Newsdesk – Military Aviation

This notwithstanding, the pilot was not blamed for the accident but the control system was. Radestrom was also the pilot of the prototype Gripen when it crashed on landing in 1989 during an early test flight. The flight control system was also the cause of that accident, with oversensitivity being blamed.

Usaf Rationalises F-111 Fleet:

The USAF has rationalised its F-111E, F-111F and EF-111A fleet by establishing a ‘super wing’ of five squadrons and basing them all at Cannon AFB, New Mexico.

All other versions of the strike and radar jamming aircraft have been retired, leaving about 150 aircraft in service by the end of the year. The F-111s fly with the 27th Wing which comprises the 428th Fighter Squadron with 16 F-111Es for training, the 522nd, 523rd and 524th Fighter Squadrons with F-111Fs and the 429th Electronic Combat Squadron with EF-111A Ravens.

 Cfs 80th Anniversary:

The Central Flying School is celebrating the 80th anniversary of its formation next month and this important event is being marked with a series of activities at RAAF East Sale on November 12-13.

Events include a mixed commemorative formal dinner, Roulettes and solo air displays, a local winery tour and a barbecue. The CFS is attempting to contact all ex members and invite them to the celebrations, so anyone out there with a connection is asked to contact Pilot Officer Linda Grkinic at the CFS on (051) 49 4253.

Iran Bolsters Missile Armory:

Iran plans to introduce a new air defence system and new ballistic missiles as part of its rebuilding of the armed forces.

The new surface-to-air missile system will be based around the Fakel S300PMU (SA-10 Grumble in NATO parlance), which has a range of 50km. More ominously, though, are moves by Iran to build up its ballistic missile capability, having recently purchased several hundred Scud missiles from China and North Korea. Iran is also negotiating the purchase of 1000km range NoDong missiles from North Korea.

Interestingly all of its deals so far included technology transfer, presumably allowing Iran to at some stage to design and manufacture its own ballistic missile sys tems.

 Rafale Delayed:

The French air force seems likely to opt for delayed delivery of its Rafale fighter rather than accepting a reduced number of aircraft.

French defence cuts are behind the move, which could see the Rafale suffer a further two year delay of entry to service, now scheduled for 2000. A six month delay has The US Navy has commissioned a study of how it can keep the carrier based Lockheed S-3 Viking anti submarine and anti surface vessel platform in service through to 2015. Through a service life assessment programme (SLAP) Lockheed will recommend measures and modifications required to increase the types useful life from 13,000 hours to 17,500. The Viking SLAP is part of a US Navy drive to keep important out of production aircraft in service as long as possible, in light of recent defence budget cuts. It felt that no structural modifications will need to be performed before 2000, while a S-3B avionics upgrade is planned. (Wally Civitico) already been allowed for. Each Rafale will carry a programme cost of about $US100m ($A140m) with spares and 235 are on order. The French navy’s Rafale is not affected and first deliveries are still expected to be made in 1997.

Early Warning 748:

India has developed an airborne surveillance, warning and control (ASWAC) version of the BAe 748 turboprop transport, 89 examples of which were built under licence between 1961 and 1984 by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

The ASWAC programme was launchedin 1986, participating organisations including HAL, Deutsche Aerospace (which built the fuselage top radome), the Indian Electronics and Radar Development Establishment and Bharat Electronics. The first conversion flew in November 1990 and it is believed that six aircraft are required.

Us Blocks Indonesian F-5 Buy:

The US Government has blocked an Indonesian move to purchase a small number of used Jordanian F-5 Tiger II fighters.

Indonesia is believed to be interested in purchasing four F-6s as attrition replacements for its small F-5E fleet, but the deal was blocked by the US because of its concerns over human rights issues. The US has been critical of Indonesia is human rights record, particularly the Dili massacre in east Timor, although current objections round questionable labour practices.

The US has threatened Indonesia with a loss of trade privileges, while Indonesia has warned the US that in the future it will look elsewhere when buying military aircraft.

