airbus A330-343 F-WWKD (msn 1549) was delivered to AirAsia X as 9M-XXT on August 14. The airliner is seen on its first flight from Toulouse-Blagnac in southern France on July 23, painted in what the carrier calls its Xcintillating PhoeniX scheme. The design is the result of an open competition for AirAsia Facebook subscribers to create a distinctive livery for one of the airline’s new A330-300s. Entries had to be submitted via e-mail by September 2013 and competitors could draw inspiration by chosing from the names XKLusive, Xiao Long Bao, Xeoul Mate, Xiaolin Spirit, Harmonious DiverXity, Xakura Blossom and Xcintillating PhoeniX. The scheme was designed by Denzel Yap Shuet Lih. Olivier Gregoire

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G120TPs for Mexico Grob Aircraft has won an order from the Fuerza Aérea Mexicana (Mexican Air Force) for 25 G120TP turboprop trainers, with options on a further 15. Deliveries will begin in the fourth quarter of this year and are scheduled to be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2015. The $110 million contract includes flight simulators and ground-based training aids. The German manufacturer plans to increase G120TP production from 29 this year to 38 in 2015, 52 in 2016 and 60 per year from 2017. Other recent customers for G120 variants include Argentina, which has ordered 10, plus five options, and Kenya for six, plus four options (see Kenya Air Force Acquires G120As, March, p32). Mike Jerram

AI.09.14

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NEWS REPORT

T

he sound of a didgeridoo reverberated as Lockheed Martin prepared to unveil the first of two F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter combat jets for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in one of the flight sheds adjacent to historic US Air Force Plant No 4 at Fort Worth Texas on July 24. Australia is the fourth Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) partner to see its aircraft in the flesh, behind the United States, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Production is now ramping up towards the completion of the last aircraft from low rate initial production lot six (LRIP 6). The mile-long assembly hall is almost full of aircraft, including many of the 35 jets which will make

music, including from the iconic Midnight Oil. A curtain fell, revealing the first aircraft (F-35A A35-001/AU-01) resplendent in the Tiger’s head markings of No.2 Operational Conversion Unit (OCU). The second aircraft (A35-002/AU-02), also in 2 OCU markings, was ready in the hangar next door, for its turn to serve as the backdrop for the VIP morning tea, which followed the conclusion of the ceremony. Dignitaries included Australia’s ambassador to the US, Kim Beazley; Minister for Finance, Senator Mathias Cormann; Shadow Minister for Defence, Senator Stephen Conroy; Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Geoff Brown; and US Under Secretary of Defence for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, Frank Kendall. The two aircraft have yet to make their maiden flights as they await the certification of Block 3I software in the September timeframe. They represent the first of 72 Joint Strike Fighters for the RAAF. The next Australian jets will not be built until LRIP 10, which is currently due to start in the middle of 2015. The jets unveiled at the ceremony will remain in the United States to support international JSF pilot training. Australia’s Defence Minister, Senator David Johnston, had planned to attend the event but remained at home after the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine in which near 30 Australian citizens died. Standing in for Senator Johnston was Australia’s Finance Minister, Senator Cormann, who described Australia’s involvement in the controversial JSF programme as an important part of the strategic partnership with the United States. He said: “This is an important addition to significantly enhance our air defence capabilities in Australia, as part of a broader partnership to provide security in our region. It also offers significant opportunities for

Chief of the Air Force Perspective The 72 aircraft to be acquired will succeed the current F/A-18A/B ‘classic’ Hornet fleet in three fighter squadrons and an operational conversion unit. In the future, the F-35A will also be considered to succeed Australia’s F/A-18F Super Hornets, but Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Brown used his address to caution against regarding the JSF as merely a Hornet/Super Hornet replacement. He said: “In my view the F-35 doesn’t replace anything. If I looked at the F-35 as a replacement for our Hornets and Super Hornets I would undermine from day one the real capability of this aircraft. Like any revolutionary capability, its potential to generate effects beyond the mainstream will have farreaching impacts in any future application. “I view the F-35 as a platform that can operate across the spectrum, from tactical to strategic, and anywhere in between, as required. It will be a key node in our new fluid force concepts.” Air Marshal Brown also noted the association of Fort Worth’s Plant No 4 to Australian strategic air power over seven decades. It began with the Consolidated B-24 Liberator in 1944, through to the General Dynamics F-111C (and later F-111G) from 1973 and finally to the Lockheed Martin F-35A in 2014. “The introduction of the B-24 into RAAF service in 1944 marked the first occasion that the RAAF operated a dedicated long-range strike platform by itself. The step change needed to transform our strike capability in line with the opportunities and expanded options that the B-24 offered us, required the RAAF to revisit how we trained our crews, developed operational planning and how it viewed the opportunities to provide effects at the strategic level,” he told guests. “In a similar manner, the other Fort Worth product, the F-111, also represented a step

Australian Lightnings U up LRIP 7. As a result, such international ceremonies will become increasingly commonplace. By the end of 2019, just over five years from now, Italy, Israel, Japan, Norway, South Korea and Turkey will also have begun receiving aircraft as the international F-35 programme accelerates.

Australian Ceremony The distinctive notes of the didgeridoo were replaced by the sounds of Australian rock

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us in terms of our manufacturing base in Australia, so we have good national security reasons, good industrial policy reasons and overall it was assessed as being in Australia’s national interests. “It has been a major project for Australia and it was great foresight by then Minister for Defence Robert Hill [in 2002] to recognise the importance of the F-35 programme. Australia became a partner in the F-35 for many good reasons, which are as valid today as they were a decade ago.”

change for the RAAF. While also a longrange strike aircraft, the F-111 provided us with a capability of real strategic weight, capable of conducting a wide range of missions over vast distances. With the F-111 came new materials, new levels of technology and systems integration, demanding new and innovative maintenance, engineering and support networks. “The B-24 and the F-111 are examples of how the RAAF is prepared and able to change and evolve. The F-35 is evolved and it’s

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NEWS REPORT

n Unveiled Opposite top: Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Geoff Brown receives a traditional indigenous message

stick from Cameron McCarthy at the unveiling ceremony for Australia’s first F-35A.

All images Nigel Pittaway unless noted Left: Table decoration in the flight shed at Fort Worth for VIP morning tea, commemorating the

unveiling of Australia’s first F-35A A35-001/AU-01.

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AI.09.14

Beth Steele/Lockheed Martin

Nigel Pittaway reports on the unveiling of the first Royal Australian Air Force F-35A Lightning II at Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth facility

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NEWS REPORT perhaps the greatest opportunity for evolution the RAAF has ever been presented with.” Air Marshal Brown said the most important thing to a modern defence force, such as the Australian Defence Force, was achieving superior air combat power before any operations on land, at sea or in the air. He cautioned that it was easy for this to be taken for granted. “For Australia, it’s a fundamental part of our defence strategy, and the cornerstone of our national security,” he said. “Today represents a very significant day for the Royal Australian Air Force, as we step down as the fourth nation in the world to take delivery of a fifth generation aircraft. It enables the transition of the Australian Defence Force into a fifth generation enabled defence force.” Air Marshal Brown described the F-35A as ‘a catalyst for an evolution and in some ways a revolution’. The most impressive aspect of its capabilities was what it brought in situational awareness and decision dominance for the entire joint combined air, land and maritime forces deployed in and around an area of operations. He said: “F-35 will give us an exponential leap over preceding aircraft in situational awareness and that is, in my mind, the key factor in fifth generation capability. “Just as the Bristol Boxkite of 1914 caused a revolution in the way operations were conducted, the introduction of the F-35 will cause a similar step change in the way we prepare for and conduct operations in the future. “We are introducing into service a revolutionary capability and our evolution as a force must align with the opportunities that this offers us.” He later added: “It really is a big change, bigger than a lot of people realise.”

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Above: The second F-35A for the RAAF, A35-002/AU-02, provided the back-drop for the VIP morning tea after the ceremony. The aircraft was also finished in the markings of No.2 Operational Conversion Unit. Below: Australia’s first F-35A A35-001/AU-01, painted with the markings of No.2 Operational Conversion Unit at the unveiling ceremony at Fort Worth on July 24.

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NEWS REPORT The Super Hornet purchase effectively delayed any decision on the final tranche of F-35A and the April decision to order an additional 58 aircraft, meant the 72 F-35As will replace 71 F/A-18A/Bs, with a decision on the remaining 28 aircraft (or so) now not expected until sometime in the future. The first two F-35As will join the USAF’s 61st Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, in January 2015, contributing to the international pool of aircraft with the JSF training organisation. This will permit a cadre of air and ground crew to be built up before the next aircraft begin coming off the assembly line at Fort Worth later in the decade. Two of the early new-build aircraft will come to Australia in late 2018 or early 2019 to begin an indigenous operational test and evaluation campaign, ahead of the main deliveries. The current Australian F-35A master plan calls for an initial operating capability (IOC) by the end of 2020, represented by No.2 OCU and the first fighter squadron (3 Squadron) being stood up at RAAF Williamtown, north of Sydney. Final operating capability is set to follow at the end of 2022, by which time 77 Squadron at Williamtown and 75 Squadron at RAAF Tindal in the Northern Territory will have completed conversion from the F/A-18A/B Hornet. The final F/A-18A/B Hornets are due to be withdrawn from service by the end of 2023.

Remaining Programme Risk Australian Programme Overview

Australia’s selection of the F-35A as its New Air Combat Capability for the 21st Century came about in somewhat controversial terms when the selection process, under Project Air 6000, was circumvented by the then Prime Minister, John Howard, in 2002. During a visit to the United States, in the aftermath of the September 11 bombings, Prime Minister Howard announced Australia would join the system development and demonstration phase of the Joint Strike Fighter programme as a Tier 3 partner and contributed $300 million in the process. This did not make the subsequent selection of the F-35A Conventional Take Off and Landing variant a foregone conclusion but it did effectively stifle any competition. It came as no real surprise when the first two aircraft were formally ordered (and commitments placed on a further 12) in 2009. Under Project Air 6000, Australia had a requirement of up to 100 modern fighter aircraft to replace the 71 surviving F/A18A, F/A-18Bs and 22 F-111Cs. As the end of the last decade approached, delays to the F-35 programme began to raise concerns about a capability gap between the retirement of the F-111 in 2010 and the earliest introduction of the F-35A. The need to replace the ‘classic’ Hornet force by around 2020 increased pressure and in 2007 the Howard Government announced the purchase of 24 Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets as a ‘bridging air combat capability’.

Software development has been problematical on the JSF project. It was one of the main reasons the programme was ‘re-baselined’ a couple of years ago. Since then the focus of the US Joint Programme Office and Lockheed Martin has been on the certification of a software build known as Block 2B, which is required to support the US Marine Corps as it will be the first to achieve IOC in July next year. F-35s built in LRIP 6 are the first to come off the production line with the next iteration of software, Block 3I, installed. This effectively represents the same capability as Block 2B but is hosted on new processors and requires validation. Block 2B software cannot be installed on a jet with the new processors and vice-versa. As a consequence, AU-01 and AU-02, as LRIP 6 jets, have to await clearance of Block 3I software before they can be flown. Block 3I is already installed in test aircraft and validation is underway despite the focus on the Block 2B software. According to Lockheed Martin, this work is on track to be completed in September this year, allowing acceptance testing of the 36 LRIP 6 aircraft to begin soon afterwards. US Air Force Lieutenant General Chris Bogdan, Program Executive Officer for the F-35 and head of the Joint Program Office, was at the unveiling ceremony for the Australian aircraft. He told AIR International he was now happy with software development progress and considered other issues the main risk to the timetable. “The engineering discipline and rigour that we revamped the software programme with two years ago is starting to pay good dividends. And, in fact, the proof of that is

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the critical path to Marine Corps IOC and Air Force IOC now, does not run through software – it runs through modifying airplanes to make them production and war fighter capable,” he said. “So, while software is still the most difficult thing in the programme, it is becoming less and less difficult. That doesn’t mean we don’t have challenges in the future, but we’re being much more predictable about the software now.” From an Australian programme perspective, the US Air Force requirement to achieve IOC with the Block 3I software in 2016, gives Australia a buffer should any further problems unexpectedly arise. Australia has specified the combat configuration Block 3F software for its own IOC, but has a fallback position of using Block 3I if it becomes necessary. Air Marshal Brown told AIR International: “I’m just not fundamentally worried about the jet. The biggest task we’ve actually got is the transition. “When I talk to my team, the thing I keep emphasising is that the worst thing we can do is bring this thing in and use it like an F/A-18. We’ve got to hit the ground running, with new tactics and new procedures, to get the best out of it.” The third and subsequent Australian aircraft will be built beginning in LRIP 10 leading to a break of two years between deliveries. Air Marshal Brown says the ‘breathing space’ would allow the RAAF time to learn important lessons about the operation of 5th generation combat aircraft. “We will get a few guys trained, plus the F-22 exchanges [RAAF pilots serve tours with US Air Force Raptor squadrons] as well, plus the Super Hornet - because the Super Hornet does have parts of this technology embedded, so we’ve really got a bit of a head start,” he said. “Compared with the transition from the Mirage III to the FA-18 [in the mid-1980s], we’re very focussed that we don’t do that the same way, so we can maximise the capabilities of the jet. So you have to take a different mindset, you have a different piece of equipment with very different capabilities. “We’re also involved with the US operational test and evaluation as well, so I think we’ll be well ahead of the game.” Australia is closely watching the development of the US concept of operations for the F-35, across the US Air Force, US Marine Corps and US Navy. Air Marshal Brown noted the tactics development work now underway in simulators would also stand the RAAF in good stead when deliveries to Williamtown get underway later in the decade. “The big issues are really our training, so our workforce that’s used to operating F/A18s or doing the maintenance or the logistics are really the big challenges right now and setting up a logistics system,” he concluded. “I’ve been involved in a lot of aircraft development programmes. In any development programme you are going to have issues and if I think back, there were a lot more issues with the F-111 than we’ve had with the F-35, and it ended up being a fantastic aircraft for the RAAF for 37 years. I suspect that this aeroplane will be pretty much exactly the same.”

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UK

Typhoon AESA Radar Funds BAE Systems has received a three-year contract to ‘de-risk’ integration of the Captor-E active electronically scanned array radar into the RAF’s Eurofighter Typhoon fleet. The £72 million E-Scan Extended Assessment Phase is expected by the company to lead to a full-scale development contract (further to RAF Sentinel Reprieved...Until 2018, August, p4). It involves flight tests using a suitable-equipped UK Typhoon development aircraft, as well as ground trials at the Electronic Warfare Test Facility at Warton, Lancashire. Parallel work for all of the Typhoon operating countries, known as Radar 1+, is being conducted under the NETMA (NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency) Nations E-Scan development programme, for which Typhoon IPA5 (ZJ700) has been modified for trials. The radar will be available for installation in Tranche 2 and 3 Typhoons, and is intended to offer increased detection and tracking ranges, an advanced air-tosurface capability and enhanced electronic protection.

New Markings for Royal Navy Hawks

British Aerospace Hawk T1A XX240/‘CU-840’ No.736 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) on the apron at RNAS Culdrose, Cornwall, on July 23. The aircraft wears the lightning bolt on its tail and codes on the front fuselage, both of which are being applied across the fleet. The lightning marking first appeared on the squadron’s Supermarine Scimitar F1s in the 1960s, but is derived from the unit’s badge, which comprises a gold eagle volant surmounting a white lightning bolt. No.736 NAS was re-commissioned from the assets of the Fleet Requirements and Aircraft Direction Unit on June 6, 2013 (see 736 Naval Air Squadron Re-commissioned, July 2013, p8). Ian Harding

New Weapons for RAF Fighters British Defence Secretary Philip Dunne signed a contract at Farnborough on July 17 valued at £120 million for an initial order for the MBDA Storm Shadow air-tosurface missile. The weapon will be integrated with RAF Typhoon

Tranche 2 and 3 aircraft as part of their Phase 2 Enhancement programme. The integration project will include one year of trials before the missile achieves an initial operational capability on the aircraft.

Atlas Close to First Flight

Airbus Defence and Space A400M msn 15, the first destined for the RAF, during its initial taxi trial on August 10. Airbus Defence and Space

On August 10 the first Airbus Defence and Space A400M Atlas completed its initial taxi test at Seville-San Pablo Airport in Spain. By early August three A400Ms for the RAF had been rolled out, comprising msns 015 to 017, which will become ZM400 to ZM402. The third emerged from the final assembly line (FAL) by August 1, at which point all three were still in their primer. Further A400Ms destined for the RAF are currently in various stages of assembly on the FAL.

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The first is due to be delivered to the RAF in September, with four expected to be handed over by the end of the year. Six will be delivered in both 2015 and 2016, with the last four of the 22 on order due to be accepted by the RAF by mid-2018. Originally intended to enter service in December 2011 to replace the last of the Lockheed C-130K Hercules variants in RAF service, delays to the A400M programme and reductions in the size of the air force will instead see the European transport augmenting and finally

supplanting the Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules. Extensive use in both Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as other conflict zones, coupled with a shortfall of transport assets, have placed a heavy burden on the RAF’s second generation Hercules variants, which have operated at a higher tempo and in more extreme environments than originally envisaged. This has greatly increased the ‘wear and tear’ on the fleet and the C-130J variants currently have an out-of-service date of 2022, ten years earlier than planned.

Full Voyager Capability Delivered

A ceremony was held by the RAF Air Mobility Wing at RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, on July 30 to formally accept the full Voyager capability into service. It marked the transition of the programme from HQ Air Command to the Air Mobility Wing and included a document signing that marked the tanker transport’s graduation and reception into service. Delivery of the core fleet of nine Airbus Military Voyagers was confirmed by the Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology, Philip Dunne, on July 14; the ninth was actually delivered to the Oxfordshire base on May 29. The core fleet comprises eight operating in military markings and one in AirTanker colours on the British civil register. On the same day as the ceremony, the first of the ‘surge’ aircraft was delivered to RAF Brize Norton. Voyager KC3 ZZ334 (msn 1033, ex EC-335) was previously used as a trials aircraft, recently participating in refuelling trials with the A400M transport; it was the initial A330 modified for the RAF. The surge fleet will comprise five additional Voyagers, which AirTanker will be able to lease to third parties when the aircraft are not required by the Ministry of Defence. Thomas Cook Airlines was identified as the first customer for a surge aircraft in July (see AirTanker Voyager for Thomas Cook, August, p8).

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NEWS BY NUMBERS

UPGRADED E-3F REDELIVERED Boeing E-3F Sentry 202/‘702-CB’ was redelivered to the Armée de l’Air (French Air Force) on July 17 following modernisation of its mission systems under a midlife update. Work to improve the aircraft’s surveillance, communications and battle management capabilities was conducted at Paris-Le Bourget at the Air France Industries KLM Engineering and Maintenance facility. Test flights of the aircraft following upgrade commenced at Le Bourget on January 31 and later moved to Base Aérienne 702 Avord, where the aircraft is based. All four E-3Fs operated by Escadron de Détection et de Commandement Aéroporté 36 will be upgraded, with work expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2016. David C Isby

Europe

Second Turkish A400M Flying

Airbus Defence and Space Military A400M A4M013 (msn 013) completed its maiden flight at Seville-San Pablo Airport, Spain, on July 30. The aircraft made a 3 hour 20 minute test flight over the Alboran Sea, off the coast of Granada, after which the transport landed safely back at Seville. The number four Europrop TP400 turboprop was unpowered for the landing approach, possibly intentionally as part of the test programme. The transport is the second example for the Türk Hava Kuvvetleri (Turkish Air Force). The first A400M for Turkey (13-009, msn 009) was accepted on April 4 and entered service with 221 Filo ‘Esen’ at Kayseri-Erkilet 12 days later. Roberto Yáñez

Bids In for Denmark’s Fighter Programme The Forsvarsministeriet’s (FMN, Danish Ministry of Defence) request for binding information for its New Combat Aircraft Program attracted responses from three of the four expected competitors by the July 21 deadline. Boeing’s response was based on the F/A-18F Super Hornet, Eurofighter the Typhoon, and

Lockheed Martin is offering the F-35A Lightning II. Saab, which was tipped to put forward a variant of its Gripen NG, declined to participate further in the selection process. Denmark originally sought 48 aircraft, but that project was suspended in 2010; Eurofighter withdraw from the process saying it believed the

process was biased towards the Lightning II. Denmark has been a Tier-3 partner in the Joint Strike Fighter since 2002. This issue is understood to have played a part in Sweden’s decision not to pursue the Danish competition, which had been relaunched by March 2013. The number of multi-role fighters

New Albatros Launched

Italian Tranche 3A Typhoon Flown

Eurofighter Typhoon CSX7338 is the first Tranche 3A aircraft for the Italian Air Force. Alenia Aermacchi

Alenia Aermacchi test pilot Mario Mutti conducted the maiden flight of the first Tranche 3A Eurofighter Typhoon for the Aeronautica Militare Italiana (Italian Air Force). The aircraft (CSX7338, b/n IS064)

was flown at Turin-Caselle on July 11 with, according to the pilot, the Typhoon and its systems performing as expected. Italy will receive 21 of the 112 Typhoons covered in the multi-

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currently sought by Denmark to replace its current F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcons has not been revealed, but is understood to be between 24 and 30, for delivery from 2020. The request for binding information was issued on April 10, with selection of a preferred candidate is expected by mid-2015.

national Tranche 3A production contract, with CSX7338 the second to fly. The first (ZK355, b/n BS116) flew at Warton in Lancashire, on December 2, 2013 (see Tranche 3 Typhoon Flown, January, p4).

Czech aerospace company Aero Vodochody has revealed plans to develop a modernised variant of the L-39 Albatros trainer. Known as the L-39NG, details were announced at the Farnborough International Air Show on July 16. As part of the upgrades, the Ivenchenko AI-25 turbofan, that is found in most L-39 versions, will be replaced with the Williams International FJ44-4M, reducing fuel consumption and improving speed, range and endurance. The service life of the airframe will be increased and weight reduced by the use of modern materials, while fuel tanks will be integrated in the wings, removing the need for the earlier variant’s distinctive wingtip tanks. New systems will also be incorporated, with modular digital avionics, communications, and virtual training systems. Aero Vodochody produced over 3,000 L-39s and around 400 remain operational; the fleet has accumulated over five million flight hours. A prototype is due to be ready by 2016 and initial deliveries are expected two year later.

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Russia & CIS

Belarus and China at Aviadarts

Sukhoi Su-30MKK Flanker-G 78033 of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force – armed with an unguided-rocket pod – at Lipetsk during the international Aviadarts-2014 competition. Ilyushin

Belarusian Air Force and Air Defence Corps Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot-A ‘32’ white at Lipetsk during Aviadarts-2014. Ilyushin

The final of the Aviadarts-2014 international competition, held between July 22 and 28, tested fighter pilots’ skills with unguided air-to-surface rockets and internal cannon on the Pogonovo test range. The contest also assessed navigation, visual reconnaissance

from bases in the Western Military District along with aircraft from the Central and Eastern Military Districts. Belarus sent three Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot attack aircraft from the 116th Guard Attack Air Base at Lida, Hrodna Voblas, while China deployed three Su-30MKK Flanker-

and aerobatic flight skills. Aircraft taking part were based at Voronezh and Lipetsk for the duration. Russian Air Force participants included a Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer and Su-34 Fullback, a Mikoyan MiG-29SMT Fulcrum and a Mil Mi-8MTV-5 Hip helicopter

Third Kazakh C295M Flown

Gs from the Flight Test and Training Centre at Cangxian, Hebei Province. The Flankers arrived at Lipetsk two days before the competition started. The domestic component of Aviadarts, held between May 21 and 26, saw the debut of two prototype Sukhoi T-50s. David C Isby

Flankers Move into Krmysk Krmysk AB in Krasnodar Krai reopened on July 4 after two years’ construction work during which its runways were lengthened. A

squadron of the 3rd Mixed Fighter Regiment equipped with Sukhoi Su-27M3 Flankers has moved in as the resident unit. David C Isby

Russian Air Force Hits the Road Airbus Defence and Space C295M ‘03’ red (msn S-119) is the third of the type for the Kazakhstan Air Defence Force. The nation signed a memorandum of understanding for two and options for six more in February 2012, ‘03’ being the first of two of options exercised in late 2013 (see More Kazakh C295M Orders, December 2013, p13). It was noted test flying from Seville-San Pablo Airport in Spain on July 17. Antonio Muñiz Zaragüeta

For the first time in many years, the Voyenno-Vozdushniye Sily (Russian Air Force) conducted training flying from a highway strip in early August. The Eastern Military District is reported to have organised a specialised training event for its units based at Chernigovka in the Amur Oblast. They included Sukhoi Su-25SM Frogfoot attack

aircraft of the 187th Attack Aviation Regiment and the two component squadrons of the 575th Air Base (Army Aviation) flying Mil Mi-8AMTSh Hips and Kamov Ka-52 Hokums. Mobile aircraft, airfield maintenance and safety teams deployed along a suitably equipped stretch of the VladivostokKhabarovsk highway. Alexander Mladenov

Russia’s Military Aircraft on Target United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) President Mikhail Pogosyan says the reason why no Russian military aircraft were at July’s Farnborough International Airshow was that the Sukhoi Su-35 was shown at Le Bourget last year and it was aimed at the domestic market in preference to export. He also said the Ilyushin Il-76MD90A (Il-476) heavy military freighter is now in production with first deliveries planned by the end of this year, and development of the Ilyushin Il-112 light military transport aircraft and the Multirole Transport Aircraft continues, the latter a joint venture with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd of India. UAC’s major military programme is the development of the fifth-

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generation Sukhoi T-50 PAK FA (Perspektivny Aviatsionny Kompleks Frontovoy Aviatsii, future frontline aviation system) for the Voyenno-Vozdushniye Sily (Russian Air Force). Five prototypes are now involved in the flight test programme, and although one recently suffered an engine fire on landing, Mr Pogosyan said the aircraft would be repaired and the flight trials would be unaffected by the incident. In-flight refuelling tests have been completed and the main objective of current flight trials are testing the aircraft systems’ combat modes and the carriage and firing of airlaunched weapons. The export version of PAK FA is the basis for India’s fifth-generation multi-

function fighter, the PMF-FGFA In 2013, UAC was awarded a contract by the Russian defence ministry to develop the nextgeneration PAK DA (Perspektivny Aviatsionny Kompleks Dal’ney Aviatsii, future long-range aviation system) strategic missile bomber, illustrated as a tailless delta wing aircraft in a UAC brochure. Asked what challenges UAC faced with the project, Mr Pogosyan stressed it would employ all the skills available to Russian aerospace industries. “We have all the technologies and the people capable of developing them, and the production facilities able to build such an aircraft.” In reply to a question about UAC’s future development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), he said:

“As fifth-generation aircraft will not supplant fourth-generation aircraft overnight, it will be a step-bystep process, and both UAV and aircraft technology will be at the same level.” On the question of the strained Russia/Ukraine relationship (prior to the downing of Malaysian airliner MH17 on July 17), Mr Pogosyan said UAC did not expect any big problems. “The aircraft industry is based on long-term relationships, and changes should not affect this situation. With our military programmes, domestic suppliers provide all engines and equipment; Russian producers can quickly make them in-house. We don’t expect any change in sales overall either in the military markets.” David Oliver

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NEWS BY NUMBERS

RMP F-15E OPERATIONAL The first of 47 Boeing F-15E Strike Eagles to go through the Radar Modernization Program (RMP) is operational with the 366th Fighter Wing at Mountain Home AFB in Idaho. The RMP replaces the aircraft’s AN/APG-70 radar with the AN/APG-82(v)1 advanced electronically scanned array (see Strike Eagle Radar Upgrade Progressing, December 2011, p5). All of the wing’s remaining aircraft will go through the upgrade over the next three years, with the work on each taking two to three months. David C Isby

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CTOT LAUNCH FROM POSEIDON A Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft conducted the type’s first coordinated time on target (CTOT) weapon launch during the recent Rim of the Pacific 14 exercise. Details of the live-firing were released on August 7. A crew from Patrol Squadron 45 (VP-45) ‘World Famous Pelicans’ fired a live AGM-84D Harpoon air-tosurface missile against a maritime target. The weapon hit the target simultaneously with an ATM-84D Harpoon telemetry missile launched by a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Kawasaki P-3C Orion. David C Isby

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B-2A TO GUAM Three Northrop B-2A Spirit bombers deployed to Anderson AFB on Guam from their home base at Whiteman AFB, Missouri, on August 6. The B-2s will fly training sorties while forward deployed. It is the first B-2A deployment to Guam since January 2012. David C Isby

Tankers Forward Deployed to Mazar-e-Sharif

A US Air Force detachment of Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers has been forward deployed to Mazar-e-Sharif Airport in Afghanistan from Al Udeid AB in Qatar. Assigned to the 340th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron (EARS) Detachment 1, the aircraft will be used to support the coalition’s military withdrawal from Afghanistan. KC-135Rs of the 912th Air Refueling Squadron, 452nd Air Mobility Wing based at March Joint Air Reserve Base, California, are among the tankers flown by the 340th EARS. David C Isby

North America

US Launches Limited Airstrikes in Iraq American air power is being used against targets on the ground in Iraq. President Obama announced late on August 7 that he had authorised limited air strikes against militants, to try to stem the advance of Islamic State (formerly ISIS, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) fighters attacking Erbil, the de facto capital of the Kurdish Autonomous Region in Northern Iraq. The strikes were needed, he said, to protect American diplomats, civilians and military personnel advising Iraqi forces in Erbil. He also highlighted the plight of the Yazidi refugees under siege by Islamic State fighters on Mount Sinjar, as well as other religious minorities and Muslims attacked by the militants as they advance throughout Iraq. Support would be limited to the use of air power, as President Obama is reluctant to commit ground troops to the fighting. Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Hornets from the aircraft carrier USS George H W Bush (CVN 77) have been flying over Iraq since June 18 (see US Navy Hornets Back Over Iraq, August, p12). The aircraft had been used to monitor the situation on the ground, rather than conduct combat operations. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9 Reapers and MQ-1 Predators unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) armed with Hellfires have also been used to collect intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) data. Kurdish and Iraqi Government sources stated that US aircraft began attacking Islamic State positions in Northern Iraq on August 6. These claims were denied by the US and it remains unconfirmed who conducted those sorties. Iraqi and Iranian aircraft have been used

A Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet of Strike Fighter Squadron 31 (VFA-31) ‘Tomcatters’ launches from the deck of the USS George H W Bush on August 8. The aircraft is carrying live 500lb (227kg) bombs and AGM-64 Maverick air-to-surface missiles under its wings. US Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Margaret Keith

against the militants since July. No official announcement has been made by US authorities on how it is handling airspace deconfliction with Iraqi and Iranian combat aircraft and UAVs. US operations started on August 8 when Hornets dropped laserguided GBU-12 500lb (227kg) bombs against Islamic State mortar positions and convoys near the towns of Gwer and Mahmour, close to Erbil. UAVs were also used. Four manned (plus UAV) sorties were conducted the following day against armoured vehicles. US airstrikes provided support to Kurdish efforts to retake Gwer and Mahmour from Islamic State on August 10. In addition to the Hornets, US Air Force Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcons and Boeing F-15E Strike Eagles based in neighbouring states have also participated in the air strikes, 17 of which were undertaken in the first four days of operations. Approximately 60 aircraft performed ISR roles over Iraq during the fighting, according to the US Central Command. Transport aircraft have also been

involved, dropping supplies to stranded civilians. Humanitarian airdrop missions began on August 7 when one Boeing C-17A Globemaster III and two Lockheed C-130 Hercules transports, escorted by fighters, provided emergency water and food supplies for the internally displaced Yazidi religious minority seeking refuge from the fighting in the Mount Sinjar area. Further humanitarian sorties were undertaken on August 9. The following day RAF Hercules operating from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus joined the mission. There were 14 airdrop sorties in the first four days of operations, and by August 13 the US Air Force had conducted seven and the RAF three missions in total. Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Hercules joined the supply mission on August 13. The RAAF transports from No.37 Squadron operated from Al Minhad AB in the United Arab Emirates, from where they have been supporting operations in Afghanistan. David C Isby and David Willis

Clipper is 5,000th Boeing 737 NG

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A Boeing C-40A Clipper transport (BuNo 168980, c/n 43827) for the US Navy rolled out in mid-July at Renton, Washington, is the 5,000th production Next Generation (NG) 737. The C-40A (model designation 737-7AFC) is based on the commercial 737-700C combi. The aircraft completed its first flight on July 22 using the test registration N513NV. At that point, Boeing held orders for 6,804 737 NGs and 2,109 737 MAXs. Total Boeing 737 orders now exceed 12,000, including Classic airliners and more than 100 for military roles. Boeing

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NEWS COLUMN

US Air Force Fa by Robert F Dorr The new term on everyone’s lips in the US Air Force’s ring of the Pentagon building is “strategic agility”. Those are the catchwords in the policy paper ‘America’s Air Force: A Call to the Future’, rolled out on July 30 by Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James and Chief of Staff General Mark Welsh. Appearing with Welsh, James did her best to explain a 22-page document that supposedly charts the future but doesn’t really say much. “Instead of focusing on a specific threat, we’re trying to focus and recognise this quick pace of change and we have to recognise ourselves the imperative that we are able to change as well,” said James. The need for change and adaptability will guide the air force over the next three decades to 2044, James told reporters. That means change in both personnel and acquisitions, the service’s civilian chief said. In the sort of quote that can come only from the Pentagon, James promised that the air force will “design agility into our requirements across processes to build in more frequent pivot points, which will mean opportunities to modify or abandon pieces of technologies within programmes and be able to harness rapid prototyping to bring a design idea into service more quickly.” The policy document is a sign that air force leaders want to get away from bigticket aircraft programmes and focus on smaller, hightechnology armaments that can be quickly adapted to meet a range of emerging threats — but no specifics are provided. If James had in mind the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, which has been under development for the last 30 years, she didn’t

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say. The policy document does not cite specific aircraft or weapons and does not explain how the air force will change personnel policies or improve acquisitions. As the most expensive weapons programme in history, the F-35 is now costing the air force about one-third the annual cost of military pensions (officially called ‘retired pay’) in a hopelessly antiquated personnel system that still enables the youngest military members to retire at age 37. The document doesn’t suggest a change in the system and any change would require support from Capitol Hill but many experts say the United States will be without enough dollars to cover its military retirement system within a decade.

overrun in this fixed-price contract but no one disputes that the KC-46A is over budget and a year behind schedule. At the press conference, Welsh wanted to talk about the policy paper but was asked to explain the circumstances surrounding an incident on June 24 when an F-35A suffered an engine fire as it took off from Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The aircraft, serial number 105015 (c/n AF-27), sustained major damage and the pilot escaped unharmed. “It’s important to keep this particular fire in context,” Welsh said. “The F-35 fleet has now flown about 8,700 sorties and over 14,000 flight hours. This is the first time we’ve had a major engine fire.” While the policy paper contains no details, air force

leaders are also putting the finishing touches to a 20year Strategic Master Plan document, scheduled for completion by year’s end. This document, too, is unlikely to contain specifics about toppriority aircraft programmes — F-35, KC-46A, and the Long Range Strike-Bomber (LRS-B) — but it is expected to reveal more about how “strategic agility” will influence plans and programmes.

