Newsdesk – Military

Charlie’s In, Bravo’s Out:

Good news for the hard-working maritime crews at Edinburgh was the announced intent to backtrade 11 Squadron’s 10 P-38 Orions on 10 new “C” models. On a recent visit to Edinburgh AADR realised the complexities of operating two essentially different types at first hand. For instance, with a crew shortage and an ever-increasing demand for flying operations, there are times when the Wing might have a surplus 10sqn “C” crew but no aircraft, but at the same time have a spare “B” aircraft but no available crew. This results in a small degree of waste and a lot of frustration at the sharp end of Maritime Command. We spoke at length with all involved at Edinburgh and the general feeling was that if economically feasible a purchase of new “C” aircraft would be the best option. The mixing of crews alone will ultimately increase overall mission status availability by up to 10 per cent, which may not sound much, but it does equate to adding an additional two aircraft to the flight line in terms of available capability. With the eventual introduction of additional crews, the arrival of new “Cs” and a little time to integrate the teamwork required Australia will have an ASW/Maritime Patrol capability second to none on an aircraft-for-aircraft basis.

Piper Given USAF Contract for Enforcer:

Piper Aircraft have been awarded a $US12m contract for the design, development and flight testing of two prototype Enforcer COIN aircraft. The Enforcer was originally developed during the late sixties (see Sept ’80 AADR) by Piper, but lost out when USAF lost interest in the project. More than a decade later, development funds are again pouring in for a project that USAF have indicated on numerous recent occasions that they do not require. The eventual outcome of the project will be interesting as the aircraft could have appeal for third-world forces wanting a relatively cheap, powerful and economical-to-operate counter-insurgency aircraft with STOL capabilities. The Enforcer is based on the airframe of the P-51 Mustang, the famed WWII fighter. Piper has made changes to the original Enforcer design, including aerodynamic improvements in the horizontal stabiliser and changes in the aileron control systems The small, rugged aeroplane will have modern-day weaponry with three weapon stations beneath each wing. The first flight of the Enforcer is targeted for late 1982 with an operational demonstration scheduled for mid-1983. If the project does go into full production it will mean a rebirth for an aircraft originally conceived during the dark days of 1940.

US Navy Showing Increased Interest in V/STOL:

The US Navy is showing revived interest in the application of vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. With the introduction of Backfire bombers of the Soviet Navy. USN now realise that any convoy or surface ship task force not protected by a major Carrier Battle Group runs the risk of long-range missile attack. The USN is very interested in pursuing the Grumman 698 (refer to March ’81 AADR) philosophy of having a common airframe handling AEW, ASW and missile roles. The basic 698 concept revolves around a relatively uncomplicated air-frame using tilt fan engines employing the latest electronic technology to detect hostile targets and vector in other 698 airframes configured with the required attack missiles such as medium-range anti-ship cruise missiles or Phoenix air-to-air weapons. The budget for this concept could run to $US500m in R&D over the next five years according to senior Navy spokesmen. Other VISTOL, or STOVL, alternatives lie with the McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier and advanced supersonic versions of this aircraft. Another concept being studied by the USN is a modification to the Grumman A-6 which converts it into a STOVL aircraft. The A-6 would use a single GE F404 engine coupled with twin augmented thrust nozzles to deflect thrust downwards as in the Harrier. Funding is being sought for a 1983 flight validation study which, if successful, could change the entire concept of sea-based fixed-wing naval aviation.

Magic Mirages:

The RAAF is to acquire the French Matra R550 Magic air-to-air missile as part of a $78m program designed to maintain operational capability in the Mirage I till the end of this decade. Cost of the missile program will be $16m. The Magic is carried on already-modified Mirage Ills, F-18 and the new Mirage 2000 and 4000 and is an infra-red close-in short-range dogfight missile. The Magic will offer a quantum improvement when compared with the obsolete early model Sidewinders currently equipping the RAAF Mirage force. Other Mirage modifications include the purchase of some new wings, modifications to existing wings where required, engine modifications, avionics up- data and new zero-zero ejection seats. The RAAF will not retire any Mirages till the entire NTF fleet is fully operational around 1990.

