At m os ats

Ai rc ra ft

MARCH 2014 Vol.86 No.3 4.50

For the best in modern military and commercial aviation

INTERNATIONAL

Lufthansa Remodels Big Orders, Big Jets, Big Changes

31st Marine Expeditionary Unit

Rapid Responders Aviation Safety

The Less Tangible Measures

Super Etendard EC175

All-weather Strike

Gains Certication

Taranis

The UKs Most Advanced Aircraft

www.airinternational.com

INTERNATIONAL

U nm an ne d

So la r-p ow er ed

Your favourite magazine is now available digitally. DOWNLOAD THE APP NOW FOR FREE.

FREE APP
with sample issue
IN APP ISSUES 3.99

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Going Dutch
DUTCH TACTICAL LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME MILITARY
An RNLAF F-16AM from Leeuwarden-based 322 Squadron takes off from Albacete for a TLP mission. Note the Flight Prole Recorder (FPR) mounted under the wing.
All images Kees van der Mark

Monthly 2.99 6 issues 19.99 12 issues 34.99

Kees van der Mark reports from Albacete air base in Spain on Dutch participation in the Tactical Leadership Programme

T
94
AI .03.14

he Tactical Leadership Programme (TLP) is the name given to a stand-alone organisation and facility run and financed by ten NATO nations including the Netherlands. Its current objectives are, to increase the

effectiveness of allied tactical air forces through the development of leadership skills, mission planning, briefing, tactical flying and debriefing skills, and conceptual and doctrinal initiatives. To meet the objectives, the TLP organises academic courses and conferences on air operations-related subjects, as well as flying courses. It moved from Florennes air base in Belgium to Base Area Los Llanos-Albacete in Spain in the

summer of 2009 (see TLP locations). Spanish Air Force Colonel Enrique Martnez Vallas took over as TLPs commanding officer in July 2012. Speaking about the flying courses, he said: We provide realistic training by flying a variety of mission types against real threats in composite air operations [COMAOs]. We also play a major role in the integration of new NATO members and prepare

in Spain
Partnership for Peace [PfP] nations for air operations in international coalitions. The CO emphasised that TLP is not a school: We are not that much focussed on performance of individual aircrews or their aircraft. What counts for us is matching of capabilities and the overall output of the participants as a group. Since different aircraft types are combined into packages on a daily basis during the missions, integration is the key word. That is why the capabilities and limitations of every participating platform are extensively briefed during the academic classes on the first two days of a flying course. We have the ability to organise six flying courses each year, although the current average is four as the result of decreasing demands mainly caused by the shrinking number of squadrons and budget restraints due to the economic crisis, explained Colonel Vallas. Up to 24 aircraft and aircrews participate in a four-week flying course, which consists of 50 hours of academics and 15 missions. Some missions focus on specific aspects like air defence, combat search and rescue (CSAR) or enforcing a no-fly zone. Missions are flown between 15:00 and 18:00 local time, while the courses in the autumn and winter usually see the
AI .03.14

SEARCH: AIR International

95

Read on your

iPhone & iPad

Android

PC & Mac

kindle re

Blackberry

Windows 8

ALSO

COMBAT AIRCRAFT

SEARCH Britain at War

with sample issue

SEARCH:

AVIATION NEWS

SEARCH

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD

FREE APP

FREE APP

with sample issue

IN APP ISSUES 3.99

IN APP ISSUES 3.99

NEW Aviation Specials App FREE DOWNLOAD

IN APP ISSUES

3.99

Simply download to purchase digital versions of your favourite aviation specials in Dont forget to register for your Pocketmags account. one handy place! Once you have This will protect your purchase in the event of a damaged or lost device. It will the app, you will be able to also allow you to view your purchases on multiple platforms. download new, out of print or archive specials PC, Mac & iTunes for less than the Windows 8 cover price!

Simply download the AIR International app and receive your sample issue completely free. Once you have the app, you will be able to download new or back issues (from January 2011 onwards) for less than newsstand price or, alternatively, subscribe to save even more!

How it Works.

Available on PC, Mac, Blackberry, Windows 8 and kindle fire from

Requirements for app: registered iTunes account on Apple iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4S, 5, iPod Touch or iPad 1, 2, 3 or 4. Internet connection required for initial download. Published by Key Publishing Ltd. The entire contents of these titles are copyright 2014. All rights reserved. App prices subject to change.
141/14

News

08BREAKING NEWS 14GENERAL NEWS

Kuwait has its rst C-17A Globemaster, BA ends Atlas Air 747-8F lease, the US Navy ies the second MQ-8C Fire Scout, Omans new F-16C Fighting Falcon takes to the skies while the UAE looks forward to a further 30 Desert Falcons, and the UK and France talk UCAVs.

New Hercules gunship ies, Rafale upgrades get the go-ahead, AW189 cleared for delivery, Citation Latitude begins taxi tests, RAF begins TriStar withdrawals, Saudi F-15SA Eagles y west for upgrades, and the Russian Navy plans land-based ghter units.

LEADING NEWS STORIES

04 TARANIS THE WOOMERA BOOMERANG
AIR International details the UKs Taranis technology UCAV demonstrator. fate of aircraft in the USAF inventory.

SUBSC RIBE TO AIR INTERN ATION AND M A AKE L GREAT SAVIN GS Se e p a ge

s 49 for d 48 and etails.

10 UK FAILS TO IMPRESS
Jon Lake assesses why the UAE said no to a British defence deal that included Typhoon ghters.

26 THREE FREE EA-18G GROWLERS

Rick Burgess presents the latest major stories from the US Navy.

FRONT COVER: This issues biggest feature is on Lufthansa. Ismael Jorda/AirTeamImages LEFT INSET: US Navy MIDDLE INSET: Airbus Helicopters RIGHT INSET: BAE Systems

18 TESTING TIMES
David Isby reviews the content of this years US Operational Test and Evaluation report.

36 ALIGNED TO KEEP YOU FLYING

Mark Broadbent reviews a new aero engine maintenance service proposed by Rolls-Royce.

22 UNWANTED AIRCRAFT
Robert F Dorr outlines the

40 EUROCOPTER
AIR International reports from the annual Eurocopter media brieng in Paris.

18

Features
KEEPING SCORE: LUFTHANSA GROUP 50 REMODELS

72RAPID RESPONDERS

Chris Kjelgaard nds out about SCORE, Lufthansas biggest-ever restructuring programme.

Nigel Pittaway visits the US Marine Corps 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit in Australia. Mark Broadbent discovers how the National Grid operates a Bell 429 to check power lines.

MIRAGES IN EUROPE 88DESERT

60

The Super tendard is still providing the Aronavale with valuable capabilities. Jan Kraak tells the story. Sociologist Dr Simon Bennett describes the less tangible measures of safety in aviation.

TENDARD EXCELLENCE

78THE FLYING LINESMEN

AMERICAS SKY TANKERS 84SOUTH

Kirk Paloulian attended the rst exercise between the Hellenic and Qatar Emiri Air Forces and their Mirage 2000s.

90POWERED BY THE SUN

Kees van der Mark proles Dutch participation in the Tactical Leadership Programme.

An American company is building unmanned solar-powered aircraft with the potential to remain airborne for years, as Mark Broadbent discovered.
Lockheed Martin

68CULTIVATING SAFETY
Editor Mark Ayton airint@keypublishing.com
Sub Editors Sue Blunt, Carol Randall

Srgio Santana reviews the current status and future trends of the tanker eets operated by South American air forces.

94GOING DUTCH IN SPAIN

Advertisement Manager Ian Maxwell ian.maxwell@keypublishing.com
Postmaster send address corrections to: AIR International, Key Publishing Ltd, C/o Mail Right International Inc. 1637 Stelton Road B4, Piscataway NJ 08854

News Editor David Willis airnews@keypublishing.com

Marketing Assistants Shaun Binnington & Jessica Jagger Commercial Director Ann Saundry Managing Director & Publisher Adrian Cox Executive Chairman Richard Cox
ISSN 0306-5634
is published monthly by:

Editors Secretary Julie Lawson julie.lawson@keypublishing.com

part of it may be reproduced in any form or stored on any form of retrieval system without the prior permission of the publisher. All items submitted for publication are subject to our terms and conditions, which are regularly updated without prior notice and are freely available from Key Publishing Ltd or downloadable from www.keypublishing.com Distribution by Seymour Distribution Ltd T. +44 (0)020 7429 4000 Printed in England by Warners

Designer Dave Robinson

Production Manager Janet Watkins Production Controller Danielle Tempest Subscriptions/ Mail Order Manager Roz Cond Marketing Manager Martin Steele

Key Publishing Ltd,

PO Box 100, Stamford, Lincs, PE9 1XQ, UK T +44 (0)1780 755131 F +44 (0)1780 757261 The entire contents of AIR International is copyright, and no

Midlands PLC. Please refer to main Subscriptions Advertisement within the magazine or Email: subs@ keypublishing.com T +44 (0)1780 480404 F +44 (0)1780 757812 Readers in USA may place subscriptions by telephone toll-free 800-676-4049. Air International is distributed in the USA by Mail Right Int., 1637 Stelton Road B4, Piscataway, NJ 08854. Periodicals Postage Paid at Piscataway, NJ and additional mailing ofces

We are unable to guarantee the bonades of any of our advertisers. Readers are strongly recommended to take their own precautions before parting with any information or item of value, including, but not limited to, money, manuscripts, photographs or personal information in response to any advertisements within this publication.

NEWS REPORT

Taranis
Taranis ZZ250 airborne over the Woomera test range in South Australia.

N
4
AI .03.14

Neville Beckett and AIR Internationals Mark Ayton report on the UKs Taranis UCAV technology demonstrator
o other UK aircraft programme is subject to such tight security as the BAE Systems Taranis unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) technology demonstrator and all because of the low observable (LO) technology used on the aircraft. During a joint BAE Systems-Ministry of Defence briefing in London on February 5, Philip Dunne, Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology explained the nature of the Taranis programme: The reason that it [Taranis] is highly classified is because it improves [the] technological advantage that this country wants to keep control of and not reveal to others that may find potential weaknesses and flaws in the system that could undermine its effectiveness. Artists impressions, models, images, and distant head-on views of the actual aircraft have been carefully presented to hide aspects of the design. Those related to LO, the exhaust nozzle and aerodynamic control surfaces arrangement were regarded as especially sensitive. On two occasions when the aircraft has been in public view at Warton, on the radar cross-section measurement range and when performing taxi trials, special measures were taken to make it difficult for photographs to be taken from public places. And if any pictures were taken, measures were put in place to ensure they were not published. To the best knowledge of the authors this was successful. However, video and images released at the London briefing on February 5 provide confirmation of previous analysis of Taranis by AIR International and allows assessment of features that had been kept under wraps. No information on air vehicle performance, speed, range, altitude or payload has been forthcoming and has led to misleading reporting by some parts of the media. Even the location of the flight trials has not been officially acknowledged. During the media briefing, AIR Internationals editor asked Air Vice Marshal Sue Gray, Director of Combat Air in DE&S why the test location was deemed so sensitive. We dont want people pitching up to have a look. These days reporters can get anywhere. We wish to conduct our testing and maintain security of the technical innovation that is on Taranis and at this point it is not for disclosure. The UK has a technological advantage here. From an industrial perspective we dont want to share that. All previous first flights and flight trials of

BAE Systems unmanned air vehicles have taken place at the Woomera Prohibited Area in South Australia (see Woomera Prohibited Area). Given the location and size of the test range, the explanation given by AVM Gray does seem a little implausible.

Taranis in Depth
The configuration of Taranis was determined by the low observable design aims to avoid detection by radar and infrared (IR) systems. Its fundamental features are the clean blended wing and body, which exclude radar returns due to a lack of fins and a tail plane. Similarly, the highly swept wing, swept leading and trailing edge alignment of the planform, control surfaces, access panels and doors, internal stores carriage, special external coating, and not least a propulsion system that incorporates novel features from intake to exhaust are all design aspects that help to exclude radar returns. The wing, with a sharp leading edge and sweep of approximately 60, eliminates potential large spiky radar returns which are normal to a leading edge over a very wide, 300, critical frontal detection aspect. The greatest contributor of an aircrafts frontal radar cross-sectional (RCS) signature, and the one capable of swamping all other returns, is that created by the intake and engine face.

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

NEWS REPORT

The Woomera Boomerang

TARANIS HISTORY
December 17, 2003 First ight of the BAE Systems Raven was used to prove novel aerodynamic ight control and autonomous operation. December 2005 Defence Industrial Strategy programme announced by the government to ensure the UK has the technology to go it alone on military UAVs. July 2006 Taranis technology demonstrator programme was announced at the Farnborough Airshow at a cost of 125 million, with rst ight scheduled for 2011. December 2008 Taranis assembly commenced. July 12, 2010 A supercially complete airframe was rolledout to the media at Warton. March-May 2012 Clandestine radar cross-section testing conducted on the outdoor range at Warton, mostly at night due to the sensitivity of the aircrafts design. June 19, 2012 Taranis was placed on display during a media event at Warton. The aircraft was about to start extensive ground testing, including the rst engine run and pre-ight preparation. April-May 2013 Low-speed taxi trials were undertaken at Warton. May 18, 2013 Taranis technology demonstrator ZZ250 transported to Woomera onboard RAF C-17A ZZ173 from Warton. July 2013 High-speed taxi trials held at Woomera. August 10, 2013 The rst ight took place at 8.09am and lasted approximately 15 minutes. August 17, 2013 Second ight involved the retraction of the undercarriage for the rst time while airborne. October 2013 MoD conrmed the rst ight had taken place and trials were continuing. February 5, 2014 BAE Systems announced the cost of the programme to date as 185 million.

The dorsal positioning of the intake on Taranis is favourable, providing some shielding from surface-to-air threats bearing in mind that current delivery of precision-guided bombs is from medium altitude. Its highly raked intake, positioned well forward is conducive to achieving a long low RCS installation. Radar absorbent material (RAM) treatments and/or radar blocker devices may be incorporated. Similarities between Europes nEUROn UCAV and Taranis cannot be ignored, since both use the Rolls-Royce Adour turbofan engine and are about the same size. The striking feature of nEUROn is its so-called S shaped (in elevation) intake duct, which could

WOOMERA PROHIBITED AREA

The Woomera Prohibited Area (WPA) is a unique military test range covering nearly 124,000km2 (47,875 square miles) in northwest South Australia, approximately 450km (280 miles) north-northwest of Adelaide. It is the largest land range in the world, comparable in size to England, with a centre line of over 600km (370 miles). The WPA has been declared a Prohibited Area under the Defence Force Regulations and is used for the testing of war material under the control of the Royal Australian Air Force. The Director Woomera Test Range has authority, on behalf of the Australian Government, to control access to the WPA.

well be incorporated in Taranis. The duct curves down from the intake and then curves back up to the engine face. The optimum positioning of RAM specifically designed for such geometries would be extremely effective. A further significant feature on Taranis is the absence of a boundary layer diverter, the latter being a problematic area for achieving minimal RCS. The sharp-lipped triangular intake form, possibly a compromise between internal aerodynamic performance and low RCS, and the complete intake duct have been the subject of full-scale signature reduction using the BAE Systems Nightjar UCAV test body on the Warton range. Taranis is powered by a single Adour engine as used by the Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer, the most powerful version of which is the Mk951 rated at 6,500lb (28.9kN) thrust. Although not confirmed as the specific version for Taranis, the Mk951 incorporates Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC), ideal for integration with the vehicles flight control system. The letterbox shape of the propulsion nozzle blends well with the overall configuration and offers reduced rearaspect RCS, probably with a bendy duct, that primarily minimises IR returns from hot engine parts and exhaust plume: the latter by mixing external air and hot exhaust gases. A complete propulsion rig was tested at Rolls-

Royces Bristol facility. In side elevation Taranis presents a somewhat tubby profile due to the high dorsal intake and deep lower body, whilst head-on, the significant depth and especially width of the lower fuselage is apparent. This stems from its major systems; engine, main undercarriage, two weapons bays, airframe and mission systems and fuel tanks all of which need to be positioned close to the aircrafts centre of gravity and within its relatively short body. Its easy to see how the bendy ducts could be readily integrated within this rotund body.

Paul Ridgway

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

AI .03.14

NEWS REPORT

Two weapons bays are located, one on either side of the large central ventral access door or panel, within the wide under body a logical layout for a single-engine configuration. Each bay appears to have been sized to carry a single store from the UKs current inventory, such as the 10ft 2in (3.1m) long, 500lb (227kg) Paveway IV laser/ GPS-guided bomb. Leading and trailing edge alignment is incorporated on the weapon bay doors for RCS reduction. Further access is provided by large hinged doors either side of the lower front fuselage and one mid-way on top of the body. A nose boom with conventional air data sensors was fitted for early flight trials a flight regime in which a minimal RCS is of no consequence. This was not present during RCS testing and a follow-on operational aircraft would need low RCS sensors. Two small air inlets on the upper surface are evident in the images released by BAE Systems, shown to be open on the ground and in low-speed flight, and perhaps are related to cooling or just possibly auxiliary air intakes. Clearly these would not be open in the low RCS flight regime. A truly pragmatic approach to reduce the cost of this one-off demonstrator appears to have been adopted for the Taranis undercarriage, the principal elements having been adapted from the Saab JAS 39 Gripen and the Hawk. Although previously described by this author (see Taranis, August 2012 p42-43) the aerodynamic control surface arrangement has been illustrated for the first time in the newly released images. Upper and lower surface drag spoilers on the outer wing, operating differentially port and starboard, control yaw on this finless/rudderless configuration. Due to aerodynamic subtleties these are not fully closed flush in flight. Large-span trailing edge elevons provide pitch and roll control. Edge alignment and detail edge and junction shaping minimise RCS penalties. On the ground and without power these surfaces relax and give Taranis a distinctly droopy appearance. Proving this form of aerodynamic control was a prime purpose of the BAE Systems Raven demonstrator first flown in December 2003.

being similar in size to a Hawk trainer aircraft, which is 39ft (11.9m) long with a 31ft (9.5m) wingspan. But these are just comparisons, and all other specifications remain undisclosed: the author estimates the weight to be approximately 17,640lb (8 tonnes). Taranis has erroneously been reported as supersonic, and its payload and radius of action (ROA) are clearly not compatible with intercontinental strike, as some media sources seem to believe, or worse still, may have been led to believe. Taranis is a one-off technology demonstrator, described by Nigel Whitehead, Group Managing Director of BAE Systems, as a chosen configuration to demonstrate the technology, not the specific range and payload of a future operational UCAV. During the media briefing in February

Whitehead added a little more detail: Taranis has integrated world-leading stealth technologies, propulsion systems and nextgeneration mission systems, all of which have direct relevance in the next generation of military air system capabilities. The aircraft is designed to demonstrate our ability to create a system capable of undertaking sustained surveillance, marking targets, gathering intelligence in various ways and carrying out strikes in hostile territories.

Confusion Persists
Confusion over the capabilities of Taranis continues within some sections of the media, which seem unable to appreciate its size. BAE Systems has officially listed Taranis as

Flight Test Objectives

AIR Internationals editor asked Tom Fillingham, BAE Systems Director of Future Combat Air Systems about the primary objective for the flight test programme.

Our main focus was to get through the first flight process and then to develop the mission systems and the aerodynamic understanding of the aircraft. We had recorded a huge amount of wind tunnel, modelling and simulator data to underpin and score the certification that allowed us to feel comfortable to conduct the first flight, and we have subsequently built on that with real flight data. The results have been so promising they have allowed us to do more than anticipated. I asked for a more defined objective, Tom Fillingham replied: I cant comment on any of the technical details because of the limitations Im under. The UK MoD is very restrictive in allowing BAE Systems to discuss any real detail about Taranis fearing from a military perspective that the technology used on it could be communicated in an incorrect way that would disadvantage the UK in the future. I was also interested to hear that consideration was being given to allowing a production UCAV, designed to meet the needs of the UK Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme, to fly in UK airspace. We are working with the Civil Aviation Authority and the Military Aviation Authority on our ability to fly large UCAVs within UK airspace. We have a view on how we might operate these vehicles in the UK in a safe way in the future and thats the debate we are having at the moment, he said. Fillingham confirmed details of what will happen next: Its an active programme and we are in the middle of phase two right now and hope to go into phase three later this year. That depends entirely on how the testing goes. Because of the high-risk nature of some of the tests, we want to take each phase as it comes. As we reach a point of maturity in the aircrafts development we will jointly decide with the MoD what we do next. When asked what the military objective is for funding the Taranis technology demonstrator Air Vice Marshal Sue Gray, told AIR International: To demonstrate whether industry, and the MoD to a certain extent, could develop the technology so that the UKs FCAS has the ability to progress to a [seriesproduction] prototype. During a summit in London on January 31, UK Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Franois Hollande announced a two-year unmanned systems feasibility study that will further develop the FCAS requirement. I asked AVM Gray if she could outline what the role and requirements of FCAS are. Not

AI .03.14

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

NEWS REPORT
in detail but you could view it as a replacement for Typhoon, so a next-generation combat air system, elements of which may be manned, and other elements maybe unmanned. We are developing the technology to allow us to do either. For us its about the requirement: the ability to put an aircraft into a hostile environment without placing a pilots life at risk. So its got to be able to get to the target, defend itself and do everything similar to our current combat aircraft, she said.

Flying Taranis
Also at the media briefing was BAE Systems test pilot Bob Fraser who discussed aspects of flying Taranis. When we hit the take-off, it thundered down the runway, crisply rotated at the point we hoped it would, climbed away and accelerated even better than we had hoped better than our simulation. The crew of the chase aeroplane [a Hawk flying in loose formation] told us it was rock steady and was easy to formate with. Speed control was good, it rolled crisply into turns, rolled out of turns, there was no undue pitching moment, no over control, and it followed the predetermined route [a series of navigational points] that we had rehearsed. We also did some aerodynamic testing around the route. It came down the slope on a standard approach and touched down where we had hoped, de-rotated, braked and slowed down. It was almost routine. When asked to reveal what altitude had been attained on the first flight, BAE Systems Taranis spokesperson Adam Morrison stepped in: No we cant do that, he said assertively. I then asked Bob Fraser about the distance flown from the ground control station (GCS). Im limited in what I can say about that as well, he replied. We are operating in the visual line of sight control regime. People think you can still see it. You cant, its a straight-line radio signal link. I lost sight of Taranis through a pair of binoculars. Fraser also confirmed that there are currently no plans to go to a beyond line of sight control regime using a satellite link. Nigel Whitehead confirmed a few facts: flights of up to one hour in duration had been completed, at various altitudes and speeds, and said all planned test points had been achieved with a substantial amount of flight data captured: an invaluable resource in terms of future development. leading edge sweep to be used, without unduly compromising frontal aspect RCS. From this it follows that a higher aspect ratio is possible for improved aerodynamic efficiency, ie a higher lift/drag ratio. A new optimum powerplant and refined propulsion installation should also be available. Improved payload/range for a given vehicle size could thus be achieved. A notional payload and ROA for a long-range land-based UCAV could be 2,000lb (907kg), comprising four Paveway IV or two Paveway II bombs, with an ROA of 1,000nm (1,850km). However this desirable strike capability would require an all-up weight around two to three times that of Taranis. The Northrop X-47B is indicative of such advanced designs. The introduction into service of a stealthy UCAV is a new challenge for UK industry and its MoD customer that will require as much effort as recent combat aircraft programmes. An initial operational capability earlier than 2030 seems unlikely.

Beyond Taranis
Advances in LO technology permit a lower wing

Top: Loading on to an RAF C-17A ZZ173 at Warton on May 18, 2013. All images BAE Systems Opposite top left: A clear side-view shot of the Taranis UCAV technical demonstrator at Warton. Opposite top right: Top down view of Taranis airborne over the Woomera test range with its distinctive red earth. Opposite top middle: Air-to-air shot of Taranis ZZ250 showing the design form of the fuselage, wings and nozzle. Opposite middle bottom: Taranis with the landing gear doors open. Opposite bottom: Taranis with the landing gear in retraction.

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

AI .03.14

Breaking News

Kuwaiti Globemaster Delivered

NEWS BY NUMBERS

Boeing C-17A Globemaster III KAF342 (b/n F-264/KAF-1, ex 13-0001) was delivered to the Kuwait Air Force on February 13. It is about to touch down at Long Beach, California, at the end of its second test sortie on February 5, having completed its maiden ight on January 31. It arrived at RAF Mildenahll, Suffolk, on February 18 on its delivery ight. Kuwait ordered two of the transports through Foreign Military Sales channels, with notication of the rst on September 10, 2010 (see One C-17A Sought by Kuwait, November 2010, p27) and the second on April 16, 2013 (see One Additional C-17A Sought by Kuwait, July 2013, p21). A total of 260 C-17As have been delivered to eight customers. Damon J Duran

ADDITIONAL 747-8F FOR CARGOLUX

Cargolux Airlines has ordered a single Boeing 747-8F freighter. Boeing announced the $357.4 million at list-price deal on February 14 and the aircraft is the 14th of its type for the cargo carrier. Nine have been handed over to Cargolux.

12

UPGRADED ORLIKS
Polands Ministry of Defence is looking to upgrade 12 PZL Warszawa-Oke cie PZL-130 Turbo Orlik TC-I turboprop trainers with a glass cockpit. A study was launched by the Armament Inspectorate to investigate adding a glass cockpit and hands-on throttle and stick controls to the aircraft to make them more compatible with the Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 52+ Fighting Falcons own by the Sily Powietrzne Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej (Polish Air Force). An autopilot, modern communications and propeller blades tted with an anti-icing system are also required. A logistical package for 20 years is also sought. Interested parties were required to submit responses by the end of January, with selected companies to be invited to participate in technical discussions with the ministry. The upgrades are due to be completed by 2018. Poland currently has 12 Turbo Orlik TC-Is and 16 TC-IIs tted with Garmin avionics.

BA to End Atlas 747-8 Freighter Lease

British Airways has terminated its cargo aircraft lease agreement with Atlas Air after its parent company the International Airlines Group (IAG) signed a long-term capacity purchase agreement with Qatar Airways Cargo. The decision means that the three BA World Cargo-branded Boeing 747-8Fs, currently operated from London Stansted by Atlas Airs Global Supply Systems (GSS) subsidiary, will be returned. They have operated from the Essex airport since 2011 on an ACMI (aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance) basis. The Atlas Air lease agreement ends on April 30. From May 1, BA World Cargo ights will be provided by Qatar Airways Cargo, which will operate ve Boeing 777F services per week between London and Hong Kong. This will maintain the LondonHong Kong route that the 747-8Fs serve from Stansted. The IAG said growing cargo capacity in the passenger aircraft of British Airways

and fellow IAG Group airline Iberia was another factor in the decision. The move by IAG brings to an end a 12-year relationship with Atlas Air, which through GSS has been operating BA-branded 747 freighters from Stansted since June 2002. Atlas Air said it intends to nd new ACMI customers for the three 7478Fs once the contract with British Airways ends. The carrier operates another six 747-8Fs besides the trio based at Stansted. Mark Broadbent

Portuguese F-16AMs at TLP 2014-1

F-16A MLU Fighting Falcon 15106 was one of the Portuguese Fighting Falcons that deployed to Albacete AB in Spain for TLP 2014-1. Roberto Yez

Fora Area Portuguesa (FAP, Portuguese Air Force) F-16AM Fighting Falcons from 301 Esquadra took part in the rst Tactical Leadership Programme (TLP) ying course of 2014. It was the rst time the service has participated in the exercise since it moved to Albacete AB in Spain, and only the second time overall, having previously taken part in 2008 at Florennes AB in Belgium.

The latest detachment was supported by two 501 Esquadra Lockheed C-130H-30 Hercules transports and involved ve ghters and 39 military personnel under the command of Captain Jos Tavares. The course ran between January 13 and February 7. Other countries participating in TLP 2014-1 were France with Dassault Mirage 2000Ds, Mirage F1CRs and Alpha Jet Es; Italy with Panavia Tornado

IDS/ECRs, Euroghter Typhoons and Alenia AMXs; Spain with EF-18M Hornets and Typhoons; Germany with Tornado IDSs, the United States with F-15C/D Eagles and the Netherlands with F-16AMs. Meanwhile, handover of the Portuguese Fighting Falcons recently sold to Romania for 78 million is scheduled for 20162017 (further to Romania Acquiring Portuguese F-16s, June 2013, p6).

The deal includes pilot training and logistic support. The two Portuguese F-16 Esquadras will y around 3,000 ight hours/year, a decline from the annual average of approximately 5,000. The number of pilots available has decreased as well, just 32 instead of the normal compliment of 39. After the sale of the 12 F-16s to Romania, the FAP will have around 30 aircraft in service. Roberto Yez

AI .03.14

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

Breaking News

Second MQ-8C Fire Scout Flies

Taking to the air for the rst time on February 12 was the second Northrop Grumman MQ-8C Fire Scout (BuNo 168456/VX) vertical take-off and landing tactical unmanned air vehicle. The test ight was conducted at Naval Base Ventura County at Point Mugu, California. The rst MQ-8C completed its initial ight in October 2013 (see MQ-8C Fire Scout Begins Flight Trials, December 2013, p28) and had own 41 times accumulating 66 hours by the time the second had own. Shipboard trials of the type will start later this year. Northrop Grumman

UK and France Deepen UCAV Co-operation

The UK and French governments are to jointly study a Future Combat Air System (FCAS) unmanned combat air vehicle. The agreement was announced as part of a package of co-operative initiatives in the defence arena unveiled at RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, by Prime Minister David Cameron, and the French President Franois Hollande on January 31. The 120 million two-year feasibility study will see BAE Systems, Dassault and partner companies Rolls-Royce, Safran and Selex work closely together. A memorandum of understanding is likely to be signed at the Farnborough International Airshow in the summer. The companies also collaborated during a previous Demonstration Programme Preparation Phase contract for the FCAS, when BAE and Dassault shared information about their respective Taranis and nEUROn UCAV technology demonstrators. When the latest feasibility study ends in 2016, a decision will be made on whether to collaborate on a demonstration and manufacturing phase. Chief executive at BAE, Ian King, said: Together with Dassault we welcome the further support from our governments for our joint work in developing this important defence capability, given the strong research and development investment and progress in technology that has already been made. Separately, BAE and the Ministry of Defence have released more information about the Taranis (see p4 in this issue). Anglo-French cooperation on a future UCAV stems from the Lancaster House Treaties signed on November 2, 2010, between the two governments, which deepened defence ties between the nations. Mark Broadbent

Additional Desert Falcons on Order

Thirty Lockheed Martin F-16E/F Block 61 Desert Falcons are to be delivered to the United Arab Emirates. Negotiations for a direct commercial sale of the aircraft were confirmed by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which notified congress on January 23 of a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) for a support package for the fighters. The $270 million FMS covered supply of equipment, parts, training and logistics for the existing Block 60s as well as the Block 61s. The Block 61 is a version of the Block 60 with updated systems. A total of 55 F-16Es and 25 F-16Fs were originally delivered from 2004, followed by a single F-16E attrition replacement in June 2011.

New Omani Fighting Falcon Airborne

Air Nostrums New Colours

Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 50 Fighting Falcon 830 lands after its rst ight at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, on January 14. Michael Keaveney

Bombardier CRJ-900ER EC-JZS (c/n 15111, ex C-FLMK) is the rst of Spanish regional airliner Air Nostrum to appear in Grupo Iberia colours. The aircraft is seen on approach to Palma de Mallorca Airport on February 15. Javier Rodrguez

Flight testing of the rst of the second batch of Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 50 Fighting Falcons for the Royal Air Force of Oman is under way. The rst aircraft (single-seater 830) completed its maiden ight on January 14 at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas. Oman has ten F-16Cs and two F-16Ds on order under a Foreign Military Sales programme signed with the manufacturer on December

14, 2011 (see Additional Fighting Falcons for Oman, February 2012, p24). Deliveries are expected to begin in the second half of this year and continue to the end of November 2016. Oman received its rst batch of eight F-16Cs and four F-16Ds from 2005 under the Peace Asama Asaya (Clear Skies) programme and they will be upgraded as part of the latest deal. The additional aircraft will be used to equip a second squadron.

