iscover
To make sure I always follow this formatting preference in our future chats, you can add this to your instructions for Gemini here. There, you can specify exactly how you'd like me to present information—for example, by requesting that I only use paragraphs and avoid bullet points or numbered lists. The US has given final approval for Australia to acquire ex-US Navy P-3B Orions for use as flightcrew trainers. Three such low-houred aircraft have been earmarked and are presently in storage at Davis-Monthan, while a fourth will be used for spares. The first aircraft will ferry into Edinburgh next February with the others following soon after. With their conversion to crew trainers and much corrosion work needing to be done, the entire project will cost $40m, but it will save much more than this as these three lightweight Orions (which will have their ASW gear removed) will take over the punishing circuit work presently performed by the P-3Cs. In addition, the P-3Bs will have a secondary role as backup freighters and support aircraft to the frontline Orions. Meanwhile, Project 5140 for the upgrading of Australia's Orion force proceeds apace, with the announcement of the winning tenderer expected during the life of this issue. The competing teams include E-Systems teamed with ASTA, AWADI, and Honeywell; Rockwell with Ferranti Computer Australia and ADI; and Martin Marietta with Qantas, Adacel, and Wormald. The $700m programme will see the first aircraft begin modification in late 1996 and the final rolled out five years later. The mods are expected to reduce the Orion's internal avionics weight by an impressive 1500kg, whilst also reducing heat output and maintenance man-hours. A new MAD system, revised EFIS cockpit, and a greatly improved sonics processor and ESM system will make our Orions the most capable maritime patrol platforms in service anywhere in the world. (Bill Lines)
Newsdesk – Military Aviation
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Ran Helo Ships Delayed:
Australia’s acquisition of two US Navy Newport Class tank landing ships has been delayed indefinitely owing to political problems within the US Government. RAN crews were already at the Little Creek Amphibious Base at Norfolk, Virginia in preparation for acceptance of the two ships in late June. Somewhat embarrassingly, news of the delay arrived precisely as the USN was due to hand over the two ships to the RAN at a public ceremony which was actually underway. The problem originates with the U Senate’s Armed Services Committee, headed by ex Marine Sam Nunn, which in a fit of pique stopped the sale at the last moment as it had not been officially informed in advance by the US Navy that the ships (including one to Spain) would be sold. Nunn believes that America is giving away too much high capability military hardware which in tum is eroding the US’s own defensive capabilities but also stopping potential sales of new hardware to long term client states. Australia’s ambassador to the US is meanwhile pursuing a solution to the impasse with senior US Government officials and DoD personnel. The Senate was due to resume after its (northern) summer recess in late July and it was hoped that a solution to the problem would be worked out at that time. Most insiders agree that the situation is largely a battle of egos and partisan inter theatre politics with Australia and Spain well and truly caught between a rock and a hard place To be named Kanimbla and Manoora, after two famous WW2 RAN troopships, the 8000 tonne vessels were originally due to arrive in Sydney in September where they would be modified for the troop support and helicopter ship role at ADl’s Garden Island facility. The two fairly modem ships would ultimately replace HMAS Jervis Bay and Tobruk which would be offered for sale.
Missile Decoy Contractfor Awa:
AWA Defence Industrieshas won a $23m contract to producethe first weapon system designed toentice incoming anti ship missilesaway from their targets. The Active Missile Decoy system has been jointly developed for more than a decade by Australia and the USA as Project Nulka and is designed to protect naval vessels from wave skimming missiles. The system is based on a hovering rocket concept originally conceived by the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO). The small decoys are fired from a number of launchers positioned around the ship. This contract covers Phase 1 of the programme which will see AWA in stall the system into one RAN frigate, develop and build a fire control system and assist with Acceptance Into Naval Service Trials. Phases 2 and 3 will ultimately see the system installed on the RAN’s five remaining frigates and all the ANZAC frigates.
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Look Before You Shoot:
The recent shooting down of two American helicopters by ‘friendly’ forces in Iraq has reinforced a belief that despite all the whiz-bang technology available, there is still no substitute for the good old ‘Mk.l Eyeball’ under many circumstances. There was a very close call in the southern Iraq no-fly zone last January when a USAF Boeing E-3 AWACS aircraft authorised two US Navy fighters to fire on a target. The pilots decided to visually identify the target just in case, and it turned out to be a Sudanese airliner. The bottom line is that all the sophisticated long range radar, infrared and other sensors in the world can produce ambiguous information. For example, a Lockheed C-5 Galaxy can often present a long range radar image which looks like three fighters in formation rather than a single large transport, with each wing and the tail registering separately One wonders if the helicopters tragedy could have been avoided if only someone had bothered to more carefully look out of the window …
Back To The Drawingboard:
We think we might havediscovered why the Eurofighter 2000’smaiden flight was delayed as long as itwas. According to the London Daily Telegraph: “Unlike any other RAF fighter, the aircraft is not designed to fly, but to make unnaturally tight turns to outfight any opponent … Not designed to fly, eh? Could this be the start of a new era in aviation technology –the non flying aeroplane? Think of the money which could be saved in development costs!