Trainer Queries:

While AADR has been a consistent champion for aircraft development and construction in Australia we are finding it difficult to raise enthusiasm for the proposed CT-4 replacement project. The requirement of only 69 aircraft is a small order by any means while relying upon exports might not be very realistic in the long term. We make these claims as the quoted flyaway price of the proposed primary trainer is in the region of one million dollars a copy. Furthermore, our Northern neighbours have largely settled upon their own primary trainer requirements rather than wait for the typically enormous time period that it takes to get anything done in Australia. Indonesia has long operated the Beech T-34C while Malaysia have just confirmed the purchase of 44 Pilatus PC-78, Thailand will probably go Pilatus as it already operates with great satisfaction the Turbo Porter, as does our own army. Considering a unit price of one million dollars, more expensive than any of the competitors, and the long wait coupled with the fact that many of our future markets simply won’t have a requirement for such an aircraft till the year 2000, we query the wisdom of designing a completely new aircraft for this requirement. Would not a cooperative venture with either Beech, Pilatus or Embraer be more profitable? Would not the excess budget then help introduce a viable MB326H replacement? More importantly, rather than spend our precious resources on an all-new project of doubtful prospect, why not increase the monthly production rate of the Nomad – an aircraft that IS selling, IS making money and IS in worldwide long-term demand?

XL Gets Official Designation:

USAF has officially designated the super-sonic cruise General Dynamics F-16, formerly known as the XL or Scamp, as the F-16E. The new Fighting Falcon derivative, featuring a cranked-arrow wing configuration, is an under-going assembly at GD’s Fort Worth facility in preparation for its first flight during mid-1982

What Price Neutrality:

In the past, Sweden has gone to great lengths to protect and enforce its political neutrality, even to the extent that it has developed its own supersonic strike and interceptor aircraft such as the Saab Draken and Viggen. Nowadays, with spiralling development costs and inflation, the only nations able to successfully produce advanced combat aircraft are the superpowers and various European consortiums. Sweden now finds herself in a position where it is out of the question to develop a Viggen replacement. Candidates on offer for the proposed JAS combat requirement are the Mirage 2000, General Dynamics, F-16XL, McDonnell Douglas F-18A and Northrop with both the F-18L and the F-5S, the big-wing version of the F-5G Tigershark. No doubt both Rockwell and Grumman will also enter the tray as their Forward Swept Wing fighters transition from paper to metal in the coming years.

F-16/79 for US Navy?:

The US Navy is evaluating General Dynamics’ F-16/79 in the Top Gun Dissimilar Air Combat Tactics role. The Navy estimates that they can acquire around two dozen aircraft sans J79 engines for around $US5m each. Navy currently has a large inventory of General Electric J79 turbojets which could be used in the new GD aircraft. In the Top Gun program, USN currently uses the Northrop F-5E to simulate the MiG-21 and the A-4 Skyhawk to mimic the nimble Mi-G17. The F-16/79 would largely be used to simulate the MIG-23 Flogger, several of which are operated by USAF from the Indian Springs AFB, Nevada.

Smiles at Generous Electric:

A few years ago there were almost no aircraft engines in Australia (on locally owned aircraft at least) sporting the General Electric logo. Today that situation has certainly gone full circle with GE providing motive power on TAA’s Airbus, Ansett’s 767, the RAAF F-18, and the RAN FFG7 destroyer escorts. While Pratt & Whitney are still achieving sales through Ansett’s 737-200 order, that company will soon begin to lose its long-established local market as a new generation of aircraft replaces the established DC-9 and 727 fleet.

RAAF F-III Aircraft for Us Test:

The RAAF is entering a progressive program for the cold-proof load testing of its 20 F-IIIC strike aircraft in the USA and, at the same time, for resealing of the fuselage fuel tanks on eight of them.

The program, costing some $7m, began in October and will be completed in early 1983.

The cold-proof testing is now necessary after eight years’ of service to ensure that the total aircraft structure can still withstand the high, repetitive loads which occur during service. The aircraft will be placed in a specially- designed hangar and exposed to temperatures as low as 40 degrees Celsius below zero. They will then be subjected to severe strain and stress tests to expose any structural weaknesses.

The sealant which prevents leakage of fuel from the fuselage tanks needs to be replaced and a program for resealing in specific areas has been underway for some time at RAAF Amberley. The US Government has offered to assist by resealing the tanks of the remaining eight aircraft concurrent with the load testing as an extension of their own program.

The prospect of performing the resealing work was examined with the local aircraft industry, but because workload continuity could not be assured and the task would not add significant skills or technology to Australian industry, the US offer was accepted.