Getting Pegasus Aloft The Pentagon and Boeing now say flight tests of the KC-46A, which is a version of the Boeing 767-200, will begin in January next year. On August 7, a groundbreaking ceremony marked the start of construction work on facilities

Teething the Tanker The week the document was issued, a Wall Street Journal analysis claimed that the first four KC-46A Pegasus air refuelling tankers, now scheduled for delivery by 2016 after significant delays, will cost $5.4 billion. As measured in cost-per-unit ($1.35 billion per airframe), that would make the KC-46A by far the most expensive aircraft in history. Official sources cite much lower dollar amounts and Boeing will absorb much of the

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NEWS COLUMN

Faces its Future for the KC-46A at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma. The 97th Air Mobility Wing at Altus will be the training wing for KC-46A pilots and boom operators. An August announcement naming New Hampshire Air National Guard’s 157th Air Refueling Wing based at Pease Air National Guard Base, New Hampshire as the first guard-led operating unit for the KC-46A came as no surprise. It followed an April announcement that McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas will be the first activeduty training base and will receive the first of 36 tankers in 2016. Although manufacturer Boeing has Defense Department permission to export the KC-46A, ambitious hopes for overseas sales are facing mixed prospects:

Boeing lost out to Airbus in March for a six-aircraft tanker purchase by Singapore and faces strong competition for a four-tanker programme in South Korea. Airbus has sold its A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport to Australia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the UK, and says it is in talks about selling the type to India.

Confronting ISIS As we went to press, the US Air Force and the US Army had undertaken a minor role in the fighting in Iraq after the Obama administration launched a limited air campaign against Islamic State, or ISIS, militants using carrier-based warplanes. Though it no longer maintains a military role on the ground in Iraq, the United

States still has 650 troops there, including 470 who protect American personnel and property at the embassy and Baghdad International Airport plus others at the US consulate in Irbil. Other troops are assessing the security situation in Iraq and assisting Iraqi forces in dealing with the ISIS threat. In July the Pentagon dispatched a small number of AH-64E Apache attack helicopters and surveillance aircraft, including drones, to Baghdad’s airport. In response to the violence in Iraq – and mindful of the shoot down of a Malaysian airliner in Ukraine – the Federal Aviation Administration announced on August 8 that it has banned US airlines and commercial carriers from flying in Iraqi airspace.

So long, 65th

The US Air Force is deactivating the 65th Aggressor Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada and sending its 19 F-15C and F-15D Eagles to other units. Formal decommissioning of the squadron was slated for September 26 and leaves Nellis with just one dissimilar air combat training unit, the 64th, equipped with F-16C/D Fighting Falcons. As a temporary measure, the 64th squadron will inherit six F-15Cs and nine pilots from the 65th and will use them until March 31. News reports in Las Vegas, where Nellis is located, point out that the stand-down means fewer enemies to engage in mock air battles in the next Red Flag combat exercise.

The F-15-equipped 65th Aggressor Squadron based at Nellis Air Force Base is due to stand down on September 26. Paul Ridgway

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NEWS COLUMN

US Navy Delays Expeditio by Rick Burgess The US Navy has postponed the stand-up of an expeditionary electronic attack squadron as the process awaits environmental clearance, according to a service official. The stand-up of Electronic Attack Squadron 143 (VAQ-143) ‘Cobras’, to be equipped with Boeing EA18G Growlers, had been planned for October at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington. “A new date has not been set and will not be set until after the completion of the environmental impact study,” said Cdr Jeannie Groeneveld, public affairs officer for commander, Naval Air Force, US Pacific Fleet. The navy currently operates three expeditionary VAQ squadrons and is planning to expand the force to five units with VAQ-144 ‘Roadrunners’ scheduled for stand-up in October 2015. It is not known if the delay with VAQ-143 will postpone the activation of VAQ-144. The expeditionary VAQ squadrons deploy to land bases in support of joint operations. The navy also operates ten carrier-based VAQ squadrons, one of which may become available for the expeditionary role. Electronic Attack Squadron 134 (VAQ-134) ‘Garudas’, currently making the navy’s last EA-6B Prowler deployment and involved in combat in Iraq from the deck of USS George H W Bush, is due to return to Whidbey Island late this year and begin transition to the EA-18G in 2015. Since the navy nominally has ten carrier air wings but only nine in operation, VAQ-134, as the tenth squadron, could be pressed into expeditionary service if the operational needs require it: the squadron had previously served in that role. Cdr Jeannie Groeneveld said that VAQ-134 is projected to complete the Growler transition in early

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2016: “Depending on the myriad of domestic and international events that will occur in the next two years affecting government decisions and presence requirements, it remains to be seen whether or not VAQ-134 will return to the expeditionary role.” In another development, the navy’s only reserve electronic attack squadron has achieved safe for flight qualification in the EA-18G, according to a source. VAQ-209 ‘Star Warriors’, based at Whidbey Island has some aircraft assigned and now has enough trained crews for independent flight operations. The squadron moved from Joint Base Andrews-Naval Air Facility Washington in Maryland last year to begin a roughly two-year transition from the EA-6B Prowler to the EA-18G. As a Prowler squadron, VAQ-209 made more combat deployments than any other navy reserve tactical jet squadron in the last two decades.

Marine Corps to Retire UH-1N and HH-1N Hueys in 2015 The US Marine Corps said goodbye to a long-serving utility helicopter type this month as it retired its last UN-1N Iroquois, almost universally known as the ‘Huey,’ after 43 years of service. The UH-1N is being replaced by the UH-1Y Venom, an upgraded version of the UH-1N. The last UH-1Ns, built by Bell Helicopter, are operated by Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 773 (HMLA-773) ‘Red Dogs’, a

reserve unit split between three locations: Robins Air Force Base, Georgia; Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, Louisiana; and Joint Base McGuireDix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. HMLA-773 took the UH-1N on its last deployment, in which two UH-1Ns sailed on a Royal Netherlands Navy ship in 2013 for an African Partnership Station deployment. HMLA-773 has already begun transitioning to the UH-1Y. The squadron also operates the AH-1W Super Cobra gunship version. Deliveries of the UH-1N to the US Marines began in 1971. The navy and marine corps procured 205 UH-1Ns, plus six VH-1N executive transports for Marine Helicopter Squadron 1 (VMX1), the unit that provides transportation for the US President. Ten UH-1Ns were remanufactured to UH1Ys, after which the corps decided to procure new UH1Ys from Bell. The corps will continue to fly five unarmed HH-1N versions from Marine Corps

Air Station Yuma, Arizona, until their retirement in 2015. These aircraft are the only HH-1Ns remaining in marine corps service from 44 converted from UH-1Ns (38) and the six VH-1Ns. The HH1Ns also will be replaced by UH-1Ys.

P-8A Transition Resumed The navy resumed transition of patrol squadrons from the P-3C Orion to the new P-8A Poseidon in August when Patrol Squadron 8 (VP-8) ‘Fighting Tigers’ began its conversion – the fourth to do so. In July, VP-8 returned from its split deployment to Bahrain and El Salvador in support of the US Fifth and Fourth Fleets, respectively. Its P-3C aircraft and support equipment have been turned in at its home base of Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida. The navy paused for several months, as planned, after the transition of the first three squadrons, VP-16, VP5, and VP-45, so that P-8A

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NEWS COLUMN

itionary EA-18G Squadron Transport Squadron 1 (VMR1) ‘Roadrunners’ at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina.

K-Max Returns from Afghanistan

The Kaman K1200 K-Max unmanned helicopter hovers over a landing zone at Camp Dwyer, Afghanistan, while awaiting a load to deliver to Forward Operating Base Payne. Sgt Michele Watson/US Marine Corps

aircraft deliveries could catch up with the demand. Patrol Squadron 16 returned in July from the P-8A’s maiden deployment, a seven-month presence in the Western Pacific staged from Naval Air Facility Kadena, Japan. The unit was succeeded by VP-5, and VP45 will follow next year. Boeing, which is under contract for 53 P-8As, delivered the 14th and 15th production aircraft to Jacksonville in July and August, respectively. Six more are scheduled for delivery in 2014. The most recent delivery is the first from the third low-rate initial production contract awarded in 2012.

Presidential Squadron’s Last Sea Knights Marine Helicopter Squadron 1 (HMX-1) has retired its last Boeing CH-46E Sea Knight transport helicopters.

Four CH-46Es departed Marine Corps Air Station Quantico, Virginia, on July 16 on delivery to the State Department in Florida, according to the marine corps. The CH-46Es, more familiar as assault transports, were used as utility helicopters to support presidential movements, handling cargo and support personnel. They were also used to support test and evaluation of marine corps assault helicopters and their technology. The President flies mostly in the squadron’s VH-3D Sea King and VH-60N helicopters. The Bell-Boeing MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft has replaced the CH-46E in HMX1, which had operated the Sea Knight since 1966. The squadron also flies the CH53E Super Stallion heavy-lift helicopters. The VMX-1 CH-46Es were the last examples based on the US East Coast. Four HH-46E rescue versions remain in service with Marine

The two K-Max unmanned cargo helicopters that supported marine corps operations in Afghanistan returned to the United States in July after a nearly threeyear deployment. The K-Max, a Lockheed Martin development of the Kaman K1200 K-Max manned helicopter, is an unmanned system capable of lifting 6,000lb (2,720kg) of cargo and flying it autonomously to a remote site, such as a forward operating base. Two K-Max helicopters were deployed to south-central Afghanistan in December 2011 and delivered more than 4.5 million pounds (2.04 million kilograms) of cargo during more than 2,150 flight hours and more than 1,950 sorties. The K-Max flew its last operational sorties on May 30. During a July 24 teleconference with reporters, Capt Patrick Smith, the navy’s programme manager for multi-mission tactical unmanned systems, praised the performance of the K-Max and those who operated the system, saying the team “excelled beyond anything I thought possible.” Smith said the two K-Max helicopters, which are navyowned, will be placed in storage at the Lockheed Martin facility in Owego, New York. He said the navy is looking at opportunities for more demonstrations of the K-Max’s cargo lift capabilities in 2015 so the marine corps can develop concepts of operation for a future unmanned cargo system. Smith said a programme of record is currently in a planning phase only, going through the formal process so that “a concise and achievable set of requirements can go forward.” Smith envisions a future requirement fitting between

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the lift capability of a light utility helicopter such as the marine corps’ UH-1Y and the well-defined heavylift requirement met by the service’s CH-53. Marine Maj Kyle O’Connor, who led the first K-Max detachment to Afghanistan with Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 1 (VMU-1) ‘Watchdogs’, said the detachment was less concerned with electronic or cyber intrusion than with kinetic attacks from small arms. To avoid enemy fire, the K-Max was flown mostly at night using altitude as a means of evasion. O’Connor said with its lights out the K-Max is hard to see and is also hard to hear, adding that it operates equally as well day or night. Smith said that the initial operational objective was for the K-Max to lift 6,000lbs of cargo per day, a threshold that was routinely exceeded, including one day in which 30,000lb (13,607kg) was moved. Cargo, such as an electric generator set weighing 6,000lb, was one piece of equipment that was moved. “We had to build trust and confidence early on,” O’Connor said, noting that the primary goal of the deployment was to get marines and their vehicles off roads plagued with hazards, such as improvised explosive devices. O’Connor also noted that de-confliction of airspace with manned aircraft had to be addressed, much like the current and evolving issue in US national airspace. Key to the success and acceptance of the K-Max was the “reliability of the aircraft being where it was supposed to be,” he said. “[Being] on time, on target opened the doors for us to successfully integrate with manned aircraft.” Roger Il Grande, Lockheed Martin’s head of rotarywing programmes, said the company is exploring the potential of K-Max in servicing oil and gas rigs and is making progress in exporting the type for foreign military sales.

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North America

US Army Dash-8 Transits Hungary

Bombardier DHC-8-315 N8300L (c/n 352, ex ZS-NLY) arriving at Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport in Hungary on August 11. The aircraft was on its way east, having arrived from Glasgow-Prestwick Airport in Scotland, and departed Budapest the following day. It is owned by Dynamic Avlease Inc of Bridgewater, Virginia, but is operated on behalf of the US Army and carries the service’s titles on its tail and forward fuselage. In addition to a threat-warning suite, the aircraft has a large satcom antenna on top of its forward fuselage and canoe-like sensor pods attached to its sides. Dynamic has at least six Dash-8 Srs 300s (plus Srs 100/200s – see US Army DHC-8102 in UK, February 2013, p12) and N8300L is understood to be a replacement for another already operating in US Central Command’s area of responsibility. Tamás Martényi

‘The Sumos’ Move to Iwakuni The US Marine Corps relocated its Japan-based Lockheed Martin KC-130J Hercules unit, Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152 (VMGR-152) ‘The Sumos’ from MCAS Futenma on Okinawa to MCAS Iwakuni, Yamaguchi. The first KC-130J touched down at MCAS Iwakuni on July 15, but will remain under the operational control of the III Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) on Okinawa, under a plan announced in 1996. “VMGR-152 is the busiest C-130 Squadron in the Marine Corps,” said Colonel Hunter Hobson, commanding officer of Marine Air Group 12. “Them coming [to MCAS Iwakuni] is a big deal because they are a Marine Expeditionary Force asset. Those guys execute missions directly for the MEF [commanding general]. VMGR-152 coming here is part of a Defense Policy Review Initiative [DPRI] and the expansion of Iwakuni as a result of DPRI.” Nigel Pittaway

Textron Promoting Scorpion to US Air Force The prototype Textron AirLand Scorpion ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) light jet aircraft took part in the Vigilant Guard 2014 exercise held in Kansas between August 1 and 8. The aircraft was used to provide live video feed to US National Guard units participating

F-35 Back in the Air Restrictions on Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II operations following an engine fire on June 23 have been relaxed. A ‘temporary suspension of flight’ was put in place on June 27 (see Problems Mar Lightning’s Planned International Debt, August, p12), but the overall grounding order was lifted on July 15. On that date the 20 F-35s used for testing were cleared for flight up to March 1.6 (its maximum speed) and 3.2g, a reduced maximum sustained turn performance. Meanwhile, the US Air Force revealed on August 7 that it had identified Eielson AFB in Alaska as the preferred initial base in the Pacific Air Force area of responsibility to house F-35As. An Eielson will receive 48 aircraft for two squadrons. David C Isby

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in several emergency scenarios. Between August 4 and 7 the Scorpion flew several hours each day in support of the Vigilant Guard. Its flying costs, approximately $2,700 per hour, were absorbed by the manufacturer, as part of the company’s efforts to promote the

aircraft to the US Air Force. Textron plans to exhibit the aircraft at the National Guard Association of the US 136th General Conference & Exhibition, held at Chicago, Illinois, between August 22 and 25. In September it will be displayed at the Air Force Association Air & Space

Conference at Washington, DC. By early August the Scorpion had accumulated 155 flight hours, and the target of 300 is expected to be achieved this year. Textron is also planning to conduct live weapons tests at some point during the flight programme. David C Isby

Final Ocean Sentry Conducting Test Flights

The final Airbus Defence and Space HC-144A Ocean Sentry for the US Coast Guard was noted during a test flight at Seville-San Pablo Airport in Spain on August 6. The aircraft (2318, msn C-211) is the last of 18 HC-144As on order, after plans to acquire additional examples were abandoned following an agreement with the US Air Force to transfer surplus Alenia C-27J Spartans to the maritime service. Antonio Muñiz Zaragüeta

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Asia & Australasia

Pitch Black 14 Under Way

North Korea Grounds MiG-19s The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Air Force has grounded its Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 Farmer-A fighters after one crashed on July 29. Unconfirmed reports say the accident, the third North Korean MiG-19 loss in 2014, happened near Taetang airbase in South Hwanghae province during a training exercise. The only country to operate the MiG-19, North Korea also flies Chinese-built Shenyang F-6 variants, with a combined inventory of over 100 aircraft – although how many are actually airworthy is unknown. The MiGs are believed to have long since exceeded their designed service life. North Korea’s isolationism, economic malaise and huge military means the air force has to rely on ageing equipment to maintain its size. Spares for many types, including the MiG-19, are no longer produced or difficult to find, reducing the operational status of the force and making the aircraft more dangerous to fly. The grounding of the MiG-19 follows the recent lifting of a similar order covering the MiG-17F Fresco-C fleet, which was also issued following a crash (see North Korean MiG-17s Back in the Air, August, p25). David C Isby

Royal Thai Air Force Saab JAS 39C Gripen Kh20-8/56 ‘70108’ (c/n 39-404) landing at RAAF Base Darwin on August 4 – one of the 110 aircraft involved in this year’s Exercise Pitch Black. The biennial event, held in Australia’s Northern Territories, ran from August 1 to 22, with RAAF Bases Darwin and Tindal hosting participants from France, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and the US as well as Australian units. Offensive and defensive counter air missions formed the core of the exercise – which makes use of Delamere Air Weapons Range and the Bradshaw Field Training Area – although air-to-ground sorties and non-aviation activities were included. CPL Craig Barrett/Commonwealth of Australia, Department of Defence

Initial ‘Kiwi’ Texans Delivered

Korea Accelerating KF-X Programme The Republic of South Korea is speeding up development of its indigenous KF-X fighter programme following the endorsement of the plan by its Joint Chiefs of Staff on July 18. South Korean media reports suggest bids for the project could be called for as early as September. KF-X calls for a twin-engine fighter to replace the Republic Of Korea Air Force’s McDonnell F-4E Phantoms and Northrop F-5E Tiger IIs, with deliveries beginning in 2025. Korea Aerospace Industries is expected to lead the 8.5 trillion won ($8.24 billion) programme. Nigel Pittaway

Beechcraft T-6C Texan II N2826B soon after arriving at Stansted Airport, Essex, on August 2 during its delivery flight to New Zealand. Rick Ingham

The first two Beechcraft T-6C Texan IIs on order for the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) departed Wichita, Kansas, on July 31 at the start of their delivery flights. The aircraft (NZ1401/ N2824B and NZ1402/N2826B) arrived at Stansted Airport, Essex,

on August 2 and continued their journey through Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Australia. Due to arrive at Auckland on August 21, they will serve with No.14 Squadron. Formal acceptance will be in November with full capability

Third Y-20 Flown

The third prototype Xian Y-20 after its first flight.

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The third Xian Y-20 Kunpeng four-jet military transport aircraft completed its maiden flight on July 31 at the Yanliang flight test centre in China. Identified as 783, it is finished in a lighter grey scheme than applied to the first prototype (20001/781). The People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) will need at least 400 Y-20s, according to a report

expected in January 2016. The RNZAF has 11 T-6Cs on order and Beechcraft says all will be delivered by the second quarter of 2015, 17 months after contract signature (see RNZAF Buys Beechcraft Texan II Trainers, March, p28). Nigel Pittaway

by the National Defence University of China quoted by government-run newspaper the People’s Daily on July 25. The report suggests a major air transport capability is needed to ferry forces to China’s periphery as well as to support any potential invasion of Taiwan. The aircraft would be organised into ten PLAAF divisions, each with two regiments of 20 Y-20s. David C Isby and David Willis

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Asia & Australasia

Light Combat Aircraft Developments The naval variant of India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) was due to begin ski ramp trials at INS Hansa, near Goa, after the end of the monsoon season around September. The facility has a 14-degree ramp specially constructed and instrumented for the LCA programme. Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force has stood up No.45 Squadron ‘Flying Daggers’ at Bangalore to operate the baseline version of the LCA. Deliveries had been due to start in March, but reports in Indian media say they have been delayed until September. The unit will eventually move to Sulur in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. Final operational clearance for the fighter has been pushed back from December to March 2015 because of late delivery. Nigel Pittaway

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HERCULES FOR THE PHILIPPINES

Nigel Pittawa

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INDIAN GLOBEMASTER III DELIVERED The Indian Air Force received its sixth Boeing C-17A Globemaster III airlifter on July 28 when CF-8006 (ex 11-0109) touched down at Palam outside New Delhi. During its delivery flight the aircraft stopped at RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, to take Noorduyn AT-16 Harvard IIB HT291/G-CGYM (c/n 14A-927), restored by Swiftair Maintenance at Leicester Airport, to India. The trainer was offloaded at Palam Air Force Station for the Indian Air Force Vintage Flight before the C-17A flew on to Hindon AFS in Uttar Pradesh, where it will join No.81 Squadron

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F-16C Block 25 TS-1625 on the tarmac at Hill AFB, Utah, after being refurbished for Indonesia. TNI-AU

The Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Udara (Indonesian Air Force) took delivery of three refurbished Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 25 Fighting Falcons at Iswahjudi, Indonesia, on July 25, after a delivery flight from Hill AFB, Utah, via Alaska and Guam. Tanker support was provided by a US Air Force McDonnell Douglas KC-10A Extender. The three, an F-16C (TS-1625) and two F-16Ds (TS-1620 and TS-1623),

NEWS BY NUMBERS

The US State Department notified Congress on July 23 of a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) of two surplus Lockheed C-130T Hercules aircraft to the Philippine Air Force (PAF). Included in the deal are ten Alison T56-16 engines (including two spares) plus technical and logistical support over three years for an estimated $61 million. The transports will join three C-130H/ L100 Hercules currently flown by the PAF. “The Government of the Philippines desires these additional C-130s to bolster its lift capabilities, which are essential for providing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief,” said the notification.

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Fighting Falcons Handed Over to Indonesia

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‘Skylords’. India has ten C-17As on order, the first of which arrived at Hindon in June 2013 (see Globemaster Arrives in India, August 2013, p21). Deliveries are expected to be completed by December.

Nigel Pittaway

ADDITIONAL C-130J-30 ORDERED BY INDIA The US Department of Defense announced on July 18 that Lockheed Martin had been awarded a contract to supply six more C-130J-30 Super Hercules to the Indian Air Force (further to Six Additional C-17As and C-130Js Sought by India, April 2013, p14). The Foreign Military Sale, including the positioning of field services representatives in India and post-delivery support for three years, is expected to be concluded by April 30, 2020. India currently operates five Super Hercules with No.77 Squadron ‘Veiled Vipers’ at Hindon AFS, Uttar Pradesh; a sixth aircraft (KC-3803, c/n 5640) was destroyed in a crash near Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, on March 28. Nigel Pittaway

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SCRAMBLES BY JAPANESE FIGHTERS Japan Air Self-Defense Force fighters scrambled 235 times against Russian aircraft in the second quarter of this year (April to June) – up from 204 in same period of 2013. An additional 104 scrambles were made in response to Chinese aircraft and one to counter North Korean air activity. David C Isby

are former USAF aircraft refurbished by the Ogden Air Logistics Complex at Hill AFB under the Peace BemaJima II programme. The remaining 21 in the contract, signed in January 2012, will be delivered by the end of 2015. Major Frank Taravella, Deputy Under Secretary of Air Force International Affairs, commented: “This F-16 programme currently stands as the flagship programme of the defence relationship between the

US Government and Indonesia, as their fighter inventory grows by 24 American-made F-16 aircraft. Indonesia is receiving completely refurbished aircraft, with astounding workmanship and improved capabilities.” Brake ’chutes will be added to the aircraft in Indonesia. They will then be divided between two units, reported to be Skadron Udara 3 at Iswahjudi and Skadron Udara 16 at Rusmin Nuryadin Pekanbaru. Nigel Pittaway

Latest J-20 Prototype Airborne Images of the fourth Chengdu J-20 fighter prototype (2012) on the ground began appearing on Chinese internet sites in June. It has since been revealed the aircraft made its first flight, which lasted around two hours, on July 26. The jet displays modifications introduced on the third aircraft (2011), which was first noted in January, including a faceted ‘bulge’ under the nose, possibly a housing for an electro-optical targeting system; refined air intakes; and a reprofiled upper tail from which a triangular section has been removed from the top of the trailing edge.

More Afghan C-130Hs? The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has proposed that the US Government’s plan to transfer an additional pair of Lockheed C-130 Hercules to the Afghan Air Force should be shelved. The first pair was delivered in late 2013 (see Two Afghan Hercules Delivered, November 2013, p10). SIGAR is tasked with evaluating and auditing US expenditure in Afghanistan. It concluded that while the two Hercules already supplied were capable of flying 555 hours between October 2013 and May, they had only flown for 261 hours, 48% of the total. Furthermore, on average

the aircraft carried half of their maximum capacity on the flights, which could be transported using existing smaller aircraft or ground vehicles. Problems sustaining and maintaining the aircraft were also noted by SIGAR. Following the SIGAR report in midJuly, the Senate Appropriations Committee inserted a clause in its annual defence appropriations bill prohibiting the transfer of additional C-130s until a review of the Afghan Air Force was conducted. The C-130Hs were delivered following the decision to withdraw the Afghan Alenia C-27A (G222) fleet in September 2012.

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Africa

Mauritania’s ISR BT-67 The Force Aérienne Islamique de Mauritanie (FAIM, Mauritanian Islamic Air Force) has modified its only Basler Turbo BT-67 transport with an electro-optical turret for surveillance missions. The aircraft (5T-MAH, c/n 12543, ex N104BF), acquired from the United States in 1999, can relay sensor imagery to communication devices used by special forces on the ground. It is understood that the sensor turret fitted under the aircraft’s nose is an L-3 Wescam MX-15, two of which were sold to Mauritania. The FAIM has recently improved its air defence and surveillance capabilities, acquiring two Airbus Military C212200 maritime surveillance aircraft from Spain in 2008 and 2011, and four Embraer EMB-312F Tucanos from France between 2010 and 2011. In October 2012 the North African country began receiving A-29 Super Tucanos from Embraer, fitted with FLIR Systems Star SAFIRE III sensors. A pair of Cessna 208 Caravans equipped with surveillance equipment was also recently delivered (see Two ISR Caravans Received by Mauritania, August, p23). Guy Martin

Mozambican MiG-21 Upgrade Concluded

Aerostar-upgraded Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21bis Fishbed 241 of the Mozambique Air Force on approach to Baca˘u in Romania. Aerostar

Romanian firm Aerostar has upgraded and overhauled six Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21bis and two tandem-seat MiG21UM conversion trainers for the Força Aérea de Moçambique (Mozambique Air Force). At the beginning of July Aerostar said six of the aircraft were back in Mozambique, while the other two were being shipped from Romania (further to Three Mozambique MiG-21s Delayed in Germany, June, p24). Each overhaul took 120 days and involved zerolifeing and rehabilitating the aircraft – many of which had not

flown operationally for 20 years. Modification work included installing GPS and modern digital flight data recorders. The MiG-21 contract also included the overhaul of an Aero Vodochody L-39ZO and a training programme for pilots and ground crew. Mozambique Air Force students undertook training at Baca˘u and Boboc air base over the course of a year, flying Aerostar R40S Festivals and the L-39. The air force acquired two Festival side-by-side light aircraft as part of the deal. Grigore Filip, President and General Director of Aerostar stated: “The

Mozambique programme, which is coming to its conclusion, is proof of our capabilities...we will feel that our mission has been completely successful when we find out that the Mozambique personnel are operating and carrying out flight training by themselves.” The MiG-21 deal is one of several recent acquisitions by Mozambique, which acquired a used Hawker 850XP in September 2013 and is due to receive refurbished Antonov An-26 transports (see Mozambique Rebuilding its Air Force, December 2013, p26). Guy Martin

AHRLAC Takes to the Skies The Paramount Group Advanced High-Performance Reconnaissance Light Aircraft (AHRLAC) made its maiden flight from Wonderboom airport outside Pretoria, South Africa, on July 26. A demonstration of the aircraft in front of invited media was undertaken on August 13. The initial prototype, the Experimental Demonstrator (XDM), was moved by road to Wonderboom in May. The aircraft was built at Aerosud’s facility near Air Force Base Waterkloof, but Wonderboom was chosen for flight tests as it has less crowded airspace and is located away from residential areas. Reports that the aircraft had flown earlier (see AHRLAC Begins Flight Testing, July, p14) were in error. The XDM has been fitted with test equipment, including temperature and strain gauges and accelerometers, to record data during the trials. The second prototype (the Advanced Demonstrator, ADM) is under construction and will evaluate mission and weapons systems, as well as the Martin-Baker Mk 17 ejection seat. Construction of the first AHRLAC began in 2012, with final assembly taking place this year, and consumed approximately 315,000 man hours. The engine was first started on March 3, with taxi trials beginning around

the end of April or early May. During flight testing, performance will be compared with computer simulations, and data will be relayed in real time to personnel on the ground. Flight testing will be supported by a Pilatus PC-12 chase aircraft equipped with diagnostic equipment, plus a mobile flight test vehicle. A quarter-scale prototype has already flown 80 times to validate the aircraft’s design. Paramount is holding off from taking firm orders until the AHRLAC flew and has proven itself, but says it already has pre-orders. It plans to fully offerit to the market in early 2015, with deliveries possibly by 2016. Although AHRLAC is a Paramount project, the concept was created by Aerosud which, through AHRLAC Holdings, is the technical developer and prime contractor. It designed the aircraft using Catia software, allowing the AHRLAC to be assembled without jigs, saving both time and money. Another cost-saving strategy was to reduce the number of parts in the aircraft – there are only around 6,000 components. AHRLAC has been designed to complement aircraft such as the Embraer EMB-314 Super Tucano, the older Rockwell OV-10 Bronco and unmanned aerial vehicles, rather

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The Advanced High-Performance Reconnaissance Light Aircraft Experimental Demonstrator completed its maiden flight from Wonderboom, Pretoria, on July 26. Paramount Group

than as a direct replacement. As such, Paramount said it has been designed using concepts from attack helicopters, and surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft, enabling it to undertake a variety of roles, including reconnaissance, electronic intelligence, counter-terrorist operations, disaster relief, border patrol, anti-poaching, light attack and emergency resupply. According to the project’s leader, Dr Paul Potgieter, the AHRLAC’s flexibility means several different types of aircraft can be replaced. The aircraft can also be configured for training – Dr Potgieter believes it can prepare pilots to operate jets

because of its cockpit configuration and the pusher propeller, which gives an unobstructed forward view. Sensors and weapons can be carried under the wings (which have two hardpoints each), on the front of the tailbooms, on sponsons or at the wingtips, and in a detachable belly pack. The belly pack can be changed within half an hour and can accommodate dual 20/30mm cannons, radar or other systems, or be used to house supplies that could be dropped to forces on the ground. Payload with full fuel and a crew of two is over 800kg (1,764lb), with a maximum take-off weight of 3,800kg (8,378lb). Guy Martin

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Rest of the World

Chilean Army Seeking New Trainers A new trainer is sought by the Brigada de Aviación de Ejército (BAVE, Chilean Army Aviation Brigade) following retirement of the Cessna R172K Hawk XP II. A public tender has been launched to find a replacement aircraft, plus spares, training and support equipment. The purchase is being conducted as part of the Army Aviation Development Plan for 2012-2024. In addition to training new pilots, the new aircraft will also fly liaison missions for the army. The BAVE operated 18 Hawk XP IIs from 1978 until late 2012. Santiago Rivas

Omani C295 MPA Airborne

The first Airbus Defence and Space C295 maritime patrol aircraft for the Royal Air Force of Oman (msn S-118) was conducting flight tests from Seville-San Pablo Airport in Spain by early August. The unpainted aircraft is equipped with a search radar; a forward-looking electro-optical/infrared turret under the nose; under-wing searchlight; a Terma 9000 side-looking airborne radar attached to the fuselage above the main landing gear sponson; and self defence and warning systems. In May 2012 Oman ordered three C295Ms for maritime patrol, equipped with the Fully Integrated Tactical System, as well as five standard transports (see Omani C295M Conducts Training Flights, September 2013, p27). Antonio Muñiz Zaragüeta

Egypt Identified as C295 Customer Airbus Defence and Space has revealed its previously undisclosed customer for eight C295 transports is Egypt (further to North African Customer Seeking C295s, August, p23). The recent order takes its fleet to 20, making it the largest customer for the type. Announced at the Farnborough International Air Show, the order also includes a support package covering spares, training and maintenance. The aircraft will be delivered from 2015. “We greatly appreciate the Egyptian Air Force’s confidence in our products, based on their successful experience with the C295 in-service to date”, said

Antonio Rodríguez Barberán, Head of Commercial for Military Aircraft, when announcing the Egyptian order. Six C295s have already been delivered to Egypt. An initial trio were ordered in October 2010, with deliveries completed in November and December a year later; another three were signed for in March 2012 and a further six in January 2013. Deliveries were briefly suspended last year after the Egyptian military took over from Mohammed Morsi’s democratically elected government in July (see Egyptian C295 Deliveries on Hold, October 2013, p21). Guy Martin

3

ex BuNo 152173) was ferried from the Airbus facility in Seville, Spain, to its base in Salvador de Bahia in July. The FAB Orion fleet is assigned to 1° Esquadrao of 7° Grupo de Aviacão ‘Orungan’. Work was completed in March, with post-modification flight tests in the intervening months before delivery. Completion of the programme, which included installation of the Fully Integrated Tactical System, was announced by Airbus on July 28.

