Newsdesk – Military Aviation

Approval for Jindalee construction follows approval by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works for the development of OTHR sites. Construction of the radar sites and installation of equipment will be completed to allow Jindalee to be operational by the mid 1990s. Jindalee radar sites will be established across northern Australia and at RAAF Edinburgh, each site providing employment for 20-30 maintenance personnel, mainly civilians

Hawks to Malaysia:

Malaysia has agreed to purchase 28 BAe Hawk 100/200 fighter/trainers to replace its A-4TPM Skyhawks.

The contract covers the acquisition by the RMAF of 18 Hawk 100 two seat combat capable trainers and 10 Hawk 200 single seat fighters at a total cost of $M2bn ($A950m). The deal also involves some degree of technology transfer to Malaysia to allow local aerospace company Airod to undertake maintenance of the aircraft, the first of which is scheduled for delivery in 1993.

Japan’s Defence Budget Growth Rate Cut:

Japan has cut its defence budget growth rate from a 5. 4% annual average to a 4% annual average in the current 1991/95 five year plan.

Defence spending in the 1991/95 plan will be about $US184bn as against $US145bn in the 1988/90 five year plan. About $US45. 6bn will be spent on weapons procurement, mostly in payment of weapons already on order, there will be no new start defence pro- grams. Under the new plan four AWACS aircraft-two each in fiscal 1992 and 1993- will be purchased for the Japanese Air Self Defence Force.

Meanwhile, Japan’s traditional adversary, the Soviet Union, is also cutting its military budget, by as much as 10% in 1991. A proposal before the Supreme Soviet called for a reduction of 30% in strategic force units over the next ten years. Ground forces would be reduced by at least 10% by 2000 while air defence units would be reduced by 25%. The cuts would eliminate the jobs of at least 1,300 generals.

Brazilian Trackers Get PT6 Engines:

Canadian company IMP Group has re-engined the first Brazilian Air Force Grumman Tracker with PT6 turboprops.

Known as the P-16E Tracker, the re-engined aircraft is essentially an S-2E with PT6A-67CF turboprops with some minor systems modifications. The reigning program was made necessary because the spares holding for the Trackers’ original radial piston engines was virtually exhausted, so 12 aircraft are being re-engined. The last 11 aircraft will be re-engined in Brazil with IMP supplied kits, which also provide new nacelles and engine instruments, and modifications to the fuel, electrical, hydraulic and pneumatic systems. The Trackers will have single engine capability for fully loaded flight at either high or low altitudes. The 12 aircraft will be operated from the Brazilian Navy’s aircraft carrier Minas Gerais.

Belgian Hercules Mid Life Update:

The Belgian Air Force is updating its 12 C-130H Hercules to extend their service life by another 20 years.

Under the five year update program, two aircraft at a time will be fully upgraded by the Belgian flag carrier’s maintenance subsidiary, Sabena Tecnics. The major modification will be the fitting of a new wing developed by Lockheed in 1984, this being made necessary by serious corrosion, metal fatigue and fuel leakage problems now being encountered in all 12 aircraft. Each will also receive. new flight controls, digital fuel displays, an inertial navigation system, global positioning system (GPS), new communications system, an electronic flight instrumentation system (EFIS), a flight management system and a new cargo handling system.

Which all goes to show that perhaps the best alternative to a new Hercules is an updated Hercules.

 Desert Shield Tests Craf:

The deployment of US military personnel to the Middle East has fully tested the viability of the US Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF).

CRAF aircraft were an important factor in the rapid deployment of US forces to Saudi Arabia. By mid December some 55 US civil cargo and passenger aircraft were being utilised by Military Airlift Command, 38 having been activated in the August call-up and the rest volunteered by their owners. Commercial transport aircraft by that stage had carried 60% of the personnel airlifted to the Middle East and 20% of the cargo tonnage: USAFC-5s carried 47% of cargo and 23% of troops, C-141s 29% of cargo and 16% troops, while KC-10 tanker/transports lifted just 3. 4% of cargo and 0. 2% of troops.

Studies are now underway to fully evaluate the use of CRAF in the Middle East. One complaint of airlines was that the military, not used to operating commercial aircraft, under utilised aircraft in the early stages, though efficiency soon improved to a marked degree. Airlines would also appreciate more advance notice of CRAF activation so as to avoid the need for sudden schedule changes and to ensure airline capacity is not seriously affected in the short term.

The potential loss of capacity and market share is one concern expressed by airlines, though in this instance airlines may have benefitted from being able to pass on costs to the military in what was a relatively soft traffic period combined with the reduced uplift of a northern winter.