Lockheed Proposes Stretched, Rewinged F-16:

More than a decade after the cranked delta F-16XL was first successfully demonstrated, Lockheed is offering the US Air Force a greatly improved F-16 for that service’s proposed Multi Role Fighter (MRF) programme.

Known as the F-16X, the new aircraft would feature a large F-22 style wing (although with greater leading edge sweep), in addition to a 1. 4m fuselage stretch (as on the F-16XL) uprated engine and avionics, while the horizontal tail would be deleted. Lockheed says the revised F-16X would have far more range of the F/A-18E currently under development for the US Navy, at only two thirds the cost. The E model Hornet is also being offered as the MRF.

Centrespread

Two favourites of the Australian airshow scene are the RAAF Museum’s DHA Vampire and CAC Sabre.

Although a first generation jet fighter, the de Havilland Vampire is best remembered in Australian service as a two seat advanced trainer, serving in this role with distinction through to 1989, when the advanced jet trainer function was taken over by the Macchi MB-326H, which remains in service today.

The famed Sabre meanwhile was the RAAF’s principle fighter during the 1950s. Built under licence in Australia by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation, Australian Sabres are particularly noteworthy for their more powerful Rolls-Royce Avon turbojets, which gave the slick fighter much better performance than the original AmericanJ47 powered versions.

Along with additional range, the F-16X enhancements would also comprise improved deployability and precision strike capabilities. Improved sensors and modern weapons such as the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) would bestow a precision strike capability, while the increased wing and fuselage volume will provide the dramatic increase in range. Because of the greatly increased wing area, stores carriage would not require drag inducing multiple ejector racks, while AMRAAMS would be carried conformally. It is also expected that the F-16X would also be capable of supercruising, as is the case with the F-16XL which can cruise comfortably on military power at Mach 1. 4.

Lockheed sees the F-16X as a culmination of an F-16 enhancement programme that will initially involve the Block 50 Plus improvement of the current F-16C featuring a synthetic aperture radar for poor weather JDAMs delivery, a missile warning system, a terrain referenced navigation system and colour cockpit displays.

In addition these aircraft would be fitted with 2270 litre external tanks (as used by Israel), which Lockheed says would give the aircraft a payload radius performance better than the F/A-18E. The subsequent follow-on Block 60 would feature a dorsal spine for more fuel, an internal LANTIRN installation and an auxiliary power unit.

Purchased in small numbers, the Block 50 Plus and Block 60 aircraft would keep the F-16 production line open until 2010, when the F-16X would enter production in time to replace the earlier model F-16 fleet. If given the go-ahead, an F-16X demonstrator could be flying in two years time.

C-17, C-141 Run Into Turbu- Lence:

Both the C-141 Starlifter and its replacement, the C-17 Globemaster III have flown into trouble with a congressional report threatening production of the latter, and the USAF grounding large numbers of the former.

A Congressional Budget Office report has stated that the Pentagon could save $US6bn ($A9bn) by slashing C-17 procurement, reinstating C-5B Galaxy production and placing the C-141 fleet through a service life extension programme. Various alternatives to the USAF’s planned purchase of 120 C-17s include the purchase of 60 militarised Boeing 747-400Fs in place of rebuilding the C- 141, which is currently suffering from a number of age and fatigue problems.

Although potentially offering large cost savings through rebuilding the C-141 fleet, this aircraft is currently suffering from ‘weep hole’ cracking. Air Mobility Command has grounded 45 C-141Bs, while a further 116 are restricted from inflight refuelling. The cracking in the aircrafts’ wings have developed from holes which allow fuel to flow between risers in the lower wing structure. Lockheed’s proposed life extension programme, costing $4. 5bn ($A6. 5bn), would involve among other improvements replac- ing the Starlifter’s outer wings.

Upgraded F-111 Simulator:

RAAF F-111 crews will have the benefit of updated simulated flight training as a result of the awarding of a $19m contract for Wormald to convert an F-111F simulator to RAAF F-111C standards.

The simulator was purchased from the USAF two years ago and will enter service in February 1996, coinciding with the major avionics update of Australia’s F-111 fleet. The simulator will be equipped with the updated avionics and will replace the existing machine which has been in operation at Amberley since 1971. .