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

AI .03.14

NEWS REPORT

The UK Fails

O
10
AI .03.14

Jon Lake assesses why the government of the United Arab Emirates said no to a British defence deal that included Typhoon ghters
left the way clear for a great deal of speculation, rumour and conflicting reports as to exactly what went wrong. Losing the opportunity to sell 60 advanced but as yet undeveloped versions of the Typhoon to an important ally of the UK came as a bitter blow to BAE Systems and its government supporters. When I recently interviewed Philip Hammond, the UK Secretary of State for Defence, he told me that the UAEs decision was disappointing news but also stressed he was gratified to have had confirmation that the aircraft had met all of the UAEs requirements.

n December 19, 2013, BAE Systems announced that the government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had advised that it had elected not to proceed with BAE and UK Government proposals to supply a range of defence and security capabilities to the Emirates, including (but not limited to) the sale of some 60 Eurofighter Typhoons for the UAE Air Force (UAEAF). It was estimated the deal would have been worth around 6 billion. AIR International understands that this decision was not communicated in writing, and that little explanation had been offered. This has understandably

Background
The effort to sell Typhoons to the UAE began in about 1995, though for many years the UAE favoured the French Dassault Rafale, which many believed was a shoo-in to meet

the Emirati future fighter requirement. All of this changed in November 2011, when the UAE broke off negotiations with Dassault. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of the UAE Armed Forces, released a withering statement to the official Emirates news agency condemning Dassault for seeming to be unaware that all the diplomatic and political will in the world cannot overcome uncompetitive and unworkable commercial terms. It was then that the UAE opened up the competition to the Typhoon, the F-15 Eagle and the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, issuing requests for quotations. The Typhoon was soon reported to have become the UAEs favoured choice, especially after BAE Systems responded to Emirati requests for major changes to the aircraft and set out an ambitious capability insertion programme.

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

NEWS REPORT

s to Impress
The technical bid was backed by a sustained diplomatic effort in which the British Government increasingly pulled out all the stops to support the Typhoon campaign. This included two visits to the UAE by Prime Minister David Cameron (who has prioritised the revival of Britains historic relationship with the Gulf), some 230 by British ministers, dozens by a host of high-ranking RAF officers and even a state visit by the Queen. This was backed up by policy decisions, including an agreement to waive visas for UAE citizens visiting Britain from January 1, 2014. But the more direct defence diplomacy effort has been less impressive and, it would seem, less successful. The UK failed to establish the kind of close relationships that the French have in the region. There is also little reason for Britains allies to assume the UK would provide the kind of close and over-arching support that the UAE and Qatar experienced from the French during the NATOs Operation Unified Protector against Libya in 2011. By late 2013 and immediately prior to the Dubai Airshow the Typhoon bid seemed to be a done deal, not merely the Emiratis favoured choice, waiting only for the contract to be signed. Many associated with the Typhoon programme thought the campaign had succeeded and an order was virtually inevitable. Sources close to the UAEAF reported that at a tactical level squadron pilots and middleranking staff officers were convinced (and happy) they would be getting the Typhoon. Some had even been provisionally assigned to an initial Typhoon conversion training course and the executives for the first squadron had reportedly been nominated. AIR International also understands that the UAE was even promoting its standard of aircraft to other Gulf Co-operation Council nations, since the agreement with BAE Systems provided for a royalty payment to the UAE if anyone else bought a similar standard of aircraft. This demonstrated the UAEs belief that the aircraft met its challenging operational capability and timeline to the full, and those of neighbouring nations, and it was confident the capabilities it required would be delivered in time to meet the agreed timescales. This represented a real and much-needed vote of confidence in the credibility of the Typhoon future capability roadmap a credibility that had hitherto been very sorely lacking. BAEs Chief Executive Ian King said in August 2013 that winning the UAE deal could be a major game changer for the company and, following the failure in India, it was clear the UAE was not only number one on the list of Typhoon export targets, but one that was confidently expected to be achievable. But some were less sanguine about the
Paul Ridgway

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

AI .03.14

11

NEWS REPORT

Why did the UAE say no?

Senior BAE Systems and UK Government sources said the UAE decision had been made on commercial grounds. Ian King said the UAE had pulled out after concluding that the deal could not be made within its budget and the required time scale. Remarks like these led parts of the UK media to conclude that the deal had floundered because the Eurofighter Typhoon was too expensive, or unlikely to meet UAE requirements within the required timescales. Predictable judgements given the aircrafts protracted development and capability insertion programme, and by some reports its programme costs too. Official sources, however, contradict these views. At the Dubai Air Show a very senior UAEAF officer told me that he was content with the Typhoons price and capability, and by the autumn of 2013 Eurofighter, BAE Systems and government sources were unanimous in claiming that the Typhoons price and specification had been accepted by the UAEAF. By early November, City of London sources involved in financing the Typhoon component of the UK package said that everything was in place and an order was imminent though this was not expected to happen before the Dubai show. A failure on commercial grounds could simply indicate that the customer asked for a price reduction at the eleventh hour. One source told AIR International that this was exactly what happened, adding that BAE Systems had been unable to improve its offer on the spur of the moment and asked the UAE to defer its decision into the New Year, which the UAE declined. If this is the case, one could perhaps expect talks to resume, with the failure to call BAEs bluff. It may even be that the commercial failure was nothing to do with the price of the aircraft. It may have been connected with the way in which payments were scheduled, or about the possibility of paying in part with oil or other commodities, rather than with cash. The Typhoon deal was part of a much wider package including co-operation on a new MALE (medium altitude long endurance) UAV and other unmanned systems as well as a complex web of indirect and direct offsets, local industrial participation and transfer of technology and IP. The failure may have been due to any (or a combination

Typhoons prospects. At the Dubai Airshow David Cameron was overheard telling the RAF Typhoon display pilot: I will try my hardest to sell this aircraft [to the UAE] but it wont be easy. And while many journalists sniffed the possibility of a Typhoon deal being inked at Dubai, the best informed and those with more local knowledge were much more cautious. They predicted at best the signing of a broader (and non-committal) defence agreement between Britain and the UAE which might serve as a roadmap towards an eventual Typhoon deal. The Emirati decision to abandon negotiations clearly came as a surprise to the UK Government and BAE Systems: both expected the Emirati decision to slide from December into January or February. This would have given the IP [intellectual property], offset and industrial co-operation offer time to mature and for some clarity to emerge on the Emiratis expectations when it came to an agreement on unmanned aerial systems (UASs).

Is that it?
There is much confusion as to whether the UAEs decision is final, or whether Typhoon will still have an opportunity in the Emirates in the future. Hammond was dismissive of any future prospects for the Typhoon in the UAE: Never, say never, but at this point the negotiation is closed. He added that the Typhoon deal had been part of a package that was no longer under discussion. Ian King, BAEs CEO, agreed, subsequently describing the negotiation as done and adding that the company had no plans to revive it. Seasoned observers of the military aerospace market contrasted the UAEs understated and gentle disengagement

from the Typhoon deal with the somewhat harsher public rejection that it delivered to Dassault when the Rafale was dropped from the UAE fighter competition in November 2011. BAE Systems initially stated that its relations with the UAE remained entirely amicable and that it was ready to work with the UAE to address any future requirements. The prospects of a deal have not entirely evaporated and the UAE could return to the table as it did with Dassault only months after an apparently final rejection of the Rafale. BAE Systems Chairman Dick Olver expressed his confidence in BAEs future prospects in the UAE, saying: What we were talking about just wasnt going to work at this moment in time, so well continue talking with them. Any resumption of talks about Typhoon would seem unlikely to happen until ongoing talks with Boeing about the F-15 Strike Eagle and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet (which recommenced once the Typhoon had been ruled out) are concluded. Nor should Dassaults Rafale be dismissed from contention. The French enjoy the unique advantage of being able and willing to transfer critical mission data the software that is the key to an aircrafts radar, electronic warfare suite, and system performance. Dassaults competitors simply cannot offer this and the French fighter manufacturer could realistically buy back the Emiratis Mirage 2000s (though this proved a stumbling block during previous Franco-Emirati negotiations). Moreover, in its F3R configuration, the French fighter is an extremely impressive aircraft. A fact demonstrated by the types combat performance in Libya and, more recently, Mali. Unsurprisingly, the French have not given up on the UAE fighter programme. There has been intensive high level lobbying by the Hollande Government as well as revised proposals from Dassault.

12

AI .03.14

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

NEWS REPORT
of several) of these elements, and entirely unrelated to the Typhoon itself. The aircraft price was perfectly OK for the Emiratis, one very senior programme insider told me, but the whole package was too expensive because of the costs of the industrial participation and unmanned air system offerings. Defense News (citing industry sources) reported that offsets and technology transfer were said to have been unresolved by the time the negotiations were abandoned. AIR International understands that details of the required IP transfer, local industrial participation and Anglo-Emirati defence collaboration (including UK assistance in marketing Emirati defence equipment in Europe) also remained unclear and insubstantial. A deal on UAS co-operation was widely believed to be the most important element in the proposed Anglo-Emirati deal. Many analysts were convinced that the choice of fighter aircraft was always secondary (in Emirati minds, at least) to getting the right partner for co-operation on future unmanned systems. If this was the case, then it is by no means impossible that the UAE abandoned the proposed deal because it concluded that the UK MoD and BAE Systems were not the right partners for the UAEs own future unmanned aspirations. These include the development of a MALE unmanned aerial vehicle. There have been criticisms that the credibility of UK future UAS programmes is somewhat compromised by the lack of future funding, the absence of real requirement documents, and the demonstrably slow progress on Taranis. Additionally, on December 17, 2013, even as the Emiratis were reaching their final decision, the UK MoD scored a spectacular own goal in a press release that emphasised the government does not export unmanned aerial systems. Philip Hammond told me that the dealbreaker had been the commercial structure of the deal in particular dealing with the Mirage fighter aircraft the UAE has. The UAEAF had always hoped its Mirage 2000-9s (the most modern and capable versions of the type in service) would be bought back for subsequent resale by whoever supplied the Emirates with a new fighter. This was never something anyone other than the French could realistically undertake, however, since resale for anything other than scrap would require the support, and therefore co-operation, of Dassault. The problems could, of course, have been political rather than commercial. There have been suggestions that the UAEAF may have reconsidered the benefits of entering into a wider defence treaty with the UK in the light of what was perceived to be its vacillating and weak position on Syria. This played very badly in the Middle East, and was interpreted by many as reflecting Londons unwillingness to use force in the Middle East, which made the UK an uncertain ally. Alternatively, the reason the UAE backed off may have nothing to do with what the British have, or have not, done. The UAEs recent accommodation with Iran has reduced tensions in the Gulf, which could easily be rekindled by any major weapons procurement. It may also have afforded the UAE a breathing space, perhaps giving time for the Emiratis to see whether the United States will make the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter available to Gulf Cooperation Council allies in the medium term, although this would seem unlikely. Certainly the UAEAF has no urgent need to acquire a new fighter, and has long been planning to recapitalise its F-16 fleet as well as replacing its Mirages. In April 2013, US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel announced that the UAE would obtain 25 more F-16s, and unspecified standoff weapons. This led to an October 2013 Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notification covering the possible supply of 300 AGM-84 SLAM-ER missiles, 1,200 AGM-154C Joint Stand-Off Weapons and 5,000 GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs for the UAEs F-16 fleet. On January 23, 2014 the DSCA notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale to the UAE for equipment in support of a direct commercial sale of F-16 Block 61 aircraft and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support. The UAE has requested a possible sale of equipment in support of its commercial purchase of 30 F-16 Block 61 aircraft and to support the upgrade of its existing F-16 Block 60 aircraft. The Block 61 is understood to be a newbuild variant of the Block 60 that includes minor modifications to address diminishing manufacturing source and obsolescence issues. The existing F-16s would likely be upgraded to the same standard. The final proposed standard incorporated further avionics and software improvements and conformal fuel tanks added to the twoseat version. The Emiratis also required a significant training package and plans were already under way to establish a UAEAF training squadron in the UK, in addition to the RAFs existing Typhoon units. This would have used the RAFs older Tranche 1 aircraft that are otherwise slated for withdrawal later this decade.

The Consequences of Failure

Ian King claimed that the failure in the UAE would not hurt the Typhoons future as there is no other nation as demanding as the UAE and no other aircraft will go beyond what we could offer. Such optimism from BAEs CEO may be just what is required to calm a jittery financial market, but the claim bears little scrutiny. An order from the UAEAF (together with new orders anticipated from Saudi Arabia), could have helped to extend Typhoon production by four years to 2022, safeguarding thousands of UK jobs. Failure in the UAEAF competition amounts to a great deal more than simply losing 60 potential production slots. BAE Systems and the other Eurofighter partner companies have lost their largest and most promising potential export customer. This could perhaps influence other potential customers. The UAEAF fighter requirement would have provided a desperately needed impetus to further develop the Typhoon and the failure to secure an Emirati order could impede the timescale (at least) of future capability enhancements. A UAEAF order would also have produced a Typhoon variant with a spectrum of capabilities that finally matched, or exceed, those of the rival Dassault Rafale including a true standoff strike capability and AESA radar. Such a variant could be of huge interest to a number of existing and potential customers, not least Malaysia and even India if its medium multi-role combat aircraft competition is re-opened. Without the UAE deal there is a real risk that the Typhoon programme will atrophy, as funding for future capabilities once more slows to a trickle. BAE Systems insisted that a UAEAF order had been an exciting prospect but not part of its business plan, and claimed an Emirati order had not been factored into its financial projections. Despite this attempt at reassurance, BAE Systems share price dropped by 4% when trading began on December 20, 2013 (the biggest drop in more than a year), in response to the news. There may also be consequences for the UAE. The more the nation pulls out of major defence deals at the last moment, the more difficult it will be to convince manufacturers and countries to consider engaging with it. Producing responses to a request for information and a request for proposal is costly and time consuming. The December announcement on the Typhoon was at least the second time in three years that the UAE had walked away from an apparently done deal. By conducting defence procurement in such a manner, the Emiratis could easily make a name for themselves as being a nation where the cost of doing business is prohibitive and the chances of being messed about are unacceptably high.

Capability
Meeting Emirati technical requirements was particularly challenging: what BAE Systems Ian King called exacting and very specific. While the UAEAF evaluation of the Typhoon was exhaustive and extremely in-depth, impressing all of those who witnessed it. Following evaluation the UAEAF issued a list of 50 required changes. Some were already in train under the existing Typhoon future capability roadmap, but would need to be brought forward, while others required new work. The Emiratis had to be convinced that all changes could be made within the required timescale and senior UAEAF officers confirmed to AIR International that this was the case. Details of the planned specification subsequently emerged. The UAEAF would have received an entirely new variant of the Typhoon: the most advanced version of the type in service anywhere, with deep strike and tactical air-to-surface (including anti-armour and littoral anti-ship) capabilities. AIR International understands the plan involved delivery of 60 Typhoons between 2018 and 2022 in three progressively advanced standards, based on a spiral development programme. The first incorporated baseline standard AESA (active electronically-scanned array) radar, conformal fuel tanks, 2,000lb GBU-24 Paveway III laser-guided bombs and Storm Shadow (or Black Shaheen) conventionallyarmed stand-off missiles. The second comprised follow-on standard AESA radar (equivalent to the RAFs radar 1 or radar 2+) with some electronic attack capability and service entry planned for 2020.

Paul Ridgway

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

AI .03.14

13

UK

Reds Get the Middle Age Blues

By the end of January at least four British Aerospace Hawk T1/T1As of the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team The Red Arrows had received blue tails. The aircrafts ns are being painted at RAF Cranwell, Lincolnshire, as part of a scheme to mark the teams 50th anniversary during 2014. The exact nature of the full colours that will be applied has not been revealed, although it is understood that additional markings will be added just before the team begins its display season. The Hawks that have been noted so far with blue tails are XX227, XX245 (seen here), XX264 and XX311. Nial Hill

VOYAGERS DELIVERED TO RAF BRIZE NORTON

NEWS BY NUMBERS

Airbus A330 Voyager KC3 ZZ337 (msn 1390, ex G-VYGH) arrived at RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, on January 29. The aircraft is the seventh Voyager to be delivered to the RAF as part of AirTankers Future Strategic Transport Aircraft contract. It rst ew following conversion from a green airframe on January 14, 2013. A pair of two-point Voyager KC2 tankers and four KC3s with wing and rear-fuselage refuelling units have been handed over for RAF use, while an additional KC3 on the civil aircraft register is retained by AirTanker. Two additional Voyagers will be delivered to the base by the middle of the year.

ACO Glider Training Gathered Under No.2 FTS

No.2 Flying Training School (FTS) was reformed on January 31 at RAF Syerston, Nottinghamshire, to control the Air Cadet Organisations (ACO) glider operations. It will oversee the gliding training programme for up to 45,000 teenage air cadets with approximately 1,000 Air Training Corps squadrons and 203 Combined Cadet Force Sections in schools across the UK. Training will be undertaken at the 25 volunteer gliding schools equipped with Grob Viking T1 gliders and Grob Vigilant T1 powered gliders. No.2 FTS is commanded by Group Captain John Middleton, the rst full-time reserve service ofcer

TriStar Drawdown Gathers Pace...

The rst Lockheed TriStar, KC1 ZD952, has arrived at Cotswold Airport, Gloucestershire, the former RAF Kemble. It is depicted on February 8, ve days after its nal ight in RAF service. Gary Morris

at that rank in a ying command appointment. He earlier controlled the north region of the Air Training Corps. Responsibility for the ACOs glider operations previously rested with No.3 FTS within No.22 (Training) Group. No.2 FTS last existed as the RAF rotary-wing training unit at RAF Shawbury, Shropshire, before disbanding on March 30, 1997. RAF Syerston is also home to the Air Cadet Central Gliding School, part of the Central Flying School, responsible for glider instructor standards, and 644 Volunteer Gliding School, which is subordinate to No.2 FTS.

Final Combat Missions for The Dambusters Tornados

No.II(AC) Squadron from RAF Marham, Norfolk, assumed responsibility for manning the RAFs Tornado GR4 detachment at Kandahar, Afghanistan, on February 1. The unit took over from No.617 Squadron The Dambusters, with Squadron Leader Mark Jackson leading the nal combat ight by the unit in Afghanistan the previous day. During the deployment, the Tornados ew 188 missions, accumulating more than 1,500 ight hours, requiring 11,352 engineering man hours. The Dambusters is due to disband on April 1 at RAF Lossiemouth, Morayshire, concluding its time ying the Tornado (see Two Tornado GR4 Squadrons to Disband, September 2013, p8). Under current plans the squadron is due to reform in 2018 as the RAFs rst Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II unit. This deployment is the third time No.II(AC) Squadron has supported Operation Herrick; it also replaced No.617 Squadron at Kandahar in August 2012 (see No.II(AC) Squadron Replace The Dambusters at Kandahar, September 2012, p6). Around 110 men and women are involved in the latest tour.

Withdrawal of the RAFs Lockheed TriStar tanker transport eet has begun, prior to its ofcial out of service date on March 31. TriStar KC1 ZD952 (c/n 1168, ex G-BFCE) arrived at Cotswold Airport, Gloucestershire, on February 3 after leaving service with No.216 Squadron at RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire. The tanker transport will be stored at the airport by Air Salvage International, which is understood to have the contract to dispose of the RAFs remaining TriStar eet. Two other RAF TriStar airframes (K1 ZD949, c/n 1159, ex G-BFCB and C2A ZE706 c/n 1177, ex N503PA) are currently extant at Marshall Airport, Cambridgeshire. Both have been used as a source of spares for the active

aircraft, but are due to be scrapped by Skyline Aero in April. Six aircraft remain active with No.216 Squadron, comprising KC1s ZD948 (c/n 1157, ex G-BFCA), ZD950 (c/n 1164, ex G-BFCC), ZD953 (c/n 1174, ex G-BFCF); K1 ZD951 (c/n 1165, ex G-BFCD); and C2s ZE704 (c/n 1186, ex N508PA) and ZE705 (c/n 1188, ex N509PA). The nal ight by the type in support of the air bridge between the UK and Afghanistan as part of Operation Herrick was undertaken on January 30. A TriStar ew from RAF Brize Norton to 906 Expeditionary Air Wings air mobility hub at Al Minhad AB in the United Arab Emirates, before returning with personnel travelling from Afghanistan.

...as No.216 Squadron Marks 30 Years of TriStar Operations

Lockheed TriStar K1 ZD951 (c/n 1165, ex G-BFCD) has received a large representation of No.216 Squadrons emblem and titles on its tail-mounted engine nacelle, recalling 30 years operating the tanker transport. The aircraft is seen departing its home base at RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, on January 18 at the start of its ight to Nellis AFB, Nevada, shepherding four No.IX(B) Squadron Tornado GR4s to take part in a Red Flag exercise. No.216 Squadron reformed on the TriStar in November 1984. Charles Cuncliffe

14

AI .03.14

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

Europe

Rafales on the USS Harry S Truman

Two Dassault Rafale Ms carried out cross-landings onboard the aircraft carrier USS Harry S Truman (CVN 75) on January 13. The aircraft (19 and 37) ew over from the Charles de Gaulle (R91), part of French Task Force 473, while both warships were operating in the Arabian Gulf. Rafale 19 is seen about to be launched from the US carrier. Mass Communication Specialist 2nd
Class Tyler Caswell/US Navy

Peace Eagle Delivered

The Trk Hava Kuvvetleri (Turkish Air Force) recently took delivery of the first Boeing 737-7ES Peace Eagle airborne early warning and control aircraft. The handover at Konya AB, where the fleet will be based, was announced

by the Turkish defence agency, the Undersecretariat for Defence Industries, on January 31. Two further Peace Eagles will be delivered later this year and the final aircraft will enter service in 2015.

Spain Rotates MPA Crews in Djibouti

Rafale Upgrade Funded

Dassault has received an 810 million contract to develop the F3R standard for the Rafale multirole ghter. Details of the award by the Direction Gnrale de lArmement (DGA the French military procurement agency) were announced on December 30, 2013, and conrmed during a visit to the assembly line at BordeauxMrignac by the French defence minister, Jean-Yves le Drain, on January 10. The F3R builds upon the F3 standard already implemented on the Rafale fleet and an already funded 200 million risk reduction programme for the upgrade. It will enable the MBDA Meteor long-range air-toair missile to be integrated on the aircraft, as well as the laserhoming Sagem AAGM-HAMMER (Armement Air-Sol ModulaireHighly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range) air-to-ground weapon. AAGM-HAMMER was used operationally by Rafales over Mali, although the weapon had not been fully integrated with the aircraft. The Thales Pod de Dsignation Laser de Nouvelle Gnration (PDL-NG, New Generation Laser Designation Pod) will be added, while the Rafales sensors and systems will be upgraded. Design and test work will be undertaken at Dassaults Bordeaux-Mrignac facility. The Rafale F3R programme is scheduled to complete ight tests and be ready for approval by the DGA by 2018. At that point production would switch to the F3R standard and then work can start upgrading existing Rafales.
David Willis and David C Isby

Two Airbus Military CN235M VIGMAs form the backdrop for this group of Spanish Air Force personnel during the recent hand-over of the deployment at Djibouti. EU NAVFOR

The Ejrcito del Aires (Spanish Air Forces) maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) crews in Djibouti were rotated on January 23. Spain deploys Lockheed P-3M Orions and Airbus Military CN235M VIGMAs (VIGilancia Martima maritime vigilance) to the base to support the European Union Naval Forces Operation Atalanta, which aims to counter piracy around the Horn of Africa. Personnel are usually based at Djibouti for two months, although it can be longer. The latest, 33rd detachment, comprises 44 personnel, including aircrew and maintenance technicians. During the previous detachment, from the Spanish Air

Forces Wing 48 based at Palma de Mallorca, 25 sorties were own totalling 200 ight hours. The outgoing crew can be proud of the tremendous job they achieved in their four months in [the] area of operation. I am sure I can count on the new personnel to take on the duty with the same excellent standards, said EU Naval Force commander, Rear Admiral Herv Bljan. Spain has continually deployed maritime patrol aircraft in Djibouti on counter-piracy operations since January 2009. Its Orion detachment has own more than 5,000 hours for Operation Atalanta. Guy Martin

Slovenian Airspace to be Guarded by Hungarian Gripens

Hungarys Saab JAS 39C/D Gripen ghters will become responsible for policing Slovenias airspace as part of NATO air defences. An agreement was signed by the two countries defence ministers, Csaba Hende of Hungary and Roman Jakic of Slovenia, at Kecskemt AB on January 17. Both national parliaments need to ratify the deal before it can be implemented. Hungary will share air policing responsibilities over Slovenia with Italy, which has carried out the mission since Slovenia joined NATO in 2004.

It is also planning to join NATOs Baltic Air Policing mission in 2015, for which it will have to deploy four Gripens to Lithuania while still protecting its own and Slovenian airspace. David C Isby

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

AI .03.14

15

Europe

Typhoon Flown With Taurus KEPD 350 Missiles

SPANISH HARRIERS TO BE WITHDRAWN

NEWS BY NUMBERS

Euroghter Typhoon Instrumented Production Aircraft 7 (98+07, b/n GS029) completed its rst ight carrying a pair of Taurus KEPD 350 stand-off precision weapons on January 15 from Manching in Germany. Euroghter project pilot Chris Worning ew the aircraft as part of the integration tests for the MBDA Storm Shadow long-range air-to-surface missile the KEPD 350 being aerodynamically similar to the other weapon. During the ight utter tests, an air data large store interference assessment and aerodynamic data was gathered. Andreas Zeitler

Four Arma Area de la Armada (Spanish Naval Air Arm) Boeing AV-8Bs, partially upgraded to Harrier II Plus standard, are being withdrawn from service. Although the aircraft have not been tted with the AN/APG-65 radar used by the Spanish Navys other Harrier II Plus aircraft, they were modernised by EADS under a 11.4 million upgrade contract signed in 2008 that included installing new engines. Unless a buyer can be found, the four withdrawn aircraft will be scrapped and used for spare parts. It will leave the Spanish Navy with 12 updated operational Harrier II Plus jets and one training aircraft, which are due to remain in service until 2020.
David C Isby

Cyprus Approves Russian Aireld Use

The Cyprus cabinet has approved a draft proposal by the defence ministry to allow the VoyennoVozdushniye Sily (Russian Air Force) access to the Andreas Papandreou military aireld adjacent to Paphos International Airport. Approval of the draft was granted on January 9, permitting the Cypriot defence ministry to start negotiations with Russia on the basing agreement. A nal concord would include the right to land and station military aircraft for humanitarian reasons and emergency situations at the base. David C Isby

United Nations Transalls

3,000

ATLANTIQUE FLIGHT HOURS ON OPRATION SERVAL

Aronautique Navale (French Navy) Dassault Atlantique 2 maritime patrol aircraft had logged 3,000 combat hours supporting Opration Serval in Mali by January 11. At the height of operations, six aircraft were deployed to Lopold Sdar Senghor International Airport outside Dakar in Senegal. Several aircraft were modied to carry up to four GBU-12 laser-guided bombs, allowing them to attack targets designated by ground troops, ghter-bombers or unmanned air vehicles. By mid-February a single Atlantique 2 was deployed to Diori Hamani International in Niamey, Niger. David C Isby

Luftwaffe Transall C160D 50+61 (c/n D83) of Lufttransportgeschwader 63 (Air Transport Group 63) was one of two noted at Bamako-Snou International Airport in Mali on January 27. The transports are supporting the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali and are equipped with the Erweitertem Selbstschutz (ESS - extended self-protection) systems under the wings and on the forward fuselage. Benot Denet

Drawdown of French Assets in Mali Reprieve for

Polish Fitters
Poland will retain its Sukhoi Su-22 Fitters in service for between three and ten years. Two squadrons of the Sily Powietrzne Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej (Polish Air Force) currently have 32 Su-22M-4K Fitter-K and Su-22UM-3K Fitter-G operational trainers, which were due to be retired in 2015. Defence Minister Tomasz Siemoniak announced the decision during a visit to the 21st Tactical air base in Swidwin on February 12. A decision will be taken in mid-March about how long the aircraft will remain in service. Poland had planned to replace the Su-22 eet with unmanned combat air vehicles and a squadron of manned multi-role jet aircraft. The Su-22s will be overhauled to extend their life by a quarter to 4,000 ight hours and minor avionic upgrades implemented to enable the ground attack aircraft to remain in service.

Arme de lair (French Air Force) Airbus A340-211 F-RAJA (msn 075, ex OE-LAG) of Escadron de transport ET 03/060 Esterel at Bamako-Snou International Airport in Mali on January 27. The aircraft has helped maintain the air bridge between France and the African nation. Benot Denet

France has reduced the number of aircraft deployed to Mali as part of Opration Serval. In December and January, four Aerospatiale SA342 Gazelles and two Airbus Helicopters EC665 Tigres were own back to France aboard a chartered Antonov An-124, leaving one Tigre, two Gazelles and six SA330 Pumas in the country. In

December 2013 France redeployed three Dassault Mirage 2000Ds and a Boeing C-135FR Stratotanker from Bamako-Snou International Airport in Mali, to NDjamena in Chad. Three Dassault Rafales and two C-135FRs are based at NDjamena in support of French operations in Chad, Mali and the Central African Republic. France has

also deployed a number of aircraft to the Central African Republic, including three SA330Ba Pumas formerly based in Gabon, and two AS555AN Fennecs. One of the Fennecs was red upon by a low calibre weapon on January 10. Although the helicopter was hit, the pilots were uninjured and landed safely. Guy Martin

16

AI .03.14

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

IL-476S TO BE DELIVERED IN 2014

NEWS BY NUMBERS

Russia & CIS

Two Ilyushin Il-476 (Il-76MD90A) Candid transports are to be delivered to the VoyennoVozdushniye Sily (Russian Air Force) in 2014. The prototype completed its maiden ight on January 29, 2013 and is currently being modied after joint state tests. A total of 39 are due in Russian service by 2020.
David C Isby

RUSSIAN SU-27M3S DEPLOY TO BELARUS

Four Voyenno-Vozdushniye Sily (Russian Air Force) Sukhoi Su-27M2 Flanker ghters, and associated technical support personnel, deployed to Belaruss 61st Air Base at Baranovichi on December 8, 2013. All of the pilots deployed are qualied as Pilot First Class and they had begun a quick reaction alert with the Flankers by December 16. The air base is located in the Brest Region of Belarus, some 40km (25 miles) from Lithuania to the north and 140km (87 miles) to the east of Poland. The initial deployment is due to be reinforced by 2015 when a full regiment will be based at Lida, Hrodna Voblast, making use of existing facilities, it was revealed in 2013. Belarus has also reconsidered its plans to retire its own Su-27s, which have been out of service since December 7, 2012. On January 25, Sergei Hurulev, Chairman of the State Military-Industrial Committee of Belarus, announced that the Su-27s will be repaired and upgraded prior to re-entering service. David C Isby

Grey Flanker-B
Sukhoi Su-27UB RF-92431/10 (red) landing at Khotilovo in Tver Oblast. It is understood to be the sole Flanker-B with a grey scheme serving with the Voyenno-Vozdushniye Sily (Russian Air Force). The aircraft was noted in early 2013 at Pushkin, St Petersburg, with the 20th Aviatsionnyy Remont Zavod (Aviation Repair Plant). Sergy Alexandrov

Return of Shorebased Naval Fighter Units

The Russian Navys shore-based ghter units, with combat traditions going back to World War One, are to be returned to service, it was announced on January 17. Currently the only Russian Navy ghter unit is the 279th Otdelnyy Korabelnyy Istrebitelnyy Aviatsionnyy Polk (Independent Shipborne Fighter Aviation Regiment) based at Severomorsk-3 in Murmansk Oblast, and assigned to the Northern Fleet. It operates Mikoyan MiG-29K/KUB Fulcrum-Ds, Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot-B/Ds and Su-33 Flanker-D ghters deployed on the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov. The current plan is for the navy to operate 50 Sukhoi Su-30SM ghters and ten Yakovlev Yak-130 trainers from shore bases. Contracts for the rst ve of each type were placed in December 2013 and initial deliveries are scheduled to take place before the end of 2015. While the bases for the new units have not ofcially been identied, reports in the Russian media state that the rst will be stationed in Kamchatka Krai in the far east. David C Isby

Kazakhstans Taldykorgan air base reopened in January, having been closed since April 2013. The runway was resurfaced and improved lighting installed to enable ight operations in bad weather. While the work was undertaken,

Kazakh Air Base Reopens

the aircraft operated by Military Unit 21751, comprising Mikoyan MiG27 Flogger-J variants and Sukhoi Su-27M2/UB/UBM2 Flanker-A/Cs, were temporary based at Zhetygen, but they are now due to return to Taldykorgan. David C Isby

New Russian Transport Regiment

The Russian Air Force has organised a new, separate, combined transport regiment at Koltsovo Airport near Yekaterinburg in the Urals, from the aviation group based there. It has been assigned Antonov An12, An-26, Ilyushin Il-18, Tupolev Tu-134 and Tu-154 aircraft and Mil Mi-8 helicopters. David C Isby

12

SU-35S FOR DZEMGI

The 12 Sukhoi Su-35 ghters due to be delivered to the VoyennoVozdushniye Sily (Russian Air Force) in 2014 will be stationed at Dzemgi air base in Khabarovsk Krai. It also houses the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Production Association (KnAAPO) facility, where the ghters are built. The KnAAPO delivered 12 Su-35s to the Russian Air Force in 2013, on top of ten in previous years. The 14 due to be delivered in 2015 will full the current order for 48. David C Isby

New Display Team Planned

A new air display team using Yakovlev Yak-130 advanced trainers is due to be formed. The aircraft will be own by instructors from the 786th Air Force Training Centre based at the Borisoglebsk ight school in the Voronezh Oblast. The team is due to lead the May 9 Victory Day parade ypast over Moscow this year. The rst three Yak-130s were delivered to Borisoglebsk on October 5, 2013. During 2014 a further 13 will be handed over, completing the current order for 55. David C Isby

Modernised Foxhound at Khotilovo

Upgraded Mikoyan MiG-31BM Foxhound 51 (red), of the 7000th Aviation Base, landing at Khotilovo in late January. The MiG-31BM upgrade adds an air-toground capability to the interceptor, as well as improving its performance in its primary role. The device above the rear cockpit provides forward visibility for the weapon systems operator while landing. Sergy Alexandrov

New Bomber to Fly in 2019

Lieutenant General Anatoly Zhikarev, commander of the VoyennoVozdushniye Silys (Russian Air Force) Dalnyaya Aviatsiya (DA, Long Range Aviation), said a new Tupolev subsonic bomber design would y in 2019 and enter service in 2025. He was speaking during the celebrations marking the 99th anniversary of Russian bomber operations. Tupolev has been working on the new bombers since 2009, and development was approved in March 2013. Other speeches during the event stated that the Tupolev Tu-95MS Bear-H bomber will be kept ying until 2040 following planned upgrades, and that the long-delayed Tupolev Tu-22M3 Backre-B modernisation programme will start in 2014. David C Isby

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

AI .03.14

17

NEWS REPORT

David Isby reviews the content of this years US Department of Defenses Directorate of Operational Test and Evaluation report

Testing T

E
18
AI .03.14

F-35C CF-08 is the rst carrier variant of the Joint Strike Fighter to be assigned to the Joint Operational Test Team based at Edwards Air Force Base. Lockheed Martin

very year, in January, the US Department of Defenses Directorate of Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) is required to submit its annual report of the previous fiscal years (FY) operational testing to Congress. The report is an unclassified document available on the Internet (http://www.dote.osd.mil/ annual-report/index.html). Summaries of its contents are reported by newspapers and specialist journals worldwide, which tend to emphasise those programmes where the report identified significant shortfalls. Aircraft programmes attract particular attention

because theyre among the most expensive and long-running. Each annual DOT&E report is viewed warily by the contractor that designed and built the aircraft and the services that developed and tested the aircraft and defined the requirements it has to meet to be considered operational. The Joint Resources Oversight Council (JROC) that validated the requirements and the Combatant Commanders, who need to incorporate new aircraft into planning and provide for its support before it finally arrives in theatre, are other stakeholders who take a keen interest. The reporting requirement reflects Congress concerns over preventing ineffective testing. But the primary responsibility for evaluating an aircraft or

other systems lies not with DOT&E, but with its programme manager (PM). The PM does not work directly for the Department of Defense, but rather for one of the three US services that, by law, develop military aircraft. The PM uses the resources of the service to prepare and execute the aircrafts Test and Evaluation Master Plan (TEMP) and carry out programmatic development and initial operational testing and evaluation (IOT&E), while DOT&E provides independent and impartial oversight through operational testing.

