AirForces Monthly 2015-05

MAY 2015 ISSUE #326

28 PAGES OF NEWS - RAF 2003 OPS IN JORDAN

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FIGHTING IS • F-22 RAPTORS OVER SYRIA • FRANCE'S MALI MISSION • COALITION OPERATIONS • UK 'AT THE FOREFRONT'

FORCE REPORT Belgium Feels the Squeeze

UK £4.70

DRUG BUSTING ORIONS Of the US

GENERATION GAME UK JSF and RAF Typhoon integration

Customs

USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT In Portsmouth

ON D O WA N N 8 ! E BL WS FIRE A L AI DO LE AV I N I N D W K

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CONTENTS May Issue 326 News All the world’s military aviation news, by region. 4-5 Headlines 6-9 United Kingdom 10-12 Continental Europe 14-16 North America 18-23 Latin America 24-25 Africa 26 Middle East 27-33 Asia Pacific 34-35 Australasia 35 Contracts

the past, present and future of the unit known as Heli-G.

Enter the Hunter 36

64 Mission Mali

Frédéric Lert reports on the ALAT’s Opération Barkhane mission in Mali, which is fighting back against jihadis in the region.

70 Mali’s Depleted Air Force

After spending three months in Mali at the end of last year, Jan Hendrikzijnzoon sheds some light on the Mali Air Force.

36 Enter the Hunter

74 Rough Rider Rolls In…

Bob Archer details the F-22A Raptor assault on Islamic State (IS) from the skies above Syria how.

AFM’s Glenn Sands caught the liberty boat from Portsmouth dockyard in late March to board the nuclear-powered carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), which was anchored in the Solent.

40 FORCE REPORT Belgian Air Component

The Belgian Air Component is set to go through yet another round of cost-cutting measures, but as Dirk Jan de Ridder explains, it still manages to pull its weight when it comes to UN/EU or NATO missions.

46 Generation Game

Jon Lake explains how RAF Typhoons and F-35 Joint Strike Fighters will work seamlessly together in the combat zone, despite the generation gap...

80 Slicks and Domes

Tom Kaminski examines America’s ‘drug-busting’ P-3 Orions of the US Customs and Border Protection service.

Mission Mali 64

86 BRIEFINGS A Secret War

In March 2003 the RAF spearheaded a drive on Baghdad from Jordan. Tim Ripley unveils the story.

54 Coalition against IS

92 Attrition

Air attacks against Islamic State (IS) forces in Iraq and Syria are ongoing after nine months of sustained operations by the US-led coalition. Here, Gert Kromhout outlines the activities of a growing list of nations united in their mission to rid the world of IS.

AFM’s Dave Allport reports on the world’s latest military accidents.

96 Debrief

Reviews of recently published military aviation books. Cover: Belgian F-16s have played a prominent part in ISAF missions since the mid-1990s. This example is seen operating over Afghanistan armed with laser-guided Paveway bombs. Ramon Wenink

60 Punching above its Weight

Singapore’s Helicopter Group celebrates 45 years of operations this year. Chen Chuanren recounts

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USCBP P-3 ORIONS

USCBP P-3 ORIONS

Slicks and

Domes Tom Kaminski examines America’s ‘drug busting’ P-3 Orions of the US Customs and Border Protection service.

L

ockheed Aircraft delivered 650 P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft between 1959 and December 1995. A further 107 were built under licence by Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Japan. Today, more than 350 remain in service with 20 international military air arms. The maritime patrol aircraft has been adapted for numerous non-traditional roles including weather reconnaissance, electronic intelligence, airlift and even as an airborne firefighting platform. Modified Orions are also operated by the world’s largest civilian aviation and maritime law enforcement agency, the US Customs and

Above: P-3B Airborne Early Warning and Long Range Tracker aircraft assigned to the National Air Security Operations Center (NASOC) Corpus Christi, conduct joint operations during a local training mission over the Gulf of Mexico on December 14, 2010. The centre is located aboard Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas. CBP’s Orion fleet, which currently includes eight Domes and four Slicks provides regular support for Joint Interagency Task Force-South (JIATF-S) counter drug smuggling efforts as part of Operation Martillo. Lockheed Martin/John Rossino Right: Originally operated as demonstrator by Lockheed wearing the registration N91LC, the first P-3B AEW variant was later delivered to US Customs Service and currently carries the registration N145CS. Lockheed Martin

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Rough Rider Rolls In... 70

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‘Although capable of operating alone, the two variants often flew in tandem in a socalled ‘Double Eagle’ team.’ Border Protection (CBP) service. It was created in March 2003 and assumed control of the former US Customs Service (USCS) and US Border Patrol (USBP) aviation units in 2006. It is one of several organisations comprising the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The CBP’s Office of Air and Marine (OAM) has a fleet of 12 Lockheed Martin P-3 Orions, in two distinct variants, operating from home stations, as well as deployed locations in Central and South America and the Caribbean. The P-3B Long Range Tracker (LRT) and Airborne Early Warning (AEW) detection and monitoring aircraft, respectively known as ‘slicks’ and ‘domes’, are primarily used to detect and monitor aircraft and vessels transporting illicit narcotics. Although capable of operating alone, the two variants often fly in tandem in a so-called ‘Double Eagle’ team. When paired, the ‘slick’ is used to intercept, visually identify and track suspected airborne or surface targets that had been detected by the ‘dome’. The eight ‘domes’, the world’s only law enforcement AEW aircraft, have assumed in recent years a significant role in Homeland Security. The P-3 crews have cleared domestic airspace for the President and Vice-President, monitored the skies during National Security Special Events (NSSE), including the Olympics

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#326 MAY 2015 81

Glenn Sands AFM Brand Editor

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HEADLINES UK Government hits back at Commons Defence Select Committee

UK ‘AT THE FOREFRONT’ OF IS OPERATIONS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Saudi-Led Air Strikes on Yemen

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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#326 MAY 2015

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UNITED KINGDOM Mildenhall’s Special Operations Unit Redesignated A REORGANISATION at RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk, has seen the US Air Force’s 352nd Special Operations Group redesignated as the 352nd Special Operations Wing (SOW). The change was marked during a ceremony at the base on March 23, following which the 752nd Special Operations Group and the 352nd Special Operations Maintenance Group were activated. The 352nd SOW comprises six squadrons, two groups and more than 1,200 air commandos and supports Special Operations Command – Europe and Special Operations Command – Africa plus other combatant commands as required. The redesignation was requested to reflect the increased responsibilities and capabilities of the units, people and assets. The 752nd SOG, commanded by Col Nathan C Green, is responsible for planning and executing specialised and contingency operations using advanced aircraft, tactics and air refuelling techniques “to infiltrate, exfiltrate and resupply” special operations forces. “The [752nd SOG is] a busy place and it’s only getting busier. We currently have planes, crews, maintenance, support personnel and battlefield personnel all over Europe, Africa and the Central Command theatres,” said Col Green. The 352nd SOMXG, commanded by Col Eric V Faison, provides all organisational maintenance on MC-130Js and CV-22Bs assigned to the group. The 352nd SOW comprises the 67th Special Operations Squadron (SOS) with the MC-130J Commando II; the 7th SOS with the CV-22B Osprey; the 321st Special Tactics Squadron composed of combat controllers, pararescuemen and combat weathermen; and the 352nd Special Operations Support Squadron, which provides in-base and deployed command and control support, as well as the two maintenance squadrons, the 352nd Special Operations Maintenance Squadron and the 352nd Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. 

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RAF Ends Operations with BAe125 CC3s

Above: No 32 (The Royal) Squadron BAe125 CC3 ZD703 returns to RAF Northolt on March 16 after the last operational mission before the type’s formal withdrawal from service on March 31. Along with ZD620 and ZE395, it has been sold to Transworld Aviation Trading Ltd. MOD Crown Copyright/SAC Ash Reynolds

ROYAL AIR Force operations with the BAe125 have ended after more than 40 years with 32 (The Royal) Squadron – the return of BAe125 CC3 ZD703 to the unit’s base at RAF Northolt, west London, on March 16 marked the last operational mission. After a final sortie on March 30, the 125 was formally withdrawn from service the next day. Piloting ZD703 on its return flight to RAF Northolt was Officer Commanding 32 (TR) Squadron, Wg Cdr Jon Beck, who as a squadron leader, flew the very first BAe125 out to the Gulf on Operation Telic in 2003. “I believe 32 is the only squadron in the RAF to have had an aircraft permanently deployed on operations overseas over the past 12 years,” he said. “I am extremely proud of all the squadron personnel who have served with great professionalism in theatres across the world. In addition to Iraq and Afghanistan, our BAe125s have operated across East and West Africa and

the whole of the Middle East. “The aircraft has been a reliable and faithful workhorse down the years, loved by the crews who operate it and enjoyed by its passengers. The withdrawal of the aircraft does not, however, signify the end of 32 Squadron, which will continue to operate from Northolt in the air transport role using four BAe146s and an A109 helicopter.” The type entered RAF service in 1965 in the training role as the Dominie T1, which was finally retired from service in January 2011. The 125 joined 32 Squadron in the communications role in 1971. The unit originally had six HS125 CC1s, which were joined by two CC2s in 1973. The CC1s were withdrawn in March 1993 and the CC2s in 1998. The six CC3s entered service in 1983, although one, ZD704, was retired after being badly damaged in a hailstorm at Kandahar, Afghanistan, on April 23, 2013. It is now in storage with Marshall Aerospace at Chester-Hawarden, Wales.

In advance of their retirement, three aircraft, ZD620, ZD703 and ZE395, were offered for sale by tender on February 9 (see News Brief, March, p7). The current airframe hours for each aircraft were 13,914.05 for ZD620, 14,413.25 for ZD703 and 12,886.50 for ZE395. Of the two other active 125s, ZE396 made its last flight on February 25, using callsign ‘NOH25’, from Northolt to Hawarden for spares recovery. Plans for the final aircraft, ZD621, are unconfirmed, but it may become a gate guard at Northolt. Transworld Aviation Trading’s Jeremy Green, Director of Operations at the West Sussex, UK-based company, confirmed to AFM on March 23 that it had successfully bid for the three aircraft up for sale. He said plans for them have yet to be finalised, but they will probably be parted out for spares. All three were ferried from Northolt to Dunsfold Park Aerodrome, Surrey, on March 25. 

RAF Hercules Deploys to South Sudan for UN Mission

Above: RAF Hercules C4 ZH867 arriving on March 30 to support the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) humanitarian relief effort. The aircraft had left its base at RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, on March 26 and will be supported by a small team from the UK based at Entebbe, Uganda, with elements forward deployed to Juba, South Sudan (seven staff) and Malakal (three staff). It will fly legs from Entebbe-Juba-Malakal, moving UN material and vehicles to the isolated UN base in Malakal. UNMISS

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XI and 29 (R) Squadrons 100th Anniversary Typhoons TYPHOON FGR4 ZJ925 ‘DXI’ was unveiled on March 20 at Coningsby, Lincs, in special colours to mark the 100th anniversary of the RAF’s XI Squadron – which formed at Netheravon, Wiltshire, on February 14, 1915 as part of the Royal Flying Corps. The squadron has flown the Typhoon since March 2007, having previously operated the Tornado F3 and, for 17 years prior to that, the English Electric Lightning. In addition, 29 (Reserve) Squadron, also based at Coningsby, has painted another Typhoon FGR4, ZK353 ‘BQ’ in special markings to mark its own 100th anniversary and unveiled it on March 27. The unit was formed on November 7, 1915, at Gosport, Hampshire, as an RFC squadron.  Right top: No XI Squadron Typhoon FGR4 ZJ925 ‘DXI’ taking off in its 100th anniversary colours at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire, on April 2. Sean Strange Right: Also seen taking off from Coningsby on April 2 is Typhoon FGR4 ZK353 ‘BQ’ in special markings to celebrate the 100th anniversary of 29 (Reserve) Squadron. Sean Strange

News Brief ANOTHER A400M Atlas C1 for the Royal Air Force has made its maiden flight. Atlas ZM403/A4M020 (c/n 020), the fourth for the RAF, took to the air for the first time on March 22 from Seville-San Pablo Airport, Spain. To date two others have joined the Royal Air Force at RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, ZM400 having arrived on November 17 last year, followed by ZM402 on February 27. 

SAR Sea King wind down begins REPLACEMENT OF the RAF search and rescue Sea King helicopters began on April 1. On that date, the Sea King HAR3s of 202 Squadron/E Flight at Leconfield, East Yorkshire, and 202 Squadron/D Flight at RAF Lossiemouth, Moray, were officially stood down from SAR taskings. They were replaced on the same day by two Sikorsky S-92s at Humberside Airport and two

AW189s at Inverness Airport. These are operated under a commercial contract by Bristow Helicopters on behalf of the UK Maritime and Coast Guard Agency. Bristow will progressively take over all UK SAR operations from the Ministry of Defence by January 1, 2016, prior to the formal out of service date for the RAF and Royal Navy Sea Kings, which is set for April 2016. 

RAF Leuchars Handed Over to Army AN OFFICIAL ceremony was held on March 31 to transfer RAF Leuchars, Fife, to the control of the British Army. Previously housing the Typhoons of 1 (F) and 6 Squadron, both units moved to RAF Lossiemouth, Moray, last year. Two Typhoons flew past over ceremony to mark the change. 

NAS 846 Returns Home to Yeovilton A formation of six Commando Helicopter Force Merlin HC3s during their ferry flight from RAF Benson, Oxfordshire, to their home at RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset, marking the return of 846 Naval Air Squadron. They comprised ZJ121 ‘E’, ZJ128 ‘M’, ZJ129 ‘N’, ZJ130 ‘O’, ZJ131 ‘P’ and ZJ994 ‘AC’ – the latter acting as a crew ferry to return pilots to Benson. The squadron has spent the last three years training on the RAF Merlin HC3s, prior to their transfer to Navy charge to replace the ‘junglie’ Sea King HC4s. MOD Crown Copyright

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UNITED KINGDOM

UK Helicopters on Show AFM’s Alan Warnes visited RAF Benson when the UK MOD highlighted the progress it was making to modernise its helicopter fleet. AFTER YEARS of tireless work, supporting efforts to fight the Taliban in Afghanistan, the UK’s Joint Helicopter Command (JHC) is going through a transition. While JHC may not be reaching its former operational tempo, battling on the front line during tough deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, its helicopter fleets are far from idle. In the last 12 months, the Puma HC2, Merlin HM2, Chinook HC6 and the Wildcat have all gained initial operating clearances. In layman’s terms that is another tick in the box, to get the helicopters flying at their full tactical capabilities. At the same time, the Army’s Apache

Above: Wildcat HMA2 ZZ376 fitted with a Sting Ray light-weight torpedo was one of the highlights of demonstrations at RAF Benson. All photos, author

gunship force is edging back to more traditional ‘contingency ops’ – training to fight modern enemies, while the Sea King and Lynx head towards retirement. On March 12, RAF Benson in south Oxfordshire saw the new helicopters showcased before politicians and other invited guests. Among them was Defence Minister Philip Dunne, who seized

the opportunity to boast of the government’s expenditure in this capability before the election campaign got into full swing: “The government has invested some £6 billion to sustain and improve our helicopter capability over the last four years. We will continue this investment with a further £11 billion budgeted to be spent over the next decade.”

The road to modernisation came after a furore in 2009, which dominated many front pages of the British newspapers, over lack of support helicopters in Afghanistan and led to some heated debates in the House of Commons. A rotary wing strategy was subsequently set up that year to ensure delivery of a major helicopter capability with support solutions transformed. 

Pumas in Aqaba and Kabul

Above: Defence Minister Philip Dunne was eager to talk-up the money invested into the UK’s helicopter force, Joint Helicopter Command, barely three weeks before general election campaigning got into full swing. Below: The MOD’s Rotary Wing Strategy 2020, shows that 50% of the future force will have been upgraded by the middle of this year.

THE LAST of 24 upgraded Puma HC2s, XW220 was delivered to the UK from Airbus Helicopters in Romania on March 20, via Finland. With two new Turbomeca Makila 1A-1A1 turbine engines providing 1,800shp of thrust each, the Pumas will perform much better in the hot and high climates than the original 1,300shp Turbomeca Turmo 3-C4 turbines. A new glass cockpit has replaced the older analogue instruments and an improved self-defence suite will provide the helicopter, with better scope for protection against incoming missiles. The HC2 reached Initial Operating Capability (IOC), defined as six aircraft and crews ready for worldwide ops, on February 23. Within days, three Pumas were

airfreighted by C-17 to Aqaba, Jordan, where the crews were desert training before the type headed to Kabul International Airport in Afghanistan on March 2. The HC2s will provide support to troops, who have remained in Afghanistan in non-combat roles to assist the Afghan Government and Afghan National Defence and Security Forces. All of the Pumas are currently pooled between 33 and 230 Squadron at RAF Benson, however, three are likely to form an operational conversion unit with six Chinook HC4s, when 18 Squadron’s C Flight relocates from Odiham, Hants later this year. The Puma HC2 is expected to reach Full Operational Capability in December. 

One of the 24 upgraded Puma HC2s, XW219, over the outskirts of Oxford on March 12. Its more powerful Makila engine will ensure the vintage 1970s airframe will perform much better in hot and high climates. With three helicopters now deployed to Kabul, that capability is being put to the test.

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Wildcat HMA2 on HMS Lancaster

REACHING INITIAL Operating Capability (IOC) has paved the way for the Navy Wildcat’s first operational deployment. The milestone, defined as one helicopter and logistics support able to deploy for six months, was passed in January. It led to an 825 NAS/201 Flight Wildcat departing RNAS Yeovilton on March 21 for a nine-month tour aboard the HMS Lancaster. The Type 23 frigate is heading for the Caribbean, then to the South Atlantic before moving to southern Africa and to the UK for Christmas. The 825 NAS CO, Cdr Glyn Owen told AFM: “The key is to develop a relationship with the ships – we are an organic asset which is part of the ship’s fighting capability.” 

Six Chinook HC6s delivered SIX OF the 14 Chinooks HC6s ordered in August 2011 have been delivered to RAF Odiham, Hants. These new helicopters reached Initial Operating Capability (IOC), defined as three helicopters ready for use, in January. The HC6 is equivalent to the CH-47F, albeit with a number of upgrades to bring it up to a common standard alongside the HC4s

 

One of six Chinook HC6s delivered to RAF Odiham so far, ZK553, with the rest expected before the end of the year. The UK ordered 14 of the type in a £1 billion contract in August 2011.

Crowsnest decision imminent A DECISION on the system to meet the £470 million Project Crowsnest airborne surveillance and control programme is due imminently. Both Thales (featuring Elta EL/

(upgraded HC2/2As) and HC5s (upgraded HC3s). Included are enhancements to the engines and cockpits (under Project Julius), defensive aids suite (Project Baker) and communications systems (Project Benic). The RAF will eventually operate 60 Chinooks, the biggest fleet outside the US, comprising 38 HC4s, eight HC5s and 14 of the newer HC6s. 

M2052 radar) and Lockheed Martin (Vigilance) are bidding to provide the capability, which will help provide intelligence to protect the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers. Ten

systems will be acquired, to fit eight Merlin HM2s and should be operational in 2019. The Sea King ASAC7, currently used in the role, will remain operational until March 31, 2018. 

Navy prepares for more Merlin HC4s HAVING STOOD up last September (see RAF Merlins Go Nautical, November 2014, p5657) 846 NAS and their Merlin HC3s deployed to Bardufoss, Norway in early March to practice arctic flying skills. As part of the UK’s ‘contingency operations’ the Commando Helicopter Force (CHF) deploys annually to the base, almost 200 miles (320kms) north of the Arctic Circle. On return to RAF Benson, the unit packed up and relocated to RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset on March 26 (see UK news). The second CHF unit, 845 NAS,

is expected to convert from the Commando (or ‘Junglie’ as it is also known) at RAF Benson in July, when the RAF’s 28 Sqn, which currently operates the helicopters, will disband. The Navy unit will then work up before following 846 NAS to RNAS Yeovilton by next Easter. Meanwhile, the first of the seven designated interim HC3s (HC3Is) are now receiving attention at AgustaWestland’s Yeovil facility as part of the £330 million Merlin Life Sustainment Programme. They are being modified for maritime operations, to include

added lashing points and a more powerful rotor head. According to Commodore Briers: “The first ones are expected to be delivered to the FAA in the middle of this year through to March 2016. They will be designated the HC4A and operated by 846 NAS.” The 25 Phase 2 Merlins will be modified at Yeovil, in a process which includes fittinhg new avionics in the cockpit, bringing it in line with the Merlin HM2s and Wildcats. The HC4As will eventually be returned to AgustaWestland to be brought up to Phase 2 spec. 

A Navy Merlin HM2 ZH857/‘B’ and a RAF Merlin HC3 at RAF Benson. The latter, flown by 28 Squadron will soon be transferred to the CHF's 845 NAS. All the UK’s Merlins will then be flown by the Fleet Air Arm.

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Army Wildcats get ready for sea deployment TO DATE 27 of the 34 green helicopters have been delivered, flying with 847 NAS. IOC for the Wildcat AH1, defined as three helicopters, plus logistic support ready for operations, was reached in August 2014. The AH1 is tasked to operate over both land and sea, with the helicopter aiming to reach a littoral maritime capability by October. Four examples deployed to RNAS Culdrose for the last two weeks of March, when pilots practiced deck landing on board RFA Lyme Bay. 

Merlin and Wildcat – increasing FAA capability

NINETEEN OF 30 Merlin HM2 aircraft ordered, as part of a £780 million upgrade contract, have been delivered, the MOD announced at RAF Benson. In May of last year, the HM2 reached IOC, defined as six helicopters delivered and ready for operational deployment. As part of the original deal, a state-of-the-art glass cockpit has been installed along with improved aircrew console and avionics. Like the Wildcat HMA2, it has advanced touchscreen displays and an improved ability to detect and track targets and share data while airborne with other aircraft and ships. The new HM2s operate with 814 and 820 NAS - the two carrier squadrons, while 829 NAS provides the single Merlin 'flights' to the Type 23 frigate force and 824 NAS is the training and operational contingent squadron. The first aircraft, ZH862/'82' was officially handed over, to 824 NAS on July 23, 2013 (see Merlin HM2 Officially Handed Over, September 2013, p7). Commodore Matt Briers, Assistant Chief of Staff Carrier Strike and Aviation said: “The Merlin and Wildcat HMA are now both fully digital, and as such, are 21st century aircraft for a 21st century Royal Navy. Together these aircraft give the Fleet Air Arm increased capability and will make a manifest contribution to the security of the nation to counter threats across maritime spheres.” 

#326 MAY 2015

9

NEWS

CONTINENTAL EUROPE Netherlands Seeking 17 CH-47Fs THE US State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale of 17 Boeing CH-47F Chinook cargo helicopters to the Dutch Government. The US Defense Security Co-operation Agency (DSCA) said it had notified Congress of the potential $1.05 billion deal on March 19. As well as the helicopters, which will incorporate customerunique post-modifications, the contract would include 12 spare T55-GA-714A engines with hydro-mechanical assemblies – along with 41 embedded GPS/ inertial navigation systems (EGIs), 54 AN/ARC-231 UHF/ VHF radios, 21 AN/ARC-220 HF radios, 21 AN/APX-123A identification friend or foe (IFF) transponders and 41 AN/ARC-201D VHF radios. The DSCA said the proposed sale will improve the Netherlands’ capability to meet current and future requirements for troop movement, medical evacuation, aircraft recovery, parachute drop, search and rescue, disaster relief, fire-fighting and heavy construction support. The Netherlands will use the enhanced capability to strengthen its homeland defence, deter regional threats and provide direct support to coalition and security co-operation efforts. The CH-47Fs will supplement and eventually replace the Royal Netherlands Air Force’s (RNLAF’s) ageing fleet of 11 older model CH-47D helicopters. There had been plans to update them to a similar standard to the CH-47F before the decision to buy the new-build examples – which will join six CH-47Fs delivered in 2012 for the RNLAF. 

Sweden to Sell Off Six Super Pumas

Above: Four of the six Swedish Armed Forces Hkp10 Super Pumas now in storage and likely to be offered for sale. FXM

SWEDEN’S ARMED Forces will retire its last two Hkp10 (AS332M1) Super Pumas on December 31, in accordance with its current disposal plan and is looking to sell six of the helicopters already in storage, along with spares and maintenance equipment. The Försvarsexportmyndigheten (FXM, Defence and Security Export Agency) issued a request for interest on March 19 seeking potential buyers and will determine how to proceed with bidding and sales after assessing responses. The process will begin with a

preliminary request for bids, but not until August at the earliest. Four of the helicopters are stored at Linköping in central Sweden and two at Luleå in the north. The two still in service are Hkp10Bs 10403 ‘93’ (c/n 2264) and 10408 ‘98’ (c/n 2288). A recent disposal was Hkp10B 10406 ‘96’ (c/n 2284) which was delivered in February to the Aeroseum aviation museum at Göteborg-Säve. Twelve Hkp10Bs were originally delivered, but three were lost in accidents. The Super Pumas on offer are:

Final Saab JAS 39C/D Joins Swedish Air Force

News Brief A DETACHMENT of 14 US Air Force F-16s from the 510th Fighter Squadron has deployed to Amari Air Base, Estonia. They arrived from their base at Aviano, Italy, on March 20 to undertake bilateral training with their Estonian Air Force partners, as well as simultaneous but unrelated training with the Finnish and Swedish air forces in their air space. The deployment will last for nearly a month.

10 MAY 2015 #326

Above: The final JAS 39C/D Gripen produced, single-seat JAS 39C 39294, taxiing in at Kallinge in southern Sweden on March 19. Gunnar Åkerberg

SAAB HAS ended production of the JAS 39C/D Gripen fighter for the Flygvapnet (Swedish Air Force). The last one to be produced, single-seat JAS 39C 39294, left the factory at Linköping on March 19 for Kallinge in southern

Sweden to join F17 Wing. Production is switching to the new JAS 39E/F model. The first built to Gripen E specifications, 39-8, is currently being manufactured and scheduled to make its maiden flight this year. 

Hkp10s Up for Sale Serial/ Con Code No

Variant

Flying Hours*

10402 ‘92’

2247 Hkp10D 7,720hrs

10405 ‘95’

2283 Hkp10A 6,962hrs

10407 ‘97’

2287 Hkp10D 6,772hrs

10410 ‘90’

2304 Hkp10A 6,917hrs

10411 ‘88’

2410 Hkp10A 5,422hrs

10412 ‘89’

2412 Hkp10A 4,902hrs

*as of March 6, 2015

Netherlands Orders Eight Production F-35As AN ORDER has been placed for an initial eight production Lockheed Martin F-35As for the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF), following purchase of two test aircraft. The deal was signed on March 25 in Washington by Dutch defence minister Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert after parliamentary approval had been granted – see Dutch Parliament Approves Eight F-35As, April, p8. The two test jets are now at Edwards AFB, California, where the RNLAF’s 323 Squadron is carrying out initial operational test and evaluation. The eight new Lightning IIs will be delivered in 2019. Including the two test jets, the Netherlands currently plans to buy 37 F-35As. 

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Turkish Air Force Retires RF-4E Phantoms After Crashes TURKEY’S COMBAT Air Force commander, General Abidin Ünal, made an announcement on March 11 that the Turkish Air Force's RF-4E Phantom IIs were to be withdrawn from service with immediate effect . The decision followed the loss of two of the type, plus an F-4E-2020, in accidents in less than two weeks, killing all six aircrew. Operations with the last eight RF-4Es in Turkish service ended the following day on March 12. Meanwhile, their reconnaissance mission will be taken over by F-16s. It had already been planned to retire the RF-4Es in the near future, but the crashes prompted the Air Force to bring forward their withdrawal by several months. The two RF-4Es both crashed on February 24, while flying together, killing all four crew; and on March 5 an F-4E-2020 Terminator crashed, killing both aboard. The upgraded F-4E-2020 variant is still expected to remain in Turkish service until around 2020. 

Pakistan Army King Air 350 in Zurich

Above: Pakistan Army Aviation Corps/13 Squadron Beech 350 King Air 444 departs from Zurich, Switzerland, on March 10 after completion of heavy maintenance on the aircraft.

A RARELY seen Pakistan Army Aviation Corps Beech 350 King Air recently completed heavy maintenance at Zurich Airport, Switzerland. The aircraft, 444 (c/n FL-444, ex N36744), had arrived there on January 11. It made a post-maintenance

check flight on March 3, performing a second test on March 9, using callsign ‘Rex 444’, before departing on March 10 using callsign ‘Rex 20’ to return to Pakistan. Its first stop on the way home was Pescara, Italy. The aircraft was delivered new to

the Pakistan Army in 2005, with its US registration cancelled on September 8 that year. Rarely seen since, and thought not to often venture outside Pakistan, it is operated by 13 Army Aviation Squadron and based at Qasim Army Aviation Base, Rawalpindi. 

Theatre Support Package A-10Cs Over Germany

Above: US Air Force A-10C 78-0651 ‘DM’/ ’12 AF’, along with a second example from the 354th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron fly next to a KC-135 from the 100th Air Refueling Wing after tanking above Ramstein Air Base, Germany, on March 26. The A-10s are deployed as part of a theatre security package in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve. These deployments continuously operate on a rotational basis in order to provide capabilities to support regional security and training opportunities with European allies and partners. US Air Force/Senior Airman Damon Kasberg

Upgraded NATO AWACS Flight Testing BOEING REVEALED on March 12 it had recently completed the first flight of a NATO Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft upgraded with a modern flight deck and avionics that replace 1970s-era analogue systems. During the two-hour flight on December 31, testers evaluated five full-colour glass displays with customisable engine, navigation and radar data. The company says the systems performed better than expected and the programme will now enter an extensive flight test qualification phase. The aircraft, E-3A LX-N90459, had arrived in Seattle, Washington, on August 1, 2013, work beginning on the modernisation two months later. The upgrade to the NATO AWACS, along with a US Air Force E-3, is part of a $368m engineering, manufacturing and development (EMD) contract awarded to Boeing on May 23, 2012 by the US Air Force’s Electronic

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Above: The first upgraded NATO E-3A, LX-N90459, flies over Seattle on its maiden flight on December 31. Boeing/John Parker

Systems Center at Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts. First flight of the upgraded USAF AWACS is expected in 2016. Fourteen NATO AWACS will undergo the flight deck modernisation, with delivery of the first upgraded aircraft scheduled for next January. Boeing had announced a $257m contract on August 6, 2014 to upgrade the remaining 13 aircraft, work on which will begin next year. All are due to be completed by 2018. Jon Hunsberger, Boeing AWACS

programme manager, said: “These improvements provide NATO with an AWACS fleet that will save time and fuel and also decrease operational costs by allowing a reduction in the flight crew size.” Boeing says the upgrades ensure compliance with current and future air traffic control and navigation requirements, giving the aircraft broader access to airspace around the world. They also resolve recurring issues involving out-of-production avionics by using commercial,

off-the-shelf digital equipment. NATO has a fleet of 17 E-3As, based at Geilenkirchen, Germany, but increasing financial pressure means that it can only afford to upgrade 14. Canada’s withdrawal from the E-3 programme last July, as a cost-cutting measure, has increased the financial burden on the remaining members, the country having been one of the major contributors. Without Canada’s money, NATO is considering withdrawing one aircraft because it believes it may not be able to afford its upcoming depot-level maintenance. Although no decision has been made, all three unmodified aircraft may be retired once the upgraded E-3s enter service, rather than operating a mixed fleet. This all comes at a time when the NATO E-3 fleet is needed more than ever, meaning there may be an increasing role for RAF and USAF E-3s to cover the shortfall. 

#326 MAY 2015 11

NEWS

CONTINENTAL EUROPE Upgraded ALAT Cougars Handed Over TWO UPGRADED AS532UL Cougar helicopters were handed over by Airbus Helicopters at its factory in Marignane, France, on March 13 to the French Direction générale de l’armement (DGA) for operation by the Aviation Légère de l’Armée de Terre (ALAT, the French Army’s air component). They have been modernised under a contract awarded by the DGA for all 26 ALAT Cougars. The upgrade includes a new avionics suite and an automatic pilot similar to that of the H225M (formerly the EC725), which gives a common man-machine interface for the two helicopters, providing a real operational advantage for the crew, according to Airbus Helicopters. Three ALAT AS532s were upgraded in 2013 and five more in 2014; an additional seven will be delivered this year. In April 2014, the modernised Cougar successfully participated in its first operational deployment in Mali as part of Operation Barkhane, alongside the Tiger, and the manufacturer says it has already demonstrated excellent capabilities. 

First F-35 Rolls Off Italian Production Line

Above: F-35A AL-1, the first Lightning II to be completed on the FACO facility at Cameri, Italy. Lockheed Martin

THE FIRST Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II to be assembled away from the Fort Worth, Texas, production line was completed on March 12 when the first Italian F-35A rolled off the Final Assembly and Check Out (FACO) facility at Cameri, Italy. The aircraft, AL-1, one of eight currently being assembled at Cameri, is expected to make its maiden flight later this year. The FACO is owned by the Italian defence ministry and operated by

Alenia Aermacchi in conjunction with Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. A current workforce of more than 750 skilled personnel is engaged in F-35 aircraft and wing production. The facility, which will build all Italian F-35As and F-35Bs, is also to manufacture F-35As for the Royal Netherlands Air Force, and has the capacity to deliver to other European partners in the future. Last December it was selected by the US Department of Defense as the F-35 Lightning II Heavy

Airframe Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul and Upgrade facility for the European region. It includes 22 buildings and more than one million square feet of covered work space, housing 11 assembly stations plus five maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade bays. The first full F-35A wing section was recently completed at Cameri and will be shipped to Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth F-35 production line for final assembly. 

Air National Guard F-15s Deploy for Operation Atlantic Resolve

Turkey Issues RFI for TF-X

A REQUEST for Information (RFI) was issued on March 13 by Turkey's SSM (Undersecretariat for Defence Industries) for the country's indigenous Turkish Fighter Aircraft (TF-X) programme. The RFI seeks the indigenous design, development and production of the TF-X to meet the Turkish Air Force's requirement for a next-generation fighter. It is intended that the TF-X will replace the Turkish Air Force's current F-16 fleet in the 2030s timeframe. Preliminary design work is expected to cost in the region of $500 million, with the intention of completing the first prototype in 2023. Responses to the RFI were due by March 20 and a formal Request for Proposals is expected to be issued in the third quarter of this year. Around nine companies, including BAE Systems, Dassault, Lockheed Martin, Shenyang and Saab are said to be interested. 