ADDITIONAL ‘AMAZONAS’ FOR BRAZIL

NEWS BY NUMBERS

The Força Aérea Brasileira (FAB, Brazilian Air Force) has confirmed it has signed a contract with Airbus Defence and Space for three additional C295 transports, locally known as ‘Amazonas’. The additional aircraft will be configured for the search and rescue (SAR) role as SC-105s. Deliveries are expected this year and will increase the FAB’s C295 fleet to 15 both for transport (ten as C-105s) and SAR (five SC-105s) inside the country. Santiago Rivas

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P-3AMS DELIVERED TO BRAZIL Airbus Defence and Space has delivered the final upgraded Lockheed P-3AM Orion maritime patrol aircraft to the Força Aérea Brasileira (FAB, Brazilian Air Force). The aircraft (FAB7206, c/n 5143,

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David C Isby

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AT-802US DELIVERED TO THE UAE The last of 24 Air Tractor AT-802Us for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Air Force ad Air Defence arrived in the UAE in early August. Delivery of the final aircraft was delayed from last year for trials in the United States. Six of the UAE’s AT-802Us have been transferred to Jordan. David C Isby

King Air 350ERs for Mexican Navy

Beechcraft King Air 350ER AMP-190 is the first of four for the Mexican Navy. Beechcraft Corp

Four Beechcraft King Air 350ERs have been ordered by the Mexican Navy’s Secretaría de Marina. Delivery of the first aircraft (AMP190) at its Wichita, Kansas, facility was announced by the manufacturer on July 15. The other three will be

delivered by the second quarter of 2015. In addition to the airframes, a support package including training will be supplied. The aircraft will be stationed at BAN Minatitlán at Coatzacoalcos National Airport in Veracruz.

Saudi Sentries to be Upgraded All five Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) Boeing E-3A Sentry Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS) will be upgraded. Details of the modernisation, which will see the aircraft equipped with Block 40/45 Mission Computing Upgrade systems and AN/UPX-20 Next Generation Identification Friend of Foe (IFF), were revealed on August 12 when a Foreign Military Sale was submitted to the US Congress. State Department approval for the $2 billion sale has been given. Meanwhile, E-3A 1804 (c/n 23420)

has returned to active service with 18 Squadron of the RSAF. It returned to Saudi Arabia in April following an extensive rebuild by the US Air Force at the Air Logistics Center at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma. The Sentry arrived at Tinker AFB in May 2013 to rectify damage during an incident more than three years earlier. It was grounded after overheating caused catastrophic failure of its main radar antenna inside its rotodome. The rebuild replaced the radar and overhauled communications, IFF and other capabilities. David C Isby

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Unmanned Aerial Systems

SW-4 Completes Italian OPV Demo PZL-S´widnik SW-4 SW-4 Solo RUAS/OPH demonstrator SP-PSZ (c/n 600104) was recently demonstrated to the Italian defence ministry. AgustaWestland

AgustaWestland has completed a demonstration to the Italian defence ministry of an optionallypiloted helicopter based on the PZL-S´widnik SW-4. The SW-4 Solo Rotorcraft Unmanned Aerial System/Optionally Piloted

Helicopter (RUAS/OPH) was developed by AgustaWestland in partnership with PZL-S´widnik of Poland, both part of the Finmeccanica group. The Italian MoD awarded AgustaWestland a research contract to “evaluate

New Orlan-10 Derivative

The Orlan-10 is used for tactical reconnaissance by the Russian military. STC has orders for an undisclosed quantity for the Russian Land Forces and Airborne Troops, enough to keep the production line busy throughout 2014.

Russia’s Special technology Centre (STC) at St Petersburg has revealed an upgraded version of its Orlan-10 unmanned air vehicle (UAV) for round-the-clock operations. Dubbed OrlanUniversal, it has a sensor package incorporating a digital still camera, thermal vision camera and videocamera. Previous versions used interchangeable sensors – one for day and another for night-time reconnaissance and surveillance. STC is delivering the Orlan-10 to the Russian defence ministry (for use by land forces and airborne troops) and has also developed a series of specialised derivatives, such as the Orlan-1/2/3/3/30,

for specific customers in small batches, or for use in development and research programmes. The Orlan-10 UAV has a maximum take-off weight of up to 18kg (40lb) and a payload weight of 5kg (11lb). It is launched using a pneumatic catapult and recovered by parachute, with power provided by a gasoline engine. With a speed of between 49 and 92kt (90 and 170km/h) and a practical ceiling of 16,500ft (5,000m), the Orlan-10 is said to have a mission endurance of up to 10 hours, while the datalink linking the air vehicle with its control station is operational at up to 65nm (120km). Alexander Mladenov

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modern remote-controlled rotorcraft technology” and its potential use by the country’s armed forces. The flight testing began in September 2013 and concluded in May, with trials taking place at

Second Round of Trials for Taranis The Taranis unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) has demonstrated its low observable characteristics during a second flight testing phase, according to BAE Systems. The company and the UK Ministry of Defence revealed the milestone during a presentation at the Farnborough Airshow in midJuly. BAE said the aircraft flew “in a fully ‘stealthy’ configuration, making it virtually invisible to radar”. To achieve that, the aircraft’s antennae were changed to what BAE describes as ‘signature control variants’ and the air data boom on the nose was removed. “Following these modifications, Taranis used a specially-designed system which allowed the aircraft to generate a full set of flight data, without the use of an external probe or boom,” said BAE. “Taranis also used a cutting edge communications system to ensure it was able to stay in touch with its mission commander without giving away its position.” Conrad Banks, Rolls-Royce Chief Engineer for Research and Technology, Defence, said: “Successful propulsion integration was another key highlight of the second trial phase, with the fully embedded and ‘hidden’ Adour Mk 951 engine operating flawlessly, coupled with the highly complex and stealthy exhaust system.” BAE said the engineering data gathered from the latest trials would help it further develop the aircraft’s stealth technologies. The UCAV is now reportedly back at Warton, Lancashire. Mark Broadbent

both AgustaWestland’’s Frosinone facility in Italy and at PZL’s factory at S´widnik. It involved system monitoring, ‘hands off’ and remotecontrolled manoeuvres, hovering and a range of mission profiles. A pilot was on board during the optionally piloted phase of the testing as a safety precaution. “The aircraft successfully completed the planned missions in OPH configuration with a safety pilot on board,” according to the company. Ground station-based remote controlled capabilities were successfully demonstrated during the trials. Separately, AgustaWestland is collaborating with the UK Ministry of Defence on the Tactical Maritime Unmanned Air System programme that will use the SW-4 to demonstrate how remotely-piloted helicopters can be integrated alongside Westland Lynx and AgustaWestland Merlin helicopter operations from Royal Navy vessels, including the new Type 26 Global Combat Ship. Mark Broadbent

HammerHead Progress Piaggio Aero’s P1HH HammerHead DEMO remotely piloted air system has successfully completed a number of key tests during validation at Trapani-Birgi AB in Sicily. Trials have been completed of the aircraft’s flight control system and control laws, including augmented modes, flight envelope protection, automatic flight and the automated management of the ground run both in take-off and landing. Piaggio says take-off and landing tests using the ground control station and datalink have shown an “unprecedented ease of operation” during flight trials. Testing of the P1HH DEMO’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, including the electro-optical/ infrared sensor managed by a Selex ES skyISTAR Mission Management System, are continuing. Trials of the Finmeccanica-Selex ES Seaspray 7300E radar will begin soon, although no specific timeline has been released by Piaggio. The company maintains its previouslyannounced timetable for the development programme, with a fully-representative prototype due to be ready by the end of the year. Mark Broadbent

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Business Aviation

Major Order for New Avanti EVO

At the Farnborough International Airshow in July Piaggio signed its first major contract for the Avanti EVO, with the sale of 50 to Hong Kongbased investment and advisory firm Bravia Capital. The contract comprises ten firm orders and 40 options for deliveries starting in the first quarter of 2015. The EVO, which is currently in flight test with 100 hours accumulated by late July, is scheduled for certification in October. It features a new ‘performance package’ that includes winglets, redesigned engine nacelles, and a reshaped forward canard wing to boost efficiency and cut emissions. New lightweight five-blade Hartzell ‘scimitar’ propellers, combined with the aerodynamic changes, reduce external noise by 68%, and internal cabin noise levels by 20%. Newly designed cabin furnishings will be installed. An auxiliary fuel tank increases the EVO’s range over the Avanti II from 1,470nm (2,722km) to 1,720nm (3,185km). Mike Jerram

PC-24 Roll-out Goes Like Clockwork

The prototype Pilatus PC-24 during the unveiling ceremony at Buochs-Stans, Switzerland, on August 1. Richard Vandervord

With typical Swiss precision, the first prototype Pilatus PC-24 ‘Super Versatile Jet’ (HB-VXA, c/n P01) was unveiled as forecast on August 1, appropriately Swiss National Day. In front of 35,000 spectators a team of 24 horses, chosen to symbolise the aircraft’s designation and its intended role as a ‘workhorse’, pulled it out of the production hall at the company’s Buochs-Stans factory. The roll-out had been preceded by a fly-by of all the Pilatus aircraft types that have

reached series production in the company’s 75-year history. Designed to offer performance that will enable it to operate from very short runways and unpaved airstrips, the PC-24 is the first business jet to come equipped as standard with a cargo door. Maiden flight of the first prototype is scheduled for the spring of 2015. Two further prototypes will take part in the flight test and certification programme, culminating in first

customer deliveries in 2017. At May’s European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition in Geneva Pilatus took orders for 84 PC-24s, accounting for planned production up to the end of 2019 (see PC-24 Sells Out, August, p18). Known customers include the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, which has a commitment for three, while the Swiss Government is seeking a single example. Mike Jerram

Special Missions Versions of All Beechcraft and Cessnas Offered All 20 current production aircraft in the Cessna and Beechcraft ranges are now available for special-mission applications, parent company Textron

On July 25 the second production Model 680A Citation Latitude (N682A, c/n 680A-0002) flew for the first time, and will join the prototype and first production conforming aircraft in the flight test programme. The flight lasted 2.7 hours, during which the aircraft reached a maximum altitude of 45,000ft (13,716m) and a maximum speed of 305KIAS/ Mach 0.80. During the flight, the crew evaluated the autopilot and autothrottle, landing gear, pressurisation, engine operating characteristics, environmental systems and flight control systems. This flight also marked the first time that all three Latitude prototypes were in the air simultaneously. It is the first Latitude to be completed in operational configuration, including full cabin furnishings and systems, and will be the first to be exhibited to the public when it makes its debut at October’s National Business Aviation Association Convention in Orlando, Florida. By late July the Latitude certification flight test programme had amassed in excess of 330 hours in more than 150 flights. Federal Aviation Administration Type Certification is expected next year. Three days after the latest Latitude flew, the first production Cessna

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Aviation announced at the Farnborough Airshow, where it exhibited a G58 Baron ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance). The Baron ISR

package includes an electro-optical/ infrared camera system operable by day and night in all weathers, a multi-band communications radio

to provide direct communications with the military, police vehicles, coast guard and ships, and a recorder.

Mike Jerram

New Citations Flying

Citation CJ3+ (N30CJ, c/n 525B-0451) made a 73-minute maiden flight from Mid-Continent Airport, Wichita. This newest model in the CJ-series features a redesigned cabin and cockpit, new pressurisation and diagnostics systems, a Garmin G3000 avionics suite which includes turbulence detecting weather radar, TCAS II, advanced Terrain Awareness Warning Systems (TAWS), and automatic dependent surveillancebroadcast (ADS-B) capability (see Adding to the CJ Family, May, p27). The aircraft also has a wireless media server, Garmin integrated cockpit and cabin Iridium phone, as well as high-speed internet capabilities.

Above: The unpainted second production Cessna 680A Citation Latitude lifting off from Wichita, Kansas, for its maiden flight on July 25. Cessna Aircraft Below: Production standard Cessna 525B Citation CJ3+ N30CJ performed its first flight on July 27. Cessna Aircraft

With its long-range cruise of up to 2,070nm (3,834km) the CJ3+ will be able to fly nonstop between such city pairs as Washington,

DC and Mexico City; San Diego, California, and Juneau, Alaska; and Lima, Peru and São Paulo, Brazil. Mike Jerram

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Commercial

High-Capacity MAX 8 Offered Boeing will offer a high-capacity cabin option on its forthcoming 737 MAX 8. Customers ordering the variant of the re-engined narrowbody can opt to have 200 seats instead of the standard 189. The plan, revealed on the eve of the Farnborough Airshow, will improve the MAX 8’s seat-mile costs by 5%, according to the manufacturer. The fuselage dimensions have not been changed to accommodate the extra seats, as the additional capacity will be achieved by reducing seat pitch from 31in (78cm) to 29in (73cm). An extra exit will be added in the midfuselage to meet emergency evacuation requirements. Boeing said this configuration, combined with aerodynamic and engine improvements, would make the MAX 8 20% more fuel efficient per-seat than the current 737-800. The option will be in service from 2019. Mark Broadbent

North Charleston to Produce 787-10s Boeing will assembly 787-10s solely at its North Charleston plant in South Carolina. The facility is already a second source for 787-8s and -9s after Everett, Washington, and will exclusively produce the third Dreamliner version, launched in June 2013. Assembly of the first 787-10 will begin in 2017.

transport efficiently” to Everett. By 2016, North Charleston is intended to build five Dreamliners per month, up from three today, with Everett continuing to produce seven. By the end of the decade the monthly rate will rise to 14, with each plant producing seven a month. Mark Broadbent

Bitburger Fan Force One

Airberlin Airbus A320-214 D-ABFK (msn 4433, ex D-AVVQ) carries special markings to celebrate Germany’s participation in the recent FIFA World Cup in Brazil – which the European team won – and a locally brewed beverage. The airliner was seen departing Düsseldorf Airport in early August. It has carried the markings since April. Marcus Steidele

Thai Airways Retires A300

On July 31 Thai Airways International conducted its last operational flight with an Airbus A300 after 36 years in service. A300-622R HS-TAZ Srisubhan (msn 787, ex F-WWAB) lifted off from Khon Kaen Airport for flight TG045 and flew for approximately 45 minutes on her final revenue-earning service. Upon arriving at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport, a farewell ceremony was held, attended by hundreds of the company’s management, pilots and staff, as well as aviation enthusiasts. The first A300-B4 entered the Thai fleet in 1977, and the variant was joined by 12 A300-600s from 1985. The 35 A300s formed the backbone of the airline’s fleet for more than three decades. Apisit Jermsawat/Thailand Aviation Photographers Group

Skymark’s A380 Order Cancelled Airbus has cancelled Skymark Airlines’ order for six A380s. The manufacturer said it took the action “in accordance with its contractual rights”. Reports in Japanese media say the low-cost airline wanted to renegotiate the terms of the order after the cost of purchasing the aircraft increased due to the weakness of the yen against other currencies. The carrier posted a net loss of 1.85 billion yen ($18 million) during its last fiscal year. Shinichi Nishikubo, President of Skymark, in a statement issued on July 29 claimed that Airbus “said it would charge overpriced break-up

In addition to assembling its own aircraft, North Charleston produces mid-body and rear fuselage sections for the Dreamliner that are transported to Everett for the production lines there. Boeing said that as the 787-10 is 18ft (5.5m) longer than the 787-9, its mid-body fuselage section will be “too long to

fees for cancelling the purchase of A380s, if our company decides to cancel”, an assertion rejected by the European manufacturer. Airbus must now remarket the first two A380s originally destined for Skymark, which are in the latter stages of final assembly and were due to be delivered by late 2014. The cancellation is significant as, although it involves a relatively small number of aircraft, when the deal was agreed in February 2011 it was seen as a breakthrough for the A380 in the Japanese market, where Boeing products are dominant. Mark Broadbent

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Fighting Closes Tripoli Airport More than 20 aircraft were damaged and several destroyed at Tripoli International Airport during fighting between rival Libyan militias, which also claimed the lives of approximately 100 people. Fighting broke out on July 13 when militias began battling for control of the airport, with mortar, rocket, tank and small arms fire hitting infrastructure and buildings, causing major damage to facilities, including the control tower. Several oil and fuel tanks were set on fire, with firefighters struggling to control blazes because of the almost constant fighting. Tripoli International Airport was closed soon after the conflict began and remained so as of August 10. Misrata City Airport was also closed in mid-July, while Benghazi has been inactive since May, leaving only a few small airports still functioning as Libya’s gateways to the outside world. Aircraft that have been destroyed at Tripoli include an unidentified Ilyushin Il-76 on July 27, and Afriqiyah Airways Airbus A330201 5A-ONF (msn 999, ex F-WWYV) and Libyan Airlines Bombardier CRJ-900ER 5A-LAB (c/n 15121), both on July 20. An apparently derelict Boeing 727 was also destroyed. On July 16 a Libyan Air Cargo/Libyan Air Force Il-76T (5A-DNG, c/n 0013432961) parked on the apron was hit by a

rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) and caught fire – only the tail section remained. Libyan Airlines’ A330-202 5A-LAS (msn 1424) was damaged on July 15, possibly after being hit by an RPG on its starboard side. Other government aircraft caught in the crossfire include a Libyan Border Patrol AgustaWestland AW109 Power, which was destroyed during a rocket attack on July 14. Another Power, parked next to it, was damaged, and a nearby Libyan Police AW139 sustained minor damage. At least another five airliners have been substantially damaged, mostly Libyan Airlines and Afriqiyah Airways Airbus A330s and A320s, and to a lesser extent over a dozen others were affected. Again, most of these are A320s and A330s belonging to Libya’s two main carriers. At least 31 aircraft were parked at the airport when fighting broke out. Apart from the airport, fighting between militias and brigades, and to a lesser extent government security forces, continues in much of Tripoli and the eastern city of Benghazi. The violence – reported by observers on the ground to be the worst since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi – has prompted the United Nations and most Western governments to evacuate their nationals from the country. Guy Martin

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Commercial

Royal Air Maroc to Lease E190s Moroccan national carrier, Royal Air Maroc (RAM), will lease four Embraer 190 regional jets as part of a fleet upgrade programme that will see it open new routes and increase the number of flights offered. RAM will lease the four jets from Ireland’s Aldus Aviation. The aircraft, to be introduced in October, will be configured with 84 economy- and 12 businessclass seats. They will be flown from RAM’s base at Mohammed V International Airport in Casablanca on West African and European routes. The carrier previously evaluated the Embraer 190 on wet lease from Denim Air from July 2013 (see RAM Evaluating Narrowbodies, February, p14). “Morocco’s geographical strategic position offers excellent potential for developing air links with Europe and Africa,” said John Slattery, CCO of Embraer Commercial Aviation. “With the E190, Royal Air Maroc will have the capability and flexibility to further develop its network with an ideal combination of frequency and seat capacity.” Guy Martin

COMMERCIAL ORDERS Airbus Customer AerCap AirAsia X Air Lease Air Mauritius All Nippon Airways Avolon BOC Aviation CIT Group IAG (for British Airways) IAG (for Iberia) Hawaiian Airlines Hong Kong Aviation Capital SMBC Aviation Capital Transaero Airlines Undisclosed Asian airline ATR Customer Air Lease Bangkok Airways Myanma National Airlines Nordic Aviation Capital Boeing Customer Air Algerie Air Lease

All Nippon Airways

WestJet Widebodies

Canadian low-cost airline WestJet will begin operating its own widebodies in autumn 2015 to support its expansion into international markets. The company says it is in the advanced stages of sourcing widebody aircraft after receiving approval from its board and the WestJet Pilot Association. The airline has not disclosed what aircraft it is considering. “This is the natural, next-step evolution for WestJet,” said the company’s President and CEO Gregg Saretsky. WestJet will operate the widebodies between its Alberta base and Hawaii during the winter season, which is currently served by two Boeing 757s supplied by Thomas Cook Airlines under a wet-leasing agreement. The airline said details of other destinations, including those for the 2016 summer season, will be released at a later date. It began services from Canada to Dublin this spring using Boeing 737-800s. Mark Broadbent

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Avolon CIT Group Emirates Intrepid Aviation Hainan Airlines MG Aviation Ltd Monarch Airlines Okay Airways

Qatar Airways

Aircraft A320neo A330-900neo A330-900neo A320neo A350-900 A320neo A321neo A330neo A320ceo A320neo A321ceo A330-900neo A320ceo A350-900 A330-800neo A320neo A321neo A320neo A320ceo A330-900neo A330ceo A330-900neo

Number 50 50 MoU 25 MoU 60 4 plus 2 options, MoU 7 (firms March 28, 2014 purchase agreement) 23 (firms March 28, 2014 purchase agreement) 15 MoU 7 36 5 15 MoU 20 (firms options placed Aug 18, 2013) 8 (conversion of existing options for the type) 6 (transfers order from 6 A350-800s) 40 (firms MoU signed Jun 20, 2013) 20 (firms MoU signed Jun 20, 2013) 110 5 12 8 4

Date July 14 July 15 July 14 July 14 July 16 July 31 July 31 July 15 July 15 July 15 July 15 July 15 July 14 August 1 July 23 July 17 July 17 July 15 July 15 July 17 July 17 July 16

Aircraft ATR72-600 ATR72-600 ATR72-600 ATR42-600

Number 7 3 (firms options in Feb 12, 2014 agreement) 6 plus 6 options 25 plus 50 options

Date July 15 July 9 July 16 July 14

Aircraft 737-700C 787-9 777-300ER 737 MAX 8 777-9X 777-300ER 787-9 737-9 737 MAX 9 787-9 777-8X 777-9X 777-300ER 737 MAX 8 787-9 737 MAX 8 737 MAX 8 737-800 737-900ER 777-9X 777F

Number 2 10 6 20 (firms existing reconfirmation rights) 20 (firms March 28, 2014 purchase agreement) 6 (firms March 28, 2014 purchase agreement) 14 (firms March 28, 2014 purchase agreement) 6 5 10 35 (firms Nov 17, 2013 purchase agreement) 115 (firms Nov 17, 2013 purchase agreement) 6 plus 4 options 50 purchase agreement 2 30 plus 15 options, purchase commitment 6 4 5 (converted from existing 737-800 order) 50 (firms Nov 17, 2013 agreement) plus 50 options 4 plus 4 options, LoI

Date July 16 July 15 July 15 July 15 July 31 July 31 July 31 July 14 July 14 July 16 July 9 July 9 July 15 July 16 July 16 July 14 July 14 July 14 July 14 July 16 July 16

All orders are firm unless stated. MoU: Memorandum of Understanding. LoI: Letter of Intent. Compiled by Mark Broadbent

Planes on Planes

LOT – Polish Airlines Embraer 170 SP-LDH (c/n 17000069, ex PT-SVU) about to touch down on Runway 26 at Stockholm-Arlanda in Sweden on July 29, at the conclusion of a service from Warsaw in Poland. The aircraft has been painted with some of the characters from Disney’s Planes 2: Fire and Rescue (hence ‘Samoloty 2’ on the tail) to mark the release of the film. The original movie was also promoted by special schemes applied to airliners (see Planes Takes to the Skies, November 2013, p20), and additional aircraft are expected to receive special markings as part of the current marketing campaign. Stefan Sjögren

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Commercial

COMMERCIAL ORDERS Bombardier Customer Abu Dhabi Aviation airBaltic Alaska Air Falcon Aviation Services Falko Regional Aircraft Nok Air Petra Airlines Undisclosed CSeries customer Undisclosed existing customer Unidentified WestJet (for Encore) Zhejiang Loong Airlines COMAC Customer Nanshang Group Republic of Congo Yanshang Embraer Customer Azerbaijan Airlines Azul Fuji Dream Airlines ICBC Finance Leasing Tianjin Airlines Trans States Holdings Lockheed Martin Customer ASL Aviation Group Mitsubishi Aircraft Customer Air Mandalay Eastern Air Lines Group Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company Customer BEK AIR Ilyushin Finance Co Viking Air Customer Montrose Global

(CONTINUED)

Aircraft Q400 NextGen CS100 Q400 NextGen CS100 Q400 NextGen CS100 Q400 NextGen CSeries CS300 CS300 Q400 NextGen Q400 NextGen CS100

Number 2 (reveals undisclosed customer Apr 23, 2014) 3 (identifies undisclosed customer Feb 9, 2014) 1 purchase agreement 2 (firms LoI of Feb 26, 2014) 5 LoI 24 LoI 2 (converts existing purchase rights) 4 7 plus 6 purchase rights 5 LoI 5 purchase agreement 5 (exercises existing options of March 27, 2014) 20 LoI

Date July 15 July 14 July 15 July 14 July 15 July 12 July 16 July 14 July 16 July 16 July 30 July 29 July 14

Aircraft ARJ21-700 ARJ21-700 ARJ21-700

Number 2 LoI 3 MoU 1 LoI

Date July 14 July 14 July 14

Aircraft E190 E195-E2 E175 E190-E2 E-Jet (type unspecified) E-Jet E2 (type unspecified) E175-E2

Number 2 (previously listed as undisclosed) 30 plus 20 purchase rights, LoI 3 plus 3 options (previously listed as undisclosed) 10 plus 10 purchase rights 20 20 50 plus 50 options

Date July 15 July 15 July 15 July 17 July 17 July 17 July 14

Aircraft LM-100J

Number 10 LoI

Date July 17

Aircraft MRJ90 MRJ90

Number 6 plus 4 rights, purchase agreement 20 plus 20 options, MoU

Date July 15 July 14

Aircraft SSJ-100LR SSJ-100

Number 7 8

Date July 14 July 16

Aircraft Twin Otter Series 400

Number 5

Date July 14

All orders are firm unless stated. MoU: Memorandum of Understanding. LoI: Letter of Intent. Compiled by Mark Broadbent

MH17 Shoot Down Prompts ICAO to Launch Safety Task Force The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is to form a task force to investigate improving the distribution of flight safety information in response to the downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine on July 17. The task force, announced at an ICAO meeting in Montréal, Canada between July 21 and 25, will work with airlines and air traffic control agencies to look at how impartial information about the airspace over war zones can be collected and distributed. It will present its findings to the body’s council and its 191 member nations at the February 2015 safety conference, where the matter will be discussed further. ICAO, the civil aviation body of the United Nations, currently has a limited role in airspace management. Decisions on the opening or closing of airspace lie with individual national air traffic management organisations. But ICAO Secretary General Raymond

Benjamin told a news conference it was “urgent” that better advice was given to airlines about flight safety risks. A total of 298 lives were lost when Boeing 777-2H6ER 9M-MRD (c/n 28411) conducting MH17 was downed as it flew above territory in eastern Ukraine, where proRussian separatists and Ukrainian authorities were fighting. The airliner was hit by a surface-to-air missile, but the circumstances and which group was responsible for its destruction are being disputed. Eurocontrol, the European air traffic management agency, prevented airlines from filing flight plans over the region after MH17 went down. A number of major European and Asian network carriers had avoiding flying over the area for several months. ICAO said providing advisories to airlines about the risks of using routes above war zones would mean asking countries to share

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sensitive information about their military and political affairs: “This is a highly complex and politically sensitive area of international co-ordination, involving not only civil aviation regulations and procedures, but also state and national security and intelligence gathering activities.” However, Tony Tyler, head of the International Air Transport Association, emphasised that countries have “a moral duty to ensure that innocent people are not put in harm’s way”. He said security should not be an impediment to sharing data: “Even sensitive information can be sanitised in a way that ensures airlines get essential and actionable information without compromising methods or sources. An airline should make the decision whether it will fly a particular route, but it needs to make that decision on the basis of complete, full, accurate and clear information.” Mark Broadbent

Assembly of JL600 Begun The first prototype of the JL600 JiaoLong (TA-600) amphibian, built by the China Aviation Industry General Aircraft’s Zhuhai branch, is under construction and is scheduled to fly in late 2015 (further to JL600 JiaoLong to Fly in 2014, February 2013, p17). Powered by four turboprops, the aircraft will be the largest amphibian ever produced, with a wingspan of more than 40m (131ft 3in). It is based on the Harbin SH-5, but will have a higher maximum take-off weight of 53.5 tonnes and range of over 5,000km (3,107 miles). It was designed for missions including firefighting and air-sea rescue. David C Isby

Combi Q400 Revealed Bombardier has launched a combi (cargo/passenger) configuration for the Q400 NextGen turboprop. The option will enable operators to carry 50 passengers at 32in (81cm) seat pitch and provide 1,150cu ft (32.5m 3) of volume for up to 8,200lb (3,719kg) of cargo. The Canadian manufacturer says the combi Q400 NextGen will “deliver the greatest payload capability and operational flexibility in its segment”. It said it was “in advanced negotiations with a number of customers” over contracts for the new variant. Ray Jones, Senior Vice President for Sales, Marketing and Asset Management at Bombardier Commercial Aircraft, said the combi is being targeted at operators flying routes “with medium to low passenger loads, but with high cargo potential”. It is the second new cabin configuration for the Q400 launched by Bombardier, as a high-density seating option was announced in November 2013, enabling operators to carry 86 passengers instead of the standard 70. Meanwhile Bombardier Chief Executive Officer Pierre Beaudoin on July 31 revealed that the company was in discussions about opening a Q400 assembly line in China, a market where it predicts demand for 2,280 new aircraft over the next 20 years. Mark Broadbent

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Commercial

Back to the 737 for Monarch

Monarch Airlines is to return to the Boeing 737 after announcing that it has selected the 737 MAX 8 for its future fleet plans. The UK charter airline and Boeing are working to finalise the terms of a purchase agreement for 30 of the re-engined aircraft, plus 15 options (further to 45 New Aircraft Sought by Monarch, February 2013, p26). London Luton-based Monarch previously operated 737-200s between 1981 and 1986, and -300s from 1987 to 1997. The commitment is notable in the on-going competition between the American manufacturer and Airbus for narrowbody orders, as the MAX 8s will replace Monarch’s A320s and A321s. Airlines rarely switch from one narrowbody family to another, preferring to remain with their incumbent equipment provider to negate the costs of crew re-training and changes to engineering support. That was illustrated by Airbus’ announcement on July 14, the same day as the Monarch deal was revealed, that incumbent A320 operator the International Airlines Group had firmed 20 A320neos options for delivery to British Airways. Mark Broadbent

NEWS BY NUMBER

37,000

NEW AIRCRAFT BY 2034 Boeing has revised upwards its long-term forecast for new airliners, predicting a market for 37,000 by 2034, up from its previous 20-year forecast released a year ago for 35,000. It predicts demand will be focused on narrowbodies, saying there is a need for 25,680 single-aisle aircraft, and that it expects seven billion people to travel by air by 2033, largely in the Asia-Pacific region. Mark Broadbent

Air China 747-8I Flown

Arriving at King County International Airport/Boeing Field, Washington, on August 1 was Boeing 747-89L B-2485 (c/n 41191), the first destined for Air China. The airliner was flown from nearby Snohomish County Airport/Paine Field, the day after its first flight. Air China will become only the second carrier to operate the Intercontinental version of the 747-8 after Lufthansa, all other deliveries to date being for Freighters. Air China ordered five examples in September 2012. Joe G Walker

An-2 Re-engining Progressing Vladimir Barsuk, Director of the Siberian Science-Research Aviation Institute (SibNIA), says his company plans to roll out 20 Antonov An2s re-engined with the Honeywell TPE331-12UHR turboprop this year, and 60 more in 2015. The re-engined aircraft is designated the TVS-2MS, for turboprop engine programme (TVS), An-2 (-2) and modernised by SibNIA (MS). The re-engining programme for the An-2, originally powered by an ASh-62IR piston engine, began at the Novosibirsk-based SibNIA in January 2011, with the first flight in the new guise reported on September 5 that year. In early August there were 14 re-engined examples at the Institute, of which six were flying, while the other eight were due to fly in September. According to SibNIA, production standard conversions can be completed within 15 days. The Institute has developed the conversion without co-operation from the Antonov Design Bureau from Ukraine. It involves replacing the existing engine while leaving the majority of the aircraft’s structure unchanged, to reduce design and certification work, and therefore cost. The 1,100shp (821kW) TPE331-12UHR turboprop turns a Hartzell HC-B5MP-5CLX/ LM11692NX five-blade propeller in an engine bay redesigned to retain the original centre of gravity. The modification gives the biplane an

SibNIA TVS-2MS RA-1573G (c/n 1G203-15, ex RA-17754) was converted from an An-2 airframe by replacing the piston engine with a Honeywell TPE33112UHR turboprop. Alexander Mladenov

empty weight of 2,850kg (6,270lb), compared to 3,350kg (7,370lb) to the original, increasing range to 701nm (1,300km) with a commercial payload of 1,500kg (3,330lb). The aircraft is also equipped with an autonomous diesel generator, prestart engine heater, cabin heater, anti-icing system for the engine and propeller, and a new composite engine nacelle; there is also an option to install Garmin flight/ navigation avionics. The new engine is powered by aviation jet fuel, cutting direct operating costs to a quarter in comparison to a standard Avgas powered An-2. The acquisition price of a TVS-2MS is approximately $860,000. The Russian Forest Protection Service has been revealed as the principal customer, with a potential requirement for 200, mainly for

aerial patrols and firefighting. The launch customer is the Amur base of the Forest Protection Service, which took delivery of its first earlier this year and the second in May. Mr Barsuk notes that because it has not been able to co-operate with Antonov on the project, it has not been possible to get a permit for commercial passenger transport operations from the Russia civil airworthiness authorities. SibNIA is also working to design an all-new turboprop biplane design, largely constructed from composite materials. It will retain many features of the An-2, as well as some of those developed for the TVS-2MS. The maiden flight of this new aircraft is tentatively planned for November or December, with launch of serial production expected in 2016. Alexander Mladenov and David Willis

Sino-Russian Widebody Plans Advancing The business concept for a new widebody airliner to be jointly developed by Russia and China will be considered during September. The Russian Deputy

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Minister of Industry and Trade, Yuri Slusar, provided an update on the programme at Farnborough International Airshow on July 14. Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation

and the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China will collaborate on the project for the new 400-seat airliner, known as the 2020, which was formally launched in May following

three years of negotiations. The partners believe the design may also have potential as a military transport. Entry into service is targeted between 2023 and 2025. David C Isby

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Rotary Wing

UK Launch Orders for Medevac AW169 Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance Trust (KSSAAT) and the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance have each ordered a single AgustaWestland AW169 for helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) missions. KSSAAT is currently the only UK air ambulance operator to fly 24/7 throughout the year, and will be the first HEMS customer to introduce the AW169 into service in the UK when the helicopter arrives in autumn 2015. It will be operated on its behalf by Specialist Aviation Services, which already has its own order for six AW169s. The Dorset and Somerset AW169 will arrive in 2016 and be based at Henstridge, on the Dorset/ Somerset border for easy access to any point in the two counties. Mike Jerram

AW149 Certified by Italy

The AgustaWestland AW149 military utility helicopter was awarded its Type Certificate from the Italian Directorate of Air Armaments (ARMAEREO) on July 15 at the Farnborough International Air Show in Hampshire. It was evaluated by the Reparto Sperimentale di Volo at Practica di Mare during the second quarter of this year. CS-X81848 (P6, ex I-AWTH) is the sixth AW149/189 prototype; it was displayed at Heli-Expo 2014 at Anaheim, California, in February, in the colours of Era Helicopters, one of the customers for the AW189. No orders for the AW149 have been announced, although the helicopter is being offered to fulfil Polish military requirements and Italy has expressed interested in it for combat search and rescue. AgustaWestland

New Zealand NH90 Refit Completed Airbus Helicopters has completed the upgrade of four Royal New Zealand Air Force NHIndustries NH90 TTH tactical transport helicopters. Details were released by the manufacturer on July 30.