F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

There has never been an aircraft as expensive and complex as the F-35, nor one involving as many international partners. This has made oversight of the programme

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

Times

NEWS REPORT

particularly challenging, especially in its earlier years when the F-35 seemed to be constantly getting heavier and more expensive. Today, with the F-35 approaching initial operational capability (IOC), and the death spiral of cutting production quantities and increasing unit costs so far prevented, the latest DOT&E report focuses primarily on software, which had already been identified by the F-35 PM, Lieutenant General Christopher Bogdan, as the programmes key unresolved issue. There is an awful lot of software on this programme. It scares the heck out of me, he said during a speech at an Air Force Association event in 2012. The 2014 DOT&E report said that the Marines F-35B IOC using Block 2B software, planned for some time between July and

December 2015, is unrealistic and that it will probably be delayed to 2016. This could point to delays with other service IOCs. The air force was scheduled to achieve F-35A IOC in December 2016, with Block 3i software (Block 2B rehosted on more powerful computers), following a six-month operational testing (OT) programme. The navy plans for F-35C IOC in February 2019 with Block 3F software. The air force will conduct a separate Block 3F OT programme, scheduled to run for 13 months, before adopting it. The DOT&E report considers the F-35s Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) immature and behind schedule. Any further delays to this software development, at the core of F-35 operations, maintenance and supply chain

management, could lead to setbacks affecting every aspect of the programme. Other issues considered in previous years, including the electrical systems vulnerability to battle damage, remain an open question. The report characterises 2013 flight testing as having made little progress. It also focuses on structural issues that became apparent last year. Cracks led to the grounding of all F-35s in February 2013. In March, wear on rudder hinge attachments led to the Edwards Air Force Base F-35 test fleet being grounded. More cracks were found during stress testing in September. The report cites the programmes immaturity, reflected in a 37% aircraft availability rate throughout FY 2013, far below the threshold (50%) and

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

AI .03.14

19

NEWS REPORT
objective (75%) requirements. In response to the reports criticism, the marine corps has said it is sticking with its IOC. But added that it continued to have its own concerns about the F-35 programme, including the need to develop a deployable ALIS capability once IOC is achieved. Lockheed Martin issued a statement, pointing out that the report included a tremendous amount of positive information about the F-35, including that 7.4 million of the required 8.4 million lines of code have been completed and Block 2B software flight testing will be completed in 2014. failures resulted from software problems. Gilmore also criticises the requirements validated by the JROC: The P-8A multimission maritime patrol aircraft could be fully compliant with all key performance parameter (KPP) and key system attribute (KSA) threshold requirements, nonetheless possess significant shortfalls in mission effectiveness. In an extreme case, the contractor could deliver an aircraft that meets all the KPPs but has no mission capability whatsoever. The KPPs and the KSAs are the teeth of the requirement, appearing in the Operational Requirements Document (ORD). These are numbers, usually classified quantitative measures of performance that have to be met on introduction (threshold) or once in performance and that this would be installed starting in October 2014. Boeing pointed out that the navy had approved the P-8A through the IOT&E-IOC-FRP trifecta.

KC-46A Tanker
Two years ago, the DOT&E said the operational test plan for the KC-46A tanker was completely unrealistic and not executable. The 2014 report moderates this criticism and states that the DOT&Es analysis of the KC-46A test plan indicates operational testing will likely be delayed six to 12 months and recommends the programmes schedule be adjusted to reflect this. Indeed, the KC-46A TEMP was set up to meet a demanding schedule; Boeing has

P-8A Poseidon
The political tensions inherent in the DOT&E report are underlined by the treatment of the

Opposite: The rst engineering, manufacturing and development KC-46A tanker (c/n EMD-1) in nal body join at Boeings Everett plant near Seattle. Boeing Below: An aviation electronics technician, assigned to Patrol Squadron 16 (VP-16) War Eagles, prepares to launch a P-8A Poseidon aircraft at NAS Jacksonville, Florida.
Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Eric Pastor/US Navy

P-8A. The navy has presented the P-8A as a success. It received approval to transition to full rate production (FRP) from low rate initial production (LRIP) on January 3, 2014, after previously announcing that the P-8A had successfully completed IOT&E and achieved IOC. P-8As deployed across the Pacific on their first operational deployment in December 2013. But despite these achievements Michael Gilmore, Director of DOT&E, says in the opening pages of the report that the P-8A is not effective for the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) mission and not effective for wide area anti-submarine search. While recognising that the type provides significant improvements in hardware reliability, maintainability and availability over the Lockheed P-3C Orions currently in service, the report notes that 75% of observed critical mission systems

service (objective), or else the programme faces cancellation. Contractors may not get paid for delivering aircraft that do not meet requirements. The P-8As defenders were galvanised into action by the negative comments. The Pentagons chief acquisition official, Undersecretary for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Frank Kendall, defended the P-8A as a good product and a relatively successful programme. Admiral Harry Harris, commander of the US Navys Pacific Fleet, said: In my opinion, the P-8A is exceeding its key performance parameters by a wide margin. Vice Admiral Robert Thomas, commander of the US Navys Seventh Fleet operating in the Western Pacific, said the aircraft represents a significant improvement over current capabilities. The navy also said it was working on upgraded software to improve

stated that it will have 18 tankers delivered by August 2017, as required by the US Air Force. To meet this deadline, test flights are being set up to meet multiple testing objectives, based on the KC-46As use of the proven Boeing 767 airframe. The planning assumption is that the refly rate for KC-46A testing will be about half the 35% historical average. DOT&E is sceptical of this, as well as the adequacy of the time the air force anticipates needing to fix problems encountered during testing.

CH-47F Chinook
The report considers the CH-47F much more capable than its CH-47D predecessor, with its ballistic protection system, developed from combat lessons in Afghanistan, providing improved coverage over previous armour. However, the DOT&E said the type still does not provide the level

20

AI .03.14

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

NEWS REPORT
of ballistic protection expected. The CH47Fs on-off loading system, an in-floor roller system, makes moving cargo easier and faster, but is faulted for being incompatible with standard army tactical forklifts. Range Air-to-Air Missile) and the AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder, when they failed to meet requirements. The IOT&E of the AIM-120D was halted in 2012 and did not resume until May 2013. As a result, its IOT&E will not be completed until this year. AIM-9X Block II IOT&E was halted in April 2013 after multiple flight test failures and has not yet been restarted. Every organisation involved with testing is concerned about meeting the schedule and wants the aircraft to work. But each has a different definition of this, as demonstrated by DOT&Es criticism of the P-8A KPPs at the same time the navy was moving the programme forward, relying on later software upgrades. DOT&E is concerned that actions such as this are undercutting reliability. Its requirements, committees, oversight boards, policies, documentation and frequently redundant processes. This is one reason why, with notable exceptions such as the Raytheon MC-12W Liberty ISR aircraft, it takes billions of dollars and decades to bring a new combat aircraft into service. This report shows the difficulty in aligning acquisition requirements with actual mission needs and making sure they reflect realworld employment scenarios. While the work of DOT&E imposes extra costs (in terms of money and schedule) on programmes, it contributes to making US military aircraft the most thoroughly and transparently tested in the world. Potential buyers of US aircraft can rely on the report to accurately describe any current problems. The Department

F-15E Strike Eagle Radar Modernisation Program

The F-15E Radar Modernisation Program (RMP) replaces the original radar with a new Raytheon APG-82(V)1 active electronically scanned array. The air force conducted an IOT&E effort between March and September 2013, including 85 F-15E sorties and 175 flight testing hours. It found that, while the new radar is operationally effective and provides improved performance and reliability, it does not meet the software

stability requirement of 30 hours mean time between software anomalies. This will have to be considered when the air force considers transitioning the RMP to FRP in March 2014.

Conclusion
The seams between developmental and operational testing programmes remain significant and contribute to the differing organisational perspectives in the reports findings. But the report points out that many of the hard programmatic decisions resulting from operational testing were made by service IOT&E testers rather than the DOT&E. As well as the F-15 RMP, these include halting flight testing with considerable costs in terms of spending and schedule of the USs two major airto-air missile programmes, the Raytheon AIM-120D AMRAAM (Advanced Medium

report points out that from FY 1997 to 2013 only 56% (75 of 135) of the systems of all types that went through an operational test met or exceeded their reliability threshold requirements, a decline from the 64% achieved in FYs 1985-1996. The organisational perspective of DOT&E has trouble with reconciling concurrency and the testing of proven commercial airframes or systems while meeting operational needs. This partially represents a reaction to recent problems the F-35 programme almost choked on its unprecedented degree of concurrency. But in aiming to assure each aircraft meets requirements, each of the multiple organisations, however thoroughly and admirably they are doing their jobs, contributes to an increasingly dysfunctional defence acquisition system for combat aircraft. Every new problem or failed project triggers a proliferation of reporting

of Defense and Congress have found it valuable to receive DOT&Es independent evaluation of programmes. To ensure they receive comparable independent views of technology as well as testing Congress, in the Weapons Systems Acquisition Reform Act of 2009, required annual Technology Readiness Assessments to be generated by the Director of Defense Research and Engineering. Again this imposes more costs and delays. The DOT&E annual report provides detailed glimpse into the complexities of developing modern military aircraft and the weapons and systems they use. Beyond applauding the successes, regretting the shortfalls and being aware of the organisational and political context behind them, it brings home the difficulty of reconciling declining budgets, increasing technology and demanding schedules.

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

AI .03.14

21

NEWS COLUMN

Old, Unwanted and

by Robert F Dorr
These are tough times for the US Air Force and Americas other armed forces. The USAFs top generals struck a new tone of candour when they told reporters the RQ-4B Block 30 Global Hawk intelligence-gathering aircraft is being forced on them even though they say the aircraft cant do its job.

The USAF acknowledges it has lost one battle a clash with Congress over the Block 30 Global Hawk intelligence-gathering aircraft. Northrop Grumman

The services civilian leader, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James, looked like a deer in the headlights when she acknowledged a persistent culture of undue stress and fear that led 92 out of 550 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch officers to be involved in cheating in a proficiency test for which they were pressured to get perfect scores. It doesnt help that this is happening at a time when some Army National Guard recruiters were caught profiting from an embezzlement scheme and the US Navy is facing scandals about both ship supply contracting and sailors cheating in a nuclear reactor exam. Long the most respected institution in US society, the military is struggling to coexist with one of the least respected Congress. A handful of bad apples in todays crop of decent, hardworking military members may be the result of years of constant deployments, relentless budget pressures and forced downsizing.

Moreover, as the only military service branch that has been on a constant war footing since Operation Desert Shield in August 1990, the air force is just plain exhausted, a senior officer told AIR International. And if you try to work while youre weary, youre going to see mistakes. It doesnt help that equipment is ageing. The average air force aircraft is now 24 years old. The geriatric KC-135R Stratotanker, twice that age, was overbuilt in the 1960s, boom operator Senior Master Sergeant Gary Mau told AIR International, and has no aircraft structural issues but its four CFM International F108-CF-201 turbofan engines each rated at 21,600-pound thrust and often called the new engines because they were retrofitted in the 1980s are wearing out and pose a challenge to maintainers.

with Congress over the Block 30 Global Hawk intelligencegathering aircraft. For three years, the USAF has wanted to terminate the unmanned Block 30 and rely on the manned U-2S Dragon Lady for long-range highaltitude surveillance. It has 33 U-2s in its inventory (28 single-seat U-2S and five two-seat U-2ST models) and

has taken delivery of 17 RQ4B Block 30s. Experts have said the Block 30 needs a more powerful engine, which it could easily accommodate, to expand its payload, but no new powerplant was ever ordered or tested. The U-2S can accommodate the dualband SYERS-2A camera (Senior Year Electro-optical

Below: Administrative assistant Timothy Beyland swears in Deborah Lee

James as the 23rd Secretary of the Air Force on December 20, 2013.

US Air Force

Et Tu, RQ-4B?
The air force acknowledges it has lost one battle a clash

22

AI .03.14

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

NEWS COLUMN

Retired Aircraft
Reconnaissance System), a previously highly classified or black sensor which collects electro-optical daylight and fair-weather imagery. Efforts over several years to make this heavy and bulky system compatible with Global Hawk have foundered, but the Fiscal Year 2015 spending proposal contains $10 million to study the issue further. The U-2S carries other systems, including the 30inch Optical Bar Camera (OBC), which officials acknowledge cannot be made to fit on the Global Hawk, but which proponents of the manned aircraft say the air force can live without. Not affected by Capitol Hill legislation is the RQ-4B Block 40 Global Hawk with improved radar. Nine have been delivered, of 11 on Communication Node (BACN), intended to enhance inter-service networking in mountainous terrain like that in Afghanistan. BACN can relay and broadcast a variety of information and is currently being used very effectively by warfighters throughout the theatre of operations, said Major Bill Holl, programme manager, in an air force press release. BACN is flying aboard four E-11A Global Express aircraft but is not yet operational. A Block 30 Global Hawk pilot told AIR International the air forces resistance to the big, wide-winged unmanned aircraft is a mistake and that Global Hawk is fully capable of collecting the intelligence combatant commanders need. The

So Long, Sherpa

The Army National Guard is retiring the C-23 Sherpa, the twin-engined light airlifter which has served since the late 1980s. The C-27J Spartan was selected in 2007 to replace the Sherpa in the armys future cargo aircraft (FCA) programme. After several name changes, and after the air force snatched away the C-27J in a bureaucratic power move, the newer aircraft is no longer in the inventories of either the air force or army, although 14 are scheduled to be transferred at no cost to the US Coast Guard during the current fiscal year. The USCG, which once operated eight C-123B Providers, will use the Spartans to supplement its 18 HC-

to transfer 15 C-23Bs (of 34 examples of all models in inventory) to the US Forest Service as firefighters by February 11, even though the type has never been used in that role before. Eight more Sherpas are slated for civilian use by the state of Alaska, to operate from short rural runways for search and rescue and medium-lift missions. The remainder will apparently be mothballed.

Good Luck, Madame Secretary

A low-ranking functionary swore in James, the new Air Force Secretary, on December 20 in a ceremony so low-key that it sent waves of embarrassment rippling through the Pentagon. Defense Secretary Chuck

The Army National Guard is retiring the C-23 Sherpa. Eight aircraft are slated for civilian use by the state of Alaska to operate from short rural runways for search and rescue and medium-lift missions. Paul Ridgway

order, at significantly higher costs than once promised, but none is combat coded as being fully operational. The air force has never been enthusiastic about the Block 40 and is not shackled with a mandate from Congress as to whether and how to proceed. The service also has six Block 20 aircraft, including four outfitted with a payload called Battlefield Airborne

pilot acknowledged the Block 30 would be more effective with a more powerful engine and pointed to a long list of aircraft types that have overcome teething troubles, saying the Global Hawk will be a success. Still, as of FY 2014, the air forces own figures show a flying-hour cost of $30,813 for a U-2S and $49,089 for an RQ-4B Block 30.

144A Ocean Sentry (Airbus CN235-300M) twin-turboprop maritime surveillance aircraft. The move will save money for the smallest US military service branch by enabling it to purchase fewer than its once-planned 36 HC-144As. As for the Sherpa unpressurised, and as far as the Pentagon brass is concerned, unloved Congress required the army

Hagel apparently realised belatedly that he should have presided, so he later conducted a ceremonial swearing-in. Becoming the air forces civilian boss after working for the civilian contractor SAIC whose CEO is a former air force chief of staff James probably faces more challenges than anyone in the job since Stuart Symington in 1947.

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

AI .03.14

23

North America

Combat Shadow Fades from RAF Mildenhall

At 1315hrs on February 3 Lockheed MC-130P Combat Shadow 66-0215 (c/n 382-4165) lifted off from RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk, heading for the United States as ZEKE 41. The aircraft was the last of the type assigned to the 67th Special Operations Squadron (SOS), 352nd Special Operations Group, at the British aireld. The 67th SOS has operated the HC-130P since it was formed on June 1, 1988, the aircraft type being redesignated to MC-130P within Air Force Special Operations Command units in 1996. MC-130Ps have been replaced by MC-130J Commando IIs within the squadron. Simon Mortimer

Airpower and Congress

An omnibus spending bill will mitigate the impact of US Government cuts on military spending during 2014. Combining the 12 legally-required appropriations bills into one piece of legislation, the omnibus bill signed on January 15 fully funds the US Air Forces three top priorities the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Boeing KC-46A tanker and the Long Range Strategic Bomber as well as multi-year programmes that would be unable to proceed without the legislation, including those for various models of the Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules and the Boeing-Bell CV-22 Osprey. The bill also provided $333.5 million ($60 million less than requested) for the US Air Force to proceed with its Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH) and $31 million to start converting Alenia C-27J Spartan transports to HC-27J maritime surveillance aircraft for the Coast Guard, which will then halt Airbus HC-144A Ocean Sentry procurement at 18 aircraft, rather than the 36 originally required. (Delivery of the 16th HC-144A was announced by the manufacturer on January 21.) The omnibus bill also requires the Coast Guard to relinquish seven Lockheed Martin HC-130J Hercules and the US Air Force must pay up to $130 million to convert them to reghting tankers for the US Forest Service, which will also receive 15

ex-US Army Short C-23 Sherpas retired in January. The provisions of the omnibus bill bars the US Air Force, for a year, from retiring its Northrop Grumman RQ-4A Global Hawk Block 30 unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) or cancelling the C-130 Avionics Modernization Program (AMP). Five Hercules have been converted for AMP, but none are currently ying because of a lack of funds for the programme in the last few years. While the service wants to reduce the number of UAVs it has that are unable to operate in hostile airspace, Congress has increased the number of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9 Reapers funded to 20 from the requested level of 12. David C Isby

US F-16 Upgrade Under Threat

J-STARS Recapitalisation
Initial steps have been taken towards recapitalising the US Air Forces Northrop Grumman E-8C J-STARS (Joint Surveillance and Target Acquisition Radar System) aircraft. A request for information was issued to industry on January 23 for an upgraded battle management/ command and control (BMC2) system. The service wants to retain its multisensor capability, but transfer it from the current Boeing 707 airframes used for the E-8C, which would be retired, to an unspecied twin-engine business jet. The new aircraft could enter the inventory between 2022 and 2025. While the US Air Force has identied J-STARS recapitalisation as a second-tier priority (along with the T-X trainer), it has so far not requested funding for it or set up a programme ofce. David C Isby

Rotodome Orion with VX-30

Lockheed NP-3C BuNo 153442/357 is the sole Orion own by the US Navy equipped with a rotodome. It is assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 30 (VX-30) Bloodhounds, having replaced BuNo 153443, which was retired in October 2012. NP-3C 357 was built as a P-3B in 1967, before being modied as an EP-3B for the Naval Research Laboratory and redesignated as an NP-3D in February 1995. The rotodome was added in 1999 as part of the Combat Information Centre programme for the E-2 Hawkeye, and the aircraft joined Scientic Development Squadron 1 (VXS-1) based at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland in December 2004. It was transferred to VX-30 in October 2013 and is seen on approach to NAS Pont Mugu, California, on February 3. Matthew Clements

Cuts may be implemented on the US Air Forces Combat Avionics Programmed Extension Suite (CAPES), which seeks to upgrade 300 of its Lockheed Martin F-16C/D ghters. Funds saved would be made available for the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter and other rsttier priorities. The upgrade for the F-16 includes tting the new Northrop Grumman Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) electronically scanned radar, which is currently in engineering and manufacturing development and was revealed to be in low-rate initial production on February 3. If CAPES is cut, the US Air Force may also remove any funding for an F-16 Service Life Extension Program. The potential reductions in the CAPES programme, which may involve ending it, are understood to be included in the scal year 2015 budget request, which will be submitted in March. The cuts would also raise unit costs possibly to a prohibitive level for Taiwans upgrade for 146 F-16A/Bs. Taiwan plans to use SABR in its $5.3 billion modernisation programme. Singapore has stated that it will be a CAPES participant if the US programme goes ahead. It aims to modernise 60 F-16C/Ds as part of a $2.3 billion project.
David C Isby

24

AI .03.14

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

North America

Fresh COD

Vice Admiral David Buss, commander US Naval Air Forces, stated that a decision on a new carrier onboard delivery (COD) aircraft was about a year away. The COD acts as the transport link between aircraft carriers at sea and the shore. Vice Admiral Buss made the remark during West 2014 in San Diego, California, on February 12. The US Navy has been assessing a new production version of the Grumman C-2A Greyhound, which currently performs the role, and the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey tiltrotor. The C-2 option would continue to benet from commonality with the Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye used in the airborne early warning role; the two aircraft share many structures and components. It would also ensure continuity of service, as the older C-2s would be replaced by new aircraft that would not necessitate the complete retraining of pilots and maintenance crews. The Ospreys ability to land and take-off vertically would add greater exibility to the COD eet.

Ghostrider in the Sky

Lockheed Martin AC-130J Ghostrider 09-5710 about to taxi out for its rst ight after being equipped with its mission systems at Eglin AFB, Florida. Chrissy Cuttita/US Air Force

Support Contract for E-11A BACNs

The US Air Forces Bombardier E-11A Battleeld Airborne Communications Node (BACN) communication relay aircraft will be maintained by Northrop Grumman under a $52.3 million one-year contract announced on January 15. This is an extension of a contract originally awarded in November 2012. All four of the US Air Forces E-11As are currently operated by the 430th Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron based at Kandahar air base in Afghanistan (see BACN Assets Assigned to 430th EECS, April 2013, p9). David C Isby

The US Air Force recently conducted the first flight of a Lockheed Martin AC-130J Ghostrider following installation of its mission equipment. The aircraft (09-5710, c/n 5710) was flown from Duke Field, Eglin AFB, Florida, on January 31 by a crew from the 413th Flight Test Squadron led by Major Brian Taliaferro. The airframe was originally delivered as a MC-130J Commando II, arriving at Eglin, in January 2013 after making its maiden flight on November 29, 2012, at Lockheed Martins facility at Marietta, Georgia (see Initial Gunship-in-Waiting Takes to the

Skies, January 2013, p4). A total of 32 MC-130Js will be modied as AC-130Js as part of a $2.4 billion programme to revitalise Air Force Special Operations Commands gunship eet. The aircraft carries the Precision Strike Package, which incorporates dual electro-optical infrared sensors under the nose and on the port main landing gear housing, and an all-weather aperture radar. Armament includes a 30mm cannon, plus hardpoints to carry and re the AGM-176A Grifn airto-surface missile and GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb. The sensors and weapons are controlled by a

networked battle management system in the aircrafts cabin. Meanwhile, the Lockheed AC130H Spectre IIs operated by the 16th Special Operations Squadron, 27th Special Operations Wing, at Cannon AFB, New Mexico, were ofcially retired from service on January 14. Of the eight surviving airframes from the ten originally created by converting C-130E Hercules airframes, six are due to be delivered to Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, for storage at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group. The other pair will go on display at Cannon AFB and Hurlburt Field, Florida.

VX-20 Poseidon
Boeing P-8A Poseidon BuNo 167953/953 is one of three of the type with Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 20 (VX-20) based at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. It is the sole example to wear the units markings on its tail and is seen on approach to NAS Pont Mugu, California, on February 3. All three P-8As currently assigned to VX-20 (the others being BuNo.167951 and 167954) will remain used for test duties rather than being delivered to operational units. Matthew Clements

US Asia-Pacic Deployments
Around a dozen US Air Force Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcons and 300 personnel deployed from Hill AFB in Utah to Osan AB in the Republic of Korea in mid-January. A rotational deployment of 12 F-22A Raptors and 300 personnel from the 1st Fighter Wing at Langley AFB, Virginia, arrived at Kadena AB on Okinawa in late January for a four-month deployment. A US Air Force spokesperson described both deployments as routine. Air Combat Command continues to routinely deploy aircraft to the Asia-Pacic region, providing Pacic Air Forces and US Pacic Command commanders a theatre security package in the region, deepening ties with our allies and our relationship with the international community. Nigel Pittaway

Last C-145A Delivered

The final PZL Mielec C-145A Combat Coyote for the US Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) has been delivered to the United States for outfitting. The twin turboprop (N342BD, c/n AJE003-42, ex SP-DGT) arrived in early February at Sierra Nevada Corporations Denver, Colorado, facility, where it will receive specialised equipment for the Aviation Foreign Internal Defense mission prior to being handed over and entering service. The C-145A is a variant of the M28 Skytruck. The first was delivered to AFSOC in May 2009. David C Isby

T-1A Upgrade Sought

A request for information to industry was submitted by the US Air Force to upgrade its 178 Raytheon T-1A Jayhawk multi-engine trainers. New cockpit and avionics are sought to allow the aircraft to remain in service until 2035. A total of 180 T-1As were acquired. David C Isby

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

AI .03.14

25

NEWS COLUMN

A-12 Decision Gives Three Free EA-18G

by Rick Burgess
The Boeing Company will deliver three EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft to the US Navy at no charge as part of a $400 million settlement of the termination of a $4.8 billion contract for development of the General Dynamics A-12 attack aircraft programme 23 years ago.
Squadron Five (HS-5) has completed a six-month transition from the SH60F and HH-60H Seahawk helicopters to the MH-60R version. A ceremony was held at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, on January 24, 2014 to mark the transition. The squadron redesignation was official months earlier, on April 15, 2013, but transition was delayed by an extension of the deployment of the squadron on board aircraft carrier USS Dwight D Eisenhower (CVN 69). The USS Nimitz (CVN 68) had suffered a nuclear powerplant coolant pump failure in late 2012, a casualty that delayed its deployment to the Persian Gulf. Dwight D Eisenhower returned to Norfolk, for a refurbishment of non-skid material on its flight deck and was sent back out two months later to cover for the delayed Nimitz. The squadron began its transition in July and leaves only HS-11 in the fleet flying the older SH-60F and HH60H Seahawks.

While performing the contract in the late 1980s, the contractors General Dynamics and Boeing experienced significant schedule delays and cost overruns, the US Justice Department said in a January 23 release. The contractors will each provide the navy with approximately $200 million in goods or services under the agreement. General Dynamics will provide a credit against a contract to build the DDG1002 guided-missile destroyer, and Boeing will provide three EA-18G aircraft and a credit for converting the existing multiyear contract to a firm-fixed price contract. The three EA-18Gs will bring the navys Growler fleet to 138 aircraft.

(CVN 73) as the US Navys forward-deployed carrier in Yokosuka, Japan. George Washington, commissioned in 1992, will rotate to Newport News, Virginia in 2015 for a three-year mid-life Refueling and Comprehensive Overhaul (RCOH), during which Newport News Shipbuilding will extend the service life of the carrier to 50 years. USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) is currently going through RCOH at Newport News. Ronald Reagan, based at Naval Air Station North Island in Coronado, California, will take on Carrier Air Wing Five from George Washington.

USS Ronald Reagan to Japan

The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) will replace the USS George Washington

Marine Corps Sets Up UH-1Y Training Unit

The US Marine Corps has set up a unit to train its reserve crews to operate the UH-1Y Venom helicopter.

The UH-1Y Tactical Training Unit (TTU) will be used to help Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 773 (HMLA-773) and its two detachments make the transition from the UH-1N version to the UH-1Y. HMLA-773 is the only unit that still operates the UH-1N, which was recently phased out of the active-duty corps. The TTU, based at Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina, will stand down once its mission is complete, and its structure will be used to stand up the CH-53K TTU, said Capt Richard Ulsh, a spokesman for Headquarters, US Marine Corps. The CH-53K will replace the CH-53E in Marine Corps service.

End of the Line for F/A-18 Production?

The Super Hornet production line at Boeings St Louis, Missouri, facility will end in late 2016 unless further orders materialise. The company is currently building F/A-18E/Fs for the US Navy and EA-18G Growlers for the US Navy and Royal Australian Air Force. Boeing officials said the company needs a decision by March 2014 about any forthcoming orders from the US Government, which has resisted further efforts to

HS-5 Completes Delayed MH-60R Transition

Helicopter Antisubmarine

26

AI .03.14

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

NEWS COLUMN

US Navy Growlers
continue the Super Hornet line as a hedge against delays in the Lockheed Martin F-35C Lightning II programme. The company is building four Super Hornets and Growlers per month, but could maintain economical production at a rate of two per month, according to Mike Gibbons, Boeings programme manager for the aircraft. The Super Hornet lost out on fighter procurement competitions in India and Brazil, but is being marketed to other nations. However, in February the US President signed a law in which Congress authorised $75 million for advance procurement for the Super Hornet programme, which will position Boeing to continue production if more US orders are forthcoming.

HC-144A Ocean Sentry, which will be assigned to Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas, later this year. The services 16 HC-144As are based at Corpus Christi and air stations at Cape Cod, Massachusetts; Miami, Florida; and Mobile, Alabama.

