Newsdesk-Military Aviation

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Poor Scud Workmanship Detected:

Evaluations of Iraqi built Scud derivative missile pieces recovered from impact points in Saudi Arabia and Israel have revealed evidence of “shoddy workmanship” in some of the missiles.

Examiners have found bad welds and poor workmanship on some of the Scud airframe sections found intact after being fired by the Iraqis. The US technical experts involved in the examinations noted that some of the Scuds fired by Iraq broke up in flight, probably the result of stress placed on the air- frame due to poor construction. Not all the missiles were poorly constructed, however. Aviation Week & Space Technology editors examined at least one Scud which came down on a Riyadh street, noting that the relatively intact rear end showed good workmanship, with well spaced, quality riveting.

Iraq launched at least 81 Scud surface-to-surface ballistic missiles during the conflict. Forty-three were targeted at Persian Gulf centres and coalition forces, 29 of these being intercepted by Patriot surface-to-air missile systems. From the 29 interceptions seven Scuds broke up into debris which landed on target areas, causing a number of casualties. Eleven Scuds impacted harm- lessly outside target areas, either in the desert or the Persian Gulf itself. An additional 38 missiles were targeted at Israel, with at least 13 being intercepted and 10 impacting harmlessly outside target areas. Of the Scuds fired, most were either the Al-Hussein or Al-Abbas versions, both modified Soviet Scud Bs with additional range.

One noteworthy missile even included a concrete warhead, it being thought that due to obvious logistic problems during the final days of the conflict a test vehicle was used rather than have it ultimately destroyed by bombing or eventually falling into Allied hands following an end to hostilities. The concrete warhead Scud landed harmlessly in the Israeli desert well outside the effective range of defending Patriot batteries, its guidance system obviously being on a par with the quality of warhead!

Germans Remain With Efa:

The German Government has committed itself to staying with the EFA (European Fighter Aircraft) program for at lest another two years, though it has not yet guaranteed a part in the production effort.

Centrespread

One of the best loved aircraft in the RAAF inventory was the Lockheed Neptune.

Australia acquired a total of 24 of these excellent maritime patrol aircraft, operating them over a 27 year period from 1951 through till 1978 when the last P2V-78 (SP-2H) were replaced by P-3C Orion aircraft. Both types, along with the WWII era Catalina, are actually the subject of our latest Australian Airpower book the Catalina, Neptune and Orion in Australian Service.

For Lockheed, the Neptune also meant the continuation of an involvement in maritime patrol aircraft, something that it had pioneered even before Hitler’s invasion of Poland, with the excellent Hudson. The prototype Neptune flew in May 1945 and went on to become the West’s most prolific ASW aircraft right through till the sixties when it was itself replaced by another Lockheed product, the Orion, itself a development of the commercially unsuccessful Electra airliner.

The German decision is the result of studles which confirm that abandoning development now will in fact prove more expensive than proceeding with EFA, which is due to make its first flight in May 1992. However the Germans will not at this stage confirm a clear decision on either intended orders or production participation of the aircraft. But in any case the production investment decision of each of the four participating nations – Germany, UK, Italy and Spain – is not due until late next year. An actual Memorandum of Understanding for EFA production is not due to be signed by the four nations until about 1996.

The apparent German indecision on the project apparently stems from political lobbying by the peace movement, however analysts note that resistance to EFA is not as great now in the light of the recent instability in eastern Europe, most noticeably within the Soviet Union and the Baltic republics. Also acting in favour of EFA is that a recent German study into alternatives for the EFA found that there were quite literally none.

Usaf to Retire A-7 & F-4, Boost F-16 Combat Role:

The US Air Force will retire the aging LTV A-7 and McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom from service within the next two years, replacing the aircraft with the multirole capable General Dynamics F-16.

The F-16 will progressively replace the retiring types in the roles of air defence, photo reconnaissance, close air support and battlefield interdiction. It will share the attack role with the Gulf War proven Fairchild A-10. However the A-10 will also be progressively replaced in this role as F-16 numbers increase. The F-16 will therefore be the multirole fighter (MRF) mainstay of the USAF well into the next century. The current force reductions, which are continuing at a steady pace despite the Gulf War, will continue until the US Air Force’s tactical fleet of the mid 1990s consists of: 40% F-16 MRF; 25% MDC F-15C air superiority fighters; 25% F/A-16 and A-10 attack aircraft; and the remaining 10% made up of F-15Es and a small number of F-111Fs and F-117As for use in the interdiction role.

Adf Reviews Transport Fleet Options:

Following an overseas study tour by three senior RAAF officers in June 1990, the RAAF is now actively considering a number of upgrade and/or replacement options for its tactical transport aircraft fleet. An area of prime concern is the C-130 Her- cules fleet, and in particular the aging E models which entered service some 22 years ago. There is increasing urgency for action in the case of the 12 C-130Es because of corrosion and fatigue problems, particularly in the wing structures. It is understood that there have been suggestions that the RAAF join with Belgium in its mid-life C-130 update pro- gram. The Belgian update program is designed to extend the life of its 12 C-130Hs by 20 years, the major modification being the replacement of the wing with one developed by Lockheed which is less susceptible to corrosion (refer p10 Mar 91 AA). Australian participation would involve rewinging the E models only, as the Hs do not yet need such work carried out. Another option in regards to the Es is their replacement with 12 additional C-130Hs, which would bring to 24 the number in RAAF service.