12 MAY 2015 #326

Above: US Air Force/Oregon Air National Guard F-15C Eagle 84-0031 landing at Leeuwarden Air Base in the Netherlands on March 31. The aircraft was one of 12 deploying to Europe for six months as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve. Kees van der Mark

TWELVE US Air Force/Air National Guard F-15C/Ds have arrived at Leeuwarden Air Base in the Netherlands as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve. The first six jets arrived on March 31 and comprised three F-15Cs of Florida ANG’s 125th FW/159th FS from Jacksonville IAP (serials 86-0155, 86-0161 and 86-0162) and another three of the Oregon ANG’s 142nd FW/123rd FS from Portland IAP (80-0024, 84-0031 (in full colour markings) and

85-0106). Call signs were ‘Mazda 11 - 16’. During their ferry flight, the Eagles were refuelled by KC-135Rs 58-0129 (‘Gold 66’) and 62-3512 (‘Gold 65’), as well as KC-10A 84-0189 (‘Gold 64’); the latter landed at RAF Mildenhall.  The other six F-15s arrived at Leeuwarden on April 1. They again comprised a mix from the two units, comprising three F-15Cs from the 125th FW/159th FS, FL ANG (78-0489, 81-0023, 85-0096); F-15Cs

from the 142nd FW/123rd FS, OR ANG (82-0016, 86-0151) and a single F-15D from the 142nd FW/123rd FS, OR ANG (85-0132). The F-15s will stay at Leeuwarden until the first week of May, until moving on to Bulgaria for further exercises. They will participate in the RNLAF’s annual exercise Frisian Flag, to be held at Leeuwarden from April 13-24. Their stay in Europe is expected to last six months. Kees van der Mark 

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NEWS

NORTH AMERICA Fifth RCAF CC-177 Delivered THE ROYAL Canadian Air Force (RCAF) has taken delivery of its fifth Boeing CC-177 Globemaster III. The aircraft, 177705 (c/n 50273, USAF/14-0004, ex N273ZD), arrived in Canada on March 30 following a ferry flight from the factory in Long Beach, California. It will join the current fleet of four CC-177s operated by 429

Transport Squadron at 8 Wing Trenton, Ontario, increasing the RCAF’s flexibility to respond to domestic and international emergencies and support a variety of missions, including humanitarian assistance, peace support and combat. Using resources the Canadian Government had previously

set aside for National Defence to implement the Canada First defence strategy, the acquisition project cost is estimated at US$415 million, which includes purchasing the aircraft, a spare engine, ancillary equipment, specialised systems, project costs and contingency for exchange-rate fluctuation.

The cost for 12 years’ integrated in-service support for the additional aircraft is estimated at US$30 million. The decision to acquire the fifth aircraft was announced on December 19 last year – see Canada to Buy Additional C-17A, February, p15. It was one of the previously unsold 'white tails'. 

The fifth Royal Canadian Air Force CC-177 Globemaster III, 177705/N273ZD, undertaking a pre-delivery test flight from Long Beach, California, on March 20. The aircraft was delivered to Canada ten days later. Erik Bruijns

News Brief

US Customs’ 12th P-3 Orion MLU Completed

LUKE AIR Force Base, Arizona, has reached the milestone of 1,000 training sorties with its F-35A Lightning IIs. Announcing the achievement on April 1, officials from the 56th Wing noted that it had been the fastest US Department of Defense unit to achieve this with the type to date. The 1,000th sortie took place on March 31. The base also achieved another milestone the previous week, when the first F-35 student sortie was flown by Brig Gen Scott Pleus, 56th FW commander, who is transitioning from the F-16 to the F-35.

LOCKHEED MARTIN has completed Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) work on another US Customs and

Border Protection (CBP) P-3 Orion. The aircraft was redelivered to the CBP on March 18, 37 days ahead

Above: The 12th US Customs and Border Protection P-3 to go through a Mid-Life Upgrade departing from Greenville, South Carolina, on March 18. Lockheed Martin

of schedule, from the company’s facility in Greenville, South Carolina. This was the 12th of 14 aircraft in the CBP MLU programme, which also includes phased depot maintenance. The MLU replaces the outer wings, centre wing, tailplane and tailplane leading edges. All necessary fatigue lifelimiting structures are replaced, leading to significantly reduced maintenance and sustainment costs. The MLU will enable the P-3 Orion to support operators for a further 20 to 25 years (see Slicks and Domes, p80). 

US Air Forces Orders 25 More QF-16s A CONTRACT has been given to Boeing for production of additional QF-16 Full-Scale Aerial Targets (FSAT) for the US Air Force. The US$28.46 million deal, which was awarded on March 27, is to purchase 25 QF-16 FSATs and 25 four-year warranties of the QF-16 drone-peculiar equipment. The order is for production Lot 3 and is a modification to exercise options on the original QF-16 engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) contract awarded on March 8, 2010, which covered an initial six EMD aircraft and options on 126 production examples. Work on the new contract will be carried out on Boeing’s

14 MAY 2015 #326

QF-16 production line at Cecil Field, Florida, and is due for completion by October 31, 2017. FY 2014 and 2015

procurement funds have been used to finance the acquisition. Boeing was awarded the contract on October 10, 2013 for

Above: The first US Air Force Lot 1 production QF-16 aircraft, Block 30 QF-16C 86-0233 ‘QF-007’, after arrival at Tyndall AFB on March 11 from the QF-16 production line at Cecil Field. USAF

low-rate initial production (LRIP) Lot 1 of 13 QF-16s. A second award on May 20, 2014 covered production Lot 2, comprising a further 23 QF-16s. The first production Lot 1 FSAT, QF-16C 86-0233 ‘QF-007’, was delivered on March 11, 2015 to Tyndall AFB, Florida. It was previously operated by the Michigan Air National Guard’s 127th Wing/107th Fighter Squadron ‘Red Devils’ at Selfridge ANGB until being put into storage with the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, on April 22, 2010. It left there in April 2013 for Cecil Field to be converted to a QF-16. 

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First US Army Training UH-72As AIRBUS HELICOPTERS has begun deliveries of the first US Army UH-72A Lakotas in training configuration to Fort Rucker, Alabama. The first new UH-72A in this layout was delivered on March 25. It will join seven Lakotas already modified to the training configuration and fielded to Fort Rucker, in preparation for the type’s formal introduction into the training curriculum in early Fiscal Year 2016. Ultimately, US Army plans call for an initial-entry rotary-wing training fleet of 187 Lakotas, comprising a mix of 106 new deliveries and 81 already in-service aircraft reconfigured for the training mission. The training-configured Lakotas are to replace the US Army’s current Bell TH-67 Creek initial rotary-wing training fleet. The first helicopters are being used to train instructor pilots and validate the syllabus. Modification is limited to removing equipment not required for training and adding an observer seat. To date, the US Department of Defense has ordered 411 Lakotas, 400 of which are for the US Army. With the latest handover, 332 completed aircraft have been delivered from the Airbus Helicopters production facility. 

US Navy Orders Additional UC-12W A SINGLE UC-12W has been ordered for the US Navy. The US$11.7 million contract for this aircraft was awarded to Beechcraft on March 25 by US Naval Air Systems Command. Work is due for completion in July 2016. Financing has come from Fiscal Year 2015 US Navy aircraft procurement funding. The US Navy does not currently operate the UC-12W, but has previously ordered six on July 11, 2008 to replace older UC-12Bs operating with the US Marine Corps (USMC). Also included in that deal were options on six more. It seems likely that this order is also for an aircraft that will be operated by the USMC, exercising one of those options. 

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Three More New C-130Js Delivered to US Military

Above: USAF HC-130J Combat King II 11-5765 ‘FT’ (c/n 5765) departing from the factory in Marietta on March 24 to join Air Combat Command’s 347th Rescue Group at Moody AFB Georgia. Lockheed Martin/Todd McQueen

LOCKHEED MARTIN announced on March 24 that it had delivered a further three C-130J Super Hercules, of three different variants, to US military operators from the factory in Marietta, Georgia. The first two deliveries took place on March 19, followed by the third on March 24. The March 19 deliveries included US Air Force MC-130J Commando II 11-5763 (c/n 5763), which was picked up by a USAF crew

to be delivered to USAF Special Operations Command’s 353rd Special Operations Group at Kadena Air Base, Japan. The other delivery on that date was an HC-130J long-range search and rescue aircraft, 2008 (c/n 5766), which is destined for the US Coast Guard. Still in primer, it was ferried to Lockheed Martin’s facility in Greenville, South Carolina, for post-production modifications, including paint

and finishes, prior to being redelivered to the USCG in 2016. The March 24 delivery was USAF HC-130J Combat King II personnel recovery aircraft 11-5765 ‘FT’ (c/n 5765), which was ferried by a USAF crew to join Air Combat Command’s 347th Rescue Group at Moody AFB, Georgia. The aircraft had officially been transferred to US Government charge on March 20. 

USAF T-X Requirements Released US AIR Force officials have released details of the requirements for the T-X trainer aircraft family of systems that will replace the T-38 Talon in USAF service. The release, issued on March 17, is the first under the service’s new Bending the Cost Curve initiative and follows Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James’ emphasis on increased dialogue with industry to build affordability into the acquisition process. Brig Gen Dawn Dunlop, the director of plans, programmes and requirements at Air Education and Training Command (AETC), said:“The T-X requirements are being released approximately ten months earlier than under the normal acquisition process and is part of an ongoing effort for more deliberate and open engagement with industry.” She explained the initial draft requirements were released in 2012, allowing industry to make more informed, early design decisions adding that the T-38 is no longer a practical trainer to prepare USAF pilots for newer, more advanced aircraft. Brig Gen Dunlop said that 12 of 18 advanced pilot training tasks currently cannot be completed with the T-38, meaning fighter and bomber formal training units have to be relied on to complete the training at a much greater cost.

She continued: “Cockpit and sensor management are fundamentally different today in fourth- and fifth-generation aircraft than it was when the T-38 was built in 1961. While the T-38 has been upgraded to a glass cockpit, the inability to upgrade the T-38’s performance and simulated sensor capability presents a growing challenge each year to effectively teach the critical skills essential to today’s military pilots.” A second issue for the T-38, according to Dunlop, is aircraft sustainment. The T-38s assigned to AETC have not met the command’s requirement for 75% availability since 2011, meaning many are not mission capable and are unavailable for training. The T-X requirements identify three key performance characteristics for the advanced pilot training mission: sustained G, simulator visual acuity and performance, and aircraft sustainment. While there are just over 100 requirements in all, these are considered the most critical to ensure the T-X family of systems closes current training gaps. Another important requirement is embedded training with synthetic sensors and data link. Significant progress has been made in the past decade in

synthetic training that very closely approximates to the real system. The USAF plans to award a contract for 350 T-Xs to replace the 431 AETC T-38s in autumn 2017, with initial operational capability expected by the end of 2023. The service will accept proposals for currently fielded and clean-sheet designs to meet the USAF’s undergraduate pilot and introduction to fighter fundamentals training needs. Interested parties must respond to the USAF by May. Five competitors have indicated their intent to offer a solution for the T-X requirement. A Boeing-Saab team is developing a clean-sheet design. Northrop Grumman had initially proposed to offer a version of the BAE Systems Hawk T2/ Mk 128, but is now also looking at a completely new design. Lockheed Martin will offer the KAI T-50 Golden Eagle. General Dynamics and Alenia Aermacchi teamed to offer the T-100, which is based on the M-346, but GD announced on March 26 that it is no longer involved. On the following day, Alenia Aermacchi stated it was in talks with an alternative US partner, but declined to identify the company. Textron AirLand is also planning to develop a trainer variant of its Scorpion ISR and light attack aircraft for the competition. 

#326 MAY 2015 15

NEWS

NORTH AMERICA DIRCM System for RCAF CH-147Fs NORTHROP GRUMMAN has been selected by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) to provide infrared missile protection on its fleet of CH-147F Chinooks. On March 25, the company outlined elements of the advanced aircraft survivability equipment suite. This latest generation directional infrared countermeasures system will protect the RCAF Chinook and crew by automatically detecting a missile launch, determining if it is a threat and activating a high-intensity, laser-based countermeasure system to track and defeat the missile. The RCAF has a fleet of 15 CH-147Fs, the first of which was delivered on June 27, 2013. The last one was handed over on June 30, 2014. The type is flown by RCAF/1 Wing’s 450 Tactical Helicopter Squadron at Canadian Forces Base Petawawa, Ontario. Northrop Grumman’s various infrared countermeasure systems are installed or scheduled for installation on at least 1,000 military aircraft around the world to protect 55 types of large fixed-wing transports and rotary-wing platforms from infrared missile attacks. The technology developed by Northrop Grumman and Selex ES has been incorporated into at least 3,250 pointer/trackers now in full-rate production.

New F-35B Lightning II for VMX-22

Above: Flying down Rainbow Canyon, Nevada, on March 24 was this US Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II, 168312 ‘MV-52’ from Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron 22 (VMX-22) ‘Argonauts’ at MCAS New River, North Carolina. The aircraft is a recent addition to the unit, having last been reported as ‘VM-11’ with Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 (VMFAT-501) ‘Warlords’ at MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina. This is believed to have been one of the first occasions that an F-35 has used this low-level route. Erik Bruijns

USAF Orders another HC-130J A US Air Force contract has been awarded to Lockheed Martin for one additional HC-130J Combat King II aircraft. The US$72.7 million deal, which was awarded on March 23, is a modification to the US$8.53 billion C-130 Five-Year Option Contract IV awarded to the manufacturer on March 16, 2011. The latter award covers the

planned acquisition of an estimated 150 C-130Js of differing variants over the period from February 1, 2011 through to January 31, 2016. Fiscal Year 2013 aircraft procurement funds valued at US$36.36 million were released at the time of the new contract award. Work is expected

US Army Order for up to 32 More CH-47Fs A CONTRACT has been given to Boeing for 26 remanufactured CH-47F Chinooks, four new CH-47Fs and the option of building two more CH-47Fs. The deal, awarded on March 13,

is valued at US$713.9 million and is a modification to the US$3.4 billion multi-year CH-47F production contract awarded to Boeing on June 17, 2013. The new contract provides over-

RCAF Display Hornet Special Scheme

Above: This impressive colour scheme applied to Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 Hornet 188761 for the 2015 CF-18 Demonstration Team and commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain was unveiled on March 27. The markings and code ‘YO-H’ represent 401 (RCAF) Squadron, which flew in the Battle of Britain. The pilot for this year’s display Hornet is Captain Denis ‘Cheech’ Beaulieu from 425 ‘Alouettes’ Tactical Fighter Squadron at 3 Wing, Bagotville, Quebec. RCAF

16 MAY 2015 #326

to be completed on these aircraft by March 31, 2017. One further HC-130J was funded in the FY14 budget; another four in FY15 and a further five have been requested in FY16. The HC-130J is replacing the legacy HC-130N/P aircraft as the USAF's dedicated personnel recovery platform.

and-above appropriated funding, together with long-lead funding for CH-47F Production Lot 14. Financing comes from the FY2015 budget. Estimated completion date is December 31, 2020.

US Army Orders More MQ-1Cs US ARMY Contracting Command has awarded General Atomics a contract for 19 MQ-1C Gray Eagle UAVs. The March 16 deal, worth US$132.66 million, includes 19 SATCOM Air Data Terminals, one lot of initial spares and one lot of ground support equipment. The order is a modification to the September 13, 2013 contract for FY2013 Gray Eagle production. Financing for the new contract comes from FY14 other procurement (Army) funds. Estimated completion date is May 31, 2017. A further 19 MQ-1Cs are to be acquired using FY15 funding, with 19 more requested in the FY16 budget.

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LATIN AMERICA Paraguay Interested in Grob Aircraft THE PARAGUAYAN Government is looking to buy at least four Grob aircraft. It will choose between two models, the G115E and the G120A, for which the price per aircraft is around US$900,000. The aircraft were specifically designed to satisfy strict military standards and are suitable for both basic and advanced training. A contract was discussed recently by Paraguayan defence minister Bernardino Soto Estigarribia, German Ambassador Johannes Trommer and Grob regional representative Jorge Reta. Trommen emphasised the German Government’s interest in deepening relations between his country and Paraguay and strengthening co-operation on defence issues with new contracts. The Grob training aircraft are likely to become part of a modernisation plan for Paraguay’s armed forces and will replace the ENAER Pillan in Paraguayan Air Force service. Juan Carlos Cicalesi-Agustín Puetz 

New ATR42 for Colombian National Police

Above: New Policia Nacional Colombia ATR42-320 PNC-0243/D-BBBB (c/n 287, ex VP-VPU) at Mönchengladbach, Germany, on April 4. Oliver Jonischkeit

A NEW aircraft for the Policia Nacional Colombia (PNC, Colombian National Police) is ATR42-320 PNC-0243 (c/n 287, ex D-BBB, ex VP-VPU), which was previously operated by UT Air. It was painted in PNC colours at Eindhoven in the Netherlands by Aviation Cosmetics and then

flown to Rheinland Aero Service (RAS) at Mönchengladbach, Germany, at the beginning of April. RAS prepared the ATR42 for service and made a pre-delivery test flight on April 4. On delivery to the PNC, planned for April 7, it will join another ATR42 that has been in service since 2009. 

Italy and Chile Agree to Build Training Aircraft ITALY’S DEFENCE minister, Roberta Pinotti, visited Chilean aircraft manufacturer ENAER and the Chilean Air Force’s Aviation School at the end of March – when her Chilean counterpart, Jorge Burgos, signed an agreement for the joint development of the

M-345 HET jet trainer, proposed by Italy’s Alenia Aermacchi for basic/advanced training. Intended to replace Chile’s CASA C-101s, the new trainers would be jointly manufactured by ENAER and Alenia Aermacchi. Juan Carlos Cicalesi 

Uruguayan Air Force Acquires More Aircraft

Above: The FAU’s new SA365N2 Dauphin. Jorge Castro Hernández

THE FUERZA Aérea Uruguaya (FAU, Uruguayan Air Force) has added a second Airbus Helicopters SA365N2 Dauphin to its fleet and is planning to buy a third in the

18 MAY 2015 #326

near future. It is also to acquire a fast transport jet. Meanwhile two CASA C212-300s were acquired second-hand from Portugal some months ago, according

to FAU chief General del Aire Washington Martínez in a speech on March 17 marking the 102nd anniversary of the FAU. Juan Carlos Cicalesi – Agustin Puetz 

New Helicopters Sought for Belize Defence Force TWO NEW helicopters are being sought for the Belize Defence Force (BDF) Air Wing through a proposed US Foreign Military Sale. A Request for Information was published on the US Government’s Federal Business Opportunities website on March 19 in order to identify potential sources for the helicopters. Responses were due by March 25. The US Army Non-Standard Rotary Wing Aircraft Project Office is handling the RFI, which is seeking a multi-role helicopter that can be operated by one or two pilots and carry four-to-six fully-equipped combat troops. It must also be reconfigurable to carry patient litters for medical evacuation flights. The RFI also specifies a type with fixed landing skids equipped with a 600lb (272kg) hoist capability. It must be capable of day and night all-weather operations. They will be the first helicopters procured by the Government of Belize and will be used to support casualty evacuation, search and rescue and troop transport missions. Belize has been considering its options for BDF support helicopters since 2012, after the British Army Training and Support Unit in Belize pulled out, along with the 25 Flight Bell 212s which supported the unit at the end of the previous year. Requests for support from other allies had not seen offers of any helicopters forthcoming, therefore the Belize Government decided last year to seek to purchase its own rotary-wing assets. 

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Mexico Seeks Three More UH-60Ms US STATE Department approval has been granted for the possible Foreign Military Sale to Mexico of three Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawks. The US Defense Security Co-operation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress on March 16 of the potential sale. Including associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support, the estimated cost will be $110 million. The helicopters will be in standard US Government configuration, with designated unique equipment, Government Furnished Equipment (GFE), six H-764G embedded global positioning system/inertial navigation systems (EGIs), six M134 7.62mm machine guns, three Star Safire III forward looking infrared radar systems, three aviation mission planning systems, 12 AN/AVS-9 night vision goggles and one aviation ground power unit. The DSCA notes that the sale will significantly increase and strengthen that country’s capability to provide airlift support for its forces. Mexico intends to use them to modernize its armed forces and expand its existing naval/ maritime support in its efforts to combat drug trafficking. The Black Hawk is already in service with the Mexican military, six S-70A-24s being flown by the Fuerza Aérea Mexicana, while the Policía Federal de Mexico has six S-70As and six UH-60Ms. Mexico’s Fuerza Aeronaval (Naval Air Arm) also has three UH-60Ms and has five more on order. 

Three Chetaks Join Suriname Air Force

Above: Suriname Air Force HAL 316B Chetak SAF H001 taxies out at Zorg en Hoop during the official hand-over ceremony.

THREE HAL 316B Chetak helicopters have finally been delivered to the Surinaamese Lucthmacht (Suriname Air Force) after lengthy delays. The helicopters, SAF H001 (c/n AH350), SAF H002 (c/n AH351) and SAF H003 (c/n AH352), were formally handed over during a ceremony at Paramaribo-Zorg en Hoop Airport on March 13. The will operate from three locations: one each at the Air Force’s main base at Zorg en Hoop, Albina and Nickerie. The $13.407 million contract

for the helicopters was signed on February 12, 2009, but many problems, including lost documents, considerably delayed their arrival. Eight pilots and several technicians have spent the last year training on the type in India, but for the first few months Indian pilots will fly with their SAF counterparts to gain experience. The Chetaks will be armed, and weapons for them have already been delivered, but the type has not been revealed. After being shipped from India, the three Chetaks were re-assembled

Peruvian Air Force C-27J Delivery Cascade Aerospace end of January (see First Peruvian DELIVERY OF the first C-27J C-27J Now Flight Testing, April, Spartan to the Fuerza Aérea Overhauls del Perù (FAP – Peruvian Air p18). A contract for the first two was signed in December 2013, Force) has been completed. The Mexican AF aircraft, FAP-328/C.S.X62295, while a further two were ordered left Turin-Caselle Airport, Italy, on December 31, 2014. The C-130K second will be delivered before on March 12, routing over Europe and the UK to Iceland for an initial fuel stop. It arrived at Lima-Callao (Jorge Chávez Airport), Peru, on March 15. It is one of four on order and had made its maiden flight at the

the year-end. The third and fourth will join them in 2016 and 2017. The C-27Js will be operated by Grupo Aéreo 8 at Lima-Callao Air Base, replacing the FAP’s ageing Antonov An-32s. 

Mexican Navy C295 with Winglets

Above: Winglet-equipped Mexican Fuerza Aeronaval C295M ANX-1254 (c/n S-133) prepares to embark on a test flight from Seville-San Pablo Airport, Spain, on March 26. This is the fifth aircraft for the Mexican Navy, which will be the first operator to fly a C295 with these enhancements, which improve aircraft performance. Antonio Muñiz Zaragüeta

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in the SAF facility at Zorg en Hoop, where the first one was completed on January 29. The second was finished the next day and work on the third was about to start. The arrival of the Chetaks marks the start of the resurrection of the SAF, which is thought not to have had any airworthy assets for some years. During the hand-over ceremony, Suriname defence minister Lamuré Latour also said the SAF is further expanding with the purchase of an unspecified aircraft. 

CASCADE AEROSPACE Inc announced on March 19 that it had conducted the first test flight of a foreign military aircraft from its base in Abbotsford, British Columbia. The aircraft was a Fuerza Aerea Mexicana (FAM - Mexican Air Force) C-130K Hercules. Cascade had begun a maintenance and modernisation programme on the aircraft in 2014. Since then, Cascade engineering teams have designed and installed a complete cockpit avionics upgrade. This included integration of the digital Rockwell Collins Flight 2 avionics suite, plus digital fuel quantity indication and engine instrument display systems. It has also been fitted with a new APU and simulator training was provided for FAM pilots. 

#326 MAY 2015 19

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NEWS

HEADLINES LATIN AMERICA

Uruguay celebrates Ernesto Blanco Calcagno witnessed the flypast dedicated to Uruguay’s 102 years of military aviation.

Six Uruguayan Air Force A-37Bs fly over stunning coastline towards Montevideo International Airport for the big flypast. Via author

22 MAY 2015 #326

T

he Uruguayan Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Uruguaya - FAU) put on an impressive flyby during its Air Force Day on March 17, which celebrated 102 years of military aviation. Most of the force’s aircraft took to the skies over Montevideo’s International Airport, home to General Cesáreo L Berisso air base which houses Brigada Aérea I (Air Brigade I), 9 miles (16km) east of the capital. The country’s president of just two weeks, Dr Tabaré Vásquez headed the list of dignitaries who included the FAU Commander In Chief, Air General Washington Martínez, government officials and foreign

military officials. Significantly, Lt General Raúl Banderas Dueñas the Commander General of the Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana (FAEEcuadorian Air Force) was also present. He had been invited after Equador donated three surplus Cessna A-37B Dragonflies in 2014, along with spare parts, to the FAU. In his last speech as Commander-In-Chief during Air Force Day (his mandate ends early next year) General Martínez acknowledged Ecuador’s assistance in allowing the FAU to continue flying the aging Dragonfly. “This has maintained pilot proficiency while the service awaits replacement

aircraft,” he said. However, the commander made no further mention of the much needed replacement aircraft. The FAU confirmed it was to incorporate into its forces two ex-Portuguese Air Force CASA C 212-300s, another AS365N2 as well as an undisclosed calibration aircraft. Meanwhile, the IA-58A Pampa fleet has been grounded, awaiting spare parts for the undercarriages that are no longer manufactured. The Fábrica Argentina de Aviones SA (FAdeA) facility, based at Mendoza in northern Argentina, is trying to source it from aircraft no longer in service. 

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#326 MAY 2015 23

NEWS

AFRICA Tunisia Orders 8 UH-60M Black Hawks A CONTRACT has been awarded to Sikorsky Aircraft to manufacture eight ‘green’ UH-60M Black Hawks for the Tunisian Government. The $93.31 million deal, awarded on March 17, is a modification to the July 11, 2012, $2.8 billion multi-year contract for up to 916 UH/MH-60 helicopters for the US Army, US Navy and Foreign Military Sales customers. Fiscal Year 2015 ‘other procurement’ funds have been used to finance the deal and the estimated completion date is December 31, 2016. The US Defense Security Co-operation Agency (DSCA) had notified Congress of the proposed sale of 12 UH-60Ms on July 24, 2014, following US State Department approval – see Tunisia to Buy 12 UH-60Ms, September 2014, p25. The DSCA at that time gave an estimated value of the acquisition as $700 million, including associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support. A further contract will be awarded later to fit out the green airframes and purchase weapons for them. The DSCA said the UH-60Ms will be in standard US Government configuration with designated unique equipment and Government Furnished Equipment (GFE). Six spare T700-GE-701D engines will also be included, together with 26 embedded global positioning systems/inertial navigation systems, 24 M134 7.62mm machine guns and an integrated Precision Guided Rocket System capability to permit launch of laser-guided variants of 2¾in rockets. Weaponry and associated equipment will include 9,100 2¾in Hydra unguided rockets, 100 AGM-114R Hellfire air-to-surface missiles, 20 M299 Hellfire missile pods, 24 M261 Hydra-70 rocket pods, 24 GAU-19 0.50 calibre machine guns, 15 Wescam MX-15Di or Brite Star II EO/ IR designators and six aviation mission planning systems. The DSCA said the Black Hawks will be used to provide border patrol, rapid reaction and field expedient medical evacuation for its air and ground forces in counter-terrorism and border security operations. 

24 MAY 2015 #326

‘New’ Nigerian Air Force Alpha Jets

Above: Newly acquired Nigerian Air Force Alpha Jet NAF477 landing at Manchester Airport, UK, on March 25 on its delivery flight. Karl Nixon

AT LEAST two second-hand Alpha Jets have been acquired by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to bolster its depleted fleet. One of them, NAF477 (c/n 0088, ex N88XA, 40+88/ Luftwaffe), passed through the UK on March 25, making a brief fuel stop after arriving from Reykjavik, Iceland. It then continued to Palma de Mallorca, Spain, on its delivery flight. The aircraft was previously with

US military combat readiness training contractor Air USA Inc. It was cancelled from the US register on March 19 along with a second Alpha Jet, N707XA (c/n 0007, ex 40+07/Luftwaffe), which has also been sold to Nigeria. Delivery of the second aircraft has yet to be confirmed. As NAF serials follow sequentially, and the last of its existing fleet is serial number 473, this suggests that at

least four additional examples may have been acquired. A September 2012 photograph showed an Alpha Jet with serial 474, indicating that at least one was acquired some time ago. In addition, another example, N42NV (c/n 0042, ex 40+42/ Luftwaffe), previously with Alpha Jets USA Inc of Wilmington, Delaware, was cancelled from the FAA register on November 26, 2014, as exported to Nigeria. 

Nigerian Air Force Adds Gazelles to its Inventory

Above: This screen grab from a video shows a recently-acquired Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Gazelle, which appears to be devoid of any markings or serial.

A LOCAL television news report recently revealed that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has taken delivery of an unspecified number of Gazelle helicopters, a type not previously used by the NAF. The origin of the helicopters is unknown. Speaking to the media on February 15 at the NAF facility at Lagos-Murtal Muhammed

Airport, Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Adesola Amosun said new aircraft armament was also being tested and calibrated on the Owode weapons range. Although he did not elaborate, one of the NAF’s recently refurbished AS332M1 Super Pumas, NAF567, was seen carrying a new 22-tube rocket pod system on one of its stub wings. The new

weaponry is being introduced as part of increased efforts against Boko Haram terrorists. Other new equipment being acquired includes six Mi-35M attack helicopters and 12 armed Mi-171Sh helicopters. A deal for these helicopters had been signed in August 2014 – see Nigerian AF Orders Mi-35Ms and Mi-171Shs, November 2014, p26. 

Kenya Police Seeking New Helicopters A PRESS advertisement from the office of Kenya's Inspector General of Police is seeking new twin-turbine helicopters for operation by the Kenya Police Aviation Wing. The request for two utility helicopters and one troop carrier helicopter specifies that the purchase is to

be direct from the manufacturer. A second tender is seeking bids for the overhaul of the three existing Police Mi-17 helicopters. Deadline for submission of tender documents was April 14, with the stipulation they must remain valid for 150 days after the closing date.

Based at Wilson Airport, Nairobi, the current Police Air Wing fleet includes the three Mi-17s, plus one Bell 206L-4 Long Ranger, one Bell 206L, one Bell 47L, a Bolkow 105 and several fixed-wing aircraft, including Cessna 208 Caravan, Cessna 310 and Cessna 402 types. 

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US Lifts Freeze on Egyptian F-16 Deliveries US PRESIDENT Barack Obama has lifted the freeze on weapons deliveries to Egypt that was imposed following the military-backed coup in the country in 2013. In a call to Egyptian President Adbel Fattah al-Sisi on March 31, Obama informed him that he was going to lift the executive holds in place since October 2013. This will enable deliveries of the remaining 12 Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 52s on order for the Egyptian Air Force is to finally take place. President Obama also said that deliveries of 20 Harpoon missiles and 125 M1A1 Abrams tank kits would also now go ahead. He also said that he would continue to request an annual $1.3 billion in military assistance for Egypt. From Fiscal Year 2018, the US President said that US security assistance to Egypt would be channelled into four categories - counterterrorism, border security, Sinai security and maritime security, while also sustaining weapons systems that are already in Egypt's inventory. The President explained that these and other steps would help refine the US military assistance relationship with Egypt. 

Equatorial Guinea Su-25s Still Operational

Above: One of the two-seat Equatorial Guinea National Guard Air Wing Su-25UBs, ‘027 White’, landing at Malabo on March 6. Denetworks

A VISIT to Malabo-Santa Isabel Airport, Equatorial Guinea, on March 6 confirmed that at least two of the rarely seen Guardia Nacional de Guinea Ecuatorial (Equatorial Guinea National Guard) Air Wing’s Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot ground attack aircraft are still in operational service. Noted flying on that date were single-seat Su-25 ‘029 White’

and two-seat Su-25UB ‘027 White’ (c/n 38220110101, ex ‘032 White’), which are operated by the resident Fighter Flight. Two Su-25UBs were delivered to Equatorial Guinea from Ukraine in July-August 2007, comprising ‘026 White’ (c/n 38220110091, ex ‘031 White’) and ‘027 White’. The single-seater, ‘029 White’ was delivered in 2009, when it is

Equatorial Guinea National Guard Air Wing Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot ‘029 White’ lands at its base at Malabo-Santa Isabel Airport on March 6. Denetworks

Rare Sighting of Tunisian Air Force HH-3F

Above: One of the Tunisian Air Force’s rarely photographed Sikorsky HH-3Es, L82111/TS-SRK/67-14723 (note that all three serials are carried), on the ramp at Tunis on March 29. The helicopter, along with Alouette IIIs and UH-1H Iroquois, was deployed there during the anti-terrorism march in Tunis, which followed the March 18 attack on the Bardo national museum, which killed 21 foreign tourists and a policeman. Gérard Gaudin

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thought that a second single-seat aircraft, ‘028 White’, also arrived, although this is unconfirmed. Acting as lead-in trainers for these aircraft are two Aero L-39C Albatros, ‘024 White’ (c/n 533228, ex ‘108 Red’) and ‘025 White’ (c/n 533230, ex ‘31 Blue’), both also acquired from Ukraine between March and August 2007 and operated by the Training Flight at Malabo. 

News Brief ACCORDING TO local reports in France, the first three Dassault Rafales for the Egyptian Air Force have already rolled off the final assembly line at BordeauxMerignac, and have been flown to Istres to be prepared for delivery. The aircraft are serials B352, B353 and B354. Egypt signed a contract for 24 Rafales on February 16 (see Egypt Signs First Rafale Export Order, April, p5) under which the first three aircraft were to be diverted on the production line from aircraft already being built for the Armee de l'Air Force Air Force). Egypt hopes to be able to take delivery of these first three in time for a flypast over the Suez Canal scheduled for August 5. 