Navy Plans 36-Month Deployment Cycle for Carrier Strike Groups

The navy is implementing a gradual realignment of its ship deployment and maintenance plans to create a 36-month cycle for its carrier strike groups. The concept, known as the Optimized Fleet Response Plan (OFRP), is designed to keep two carriers and 27 escorting cruisers and destroyers deployed at all times (including the forces forward deployed) for the next two years, to foster stability and predictability for the crews, to create more unity of command, and to ensure maintenance is executed on schedule. Speaking on January 15 to an audience at the Surface Navy Association convention in Arlington, Adm William Gortney, commander, US Fleet Forces Command,

First E-2D Squadron Approaches IOC

The navys first operational E-2D Advanced Hawkeye squadron has been declared safe for flight. Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 125 (VAW-125), based at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, now has enough trained air crews to operate its aircraft in a safe manner, a milestone on the way to operational readiness. The safe for flight designation was determined on January 3, 2014. VAW-125 will bring the E-2D to initial operational

begin with maintenance availabilities, followed by basic and integrated training, and culminating in an eightmonth deployment. The last 14 months of the cycle would be spent at home, with availability for surge and local operations. With the OFRP, the navy will fix the unit composition of the CSG so that the same ships and squadrons remain for the full 36-month cycle. The service will try to stabilise manning as well as maintenance execution and improve the quality of life for the sailors and their families.

Ex-Forrestal Heads for Scrapping

The US Navys first supercarrier, the former USS Forrestal (CVA/CV/AVT 59), departed Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on February 4 under tow, heading for Brownsville, Texas, where it will be scrapped by All Star Metals over a two-year period.

Coast Guard to Receive C-27Js

The US Coast Guard has succeeded in convincing the government to transfer 14 surplus C-27J Spartan transport aircraft being discarded from the air force, as approved in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2014. The Coast Guard had been competing with the US Forest Service for the C-27J. The NDAA requires the Coast Guard to transfer seven of its HC-130H Hercules to the air force for conversion to firefighting aircraft for the Forest Service. Vice Commandant Vice Adm John Currier told the House Transportation Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation on December 11 that with the C-27J acquisition, the Coast Guard will stop its purchases of HC144A Ocean Sentry maritime patrol aircraft at 18, instead of the 36 in the programme of record. On January 16 the Coast Guard received its sixteenth

Above: An F/A-18E Super Hornet in nal assembly at Boeings facility at Lambert Field in St Louis, Missouri, where production will end in late 2016 unless further orders materialise. Boeing Opposite: Sailors guide an EA-18G Growler assigned to Electronic Attack Squadron 130 (VAQ-130) Zappers

onto the catapult during ight operations aboard the aircraft carrier USS Harry S Truman (CVN 75) under way in the Gulf of Oman. Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Karl Anderson/US Navy

capability in October. It will deploy with its new aircraft on an aircraft carrier late this year or early 2015, and is scheduled to move to Japan sometime thereafter to join Carrier Air Wing 5.

outlined the new plan. Beginning in November 2014 with the USS Harry S Truman Carrier Strike Group (CSG), the carrier and its escorts will enter a 36-month cycle that will

The ship was offered for donation by the US Navy as a museum, but no organisation with sufficient sustainment plans came forward. The ship was sold to All Star Metals for one cent.

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

AI .03.14

27

Asia & Australasia

Singapore Seeks F-16C/D JL-9G Enters Service Mid-Life Upgrade

The Republic of Singapore Air Force is seeking to upgrade 60 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D and F-16D+ Block 52 Fighting Falcons, to address reliability, supportability and combat effectiveness issues. A $2.43 billion Foreign Military Sales proposal, put before the US Congress on January 13, will add an active electronically scanned array radar; APX-125 identication friend or foe combined interrogator transponders; Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System; and embedded LN-260 GPS/INS navigation units. Several weapons and training rounds will also be acquired, to assist testing and integration, including AIM-9X Block II Captive Air Training Missiles, TGM-65 missiles, GBU-50, GBU-49 Enhanced Paveway and GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munition bombs and CBU-105(D4)/B Sensor Fused Weapons. The F-16s have served the Singapore Armed Forces well and remain the backbone of our ghter eet, said Colonel Kenneth Liow, Director of Public Affairs for Singapores Ministry of Defence. The older F-16s, some of which have been in service more than 15 years, require an upgrade to extend their lifespan. Programme negotiations for the upgrade are still ongoing. Moves to cut funds for the US Air Forces Combat Avionics Programmed Extension Suite (CAPES) for its own F-16s could cause problems for the Singaporean upgrade, as it would mean development costs for common systems upgrades would be shared across fewer aircraft, increasing the cost per unit. Information on the US scal year 2015 budget, including funding (or not) for CAPES, will be released on March 5. Nigel Pittaway

Guizhou JL-9G 83003 of the 3rd Training Regiment based at Xingcheng-1.

Chinese internet

The Guizhou JL-9G has entered service with the Peoples Liberation Army Navy Air Force (PLANAF) to prepare pilots for operations from aircraft carriers. Images of the aircraft in PLANAF markings and regimental numbers have appeared on several Chinese internet sites, a standard way for the Peoples Republic to release information. The JL-9G recently became operational with the 3rd Training Regiment at Xingcheng-1 assigned to the 1st Naval Training Base, Naval Aviation Air Academy.

The JL-9G differs signicantly from the Peoples Liberation Army Air Force version of the aircraft, as it has a strengthened landing gear, a diverterless supersonic inlet intake, a tail hook and wings with leading edge slats and root extensions. These modications enable slower approaches to and compatibility with aircraft carriers. The carrier-training version of the JL-9 was rst revealed in June 2011 (see JT-9 Carrier Trainer Revealed, August 2011, p16), when it was incorrectly described as the JL-9H.
Andreas Rupprecht

RNZAF Buys Beechcraft Texan II Trainers

Beechcrafts Defense Company is to provide a comprehensive pilot training system for the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF). Two contracts signed in January include 11 Beechcraft T-6C Texan II aircraft on Janaury 24, two CAE ight training simulators, computerbased training courseware and a customized RNZAF pilot training syllabi. A 30-year logistics agreement with Safe Air provides full ight line and operational maintenance, as well as support and operation of the simulators. Aircraft and simulators will be based at RNZAF Ohakea, North Island, where they will be used for primary through to advanced aircrew training before pilots move on to operational squadrons or the Flight Instructor Course (FIC). The T-6Cs will replace Pacic Aerospace CT/4E Airtrainers in the primary phase of the RNZAFs Wings Course and FIC training role, and Beechcraft King Air B200s in the advanced phase of the Wings Course (further to New Zealand Looking for New Trainers, February 2013, p15). The service life of the CT/4Es is due to run out in 2018, while the King Airs will be returned to their lessor. They will also be own by the RNZAFs Red Checkers formation aerobatic display team. The rst four Texan IIs will be delivered in November and enter service with No.14 Squadron. They will be operational by mid-2015, by which time the entire batch will have been handed over. The rst trainee intake will be inducted in early 2016, and approximately 15 graduate pilots and 12 qualied ying instructors will be produced each year. Mike Jerram

BONANZAS DELIVERED TO INDONESIA

Four new production Beechcraft G36 Bonanza trainers have been delivered to the Indonesian National Defence - Navy at Juanada naval air base in Surabaya. The aircraft were ferried in two ights of two on December 11 and 30, 2013. Pilots and technicians were trained on the new aircraft at Beechcrafts facility at Wichita, Kansas. David C Isby

NEWS BY NUMBERS

SCRAMBLES BY JAPANESE FIGHTERS

Japan Air Self Defense Force ghters were scrambled a record 138 times in the third quarter of scal year 2013 (October 1 to December 31, 2013) to intercept Chinese aircraft detected near Japanese airspace. This represents a 79% increase over the previous year; 69 and 80 scrambles were ordered against Chinese intruders in the rst and second quarters of FY 2013. Scrambles against Russian aircraft in the rst three quarters of FY 2013 increased to 246, 36% higher than the previous year. David C Isby

138

contract was concluded in the nal quarter of 2013 and will be nanced by a loan from Moscow. Deliveries are due to commence in 2015. Nigel Pittaway

Initial Order for Updated F-CK-1C/Ds Fullled

Taiwans Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) has completed the rst batch of 71 upgraded AIDC F-CK-1C/D Hsiang Sheng Indigenous Defense Fighters (IDF) for the Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF). A ceremony to mark the milestone took place at Tainan AB on January 16, attended by President Ma Ying-jeou and Defence Minister General Yen Ming. The upgrade of the Chung-Kuo to Hsiang Sheng includes an improved cockpit design using multi-function displays, an updated mission computer and navigation systems, increased radar range (but no land attack mode) and better anti-skid landing gear. It also congures the aircraft to use the Wan Chien air-tosurface weapon system, which is due to enter production in 2015. A Hsiang Sheng armed with the Wan Chien missile was displayed at the ceremony. The upgraded fighter has been delivered to the 443rd Tactical Fighter Wing at Tainan. Modernisation of a further 56 from the Ching Chuan Kang AB in Taichung will begin this year. The TWD17 billion ($567 million) upgrade programme started in 2009 and was originally scheduled to be completed by 2013. F-CK1C/Ds have been redelivered to ROCAF from June 30, 2011 (see Upgraded Chung-Kuos Redelivered , August 2011, p17).
Nigel Pittaway and David C Isby

24

YAK-130S FOR BANGLADESH

The Bangladesh Air Force will acquire 24 Yakovlev Yak-130 advanced trainers in a deal valued at $800 million, according to Russian state media. Rosoboronexport, the Russian arms exporter, said a

28

AI .03.14

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

Asia & Australasia

India Wants to Purchase US-2i Amphibians

The Indian Government is considering the purchase of up to 15 ShinMaywa Industries US-2i amphibians for search and rescue missions from Japan. During a meeting between the prime ministers of the two countries in January, they agreed to set up a joint working group to explore the possibility of producing the aircraft in India. The group is due to meet in March. If a deal for the US-2i is forthcoming, it will represent the first export of Japanese military aircraft since World War Two. The per-unit cost of 10 billion yen ($95 million) is understood to be holding up an agreement. Nigel Pittaway and
David C Isby

PLAAF A319s

One of up to three Airbus A319-115s that have entered service with the PLAAF. Chinese internet

At least two, and possibly three, Airbus A319-115s are in service with the Peoples Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) 34th Division based in Beijing for use as VIP transports. The aircraft conrmed to be in service with the PLAAF are B-4090 (msn 5023, ex D-AVYJ) delivered on February 15, 2012, and B-4091 (msn 5088, ex D-AVYP) on April

5, 2012. Unconrmed is B-4092 (msn 5907, ex D-AVWB). All were delivered to China United Airlines on February 15 and April 5, 2012, and December 20, 2013. They may have been converted by Airbus Hamburg in Germany to Airbus Corporate Jet standard. In service they complement approximately ten Boeing 737-300 and -700 Boeing

Business Jets and have received similar colours schemes. China United Airlines was established as the civil transport division of the Peoples Liberation Army, and although the service ended direct commercial activities in 2003 the carrier is still associated with the military. David Willis and
Andreas Rupprecht

India Delays Rafale Contract

Indian Defence Minister A K Antony revealed on February 6 that the deal to acquire 126 Dassault Rafale fighters will not be signed until the next financial year due to budget constraints. Both Dassault and the Indian Air Force had expected it to be concluded by March. Mr Antony stated that 92% of the budget for this financial year had already been signed off, pushing any contract to the next. Also general elections will be held in April-May and no major contract can be signed 45 days beforehand. India selected the Rafale to fulfil its Medium Multi-role Combat Aircraft requirement on January 31, 2012, after being shortlisted with the Eurofighter Typhoon

(see Rafale Wins in India, March 2012, p5). Negotiations with Dassault about the life-cycle costs of the fighter, plus the details of licence production in India, have prevented a firm order being placed. Nigel Pittaway

Black Shark Deliveries Under Way

C295Ms for the Philippines

The Philippines Government has identied Airbus Defence & Space as the sole bidder to supply its air force with three twin-engine transport aircraft. Department of National Defence (DND) Undersecretary Fernando Manalo stated on January 13 that three C295s would be supplied, together

with an integrated logistics package, for a total of PHP5.288 billion ($119 million). The rst aircraft would be delivered 18 months after contract signature. Airbus stated, We look forward to continuing our discussions with the DND...to achieve a contract soon. Nigel Pittaway

Tiger Replacement Sought by Indonesia

Shenyang J-15 103 is understood to be operating from Huangdicun, where a regiment is currently being equipped with the carrier-borne ghter. Chinese internet

Operational Shenyang J-15 Black Sharks have been delivered to the Peoples Liberation Army Navy Air Force. Examples of the carrier-based ghter were handed over at the beginning of December and by early 2014 four aircraft (101 to 104) had been noted. All carry a prominent Black Shark logo on their tails that is similar to the one previously seen on prototype J-15 554. The four aircraft are from the rst production block and are understood to be

powered by Russian NPO Saturn AL-31F turbofans. A regiment equipped with the type is currently being established at the new Naval Aviation Training Facility at Huangdicun (also known as Xingcheng-2) assigned to the 2nd Naval Training Base. It was recently conrmed that the J-15 can carry the Russian UPAZ-1A refuelling pod. This gives the aircraft a buddy-buddy capability. Andreas Rupprecht

Indonesias Defence Minister, Purnomo Yusgiantoro told local media on January 26 that the government had received several proposals from international ghter manufacturers with a view to replacing the Indonesian National Defence Air Forces ageing eet of Northrop F-5E/F Tiger IIs. The minister said that Indonesia had received ve to six proposals. On January 27 the commander of the Indonesian Armed Forces, General Moeldoko, said the Sukhoi Su-35 is currently the preferred option, followed by the Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Fighting Falcon and Saab JAS 39 Gripen, in that order. The new ghter will be acquired under Indonesias Strategic

Plan II to be implemented between 2015 and 2020. We are in the process of evaluating which jet ghter will best suit our requirements, whether the aircraft is from Russia, the USA, or other countries, Minister Purnomo said. Indonesian Air Force Chief of Staff, Air Marshal Ida Bagus Putu Dunia, said that it was hoped a decision would be made soon, taking into account government state nances. Deputy Chair of Peoples Representative Council Commission I, Tubagus Hasanuddin added that if we lack the funding for an entire squadron [of 16 aircraft] then we will purchase half [a squadron] rst.
Nigel Pittaway and David C Isby

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

AI .03.14

29

Asia & Australasia...Singapore Airshow 2014

Above: The Republic of Singapore Air

Forces Black Knights made their rst appearance at the show since 2008, celebrating the 45th anniversary of the air arm. All images Nigel Pittaway Opposite top: Airbus A350 F-WZGG (msn 3) is towed into the static area past part of the large number of Republic of Singapore Air Force aircraft on display. The A350 arrived at Singapore from cold weather trials in Canada the show was only the second public outing for the airliner. Opposite bottom: Israel Aerospace Industries unveiled the Super Heron HF unmanned air vehicle at Singapore.

S
30

The third bi-annual Singapore Airshow was held at the Singapore Changi exhibition Centre between February 11 and 16. Nigel Pittaway and Chen Chuanren review Asias largest aviation trade event.
ingapore Airshow 2014 boasted three aerobatic teams, 62 aircraft on static display and attracted more than 1,000 companies from 147 countries to exhibit, causing several exhibitors to add a second storey to their stands to secure extra space. According to Experia Events managing director, Jimmy Lau, the figures represent a 10% increase over the previous event. The static aircraft park adjacent to the exhibition centre also reached capacity, with several aircraft including an Airbus A380 being turned away due to lack of space. Civil news dominated the event, with $32 billion of orders for 191 airframes announced in the first three days, just over the total for the show two years ago. There was an increase in the number of trade visitors over the same period by 2,000 to 40,000, and more than 100,000 people visited the site on the public days at the end of the show. Country highlight, with the honour falling to the United States. Accordingly, about 150 US companies were at Singapore, forming the largest country pavilion made up of 70 American firms. Boeing had the largest entourage of aircraft on display, with platforms from the United States Department of Defense (DoD), supplemented by many from the manufacturer serving with the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSiAF). The US Air Force displayed a C-17A Globemaster III and a single Lockheed Martin F-16C Fighting Falcon from Misawa, Japan. Show debutants included the Bell-Boeing V-22 Ospreys of Marine Medium Titlrotor Squadron 262 Flying Tigers (VMM-262) from Okinawa, supported by a Lockheed Martin KC-130J Hercules from Marine Aerial Refueller Transport Squadron 152 (VMGR-152), all from 1st Marine Air Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force. Israel has been announced as the first export customer, seeking six aircraft, and Boeing is optomistic of Japan being the next potential client. Boeing is optimistic that more orders will roll in after the first export Osprey is delivered. In a bid for the RSiAFs future maritime patrol aircraft to replace its Fokker 50, a Boeing P-8A Poseidon (BuNo 168429/LF) was displayed, making its second international airshow appearance after Dubai Airshow last November. The aircraft was one of two from Patrol Squadron 16 (VP-16) War Eagles based in Kadena AB, Okinawa. Other maritime patrol platforms on display at Singapore comprised a Fora Area Portuguesa (Portuguese Air Force) Airbus Defence and Space C295MPA (16712), stopping off on its way to New Zealand to conduct a series of demonstrations for the Royal New Zealand Air Force, and the SAAB 340MSA, which performed a customer demonstration flight for another (undisclosed) regional nation during the show. SAAB says it is talking with five or six customers in the Asia-Pacific region and sees a global requirement for between 15 and 20 aircraft over the next five years. service with the air force. Although further news on Singapores interest in the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lighting II was not forthcoming, the RSiAFs plans to embark on a Mid-Life Upgrade for its 60 F-16C/Ds refocussed attention back to the Vipers. Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems are likely to be serious contract contenders, with Raytheon and Northrop Grumman competing to pitch the Raytheon Advanced Combat Radar (RACR) and Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) respectively. Before the show it was reported (in a French aviation magazine) that industry sources stated the RSiAF had opted for six Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transports to replace the four Boeing KC-135R Stratotankers operated by 112 Squadron. Airbus response at the show was a strict no comment, while Boeing continued to be optimistic about its chances in the competition. The only RSiAF news revealed at Singapore was the imminent completion of delivery of the Alenia Aermacchi M-346 fleet. The last of 12 aircraft is due to arrive by March with 150 Squadron at BA120 Cazaux, France, where the RSiAF conducts its advanced jet training. Singapores requirement for a maritime intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platform saw

Asias Singapore

Celebrating the Republic of Singapore Air Force

The RSiAF celebrates its 45th anniversary this year and had a massive presence at the show with a dedicated pavilion. A record of 17 aircraft and systems from the RSiAF were on display. Fighter platforms includes the F-15SG Eagle, F-16D+ and the F-5S/T, which also commemorates its 35th year of

Feature Country, United States

For the first time in the show, the organisers introduced a Feature

AI .03.14

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

Asia & Australasia...Singapore Airshow 2014

Largest e Airshow 2014

Lockheed Martin promoting the SC-130J Sea Hercules, equipped with the Artamis tactical mission system used on the P-3C Orions now being refurbished for Taiwan.

Commercial Bonanza
After the commercial successes achieved during the Dubai Airshow, many considered Singapore would be hard-pressed to follow, but Airbus, ATR, Boeing and Embraer all announced orders during the show. Airbus announced new and finalised orders for a range of its products from three companies: VietAirJet of Vietnam ordered 42 A320neos, 14 A320ceos and seven A321ceos, as well as 30 purchase rights and the lease of eight A320s from a third party; Amedeo (formerly Doric Lease Corporation) finalised purchase of 20 A380s it had signed an memorandum of understanding during the Paris Airshow last June, and Aerolneas Argentinas ordered four A330-200s. After sub-zero climate tests in Iqaluit, Canada, Airbus deployed the second flight-test prototype A350-900XWB (F-WZGG, msn 003) to sunny Singapore; it was the first time the A350 flew out of Europe for a show after her last flypast at Le Bourget in June 2013. The A350 also took to the skies with a 10-minute display on the first two days, captained by Airbus chief test pilot Peter Chandler. Qatar Airway

and Singapore Airlines pilots had the chance to fly the A350 prior to the show. The aircraft departed for Toulouse, France on February 13 on its longest flight yet, of 14.5 hours. Also enjoying a buoyant show was ATR with orders for up to 52 ATR 72-600s from three airlines. Spains Binter Canarias signed a contract for six aircraft on the opening day and was followed by orders from Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (20 firm and 20 options) and Bangkok Airways (six aircraft). Not to be outdone, Boeing not only had a Qatar Airways 787-8 Dreamliner (A7-BCF) and Silk Air 737-800 (9V-MGA) in the static park at various times, but also announced a commitment by Bangkok-based Nok Air for eight 737-800s and a similar number of 737 MAX 8s. Brazils Embraer also shared the spoils with an order from Costa Air of India for a mix of 25 E190-E2s and 25 195-E2s, with purchase rights on an additional 50 aircraft, also split equally between the two variants. Embraer was also upbeat about its corporate jet range, with examples of its Phenom 100, Legacy 300, Legacy 650 and Lineage 1000E on show. According to Jose Eduardo Costas, marketing intelligence senior vice president, Embraer forecasts 1,530 corporate jets sales, worth $50 billion, in the Asia-Pacific region alone between now and 2023. Gulfstream had examples of

its G150, G280, G550 and G650 on display with the newest two models setting records on their way to the event. The G280 flew from Savannah, Georgia, to Singapore in three legs, claiming each city pair as a record. Savannah to Anchorage, Alaska (3,206nm, 5,626km) was covered in 7hrs 41mins; Anchorage to Tokyo in Japan (3,040nm, 5,626km) 6hrs and 50mins and the 3,032nm (5,611km) from Tokyo to Singapore 8hrs and 9mins. Average speed for each sector was Mach 0.8. The company also claimed Honolulu in Hawaii to Singapore as a city pair speed record for its flagship G650, flying the 5,909nm (10,935km) sector in 14hrs and 6 mins, and despite 100kts (185km/h) headwinds for almost half the flight managed an average speed of Mach 0.85.

Super Heron Debut

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) powerhouse Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI) unveiled a new series of UAVs, named the Super Heron HF with HF standing for heavy fuel. It has a modified rear fuselage for the new 200hp (149kW) diesel engines and winglets for enhanced aerodynamics. The Super Heron on display (4X-UMF) was equipped with MOSP3000-HD electro-optics, an ELK-1894 satcom and other systems hidden under budges and antennae. We are proud to introduce the new generation

of IAIs leading UAS. Based on IAIs world-renowned Heron UAS, the Super Heron introduces the latest technology and re-defines medium-altitude long-endurance [MALE] UAS [unmanned air systems], said Joseph Weiss, IAI president and CEO. The best just got better, he added. Service ceiling and endurance are identical to the Heron 1, represented at the show by an example from 119 Squadron RSiAF. Northrop Grummans Global Hawk was given an additional boost with the announcement that South Korea will soon sign a letter of acceptance to acquire the UAV. The Republic is seeking four RQ-4 Block 30 (I) Global Hawks after the US Congress approved the sale last year. Japan has expressed interest in three Global Hawk Block 30s, the US Air Forces Enhanced Integrated Sensor Suite and US Navys maritime radar modes. Australia, a supporter of the Global Hawk programme since 2001, has restructured its maritime surveillance requirements for a Triton-type UAS and a new maritime patrol aircraft. Airbus Defence and Space, associated with smaller UAS like the Tanan 300 VTOL, disclosed intentions to provide a solution for MALE requirements. The European firm views a potential market worth $546 million for UAS in the Asia Pacific region.

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

AI .03.14

31

Rest of the World

Chad Spartan Flying

Expansion of Israeli Karnaf Upgrade

The Israel Air Force (ILAF) Lockheed C-130H Karnaf (Rhinoceros) upgrade project has been expanded to include a communications navigation and surveillance/air trafc management (CNS/ATM) system so that the military transport can be operated safely in commercial airspace. Details of the increase in the scope of the project were revealed by Elbit Systems on January 15, which covered the award of a $15 million contract for the work. The ILAF C-130H Karnaf upgrade is in two parts. Israel Aerospace Industries contracted in 2011 to extend the life of the aircraft by replacing the wing centre section and rewiring, and handed back the rst aircraft after modication in October 2013. Elbit Systems announced the C-130H Karnaf avionics update in December 2012 (see Israeli C-130Hs to be Upgraded, February 2013, p19). This includes new radar, cockpit multi-function and head-up displays. The upgrades form part of the ILAFs C-130 force modernisation programme. Another element is the introduction into service of the Lockheed Martin C-130J Shimshon (Samson) this spring. In anticipation of the service entry of the new aircraft, on August 8, 2013, the ILAF amalgamated the Nevatimbased Elephants Squadron with the co-located Yellow Bird Squadron. The latter now operates all Karnafs, while the Elephants Squadron will re-form to operate the Shimshon.
Shlomo Aloni

Alenia C-27J Spartan 1401/TT-PAG is the rst of two for the Force Arienne Tchadienne (Chad Air Force). The tactical transport is seen during a test ight at Turin-Caselle in Italy on January 16, with its Italian military test registration, CSX62292. The aircraft wears the same scheme that was applied to Spartans delivered to the Royal Moroccan Air Force. Chad ordered two C-27Js in 2013 and was expected to receive the rst by the end of that year (see Spartans for Chad Soon, December 2013, p26). The original timetable was delayed briey, as delivery is now anticipated in the rst quarter of 2014. Marco Rossi

Kenya Air Force Acquires G120As

The Kenya Air Force has acquired six Grob G120A-K basic trainers, becoming the first African operator of the type. The Kenyan aircraft made their public debut at the Jamhuri Day flypast on December 12, 2013, shortly after delivery. Four Kenyan pilots were trained at the German companys facility at Mattsies before flying their aircraft home. The Grobs were handed over to the Kenyan military in November. The G120A model is powered by a six-cylinder Lycoming AEIO-540-D4D5 piston engine providing 260hp (194kW), rather than the more powerful

Rolls-Royce 250-B17F installed in the G120TP variant. The largely composite airframe has a service life of 15,000 hours and is certified for +6/-4Gs, allowing for aerobatic training. A modern glass cockpit features three 205 x 150mm (8 x 6in) multi-function displays. Guy Martin

Honduran Air Force Cleared to Shoot

Guyana Looking for Skyvan Replacement

The Guyana Defence Forces (GDF) Air Corps is after a replacement for its sole-surviving Short Skyvan 3M-100, which is suffering from corrosion. The Short 330 Sherpa or PZL Mielec M28 Skytruck is apparently under consideration. Only the latter type is currently in production, so if the Sherpa is selected, a second-hand example will have to be acquired. Guyanas Harbin Y-12 II Turbo Panda has had its service life extended to enable it to y until 2018. A sixseat Cessna 206, conscated from narcotics trafckers, is considered too small for operational requirements and may be withdrawn. The GDF also operates three helicopters.
David C Isby

The Honduran National Assembly has authorised the Fuerza Area Hondurea (Honduran Air Force) to shoot down civilian aircraft suspected of carrying narcotics if they refuse to land when ordered to do so. The law was passed on January 18. A large percentage of the cocaine shipments previously moved through Dominican airspace now routes over Honduras. The situation changed when Dominica introduced improved radar surveillance and Embraer EMB-314 Super Tucano light attack aircraft. Honduras operates Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II interceptors and Cessna O/A-37B Dragonies, both of which are capable of downing suspect aircraft. David C Isby

Saudi Eagles Heading West

Libyan Air Strikes

Air strikes have been carried out by the Libyan Air Force against pro-Gadda insurgent groups after they attacked Sebha International Airport. The strikes occurred during January and were preceded by reconnaissance missions own by Libyan aircraft based at Al-Jufrah AB. David C Isby
Eight Boeing F-15S Eagles supported by a pair of Airbus Military A330-203 Multi-Role Tanker Transports arrived at Morn AB in Spain on February 10. The Eagles comprised four each from 6 and 55 Squadrons, with 605 belonging to the former. They were all on their way to the United States and are understood to be the rst batch due to be upgraded as F-15SAs. Saudi Arabia will upgrade its 68 F-15Ss as F-15SAs, while a further 84 new-build aircraft will be acquired. Antonio Muiz Zarageta

32

AI .03.14

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

Business Aviation

NEWS BY NUMBERS

Private Dreamliner Deliveries Begin

GLOBALS ORDERED
Bombardier Aerospace has received an order from an undisclosed customer for eight of its range of Global business jets. The deal, announced in early February, is worth $537 million and covers three Global 6000s, two Global 7000s and three Global 8000s; the latter two designs have yet to y. Bombardier handed over 180 business aircraft during 2013, accounting for threequarters of all deliveries by its aviation subsidiaries.

TBM 850S DELIVERED IN 2013

Daher-Socata delivered 40 TBM 850s in 2013, a 5% increase over 2012 and giving the French manufacturer a fth of the market share of aircraft in its class. Last year was the fourth best for TBMs since 1990, and brings total deliveries to 662, of which 338 are the current TBM 850 model. While 72% of TBM 850s sold in 2013 went to US customers, the company reported strong levels of activity in other regions. Europe accounted for 10%, and Latin America 7.5%, with deliveries to customers in Brazil, Chile and Mexico. Saudi Arabia became the rst Middle East country to add a TBM to its register. Mike Jerram

40

Boeing has begun to hand over 787-8 Dreamliners to non-airline operators. Three of the 13 787 BBJs on order have so far been delivered, while a further three are due this year. The rst (A6-PFC, c/n 35303) completed its maiden ight on November 25, 2013, and was delivered to the International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC) for the Abu Dhabi Amiri Flight. It departed Paine Field/Snohomish County Airport, Washington, for Abu Dhabi on January 3. The ILFC also received N28MS (c/n 35309, ex N1006K) one week after completing its maiden ight on December 23. On January 31 it began its lease to Jet Aviation Flight Services of Teterboro, New Jersey, arriving at Grant County International Airport, Washington, for cabin outtting. The third aircraft, HZ-MF7 (c/n 40053) for the Saudi Ministry of Finance and Economy, was delivered on February 5, the same day it departed Paine Field for San Antonio International Airport, Texas, where it will have its interior furnishings installed. Boeing

Hawker 400XPR Upgrades Under Way

Beechcraft Corporations Hawker 400XPR upgrade programme has taken a signicant step toward rst deliveries of the full package, with the initial three customer aircraft now undergoing nal airframe modications. By early February the rst, which entered service in 2013, had returned to the factory for additional modications, including installing Hawker-manufactured winglets and Williams International FJ44-4A-32 engines. The second was receiving new engines, winglets and the Aircell ATG 2000 WiFi Internet and voice package, while the third was being re-engined, and tted with new winglets and interior, as well as being painted. Deliveries of the three aircraft are expected in the rst half of this year. With the difcult market conditions for buying new light and mid-size jets, we are seeing strong demand for our XPR programmes [the 400XPR and 800XPR for the Hawker 800], said Brian Howell, Beechcraft vice president, aftermarket sales and business development. With more than 1,600 of these aircraft in operation today, we are condent that our XPR programmes will grow and continue to perform well. By opting to upgrade their aircraft through the factory, owners are able to add value and more effectively use an existing asset that benets from increased performance, payload and efciency at half the cost of a new comparable aircraft. The FJ44-4A engines enable the Hawker 400XPR to climb directly to 45,000ft (13,716m) in just 19 minutes at maximum take-off weight, and the aircraft will y 1,970nm (3,648km) with four passengers after taking off from a runway at 5,000ft (1,524m) elevation at a temperature of 30C. In addition to winglets and new engines, the Hawker 400XPR upgrade can include modications to the aircrafts exterior, cabin and cockpit, including Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 or Garmin G5000 avionics. Mike Jerram

30,000,000
CITATION FLIGHT HOURS
On February 11 Cessna disclosed that its range of Citation business jets had passed 30 million ight hours. More than 6,600 Citations have entered service since 1972. The prototype of the Citation family, the FanJet 500, completed its maiden ight on September 15, 1969.

Golden Caravan

Latitude Prototype Begins Ground Tests

Cessna rolled out the rst Cessna 680A Citation Latitude at its facility at Wichita, Kansas on January 20. The unpainted aircraft, lacking a nose cone and rear fuselage fairing but equipped with a long nose-mounted probe, conducted the rst insitu test run of its Pratt & Whitney Canada PW306D turbofans and a taxi test on the same day it emerged. The nine-seat business jet is due to begin ight tests leading to certication at the end of this year. Production will be ramped up in the second half of 2014 and customer deliveries are expected to be under way a year later. The Latitude was launched at the National Business Aviation Association Convention at Las Vegas, Nevada, in October 2011 as a development of the 680 Citation Sovereign to compete in the same mid-size business aircraft market as the Embraer Legacy 450 (see New from Cessna Citation M2 and Latitude, November 2011, p34). A range of 2,000nm (3,704 km) was originally sought, but this was increased twice after the design was rmed up, and the target is currently 25% higher. The prototype had its wings mated to the fuselage last September (see Citation Latitude Gets its Wings, November 2013, p18).