The work, which was carried out by an Airbus Helicopters team at RNZAF Base Ohakea has upgraded the first four aircraft from Initial Operational Capability standard to Final Operational Capability (FOC)

configuration. The last four of the eight aircraft currently operated by the RNZAF were delivered from Marignane, France, already manufactured to FOC. The manufacturer said that the work

was performed between September 2013 and July and also included calendar maintenance and the retrofit of parts and a non-operational attrition airframe (NZ3309) that was delivered in October 2011. Nigel Pittaway

U-UAP Rolls Out 850th Mi-171 and First Mi-8AMTSh-V On August 6 Russian Helicopters reported it had rolled out the 850th helicopter of the Mi-8AMT/171series at the Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant (U-UAP) in the Russia Republic of Buryatia. The landmark machine is a Mi-171A1 civil utility transport destined for the Brazilian commercial operator Atlas Táxi Aéreo. U-UAP rolled out the 750th Mi-8AMT/Mi171 – a Mi-8AMTSh for the Russian

Defence Ministry – in August 2013. The Mi-171A1 variant was designed to meet international Federal Aviation Regulation 29 and Joint Aviation Requirements 29 airworthiness standards, rather than the Russian equivalents the majority of the series meet. Atlas Táxi Aéreo’s helicopters support the activities of Brazilian national oil company, Petrobas, which

Colourful ‘Atlas’ Viper

Bell AH-1Z Viper BuNo 168800/‘QT-640’ of Marine Light Attack Helicopter Training Squadron 303 (HMLAT-303) ‘Atlas’ at MCAS Camp Pendleton, California, has an attractive red and black scheme over the standard grey finish worn by the majority of the type. The attack helicopter was noted at King Country International Airport/Boeing Field, Washington, on July 28 during ‘Marine Week’ held in the Seattle area. Boeing Field was used as a staging area for helicopters taking part. Joe G Walker

Please send all news correspondence [email protected]

undertakes drilling operations in the nation’s rainforests. The Mi-171A1 has demonstrated remarkable reliability and efficiency in this role. One example recorded more than 1,000 flight hours, carrying approximately 600 tonnes of cargo, primarily drilling equipment using an external sling, during a year of intensive operations. Meanwhile, in August U-UAP

unveiled its first Mi-8AMTSh-V, a significantly improved tactical transport derivative for the Russian Air Force. It features more powerful Klimov VK-2500 powerplants, improved avionics, greater weapons options, a new TA-14 auxiliary power unit and other refinements for improved survivability and enhanced performance in hot and high conditions. Alexander Mladenov

Clean Sky 2 Spawns LifeRCraft

Airbus Helicopters will lead development of a large-scale compound rotorcraft demonstrator named LifeRCraft (Low Impact Fast and Efficient RotorCraft) that is part of Europe’s Clean Sky 2 joint technology programme. The company builds on experience gained from its recently retired X3 hybrid test bed (see X3 Retired to Le Bourget Museum, August, p36), combining fixed wings for energyefficient lift, open propellers for highefficiency propulsion, and a main rotor that provides vertical landing and take-off capability. Airbus will start preliminary studies this year, with development and testing of

components and subsystems planned from 2016 to 2018. Flighttesting could begin in early 2019. “Such a future compound aircraft would combine higher cruise speeds with excellent vertical take off and landing performance at affordable operating costs, making it well-suited to public service duties such as EMS [emergency medical services], SAR [search and rescue], coast guard and border patrol operations, while also contributing to the overall enhancement of mobility through operations ranging from passenger transport and intercity shuttle services to offshore airlift,” says Airbus. Mike Jerram

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29

Rotary Wing

AW139 Delivered to Malta

AgustaWestland AW139 AS1428 is the first of its type for the Armed Forces of Malta. Justin Gatt/AFM Press Office

On August 6 the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) formally took delivery of its first AgustaWestland AW139 (AS1428, c/n 31560, ex I-EASZ). The order was announced in July 2013 (see One AW139 for Malta, September 2013, p40) and an option for a second was confirmed in April (see One Additional AW139 for Malta, June, p35). The second AW139 is scheduled to be delivered in December, hand over having been brought forward from the original target of June 2015. The AFM’s overall requirement also includes a training package

for pilots and technicians with an option for a third helicopter. The AW139 is fitted with an equipment package for maritime patrol and search and rescue (SAR) missions that includes a high-definition forward-looking infrared system, search/weather radar, cabin mission console, naval transponder, searchlight, satcom, a four-axis autopilot with SAR modes, external rescue hoist and four-bag floatation system. In medevac configuration it can carry two or four patient litters. Mike Jerram

Wildcat Training to No.825 NAS No.825 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) of the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm was reformed on August 1 at RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset, taking over the seven AgustaWestland AW159 Lynx Wildcats of No.700W NAS. A ceremony was held at RNAS Yeovilton on July 30 to mark the decommissioning of No.700W NAS, which helped develop the Wildcat and tactics for its use over five years. The newly re-established squadron is responsible for training crews and support personnel for the

S-76D Delivered to Japan Coast Guard

Sikorsky S-76D N7610B (c/n 76-1010) is the first D-model configured for search and rescue to be delivered, the manufacturer announced on July 14. The helicopter was recently handed over to the Japan Coast Guard via the Mitsubishi Corporation, which ordered 11 on behalf of the government agency. Sikorsky

Indonesian Panthers to be Assembled Locally Sixteen Airbus Helicopters AS565 Panthers sought by the Tentara Nasional Indonesia – Angkatan Laut (TNI-AL, Indonesian National Defence – Navy) will be produced in a joint Airbus Helicopters and PT Dirgantara

5

NEW HELICOPTERS FOR PERU’S NATIONAL POLICE Peruvian President Ollanta Humala announced on July 29 that his government has decided to purchase five new helicopters to modernise the Dirección de Aviación Policial (Diravpol, National Police Aviation). While the type involved has not been revealed, the force ordered four Airbus Helicopters EC145 at the beginning of 2013 in a deal worth $33.7 million, and it is expected that an additional order for the type will be placed. President Humala also revealed that a new Joint Aviation School will be created to train pilots for the Diravpol and the Peruvian armed forces, using Fuerza Aérea del Perú (Peruvian Air Force) trainers. Santiago Rivas

12

BLACK HAWKS SOUGHT BY TUNISIA Details of a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) covering 12 Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters requested by Tunisia were passed on July 23 to the US Congress from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which handles FMS programmes. The sale has

30

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Indonesia (PTDI) programme. Most, if not all, of the aircraft will be assembled at PTDI’s facility at Bandung, West Java. The Panthers will be configured for ship-borne antisubmarine warfare and PTDI may been approved by the US State Department. The supporting package for the helicopters includes M134 7.62mm and GAU19 .50-calibre machine guns, laser-guided 2.75in Hydra rockets (9,100 of which are sought) and 100 AGM-114R Hellfire air-to-surface missiles. The helicopters will be equipped with a self defence suite and an electro-optical and laser-designator sensor, either the L-3 Wescam MX-15Di or FLIR Systems BRITE Star II. The deal has an estimated cost of $700 million. Tunisia will use the helicopters to provide homeland security, deter regional threats and support counterterrorism operations. It is currently fighting militants operating along its border with Algeria and is keen to receive additional armed helicopters as soon as possible.

also collaborate on the production of the helicopters’ dipping sonar. PTDI has assembled two AS365N3+ Dauphin IIs for the Badan SAR Nasional (National Search and Rescue Agency), which were handed

Acquisition Council had postponed advancing the programme on July 19. The procurement will be delayed until bribery acquisitions connected with the purchase of AgustaWestland AW101 VVIP helicopters for the Indian Air Force are resolved. The Indian Navy has a requirement to replace its existing Westland Sea King Mk 42B and Kamov Ka-28 Helix-A helicopters with the MRH. Contenders are the Sikorsky S-70B Seahawk and NHIndustries NH90 NATO Frigate Helicopter. Nigel Pittaway

NEWS BY NUMBERS

16

INDIAN MARITIME HELICOPTERS DELAYED The Indian Government has deferred a decision on the acquisition of 16 naval Multi-Role Helicopters (MRH), according to local press reports on July 28. A story in the Times of India, reported that the country’s Defence

Wildcat HMA2 and one of its first tasks will be to undertake operational sea training. It will also form the first flights for deployment on the Royal Navy’s warships. These will be used to replace those assigned to No.815 Squadron equipped with the Lynx HMA8, which the Wildcat is due to replace by 2017. No.825 Squadron has only been active once in the last 50 years. Between May and September 1982 it flew Westland Sea Kings in the Falklands conflict.

17

JAPANESE OSPREYS TO BE BASED AT SAGA The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) will base a squadron of Boeing-Bell MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft at Saga Airport in northwestern Kyushu. The defence minister requested permission from local government to base the Ospreys there on July 17. The location was selected to be close to Sasebo, where Japan plans to create a specialist amphibious force modelled on the US Marine Corps. Current JASDF procurement plans include the

over in December 2013. The Panther is the military variant of the Dauphin. The TNI-AL commitment for the 16 helicopters was announced on April 28, but the order has yet to be officially approved. David C Isby purchase of the 17 MV-22s, which will enter service over five years. Construction of hangars and other facilities at the airport will start in fiscal year 2015. David C Isby

32

DHRUVS FOR INDIA At a meeting of India’s Defence Acquisition Council on July 19 the manufacture was approved of 32 Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd Dhruv Mk III Advanced Light Helicopters for the Indian Navy and Coast Guard. Each service will receive 16 Dhruvs, to join the eight and four already delivered. David C Isby

52

MI-171E DELIVERED TO CHINA Russian Helicopters announced on July 15 that the Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant had delivered four Mil Mi-171E helicopters to China’s Poly Technologies, completing a contract for 52 signed by Rosoboronexport in 2012. “The successful completion of this large contract to supply Mi-171E helicopters is another step towards strengthening successful co-operation between Russia and China,” according to Leonid Belykh, Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant Managing Director. Nigel Pittaway

Please send all news correspondence [email protected]

Rotary Wing

AH-64Es Sold to Qatar

Qatar will procure 24 Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopters and associated Lockheed Martin Hellfire antitank guided missiles for $3 billion as part of an $11 billion arms deal with the United States. US Secretary of Defense ‘Chuck’ Hagel hosted Qatar’s Minister of State for Defence Affairs, His Excellency Hamad bin Ali alAttiyah, at the Pentagon on July 14 to sign letters of offer and acceptance for the helicopters, as well as Patriot and Javelin missile systems. Details of the potential Foreign Military Sale (FMS) for the Apaches were passed from the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency to Congress on July 10, 2012 (see Apaches for Qatar, September 2012, p40) and an indication that negotiations were nearing conclusion was given on March 27 at the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (see Major Arms Package for Qatar, May, p25). According to the FMS, all of the helicopters will be equipped with the AN/ASQ-170 Arrowhead Modernized Target Acquisition and Designation Sight and AN/ AAR-11 Modernized Pilot Night Vision Sensors, but only enough AN/APG-78 Fire Control Radars are included to equip half the fleet. In addition to the helicopters, a substantial package of munitions is included in the deal, including 576 Hellfire II air-to-surface missiles, 295 FIM-92H Stinger Reprogrammable Micro Processor Block 1 air-to-air missiles and 4,092 Hydra 2.75in rockets. A comprehensive selfdefence suite will be installed on the Apaches. While significant, the Apache sale is overshadowed by the $7 billion for Patriots also signed on July 14, details of which were originally revealed by a FMS notification to Congress on November 6, 2012. It includes 247 upgraded versions of the Raytheon Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC-3) that will use a Japanese-produced advanced infrared seeker, the first time a weapon component produced by that country has been exported. David C Isby and David Willis

Initial EC145T2 Delivered

Airbus Helicopters EC145T2 D-HADF (wearing its test registration D-HADO) was the first of the variant to be delivered, going to DRF Luftrettung. Airbus Helicopters

German helicopter emergency services operator DRF Luftrettung became the first customer to take delivery of an Airbus Helicopters EC145T2 on July 31. DRF, which operates from 30 bases in Germany and Austria including

Korean LCH/ LAH Begins Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has been selected by the Government of South Korea to develop the indigenous Light Civil Helicopter (LCH) and Light Armed Helicopter (LAH). Its status as the preferred bidder was announced on July 23 and contracts for the 10,000lb (4,536kg) class helicopters are expected to be signed in November, at which point KAI will announce its foreign subcontractors and suppliers. AgustaWestland, Airbus Helicopters, Bell and Sikorsky are competing to act as KAI’s foreign partner. Each is proposing a baseline design for KAI to develop, using technology and capabilities pioneered during the Korean Utility Helicopter programme. Development of the two helicopters will require more than 1 trillion won ($970 million). The LCH has been commissioned by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and will be used for coastal surveillance, emergency services and transport missions. KAI says it will have completed development by 2020. Commissioned by South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration, the armed helicopter will be developed by 2022, to replace McDonnell Douglas MD500 and Bell AH-1S Cobras flown by the Republic of Korea Army. South Korea has a requirement for 200 LAHs. Nigel Pittaway and David C Isby

Please send all news correspondence [email protected]

eight manned 24/7, has ordered 20 of the EC145T2. Airbus Helicopters holds more than 100 orders for the helicopter, 85 of them from HEMS (helicopter emergency medical service) operators, while the German

military will employ 15 on special forces operations (see EC645s for German Special Forces, August 2013, p10). The manufacturer expects to have delivered 20 EC145T2s by the end of the year. Mike Jerram

Upgrades for Brazilian Lynx Fleet AgustaWestland has won a €117 million contract to upgrade the eight Lynx Mk 21 helicopters operated by the Brazilian Navy. Their Rolls-Royce Gem engines will be replaced by the Honeywell/ Rolls-Royce LHTEC T800 that powers the Super Lynx and AW159 Wildcat. The upgrade

includes improved navigation and mission avionics and a new threescreen all-glass cockpit. The work will be carried out at AgustaWestland’s Yeovil, Somerset facility from the middle of next year. The first upgraded Lynx will be delivered in late 2017, and all eight by early 2019. Mike Jerram

Bristow Starts AW189 Operations

Bristow Helicopters, the launch customer for the AgustaWestland AW189, began offshore operations with its first two aircraft in late July, supporting a contract with oil and gas firm GDF SUEZ E&P. The company has six AW189s on order for offshore work, and 11 in search-and-rescue configuration to support a UK SAR contract from next spring (see 11 AW189s Ordered by Bristow, September 2013, p41). Two of the SAR AW189s have been delivered in kit form to AgustaWestland’s Yeovil factory in Somerset for final assembly, with first delivery expected in September to allow crew training to begin. AgustaWestland

AI.09.14

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19/08/2014 09:52

MILITARY ILYUSHIN IL-38N MAY

Novels

U

pgrades to Russian Naval Aviation’s Il-38 May aircraft to Il-38N (Novella) standard has finally begun. The project was conceived more than 20 years ago and an incomplete prototype flew in April 2001. For many years the programme languished until India decided to purchase the Il-38SD (Sea Dragon) version. That provided the impetus and finance to finally make the Il-38N a reality, with the aircraft using the more advanced functions that were developed for the Sea Dragon. Over the next six years, all Russian Navy Il-38s are to be upgraded. This will extend the life of a type that’s already been in service for 46 years.

Tunyets On June 18, 1960 the then USSR launched a programme codenamed Tunyets (tuna fish) to develop an aircraft capable of flying for three hours and 2,200km (1,367 miles) away to the operating location, patrol there for three hours, and return to base. The Il-38

of N

f Novella Ilyushin is upgrading Russian Naval Aviation’s veteran Il-38 May, as Piotr Butowski explains

All images Piotr Butowski unless stated AI.09.14

35

MILITARY ILYUSHIN IL-38N MAY

1 2 7 3 4

are also automatically loaded. All these functions – and this is the Berkut’s greatest advantage – are controlled by a single TsVM-264 Plamya computer (8,192 bytes ROM, 256 bytes RAM). The Berkut has both semi-automatic and automatic modes which enable cruise flight, patrolling in operational areas, radar search for surface targets (including submarine periscopes), automatic laying of a barrier of sonobuoys, tracking the buoys’ signals and processing data for an attack. In the Il-38’s early years of service the automatic modes were fairly unreliable so the system’s operators often had to take control instead.

Search was the result. The aircraft retained many elements of the Ilyushin’s Il-18 passenger aircraft including the wing, empennage, engines, landing gear and cockpit. The cabin featured two stores, weapons bays and mission systems operators’ stations. A bulbous nose mounting housed a Berkut radar. A long magnetic anomaly detector (MAD) was installed under the aircraft’s tail. Compared with the Il-18, the Il38’s wing is further forwards because of the shift in the aircraft’s centre of gravity caused by the installation of the bomb bays. Most of the Il-18 airliner’s windows disappeared. The prototype Il-38 made its maiden flight on September 28, 1961, piloted by Vladimir Kokkinakki. On December 23, 1967 the 5 Znamya Truda factory near Moscow (which now belongs to the MiG corporation) built the first production Il-38. The last, and 65th, 6 example left there on February 22, 1972.

Berkut Mission System The NII-131 institute, based in what was known then as Leningrad, (now NIIS, NauchnoIssledovatelskiy Institut Sistemotekhniki, or Scientific and Research Institute of Systems Technology, of St Petersburg) was charged with developing the Berkut anti-submarine mission suite for the Il-38. The Berkut’s search and targeting system consists of the radar, radio sonobuoys and indication and data loading sub-systems. Data from the navigation and autopilot

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Three types of radio sonobuoys, which send information to the aircraft, were developed especially for the Il-38: the small RGB-1A, medium RGB-2 and large RGB-3. The RGB1A is a 15kg (33lb) passive omnidirectional buoy. Its microphone submerges to a pre-set depth of 35m (114ft) or 70m (229ft) from where it can ‘hear’ a submarine from a distance of up to 2,000m (6,561ft). The buoy relays the detected sound via radio to the aircraft over a distance of up to 40km (24 miles). An operator can see on a screen inside the aircraft which of the RGB-1 buoys has heard a submarine and decides on the use of subsequent RGB-2 buoys to pinpoint the vessel. The 47kg (103lb) RGB-2 buoy is also passive but specifies the direction from which the sound of the submarine is coming. The very large 190kg (418lb) passive-active RGB-3 buoy enabled the aircraft’s crew to

1 The Leninets 2SD1 slotted-array radar is a part of the Sea Dragon system. Its makers claim it can detect a submarine’s periscope from 30-35km (18-21 miles). 2 The Sea Dragon system operator’s post is fitted with two colour 380mm (15in) LCD displays and the control panel. 3 The four-channel SD5 electrooptical turret has TV, infrared imaging, laser rangefinder and automatic target tracking functions and is located beneath the nose. 4 The SD9 electronic support measures antenna is situated over the front fuselage. 5 New buoys developed by Leninets for the Sea Dragon and Novella systems. From top: RMB-81 magnetometric buoy, RGB-48 passive directional sonobuoy, and the GB-58 noise generator. 6 IN306 is the fourth upgraded Indian Navy Il-38SD. 7 The Russian Navy’s first series Il-38 to receive the Novella upgrade pictured on take-off in July 2014 wearing its new dark grey colour scheme. Artyom Anikeev/ AirTeamImages 8 The first flight of upgraded Il-38SD and the last ever take-off from the Khodynka airfield.

specify not only the direction but also the distance to the submarine. They were very sophisticated, expensive but unreliable and were quickly withdrawn from use. The RGB-1A and RGB-2 buoys are still in use on the Il-38.

MAD Sting Another sensor aboard the Il-38 is the APM60 MAD in a long ‘sting’ housing aft of the empennage. Initially the magnetometer was to be incorporated in the Berkut system but the data provided was too imprecise to be automated. There is no connection between the MAD and the Berkut and the magnetometer’s range is only several hundred metres. It is used only to pinpoint the detected submarine before an attack. The Il-38’s equipment has been subject to numerous minor modifications over the years. The original APM-60 Orsha magnetometer was replaced by the APM73S Bor-1S. In the 1990s some aircraft were retrofitted with MMS-114 Ladoga MADs. In the same era, around ten Mays were retrofitted with new, lightweight RGB-16-1 buoys, which provide passive omnidirectional

capability and three times’ longer range than the RGB-1A, and the RTB-91 Nerchinsk auxiliary telemetric buoy, which measures and relays the speed of sound. The upgrades were not limited to the sensors. During the Il-38’s production run, the original AI-20K engines were replaced by more powerful AI-20Ms, which increased the aircraft’s take-off weight from 63,500kg (139,994lb) to 66,000kg (145,505lb). During 1974-1975 the aircraft’s navigation system was supplemented with the ANP-3V device which improves the accuracy of laying sonobuoys.

That was replaced in 1981 by the APR-2 Yastreb-M rocket-propelled torpedo. It is smaller (length 3.7m/12.1ft, weight 575kg/1,267lb), has a much more sensitive seeker (range 1,500m/4,921ft) and can fight submarines cruising at speeds of up to 80km/h (43kts) and at a depth of 600m. In 1981 the UMGT-1 Orlan (or AT-3; UMGT stands for Universalnaya Malogabaritnaya Torpeda, Universal Small-Size Torpedo) 720kg (1,577lb) electric torpedo entered production. Its seeker has a 1,500m range and can manoeuvre to a depth of 500m (1,640ft). The APR-2 rockets and UMGT-1 torpedoes remain the Il-38’s main armament. In the 1990s the KAB-250-120PL Zagon guided depth charge and another rocketpropelled torpedo, the APR-3 Oryol-M, were developed for the aircraft. The APR-3 is a bit smaller than the APR-2. It has a more sensitive guidance system with a 2,000m range and is able to engage submarines at a depth of up to 800m (2,624ft). Nothing is known about the introduction of these weapons in operational Il-38s. The Il-38 carries up to 8,400kg (18,518lb)

Strike A 533mm calibre AT-2 torpedo was developed especially for the Il-38. It weighed 1,030kg (2,270lb), had electric propulsion and a passive-active homing system with a range of 600-1,000m (1,968ft-3,280ft). In 1971 the May received the Soviet Union’s first rocket-propelled torpedo, the APR-1 Kondor, which had a solid-fuel rocket engine. It was 5.3m (17.3ft) long, weighed 650-670kg (1,433-1,477lb) and had a 500-700m (1,640-2,296ft) range. 8

IL-38SD’S MAIDEN FLIGHT Khodynka airfield in Moscow was established in 1910. It was a test airfield of the Soviet air force (1920-1932), a government airfield and a factory airfield of the Ilyushin design bureau and the Znamya Truda production plant, manufacturing among others the Il-38s. All Ilyushin aircraft, starting with the first TsKB-26 in June 1935, made their maiden flights from that airfield. The Il-18 passenger aircraft, which later served as a platform for the Il-38, flew for the first time from Khodynka on July 4 1957, some 46 years before the Il-38SD. The airfield was inactive at the beginning of the new millennium. New properties were being built on its land and the abandoned runway was used by youngsters unofficially staging car and motorbike races. On July 3, 2003 Khodynka returned to aviation for a few hours. The first Il-38SD (IN305) was rolled out of Ilyushin’s hangar and preparations lasted for about an hour. The crew during the maiden flight was aircraft commander Vladimir Irinarkhov, co-pilot Nikolai Kuimov, navigator Valeri Grechko, flight engineer Alexei Zhuravlov, communication operator Sergei Orlov and electrician Vladimir Lipkin. The aircraft took off with the minimum fuel load of three tonnes and without the dorsal box to shorten the take-off roll. Passing round Moscow the aircraft flew to Zhukovsky, where it was finally equipped. After this flight, the Khodynka airfield was closed. This article’s author, as a result, became one of few witnesses of the maiden flight of the Il38SD aircraft and the last flight from the famous Khodynka airfield.

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MILITARY ILYUSHIN IL-38N MAY

IL-38N SPECIFICATIONS Crew: Eight, including two pilots, navigator, flight engineer, communications operator, tactical commander and two system operators. Engines: Four Progress/Zaporizhzhya AI-20M turboprops each rated at 4,250shp (3,169kW) at take-off, with TG-16M auxiliary power unit. Fuel capacity: 35,153 litres (9,286 US gal) Wingspan: 37.42m (122.7ft) Length: 40.135m (131.6ft) Wing area: 140m2 (1,506ft2) Empty operating weight: 34,630kg (76,346lb) Maximum take-off weight: 66,000kg (145,505lb) Maximum speed: 650km/h (350kts) Mission speed: 320-400km/h (173-215kts) Mission altitude: usually between 1001,000m (328-3,280ft) Ferry range: 9,500km (5,903 miles) Range with 5,430kg/11,971lb of weapons and stores: 6,500km (4,040 miles) Patrol duration: Three hours at 2,200km (4,038 miles) from base

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of buoys and weapons in two bays in the fuselage, one forward and one aft of the wing’s spar, although the nominal weight is 5,430kg (11,971lb). The most frequently used combination of equipment consists of 144 RGB-1A (RGB-16-1) buoys; ten RGB-2 buoys and two APR-2 rockets or UMGT-1 torpedoes; or ten PLAB-250-120 depth charges; or one RYu-2 nuclear depth charge. In the mine laying version, the Il-38 carries eight AMD-2-500M mines or four UDM mines.

Role Change When the Il-38 was being developed it was anticipated the aircraft would be able to detect and fight American submarines armed with Polaris Submarine-launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBMs). The May’s combat radius should have been sufficient since the first Polaris A-1 missiles had a similar range. Subsequent versions of the Polaris and other SLBMs, such as Poseidon and Trident, enabled submarines to launch missiles virtually without sailing away from their bases. Near an enemy’s bases, submarinehunting aircraft would be defenceless. This change led to multi-role submarines being assigned the task of fighting enemy ballistic missile submarines - the most dangerous enemy of a submarine is another. The Il-38 was re-tasked with covering the

departure of the Soviet Union’s own ballistic missile submarines from their bases and checking whether they are followed by enemy submarines. Il-38 crews were trained at 33 CBPiPLS (Centr Boevoy Podgotovki i Pereuchivaniya Lyotnogo Sostava, Combat Readiness and Crew Conversion Centre) at Mykolaiv, now in present-day Ukraine. The first Il38s were delivered to an operational unit, newly-formed 24 OPLAP DD (Otdelnyi Protivolodochnyi Aviatsionnyi Polk Dalniego Deystviya, Independent Anti-Submarine Long-Range Air Regiment) of the Northern Fleet at Severomorsk-1 Air Base, in March 1968. A second unit, 77 OPLAP DD of the Pacific Fleet, was created at Nikolayevka near Vladivostok, and the third, 145 OPLAE of the Baltic Fleet at Skulte near Riga, Latvia, in 1973. The Mays based at Skulte were moved to Yelizovo on the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian Far East after the disintegration of the USSR. The Il-38s did not just operate at home. During 1970-1972 some patrolled the Mediterranean Sea from Marsa Matruh in Egypt and, in 1976, operated from Hargeisa and Daafeed in Somalia. In 1978-1979 and from 1985 they operated from Aden, Yemen and from 1980 from Asmara in Ethiopia. They patrolled the Mediterranean from bases

in Libya, Syria and Mozambique from 1982 and were also often stationed in Vietnam. In the 1990s the Il-38 flew to the West for the first time with a peaceful purpose. In 1995 an Il-38 (coded ‘71’) belonging to the Leninets Holding Company (which manufactures avionics, navigation equipment and high-precision target systems for aircraft) visited Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska and Sherman Grayson Airport, Texas, in connection with an unknown contract for Texas Instruments. On July 20-21, 1996 an aircraft from Ostrov (‘22’) took part in the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford, UK. Currently the Russian Navy has three Il-38 units: 7050 AvB (Aviatsionnaya Baza, Air Base) at Severomorsk-1 in the Northern Fleet, 7060 AvB at Yelizovo and 7062 AvB at Nikolayevka in the Pacific Fleet. Some aircraft are at the new naval aviation centre 859 CBPiPLS at Yeysk on the Azov Sea coast. According to calculations by the Russian website, russianplanes.net, there are about 22 Il-38s flying in the Russian Navy and about 20 more non-flying examples standing on airfields; some may be suitable for overhaul and return to service.

Novella In 1992 the NIIS, which is part of Leninets, started to develop a new mission system

called Novella. Initially intended for the Beriev A-40 and the Tupolev Tu-204P patrol aircraft, the preliminary design of this system was approved in 1995 and a couple of years later trials were carried out on the Il-38 test aircraft. In contrast with the Berkut, the Novella is partially decentralised. Each of the components has its own computer other than the Orbita central computer. The subsystems are connected by a data bus, initially of indigenous standard and then MILSTD-1553B. All sensors in the aircraft were replaced and new navigational equipment was installed: the I-21-5 inertial navigation system, A-737 satellite navigation receiver, SVS-2TsU air-data system, RV-21 radio altimeter and UHF R-862 and HF R-865NZh radios. The upgraded aircraft was designated Il-38N, with the prototype aircraft being serial number 107-06 (the sixth of the 107th production batch), tail number ‘red 19’. It flew for the first time from Pushkin airfield near St Petersburg on April 4, 2001 with Vladimir Irinarkhov at the controls (the airfield is used by the 20 ARZ overhaul facility, one of Ilyushin’s contractors). Initially the aircraft had no special equipment, with only mockups installed for testing the aircraft’s altered aerodynamics. Trials with real mission systems began in November 2002.

Indian Funding In the 1990s and the early part of the 2000s the Russian government and aerospace companies had little money to spend on arms and tried to fund the development of new aircraft or upgrades by attracting foreign customers. The Il-38N was just such an aircraft, with work on the Novella system made possible by the Indian government ordering upgrades of its five Il-38s (numbers 301 to 305), which are operated by INAS 315 at Dabolim in Goa. India had purchased five Il-38s in 1977, although the aircraft were not sold with extensive equipment and were armed only with the AT-1E torpedoes. In September 2001 the Indian government placed a US$205 million contract with Rosoboronexport, the Russian aerospace export agency, for the upgrade of its five Il-38s with the Novella system. The aircraft would become Il-38 Sea Dragons (the name for the export variant of Novella). The first Indian aircraft (IN305) arrived in Russia on March 29, 2002. All five aircraft (including two replacement Il-38s, IN306 and IN307, which came from the Russian Navy’s stocks after the loss on October 1, 2002 of IN302 and IN304 in a mid-air collision), should have been upgraded by the end of 2004. The system was still raw and the deadline was significantly exceeded.

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MILITARY ILYUSHIN IL-38N MAY IN305 was converted at Ilyushin’s plant at Moscow (all subsequent aircraft were upgraded in Pushkin and Zhukovsky) and flew on July 3, 2003. Its trials were completed in November 2005 and the aircraft returned to India in January 2006 along with the second converted example, IN303, which had arrived in Russia in December 2003.

Development Delays

1 An Il-38 from Russian Naval Aviation’s Ostrov evaluation and crew conversion centre with 18 RGB-1A sonobuoys beside it. Typically, the airplane takes eight such containers. The five bombs in front of the aircraft are common FAB-250 high-explosive bombs and not Il-38’s depth charges. 2 The first upgraded Il-38N being rolled out of the hangar in July after painting into dark grey and named after Radiy Papkovsky, the Il-38 programme’s former manager. Ilyushin 3 The first of five ordered Il-38Ns is now at the 859th Naval Aviation Training Centre at Yeysk. Ilyushin 4 The most unusual aspect of the Il-38N’s external shape is its three-decker nose with the bulbous fairing housing the Novella radar, then the crew deck with an electronic support measures housing on the top. Artyom Anikeev/AirTeamImages

The upgrade of India’s other aircraft went slowly. In May 2007, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India informed the country’s parliament that the Il-38SD had not achieved required operational capabilities. The CAG said the Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) had too optimistically judged its ability to retrofit the Il38s with indigenous avionics and armaments. Viktor Livanov, the then chief executive of Ilyushin, admitted “we had encountered serious problems” with developing the Il38SD. India suspended the acceptance of subsequent upgraded Il-38SDs. The third aircraft, IN301, which arrived in Russia in June 2005, only returned to India as late as August 2008. The other pair, the former Russian Naval Aviation machines (IN306 and IN307) arrived in India in December 2009 and February 2010 respectively.

Anti-Ship Missiles India ordered for its Il-38SDs the capability of carrying Kh-35E anti-ship missiles. A successful test launch of the Kh-35E was conducted on November 14, 2005 and India ordered a batch for its aircraft in early 2013. It’s also purchased the same missiles for the MiG-29K carrier-based fighters. At numerous exhibitions India has displayed a model of the Il-38SD armed with BrahMos anti-ship missiles but work to integrate the weapon on to the aircraft has not yet progressed beyond the design stage. The Indian Air Force’s Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighters will receive the BrahMos first, with the Il38SDs perhaps being armed with it later.

New Novella While they were producing the Sea Dragon for India, the Russians were simultaneously working on improving their Novella. Electronic components were replaced with newer ones and extra functions were added. Initially, Il-38 serial 107-06 was again used but that was later replaced by another aircraft, ‘yellow 15’ (serial 104-07). In the latter half of 2008 this aircraft was equipped with the final version of the Novella mission system and during 20092010 underwent state evaluation. From November 2011 the aircraft stood for two years at the Severomorsk-3 naval base (the Severomorsk-1 airfield was being upgraded) but for unknown reasons it did not fly again until November 2013. On May 25, 2012 the Russian Ministry of Defence signed a contract with Ilyushin for the serial upgrade of five Mays to Il-38N standard over three years. The value of the contract amounts to 3.45 billion roubles, which is about US$20 million per aircraft. Ilyushin’s contractors are 20 ARZ aircraft repair facility of Pushkin, which carries out the main overhaul, and EMZ Myasishchev at Zhukovsky near Moscow which installs

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mission systems. When Livanov was Ilyushin CEO, he said that by 2020 a total of 28 Mays will have been upgraded to the Il-38N standard; probably all examples of the type which will remain in service. Two of the five ordered Il-38N aircraft should have returned to service after the upgrade in November 2013 but this deadline was not met. Ilyushin said the delay was caused by problems with making of the radio sonobuoy system. The first aircraft of the series upgrade is s/n 107-06 which flew again after overhaul in April 2014. In July, the aircraft was painted a dark grey colour scheme, received the registration RF-75335 and the previous tactical number ‘19’. It bears the name of Radiy Papkovsky (19262014), in tribute to the man who for many years headed the Il-38 project. The aircraft was transferred to the 859th Naval Aviation Training Centre at Yeysk. The next upgraded aircraft will be the ‘27’ (108-06) from Nikolayevka and later ‘24’ and ‘07’ from Yelizovo, which in 2013 arrived at Pushkin for overhaul.