#326 MAY 2015 25

NEWS

MIDDLE EAST

Qatari AW139 in Exercise Eagle Resolve

Qatar Emiri Air Force AW139 QA72 takes part in an amphibious assault on Failaka Island, Kuwait, on March 25 during Exercise Eagle Resolve 2015. A total of 29 partner nations were involved in the exercise, which addresses regional challenges associated with asymmetric/unconventional warfare in a multi-national environment. This was the first time Kuwait had hosted Eagle Resolve. USAF/Tech Sgt Jared Marquis

First Ka-52 for Iraq? A KAMOV Ka-52 noted test flying near Moscow in early April may be the first of the type for the Iraqi Army Aviation Corps. The helicopter bore an identical camouflage scheme to the Mi-28NEs recently delivered to Iraq. At the Paris Air Show on June 17, 2013, Russia's Interfax news agency reported that both types had been ordered, but there has never been confirmation of the Ka-52 deal. 

Additional ISR King Air for Iraq A CONTRACT has been awarded to Beechcraft Defense Company for a single King Air 350 extended range aircraft modified with intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capability for the Iraqi Air Force (IqAF). The $27,048,576 Foreign Military Sales contract, awarded on March 24, by the US Air Force Life Cycle Management Center also includes one Scorpion ground station and one complete spare Scorpion ground station. Work on the contract will be carried out at Wichita, Kansas, and San Diego, California, and is expected to be completed

by March 23, 2017. Under the Peace Dragon programme, the IqAF has taken delivery of six King Air 350ERs, all delivered in 2008, of which five were in ISR configuration and one a standard transport version. All are operated by 87 Squadron at BaghdadNew Al Muthana Air Base. In addition, another King Air 350ER was ordered under a contract awarded to Beechcraft on June 30, 2014. Completion was anticipated by March 30, 2015, but as this issue when to press it had not been confirmed whether delivery has taken place. 

Iraq Forms New Su-25 Squadron

Above: An Iraqi Air Force Su-25 returns to New Al Muthana Air Base after the type’s first air strikes on Tikrit on March 25. By early April the Su-25s had moved to Al Rasheed, where they are operated by 109 Squadron. Iraqi MOD

A NEW squadron has been formed to operate the Iraqi Air Force’s (IqAF’s) recently acquired Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot ground attack aircraft. The Iraqi Ministry of Defence confirmed on April 2 that 109 Squadron is now operating these aircraft, which it says are

26 MAY 2015 #326

based at Al Rasheed Air Base. This is the first report for many years of any IqAF aircraft being based at Al Rasheed, which is located in the southeastern suburbs of Baghdad. Until at least late March, the Su-25s had been operating out of New Al Muthana Air Base, on the west

side of Baghdad, adjacent to the international airport. The IqAF took delivery last June and July of five ex-Russian Air Force Su-25s and seven ex-Iranian Islamic Republican Guards Corps Air Force examples (see Iran and Russia Deliver Su-25s to Iraqi Air Force, August 2014, p22). 

Czech Government Approves L-159 Sale to Iraq APPROVAL FOR the sale of 15 Aero L-159 Advanced Light Combat Aircraft to Iraq has been granted by the Czech Government. The decision was announced on March 9 by the Czech defence minister, Martin Stropnický following a regularly scheduled cabinet meeting. Stropnický said Iraq would pay 750 million crowns ($29.68 million) for the aircraft, four of which will come from the current Czech Air Force inventory. The remaining 11 will be L-159s that have been stored for over a decade awaiting sale. Deliveries are scheduled to take place within two-to-three years. The deal has been negotiated through Aero Vodochody, the aircraft’s manufacturer, because Czech law prevents the military from selling them directly. This deal has been under negotiation for several years, with the numbers of aircraft involved constantly changing. During a press conference on August 28 last year, Stropnický had said that Aero Vodochody would repurchase 13 single-seat L-159As and a pair of twin-seat L-159Ts from the Czech MOD (see Iraq Closer to Finalising Deal for ex-Czech L-159As, October 2014, p23). These were to comprise 11 retired L-159As and four active aircraft (namely two L-159As and the two L-159Ts). However, it was planned at that time that only 12 operational aircraft (ten L-159As and two L-159Ts) would enter Iraqi Air Force service, the other two being used for spares. It is unclear as yet whether this is still the case. A contract was also signed on July 14 last year to sell up to 28 of the surplus stored L-159As to US company Draken International. The deal covered a firm order for 14 aircraft, with options on the remaining 14. 

News Brief US ARMY and Marine Corps RQ-7 Shadow UAVs are currently operating in Iraq. The disclosure was made in a $51.76 million contract award to Textron Systems on March 27 to support the UAVs' operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

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Stars of Lima 2015

HELD AT Langkawi, Malaysia, from March 17-21, the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace exhibition (LIMA 2015) provided a number of highlights, including the Chinese PLAAF's ‘August 1’ display team and the debut of the Royal Malaysian Air Force's newly delivered A400M. 

Above: Two J-10s, J-10AY ‘07’ and two-seat J-10SY ‘12’, from the Chinese PLAAF ‘August 1’ display team leaves the LIMA 2015 air show at Langkawi on March 23. All photos, Dietmar Fenners Left: Newly delivered, Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) A400M M54-01 performed a flypast at LIMA 2015 in formation with four RMAF Hawk Mk 108/208s to open the event on March 17. Below: Two PLAAF Il-76MDs, 20543 and 21041, provided support at LIMA 2015 for the ‘August 1’ team. The latter is seen departing the show on March 23.

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#326 MAY 2015 27

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ASIA PACIFIC Singapore Hermes 450 Reaches Full Operational Capability DR NG Eng Hen, Singapore’s Minister for Defence, officiated at a ceremony to mark Full Operational Capability of the Republic of Singapore Air Force’s (RSAF) Hermes 450 (H-450). Speaking at the ceremony at Murai Camp on March 30, Dr Ng highlighted the significance of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) milestone to the overall enhancement of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF)’s defence capabilities. He said: “The Hermes 450 is one of the most capable UAVs in its class and, indeed, the world. Compared to the older UAVs, the Hermes 450 enhances our intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities with its extended endurance, advanced avionics and more capable sensors.” 

Pakistan Receives WZ-10 Attack Helicopters

Above: Two of the three Pakistan Army Aviation Corps Changhe WZ-10 attack helicopters await reassembly at Qasim Army Aviation Base.

THREE CHINESE Changhe WZ-10 attack helicopters have arrived in Pakistan at Qasim Army Air Base (formerly Dhamial Camp). The helicopters have been donated free-of-charge to the Pakistan Army Aviation Corps for assessment. As of March 30,

they were still in a hangar awaiting re-assembly and flight testing. Two of the three will be deployed to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan for battlefield assessment in real combat missions against militants in the region. The

Pair of Upgraded Mirage 2000s First for India DASSAULT AVIATION has handed over the first two Indian Air Force (IAF) upgraded Mirage 2000I/TIs. An acceptance ceremony for Mirage 2000I KF107 and 2000TI KT201, was held on March 25 in the Dassault Aviation Flight Test Centre at Istres, France. It was hosted by Eric Trappier, Dassault Aviation Chairman and CEO, and Pierre Eric Pommellet, Thales Executive Vice President, Defence Mission Systems. His Excellency Ambassador Arun K Singh, the Indian Ambassador to France represented his country. The aircraft, upgraded under a contract signed in July 2011, were due back at their home base in India, Gwalior Air Force Station, on April 23.

All 51 surviving IAF Mirage 2000H and 2000TH Vajras are being modernised to include a NVG-compatible cockpit, advanced navigation systems, new IFF (identification friend or foe), updated multi-mode/multilayered radar, a fully-integrated electronic warfare suite and advanced BVR missile capability. The first two of the fleet arrived at Istres in December 2011. The maiden flight of the first upgraded aircraft, two-seat Mirage 2000TI KT201, took place at the French test centre on October 5, 2013 with 2000I KF107 being the second to fly on December 16, 2013. A two-year development phase followed at Istres to test the new equipment,

including the radar electronic warfare suite and mission computer, supplied by Thales. Technologically ambitious and based on the integration of the latest generation equipment and systems, the first phase of the programme was completed on schedule in France. The rest of the fleet will be upgraded in Bangalore by HAL with complete support and involvement from the Dassault Aviation and Thales teams. This programme complies with the strategic requirements of the ‘Make in India’ priority policy, recently introduced by the nation’s government to promote work for the local aerospace industry. 

Upgraded Indian Air Force (IAF) twin-seat Mirage 2000TI KT201 on September 25, 2014, during a test flight from Istres, France. Dassault Aviation/Véronique Almansa

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third helicopter will be used for training and testing. The Pakistan Army may place a large order for the WZ-10, to replace its ageing AH-1 Cobra gunships, after assessment of its performance in battle. Usman Shabbir 

India to Develop A330-Based AWACS INDIA’S DEFENCE Acquisition Council (DAC) has approved development of a next-generation airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft based on the Airbus A330 airframe. The go-ahead was given by the DAC at a meeting on March 28 to produce an initial two aircraft fitted with an indigenously designed active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar that will give 360° coverage. The development programme, led by the Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation’s Centre for Air Borne Systems, has been allocated $817.85 million in funding. There are plans to build four more examples for the Indian Air Force (IAF). Delivery of the first two is expected to take between five and seven years, with the remaining four ordered about halfway through the project,. This is the third AWACS type acquired by the IAF, which is to take delivery this year of three AEW&C-configured Embraer 145Is. The IAF also has three Beriev E-50EhIs, fitted with Israeli Phalcon systems, and plans to acquire two more. 

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Rafale Promoted in Indonesia EVALUATION OF possible replacements for the Tentara Nasional Indonesia-Angkatan Udara’s (TNI-AU – Indonesian Air Force’s) ageing F-5E/F Tiger II fleet is continuing. Its defence ministry has yet to announce formal bidding, but between March 24 and 27, after LIMA 2015 ended in Langkawi, Malaysia, Dassault sent a Rafale B and Rafale C to Jakarta. They performed demonstrations to high-ranking officials and Indonesian AF pilots as back-seaters in its Rafale B. During the visit, Capt Benoit Blanche of the Armée de L’Air (French Air Force) performed an impressive solo aerobatic display in front of the officials and press at Halim AB on a rainy March 25. State-owned PT Dirgantara Indonesia (Indonesian Aerospace) said at a press conference after the demonstration that Indonesia has put Transfer of Technology and manufacturing new fighter components locally by PT DI as principal terms and conditions of any new fighter bid. French Ambassador to Indonesia, Corrine Breuze, who attended the demonstration, responded that the French Government would, if selected, support Dassault in any possible partnership and technology transfers. The Indonesian military has stated before that of the previous candidates to replace the F-5, the Russian Sukhoi Su-35 Flanker is on the top of the list, followed by – among others – the Saab Gripen C/D, Eurofighter Typhoon and Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 62. Indonesia requires one squadron (16 aircraft) of new fighters. “Although the Dassault Rafale was not previously in the list of candidates, the Indonesian AF welcomes new candidates who will perform in Jakarta as Rafale did,” said the TNI-AU’s Public Information spokesman, First Marshall Hadi Tjahjanto in Jakarta on March 25. It is widely known that the price of the French Rafale is among reasons why it was not previously in the list of candidates. Alex Sidharta 

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First Philippine Air Force C295M Delivered

Above: Philippine Air Force C295M 129 (c/n S-129) being prepared for the formal handover ceremony at Col Jesus Villamor Air Base. AFP

A CEREMONY has been held at Col Jesus Villamor Air Base, ManilaNinoy Aquino International Airport in the Philippines, to hand over the first of three C295M transport aircraft to the country’s air force. The aircraft, 129 (c/n S-129), was initially accepted at the factory at Seville-San Pablo Airport, Spain, on March 17. It left the same day on its delivery flight, initially routing to Malta before arriving on March 22 at Clark Air Base

in the Philippines. It proceeded through the acceptance process before the official ceremony at Villamor on March 30. The type had been selected to meet the Philippine Air Force (PAF) requirement for three new medium-lift transport aircraft on January 13 of last year. A competing bid from local manufacturer PT Dirgantara, offering the CN235, was eliminated because it failed to

meet the stipulated technical specifications. Airbus Military was issued with a Notice to Proceed with the contract on March 28, 2014. The three C295Ms will replace three surviving PAF Fokker F27 Friendships operated by the 221st Airlift Squadron, based at Villamor. The second and third C295Ms are scheduled for delivery in 2016, but the PAF is hoping for early delivery before the end of this year. 

Malaysia’s First A400M Delivered AIRBUS A400M M54-01 (c/n 022), the first for the Tentera Udara DiRaja Malaysia (TUDM – Royal Malaysian Air Force), departed from Seville-San Pablo Airport, Spain, on March 12 on its delivery flight. After arrival in Malaysia, following an overnight stop in Abu Dhabi, the A400M

was put on public display at the LIMA airshow at Langkawi, from March 17 to 21, (see Stars of Lima 2015, p27). It was officially handed over to the TUDM on the first day of the show. This is the first delivery of an A400M to an export customer outside of the original launch

nations. The aircraft made its maiden flight from Seville on January 30 and was formally handed over on March 9 in Spain. The TUDM has four of the type on order to be operated by 22 Squadron and based at No 8 Air Base, Subang, Kuala Lumpur. 

Below: Royal Malaysian Air Force A400M M54-01 (c/n 022) departs SevilleSan Pablo Airport, Spain, on its delivery flight. Antonio Muñiz Zaragüeta

KAI Selected for KF-X Fighter SOUTH KOREA’S arms procurement agency, the Defense Acquisition Programme Administration (DAPA), selected Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) as the preferred bidder for the KF-X fighter programme on March 30. KAI is partnered with Lockheed Martin as its foreign technical assistance company for the project.

Korean Air partnered with Airbus Defence and Space submitted the only other bid (see Bids in for Korea’s KF-X Programme, April, p27). DAPA will begin negotiations with KAI over details of the contract, expected to be finalised later this year. The award, worth around $7.95 billion,

will cover the development phase, including production of prototypes, until 2025. Purchase of 120 of the new indigenous fighters is planned to replace the Republic of Korea Air Force’s fleet of F-4D/E Phantom IIs. Indonesia, which is funding 20% of the development programme, plans to buy 80 of the type. 

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Indonesia Retires Hawk Mk 53s Alex Sidharta watches the last airworthy Hawk Mk 53s retire from Indonesian Air Force service.

A

FTER 35 years of service, the Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU) has finally retired its last airworthy Hawk Mk 53s. A ceremony was held at Adisutjipto Air Base, Yogyakarta, on March 12 to mark the jets being taken out of service.

The Hawk was selected as an advanced training aircraft in 1978, to replace the L-29 Delfin and the first aircraft, serialled LL-5301 arrived in Jakarta on September 8, 1980. Indonesia purchased 20 Hawk Mk 53s, with the last example delivered in 1984. All except the final three were camouflaged, the others being painted in a red, white and grey livery. During their early service career, the Hawks flew out of Adisutjipto but, due to the heavy air traffic in Yogyakarta, moved

to Iswahyudi AB in Madiun, where the fleet remained. Of the 20 Hawk Mk 53s originally purchased, only five remained until retirement. Six aircraft were bought back by British Aerospace in 1999 and returned to service under Project Gate Guardian, reserialled ZK531 (ex TT-5306), ZK532 (ex TT-5315), ZK533 (ex TT-5317), ZK534 (ex TT-5319), ZK535 (ex TT-5320), and one (ex TT-5313) was used as a test-bed autopilot aircraft for developing the Hawk Mk.128 AJT.

Other than the Hawk Mk.53, the TNI-AU also operates the Hawk Mk 109 and the single-seat Hawk Mk 209 purchased in the 1990s and which remain in service. For the farewell flight, Hawk Mk.53 serialled TT-5309 was flown by the squadron commander, Lt Col Marda Sarjono and 1st Lt Kurniadi Sukmo Djatmiko. They took off from Iswahyudi AB, to lead five T-50s. After making several passes over the base, the group flew over Yogyakarta

Role As an advanced training aircraft, the Hawk Mk 53 was in service with Skadik 103 (Skadron Pendidikan 103/103rd Training Squadron) based at Adisutjipto AB, Yogyakarta. The unit’s main task was to train students who have graduated from the basic course using the Swiss/ Italian-built AS-202 Bravo and US Beechcraft T-34C Turbo Mentor. In 1985, Skadik 103 was deactivated and re-formed as Skadron Udara 15 (15 Squadron) based at Iswahyudi AB. The new

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squadron’s is mainly responsible for tactical attack and lead-in fighter training (LIFT). As the Hawk retires, the tasks are being transferred to the 16 new Korean T-50i Golden Eagles, which were delivered in 2013-2014. To reflect a different tasking the Indonesian Hawk serial was changed from LL-53xx (LL is the abbreviation for Latih Lanjut/ Advanced Trainer) to TT-53xx (Tempur Taktis/Tactical Fighter).

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Above: Four Hawk Mk 53s (TT-5301, 5314, 5316 plus another) sit on the edge of the flight line at Adisutjipto on March 12, the day they were retired. All photos, author unless stated Left: Hawk Mk 53, TT-5309 flown by Lt Col Marda Sarjono and 1st Lt Kurniadi Sukmo Djatmiko, is escorted by five T-50s on its farewell flypast. Theo Aji Below: The final Hawk formation, flown by pilots of 15 Squadron.

city and carried out formation fly-bys at Adisutjipto Air Base. Upon its return to the ground display, the aircraft was greeted by the Indonesian AF’s Chief of Staff, Marshall Agus Supriatna who put his signature on the Hawk fuselage. The Hawk TT-5309’s last home will be the Air Force Museum of Dirgantara Mandala in Yogyakarta where eventually it will be put on display. 

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Aerobatic teams Over the years, the Mk 53 has flown with several TNI-AU aerobatic teams – ‘Spirit 85’ (1985), ‘Hawk’ (1995), ‘Jupiter’ (1997) and the last ‘Jupiter Blue’ (2001). Jupiter is the callsign of the TNIAU instructors, followed by their individual numbers. The latest team, now simply called ‘Jupiters’ uses six Korean KT-1B Woong Bees based in Yogyakarta.

Right: A Hawk leads a two-ship of two T-50s. Below: Two Hawk Mk 53s taxi to the flight line.

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ASIA PACIFIC Five Afghan PC-12s for SIGINT Conversion

AN AIRBORNE signals intelligence (SIGINT) capability is to be incorporated into five of 18 Afghan National Army Special Operations Forces Pilatus PC-12/47Es. A $9.354 million Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contract for the modification was awarded on March 18 by the USAF’s 645 Aeronautical Systems Group (AESG) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, to Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC). Work in SNC’s facility at Centennial Airport, Denver, Colorado, is expected to be complete by December 31.

Afghan Special Mission PC-12/47Es Serial No

Con No Notes FAA reg'n

YA-1378ET 1378 delivered N378NX, Sep '13 YA-1383SL 1383 delivered N383NX, Oct '13 YA-1387JP

1387 delivered N387NX, Nov '13

YA-1392RF 1392 delivered N392NG, Dec '13 YA-1407..

1407 delivered N407NX, Jan '14

YA-1419..

1419 delivered N419NX, Apr '14

YA-1427..

1427 delivered N427NX, Sep '14

YA-1437..

1437 delivered N437NX, Sep '14

YA-1441..

1441 delivered N441NX, Sep '14

YA-1442..

1442 delivered N442NG, Oct '14

YA-1443..

1443 delivered N443NX, Nov '14

YA-1444RS 1444 delivered N444NG, Nov '14 YA-1445..

1445 delivered N445NX, Dec '14

YA-1446..

1446

N446NX, not yet delivered

YA-1447..

1447

N447NX, not yet delivered

YA-1448..

1448

N448NX, not yet delivered

YA-1449..

1449

N449NX, not yet delivered

YA-1450..

1450

N450NX, not yet delivered

Note: The two-letter suffixes for most of the above serials are as yet unknown, as they are still operating in US civilian markings.

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First Two Malaysian Army S-61A Nuris

Above: One of the first two Royal Malaysian Air Force S-61A-4 Nuri helicopters being transferred to the Malaysian Army, M23-01, about to land at RMAF Butterworth on March 17 en route to LIMA 2015, where it was formally handed over three days later. Arnold ten Pas

AN INITIAL two Sikorsky S-61A-4 Nuri helicopters, M23-01 and M23-31, have been transferred from the Tentera Udara DiRaja Malaysia (TUDM – Royal Malaysian Air Force) to the Pasukan Udara Tentera Darat (PUTD – Royal Malaysian Army Aviation). The handover ceremony took place on March 20 at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (LIMA) exhibition at Langkawi, Malaysia. Both have been repainted in a new digital camouflage.

A further two will be transferred to the army shortly, with all four being used for pilot conversion training at first. Twelve will eventually join the Army, having been replaced in TUDM service by 12 EC725 Cougars. All of the army’s Nuris are being upgraded before delivery to resolve obsolescence issues, including replacement of old analogue instruments with a new glass cockpit. Although in TUDM service since 1967, these elderly helicopters have accumulated

an average of just 14,000 flight hours each and the army says that they will be good for another 15 years of service. The TUDM planned to retire all of its Nuri fleet, but found funding for just the dozen EC725s. Fifteen retained Nuris will go through a similar upgrade to those of the Army. Both the Army and Air Force fleets will be fitted with door-mounted 12.7mm guns to provide support for ground troops, three of the TUDM helicopters having already received this modification.

Armed Afghan MD530Fs Delivered SIX ARMED MD530F (MD369FF) Cayuse Warriors have been delivered to the Afghan Air Force (AAF) for close air attack operations. All six arrived on March 17 at Kabul on board Atlas Air Boeing 747-47UF freighter N477MC. Four have been identified as 216 (c/n 0216FF, ex N6100N), 218 (c/n 0218FF, ex N6091X), 219 (c/n 0219FF, ex N6090Y) and 220 (c/n 0220F, ex N6061Z). They are the first armed variants to be delivered to the AAF, which had previously taken delivery of six for training. One of the six was lost on September 7, 2013 when it landed on and exploded an IED, seriously injuring both crew. The surviving five continue to be operated by the Rotary Wing Training Squadron at Shindand Air Base. A Foreign Military Sales contract for 12 additional MD530Fs was awarded to MD Helicopters on September 26 of last year (see Afghan AF Orders 12 More MD530Fs, November 2014, p30). The order exercised 12 of the 48 options in the original contract

Newly arrived Afghan Air Force MD530F Cayuse Warrior 218 (c/n 0218FF, ex N6091X) is moved into a hangar at Kabul, Afghanistan, on March 17. US Air Force/Senior Master Sgt Jill LaVoie

to buy the initial six MD530Fs. The new delivery comprised the first six while the remaining half dozen are due by September. A further contract awarded to MD Helicopters on October 1, last year covered weaponising the 12 new MD530Fs and the five remaining unarmed examples already in service. This will give them a dual role in training while being available for close air support missions. Their Mission Equipment Package includes the FN Herstal M3P 0.50 calibre machine gun installed in the company’s Heavy Machine Gun

Pod with an FN HMP400 Links and Case Collector, carried on a Mace Aviation Extended Range Weapons Wing. The machine gun pod is an ‘all-in-one’ weapon system, with the 1,100 revolutions per minute M3P gun, a 400-round ammunition box, firing solenoid and a re-cocking actuator. This is all mounted in an aluminium and composite frame assembly and the pod is connected to the helicopter through 14in (35cm) NATO suspension lugs, enabling the helicopter to be missionready in less than 30 seconds.

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Airbus Wins Korean Armed Helicopter Contract An artist’s impression of South Korea’s new Light Armed Helicopter (LAH). KAI has signed an agreement with Airbus Helicopters for development of military and civilian versions of the European manufacturer’s H155 (EC155B1). Airbus Helicopters

AIRBUS HELICOPTERS signed a contract on March 16 in Seoul with Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) to develop and produce 214 military Light Armed Helicopters (LAH) and around 100 Light Civil Helicopters (LCH). Both designs will be based on the Airbus Helicopters H155, the new designation

for the EC155B1 Dauphin. Although the H155 will be used as a prototype, KAI officials said the definitive version will be a new model using technology from the trial helicopter. The company stated that further details would be disclosed when the final contract is signed with Korea’s Defence Acquisition

Program Administration. The programme is expected to be worth €1.5 billion to Airbus Helicopters over 20 years. Two companies were shortlisted for the deal, the losing bidder being AgustaWestland, which offered the AW169. The military LAH will replace the Republic of Korea Army’s fleets of

AH-1S Cobra and MD500MD helicopters, while the civilian LCH is designed for medical transport, maritime rescue operations and civil security missions. The civilian LCH will be developed first, with deliveries expected to start in 2020. The military LAH variant is expected to enter service two years later. The Korean company was selected as prime contractor for the programme on July 23 last year (see KAI to Develop Light Armed Helicopter for Korean Army, September 2014, p26). At that time, KAI said it was in negotiations with AgustaWestland, Airbus, Bell and Sikorsky, all of which had indicated interest in development programme participation. Initial helicopters will be produced at the manufacturer’s production site in Marignane, France, before final assembly shifts to KAI’s factory in Sacheon. A joint venture will also be created to tap the export market for both types, for which Airbus Helicopters estimates potential sales of up to 600.

Japanese MSDF’s First Mine Countermeasures MCH-101 AGUSTAWESTLAND and Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) have delivered the first MCH-101 helicopter-equipped airborne mine countermeasures (AMCM) to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). The delivery was announced on March 10. The KHI MCH-101, a licence-built version of the AgustaWestland AW101, is equipped with Northrop Grumman’s AN/AQS-24A airborne mine hunting system and AN/AES-1 Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS). Together these systems provide a complete surface-to-seabed mine detection capability. The AW101/MCH-101 is one of only two helicopter types capable of towing the AN/AQS-24A and the only modern helicopter able to do so. The development of the AMCM variant of the AW101/MCH-101 has been led by KHI, as prime contractor, with AgustaWestland providing technical support. KHI is responsible for system integration and design of the AN/ AQS-24A carriage, deploy, tow and recovery system installed in the cabin. In addition to providing technical support, AgustaWestland also modified the aircraft’s Automatic Flight Control System to perform

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coupled towing patterns with the AN/AQS-24A. Following the handover ceremony at Kawasaki’s Gifu factory on February 27, the JMSDF helicopter was delivered to Iwakuni for evaluation trials with the 51st Kokutai (Experimental Squadron) before entering operational service in 2016. The AN/AQS-24A is the only operationally proven, highspeed airborne mine hunting system in the world. It features

a high-resolution side scan sonar for real-time detection, localisation and classification of bottom and moored mines at high area coverage rates and a laser line scanner to provide precision optical identification of underwater mines and other objects of interest. The AN/AES-1 ALMDS uses pulsed laser light and streak tube receivers housed in an external equipment pod to image the entire near-surface

volume that potentially contains mines. The ALMDS pod is mounted on the port weapon carrier and data is displayed on the cabin mission console. The first AMCM-configured helicopter is the eighth of 13 AW101s that KHI is building under licence from AgustaWestland for the JMSDF. The eight delivered to date comprise six MCH-101s and two CH-101s. The CH-101s are used to support Japan’s Antarctic research activities.

The first Airborne Mine Countermeasures MCH-101, 8656, during a test flight on January 20. The helicopter has been delivered to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. AgustaWestland

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AUSTRALASIA First RAAF Growler Centre/Rear Fuselage Delivered Boeing and RAAF Test New Wing Kit for JDAM ER A NEW wing kit for the Boeing Joint Direct Attack Munition Extended Range (JDAM ER) has demonstrated significant range increase while maintaining its expected accuracy during flight testing conducted by Boeing and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Announcing the test results on February 24, Boeing said that when used in conjunction with the weapon’s guidance equipment, the new wing kit increases the bomb’s range from approximately 15 miles (24km) to more than 45 miles (72km). This was demonstrated during tests above the Woomera Test Range in South Australia. “The JDAM ER wing kit takes advantage of the conventional JDAM aircraft interface and Small Diameter Bomb glide technology,” said Beth Kluba, Vice President, Boeing Weapons and Missile Systems. “This keeps integration, development and sustainment costs low while bringing customers the range increase needed to neutralize current and future threats.” The 500lb (227kg) winged JDAM, jointly developed by Boeing and Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Organisation, was dropped from RAAF F/A-18 Classic Hornets from altitudes ranging from 40,000ft (12,190m) down to 10,000ft (3,048m). The weapon deployed its wing kit successfully during each test and flew to a pre-determined aim point, impacting within metres of its target. “The extended range wing kit will allow the Australian Defence Force to employ JDAM more flexibly and safely in the target area,” said Rear Admiral Tony Dalton, who is responsible for the acquisition of guided weapons in Australia. “Additionally, the programme also stands to significantly benefit local Australian industry,” he said. Boeing will produce and integrate JDAM ER wing kits for the RAAF under a contract awarded in 2011. Following additional flight and certification testing, initial deliveries to the RAAF are planned for later this year. 

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Above: Northrop Grumman mechanics perform final quality inspections on the centre/rear fuselage shipset produced by the company for the first Australian EA-18G Growler. Northrop Grumman

NORTHROP GRUMMAN Corporation has delivered to Boeing a major subassembly of the first of 12 EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft ordered by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Announcing the delivery on March 26, the company said the subassembly, or shipset, comprises the

Growler’s centre/rear fuselage section, twin vertical tails and all associated subsystems. It is the 115th Growler shipset built by Northrop Grumman at its facility in El Segundo, California, and the first to be produced for an international customer. Including this first Growler, Northrop Grumman has delivered

shipsets for 100 Australian F/A-18 Hornet aircraft, of which 24 were F/A-18 Super Hornets. Northrop Grumman is Boeing’s principal subcontractor on the F/A-18 Super Hornet and its Growler derivative. The company plans to continue producing shipsets on the line at least until August 2017. 

Australian Black Hawks on Operation Pacific Assist

Australian Army personnel unfold the main rotors of S-70A-9 Black Hawk A25-101 and prepare it for flight at Vanuatu International Airport on March 21 during Operation Pacific Assist 2015. Two S-70s were deployed to Vanuatu on board an RAAF C-17A on the evening of March 20 to support relief operations in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Pam. Commonwealth of Australia/Sgt Hamish Paterson

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Last Pair of RNZAF T-6Cs on Delivery DELIVERY OF the final two Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) Beechcraft T-6C Texan IIs was under way as this magazine went to press. Comprising NZ1410/ N2773B and NZ1411/N2786B, they left the Beech Factory in Wichita, Kansas, on March 27, routing via Des Moines, Iowa, to Ottawa, Canada, for their first overnight stop. After flying to CFB Goose Bay, Canada, on March 28, they overnighted there before leaving for Narsarsuaq, Greenland, the next day. They then flew on to Keflavik, Iceland, before landing in the UK at Birmingham Airport on March 30. They departed Birmingham the following morning, and headed for Rome, Italy, on the next leg of the long flight to New Zealand. The first two RNZAF T-6Cs were delivered to Ohakea last year, on August 22, followed by the second pair on October 8. All four were accepted by the RNZAF during a ceremony at the base on October 31. Three more arrived at Ohakea on November 28. The penultimate pair left Wichita on January 30, but stopped off to appear at the Avalon Air Show in Australia during their delivery flight. Afterwards, on March 1, they completed their ferry flight to New Zealand. The first pilot Wings course on the T-6C will run during 2016. 

RNZAF Hercules 50th Anniversary Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF)/40 Squadron C-130H Hercules NZ7001 being rolled out of the unit’s hangar at RNZAF Base Whenuapai on March 18 after application of decals on the tail to mark the 50th anniversary of the type’s service in New Zealand. The RNZAF took ownership of the first of its five C-130Hs in March 1965 and today they are all still proving that the type is a valuable military workhouse. NZ7001 was one of a number of aircraft that were delivering relief supplies during March to Vanuatu following Tropical Cyclone Pam. RNZAF

Australia Joins Norway’s Joint Strike Missile Programme AUSTRALIA IS to co-operate with the Norwegian defence ministry to develop the Joint Strike Missile (JSM), for the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter. The proposal was announced by Australian Minister for Defence, Kevin Andrews, on February 26. He said Australian co-operation on the JSM, under development by Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace, would ensure the weapon capability would be available for the Royal Australian Air Force’s future fleet of F-35A Lightning IIs. “This agreement builds on the countries’ long-standing bilateral co-operation on research

and development of defence equipment and acknowledges the importance of a robust maritime strike capability to Norway and Australia. Participating now in a co-operative JSM development programme with Norway will maximise the cost effectiveness of Australia’s contribution and ensure the weapon capability is developed and integrated onto the F-35A in the timeline required by Australia, should the JSM be ultimately considered for acquisition by government later this decade. Australian industry will participate in JSM development by providing specialist expertise

First RAAF MLU Hawk Flown

Australia’s First F-35A Pilot

SQUADRON LEADER Andrew Jackson, Australia’s first F-35A Lightning II pilot, took his first flight in an F-35A at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, on March 17. The flight was in a US Air Force F-35A, as the two Royal Australian Air Force F-35As are now at Luke AFB, Arizona, ready for the opening of the international pilot training centre in mid-2015. Sqn Ldr Jackson will continue his intensive training programme over the coming months. The first F-35A aircraft will arrive in Australia at the end of 2018, with the first operational squadron due to be established by 2020. The F-35A will replace the ageing F/A-18A/B Hornets at RAAF Bases Williamtown, New South Wales and Tindal, Northern Territory. 

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in missile guidance and control technology,” he said. Norway intends to procure up to 52 F-35As and will field the JSM early in the next decade. Australia has committed to 72 F-35As, out of a planned eventual total of 100. Kongsberg announced on July 2 last year that it had signed a Phase III contract with the Norwegian Defence Logistics Organization to complete development of the JSM and prepare it for integration on the F-35. JSM development work has been under way since 2008 and will continue up until the completion of the final product in 2017. 