Cessna 208B Grand Caravan XT-ESK (c/n 208B-2251), based at Ouagadougou Airport in Burkina Faso, is used as a shuttle between the capital and the Essakane gold mine in the north-east of the country for the Iamgold Corporation. It was noted at the airport on January 27. Benot Denet

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

AI .03.14

33

Commercial

COMMERCIAL ORDERS
Airbus Customer Aerolneas Argentinas Amedeo (previously Doric) Libyan Airlines Spring Airlines Undisclosed Aircraft A330-200 A380 A350-900 A320 A319ceo & neo A320ceo & neo A321ceo & neo A320ceo & neo A330-200 A320neo A320ceo A321ceo A320neo Number 4, purchase agreement 20 (firms June 17, 2013 MoU) 2 30, purchase agreement 15 65 20 40 4 20 14 (firms Sept 25, 2013 MoU) 7 (firms Sept 25, 2013 MoU) 42, plus 30 purchase rights for A320neo/ ceo (firms Sept 25, 2013 MoU) Number 2, plus 2 options 6 20, plus 20 options Number 8 2 6 12 2 75 (plus purchase rights for 25) (firms Nov 17, 2013, commitment) 11 (firms Nov 17, 2013, commitment) 20 20 3 3 (previously listed as unidentified) 8, purchase commitment 7, purchase commitment 4 8 4 75 20 25 5 8 6 20 10 2 1 4 1 Number 16, plus 10 options (purchase agreement) 2 4 plus 4 options (firms November 18 LoI) 12, LoI 3 Number 25 25 (plus 50 purchase rights for either type) Number 2 Number 2 Date February 13 February 12 February 7 November 22, 2013 December 2, 2013 December 2, 2013 December 2, 2013 December 2, 2013 December 19, 2013 December 20, 2013 February 11 February 11 February 11

SaudiGulf to Offer Low-cost Services

Saudi Arabia has a new premium airline known as SaudiGulf. The carrier plans to begin operations late this year with four daily services between Dammam, Jeddah and Riyadh within the kingdom. It later plans to expand its network to secondary airports in the country, including Abha, Madinah, Qassim and Tabuk, and start international services to destinations in the Middle East and Africa. The airline has ordered 16 Bombardier CSeries CS300s, with options for another ten. Deliveries are due to begin in 2015 so other narrowbodies will be leased beforehand to meet its target of starting operations by the end of this year. The CS300s will be congured for 135 seats in rst class and premium economy classes, and feature what Bombardier Aerospace President, Mike Arcamone, calls the highest-luxury CSeries specications so far ordered. It includes in-ight entertainment in rst class and leather seats throughout. SaudiGulf is the third Middle Eastern carrier to order the CSeries after previous commitments from Bahrain national carrier Gulf Air and Iraqi Airways. Mark
Broadbent

Undisclosed Undisclosed Undisclosed VietJetAir

ATR Customer Bangkok Airways Binter Canarias Dubai Aerospace Enterprises Boeing Customer Air Algerie Alaska Airlines British Airways Federal Express flydubai

Aircraft ATR72-600 ATR72-600 ATR72-600 Aircraft 737-800 737-900ER 787-9 787-10 767-300F 737 MAX 8 737-800 737NG 737 MAX 8 737-800 737-700 737-800 737 MAX 8 747-8I 737-700 737-800 737-800 737-800 737-800 737 MAX 737 MAX 737 MAX 737 MAX 737 MAX 747-8I 777-300ER 777F 787-8 Aircraft CS300 Q400 NextGen Q400 NextGen CRJ900 NextGen CS300 Aircraft E190-E2 E195-E2 Aircraft L410UVP Aircraft Twin otter 400

Date February 12 February 11 February 12 Date January 6 January 2 December 5, 2013 December 5, 2013 December 12, 2013 (adds to Commercial Orders, February, p12) January 6 January 6 January 20 January 20 January 13 February 5 February 12 February 12 December 27, 2013 December 21, 2013 December 2, 2013 December 21, 2013 December 26, 2013 December 30, 2013 December 2, 2013 December 3, 2013 December 21, 2013 December 26, 2013 December 30, 2013 December 21, 2013 December 21, 2013 January 22 January 25 Date January 16 February 9 February 5 February 11 February 9 Date February 13 February 13 Date 2013 Date February 12

GECAS Jackson Square Aviation LAM Mozambique Airlines Nok Airways Transaero Unidentified Unidentified Unidentified Unidentified Unidentified Unidentified Unidentified Unidentified Unidentified Unidentified Unidentified Unidentified Unidentified Unidentified (business customer) Bombardier Customer Al Qahtani Aviation Company Falcon Aviation Services Palma Holdings (for Ethiopian) Undisclosed Undisclosed Embraer Customer Air Costa Lett Customer Goma Air Viking Customer First Flying

Dana Air Back in the Air

Nigerian carrier Dana Air resumed ights on January 27 with a McDonnell Douglas MD-83 (5N-JOY, c/n 49944, ex N935JM). The airline had suspended operations following the crash of one of its MD-83s that killed 159 people on June 3, 2012 (see Dana Air MD-83 Crash, July 2012, p14). The airline was allowed to y again in January 2013 but was subsequently suspended in October due to safety concerns. Dana spokesman Sam Ogbogoro said the carrier resumed operations with two ights following a successful operational audit by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority. Pilots recently underwent refresher courses, some on simulators in South Africa, prior to the resumption of ight operations. According to the carriers chief operating ofcer Yvan Drewinsky, Dana will take delivery of two Boeing 737-500 aircraft by March. Guy Martin

Key: Lol - Letter of Intent MoU Memorandum of Understanding, Compiled by Mark Broadbent

Further Delays for ARJ21

The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China has again delayed delivery of its ARJ21

regional airliner. Deliveries to launch customer Chengdu Airlines are now expected in April/May 2015

following certication by the Civil Aviation Administration of China. The aircraft has been in development

since 2002 and experiencedseveral delays. It was originally due in service in 2007. Mark Broadbent

34

AI .03.14

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

Commercial

A350XWB Advancing
Airbus A350XWB testing has recently passed a number of milestones. Msn 3 (F-WZGG), the second ight-test aircraft, recently undertook cold weather trials in Iqaluit in Nunavut, Canada, where it was exposed to temperatures of -30C (-22F). Before that it underwent altitude testing at Cochabamba and La Paz in Bolivia, respectively 8,300ft (2,529m) and 13,000ft (3,962m) above sea level, and warm weather testing at Fort de France, Martinique. Msn 3 then took part in daily ying displays at the recent Singapore Airshow. Two more A350XWB test aircraft (F-WWCF, msn 2, and F-WZNW, msn 4) were due to y before the end of February. Msn 4 wears the branding of A350-900 launch customer Qatar Airways on its forward fuselage and will be used for training the airlines pilots and maintenance teams, as well as tests for external noise, lightning and the headup display in the cockpit. Msn 2 will be used for cabin and longdistance ight trials. Qatar is due to receive its rst A350-900 late this year. Mark Broadbent

Seahawks 747-8 Freighter

Boeing recently painted 747-8U7F N770BA (c/n 37564) to mark the Seattle Seahawks America football team making the Super Bowl, the National Football League championship game played annually between the winners of the National and the American Football Conferences. It has the teams logo and large 12 on the tail, with the name of the club on the port fuselage and Spirit of 12s, Go Hawks! and #Louder on the starboard forward. The 12 signies the crowd at the games, often known as the 12th man, watching 11-player teams on the pitch. Boeing is a sponsor of the Seattle Seahawks. The freighter was originally destined for Atlas Air before the carrier reduced its order for 12 747-8Fs by three aircraft in September 2011. It is currently being used by the manufacturer as a trials platform. Boeing

Boeing 717s to Leave Southwest Service

Southwest Airlines will phase-out its last Boeing 717-200s by the rst quarter of next year. The Dallas, Texas-based low-cost carrier is progressively retiring its 88-strong eet of the twin-jets, which it inherited after acquiring AirTran Airways from September 2010.

The move is part of the on-going integration of AirTran into Southwest. Southwest is leasing the 717s to Delta Air Lines. As part of the deal, Southwest is spending $100 million to re-congure the aircraft to Deltas standards, reducing capacity to 110 passengers. Mark Broadbent

Skymark Set to Receive its First A330-300

Azman Air Receives Boeing 737-300s

Airbus A330-343 F-WWKH (msn 1483) is the rst of its kind for Skymark Airlines of Japan. The airliner is seen undertaking a test ight from Toulouse-Blagnac in southern France on January 21, having completed its rst sortie on December 16, 2013. It will become JA330A upon delivery. Skymark is a low-cost carrier that ies Japanese domestic routes. It announced in July 2012 that it would lease from Intrepid Aviation seven A330-300s equipped for 271 passengers in a single-class premium conguration. Olivier Gregoire

Tigerair Philippines Sold to Cebu Pacific

Boeing 737-36N 5N-YSM of Azman Air at Palma de Mallorca on January 12 during a refuelling stop on its delivery ight from Bournemouth Airport, Dorset, to Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Nigeria. Javier Rodrguez

Nigerian start-up airline Azman Air received its two Boeing 737-300 aircraft on January 13, ferried from the UK ahead of demonstration ights for the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority. The carrier plans to launch services to ve international and nine domestic

destinations, mainly Kano, Abuja and Lagos. Its rst two aircraft are former Bmibaby Boeing 737-36Ns 5N-YSM named Alhaji Yunusa Sarina (c/n 28557, ex G-TOYF) and 5N-HAI Hajiya Aisha Yunusa (c/n 28570, ex G-TOYH). Guy Martin

Cebu Pacic has agreed to buy Tigerair Philippines as part of a strategic alliance between Cebu and the Singaporeheadquartered Tigerair low-cost airline group. Cebu will take full control of Tigerair Philippines and the airlines three Airbus A320s and two A319s. It is also buying 40% of the Tigerair group from Singapore Airlines. The Tigerair Philippines brand will continue to be run as a standalone operation. The deal also means

Cebu Pacic and Tigerair will set up codeshare and interline agreements on international and domestic routes from the Philippines, including those to and from Singapore. This strategic alliance will allow both Cebu Pacic and Tigerair to leverage on our extensive networks spanning from North Asia, ASEAN [Association of South East Asian Nations], Australia, India, all the way to the Middle East, said a statement released by both airlines. Mark Broadbent

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

AI .03.14

35

NEWS COLUMN

Aligned to Kee

Paul Ridgway

by Mark Broadbent Rolls-Royce has revealed that its developing a concept called TotalCare Flex to support engines approaching their nal years of service. Flex is an evolution of the companys existing family of TotalCare support products.
After-market services have become an increasingly important part of the famous aero-engine manufacturers business. They now account for 54% of the companys overall revenues from commercial aircraft engines, a trebling from 2003. Historically, after-market support provided by engine manufacturers was fairly basic because airlines wanted to undertake maintenance themselves. All [customers] wanted were parts, manuals [and] training, commented Mark Kerr, Head of Customer Marketing and Services, in a presentation on the companys civil aerospace services at Heathrow Airport. That changed over time as carriers sought greater costeffectiveness in their engineering operations. Requirements from customers led to Rolls-Royce launching TotalCare some 15 years ago. They said that Rolls-Royce was best placed to maintain [their] engine assets,

said Louise Donaghey, TotalCare Product Director.

TotalCare
The TotalCare product offering consists of a core set of integrated services covering engine management and maintenance, to which individual customers can add a range of options. TotalCare is charged on dollar-per-engine flying hour ($/EFH) rate. The core elements are engine repair and overhaul, which includes all off-wing maintenance, checks and repairs, refurbishments; work scope creation and management; modifications to improve reliability; health monitoring; predictive maintenance planning to determine when an engine will go into overhaul shops; monitoring spare engine status

and specialist line maintenance. Options include being able to request the deployment of Rolls-Royce personnel and equipment for specialist line maintenance; line replaceable unit management; technical records management; spare engine services; engine transportation and additional overhaul services like covering costs for the replacement of life-limited parts.

The Benefits
Rolls-Royce says the key benefits of TotalCare are a simplified maintenance structure, certainty that engines are going to be supported by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and cost predictability. The product also provides a dedicated support team and the transfer of risk (in terms of unscheduled

36

AI .03.14

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

NEWS COLUMN

eep You Flying

maintenance events) from the operator to Rolls-Royce. Louise Donaghey explained: TotalCare transfers both time-on-wing and shop visit cost risks back to the OEM and ensures that the business models of the operator and the OEM are aligned through the $/EFH service fee. Operators with TotalCare will experience secured cost of operating and maintaining engines, enhanced availability through engine health monitoring and the automatic inclusion of product durability and reliability improvements, and protection of asset value in the marketplace.

Term and Life

There are two distinct products TotalCare Term and TotalCare Life. As its name implies, Term is an agreement offering services for a fixed calendar period specified by the operator. Life provides the customer with economic full-life engines with support guarantees beyond the end of their contract, which Term doesnt because its fixed for a calendar period. On Life contracts customers are always paying towards the next maintenance event, while Term contracts effectively dilute the maintenance costs by the flying hours in the term. [Life] will give you whatever life youve got on the engine plus the funding towards the next [maintenance] event, Donaghey explained. [The operator] can transact that airframe/engine combination at any point. Since its at the customers election there is no expiry date with a Life contract.

were able to be the outright purchasers of aircraft and more lessors and finacial institutions were involved. Third, there was a realisation that first-tier operators (that is, the first operators of an aircraft) selling assets theyd used for 10 to 15 years couldnt, under a Term deal, give a commitment to a purchaser that they were selling them effectively full-life engines. Second and third-tier operators dont want huge capital investment to buy the assets around [an aircraft], they simply want to fly it, Donaghey observed. These different expectations underpinned the development of TotalCare Life, which is designed for the needs of these customers. But Donaghey added that Life makes a lot of sense for the selling operator, too, because it protects their investment and keeps their asset value high.

Paul Ridgway

Flex
Rolls-Royce is now looking to broaden the scope of TotalCare to include aircraft 20 years old or more, which are approaching the end of their operational lives and are likely to be retired to the desert within the next three to five years. Donaghey observed that operators of these mature aircraft have different priorities again from those flying jets less than a decade old. They are focused on releasing the value in their assets when they send them to the desert. This

contrasts with operators of new aircraft who focus on the assets performance and derisking the engine maintenance and management activity. This means new operators invest in the asset by desiring the highest standard of work scope from a service provider. It follows that while new operators invest in support packages like TotalCare Life to protect value, the last operators want to minimise such expenditure. It would be foolish of us to continue pushing the same service product when there are fundamentally different requirements, Donaghey said. Its intended that Flex will keep the essence of TotalCare by providing certainty to final operators on what theyll pay for support, but add guarantees in the quality of parts and workshop and the OEMs backing. The idea is that this will enable final

operators to minimise their spending on support, yet retain the value of the aircraft right up to retirement.

Pilot Schemes
Were developing [Flex] because our customers are telling us very clearly this is their set of requirements in the mature phase and theyre looking for us to design services that meet these requirements, Donaghey said. Were talking with operators, lessors and financiers in developing the product. Pilot schemes with operators are planned for later in 2014. With 20-year-old Trent 500 and 700 engines in the mature phase of their lifecycle, the timing is apt for a product tailored to these engines. By adding Flex to the existing TotalCare offerings Rolls-Royce is, in Donagheys words, aiming to be aligned with you [the customer] to keep you flying.

Different Expectations

Rolls-Royce launched TotalCare Life around seven years ago in response to three factors. First, the industry had concluded that term-based deals were not representattive of the true cost of engine maintenance because of the dilution effect. Second, fewer operators

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

Paul Ridgway

AI .03.14

37

Commercial

New United Eco-Skies Logoship

Boeing 737-924ER(WL) N75432 (c/n 32835, ex N1779B) is the logo jet for United Airlines Eco-Skies programme to reduce its environmental impact. The airliner is seen on approach to Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey on January 29. A 737-824(WL) (N76516, c/n 37096) was previously used as the EcoSkies logoship, but was repainted in Star Alliance colours in October 2013. Cary Liao

CS100 Slips to 2015

Bombardier Commercial Aircraft has delayed service entry of the CSeries CS100 to the second half of 2015. The higher-capacity CS300 will follow six months later. The announcement on January 16 had been expected because of the tight certication timetable for the airliner set by Bombardier, which left little room to cope with unexpected problems common to new aircraft. The company had always stated that it would deliver the CS100 to the initial customer 12 months after the prototype completed its maiden ight. That indicated a hand over in the fourth-quarter of this year after Flight Test Vehicle 1 (C-FBCS, c/n 50001) rst ew on September 9, 2013, but the slow test programme has pushed back certication (see CS100 Tests, December 2013, p33). The recent announcement is the latest delay for the CS100, as Bombardier originally planned to y it in late 2012 and begin customer deliveries by the end of 2013. By mid-February the CSeries had 445 commitments (201 rm orders) from 17 customers. Mark Broadbent

Gambia Bird A319

Airbus A319-119 D-ASTB (msn 4691, ex D-AVYO) of Gambia Bird at Lungi International Airport in Freetown, Sierra Leone, in late January. The airliner was previously operated by Germania before being transferred to Gambia Bird in December 2012 and is one of two in service with the Gambian carrier. Gambia Bird was formed in 2012 with its main hub at Banjul-Yundum International Airport. Benot Denet

787-9s Ordered
Norwegian had ordered four 787-9s from ILFC. The airliners will be delivered in 2017 and 2018. The airline already has two 787-9s on order.

Tarom Celebrates 60th Anniversary

Romanian airline Tarom celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, having been founded on September 18, 1954. To mark the milestone it has painted Boeing 737-78J(WL) YR-BGG, named Craiova (c/n 28422, ex N1786B), with Happy 60 Years on its tail. The airliner had previously worn the retro scheme, as used by the Lisunov Li-2s and Ilyushin Il-14s with which Tarom began operations, to mark the 55th anniversary of the airline in 2009. It is pictured at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport in Hungary on January 13. Tams Martnyi

Dutch airline KLM Cityhopper recently started replacing its 26-strong Fokker 70 eet. Initially, seven Fokker 70s will be replaced by six leased Embraer ERJ190STDs adding to the 22 ERJ190s that entered service between November 2008 and May 2012. It is part of an August 2007 deal that included 17 rm orders plus seven options ve of which were taken up in 2011. Parallel to the delivery of the ERJ-190s, the Fokker 70 eet was expanded to 26 in 2008/2009 by the addition of ve aircraft formerly operated by Air France subsidiary Rgional. The eet renewal allowed the airline to retire it last Fokker 50 turboprops and Fokker 100s between 2009 and 2012. By the middle of this year KLM Cityhopper will operate 19 Fokker 70s and 28 ERJ-190s,

KLM Cityhopper Begins Fokker 70 Replacements

making it the largest operator of the Fokker 70 worldwide and of the ERJ-190 in Europe. KLM Cityhopper took delivery of the rst additional aircraft, ERJ-190STD PH-EZY (c/n 19000649, ex PR-EDD) on November 29, followed by PH-EZZ (c/n 19000654, ex PR-EDX) on December 20. The remaining four (PH-EXA to PH-EXD) are scheduled for delivery between February and April. Meanwhile, the first Fokker 70 to be retired (PH-KZV, c/n 11556, ex F-GLIV) made its final commercial flights for the airline on January 5, before flying to Norwich Airport, Norfolk, in the evening to be stored pending its fate. The last Fokker 70s are expected to leave KLM Cityhoppers fleet in 2018. Kees van der Mark

38

AI .03.14

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

Commercial

Services Started by Malawi Airlines

Malawi Airlines launched domestic scheduled ights on January 31, from Lilongwe to Blantyre using a Bombardier Q400 NextGen. The airline is ying daily between the two cities, but in the coming months plans to expand its destinations to Johannesburg in South Africa; Maputo, Tete and Beira in Mozambique; Harare in Zimbabwe; Lusaka in Zambia; and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. In the long term, Malawi Airlines plans to y to Kenya and Uganda. Malawi Airlines received the two-year old Q400 on January 29 from Ethiopia and plans to take delivery of a Boeing 737-800 in the rst quarter of 2014. Malawi Airlines received its Air Operator Certicate from the Department of Civil Aviation on January 3. The carrier is a joint venture between the Malawi Government and Ethiopian Airlines (which has a 49% stake in the venture). Ethiopian Airlines provides the aircraft while the Malawian Government provides working capital for the airlines operations (see Malawian Airline Ltd Established, October 2013, p28). Guy Martin

Etihad Regional Commences Operations

Saab 2000 HB-IZP (c/n 031, ex N168GC) of Darwin Airline touches down at Rome-Fiumicino Airport, Italy, on January 23 at the end of a service from Geneva, Switzerland. The ight marked the start of operations by Etihad Regional, the aircraft being unveiled in its new brand colours the previous week. All ten Saab 2000s operated by Darwin will be repainted in the new livery by June. Etihad Regional is a partnership between Etihad Airways of the United Arab Emirates and Darwin Airline of Lugano, Switzerland. Etihad Regional

Civil Super Hercules Launched

Lockheed Martin has launched a civil version of the C-130J military tactical transport. The LM-100J Super Hercules is designed as a multi-purpose air freighter for civil applications, specialist roles including aerial spraying and reghting, and transporting humanitarian aid and bulk/oversized cargo to austere locations. First ight is planned for 2017, with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certication and initial customer deliveries in 2018. Lockheed Martin is pitching the LM-100J as a replacement for the L-100, initially developed as a civil version of the C-130E Hercules. Lockheed sold 115 between 1964
Shiranthi Rajapaksa, but losses reached 26 million Sri Lankan rupees in the last nancial year and are anticipated to rise to 29.4 million in the 2013-14 nancial year. David C Isby

and 1992 and many are still in operation. Our customers and legacy L-100 operators tell us that the best replacement for an L-100 is an advanced version of the same aircraft, said George Shultz, Vice President and General Manager, C-130 Programs. The LM-100J will use the military C-130Js Rolls-Royce AE2100D turboprops and digital cockpit avionics. It will carry 33% more payload on a 2,500nm (4,630km) ight than the L-100 by having a 4.6m (15ft) longer cargo hold, adding space for two additional pallets. Compared with its predecessor it will have 50% more range, be 10% faster (with a

top speed of 355kts/657km/h), burn 15% less fuel and have 35% lower maintenance costs. Lockheed Martin says the basis for the LM-100J will be the L-382J, the original civil version of the J model proposed 20 years ago, but never built due to the focus on developing the military version. The company said it had led a Program Notication Letter with the FAA on January 21 for a type design update for the L-382. The company hopes the LM-100J will bring stability to its Hercules line at a time when US Department of Defense cuts are impacting on the demand for military C-130J derivatives. Mark Broadbent

NEW A380 OPERATORS IN 2014

Airbus has conrmed there will be four new A380 operators this year Asiana, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways and Skymark. Asiana was due to receive its rst example as AIR International went to press, with Qatar Airways taking its initial aircraft in the spring. Just as it did in 2013, Airbus plans to deliver 30 A380s in 2014. Last year the company delivered just 25 aircraft because production ow was interrupted by the impact of the wing rib feet cracking issue. Airbus expects the A380 programme to break even in 2015. Mark Broadbent

NEWS BY NUMBERS

AN-148/158S TO BE PRODUCED IN 2014

Ukraines state-owned Antonov plans to manufacture 12 An-148 and An-158 regional airliners at its Kiev facility this year. Most of the aircraft will be delivered to Russias Ilyushin Finance Company for subsequent lease or resale. David C Isby

12

55

backlog of just 46 of the smallest version of the new airliner. Libyan also ordered an extra pair of A350900s on February 7 (see Commercial Orders table, p34). Airbus remains committed to producing the A350-800, seeing it as a vital part of the airliners family, although the number on order has halved in the last year (see Airlines Cut A350-800 Orders...as Initial -900s Roll Off FAL, January 2013, p19). Mark Broadbent

also delivered three Bombardier 415 reghters. Mark Broadbent

16

A320S FOR VOLARIS

The Mexican low-cost carrier Volaris has signed a letter of intent to lease 16 Airbus A320neo family aircraft, comprising ten A320neos and six A321neos. The aircraft will be delivered from 2016 to 2018 from an undisclosed lessor. The airliners are in addition to the rm order for 30 A320neos placed by Volaris in December 2012. Mark Broadbent

10

AIRLINERS FOR SRI LANKA

Sri Lanka has arranged nancing for ten new airliners for governmentowned Sri Lankan Airlines to be purchased through the UK. The Sri Lankan cabinet approved a $50 million loan and issued $175 million in international bonds. Sir Lankan Airlines had been protable under Emirates management with current chairman Nishantha Wickremasinghe, a brother of the presidents wife

46

BOMBARDIER COMMERCIAL DELIVERIES

Canadian manufacturer Bombardier delivered 55 commercial airliners in 2013. A total of 29 Q400 turboprops and 26 CRJ regional jets were handed over to customers, a decline of seven Q400s, but 16 more CRJs, compared with the previous year when 50 aircraft were handed over. CSeries orders were up (34 compared to 15 in 2012) but the 17 rm commitments for Q400s and 30 for CRJs were both down, reducing the total orders in 2013 to 81 from 138 the previous year. The company

1,503

ORDERS FOR AIRBUS IN 2013

Airbus received net orders for 1,503 commercial aircraft and delivered 626 last year. Both gures improved on the gures for 2012, when the European company took 833 net orders and delivered 568. It delivered 22 fewer aircraft last year than Boeing, which handed over 648, a company record. However, the European companys net order tally was 148 aircraft above that of Boeings 1,355. This puts Airbus back on top for net orders, a position it had held from 2007 to 2011. Mark Broadbent

A350-800S IN BACKLOG
The number of rm orders for the Airbus A350-800 continues to shrink after additional airlines recently switched their commitments to the larger A350-900. Libyan Airlines and the International Lease Finance Company are the latest to convert, having changed their respective orders for six and four A350-800s to the -900, leaving Airbus with a

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

AI .03.14

39

NEWS REPORT

Eurocopter, Prom Markets and

AIR Internationals Mark Ayton reports from this years Eurocopter meeting with the press in Paris

s Guillaume Faury, the new President and CEO of Eurocopter, took to the podium on January 28, he had some tough, and some exciting, points to present. The venue was the Pavillon Champs Elyses in Paris. The occasion was the companys 2014 press briefing and the first one given by Faury, who described 2013 as a difficult year. We were faced with tragic accidents, he said solemnly, pausing to remember the victims and their families. Faury was referring to two fatal crashes: one involving CHC-operated AS332L2 Super Puma G-WNSB (c/n 2582) approaching Shetlands Sumburgh airport on August 23, which killed four oil workers; and Police Scotland EC135T2 G-SPAO (c/n 0546)

A
AI .03.14

which crashed on The Clutha Vaults pub in Glasgow on November 29, killing all three onboard and seven people in the pub. He also spoke of the grounding of the EC225 and EC725 fleets for part of 2013 following two non-fatal ditchings involving EC225 LPs G-REDW (c/n 2734) on May 10, 2012, and G-CHCN (c/n 2679) on October 22, 2012. We were confronted with a very complex problem. Our teams have worked hard. The problem was understood and solved. All our customers have now resumed flights and are regaining trust in us, he said. The UKs Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) found that in both incidents the bevel gear vertical shaft had fractured: failures that were precipitated by active corrosion of the component. Active corrosion, described by the company as an exceptional phenomenon, results from the combination of gear corrosion pitting, the presence of paste inside the shaft in the welded area

and the moisture trapped there. The paste is a mix of residues produced from the usual wear and tear of the splines, MGB (main gear box) oil and water. The AAIB published a bulletin on March 18, 2013 with the following explanatory introduction.

Air Accident Investigation Branch Bulletin: S2/2013

This Special Bulletin contains information on the progress of the investigation into the emergency lubrication systems and the Crash Position Indicators (CPI) for the accidents to G-REDW on 10 May 2012 and to G-CHCN on 22 October 2012. This follows the publication of previous Special Bulletins S2/2012, S3/2012, S5/2012, S6/2012 and S7/2012.

Emergency Lubrication
On both G-REDW and G-CHCN the bevel gear vertical shaft fractured, leading to

40

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

mising Offshore d Airbus Helicopters

NEWS REPORT

associated warnings of loss of MGB oil pressure on the central warning panel (CWP). Both crews actioned the total loss of MGB oil pressure checklist, which required the activation of the MGB emergency lubrication system. However, in both cases, approximately 30 seconds later the MGB EMLUB caption illuminated on the CWP indicating that the emergency lubrication system had failed, resulting in the subsequent ditching of the helicopters. These are the only two known occasions in which the emergency lubrication system has been activated in operational flight. Strip examinations of the MGBs revealed the presence of glycol throughout and no visual evidence of heat damage, indicating that the system had lubricated and cooled the MGB. In mid-2013 Eurocopter introduced three preventative measures to stop moisture being trapped: a redesigned welding hole plug, regular cleaning of the shaft to remove/

prevent any build-up of paste and installation of a new oil jet to improve the cleaning of the welding area. The company also defined two precautionary measures: non-destructive ultrasonic inspection (NDUI) and permanent monitoring of the shafts condition by monitoring vibration with the aircrafts health usage monitoring system. The measures should ensure that if a crack is present, it will be detected by NDUI before take-off or in-flight by the HUMS, displayed to the pilot as a dedicated alarm with sufficient warning to permit the pilot to return to base. Corrosion, torture and crack testing of the redesigned component was under way at Eurocopters Marignane plant near Marseille. The bevel gear vertical shaft has also undergone loads testing up to 1.4 times those required for operation. Flight testing is due to commence during February and certification by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is expected by early April.

If the company receives EASA approval, a retrofit of the redesigned bevel gear vertical shaft to all EC225s and EC725s should begin in the third quarter of 2014. On January 24, 2014, the company provided the following update on the status of the worldwide EC225 and EC725 fleets. The return to service of the suspended EC225 fleet following two controlled ditchings in 2012 is proceeding according to plan. All oil and gas operators in Aberdeen, Norway, Australia, Malaysia, the United States, Angola and Brazil are back in the skies. On February 7 the company confirmed that 95% of the 169-aircraft EC225/EC725 fleet (including all non-oil and gas versions) are now back in operation: Africa (12), Asia (42), Australia (10), Europe (53), Middle East (7), North America (4) and South America (32). The fleet has now logged 27,000 flight hours since returning to service at the end of July 2013, 20,000 of which by oil and gas operators.

Anthony Pecchii/Airbus Helicopters

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

AI .03.14

41

NEWS REPORT

EUROCOPTER PERFORMANCE FIGURES

2013 Helicopters delivered Domestic deliveries (Fr, Ge, Sp and the UK) Export deliveries Total net orders EC120-EC130 EC135 EC145 EC155 EC175 EC225 NH90 Civil market Military market Revenue from civil helicopters Revenue from military helicopters 497 28% 72% 422 211 61 61 17 5 33 34 46% 11% 55% 45% 2012 475 28% 72% 469 258 63 81 11 19 37 0 44% 18% 55% 45%

42

AI .03.14

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

Anthony Pecchii/Airbus Helicopters

NEWS REPORT
I asked Guillaume Faury what the company had done to regain the confidence of offshore workers to fly on the EC225? We were challenged by this situation. It was a complex problem. We have gone to the very bottom of the problem. As stated in the video [shown during the media presentation], this is one of the most scrutinised helicopters in the world, especially in terms of the gear box. The authorities have analysed what we have done, validated what we proposed [as a solution] and the helicopters are now back in service. I personally have full trust in the EC225. The EC225 has never experienced any fatal accident. Weve solved the problem it had and are convinced that this helicopter is safe to fly. Our own people are flying the EC225 as we continue to develop solutions for it. Im flying the EC225 with full trust and therefore I really can forward to the crews and the passengers the strong belief of the company that the 225 is a very safe helicopter. To regain the confidence of crews and offshore workers in the EC225 main gear box, Eurocopter initiated or participated in a number of activities: providing the Helicopter Safety Steering Group with full details of the status of the investigation, arranging visits to Marignane for helicopter operators, oil and gas companies, union and safety representatives, giving pilot briefings, public town hall presentations, developing a web-based knowledge centre and providing support to helicopter operator open days.

Anthony Pecchii/Airbus Helicopters

Eurocopters Performance in 2013

Moving on to the companys performance during 2013, Faury provided two interesting facts it was the worlds leading manufacturer of helicopters in terms of the number of units sold; and delivered one out of every two civil helicopters in the world. Faury said the trend in the civil market can be attributed to the oil and gas industry. We have seen investment in exploration and production double over the past decade. More than 190 deposits have been discovered since 2009 in Australia, Brazil, Norway and the United States. By 2020, 109 new offshore platforms are likely to be built, located at significant distances from the coast accessed in most cases by the helicopter. This provides an excellent opportunity for the EC225 and EC175. And with mention of the seven-tonne twin EC175, Faury showed delight in announcing its certification by EASA, describing the helicopter as the one that marks the transition from our very successful past as Eurocopter and our future [as the rebranded Airbus Helicopters].