You Too Can Be a Fighter Pilot:

The International Fighter Pilots Academy is doing what for most mere mortals is beyond reach, offering the chance to fly operational military fighters.

Bringing the world of military flying even closer are a new range of short courses starting from $11,000, providing a relatively inexpensive opportunity to fly air force training and combat aircraft, including the Zlin-142 basic trainer, the L-29 Delfin and L-39 Albatross jet trainers through to the front line MiG-21 and MiG-29. Operated as part of the Slovak Air Force’s 5th training wing IFPA can be contacted at GPO Box 3347, Sydney 2001, phone (018) 238 078, or fax (02) 327 1581.

 Orion bid Task Force:

The South Australian Government has set up a task force to bid for the RAAF P-3C Orion upgrade contract, worth some $670m.

Tenders had to be lodged by mid September this year and aspirants include Lockheed/Computer Sciences, HDH/Paramax, Boeing/BAe, Martin Marietta/Scientific Management Associates, CAE/Qantas, E-Systems/Honeywell/AWA and Rockwell.

The task force is lobbying for the contract work to be carried out in South Australia.

Lost in Space:

An aerial search over the south-eastern corner of the Simpson Desert has found wreckage from the Europa 1 rocket, unsuccessfully launched from the Woomera range in 1966 and missing ever since.

The 30 metres long, 112 tonne rocket was one of 10 Europas launched by an international consortium (ELDO) which included British, German, French, Italian, Belgian, Dutch and Australian interests. None of the launchings were successful.

The group which found the rocket is a voluntary one and its remains will be recovered and displayed at the Woomera Heritage Centre.

 Shark to Attack Silent Missiles:

A proposed new silent hard kill or Shark weapon for the USAF and USN would target surface-to-air and ballistic missile systems producing few electronic emissions.

The new weapon is needed to attack mobile SAMs and ballistic missile systems which do not emit radar or other electronic signals which would usually advertise their presence. US Air Force analysts expect the new weapon to be developed from an existing system with potential weapons including the AGM-130 powered bomb, AIM-120 AMRAAM, JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition), JSOW (Joint Standoff weapon), the Maverick, and HARM. Candidate sensors to detect the targets include millimetre wave radar, imaging infrared, synthetic aperture radar, GPS and laser radar.

Initial funding for Shark may be made available in the Fiscal 1994 US budget.

The Longest Flight:

gust marked the 50th anniversary of the longest (in terms of duration) non stop airline flight in the history of aviation.

In August 1943 a Qantas Catalina flying boat flew the 3024nm (5600km) from Perth to lake Koggala in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) non stop in 31 hours 22 minutes at an average speed of 110 knots (204km/h). Radio silence had to be maintained due to the prevailing war conditions, and celestial navigation was used. No satellites in those days! The Catalina carried extra fuel in its hull and of its 15,869kg (34,966lb) takeoff weight, exactly half was fuel. Initial cruising height was 2000 feet (as high as the Catalina could go at that weight) while 11,000 feet was maintained when the weight was reduced.

The famous ‘Secret Order of the Double Sunrise originated on this flight, which flew through two dawns.

The Order was presented to passengers who spent more than 24 hours in the air, and 650 of them were collected by travellers on Qantas’ wartime Indian Ocean service, which typically averaged 28 hours. Regular non stop services began in 1943 after the loss of Empire Route (Australia/England) refuelling bases at Singapore and other places. The 1943 flight pioneered them and showed a great deal of foresight.

Serbian Subs Cause Concern:

Fears of aggression from submarines operated by the Navy of Serbia and Montenegro have resulted in orders for NATO and Western European Union (WEU) maritime patrol aircraft operating over the northern Adriatic Sea to fly with live anti submarine torpedoes and a full load of sonobuoys.

Serbia and Montenegro reportedly has five reasonably Sava and Heroj class submarines of which four are believed to be operational. A number of midget submarines are also operated and the concern is that these vessels could be used against the three aircraft carriers currently in the Adriatic, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, HMS Invincible and the French Foch.