BAE Systems test pilot Andy Blythe (in the front seat) and Royal Australian Air Force/78 Wing test pilot Sqn Ldr Michael Physick carry out pre-flight checks on March 10 before maiden flight of Hawk Mk 127 A27-06, the first to be modified under the Lead-In Fighter Capability Assurance Program (LIFCAP), at RAAF Base Williamtown, New South Wales. The aircraft was one of the first two inducted into the BAE Systems-led LIFCAP upgrade in February 2014. Commonwealth of Australia/Darren Mottram

New Contract Award Summary Air Force

Company

No and Type

Date

Delivery Date & Notes

Japan National Police Agency

Airbus Helicopters

1 x H155

Mar 31

During 2017

Japan National Police Agency

Airbus Helicopters

1 x AS365N3+

Mar 31

During 2017

Royal Netherlands AF

Lockheed Martin

8 x F-35A

Mar 25

During 2019

Tunisian Air Force

Sikorsky

12 x UH-60M

Mar 17

By Dec 31, 2016

US Air Force

Lockheed Martin

1 x HC-130J

Mar 23

By Mar 31, 2017

US Air Force

Boeing

25 x QF-16 FSAT

Mar 27

By Oct 31, 2017

US Army

Boeing

30 x CH-47F (plus 2 options) Mar 13

By Dec 31, 2020

US Army

General Atomics

19 x MQ-1C Gray Eagles

Mar 16

By May 31, 2017

US Navy

Beechcraft

1 x UC-12W

Mar 25

By Jul 2016

#326 MAY 2015 35

FIGHTING ISLAMIC STATE (IS)

‘The US pilots had to find a way to meet the mission objectives without causing an international incident’

An F-22A Raptor of the 1st Fighter Wing takes on fuel from a KC-10 Extender over Iraq as it heads towards Syria to attack IS facilities on the night of September 23. All images USAF via Bob Archer

36 MAY 2015 #326

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FIGHTING ISLAMIC STATE (IS)

Enter the

Hunter

Bob Archer describes how F-22A Raptors struck back against Islamic State (IS) in the skies over Syria.

T

he Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor made its combat debut during September last year carrying out air strikes against IS facilities in Syria. Having spent years undertaking training exercises with, with the occasional ‘show the flag’ forward deployments, the F-22 was gaining a reputation for avoiding combat. However, that changed on the morning of September 23 when four F-22As were included in the USAF’s large-scale opening salvo against IS. The F-22s have been deployed to Al Dhafra Air Base, in the UAE on a rotational basis since April 2012. Six Raptors were involved, spending six months in theatre before being replaced by an identical number from another squadron. The 1st Fighter Wing (FW) from Joint Base Langley, Virginia arrived in spring 2014, and was due to return home at the beginning of October. The Raptors were readied for the flight home, with munitions removed, and a pair of long-range fuel tanks attached. Parking facilities at Al Dhafra were somewhat congested, particularly as the incoming replacement F-22s were due imminently. To alleviate the problem, senior 1st FW personnel in the Gulf asked if they could return home a week earlier than planned. With approval received, technicians configured the aircraft for the homeward journey. However, shortly before the F-22s were about to leave, a signal was received at the Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) that the aircraft were required for combat. Within 24 hours the Raptors had been reconfigured, each fitted with a pair of 1,000lb (454kg) Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs), and everything else the pilots would require for both the air-to-air or surface-to-air threat.

Above: With a Senior Span communications suite mounted in its dorsal fairing, a U-2S 80-1089 of the 9th Reconnaissance Wing taxies to the main runway at Al Dhafra Air Base, in the United Arab Emirates. Intelligence gained during these sorties has proved critical in tracking the movement of IS fighters.

Raptor’s rise

Earlier combat operations had been conducted primarily by F-15E Strike Eagles and F-16C/D Fighting Falcons operating from Al Udeid AB, Qatar, as well as strike packages launched from aircraft carriers sailing the waters of the Persian Gulf. At the time of the initial attacks against IS, the 48th Fighter Wing from RAF Lakenheath, UK was the F-15E unit located at Al Udeid. The operations order was planned for the USAF aircraft to strike IS targets in Syria as part of three large-scale waves. Aircraft would depart their bases during the early hours of September 23, and carry out their missions approximately two hours later, around sunrise. Apart from enabling the F-22 to

Above: An IS command and control centre in Syria lies in ruins after a strike by JDAMS launched from F-22A Raptors.

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achieve its combat debut, the possibility that Syria might respond to the presence of American fighter aircraft in its airspace was a major headache for the planning staff. IS did not have an air force and was therefore no threat at that time, but the Syrians possessed a fairly advanced integrated air defence system. The USAF crews were initially able to begin limited planning, but could only commence detailed preparations when they received their targets about 24 hours before take-off. They were tasked with hitting an IS command and control facility about 50 miles (80km) from Aleppo. The CAOC allocated targets for specific aircraft types based upon a number of factors. These included the types of weapons to be delivered, as well as the level of air defences. The F-22 was selected due to the possibility of Syrian airspace being heavily defended. The Raptor pilots did not have any combat experience with the type, although the crews had been preparing for all manner of contingencies, training with F-15E personnel early in their deployment. When President Obama authorised the use of force against IS, the preparations for air strikes by the F-15Es increased. Co-ordinated training with F-15Es and F-22s ceased in August 2014, when the Strike Eagles were required to concentrate on the IS mission. The aircrews had spent six months leading up to the initial air campaign studying Syria’s surface-to-air missiles and combat aircraft capabilities. Training was for scenarios based upon specific mission sets, being focused specifically upon countries of greatest concern – Iran and Syria. During early summer

#326 MAY 2015 37

FIGHTING ISLAMIC STATE (IS) 2014, the F-22’s mission training shifted from daytime to a night flying schedule. As crews were unsure what would happen, it was sensible to prepare for all possibilities.

A complex plan

Having received the operational plan, munitions personnel were buoyant about loading live weapons onto the Raptor. Three of the four weapons crews were on the flight line, as everyone wished to be involved. Of the three cells, four F-15Es, a quartet of F-22As and a mix of F-16s, and B-1Bs were composed into the second wave. Each cell would be accompanied by a number of tankers. A five-minute separation was planned between each group within the cell, but the first F-15E had an engine malfunction on take- off and had to execute a high-speed abort that ended up closing the runway for about 20 minutes. Distance from the Persian Gulf air bases was 1,200 miles (1,930km) to the target, with little over two hours flight time. A 30-minute allowance was planned for contingencies and various other factors. Almost all of that flexibility was lost due to the ground abort. Whilst the flight plan was still on track, crews needed to make up the lost time created by air traffic control problems, and the requirement to deconflict with other aircraft, and reconnect the three cells of fighters with the tankers. The F-22s orbited low and slow, delaying the mission another four to six minutes. Once the Raptors climbed to their cruising altitude of 28,000ft (8,530m), they were met with another challenge, as the winds were significantly stronger than had been expected. Throughout the six months in theatre there had been virtually no wind at altitude. However, once the F-22s reached altitude they encountered winds of 60-80 knots (70-92mph/113148km/h). While fairly insignificant for short flights, covering 1,200 miles on a two-hour sortie could create a significant difference in the flight plan route. The unexpected wind speeds added another five to ten minutes’

High over the Persian Gulf an F-22A formates with the tanker for the return flight to Al Dhafra Air Base.

journey time, making it more challenging to meet the planned time on target. Additional difficulties surfaced when Iraqi air traffic controllers started vectoring the cells towards Iran instead of Syria, as the ATC personnel were not sufficiently organised to deal with that many aircraft simultaneously operating in their airspace.

Unlawful entry

The US pilots had to find a way to meet the mission objectives without causing an international incident by apparently ignoring host nation directives. Fortunately the crews managed to point the aircraft in the correct direction, although it took an extra minute here, and another there, resulting in a corresponding increase in flight time. The original aim was for the F-22s to fly towards the northern two-thirds of Iraq where they would rendezvous with the tanker in an air-refuelling track, then turn to the west and hold above the Syrian border. However, once past Baghdad it became

clear that plan would need to be changed. One pilot stated that even flying direct to the target, I wasn’t going to make it unless I started increasing speed significantly. The four-ship of F-22s replenished their fuel tanks from a KC-10 circling midway through Iraq, then peeled off and started to climb directly toward the target area. About 200 miles (322km) from the Syrian border, the F-22s went to afterburner, accelerating to Mach 1.5, and began climbing up to 40,000 feet (12,192m) – the intended cruising altitude for the 15-minute flight into Syria. Power adjustments were necessary to maintain Mach 1.5, as that was the ideal speed to arrive at the target precisely on time. The CAOC did not wish the F-22s to arrive on target early. Although it was not crucial for all three cells to simultaneously hit their targets, it was definitely preferable. Despite the delays encountered earlier, factors were starting to come together. Time to target improved, and the F-22s had enough fuel to strike their objectives and exit Syria before they

Right: A Raptor from the 1st Fighter Wing leaves its protective shelter at Al Dhafra Air Base on the night of September 23, 2014.

38 MAY 2015 #326

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FIGHTING ISLAMIC STATE (IS) had to meet with the tanker again. The intention was for two Raptors to bomb the command and control centre, while the second pair provided air cover. All four were configured the same and could switch roles if necessary. The two-ship air superiority pair was the first in the country. It provided the leading edge, making sure there was no air threat for the follow-on strike pair. With the F-22’s advanced integrated avionics the pilots had a good situational awareness and were unconcerned about being attacked by the Syrians. It became obvious when the aircraft were about halfway through Syria that its air force was not going to respond to the incursion. The crews were not convinced that air defences would remain inactive until they actually reached the target area, having not seen any air or surface threats become active. Despite Syria’s passive defences, the F-22 pilots kept up their guard throughout the entire operation, vigilant for threats not only to themselves, but also to the F-15Es and other assets operating nearby. At around 0400hrs local time, within five seconds of the desired time-on-target, the JDAMS hit the command centre, an impressive feat given the distance and repeated delays encountered.

Successful strikes?

During a September 23, briefing at the Pentagon, Army Lt Gen William C Mayville Jr, director of operations on the Joint Staff, showed ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos of the command and control facility. He noted that the GPS-guided munitions hit only the right side of the building, where the command centre was located. That area was destroyed. The strike Raptors quickly departed Syrian airspace and headed to the tanker to refuel. The air superiority F-22s stayed on station for about 60 minutes and continued to provide air cover. Crews reported it was a relatively uneventful night. Flashes were seen through night-vision goggles as bombs were going off in various target areas, but no reaction from the

‘The Raptors were heading back towards the Persian Gulf when they got a call from an E-3 AWACS saying the CAOC needed them to turn around’

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Above: An F-15E Strike Eagle crew from the 366th Fighter Wing prepares for a mission from Al Udeid Air Base. Strike Eagle crews passed on their combat expertise to the Raptor pilots when they first arrived in the Persian Gulf.

Syrians or its ground forces was encountered. The Raptors were heading back towards the Persian Gulf when they got a call from an E-3 AWACS saying the CAOC needed them to turn around. The crews did not immediately know why, but it transpired a B-1B bomber needed an escort as it went in for a re-attack – at this stage the F-22s had just enough fuel to return to their home station. Likewise the tankers were similarly low on fuel.

Bomber escort

Raptor crews looked at the fuel plan early on and knew there was extra available for contingencies, but by now the situation was critical. They quickly determined that only two F-22s were needed for the B-1B escort follow-on mission, so the third and fourth jets headed home without the tanker. The remaining two pilots began running through a list of nearby airfields in case they had to divert. Though there were plenty to choose from, there weren’t many at which the pilots would feel comfortable landing an F-22, given the security concerns associated with the aircraft. After flying north for about 10 minutes, the AWACS controller informed the F-22 pilots there was a KC-135 over on the Iranian border with enough fuel for them to top up. It wasn’t until they got to the tanker that the two F-22 pilots learned the details of their new mission – their new target being the furthest point to the west so far. The first of the initial air campaign’s three waves was mostly unmanned and included more than 40 Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles fired collectively from USS Arleigh Burke and USS Philippine Sea, at IS targets near Aleppo. The F-22s participated in the second wave along with F-15Es, B-1s and F-16s, striking IS headquarters, training camps, barracks and combat vehicles. Carrier-based aircraft from the Persian Gulf and partner F-16s made up the third wave and focused on targets in eastern Syria to include IS training camps and combat vehicles in the area around Dayr az-Zawr. By the time the F-22s had left the KC-135 along the Iranian border, the third wave was just beginning its mission. Deconfliction was not a problem for the F-22s,

which were operating solely in an air-to-air capacity and could climb higher than the other aircraft, but the B-1B crew was concerned about running into other formations in the vicinity. The Raptors provided air coverage for the B-1B for another 30 to 45 minutes before refuelling for a third time and then heading home. Despite the intense activity there was good situational awareness throughout the mission. Furthermore there were a great many changes and contingencies to contend with which presented a challenge to those aircrew with limited combat experience. As of December 10, 2014, F-22s had flown almost 100 total combat sorties, including about a dozen strikes in which multiple weapons were employed. Prior to the combat operations taking place, 9th Reconnaissance Wing U-2S highaltitude reconnaissance aircraft overflew areas controlled by IS terrorists to pinpoint targets. These ‘spy planes’ also conducted post-attack reconnaissance to ensure targets were destroyed. The U-2s and the E-3s, along with the F-22s operate from Al Dhafra AB while the B-1Bs and F-16s were from Al Udeid AB. Soon after the F-22’s combat debut with the 1st Fighter Wing, the aircraft were readied for their return to the USA. They were to be replaced there by six Raptors from the 325th Fighter Wing at Tyndall AFB, Florida, which transited Morón AB, Spain at the end of September en route to Al Dhafra.

Stealth support

A number of F-16C/Ds had been fitted with anti-radar munitions to protect the formations from the possibility of Syrian surface-to-air missile batteries. Planners have also sent cruise missiles and the radar-evading F-22s into areas where Syrian defences overlap with IS’s front line. In addition to bombing Syria with GPS-guided munitions, the Raptors based in the area have been escorting American spy drones performing surveillance missions over Iran, but this has never been disclosed publicly by the USAF. For the Raptors deployed to the region, the air force does not anticipate the bombing mission being applied very often. It will be the air superiority role that will remain the aircraft’s afm primary duty while deployed to the Gulf.

#326 MAY 2015 39

FORCE REPORT Belgian Air Component

T

en years ago when the Belgian Air Force morphed into the Belgian Air Component to reduce costs, it faced huge challenges. Over the intervening period, nothing has really changed and further cuts now loom on the horizon. The number of operational squadrons has remained the same, even if the helicopter base at Bierset has closed. While the elderly Alouette IIs and CM170 Magisters have been withdrawn from use, the total number of operational aircraft has only decreased marginally. The Alouette III and Sea King helicopters are to be retired shortly, replaced by NH90s that will catapult the Belgian’s helicopter capabilities into the modern era. Eight new NH90s are to be joined by seven A400Ms when they are delivered from 2018 onwards. Meanwhile the defence ministry continues to search for

40 MAY 2015 #326

an F-16 replacement, which will be a challenge after the recent announcement to lop another 1.5 billion euros off the defence budget over the next five years.

Pilot training

Above: Belgian Alpha Jets have operated in the flying training role for 35 years. The BAC aircraft now fly from Cazaux in South West France where it can pool resources with the French Air Force. Even helicopter and transport pilots fly 30 hours on the jet before they head off for their respective operational conversion units. Antoine Roels/IAPA Below: Three thirsty Belgium’s F-16s pull up alongside a US KC-135 tanker to take on more fuel The F-16s are regular participants in overseas missions (see Belgian F-16 Ops, p44). Antoine Roels/IAPA

Student pilots start their flying career with seven to eight months of basic flying training at Beauvechainbased 1 Wing on the Marchetti SF260. No 1 Wing operates 23 SF260Ms plus nine heavier SF260Ds equipped for Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) training. Weight isn’t the only difference between the two types, students sit in the right seat of the SF260M, and the left seat in the SF260D. The Marchetti has been in service for 45 years, but the aircraft have recently had their wings replaced and now have many more years of service left in them. At the completion of basic flying training, students head for the Belgian-French Advanced Jet Training School

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(AjeTS) at Cazaux in southwest France. After 30 hours flying the Alpha Jet, the students will be streamed. Transport pilots go to the French Air Force at Avord for multi-engine training on the Embraer 121 Xingu, while helicopter pilots head for the French Army Aviation School at Dax-Seyresse to fly the Eurocopter EC 120. Those selected to fly fighters will continue to fly more hours on the Alpha Jet at Cazaux. The Alpha Jets have been in service for 35 years, logging well over a million flight hours. From 1999, the aircraft were upgraded with an inertial navigation system with GPS receiver, head-up display (HUD) and HUD repeater in the backseat, as well as video recording equipment. The 29 Alpha Jets have been flown from Cazaux by Belgian instructors with the French Air Force’s Escadron de Transition Opérationnelle (operational

conversion squadron), or simply ETO 02.008, since 2005. Students undertake their initial operational training on the Belgian Alpha Jet 1B+, before flying the French Air Force’s Alpha Jet E at ETO 01.008 for an introduction into fighter fundamentals, which includes air-to-ground sorties with a gun pod and 25lb (11kg) BDU-33 practice bombs. Every year about 80 French, 15 Belgian and some foreign cadets fly a total of 100 hours with both squadrons at Cazaux. Upon graduating, the new Belgian fighter pilots move to Kleine Brogel for operational conversion on the F-16.

F-16 replacement

The F-16 has been in Belgian service for 35 years. From a total order of 160 aircraft, 59 remain in service with two fighter wings at Florennes and Kleine Brogel – each with two squadrons. After receiving a mid-life upgrade in the

Above: The C-130H has been in service with the BAF, for more than 40 years but its end is now in sight. They are due to be replaced by the A400M from 2020 onwards. Antoine Roels/IAPA

Squeeze Feeling the

The Belgian Air Component is set to go through yet another round of cost-cutting measures, but as Dirk Jan de Ridder explains, still manages to pull its weight when it comes to UN/EU or NATO missions.

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#326 MAY 2015 41

FORCE REPORT Belgian Air Component Recent operations In October 2014, the last four Belgian F-16s were withdrawn from Afghanistan. After six years and 16,000 flight hours without any incident, their operations from Kandahar Airfield came to an end. Before they even arrived in Belgium, another six F-16s were being deployed to al Salti Air Base, Jordan for Operation Desert Falcon as part of Belgium’s efforts against the ISIL extremists in Iraq. By the end of 2014 they had logged over 300 flights performing reconnaissance missions and dropping GPS- as well as laser-guided bombs on the militants’ positions (see Coalition Against IS, p54-59). The Belgian Air Force has also supported the French military’s Operation Serval in Mali, with two C-130s and two Agusta A109s. The C-130s were used to transport cargo and soldiers from Belgium and France, as well as African troops, to Mali. From January 2013, the two aircraft logged 450 flight hours in ten weeks, transporting 815 tons (815,000kg) of cargo and 1,161 passengers. The A109s originally supported Operation Serval from Gao in the north, but they soon moved to the capital Bamako in support of the European Training Mission in Mali. Their primary role at both locations was medical evacuation. While they were available 24/7 for six months in 2013, they were called into action only on a handful of occasions. The Belgian Air Component has taken on the responsibility of protecting the airspace of the Baltic states several times over the past decade. During its 2013 deployment to Lithuania, the BAC F-16s intercepted Russian military aircraft on several occasions, especially during Russia’s September 2013 Zapat exercise. Russia’s military presence dramatically increased in the region after tensions erupted between the country and NATO over Russia’s incursion into Ukraine in 2014. Four NATO fighters are normally based in Lithuania for the Baltic Air Policing operation, but they had to be supplemented with permanent deployments in Estonia and Poland. As part of the Enhanced Baltic Air Policing effort, four Belgian F-16s deployed to Malbork, Poland for eight months from January 2015. 

42 MAY 2015 #326

Belgian F-16s have played a prominent part in EU/ISAF/NATO missions since the mid1990s this aircraft is seen operating over Afghanistan. Ramon Wenink

late 1990s, the F-16s still receive software updates about every three years. The latest, M6, offers many improvements. Among them is the Link 16 tactical datalink and the IFF (identification friend or foe) system.

M6 also enables the use of the AIM120D AMRAAM, which has double the range of its predecessor and allows data transmission between the F-16 and missile. Furthermore, M6 has the capability to work

Belgian Air Component Order of Battle 1 WG

2 WG

5 Sqn

SF260D/M

Beauvechain

9 Sqn

SF260D/M

Beauvechain

17 Sqn

A109BA

Beauvechain

18 Sqn

NH90-TTH

Beauvechain

40 Sqn

Sea King Mk48 / NH90-NFH

Koksijde

1 Sqn

F-16AM/BM

Florennes

350 Sqn 10 WG 31 Sqn

F-16AM/BM

Florennes

F-16AM/BM

Kleine Brogel

349 Sqn

F-16AM/BM

Kleine Brogel

OCU

F-16AM/BM

Kleine Brogel

C-130H

Brussel-Melsbroek

15 WG 20 Sqn 21 Sqn

A321, ERJ135/145, Falcon 20/900 Brussel-Melsbroek

11 Sqn

Alpha Jet 1B+

Cazaux, France

Heli Flight

Alouette III

Koksijde

with the 500lb (227kg) GBU-54 laser-guided bombs and 250lb (113kg) GPS-guided GBU-39 small diameter bombs (SDBs) aimed at reducing collateral damage. Belgian F-16s have been deployed abroad almost continuously over the past ten years, including four six-month Baltic Air Policing shifts, around seven years in Afghanistan and over Libya in 2011. The country has only recently begun the process of looking for a replacement that should be ordered by 2018 and delivered from 2023, by which time the F-16s will have reached their maximum service life of 45 years and 8,000 flight hours. The new

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fighter jets should be delivered between 2023 and 2029. The F-16’s successor should reach basic operational capability (performing Quick Reaction Alert), by 2025 with initial operational capability (expeditionary capability) in 2027, followed by full operational capability in 2029. The fighters under consideration include the Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, F-35 Lightning II and Saab Gripen. As far as we know, Boeing was the first and the only one so far to have presented its fighter in Belgium. A couple of F-16 pilots were offered a flight in an F/A-18F while stopping over at Florennes after visiting an airshow in Denmark, but the defence ministry has denied this was an official evaluation. The Belgian Air Component has between two and four F-16s available for QRA, depending on the alert status level. They should be able to “execute expeditionary operations from two deployed operating bases for a sustained period with a maximum duration of ten aircraft, and to execute a one-time participation in a multinational operation with a maximum engagement of 30 aircraft”. In the request for information (RFI) report sent to parliament and to the five manufacturers it was determined that the current level of ambition will be “used as a baseline, but a modular/scalable approach needs to be outlined in order to take into account possible evolutions of the Belgian Defence level of ambition”. Like the F-16, its successor must be able to perform

Joint QRA On October 23, 2013, the defence ministers of Belgium and the Netherlands signed a Letter of Intent to establish a joint QRA (Quick Reaction Alert|). The two countries protect the airspace over Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Belgian fighter pilots will intercept Russian bombers while operating from their home country for the first time, as Belgium does not have a border with international air space. The Netherlands has long resisted the possibility of merging its alert responsibilities, but the decision to buy 37 (instead of the planned 85) F-35s Lighting II is unlikely to leave it with any other choice. Out of these 37 aircraft, five will remain based in the United States for training and four will

be available for missions abroad, leaving just 28 in the Netherlands for QRA, maintenance and training. Alternating QRA duties between the two countries frees up two airworthy F-16s or F-35s for training six months a year, an essential move to counter decreasing fighter jet fleets and increasing maintenance needs. While planning for the F-35, the Royal Netherlands Air Force has calculated it would need 24 pilots just to maintain QRA (including training and days off). Only 20 pilots would be needed if alert duties were alternated with the Belgians. The F-35 will be flown by 37 pilots, eight of whom are expected to be at any time, so this will free up nine (instead of five) pilots for over-

seas missions. A formal agreement for joint airspace surveillance is expected to be signed in spring 2015 and will start the same year. Apart from the three countries covered by QRA protection, France will probably form part of the agreement as well, because Belgium and France already have a treaty regarding aviation terrorism. In the case of an interception, Belgian F-16s are allowed to shadow an aircraft crossing the border into French airspace. They only lack the permission to take action over French territory. In the case of such an agreement between Belgium and the Netherlands, taking action over each other’s airspace would be allowed.

An F-16A returns to base, armed with an AIM-9 Sidewinder and AIM-120 AMRAAM. Today the F-16s has M6 software loaded on to the aircraft, allowing the jets to use the latest AM-120D version of the AMRAAM.

Defensive Counter Air (DCA)/ Air Policing, Offensive Counter Air (OCA), Air Interdiction (AI) and Close Air Support. Furthermore, Non-Traditional Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (NTISR) and Strike Coordination and Reconnaissance (SCAR) have been identified as key mission types contributing to operational flexibility.

Helicopters

All helicopter pilots spend their first few years flying the 23 Agusta A109BAs. The lightweight, multirole helicopters are operated by 17 Squadron, but in July of this year, seven will be temporarily placed into stored, as the squadron reduces its flying flying hours, by 30% from 4,000 to 2,800. The A109 has long been the BAC's tactical utility helicopter.

Its roles include anti-tank, combat search and rescue, light transport, medevac, observation, reconnaissance and utility. Every combat-ready pilot is capable of performing all of these roles. A109s have deployed to Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and more recently Mali. They are also available at short-term notice for the NATO Response Force and EU Battle Group, which was

Right: A student and his instructor walk back to the squadron for a debriefing after another training sortie on the SF260. Below: The Belgium Air Component F-16s are operating from two bases, Florennes in the south and Kleine Brogel in the north. One of the bases may be shut down in the next round of cuts to the BAC’s budget. All photos by author unless stated

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#326 MAY 2015 43

FORCE REPORT Belgian Air Component Belgian F-16 Operations

Sea Kings have played a big part in recovering personnel from vessels in the sea off the coast of Belgium.

A330 tanker consortium In 2014 the Dutch defence ministry informed parliament of its plans to form a shared European pool of tanker aircraft. Belgium is one of the nations participating in the programme. The international team has selected the A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) as the primary candidate, and aims to sign a contract in 2016, with deliveries due to commence in 2020. Current plans call for four aircraft to be ordered and they may be based at Eindhoven (home of the European Air Transport Command) in the Netherlands. Belgium already forms part of the Strategic Airlift Capability, with three C-17s operated from Papa, Hungary, and the NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control Force operating 17 E-3A Sentry aircraft out of Geilenkirchen in Germany.

headed by Belgium in 2014. The NH90 TTH (Tactical Transport Helicopter) has recently entered service to supplement the A109s in the tactical transport role. The fourth and final TTH version was delivered in November 2014. Belgian pilots started their flying training for five weeks in the German Army’s NH90 flight simulator at Buckeburg before two German instructor pilots helped to start up the NH90 training in Belgium. Around a dozen Belgian pilots are now qualified on the type, which is operated by 18 Squadron at Beauvechain. Initial operational capability (IOC) is planned for March 2015, and full operational capability (FOC) in 2016, with the latter allowing two NH90s to be made available for the NATO Response Force. The type’s role will be that of tactical transport helicopter flying troops on the frontline with A109s serving as armed escorts.

1981-now

Air defence policing

2 a/c

1996-2001

Various operations (Balkan countries)

4 a/c

1999

Operation Deny Flight/Allied Force (Kosovo)

12 a/c

2004

Baltic Air Policing (Lithuania)

4 a/c

2005-2006

ISAF (Afghanistan)

4 a/c

2006-2007

Baltic Air Policing (Lithuania)

4 a/c

2008-2014

ISAF (Afghanistan)

6 a/c

2011

Operation Unified Protector (Libya)

6 a/c

2013

Baltic Air Policing (Lithuania)

4 a/c

2014-2015

Operation Desert Falcon (Iraq)

6 a/c

2015

Enhanced Baltic Air Policing (Poland)

4 a/c

Four examples of the NH90 NFH (Naval Frigate Helicopter) variant, will replace the Sea Kings at Koksijde in the search and rescue (SAR) role. The NFH will also be able to operate from Belgian Navy frigates, which have only ever supported Alouette IIIs, which meant they had to be modified and reinforced. These

English Channel UK Koksijde

modifications were completed well before the first NH90 arrived in Belgium. However it was a Dutch NH90 that had the privilege of making the first landing on the Leopold I’s deck in December 2010. Taking into account the BAC’s small fleet of NH90 Amsterdam NFHs and the strong defence co-operation between the navies

NETHERLANDS GERMANY Kleine Brogel BELGIUM Brussels/Melsbroek Beauvechain Florennes

FRANCE

LUXEMBOURG

Paris

44 MAY 2015 #326

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of Belgium and the Netherlands, it seems plausible that Belgian frigates could in the future deploy with a Dutch NH90 onboard. The Sea King has been in service at Koksijde, patrolling along the North Sea coast, for nearly 40 years specializing in SAR. The type has carried out over 3,000 emergency flights, of which 80% have been over sea, since entering service in 1976. The first of five Sea Kings was retired in 2008 and another withdrawn from use in 2013 to provide spare parts for the remaining three helicopters. Around that time, it was usual to see only one Sea King serviceable. The long-delayed arrival of the first NH90 NFH in 2013 was much anticipated but it will be operational this summer leading to the retirement of the Sea King in June 2016.

Transport

Transport aircraft are based with 15 Wing at Melsbroek, the military part of Brussels-Zaventem airport. All transport pilots start their career on the C-130 Hercules, which is the BAC’s only tactical transport. Ten out of 12 airframes delivered from 1972 remain in service today, and these were bolstered in 2007 by a C-130E (built in 1965), as an attrition replacement for the C-130H lost in a hangar fire on May 5, 2006. The Hercules was subsequently upgraded to C-130H standard by Sabena Technics prior to delivery, which took place in March 2009. All of them have been modernised with

Above: After performing more than 3,000 SAR sorties, the Sea King is expected to be retired by June 2016.

glass cockpits and new wings. The C-130s are the true workhorses of the BAC, flying cargo and passengers to and from such places as Afghanistan, Congo, Iraq and Mali, while also operating locally. Between 2009 and 2013, a C-130 was continuously deployed to Congo, carrying out well over 2,000 flights. The Hercs are now starting to show their age and will be replaced by the giant Airbus Military A400M in around 2020. Seven of these will be based at Melsbroek from

2018, with an eighth example operated on behalf of Luxembourg. Belgium can already call upon the A400Ms of the European Air Transport Command (EATC). Personnel from 15 Wing had a sneak preview of the A400M in August 2014, when a French Air Force A400M transported Belgian cargo to Canada. The remainder of the transport fleet consists of ‘commercial’ aircraft, including two Embraer ERJ-135s, two Embraer ERJ-145s, two Falcon 20Es, a Falcon 900B

and an Airbus A321, with the latter being leased. The only difference between the two Embraer Regional Jets is the number of passengers they can accommodate: the ERJ-145 has 49 seats, the -135 has 34. They are used for general passenger transport, which includes flying military personnel and political representatives to/ from Brussels, home to the EU and NATO headquarters. The Embraers can also be fitted with a medical kit for medevac operations. VIP transport is carried out by two

Above: The multi-role A109BA can be equipped with door gunners on each side to act as armed escorts for troop-carrying helicopters. The A109 was used in Mali for medevac missions during 2013. Left: After much consternation caused by endless delays, the NH90s have now been delivered to the BAC. Two of the four Tactical Transport Helicopters (TTHs), (pictured) work with 1 Wing/18 Sqn at Beauvechain as troop carriers for the army. Three NH 90 Naval Frigate Helicopters (NFHs) have been delivered to 40 Squadron at Koksijde with a fourth due later this year. Jos Schoofs

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#326 MAY 2015 45

FORCE REPORT Belgian Air Component

Above: One of the two elderly Falcon 20Es, used for VIP transport, will be grounded this year.

40-year-old Falcon 20s and a single Falcon 900, which is used as a long-range VVIP transport. Two Airbus A310s have recently been taken out of service. They arrived second-hand in 1997 and 1998, but there were several issues to deal with, not least was a shortage of spare engine parts owing to the Pratt & Whitney JT9D7R4E1s having been produced in fairly small numbers. There was also serious corrosion discovered during deep maintenance. Both have been replaced by a single A330 that was later exchanged for a much smaller A321. The A321 is painted grey, has Belgian Air Force titles, but it is leased to the Belgian Air Component by HiFly from Portugal and carries the civilian registration, CS-TRJ.

Budget cuts

New budget cuts were announced at the end of 2014, to save 225 million euros, with several small savings already implemented. In particular, the 2015 budget for ammunition has been reduced by a third, an unknown number of pilots have stopped flying, and one of the two Falcon 20s will be grounded in early 2015 because D check maintenance is considered too expensive. In a sign of the times, even the heating systems of the BAC offices will be turned off from April and elevators will be shut down. These measures are only a beginning of the real budget cuts, but what is there left to be cut without creating capability gaps? In April 2015, the defence ministry will announce a strategic

requirements plan. Discussions about whether seven A400M transport aircraft are too much for such a small air arm are already being debated. The number of active personnel in the Belgian armed forces has decreased by a third since the A400M project was initiated in 2003 and according to the BAC the aircraft will be a lot more expensive to fly than the C-130. With no other tactical transport aircraft in its inventory, the BAC will have to rely on the expensive A400M or call upon EATC every time something as simple as an F-16 engine has to be flown to an area of operations. Koksijde, a large air base with a fully serviceable runway, yet only housing four SAR helicopters,

could be among the first bases to be affected. The SAR role could be outsourced, as it is in the UK, with the NH90 NFHs focusing on maritime tasks. The A109 community, which has already seen its fleet cut in half in recent years, is fearing another round of budget cuts. One of four operational F-16 squadrons might also be withdrawn, although they are more active than ever, and it might even be possible to base all the fighters on a single air base. If that does happen, Florennes would most likely be closed, because of the presence of American nuclear bombs and their associated infrastructure at Kleine Brogel. This is bound to cause fierce debate between the Flemish (Dutch-speaking) population in the north where Kleine Brogel is located and the Walloons (French-speaking) in the south, where Florennes is because of the detrimental effect it will have on the local community. It will be particularly interesting to hear about the defence ministry’s plans to replace the F-16. There seems to be a preference for the F-35, undoubtedly in order to maintain the country’s nuclear capability, but the question is whether it can afford it. Should the BAC decide to buy around 40 F-35s (meaning a 40% reduction compared with its current F-16 fleet), maintenance would cost it around half the operational budget for the entire Belgian armed forces, not taking into account the afm upcoming budget cuts.

Four Embraer Regional Jets, comprising two ERJ135s and two ERJ145s, form part of 21 Squadron at Brussels-Melsbroek.

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MAY ISSUE OUT NOW: THE ‘SUNDOWNERS’ Undisputed experts in the arena of US Navy airto-air training, José M. Ramos straps in with the ‘Sundowners’ of Fighter Composite Squadron One Eleven (VFC-111).

GUNNING FOR THE A-10 The US Air Force leadership says it no longer needs the A-10 Thunderbolt II. It wants to strip A-10 funding to help it fully support the newer F-35 Lightning II. But have they all got it all wrong, asks Ken Neubeck?

VIGILANTE TRANSFORMERS Jamie Hunter meets the ‘Vigilantes’ of the Montana ANG, and looks at their new mission, with exclusive images by Jim Haseltine.