System Leninets offers three variants of the Sea Dragon export maritime patrol system and four versions of the Novella system for the Russian Navy. The three export variants are the 2SD (which features in India’s upgraded aircraft), the 3SD for smaller aircraft or maritime helicopters and the small 4SD for light aircraft and UAVs. The four Novella variants are the 2NV, 3NV, 4NV (respectively the Russian equivalents of the variants described above) and 1NV. The latter, also known as the Novella P-38, is the most advanced variant and equips the Il-38N. The digits before SD or NV letters designate the version of the system and the digit after the letters the type of the system’s component. The core of the 1NV and Sea Dragon (2SD) systems is the 1NV4 (2SD4) mission system suite with two operators’ posts. Each position is fitted with two colour 380mm (15in) LCD displays and the control panel. The third post for the system’s commander has only one large display and control panel. The whole system is integrated by a common data bus, compatible with MIL-STD-1553B and ARINC-429D. The data bus enables upgraded or new components to be added. The system comprises the following sensors: • 1NV1 (2SD1) radar used for detecting air and surface targets (the declared range of detection of a submerged submarine’s periscope is 30-35km/18-21 miles). • 1NV2 (2SD2) radio sonobuoy system using new buoys. • NV3 (SD3) magnetic anomaly detector (MAD) with a range up to 900m (2,952ft). • NV5 (SD5) electro-optical turret with TV, IR imaging, laser rangefinder and automatic target tracking; the target for observation can be preliminary pointed by radar. • NV9 (SD9) electronic support measures with sensors situated circularly in a box situated over the forward section of the fuselage. The 1NV1 radar operates in two bands: C (wavelength 300-600mm) and I (30-37.5mm), while the export variant 2SD1 has only in the I-band. Leninets used this radar as the

basis for a series of radar upgrades for heavy bombers, resulting in the NV45 for the Tu22M3M, NV021 for Tu-95MSM and NV70 for Tu-160M. Leninets also developed new radio sonobuoys for the Sea Dragon/Novella system: the passive omnidirectional RGB-41 and passive directional RGB-48. In the Russian Novella version the RGB-41 buoys are probably not used, but it does carry the RMB-81 magnetometer buoy. The GB-58

noise generators and RTB-93 hydrologic buoys (measuring the speed of sound in water) co-operate with the sonobuoys. The upgraded Il-38N/SD with a new mission system has transformed from a specialised ASW aircraft into a maritime patrol aircraft (MPA), going from anti-submarine warfare to patrolling the coastal zone, carrying electronic and signal intelligence, detecting and fighting surface targets and conducting search and rescue.

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A330 The A330 is to be re-engined as Airbus seeks to continue the twin-jet’s appeal for years to come. Mark Broadbent reports

N

early four years after launching the A320neo, Airbus is again modernising an existing design with new technologies. The European manufacturer has launched the A330neo, a refresh of its most successful twin-engine widebody featuring more fuelefficient engines, a modernised wing and optimised aerodynamics. The A330 has experienced resurgent sales in recent years, partly due to lower capital

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costs and delays to new-generation aircraft like its A350 XWB stablemate and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. That’s led Airbus to build a backlog of more than 200 examples and raise output to ten aircraft per month (see Twin Peaks, April 2014, p66). Airbus believes combining the A330’s maturity with the promised operational savings of engine and airframe modifications, means it has a winner with the latest iteration of the twin-jet. “We expect to sell at least 1,000 A330neos,” said Airbus Chief Executive Fabrice Brégier on launching the type at the Farnborough Airshow. During the event, Airbus announced

commitments for 121 A330neos from six customers. Three airlines placed orders: long-haul low-cost carrier AirAsia X signed for 50, Russia’s Transaero committed to 12 and an undisclosed Asian carrier ordered four. A trio of lessors signed up: Air Lease ordered 25 and Avolon and the CIT Group each purchased 15. The A330neo family of the A330-800neo and A330-900neo will succeed the A330-200 and A330-300 respectively. The A330800neo will seat 252 passengers and the A330-900neo will carry 310. Both variants will have a maximum take-off weight of 242 tonnes, the same as the higher-weight A330-

0neo AIRBUS A330NEO COMMERCIAL

Trent 7000 At the heart of the A330neo is the RollsRoyce Trent 7000. It will be the sole engine powering the A330neo, a contrast with the existing A330 variants for which there are three engine options – the Trent 700, General Electric CF6 and Pratt & Whitney PW4000. The Trent 7000 will produce 72,000lb (320kN) of thrust. The extra power comes from a larger fan size (112in/2,840mm, up from the 97.5in/2,470mm in the Trent 700s

that power the current A330s) and changes to the engine core design that will result in an increased bypass ratio (from 5:1 to 10:1) and an improved pressure rating (from 35:1 to 50:1). Rolls-Royce claims the engine will generate ten decibels less noise than the Trent 700s flying on A330s today. The architecture of the Trent 1000 TEN, the engine that will power the Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner and which was itself derived from the A350’s Trent XWB, will be used in the Trent 7000. The new engines incorporate greater use of electrical systems to maximise reliability, including an electric bleed air system.

Aero Mods Although the A330’s wing box won’t be changed for the neo upgrade, there will be several structural modifications from the current generation aircraft. The wing will be twisted to improve the aerodynamic performance of the outer sections and its span will be extended by 3.7m (12.1ft) to 64m (209ft). The wings will also feature Airbus’ carbonfibre Sharklet fins, creating an A350-style curved profile to the A330neo’s wingtips, which will be 1m (3.2ft) high rather than the 1.6m (5.2ft) of the existing models. Further

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All images Airbus

300 variant launched in 2012 that will enter service next year with Delta Air Lines.

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COMMERCIAL AIRBUS A330NEO

Range The A330neos are pitched against the 787-8 and 787-9 in the 250-300-seat portion of the widebody market. The -800neo will have a range of 7,450 nautical miles (13,797km), which according to Airbus, will be 400nm (740km) more than the 787-8. The -900neo will be able to fly 6,200nm (11,482km). Airbus says the A330neos will be equipped to cover 93% of the world’s long-range air routes. From London the -800neo will be able to fly non-stop to Hong Kong, Tokyo, the west coast of the United States and much of South America, while the -900neo can reach Singapore, Honolulu and Jakarta.

Cost Competitive

aerodynamic changes include new engine pylons and optimising the slat on the port side of the fuselage and the upper belly fairing.

The Numbers In the A330neo’s launch presentation at this year’s Farnborough International Airshow, Airbus revealed the figures that underpin the aircraft’s business case. The Trent 7000 will provide an 11% reduction in fuel burn compared with the Trent 700. The new engine’s larger fan size imposes a 3% drag and weight penalty, but the Sharklets and aerodynamic optimisation generate 4% in savings. The A330neos will therefore offer an overall 12% improvement in fuel burn per trip on a current A330, said the company. The A330neos will feature a reconfigured interior, with new designs for lavatories and crew rest areas (the latter will be moved

Industry analysts Air Insight maintain Airbus is, “way down the development curve with 1 the A330”. It believes this is one reason for growth in the aircraft’s sales in recent years into the lower mid-deck section). That, said as it’s enabled the company to offer the type Airbus, will create space for between six and at a lower price. ten extra seats in the cabin (depending on Airbus says the effect of the type’s a customer’s preferences) compared with maturity on capital costs will roll into the today’s A330s. The company claims this A330neo too. “Because we have a fully will mean the A330neos will burn 14% less amortised airplane, we can offer it at very fuel per seat than an A330-200 or -300. The attractive pricing,” said John Leahy, Airbus cabin will also incorporate innovations from Chief Operating Officer Customers, during the A350 including LED mood lighting. the A330neo launch, adding that the capital The neo’s direct maintenance costs will costs of the aircraft would be 25% lower be 5% less than the present A330’s. Three than the current versions. The -800neo’s per cent of the reduction will be achieved by unit price will be about $242 million and the revised scheduled maintenance procedures, -900neo’s around $275 million, Airbus stated. including deleting fatigue sampling tasks Leahy added that the combination of and lengthening A-checks to 2,000 flying the A330neo’s seating configuration, fuel hours. The other 2% will come from efficiencies and lower maintenance costs will replacing pneumatics by the electrical bleed offer “game-changing” operating economics air system. Airbus predicts the changes will for operators, enabling them to fly trunk halve the number of man hours needed to routes more efficiently. Airbus claims the maintain an A330. A330-800neo will offer the same fuel burn per seat as the 787-8 and that the A330900neo’s cash operating costs will be 7% cheaper per seat than a 787-9.

Market Size

A330NEO SPECIFICATIONS A330-800neo Wingspan:

64.00m (210ft)

64.00m (210ft)

Length:

58.82m (193ft)

63.69m (209ft)

Maximum take-off weight:

242,000kg (533,519lb)

242,000kg (533,519lb)

Engine:

Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 (72,000lb/320kN)

Rolls-Royce Trent 7000

Range:

7,450nm (13,797km)

6,200nm (11,482km)

Seats:

252

310

Data: Airbus

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Airbus believes there’s a bright future for the A330neo. In its latest market forecast, the company said there is a demand for 4,000 aircraft in the A330neo’s segment of the widebody market between now and 2032. It says 2,600 of that total will replace current A330s and their competitor aircraft with the remaining 1,400 being new aircraft. Air Lease President John Plueger was quoted by the Wall Street Journal as saying the A330neo represents, “a very compelling proposition” that’s already attracting interest from potential operators. The type is expected to appeal to airlines flying trunk routes between east and west or on long-haul routes within growing air travel markets such as Asia-Pacific. Many airline executives have expressed interest in the A330neo. Delta’s Richard Anderson was vocal in saying he wanted the A330 to be re-engined and Virgin Atlantic, which operates ten A330s, in July signalled it will examine the A330neo as part of its future fleet evaluations. “On paper, the A330neo looks like a fantastic aircraft, it has interesting fuel-burn characteristics,” said Alan Leeks, Virgin’s head of strategic fleet planning, during an address at the Ascend Finance Forum in London in July. “It will be appealing to a huge number of airlines.”

AIRBUS A330NEO COMMERCIAL

Low-Cost Long-Haul The low-cost long-haul sector, which has blossomed in recent years, could find the A330neo particularly appealing. In Asia alone there’s AirAsia X, Jetstar and Scoot, while Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines have set up low-cost long-haul units in the past year. Elsewhere, Air Canada has launched Rouge, WestJet is planning to launch more long-haul flights and, in Europe, Lufthansa announced in July that it plans to move into the market next year. Central in the low-cost long-haul business model is the use of twin-engine aircraft. They provide economical operation without compromising range and seats for airlines which have low per-seat operating costs at the centre of their business model. The A330’s twin-engine economics and competitive acquisition cost have already led to AirAsia X, Jetstar, Cebu and Philippines selecting the A330-300 for their low-cost services and AirAsia X’s commitment to the A330neo could potentially be the first such order for the updated versions from this market.

A350-800 Impact For months analysts predicted that if Airbus reengined the A330 there’d be a question mark over the future of the A350-800, the smallest variant of the A350 family, because both occupy the same 250-300 seat segment of the widebody market. For example, the Leeham News and Comment blog said, “an A330neo would render the A350800 superfluous”. And the writing is on the wall for the A350-800, which now has a backlog of just 34 aircraft. “With the A330neo we can offer a slightly smaller aircraft with very competitive performance,” stated Fabrice Brégier. “In this segment the A330neo is more cost-efficient than the A350-800. I believe that all our customers will elect to either upgrade to the A350-900 or move to the A330neo. The A330neo is the more efficient solution.”

A330neo In Numbers

10 18in more seats

14%

fuel burn improvement per seat

Production

seat width

2017

The A330neo’s design will be frozen at the end of 2015. Rolls-Royce said development of the Trent 7000 is under way, with the first static test example set to be run

2

1 The A330neo will use A350-style Sharklet wingtips to assist fuel efficiency. 2 Rolls-Royce is the exclusive engine provider with its Trent 7000. 3 LED mood lighting will feature in the A330neo cabin.

service entry

early next year and perform flight tests in 2016. The aircraft’s testing programme is scheduled to start early in 2017, with certification targeted for later the same year and the initial A330-900neo due to enter service that December. The first A330-800neo will be handed over early in 2018. Airbus says the relatively compressed timeframe in developing the A330neo – three-and-a-half years compared with the six it has taken the A320neo’s launch to service entry – stems from the A330’s maturity and the expertise built from re-engining its narrowbody family Airbus will maintain its ten-aircraft-per month A330 production rate while the changeover from the current A330s (which are now marketed as A330ceos, for current engine option) takes place. The A330ceo will continue to be sold to keep production slots full into later in the decade, enable a smooth transition between the two generations and a consistent revenue stream. The A330neo is expected to take A330 family production up to 2030.

Back to the Future The A330neo’s launch is significant in 3 another respect besides the fact that it will

extend the A330’s life to more than three decades. Following the launches of the A320neo, 737 MAX, Embraer E-Jets E2 and the 777X, the A330neo is more evidence of aircraft manufacturers’ current preference to improve established products rather than bring out clean-sheet designs. The delays and cost overruns to totally new aircraft like the 787 and A350 have cast a shadow. For manufacturers, refreshing existing aircraft is relatively low-risk, while offering the cost savings airlines now demand. Airbus’ prediction that there’s a potential market for 4,000 new widebodies in the A330neo’s market segment reflects the industry’s belief that the future lies in renewing the old.

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Training the Italian W

Riccardo Niccoli assesses Alenia Aermacchi’s approach to providing cost-effective military training

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ompetition in the military aviation sector is fiercer than ever as national defence budgets tighten. This is especially true in military flying training, given the number of

companies involved. To maintain their market share, established players like Alenia Aermacchi have developed the concept of a training system – providing not just aircraft but a comprehensive support package including simulators, computer aids, briefing and

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debriefing systems and the training syllabus.

Rich Heritage Italian aerospace companies have a solid track record in producing military trainers. In the late 1950s Aermacchi launched one of the most successful jet trainers ever, the MB326, selling 650. It was later developed into the MB339, which clocked up 200plus sales. Meanwhile SIAI Marchetti was producing the SF-260 basic trainer and the S-211 jet trainer. More than 950 SF-260s have been sold since its first flight in 1965. Today all this expertise is consolidated in the Alenia Aermacchi brand, Aermacchi having bought SIAI-Marchetti in 1997 before Alenia and Aermacchi were merged by their

Finmeccanica owners in January 2012. The company is working to offer existing and potential customers a portfolio of aircraft that spans air forces’ training needs from the basic stage to the lead-in fighter training phase, all backed up by comprehensive support.

SF-260 The basic stage is provided by the SF-260. Its first military customer, in 1970, was Zaire and since then the aircraft – primarily the SF-260TP turboprop-powered variant, introduced in 1980 – has been operated by 32 air arms worldwide. Although the basic design is nearly 50 years old, it’s still used by 19 air forces, mainly in Africa and Central and South America.

ALENIA AERMACCHI TRAINER SYSTEMS MILITARY

n Way

display unit. The IFDs have a modular and fullyredundant architecture and each is capable of performing the same functions as the other. Data from up to 20 flight hours can be stored in the system to assist in debriefing sorties and help students’ learning. The SF-260TD can also be equipped with an enhanced vision system. A small infrared camera is installed in the right wing’s leading edge with pictures streamed to one of the IFDs, improving the pilot’s situational awareness at night and in bad weather. The displays also show primary flight data, GPS navigation and systems information and digital moving maps. The Rolls-Royce M250B-17 turboprop,

linked to a Hartzell HC-B3TF-7A/T1017325R three-bladed constant-speed propeller, offers efficiency and good performance in hot climates. The engine has a time between overhaul of 3,500 flying hours and an average fuel consumption of 72 litres per hour. No orders for the TD have yet been announced but the Italian manufacturer is marketing the model to undisclosed new and old customers in Central and South America.

New Jet Trainer

All images Alenia Aermacchi unless stated.

The aircraft’s side-by-side cockpit layout is still regarded by its operators as ideal for teaching new military pilots at the initial stage. Its all-metal construction and rugged design is well suited to the climate in many of the countries where it operates and it can double as a light ground-attack aircraft with up to 150kg (330lb) of external loads such as machine-gun pods, light bombs and rockets. Alenia Aermacchi launched a new version in early 2013, the SF-260TD. It combines the SF-260TP’s Rolls-Royce (formerly Allison) M250B-17 350shp (261kW) turboprop with an Avidyne glass cockpit which comprises two large 150 x 200mm (6 x 8 inch) highresolution colour LCD integrated flight displays (IFDs) and a centralised control

The next step up in Alenia Aermacchi’s portfolio is the company’s newest product, the M-345 HET (High Efficiency Trainer). Launched in June 2013 at the Paris Air Show,

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MILITARY ALENIA AERMACCHI TRAINER SYSTEMS

1

SF-260TD SPECIFICATIONS Wingspan: 8.35m (27.39ft) Length: 7.40m (24.28ft) Height: 2.41m (7.91ft) Wing area: 10.10m2 (108.7ft2) Max take-off weight clean: 1,200kg (2,645lb) Max take-off weight with stores: 1,350kg (2,975lb) External stores: 300kg (660lb) Engine: Rolls-Royce M250B-17 Lycoming AEIO-540 Max thrust: 350shp Internal fuel: 181kg (400lb) plus two 80-litre tanks Max level speed: 228kts (422km/h) Maximum operating limit speed: 236kts (437km/h) Stall speed: 61kts (112km/h) Rate of climb: 2,200ft/min (609m/min) Max service ceiling: 25,000ft (7,620m) Range: 530nm (981km)/with tanks 710nm (1,314km) Endurance: four hours (six with external tanks) Take-off distance: 275m (900ft) Landing distance: 390m (1,280ft) 2 1 No orders have been announced yet for the SF260TD but the company says it’s marketing the aircraft to existing customers and potential new buyers. Riccardo Niccoli 2 While the SF-260TD is outwardly similar to previous variants of the type, it features a glass cockpit with high-resolution LCD colour screens. 3 The SF-260TD’s right wing includes an infrared sensor which streams pictures to one of the cockpit displays to assist pilots flying at night and in poor weather. Riccardo Niccoli 4 M-346s on the assembly line at Alenia Aermacchi’s Venegono factory. 5 The Israeli Air Force’s first M-346I after a roll-out ceremony on March 20, 2014. Riccardo Niccoli

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g limits: +6/-3g

3

ALENIA AERMACCHI TRAINER SYSTEMS MILITARY it was developed to meet the Aeronautica Militare Italiana (Italian Air Force)’s need for a new jet trainer to replace the MB339A. During the airshow the company and the Italian Ministry of Defence announced they’d agreed to develop the M-345. Although it uses the general layout of the S-211 and the M-311 (a technology demonstrator/prototype unveiled by Aermacchi in 2004), the M-345 will be an all-new aircraft. It will feature a turbofan engine in the 1,500kg (3,400lb) class, a redesigned and upgraded airframe (capable of +7 to -3.5g) and improved maintainability through its built-in health and usage monitoring system. There’ll be strengthened landing gear, redesigned nose, windscreen, canopy and wingtips, an onboard oxygen generator system and Martin-Baker Mk16 ejection seats.

Glass Cockpit The M-345’s glass cockpit, developed from the M-346’s, will feature a head-up display (HUD), three 127 x 177mm (5 x 7 inch) multi-function displays (MFDs) and handson-throttle-and-stick (HOTAS) controls. It’ll also have night-vision goggles compatibility, electronic back-up instrumentation in each cockpit and video, audio and data recorders. The avionics system will feature two fully redundant mission computers, civil and military digital data busses, a digital moving map and inertial GPS inertial navigation. Most importantly, the M-345 will feature embedded training simulation capabilities. While not as sophisticated as those in the M-346, the system will include an option for a real-time data link, enabling the simulation of radar, electronic warfare threats, air-to-air and air-to-ground weaponry, aircraft and ground forces.

Efficiency The most important word in the M-345’s ‘HET’ name is efficiency – for example, endurance and the ability to deploy to other airports autonomously without support are key design points of the aircraft, and its systems will be relatively simple, making it easy to fly and maintain. The jet’s fuel system will comprise an integral wing tank and a bladder-type fuselage tank with anti-explosion foam, giving an 894-litre capacity. An electric pump will be used for engine starts and a

4 5 double impeller pump for fuel transfer.

A 3,000psi hydraulic system will actuate the landing gear, speed brake and the aileron servo control and the flight controls will use a reliable ‘push-pull’ rod layout, three-axis electric trim and hydraulicallyactuated ailerons. All this is designed to create an aircraft to compete with modern turboprop trainers like the Pilatus PC-21, Beechcraft T-6A and Super Tucano and offering comparable costs – but jet performance. According to Alenia Aermacchi, the M-345 will be faster and more manoeuvrable than its rivals, making it ideal for low-level navigation/attack and air combat training missions.

Comparisons Compared to a typical turboprop’s cruising speed of 250-300kts (460-550km/h), the

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MILITARY ALENIA AERMACCHI TRAINER SYSTEMS

M-345 will be able to fly at 400kts (740km/h), maintain a 3g turn at low level at 360kts (666km/h) and have a roll rate of 200 degrees per second. The aim is to attain a thrust:weight ratio similar to the MB339A’s and provide speed and performance turboprops cannot match. Alenia Aermacchi says this will reduce students’ reaction times and acclimatise them to managing high-performance aircraft – which, in turn, will mean instructors take less time to assess their aptitude for flying fast jets. The manufacturer says turboprops have limitations, including a ceiling of about 21,000ft (6,400m) which prevents them flying over cumulonimbus clouds and storm fronts, resulting in cancelled or amended missions. The M-345’s higher performance will see it fly above poor weather. The company claims it will take just one engineer to look after the jet on the flight line. Maintenance inspections will be carried out at 150 and 600-hour intervals and the engine overhaul time will be every 3,500 hours. Two

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2

engineers will be able to change an engine in just 60 minutes and no aircraft depot maintenance will be needed. The combination of maintenance efficiencies and aircraft performance, says Alenia Aermacchi, means the M-345’s direct operating costs and the transition it offers between elementary and advanced stages of flying training will be similar to those for turboprops. The company claims it’s even possible the cost of training a pilot could be lower because the M-345 can include more training events thanks to its jet capabilities. Alenia Aermacchi has designed the M-345 to offer acquisition and life-cycle costs comparable to rival types. Parts of the aircraft have been designed with this in mind, including the engine (selection of which is expected by October 2014) which will provide reduced fuel consumption and maintenance.

Next Steps The engineering phase of the M-345 programme is scheduled to start in October 2014 and the maiden flight of the first prototype is planned for the beginning of 2016. The target is to hand over the first series-production aircraft to the AMI by December 2017. The first M-345s will be delivered to 213° Gruppo (squadron) of the 61° Stormo (wing) at Lecce in southern Italy for the basic jet training role; and to 313° Gruppo, the Frecce Tricolori aerobatic team, based at Rivolto in the north. To replace the AMI’s MB339s it’s likely the Italian Government would have to order up to 50 M-345s. Other countries looking for new trainers are showing interest in the aircraft, according to Alenia Aermacchi. With its performance and ability to carry loads on its five external hardpoints (four under the wings plus one on the fuselage centreline), the M-345 HET is also suitable for operational roles.

M-346 SPECIFICATIONS Wingspan: 9.72m (31.89ft) 1 1 The Italian Air Force is expected to take delivery of its first Master later this year. Riccardo Niccoli 2 Training aids such as full mission simulators are an important element of the package offered by manufacturers.

Length: 11.49m (37.70ft) Height: 4.91m (16.11ft) Wing area: 23.52m2 (253.2ft2) Empty weight: 7,400kg (16,310lb) Max take-off weight: 10,200kg (22,490lb) Max external load: 3,000kg (6,610lb) Engine: 2 x Honeywell F124-GA-200s Max thrust: 55.8kN (12,560lb) Internal fuel: 2,000kg (4,410lb) plus 3 x 630-litre tanks) Max level speed: 590kts (1,092km/h) Limit speed: 572kts (1,059km/h) Stall speed: 95kts (175km/h) Rate of climb: 22,000ft/min (6,705m/min) Service ceiling: 45,000ft (13,716m) Range: 1,070nm (1,981km) clean or 1,470nm (2,722km) with tanks Take-off distance: 400m (1,310ft) Landing distance: 550m (1,800ft) g limits: +8/-3g

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MILITARY ALENIA AERMACCHI TRAINER SYSTEMS

M-345 HET SPECIFICATIONS Wingspan: 8.47m (27.78ft) Length: 9.85m (32.32ft) Height: 3.74m (12.27ft) Wing area: 12.60m2 (135.6ft2) Maximum take-off weight: 3,300kg (7,275lb) Maximum external load: 1,400kg (3,085lb) Maximum take-off weight: 4,500kg (9,920lb) Maximum thrust at take-off: 15.1kN (6,800lb) Internal fuel: 700kg (1,545lb) Maximum speed: 425kts (781km/h) Rate of climb: 5,400ft/min (1,645m/min) Stall speed: 85kts (157km/h) Ceiling: 40,000ft (12,192m) Range: 840nm (1,555km) clean or 1,100nm (1,852km) with external tank Take-off distance: 460m (1,510ft) Landing distance: 450m (1,475ft) g limits: +7/-3.5g

M-346 The third product in Alenia Aermacchi’s portfolio is the M-346 Master lead-in fighter trainer (LIFT). A major element of the business case for advanced jet trainers is their ability to replicate the systems and performance of modern combat aircraft so that they can take over training tasks from the more expensive frontline jets – a process known in the training business as ‘downloading’. The Master is designed to be fully representative of the latest frontline types. Its open architecture avionics are managed through a dual MIL-STD-1553B digital data bus and, with its head-up display (HUD) and three MFDs, its cockpit looks just like a combat jet’s. The aircraft has Embedded Tactical Training Simulation (ETTS) capabilities, enabling students to experience realistic air-to-air and air-to-surface training scenarios featuring simulated aircraft (friendly or enemy), radar, tactical data link, electronic warfare, sensors and weapons. The M-346 is also equipped with the

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Elbit Targo helmet-mounted display – which projects information onto the visor for day operations – and has night-vision goggles capability plus a simulation module which lets pilots plan and debrief missions.

Agility The Master mirrors frontline jets in other ways. Its two Honeywell F124-GA-200 engines – which are cheap to operate, reliable and relatively powerful, each offering 27.9kN/6,280lb of thrust – has the same full authority digital engine control (FADEC) technology as combat aircraft. It has an in-flight refuelling capability and in some parts of its flight envelope its performance is comparable to the F-16. Its fly-by-wire flight control system, a leading edge extension, leading edge flap, differential all-moving horizontal tailerons and upwards-canted engine air intakes all give the aircraft great agility, and it can operate in full control up to a 35º angle of attack. That makes the M-346 not only a superb LIFT trainer but ideal for continuation training for

air forces that want or need to save flying hours on their frontline fleets. The type’s manoeuvrability also makes the Master suitable for customers looking for a cost-effective light attack aircraft. It can carry up to 3,100kg (6,828lb) of external stores on nine hardpoints and three 580-litre underwing fuel tanks. What’s more, the M-346 has growth potential: the air intakes can accept 20% more airflow than that required by the F124s, offering the potential for more powerful engines in the future. And the electrical system has a 75% power reserve, futureproofing the jet for new developments in avionics systems such as a complete selfdefence suite or radar.

AMI Orders The Italian Ministry of Defence signed the Master’s first contract in November 2009 – for six, divided into two batches: one for two aircraft (the first of which took to the air on March 31, 2011) and another for four. The jet will be designated the T-346A in AMI service.

ALENIA AERMACCHI TRAINER SYSTEMS MILITARY Following operational test and evaluation by the AMI’s Reparto Sperimentale Volo (Test Wing) between March and September 2012, Alenia Aermacchi made modifications to the aircraft’s software. Delivery of the first seriesproduction model to the 212° Gruppo of 61° Stormo at Lecce is expected by autumn 2014 and the first LIFT course is scheduled to start in 2015. A second contract for nine more aircraft should be signed during 2014. Alenia Aermacchi secured the Master’s first international contract when it signed an agreement in September 2010 with the Republic of Singapore Air Force for 12 M-346s – after the aircraft won a contest to find the successor to the RSiAF’s long-serving A-4SU/TA-4SU Skyhawks. Construction started in January 2011 and the first pair were delivered in November 2012 at Cazaux in France, where the RSiAF’s 150th Squadron is based. The next overseas order came in July 2012 when the Israel Defense Force ordered 30 M-346Is plus logistics, maintenance and training. The first aircraft had its roll-out ceremony on March 20, 2014 and, after a first training phase in Italy, the first two jets will be delivered to 102 Tayaset (Squadron) at Hatzerim AB, replacing the A/TA-4 Skyhawk in the LIFT role. They will be managed by Thor, a joint venture between IAI and Elbit, which will provide the training services and the M-346s to the Israeli Air Force for 20 years. More international success came this February when the Polish Air Force signed for eight M-346s – plus logistics support and training – to replace its ageing PZLMielec TS-11 Iskras. Elbit is the systems integrator for the Israeli and Polish contracts. Meanwhile Jane’s Defence reported in April that both countries’ M-346s will be equipped with the Targo HMD system. Alenia Aermacchi has other prospects with the Master. In February 2009 the United Arab Emirates Air Force selected the M-346 in its contest for 48 new advanced trainers, including 20 in a light attack configuration.

Philippe Noret/AirTeamImages

International Success

But negotiations to finalise the contract stalled, although the company remains hopeful the contract can be finalised. The Master is also being pitched for the US Air Force’s T-X programme to replace the Northrop T-38C Talon. In January 2013 Alenia Aermacchi signed a letter of intent with General Dynamics to co-operate in offering a derivative of the Master (to be known as the T-100) and support for the requirement.

simulators and courseware. The full mission simulator provided by Alenia Aermacchi for the M-346 features a 360º dome field of view with exceptional resolution, brightness and clarity. Fully representative of the real aircraft’s performance and systems, it can be networked to other simulators and emulate a range of operations such as low-level navigation, airto-air and air-to-ground missions, formation flying up to four-ship, in-flight refuelling and emergencies. The ILS involves aircraft maintenance, systems upgrades, fleet support, supply, spare equipment, software management and technical documentation. The TMIS involves the scheduling of training events and management of the syllabus, resources and training records while ‘facilities’ covers the provision of the infrastructure used to provide training.

Integrated Training System Today it’s no longer sufficient for manufacturers to just produce a training aircraft. They have to offer customers a complete package including simulators, multimedia classrooms and full logistics support. Building on its experience working with the AMI in supplying the M-346, Alenia Aermacchi offers an Integrated Training System (ITS) which consists of aircraft; Training Needs Analysis (TNA); a Training Delivery System (TDS); Integrated Logistic Support (ILS); a Training Management Information System (TMIS); and facilities. TNA involves taking the customer’s requirements and developing a bespoke syllabus while the TDS provides the instructors,

Customised

Riccardo Niccoli

The TNA phase is important as it enables Alenia Aermacchi to identify what it is the customer wants and build a package to meet those needs. It can identify what’s possible to download from the various phases of flight training, saving money and optimising the training pipelines and syllabi. The ITS can be customised depending upon an individual customer’s needs and the aircraft being used. The most complete TDS is that offered for the M-346, which includes operational flight trainers, full mission simulators, mission planning and debriefing stations and real-time monitoring and instructor operating stations. There are also electronic classrooms, desktop trainers, and a training management information system. Facilities including a dedicated maintenance hangar and a training building have been built at Lecce in readiness for the M-346’s arrival. Alenia Aermacchi has simplified systems for its other types, offering operational flight trainers and an instructor operating station for both the M-345 HET and the SF-260 and mission planning and debriefing stations for the M-346. The company says that, under an ITS, the total flying hours necessary to train, for example, a Typhoon pilot from zero to combat readiness could be reduced from the current 360 to slightly more than 300. This could save valuable flying hours and money at the operational conversion unit stage.

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COMMERCIAL TURKISH AIRLINES

Fast-growing Gulf carriers grab the headlines but Turkish Airlines’ rapid expansion is equally significant. Andreas Spaeth went to Istanbul to investigate

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emel Kotil, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Turkish Airlines for more than ten years, has an air of the professor he once was as he patiently explains his view of the world. Today, in the competitive world of the airline business, the former academic deftly handled difficult questions. Asked his opinion of the stumbles in the Turkish economy in the last year, which has seen the country’s currency, the lira, at record lows against the US dollar and the euro, he replied: “I have already overcome other crises. It will all end in a nice way,” he said during an interview with AIR International at the airline’s headquarters close to its hub at Atatürk Airport in Istanbul. Isn’t the hair-raising speed of expansion at Turkish Airlines in recent years just too much? “Yes, it is a bit crazy, but in a nice way,” smiled the moustachioed 55-year-old Turk. What about Lufthansa, one of Turkish Airlines’ partners in the Star Alliance (and the sponsor of its entry to that alliance in 2008), which has cut codeshares with Turkish and

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mileage awards to deter its own customers from flying Turkish? Have relations with the German carrier turned sour? “No, there are no bad feelings, they remain good friends and we need them,” he replied Isn’t it a step too far to offer scheduled flights to Mogadishu in Somalia, as Turkish now does (the only carrier to do so)? “It’s a very nice city,” answered Kotil earnestly. Pausing, he added: “Okay, the city has collapsed, but it’s coming back. There’s a lot of good money for us in Mogadishu with millions of Somalis overseas [travelling home] and Turkey investing heavily.”