The day before the press event in Paris, the European Aviation Safety Agencys Internal Safety Committee formally approved the recommendation of the EC175 Project Certification Team to grant the helicopter EASA type certification. The agency was expected to officially issue the type certificate shortly after the event. Because the EC175 is a clean sheet

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

Anthony Pecchii/Airbus Helicopters

Certification

design, everything had to be certified from scratch. It was ready to start certification at the end of 2012. Eurocopter started the certification process at the beginning of 2013. The process took a year to work through because of various technical difficulties that had to be solved. The main time driver during the process was the integrated modular avionics (IMA) system. The EC175 is the first type to be certified with such a system. Jean-Brice Dumont, Eurocopters chief technical officer, likened the situation to a hotel when explaining the process: You have a platform that is certified as a hotel, and the rooms contain the various system functions onboard the aircraft. We can modify any piece of software in the flight management computer independently, without having to recertify the others. This is very powerful once it is certified because you have much more agility for changing the product and certifying it simply. But it is huge in terms of the initial certification and demonstration. You must show that all of the functions are independent. Its a breakthrough for us, a new generation of avionics, and took more time than we thought. Part of the delay was caused by the time required to run the development, and part of it was due to the formal certification process. Dumont gave some other examples: We had FADEC software modifications for the way single engine indicators are displayed particularly when undertaking engine failure training in terms of control and modes. These were undertaken with Pratt & Whitney Canada, the engine supplier. It was intensive from the end of the second quarter and then accelerated. EASAs EC175 Project Certification Team was especially busy during November and December approving dozens of documents and flying an extensive series of test flights. They flew what they had to fly. They were happy with the aircraft. They duly criticised it when they had to, and we implemented the requested modifications, explained Dumont. And in light of the EC225 grounding, were there any problems with the gear box and drive system? No, Dumont replied. Having said that, we learnt a great deal from the issues that

had affected the EC225 and will always monitor any kind of issue, any sign of weakness in our systems, on a daily basis. We record it, track it and decide whether we need to do something urgently. We dont want to let the overall maturity of this aircraft degrade. Certification activity is also under way with the Federal Aviation Administration. Its team will begin test flights in February having already completed several sessions to prepare their own assessment. Its not a one-to-one evaluation because the EC175 is a new design. When asked what the original completion date was, Dumont replied: Our customers can say that we were one year late. Now theyre expecting a powerful, reliable helicopter with new avionics. The point now is to get the aircraft delivered and mature by day one. The company has three launch customers: Noordzee Helikopters Vlaanderen (Belgian), UTAir (Russian) and Heli-Union (French). Their aircraft will all be configured for the oil and gas support mission, each featuring customer-specific fits. The company refused to confirm which customer would take delivery of an EC175 first. Its an open question, said Dumont. And what of 2014 what can we expect from the company in the coming year? One event has already happened. On January 1, the companys name changed from Eurocopter to Airbus Helicopters: a rebranding exercise undertaken as part of the overhaul from the former EADS Group to Airbus. In terms of helicopters Faury remained tight-lipped about the new-generation X4 design, favouring to declare that certification and delivery of the new EC145T2 will be achieved this year.

AI .03.14

43

Rotary Wing

AW189 Cleared for Initial Deliveries

Militants Down Egyptian Helicopter

An Egyptian military Mil Mi-8/17 Hip helicopter has been shot down, killing all five on board. The Ansar Bayt al-Maqdi group claimed responsibility for the attack on January 25 and posted a video showing them using a man-portable surfaceto-air missile (SAM) to down the helicopter, which crashed in flames near the north Sinai town of Sheikh Zuwayed. The type of SAM used has not been confirmed, but was likely to be a Chinese-built QW-2/FN-6 or Soviet-designed 9K34 Strela-3 (SA-14 Gremlin ), 9K310 Igla1 (SA-16 Gimlet ) or 9K38 Igla (SA-18 Grouse ). The attack marks the first time militants operating in the region have successfully targeted an Egyptian military aircraft. Egypts helicopter force has been heavily committed to combat against insurgents in the Sinai peninsula and have even operated over Gaza after providing notification to Israel. Egypt has previously intercepted surface-to-air missiles looted from Libyan stocks. The use of SAMs in the Sinai has led to at least one air carrier suspending ight operations to the resort of Sharm el Sheikh. Guy Martin and
David C Isby

Pre-production AgustaWestland AW189 I-PTFF (c/n 49005); the helicopter received its EASA type certicate on February 7. AgustaWestland

AgustaWestland announced on February 10 that it had received a type certication from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for the AW189 medium helicopter three days earlier. The approval clears the way for the hand-over of the initial pair of aircraft to the Bristow Group, which was originally expected to occur before the end of 2013. The rst production aircraft ew on October 10, 2013 (see Production AW189 Flown, November 2013, p4). Work has also been undertaken to

allow crews and ground personnel to train on the new helicopter. A joint team from EASA and Ente Nazionale per lAviazione Civile (Italian Civil Aviation Authority) has already approved an AW189 Flight Training Device (FTD) located at AgustaWestlands Training Academy in Sesto Calende, Italy, to FTD Level 2. Virtual and ground maintenance trainers have also been produced, while a full ight simulator for the aircraft is due to become operational soon. Meanwhile, Gulf Helicopters of

Qatar signed a firm order for 15 AW189s on January 21. The initial two will be delivered in 2014 and the fleet will be in service by 2017. A preliminary sales agreement was formulated in early 2012 and the deal was originally confirmed at the Dubai Air Show on November 17, 2013 (adding to 15 AW189s for Gulf Helicopters, December 2013, p7) prior to the recent formal signing. Since being launched at the Paris Air Show in June 2011, the AW189 has secured over 80 orders.

The Royal Australian Navys rst two Lockheed Martin/Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawks were formally accepted in a ceremony conducted by NUSQN 725 at NAS Jacksonville in Florida on January 25. (NUSQN is used to designate a squadron that has yet to be ofcially formed.) The helicopters

Australian MH-60R Seahawks Enter Service

(N48-001/BuNo 168814 and N48002/BuNo 168815) had been handed over to the Commonwealth at Lockheed Martins facility in Owego, New York, on December 10, 2013 (see Australian MH-60Rs Handed Over, February 2014, p15). Five more are due to be delivered during the course of 2014. Since acceptance of the rst two aircraft in December, we have commenced a graduated ying programme, building on the skills, techniques and tactics that were taught during operational ying training with the United States Navy,

said Commanding Ofcer of NUSQN 725, Commander David Frost. We will continue to consolidate our skills over the next 12 months prior to returning to Australia to commence operations at Naval Air Station Nowra, New South Wales, late in 2014. Nigel Pittaway

First Dutch Registered Sikorsky S-92

Chinook HC6s Arrive in the UK

Boeing Chinook HC6 ZK551 (c/n M7702, ex N702UK) seen departing RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, on January 27. The new helicopter was at the base to conduct loading trials and was one of three Chinook HC6s delivered to the RAF on December 19, 2013. A total of 14 are on order, the rst of which ew on March 15, 2013 (see Chinook Mk 6 Tests Under Way, May 2013, p4). Paul Kyte

Sikorsky S-92A Helibus PH-EUI (c/n 92-0046) of CHC Netherlands became the rst of its type registered on the Dutch civil register on December 19, 2013. The helicopter operated from Den Helder Airport from July 2, 2012, wearing the Danish registration OY-HKA until December 12, 2012, when it was reregistered to CHC Scotia as G-WNSF. It was seen taking off from Den Helder on February 6. Kees van der Mark

44

AI .03.14

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

Rotary Wing

AW139s Delivered to Royal Thai Army

Bolivia Orders Super Pumas

The Fuerza Area Boliviana (FAB, Bolivian Air Force) has ordered six Airbus Helicopters AS332C1e Super Pumas for drug interdiction, public security and disaster-relief missions. The rst two will be delivered this year, with the remainder following in 2016. Bearing in mind the extreme operating conditions in Bolivia, the Super Puma was chosen mainly because of its versatility, safety and, above all else, its ability to operate at high altitude, said FAB Air Chief Marshal General Victor Hugo Meneses Gomez. Bolivia is the rst military customer for the AS332C1e, which was developed as a low-cost version of the Super Puma family to complete with Mil Mi-8/17 Hip variants. The contract, announced by the manufacturer on January 17, includes a logistics package and a technology transfer programme that will provide training for more than 80 technicians and pilots, and the creation of a maintenance centre in Bolivia. More than 830 Super Pumas have been delivered to 94 customers in 48 countries. Mike Jerram

Iraqi Apache Deals Go-Ahead

A Foreign Military Sale (FMS) covering the supply of Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardians to Iraq has been received by the US Government. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which handles FMS requests, passed on the details of the proposed sale to congress on January 27. Iraq is seeking to acquire 24 AH-64Es, 480 AGM-114R Hellre air-to-surface missiles and 60 M299 Hellre launchers as part of the $4.8 billion package to full its requirements for close air support, armed reconnaissance and anti-tank warfare missions. An additional FMS notication released on January 23 covered the sale of a further 500 AGM-114K/Rs to Iraq and 2.75in Hydra rockets will also be supplied to arm the Apaches. The attack helicopters will be equipped with the AN/ASQ-170 Modernized Target Acquisition and Designation Sight, the AN/AAR11 Modernized Pilot Night Vision Sensors; and AN/APG-78 re control radars with radar electronics unit. Self-defence equipment includes the AN/AAR-57(V)7 Common Missile Warning System with M211 and M212 Advanced Infrared Countermeasure Munitions ares, AN/AVR-2B laser detecting set, AN/APR-39A(V)4 or APR-39C(V)2 radar signal detecting sets and AN/ALQ-136A(V)5 radar jammer. Other electronics include the AN/APR-48 Modernized Radar Frequency Interferometers and AN/APX-117 identication friend-orfoe transponders. Apache Aviator Integrated Helmets and AN/AVS-6 night vision goggles will be supplied for both pilots and gunners. Training and logistical support is also included, plus eight spare General Electric T700-GE-701D engines. On the same day as the proposed sale to Iraq was announced, a second FMS covering a support package was revealed. Worth $1.37 billion, it includes equipment, munitions and logistics that will enable Iraqi forces to begin training on six Apaches leased from the US Army prior to delivery of its own aircraft. It also covers the purchase of 152 AGM-114K-A Hellres. The leased helicopters will be delivered by the summer at the earliest, while it is likely to be three years before the new aircraft will be handed over. The sale of Apaches to Iraq had previously been blocked by Senator Robert Menendez, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, who sought reassurances that the helicopters would not be used against civilians. He lifted his objections on January 27. The Apaches will be used to counter extremists operating in the west of Iraq.

AgustaWestland has delivered two AW139 medium twin-engined helicopters to the Royal Thai Army. The rst arrived as airfreight at Bangkoks Suvarnabhumi Airport on December 19, 2013, and was followed by the second in January. AW139 31525 (c/n 31525), wearing its test registration I-EASI, is seen prior to delivery. The other aircraft is 31520 (c/n 31520). The order for the aircraft was revealed on October 9, 2012 (see Two AW139s for Thailand, November 2012, p4). AgustaWestland

Sky Eagles Back to the Air

Taiwans Boeing AH-64E Sky Eagles were due resume flight operations in mid-February after replacement of their main transmission boxes. The helicopters were grounded in mid-December after the US Army reported transmission problems. Taiwan and the US are currently the only AH-64E operators, although Iraq has requested the type (see Iraqi Apache Deals Go-Ahead, on the right). Taiwan has 21 AH-64Es on order, of which 12 have been delivered in two batches of six in November 2013 and January. The AH-64Es scheduled to be delivered in March, May and July will have their transmissions upgraded before shipment. David C Isby

CH-53K Powers Up

The rst Sikorsky CH-53K Ground Test Vehicle has been powered up and spun its rotor head as part of trials to conrm the helicopter can operate safely under its own power. Known as bare head light off tests, the phase of the programme began at the manufacturers West Palm Beach facility in Florida in December, initially using auxiliary power. The next phase will add the main and tail rotor blades leading to a pre-ight acceptance test, before the rst ight late this year. Four CH-53Ks will be involved in the ight-test programme. The CH-53K is due to replace the CH-53E Sea Stallion with the US Marine Corps heavy helicopter squadrons. Sikorsky

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

AI .03.14

45

Rotary Wing

New SAR Helicopters for Dutch Offshore Industry

Australian Helicopter Training Contractor Selected

Boeing Defence Australia and Thales Australia are the preferred bidders to supply the Australian Defence Force with a Helicopter Aircrew Training System (HATS) under Project Air 9000 Phase 7. Their solution is based around the Airbus Helicopters EC135 as the ying component. The team competed against Raytheon/ Bells proposal using the Bell 429 GlobalRanger and Australian Aerospace also with the EC135 (see Australia Announces Training Helicopter Shortlist, July 2013, p28). The new system will be used to train army and navy pilots and crewmen at HMAS Albatross, near Nowra in southern New South Wales. We are working with Boeing Defence Australia as the preferred tenderer for Air 9000 Phase 7, a project that will deliver a new joint training helicopter system for army and navy, said Rear Admiral Tony Dalton, head of the Helicopter Systems Division for Australias Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) on January 29. Negotiations between Boeing Defence Australia and DMO are under way in preparation for the governments second pass approval in mid-2014. Nigel Pittaway
long-standing relationship with Bell began in 1948 when it took delivery of a Model 47 that was the rst Bell helicopter to be used for airborne law enforcement. Mike Jerram

Airbus Helicopters AS365N3 Dauphin 2 OO-NHV (c/n 6510) over Den Helder Airport on February 6. It is one of two Dauphins used by Noordzee Helikopters Vlaanderen to provide SAR coverage over the North Sea for the Dutch oil and gas offshore industry. Kees van der Mark

Belgian company Noordzee Helikopters Vlaanderen (NHV) began search and rescue (SAR) operations for the Netherlands Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Association in January. The new service follows the end of SAR ights by Bristow Helicopters last two Sikorsky S-61Ns on December 31 (see End of Bristow Sikorsky S-61N Operations, February, p4). NHV now uses two Airbus Helicopters AS365N3 Dauphin 2s (OO-NHU,

c/n 6665, ex F-WWOS, and OO-NHV, c/n 6510, ex F-GVHN) from its base at Den Helder Airport in the Netherlands. The helicopters are a stopgap until NHIndustries NH90 NFHs of the Defence Helicopter Command can provide SAR coverage over the North Sea. This is the second time OO-NHV has been used to ll the gap until NH90s become operational. It was leased (as F-GVHN) to the French Navys 35 Flottille at Hyres, together

with AS365N3 OO-NHC (c/n 6540, F-HCHN in French service), between February 2009 and February 2012, prior to its NH90s becoming available. Meanwhile, the Bristow S-61Ns left Den Helder for their ferry ights to the UK on January 16 (G-BIMU, c/n 61752) and February 6 (G-BPWB, c/n 61822). Both ew to Norwich Airport, Norfolk, where they will be stored pending their fate. The helicopters have over 27,000 and 18,000 ying hours respectively. Kees van der Mark

MI-17 FOR BANGLADESH

Bangladesh will procure one Mil Mi-17 Hip helicopter for the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB). Tasked with providing border security and assigned to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the BGB was known as the Bangladesh Ries until January 23, 2011. The Hip will be the rst aircraft for the force. David C Isby

20

LONGRANGERS FOR AIR MEDICAL HOLDINGS

Bell Helicopter has won an order for 20 Model 206L-4 LongRangers from Air Medical Holdings Group, which operates Air Evac Lifeteam, the largest independently owned and operated air medical service in the United States. The company operates the worlds largest eet of more than 130 EMSequipped LongRangers and Model 407s from 115 bases in 15 US States. Deliveries of the new helicopters will begin this year and continue through 2017. Mike Jerram

the most recent EMS equipment from Swiss specialist manufacturer Aerolite. In EMS conguration the Bell 429 can carry one or two pilots, two or three paramedics and a patient on a stretcher. The WAACT Trust chairman Richard Youens said: The new aircraft will be maintained on a rolling basis, better positioning us to serve more people year around, whereas the previous helicopter had to be taken ofine for six weeks or more every year. Mike Jerram

NEWS BY NUMBERS

order is a conversion of the options included in the 2012 contract.

MI-8MTV-1S FOR SAKHALIN

Russian Helicopters will deliver two Mil Mi-8MTV-1 helicopters to the regional government of Sakhalin Oblast in the rst quarter of 2015. The helicopters will operate regional cargo transportation missions, especially in remote areas such as the Kuril Islands and northern Sakhalin. They will also be used for medevac, search and rescue missions, and to protect forests and sheries. The Mi-8MTV1s, built by Kazan Helicopters, will be equipped with satellite navigation and ground proximity warning systems, an emergency radio compass, searchlights and winch for SAR operations, medical modules, and emergency ditching systems for overwater operations. Mike Jerram

11

CYPRIOT HINDS TO BE OVERHAULED

Cyprus has signed a 28 million agreement for the overhaul of its 11 Mil Mi-35P Hind-Fs in Russia. The deal was signed on December 2, 2013, but only revealed on December 28. The overhaul will be carried out at Russian Helicopters holding company facilities. Twelve Mi-35Ps were delivered to the Cyprus National Guard between August 2001 and early 2002. One was written off on July 5, 2006, but only about four of the survivors remain operational. David C Isby

ADDITIONAL AW109S FOR PHILIPPINE NAVY

The Philippine Navy has ordered an additional pair of AgustaWestland AW109 Powers for a wide range of naval missions to include economic zone protection, surface surveillance, search and rescue and maritime security. They will be delivered in the second half of 2014 according to an AgustaWestland announcement on February 11, and join three others delivered to Vilamor AB on December 8, 2013 and accepted into service 11 days later. It was originally revealed the AW109 had been selected by the Philippines Navy on November 28, 2012, and conrmation of an order for three, plus two options, was given by the Philippine Department of National Defence on December 27. The latest

12

HIPS FOR INDIAN VIP TRANSPORT

Twelve of Indias 150 Mil Mi-8/15 Hip transport helicopters will be upgraded to Mi-17V-5 conguration. Russian Helicopters announced on January 24 that the aircraft selected will be removed from service in February and be available for use during the Indian elections in May. Eight helicopters will be used to transport senior government ofcials and the other four reserved for use by Indias Special Protection Group. All 12 will be operated by the Indian Air Force from Air Force Station Palam, New Delhi. Nigel Pittaway

BELL 429S FOR NYPD

The New York Police Department (NYPD) has ordered four Bell 429 GlobalRangers for delivery by 2015. The deal was announced by the manufacturer on January 31. The NYPD currently has three Bell 412EPs in service for a variety of missions, ranging from search and rescue at sea to gathering intelligence and combating terrorism. The forces

BELL 429 FOR WAACT

The Wiltshire Air Ambulance Charitable Trust (WAACT) will become the second UK operator in the UK to employ a Bell 429 for emergency medical services (EMS). The helicopter will be outtted with

46

AI .03.14

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

VORON300S TO BE DELIVERED IN 2014.

10

NEWS BY NUMBERS

Unmanned Aerial Systems

Blackjack Operational Trials Begin

US Naval Air Systems Command has started the initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) of the Insitu RQ-21A Blackjack small tactical unmanned air system at MCAS Twentynine Palms, California. The IOT&E, which began in January, will assess the systems effectiveness and suitability in combat conditions. The twin-tail RQ-21A Blackjack, previously known as the Integrator, was designed for a range of tactical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance roles and can be operated from both the land and aboard warships. Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 1 Pioneers will conduct both ground and shipboard tests of the Blackjack using ve air systems and two ground control stations. Later this year the systems will be delivered to Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 2 at MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina, for operational evaluation. The Department of Defense selected the RQ-21A in 2012 as a replacement for the Boeing/Insitu ScanEagle, which has served with the US Navy and Marines since 2004 (see ScanEagle Replacement Sought, April 2012, p25). The Blackjack is 8ft (2.4m) long, has a wingspan of 16ft (4.8m) and can carry sensor payloads weighing up to 25lb (11.3kg), including day and night full-motion video cameras, infrared radar, a laser range finder and a communications relay package.

Ten Voron-300 unmanned air vehicles will be delivered to Russian law enforcement and civil sector customers in 2014. The Voron-300, designed by the Iskatel design bureau at the Moscow Aviation Institute, has a unit cost of 17.5 million rubles ($525,000), weighs 45kg (100lb) and can carry a payload of 16 to 18kg (35 to 40lb). Powered by a 12hp (9kW) engine, it has a maximum speed of 50km/h (31mph), an operational ceiling of 1,200m (3,937ft) and a total ceiling of 2,500m (8,202ft). Endurance is 90 minutes. David C Isby

Italian Predator B Fully Operational in Afghanistan

An Insitu RQ-21A Blackjack moments after launch at a test range at Boardman, Oregon. US Navy

An Aeronautica Militare Italiana (Italian Air Force) General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9 Predator B unmanned air vehicle ew its rst operational mission from Herat air base in Afghanistan on January 17. The unarmed Predator Bs will replace the MQ-1A Predators that the Italian Air Force has operated in Afghanistan since 2007. The MQ-9 entered Italian service in July 2010 and six have been delivered for surveillance missions. They are known as Predator Bs within the service, the brand name used by General Atomics, rather than as Reapers which is the term favoured by the US Air Force and many export customers. All six are due to have their General Atomics Lynx Block 30 synthetic aperture radar/ground moving target indicator sensors upgraded with a maritime wide-area search mode. The eet has been used to monitor illegal immigration across the Mediterranean since October 2013 as part of Operation Mare Nostrum. David C Isby

Anti-Poaching UAVs
Airware of San Francisco, California, recently deployed several unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to monitor wildlife and detect poachers in Kenyas Ol Pejeta wildlife conservancy. A three-person team from the company was deployed to the reserve in December 2013 to test xed- and rotary-wing UAVs, including the UASUSA Tempest with an endurance of 90 to 120 minutes and the Aerial Ranger. Following a successful trial in the conservancy, Ol Pejeta expect to be put into service in March or June. Guy Martin

UK and France Seeking Reaper Co-operation

The British and French governments have announced they will develop co-operative opportunities for their General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9 Reaper mediumaltitude long-endurance unmanned aircraft. As part of the Franco-British defence agreements unveiled on January 31, the governments said: We will look to develop a joint user group for [the] Reaper, to exchange lessons learnt and work together on air certication, training, throughlife support and interoperability. The group will also be open to the European nations operating Reaper, indicating the possibility of including the Netherlands in the venture after it selected the MQ-9 on November 21, 2012 (see Reaper Chosen for the RNLAF, January, p8). The Arme de lAir (French Air Force) and the French procurement agency, the Direction Gnrale de lArmement (DGA), recently undertook the rst test ights of a French-operated Reaper from Niamey in Niger. The two MQ-9A Block 1s deployed began supporting

Design of Silent Guardian Hybrid UAV Under Way

Opration Serval from January 15 (further to French Reapers Delivered, February, p4). They are being operated by a detachment of Escadron de drones 1/33 Belfort, along with three smaller EADS Harfangs. A further ten MQ-9As will be delivered in 2015 or 2016. The RAF has operated ve Reapers in Afghanistan since 2009, which are own by crews from No.13 and No.39 Squadrons. Separately, the French government has said that it regards the Thales Watchkeeper as a promising candidate to meet its Systme de Drone Tactique (SDT - tactical unmanned air system) requirement to replace the Sagem Sperwer. It placed an order for ve additional Sperwers (including two options) in December 2013 and plans to make a decision about whether to purchase a new SDT before the end of 2014. The DGA and the French Army tested a Watchkeeper at Istres between April and July 2013 (further to France to Test Watchkeeper, September 2012, p27). Mark Broadbent

Bye Aerospace of Denver, Colorado, is developing the Silent Guardian high-altitude long-endurance unmanned air vehicle. It is powered by a Williams International turbofan enabling it to reach its operating altitude quickly, before switching to electric motors to remain on station for extended periods. The UAV uses stored electric power, thin-lm solar photovoltaic and other technologies to increase endurance and facilitate quiet operations. Silent Guardian is aimed at fullling persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance roles for commercial, defence and security applications. Detailed design work began in November 2013. Bye Aerospace

Estonia will procure and operate unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) as part of a 6 million programme beginning in 2015 or 2016. Details of the project were announced on January 10 by the commander-in-chief of

UAVs Sought by Estonia

the Estonian Defence Forces, Major General Riho Terras. The UAVs will be assigned as a brigade-level asset to the Estonian Defence Forces and will have a range of 20km (12.5 miles). David C Isby

Please send all news correspondence to...airnews@keypublishing.com

AI .03.14

47

SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE

WHEN YOU TAKE OUT A 2-YEAR OR DIRECT DEBIT SUBSCRIPTION TO

3 EASY WAYS TO ORDER...THIS FANTASTIC SUBSCRIPTION OFFER!
Image: Ilias Diakoumakos

ONLINE
www.airinternational.com

PHONE
FAX UK 01780 757812 OVERSEAS +44 1780 757812

POST
COMPLETE THE FORM AND POST TO:

UK 01780 480404 OVERSEAS +44 1780 480404

AIR INTERNATIONAL, KEY PUBLISHING LTD, PO BOX 300, STAMFORD, LINCS, PE9 1NA, UNITED KINGDOM

MAKE HUGE SAVINGS when you pay by easy Direct Debit

just 9.99 every quarter plus FREE Flying or Airbus A380 DVD worth up to 19.99

YES, I would like to subscribe to

PAYERS DETAILS
Title First name ........................... Surname .................................... Address .................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................... Postcode ......................... Country .......................................................... Email address ..........................................................................................

CHOICE OF DVD
when you subscribe by easy Direct Debit.

Please complete to receive news updates and offers from us by email.

DELIVERY DETAILS

(IF DIFFERENT)

JUST 9.99
every quarter!

Title First name ........................... Surname ................................... Address .................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................... Postcode ....................... Country .......................................................... Email address ..........................................................................................
Please send gift card Giift choice Flying DVD Airbus A380 DVD (Direct Debit only)

SPECIAL OFFER (PLEASE TICK) 12 FOR THE PRICE OF 10

UK Europe USA Rest of the World 12 issues 12 issues 12 issues 12 issues 45.00 66.00 $75.00 55.00

24 ISSUES FOR THE PRICE OF 18

24 issues 24 issues 24 issues 24 issues 79.99 116.00 $132.50 94.99

PAYMENT DETAILS
I enclose a cheque for /$/ ................................. made payable to Key Publishing Ltd Please debit my Mastercard Visa Maestro (UK Mainland only) for / /$..................

Issue number Expiry date (Maestro Only)

Security Code (3or 4 Digit)

OFFER CLOSE DATE: 31 MARCH 2014 PLEASE QUOTE: AI0314

Signature ....... ............................................... Todays date ............. ...................................................

INSTRUCTION TO YOUR BANK OR BUILDING SOCIETY TO PAY BY DIRECT DEBIT

Please ll in the form in ballpoint pen and send to: Key Publishing Ltd, PO Box 300, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 1NA, United Kingdom
Name and full postal address of your Bank or Building Society To: The Manager Bank/Building Society Originators Identication Number

6 5

Address

Reference Number

Instruction to your Bank or Building Society

Image: Evert Keijzer Ironbird Photography

Postcode Name(s) of the Account Holder(s)

READERS IN THE USA MAY PLACE ORDERS BY:

TELEPHONE TOLL-FREE: 800-676-4049 OR FAX: 757-428-6253 WRITE TO: AIR International, 3330 Pacic Ave, Ste 500, Virginia Beach, VA 23451-9828 ALTERNATIVELY, ORDER ONLINE: www.imsnews.com/airinternational

Please pay Key Publishing Ltd Direct Debits from the account detailed in this instruction subject to the safeguards assured by the Direct Debit Guarantee. I understand that this Instruction may remain with Key Publishing Ltd and, if so, details will be passed electronically to my Bank/Building Society Signature(s)

Bank/Building Society account number Date Branch Sort Code

The Direct Debit Guarantee This guarantee should be detached and retained by the Payer
This guarantee is offered by all banks and building societies that accept instructions to pay Direct Debits. If you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when Key Publishing Ltd asks you to. If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit by Key Publishing Ltd or your bank or building society you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society.

If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit Key Publishing Ltd will notify you 10 working days in advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed. If you request Key Publishing Ltd to collect a payment, confirmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of the request. If you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when Key Publishing Ltd asks you to. You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by simply contacting your bank or building society. Written confirmation may be required. Please also notify us.

QUOTING/ENTERING CODE: AI0314

143/14

Direct Debit UK only. If paying by Direct Debit please send in form. Free gift available on UK Direct Debit orders only. Payments are accepted by Direct Debit, cheque, Postal Order, Credit Card and US Dollar check. Payments by credit or debit card will be shown on your statement as Key Publishing Ltd. Key Publishing will hold your details to process and full your subscription order. Occasionally we may wish to contact you to notify you of special offers on products or events. If you do not wish to receive this information please tick here or mention when calling. Gift subject to change. Any alternative gift will be of equal or higher value. Please note: Free gift is only available on Direct Debit with a minimum 2 year subscription. Should you cancel your subscription earlier then an invoice will be raised for the full price of the gift.

Banks and Building Societies may not accept Direct Debit Instructions for some types of account

Keeping

SCORE
Lufthansa Group Remodels
ike every other major airline company, Lufthansa Group is still haunted by the memory of the two massive airline-industry downturns that have taken place since the turn of the century. The first, from late 2001 until 2003, resulted from the psychological and economic impacts of the three terrorist attacks involving hijacked US airliners on September 11, 2001. The second came about five years later, when the collapse of US investment bank Lehman Brothers precipitated one of the biggest global economic crises in history its effects lingering on until the present day. During both downturns many airlines chalked up huge losses; and some didnt survive. Because Lufthansa Group boasts

L
AI .03.14

Chris Kjelgaard visits Lufthansa Groups headquarters at Frankfurt Airport to nd out more about SCORE, its biggest-ever restructuring programme
such a diverse set of subsidiary airlines and service companies, it actually remained profitable at the group level throughout the most recent downturn, according to Sadiq Gillani, Lufthansa Groups chief strategy officer. But the recession following the 9/11 attacks was very difficult for Lufthansa Group, which was a much smaller company then. Even today, because various parts of the world (including Europe) are still experiencing

Lufthansa

50

DEUTSCHE LUFTHANSA COMMERCIAL

uncertain economic times, Lufthansa Groups fleet strategy is more about replacement than growth, Gillani says. In fact, Lufthansas own fleet (including the aircraft operated by its German sister companies Germanwings, Lufthansa CityLine and Eurowings) is set to remain at right around 400 aircraft until 2016. However, Lufthansas overall capacity within and from Germany might well increase

by 1% or 2% because some short-haul aircraft will be replaced and its fleets of longhaul Boeing 747-400s and Airbus A340-300s will be refurbished with two-class interiors offering only Business Class and Economy Class seating. This will give those two fleets about 10% more seat capacity in all. Once the airline industry started to turn up again after the recession which began in 2008, Lufthansa Groups management

realised that without a great deal of pre-emptive work, the group might not be able to survive the next big downturn. In part this was because it was based in a mature European home market where traffic growth was slowing and

AI .03.14

51

COMMERCIAL DEUTSCHE LUFTHANSA

where large numbers of small carriers some of them still state-run served to prevent airline consolidation running its course as it was doing in the United States. Also, the airline industry has always been particularly vulnerable to external events over which it has no control such as a sudden, large-scale surge in oil and jet fuel prices; ash clouds from a major volcanic eruption spreading over millions of square miles, preventing airlines from flying; a sudden loss of public confidence in flying because of terrorist attacks or a regional war; and a fear of flying created by the rapid spread of a global pandemic. The global airline industry has experienced all of these events within the past six years.