NAVY FIREFIGHTERS Barry D. Smith discovers how the US Navy is now on call and able to assist local authorities when wildfires get out of hand.

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GENERATION GAP F-35/RAF TYPHOONS

Generation game Jon Lake explains how RAF Typhoons and F-35 Joint Strike Fighters will work seamlessly together in the combat zone, despite the generation gap...

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GENERATION GAP F-35/RAF TYPHOONS

T

he RAF has been making great efforts to ensure that when the new F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter enters service in 2018 it will be able to operate seamlessly alongside the RAF’s existing Typhoon swing role fighters. The UK’s procurement of the F-35B is expected to be modest (especially in the near future), and the Typhoon will continue to form the majority of the RAF’s fast jet force for decades to come. As aircraft become ever more capable and sophisticated, it becomes increasingly difficult to integrate old and new aircraft types into the same air operation, while simultaneously ensuring that each can operate to its full potential and bring to bear its full range of capabilities. And yet to do so is essential. No single air force can afford to replace today’s fighters with fifth-generation platforms overnight. Even if it were able to, it would

still need to operate closely alongside allies that might not have the financial muscle or the political ‘pull’ to join the select group of nations within the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programme. But despite the impressive capabilities offered by the US fifth-generation fighters (both the F-35 and the older F-22), neither type represents a universal air-power panacea. Various older aircraft types offer a range of capabilities, which usefully

complement those of the ‘new kids on the block’, and would be missed, were these legacy aircraft platforms to be phased out. In most cases, a package of aircraft including a variety of types will be more operationally useful, and more capable, than a package consisting of an equal number of F-35s, for example. This should hardly come as a surprise. History is full of examples of older-generation aircraft providing useful capabilities that augment those offered by a new generation of fighters. The Vietnam War demonstrated the unexpected

Above:Joint Strike Fighters of the RAF, such as BK-1 ZM135 will be expected to be fully integrated within the digital battle space and be able to receive and securely transmit data between aerial platforms. MOD UK Left: A combat partnership planned for the future by RAF will allow Typhoons and UCAVs to work seamlessly together on a single strike mission. Framed under the nose of a Typhoon, is Taranis the BAE Systems technology demonstrator for future UCAV development. BAE Systems

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#326 MAY 2015 49

GENERATION GAP F-35/RAF TYPHOONS utility of aircraft on the verge of retirement, from the Martin B-57 Canberra to the Douglas A-1 Skyraider. The latter’s big radial engine endowed the type with an impressive ability to loiter ‘on station’ as well as a remarkable tolerance to damage when operating at low level in the close air support (CAS) role. In the fighter role, the usefulness of the agile, gun-equipped F-8 Crusader ensured the type was kept on alongside the newer, all-missile armed, beyond-visual range (BVR)-capable F-4 Phantom, downing 19 enemy aircraft in the process, for the loss of only three F-8s in air-to-air combat. In a more recent UK context, it was discovered that during Operation Ellamy in 2011 (Britain’s contribution to enforcing the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 over Libya) the use of mixed pairs of Tornado and Typhoon was significantly more effective than using single-type pairs of either aircraft. The Tornado gave the formation more weapons options and brought significantly greater air-to-ground experience to the battle (though this was not inherent to the aircraft types, but rather a reflection on how they had been employed). The Tornado’s back-seater

also meant the formation had a useful ‘third brain’, which proved useful in understanding the more complex scenarios during some missions. At the same time, the Typhoon obviously provided a formidable self-defence capability for the formation, thanks to its sensors and airto-air weapons, but also its Defensive Aids SubSystem (DASS). This system was considered to be so superior that any threats detected by the Tornado’s systems were dismissed or reacted to, based on what the sensors reported. Typhoon’s radar proved to be highly effective in the air-to-ground role; it was also able to find the right tanker in the busy skies over the Mediterranean and to deconflict traffic when communications had broken down. Thanks to its radar and DASS, Typhoon provided the mixed pair with unmatched situational awareness, facilitating the prosecution and detection of fleeting targets and operating as a highly effective Battlefield Airborne Communications Node. One story that emerged from Libya was of an attack in which a mixed pair and a pair of Tornados used global-positioning-system (GPS)-guided weapons against 17 targets simultaneously. While the Typhoon was

providing enhanced electronic warfare (EW) protection to the entire package, and employing its own weapons, the pilot simultaneously used his Litening III targeting pod to perform bomb-damage assessment. A single pilot, operating in a hostile, high-threat environment, who maintained superior situational awareness throughout, achieved all this.

Let's Talk

The Typhoon also proved extremely reliable, achieving a 99% availability rate, considerably higher than the more mature Tornado, and was able to deploy with 30% fewer ground crew per aircraft. This ability to operate alongside dissimilar aircraft types, and alongside aircraft operated by allied forces – ‘interoperability’ – is vital to operational success. In many cases an allied air commander will value interoperability above and beyond the capabilities that a particular platform might provide. This can be the result of a number of factors, some of them equipment related, others to do with the aircrew or the air forces themselves. For example, during a Red Flag-Alaska exercise, German Luftwaffe MiG-29s (many whose pilots had flown a great deal with the USAF, and all of whom had excellent English language skills) were much more easily integrated into multi-national operations than were their Japanese F-15 Eagles counterparts. Some of the F-15 pilots struggled with the English language, and were less used to operating within a multi-national package, even though Left: When they entered service in December 2005, F-22A Raptors were unable to share information with other fighter aircraft within a strike package. This often resulted in them operating alone with their pilots seemingly isolated from the main force. USAF/Master Sgt Jeremy Lock

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GENERATION GAP F-35/RAF TYPHOONS A pilot gives the ‘thumbs up’ to his ground crew prior to taxiing to the runway. If only all communications could be so easy for the Typhoon and F-35. MOD UK

their Eagle aircraft seemed more technically aligned with the USAF F-15s and F-16s. Learning lessons such as this was, of course, one of the purposes of the exercise, and though the Japanese pilots may have encountered a steeper ‘learning curve’ than some of the other participants, the exercise taught them a great deal. They left Alaska more ‘interoperable’ with allied forces than when they first arrived. For many years an enduring frustration for the USAF’s F-22A Raptor force was a perception among some US air commanders that incorporating Raptors into an operation was ‘more trouble than it was worth’. This was due to a number of factors: it was difficult to communicate with them, next-to-impossible to share ‘pictures’ from their onboard sensors, and hard for friendly forces to know where the F-22As were. There was also widespread ignorance as to exactly what the F-22A could and could not do operationally. For some time, the solution seemed to be that the F-22A should operate separately, sweeping ahead to clear the way, taking advantage of its ability to discreetly communicate with other F-22As alone. Where necessary, the aircraft would use Link 16 in ‘receive only’ mode to enhance their own situational awareness by accessing the air picture built up by AWACS, JSTARs and Rivet Joint. But Raptors would be unable to add to it, except via voice communications. The difficulties of integrating F-22As with other allied air power assets have been progressively reduced by technological

innovation and by working out operational ‘work arounds’, though it is widely recognised that there is still a long way to go. It is only relatively recently that allied air forces (and indeed other US fighters) have started to operate more seamlessly with the F-22A Raptor. The RAF has been at the forefront of developing interoperability between fourth- and fifth-generation fighters. It has achieved this by practicing and improving the ways in which Typhoon and Raptor can work together. This work has addressed a wide range of doctrinal, tactical, technical, and procedural issues and challenges in the process. RAF Typhoons have worked long and hard to develop greater interoperability with the Raptor, culminating in the recent Red Flag exercises in which the two types operated together successfully in terms of situational awareness, survivability and lethality. Some of the work carried out to ensure interoperability between the two types will be relevant to the new challenge of achieving integration with the F-35B. It would be easy to accept the F-35 lobby’s version of the need for interoperability – that although the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter represents the epitome of air-power technology, and will inevitably rule the skies of the future, it will (regrettably) need to work with existing fourth-generation fleets for decades to come. The argument continues that since the UK can’t buy enough F-35s to replace all its legacy fast jets overnight, it will be forced to use the best of them to augment its shiny new F-35Bs. But it would be wrong to assume that ensuring the two aircraft can operate together is a grim necessity, forced upon the RAF by financial realities. This is not a case of grudgingly having to use the old metal that one has to plug holes in a new and better bucket. Rather it is a way of ensuring the carefully combined and choreographed tailored use of two great assets Left: Royal Air Force/41 (R) Squadron Typhoon FGR4s ZJ946 ‘EB-A’ and ‘EB-R’ fly in formation with US Marine Corps F-35B 168313 ‘17’ (BF-17) from the US Air Force’s 461st Flight Test Squadron at Edwards AFB, California during interoperability trials with the two types over the Edwards AFB ranges. Lockheed Martin/Tom Reynolds

‘The RAF has been at the forefront of developing interoperability between fourth- and fifthgeneration fighters. It has achieved this by practicing and improving the ways in which Typhoon and Raptor can work together. ’

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#326 MAY 2015 51

GENERATION GAP F-35/RAF TYPHOONS

Four Typhoon FGR4s were deployed to Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California in March 2014. After trials at China Lake the aircraft moved to Edwards Air Force Base for interoperability testing with the F-35. Lockheed Martin/Tom Reynolds

will be greater than the sum of the two parts. Historically, older aircraft types have often usefully augmented incoming new fighters for a limited time, often because they have niche capabilities yet to be incorporated on the newer platform. Thus RAF Buccaneers equipped with Pave Spike and Jaguars with Thermal Imaging and Laser Designator (TIALD) pods were able to provide an invaluable laser designation capability for newer Tornados in Desert Storm, and Harriers in the Balkans. This is not the case for Typhoon and F-35. Increasingly, it is being realised that it is better to operate a mixed fleet of Lightning II and Typhoon rather than a single fleet of either as the two types offer complementary capabilities. The Typhoon offers significant advantages in the air-to-air role. In a series of highfidelity simulations, Eurofighter GmbH found four Typhoons supported by AWACS were able to defeat 85% of attacks by eight F-35s (each carrying an internal load of two Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs) and two air-to-air missiles. Laurie Hilditch, Eurofighter’s head of future requirements capture, disclosed that the F-35’s impressive frontal-aspect stealth could be countered by stationing interceptors and AWACS at a 25º to 30º angle to the F-35’s most likely approach path to a target. In the air-to-air role, the F-35 lacks allaspect, very low observable stealth and may be vulnerable to detection by fighter radar and by a variety of other sensors, including infrared and a new generation of counter-stealth radars now being developed and deployed by Russia and China. In a classic BVR engagement, or in a close in ‘dogfight’ beyond the merge, its thrust to weight ratio and wing loading are significantly inferior to those of the Typhoon. The energymanoeuvrability diagrams of the F-35 match

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those of the F/A-18 (which is impressive for a single-engine aircraft loaded with fuel and significant armament), but it is not indicative of air-combat success. Though the F-35 does enjoy an impressive high angle-of-attack capability (like most twin-tailed fighters), which gives good instantaneous turn performance, it bleeds energy quickly at low speeds. Additionally its high Alpha capability cannot be exploited in the supersonic regime, where the limiting load factor will be achieved at relatively low values of Angle-of-Attack (AoA). Craig Penrice, a former RAF fighter pilot and Typhoon test pilot and now Typhoon aircrew advisor, judged that: “The F-35 remains a long way from having a true swing-role capability, let alone being capable of regulating the skies and achieving air dominance.” But at the same time, it would be wrong to view the F-35B as being no more than a ‘stealthy bomb truck’, or as a 21st century replacement for the Tornado. The F-35 promises to be a truly transformational air power tool, bringing new levels of capability to the air commander. It does this, at least in part, by being able to leverage, facilitate and amplify the use of existing air/land/sea assets and, by acting as the cornerstone on which a new, highly integrated offence and defence enterprise will be built.

Digital Distribution

The F-35’s powerful sensors and ability to operate throughout the battle space will bring new capabilities to the RAF. These stretch far beyond being able to operate in highly contested airspace, or in the face of a sophisticated integrated air defence system, in the way the F-117 did. With proper connectivity, the F-35 will be much more than just another tactical platform, delivering with effect against particular targets. Indeed many believe that F-35 pilots coming

from other fast-jet types will have to be trained that firing first, or delivering their own weapons, will not be their core concept of operations. Instead, the F-35 will function as a passive sensor, a forward Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and battle management platform, as well as a fighter and bomber that can operate ahead of older aircraft. Third party targeting is expected to become an increasingly important part of air operations, with one aircraft acquiring targets on board. This information is relayed for engagement by nearby off-board platforms with more appropriate weapons, or that might be better placed to strike, perhaps including UASs and UCAVs. This trend towards off boarding is already happening, and target acquisition and weapons delivery are increasingly becoming decoupled. The capabilities of the F-35 will only accelerate this trend, using its own sensors to reduce reliance on large, vulnerable ISR/ Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence (C3I) assets. This will enable a strike package to operate more effectively. But all this will be dependent on connectivity, without which low observable (LO) aircraft have sometimes been judged to be more of a hindrance than help. And connectivity with LO platforms is difficult. The air battle is analogous to a massive, dark space in which stealthy aircraft are like people dressed entirely in black, hard to see as they move around. Traditional aircraft are like people wearing a mix of light colours and luminescent materials, with bells around their necks, wrists and ankles. They are easier to see and hear. Using radar is like using a flashlight – it will illuminate those in light and luminescent colours best, but it also gives away the position of whoever uses it. While using traditional data links is like using an Aldis light

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GENERATION GAP F-35/RAF TYPHOONS and Morse code – it can be cumbersome and it can give away your position. For this reason, existing fifth-generation aircraft have historically tended not to use traditional data links, or to have used them in ‘receive only’ mode, yet, if they are to fulfil their wider potential as enablers of a mixed fleet of fourth and fifth generation assets they will have to learn to operate in new ways. Since super-manoeuvrable, net-enabled, Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA)equipped, super cruise-capable fighters such as Typhoon now enjoy many of the capabilities that were once used to define the term ‘fifth-generation’ it is perhaps more useful to talk about how to operate traditional and dedicated LO fighters together. This is an area already being studied by the UK’s Air Warfare Centre, which is working hard to ensure the interoperability of Typhoon and F-35. Lieutenant Commander Mark Humphries, of the Air Warfare Centre at Waddington, says: “It’s important that we put in the groundwork now to help inform the Concept of Operations and ensure the interoperability of both platforms.” In some respects, the UK is believed to be leading the way in terms of fourth/fifthgeneration interoperability testing, not least because its smaller planned fleet of F-35 aircraft makes the issue more vital than it is for the USA. BAE Systems is also heavily involved in this work. F-35 Interoperability Trials Programme Manager Tony Hall explains that while “there is a level of interoperability work in the main F-35 System Development and Demonstration (SDD) programme, paper testing, lining up different interoperability standards to ensure that those are compatible, the UK wanted to do more end-to-end testing to prove capabilities.” Interoperability between the F-35 and Typhoon is being optimised through a series of simulated scenarios led by BAE Systems on behalf of the UK customer. Tony Hall says: “Not only does this help the UK customer get their heads around how the F-35 will integrate into operations, but it saves money and time by allowing refinements to be made in the design-anddevelopment phase of the programme.” Key to the aircraft’s operational capability lies in its ability to gather and share massive amounts of data automatically with other F-35s through its Multifunction Advanced Data Link (MADL) system. But interoperability can be achieved only by ensuring this data can be received and processed by fourth-generation platforms,

The RAF has now realised it is better to operate a mixed fleet of Lightning II and Typhoon rather than a single fleet as the two types offer complementary capabilities. MOD UK

and BAE is exploring the question of ‘fourthto-fifth’ and ‘fifth-to-fourth’ communication.

Link or L3?

BAE is understood to have looked at using the Link 16 system, which has been used in recent US trials, (such as Northrop Grumman’s Jetpack gateway technology program) to communicate between an F-35, F-22 and fourth generation fighters, though at the moment the F-22A’s multifunctional information distribution system (MIDS) capability is ‘receive only’. By contrast, Lockheed Martin working with L3 Communications have developed and demonstrated a new stealthy waveform for direct communications among the F-22s and F-35s without the use of gateway. In July 2014, BAE conducted a live simulated mission exercise using the latest configurations of the F-35 and the Typhoon as part of its on-going UK interoperability work. The exercise involved four F-35s (in the shape of Lockheed Martin-supplied F-35 desktop simulators operated by Royal Navy and Royal Air Force pilots), two Typhoons (in the shape of the Aircrew Synthetic Training Aids (ASTA) simulators at RAF Leuchars, flown by BAE Chief Test Pilot Mark Bowman and an RAF Typhoon pilot) and one E-3D AWACS (played by the Sentry simulator at Waddington). The F-35 fighters located the potential threats and subsequently conducted an attack against an array of fixed and moving ground targets, while the E-3D simultaneously tasked the Typhoons to engage multiple hostile air threats. Bowman commented that the simulation had allowed the participants “to exercise

An F-35B Lightning II taxiing for take-off at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. Personnel from the Royal Navy and RAF are at Eglin where they are familiarising themselves with the F-35’s air and ground procedures. MOD UK

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interoperability as per a live mission scenario by passing some commands, targets and threat information via digital data links in real-time.” Further trials this year will add land assets and operators, air-to-ground data links, as well as integrating mission planning. Eventually the testing will be broadened to ensure the aircraft can operate with a range of foreign coalition platforms. Tony Hall noted that: “The benefits from these trials reach beyond F-35. As a result of the maritime scenario we ran just a few months ago, improvements to the Type 45 Destroyers and Queen Elizabeth Class Carrier Link 16 data link and Combat Management Systems were identified and will soon be implemented. This builds on the benefits already seen in earlier trials which, identified enhancements to the E-3D Sentry that are also being implemented.” Meanwhile, the RAF has already started flying F-35/Typhoon interoperability trials. On April 3, 2014 Lieutenant Colonel Jon ‘Miles’ Ohman from the F-35 Integrated Test Force, flying F-35B BF-17, completed the first interoperability airborne link with two RAF Typhoons from 41 Test and Evaluation Squadron (TES). The messages tested during these flights supported a variety of air-to-air and air-toground combat missions. This test was part of a wider series of trials designed to confirm that the data link capabilities of the F-35 were interoperable with a variety of other platforms. With full interoperability achieved, it is hoped that forward-deployed Eurofighters will be able to provide a lethal expansion of the Carrier Strike capability, with the F-35 prioritising targets for the Typhoons, which will operate as ‘weapons caddies’ for the F-35 in some scenarios. In others, it can be seen that the Typhoon’s DASS and advanced AESA will actually allow the older aircraft to provide targeting and even electronic warfare support for F-35s carrying weapons, as well as providing air-to-air fighter cover. In the air-to-air role, many believe that roles will effectively be reversed, with F-35s providing extra weapons stations to launch air-to-air missiles, effectively acting as weapons caddies for Typhoon. In the future, both types could use their E-Scan radars as data links, providing the ability to beam discriminatory signals in a specific direction at optimised power, making them less likely to be detected than any broadcast-based data link system. Interoperability promises to get the best out of both the F-35 and the Typhoon, making afm this very much a ‘partnership of equals’.

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FIGHTING ISLAMIC STATE (IS)

S

ince the beginning of the revolt against the Syrian Government of President Bashar al-Assad in 2011, the US has supported the rebel forces. It threatened air strikes after poison gas was used by the government, but remained reluctant to intervene. US military planners were forced to revise their strategy after the subsequent emergence of the terrorist movement Islamic State (IS), previously known as Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant. Reconnaissance flights over Syria last summer marked the beginning of long-planned US air operations over Iraq and Syria, where most IS activity occurs. On August 7 the US conducted the first air strikes of the new campaign. In September a coalition of countries began forming and its aircraft joined the fighting. Attacks continue daily with no firm end date. The coalition partners participating in air strikes on Iraq are Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, the UK and the US. Coalition aircraft flying missions over Syria hail from Bahrain, Jordan, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the US. There is a clear division with non-Arabic countries, other than the US, conducting operations exclusively in Iraq, while the Arab nations join US forces over Syria. The reasons for such restrictions are many. The Government of Iraq will not allow Arab nations to attack targets in its country, but

the situation in Syria is far more complicated. Unlike the Iraqi Government, Syria’s has not requested air strikes. They are tolerated on condition that only IS facilities are targeted. President Assad benefits from this ‘unofficial arrangement’ because for several coalition partners it is politically sensitive to fight against his opponents. Some coalition nations have supported the rebellion against Assad and insist on his removal from power, while countries including Australia, Canada, The Netherlands and the UK are unwilling to risk entanglement in a complex political situation and have therefore remained focused on defeating IS. However, Arab air strikes against IS in Syria are of great strategic importance since

these attacks by Islamic countries show the campaign is not a purely Western effort against Muslim terrorists. The strikes have strengthened the coalition and generated favourable public reaction around the world.

Inherent Resolve

On October 15, 2014, the two-month-old US air campaign was named Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR). Today its stated objective remains to eliminate IS and the threat it poses to Iraq, the region and the wider international community. Air operations are focused on deliberate targeting (pre-planned) and dynamic targeting (short-notice) strikes against moving IS troop concentrations and facilities.

Coalition aga Air attacks against Islamic State (IS) forces in Iraq and Syria are ongoing after nine months of sustained operations by the US-led coalition. Here, Gert Kromhout outlines the activities of the growing list of nations united in their mission to rid the world of IS.

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FIGHTING ISLAMIC STATE (IS)

Above: Bombs explode at an IS oil refinery in Syria after an attack by Royal Saudi Air Force F-15s. The RSAF has committed four F-15S fighters, an AWACS and an unspecified number of Tornados to the coalition. RSAF Left: A II (AC) Squadron Tornado GR4 taxies back to its shelter at RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus after another mission. Mounted underneath the fuselage is a Litening III targeting pod. Crown Copyright MOD Below: A French Air Force Rafale taxies out at Al Dhafra, UAE for another bombing mission. FAF

The combined air operations centre (CAOC) runs OIR from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. It is also responsible for military air power over Afghanistan, but since combat there has ceased, air movements are far fewer. A major coalition challenge is finding and identifying IS targets. Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) assets are critical to the fight and a huge number are active in the region. The area of operations and distances involved are vast, and IS units are widely spread and difficult to isolate and identify since they hide among the Iraqi and Syrian people. Rebel groups, and Syrian and Iraqi army units add to the complicated ‘land picture’, where there is no distinct front line. IS conducts attacks from within isolated pockets and to avoid collateral damage or blue-on-blue engagements, ISR platforms are heavily relied upon prior to every strike and are crucial for mission planning. The coalition has agreed legitimate IS targets are combatants and anything they can use for mobility, financing or other activities. Examples are trucks, pickup trucks and earthmovers, fighting positions, weapon storage facilities and crude-oil collection points.

Coalition Assets

AFM first examined the air assets under OIR in late 2014, (see Striking Back at ISIL, November,

gainst IS

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p46). More countries subsequently signed up as attempts to halt IS expansion in the region escalated. There are challenges to compiling a comprehensive survey of in-theatre assets because little information is emerging through the media, while observations from journalists and other sources, including enthusiast ‘spotters’, are rare. Democratic governments generally release operational details through the media, but the flow of information from OIR has been limited and predominantly from government sources. There is concern among coalition members that their involvement could lead to terrorist attacks at home, which is why few details of the number of aircraft involved and where they are based have been released. Such is the level of sensitivity that many air forces are showing increased levels of self-censorship, releasing digitally altered images with aircrew faces and aircraft tail numbers obscured. The following survey provides an overview of the air assets combating IS. Iran is included; it does not belong to the coalition, but has conducted strikes against IS facilities (see, Headline News, January 2015, p4). Turkey is included because it is a NATO member and its borders include Syria and Iraq. China has closely monitored the rise of IS and defence observers believe it may become involved in the near future.

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FIGHTING ISLAMIC STATE (IS) ARAB COALITION MEMBERS Bahrain

The tiny island state of Bahrain, located just south of Qatar, has committed four General Dynamics F-16A Fighting Falcons. They fly from their home base, Sheikh Isa. In mid-February it also deployed an undisclosed additional number of F-16As to Al Azraq in Jordan.

Egypt

Egypt joined the coalition in February after IS murdered 21 abducted civilian workers in Libya. The Egyptian Air Force retaliated with multiple F-16 strikes in Libya, claiming the lives of many IS fighters. Libyan Air Force headquarters co-ordinated the attacks. After the 2011 civil war, Libya is roughly divided into east and west sections, with the acting government located in the west and recognised by the United Nations. IS is making use of the resulting power vacuum and attempting to establish a foothold in the region. Italy has offered to lead a coalition against IS within Libya. Several European countries are currently considering participating in such a partnership.

Jordan

Jordan borders Syria and Iraq and has accepted hundreds of refugees since the civil war in Syria erupted. It is nervous that IS operations will expand across its border and therefore sees the removal of IS, and resolutions to the uprising in Syria and conflict in Iraq, as essential to bring stability to the region. The Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF) initially committed four F-16s and a Lockheed C-130H Hercules to the coalition, but this force was increased significantly following the capture and execution of Captain Maaz al-Kassasbeh by IS

Above: Saudi Crown Prince Khaled bin Salman, an F-15S pilot in the air force, took part in one of the first night raids against IS, flying alongside F-16s from the United Arab Emirates Air Force and Air Defence. RSAF

56 MAY 2015 #326

Above: The Iraqi Army Aviation Corps has received a limited number of Mil Mi-28NE Night Hunter attack helicopters since mid-2014. The Iraqi defence ministry has announced that the helicopters were ready to undertake combat missions against IS. Iraqi MOD

US Air Assets (Assembled from open sources) Base

Unit

Type

Operation Freedom’s Sentinel (formerly Operation Enduring Freedom) Al Dhafra, UAE Bagram, Afghanistan Al Udeid, Qatar Kandahar, Afghanistan

48th FW

F-15E

908th ARS

KC-10 (also committed to OIR)

457th EFS

F-16C

41th ECS

EC-130H

9th EBS

B-1B (also committed to OIR)

340th ARG

KC-135R (also committed to OIR)

451st AEG

E-11, MQ-1B, MQ-9

Other intelligence assets, locations unknown:

U-2, RQ-4, RC-12X, RC-12W, MQ-1, MQ-5, P-3C, EP-3E, King Air 300 (US Army) and King Air 350 (US Army)

Operation Inherent Resolve Al Dhafra, UAE

Al Udeid, Qatar

48th FW

F-15E

325th FW

F-22A

380th AEW

E-3B

379th AEW

B-1B

163rd RW

RC-135V/W

VMAQ-4

EA-6B (also committed to Operation Freedom’s Sentinel)

Sheik Isa, Bahrain

VMFA-211

F/A-18C/D

Ahmed Al Jaber, Kuwait

163rd EFS

A-10C

Al Azraq, Jordan

20th FW

F-16C

Erbil, Iraq

USAF

HH-60G

Various bases in Iraq

US Army

AH-64D

Various bases in the region

Undisclosed special operations types

US CSAR assets are deployed at various locations, although Jordan is the most logical option for their basing. Whenever combat operations are planned or under way, special operations forces are involved. Key: FW: Fighter Wing, ARS: Aerial Refuelling Squadron, EFS: Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, ECS: Expeditionary Communications Squadron, EBS: Expeditionary Bomber Squadron, ARG: Aerial Refuelling Group, AEG: Air Expeditionary Group, RW: Reconnaissance Wing, AEW: Air Expeditionary Wing

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FIGHTING ISLAMIC STATE (IS) On the morning of November 28, Iranian Air Force Phantoms conducted their first large-scale daylight strike against IS. The six F-4Es involved were from the 91st Tactical Fighter Squadron which forward deployed to the 4th Tactical Fighter Base Vahdati at Dezful. Babak Taghvaee

fighters, after his F-16 was shot down over Syria on December 24. In response, the RJAF has conducted numerous strikes around the Iraqi city of Mosul, known to be an IS stronghold. Jordan has a substantial and well-trained special forces arm, equipped with rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft. It is speculated that it was involved in a failed attempt to rescue Captain al-Kassasbeh in early January.

Morocco

Morocco’s participation is notable, since it has rarely permitted its air force to operate abroad. In early December, Morocco sent seven F-16C/Ds to the United Arab Emirates and they conducted their first strikes within days of arriving, hitting fixed targets around Baghdad.

United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is no stranger to international coalitions. During Operation Unified Protector over Libya in 2011 it deployed six Mirage 2000-9s and six F-16s to Italy, and participated in the bombing campaign. The UAE also joined Operation Enduring Freedom, with

One squadron of F-16E/Fs from the United Arab Emirates Air Force and Air Defence (UAEAF&AD) arrived at Al Azraq, Jordan on February 8 for operations against IS. The UAEAF&AD temporarily suspended strikes following the loss of a Jordanian F-16 pilot. The US moved CSAR assets to northern Iraq to bolster support for any downed aircrew.

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six F-16s stationed at Kandahar AB, Afghanistan. More recently, its F-16s flew combat missions from Egypt against rebels in Libya. The UAE claims it has participated in every important US operation in the Gulf region since 1991, and that it has been the country’s most loyal supporter in the area. At the end of December 2014 it had committed F-16s and Mirage 2000s to the coalition. However, after the downed RJAF F-16 pilot was executed, the UAE drastically reduced its involvement. It demanded the US have improved combat search and rescue (CSAR) provision in place before it would recommit. The temporary reduction in effort also affected Moroccan F-16 operations. In response, the US deployed additional CSAR assets closer to the area of operations and the UAE returned to the coalition. At least six UAE F-16Cs have since been deployed to Azraq Air Base, Jordan.

Qatar

Qatar primarily acts as the US logistical hub for the operation. Al Udeid AB near Doha is the

largest US air base in the Gulf area and many US Air Force (USAF), US Marine Corps (USMC), US Navy (USN) and foreign units are based there. The Qatar Emiri Air Force is small – its fighter fleet consists of 12 Mirage 2000-5s, but a limited number is committed to Operation Inherent Resolve. Qatar’s involvement followed intense political pressure from Arab nations in the region. The country has a poor relationship with other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, the official body of Arab countries bordering the Persian Gulf, due to its support for the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is a strict Islamic state, but its government regards IS as an extremist threat to the region. The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) has made F-15S Strike Eagles available for operations against targets in Syria and it is presumed that ISR support is provided by the Boeing E-3A Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS), RE-3A Tactical Airborne Surveillance System and Beech B200 electronic intelligence-gathering platforms

Above: Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF) F-16A/Bs increased their missions against IS in Syria in response to the murder of its captured pilot. According to RJAF commander Major General Mansour Salem al-Jabour, over 56 IS facilities had been targeted including training camps and logistics centres. RJAF

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FIGHTING ISLAMIC STATE (IS) NON-ARAB COALITION MEMBERS Australia

Operation Inherent Resolve marks the third time Australia has been involved in combat operations over Iraq. The first was in 1991, the second in 2003. Under the national codename Operation Okra, Australia’s air task group initially consisted of six Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) F/A-18F Super Hornets, but six F/A-18A Hornets from RAAF Base Tindal recently replaced them. A Boeing E-7A Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft and an Airbus Military & Space KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) fly in support. All are based at Al Minhad Air Base, UAE.

Belgium

Six Belgian F-16s are based at Azraq-Shaheed Muwaffaq Al-Salti AB, Jordan, under the national codename Operation Desert Falcon. The Belgian Government has already extended the mission, but should it not do so again, the deployment will conclude on June 30.

Canada

Kuwait does not fly air strikes, but provides bases for coalition aircraft. The Canadians operate out of Ahmed Al Jaber AB under Operation Impact. The Royal Canadian Air Force has committed six CF-18A attack aircraft, an Airbus A310 Polaris tanker and two Lockheed CP-140 Auroras for intelligence-gathering purposes.

A USAF B-1B Lancer from the 34th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron approaches a KC-135R Stratotanker for refuelling on February 10, over Syria. US Air Force/Staff Sgt Perry Aston France has deployed six Mirage 2000Ds to Jordan as part of Operation Chammal. They are primarily aircraft used for attack missions in Iraq, allowing the Rafales to focus on longrange intelligence missions. Armée de l’Air

Denmark

Denmark’s seven F-16s also fly out of Ahmed Al Jaber. They restrict their missions to targets in Iraq.

France

France is making a huge contribution to OIR under Opération Chammal. The French Air Force (FAF) began Chammal on September 19, 2014. It had already deployed additional Dassault Rafale Cs to Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE to reinforce EC 3/30 ‘Lorraine’, which permanently bases six of the jets at the airfield. It has also deployed a C-135FR tanker and an E-3F AWACS, alongside a French Navy Atlantique 2, which is used for ISR. The FAF withdrew three Rafales in early March, but added three to its campaign in North Africa. It also deployed six Mirage 2000D attack aircraft to Azraq AB, Jordan and the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle flew its first strikes from the Persian Gulf on February 23. The embarked air wing

includes 12 Rafale Ms, nine Super Etendards, a Northrop Grumman E-2C Hawkeye and a small number of support helicopters.

Italy

The Italian Air Force has forces at Ahmed Al Jaber AB, Kuwait. They include two General Atomics MQ-1 Predators, a KC-767 tanker, four Tornado IDS (for reconnaissance missions only) and a Gulfstream III for ISR. The Italian Army deployed in February, with two CH-47 Chinooks and two NH Industries NH90 helicopters based at Erbil, Iraq.

The Netherlands

The Netherlands has deployed eight F-16s (including two reserves) to Al Azraq, Jordan for 12 months. The Royal Netherlands Air Force occasionally deploys its McDonnell Douglas KDC-10 to provide tanker support. The Dutch Government has only authorised air strikes in Iraq. Between the first Dutch mission in early October and January 19, the F-16s of Air Task Force Middle East flew more than 2,000 hours, completing 400 missions over Iraq and dropping in excess of 240 bombs.

United Kingdom

The UK has made RAF Akrotiri, on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, its hub for air operations in the region. Eight Tornado GR4s, a C-130J Hercules, a Voyager, and an E-3D AEW&C aircraft are stationed on the island for missions over Iraq under Operation Shader. Six General Atomics MQ-9 Reapers are based in Kuwait. A Boeing RC-135W Rivet Joint had also flown from Akrotiri, but returned to RAF Waddington on December 29.

A Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) CF-18A Hornet, 188795, from 409 Squadron conducts an armed reconnaissance flight over Iraq. The RCAF Hornets are serving as part of Operation Impact; the Canadian Armed Forces’ contribution to the Middle East Stabilisation Force to combat IS. To date CF-18s have flown over 300 strikes. Canadian Forces Combat Camera

58 MAY 2015 #326

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA US Air Force The US is making the largest contribution to OIR. Its units operate primarily from bases in the Gulf area, the most important of which is Al Udeid, Qatar. This enormous airfield hosts the OIR headquarters and the CAOC. In many cases it is not clear whether assets

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FIGHTING ISLAMIC STATE (IS)

Above: Serving as part of the 163rd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron ‘Blacksnakes’, USAF/Indiana Air National Guard A-10Cs are operating from Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base, Kuwait. The aircraft had previously been providing close air support in Afghanistan. US Air Force/Tech Sgt Jared Marquis

are employed exclusively for operations over Afghanistan, or attacks against IS. Several, including USMC Grumman EA-6B Prowlers and USAF tankers are reportedly used for both. One USAF F-16 squadron is based at Al Azraq AB, Jordan, alongside similar aircraft from Belgium, Jordan and the Netherlands.

US Navy

The most significant naval contribution to OIR is the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), sailing in the Persian Gulf. It relieved USS George H W Bush (CVN 77), which had launched the first air strikes against IS. Carrier Air Wing 17 is embarked in CVN 70 with four squadrons of F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and one of EA-18G Growlers, two squadrons flying Sikorsky MH-60 helicopters and one with the E-2C Hawkeye. The air wing plays a large part in the air campaign. The US Navy also has a small number of EP-3E ARIES II signals intelligence and electronic intelligence-gathering aircraft, and standard P-3C Orions gathering ISR in the theatre. The Orions fly from Al Udeid, Qatar.

US Marine Corps

The USMC established the Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response Middle East operation (SP MAGTF CR Middle East) on October 1, 2014. Headquartered in Kuwait, it immediately began OIR missions. Units are assigned on a rotational basis and, apart from ground elements, SP MAGTF CR Middle East has MV-22Bs, KC-130Js and attack aircraft. In February, VMFA-232’s Hornets replaced VMA-211’s AV-8B Harrier IIs. The MV-22s are assigned to Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel (TRAP) duty; TRAP now incorporates CSAR.

ON THE PERIPHERY OF OPERATIONS Algeria

According to a Turkish news agency, in November France and the USA asked Algeria to join the coalition with two squadrons of Sukhoi Su-24 Fencers. Algeria refused due to the “logistic and technical difficulties” claimed it would have with its Russian-built aircraft. It is believed that the Algerian constitution prohibits the country’s armed forces from participating in actions overseas or serving under a foreign command.

Turkey

Turkey finds itself in an extremely awkward political position. The country is flooded with refugees from neighbouring Syria and Iraq, but has been accused of allowing jihadists to cross its border into Syria. Syria’s President Assad and the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdog˘ an, are seen as political rivals within the region. IS forces are also fighting the Kurds, which is viewed as advantageous by the Turkish Government. The Kurds seek an independent Kurdistan state separate to Turkey, a notion to which President Erdog˘ an strongly objects. Turkey has therefore considered joining the fight against IS, but is concerned about Syria’s response to the move if it does. Assad welcomed the onset of US air strikes, but simultaneously threatened to go to the United Nations Security Council in the event Turkey attacked targets in Syria. Turkey has not offered air bases for coalition operations.

Iran

The Islamic Republic of Iran is a hugely influential player in Syria and Iraq, where it supports their Shi’ite-led governments politically and militarily. It has deployed Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoots to Iraq, where they fly alongside Iraqi Frogfoots recently delivered by Russia. Iran also flies UAVs over Syria and Iraq – IS has shot down at least one of them. Iranian McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom IIs are frequently employed on strikes against IS, reportedly in the east of Iraq but only when coalition aircraft are not in the area. Only the F-4s have been reported operating from Iran. Iran’s contribution concerns coalition members since there is little or no control over its actions. The country has also deployed forward air controllers on the ground inside Iraq. Arab and US coalition members are unwilling to co-operate with Iran and the indication is that Tehran does not want to be part of the military group.

China

There is a possibility that China might soon join the fight against IS. The Uighur, an Islamic minority in the Xinjiang Uighur autonomous region of northwest China, seek independence, and at least 300 Uigurs are reported to be fighting in Iraq and Syria. In common with other countries, China is concerned the returning gunmen will conduct terrorist attacks at home. Should it enter combat, it would probably do so from Iran, remaining outside the US-led coalition.

Below: According to RAAF Air Commodore Warren McDonald, Air Mobility Group commander, the KC-30A multi-role tanker transport has become the tanker of choice for hose-and-drogue refuelling missions over Iraq. The RAAF has one example in theatre, operating from Al Minhad Air Base. RAAF

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#326 MAY 2015 59

SINGAPORE HELI-G Singapore’s Helicopter Group celebrates 45 years of operations this year. Chen Chuanren recounts the past, present and future of the unit, affectionately known as Heli-G. Right: No 120 Squadron’s Apaches regularly participate in Exercise Wallaby, in Australia, where they make full use of the immense space available. RSAF Below: An RSAF Chinook transits the Singapore Straits. All photos author unless stated

A

fter the British announced they were withdrawing all their forces east of Suez by 1971, Singapore was forced to act swiftly to ensure no capability gap ensued when Royal Air Force assets headed home. The RAF’s 103 and 110 Squadron’s Whirlwind Mk 10s, flying from Seletar, had been covering Singapore’s search and rescue (SAR) and basic transport roles. It led to the launch of the Singapore Air Defence Command (SADC) on September 1, 1968 to ensure a SAR capability in the Malacca Strait – one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. Eight French-built Alouette IIIs arrived in 1969 to form what was known simply as

the Alouette Squadron. Its roles included SAR, utility transport and training duties. Singapore Armed Forces’ airborne/parajump operations were eventually added to the Alouettes’ tasks. On December 16, 1977, the Alouette Squadron became 120 Squadron and later acquired 20 Bell UH-1H ‘Hueys’ as well as the twin-engine Bell 212. All seven surviving Alouettes were decommissioned in 1978 and transferred to the Royal Malaysian Air Force. The squadron had a three-year stint at Changi Air Base from 1978 to 1981, before moving to Kangaw Camp – now known as Sembawang Air Base, home of the RSAF’s five helicopter squadrons.

Punching above its weight

60 MAY 2015 #326

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g

SINGAPORE HELI-G Needing a helicopter force

The Vietnam War revolutionised helicopter warfare. Never before had mass helicopter formations conducted troop insertions, transportation of equipment, medevac and close air support into the battlefield. This fast and effective aerial movement gave an element of surprise, cancelling out the predictability of group movements and providing opportunities to outflank the enemy. Gaining experience from the Indonesian Confrontation of the 1960s and the Vietnam War, the Singapore Air Force saw the need for a robust and committed helicopter force able to operate closely with ground forces. The Huey had seen extensive combat in

RSAF Helicopter Squadrons Sqn

Type

Role

Sembawang Air Base 120 Sqn AH-64D Apache Longbow attack 123 Sqn S-70B Seahawk

anti-surface/ submarine

125 Sqn AS332M/M1 Super Puma medium lift 126 Sqn AS532UL

medium lift

127 Sqn CH-47D/SD Chinook

heavy lift

Seletar 124 Sqn EC120B Colibri

training/PPP

Vietnam, and this bigger and more powerful platform enabled the RSAF (Republic of Singapore Air Force) and SAF (Singapore Armed Forces) to insert more units into area of operations. Its introduction, and the subsequent establishment of the Singapore Guards – a fast response and strike infantry formation – in 1975 saw the RSAF and SAF working even closer together to deliver rapid and efficient air projection. The AS332 Super Puma was introduced to the RSAF in 1985, bringing with it another capability. Carrying underslung combat equipment such as light vehicles, supplies and artillery pieces, it added extra punch to the RSAF’s burgeoning force. No 125 Squadron was inaugurated on October 4, 1985 and, in 1992, 126 Squadron followed it, operating the AS532 Cougar. The latter also runs the Oakey Training Centre in Queensland, Australia, which supports army training operations in the annual Exercise Wallaby. Despite flying for more than 30 years, the Super Pumas and Cougars show no sign of letting up and remain valuable in the RSAF’s daily operations. With no announcement on a future replacement, they are likely to serve into the next decade.

Sustaining and Generating Rotary pilots

To generate new rotary pilots for the RSAF’s expanding helicopter force, 123 Squadron was stood up in 1979 with refurbished

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SINGAPORE HELI-G UH-1Bs as a dedicated helicopter training unit. In October 1982 six AS350B Ecureuils joined the unit and the UH-1B took on advance helicopter training until 1989 when it was retired. The AS 550C2 Fennec replaced the Ecureuil in 1992, and around the same time 124 Squadron was stood up as a second helicopter training squadron. No 123 Squadron stood down temporarily in 2003. To enable the RSAF to meet its future operational demands, the Eurocopter EC120B was introduced in 2007 under a public-private partnership (PPP). Operated by 124 Squadron for the rotary wing training course, the Colibri, as it is known, features a glass cockpit, advanced avionics and good handling characteristics. The PPP has enhanced the RSAF’s cost efficiency and operational training focus and enabled 124 Squadron to maintain flying standards, military ethos and pilot generation.

Adding Teeth

Early helicopter attack capabilities were the speciality of 123 Squadron’s Fennecs. Although the helicopter’s primary role was as a trainer, its operational role as a scout/ light attack helicopter saw them armed with BGM-71 TOW-2B wire-guided anti-tank missiles, or a combination of CRV-7 70mm rocket pod and Giat M621 20mm gun pod. The RSAF ordered eight AH-64D Longbow Apaches in March 1999, and a second batch of 12 in 2001, to become the third international user of the type. At US$1 billion, it was also the largest helicopter deal in the region. The battle-tested AH-64D meant the RSAF could bring more firepower to bear in the land campaign and broadened the SAF’s ability to respond to non-conventional threats. It led to 120 Squadron standing up on June 26, 2006, with the unit callsign changing from ‘Kestrel’ to ‘Red Hawk’ after adopting the Apaches. Today, the Peace Vanguard detachment is being run at Marana, Arizona, USA, where personnel train with the Arizona Air National Guard and using the immense space of Gila Bend Air Force Range. The Apaches play an integral part in providing aerial firepower for land forces, as seen in large-scale air-land exercises like Exercise Wallaby and Exercise Forging Sabre.

Above: A pair of RSAF AH-64D Apaches from the Peace Vanguard detachment based in Arizona, take off for another Exercise Forging Sabre 14 sortie. RSAF

Adding the Stallion Power

As Singapore’s army expanded into a more diverse force with broader responsibilities, there was a need for a better heavy-lift capability to complement the Super Puma. So CH-47SD Chinooks were acquired in 1994 and the Peace Prairie detachment was stood up, as part of 149th Army National Guard (AVN) in Grand Prairie, Texas in May 1996. The Super Ds are fitted out with Boeing-Honeywell full night-vision goggles-compatible glass cockpit, radar warning receivers and enlarged 2,068 gallon (7,828 litres) fuel tanks. Following the homecoming of the first three Chinooks, 127 Squadron was established in June 1999, adopting the squadron call sign ‘Stallion’. The long legs of the Chinooks also boosted the RSAF’s SAR capabilities, providing reach far into the Singapore FIR and further maintaining Singapore’s reputation as a world-class air hub. Since 2001, 127 Sqn has proudly flown a 90ft x 50ft state flag for every National Day Parade, a privileged duty that has also been carried out by 120 Squadron (1974-1986) and 125 Squadron (1987-2000).

Influence From The Skies

Heli-G undertook its first operational duties in 1971, after responding to the Malaysian Government’s request for assistance with flooding at Kuantan. Five Alouettes were deployed, taking part in a number of rescue operations over the River Pahang. Since then the red and white markings of the RSAF’s SAR helicopters have always been a sign of hope. No 120 Squadron has taken up duties with the Bell 212 and remained busy with SAR and medevac operations, including Singapore’s deadliest civil disaster – the Hotel New World collapse on March 15, 1986, when the unit provided roundthe-clock casualty evacuation for six days. Most dramatic of all was a cable-car rescue in January 1983, when drill ship Eniwetok ploughed its way into the cable car lines, causing two cabins to fall into the sea and leaving another four stuck on the cables. Two Bell 212s, ‘Rescue 10’ and ‘Rescue 11’ of 120 Squadron, took three-and-a-half hours to winch out all 13 passengers, battling strong winds in the pitch dark. Following delivery of the Super Puma, SAR

Below: RSN divers drop off the back of a CH-47SD during Singapore’s National Day air power demonstration.

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SINGAPORE HELI-G

Above: Despite being flown by RSAF pilots, the sonar and weapon operators are from the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), hence the RSN emblem behind the cockpit window.

duties were handed over to 125 Squadron in 1986 and since then the unit has responded to an average of ten life-saving missions a year. Heli-G again proved its worth and ability to respond to emergency operations in 2004 following the Boxing Day Tsunami. On receiving news of the disaster, aircraft, personnel, supplies and stores were put on stand-by, ready to go within a day. Under Operation Flying Eagle, 12 Super Pumas and Chinooks of 125 and 127 Squadrons were sent to Phuket, Thailand and Medan, Indonesia, for relief efforts, and the Chinook’s heavy lift and long range capabilities were put to good use ferrying humanitarian supplies to affected areas in Aceh. Working with the Republic of Singapore Navy’s (RSN’s) Endurance-class Landing Ship Tanks (LSTs), the helicopters also airlifted supplies from the ship into the disaster zone. Across the globe, RSAF’s Chinooks from the Peace Prairie assisted after the devastating Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Three Chinooks deployed to Louisiana for resupply and evacuation missions, and airlifted sandbags to block broken levees. Since its inception, the men and women of Helicopter Group have contributed to ten humanitarian and peacekeeping missions across six countries, not including their deployment on frigates for anti-piracy efforts in the Gulf of Aden as part of Combined Task Force 151.

Into Participation Command

To better address the army’s and navy’s training, development and war fighting needs, the RSAF reorganised the Helicopter Group, together with Divisional Air Defence and Tactical Air Support Group, by merging it into the Participation Command (PC) in 2008. The PC focuses solely on providing integrated airpower solutions to the two other services from the land and the sea, and Heli G mission continues to “raise, train and sustain the helicopter force as well as maintain high standards of competencies required for the success of various helicopter missions”. The annual Exercise Wallaby exemplifies the close-knit air-land operations in Participation Command. Carried out in an area four times that of Singapore, the immense size of

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Shoalwater Bay Training Area in Queensland, Australia, requires troops and assets to be airlifted by the RSAF’s full range of helicopters as well as close air support from the Apaches alongside the army’s Leopard 2A4SG tanks. In an interview with the RSAF’s Air Force News in 2012, Lieutenant Colonel (now Senior Lt Col) Chris Chew, 120 Sqn’s CO, said: “With advancements in networking technologies and a larger participation of forces, the relationship of the two services will become tighter and even more closely integrated.”

A New Realm

The helicopter community attained a new capability, and entered another dimension of warfare, with the introduction of Sikorsky S-70B Seahawk helicopters. The first six Seahawks, from 123 Squadron, operate from the RSN’s Formidable-class frigates, and can hunt for underwater threats with their L-3 dipping sonars and Mk46 torpedoes: for the first time, the Heli-G is able to provide significant

punch to the sea battle. A Seahawk from RSS Stalwart fired a live torpedo in Exercise CARAT Singapore 14. In January 2011, 123 Squadron stood up again and, along with the RSN, underwent training in San Diego for a year as part of the Peace Triton programme. The Seahawks will further strengthen and develop the Heli-Group’s air-sea capability. The RSN meanwhile ordered two additional S-70Bs in 2013, which will complement eight new helideck-equipped Littoral Mission Vessels (LMVs). Singapore’s defence ministry (MINDEF) has announced its intention to acquire or build a Joint Multi-Mission Ship (JMMS), essentially a Landing Helicopter Dock-class vessel with a helicopter deck. The introduction of such vessels to the RSN will call for more helicopters – and with the AH-64D to remain the mainstay of Heli-G’s punch, it is likely to have deck-landing modifications, similar to those of the UK’s Army Air Corps Apaches on HMS Ocean and, more recently, US Army AH-64Es on USS Peleliu. Whatever happens, the potential of the V-22 being integrated with the JMMS would be a great leap forward in terms of rapid air projection in the sea-land campaign. At the Paris Air Show 2013, the US Air Force’s Colonel Greg Masiello hinted that various countries were discussing the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor – and how they were briefed on the programme or were discussing ‘co-operative agreements’ with the US. Singapore was in the list of at least 14 nations. The Osprey also appeared at the Singapore Airshow 2014, and made special demonstration flights throughout the event.

Dare and Will

After 45 years of helicopter operations, the Heli G has upheld its motto, ‘Dare and Will’, by operating in difficult situations with a steadfast spirit to complete the mission. Helicopter Group has an exciting future, working with cutting-edge technologies and professional men and women from the RSAF. At a recent RSAF celebration, Commander Helicopter Group, Colonel Teoh Chun Ping, said: “For today’s generation, what we do not only has an impact today – it will have an afm important influence on people tomorrow.”

Super Pumas and Cougars are regulars at Exercise Wallaby, providing air projection for the Singapore Guards, seen here working with a light strike vehicle. RSAF

#326 MAY 2015 63

FIGHTING ISLAMIC STATE (IS)

A

dozen French Army Light Aviation (ALAT) helicopters were deployed to Gao in Mali earlier this year supporting the Groupement Tactique Désert (Tactical Desert Group). The helicopters offer much-needed air support capabilities for the ongoing operations against Islamist terrorists in northern Mali. It is hot and dusty work.

Back from a two-week mission Two ALAT Gazelles leave the main runway at Gao airport, turn left off taxiway Bravo and come to land on a spot of laterite in a big cloud of red dust. A few minutes later, a Cougar and a Tiger follow the same path. The four helicopters have just flown the 300 miles (500km) from Tessalit, near the Ifoghas mountains in northern Mali, to Gao. After two intense weeks supporting Opération Tudelle, a short but intense fight against the terrorist forces, the crews are visibly happy to fly back to Gao. They can now enjoy some

rest in the tent city, the air conditioning, wi-fi and a mess hall serving fresh food.

PID

With the return of its helicopters, the Gao-based airmobile group (Sous Groupement Aéromobile or SGAM) now has a force of ten choppers: two Gazelles, two Tigers HAP, two Pumas, two Cougars and two NH90 Caimans, which arrived from France in November 2014 (see box). A solitary Pilatus PC-6, used for light-cargo operations in the area, and half a dozen special forces helicopters are operating with their own agenda. The Tigers, as usual, have been leading the charge in combat. After the heavy fighting in Libya (Opération Harmattan) in 2011 and in Mali in 2013 (Opération Serval) the ALAT hoped its Tigers would be granted some rest in order to save flying time. This did not happen and the new combat helicopter is now in much demand on all fronts. During Opération Tudelle, the Tigers fight

African surge?

In a recent interview, General Olivier Gourlez de La Motte, the ALAT’s commander in chief, said 40 ALAT helicopters were now deployed in Africa. This figure includes the 12 helicopters (two Tiger HADs, four Gazelles and six Pumas) used in Opération Sangaris in the Central African Republic . That leaves 28 helicopters for Opération Barkhane in Mali, Niger and Chad. This figure is much higher than the ten to 12 regular forces and six to eight special forces helicopters that were known to operate in the Barkhane area earlier this year. It is highly likely that more Pumas, Gazelles and Tiger HAPs quietly joined the Barkhane operation in recent weeks.

Right: The pods in the foreground accommodate 68mm rockets, however its the 30mm gun which remains a favourite, due to its accuracy. Below: The Alat in 2015. A NH90 TTH Caiman with a Tiger and upgraded Cougar on the prowl over Mali. All photos, author

Mission Mali Frédéric Lert reports on the ALAT’s Opération Barkhane mission in Mali, which is fighting back against jihadis in the region.

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FIGHTING ISLAMIC STATE (IS) exclusively with their 30mm cannon delivering warning shots or aiming to kill. As is common in wars without a front line, the crews are faced with the difficulty of obtaining PIDs (Positive Identification) of their targets. To achieve a PID, or in attempting to do so, extensive use was made of ISR (Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance) capabilities, from special forces on the ground and UAVs. It is also no coincidence that the Armée de l’Air announced in early November that its two Reaper drones had flown more than 2,000 hours since they started operating from Niamey (Niger) in late 2013. As a result of being monitored from the sky, the enemy has become a master in the art of camouflage. The Barkhane force was not only obliged to distinguish between peaceful nomads and potential enemy, but also between the so-called GAT (Groups of Armed Terrorists) and GAS (Groups of Armed Signatories). The first were the bad guys, the latter were former villains now passed into the ‘good guys’ category for having signed the Ouagadougou agreement and pledged to participate in the effort to keep the country safe. From the sky however, nothing looked more like a GAT pick-up than a GAS pick-up! Monitoring the situation was even worse in the heat, when the thermal imagers had difficulties delivering sharp images on super-hot terrain. Dusty conditions and sand storms also greatly contributed to reduction in visibility.

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#326 MAY 2015 65

FIGHTING ISLAMIC STATE (IS) Force protection

The close-quarter battles that took place during Tudelle made it hard, if not impossible, for the Tiger to fire rockets. Shrapnel from the 68mm rockets were known to ricochet off the rocks. Most of the time, the Tigers were seen flying with only one partially loaded rocket pod on one stub wing and an external fuel tank on the other. Sometimes, in order to maximise autonomy, the Tiger carried two external fuel tanks at the same time with a maximum take-off weight of 6.8 tons (6,900kg). On its own internal tanks, the Tiger has about three hours’ flight autonomy. During Opération Serval in 2013, a Tiger flew 4.5-hour missions with a single external tank, which is still a record today. In its HAP version, the Tigers flown in Mali lack a missile capacity, which is why they often work together with the HOT-capable Viviane Gazelles. Viviane is a thermal imagery sighting system mounted on top of the cabin. Not that the use of this missile was essential during Opération Tudelle, as only four missiles are believed to have been fired during the two-week operation. But the HOT is still necessary to destroy embedded fighting posts in rocky terrain, where 30mm shells are insufficient. While the Viviane sight is a great help during night-time intelligence work, the Gazelle is struggling in the Malian theatre. High temperatures and lack of power often limit its payload to two missiles, as was the case in Afghanistan. The lack of protection and the single engine are worrying factors when faced with a motivated and solidly entrenched enemy. Of greater concern is the Gazelle’s lack of autonomy, which is two or three times less than that of the Tiger. This is a major issue in Mali, where supply points are separated by hundreds of miles.. Before Tudelle, the Gazelle flew some ‘force protection’ missions around Gao. Earlier in 2014, the Islamists fired a dozen 122mm rockets against the airport. The firing took place from the Batal plateau, northwest of the town, when clear and moonlit nights enabled the militants to drive their pickups with the lights switched off (no direct attack was ever recorded against the French defences set up along the perimeter of the airport). Nobody was hit due to the inaccuracy of the rockets fired. Nevertheless, the threat was taken seriously and specific protective measures were implemented, which included Gazelles patrolling the area.

Above: Operation Barkhane is the first deployment of the upgraded Cougar. Two aircraft are now based in Gao and the type remains popular within the ALAT. Below: Mali is considered a war zone and commandos riding in helicopters are always on the look out for ground threats.

Cougar acclaimed

Six utility helicopters or ‘Hélicoptères de Manœuvre’ (HM) were also engaged in Opération Tudelle (excluding special forces). These comprised four Pumas and two Cougar ‘rénovés’ (upgraded). With its legendary power and robustness, the Cougar is a much-appreciated helicopter within the ALAT. Its empty weight is less than six tons (6,000 kg), with a max take-off weight of nine tons (9,000kg) (9.3 tons with a sling load), which leaves three tons (3,000kg) for the fuel, the crew and the payload. The upgraded version is similar to a ‘low-cost EC725 Caracal’. The Cougar has been fitted with a glass cockpit with four large-size screens, a new autopilot similar to that of the EC725 Caracal, a SAGEM 350 Euroflir FLIR and additional fuel tanks in the sponsons above the landing gear carrying 172 gallons (780 lit), equivalent to one hour of flight. The additional weight of this equipment reduces

66 MAY 2015 #326

A four-day ferry flight for the Caimans The two helicopters, with a total crew of five pilots and four flight engineers, left Phalsbourg in eastern France on October 27, last year. Each helicopter was carrying three 1,000lb (450kg) additional fuel tanks in the cabin. With these tanks and three tons (3,000kg) of fuel on board, the Caiman had five hours’ flying time, more than enough to cope with the longest segments of the ferry flight. The Caiman consumes less fuel than a Puma while going faster and offering a much higher payload. The ferry route went through Valence (southern France), Perpignan, Albacete (Spain), Malaga, Agadir (Morocco), Las Palmas (Canary Islands), Nouadhibou (Mauritania), Dakar (Senegal), Kayes (Mali), Bamako and finally Gao. The journey took 31.8 hours’ flight time (in four days),

including an overwater 3.5-hour stretch between Las Palmas and Mauritania. At Kayes, Mali’s first city after Senegal, refuelling was provided by a Transall flying from Niamey. Between Bamako and Gao, the flight went tactical a few feet above the ground. The whole of Mali is considered a war zone and crews were flying with their combat gear: flak jackets, guns and rifles. “The Cayman is well adapted to long autonomous flights” explains a pilot. “Digital mapping is very accurate and the computers give us the instantaneous fuel consumption depending on our altitude, speed and weight. In operation, we always know exactly what our ‘playtime’ is, which greatly facilitates the management of the mission.”

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FIGHTING ISLAMIC STATE (IS)

ALGERIA Taoudenni

SAHARA

MALI

TURKEY Timbuktu MAURITANIA Gao AB NIGER

Mopti AB Bamako Senou AB

BURKINA FASO

GUINEA GHANA

Above: A Mag 58, 7.62mm machine gun fitted to a Cougar for self-defence purposes. Note the armoured plate on the left, which protects the gunner against small arms fire.

BENIN

SIERRA Phalsbourg-based 1st RHCTOGO are now assisting the payload by 660lbs (300kg). The ALAT D’IVOIRE NIGERIA LEONE the Pumas and Cougars. The two helicopters flies 26 Cougars and eventually COTE the whole flew from France. The journey took around fleet will be upgraded and equip the 5th 31 hours’ flying time and covered 11 stops Régiment d’Hélicopteres de Combat (RHC) through Spain, Morocco, Mauritania and and the 4th Régiment d’Hélicopteres Senegal before entering Mali. Sending the des Forces Spéciales (RHFS) in Pau. Caimans into operation was considered as Of the six HMs deployed during Opération soon as they entered service in late 2013. Tudelle, one (either a Puma or a Cougar) was Three aircraft (including a spare one) were systematically kept on standby in Tessalit for selected last June and the preparation began. medical evacuations. Another was dedicated Special attention was paid to protecting them to the Imex (immediate extraction) mission, against Mali’s sand and dust, which can be following any airmobile operation and ready as abrasive as sandpaper. The aircraft were at short notice to pick up any downed crew. For some missions, the Imex chopper fitted with an additional sand filter on the auxiliary power units. The windshields also was also used as an airborne command post. It is believed the Islamists own some inherited protective films against sand and small pebbles. Certain panels were made SA-7 short-range surface to air missiles airtight against dust. Particular attention was but none were fired. Small-arms fire was directed at the helicopters but, officially, also paid to the blades (main rotor and antitorque), which always suffer sand abrasion. not a single hit was recorded because most Adding protective stickers on the leading edge of the helicopter raids happened on the of the blades is a conventional fix, but it is a darkest nights, taking advantage of the tedious job and a polyurethane paint-based enemy’s lack of night-vision devices. Two NH90 Caimans belonging to the solution has been developed for the NH90.

Above: A C-160 Transall shuttles back and forth in the region for logistical purposes. The A400M has a big act to follow. Left: Dust-off landings were one of the first tests for the Caiman after they arrived in Mali last November. The helicopter is put through an extensive clean up after every flight to remove incredibly small, abrasive sand particles picked up during sorties.

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#326 MAY 2015 67

FIGHTING ISLAMIC STATE (IS)

Gao, French stronghold in Mali Opération Barkhane was launched on August 1, 2014 to fight jihadism in the Sahel and Sahara regions with a force of 3,000 soldiers. In the eastern part of the zone, the French forces are based in N’Djamena (Chad). In the west, the French centre themselves in Gao, a tent city on the airport’s edge. The civilian terminal, damaged during the fighting in 2013, is now the headquarters of UN air operations in the country. There is plenty of office space since Gao is no longer served by commercial airlines. The main runway is 8,200ft (2,500m) long and will undergo major resurfacing work in 2015. French Air Force engineers built a 5,900ft (1800m) dirt strip parallel to the runway as a stopgap measure last summer. Approach pattern is provided by French military controllers drawn from the Air Force and the ALAT. A mobile air traffic control tower has been erected near the runway and a Spartiate radar is used for Ground Controlled Approach (GCA). The French also provide weather and firefighting services. Gao clocks around 40 movements per day, including those of the French forces, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) and the Dutch helicopter detachment stationed on the western section of the airport. Due to the proximity of Niamey (less than 310 miles), much of the logistics work is carried out by trucks. On the French side, a CASA 235 is on 24hour standby for casevac emergencies and a Transall, based in Niamey, is regularly seen shuttling between the main cities of Mali and neighbouring countries.

Flying low level can be exhilarating, but the Mali wildlife is not used to helicopters and presents a serious bird strike hazard. Flying fast and low, the helicopter has already passed before the bird lifts off the ground, which can prove disastrous for the wingman flying behind!

Above: Gazelles ready to set down in Gao after returning from Opération Tudelle in the Ifoghas mountains (northern Mali). Note the Viviane sight has been turned backwards. The Gazelles are always fitted with an exhaust deflector, sand filter and flare launchers.

Caiman’s Challenges

Preparatory work focused on the creation of a deployment kit. To date, this kit includes 667 references, 1,030 spare parts valued at € 17 million (about half the price of a new helicopter). It is divided into 15 standard containers, which were shipped in two Antonov 124s to Niamey (Niger). From there, the containers took the road (a day’s drive) to Gao before the Caimans landed in Mali. “This kit covers a four-month deployment for four helicopters, with an average of 30 flying hours per month and per aircraft” a logistics officer told AFM. “The kit will evolve, based on the real needs encountered during

the operation. The two Caimans arrived in Mali with roughly 150 hours’ projected flying time. That translates into a four- to six-month deployment before they will have to be shipped back in an Antonov for their next overhaul.” Sending the NH90 into a war zone so quickly after it entered service is a calculated risk. Both Caimans will be monitored closely by their flight engineers. In France, regular maintenance includes a visual check every 25 flying hours. “In Mali, we will open all the panels after every flight,” a flight engineer said. “We want to monitor closely where the sand goes, and find out about any premature wear, particularly in the sand filters, the air inlet, all the dynamics parts and the main avionics bay.” While the ALAT is keenly observing the behaviour of the NH90, the aircraft’s manufacturers NH Helicopters/Industries (please see comment below) and Airbus Helicopters are also asking for a steady flow of precise reports on the aircraft’s performances. NHIndustries and Airbus Helicopters are also on the lookout, asking for precise and steady reports on helicopter performances. Beyond the operational risk, sending the first Caimans into operation represents a significant industrial afm challenge .

As always with helicopter ops in Africa, maintenance is a key issue. The ALAT is well equipped with large tents to shield helicopters and personnel from the scorching heat.

68 MAY 2015 #326

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MALI OLD AND NEW

Mali’s Depleted Air Force

After spending three months in Mali in late 2014, Jan Hendrikzijnzoon sheds some light on the Mali Air Force. All photos were taken at BamakoSénou air base unless stated. Above: Mi-24D, TZ-407 was wrecked by rebels when they overran Gao air base in March 2013. Note the pock marked walls caused by shells and bullets caused by the attackers.

F

ollowing an official request from Mali’s interim government, on January 11, 2013, French military forces, working as part of Operation Serval, began moving out of the capital Bamako to the east. With a United Nations mandate, the French could now deal with the terrorist groups and militias that had seized large parts of the country. At around the same time, the different branches within the military, including the Malian Air Force (Armée de l’air du Mali – MAF), were in decline. Most of its aircraft were in a sorry state and comprised nothing more than a pair of airworthy Mil Mi-24D combat helicopters, two SIAI-Marchetti SF-260WL light attack aircraft, seven Humbert-Aviation Tétras-912 Ultra Lights and a single Basler BT-67 Turbo-Dakota transport aircraft. Today it is only the Tétras-912s that are still flying regularly.

70 MAY 2015 #326

French and UN support

Due to the sorry state of its military, the Mali Government could do nothing to combat the jihadi militias occupying huge swathes of the country in 2012. Instead the French pushed them out, under Operation Serval and later Operation Barkhane, enabling the government to take back land it had lost. And the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) moved in to act as peacekeepers.

Mali’s armed forces have since undergone significant changes, although the army has been the most affected. A cut in the air force budget during autumn 2014 led to the planned buys of Mi-35 and Mil Mi-171 helicopters from Russia being cancelled. While the acquisition of new aircraft is vital, it will not come in the foreseeable future. As a result, the Ultra Light/Microlight (ULM) Humbert-Aviation Tétras aircraft are being used to keep pilots current and train cadets.

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MALI OLD AND NEW

Far left: Basler BT-67 TZ-390 was seen stored at Gao in October 2014. Two other examples served with the MAF in addition to this one. TZ-389 was written off in 1997, while TZ-391 went back to Basler in 2007. All photos, author Left: BN-2A Islander TZ-389 will never fly again! Below left: Looking like it hasn’t moved for years – AS350B Ecureuil TZ-374 joined the MAF in 1988. Below: Sporting Armée de l’Air titles is O-2A TZ-387, one of three Skymasters in various stages of disrepair, resident at Bamako-Sénou. 1

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#326 MAY 2015 71

MALI OLD AND NEW Tétras – the way ahead Humbert-Aviation Tétras Variant

Serial

Remarks

912CS(B)

TZ-395

c/n 80

912CS(B)

TZ-402

912CSLM

TZ-409

c/n 159

Re-registered from TZ-406 because of serial clash with Mi-24D

The Humbert Tétras is the only aircraft now flying with MAF. This example, a 912CS(B) serialled TZ-402 is one of seven examples airworthy at Bamako-Sénou.