Growing Market No matter how outlandish some of Kotil’s statements may sound, the success of Turkish Airlines justifies his confidence. His airline is an important part of Turkey’s quest to become a global powerhouse. He said: “The Turkish government enjoys our success, the airline’s business is aligned with the state’s policy and going in the same direction.” There’s a lot of attention on the growth of the so-called ‘big three’ Persian Gulf airlines, Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways. Executives from some big European carriers

have alleged these airlines benefit from state support; claims the three Gulf airlines deny. But Turkish Airlines poses an equally significant competitive threat to Europe’s airlines. The Turkish flag carrier has powered ahead with unparalleled growth of at least 20% per year. Turkish carried 48.3 million passengers in 2013, an almost six-fold growth on numbers from a decade ago, which hovered around 11 million per year from 2002 to 2004. Turkish’s expansion corresponds with the growth of the country’s aviation market, which has been unleashed by a more market-driven economy and rising incomes over the past ten years. In 2003, there were only 25 million international and four million domestic air passengers in Turkey. This year the total will be 124 million, with 80 million flying internationally and 44 million internally.

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Turkish Ambition

worldwide in network size.” Emirates’ President, Tim Clark, has a certain degree of praise for his competitor. “Nobody else is executing a similar business model as ours as successfully as Turkish Airlines,” he told AIR International. Turkish expects to generate revenues of US$11.4 billion for the current financial year, $8 billion of which will come from sales outside of Turkey, contributing many billions to the economy of its home country.

Network Turkish’s network is already second to none. A general shift in worldwide traffic patterns has benefited Istanbul, which stands geographically at the crossroads between east and west. “The centre of gravity of

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Dave Sturges/AirTeamImages

European airline executives could find Kotil’s announcement ominous when he said: “The rate of growth has not gone down for the last ten years and it won’t for the next ten.” By 2023, Turkish plans to carry 120 million passengers with a fleet of more than 450 aircraft. At the end of 2013, Turkish operated a fleet of 233 aircraft, serving 243 destinations in 104 countries; more than the 210 cities in Lufthansa’s network. On June 5, Turkish started flying to its 253rd destination, Montreal in Canada. By year-end there’ll be about 260 cities in its schedule. Kotil said: “Ultimately, we will serve about 350 destinations. We are already serving more countries than any other airline and more international destinations than any other European carrier, while we are the fourth largest airline

global air traffic is moving to the south and east,” explained Kotil, showing the reporter a graphic marked with coloured dots centred on southeastern Europe and the Middle East. According to Airbus, in 1971 the geographic centre of gravity in worldwide air traffic was somewhere in mid-Atlantic. Since then it has constantly moved eastwards. Kotil stated: “Until recently it was in the centre of Europe. After 2020 it will be moving further east. Cities like Istanbul, Doha, Abu Dhabi and Dubai will play a key role as new centres of attention.” Europe is currently the most important market for Turkish with 93 destinations served in early 2014, generating 33% of revenues. The airline serves more than 30 cities each in the Far East, Middle East and Africa, six in North America and two in South

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COMMERCIAL TURKISH AIRLINES

TURKISH AIRLINES FACTS & FIGURES IATA code: TK ICAO code: THY Ownership: private shareholders 50.88%, TC Privatization Administration (49.12%) Operations started: August 1933 Employees: 18,882 Passengers carried: 2013 – 48.1m, 2012 – 39m, 2011 – 32.7m

1 1 On-board chefs are one way Turkish tries to differentiate its passenger experience from competitors. Andreas Spaeth 2 A Turkish Airlines A330 at Montreal, where the airline began flying in June. Mathieu Pouliot/AirTeamImages

Fleet (June 2014): 14 Airbus A319s, 33 A320s, 43 A321s, 13 A330-200s, 17 A330-300s, 6 A340-300s, 3 Boeing 737-700s, 68 737-800s, 10 Boeing 737-900ERs, 17 Boeing 777-300ERs Orders: 2 Airbus A320ceos, 5 A320neos, 27 Airbus A321ceos, 60 A321neos, 13 A330300s, 15 737-800s, 5 Boeing 737-900ERs, 40 737 MAX 8s, 10 737 MAX 9s, 20 777-300ERs Hubs: Istanbul-Atatürk, Istanbul-Sabiha Gökçen, Ankara

2

Route network: 253 destinations in 105 countries, five airports in the UK (London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Manchester) Profit: 2012 – US$632m, 2011 – US$11m, 2010 – US$189m www.turkishairlines.com

America. Australia is notably absent from the network. Kotil said Turkish was waiting for aircraft capable of flying non-stop to Sydney or Melbourne with a full payload both ways and year-round. “Currently our long-haul focus lies on transatlantic flights as well as China and India,” he stated.

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The speed of expansion makes achieving profitability a difficult task. “We lost money in the first half of 2011 because of our expansion,” admitted Kotil, but the net result was still positive that year – as it has been in all years recently.

African Markets A good example of how Turkish is using Turkey’s location to its advantage is Africa. The airline flies to more destinations than any other carrier in the world – 36 cities in 25 countries in early 2014. Istanbul’s location enables many points to be served by narrowbodies. Other European carriers are unable to compete: they are based further away and need larger aircraft to serve these emerging, smaller markets. Turkish is serving four destinations in Libya and Egypt and places such as Juba in South Sudan, Nouakchott in Mauritania, Djibouti and Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso; destinations where hardly any other international carriers stop. The worldwide network offers a total of 7,560 city pairs from African destinations, connectivity that’s unmatched by other Western carriers. Kotil said: “Many people fly for example from Dakar via Istanbul to São Paulo. It is a big detour, but the passengers come anyway.” The same strategy applies to other markets. Turkish serves eight destinations in Russia, seven in Saudi Arabia and six each in Ukraine, Iran and Iraq. It even operates to Kabul and Mazar-i-Sharif in Afghanistan.

Atatürk Hub The carrier’s growth is only sustainable with an efficient hub. Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport

is, Kotil admitted: “Stuck in congestion. It is designed for 30 million passengers and will handle about 55 million this year, maybe close to 60 million.” Therefore, its aggressive expansion has to be routed elsewhere. “We will have a third airport for Istanbul opening by 2018,” added Kotil, referring to the city’s new airport, of which construction started at the end of May. This 76.5km2 (29.5 square mile) site north of the city, on the shores of the Black Sea, will be the world’s largest airport, able to handle 150 million passengers when fully operational. There will be six runways, four terminals and 500 aircraft stands. “In the meantime we focus on Sabiha Gökçen airport on the Asian side of Istanbul as well as Ankara as hubs for our mediumhaul expansion, whereas long-haul naturally has to be based at Atatürk,” Kotil stated. At Atatürk the airline enjoys a market share of 67% for domestic and 76% for international flights and accounts for 73% of all flight movements in both domestic and international services. Turkish’s overall market share for domestic flights in Turkey is 52% and 34% of all international services in and out of the country. The domestic market in a country of almost 77 million people shouldn’t be underestimated. Mustafa Mente, Secretary General of the Turkish Exporters Assembly, speaking to AIR International, said: “There are ten cities with a population of a million or more. There are still lots of market opportunity in domestic [routes]. I remember in 1999, there were four flights weekly from Istanbul to Samsun on the coast of the Black Sea; today there are eleven a day. There has

been a huge mobility push in Turkey. In the past it was a luxury to fly; now it’s normal.” Turkish Airlines’ fleet mix shows the emphasis on domestic and medium-haul routes. Of its 255 aircraft, 78% (187) are narrowbody jets. It has 99 Boeing 737s and 88 Airbus A320-family aircraft. Only 18% are widebodies, comprising 22 A330s, 7 A340300s and 15 Boeing 777-300ERs, with the rest being nine cargo aircraft. Kotil explained: “We have almost 200 aircraft on order, worth over US$20bn. By 2021, a quarter will be long haul aircraft.” The greater share of long-haul aircraft in Turkish’s fleet will come through the delivery of 14 additional A330-300s and 20 new 777300ERs. “I prefer the 777 to the A380. We’d rather serve destinations like Chicago twice daily with a 777 than once using an A380,” said Kotil. The biggest orders in the book are for 60 A321neos for delivery between 2017 and 2020 and 50 737 MAX 8s and -9s for delivery from 2018 to 2021. By 2021, Turkish intends to operate 436 aircraft comprising 349 narrowbodies, 80 widebodies and seven cargo jets. Currently the fleet is the youngest in Europe with an average age of seven years.

Service Until the early 2000s Turkish Airlines had a less than favourable reputation for service and punctuality. Among regular air travellers, the abbreviation of the Turkish name of the airline (Türk Hava Yolları, or THY), stood for ‘They Hate You’. Today, Temel Kotil said: “We love you when you fly us and we show it to you by all means.” Turkish achieved the status of Europe’s

Andreas Spaeth

TURKISH AIRLINES COMMERCIAL

favourite airline in the Skytrax 2013 passenger survey for the third year in a row. Success has come because on the ground and in the air, in business and economy class, Turkish offers innovations others don’t have. For example, premium passengers enjoy a massage service, a golf simulator and model car racing in the airline’s recently enhanced, ultra-chic lounge in Istanbul. In a world-first, Turkish now has chefs in business class on medium-haul flights with the A321, after launching the scheme on long-haul services in 2010. Its catering joint venture with Austrian supplier Do & Co employs 520 chefs and is set to hire almost 300 more. The chefs, who replace a regular cabin crew member, can’t actually add much to the in-flight catering on a short flight, but their appearance looks impressive. As its growth plans show, making an impression is something Turkish Airlines longs for as well.

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MILITARY ITALIAN AIR FORCE 15° STORMO

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ITALIAN AIR FORCE 15° STORMO MILITARY

More with

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Riccardo Niccoli relates a time of change for the Italian Air Force’s 15° Stormo

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or almost 30 years the Aeronautica Militare Italiana (Italian Air Force)’s 15° Stormo (Wing), which specialises in search and rescue (SAR), has had the same organisation and aircraft – but recently there have been major changes in its structure and fleet.

Italian Air Force/Troupe Azzurra via Riccardo Niccoli

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MILITARY ITALIAN AIR FORCE 15° STORMO The origins of the new 15° Stormo lie in a October 23, 2008 crash involving Sikorsky HH-3F Pelican MM80981/’15-10’ of the 84° Centro SAR at Brindisi in southern Italy, following the detachment of a main rotor blade. All eight crew members died. The accident was dramatic evidence of the obsolescence of the HH-3F fleet – deliveries of which had started in 1977 – and forced the AMI to concentrate on improving the type’s serviceability.

Modernisation Process An immediate outcome of the accident was improved inspection and maintenance, but it was soon decided to begin modernisation for 15° Stormo to continue in its role effectively. In October 2009 the 6° Reparto Manutenzione Elicotteri (RME, Helicopter Maintenance Unit) at Pratica di Mare Air Base, south of Rome, was directed to identify problems with the AMI’s helicopters and undertake necessary corrective 1 measures. The initiative, Operation Caronte, concluded the HH-3F and HH-212 fleets 1 The HH-139A’s glass cockpit is dominated by five multi-function colour displays. All photos Riccardo should be phased out and new helicopters – Niccoli unless stated. 2 An HH-3F from 83° Gruppo SAR taxiing at Cervia after a training mission. 3 The HH-139A’s landing gear is higher and stronger than the AW139’s and protects the FLIR and the AgustaWestland HH-139A and HH-101 other equipment fitted to the lower part of the helicopter. 4 An aircrew on the flight line at Cervia. Note – introduced to service. the self-defence suite sensors on the tail of this HH-139A. 5 One of the TH-500S detached from 72° In 2010, ARMAEREO, the Italian military Stormo to 15° Stormo, which are used to aid pilots’ proficiency and for liaison flights. aircraft procurement agency, signed contracts 2 for ten HH-139As (plus three options), two VH139s for VIP transport and 12 HH-101s (plus three options). The HH-139As would replace the HH-3Fs in the SAR role and the VH-139s the two SH-3D/Ts used for the VIP role by 31° Stormo. The HH-101s would be used for combat SAR (CSAR) and special operations (see Caesar’s Maiden Flight, April p34).

Restructuring Meanwhile 15° Stormo underwent a restructuring which saw the transfer of the wing’s command from Pratica di Mare to Cervia Air Base on Italy’s eastern coast on October 5, 2010. There were two main reasons for the move. Cervia needed a new assignment following the disbandment of 5° Stormo and its F-16s previously stationed there. Moving 15° Stormo to Cervia would mean the wing would benefit from operating, for the first time, from its own base with a dedicated Gruppo Efficienza Aeromobili (GEA, aircraft maintenance squadron). The logistics, technical support and defence squadrons previously at Cervia under the control of 5° Stormo were passed to 15° Stormo. 3

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ITALIAN ITALIAN AIR FORCE 15° STORMO MILITARY

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Basing changes for the units making up 15° Stormo followed. One of the SAR squadrons, 83° Centro, transferred to Cervia from Rimini and was redesignated as 83° Gruppo SAR. The wing’s 81° Centro Addestramento Equipaggi (CAE, aircrew training centre) and the 615a Squadriglia Collegamenti (Liaison Flight) also moved from Pratica di Mare. On September 10, 2012, 84° Centro SAR moved from Brindisi to Gioia del Colle, although a single HH-3F from the squadron remained detached at Brindisi to provide SAR cover. Meanwhile, 85° Gruppo SAR at Pratica di Mare was redesignated 85° Centro SAR. The other squadron, 82° Centro SAR, remained at its Trapani base.

Conversions With the restructuring under way, conversion of 15° Stormo’s units and personnel onto the new helicopters began. Although the wing 5 received the first HH-139A (MM81796/’15-

40’) on January 26, 2012, deliveries from the manufacturer did not follow the planned schedule and by August there were only two helicopters at Cervia. Nevertheless, the wing managed to convert the first pilots and crewmembers onto the HH-139A after the AMI signed a contract with AgustaWestland to provide ground school, simulator time and 1,000 hours of flight training using one of AW’s own AW139s (registration I-EPIC). The 17 flying hours on the course included both visual and instrument flight rules training sorties. The hours available on I-EPIC ran out in October 2012 and it subsequently returned to the manufacturer, 81° CAE then taking on the training duties with the one HH-139A delivered to date.

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Operational After the conversion of more pilots and crews, 84° Centro at Gioia del Colle became the first 15° Stormo unit to be declared operational with the HH-139A on March 11, 2013 – followed by the other SAR units, 82° Centro SAR at Trapani and 83° Gruppo SAR at Cervia. Each unit operates three helicopters. The 85° Centro SAR at Pratica di Mare continues to fly the HH-3F for now, but its Pelicans will be withdrawn and replaced imminently by three HH-139As – acquired after the AMI exercised the option for them in December 2012. The Pelicans’ retirement was initially planned for 2018 to exploit the useful life of the airframes, but continuing budget

restrictions and the arrival of the HH-139A have led to their more rapid withdrawal.

HH-139A The HH-139A is derived from the AgustaWestland AW139, a medium helicopter in the six-to-seven tonne class which, in the civilian arena, has achieved significant sales success. More than 700 now operate in 50plus countries for use mainly in rescue and medical evacuation roles. The HH-139A military derivative in service with the AMI features mission equipment for all-weather day and night missions. It has night-vision goggles (NVG) capabilities, a FLIR Systems Star Safire III forward-looking infrared system, a 6 million candlepower searchlight, a set of loudspeakers and a satellite navigation system. There are also 1 secure UHF/VHF/HF radios and satellite communications, an identification friend or foe (IFF) system and a fully integrated selfdefence suite with chaff and flare dispensers. Compared to the standard AW139, the HH-139A has a higher, reinforced landing gear enabling it to operate in the field without damaging equipment on the underside of the fuselage. It also carries a hoist on the right-hand side, a baricentric hook, a cable cutter, auto-inflating floats and structural modifications to the tail boom. The standard internal configuration for SAR operations has five seats plus room for a stretcher. Within 30 minutes, however, it’s possible to change the layout to either medical evacuation configuration, which can accommodate up to four stretchers plus two medical attendants, or utility, which comprises 14 passenger seats.

Engineering The transfer of the 15° Stormo headquarters to Cervia meant a new role for the resident GEA, which had previously looked after 5° Stormo’s F-16s. In just a few months it had

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to convert from working with combat jet aircraft to supporting four different rotarywinged types. As well as the HH-139s and HH-3Fs, the HH-212s of 80° Centro SAR at Decimomannu (the former 670a Squadriglia Collegamenti e Soccorso, or SAR and liaison flight, redesignated on October 9, 2013) and the TH-500s of 72° Stormo also fall under the wing’s control. The GEA is responsible for conducting major maintenance checks at 200-hour flight intervals on the HH-3F, every 150 hours on the HH-212 and 100 hours for the TH-500. Programmed inspections are set at 25, 50 and 100 hours, with first-level maintenance undertaken at 200 hours. Deeper maintenance checks are carried out at the 300-hour mark by 6° RME at Pratica di Mare and full overhauls conducted by the manufacturer every 900 hours. The AMI has signed a five-year contract with AgustaWestland for the provision of technical and logistical support for the HH-139As.

Pelican Improvement Despite the decision to replace the HH-3F fleet, the Pelican has seen a substantial improvement in serviceability in recent years. Back in 2004 the fleet, which then numbered 21, flew some 6,300 flying hours per year, an average of around 300 hours per helicopter. By 2009 the fleet had reduced to 15 aircraft, which flew just 2,700 hours (180 each). Since then, thanks to Operation Caronte, the Pelicans’ availability and serviceability have improved. In 2012, availability rate was 65% and flying hours had increased to 3,000. One reason for this is that each squadron now undertakes non-destructive testing of its helicopters’ rotor blades. Although only a few HH-3Fs now remain in service, they no longer have major problems – and thanks to the availability of spare parts cannibalised from retired aircraft, in one sense the Pelican has had an extra lease of life.

ITALIAN AIR FORCE 15° STORMO MILITARY With retirement looming, however, no more general overhauls are scheduled and only minor inspections are carried out.

More Changes? The introduction of the HH-139 is not the end of 15° Stormo’s period of change: it’s possible a new contract will be signed with AgustaWestland for further HH-139As to replace the HH-212s of 80° Centro SAR at Decimomannu. Initially the HH-139A was procured as an interim solution, in expectation that the Italian Ministry of Defence would acquire the larger AW149, a type which interests the AMI for its Elicottero Medio (medium helicopter) procurement programme. But given the delicate Italian economy and unpredictable allocation of funding to the defence budget, the HH-139A might well become a long-term solution to Italy’s SAR needs.

Italian Air Force Search and Rescue

The main task of 15° Stormo is search and rescue cover for Italian and NATO military aircraft within the Flight Information Regions around Italy. One crew from each of the four bases at Cervia, Gioia del Colle, Pratica di Mare and Trapani is ready on a 24-hour-aday, year-round basis. The wing doesn’t fly exclusively for the military. When required, and when weather conditions stop civilian operators flying, it is 15° Stormo’s personnel who are alerted by the Regional Control Centre at Poggio Renatico to help civilians in danger. This happens around once a week and the missions usually involve night-time operations, the pilots using nightvision goggles. The unit at Gioia del Colle, 84° Centro, is also responsible for providing a SAR service for Albania, alternating with equivalent units from Greece.

2

1 The HH-139A is equipped with a 272kg/600lb hoist on the right-hand side . 2 A FLIR Systems Star Safire III EO/IR imaging turret is mounted underneath the HH-139A’s nose.

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MILITARY MARINE AERIAL REFUELER TRANSPORT SQUADRON 352

The Rai VMG-352 – the ‘Raiders’ – and its KC-130s are more than just aerial tankers, as Scott Dworkin reveals

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arine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352 (VMGR-352) – also known as the ‘Raiders’ – is stationed at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar in San Diego California. The unit, which operates 14 Lockheed Martin KC-130J tanker/ transports, is one of three active-duty US Marine Corps KC-130J squadrons; the

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others are VMGR-152 at MCAS Iwakuni in Japan and VMGR-252 at MCAS Cherry Point in North Carolina, which operate 15 and 14 aircraft respectively. The Raiders are part of Marine Aircraft Group 11 (MAG-11) of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (3rd MAW), which exists to provide combat-ready and self-sufficient expeditionary aviation forces capable of deployment anywhere in the world at short notice as part of a Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF). To fulfil that task, MAG-11 must provide offensive air support, anti-aircraft warfare,

assault support, aerial reconnaissance and control of aircraft roles to the MAGTF – and undertaking them means it has to provide ground support and logistics to support squadrons assigned to carrier air wings, train marine fighter attack aircraft pilots and weapons systems officers and prepare the Marine Aircraft Group Headquarters as a site command. The Raiders play a critical role in making all this happen. Their primary task is to use their KC-130Js to provide air refuelling for aircraft from other MAG-11 units. But they do much more than just that, transporting

aiders aid ers

Hercules Fleet The KC-130 is the basic designation for a family of the extended-range tanker version of the Hercules transport aircraft. The KC130J is the latest variant, which replaced older KC-130Fs and KC-130Rs.

US Marine Corps Reserve squadron, VMGR-452 at Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York still operates older KC130Ts but its sister unit VMGR-234 at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas received its first KC-130J in March 2014. VMGR-352 began its transition to the KC-130J in August 2004. Some 55% of the ’J airframe is the same as earlier models, but it’s a greatly-improved aircraft – its advances have expanded the flight envelope and enable the aircraft to operate more safely and efficiently.

Multi-Role Asset The KC-130J is capable of providing inflight refuelling both to tactical aircraft and helicopters within a 500 nautical mile (930km) operating radius of its base, as well as ground refuelling when required. It can also conduct airdrops of troops and cargo, undertake emergency resupply and casualty evacuation into and out of unpaved landing zones at remote forward operating bases (FOBs) in battle areas and insert combat troops and equipment into a tactical scenario. A unique mission the marines employ the KC-130J for is illuminating the battlefield to

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All images Scott Dworkin unless stated

personnel, equipment and supplies to wherever the group is deployed and providing unique services such as battlefield illumination and ground refuelling. The squadron also frequently supports other forces’ fixed-wing assets capable of using the probe-anddrogue air-refuelling system.

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MILITARY MARINE AERIAL REFUELER TRANSPORT SQUADRON 352

THE HISTORY OF V Since its formation as Marine Utility Squadron 352 (VMJ-352) at MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina, on April 1, 1943, the Raiders have had an illustrious history supporting fleet marine forces worldwide. The squadron was originally assigned the Douglas R4D Skytrain aircraft, which it used until its redesignation as Marine Transport 352 (VMR-352) in June 1944. The squadron began receiving the four-engine Douglas R5D Skymaster and moved to MCAS Ewa, Hawaii, in February 1945, where it remained until 1949. There it conducted training and provided operational support in the Pacific and was assigned to the Military Air Transport Service in support of the Berlin Airlift in 1948-1949. After moving to MCAS El Toro, California, in December 1949, the squadron was called on to support operations in the Korean War. After the conflict ended it resumed conducting peacetime training and routine support to deployments worldwide. In March 1961, the squadron’s mission was extended to

include air refuelling with the arrival of the KC-130 Hercules. The unit was redesignated as Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352 (VMGR-352) and in January 1962 conducted its first trans-Pacific operation, refuelling 18 F-8Us of VMF-451 during their journey from MCAS El Toro to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan. The Raiders’ rapid response capability and versatile aircraft were called on during the Cuban missile crisis in 1962 and again during the Dominican Republic crisis of 1965. In June that year, VMGR-352 deployed elements of the squadron to support combat operations in the Republic of Vietnam and continued to do so until October 1972. From 1970 to 1980, VMGR-352 routinely supported US Marine Corps assets moving between MCAS El Toro and MCAS Iwakuni. By the late 1980s, the squadron expanded its tactical role with its integration into Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) operations. From August 1990 to March 1991, a seven-aircraft detachment deployed

support helicopter operations. The Hercules orbits overhead the landing area and, at the correct moment, with the helicopter in the area, the crew will release either bright red flares to illuminate the landing area below or, to help minimise detection, infrared flares that can be seen only by aircrews wearing night-vision goggles (NVGs).

Flexibility VMRG-352 crews AIR International spoke to at Miramar highlighted the KC-130J’s flexibility by explaining how the type can be modified quickly to conduct different roles within the same day. Sergeant Broghan Hawley, a crew chief, said: “A mission could take passengers to one place [before] we take the seats down then load up some cargo and fly to a destination to drop that off. We can then put the seats back in, fuel up, take off, do an air refuelling mission and at the same time carry troops to do an insertion.” One of the Raiders’ KC-130J pilots, Capt Matthew Krayewsky, outlined typical training

to the Persian Gulf in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. During that period, VMGR352 (FWD) flew 1,144 combat sorties, amassed more than 2,500 combat flying hours, transported 10 million-plus pounds of cargo and 8,578 combat troops and dispensed more than 29 million pounds of fuel to 4,866 receiving aircraft. In the 1990s, the squadron supported various operations on the African continent. In December 1992, VMGR-352 detached eight KC-130s to Somalia and Kenya in support of Operation Restore Hope. This was the largest single deployment for the squadron in its history. Then, from March to June 1994, VMGR-352 sent another detachment of four aircraft to Africa as part of the 11th MEU (SOC) in support of Operation Continue Hope. The Raiders also participated in Operation Distant Runner, which evacuated American citizens from Rwanda on the outbreak of civil war there. During February and March 1998, VMGR352 deployed two aircraft to Kenya as part of

Operation Noble Response, a UN humanitarian relief effort, and conducted aerial delivery of food supplies. In 1997 VMGR-352 launched three two-aircraft detachments in support of the 11th, 13th and 15th MEUs (SOC) for Operation Southern Watch in Kuwait and Operation Infinite Moonlight in Jordan. It provided fixed-wing and rotary-wing air refuelling, troop aerial delivery, rapid ground refuelling and passenger/ cargo flights. On April 15, 1999, VMGR-352 relocated from MCAS El Toro to MCAS Miramar, California, while continuing to support Operation Northern Watch. During this deployment, the Raiders assisted the humanitarian effort after the 1999 earthquakes in Turkey. The following February, the squadron supported Operation Southern Watch, providing fixed-wing air refuelling in defence of the Southern Iraq no-fly zone. Following the 9/11 attacks on the US, the Raiders began their

missions in the US: “Sometimes you do air refuelled by 1 refuelling over the desert and then we can the Raiders have that aircraft go to Twentynine Palms mainly [California] and pick up marines and cargo and include F/A-18AC/D Hornets and AV-8B fly back to Miramar. Or sometimes we’ll just have Harriers. These types are supported both in the aircraft doing cargo runs supporting a large training missions in the US and on operations force exercise at various bases. in Afghanistan. The squadron also supplies “The aircraft is very versatile. We can use fuel to the service’s first F-35B Lightning IIs. it in a whole handful of different missions.” Meanwhile, marine rotary-wing assets refuelled Capt Krayewsky said this flexibility drives daily by the Raiders are CH-53s and MV-22Bs. mission planning for the Raiders: “We look at The KC-130J’s pods can each transfer everything the marines are doing, and what up to 300 US gallons (1,363 litres) of fuel we’re told we’re going to support, and then to receiving aircraft per minute. Typically, we look at the aircraft and we match up the four receivers can be refuelled in less than different missions. There are always lasthalf-an-hour. If more fuel is needed, an minute changes or things come up that are additional 24,392lb (11,064kg) can be carried high-priority. We look at what we’re set up to in a removable auxiliary tank, made from do and shuffle the cards around.” aluminium, fitted into the cargo hold. “There are two different drogues we use – Fuel Capacity one for the fixed-wing aircraft and one for low The KC-130J can provide 57,500lb speed for helicopters,” pointed out Captain (25,854kg) of fuel to receiving aircraft, carried Krayewsky. “You can’t change it in flight, but in wing and external tanks. It is capable of you can have a high-speed drogue on one fuelling fixed or rotary-wing aircraft using wing and a low-speed drogue on the other standard probe-and-drogue refuelling pods wing. You can only have one out at a time mounted on each wing. because of speed restrictions, but we can Fixed-wing US Marine Corps aircraft refuel an F/A-18 and retract the hose, then

1,2,3 VMGR-352/US Marine Corps via Scott Dworkin 4 A Rolls-Royce Allison AE2100 D3A engine undergoing maintenance inside VMGR-352’s hangar.

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Chief Warrant Officer William D Crow/US Navy

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MARINE AERIAL REFUELER TRANSPORT SQUADRON 352 MILITARY

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contributions to the war against terrorism. VMGR-352 deployed four aircraft to Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan from October 2001 to January 2002, combining forces with VMGR-252. Missions included night assault landings to desert strips, helicopter air refuelling, logistics and extensive resupply of fuel. In January 2003 the Raiders once again deployed to the Middle East, joining forces with VMGR-234 and VMGR452 to form Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron Deployed Forces Bahrain. The Raiders contributed nine aircraft to the composite squadron, which fielded a total of 24 aircraft, and supported Operation Southern Watch until March 20, when Operation Iraqi Freedom commenced. VMGR-352 played a key role in the initial invasion, and in February 2004 began a year-long deployment in Iraq of up to four aircraft as US

forces continued operations in the country. In January 2005, with less than 96 hours’ notice, the Raiders deployed a two-aircraft detachment to Southeast Asia in support of Operation Unified Assistance, which provided desperately needed humanitarian assistance in the aftermath of the Boxing Day 2004 tsunami. The detachment operated out of Utapao, Thailand, providing aerial delivery of critical supplies and cargo for victims. In March, after completing its year-long detachment in Iraq, the squadron began conversion to the KC-130J. Eleven months later VMGR-352 deployed KC130Js for the first time, detaching three aircraft to the Middle East to again support Operation Iraqi Freedom. Combined with three ’J model aircraft from VMGR-252, the Raiders operated from Al Asad in Iraq. In April 2009, the Raiders were once again called on to support Operation Enduring Freedom. The squadron relocated two aircraft

drop down [in 2 altitude] and work with the helicopters with the other pod. You can modify it to do pretty much any mission.” Another pilot on the unit, Captain Benjamin Blanton, notes the refuelling pods themselves offer a higher-pressure fuel flow than those used on previous tanker versions of the Hercules, meaning receiving aircraft can take their fuel more quickly.

Deployments The Raiders have been constantly deployed in support of the so-called war against terrorism over the past decade. US Marine Corps KC-130 units are unique in that they do not deploy as an entire squadron, but send detachments to join the marines units they’ve been tasked to support. Squadron personnel are rotated through Afghanistan every six or seven months, enabling a constant marines presence to be maintained. KC-130J squadrons also send aircraft and personnel to support routine deployments by Marine Expeditionary Units (MEUs) worldwide.

from Iraq to Kandahar, Afghanistan, one remaining in Iraq until August 2009 and marking three-and-a-half years of continuously deployed support in the country. VMGR-352 has received many awards throughout its history and proudly displays the following Battle Streamers: Presidential Unit Citation, Joint Meritorious Unit Award with one Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, Navy Unit Commendation with one Bronze Star, Meritorious Unit Commendation with one Silver Star, American Campaign, Asiatic-Pacific Service, World War II Victory, National Defense Service Medal with three Bronze Stars, Korean Service, Armed Forces Expeditionary, Vietnam Service with three Silver Stars and one Bronze Star, Southwest Asia Service with two Bronze Stars, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary and Global War on Terrorism Service. The squadron has also received two presentations of the Commandant’s Aviation Efficiency Trophy as the premier squadron in the US Marine Corps,

Time on Station

3

Having the KC-130J deployed in operational theatres greatly increases the time on station of the US Marine Corp’s Hornets and Harriers time on station, which have relatively small fuel capacities. In Afghanistan these jets provide close air support to troops on the ground. With KC-130J squadrons like the Raiders flying in the area they’re operating in they can stay airborne for longer and react more quickly to any new situations that arise. And not having to land each time they need fuel saves wear and tear on the aircraft. Capt Krayewsky said: “We’re their custom tanker; we follow them or meet them where they need us. It increases [the marines’] ability to bring the fight directly to the enemy. [It’s different from] what the air force tankers do, which is bigger-picture strategic tanking. Obviously it’s good to have both of those capabilities, but we’re fast-moving and we are self-sufficient.” The CH-53s and MV-22Bs have a larger fuel capacity than the jets – which, together with the fact their forward operating bases are close together, means the Raiders generally don’t provide air-to-air

14 CNO Aviation Safety Awards and it was the recipient of the 2010 Henry ‘Bud’ Wildfang Award for Best Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron. The Raiders have aggressively sought to attain the maximum opportunity from every challenge placed in their path. The dedication to duty by the marines and sailors of VMGR-352 has demonstrated, time and again, their skill at supporting any mission assigned, regardless of location, difficulty or brevity of notification. The numerous deployments undertaken during the Raiders’ history have enabled the squadron to increase its military prowess and VMGR352 has raised the standard of excellence for KC-130 squadrons throughout the US Marine Corps. Innovative management tools, forward-reaching initiatives, mission success, focused training, committed maintenance and, above all, a can-do attitude make VMGR-352 eminently qualified to tackle any challenges the future may hold.

refuelling for them in Afghanistan. At home, however, the squadron’s aircraft regularly ‘hook up’ with CH53s and MV-22Bs during training missions.

Typical Operations Not being required to refuel rotary-wing assets in Afghanistan “makes the whole mission set easier to manage as we can be set up with the faster drogues on both wings”, said Capt Krayewsky. When deployed, the Raiders’ KC-130Js don’t have auxiliary fuselage tanks installed, which leaves the cargo hold empty and enables the aircraft to conduct multiple missions. The captain described operations in the country: “We typically do three-hour missions. We do tactical refuelling in one small area, such as the south-west of Helmand Province. During the mission planning you can see how much time you’re going to be able to stay [on station, providing tanking for the jets]. With that in mind, you can come back, refuel and go back up. “We can then drop down and do a low-level tactical navigation to go and land somewhere

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MILITARY MARINE AERIAL REFUELER TRANSPORT SQUADRON 352 to pick up people and cargo before flying on to somewhere else. We can land on dirt strips in the middle of the desert or in the mountains. Or we might be tasked to do personnel drops like high-altitude low-opening or static line, or drop cargo.”

On the Fly He continued: “We can quickly re-task to fulfil the requirements that may be thrown at us from command such as movement of cargo or troops. It’s not unrealistic to shift our mission on the fly. You can absolutely do that with this aircraft because they’re always configured to do everything most of the time.” He gave an example from his last

1 Fast jets use a high-speed drogue; helicopters have a separate low-speed system. 2 The propellers’ 1 characteristics enable the KC-130J to operate from short-field runways.