Replacement of the Caribou fleet is also considered relatively urgent because of the increasing difficulties experienced with obtaining spares for the aircraft. Replace- ment options for the remaining 21 Caribous include: acquiring six additional C-130Hs (possibly the stretched C-130H-30); replacing them with additional army Black Hawks; replacing the fleet with either the Casa CN-235 or the Aeritalia G222, the latter of which is now back in production following an order for 23 from the USAF The G222 has the advantage of having handling compatibility with the C-130 and is also expected to receive US military specification enhancements very much in line with ADF requirements, so it could prove a more attractive option than the smaller, but more modern Casa CN-235.

Meanwhile, the position of the CH-4C Chinook fleet remains uncertain. A deal for the replacement of the 11 surviving aircraft with four or five D models at presstime was being held up by Congress, which apparently has difficulty comprehending a deal in which neither party makes any money. As demonstrated during Exercise Kangaroo 89, the Chinooks are vital for carrying fuel for the Black Hawks so that the latter can forward base and operate to their full potential, rather than having to use 40% of capacity for carriage of fuel. If the Chinook deal does not proceed, then the ADF may be forced to examine air refuelling for the Black Hawk fleet, possibly in the form of KC-130H tankers, which could also be used to refuel F/A-18 Hornets.

F-117 & B-2 Making Paris Debut:

The United States will send both the Lockheed F-117A stealth fighter and the Northrop B-2 bomber to this year’s Paris Airshow, scheduled for 14-23 June.

The two aircraft should prove crowd pullers, though also on display will be new technology from several other nations, including for the first time the Soviet MiG-31 Foxhound interceptor and the Eurocopter Tiger combat helicopter. With the Gulf War now over, several companies which had originally pulled out of the show, such as McDonnell Douglas, have reconsidered and decided to participate. Others are expected to follow.

Allies Account for 125 Iraqi Aircraft:

At least 42 Iraqi aircraft were shot down during Desert Storm and three more following the cessation of hostilities (till 26/3) while 81 were destroyed on the ground.

During the war, 42 Iraqi aircraft were counted as destroyed in the air, these including eight MIG-29 Fulcrums, nine MiG-23 Floggers, two MiG-25 Foxbats and two MiG-21 Fishbeds, three Sukhoi Su-22 Fitters and two Su-25 Frogfoots and nine Dassault Mirage F. 1s, as well as one unidentified transport aircraft. Helicopters destroyed included one Mil Mi-8 Hip, one Bolkow Bo105 and four unidentified types.

It is not clear whether the two MiG-29s witnessed as destroyed by Iraqi pilot error are included in this total. The two aircraft were attempting to intercept Allied aircraft when: one turned in front of the other and was shot down by his wingman, who, US pilots who witnessed the incident said, then proceeded to dive into the ground, perhaps too intent on watching his comrade go down. The incident is believed to have occurred as a result of the Iraqi method of combat flying, in which missiles are armed and the fire button permanently depressed, so that the system will immediately fire when a target appears ahead and is locked on. An additional 68 Iraqi fixed wing aircraft and 13 helicopters are listed as destroyed on

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the ground during the war. At least 137 Iraqi aircraft were flown to Iran, though several of these are known to have crashed while others were non-military, commercial airliners. As at 26 March three more Iraqi aircraft had been shot down whilst flying in contravention of the cease fire conditions.

Meanwhile, Iraqi ground losses, most of which were incurred as a result of aerial bombardment, included at least 3,008 tanks captured or destroyed (from an original estimated strength of 4,280), 1,856 APCs and AFVS from 2,870, and 2,140 artillery pieces from 3,110. Thirteen Iraqi naval vessels were destroyed and one damaged, 3 auxiliary craft destroyed and four damaged, and 3 hovercraft destroyed and one damaged. Some of the “Iraqi naval boats were captured Kuwaiti vessels. Most of these were destroyed by RN Lynx helos firing BAe Sea Skua missiles.

 LCD Hercules Tested:

Lockheed and the US Air Force have begun flight testing of a C-130E Hercules equipped with a liquid crystal display (LCD) cockpit.

The tests were to determine the feasibility of fitting the LCD system to new and existing C-130s, with both parties wanting to cease using the traditional round dial instruments because of increasing serviceability problems. The LCD layout was designed to allow compatibility with USAF C-5AS and C-1418, with the USAF expected to soon issue a request for proposals to fit C-141 cockpits with a new four screen glass cockpit, expected to use LCDs. If the LCD proposal for the Hercules goes ahead, all new build C-130s (for both the US military and foreign customers) will be fitted with LCD instrumen- tation, as will most existing aircraft except for the older A and B models and some heavily modified specialist aircraft.

