Newsdesk – Military Aviation

The squadron would initially employ MB-326 jets that could well be made redundant if the Pilatus PC-9 is able to take on much of the advanced training curriculum currently flown in the turbojet Macchi. Enhanced use of advanced simulators and a greater use of new generation synthetic training aids, coupled with the very ‘torquey’ PC-9, are expected to make redundant much of the present capabilities offered by the ageing Macchis which initially entered RAAF service some 20 years ago.

If this project is successful then the RAAF will look to acquire special purpose higher cap-ability jet trainers for this role. These aircraft would be typically in the BAe Hawk, Casa 101 Aviojet and Aermacchi MB-339 class with their entry to service being around 1995.

Japan Evincing Interest in Developing a Carrier Capability:

For the first time since World War 2, Japan is showing strong interest in building a number of light carriers with which to better police its 1,000nm maritime perimeter of influence.

The Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force has already stated its interest in developing air capable ships in the fifteen to twenty thousand tonne class capable of accepting a mix of long-range ASW helos and VTOL aircraft. BAe have already had numerous presentations with the JMSDF as an order for Harriers has also been stated as a priority. Japan’s primary interest is in protecting its vital sea lines of communications, which are the nation’s fiscal lifeblood, against attack from the vast number of Soviet maritime strike aircraft based at Cam Ranh Bay in Vietnam and throughout the Vladivostok region in the USSR.

Grounded Raaf Pilots to Get GA Flying:

A new scheme being trialled later this year will allow desk-bound RAAF pilots to maintain currency through the use of existing General Aviation assets.

The scheme, fully outlined in our Interview with the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Ray Funnell in this issue, will not only help frustrated pilots to get back into the air but will also provide them with suitable civil ratings. The idea is for pilots to fly around four or five hours a month on GA aircraft with the objective of gaining a full civil CPL with IFR rating, this way the pilots would then be able to actually fly Defence Force personnel from point to point in their line of work, saving much time and cutting down on airline fares.

The scheme will be trialled later this year, and if successful, will be put into full operation during 1989.

Orion Maritime Patrol Operations Cut Dramatically:

As a result of a real cut in defence spending of 1% for 1987/88, flight hours of the Edinburgh based P-3C Orion Maritime Wing have been cut from 1200 to a mere 700hrs a year.

Major area affected is ironically the north west and Indian Ocean region at a time when incursions by Indonesian fishermen have been on the increase. Australia however is committed to an enhanced surveillance presence in the South Pacific and operates between five and ten P-3C cruises through the South West Pacific each year to bolster New Zealand’s 15 similar P-3B deployments through the region. One benefit of the cutback though is that the long understaffed Maritime Wing is now not so acutely undermanned.

With a significant reduction in P-3 flying hours, it is even now more vital than ever that the civilian operated Coastwatch operation be run at peak capability. Skywest has been flying as normal since the Amann Aviation/ Coastwatch debacle of last year and is operating on an extension till September this year when a new operator (or Skywest if it is the successful tenderer) is due to be appointed. However, at time of closing for press in early April, tenders had still not been issued which makes it clear that it would be doubtful if a new operator could be in place before year end.

Again the GA industry ponders why the issuing of tenders, whether it be for littoral surveillance, maintenance and overhaul of defence equipment or the provision of aircraft services as with the VIP squadron requirement, has to be so complex and prolonged in its execution. If any reader has an answer to this, then we would sincerely love to be able to pass it on to the large number of private enterprise GA operators who routinely ask us “why is it so”!

2,000th F-16 Delivered:

Singapore has accepted what is the 2,000th example of the F-16 Fighting Falcon.

Now ordered by a total of 17 air forces, including Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia in our immediate region, the current anticipated F-16 order book extends to just over 4,000 aircraft by 1997. Total USAF acquisition is planned to reach 3,023 units with the type now achieving an operational readiness rate of 90% in squadron service.

Cape York Spaceport Study Begins:

Phase 2 of the eventual goal of establishing an international spaceport on Cape York has been launched with a $10m two year feasibility study.

The study will address the basic nuts and bolts problems to be overcome in not only building the base itself but also providing the technical and logistics backup required to support such an operation. Some 64 organisations, including several of Australia’s largest companies plus several international aerospace corporations, are actively involved in what could ultimately become a $5bn programme.

A full go-ahead in two years would hopefully see the base become fully operational by the end of this century and would not only provide a multi-billion dollar long-term export earner for Australia but according to Mr Aubrey Benn, chairman of the Cape York Space Agency, the facility would also provide a major tourist attraction for both Australia and northern Queensland. Mr Benn pointed out that in the USA, the vast Kennedy Space Centre at Cape Canaveral, Florida was the nation’s second most popular tourist attraction. In fact it had become so popular since the first manned launches of the early sixties that the Disney group had decided to build their second Disneyland nearby to better capture the tourist dollars.