The Genesis of SCORE

In 2011, Lufthansa Groups supervisory board and the groups new executive board determined in strategy sessions that strong action had to be taken to improve costefficiency and revenue-generating potential throughout the group, in order to ensure its future. Simply put, although Lufthansa itself was one of the most successful airlines in Europe and was doing most things well, neither at the airline nor the group level was Lufthansa Group achieving a sufficiently high profit margin to guarantee that it and its subsidiaries could ride out another major industry downturn. This was worrying for Europes largest airline group. Some cost-efficiency measures were mandated immediately: investment and recruitment was temporarily frozen and some loss-making companies and routes were closed down. But much more was needed. On February 6, 2012, at a management meeting held in the city of Frankfurt, the group decided to launch a major restructuring programme. Not far away, Lufthansa Group has its operational headquarters at the Lufthansa Aviation Center, an impressive glass-covered building about a mile west of Terminal 1 at Frankfurt Airport. The programme was called SCORE, which stands for Synergies, Costs, Organisation, Revenue, Execution the five basic group

52

All graphics courtesy of Lufthansa

AI .03.14

DEUTSCHE LUFTHANSA COMMERCIAL

activities the restructuring would target and improve. It was to run for three years, until 2015, after which Lufthansa Group executive board chairman and CEO Dr Christoph Franz who is leaving Lufthansa in May to become chairman of Swiss drug group Roche intended the thought processes, management procedures and system tools created by SCORE to become the norm at the company. Franz wanted SCORE to create a corporate culture of constant innovation, constant change and entrepreneurship throughout the entire organisation. Management calculations had indicated Lufthansa Group needed to maintain a 2.3 billion ($3.13 billion) cash war-chest to survive a worst-case industry crisis. In the airline industry, cash is king, says Andreas Hagenbring, senior vice president of investor relations for Lufthansa Group. You need to be prepared for events beyond your control: Lufthansa had tough times after 9/11. So you need to assume you have fixed costs running on but no revenue and no cash coming into your bank accounts.

a month, it reduces the percentage of total fuel costs against which it is hedging to 5% at 24 months out. This is done with so-called option contracts, according to Dr Jrg Beissel, vice president and joint head of the SCORE programme. It represents a possibility that airlines without an investment-grade rating do not have. But since Lufthansa Group does have such a rating, it is able to enter options contracts on oil-price futures (the type of oil-price hedging contracts it primarily uses) without having to provide large amounts of cash to secure the deals. Jet fuel price hedging is usually based on contracts for heating oil, because this is the nearest equivalent fuel which is publicly traded. By trading options rather than actual hedge contracts for fixed amounts of oil, Lufthansa is only exposed to potential hedging losses on the amount between its hedging-curve profile and the ultimate actual market-price curve; and it can still benefit from falling oil prices, according to Beissel.

2.7 billion ($3.675 billion) in cost savings and revenue enhancements annually to ensure it could assure the group of achieving sustainably a 2.3 billion yearly operating profit. By the time SCORE swung fully into effect in 2013, employees and managers had contributed more than 2,500 potentially workable ideas which, combined, added up to the 2.7 billion gross annual contribution level required of the programme. But, says Beissel, as CEO Franz intends, SCORE is to be the start of constant openness to change. We need to make profitability determination part of our DNA, to change the cultural DNA of the company. To do so beyond 2015, when SCORE ends, Lufthansa Group is developing an internal organisation which will use the SCORE tracker IT system launched in July 2012 to help manage SCOREs myriad projects in order to help steer future improvement and investment.

Kevin Boydston/AirTeamImages

Investment-grade Rating
There are compelling business reasons for Lufthansa Group to maintain a large cash reserve and a relatively strong balance sheet in terms of debt-to-equity ratio. One is that Lufthansa Group is one of only three airline companies worldwide whose debt issues are rated as investment-grade by rating agency Standard & Poors. (The other two are Air New Zealand and Southwest Airlines.) Having an investment-grade rating isnt important just for show. Hagenbring says Lufthansa Groups investment-grade rating is particularly valuable when conducting its fuelprice and currency hedging activities. One reason is that the investment-grade rating allows Lufthansa Group to hedge some of its fuel-price exposure as far as two years out, a capability few airline companies have. On a rolling 24-month basis, Lufthansa hedges up to 85% of its fuel-price exposure to seven months out; and beyond that, by decreasing the monthly hedged increment by 4% to 5%

What SCORE Requires Financially

What SCORE Means for Lufthansa Groups Airlines

In order to achieve and maintain the 2.3 billion operating-profit level it had determined as necessary, Lufthansa Group needed to generate an additional 1.5 billion ($2.14 billion) of operating profit every year on top of the 800 million ($1.09 billion) operating profit it made in 2011. But things werent quite that simple, according to Beissel. In order to improve Lufthansa Groups bottom line by 1.5 billion, SCORE would have to create far more than that in cost-saving and revenue-enhancement measures in order to overcome what the group calls headwinds events, unexpected or partially foreseen, which act to reduce group profitability. These headwinds could include sudden increases in fuel prices; passenger and cargo yield decreases; imposition of new or increased taxes; higher wages; the costs of emissions trading; or any one of dozens of other potentially profit-reducing events. According to Beissel, Lufthansa Group reckoned SCORE actually needed to find

This is all very well, but what does SCORE actually involve and how does it affect the 100 million-plus passengers that Lufthansa Group airlines carry annually? In the first place, the answer lies at the changes and improvements SCORE requires of individual Lufthansa Group companies. Deutsche Lufthansa itself together with its fast-growing, lower-cost sister carrier Germanwings have to bear the brunt of the financial improvements required by SCORE. Even though Lufthansa and Germanwings as the groups combined German airline unit carry three-quarters of all passengers flown by Lufthansa Group carriers, accounting for 75% of total group passenger revenue and 60% of total group revenue, Lufthansa and Germanwings havent been very profitable. In fact, Swiss International Air Lines (which refers to itself as SWISS and which carries around 16 million passengers a year) is the groups most profitable carrier. So SCORE has set Lufthansa and Germanwings a joint target of improving their bottom lines by a total of 920 million ($1.25

AI .03.14

53

COMMERCIAL DEUTSCHE LUFTHANSA

billion) a year. Germanwings SCORE target represents 200 million of the 920 million total and is aimed at bringing Lufthansa Groups German non-hub network to the break-even point financially in 2015. By mid-2013, Lufthansa Group was expecting Germanwings to realise 90 million of the overall improvement during that year and to achieve a similar additional improvement in 2014. Meanwhile, SWISS has been set a relatively small SCORE annual-improvement target of 95 million ($129 million) and Austrian Airlines/Tyrolean Airways which is only now achieving operating profitability and is carrying about 11.5 million passengers annually an improvement target of 140 million ($190 million). Lufthansa Cargo, which is the groups only all-cargo carrier subsidiary, has been allocated a 70 million ($95 million) SCORE target. (Along with Deutsche Post, Lufthansa also owns the joint-venture cargo airline AeroLogic, but does not count it as a subsidiary.) Although Brussels Airlines is close to Lufthansa Group in operational and management terms, it is not yet a group subsidiary, Lufthansa Group owning 45% of the Belgian carriers shares. So Brussels Airlines does not have a SCORE target. Lufthansa Group holds a call option to buy the remaining shares in Brussels Airlines and has indicated it is prepared to do so when the option comes due in 2017. However, Lufthansa Group will only exercise the call option if Brussels Airlines can complete successfully the major restructuring in which it is now involved and become profitable.

The LufthansaGermanwings Restructuring

In practical terms, the big financial task required of Lufthansa and Germanwings has produced a fundamental restructuring of Lufthansas previously unprofitable short-haul business. This has had massive implications for the two airlines single-aisle fleets and unfortunate consequences for one of Lufthansas regional-airline subsidiaries: Augsburg Airways has gone. The restructuring has involved Lufthansa transferring to Germanwings all of its shorthaul, point-to-point flying except the flights serving its two main hub airports, Frankfurt and Munich. This means Germanwings is taking over all of Lufthansas European operations at Berlin, Cologne, Dsseldorf, Hamburg, Hanover and Stuttgart. Lufthansa had already completed the transfer of operations at Berlin, Hamburg and Stuttgart to Germanwings by the end of 2013. By then Germanwings was also managing the day-to-day operation of Lufthansas remaining flights from the other three airports, even though the German airworthiness authority required Lufthansa to continue flying the routes with its own aircraft until the operational transfer could be formally completed. Along with this big route transfer has come a huge fleet rearrangement. As part of SCORE, Lufthansa has phased out all the ATR 72 and Bombardier Q400 turboprops operated on its behalf by its German regional subsidiaries, as well as all Fokker 100s and Avro RJ85s. (Group carrier Tyrolean Airways

54

AI .03.14

DEUTSCHE LUFTHANSA COMMERCIAL

retains its Q400s and Fokker 100s.) All Bombardier CRJ700s operated by Lufthansa CityLine are due to be phased out by 2015, leaving Bombardier CRJ900s and Embraer 190s and 195s as the only regional airliners operated in Lufthansa colours. Also being phased out by 2015 are Lufthansas remaining Boeing 737-300s and 737-500s. Meanwhile, Lufthansa is transferring 23 of its Airbus A319s and 21 A320s to Germanwings, along with 23 CRJ900s wet-leased from group subsidiary Eurowings. (These aircraft represent Eurowings entire fleet.) Whereas Germanwings was operating 30 A319s in 2011, by the end of 2015 it will be operating 87 aircraft and all but 23 will be A320-family jets. As a rough guide, Germanwings is intended under SCORE to generate 10% of Lufthansas entire passenger revenues, carry 20% of its entire passenger total and operate 30% of 1
1 Lufthansas A321 retrojet, D-AIDV (msn 5413). Jonathan Zaninger/AirTeamImages 2 A Germanwings A319 taking off from Heathrow in December 2013.
Steve Flint/AirTeamImages

2 Lufthansas passenger-service research has

Lufthansas entire short-haul fleet. Big though this fleet increase is for Germanwings, nevertheless it represents a seven-aircraft reduction in Lufthansas overall fleet for German non-hub, singleaisle jet operations compared with 2011. Germanwings, which employs non-union labour and whose operating costs are some 30% lower than those of Lufthansa, also configures its aircraft with more seats than does Lufthansa, essentially by taking out one galley and tightening seat pitch a little. (Because of this extra seating, Germanwings A319s have two over-wing exits on each side of the cabin, where Lufthansas A319s have one on each side.) On July 1, 2013, Germanwings launched a simplified, three-level branded fares structure, which Franz says is proving popular with passengers. Speaking to reporters in New York on January 30, Franz said: Its a very attractive product, with attractive pricing. We are seeing very positive feedback from customers. We feel that with the Germanwings product we are clearly dramatically improving the [competitive] situation with regard to all European low-cost carriers, in terms of Lufthansa Groups ability to compete against them. So positive is Franz about the way the Lufthansa-Germanwings short-haul restructuring is going, he added that Lufthansa Group and Germanwings enjoy a market leadership position in Europe. Its a positive result of the enormous cuts and

painful cuts and change processes we are undergoing, because of the SCORE programme.

Other Effects of SCORE

Beyond relatively simple fleet and route switches, SCORE is having a myriad of effects on the ways Lufthansa Group companies are conducting their business. One example, according to Hagenbring, is that Lufthansa Group carriers are beginning to harmonise their cabin interiors. SWISS, Austrian and Brussels Airlines have already installed similarly configured Business Class cabins on their long-haul aircraft, for instance. All group carriers have adopted the same short-haul economy-class seat type and are now beginning to adopt the same longhaul economy-class seat. In future, all their galleys will be of the same basic design. So too will all the interior structures of all group carriers long-haul Business Class seats and in-flight entertainment systems, though Hagenbring says the seats surface colours and fabric textures and configurations may well differ from airline to airline depending on each individual carriers Business Class branding. For instance, for their widebody jets SWISS, Austrian and Brussels Airlines all prefer a Business Class seat layout of 1-21, 2-2-1 in alternate seat rows. With this configuration, only one seat in nine does not have direct aisle access. However,

shown its long-haul passengers prefer a 2-22 row lay-out with each pair of seats arranged in a V shape, so that the heads of each pair of seats are farther apart than the feet. This layout is spacious but it does mean that not every window seat in Lufthansas new longhaul Business Class cabins has direct aisle access. Another example of a SCORE-inspired efficiency improvement is that Lufthansa Flight Training and Swiss AviationTraining (SWISS flight-training subsidiary) are working more closely on pilot training curricula and use of training resources. SWISS has also adopted a new, SCORE-inspired business model at Geneva Airport in response to stiff competition there from easyJet. Group carriers are also increasing their cooperation at out-stations for instance, by introducing common check-in facilities at each international station to serve all Lufthansa Group carriers Business Class and Economy Class passengers. Austrian Airlines has seen its own major SCOREinduced restructuring: its entire operation was transferred to Tyrolean Airways to reduce costs. Now Austrian Airlines exists only as a marketing and branding name: every aircraft bearing Austrian Airlines titles has small accompanying titles indicated that Tyrolean Airways is the operator of the aircraft. Meanwhile, administrative staff counts are being cut both at Lufthansa Technik (the groups giant, Hamburg-based technology and maintenance company, which is really a large group of companies in its own right) and at Lufthansa Groups central headquarters. Lufthansa Technik is cutting its administrative staff by 650 people and Lufthansa Group headquarters is cutting 100 people from its 1,800-strong workforce. Lufthansas own long-established headquarters office at Cologne and Lufthansa Revenue Services office at Norderstedt are closing completely. Combined, the 20 biggest SCORE projects will create more than 1 billion in revenue and cost-efficiency improvements, according to Lufthansa Group.

Fleet Planning
Fleet planning and fleet refurbishment are also areas of interest to SCORE, because

AI .03.14

55

COMMERCIAL DEUTSCHE LUFTHANSA

the programme is not just about costcutting: it is also very much about revenue enhancement. Nico Buchholz, Lufthansa Groups executive vice president of fleet planning and management, says the groups fleet planning focuses on two key management imperatives: obtaining aircraft types with best-in-class costs over each aircrafts life cycle; and achieving continuous and sustainable aircraft procurement. Lufthansa Group constantly runs iterative models analysing potential longer-term aircraft purchases, because market and operational circumstances may change from year to year. For instance, says Buchholz, before Lufthansa Groups supervisory board gave SWISS approval to order the Bombardier CS100, the group evaluated the technology of the Pratt & Whitney PW1500G geared-turbofan for two years to make sure the new technology was as viable and as fuel-efficient as the engine manufacturer was claiming. The group also holds as essential the ability to retain as much flexibility as possible in being able to manage fleet size at any given point in order to match capacity closely with actual market conditions. This is why Lufthansa Group insists on owning as much as 90% of its fleet, which currently numbers around 640 aircraft (Lufthansa, Germanwings and their two German regional siblings operate a little more than 400 of them). Buchholz explains that the groups ownership policy means whatever growth levels Lufthansa experiences in its markets in future years, the group can add, retain and retire aircraft as required, without being burdened by lease terms and other third-party ownership considerations. Hagenbring notes that some 70% of the aircraft in Lufthansas current fleet are entirely unburdened and more or less completely at our disposal, making the decision to retire or store an aircraft very simple at any time. Here, Lufthansa Groups very conservative aircraft depreciation policy also helps, the group depreciating its jets to 15% of original purchase price over 12 years. (British Airways depreciates its aircraft to 15% of original price or financed amount over 25 years, which means that unless BA sells an aircraft early without incurring a loss on it, effectively the aircraft has to remain in BAs fleet for a quarter of a century before BA can retire it without incurring a financial penalty.) Lufthansa Groups conservative depreciation policy also helps it considerably in terms of cash flow, because the annual reduction in asset book values created by depreciation is regarded under accounting rules as a component of free cash flow. Even though Lufthansa Group has only generated about a 2% operating margin in recent years, its ability to generate cash flow is much more strong, and was running at about 1.5 billion after the first six months of 2013, according to Hagenbring. The group has firm orders outstanding on Lufthansas and Germanwings behalf for more than 200 aircraft. Of these aircraft, 74 are widebodies, ranging from the Airbus A330-300 (a single example remains to be delivered to Lufthansa) and A350-900 to the Boeing 747-8I, 777-9X and A380. These 200-plus aircraft do not include six 777300ERs and 30 Bombardier CS100s on order for SWISS and three 777Fs to be delivered to Lufthansa Cargo. Buchholz says that while Lufthansas September 2013 order for 34 Boeing 777-9Xs and 25 Airbus A350-900s (plus 15 more optioned) is intended only for fleet replacement and a little fleet growth at Lufthansa itself through 2025, the group has secured a similar number of additional options and other commitments on the two types. If exercised, these commitments would be sufficient to fulfil replacement requirements at the groups other long-haul carriers if needed, according to Buchholz. Although Boeing has not confirmed that Lufthansa Groups 777-9X purchase agreement included any options or additional purchase rights, Buchholz statement suggests that it does. The groups Airbus A350-900 purchase agreement could also include additional commitments above the 15 options announced by Airbus. Buchholz, one of the commercial aircraftin that market segment, says Buchholz. Through SWISS, Lufthansa Group is already a Bombardier CS100 customer and an early one at that. Independent analysts reckon that, as long as the price is right, the economics of the brand-new CS100 and larger-capacity CS300 look compelling compared to the A319neo, 737 MAX 7 and Embraer 195-E2, their closest competitors. These three types are derivative aircraft with new engines, for which their airframes are not necessarily optimised. Despite the programme delays which, at the time of writing in February, have pushed back the first customer delivery of a Bombardier CS100 from late 2014 to at least mid-2015, Lufthansa appears to remain very interested in the Bombardier CSeries as an aircraft family. Not only does Buchholz reveal that Lufthansa Group along with SWISS and several other CSeries customers pushed Bombardier to increase the potential passenger capacity of the larger CS300 model from 149 to 160 seats (which

Javier Guerreror/AirTeamImages

manufacturing industrys key influencers along with Tim Clark at Emirates, Steven Udvar-Hazy at Air Lease Corporation and Akbar Al Baker at Qatar Airways, says Lufthansa Groups recent Airbus and Boeing widebody orders also allow Lufthansa the flexibility to adjust its future fleet capacity by re-specifying the models it has ordered. Lufthansa can take A350-1000s instead of A350-900s if it desires and 777-8Xs instead of 777-9Xs, if it were to become an interesting aircraft for us. Buchholz also says Lufthansa could even potentially look at Boeing 787 models, though not the 787-8: It is too small for us. The rest of the 200-odd aircraft on firm order for the groups German operations are all Airbus A320-family jets, with Lufthansa and Germanwings still due to take delivery of around 40 A320 current engine option aircraft, 60 A320neos and 40 A321neos. Buchholz says this still leaves a gap for the eventual replacement of 70 or so A319s now operated by Lufthansa and Germanwings. However, these A319s are still fairly young and might never be replaced by A319neos: Eventually we have to look at what we do

added a three-month delay to the CSeries programme), but the group sees itself as a likely future CS300 customer as well as a CS100 customer. We pushed Bombardier [on the CS300 Extra Capacity Seating option] to maximise the market potential for that aircraft, admits Buchholz. This part of the [CSeries programme] delay was customer-triggered. That was something we said, SWISS and myself, because SWISS could possibly use some of their capabilities. We knew it would result in a three-month delay but it was worth it because we get a better aircraft over the life cycle of the aircraft. We probably will be looking at some CS300s within SWISS and within the group. We always look at a whole family [not just one model].

Fleet Interior Refurbishment

Apart from Lufthansa Groups massive fleet orders, which Franz says will cost the group 2 billion to 3 billion each year for the foreseeable future, the group is also halfway through a big programme closely linked with SCOREs revenue-enhancement initiatives to upgrade the interiors of its

56

AI .03.14

DEUTSCHE LUFTHANSA COMMERCIAL

long-haul aircraft. Franz says Lufthansa Group is spending 1 million a day on upgrading the premiumclass cabins in Lufthansas widebodies to adopt Lufthansas new Business Class and First Class interiors and flat-bed seating. (The author can testify that the new Business Class interior on the upper decks of Lufthansas Boeing 747-8 Intercontinentals, the first aircraft to have the new Business Class cabins installed, is extremely comfortable and offers a ridiculously large amount of personal storage space.) Lufthansas A380s are the first aircraft to have the airlines new First Class cabin interior installed and it is probably not a coincidence that in 2012 Lufthansa became the first European airline to have its First Class service ranked as five-star by the huge, independent Skytrax survey. Skytrax surveys around 17 million airline passengers annually (many of them frequent flyers) for their opinions of the service offered by different airlines in their various cabin classes. Lufthansas stated aim again a SCOREinspired target is to become, by 2016, the first European carrier to be ranked five-star in all cabin classes by Skytrax. Only six airlines throughout the world are currently ranked five-star and all are based in Asia or the Middle East. The big Business Class cabin upgrade programme for Lufthansas widebodies the work is being performed at Lufthansa Techniks bases at Hamburg, Malta, Manila the Philippines and at its Ameco joint venture with Air China in Beijing coincides with a second upgrade programme. This is a big effort (again, mandated under SCORE) to convert all of the airlines 20 Boeing 747400s and 22 Airbus A340-300s to two-class configuration (Business and Economy) to maximise their revenue potential on certain Asian and North American routes. Eventually these two aircraft types, the oldest in Lufthansas widebody fleet, will respectively be replaced by Boeing 777-9Xs and Airbus A350-900s. Until they are replaced, however, they will continue to provide valuable service to Lufthansa, equipped with their new cabin configurations. Under the aegis of SCORE, Lufthansa is undertaking a third revenue-enhancement upgrade programme for the remaining aircraft in its long-haul fleet. From the middle of this year, Lufthansa will begin offering premiumeconomy class seating on its long-haul flights. There isnt a great deal of information available yet about Lufthansas new extralegroom economy service product, but enough is known to suggest that it may offer some service enhancements as well as extra inches for ones legs.

Lufthansa Group Strategies

Even before SCORE, Lufthansa Group had adopted several key principles to ensure the many companies within the group conduct their business in ways that are harmonious and beneficial to the group overall. These principles remain in place and may perhaps even be intensified under SCORE. A key principle is to have commercially based relationships between all the business units, says group chief strategy officer Gillani. This insistence on arms-length

AI .03.14

57

COMMERCIAL DEUTSCHE LUFTHANSA

relationships between group companies means that, for instance, SWISS was able to contract Gate Gourmet as its preferred in-flight catering provider Gate Gourmet has a very large flight-kitchen facility at Zurich Airport even though Lufthansa Group subsidiary LSG Sky Chefs is the worlds largest in-flight catering company. LSG Sky Chefs provides one in every four in-flight meals served worldwide, Franz told reporters in New York. Another key group business principle is that in addition to being its own profit centre, every group company should strive to generate the majority of its revenues from external customers, according to Gillani. Not only does this prevent group companies from becoming overly reliant on winning business from sister companies, but it also stimulates Lufthansa Group to seek to diversify its business activities into various service industries serving the airline industry itself. Asia, North America and Europe. Its joint ventures involve partners that include engine manufacturers, other airlines and aerospace-engineering and overhaul companies. On the technical side, Lufthansa Techniks aircraft, engine and component maintenance joint ventures with manufacturers provide a good way for it to remain competitive in the lucrative and technologically increasingly sophisticated maintenance business. Manufacturers themselves particularly the companies that make commercial-turbofan engines are increasingly trying to dominate the maintenance business for their products, to help them obtain sufficient returns on their considerable investments in new technology. Among Lufthansa Groups most important joint ventures are the monopoly-proof antitrust-immunised joint ventures it has with United Airlines and Air Canada on transatlantic routes between Europe and is threatened by the emergence of the big three Gulf Cooperative Council carriers in one major part of its route network and by low-cost airlines in much of another: its intracontinental network. We would like to do a lot more with Singapore Airlines, exploring ways to improve the combined offering relative to the Gulf carriers on EuropeSoutheast Asia routes.

Service Quality, Growth and Future Consolidation

A fourth key business principle this one pertaining to Lufthansa itself is to be Europes highest-quality airline. Lufthansas goal of achieving five-star Skytrax status throughout all its cabin classes and hopefully in the process becoming the first European carrier to do so is reflected in its 3 billion investment in fleet interior refurbishment and passenger-service quality improvements.

We are, for example, looking at other segments where we can invest and we are investing disproportionately in service segments, says Gillani. In this way Lufthansa Group companies can improve the commercial returns from the physical and intellectual-property assets they have already developed. For instance, even though Lufthansa is Lufthansa Technik Groups largest customer, it represents only about 30% of the Hamburg-based giants total revenue base. One of Lufthansa Techniks core strengths is its ability to offer innovative technological developments in many different areas of the airline business including washing aircraft-engine interiors (to preserve engine fuel-efficiency) and new, electrically powered aircraft tugs and ramp vehicles.

Joint Ventures and Strategic Partners

Another key business principle for Lufthansa Group is to create joint ventures with other, non-group companies in order to minimise the investment needed to ensure the group has a global presence in any service industry or airline market in which it wants to be involved. Lufthansa Group has dozens of joint ventures with companies in countries throughout much of the world, including

North America, and with Japanese airline ANA on Europe-Japan routes. Lufthansa is also developing a similar joint venture with Star Alliance partner Air China on EuropeChina routes. Meanwhile, Turkish Airlines will remain a major strategic partner for Lufthansa Group, according to Gillani. This will remain the case even though Lufthansa is breaking all codesharing ties with Turkish Airlines in March, because fast-growing Turkish is becoming too much of a competitor for too much of the same traffic, particularly on routes from Europe to Central and East Asia. Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines have long had equal shares in the joint-venture airline Sun Express. Based in Turkey and focused on tourism and leisure traffic (particularly on Germany-Turkey routes), Sun Express set up an operation called Sun Express Germany a few years ago and it has rapidly become one of the largest carriers from Germany to countries in the Southern Mediterranean area. For instance, Sun Express now has the largest presence and carries the most passenger traffic on routes linking Germany with Egypt. Gillani says that fellow Star Alliance member Singapore Airlines is also a key partner. This is because, like Lufthansa, SIA

Lufthansas recently adopted external and internal marketing slogan, Nonstop you, doesnt mean Lufthansa is aiming to fly all its passengers non-stop. (In fact, according to Buchholz, on average 65% of the passengers on every Lufthansa long-haul flight are connecting to other flights.) Nonstop you signifies a nonstop focus on our customers, says Gillani. This more intense focus on the passenger arises from Lufthansas desire to be present in the markets where passenger traffic is growing fastest. In markets to South American and Africa, growing its presence is relatively easy for Lufthansa. However, two of the fastest-growing air traffic markets are the Middle East and Asia. Gillani says it is difficult for the German carrier to expand in those markets, because airlines based in those regions have lower cost structures than does Lufthansa and often have other advantages conferred upon them by their national governments. These might include, for instance, lower landing fees, lower taxation requirements and generally stronger government perception of the airlines as national strategic assets to be supported to help provide GDP growth, rather than hampered by restrictive noise regulations, as is the case in Germany. To date, one of Lufthansas greatest

Lufthansa

58

AI .03.14

DEUTSCHE LUFTHANSA COMMERCIAL

strengths as a passenger airline has long been its ability to attract high-yield, premium-class passengers, particularly on long-haul routes. Lufthansa has been very strong on business traffic: it has the highest share of premium cabin [revenues] of any airline in the world, says Gillani. This trend continues: premiumclass passengers still represent more than 50% of Lufthansas long-haul passenger revenues. Group carrier SWISS is also seen as being strong for premium-class traffic. However, prompted by recent passengerservice research which showed Lufthansa wasnt necessarily viewed as favourably by economy-class passengers or viewed as a family-friendly airline, particularly in Asia, Lufthansa has now made it a priority to win the hearts of lower-yield passengers as well. This has resulted in its spending some of its 3 billion passenger-service investment on familyfriendly facilities, such as family check-in areas at its German airports, which offer playing

areas for children, kid-sized check-in kiosks and cartoon-painted walls. One last strategic reason why Lufthansa Group has embarked upon the sweeping SCORE programme to put it in good shape for its long-term future is that, even though the extent of airline consolidation to date in Europe has been far less than that in the US, in the medium to long term further European consolidation is likely, Gillani believes. When this happens, it is also likely that Lufthansa itself will be involved. So what are Lufthansa Groups chances of achieving the goals that SCORE has set the group and all its individual companies? On January 30, Franz told reporters that SCORE is on course, despite massive headwinds: We are very confident we will achieve our targets. In 2013 I said we had to show we were capable of implementing it and in pure volume terms we over-achieved in 2013, added Franz. I think were very well on the way. Lufthansa Group cant possibly foresee all the financial headwinds it might encounter between now and the end of SCOREs three-year duration in 2015, Franz noted. But he expressed himself confident that the maturation of the programmes initiatives will be seen clearly in the groups 2014 and 2015 financial performance.

AI .03.14

59

tendard
Excellence
The Super tendard has only two years of service left, but its still providing the Aronavale with valuable capabilities. Jan Kraak reports
aving been operated by the Aronavale (the French Navys air component) for 20 years, the Dassault Super tendard Modernis, or SEM, is moving into the twilight of its career. Three frontline squadrons once operated the type 11, 14 and 17 Flotilles as well as Escadrille 59S, the training unit, but only 17F, stationed at Base dAronautique Navale (BAN) Landivisiau in Brittany, remains. The unit will continue flying the SEM for another two years until the type is retired in summer 2016. But despite its approaching swansong and the Rafale taking over some of its tasks, the SEM remains important: its the Aronavales main platform for allweather anti-shipping and night-time attacks.
Christian Cavallo/Marine Nationale

MILITARY SUPER TENDARD MODERNIS

Recent Operations
SEMs have been sent to most of the operational theatres in which the French military has recently been involved, including

60

AI .03.14

MILITARY SUPER TENDARD MODERNIS

1 Rafales provide air-refuelling capability to the Embarked Air Group. This image shows a Super tendard Modernis air refuelling from a Rafale during a PEAN (period of naval air training) deployment aboard the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle (R 91). S Chenal/Marine Nationale 2 A boatswains mate moves away from the catapult after connecting it to a Super tendard Modernis with the hold back bar. Christian Cavallo/Marine Nationale 3 A 17F mechanic performs post-ight checks to make sure that the jet is in optimal condition for the next sortie. Jan Kraak 4 Super tendard Modernis No.61 ready to y out to the Charles de Gaulle after being checked over by 17F mechanics and technicians. Jan Kraak 5 All maintenance is now carried out at BAN Landivisiau. Aronavale mechanics perform scheduled maintenance work in the 17F hangar. Jan Kraak

Afghanistan where they were deployed several times between 2001 and 2010. The exception was Opration Serval over Mali. When that began, the Marine Nationale (French Navy) aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, from which the SEMs operate, was in dry dock for scheduled maintenance. The jets have been used on anti-piracy missions near the coast of Somalia because 17Fs pilots are specifically trained in surveillance combat air patrol (SCAP), which involves covering very large areas of ocean looking for a wide variety of targets and threats. On these missions, they work in conjunction with the crews of the air groups Northrop Grumman E-2C Hawkeye, which scans a very large area looking for potential pirate ships. The SEM has a number of advantages compared to the helicopters other navies use for anti-piracy operations in the region, according to 17Fs commanding officer, Lt Cdr Louis Maloux: Where helicopters are slower and have to stay relatively close to their ship the Super tendards can patrol zones that are both larger and further away from the ship. Additionally the SEMs have different tools on board, like a powerful radar, laser designator pod or reconnaissance pod, which can be used to assess any possible threats from ships in their assigned box.

Harmattan, the military intervention in Libya, where they were responsible for some 25% of the ordnance released by French military aircraft. They flew a number of composite air operations alongside other allied air assets against Libyan naval facilities, namely Aronavale Rafales (from 11F and 12F), Armee de lAir (French Air Force) Mirage 2000Ds and RAF Tornado GR4s. Harmattan saw the SEMs primarily operating strike co-ordination and reconnaissance (SCAR) missions aimed at locating and identifying potential targets in specific zones of operation prescribed by the combined air operations centre, and engaging them if necessary. These sorties, also known as dynamic targeting missions, were conducted by a pair of SEMs one aircraft having two underwing tanks and a designator pod while the other would carry two tanks and two GBU-58s. Lt Cdr Maloux said: The combination of two underwing tanks and two LGBs gave us approximately 90 minutes of playtime in our assigned [operational] boxes. For missions with pre-assigned targets the Super tendard usually carried a centreline tank and two GBU-49s under each wing.

missions during Harmattan. They also provided laser designation capabilities for Aronavale Rafales during the early part of the campaign, although the newer jets later became operational with the Damocles targeting pod and flew their missions separately. Another strength of the Super tendard during Harmattan was its night attack capability, for which the Rafale was not ready at that point. Half of the missions were flown at night and 17F pilots were able to engage both smaller and larger targets flying at low and high levels. According to Landivisiaus commander, Captain Herv Hamelin, who is an experienced pilot with 2,500-plus hours on the Super tendard, the SEMs success during the night missions was due to the extensive training of the 17F pilots in using night-vision goggles and the Damocles pod.

