Newsdesk – Military Aviation

If the programme survives, a 22 month demonstration and evaluation phase and a two year engineering and manufacturing development phase would lead to an initial operational capability in 2001.

A similar though less capable HARM Targeting System SEAD programme for the F-16 is also underway • F-16s FOR SPAIN? The USA meanwhile has approached Spain (a partner in the Eurofighter consortium) over the possibility of acquiring secondhand F-16s to cover a shortfall in air defence capabilities until the arrival of the Eurofighter 2000.

Spain is not scheduled to receive its first Eurofighter 2000s until 2002 and its first squadron would not become operational till 2005. The sale of 40 F-16As and Bs would replace that country’s dwindling Mirage F. 1 force, and complement the 70 or so F/A-188 currently in service. The F-16 deal would be part of Lockheed’s push to get the US Air Force to trade in up to 400 early build F-16s for 100 new F- 16C/Ds.

McDonnell Douglas and the UK are also likely to propose similar deals involving the F/A-18 and Tornado F. 3 respectively.

North Korean Missile Threatens Us Bases:

A report in the Jane’s Sentinel military journal claims that North Korea is developing two new ballistic missiles, one of which has sufficient range to attack the island of Guam in the Pacific, a major US base.

As tensions in Korea increase over North Korea’s refusal to allow inspection of its nuclear facilities, the existence of the single stage TD-1 and two stage TD-2 missiles poses a new threat to the security of the area. According to Jane’s, the TD-1 can carry a one tonne warhead over a distance of 2000km, while the TD-2’s 32m length and 2. 4m diameter first stage indicate a range of up to 3500km. This is sufficient to strike targets well beyond the Korean Peninsula and into the Pacific. North Korea has also developed a missile similar to but larger than the Scud used by Iraq in the Gulf War. . It has a range of up to 1000km.

 Korean Tornado Deal Possible:

To meet a long standing need for a defence suppression aircraft, South Korea is reported to be prepar ing to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Germany for the supply of 24 second hand Tornado Electronic Combat Reconnaissance (ECM) aircraft.

South Korea has evaluated the F-4G Phantom “Wild Weasel’, the Grumman EA-6B Prowler and new Tornados to fill the ECM role, but ex German Tornados would be available at a much lower price. The Tornados are being withdrawn from German service to be mothballed and would have to be converted to ECM standards.

It is assumed any deal will include the supply of AGM-88 High Speed Anti Radiation Missiles (HARM) from the USA.

 Harpoon for F-16:

Final integration flight testing of the McDonnell Douglas Harpoon anti shipping missile aboard the Lockheed F-16 fighter is currently underway, with clearance for operational use expected to be given later this year.

The tests will verify integration of the Harpoon with the F-16’s avionics using a special interface adapter kit installed in the wing pylon. The aircraft’s mission computer software is modified to cater for the Harpoon as are the maritime detection and tracking modes of its radar.

There is a potentially lucrative mar ket for the Harpoon among F-16 operators, as of the 23 nations which have the missile in their armories, 13 also operate the aircraft. Several have already expressed an interest in adding Harpoon capability to their F-16s, while the current testing is believed to be taking place to meet the requirements of a specific customer.

 Jindivik Drones On:

Australla’s most successful indigenous aircraft design, the GAF/ASTA Jindivik pilotless target aircraft, is to return to production after a 12 year gap.

First flown in 1952 and subsequently built in large numbers (over 500) for Australia, Sweden, the USA and Britain, 18 additional Jindivik Mk. 4As have been ordered by the British Ministry of Defence for air-to-air and surface-to-air weapons training and evaluation. The contract is worth more than $35m.

Powered by a Rolls-Royce Viper tur bojet, the Jindivik has progressed a long way from the initial concept of a cheap, expendable drone with a life expectancy of barely 10 flights to the much more sophisticated current version which can simulate an aircraft or a sea skimming missile and be used time and time again. Some Jindiviks have recorded more than 300 flights.

Production will restart next year, ASTA building and testing the airframes at Avalon before delivering them to the UK MoD’s facility at Llanbedr in North Wales where rebuilt Viper engines from retired Jet Provosts and flight electronics will be fitted. The first of the new batch of Jindiviks will be completed in September 1996. GENERAL