Thompson-Csf Cutting 3000 Jobs:

Thompson-CSF has announced plans to make 3,000 employees redundant over the next three years, a move becoming more and more common in an industry struggling with reduced military orders, the result of ever tighter defence budgets.

The French company-the largest defence electronics company in Europe – has attributed the cutbacks in its 38,000 strong workforce to the reduced demand for military related hardware from customers worldwide. Such is the effect of the current military orders environment, Thomson-CSF stated that it expected its 1990 results to be down 18% on the previous year, though recovery is expected over the next three years. Annual growth of the world defence and electronics market is predicted to drop from 8. 5% in the 1980s to just 1. 5%.

BAe Announces Military Manufacturing Restructure:

British Aerospace (Military Aircraft) Ltd has commenced a restructuring program to consolidate manufacturing sites and reduce employee numbers.

Under the recently announced plans, BAe’s manufacturing facilities at Kingston and Preston will be closed by early 1993 and the military manufacturing workforce will be reduced by 5,000 from 27,000, about one third of the job losses being achieved though natural wastage. The measures have been taken to protect the Military Aircraft business by concentrating operations at fewer sites to reduce costs and duplication to remain competitive

Desert Storm Analysis

Readers are reminded that our next issue will carry an in-depth technical analysis by our defence technology expert, Carlo Kopp.

Never before in the history of warfare have so many dynamically new and unproven high tech systems been employed en masse in battle. How each element of Desert Storm functioned and just how effective these latest generation systems were is fully detailed in our special April issue analysis. Don’t miss it! Following the closure of Kingston and Preston, BAe (Military Aircraft) will continue work at its six remaining sites Warton – combat aircraft and air systems engineering.

and final assembly and testing of the Tornado, Hawk and EFA: Samlesbury advanced manufacturing of components and major sub-assemblies for military and Civ aircraft; Brough training aircraft and training systems, structural testing, component manufacturing and sub assembly for Hawk and civil aircraft programs; Dunsfold- final assembly and flight testing of Harriers, Farnborough – VSTOL engineering, naval aircraft and land systems, Bristol-naval and other defence systems.

Meanwhile, the Al Yamamah UK/Saudi Arabia defence equipment trade agreement remains in force, much to the benefit of BAe, its prime contractor, and other British aero-space and systems companies. Under Phase 1 of the agreement, BAe has supplied 50 of 72 Tornados ordered, 30 Hawk 100s and 30 PC-9s, as well as providing a work-force of 3,500 British nationals to oversee BAe projects in Saudi Arabia. Phase 2 includes an additional 48 Tornadoes and 60 Hawk 200s, as well as 88 RR-powered West- land Black Hawks and six mine hunting vessels. BAe will also design and construct a new airbase and infrastructure at Al Solayyi worth over £4bn. It is believed the Saudis are also still expressing interest in the EFA.

 P-7 Dead, P-3 Still Beating:

The US Navy and Lockheed have officially abandoned the P-7 program because of the high cost of continuing development without Congressional support.

The Lockheed P-7A (the proposed P-3 Orion replacement) was cancelled because of high cost overruns and defence budget cuts. Despite this, Lockheed planned to build two prototypes at the Skunk Works to prove the aircraft’s merits, but this is now considered non viable so the long struggling P-7 has finally received the official bullet.

But on a more promising note, Lockheed is keeping open the P-3C Orion production line – originally scheduled to be terminated this year with the last Canadian Armed Forces. CP-140A Aurora delivery following a $US600m order from the Republic of Korea Air Force (RKAF) for eight aircraft. The Orion defeated the Dassault Atlanique 2 for the RKAF order, and there is now renewed hope of selling more, possibly updated Orions to European nations who had intended to purchase the P-7.

The US Naval Air Systems Command and Lockheed are working on a P-3H proposal which would combine the P-3 fuselage (possibly stretched) with the P-7 engines and wings and a new cockpit with Upgrade 4 avi- onics. The USN is reportedly leaning towards a remanufactured P-3C to satisfy its needs, however both Germany (which held a P-7 MoU) and the RAF (which seeks a Nimrod MR. 2 replacement) have said that they are not interested in such an aircraft, leading to the possibility that new-build P-3Hs could be ordered from Lockheed’s production line.

Conventional Air Power Into the 21st Century:

Such is the title of the RAAF Air Power Studies Centre seminar series, to be held at the National Convention Centre, Canberra on 25-27 March 1991.