Airfield Defence Options Study Underway:

Concerned that the ADF’s current air defence assets are insufficient to meet all demands that might arise in an emergency, including the protection of air- bases, the RAAF is looking at the possibility of either acquiring its own point defence systems or having Army dedicate some of its air defence resources for this purpose, reports. Tom Muir in the Australian Defence Intelligencer.

The Army’s Air Defence Regiment and air defence battery, equipped with 20 upgraded Rapier SAM systems and Bofors RBS-70 laser guided Rayrider SAMs (the latter replacing US Redeye missile systems) is nominally responsible for the defence of ADF assets from air attack. In an emergency however, this small force with its limited equipment would not be able to protect vital civilian and defence assets such as docks and logistics facilities, let alone RAAF bases and forward airfields, with many of the latter such as Tindal and the chain of northern bare bases being completed only quite recently.

Currently this is very much a potential requirement and its translation into a project with a future depends largely on the forthcoming Force Structure Review. The RAAF nevertheless is treating the requirement seriously, and SAM systems under consideration include (but are not necessarily limited to) the Bofors RBS-70/90, the Matra Mistral, the Shorts Starstreak and presumably the BAe Laserfire, a more mobile and lower cost successor to Rapier.

The Starstreak is a high velocity missile system which can be vehicle mounted or fired from the shoulder. It can also be fired from a lightweight multiple launcher. Using a Mach 4 missile, Starstreak employs three darts which separate from the missile boos- ter soon after launch and are guided by the firer employing a command to line of sight matrix which maintains the darts information until impact on the target when all detonate.

The BAe Laserfire is a low level air defence system providing a self contained fully automatic weapons system which incorporates a millimetric surveillance radar for detecting targets which are then tracked by laser with proximity fuses to optimise capability against small targets.

In addition to SAMs, the RAAF is also considering gun systems ranging from the 20mm Vulcan to Oerlikon 25mm and 35mm systems, although a minimum purchase of four Oerlikon 35mm systems – at some $A20m- pushes the cost beyond the ‘minor’ project category. Similarly the OTO Melara Breda 40L70 air defence weapons system – designed to counter aircraft and missile attack-is likely to be too expensive. If a gun system is preferred then the Oerlikon 25mm “Diana’ might be the more likely choice.

However with the Bofors RBS 70 system already in the ADF inventory there is a strong case for the RAAF (or the Army for that matter) acquiring additional 70s or the RBS90 which is a remotely controlled day or night air defence system for use against fast attack aircraft and armoured helicopters. The project aims for a phase 1 buy in 1993-94 but progress of this requirement obviously depends on the attitude of Army and the availability of funds.

A separate RAAF requirement for an assault weapon, which was originally combined with a similar Army requirement, is also now moving forward with the expected direct purchase of the new lightweight FFV Carl Gustav M3. The M3 differs from the earlier M2 in that all the steel components apart from the rifled barrel liner have been replaced by aluminium or plastic ones, thereby reducing the weight to only 8kg. It is expected that the RAAF will acquire about 30 M3s with a variety of ammunition types.

Eurojet EJ200 Offered for F/A-18:

Rolls-Royce have offered the multinational Eurojet EJ200 engine to power advanced versions of the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet.

The F/A-18 is currently powered by two General Electric F404-400 engines rated at 16,000lb thrust, however development of a larger variant with additional fuel and range capabilities is seen as increasingly likely. The Eurojet consortium consists of Rolls-Royce, Fiat and Sener, and the EJ200 is at this stage destined only to power the European Fighter Aircraft (EFA). However, as shown by the offer to MDC, the consortium is actively seeking to widen the market for their engine.

 Us Plan to Lease Soviet Combat Aircraft:

The US Dept of Defense has reportedly approached a US aircraft leasing company, Condor Enterprises, over the possibility of leasing such types as the MiG-29 Fulcrum and Su-27 Flanker for training and evaluation purposes.

Condor claim to have already held negotiations with the Soviet Government and Aviation Industry Minister for leasing Soviet military arcraft types. It is believed that the urgent Soviet need for foreign currency may act in favour of the leasing proposal, though it is not clear just which aircraft types would most likely be available for lease.

Leasing of modern, frontline Soviet combat aircraft would provide US air arms with very useful training against types which are being sold to an increasing number of third world and developing nations. Since the Vietnam war US forces have had little opportunity to train against modern Soviet aircraft, though it is known that some coalition pilots were able to practice against former East German MiG-29s prior to the commencement of Desert Storm.

Meanwhile, the Soviets have offered a lease deal to the Philippines Air Force (PAF) to replace its inventory of ageing US supplied aircraft. On offer are a number of aircraft types, the Soviet authorities having already exhibited two MiG-29s as well as an An-72 transport and Mil Mi-17 attack helicopters to Philippine military authorities. Most of the PAF fleet consists of second-hand military aircraft, the main fighter force being provided by Northrop F-5s. The PAF has signed a contract for 18 Agusta· S. 211 trainers, though it is still seeking to replace older frontline combat types. The Soviet offer may provide a relatively inexpensive means of doing this.