RNZAF renewal

As a consequence, the Orions have experienced a significant shift in focus, taking them into a highly complex overland surveillance mission, alongside their traditional maritime patrol and attack work. The is tasked to undertake a large range of missions for many different government agencies, including the New Zealand Defence Force, the Ministries of Fisheries and Conservation, New Zealand Police, New Zealand Customs Service, Maritime New Zealand and the National Rescue Co-ordination centre. As well as the missions already performed, such as Long Range Air Patrol, Search & Rescue, Maritime Patrol, Anti-submarine and Anti-Surface Warfare, the aircrafts’ new upgrades allow a sophisticated Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance capability. The Orion is set to become more of a valuable foreign policy tool than a mere maritime patrol platform.

The first aircraft, NZ4204, was sent to L-3 Communications in Texas in 2005 to become a prototype for the upgrades that the remainder of the fleet will undertake. The remaining five aircraft are to be brought up to P-3K2 standard by Safe Air at its Blenheim facility. Their first aircraft is nearly completed and will be delivered to the RNZAF shortly. The modifications made to the aircraft under the P-3K2 upgrade are extensive, totalling an investment of NZ$373 million, and will keep the Orion in service until at least 2025. Although externally similar in appearance to the legacy aircraft, the P-3K2 is packed with a plethora of new equipment. A Glass Cockpit is integrated to the new Universal Flight Management System and Electronic Flight Instrumentation Displays, as well as digital navigation radio aids and dual air data computers. A Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS 2000) is installed, along with two LN-100G INS/GPS guidance systems. The resulting reduction in workload will allow the aircrew to pay more attention to situational awareness and mission tasks.

The new radar, the Elta EL/M 2022A(V)3, which is capable of detecting small targets on the surface and in the air from a long-range stand off distance, is the same as is used on the RAAF’s AP-3C Orions. A true multi-mode radar, it includes many sophisticated modes for tracking and identifying targets in a maritime or overland surface environment. The radar is integrated with an APX-114 Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) interrogator. An improved Electro-Optic (OE) system, the Wescam MX-20, is mounted on a stabilized turret under the aircraft’s nose. This day/night capable imaging suite contains thermal and optical sensors providing long-range target identification. The new Electronic Surveillance capability is provided by the Rockwell Collins CS-3045, enabling it to search, identify, locate and record transmissions from a variety of sources.

A wide range of modern satellite and radio communications systems are distributed by an L-3 FORCE Intercom System, which enables the Orion’s crew to place each sound source into a ‘surround sound’ space, making the complex combination of internal and external communications easier to handle. In order to increase the aircraft’s interoperability with other nations’ defence forces, a LINK 16 Data-link is installed, which via a MIL-STD-1553B Data-buss is integrated into the central Data Management System (DMS). Controlled by distributed tactical crew workstations, known collectively as the Tactical Rail (Tacrail), the DMS fuses together the aircraft’s mission systems and sensors, allowing the passage of video, audio, still images and command and control information to other assets. Although the aircraft’s engines remain the same, their instrumentation is digitised to improve reliability and maintenance. The aircraft’s existing anti-submarine systems remain the same, though some have been digitised. The aircraft’s Magnetic Anomaly Detector (MAD) has been removed, although the distinctive ‘MAD-Boom’ at the rear of the aircraft remains in place.

There have been major advances in the ground support systems associated with the aircraft. A full motion Flight Training Simulator is under construction at Whenuapai airbase, along with a full simulator for the Tac Rail, enabling integrated ground based training for all the aircrafts crew in a realistic environment. A System Integration and Training Laboratory (SITL) will allow the RNZAF to develop its own software and system upgrades for the aircraft.

NZ4204 will now spend several months undergoing Operational Testing and Evaluation (OT&E) with No.5 Squadron, where the crews will ‘write the book’ on how to get the most out of the aircraft and its new capabilities once it is operational, and blaze the path that the remaining aircraft will follow over the years to come.

A109 LUH

During ceremonies held at Ohakea Airbase on 13th May, Prime Minister John Key opened the new No.3 Squadron hanger where the RNZAF formally accepted their new Light Utility Helicopters. The A109 LUH, built by AgustaWestland in Italy, represents a significant increase in technology, capability and efficiency, and is the first new operational aircraft that the Royal New Zealand Air Force has taken delivery of since 1970. Over the next few years, No.3 Squadron will transform the way it goes about its business as the RNZAF’s Rotary Wing Transport Force. For over 50 years, air force pilots have had their virgin helicopter experience on the single engine Bell B47G Sioux, remembered by many for its iconic use in the television series M*A*S*H. The Sioux has served with the RNZAF since 1968, and trained hundreds of aircrew for the UH-1H Iroquois, as well as the newer SH2G Super Seasprite for the Navy. While still adored by its pilots, the Sioux gained a reputation for being difficult to handle. A replacement for the RNZAF’s Sioux helicopters was needed to train pilots for the incoming NH-90 Medium Utility Helicopter, and in 2007, the Light Utility Helicopter version of the AgustaWestland A109 was chosen. To be known in RNZAF service as the ‘Mako’, this helicopter and has also been chosen by the armed forces of Australia, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, South Africa, Sweden and the US Coast Guard. Its civilian version, the A109 Power, has become extremely successful and widespread.