Since the first quarter of 2014, the surviving Humbert-Aviation Tétras-912s fleet have been used for pilot training, as well as for observation and reconnaissance when required. The French-built two-seat Tétras aircraft are ideally suited to operations from the many unpaved airstrips in Africa. The MAF aircraft are normally based at Bamako-Sénou but can often be found at Mopti-Séváre airfield in the middle of the country and Gao airfield in the southeast.

Below: Even though it doesn’t currently fly 912CS(B) TZ-397 is still in good condition.

912CSLM

TZ-410

c/n 158

912CSLM

TZ-41

c/n 186

912CSLM

TZ-417

c/n 197

912CSLM

TZ-418

c/n 203

In operational reserve and stored at Sénou: 912CS(B)

TZ-396

c/n 81

912CS(B)

TZ-397

c/n 105

For spare parts and dumped at Sénou: 912CS(B)

TZ-400

912CS(B)

TZ-401

c/n 124

912CSLM

TZ-408

c/n 171

+ one unknown example Note: The improved landing gear is the main difference between the CS(B) and CSLM variants

The Libya connection

For years Mali and Libya had a good relationship. In the beginning of the 1970s, the Mali Government and its people tried to help a poor Libya with donations of money and goods. At one time, schoolchildren took 25 Central African (Cfa) cents to school to donate to the Libyan cause. The ruler of Libya, Muammar Gaddafi, never forgot the country’s efforts and besides various investments, Libya donated several aircraft to the MAF. The relationship between the two countries ended in the aftermath of the Libyan leader’s death in October 2011.

Colonel Gaddafi gifted this An-26 TZ-399 (c/n 14310) to the Mali Air Force.

Gaddafi’s Gifts SF-260 TZ-411 c/n (WL) unknown

In operational store at Mopti-Séváre)

SF-260 TZ-412 (WL) c/n 533

In operational store at Bamako-Sénou)

Cessna 5A-DDL c/n A188B unknown

Stored at Bamako-Sénou, Libyan colour scheme

Cessna 5A-DGU c/n Stored at Bamako-Sénou, A188B 18803290T Libyan colour scheme Two Cessna A188 AgTruck crop sprayers carrying Libyan registrations sit at Bamako-Sénou.

President’s VIP jet

There has been a lot of controversy over the purchase of Boeing 737-7BC Business Jet (BBJ) for President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta in May 2014. Bought for $38-40 million it caused a political storm when many argued the money would have been better spent on

fighting the war or helping to tackle poverty and corruption which all play a major part in daily life in Mali. Others believe that using the Boeing for trade missions will generate money for the poor African state in the longer term. Officially registered in Aruba as P4-PRM (the last three letters corresponding to Président République Mali), the new BBJ flies

An-26

TZ-399 c/n 14310

Stored at Bamako-Sénou

from its home base at Bamako-Sénou. Meanwhile its predecessor, veteran Boeing B-727-2K5 TZ-001 is kept in good order at Sénou pending a possible sale or re-use. The triple-engined Boeing 727 with the Bambaran tribal nickname ‘Maliba’ was seen with its engines running on a couple of occasions during November and December 2014.

Donations are known to have included two SIAI Marchetti SF-260(WL) training/ light attack aircraft and two Cessna A188B AgTruck crop sprayers, formerly used by the Libyan Government/Agricultural Department, as well as an An-26. Until the BBJ was acquired in May 2014, this Boeing 727 TZ-001 was used as a presidential aircraft. It is still in good condition and has its engines run occasionally.

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MALI OLD AND NEW Mi-24Ds – on their way back? Six Mi-24 helicopters were purchased from Bulgaria from 2007 onwards. While most have been grounded through accidents some of them fatal, reports indicate that three might be put back into service.

MAF Hinds TZ-404

c/n Seen Mopti-Séváre air base. 150152? Back in service?

TZ-405

c/n Stored at Bamako-Sénou air 150154? base. Back in service?

TZ-406

c/n U5086.

Crashed on April 12, 2013; killing all five on board

TZ-407

c/n U5088.

Stored at Gao air base.

TZ-414

c/n Seen Mopti-Séváre air base unknown January 2015. Back in service?

TZ-415

c/n 04401

Mi-24D, TZ-405 was stored at Bamakou- Sénou, but since this photograph has been taken there have been reports that it is being worked on and could possibly fly again.

Fuselage on wheels minus tail stored at Bamako-Sénou. Crashed during a military exercise on March 13, 2013, killing a person on the ground.

The MiG-21 – A legend

Above: MiG-21UM, TZ-358, rests on its nosewheel door on a dusty ramp. Left: Ex-Czech AF MiG-21MF (5508) was delivered to the MAF as TZ-357 in early 2006.

In 1961, a year after Mali became independent from France, a small air service was created as part of the newly formed armed forces. Initially a small cargo fleet was established and in the mid-1960s, eight MiG-17F combat aircraft and two MiG-15UTI jet trainers were inducted into the military. It was not until the passing of a State Decree, dated February 6, 1976, that an official air force – Force Aérienne de la République du Mali – was established. The new air force immediately purchased 16 MiG-21s - 12 single-seat MiG-21bis-SAU and four dual-seat MiG-21UMs. The SAU abbreviation is an unofficial name but refers to Sistema Avtomaticheskovo Upravleniya, the type’s automatic control system. The MiG-21 unit was initially based at BamakoSénou, but elements were often deployed to Mopti-Séváre and Gao air bases as well. At the end of 1985, the MiG-21s were used during a brief conflict with neighbouring Burkina Faso. It came as a surprise when Mali purchased two MiG-21MF-75s and one MiG-21UM from the Czech Republic in 2005 after the latter had stopped flying the MiG-21. Although their designations differ, the bis-SAU and MF-75, both have the same cockpit instrumentation. The ‘75’ from MiG-21MF-75 illustrates it is the 1975 model built at the Gorky aircraft plant. Because of budget cuts and a lack of spare parts the MiG-21s have not been seen flying operational missions over Mali since 2011. Three unknown MiG-21bis-SAU and one MiG-21UM have crashed in service, killing all four pilots.

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Above: One of the original MiG-21bis, TZ-382, delivered in mid-1970s, looking forlorn.

Grounded MiG-21s The following MiG-21 aircraft can still be found in Mali; MiG-21bis-SAU

TZ-371

c/n (N750) unknown

Stored, Bamako-Sénou

MiG-21bis-SAU

TZ-372

c/n (N750) unknown

Preserved, Bamako-City as ‘TZ-BA-100’

MiG-21bis-SAU

TZ-377

c/n (N750)24917

Stored, Bamako-Sénou

MiG-21bis-SAU

TZ-378

c/n (N750)24829

Stored, Bamako-Sénou

MiG-21bis-SAU

TZ-381

c/n (N750)28711

Stored, Bamako-Sénou

MiG-21bis-SAU

TZ-382

c/n (N750)28622

Stored, Bamako-Sénou

MiG-21bis-SAU

TZ-383

c/n (N750)28748

Stored, Bamako-Sénou

MiG-21bis-SAU

TZ-385

c/n (N750)24910

Stored, Bamako-Sénou

MiG-21bis-SAU

TZ-386

c/n (N750) unknown

Wreck, Bamako-Sénou (for spare parts)

MiG-21MF-75

TZ-356

c/n N96005512

Stored, wreck, Gao (after crash landing)

MiG-21MF-75

TZ-357

c/n N96005508

Stored, Bamako-Sénou

MiG-21UM

TZ-358

c/n 516957016

Stored, Bamako-Sénou

MiG-21UM

TZ-364

c/n 516999051

Stored, Bamako-Sénou

MiG-21UM

TZ-375

c/n 516999341

Stored, Bamako-Sénou

MiG-21UM

TZ-376

c/n 516997006

Gateguard, Bamako-Sénou as ‘TZ-002’

#326 MAY 2015 73

USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT PORTSMOUTH

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

W

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

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

74 MAY 2015 #326

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

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USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT PORTSMOUTH

r Rolls In...

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

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

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#326 MAY 2015 75

USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT PORTSMOUTH

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

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

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

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

76 MAY 2015 #326

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

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

166817/‘AB313’

166628/‘AB100’ (Hanger) CAG

VMFA-251 ‘Thunderbolts’

166634/‘AB101’

F/A-18C+

164902/‘AB400’ CAG

166624/‘AB102’

164892/‘AB401’ (Hanger)

166625/‘AB103’

164598/‘AB402’

166629/‘AB104’

164975/‘AB403’

166610/‘AB105’

164900/‘AB404’

166631/‘AB106’

164980/‘AB405’

166633/‘AB107’ (Hanger)

164964/‘AB406’

166623/‘AB110’

164952/‘AB410’

166626/‘AB111’

164909/‘AB411’

166627/‘AB112’

164973/‘AB412’

VFA-211 ‘Checkmates’

VAQ-137 ‘Rooks’

F/A-18F

E/A-18G

166797/‘AB200’ (Hanger) CAG

168267/‘AB501’

166805/‘AB202’

168269/‘AB502’ (Hanger)

166807/‘AB203’

168270/‘AB503’

166809/‘AB205’

168274/‘AB504’

166812/‘AB206’

VAW-125 ‘Tigertails’

166813/‘AB207’

E-2D

168592/‘AB600’ CAG

166814/‘AB210’

168593/‘AB601’

166815/‘AB211’ (Hanger)

168594/‘AB602’ (Hanger)

166816/‘AB212’

168595/‘AB603’

VFA-136 ‘Knighthawks’ F/A-18E

168266/‘AB500’ CAG

166799/‘AB201’

168321/‘AB604’

166820/‘AB300’ CAG

HS-11 ‘Dragonslayers’

166821/‘AB301’

SH-60F

166822/‘AB302’

164801/‘AB611’ (Hanger)

166823/‘AB303’ 166824/‘AB304’

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

HH-60H

165115/‘AB614’

166825/‘AB305’

163795/‘AB615’ (Hanger)

166826/‘AB306’

165120/‘AB616’

166827/‘AB307’

165256/‘AB617’

166828/‘AB310’

HSM-46 ‘Grandmasters’

166829/‘AB311’

MH-60R

167038/‘HQ466’

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

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#326 MAY 2015 77

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Fly in the cockpit with AirUtopia as they climb aboard the legendary Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker for an air-to-air refuelling exercise! The KC-135R is the USAF’s main tanker aircraft allowing American forces to reach any conflict, anytime. The highly trained crew offers its perspective of what it takes to complete a successful mission. Region-free DVD. Running time: 90 minutes.

Witness cutting-edge fighter jets in their element with this collection of 5 stunning aviation films from renowned filmmaker Lionel Charlet. This ‘best of’ collection showcases Charlet’s phenomenal camera work to give the viewer a unique look at aircraft including Mirage, Rafale and F-18 in the dramatic setting of the Swiss Alps. Region-Free DVD. Running time 115 minutes

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AirUtopia take you inside the F-16 Fighting Falcon of the Hellenic Air Force (HAF) – with sorties over the Aegean Sea, aerobatics and formation flying. HAF pilots guide you through every aspect of flying this legendary fighter aircraft with multiple camera angles and commentary offering a unique pilots-eye view. Region-free DVD. Running time: 60 mins.

Mirage 2000-5 Cockpit DVD Join AirUtopia in the cockpit of one of the world’s premier fighter aircraft flown by the Hellenic Air Force in the skies over the Aegean Sea. This superb DVD features spectacular formation flying, multiple camera angles and pilot commentary. Region-free DVD. Running time: 60 mins.

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Strap on your very own F-16 Fighting Falcon and experience the visual spectacle of the air war over Afghanistan! Witness the daily challenges that face the brave men and women (both in the air and on the ground) from training sorties in the USA to actual deployment and live operations in Afghanistan! Region-free DVD. Running time: 60 mins.

Join AirUtopia at one of the most amazing airshows in the world - Aero India - filmed over a 2 year period at Yelankha Airbase, Bangalore. From Sukhoi Su-30s and MiG-35s to western Typhoons and F/A-18 Super Hornets, this is truly one of the best military showcases in the world today. Region-free DVD. Running time 80 mins.

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O N LY £ 1 2 . 4 9 The Tornado DVD The Tornado was jointly developed by the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy, and first flew on the 4th August 1974. A total of 992 Aircraft were built with production finishing in 1999. As well as the three main operators, Tornados were also bought by RSAF (Royal Saudi Air Force). Region-free DVD, Running time: 68 mins.

USS JFK DVD

A-7 Corsair II DVD Enjoy a rare and historic look into one of the most distinctive shapes in the sky - the A-7 Corsair II! Having entered service during the Vietnam War, this mighty warbird soldiers on in the capable and trustworthy hands of the airmen proudly serving Greece and the Hellenic Air Force. Includes commentary from real-life A7 pilots! Region-free DVD, Running time 60 mins.

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Go where few have been before... on board the super carrier USS John F. Kennedy during the first wave of attacks during the Gulf War. AirUtopia cameras were the only ones there! You’ll feel like you’re on board as you watch this live action production with numerous unbelievable takeoffs and landings, both day and night. A must see for all military aviation fans! Region-free DVD. Running time: 70 mins.

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Mirage F1 Cockpit DVD

AirUtopia join 2/33 Squadron in Mont-de-Marsan Air Force Base in France with coverage of the F-1 including exclusive footage of the war in Mali and flights over Africa. After four decades of service, Dassault’s durable air superiority fighter and attack aircraft is still a force to be reckoned with. Region-free DVD, Running time 70 mins.

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Are you ready to go where few have been before? Join AirUtopia onboard an F-14 during a real wartime mission! Enjoy low level flights up to Mach 2 over desert and mountain terrain from carrier takeoff to carrier landing! Experience the view from an F-14 during taxi and take off and experience barrel rolls. Region-free DVD. Running time 70 mins.

Transport aircraft may not attract as much attention as fighter planes and bombers, but their role in warfare is just as critical. This programme throws the spotlight on transport aircraft including Hitler’s favourite, the JU-52, and the successful American workhorse, the DC-3, e C-130 Hercules and the Soviet II 76. Region-free DVD, Running time 60 mins

Military Aircraft Of The 20th Century is a series of programmes featuring the aircraft that had the most significant impact on the numerous military conflicts during the last century. As the 20th century marched forward, military aircraft changed significantly and the helicopter revolutionised the way war was conducted. Region-free DVD. Running time 73 mins.  

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The Hawker Siddeley Nimrod was direct development from the De Havilland Comet. Mainly designed for maritime operations, the Nimrod was the successor to the Avro Shackleton and took over the maritime role in the early 1970s. Region-free DVD. Running time 68 mins.

Military Aircraft Of The 20th Century is a series of programmes featuring the aircraft that had the most significant impact on the numerous military conflicts during the last century. Reconnaissance aircraft play a significant role in both war and peace time. Region-free DVD. Running time: 61 mins.

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USCBP P-3 ORIONS

Slicks and

Domes Tom Kaminski examines America’s ‘drug busting’ P-3 Orions of the US Customs and Border Protection service.

Above: P-3B Airborne Early Warning and Long Range Tracker aircraft assigned to the National Air Security Operations Center (NASOC) Corpus Christi, conduct joint operations during a local training mission over the Gulf of Mexico on December 14, 2010. The centre is located aboard Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas. CBP’s Orion fleet, which currently includes eight Domes and four Slicks provides regular support for Joint Interagency Task Force-South (JIATF-S) counter drug smuggling efforts as part of Operation Martillo. Lockheed Martin/John Rossino Right: Originally operated as demonstrator by Lockheed wearing the registration N91LC, the first P-3B AEW variant was later delivered to US Customs Service and currently carries the registration N145CS. Lockheed Martin

80 MAY 2015 #326

www.airforcesmonthly.com

USCBP P-3 ORIONS

L

ockheed Aircraft delivered 650 P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft between 1959 and December 1995. A further 107 were built under licence by Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Japan. Today, more than 350 remain in service with 20 international military air arms. The maritime patrol aircraft has been adapted for numerous non-traditional roles including weather reconnaissance, electronic intelligence, airlift and even as an airborne firefighting platform. Modified Orions are also operated by the world’s largest civilian aviation and maritime law enforcement agency, the US Customs and

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‘Although capable of operating alone, the two variants often flew in tandem in a socalled ‘Double Eagle’ team.’ Border Protection (CBP) service. It was created in March 2003 and assumed control of the former US Customs Service (USCS) and US Border Patrol (USBP) aviation units in 2006. It is one of several organisations comprising the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The CBP’s Office of Air and Marine (OAM) has a fleet of 12 Lockheed Martin P-3 Orions, in two distinct variants, operating from home stations, as well as deployed locations in Central and South America and the Caribbean. The P-3B Long Range Tracker (LRT) and Airborne Early Warning (AEW) detection and monitoring aircraft, respectively known as ‘slicks’ and ‘domes’, are primarily used to detect and monitor aircraft and vessels transporting illicit narcotics. Although capable of operating alone, the two variants often fly in tandem in a so-called ‘Double Eagle’ team. When paired, the ‘slick’ is used to intercept, visually identify and track suspected airborne or surface targets that had been detected by the ‘dome’. The eight ‘domes’, the world’s only law enforcement AEW aircraft, have assumed in recent years a significant role in Homeland Security. The P-3 crews have cleared domestic airspace for the President and Vice-President, monitored the skies during National Security Special Events (NSSE), including the Olympics

#326 MAY 2015 81

USCBP P-3 ORIONS and Super Bowl, and acted as communications hubs following national disasters or crises, including the terror attacks of 9-11 and after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf coast in 2006. In the first month after 9-11, the P-3s provided more than 25% of all domestic Airborne Early Warning (AEW) missions/ coverage in support of Operation Noble Eagle. The aircraft are also used to detect/ locate and intercept illegal immigrants attempting to enter the United States.

Slicks

In August 1983, the US Navy sent a P-3A, destined for the USCS, to the Lockheed California Company. The Orion’s AN/APS-80 radar was replaced with a Hughes AN/APG-63 fire control radar used by the US Air Force’s F-15 fighter and a Texas Instruments AN/ AAS-36 infrared detection system (IRDS) was installed by Lockheed Aircraft Services, beginning on November 22, 1983. The Orion was turned over to the Naval Air Test Center at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, for flight testing on June 29, 1984. The first P-3A Long Range Tracker (LRT) was delivered to the USCS on August 30, 1984 and three additional aircraft followed in 1985. Two of these Orions were stationed at Davis-Monthan AFB, Tucson, Arizona. The second pair was initially based at NAS New Orleans, Louisiana, but relocated

Above: The cockpit of P-3B N148CS (BuNo 154575) was upgraded with the same glass displays first installed in the seventh Dome. The modifications replaced the Orion’s analogue instrumentation with a new flight management display system that includes four ‘glass’ multifunction displays. All photos Tom Kaminski, unless stated Above right: A US Customs and Border Protection Agent boards a P-3B airborne early warning aircraft at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas, prior to a local training mission over the Gulf of Mexico on December 14, 2010. CBP’s Domes are the only airborne early warning law enforcement aircraft in the world. Lockheed Martin/John Rossino

82 MAY 2015 #326

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USCBP P-3 ORIONS to the Tucson base in 1986. All four P-3As were moved to a new permanent base and assigned to the Surveillance Support Branch at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas, in July 1987. At first they operated on-loan from the US Navy, but in 1988 all four P-3s were formally transferred to the Department of the Treasury, which was responsible for the USCS, and placed on the civil registry. By 2002, the US Customs Air and Marine Interdiction Division (AMID) had added four P-3B LRTs to its fleet. The four P-3As were retired in 2010 and 2011 but the P-3Bs have been continually updated. Latest upgrades have provided the aircraft with the APG-66(V)5 air intercept radar as well as L-3 WESCAM MX-20 or FLIR Systems Inc (FSI) Star SAFIRE AAQ-22 EO/ IR sensors and more recently the Raytheon AN/APS-148 SeaVue XMC (Expanded Mission Capability) multi-mode maritime radar system. Two additional P-3Bs were acquired from US Navy and removed from storage with the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, in mid-2013. Both are being upgraded to LRT configuration by Lockheed Martin at its Greenville, South Carolina, facility. The latter aircraft feature the P-3B Heavy Weight airframe with a strengthened structure capable of carrying greater payloads.

Below: P-3B AEW N144CS (BuNo 153446) makes its first flight after receiving the Mid-Life Upgrades modifications on April 19, 2011. The aircraft’s rotodome was re-installed later. Originally delivered as AEW #5, the Orion was the second to receive the Mid-Life Upgrades. Lockheed Martin

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US Customs & Border Protection Orions – December 2014 Model

Regn

BuNo

Prod. Notes No.

P-3B AEW N142CS 153452 5248 MLU Upgrade No.1 (originally delivered as AEW #8) P-3B AEW N143CS 153447 5243 MLU Upgrade No.3 (originally delivered as AEW #7) P-3B AEW N144CS 153446 5242 MLU Upgrade No.2 (originally delivered as AEW #5) P-3B AEW N145CS 155299 5409 MLU Upgrade No.7 (ex-RAAF A9-299 & N91LC - originally delivered as AEW No.1) P-3B AEW N146CS 154605 5286 MLU Upgrade No.8 (ex-RAAF A9-605 - originally delivered as AEW #2) P-3B AEW N147CS 152722 5162 MLU Upgrade No.10 (originally delivered as AEW #3) P-3B AEW N148CS 154575 5246 MLU Upgrade No.6 (originally delivered as AEW #4) P-3B AEW N149CS 154581 5262 MLU Upgrade No.11 (originally delivered as AEW #6) P-3B LRT

N403SK 154603 5284 Departed AMARG Aug 13 (ex-AN2P0119). Inducted for MLU and LRT modifications in December 2014.

P-3B LRT

N423SK 153453 5220 MLU Upgrade No.9

P-3B LRT

N431SK 153431 5288 MLU Upgrade No.5

P-3B LRT

N480SK 154580 5261 Departed AMARG July 13, (ex-AN2P0127). Currently receiving MLU and LRT configuration modifications

P-3B LRT

N729SK 152729 5169 MLU Upgrade No.4

P-3B LRT

N741SK 152741 5181 MLU Upgrade No.12

Retired Aircraft P-3A LRT

N16295 151395 5108 Stored LMCO Greenville, S. Carolina – to GSA Auction

P-3A LRT

N16370 152170 5140 Stored LMCO Greenville, S. Carolina – to GSA Auction

P-3A LRT

N18314 150514 5040 Stored LMCO Greenville, S. Carolina

P-3A LRT

N15390 151390 5103 Stored LMCO Greenville, S. Carolina – to GSA Auction

Left: Both the Domes and Slicks have three Detection Enforcement Officer (DEO) stations in the Orion’s forward main cabin. Each operator station is equipped with large Barco touch screen displays. CBP Below: The ninth aircraft to receive the Mid-Life Upgrades, P-3B LRT N423SK (BuNo 153453), it has been upgraded with the installation of Raytheon’s SeaVue radar, which is located beneath the forward fuselage.

Domes

Lockheed Aircraft carried out the first flight of its prototype P-3 airborne early warning aircraft on June 13, 1984 at its Palmdale, California, facility. Developed as a private venture, the modified P-3B, which had previously been operated by the Royal Australian Air Force, was equipped the same General Electric AN/ APS-125 radar then installed on the US Navy’s Grumman E-2C Hawkeye AEW aircraft. Customs received its first P-3B AEW on June 17, 1988 and a second was delivered in April 1989. Although the initial aircraft was equipped with the APS-125, the second featured the later AN/APS-138 radar. By 1993 four examples were in service and all equipped with the APS-138. The second example had also previously been operated by the RAAF, all subsequent aircraft were transferred from the US Navy inventory. Delivered in October 1999, the fifth ‘dome’ was the first to be equipped with the digital AN/APS145 radar and an updated mission processing and display system. The APS-145’s 24ft (7.3m) rotodome provides 360˚ radar coverage, has a range of 250nm (463km) and is capable of detecting a 32sq ft (3m2) target at a range of 180nm (333km). The system can track 2,000 targets and supports up to 40 simultaneous intercepts. It is capable of detecting and tracking targets of interest, ranging from large ships to patrol boats and stationary platforms.

The final pair of Orions were equipped with improved cockpits, including a digital autopilot and a new flight management display system (FMDS) consisting of four new 6 x 8in (152 x 203mm) ‘glass’ displays supporting primary flight and navigation displays and colour weather radar. Additionally, the original analogue engine instruments were replaced with a digital Engine Instrument Display System (EIDS) and advanced navigation equipment was added along with a data transfer system allowing the crew to transmit and receive video images via satellite communications with other aircraft and ground stations. In June 2002, the USCS awarded Lockheed Martin a US$27 million contract to begin retrofitting these systems to earlier aircraft, beginning with the first four AEW aircraft. The AEW fleet achieved a major milestone on July 6, 2010 when it surpassed 30,000 flight hours

SLEP

The entire P-3 fleet was grounded briefly beginning in February 2006 with wing box fatigue issues. CBP later began a two-phase Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) involving special structural inspections (SSI), extended special structural inspections (ESSI) and making repairs designed to keep the aircraft flying safely until permanent repairs were made. The second phase replaces the aircraft’s outer wings, centre-wing lower sections and horizontal

#326 MAY 2015 83

USCBP P-3 ORIONS stabiliser assemblies, upgrades wiring and instrumentation as part of the Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) at an average cost of US$28 million per aircraft. All airframe flight restrictions are removed and the MLU adds 15,000 flight hours to the service life of each aircraft, allowing them to remain in service for an additional 18 years. Begun in 2007, the programme includes 14 P-3Bs and the final SLEP was funded in Fiscal Year 2014. CBP’s first MLU-equipped P-3B took to the air in Greenville, South Carolina, on July 19, 2010 and Lockheed Martin delivered the organisation’s 11th SLEP-equipped Orion on November 3, 2014. The aircraft was the last of the eight ‘domes’ to receive MLU modifications. The fourth and final P-3B LRT was inducted to the modification line in March 2014 and was returned to service on March 18, 2015. Two additional P-3Bs are being modified to LRT configuration and equipped with the MLU modifications. Inducted in December 2014, the final aircraft will be delivered in early 2016, boosting the fleet to 14 aircraft.

Above: Eight P-3B AEW and four P-3B LRT are currently divided between National Air Security Operations Centers (NASOC) Corpus Christi, Texas, and Jacksonville, Florida. Lockheed Martin completed the Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) modifications on the first CBP Orion in July 2010 and the last of the 14 aircraft was scheduled for delivery in early 2015. Lockheed Martin/John Rossino

Operations

The Orions are capable of operating from most 8,000ft (2,438m) runways and can be supported by a ground maintenance team of just three personnel. With an endurance of more than 12 hours the LRTs and Domes respectively have ranges of 4,000nm (7,408km) and 3,000nm (5,556km). Both variants are typically operated by a crew of eight including a pilot, co-pilot, flight engineer, and five detection enforcement officers (DEO) operating radar, sensors and communications equipment. Considered a high-endurance, all-weather, tactical asset, the P-3s are primarily used to conduct long-range surveillance and interdiction missions in search of illicit narcotics traffickers operating in the 42 million sq miles (68,000,000km2), of the eastern Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea and seaboard approaches to the United States. Operated by National Air Security Operations Centers (NASOC) located at Cecil Field Airport in Jacksonville, Florida, and NAS Corpus Christi, Texas, the majority of the fleet’s missions are flown in support of the Joint Inter-agency Task Force-South (JIATF-S). Headquartered in Key West, Florida, the multi-service, multi-agency group is responsible for detecting and monitoring illicit traffickers and assists US and multi-national law enforcement agencies with interdiction. Both the LRT and AEW variants feature extensive communications suites including VHF, UHF, HF SATCOM communications equipment, along with iridium satellite phones. Included is the digital HF Cellular Over The

84 MAY 2015 #326

Above: P-3B N423SK (BuNo 153453) is one of four Slicks that are currently in service. Four earlier P-3A variants have all been retired however, two additional P-3Bs are currently being modified to Long Range Tracker configuration by Lockheed Martin. Below: P-3B AEW N146CS (BuNo 154605) shares the ramp at Cecil Field Airport, Jacksonville, Florida, with N145CS (BuNo 155299) on December 29, 2006. Both aircraft, which were assigned to P-3 Operations Center Jacksonville at Cecil Field Airport, Jacksonville, Florida, previously served with the Royal Australian Air Force as serial A9-605 and A9-299.

Horizon Enforcement Network (COTHEN), which was originally developed specifically for the USCS. These systems allows the aircraft to receive and send information to groundbased command, control, communication and intelligence (C3I) centres and land, sea, and air units, including those operated by military and law enforcement agencies. During Fiscal Year 2014, OAM’s P-3s flew more than 5,900 hours in support of JIATF-S counter-narcotics missions and detected 149 suspected smuggling vessels and aircraft. Over the course of the year, the aircraft and crews detected and intercepted around one aircraft or vessel every two-and-half days and directly contributed to the seizure and disruption of 112,224lb (50,904kg) of cocaine, worth nearly US$9.7 billion. The Orion's value to the drug war is evidenced by several recent interdictions by the aircraft deployed from the NASOC in Jacksonville, detecting a suspicious go-fast vessel around 115 miles (185km) southwest of Panama City, Panama, on November 17, 2014. The Orion was patrolling over the eastern Pacific Ocean in support of the international counter illicit trafficking initiative called Operation Martillo, when it detected the ‘go-fast’. The Orion crew led Panamanian authorities to the vessel and recovered around 1,300lb (590kg) of cocaine with an estimated street value of more than US$97 million. Days earlier, on November 9, agents aboard a P-3B AEW detected a suspicious high-speed vessel carrying more than 1,100lb (500kg) of cocaine with an estimated street value of US$82.3 million. Assisted by a P-3B LRT, OAM agents co-ordinated with the US Navy to intercept the vessel, which was boarded by a US Coast Guard Law afm Enforcement Detachment (LEDET).

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BRIEFINGS SECRET WAR

A SECRET

In March 2003 the RAF spearheaded a drive on Baghdad from Jordan. Tim Ripley unveils the story.

WAR

A

s 150,000 US and British troops gathered in Kuwait in the buildup to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, out of view of the world’s media another force was preparing to attack Saddam Hussein’s ‘republic of fear’. Out in Iraq’s western desert, British special forces and a supporting RAF contingent were embarking on what would turn out to be an operation that would impact significantly on the outcome of the US drive on Baghdad. A constant nightmare for the US and British governments was the possibility of the Iraqis repeating their Scud missile attacks on Israel, which had caused so many problems during the 1991 Gulf War

Right: A Harrier pilot from 3 (Fighter) Squadron is directed back to his parking slot at Azraq Air Base after completing an uneventful mission (the weapons are still loaded), over Iraq on April 10, 2003. All images via author unless stated

86 MAY 2015 #326

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. The risk that the Iraqis might be able to provoke the Israelis into retaliating to the missile attacks threatened to fracture support for the US and British war on Iraq across the Middle East. Not surprisingly, a major effort was devoted to neutralising this threat. The US air commander in the Middle East, Lieutenant General Buzz Moseley, was heading up the new iteration of what became known as the ‘Great Scud Hunt’. Unlike in 1991, when the counter-Scud campaign was improvised in a matter of days after the start of the war, this time around considerable effort was put into preparing the operation for several months ahead of the start of hostilities.

Special delivery

By mid-March, several thousand British, Australian and US troops were positioned in Jordan and Saudi Arabia to begin the counter-Scud effort. The British component of the mission, designated Operation Row, involved just around 1,500 personnel. These were drawn from 22 Special Air Service (22 SAS) Regiment, M Squadron of the Special Boat Service (SBS), 45 Commando Royal Marines and II Squadron of the Royal Air Force Regiment. A strong RAF contingent, led by Wing Commander Bob Adlam, was dispatched to Azraq airbase in eastern Jordan to support the special forces teams that would conduct operations inside

Seen through a pair of night-vision goggles, an RAAF Chinook hugs the desert floor as it carries a special forces team across Iraq’s border. RAAF

SPECIAL

‘A constant nightmare for the US and British governments was the possibility of the Iraqis repeating their Scud missile attacks on Israel’

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BRIEFINGS SECRET WAR

Above: Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia was the temporary home to four Nimrods from 120 Squadron during March. The intelligence-gathering aircraft supported Operation Row, relaying any movements of Scud launchers to special forces teams in the area. USAF

Iraq. It included Chinook HC2 transport helicopters from 7 Squadron and Hercules transports from the Special Forces Flight of 47 Squadron. Also at Azraq were Harrier GR7s of 3 (Fighter) Squadron and high-flying Canberra reconnaissance aircraft of 39 Squadron as well as protection and operational support teams from the Royal Auxiliary Air Force’s 504 Squadron, made up of mobilised reservists. A considerable chunk of the 100 or so RAF aircraft and helicopters deployed to the Middle East was dedicated full-time to supporting Operation Row. These included four Nimrod MR2s of 120 Squadron, fitted with WESCAM MX-15 thermal imaging video cameras, and four Sentry AEW1 AWACS aircraft of 8 and 23 Squadrons. These big aircraft operated out of Prince Sultan Air Base (PSAB) in Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, at Ali al Salem in Kuwait several Tornado GR4s of II (Army Co-operation) Squadron were dedicated to fly Scud

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hunting patrols over western Iraq. General Moseley created a special team within the Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) at PSAB to direct the Scud hunt. In an unprecedented move, the overall US commander in the Middle East, General Tommy Franks, put Moseley in direct command of the special forces teams operating on the ground in western Iraq so their operations could be seamlessly integrated with his air power. He set up a Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force – West in Jordan to co-ordinate the Australian, British and US special forces patrols. Moseley’s planners and US, British and Australian special forces officers had studied the 1991 Scud hunt in great detail, pulling archived patrol reports from US and British troops who had entered Iraq at the time. They also looked at UN weapon inspection reports and aerial imagery from reconnaissance aircraft and satellites as well as missile plume heat signature data from space surveillance systems.

The RAF contingent was to act in direct support of a US, British and Australian special forces task force. Many of the special forces and RAF units participating in the counterScud operations from Jordan – as well Tornado GR4 crews from II(AC) Squadron – had already been to Nevada for two highly-secret exercises to rehearse the mission: its importance to the US war plan can be gauged by the fact that General Franks took the time to fly to Nevada to address the troops during one of these exercises in January 2003, telling the assembled British and US aircrew and special forces operatives that the “threat of use of weapons of mass destruction was very real”.