Time Is Running Out!

That’s right, time is most definitely running out for those lucky readers who want to get aboard our exciting Oshkosh Tour to the USA.

Due to depart Sydney on July 25, the 26 day deluxe aviation tour will visit LA, Tucson, Oshkosh, Kennedy Space Centre, Washington DC, Seattle and Hawaii. For full details refer to our full page adverts in the March (p67) and January editions (p26 & p32).

A similar offshoot of the spaceport would do a lot for international and domestic tourism in the north of Queensland, an area that is rapidly becoming popular for its varied tourism prospects.

Airship Programme Hit by Us Budget Cuts:

The Naval Airship Programme (NASP) has been listed as one of the many casualties of the US Defence Department’s 1988/89 fiscal cuts.

NASP has essentially been put on ice for at least one year though Airship Industries are confident that DARPA will take up much of the budget slack via their R&D interest on behalf of the US Air Force, which is also looking at a version of NASP for the vital and continental shoreline anti-cruise missile surveillance tasks.

Closer to home, Al have now sold a total of 8 Skyship 600s and 6 500s with the most recent sales being to the Tokyo Police Force and the South Korean CIA. Both airships will be employed in the para-military role, an area of operations that is rapidly becoming more of a target for airship applications.

New Defence Supremo Position Ratified:

The DoD has created the new position of Commander of Joint Forces of Australia (CJFA) to assist the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) in times of emergency.

The position would however only be activated in the event of an emergency or during large exercises simulating such an emergency. The CJFA would bring together the expertise and capabilities of all three services in an effort to ensure that maximum use was made of integrating the essential capabilities of the ADF. The lack of such a facility, or an even basic understanding of joint operations, dammed the Argentine defence of the Falklands from the very beginning. Australia’s first CJFA would be Air Marshal Ray Funnell, (refer Interview, elsewhere this issue) who will take over the position during next year’s Kangaroo 89 exercises in northern Australia.

 Hawker de Havilland Wins GE T700 Contract:

GE Aircraft Engines has announced today that Hawker de Havilland Victoria Ltd. has been awarded a contract for Assembly, Inspection, and Test (AIT) of T700 engines for 25 Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopters.

This contract is valued at $1. 2m and covers the latest Black Hawk order for the RAAF/ Army. Australia has purchased a total of 39 Black Hawks and 16 Seahawks for the RAN. All are powered by GE T700 engines.

This brings the value of T700 engine work placed in Australia to about $7. 7m. Follow-on orders for parts and services are expected to total about $40m under the current Australian Industry Involvement programme associated with these engines. Hawker de Havilland delivered the first Australian assembled T700 Black Hawk engine in April 1989, with deliveries continuing until mid 1990 for the 25 aircraft.

Us Defence Budget Cuts Lead To the Abandonment of Numerous Programmes:

The 1988/89 US Defence Budget has absorbed cuts of $US33bn from a total budget of $US332bn.

Projects killed outright to accommodate the cuts were the USN’s Grumman A-6F Intruder engine/avionics update, the Naval Airship Programme (which has been put back at least one year though may pick up USAF R&D funding), the Army’s Aquila RPV system, the utility component of LHX, a number of SR-71 units and the Midgetman small ICBM and ASAT anti-satellite system.

The Army will also withdraw from service some 620 helos including large numbers of Vietnam vintage Iroquois and Kiowa aircraft. Army will instead acquire additional numbers of MDH AH-64A Apache attack helos and Blackhawk utility helicopters in addition to increasing the tempo of the OH-58 Kiowa upgrade programme.

British Aerospace Australia Teams With Westinghouse:

BABA has teamed with Westinghouse Defence Electronics to develop and market automatic test equipment to the RAAF for the F-111.

The teaming agreement will provide a strong basis for a successful tender to fulfil the RAAF’s requirement for F-111C aircraft ATE. The agreement will capitalise on the strengths of Westinghouse’s current expertise on the USAF ATÉ programme and BAeA’s demonstrated capability and experience in the F-111C Pave Tack/Guided Weapons ATE programme.

Centrespread

With over 5,000 examples built over a production run spanning nearly a quarter century, the McDonnell Douglas Phantom II will go down in history as one of military aviation’s most famous designs.

So durable is the basic F-4 airframe that a number of front line air arms are actively pursuing major systems/powerplant upgrade programmes in order to maintain operational viability of their F-4 fleets right into the next century. Israel, West Germany and Japan are forerunners in this field and as the US begins to release surplus Phantoms onto the market, it is expected that many more nations will look to employ- ing updated versions of this gutsy multi-role combatant.

Our centrespread photo depicts one of the RAF’s Spey-powered FG. 1/FGR. 2 Phantoms. Though these aircraft are presently being replaced with the F. 3 Tomado, it is expected that they will soldier on in UK service right up till the end of the next decade.