In a program is worth $141 million, including spares and extensive manufacturer’s support from prime contractor AgustaWestland, The RNZAF will receive five helicopters plus one attrition airframe at the new purpose-built facilities. They will enter Operational Testing and Evaluation (OT&E) with The Helicopter Transition Unit, which has been created as a form of risk management, learning from the experience of other defence forces, where it was found that trying to continue a capability output while introducing a new aircraft was fraught with dangers. Each new helicopter type will go through 16 months of OT&E, with a slow capability release over that period. Once the HTU has completed the transition No.3 Squadron will take over the new facilities entirely. The HTU allows the RNZAF to follow the ‘Crawl, Walk, Run’ principle, where they can test the new capabilities in a benign environment, without the pressure of operational tempo. The HTU are currently in possession of three of the flyable aircraft and the attrition airframe, which arrived as a completed aircraft and is being stripped down by HTU for spares since it’s much cheaper to buy an entire aircraft than it is to buy each part separately. Although the A109 is an extremely complex machine, it will be a much easier aircraft for the RNZAF to maintain than the Sioux, whose parts supply chain was getting difficult due to the airframes age. The A109 comes with an advanced Health and Usage Monitoring System (HUMS), which records automated diagnostics on the aircraft that the ground crew can download. The next airframe will arrive in June, with the final airframe due in September or October. The first of the new medium NH-90 Helicopters are expected to arrive at the end of this year.

The training experience for the new Pilots is going to be vastly improved with the A109. Students will pass from the CT-4 of the Central Flying School and King Air trainers of No.42 Squadron, to be streamed as per normal. From then on, however, things will be light years ahead of the old Sioux. With the addition of a full moving flight simulator, the pilots will already be able to fly the aircraft by the time they get to the real helicopter for the first time. They will also start training with a crewman in the back, who will be trained at the same time as the pilots. At least 50% of training hours will be on the simulator, which has state-of-the-art computer-generated motion and video, mimicking the surroundings of Ohakea, right down to the individual buildings and terrain.

The introduction of these new helicopters has been an international affair, with four pilots and two crewmen recently returning from training with the aircraft in Italy, developing the training scheme that will be implemented to pass pilots onto both the NH-90 and the Seasprite. Twelve RNZAF maintenance personnel have completed training in Italy, and are now at HTU to write the new training course. Also training overseas are two RNZAF pilots flying on exchange in Australia on their MRH-90, and a crewman on exchange in Germany flying on their NH-90’s. The first RNZAF NH90 pilots are due to return in July from France where they have been training. There is also currently a pilot from the German Army on exchange here in New Zealand flying UH-1 Iroquois.
The A109 is two generations younger that its predecessor, the B47 Sioux, and vastly more capable. It has a crew of three, a pilot, a co-pilot and one crewman, the same configuration as is used in the NH-90, which many of them will graduate onto. It can be fitted with a top of the line winch, as well as an SX-16 NightSun Searchlight. It boasts a modern glass cockpit, which is fully NVG compatible, and a 4-axis autopilot. The A109 LUH is powered by two Turbomeca Arrius 2K2 turboshaft engines, producing 607 shaft horse power (SHP) each, and are fitted with particle separators. The tricycle undercarriage is retractable, and the helicopter can mount a single 7.62mm MAG58 machine gun out of it left cabin door. The helicopter is fitted for, but not with, an Electro-optic sensor, and comes equipped with NVG navigation lights. 400kgs of equipment can be carried under slung from the helicopter.

A machine this capability would be wasted in a purely training role, so it is no surprise that the A109 has many operational Light Utility roles it will perform for the RNZAF. This two-tier helicopter fleet will allow the lower end of the NH-90 and UH-1 workload to be under taken by the A109, which is much cheaper to operate. The A109 LUH carries an advanced communications suite making it an efficient C3 (Command, Control, Communications) platform. The first conversion course to the NH-90 is expected to start in 2012.

By the time both new helicopters are in service there will be over 180 No.3 Squadron staff working at the new hangers, which employ a state of the art Fire Protection System, automatically dispenseing Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF). The system is designed to be very sensitive, and can deal to individual hanger areas while sealing off other areas from danger. The hangers are purpose-built for the new helicopter fleet, with individual access for each helicopter. The facility contains classrooms, briefing rooms, and a fully operational mission suite for classified briefing and command. With a footprint of 8500sqm, and a total floor area of 10700sqm, the new No.3 Squadron building made up $40 million of the total program costs, including the new hardstand areas, the simulator building and related support structures.

The Air Force has come a long way in the last year, with the first upgraded C-130H LEP Hercules, P-32K Orions, and AgustaWestland A109 LUH coming online, and the very capable NH-90 arriving later this year. The capabilities of these aircraft will be slowly released over the next few years as each type finishes OT&E and enters service. Once completed, this process will ensure the RNZAF will be able to lift, find, evacuate, carry, Para drop, torpedo, rescue, assault, attack and escort more effectively, and efficiently, than ever before.