Watching 24/7

Western Iraq was placed under round-the-clock aerial surveillance by the RAF Canberra and Nimrods as well as US MQ-1 Predators, E-8 Joint STARS radar aircraft and U-2 spy planes. The E-8s and U-2s used their moving target indicator radars to monitor road movement across western Iraq, and if suspicious

activity was spotted a Nimrod or Predator was dispatched to provide a positive identification. The Canberras would meanwhile fly daily surveillance missions to take high-detail photos of suspected Scud hiding places, which would be studied by analysts for any signs of suspicious activity. On the ground, the big lesson from 1991 was that special forces units needed to be highly mobile, and heavily armed, to avoid the fate of the SAS Bravo Two Zero foot patrol, which had been inserted by helicopter. It had been compromised and then run to ground by Iraqi troops – all its members being killed, captured or forced to flee to Syria. This time the special forces would be used to patrol along the main roads of western Iraq in heavily armed Land Rovers and trucks and on quad bikes to stop the Iraqis using the highways to move their Scuds around. At the same time other patrols would be used systematically to visit all the suspected Scud facilities within firing range of Israel. In turn, these

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ground patrols would be cued, in real time, to intercept any missiles detected by air surveillance. The ground patrols would have their own dedicated air protection provided by RAF Harriers, armed Predators, a squadron of US Air National Guard F-16C Fighting Falcons based in Jordan and the RAF Tornados. Moseley’s planners created a permanent flow of jets over western Iraq to ensure that aircraft would constantly be in the air over the special forces, in case they came under attack and needed air support for protection. The 3(F) Squadron Harriers, led by Wing Commander (now Air-Vice Marshal) Stu Atha, flew mainly in daytime while the USAF F-16 and II(AC) Squadron Tornados had the night shift. For the pilots, the bad weather that engulfed western Iraq during March 2003 was a nightmare because it meant they could not fly at medium and high altitude to spot targets. The only way to put bombs on target was to drop to low level, making their jets vulnerable to Iraqi anti-aircraft guns and shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missiles.

Just one call away

For the special forces patrols this on-call air power was an ‘ace in the hole’ that would enable them to defeat superior Iraqi forces – but the fluid and mobile nature of the battlefield meant considerable effort had to be put into ensuring strike aircraft could differentiate between friendly and enemy forces. Operating far behind enemy lines, their risk of being attacked by accident by coalition jets was immense. All the US, British and Australian special forces vehicles were fitted with an electronic tracking device, known as Blue Forces

Above: Protected from the sun by a temporary aircraft shelter, a Tornado GR4 of II (Army Co-operation) Squadron waits for its next Scud hunting patrol over western Iraq. In the foreground is a RAPTOR reconnaissance pod.

Tracking, which linked the GPS navigation system that enabled officers in their headquarters in Jordan to monitor, in real time, the position of every patrol. In turn, a co-ordination system was set up to divide western Iraq into ‘kill boxes’. If a special forces patrol was in a specific 36 sq miles box, then it was classed as ‘closed’ and strike aircraft could only attack ground targets if they were in radio contact with the ground troops, who could see the target. ‘Open’ kill boxes were those clear of friendly troops where pilots could make their own decisions to attack. According to Squadron Leader (now Group Captain) Harvey Smyth, who flew many of these missions as a Harrier pilot in 3(F) Squadron, the high level of co-ordination between the air and ground forces in western Iraq

meant more than 100 ‘danger close’ close air support missions were successfully conducted, with no instances of ‘blue-onblue’. These were missions where friendly troops calling in air support were so close to the enemy they risked being injured or killed by their own side’s bombs, illustrating the intensity of the fighting in the area (see Danger Close, March 2007, p34-37). At the centre of the air and ground operations were Sentry AEW1 aircraft, which flew continuous orbits over western Iraq throughout the war. They were in radio contact with the special forces patrols, the surveillance aircraft, the special forces headquarters, the US Army Scud missile launch detection and warning network and the CAOC at PSAB. The aim was to speed up the reaction time

to a Scud being discovered by any of the players and the dispatch of forces to deal with the threat. It was hoped that any missile launcher could be hit in a matter of minutes of it breaking cover. After pushing into Iraq on the night of March 18/19, the British, Australian and US special forces teams fanned out to establish themselves in their respective patrol zones. For the next week, there was a series of short engagements as the patrols, backed by airpower, took on the isolated Iraqi detachments in the towns of the region. Pairs of Harriers, Tornados or F-16s were in the air over the SAS on a constant basis – air-to-air refuelling enabling the jets to fly nine-hour-long missions. They were in action on a daily basis repulsing Iraqi counter-attacks

As the SAS vehicles patrols penetrated the border berm on the night of March 18/19, an RAF Chinook flew an SAS assault force from D Squadron up to the outskirts of al Qaim

Above: Special forces teams had their own dedicated air protection when on patrol during Operation Row, some provided by F-16Cs from the Alabama Air National Guard based at Azraq Air Base in Jordan. 39 Squadron Association Left: With AGM-65 Maverick anti-tank missiles under each wing and a centreline-mounted 1,000lb (454kg) bomb, a 3 (Fighter) Squadron Harrier GR7A heads towards the main runway at Azraq, for an early morning mission.

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#326 MAY 2015 89

BRIEFINGS SECRET WAR

Above: Despite their 44 years of age, the Canberra PR9s of 39 Squadron were a highly prized asset within the intelligence-gathering community. Aircrews could fly continuous patrols over Iraq, monitoring possible Scud launch sites. 39 Squadron Association Insert: The success of the Canberras is illustrated by a score of ‘kills’ painted on the forward fuselage of this example. 39 Squadron Association

and targeting artillery positions firing at British troops and anti-aircraft sites defending key bases. The actions of 3(F) Squadron in the western desert became legendary in the RAF, with the commander of the Harrier unit winning the Distinguished Service Order, another pilot the Distinguished Flying Cross and a third the Air Force Cross. Top priority was given to seizing half-a-dozen air bases in western Iraq to neutralise the threat to British and US aircraft and helicopters. The hardened shelters and bunkers at these sites were also suspected of being used to hide Scuds. US troops swept into H-2 and H-3 airfields, and easily captured them. The British SAS was assigned the sector to the north of the airfields, stretching along the Syrian border towards the town of al Qaim. As the SAS patrols penetrated the border berm on the night of March 18/19, an RAF Chinook flew an assault force from D Squadron up to the outskirts of al Qaim to try to launch an attack on a suspected chemical weapons store. The Americans had in the meantime captured H-1, and were now turning the three airfields into forward operating bases to support the hunting patrols. Helicopter and vehicle refuelling points were set up along with a prison camp to house the hundreds of Iraqi soldiers now being captured. Royal Marines of 45 Commando and the RAF Regiment gunners of II Squadron moved into Iraq with the Americans to set up the British forward logistics base at H-2.

Iraq, taking photographs of 17 areas of interest suspected of being the most likely missile launch sites. The CO of 39 Squadron, Wing Commander Ken Smith, recalled how his aircraft flew three nine-hour-long patrols a day over western Iraq. The crews then used a digital data link to download pictures of targets to a ground station at Azraq airbase in Jordan. “The photo interpreters then scoured the images for Scuds,” he said. “Then they burnt the images onto a CD and they were taken by bike to the transmission point on the other side of the airfield. We also had a phone to the CAOC if we found anything.” The vintage aircraft proved to be one of the few airborne surveillance assets that could operate below the low cloud ceiling over western Iraq. “The western desert weather was abysmal so the US was not expecting to get any imagery, but we went below the clouds and sandstorms to use sensors differently and got images,” said Smith. “The U-2 couldn’t go down fast and low.” RAF Tornado crews’ low-level flying skills also came into their

own flying nightly missions over western Iraq using their TIALD thermal imaging targeting pods and sideways-looking Tornado Infrared Reconnaissance System sensors to look for Scuds. On their first mission – on the night of March 19/20 – a II (AC) Squadron aircraft found what its crew thought was a launcher hiding under a bridge, and made repeated low-level passes to try to positively identify it. Both the Tornados and Harriers flew daily sorties and dropped weapons when called into action by British and US vehicle patrols, which had set up hides to watch key road junctions and suspected missile facilities. The leaders of the British special forces now wanted to push M Squadron of the SBS through western Iraq and up towards the Kurdish region around Mosul, to establish communications with the Iraqi 5th Corps, which the British and US spy agencies, MI6 and the CIA, claimed – mistakenly – was on the verge of surrendering. Transport aircraft from 47 Squadron flew M Squadron’s Land Rovers and quad-bikes into H-2

before they were cross-loaded into 7 Squadron Chinooks for a night-time flight deep into Iraq, leap-frogging over the Euphrates to within striking distance of Mosul.

On the run

After driving across the desert towards Mosul, M squadron was compromised on March 27/28 by a large force of Iraqi regular troops and Fedayeen fighters in a fleet of pick-up trucks. The SBS team were chased across the desert for a night before many of their vehicles became stuck in a muddy wadi. They scattered into three smaller groups and were pursued relentlessly by Iraqis. One group of SBS troopers called up air support to help it break contact with the Iraqis and make a dash for a helicopter pick-up point. A pair of US Air National Guard F-16s responded to the call, but the pilots said they could not differentiate between the British and Iraqis, so it was too dangerous to drop live weapons for fear of hitting the spread-out SBS troops – so they made repeated low-level passes to intimidate the Iraqis. The intervention did the

The old warrior

Providing the eyes and ears of the Scud hunt were 44-year-old Canberra spy planes flying continuous patrols over western

90 MAY 2015 #326

Above: RAF ground crews performed routine maintenance for the GR7As out in the open at Azraq Air Base. Throughout the campaign, the small Harrier detachment had relatively few problems operating from eastern Jordan.

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trick and the British troops were soon heading for safety; but not before they had several more brushes with the Iraqi pursuit force. Two Chinooks were now in-bound to pick up the scattered British force. A pair of RAF Tornados appeared over the battlefield and made a series of low-level passes to keep the Iraqis’ heads down while the Chinooks landed and picked up the isolated British stragglers. One group was surrounded by Iraqi tanks and only just had time to scramble aboard the helicopters. They had to leave demolition charges in their vehicles before escaping. The other two groups had more luck, and one was even able to bring out its vehicles. In total 58 SBS men were rescued. All were exhausted but none was seriously injured. But two men were missing, and RAF helicopters flew several search missions along the Syria-Iraq border over the next two weeks to try to find them. It later emerged they had successfully escaped to Syria, and both were handed over to Foreign Office minister Mike O’Brien in Damascus in April. The American, British and Australian special forces were now staging daily raids closer and closer to Baghdad, dropping by parachute and helicopters onto airfields and other strategic targets. It was a ruse that worked spectacularly well. When American tanks of the 3rd Infantry Division, advancing from Kuwait, seized Baghdad International Airport on April 4, Saddam Hussein and his inner circle were convinced it was a feint to distract them from the main attack from Jordan. Saddam now made a crucial mistake. He ordered his last Republican Guard reserves to move out to the west to counter the force coming from Jordan, rather than sending it to set up a last line of defence at the airport. It sealed the fate of his regime. Within days the Iraqi dictator was on the run in his own country. “One of the things that made the western desert operation so successful was the level of practice undertaken by the participating forces,” said the British air component commander, Air Vice-Marshal Glenn Torpy. “This included several exercises in the US, where the procedures and techniques were developed and practised – it was a key lesson.” Out in the western desert, there had been no sighting of Scuds or even any attempts to fire them. “We found no Scuds; we found mock-ups that were subsequently

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‘Open’ kill boxes were those clear of friendly troops where pilots could make their own decisions to attack

Chinooks were the backbone of the special forces fleet carrying teams from the UK, US and Australia. Those of the RAAF were heavily involved in supporting US operations on day and night raids into Iraq. RAAF

destroyed,” recalled Wing Commander Smith in late 2003. “We put so much effort into finding the missiles that we created the effect desired and scared them off.” Air Marshal Brian Burridge, Commander of British forces in the Gulf, described the counter-Scud operation as “an elegant piece of operational art” which had been

first demonstrated during an experiment in the Nevada desert. “It was led by the air component, as the supported commander,” he said. “No Scuds were fired at Israel. Saddam saw a lot of activity in the west. The military intent was to give him so many problems he would not be able to interpret it.” However, a few months later,

experts of the Iraq Survey Group concluded that the pre-war intelligence saying the Iraqis still had Scuds was wrong and that they had destroyed all the missiles in the 1990s. Operation Row had been a wild goose chase. Torpy retorted: “To ignore the threat would have afm been irresponsible.”

#326 MAY 2015 91

MAR 10 - APR 6 2015

ATTRITION REPORT

CRASHED RAF CHINOOK RETURNED TO SERVICE AFTER MAJOR REBUILD A

ROYAL Air Force Chinook HC2 that was very badly damaged in a heavy emergency landing three years ago has been rebuilt and returned to service. Vector Aerospace, which undertook the rebuild in association with Boeing, revealed details of the repair programme in a press release on March 25. The helicopter, ZA671 ‘AB’, was undertaking training in the USA on April 7, 2012, when it was forced to make an emergency landing in the Arizona desert, 15 miles (24km) northeast of Yuma, during a sortie from Naval Air Facility El Centro, California. All seven crew members escaped injury. Damage to the Chinook was such that it could easily have been classified as beyond economical repair. However, it was decided that rebuild was a viable option and a plan was put together to bring the aircraft back to life. The extent of the damage was so great that a number of structural parts had to be replaced and these were incorporated alongside newly manufactured aircraft skins. Every component was inspected and either repaired or replaced. Whilst this package of work was being undertaken the aircraft’s avionics systems were also upgraded to bring the aircraft up to the Chinook HC4 Julius standard. The work, carried out in Vector Aerospace’s facility

Above: Royal Air Force Chinook HC2 ZA671 after rebuild and upgrade to HC4 standard following its crash in Arizona on April 7, 2012. Vector Aerospace

at Fleetlands, Hampshire, was completed on February 12, 2015, when the aircraft successfully passed flight test and was re-inducted to service. This achievement benefits not only the RAF, which now has a fully operational aircraft once

again ready for duty, but also the UK taxpayer, since the task was accomplished at a fraction of the cost of buying a new helicopter, says Vector Aerospace. In thanking the combined Vector Aerospace and Boeing teams on the aircraft’s reintroduction to service, Wing

Commander Mark Staveley from the Chinook Project Team, said, ‘The importance of these aircraft to the troops on the ground is immeasurable: when they hear that unmistakable Chinook sound the people on the ground know that help is at hand’. 

Above: The extensively damaged RAF Chinook HC2 ZA671 ‘AB’ following its accident in the Arizona desert on April 7, 2012. Vector Aerospace Right: RAF Chinook ZA671 in the Vector Aerospace facility at Fleetlands part way through its extensive rebuild and upgrade. Vector Aerospace

92 MAY 2015 #326

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Accident Reports and collided with 208, which was parked. This resulted in damage to the skids, tail boom and tail rotor of 212, while the tail of 208 was also damaged. No injuries were reported.

D: Mar 10 N: US Army/Louisiana Army National Guard/1-244th Assault Helicopter Battalion T: UH-60M Black Hawk S: 13-20624

Eleven US military personnel were killed when this Black Hawk crashed into the sea off the Florida Panhandle during a night-time training mission. The helicopter, carrying four aircrew and seven Marines, was reported missing in foggy conditions at around 2030hrs. Debris was found near Okaloosa Island, close to Eglin Air Force Base, at about 0200hrs the following morning. The helicopter came down near Range A-17, east of the Navarre Bridge, which crosses the Santa Rosa Sound connecting mainland northern Florida and a barrier island. The Black Hawk was one of two from the Louisiana Army National Guard’s 1-244th Assault Helicopter Battalion based at Hammond Northshore Regional Airport, Louisiana, involved in the exercise. The personnel on board were assigned to US Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command, Special Operations Regiment at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The second helicopter returned safely to Destin Airport, from where both had been operating for the previous week or so. D: Mar 11 N: Chinese PLAAF T: Chengdu J-7

This fighter crashed in Hebei Province after the pilot had ejected safely. The accident occurred at Song Wang village, near Xin Jin town in Hai Xing County, Cangzhou city. The aircraft was destroyed.

D: Mar 17 N: Italian Army/° Reggimento/ 27° Gruppo/271° Squadrone T: AB205A-1 S: MM80722 'EI-351'

Above: Serbian Air Force and Air Defence Mi-17 12551 which crashed on March 13 at Surcin, killing all seven on board. Igor Bozinovski D: Mar 15 N: Korea Coast Guard T: AS565MB Panther S: B511

While trying to land near a seawall on Gageodo Island at 2027hrs local time, this helicopter crashed into the sea and all four on board were killed. The Panther had departed from the southern city of Mokpo about 50 minutes earlier and was heading to the island for a mission to transport a patient to an inland hospital. There was a heavy sea fog at the time, which may have been a factor in the accident. D: Mar 13 N: Serbian Air Force & Air Defence T: Mi-17 S: 12551

This helicopter crashed at 2231hrs in an area close to Belgrade’s Nikola Tesla (Surcˇ in) Airport, killing all seven on board. It was transporting a five-day old baby with lifethreatening respiratory problems from the southern Raska region to a hospital in Belgrade. Those killed comprised four crew members, two medical personnel and the baby. The crash occurred in thick fog, which could have been a factor.

Above: Part of the wreckage of the Chinese PLAAF Chengdu J-7 which crashed on March 11 after the pilot had ejected safely. Via Chinese internet

D: Mar 15 N: Indonesian Air Force/Jupiter Aerobatic Team T: 2 x KT-1B Woong-Bee S: LD-0101 ‘5’ and LD-0103 ‘6’

During a practice display for the LIMA 2015 exhibition at Langkawi International Airport, Malaysia, these two aircraft collided with each other and crashed at 1404hrs. All four pilots ejected, suffering varying injuries and were taken to hospital in Langkawi. One aircraft crashed within the perimeter of the airport, while the other came down on a wooded hillside near Kampung Gelam, just outside the airfield, setting two houses on fire – no injuries were reported on the ground. D: Mar 16 N: Republic of China Air Force/ Helicopter Training Squadron T: 2 x TH-67A Creek S: 208 and 212

While manoeuvring on the apron at Gueiren Air Base, Tainan City, during a training flight at around 1000hrs, one of the helicopters, 212, which was hovering at about 3ft (1m), flew backwards for about 150ft (50m)

Crashed and rolled over on landing during a training exercise on the Casera Razzo plateau, Vigo di Cadore. All four on board escaped serious injury. An Italian Army CH-47 Chinook recovered the helicopter from the crash site as an underslung load on March 20 and transported it back to the unit’s base at Francisco Baracca di Casarsa della Delizia. D: Mar 17 N: Royal Netherlands AF/301 Sqn T: AH-64D Apache S: Q-15

Two crew members were killed in the crash of this Apache in Mali. The helicopter was operating with the Mission Multidimensionnelle Intégrée des Nations Unies pour la Stabilisation au Mali (MINUSMA) peace and stabilisation force when it made a hard landing at around 1300hrs local time. The two fatalities were Captain René Zeetsen and 1st Lt Ernst Mollinger from 301 Squadron, Defence Helicopter Command, based at Gilze-Rijen. The crash site was 26 miles (42km) north of Gao, where the helicopter was one of two undertaking a live firing exercise against targets on the ground in an uninhabited area. The other Apache landed immediately to assist but found Zeetsen had

One of the two Indonesian Air Force/Jupiter Aerobatic Team KT-1Bs that collided at LIMA 2015 on March 15 plunges to the ground with flames streaming from both wings as the two crew members eject safely. Oliver Santa

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

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#326 MAY 2015 93

MAR 10 - APR 6 2015

ATTRITION REPORT Accident Reports died in the crash. Mollinger was in a critical condition and taken to a French military hospital in Gao, but died of his injuries. A French Army attack helicopter remained over the crash site to provide protection from the air while Dutch Special Forces secured the area. The Apache was one of four RNLAF examples (Q-09, Q-15, Q-19 and Q-22) deployed to Mali from Gilze-Rijen last May on board an An-124. Along with three CH-47D Chinooks, they form the Dutch detachment supporting MINUSMA, along with around 450 Dutch soldiers. The main Dutch force is stationed in Gao, with a small detachment at Bamako. D: Mar 17 N: US Air Force T: MQ-1 Predator

The Pentagon has confirmed that US military controllers lost contact with this UAV at approximately 1340hrs EDT (0740hrs local time) while operating over Latakia, northwest Syria. Syria’s state news agency, SANA, released a video showing what it described as the wreckage of a ‘hostile’ UAV and said its air defence systems had shot it down north of the coastal city of Latakia. The mangled and badly burnt components shown in the video included part of the engine with Rotax stamped on it, suggesting that it probably was a Predator. The Predator had taken off from a base in Turkey, according to a US official speaking off the record. If the shoot-down is confirmed, this would be the first time that Syria has taken hostile action against US assets involved in missions against IS in the country. Previously, US officials had said Syria’s air defences had been passive and had not engaged the US-led coalition’s aircraft while they were carrying out air strikes.

D: Mar 24 N: Ukrainian Air Force T: Mi-24 Hind S: '29 Yellow'

Above: Royal Netherlands Air Force AH-64D Apache Q-15 during an airpower demonstration at Gilze-Rijen Air Base on June 18, 1005. The helicopter crashed in Mali on March 17, killing both crew members. Maurits Even D: Mar 22 N: Syrian Naval Aviation/618 Squadron T: Mi-14PL Haze-A S: 2391

Following a technical failure, this helicopter crashed 6 miles (10km) north of the town of Maarat al-Numan in Jabal al-Zawiya, Idlib province. The accident took place in an area held by opposition fighters, including those from the A-Qaeda Syrian affiliate, the Jabhat al-Nusra. Four of the six crew members were captured by Al-Nusra, a fifth was killed by them after the crash, but the fate of the sixth member is unknown. Syrian state television said that search efforts were under way to locate the captured crew. Syria is believed to have around a dozen Mi-14s in service, all based at Latakia, where they are operated by 618 Squadron. D: Mar 23 N: Libya Dawn T: MiG-23UB

Both pilots were killed when this fighter was shot down while bombing Al Watiya (Zintan) air base. The aircraft, reported to be Libya Dawn’s only two-seat MiG-23UB, was said to have been downed by an Igla-S MANPADS. Mohammed al-Masri, an official

from Libya’s internationallyrecognised government, confirmed its troops had downed the aircraft, which was operated by the rival, Tripoli-based government that is allied to Islamist militias. D: Mar 24 N: Indian Navy/301 NAS T: Dornier 228 S: IN240 'DAB'

This maritime surveillance aircraft crashed in the Arabian Sea off Goa killing two of the three crew members, while the third, pilot Commander Nikil Joshi, was rescued. He was picked up by fishermen from Karwar and later admitted to a naval hospital there for treatment. The aircraft came down after communication was lost at 2202hrs while it was on a routine night training sortie from Indian Naval Station Hansa, Dabolim, Goa. Its last known position was 25nm (46km) southwest of Goa, off the coast of Karwar, Karnataka. Six naval vessels and four aircraft were used to search for the two missing crew – a pilot and observer. The body of flight observer Lt Kiran Shekhawat was found in the submerged fuselage on March 26. The following day, co-pilot Lt Sbhinav Nagori, was also recovered. The aircraft was from 301 Naval Air Squadron at INS Hansa.

D: Mar 18 N: Ecuadorian Air Force/ESMA T: T-34C Turbo Mentor S: FAE-026

Both crew members were killed in the crash of this T-34C at 0740hrs near Salinas, Santa Elena province. The fatalities were Capitan Sebastian Espinoza and Cadete Galo Rivera. The aircraft was operated by the Escuadrón Entenamiento Aéreo of the Escuela Superior Militar de Aviación (ESMA) at Base Aérea General Ulpiano Páez, Salinas.

At around 1400hrs local time this helicopter crashed in the Vassilkovskaya district of the Kiev region. At least one person was killed and two others reported injured and taken to hospital. Ukrainian Emergency Ministry personnel undertook rescue operations. The helicopter was one of two flying close to the Ukrainian capital and heading in the direction of Poltava. They were assigned to a unit in Lviv. D: Mar 25 N: Italian Air Force/50° Stormo/ 155° Gruppo T: Tornado S: MM...... '50-50'

While attempting to take off at its base at Piacenz San Damiano, the crew aborted and the aircraft veered off the side of the runway, causing the nose undercarriage collapse. The two crew were uninjured. D: Mar 26 N: Royal Saudi Air Force T: F-15D or F-15S

The two crew of this F-15 were recovered safely after being forced to eject over international waters in the Gulf of Aden following a mechanical problem during operations against Houthi rebels in Yemen. After a request from Saudi Arabian authorities, a US Air Force HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter was dispatched from Djibouti to recover them, picking them up at around 1720hrs. They were said to be in good health and able to walk. The rescue operation, which was completed within two hours of the helicopter being called out, was co-ordinated by the US Navy’s USS Sterett (DDG 104), an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer. The USS New York (LPD 21), a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock, also assisted in the search for the crew. D: Mar 26 N: Vietnamese People’s Air Force T: Mi-8 Hip

Above: Ecuador Air Force Beech T-34C Turbo Mentor FAE-026 (on the left in this two-ship formation) was written-off in a crash on March 18 which killed both crew members. FAE

While preparing to land, this Mi-8 crashed, causing minor injuries to three of the eight occupants, at 0915hrs local time at Phu Quy Airport, Binh Thuan province. A VPAAF official, Colonel Tran Van

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

94 MAY 2015 #326

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Left: The wreckage of Syrian Naval Aviation Mi-14PL Haze-A 2391 following its crash on March 22 in Idlib province. Below: The Vietnamese People’s Air Force Mi-8 is doused by firefighters following its crash on March 26 at Phu Quy Airport.

Quang, said the helicopter was hovering at about 30ft (10m) when it was caught by a strong gust. This caused the tail to strike the ground hard, after which it broke off and was thrown about 100ft (30m) from the helicopter, which then rolled over and came to rest almost inverted. Some of the debris hit nearby houses, smashing into walls and doors, although there were no reports of injuries on the ground. The helicopter had flown in from neighbouring Ninh Thuan province on a search and rescue mission. Although the Mi-8 appeared to be extensively damaged, VPAAF engineers said it could be repaired. D: Mar 26 N: Yemen Air Force T: CN235M-300 S: 2211

During air strikes by Saudi-led fighters, this aircraft was destroyed on the ground in a hangar at Sana’a-al-Dailami Air Base. D: Mar 26 N: Yemen Air Force T: AB212

This helicopter was destroyed on the ground in a hangar at Sana’a-al-Dailami Air Base during Saudi-led air strikes.

D: Mar 26 N: Yemen Air Force T: UH-1H-II Huey II

During air strikes by Saudi-led fighter aircraft, this Huey was destroyed on the ground in a hangar at Sana’a-al-Dailami Air Base. D: Mar 26 N: Yemen Air Force T: Various

A senior Yemeni official confirmed on March 29 that during the Saudi-led air strikes on the country on March 26, eleven of the Air Force’s 16 operational fighter aircraft had been destroyed on the ground. He said that the other five remain under Houthi control. Four of the aircraft destroyed were reported to be Sukhoi Su-22 Fitters, while one or two Mi-8s are also believed to have been lost. Houthi rebels who control the aircraft acknowledged the losses. D: Mar 27 N: US Navy/Training Air Wing 5 T: TH-57 Sea Ranger

Two US Navy officers escaped safely when this helicopter rolled over onto its side at around 1845hrs while landing at Naval Air Station Whiting Field’s Outlying

Landing Field Site 8, off Nine Mile Road, Pensacola. The TH-57 Sea Ranger, from Training Air Wing 5 at Whiting Field, came to rest on its starboard side, following which the instructor pilot and student were able to exit unaided. After being evaluated by EMS personnel from the base, they were taken to a local hospital for routine evaluation. This was the second incident involving a TAW-5 TH-57 within six weeks. As previously reported, a similar roll-over accident occurred on February 12 at Whiting’s Naval Outlying Field Spencer when both crew also escaped serious injury. D: Mar 31 N: Portuguese Air Force/Esq 101 T: TB-30 Epsilon5 S: 11409

While on a training flight from Base Aérea 1 Sintra to BA5 Monte Real was involved in a crash landing . Both crew members were able to exit the aircraft safely after the accident. The aircraft was making its approach to Monte Real when it is believed a technical failure forced the crew to make an emergency landing on the banks of the River Lis in Leiria at around 1600hrs.

Above: The smouldering remains of the Libya Dawn MiG-23UB following its shoot down on March 23, which killed both crew members.

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D: Apr 6 N: Japan Ground Self-Defense Force/Headquarters Squadron T: Kawasaki OH-6D S: 31249

After taking off at 0944hrs on a post-maintenance test flight from Kasuminome Airfield the helicopter had a mechanical problem and was substantially damaged when it force-landed at about 1010hrs in a rice paddy field about 4 miles (7km) east of the base at Okada, Miyagino ward, Sendai City, in Miyagi prefecture. The tail boom separated during the landing and the main rotors were badly damaged, but the OH-6D came to rest upright and the two crew members, a pilot and a maintenance engineer, escaped injury. The helicopter was from the Honbu Zukitai (Headquarters Squadron) of the Tohoku Homen Herikoputatai (Northeastern Army Helicopter Wing) at Kasuminome. D: Apr 6 N: Royal Jordanian Air Force/4 Sqn T: T67M-260 Firefly

While carrying out a routine flight in an area dedicated for pilot training, this aircraft crashed, killing both crew members. Army spokesman Col Mamdouh Al-Amiri identified the fatalities as Jordanian Lt Col Ibrahim Hasouneh and Iraqi student pilot Laith Nasser. Three RJAF T67Ms have previously been lost, the first on August 16, 2006, followed by another on June 2, 2009. In both cases one crew member was killed and the other survived. A further crash on May 16, 2013, resulted in two further fatalities. The type is operated by the RJAF’s 4 Squadron at Mafraq as part of the King Hussein Air College. Additional material from: Donny Chan, Mark Sublette and Scramble/Dutch Aviation Society

#326 MAY 2015 95

DEBRIEF Book reviews Images of War The Royal Air Force in the Cold War 1950-1970 Ian Proctor Pen & Sword £16.99 ISBN 1783831898 Wartime allies quickly became Cold War adversaries at the end of World War Two, and by the 1950s the threat of a Soviet strike on Western Europe or Britain dominated military planning. Over the next 40 years, the Royal Air Force (RAF) was on the front line of the Cold War. In Britain and Germany aircrews exercised in preparation for a future conflict,

Beyond the Horizon Ian Shaw with Sérgio Santana Harpia Publishing £32.99 ISBN 978-0-9854554-3-9 The very nature of Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft and its role dictates that nation operators keep accurate data on capabilities and vulnerabilities concealed from potential enemies. Disinformation and secrecy are frequently used when publishing available data on these platforms – especially about aircraft currently in

while fighter pilots stood by, ready to counter incursions by Soviet aircraft. Between 1956 and 1969 the elite nuclear bomber crews of the iconic V-Force trained to perform their ultimate mission, striking targets deep in the heart of Russia. It’s only now that these former bomber crews realise their mission was likely to have been a one-way trip! In protecting British interests overseas, personnel at stations across the Middle East and Far East were regularly engaged in supporting operations during the many colonial conflicts during the 1950s and 1960s. Performing these duties were a wealth of new British-designed aircraft that entered the vast ranks of RAF squadrons during the 1950s. These extraordinary service around the world. Such problems have not deterred authors Ian Shaw and Sérgio Santana from producing one of the definitive books to date on AEW&C platforms. Beginning with its development by the RAF in 1943, the book breaks down emerging capability into decades and shows how the US became leaders in detecting and classifying hostile aircraft during the early years of the Cold War. The US and its allies established the Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line in the 1950s, which proved to be a thorn in the side of the Russian Air Force as it struggled to acquire intelligence on the West. Packed with detailed information, highlights of this book have to be the coverage of E-3 Sentry operations during the Gulf Wars. Surprisingly, the authors have included maps and charts showing the operational orbits of the USAF’s E-3s during the air campaign. There is also an interesting account of an EC-121 Warning Star attempting to land on an aircraft carrier off the coast of North Vietnam during the war! The book concludes with colour side profiles of AEW aircraft along with details on specifications, performance and operators. This book is an intelligence bonanza and is highly recommended. Glenn Sands

These titles are available from: The Aviation Bookshop, 31-33 Vale Road, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 1BS, United Kingdom. Telephone: +44(0)1892 539284 Website: www.aviation-bookshop.com

96 MAY 2015 #326

aircraft, which included the Hunter, Lightning, Vulcan and Canberra, became symbols of the Cold War and appeared in countless official RAF photographs, many of which are reproduced in the book. Some 150 evocative images from the Air Ministry’s remarkable photo archive are recorded in classic period colour and portray the RAF; its aircraft, personnel, operations and service life during some of the air force’s most turbulent times. Glenn Sands

The British Aerospace Hawk A Photographic Tribute Michael Leek Pen & Sword £30.00 ISBN 1781592942 This is the first in a mini series of three photographic tributes dedicated to the BAE Systems Hawk jet trainer. The first volume focuses on those currently in service with the RAF – and herein lies the problem with any phototribute book on the Hawk because they are all now painted black. Granted, there are a few exceptions and the author/ photographer has done well to capture these rare examples on camera, but the largest section of this 250-page title is of Hawks flying at low level in Wales and Scotland. Yes, there are some great images here but they are mixed with familiar shots seen in magazines, aviation websites and RAF brochures – Hawks against a blurred valley backdrop. Accompanying the images are extensively well-written captions that even list the aircrews flying each Hawk illustrated – and that’s some dedicated research by the author. It’s clear Michael Leek has a deep affection for this jet trainer and the accompanying text explains the Hawk’s development, technical specifications and the RAF’s operational use in great

depth. But would it not have been a good choice to include some historic images at the start of the development section? RAF Hawks in the old red and white scheme from the 1980s for example? I am not sure where this book’s contents sits within an aviation collection. The author’s knowledge of photography and his ability to photograph the jet trainer skilfully is without question. For those looking to do the same, the chapter on photographic equipment and the best vantage points from which to capture Hawks flying past will certainly help. But if you’re looking for a definitive book on the Hawk, this is not it. It’s great to flick through but sadly is not the definitive reference title or photographic book. It may yet earn that accolade when combined with two volumes that remain to be published, but the privilege of owning the trio will cost you nearly £100. Glenn Sands

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Marines from the 8th Engineer Support Battalion, based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina participate in an external aerial lift exercise with a CH-53E Super Stallion at Auxiliary Two landing field at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona. The exercise is part of the Weapons and Tactics Instructors course that aims to develop collaboration between the aviation and logistical combat elements of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force. USMC/Lance Cpl James Marchetti

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