Stealth Revealed:

Work is underway on three stealth technology demonstration projects to the tune of $US22 billion. Lockheed are well advanced with a stealth fighter project which is said to equate in size to the F-18 and has the aerodynamic wing planform similar to the Shuttle Orbiter, Columbia. Northrop are proceeding with work on a stealth penetrating strategic bomber while Lockheed are also responsible for a stealth cruise missile project. The first flight of the Northrop bomber is projected as late 1984 while Lockheed plans to have 20 stealth fighters available within two years. Stealth may be invisible to radar, but it is also just as invisible to the media as at the time of writing there was still no known photos or artwork available hinting at the eventual shapes these mysterious aircraft might take.

Soviets Spend Big:

The level of defence expenditure in the Soviet Union is expected to rise over the next few years as highly sophisticated and numerically common weapon systems are introduced into service according to an analysis by the US Defence Intelligence Agency. The DIA has listed 134 manufacturing plants involved in producing Soviet weapons of which 37 are involved in aircraft production and a further 49 in missiles. Floorspace dedicated to arms production now totals 40 million square metres while growth has averaged 3 per cent per annum over the past five years. British and American sources agree that the USSR spent 12 to 14 per cent of GNP on defence per annum while this figure Is expected to increase to at least 15 per cent by 1983, this is more than double the rate for the US and UK.

Upgraded Tomcat:

Grumman and the US Navy are considering several options for upgrading the F-14 Tomcat. Primary modification includes the adaption of General Electric F101 powerplants and the incorporation of a 30-inch fuselage plug which would enable an additional 2000 lb of fuel to be carried internally. Flight testing of the F-14B Super Tomcat utilising the 28,000 lb thrust F101 indicates that the aircraft achieves superior climb rate and acceleration without an afterburner than the standard TF30 does with a full afterburner. US Navy plans to acquire a total of 985 F-14s.

Super Sabres to Become Drones:

Some 300 stored North American F-100 Super Sabres are going to be withdrawn from the MASDC facility at Davis Monthan AFB for modification to QF-100 target drones. There are currently 3200 aircraft at Davis Monthan ranging from tiny Hughes 300s to giant B-52s. The F-100s will be converted by Sperry’s Space Systems Division and will be used for realistic training scenarios in both air-to-air and surface-to-air missile testing. The QF-100s will supersede the Convair QF-102, 145 of which were consigned from Davis Monthan through the seventies for drone conversion. In 1980 some 226 aircraft were returned to service, sold or scrapped earning MASDC $US216m while the value of parts recycled amounted to a further $US72m. This amounts to an output of $US288m for an operating budget of under $US14m and a staff of two military and 600 civilian personnel. Many aircraft from MASDC re-enter service via the ranks of foreign air forces, the recent acquisition of A-4 Skyhawks for Malaysia being a typical example.

UK Aircraft Carrier Design to Be Considered:

The British Invincible class aircraft carrier design is to be evaluated, along with other designs already under study, as a possible replacement for the aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne.

The British Government has offered to sell Australia a ship of the Invincible class following its decision to retain only two of the three ships in service with or under construction for the Royal Navy.

The Invincible class design would be evaluated in competition with other designs at present under study. These included a modified version of the US Jima class landing platform – helicopter (LPH), and a variant of the US Sea Control Ship design.

Army Looks at New Anti-aircraft Missiles:

A three-man Defence Department team visited Britain and the United States recently to study two anti-aircraft missile systems.

The systems, which are described as “Very Low-Level Air-Defence Weapon Systems” (VLLADWS), are the British Blowpipe and the American Stinger. Both are man-portable and fired from the shoulder.

Stinger is known as a fire-and-forget system. An infrared tracking device in the nose of the missile detects the heat emitted by an aircraft exhaust. Once fired, the Stinger missile automatically homes-in on the target aircraft.

Blowpipe uses a different guidance system known as a semi-automatic command to line of sight (SACLOS). After firing a missile the operator maintains aim on the target, while a miniature television camera tracks the missile. Guidance commands are automatically computed and transmitted to the missile by radio until the target aircraft is intercepted.

The VLLADWS are being studied as possible replacements for the American Redeye missile adopted by the Army 12 years ago. The chosen VLLADWS might enter service in the late 1980s.

The major advantage of the two systems to be studied is the ability to attack an approaching aircraft. Redeye can only be used against an aircraft after ii has passed overhead.

The new system would complement the British-built Rapier low-level missile system now operational in the Australian Army.