Times Have Changed:
SR-71 Blackbirds. The three aircraft are currently in service with NASA as test platforms
(pictured), but will return to limited USAF service. Previously in February this year the US
Department of Defense requested Lockheed to study the costs of reactivating three stored SR-71
Blackbirds. Lockheed found that such a move would cost $US79.8m, and it would take three to
six months to return the aircraft to service. That interest in the Blackbird was sparked by recent
high tensions with North Korea. The SR-71 could for example takeoff from Palmdale, in California, gain intelligence on all North Korean nuclear sites and land at Kadena in Japan in just five
hours. Unlike the previous study this new action involves NASA’s three aircraft, and not additional aircraft in storage
In aproposal which would have been regarded as laughably ridiculous justhalf a decade ago, NATO has suggested its Boeing E-3A Sentry AWACSaircraft and Russia’s equivalent, theIlyushin ‘Mainstay’, should be madeinteroperable. The basis behind the suggestion is that this would allow Russia to play a part in providing airborne warning and control services in United Nations crisis management operations such as those currently being conducted in Bosnia. At the moment, some 80% of NATO’s E-3 effort is flown in support of Bosnian operations with a roundthe-clock patrol over the Adriatic and daylight patrols over Hungary. NATO’s fleet of 18 E-3s are now subject to a seven year, $USlbn upgrade which will see them fully interoperable with the E-3s used by the USA, Britain and France. The aircraft is expected to remain in service until 2030.
More Israeli Tankers:
TheIsraeli Air Force is looking to obtainadditional tanker aircraft to supplement the three Boeing 707s and threeC-130 Hercules tankers it already hasin service. An undisclosed number of additional 707s are being sought to strengthen the IAF’s long range strike capability and to support its recently purchased F-151 Eagles. Negotiations are now underway with Israeli Aircraft Industries (IAI) for the purchase of tanker conversions. IAI has already developed a ‘combi’ 707 tanker with probe and drogue systems on the wingtips and a flying boom system on the fuselage. IAI was the international project leader in converting four RAAF 707s to tankers in recent years.
Vip 767s For Usaf?:
Boeinghas put a proposal to the US Air Forcethat it replace its fleet of seven elderlyBoeing VC-137 (707) VIP transportswith quieter and more fuel efficient767s. The VC-137s are used to carry the Vice President, cabinet members and official delegations on overseas trips but they do not comply with Stage 2 noise requirements – let alone Stage 3 – are maintenance intensive and their range of 3400nm (6300km) is considered inadequate in this day and age.
Upgraded Hawkeye Planned:
Northrop Grumman is planning an upgraded version of its E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft to counter threats predicted to emerge in the early years of the next century. The planned upgrade includes a smaller and increased performance mission computer, workstations in place of the current displays and control panels, a satellite communications capability and the integration of a cooperative engagement capability (CEC) suite. Provision for these new systems will be installed in all Hawkeyes purchased in Fiscal Year 1996 and upgraded hardware will be developed and installed in 1997. Initial operational capability is planned for 2000.
Fla Moves Ahead:
The European Future Large Aircraft (FLA) military transport project has taken a stepforward with France and Germany repeating their support of the aircraftand aiming to have it enter servicesometime during the next decade. Now a turboprop (rather than a jet), the FLA has a potential market of 300- 350 units to replace the C-130 Hercules, C-160 Transalls and Alenia G.222s currently serving with various European air forces. Britain is not officially involved in the programme at this stage, although British Aerospace is pushing very hard for the RAF to buy the FLA to replace its Hercules.
Centrespread
Despite four decades of constant frontline US Air Force service , the mighty Boeing 8-52 Stratofortress is still, alongside 95 Rockwell 8-1B Lancers, a key component of the USA’s long range bomber strike force. Between the B-52’s first flight on April 15 1952, and the present day, the US’s fleet of BUFfs (Big Ugly Fat Fellas) have had a long and distinguished career, both in war and peace. T he first 8-52 entered service with the Strategic Air Command in June 1955, and since then they have stood on nuclear alert through the darkest days of the cold war, served as a conventional bomber in both the Vietnam and Gulf War conflicts, and now serve in the standoff long range nuclear role. Total 8-52 procurement was 744 aircraft, but just 90 plus B-52Hs will remaln in service with air Combat Command throughout the remainder of the decade. Lockheed is marketing the latestC-130J Hercules just as hard. BAe has instigated an aggressive advertising campaign in favour of the FLA, emphasising the jobs and expertise which it says will be lost if the RAF order goes to Lockheed. “Put bluntly, it’s us or the USA”, says one of the ads.
Swords Into Playshares:
The former Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines will shortly take on a role of a different type following the agreement of the Holiday Inn hotel chain to build a 300 room hotel on the site and to develop it as a major resort. The Holiday Inn Group has entered into an agreement with Mondragon Leisure – holders of the lease on the site – which will see what was once the officers’ accommodation block transformed into a hotel. When completed, the resort will feature a 27 hole golf course, a casino (in the former Officers’ Club) gyms, restaurants and a golf driving range. Located 75km from Manila, Holiday Inn Resort Clark will be served by its own airport following upgrading of the existing runway and the establishment of appropriate facilities.
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