iscover
Gulfstream is finding wider markets for its business jet family with five GIV-SPs currently being delivered to the US Navy, for a role not usually associated with Gulfstream jets, cargo carrying. Known as the C-20G, the Gulfstreams will be used as operations support aircraft and can seat 26 passengers or carry three cargo pallets, or a combination of freight and passengers. Other special government and military missions Gulfstream is pushing for its GIV-SP and forthcoming GV as presidential and head of state transports, secure communications suites, freight, special weather applications, photographic reconnaissance, medical evacuation, airways flight inspection, signals intelligence gathering, maritime patrol and also for search and rescue. (Gulfstream)
Newsdesk – Military Aviation
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Military
Russia Pushes Ahead With Military Aircraft Development:
Russia is continuing development of new military aircraftprogrammes despite dangerous shortfalls in funding, according to Jane’sDefence Weekly.Budget constraints are affecting all aircraft development, but regardless, development work on the Sukhoi T-60 bomber to replace the Su-24 Fencer, Tu-22 Blinder and Tu-16 Badger, and the proposed MiG 1-42 fighter contin ues. Details on both programmes are sketchy, although there have been reports that critical funding cuts have stopped development of the MiG’s engine, placing the whole programme in jeopardy.Sukhoi is also understood to have been chosen over Tupolev to develop the T-60, a supersonic strike aircraft.Construction is underway meanwhile of another Sukhoi strike aircraft product, the Su-27IB. The first production aircraft flew in December last year, with series production already underway. The Su-27IB is based on the Su-27 Flanker fighter, but differs in having side-by-side seating, small canards and the incorporation of stealth features and possibly the capability to fire rearwards AAMs.The designation Su-34 has been used to identify this aircraft, although it has not yet been officially adopted by the Russian air force.
C-130j For Raf?:
A British allparty House of Commons SelectCommittee for Defence has announced it considers the upgradedLockheed C-130J Hercules transportthe “most attractive option” to replace 30 of the RAF’s ageing C-130Ks, deliveries of which began 28 years ago.The proposed C-130J features Allison GMA2100 turboprops, six blade propellers and a modern two man ‘glass’ cockpit and its selection would alleviate an immediate problem facing the RAF, whose current Hercules fleet is suffering from fatigue, corrosion and general ageing with week to week availability running at only about 50%.The committee’s announcement has not pleased everyone. British Aerospace has been trying to convince the British Ministry of Defence to refurbish the existing RAF Hercules fleet of 60 aircraft with a view to later having a proper competition with the proposed European Future Large Aircraft (FLA), a larger capacity jet military transport. Although BAe is involved with the FLA project, the British government is not, having pulled out at a national level in 1989.BAe says a C-130J purchase by the RAF will kill off the FLA project, leaving the door open to US manufacturers to fill Europe’s large capacity military transport needs in the decades ahead. Lockheed says the two are compatible, a view supported by the Select Committee.
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