Sponsored by British Aerospace, the convention has full RAAF backing and will be formally opened by Governor-General the Hon Bill Hayden, addressed by the Minister for Defence, Senator Robert Ray and concluded by Chief of the Air Staff, AM Ray Funnell. The conference has attracted many recognised Australian and intemational speakers, most holding high rank in either regional or world armed forces and therefore able to provide several perspectives on air power development.

Key addresses cover Australian, Asian, US, European and Soviet air power doctrines, and their future development. Important panel discussions include: Current doctrine development’ by representatives of the RAAF, RAF and USAF, and ‘Use of air power: needs and expectations by the ADF’s Air, Land and Maritime Commanders. In view of the events of recent weeks it could well prove an educational conference and one certainly not to be missed. Contact Sqn Ldr Ted Gosbell on (06) 267 6266 for further details.

 F-16C/D for Close Air Support:

The USAF has ended years of debate over a possible successor for the aging A-10 Thun-derbolt II, with the decision to retrofit existing F-16 aircraft for the close air support role.

The USAF has now abandoned its A-16 plan, under which new F-16s would be procured for close air support/battlefield air interdiction, Budget reduction pressures

Centrespread

The RAAF is due to receive the last of its 67 Hawker de Havilland built Pilatus PC-9 trainers this year, an event we cele- brate with a fine centrespread of the Roulettes aerobatic team.

The PC-9 has now replaced the Macchi MB. 326H in the advanced phase of the ADF’s pilot training system, Advantages over the aging Macchi are the type’s vastly reduced operating costs, increased power at lower altitudes and overall ease of operation.

Introduction of the PC-9 has also allowed the formation of Nos 76 and 25 Squadrons for fine tuning the capabilities of our future fast jet pilots a feature on the operations of these units appears elsewhere in this issue.

meant that the air force could not acquire all the aircraft it needed if bought new, so retrofitting existing aircraft was the logical, less expensive alternative.

The move which reflects the growing international trend to upgrade aircraft and equipment rather than buying new is a blow to General Dynamics, which was relying on the A-16 proposal to continue production of the F-16. Already the F-16 production rate has been hard hit by US budget cuts. Although the company holds a multi year contract with the USAF to build 150 F-168 per year through to 1993, Congress has authorised the purchase of just 108 for 1991, this figure being expected to fall to at least 72 in 1992. Ultimately some 400+ F-16C/Ds delivered before 1988 could be retrofitted for service in the restructured USAF •

A-12 Alternative Now Sought:

With the A-12 Avenger carrier bome stealth strike aircraft now cancelled, the US Navy is fast looking for options to replace, or keep. the A-6 Intruder in service.

The A-12 was cancelled by US defence secretary Dick Cheney, in a move that sur- prised many who believed he would only cut the number of aircraft to be procured, not the whole project. The A-12’s demise is the result of MDC and General Dynamics being in default of their fixed price $US4. 77bn A-12 development contract, Cheney stating that “the program cannot be sustained unless I ask Congress for more money and bail the contractors out. No one can tell me exactly how much more it will cost to keep the program going. ” So the A-12 fell the way of a lengthening list of defence projects, over budget or over time and attracting the wrath of a money conscious Congress.

The Grumman A-6 Intruder fleet, which the A-12 was to replace, is fast approaching the end of its fatigue life, so a decision on its fate must be made soon. It is likely that more A-68 will be rewinged with composite units, which extends the aircraft’s service life by up to 15 years. At least 183 A-6Es are to be rewired by Boeing and more may follow, while an avionics and equipment upgrade may also be initiated.

Other options include a new strike version of the F-14D, which could be ready by 1993; the Advanced Strike Fighter 14 for the end of the decade; or the Super Tomcat 21, a reengined variant which could enter service in 1998 as an alternative to the naval version of the ATF •

New Commercial Era for Dsto:

Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) is set to enter a new era of commercial orientation, with the Federal Goverment having announced that the DSTO will be able to keep income generated by commercial sales.

With the current low defence budget in mind, the government has decided that the DSTO should be encouraged to exploit the commercial potential of its products and pursue sales in the non defence aerospace market. This decision will allow the DSTO to operate along similar lines to the CSIRO (which now funds 30% of its research and development projects from outside activities) but stops short of allowing it to operate as a Government owned, commercially orientated enterprise such as ASTA.

The DSTO has already developed a range of commercial activities which should bring in about $500,000 during 1990/91, though most of these are services such as consultancy and training to be offered to industry. Potentially the most commercially saleable. aerospace product is the DSTO-developed boron patch repair technique. Having been