“We then went back up to higher altitude and continued providing refuelling support for the Harriers for the rest of their mission. It’s pretty incredible to be able to switch back and forth like that.”

Harvest Hawk

deployment in Afghanistan of how the Raiders’ mission can change at short notice. “We were out providing refuelling cover for Harriers but some Ospreys came up [on the radio] and said they needed gas to make it back to their base. It was in the middle of our flight, but since the Harrier and the Osprey both use the same drogue we just altered the air speeds and dropped in altitude to fuel the Ospreys.

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Whenever the Raiders or another US Marine Corps KC-130J squadron deploy to Afghanistan, typically one of the aircraft is a Harvest Hawk, a KC-130J fitted with four Hellfire and ten Griffin GPS-guided missiles. Its job is to provide close air support, conduct intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and find and destroy improvised explosive devices. The fact that the KC-130J can be modified for these roles further underlines its flexibility. To enable the Harvest Hawk to attack targets, it has an AN/AAQ-30 targeting sensor (mounted in the back of a wing fuel tank) which feeds forward-looking infrared and colour visual imagery to the displays at the sensor operating station in the cargo compartment.

The Hellfires are mounted on the left wing and the Griffin missiles secured on the aircraft’s ramp or in the side Derringer door. The Harvest Hawk is used extensively in Afghanistan to support the anti-insurgent mission. The Raiders were the first KC-130J unit to use the variant in combat when they deployed with it in October 2010. The first weapons engagement was on November 4 supporting the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment during a firefight in Sangin. One Hellfire was released and five enemy insurgents were killed. The battle damage assessment stated there were no civilian casualties or property damage. Since then, hundreds of engagements have taken place using the type. The marine corps plans to have three Harvest Hawk-capable aircraft in each of the activeduty VMGR squadrons.

Mobile Fuel Station The KC-130J also has another unique

KC-130J FACTS & FIGURES Crew: Two pilots, crew chief and two loadmasters Capacity (depending on configuration): 92 passengers 64 airborne troops 74 litter patients with two medical personnel, six pallets or two to three jeeps or one M113 armoured personnel carrier Payload: 44,000lb (20,000kg) Length: 97ft 9in (29.8m) Wingspan: 132ft 7in (40.4m) Height: 38ft 3in (11.6m) Wing area: 1,745ft2 (162.1m2) Empty weight: 75,800lb (34,400kg) Useful load: 72,000lb (33,000kg) Max take-off weight: 155,000lb (70,300kg) Engines: Four Rolls-Royce Allison AE2100-D3A turboprops, each producing 4,637shp (3,458kW) Maximum speed: 320kts (592km/h) at 20,000ft (6,060m) Cruise speed: 292kts (540km/h) Range: 2,360 miles (3,800km) Service ceiling: 23,000ft (7,000m) Rate of climb: 1,830ft/min (9.3m/sec) Take-off distance: 3,586ft (1,093m) at 155,000lb (70,300kg) maximum gross weight 2

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capability – rapid ground refuelling. The aircraft lands and the groundcrew take the hoses out and fuel helicopters, vehicles and bowsers without any supporting infrastructure. The Hercules is the only fixed-wing aircraft in the US military to have this mobile fuel station capability; the US Air Force also uses a Hercules variant to remotely refuel special forces helicopters. The system is powered by the engines’ propeller feathering feature, which slows the props but keeps the turbines running. That generates power for the aircraft to pump the fuel at a rate of 600 US gallons (2,271 litres) per minute. And because it has the ability to land on rough, unprepared strips, the KC-130J is able to support assets on the front line that require fuel. This fits well with the US Marine Corp’s aviation expeditionary concept: it enhances the ability to reach out a little bit further into the battle space without having to return to a home base or rely on other assets for support.

Crew

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A typical KC-130J crew comprises two pilots; a crew chief at the augmented crew station; and two loadmasters, who during air refuelling act as look-outs at the rear of the aircraft. The crew master position combines the previously separate roles of crew chief and the third loadmaster. Crew chief Sgt Hawley explained: “As crew chief, I can load the plane up and I can then transition and be an observer for the air refuelling, making sure nothing goes wrong, and then go back to loadmaster duties.” Raiders pilot Capt Blanton said reducing the crew complement by two stems from the fact that the ’J model includes far more advanced systems: “Although externally the ’J looks like every other C-130, inside it’s really a completely different aircraft. It’s sometimes actually easier to talk about what is the same on the aircraft than what’s different. On the [older] one we had a flight engineer and a navigator and we had systems experts and people on board that we couldn’t deploy the airplane without.

A lot of that gap has been bridged by technology. It’s a complete glass cockpit. It’s got some very up-to-date avionics and a head-up display.”

Differences Capt Blanton is an experienced Hercules flyer. Before the Raiders he had a coveted stint with the Blue Angels, the US Navy Aerial Demonstration Team, flying their C-130T support aircraft. And before that he flew the older C-130E. Having experience of both older and newer Hercules, he’s well placed to assess what the ’J brings to the table. “The automation in this platform enables us to conduct our missions more efficiently. The advanced autopilot and head-up display means that, flying-wise, [the ’J] is much less stick and rudder and more pushing buttons. Our fuel burn is less because we have the updated engines and propellers. In the ’J, we’re more capable of getting into and out of really [short-field] strips because of the new propeller characteristics. That’s proven to be

1 The KC-130J’s glass cockpit, including head-up displays, has reduced the pilot’s workload. 2 The KC-130J’s rear cargo hold is designed to switch quickly between cargo and refuelling roles. 3 The KC-130J differs from earlier Hercules in having two rather than three loadmasters. 4 Loadmasters provide look-out during refuelling. 5 A removable fuel tank in the cargo hold enables the KC-130J to provide 24,392lb (11,064kg) of extra fuel if required. 6 A view across the Raiders’ apron at Miramar.

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especially useful in Afghanistan as some of the FOBs have pretty tight landing strips.”

Better Engines The Rolls-Royce Allison AE2100 D3A engines are one of the most significant differences between the ’J and its forebears, according to Capt Blanton. “It’s a much more powerful aircraft. The power snaps your head back and you have to rotate at a pretty high deck angle when you take off if you [have] a light load, to keep from over-speeding the landing gear. “The [full authority digital engine control] computer systems enable you to just throw on the power, but you can’t over-torque the engines anymore like you can with the older models. The computer gives you the power – I think everybody that’s flown the ’J coming from the [older variants] will tell you they were impressed by that. It saves on maintenance because there are fewer accidental overtorque incidents, which causes the aircraft to be pulled offline for at least a check.” The modern avionics and control systems also help from a logistics point of view. Sgt

Hawley observed that “there are very few things that actually hurt us maintenancewise; it’s really next to none”.

Quality of Training But Capt Blanton added that the aircraft is “only as good as the person being able to employ them”, saying new pilots arriving on the KC-130J from older Hercules variants spend six months training on the ’J. “Most of it is simulator-driven and it’s learning to use the automation, the flows, the checklists and actually being able to use the aircraft efficiently. The aircraft’s capabilities are completely worthless if you don’t know how to use it and you’re not comfortable using it. It’s like going to a Rolls-Royce.”

kept the C-130 in service for so long. It’s one of the oldest and at the same time, with the J model, one of the newest in the inventory. “When we deploy with the rest of the MAGTF, the other assets lean on us because of all we can do for them. It’s been the marine way since day one to be a selfcontained fighting unit and our capabilities continue that. The KC-130J is the icing on the cake for the marines. It’s higher, faster, further. It brings more capabilities and makes marine corps aviation that much more capable, effective and lethal.”

The Value According to Capt Blanton, the combination of the aircraft’s performance and its versatility means “the MAGTF commander loves the KC-130 because it’s a jack of all trades, it brings so much to the fight as an asset”. He thinks this flexibility is what “has

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Sting Scorpion’s

Textron AirLand is pitching its Scorpion as an affordable yet capable multi-mission platform. Mark Broadbent reports

All images Textron AirLand

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ith the European debut of the F-35B Lightning II at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) and the Farnborough International Airshow cancelled due to the type’s temporary grounding, attention fell instead on another distinctive twin-tailed jet from the United States. Textron AirLand presented its Scorpion intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR)/strike aircraft – first flown last December – in public for the first time at the two events. The aircraft, on the US experimental aircraft register as N53ITA, made the 4,700 nautical mile (8,707km) journey to southern

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England from the company’s Wichita, Texas, base via stops in Canada, Greenland, Iceland and Scotland.

Development The Scorpion’s debut comes only two-anda-half years after Textron AirLand started developing it. That rapid transformation from concept to reality makes it one of the fastest-developed combat types in recent US aerospace history. The aircraft has been designed to meet what its manufacturer sees as a need for an affordable combat jet. AirLand, a consortium of investors and advisers (the latter including the former US Secretary to the Air Force, Whit Peters) started investigating the concept for such an aircraft in the late 2000s. It approached Textron – the owner of Bell Helicopter, Beechcraft and Cessna – with the proposal in 2011.

The two parties later established a joint venture and started design work in January 2012, “literally from a PowerPoint slide with some key operating requirements”, according to Scott Donnelly, Textron’s Chief Executive Officer, in a presentation on the aircraft during Farnborough.

Filling a Gap Donnelly explained the rationale underpinning the Scorpion: “For the last 30 or 40 years all of the investment was in developing extraordinarily high performance aircraft, like F-35s, Eurofighters, Super Hornets – aircraft of that class. There’s capability in the single-engine turboprop market served by aircraft like our AT-6 and some others, but there’s a huge gap between the high end and [that] market.”

TEXTRON AIRLAND SCORPION MILITARY

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SCORPION SPECIFICATIONS Length: 44ft 3in (13.4m) Wingspan: 47ft 10in (14.5m) Height: 14ft 2in (4.3m) Standard empty weight: 11,800lb (5,352kg) Max take-off weight: 21,250lb (9,638kg) Max internal fuel load: 6,000lb (2,721kg) Max internal payload bay: 3,000lb (1,360kg) Engines: 2x Honeywell TFE731-40AR-3S Thrust: 8,000lb (35.5kN) The Scorpion over The Needles, off the Isle of Wight, prior to its RIAT and Farnborough appearances.

Textron AirLand says the Scorpion fills that space by offering the performance characteristics and systems of advanced frontline types, but without their premium price tag. The company says that, because the aircraft uses off-the-shelf technologies, it will make those sought-after high-end capabilities more affordable – and claims the Scorpion’s unit price will be under $20 million and cost $3,000 to operate per flight-hour. That compares with the typical $60 millionplus unit price and the five-figure hourly operating costs of a fourth-generation fighter.

Payload Bay One of the most important features of the Scorpion is an 82cu ft (2.3m3) bay in the centre of the fuselage capable of carrying up to 3,000lb (1,360kg) of payload. “We designed [the jet] around an empty space in the centreline of the aircraft for customisation,” said Dan Hinson, Chief Pilot, Government and Special Missions at Textron and Chief Pilot on the Scorpion project, in an interview with AIR International. The bay is compatible with sensors, fuel and communications modules already certified and in service. The manufacturer says this will enable operators to quickly incorporate payloads into the jet or change between them as their operational requirements dictate, enhancing the Scorpion’s flexibility and cost-effectiveness. The aircraft’s nose features a retractable mount which carries a high-definition electrooptical/infrared sensor, enabling the Scorpion to fly in clean configuration to an operational area. The crew can then lower the sensor for

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the mission and retract it into the aircraft for the return to base, helping reduce drag and improve efficiency during missions.

Customisable The aircraft has an open architecture Modular Mission System in the cockpit. This creates compatibility with in-service sensors by providing the processing for customers to upload the software they’ll need for their particular equipment into the aircraft’s avionics. The company says this minimises integration costs and provides the opportunity to change payloads swiftly and cost-effectively. “We have the connectivity there to enable customers to get the most out of the aircraft,” Hinson said. At the Farnborough briefing Textron AirLand President Bill Anderson said the Scorpion “has cooling and electricity for all of today’s high-end ISR packages” and that, “no other aircraft in this class can offer that capability”. The jet’s six wing hardpoints can carry up to 6,200lb (2,812kg) of ordnance. Its MILSTD-1760 connections, which standardise the electrical interface between aircraft and stores, mean the Scorpion can carry a range of weapons including laser-guided and GPS-guided rockets, bombs and missiles. The inboard stations are also plumbed for additional external fuel tanks to extend range.

The Cockpit Another important facet of the Scorpion’s cost-effectiveness is its use of avionics already certified and in operation. Many of its systems have been brought across from the Cessna Citation business jet, including

Max speed: 450kts (833km/h) Service ceiling: 45,000ft (13,716m) Ferry range: 2,400nm (4,444km)

multi-function full-colour displays presenting flight, aircraft performance, navigation and mission information. The Scorpion also has the Citation’s terrain awareness and warning, engine indicating/ crew alerting, traffic collision and avoidance and dual air data attitude heading reference systems plus weather radar and integrated moving maps. Hinson said the cockpit displays provide for a great degree of customisation. For example, the weather radar and traffic information can be overlaid on the moving map and displayed on one screen, consolidating navigation, route and weather information in one place. “It gives ‘tailorable’ information that you’re looking for at the right time to make the right decisions,” he said. The displays also show the outputs from the sensors aboard and provide compatibility with night-vision goggles. A playback capability means the crew can analyse data from the sensors during the mission.

Performance Hinson said the Scorpion is proving “very predictable” in its performance and handling. “The aircraft climbs smartly, an average of almost 3,000ft a minute to flight level 270. It is high wing-loaded so it’s nice and sturdy. In roll it’s very nimble: there’s not much in the way of adverse yaw and a roll is completed in about four-and-a-half seconds. We’ve flown a lot of formation with it and we’re able to precisely control the position of the aircraft very easily.” The Scorpion’s twin Honeywell TFE73140AR-3S turbofan engines each generate 8,000lb (35.5kN) of thrust. They use

TEXTRON AIRLAND SCORPION MILITARY conditioned bleed air to generate electrical power and are directed by a digital electronic engine control system. The aircraft has a 450kts (833km/h) top speed but it’s also able to operate comfortably at 100kts (185km/h). The combination of the efficient engines and the aircraft’s handling characteristics presents an aircraft that Hinson thinks will “inspire confidence” among its pilots.

Missions According to Textron AirLand, the aircraft’s performance together with the customisation available in the payload and avionics make the Scorpion ideal for a range of roles. The company sees a future for the aircraft in close air support, maritime patrol, disaster response, border security, counter-narcotics, battlefield surveillance and command and control missions. Anderson said the aircraft is capable of flying up to 150nm (277km) with a combat load, staying on station for five hours and returning to base, all without in-flight refuelling – adding that the jet can be equipped with a Cobham air refuelling probe system if required. The payload bay and the retractable nosemounted sensor are vital in maximising the Scorpion’s range and endurance, Hinson said, because flying in clean configuration to the mission area means the aircraft can make a high-speed dash to where it’s needed “without having to suffer the tremendous drag penalty of those systems hanging on the wings”.

Speed and Endurance The manufacturer says this combination of high- and low-speed capabilities will be particularly useful for nations looking to conduct maritime patrol, border security and anti-trafficking missions affordably, because the jet can use its speed to respond quickly to incidents and then slow down to remain in

operational areas for an extended period. The combination will also prove useful, the company says, in what it calls the ‘aerospace control alert’ mission – intercepting unidentified low- and slow-flying aircraft. “[The] Scorpion can quickly scramble, launch and reach 400-plus knots for the intercept,” says a promotional leaflet. “[It] can identify aircraft at range through on-board and off-board systems. With manoeuvring speeds as low as 100 knots, the Scorpion can effectively escort the aircraft while maintaining a relative position.” Textron AirLand also sees a future for the aircraft as a command and control platform both for combat and in response to natural disasters. It says the aircraft’s crew will be able to fly at slow speed for several hours over the battlefield or disaster scene, with the electro-optical/infrared sensor receiving and processing information and relaying it to control centres.

Tactical Jet Training The Scorpion is also being pitched for the training role. “We think this aircraft would make a fantastic trainer,” Donnelly said. “It’s easy-to-fly [and] a great aircraft to transition into a lead-in fighter-type role.” Its databus enables operators to ‘download’ training tasks from more expensive fourth- or fifth-generation combat jets. Hinson said the Scorpion’s

customisable software means operators have flexibility in how complex they make the training for their pilots, making the aircraft suitable both for teaching new student pilots and those in the final stages of training about to head to frontline combat jets. “You can down-select what you can put on the displays,” he said. “You can present a basic display with just pitch attitude and teach [the student] how to fly a plane; or you can bring in other systems and become more sophisticated as they are able to start integrating all the [systems] information. There’s a broad degree of capability to train pilots.”

Potential Buyers At the time of writing, the Scorpion had yet to secure any orders. RIAT and Farnborough, both attended by high-ranking military officers from around the world, were an ideal opportunity for Textron AirLand to showcase the aircraft and highlight its potential. Donnelly said Textron AirLand was closely following the US Air Force’s T-X requirement for a new jet trainer to replace its ageing Northrop T-38C Talons. “We’re very interested,” he said, but added that whether the Scorpion is pitched for it depends on T-X’s final requirements, which are still to be issued. T-X aside, the company believes the Scorpion has a bright future. It sees a market for as many as 2,000 worldwide, with countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East looking for affordable light combat jets among the primary sales targets. In bundling comparatively low acquisition and operating costs, diversity in the missions it’s able to carry out and good performance, Textron AirLand says its new jet offers “one-of-a-kind ISR/strike capability at unmatched value”. It’s now up to the market to decide whether it agrees.

THE SCORPION’S KEY FEATURES COCKPIT Uses systems from the Cessna Citation business jet including terrain awareness, traffic collision and avoidance, weather radar and integrated moving maps.

AIRFRAME Manufactured from composite parts, the Scorpion boasts a 20,000-flying hour service life.

RETRACTABLE ELECTRO-OPTICAL/INFRARED SENSOR Lowered by the crew for the mission after completing a high-speed dash to the mission area.

PAYLOAD BAY An 82cu ft (2.3m3) bay provides capacity for sensors, fuel and communications modules.

HARDPOINTS Laser and GPS-guided weapons can be carried on six wing stations.

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France’s Air Defenders

Part 2

Henri-Pierre Grolleau witnesses firsthand how air defence emergencies are handled on France’s border with Switzerland

An EC 1/2 ‘Cigognes’ Mirage 2000-5F from the QRA at BA110 Creil north of Paris. All photos by the author unless stated.

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ach year no fewer than 24 cross-border air defence exercises are organised by the Armée de l’Air (AdlA, French Air Force) with neighbouring countries – four each with the UK, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Spain. Their importance was reaffirmed by the events of Monday February 17, 2014 when an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 767 was forced into Geneva after it was hijacked. The AdlA’s working relationships with neighbouring air forces deepened after ‘9/11’ with the reinforcement of joint procedures. Lieutenant Colonel Jean-François (all surnames withheld at the request of the French military), who’s in charge of the AdlA’s

international co-operation in air security, explained: “There already were international treaties between NATO members to react against military air intrusions. But the threat is now wider and more varied, and each country has to be ready to react against any eventuality. Agreements were progressively broadened for a co-ordinated pursuit across borders of non-military air threats, especially civilian aircraft turned into weapons of mass destruction. “They are split into various technical documents and procedures with each of our neighbours, with dedicated clauses being adapted as and when required to match the various laws and legislations of each country. The legal aspects prove crucial in these types of agreements, and the AdlA has its own international lawyers who ensure that rules are strictly followed. “Today, all nations co-operate in a very efficient way, sharing information and intelligence and allowing cross-border hot pursuits. With our eight Rafale and Mirage 2000 interceptors and five Fennec helicopters all held at short-notice readiness at seven air bases spread across France, we maintain a permanent, robust, tailored, well-adapted and reactive quick reaction alert network.”

Exercise Swatch The AdlA and the Swiss Air Force granted the author the opportunity to participate in the latest Exercise Swatch, a cross-border

series of air defence tests between France and Switzerland. I flew in an AdlA Alpha Jet trainer from Escadron d’Entraînement 2/2 ‘Côte d’Or’, at BA102 Dijon-Longvic, which played the ‘bad guy’. My pilot was Capitaine Nicolas S, one of the squadron’s most experienced fliers. The goal of the scenario was to test command networks – especially the transfer of responsibility between French and Swiss authorities – and decision-making. During Swatch exercises, officers on both sides of the border learn how to work together to achieve total efficiency by testing complex procedures. At 1015 local precisely, Capt Nicolas releases the brakes and our Alpha Jet accelerates down runway 17 at DijonLongvic. Less than 15 minutes later we’re at 32,500ft (9,906m) above Saint-Dizier, the AdlA’s Rafale lair that’s today shrouded by thick cloud cover. A wide turn left brings us onto a southerly heading towards Lyon.

Simulation This morning we’re simulating a Boeing 737 transiting from Brussels to Marseille. My pilot signals the start of the exercise with the radio call “French Air Force 7141, startex”. From now on, we will not answer any radio calls: we are simulating a loss of communications (a ‘com loss’ in AdlA parlance). Will someone realise that the 737 isn’t responding? We don’t have to wait long for the answer, a testament to the French military and civilian air traffic control’s efficiency. “Aircraft on bearing 258 degrees, range 62 nautical miles from Nancy Air Base on heading 179 at flight level 325, do you receive me? Over.” Strictly respecting the exercise’s instructions, we maintain radio silence. The call comes again: “Aircraft on bearing 256 degrees, range 65 nautical miles from Nancy Air Base on heading 180 at flight level 325,

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MILITARY FRENCH AIR FORCE AIR DEFENCE do you receive me? Over.” Again, we don’t respond. By now, the whole French air defence command structure will have been informed of the situation by the Centre National des Opérations Aériennes (CNOA, or national air operations centre), a hardened and highly-secured command centre buried beneath Mont Verdun, north of Lyon. The alert will have been given to Escadron de Chasse 2/5 ‘Ile-de-France’ at BA115 Orange, a couple of hundred kilometres away directly in front of us. A quick reaction alert (QRA) Mirage 2000C from the squadron will soon blast away at full power from Orange’s main runway to intercept us. South of Dijon my pilot banks the Alpha Jet left towards Riesling 07, the transfer point selected for this cross-border scenario – the name is derived from the ‘Riesling’ callsign used by the AdlA Drachenbronn control and reporting centre, which is frequently used by French and Swiss military aircraft during transits between France and Switzerland. From now on we’re not following our flight plan towards Marseille. For the CNOA the situation becomes more worrying: from a ‘com loss’ it has developed into a ‘renegade’ (a non-military air threat), with a probable hijacker in the 737 cockpit.

Close Surveillance Capt Nicolas keeps his eyes locked on his stopwatch. He constantly calculates the Mirage 2000 flight time to estimate its time of arrival. The AdlA’s policy is to avoid supersonic flights over land during training

missions: they’re only permitted in case of real emergencies. As a result the Mirage 2000 has only been cleared to cruise at high subsonic speed to carry out its interception. The priority in this exercise is to give the Mirage 2000 pilot the opportunity to practise identification and visual reconnaissance procedures. Suddenly, a call comes in on the simulated ‘Guard’ frequency (simulated in an effort not to block the real ‘Guard’ distress frequency): “Unknown aircraft on bearing 167 degrees, range 39 nautical miles from Dijon Air Base on heading 093 at Mach 0.7, flight level 325, this is French Air Force fighter. Do you receive me? Over.” The Mirage 2000C is trying to contact us but, again strictly adhering to the instructions we received before taking off, we continue to maintain radio silence. Capt Nicolas and I both try to locate the interceptor but we’re unable to see it. It’s probably well hidden 3,280ft (1,000m) behind and 1,000ft (304m) below us, the traditional position used by French fighters to shadow an aircraft. “Boeing 737 on bearing 165 degrees, range 43 nautical miles from Dijon Air Base on heading 092 at Mach 0.7 and flight level 325, this is French Air Force fighter. Do you receive me? Over.” Still we don’t answer. The Mirage remains hidden as we cross the border into Swiss airspace.

Swiss Airspace Following the pre-determined exercise agreement (and to leave the interception

to the Swiss Air Force), the Mirage 2000C turns back at the border and we continue on our own. Before us stand the Alps, looking majestic in bright sunshine. After flying 90km (49 nautical miles) into the country’s airspace, a Swiss AF F/A-18C Hornet suddenly appears in our eight o’clock. “There must be another one in our six o’clock because the Swiss Air Force follows the traditional NATO concept, systematically sending a two-ship to make the interception,” Capt Nicolas says. As we’re simulating a 737, the Hornet has joined us from the left – in a real airliner that’d be on the captain’s side. If needed, for example with a low sun which would hinder observation, the fighter could have joined us from the right. I immediately notice the F/A-18’s bellymounted drop tank has ‘STBY 121.5’ painted on it in large red letters: our pragmatic Swiss neighbours had the clever idea of reminding an intercepted aircraft which frequency to switch to in case of an emergency. But, as we’re simulating a ‘com loss’ scenario, Capt Nicolas takes no notice of it. The Swiss pilot immediately starts the identification procedure, first trying to establish contact with us. He moves forward by about 30m (98ft) – practising the position the Hornet would need to have to be in the field of view of a real airliner’s crew – and then vigorously rocks his wings in an effort to attract our attention. “Aircraft on my right, this is the Swiss Air Force fighter on your wing, turn left onto 1 1 Refuelling at Payerne between Exercise Swatch flights. 2 The Swiss Air Force holds F/A-18Cs on QRA. Ismael Jorda/AirTeamImages 2

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heading 323 towards Payerne air base,” comes the radio call. Captain Nicolas remains totally silent and the Hornet comes back into place in our nine o’clock. The F/A-18 pilot is wearing a Joint HelmetMounted Cueing System (JHMCS) fitted to his HGU-55P helmet. It gives the pilot sensor cueing for ‘out of the cockpit targeting’ in the visual range arena and is optimised to designate an off-boresight target to the infrared seeker of an AIM-9X Sidewinder short-range air-to-air missile. “Aircraft on my right, turn left onto heading 321 towards Payerne air base.” This time Capt Nicolas banks left, but keeps on turning well past 321 degrees, ending up on the very same heading after a full 360º turn and a loss of 6,000ft (1,828m) in altitude in the process. “I’m going to make him wait a little while,” my pilot says. Unshakeable, the Hornet remains firmly on our wing. “Aircraft on my right, I repeat, turn left onto heading 319 towards Payerne air base.” We turn right instead, but the extremely agile and beautifully responsive Hornet has no difficulty following our manoeuvre. “If you do not comply with my orders, I will have to fire warning shots,” says the Swiss pilot, whose tone has become more authoritative. The Hornet comes much closer to show its determination. “You are not complying with my orders, I have been authorised to fire warning shots. Turn right onto heading 315 towards Payerne air base,” its pilot instructs.

REINFORCED DETACHMENTS Major events in France that draw large crowds or high-ranking foreign representatives – such as the Paris Air Show, the G20 Summit, the Bastille Day ceremonies and the D-Day anniversary in Normandy – require increased protection. Accordingly, special reinforced detachments are created locally to set up a hard-to-penetrate security ‘bubble’. Radar and detection coverage at low, medium and high level is supported by the deployment of mobile radars such as the Saab Giraffe now in service with the Armée de l’Air. Observers equipped with optronics systems and thermal cameras also deploy in the field to visually identify aircraft attempting to fly through the net. A range of surface-to-air systems, comprising Mistral, Crotale NG and/or Mamba launchers, provide a heavy punch in conjunction with fighters and armed helicopters. TB30 Epsilons are often drafted in from their Cognac base to intercept slow movers and Harfang UAVs have been used in the past to expand surveillance coverage. If need be, in a coastal area, a French Navy Cassard or Forbin-class air defence destroyer could be included in the air defence network. Meanwhile detachments are set up at local airfields to co-ordinate use of the restricted airspace between military personnel and private and commercial pilots.

Forced into Payerne Capt Nicolas reluctantly agrees to turn towards Payerne. “Roger, turning right now,” he responds. We are getting low on fuel anyway. While the Hornet leader was dealing with us, his wingman monitored the Payerne Automatic Terminal Information Service and transmits all the data to us. “Runway 23 in use at Payerne, QNH 1023, visibility 8km, broken at 1,800 feet, wind calm,” states the Swiss pilot. The landscape below changes as we leave the Alps and overfly the Swiss plateau, which is crisscrossed by roads, motorways and railways. To the northwest, Lake Neuchâtel appears through the broken cloud layer. To simulate a straight-in approach, as would be carried out by an airliner, the three aircraft join a very long final onto runway 23 at Payerne. The Hornet on our left lowers its gear, an internationally-recognised order to land, and we do likewise. The fighter follows us until we touch down before going around for a short circuit and coming in to land after us. While a yellow and black Pilatus PC-9 target tug waits at the holding point, our Alpha Jet is guided towards the visitors’ aircraft apron where the marshaller parks us next to two modernised PC-7 basic trainers. This time, the arrest on the ground will not be rehearsed by the Swiss police force.

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1 1&2 The author’s Exercise Swatch flight was conducted in an Alpha Jet trainer from Escadron d’Entraînement 2/2 Côte d’Or based at BA102 Dijon-Longvic.

Like all AdlA pilots, Capt Nicolas is cleared to turn around his Alpha Jet himself: he will refuel the aircraft and carry out an in-depth pre-flight check before our departure. The refuelling is completed in less than 20 minutes, with the delivery of 1,150 litres of kerosene. We join the Swiss pilots for a face-to-face debriefing and I realise the leader of the two Hornets is Captain Jason ‘Jay’ S, with whom I had flown in an F/A-18D in February 2008 from Payerne. But the details of the debriefing have to remain secret because some of the procedures are classified. We only have a few minutes to spare to eat a quick meal in the restaurant used as a mess by Swiss aircrews.

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Callsign ‘Powder’ Capt Nicolas lifts off from Payerne at 1330 and turns onto heading 150, towards the Alps. Abeam the Matterhorn (known as the Cervin in French and one of the highest peaks in the Alps at 14,691ft/4,478m), we turn back onto heading 310 to initiate the second part of the exercise. This time we’ll simulate a Falcon business jet carrying drugs between Milan and Cardiff, callsign ‘Powder’. After playing a hijacker in the morning, I now find myself being a drug trafficker. The heading will bring us back to point

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MILITARY FRENCH AIR FORCE AIR DEFENCE Riesling 07 and, still over the Alps, we await interception by the Swiss Air Force’s QRA. Two Hornets show up in our ten o’clock less than five minutes later. The leader comes in close formation abeam on our left while his wingman disappears behind us. “Aircraft on my right, this is Swiss Air Force fighter. Please confirm your flight plan number, your destination and number of persons on board,” says the Swiss pilot. “Falcon ‘Powder’, flight plan number FNZV2832, destination is Cardiff with two persons on board,” responds Capt Nicolas. The Swiss authorities start a verification process: we do not pose an immediate threat and, to fully comply with the strict framework of a judicial inquiry into suspected drug trafficking, everything has to be done in total compliance with international treaties.

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In various offices, policemen and custom officers will be on the phone, simulating calls to their opposite numbers in other countries to contribute to the exercise’s realism. We near the French border. To train both pilots and Swiss and French command and control networks, the two Hornets stay with us while we cross into France. Under the terms of the Franco-Swiss treaty on air defence, in a real interception the Hornets have the right to continue the pursuit in French airspace. For an aircraft suspected of drug trafficking, the border does not represent a limit for an intervention anymore, nor an opportunity to escape.

Mirage 2000-5F North of Dijon a Mirage 2000 shows up and, after a wide turn, positions itself in our eight

o’clock, about 30m (98ft) away, while the lead Hornet changes wing and comes on our right. It’s an EC 1/2 ‘Cigognes’ Mirage 2000-5F from the QRA at Creil north of Paris, fitted with a 1,250-litre (274 Imp gal) drop tank under the fuselage and two live Mica IR infrared-guided air-to-air missiles under the outer wing pylons. Without delay, the ‘Dash 5’ pilot contacts us while the two Hornets peel away and head back towards Payerne. “Aircraft callsign ‘Powder’, please confirm the airfield you are coming from, your destination and the nationality of the crewmembers,” says the Mirage pilot. “Falcon ‘Powder’, from Milan, Italy. Destination Cardiff, United Kingdom. Two pilots on board, both French,” replies Capt Nicolas. Nothing is heard on the frequency

for quite a while. “He is talking to the CNOA over the radio,” explains Capt Nicolas. In the Mont Verdun hardened bunker 120m (393ft) below the surface, decisions are being taken. “Falcon ‘Powder’, from now on you will be escorted into Nancy-Ochey Air Base. “Negative, my destination is Cardiff, in Wales,” responds Capt Nicolas. We stubbornly continue on the same heading. “Falcon ‘Powder’, I repeat: you are not allowed to proceed to Cardiff. You have to land at Nancy.” “I receive you broken, 1 out of 5. Can you please repeat?” There’s a burst of laughter on the intercom from Capt Nicolas, who’s very happy to confront pilots and decision-makers with all types of situations. “Falcon ‘Powder’, follow me towards

Nancy airfield, at 43 nautical miles,” repeats the Mirage pilot. “Annecy? It’s much further away than 43 nautical miles,” says Capt Nicolas. “Negative. Not Annecy, NANCYYYY! ICAO code Lima Fox Sierra Oscar. Understood?” “Okay, okay, okay – understood,” Capt Nicolas replies. “Runway in use at Nancy is runway 20. Visibility more than 10 kilometres, broken at 3,000 feet. QFE 985. Danger wind bravo,” says the Mirage pilot. “Roger.” Probably fearing another trick from my pilot, the Mirage 2000-5F remains extremely close, even when we are slowing down. He lowers the aircraft’s gear to order us to land and flies at a very high

angle of attack to stay with the much slower Alpha Jet. “French Air Force 7141, endex,” calls Capt Nicolas to end the exercise. There is no point going any further today as the command structure had ample time to test its procedures. Once at Nancy on short finals, we go around and turn towards Dijon for the short transit back at medium altitude. This action-packed mission showed how strong the links between the AdlA and the Swiss Air Force are and demonstrated the complex exercises needed to train pilots and military and political decision-makers in realistic conditions. Thanks to these cross-border exercises, procedures are regularly rehearsed, enabling emergencies to be dealt with efficiently and effectively.

1 1 Note the frequency painted on the belly tank to remind intercepted aircraft to switch to it. 2 Exercise Swatch, and similar exercises with other neighbouring countries, tests France’s air defence command network.

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SriLankan o

S

ri Lanka is slightly smaller in size than Ireland but, at 20 million-plus, its population is more than four times bigger. Its economy largely depends on tourism – with around 1.2 million visitors in 2013. After almost 26 years of civil war, which ended in 2009, and the effects of the 2004 tsunami, which claimed more than 35,000 lives and displaced more than half-a-million, it’s thought an economic boom period lies ahead. “There’s pent-up demand after the civil war: we see an upsurge in a lot of things,” said Kapila Chandrasena, the Chief Executive of SriLankan Airlines, in an interview with AIR International in the country’s capital, Colombo. Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport, in Hambantota province in the south of Sri

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Lanka, is one of the world’s newest. It’s the brainchild of, and named after, the country’s president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, who comes from the region. The airport (IATA code HRI), which opened in March 2013, has a grandiose terminal with wide walkways, Buddha statues and grand halls. It currently handles just one million passengers annually and is largely empty for most of the time, handling just two flights on some days. But Mattala has an essential role. “For an island nation, it’s important to have a second airport,” said Chandrasena. “Our main airport, Bandaranaike International in Colombo, has only one runway: if that’s closed we have to reroute all aircraft to south India.”

capacity,” explained Chandrasena. “That’s why we aim to develop Mattala to be the leisure gateway and use Colombo more as a commercial hub.” The first step is to switch transfer traffic to Mattala and then expand Colombo. “The second satellite [terminal] at Bandaranaike has been approved. Construction will start this year and it’s supposed to open in 2017,” said the CEO. As 65% of all visitors to Sri Lanka are tourists, and the national carrier says half its passengers are holidaymakers, the idea is to use Mattala to bring visitors closer to attractions in the south such as Yala National Park with its elephants and leopards.

Growth Strategy

Link to the World

The new facility is part of a wider strategy to cope with passenger growth. “Colombo already serves more than seven million passengers a year although it was conceived only for five million, so it suffers from under-

SriLankan Airlines is 100% governmentowned. For ten years up to 2008, Emirates held a 43% stake. “But,” insisted Chandrasena, “we’ve not seen any government intervention in the last

n on the Rise SRILANKAN AIRLINES COMMERCIAL

Sri Lanka’s national airline has ambitious plans as the country’s recovery from years of turmoil continues. Andreas Spaeth reports

ceremony to mark the airline joining oneworld and symbolise the country’s aspirations. “We want to join the world,” said Sarath Amunugama, the Sri Lankan Government’s Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning, during the celebrations. “We were held hostage by the civil war for almost 30 years. Now we have to catch up fast.” The minister stressed the amount of new infrastructure now in place: highways, ports, improved power supplies as well as the airport. “We want to make Sri Lanka a hub.” In 2015 the country is projected to have 2.5 million tourists, more than double the 2013 figure. “We’re well on track for it,” added Amunugama. “We have to acquire a much higher profile through greater connectivity in the region, so the joining of SriLankan Airlines into oneworld is an important element in a jigsaw puzzle coming together.”

Indian Connectivity SriLankan’s membership is significant for the alliance, too, which now has a portfolio of almost 1,000 airports served worldwide. Oneworld CEO Bruce Ashby commented: “SriLankan is the first airline from the Indian subcontinent to join any of the global alliances and completes Oneworld’s biggest expansion programme since it was launched 15 years ago.” Chandrasena said part of SriLankan’s

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three years; 80% of our business is purely commercially driven, 20% government.” The carrier is essential in maintaining the country’s links to the world. “Some 45% of all passengers coming to Sri Lanka or transferring here are handled by us,” said the CEO, despite many big carriers like Emirates, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, British Airways, Korean Air and Singapore Airlines flying to Colombo as well. SriLankan took an important step in its history at Mattala on May 1, 2014 when it became a member of the oneworld airline alliance, joining industry giants like American Airlines and BA and bolstering its network with more than 800 connections in 150 countries through codeshares with oneworld partners. “The fact that SriLankan joined the alliance is a blueprint for our economy in general. One focus area in our country’s development is aviation,” noted Chandrasena. It was appropriate that Mattala was chosen as the venue for a colourful

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COMMERCIAL SRILANKAN AIRLINES

proposal to oneworld was that it could improve the alliance’s connectivity to the subcontinent. With Air India joining the rival Star Alliance in July, SriLankan is an important foothold for oneworld in the region. The other major Indian carrier, Jet Airways, now partly owned by Etihad Airways, is still not part of an alliance. “There are 600 million people living just in south India: that’s an extension of our home market for us,” noted Chandrasena. His company’s strategy is to make Colombo a transit hub for southern India, where it serves six cities, with connections to the rest of the world. “People prefer to connect here rather than in Delhi or Mumbai,” he said. Anyone who’s experienced the chaos often found at Indian airports might well agree.

after more than ten years’ absence. “The challenge is that [Australia] is a seasonal market. We’re running models to see how we can sustain a year-round operation.” Other potential destinations are Seoul, Johannesburg and Manila.

Revised Fleet

SriLankan’s busiest route remains its Colombo to London-Heathrow service, which it serves nine times a week. Its other European destinations – Frankfurt, Paris CDG, Rome and Moscow Domodedovo – are typically offered three to four times a week. But there’s growth in other areas. “Europe used to be our traditional market, but now we also have an emerging market in China with, currently, Shanghai-Pudong, Beijing, Guangzhou, Chongqing and Hong Kong being served, mostly for leisure passengers,” explained Chandrasena. In addition to China, “we see huge opportunity in the US and Canada, and Australia and Japan are of great interest to us”. SriLankan already serves TokyoNarita and it has restarted flights to Sydney

SriLankan Airlines

Asian Growth

“We want to expand Mihin and look at more second-tier markets in India, Asia and the Middle East ” Kapila Chandrasena, SriLankan Airlines’ CEO

Andreas Spaeth

As part of a five-year business plan to return the airline to profitability, SriLankan is about to start a fleet replacement programme. It has operated Airbus aircraft since the early 1990s: the first A320s arrived in 1992, followed by A340-300s from 1994. When Emirates took over the airline’s management in 1998, as part acquiring its stake, it oversaw further fleet changes: six A330-200s arrived between October 1999 and July 2000. Two A330s, one A340 and an A320 – half the SriLankan inventory at the time – were destroyed in an attack on Colombo airport by Tamil Tiger rebels on July 24, 2001. But the fleet was rebuilt and, with the return of tourism after the civil war, the carrier has since expanded it. Two years ago it had 14 aircraft – it now flies 22, a 30% to 40% capacity growth. Replacing SriLankan’s six ageing A340300s is next on the agenda. “They’re 16 to 18 years old and just one return trip to London costs us $50,000 to $60,000 more than the same trip on an A330,” revealed the CEO. A $500 million capital infusion from the Sri Lankan Government enabled the airline to order more efficient replacements. From October, the first of six A330-300s will arrive in Colombo. Two more will be delivered before the end of this year and the remaining four by December 2015, when the final A340 will be retired. “We’ve ordered the high gross weight version for our flights to Europe,” explained Chandrasena, the variant offering 240 tons maximum take-off weight compared to the standard 235 tons.

A350-900 The next step will be the phasing in of the A350-900, seven of which are on order. “We expect them to arrive from the second or third quarter of 2016 to 2021, ultimately replacing all A330-200s,” said Chandrasena. Once the first A350s arrive the A330s will initially be transferred to short-haul operations. On the narrowbody side, SriLankan currently flies eight A320s and one A321. “Going forward, our narrowbody of choice is the A321, which just fits our short haul network better.” The airline’s first, a former Qatar Airways machine, arrived in January and the second in June.

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SRILANKAN AIRLINES COMMERCIAL Two additional A321s will be leased to replace a pair of the A320s and the airline is planning to lease two more – according to a report by the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation consultancy – to bring its total to five.

“It’s a hybrid carrier with a regional footprint,” said Chandrasena, who was its CEO before becoming SriLankan’s boss. “We want to expand Mihin and look at more second-tier markets in India, Asia and the Middle East. Both networks feed each other and we have our own codeshare arrangements.” The subsidiary, which is to receive two A321s in 2015, already brings in 10% of all passengers to Sri Lanka. “It’s still two airlines, but operationally we’ve merged a lot of aspects like a synchronised network, and using the same maintenance facilities,” Chandrasena explained.

Low-Fare Leisure Airbus’s biggest narrowbody is also in service with Mihin Lanka, a low-fare leisure airline subsidiary 100%-owned by SriLankan. It currently flies two A321s and a single A320 to destinations in India, the Persian Gulf, southeast Asia and the Seychelles.

SRILANKAN AIRLINES FACTS AND FIGURES

MRO Plans SriLankan also has plans in the

IATA code: UL

maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) market. As part of its hub concept, it wants to start an affiliated MRO business based at Mattala. “We will start construction [of an MRO facility] in mid-2015 and focus on narrowbodies, possibly in a joint venture with Lufthansa Technik,” revealed the CEO. “Large Indian carriers will then have their MRO in Mattala – and we also want to build an aviation training facility.” SriLankan is well positioned to take advantage of having its home in a flourishing region. But first, the airline wants to reap the benefits of joining oneworld – a move expected to increase revenues for both parties by $25 to $30m annually.

ICAO code: ALK Ownership: Government of Sri Lanka (94.68%), employees (5.32%) Operations started: 1979 as Air Lanka, rebranded as SriLankan in July 1999 Employees: 6,470 Passengers: 2012 – 4.3m, 2011 – 3.5m Fleet: 8 Airbus A320s, 1 Airbus A321, 7 Airbus A330-200s, 6 Airbus A340-300s Orders: 1 Airbus A320, 4 Airbus A321s, 6 Airbus A330-300s, 7 Airbus A350-900s

Results: 2012/13 financial year – $172m loss www.srilankan.com

Andreas Spaeth

Hub: Colombo Route network: 32 international destinations in Europe (including LondonHeathrow), the Gulf region, the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia

The ceremony at Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport marking SriLankan’s entry to the oneworld alliance. Andreas Spaeth

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European

Transport Training Alexander Mladenov and Krasimir Grozev report from Europe’s premier military air transport training event, held this year in Bulgaria

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he third European Air Transport Training (EATT) course, staged at Plovdiv Airport in Bulgaria from June 15 to 27, was bigger than the previous two, held at Zaragoza Air Base in Spain in 2012 and 2013. Ten countries brought transport aircraft this year and seven others sent observers. Organised by the European Defence Agency (EDA), the EATT has won plaudits from participants for providing a flexible, tailored course for tactical air transport crews. Its chief aim is to find ways of improving interoperability between participating nations working in an international environment. The intensive two-week course is also used to consolidate crews’ existing qualifications or gain new ones in a short period. The training at EATT14 was designed to cover the entire scope of tactical air

EUROPEAN AIR TRANSPORT TRAINING MILITARY transport mission profiles. Each nation was granted the freedom to set the difficulty of missions for its aircrews, according to their specific tactical characteristics and training requirements. Scenarios included lowlevel tactical navigation down to 300ft (91m), dirt strip landings, multiaircraft formation flying and cargo and personnel airdrops. The exercise culminated in a combined air operation (COMAO) involving all the participating transporters plus fighters provided by Bulgaria and Greece and ground-based air defence (GBAD) units.

Poor Weather Bulgaria proved an excellent location for EATT14, providing airspace free of civilian traffic at low level over both mountainous and flat terrain as well as two dedicated drop zones, one of which was also used as a semi-prepared dirt airstrip for tactical landings and cargo offload day and night. Heavy rain and thunderstorms led to a number of cancelled sorties in the first week of the course – compensated for by an additional flying day on the weekend in the middle of the exercise. The bad weather did however mean it was impossible to use the dirt airstrip at

Cheshnegirovo airfield, northeast of Plovdiv, designated drop zone ‘Africa’. The grasscovered strip – prepared well in advance and tested before EATT14 by a Bulgarian Air Force (BuAF) C-27J Spartan – became waterlogged in the first week. Even during the second week the surface proved to be too soft and operations from it were deemed unsafe. Instead, aircraft flying into ‘Africa’ used a section of the airfield’s 2,620ft (800m) concrete runway, specially marked to simulate a semi-prepared short strip, to practise tactical landing operations and offloads with engines running. Another drop zone, ‘Asia’, was set up at the grass airfield at Chernogovoro, northwest of Plovdiv. Each flying day saw three or four waves of aircraft operate into these locations, one of them flying during the night.

2014’s Participants Participating aircrews collectively amassed 100 training sorties, totalling more than 200 flight hours. Each crew flew one mission a day and some nations – such as Italy, with its more advanced capabilities and equipment – managed to practise assault landing operations using night-vision goggles on Cheshnegirovo’s runway. EATT14 involved 320 servicemen from 16 countries. When the Bulgarian personnel in supporting roles such as command and control (working at the Sofia-based control-and-reporting centre), fighter threat simulation, GBAD simulation and special forces are taken into account, the number exceeded 800. The Hellenic Air Force provided F-16

The EATT exercise is Europe’s only multinational training opportunity for military transport aircraft operators. All images Alexander Mladenov unless stated

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2 1 Colonel Dimitar Ivanov, Director of EATT14. Krasimir Grozev 2 After a ten-aircraft combined air operations mission, an Italian Air Force C-130J rolls out ready to turn off the Plovdiv runway – followed by Luftwaffe C-160D on finals. 3 The Lithuanian C-27J performs a tactical departure at Plovdiv. 4 A Belgian Air Force C-130H departing the combined air operations mission; seconds later it entered a steep climb-out. 5 Bulgarian MiG-29s provided simulated threats for participating aircrews to practise threat evasion manoeuvring. This one is over the Thracian plain near the city of Stara Zagora. 6 A Bulgarian C-27J crew approaches the simulated dirt strip at drop zone ‘Africa’ for a tactical landing and cargo off-load. Alexander Mladenov 7 Aircraft taxi to the Plovdiv runway, awaiting the take-off order for their combined air operations mission.

fighters and an Embraer EMB-145 Erieye airborne early warning and control (AWACS) aircraft, operating from their home bases. Meanwhile Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands provided special forces and joint terminal air controllers.

Exercise Value Colonel Dimitar Ivanov, EATT14 Director and the commanding officer of the BuAF’s Transport Aviation Group at Sofia-Vrazhdebna Air Base, described the particular benefits of the EATT course for those taking part. “This is not a so-called ‘standard’ air exercise, running on a set scenario. Instead the EATT course is set as a training event where each participant gets the qualifications needed to be capable of performing tactical air transport missions.” This means crews can be trained in a variety of airlift disciplines, according to their particular air force’s requirements – the organisers preparing a range of training scenarios to choose from in advance. The EDA is a European agency focused on improving co-operation in defence between the European Union member states. It provides a small proportion of the funding for hosting the EATT course, each nation having to pay to take part, including fuel and accommodation costs. Each EATT is planned by the EDA in conjunction with the host nation’s air force as well as the European Air Transport Command (EATC), based at Eindhoven in the Netherlands, which despatched 14 officers to Bulgaria to help manage the event.

Step-by-Step The training followed a step-by-step approach, the level of difficulty increasing with each new mission. At first, only familiarisations sorties were flown but they were followed by air-drops, lowlevel formation flying, fighter and GBAD evasion manoeuvres – all of which were integrated in the COMAO on the last flying day, June 26. All flying during EATT14 was

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EATT14 PARTICIPANTS Transports Belgium

C-130H/two crews

Bulgaria

C-27J/two crews

Czech Republic

C295M/two crews

Germany

C-160/two crews

Lithuania

C-27J/one crew

France

C-130H/two crews

Italy

C-130J-30/two crews

Netherlands

C-130H/two crews

Norway

C-130J/two crews

Spain

C295M/two crews

Fighter support Bulgaria

MiG-29

Greece

F-16

AWACS support Greece

Embraer EMB-145 Erieye

in southern Bulgaria, with the principal operating areas situated north and south of the city of Plovdiv. The exercise enabled groundcrews to practise cross-servicing and cross-refuelling work, mostly performed on the same type of aircraft operated by another nation. For example the BuAF ground crews type-rated on the C-27J worked on the Lithuanian Air Force Spartan and vice versa.

Threat Evasion The host nation contributed fighter assets in the form of MiG-29s, operating as singletons, from the BuAF’s 3rd Air Base at Graf Ignatievo. The exercise’s GBAD comprised a 2K12 Kub and several 9K33M3 Osa-AKM mobile surface-to-air missile systems, provided by the BuAF and Bulgarian Army respectively. These assets engaged the transports at low and ultra-low altitude. Crews of the threatened aircraft, on receiving the tracking warning by their

radar warning receivers, practised threat evasion by breaking the radar lock-on from the GBAD by hard turning. Evasion when encountering small-calibre antiaircraft artillery fire in low-level flight called for alternating left-hand and right-hand turns, changing direction of flight every three seconds.

Creating Difficulties Evading the fighters proved complex. One of the BuAF C-27J pilots, Captain Veselin Assenov, told AIR International that, when encountering an attacking fighter, it’s necessary to create as many as possible difficulties for its pilot by rapidly lowering the speed and performing tight turns. This type of manoeuvring is something that a fighter can’t follow and it would consequently be forced to terminate the attack. Another tactic is to rapidly descend to low and ultra-low level in an effort to hide in terrain. Threat evasion is a new element in the BuAF transport community whose crews in the past had restricted tactical flying opportunities, undertaking mainly airlinetype operations flying from A to B. Col Ivanov is a former MiG-23BN pilot, and during the work-up for the EATT in May and early June he shared his experiences, teaching his colleagues on the C-27J how to undertake GBAD and fighter evasion manoeuvring in an effective and safe way. He likened the operations practised on the EATT14 course to a sterile version of the environment the crews might encounter in a real military conflict or humanitarian incident.

Mentoring Most participating nations brought mentors to EATT14. These were either pilots or loadmasters with huge expertise and experience, and they proved to be an integral and welcome part of the training. Flying aboard the aircraft during almost every sortie, they taught their less experienced colleagues how to perform the

EUROPEAN AIR TRANSPORT TRAINING MILITARY

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mission and be more effective from a tactical point of view. They were also tasked to evaluate crew performance and monitor adherence to flight safety standards. “The most important role of the mentors at the EATT course is to provide guidance to us, the new pilots involved in the course,” said Capt Assenov. “They started advising us during the pre-mission brief and continued throughout the entire mission and at the post-mission debrief. I had a memorable mission with a mentor from the Luftwaffe, who had tactical flying experience on the C-160 dating back from the war in Bosnia in the 1990s.” The mentors were also responsible for simulating equipment failures and acted as AWACS operators, issuing commands to the crews and calling fictional threats 6 from the ground such as GBAD and AAA,

indicating the type of the threat and its direction of arrival. They monitored crews’ reactions in response to a sudden in-flight ‘emergency’ or enemy fire and, if needed, advised on how to improve them. All participating aircrews are reported to have improved their skills flying complex tactical transport missions with different assets. As Europe’s only multinational airlift exercise, the EATT’s value is that it prepares nations with different procedures and tactics to operate together – and helps air and ground crew to prepare to use their airlift capabilities both within the continent and further afield. According to the EDF, some of the countries sending observers to this year’s exercise – Austria, Finland, Hungary, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, the UK and the USA – indicated their intention of joining next year’s EATT. 7

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A British company is developing the biggest aircraft ever built, the Airlander. Clive Simpson reports

T

he largest aircraft ever seen is expected to take to the UK skies for the first time at the end of the year. It could soon be setting a new benchmark for heavy-lift transportation and reconnaissance throughout the world. The Airlander, developed by Cranfieldbased Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV), uses innovative technology to combine the best characteristics of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters with lighter-than-air technology to create a hyper-efficient aircraft. It can stay airborne for up to five days at a time and fulfil a wide range of communication, cargo-carrying and survey

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roles, in both the military and commercial sectors, with a significantly lower carbon footprint than other forms of air transport. Hybrid air vehicles produce less noise, less pollution, are more environmentally friendly and have longer endurance with a more flexible cargo-carrying capacity over conventional aircraft. They can take off and land vertically and operate from austere environments, including water, desert, ice and fields.

Point-to-Point Chris Daniels, Head of Partnerships and Communications at HAV, told AIR International the new aircraft would likely “revolutionise” the air cargo transportation market. “It will enable for the first time ever a truly point-to-point 50 tonne cargo-carrying capability, with the ability to operate with

limited infrastructure and support,” he said. HAV flew the first full-size Airlander (commissioned under the US Army’s Long Endurance Multi-intelligence Vehicle project) at Lakehurst, New Jersey, in the United States in August 2012. The giant craft, designated the Airlander 10, is now back in Britain in the only hangar in the country large enough to accommodate it – one of the twin landmark airship ‘sheds’ that dominate the Bedfordshire countryside at Cardington. These hangars, built 100 years ago, are where the ill-fated R101 airship was constructed in the 1920s. The R101, twice as long as today’s Airlander and which had a dining room and lounge on board, crashed on a flight in France in 1930. Airlander 10 ground tests and flight trials are planned to start from Cardington

HAV AIRLANDER TECHNOLOGY

Market Independent studies have suggested the market for this new type of aircraft to be between 600 and 1,000 units worldwide. Ramping up production to ten a year within five years is projected to lead to the creation of 1,800 jobs in and around Bedfordshire. The Airlander’s ability to transform some aspects of air travel is becoming recognised by HAV’s investors. It can stay in the air for days at a time, offers

incredible fuel efficiency, minimal noise pollution and does not require a runway. It offers a revolutionary alternative for emergency aid distribution, heavy cargo lift to or from remote or inaccessible areas and luxury travel - all with low environmental impact. It looks like a giant airship but has a unique aerodynamic shape that means it can also create lift, just like an aircraft wing. Bruce Dickinson, the lead singer of heavy metal band Iron Maiden and a high-profile investor in HAV, compared the ship to Gerry Anderson’s ‘Thunderbird 2’, a heavy duty transporter aircraft depicted in the 1960s cult TV series Thunderbirds. “The airship has always been with us, it’s just been waiting for the technology

to catch up,” he said. “Airlander is 70% greener than a cargo plane and can plonk 50 tonnes anywhere in the world you like. “I came on board as an investor with £250,000 - it really was a leap of faith. It is only if you are prejudiced and narrow in your vision that this doesn’t make any sense. Airlander has a tremendous future and above all it inspires the imagination because once you see it you realise how enormous the opportunities are.”

All images Hybrid Air Vehicles

later this year after a complete rebuild. It will serve as a prototype for the Airlander 50, a larger heavy-lift version capable of transporting 50 tonnes of freight while burning around a quarter the amount of fuel of an aeroplane doing the same job.

Size and Structure The new hybrid aircraft is 302ft (92m) long - about 60ft (18.2m) longer than the biggest airliners, the Airbus A380 and Boeing 747-8. It is also almost 30ft (9.1m) longer than the massive Antonov An-225 Myria, which until now was the longest aircraft ever built.

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TECHNOLOGY HAV AIRLANDER The Airlander 10 is powered by four 350hp (260kW), four-litre V8 direct injection, turbocharged diesel engines.

AIRLANDER 10 SPECIFICATIONS Envelope volume: 1,340,000ft³ (38,000m³) Dimensions: length 302ft (92m), width 143ft (43.5m), height 85ft (26m) Endurance: up to five days manned Altitude: up to 20,000ft (6,100m) Speed: cruise 80kts (148km/h), loiter 20kts (37km/h) Total weight: 44,100lb (20,000kg) Payload capacity: up to 22,050lb (10,000kg)

AIRLANDER 50 SPECIFICATIONS Envelope volume: 3,640,000ft³ (103,000m³) Dimensions: length 390ft (119m), width 196ft (60m), height 115ft (35m) Payload module: length 98ft (30m), width 18.5ft (5.6m) - height 13ft (4m) Endurance: up to four days manned Range: 2,600nm (4,815km) Altitude: up to 10,000ft (6,100m) Speed: cruise 105kts (195km/h), loiter 40kts (74km/h) Total weight: 128,100lb (58,100kg) Payload capacity: up to 132,300lb (60,000kg)

The hull’s aerodynamic shape, an elliptical laminated fabric cross-section, allied to a cambered longitudinal shape, provides up to 40% of the vehicle’s lift. Internal diaphragms required to support the shape allow for a limited amount of compartmentalisation, further enhancing the failsafe nature of the vehicle. Multiple ballonets (small auxiliary gasbags) located fore and aft in each of the hulls provide pressure control. Profiled pneumatic tubes or skids on the underside of the two outer hulls offer multi-surface ground operation, including amphibious capability. The skids are retracted for a clean in-flight profile. The Airlander 10 is powered by four 350hp (260kW), four-litre V8 direct injection, turbocharged diesel engines. Two are mounted forward on the hull and two on the stern for cruise operation. All four are configured in ducts with blown vanes to allow vectored thrust for take-off and landing, plus ground handling manoeuvres. A long payload module, located on the centreline, comprises a flight deck with payload compartment at the fore, a midbody payload beam for externally slung loads, and an aft section for fuel tanks and additional payloads.

Government Backing This spring the UK Government-backed Technology Strategy Board awarded a £2.5 million grant to HAV as part of a £4 million public and private sector project to develop specific engineering aspects of HAV’s novel hybrid air vehicle.

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Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills Vince Cable said: “The growing aerospace sector has the potential to generate thousands of new jobs and billions of pounds to the UK economy in contracts. That is why so much effort is being put in by government and industry to ensure we stay ahead of the competition and build on our strong position as second in the world for aerospace. “As part of our long-term industrial strategy we are jointly funding £2 billion of research and development into the next generation of quieter, more energy efficient and environmentally friendly planes.

“This includes backing projects like Hybrid Air Vehicles’ innovative low carbon aircraft which can keep us at the cutting edge of new technology. Here is a British SME [small and medium enterprise] that has the potential to lead the world in its field.” The Cardington hangars are the spiritual home of the British airship industry and HAV has taken out a lease on Hangar 1, working in close collaboration with Fosbern Hangars, the owner, to ensure the historic

HAV AIRLANDER TECHNOLOGY

AIRLANDER KEY FEATURES The Airlander is designed to be an ultrasafe form of air travel. The vehicle does not stall, lands on any reasonably flat surface and has a take-off and landing speed of around 40kts (74km/h). It uses a combination of buoyancy (helium gas) and aerodynamics (the shape of the body) to generate lift. The ‘hybrid’ is in essence an aircraft with some inherent buoyancy, similar to a lifting body (a vehicle in which the body itself produces lift). The design, says HAV, creates the perfect balance between economic flight (typically associated with airships), operational flexibility (typically associated with helicopters), range and payload. A key attribute is operational flexibility. In addition to conventional take-off and landing, the vehicle is also capable of vertical take-off and landing. It can, for example, hover like a helicopter while hoisting up to 40% of its designed payload – 20 tons in the case of the Airlander 50. The range and payload of Airlander far exceeds that of helicopters - most rotary aircraft have an operating range of 150 to 300 nautical miles (277-555km), whereas the Airlander 50 will be able to operate on 2,600nm (4,815km) missions. The vehicle is also a model of operational efficiency: the heavy lift version requires little or no infrastructure to operate. An innovative landing system called an Air Cushion Landing System enables it to land on almost any reasonably flat surface, including land, water, ice and snow. Suction can also be used to ensure the vehicle remains stationary during loading and off-loading. This lack of reliance on infrastructure enables Airlander to operate point-to-point, offering major benefits in terms of time, risk reduction, operating costs and the environment. The company says it will have capability to build five to six vehicles a year from its single hangar and increase production to around a dozen vehicles per annum within five years.

and listed building is fit for a modern engineering company. The £2.5 million government grant will help HAV take a significant step in the journey towards commercial manufacture of the innovative, low-carbon Airlander 50. It will enable the detailed modelling of the aircraft’s aerodynamic characteristics and its engines using wind tunnels and the latest computer-aided fluid dynamic simulations. It will also be used to develop a methodology

for engineering the largest carbon composite structures used in aviation, the software to control and monitor the hull pressure system (crucial for a heliumfilled aircraft) and improve manufacturing and assembly techniques to increase hangar capacity in order to meet expected demand.

Proof of Concept HAV will have garnered sufficient technical knowledge after completion of these intermediate developments to undertake a series of proof-of-concept flight tests using the current vehicle, and to complete the design of the Airlander 50 cargo aircraft. During a tour of the Cardington’s

Hangar 1, complete with its giant vehicle (inflated with air for checkout purposes), Mike Durham, HAV Technical Director, told AIR International the Airlander 10 flight model was “good for five to ten-tonne payloads”. It would mostly be used for reconnaissance and geo-survey work, whilst the Airlander 50 was “all about freight”. He said: “With the Airlander 10 our goal is to have the prototype vehicle in the air by the end of this year and be selling product round about mid-2016. The first Airlander 50 should fly in 2017 with deliveries to customers from the following year. “There are no real technology roadblocks to doing bigger vehicles. The Airlander 50 will be 400 feet and if there is market demand there will be a stretched 200 tonne version in around 2022-2024.”

US Army The Airlander 10 was originally developed for the US military at a cost of around $300 million. Cuts in the military’s spending to

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help reduce the US budget deficit meant the project was axed in early 2013. The US Army requirement, in terms of flying conditions, was for the vehicle to be able to take off and land in 35kts (64km/h) of wind from any direction, which is not too different to the conditions commercial aircraft have to meet. Durham said: “We started negotiations to bring the Airlander 10 back from the States in the spring of last year. “We then disassembled it over four weeks in the autumn and it came back to the UK in mid-December where it has been air-inflated so we can start the rebuild process. Everything we brought back from the US government has had to be re-inspected for flight and the assembly process will continue through the summer.”

Testing Ground tests and checkout will start in September. The Airlander 10 will then be moved on to a mast on the adjoining airfield for an initial ground test programme. “After that we will make our second flight ever, which will be the first flight in the UK,” Durham added. “It will be a typical first flight event – take off safely, fly round the block once and put down safely. The relatively limited flight envelope will last about 90 minutes, about the same as for the US flight.” The first flight will be restricted to a speed of about 40kts (74km/h) and a height of around 2,000-3,000ft (609-914m) although the vehicle is capable of 80kts (148km/h) and flying at 16,000ft (4,876m). Durham said: “A five-month test programme should then leave us in a position to start flight demonstrations and trials with potential customers, to show the capability of the vehicle.” This first vehicle comes under Civil Aviation Authority B Permit to Fly regulations as being the best way to get such a prototype vehicle flying. Subsequent versions of the Airlander will be certified through the European Aviation Safety

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Agency. “Fundamentally there are a set of CS30T regulations, transport category large airship regulations, prepared for this type of vehicle but there will be some additions to those because of the uniqueness of our vehicle,” said Durham.

Materials The vehicle’s external surface is made of high-tech fabric which, size for size, is about the same weight as three pieces of A4 paper, or around 250g/m2. It is stronger and capable of withstanding about 700lbs (315kg) of load per inch width. The material itself – comprising different fabrics of varying strengths and standards – was made by Warwick Mills in the USA from specifications developed by HAV.

Durham said: “We specified each one in terms of the material weaves, the laminate [and] the Mylar and Tedlar barriers before it was woven and laminated. We then used another company, ILC Dover, who make spacesuits among other things, to do the detail design, cut the individual pieces of fabric and to weld them together.” The fabric for the Airlander 50 will need to

HAV AIRLANDER TECHNOLOGY

2 1 The Airlander 10 is optimised for survey work in both civilian and military applications. 2 Hybrid Air Vehicles sees a large market for the Airlander for heavylift cargo transport. 3 The Airlander 50 is being designed to carry loads as heavy as 50 tonnes from point to point. 4 The Airlander 10 was test flown by the US Army under its Long Endurance Multi-intelligence Vehicle programme in 2012 but the project was cancelled last year.

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FUTURE FLYING PLANS HAV revealed to AIR International it plans to fly Airlander at the 2016 Farnborough International Airshow (FIA) after attending the show in a low-key capacity for the first time this summer. Chris Daniels, head of Partnerships and Communications at HAV, said: “We will be flying at Farnborough 2016 and I cannot imagine we’ll be anything other than the star of the show. “It will be amazing for the Airlander, for the aerospace industry and for the public who see her being put through her paces up close.” During FIA 2014 the company set about introducing Airlander to potential customers through presentations in the show’s Innovation Zone. Key staff were available throughout the week to discuss the vehicle. “It was certainly an amazing show,” said Daniels. “Our presence this year was very light-touch and it was definitely a learning experience. We are transitioning from an equity-based business that needs funding to an orders-led business that builds to order, so it is the right time for us to start attending conferences to ensure we secure and announce these orders.” The underlying message from HAV, as it introduced its innovative aircraft to commercial business and the public at large during Farnborough week in July, was that the airline industry has a real emissions problem. “We need a zero carbon passenger aircraft to solve it, which isn’t going to happen even after decades via conventional jets getting more efficient,” said Daniels. “HAV can solve this issue within ten years and save the negative public image that airlines will have as climate change effects become increasingly pronounced.”

1 1 The floating Airlander 10, loitering at the end of another day of tests, closely observed by a UH-1 Huey helicopter. 2 The huge airship sheds at Cardington in Bedfordshire where the Airlander 10 is currently housed before its first flight in the UK. 2 80kts (148km/h) of ground wind.

be about 40% stronger so there is still more development work to do.

Ground Handling The hybrid has a much better ground handling capability than an airship and HAV has been working hard to mitigate ground handling

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challenges. Only two pieces of ground handling equipment are needed for the Airlander 10: a ‘chin mast’ and a rear cradle. The former plugs in underneath the front of the aircraft and allows it to ‘weather vane’ around the mast so it is always pointing into the wind and can withstand

The second piece of ground handling equipment is a small scissor lift called the castoring ground cradle, effectively a pair of temporary wheels which go under the back of the vehicle so the skids are not scuffed or damaged when attached to the mast. There are two main configurations for the Airlander family: communications/ surveillance and heavy lift. The former, which has optionally pressurised mission modules, offers up to five consecutive days aloft. The heavy lift option will offer a variety of configurations including 20, 50 and, ultimately, 200+ tonne payloads. The project has already captured the imagination of aviation enthusiasts. HAV has set up an Airlander Club and is offering a competition, via its website (www.airlander. co.uk), to win two VIP tickets on the first passenger flight.

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