Squadron Structure
No.17F has the same structure as the Aronavales other fighter squadrons. The commanding officer and his deputy are responsible for the technical and administrative aspects of the unit. There is also a chief of operations whos responsible for the daily tasking, a tactical branch which provides intelligence and related training and an armaments branch responsible for keeping the units weapons in an operational state while training pilots in their use and characteristics. Meanwhile a maintenance

Night Attack Capability

The SEMs were also used in other ways over Libya. Because of the specific skills of its pilots, 17F was the lead unit in anti-shipping and anti-surface strike
2

Libya
In 2011 the SEMs flew missions as part of the French contribution to Opration

62

AI .03.14

SUPER TENDARD MODERNIS MILITARY

branch looks after engineering of the squadrons aircraft. Lt Cdr Maloux said: At the moment 17F has 14 operational Super tendards. Besides this pool of aircraft that are actually flying missions, about the same number of SEMs are in different stages of maintenance. After the closure of the SEM major overhaul facility at Cuers, all maintenance is now carried out at Landivisiau. A major overhaul, also called regeneration, can take anywhere from six months to a year. Maintenance on the entire fleet is planned around having 14 operational aircraft ready to fly.

Flying Hours
Maintenance differs between the Super tendard and the Rafales operated by 11F and 12F. The diagnostics provided by the Rafales on-board computers indicate which systems require maintenance and when but the Super tendards maintenance is planned according to the number of hours flown and the length of time since the last

SUPER TENDARD MODERNIS

The Super tendard Modernis (SEM) rst entered operational service in 1994. The French Navy estimated it was too costly to update its Super tendards in one programme and instead decided to upgrade them in four steps, dividing the investments over a number of defence budgets, while keeping more or less the entire eet at the same standard at any given time. The original Super tendard was Standard (or mark) 1. From the moment the Super tendards reached Standard 2 in 1994 they became SEMs. The Standard 2 update provided a more ergonomic cockpit with the introduction of hands-on-throttleand-stick controls, a new head-up display and a new Thomson Anemone radar which had twice the range of its predecessor. Standard 3 in 1995 introduced the Thomson ATLIS (Automatic Tracking and Laser Integration System) targeting pod, enabling the SEM to carry the AS-30 laser guided air-to-ground missile. The upgrade also facilitated the carriage of 500lb GBU-12 laser-guided bombs, although the ghter was still dependent on an external designator for these weapons. Standard 4 in 2000 was aimed at giving the SEM a reconnaissance capability with the CRM280 pod (see main article) after the Aronavale retired its tendard IVPs, while at the same time enhancing its selfprotection suite which involved the installation of the Thales Barracuda radar jammer, Phimat chaff dispenser and Alkan are dispensers. Another new capability in Standard 4 was the simultaneous designation and engagement of a target by the same aircraft during daylight operations. The rst of 34 SEMs to be updated to Standard 5 entered service in 2006, equipped with a new autopilot, improved communications (Saturn radio), night-vision goggles (and NVG-compatible cockpit lighting) and the Damocles targeting pod. The Standard 5 SEM can also carry four GBU-49 laser-guided bombs, with two carried on a centreline bomb rack alongside the Damocles pod and one beneath each wing. This does however limit the SEMs range and so the conguration most often used is two GBU49s under one wing and a large external tank under the other. The Standard 5 SEM is also equipped with the EADS Fightacs pad, worn by the pilot on their left upper leg, which contains command, control, communication and mission management information and an improved data modem (IDM) uplink enabling an SEM to transmit all key mission data such as its speed, altitude, fuel levels and armament to the aircraft carrier and Aronavale Hawkeyes so that commanders can follow the mission.

AI .03.14

63

MILITARY SUPER TENDARD MODERNIS

1 Lt Cdr Maloux is the current commander of 17F. Cyril Davesne/Marine Nationale 2 Captain Hamelin is the current commander of BAN Landivisiau. Cyril Davesne/Marine Nationale 3 A Super tendard Modernis from 17F assigned to the French carrier Charles de Gaulle (R 91) approaches the deck of USS Harry S Truman (CVN 75) during joint operations with units from French Task Force 473 in the Arabian Gulf. Mass Communication Specialist
3rd Class Karl Anderson/US Navy
Christian Cavallo/Marine Nationale

check. This means engineering tasks can be more time-consuming because the cycles dictate the moment when maintenance has to be carried out. In recent years the AdlA has created ESTA (Escadrons de Soutien Technique Aronautique aircraft technical support squadrons). The idea is that taking maintenance away from individual squadrons and pooling it into one large unit (which
1 2

maintains all the aircraft at the base) creates economies of scale. According to 17F pilots and maintenance personnel, that philosophy is unfeasible given the navys fighter units are often detached for long periods and that they also deploy away from other units. Capt Hamelin said the Aronavale has chosen to keep the structure of the traditional flotilles because it enables maintenance personnel to report

directly to the squadrons commander or their second-in-command. The thinking is that this facilitates closer co-operation between technical staff, pilots and mission planners.

Last New Pilots

In 2013, 17F trained the last two pilots to convert to the SEM after completing their basic pilot training at NAS Meridian, Mississippi in the US. Lt Cdr Maloux is confident they will have accumulated enough experience by the time the SEM retires to enable them to transition smoothly to the Rafale. The two pilots were actively training simulated carrier landings on the runways of Landivisiau and Lann-Bihou at the time of AIR Internationals interview with the 17Fs commander. The French term for these simulated landings is ASSP, which stands for Appontage Simul Sur Piste. Although the hard runway doesnt move sideways and upand-down like a carrier deck, the target area where the pilots have to land has the same dimensions as the Charles de Gaulles deck and special equipment is used to simulate the carrier landing procedure. All Aronavale pilots whether theyre flying the SEM or other types like the Rafale and Hawkeye have to undertake ASSP training on land runways before theyre allowed to land on an aircraft carrier, and they use ASSP procedures throughout the

64

AI .03.14

year to maintain their qualification. ASSP qualifications are especially important for student pilots who have yet to receive their French Navy wings. Capt Hamelin said: Someone is only an operational Aronavale fighter pilot when they are capable of landing a jet carrying live bombs on the carrier deck at night.

Current Tasks
The Rafale is slowly but surely replacing the SEM for example, its completely taken over the nuclear deterrence role but this doesnt mean its no longer an important part of the carrier wing. The current tasks of 17F are air-to-air, air defence, SCAP, 3 ground attack, close air support, SCAR, antishipping and aerial refuelling. Force F/A-18 Hornets. Different scenarios The air-to-air task involves defending were flown between friendly (blue air) and the carrier group from incoming attack. All enemy (red air) forces, where blue air had to Aronavale fighter pilots are qualified in defend a simulated carrier group made up of this role. Although the pilots of 17F, like different ships. all Aronavale fighter pilots, are all suitably The air-to-ground task involves qualified, the squadron is not part of the PPS conventional ground attack and close air (Posture Permanente de Sret arienne), support roles. The Super tendards have the group of Aronavale and AdlA squadrons been very active in these tasks in recent providing quick reaction alert (QRA) air years and although the majority of weapons defence capability across France. carried today are laser-guided, the pilots still However, 17F pilots still practise in the train with unguided bombs the importance air defence role and, in 2013, they got to of which was shown during operations practise these capabilities at a more complex in Mali where, due to interference from level as part of the Marine Nationales air sandstorms, laser designator pods could not defence week exercise at Landivisiau, always be used. which also involved Rafales and Swiss Air The Rafale can carry the AM39 Exocet

anti-ship missile, but the SEM is still responsible for the bulk of Aronavale antishipping missions and, according to Lt Cdr Maloux, will probably continue to be until the types retirement in 2016.

Reconnaissance
The Rafale is now responsible for approximately 90% of all reconnaissance missions in the Aronavale, revealed Lt Cdr Maloux, using the new Reco-NG which has been deployed on operations over Afghanistan, Libya and Mali. The SEMs still however have a reconnaissance capability with their CRM280 pods which are installed in a compartment in the jets belly, replacing the

AI .03.14

65

MILITARY SUPER TENDARD MODERNIS

guns. The pod features an AP40 analogue camera which provides images during low-level missions and an SDS250-M digital camera used for medium and high-altitude missions. Although the CRM280 is less involved in standard data gathering by the carrier group since the Reco-NG entered service, Lt Cdr Maloux says that when metrological or operational conditions dictate low flying, the AP40 remains very effective. 1 He added that the analogue pods also help train pilots become more proficient in tactical reconnaissance, because they mean pilots have to anticipate more how their flying is going to influence the quality of the images. The SEMs final role is buddy-buddy aerial refuelling, which involves replacing the gun compartment with an aerial refuelling pod to refuel another Super tendard in flight. This increases the range of the receiving aircraft or it can be used when a pilot has difficulties landing his fighter on the carrier deck and needs extra fuel. The carrier always has at least one fighter on standby to provide fuel during operations. It takes two to three hours to change from a recce mission configuration to, for instance, a buddy-buddy refuelling mission fit. Buddy-buddy refuelling was extensively used during missions over Libya so that the Aronavale was not dependent on French or coalition tankers. able to identify and engage small targets like mortars and hidden vehicles providing power supplies to ground forces. Another factor in the SEMs retention is that it affords a smooth transition of all-weather anti-shipping and night air-toground capabilities onto the Rafale. While the newer jet can perform these tasks, personnel need to be trained on their crucial tactical aspects and personnel from 17F will play an important role in passing these competences to the other squadrons in the next two years. To help the process, the Aronavale last year changed its training and development structure. On January 1, 2013, the CEIPM (Centre dEntranement, dInstruction et de Prparation de Missions) at Landivisiau

Towards the End

The original deadline for the withdrawal of the SEM was set for 2015 but the Aronavale is now to continue using the type until mid2016. One of the reasons for the extended operational period is the aircrafts nightattack role for which it is equipped with the Damocles targeting pod (added during the Standard 5 upgrade: see Super tendard Modernis). The pod enables the SEMs to designate and engage targets with laser-guided bombs and missiles at night and in bad weather and to perform dynamic targeting missions (as during Harmattan) with no need to programme GPS co-ordinates prior to the sortie. The pod gives the pilot a real-time view in the cockpit, enabling SCAR missions at night, and the image it generates helps pilots identify potential threats on the ground. During Opration Harmattan pilots were even

3 dExpertise du Groupe Arien Embarqu.

became the CENTEX GA, Centre

The unit, responsible for maintaining the highest level of expertise among a carrier air groups personnel, is charged with organising their training and running 4,000 hours of academic classes every year. The plan is for the number of SEMs operational on the flightline to reduce from the current 14 to eight during the final year or so. This will allow for a maximum of pilots and mechanics to be transferred to 11F and 12F and move onto the Rafale. The increase in personnel for the other Rafale squadrons will only be temporary because, after they are trained and qualified, they will be transferred back to 17F to speed up the transition. According to Lt Cdr Maloux this approach should see 17F operational on the Rafale in the summer of 2016.

66

AI .03.14

SUPER TENDARD MODERNIS MILITARY

1&4 Four Super tendard Moderniss from 17F deployed to Kandahar in south-eastern Afghanistan for a four-month tour as part of Opration Pamir to support NATOs ISAF mission. Marine Nationale 2 A 17F jet catapults off the deck of the carrier Charles de Gaulle (R 91) during Exercise Corsican Lion. Christian Cavallo/Marine Nationale 3 A Super tendard Modernis lands at BAN Landivisiau following an ASSP mission at BAN Lann-Bihou. Jan Kraak 5 No.17Fs ight line at BAN Landivisiau. Jan Kraak

Carrier Air Group Future

The French Governments white paper on defence and security published in April 2013 reduced the combined number of Rafales for the Aronavale and AdlA from 280 to 225. But the reduction will not have an appreciable impact on the structure of the carrier wing and the Aronavale should be able to maintain three fighter squadrons going into the future. From 2016 the way the carrier air group deploys on the Charles de Gaulle will change. Two flotilles will deploy to the carrier with one staying at Landivisiau. According to Capt Hamelin this will allow

the personnel of each squadron to be at home for a longer period. This arrangement is also intended to create a solid basis for the continued training of less experienced pilots and to create a specific period in which a squadron can work on developing tactical envelopes. Although every squadron will have the same tasks, they will become responsible for developing tactics in air-to-air, air-to-ground and anti-shipping roles. Capt Hamelin regards the biggest challenges for the air group in the coming years to be less about technical factors and more related to human resources.

With only eight SEMs flying from 2015 into 2016, the main challenge will be balancing having enough pilots and engineering support personnel for the type and training sufficiently on the Rafale to enable 17F to begin operations with it as quickly as possible after the Super tendard is retired. Another challenge is managing the operational conversion. Currently some of the Aronavales future pilots undertake conversion on the AdlAs Rafale OCU at BA113 Saint Dizier, ETR02.092, while others are trained at Landivisiau. Two instructors and two Rafale Ms are assigned to the OCU and the goal is for all pilots to go there.
5

AI .03.14

67

Cultivatin
Safety is an emergent property of conscientious organisational behaviour: sociologist Dr Simon Bennett describes the less tangible measures of safety in aviation
68
AI .03.14

uropean commercial aviation may be heading for a fall. The issue is how we measure safety. There are several ways to do it. The most common indices are numbers of near-misses, incidents and accidents. Judged against these, European aviation is doing well. Safety can also be measured against less tangible indices, like the number of latent errors present at any one time: also known as a resident pathogen, a latent error is an

embedded weakness or vulnerability that, under very specific and hard-to-foresee circumstances, manifests as an incident or accident. Latent errors create a potential for mishap. A common latent error pilot fatigue makes misjudgment more likely, increasing the chance of mishap. Others include lack of runway capacity, overflying city centres on approach or climb-out, runways with busy public roads at one or both ends, insufficient cockpit data for pilots to maintain situational awareness, burdening young pilots with debt, poor-quality, down-route pilot hotel accommodation, shortnotice roster changes and dysfunctional airline

cultures. Being a sociologist I shall focus on this last type of latent error.

Pathogenic Cultures?
In 1966 Marvin Bower, Managing Director of McKinsey and Company, defined corporate culture as the way we do things around here. Meanwhile, addressing those aspects of organisational culture concerned with safety, academic Bro Uttal says an organisations safety culture consists of shared values (what is important) and beliefs (how things work) that interact with an organisations structures and control systems to produce behavioural norms (the way we do things around here).

AVIATION SAFETY COMMERCIAL

Error reporting is an important activity that has a direct bearing on safety. Unfortunately it is influenced by feelings of personal security. Pilots who fear victimisation will not report errors; only those who feel secure will. The under-reporting of errors inhibits organisational learning and makes incidents and accidents more likely. A just culture is one of the preconditions for error reporting. Feelings of personal security can be enhanced by a management style perceived to be supportive and empathetic but undermined by an aggressive, mistrustful, judgmental, manipulative or vindictive style. As the following examples show, getting the management style wrong can have serious consequences for trust and employees willingness to contribute. They do not respond well to a negative regime. Reactions range from withdrawal from organisational life to resignation. It goes without saying that in a risk-laden activity like commercial aviation it is vital to retain the trust, respect and co-operation of employees. Losing any of these will compromise safety. of four unsolicited e-mails sent to the author by a captain, the last of which was a copy of a message sent to her by her manager. The following is a summary of the captains uncorroborated statements and evidence. A captain was waiting at a city centre bus stop for her connection to the airport. She was in full uniform and carrying a case for a long trip. As she prepared to board the airport bus she heard a child screaming behind her. A man, presumed to be related to the child, had collapsed. The captain attended to him. His eyes were closing. Fearing he was passing away she administered CPR while talking to paramedics on a mobile phone.

Luis Rosa/AirTeamImages

ng Safety
This case study concerns exchanges between an airline manager and a pilot over a work absence. The case study is based on a series
AI .03.14

Case I Cynicism and Disbelief

69

When the paramedics arrived, they said that without her intervention the man would have died. After dispatching the man to hospital the paramedics told the captain to declare herself unfit to fly. The next day she visited the hospital to be told the man had died in the night. Later that day the captains doctor declared her unfit to fly for four days. She later received the following written communication from her manager: Please provide details of your absence last week. I understand that you were on your way to work when you had to administer CPR to somebody in distress. I was therefore very surprised to see that you had subsequently called in sick as I assume that you were fit to come to work. Additionally, your absence very neatly joins two periods of OFF/ Leave always something that I find highly suspicious... Please explain and, if able, provide a doctors note and any information regarding your Good Samaritan episode. The captain said she found this e-mail disgusting. She resigned from the airline.

Case 2 Promises or Threats?

Poor industrial relations can erode trust between management and employees. In 2013 a public row erupted at a successful European low-cost airline. Concerned that changes to terms and conditions (like the casualisation of flight-crew labour with the use of zero-hours contracts) might impact safety, members of the airlines unofficial pilot association drafted a petition to the regulator alleging the unpredictable employment situation at the airline was becoming an increasing distraction in daily flight operations. In response the airlines chief pilot warned: [A] pilot who participates in this so-called safety petition will be guilty of gross misconduct and will be liable for dismissal. The British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) has expressed concerns about casualisation, a process it attributes to employers drive for short-term costbenefits. According to the chairman of the unofficial association, about 75% of the airlines pilots are employed through agencies

and the majority of these are on zero-hours contracts. Work is not guaranteed for a pilot on a zerohours contract. Rather, the pilot is rostered when needed. Such contracts change the balance of power in management-employee relations and employers can exploit this shift in the balance of power to engineer behaviours they consider desirable. Because employment is contingent on a managers decision, some fear those subject to zero-hours contracts are less inclined to do anything that might attract attention or create work (like report an error) or challenge the companys modus operandi (eg, file a complaint with the regulator). Put another way, zero-hours contracts have the potential to undermine an airlines safety culture by discouraging both the reporting of pilot error and critiques of operational procedure and performance. This is bad for passengers, employees, airlines and the commercial aviation industry. The net result of the two policies (dismissal for pilots who petition and employment of pilots on zero-hours contracts) may be to undermine the subject airlines reporting culture and a lax reporting culture creates the potential for incident or accident because weaknesses go uncorrected. Such a culture is pathogenic cancerous, if you like. Unless treated it may destroy the subject. Nearly 90% of pilots surveyed by the pilot association said the airline did not have a healthy safety culture. Two-thirds said they did not feel comfortable raising issues through an internal reporting system.

To date, it has had three: the 1967 Apollo 1 launch-pad fire which killed three astronauts; the 1986 loss of STS Challenger which killed seven; and the 2003 loss of STS Columbia which killed seven more. Had the lessons of the Apollo 1 fire been applied, NASA might have enjoyed a better safety record, and 17 astronauts might not have died in the line of duty. What were those lessons?

Apollo 1: Accident-in-waiting
On January 27, 1967, three astronauts were killed when Apollo 1s command module caught fire during a ground test. Pressurised with oxygen to 16.7psi (0.011kg/mm2), the module was destroyed in 25.5 seconds. The astronauts stood little chance. Despite being aware of numerous fatal incidents involving 100% oxygen environments, NASA used pure oxygen in the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programmes (there had been at least seven oxygen-related fires in US testing facilities). Using oxygen saved weight and simplified engineering important considerations for a government agency charged by a President with landing men on the moon and returning them safely to earth in 1970. The safer option, a nitrogen-oxygen mix, would have complicated the engineering and added weight. The fact that neither Mercury nor Gemini had suffered fires led NASA engineers to downplay the risk associated with a 100% oxygen environment, to the extent that astronauts were not required to wear flameretardant suits and ground tests using pure oxygen at high pressures were not classified as hazardous. Some, like technician Tom Baron of prime contractor North American Aviation, believed NASA subordinated safety to production. His reservations were dismissed. The Apollo 1 disaster held many lessons for NASA most conspicuously the need to guard against complacency and the importance of not sacrificing safety for production. In its 1968 report into the disaster the Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences made explicit reference to complacency: [Hundreds] of hours of successful testing with 100% pure oxygen...

Organisational Learning
Because they look out for and adopt good practice, learning organisations give themselves the best chance of safety improvement. But those unable or unwilling to learn give themselves little chance to improve. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an example of an organisation that habitually failed to learn and apply the lessons of its own disasters.

70

AI .03.14

AVIATION SAFETY COMMERCIAL

led to a false sense of confidence, and therefore complacency, in this operation. The absence of mishaps should not be interpreted to mean they cannot happen. A comprehensive measure of system safety records not just incidents and accidents but also near-misses and latent errors (embedded weaknesses).

The loss of ET insulating foam was such a common event that NASA engineers had coined the term foam-shedding to describe the phenomenon, trivialising a potentially lethal structural failure. As with SRB o-ring erosion prior to the Challenger disaster, NASA managers under time, budget and other pressures had normalised a safety deviation.

On January 28, 1986, STS Challenger exploded shortly after lift-off. A malfunctioning solid rocket booster (SRB) o-ring seal had leaked hot gases onto the external tank (ET), causing it to explode. For the cognoscenti this was not entirely unexpected first, because o-ring leaks had occurred before; second, because, once ignited, the SRBs could not be shut down (they have been likened to giant fireworks); and third, because the SRBs were located adjacent to a tank that contained liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen at up to 22psi (0.015kg/mm2). Despite the potentially catastrophic consequences of the failure of such an important component, NASA, short of funds and behind schedule, downplayed the o-ring problem to the point where leaks were not considered a threat. Despite being deviations from the norm of safe operation, SRB o-ring leaks were treated as routine events. As Diane Vaughan put it in her book The Challenger Launch Decision, they were normalised. Once again, an under-pressure NASA subordinated safety to production.

STS Challenger: Unheeded Warnings

Agency Lessons
NASAs three failures hold several lessons for commercial aviation. First, even though the lessons of failure may be obvious, documented and well-publicised, there is no guarantee they will be acted on. Second, an engineering failure may become so commonplace that it is treated as routine and unproblematic: failures that generate no adverse consequences are more likely to be treated in this way. Leaking SRB o-rings and ballistic foam insulation were seen as unproblematic largely because they had not ended a mission. As with the space programme prior to Apollo 1, the absence of failure led managers to believe that nothing untoward could ever happen. The loss of Challenger and Columbia demonstrated the speciousness of this logic. Third, design and operational decisions are influenced by cost and timetable considerations. Had NASA not been working to a very public deadline of 1970 to land men on the moon, it might have provided the command module with a safer two-gas atmosphere. It might also have designated live ground tests as hazardous and provided astronauts with flame-proof suits. Had the shuttle programme not been so far behind schedule and NASA so short of funds, the agency might have treated o-ring erosion and foam-shedding as mission-threatening failures rather than tolerable wear and tear. The Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia disasters show safety is built on an energetic culture that supports vigilance, reporting and pro-action. As shown by its response to the o-ring and foam insulation problems, NASAs safety culture was dysfunctional. A culture that normalises deviance creates

a risk of incident and accident. Dysfunctional cultures have their origins in a range of internal (endogenous) and external (exogenous) factors and behaviours. These include political agendas, public expectation, media interest, time pressures, budget constraints, hubris, introversion, denial, complacency and management styles that alienate employees and inhibit teamwork.

Lucio Daou/AirTeamImages

Cultivating Safety
Employees who feel alienated or marginalised are less inclined to report or make an intervention. And nothing is more likely to alienate an employee than using threats or intimidation to get them to behave in a certain way. Employees subject to threats or intimidation are likely to withdraw from organisational life and the resulting reduction of co-operation and participation undermines the organisations safety culture. Sending e-mails or letters perceived as threatening or, without justification, questioning the integrity of an employee, will drive a wedge between the recipient and the organisation. Good management-employee relations are one of the foundations of an energetic safety culture. What we say, and how we say it, matter. The more judgmental, prejudiced or aggressive a communication or conversation the more likely it is that the employee will respond defensively and defensiveness and mistrust discourage openness and co-operation. Safety is undermined. In systems theory terms, an airline with a dysfunctional culture should be classified as a resident pathogen or latent error an accident waiting to happen. Safety should be measured not only against numbers of near-misses, incidents and accidents but also against numbers of embedded weaknesses. One way of measuring the safety of Europes aviation system is to count the number of airlines that have so cowed and alienated their pilots, cabin crew and engineers that errors are either not reported or are reported selectively. The European Aviation Safety Agency might well be shocked by the data.

STS Columbia: Wilful Neglect

On February 1, 2003, the returning STS Columbia disintegrated in the earths atmosphere. During launch a suitcase-sized piece of insulating foam detached from the ET and hit the leading edge of Columbias left wing. The rupture went unnoticed as there was no requirement to check for this type of damage. During re-entry, plasma entered the wing, destroying the structure and eventually causing Columbia to disintegrate.

AI .03.14

71

Rapid Respo

72

AI .03.14

ponders

31st MARINE EXPEDITIONARY UNIT MILITARY

The US Marine Corps 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit is on hand to answer the call in the Asia-Pacic region. By Nigel Pittaway
hen a US military presence is required anywhere in the Asia-Pacific region, from India in the west to Hawaii in the east, or from the Korean peninsula in the north to Antarctica in the south, the US Marine Corps (USMC) 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) is a common sight. The unit, with helicopters, ships and ground troops, is among the first to respond to the call, whether for combat operations or providing humanitarian aid and disaster relief assistance. Based at Camp Hansen, Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler in Okinawa, Japan, the 31st MEUs Aviation Combat Element (ACE) recently received a major capability boost when its medium-lift helicopter squadrons were converted to the tiltrotor Bell-Boeing MV-22B Osprey. The ACE has in the last few months participated in several major exercises in the region, such as Cobra Gold in Thailand and Talisman Saber in Australia, as well as providing relief after the devastating Typhoon Haiyan in November 2013.

The Mission
In almost every crisis since World War Two, the USMC has deployed forces; landing ashore from the decks of warships, projecting force while self-sustaining their operations for prolonged periods. While on operations, the 31st MEUs ACE is embarked aboard the Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) ship USS Bonhomme Richard. The 31st MEU provides a forwarddeployed, flexible, sea-based force capable of conducting amphibious operations, crisis response and limited contingency operations in the Asia-Pacific area. It is the only continually-deployed MEU and remains the marine corps force-in-readiness in the AsiaPacific region, Commanding Officer, Colonel John Merna, explained to AIR International aboard the Bonhomme Richard. We are prepared to deploy on a moments notice in response to any crisis or contingency. We train constantly to a series of missionessential tasks which covers the full range in the spectrum of operations, from humanitarian assistance to combat operations. There are ten core Mission-Essential Tasks (METS) for which the 31st MEU specifically trains, comprising: amphibious raids (small craft, small-scale raids); amphibious assault; security, stability, transition and reconstruction operations; the support of theatre security co-operation activities; humanitarian assistance; non-combat evacuation operations; tactical recovery of

2 1 Marines boarding a MV-22B from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 265 (VMM-265) Dragons on the Bonhomme Richard. MCS 2 The 31st MEUs commander, Col John Merna. Nigel Pittaway
3rd Class Adam Wainwright/US Navy

AI .03.14

73

MILITARY 31st MARINE EXPEDITIONARY UNIT

1 An AV-8B Harrier of Marine Attack Squadron 214 (VMA-214) Black Sheep launching from the USS Bonhomme Richard during Talisman Saber 2013. MCS 2nd Class Andrew Church/US Navy 2 An Aviation Boatswains Mate signals to the pilot of a UH-1Y Venom on the deck of the USS Bonhomme Richard during routine US 7th Fleet operations in 2013.
MCS 3rd Class Michael/US Navy Achterling/US Navy

aircraft, equipment and personnel; airfield operations from expeditionary sea or shorebased sites; airfield and/or port seizure operations; joint and combined operations. Due to its geographical position, the 31st MEU also trains for a number of additional roles, comprising maritime contingency operations; visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) level II and III operations; seizure of maritime platform and selected maritime security missions; and limited scale raids. Our biggest issue is to be ready at a moments notice, explained Col Merna. Its about readiness and we are ready to respond to any threat, whether it be a large or small nation, from a HADR [humanitarian aid and disaster relief] mission to a noncombat evacuation operation for US citizens, embassy reinforcement or combat operations in any area.

Structure
An MEU is the smallest formation of the 2 USMCs Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF), which combine aviation, ground combat, logistics and headquarters elements to maximise its capabilities and sustain itself from the sea. There are seven MEUs in the USMC in addition to the 31st, three (the 11th, 13th and 15th) are based on the west coast of the United States and a further three (22nd, 24th and 26th) on the east coast. Each MEU has around 2,200 marines and navy sailors and, when combined with a Navy Amphibious Task Force (ATF), forms an Amphibious Ready Group. In the 31st MEUs case, the ATF comes from the US Navys 7th Fleet based at Sasebo in Japan, which in the case of Talisman Saber, deployed the USS Bonhomme Richard, USS Denver (Landing Platform Dock) and USS Germantown

(Landing Ship Dock) to support the 31st MEU. The MEUs are made up of four elements: command (CE), ground combat (GCE) which supplies infantry aviation combat and logistics combat, which all ensures the MEU is self-sufficient for at least 15 days of operations. The CE also controls the force and amphibious recon platoons as well as intelligence and electronic warfare assets. The GCE of the 31st MEU is traditionally supplied by the 5th Marine Regiment from the 1st Marine Division, based at Camp Pendleton in California, with the regiments battalions rotating to Okinawa on forward deployment at regular intervals. The 2nd Battalion 4th Marines, The Magnificent Bastards, was the battalion at the time of the 31st MEUs involvement in Talisman Saber. The GCE battalions rotate every six months so the MEU has to undertake a twice-yearly recertification, involving infantry

battalion, reinforced with light armoured vehicles, artillery, combat engineers, amphibious assault vehicles and, if circumstances dictate, even armour. There is never a time when there arent forwarddeployed forces on Okinawa, but we taskorganise and build the team for us to deploy every six months, said Col Merna. So we build the team, certify and deploy. The 31st MEU is assigned to the US Pacific Command in Hawaii and differs slightly from other MEUs in that it has a boat company instead of a motorised company. In the desert or in the 5th Fleet area of responsibility theres not much need for a boat company, so other MEUs are task-organised in accordance with the likely missions assigned and constructed slightly differently, explained Col Merna. In general, were all constructed and task-organised similarly, based on mission. We all train to the same standards, we just have a different tempo.

74

AI .03.14

31st MARINE EXPEDITIONARY UNIT MILITARY

MCS 3rd Class Christopher Lindahl/US Navy

History
The 31st MEUs origins date back to March 1, 1967, when Special Landing Force Alpha was established for service in the Vietnam War. It conducted its first amphibious deployment from Okinawa on April 10, 1967, and its first operation four days later. The unit was re-designated the 31st Marine Amphibious Unit on November 24, 1970, and after the war ended remained the forwarddeployed US presence in the Western Pacific and South-East Asia, until being deactivated in May 1985. It was reactivated on September 9, 1992 as the 31st MEU and moved to Camp Hansen two years later. The unit participated in operations in the Persian Gulf during Operations Southern Watch and Desert Fox, between November 1998 and February 1999, and some of its elements supported the transition from the Australian-led International Forces in East Timor to the United Nations Transitional

Administration East Timor in January 2000. Back in action in the Middle East, between September 2004 and March 2005 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, it was involved in the battle of Fallujah. Since then, its been regularly involved in helping local populations in the wake of cyclones, tsunamis and floods, for example in the Philippines (February 2006, October 2009, October 2010 and most recently in late 2013 in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan), Myanmar in May to June 2008 and in Japan following the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.

Aviation Combat Element

As with the Stateside-based MEUs, the 31st MEUs aviation combat element (ACE) is centred upon a medium-lift squadron, reinforced with other assets such as heavylift helicopters, attack and utility helicopters and a fixed-wing strike detachment of AV8B Harrier IIs.
MCS 3rd Class Christopher Lindahl/US Navy

Based at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Okinawa, two medium-lift squadrons are assigned to the 31st MEU and each rotates through the duty every 12 months, to form the core of the ACE. The other assets are drawn from units forward-deployed to Okinawa and, with the exception of the Harrier detachment, adopt the tail-code of the medium-lift unit. The two medium-lift helicopter squadrons are VMM262 Flying Tigers and VMM-265 Dragons, from Marine Air Group 36 (MAG-36) and part of the 1st Marine Air Wing. Both are now equipped with the MV-22B Osprey.

Osprey
The Dragons were the first to convert to the Osprey, handing back its venerable Sea Knights (or Phrogs as they were universally and affectionately known) from July 2012, changing designation from Marine Medium Helicopter (HMM) to Marine Medium Tiltrotor (VMM) Squadron 265 in the process. Following a period of training, which included time in the Philippines in January 2013, the Dragons Ospreys took part in their first exercise the following month when four aircraft deployed to Nakhon Ratchasima air base in Thailand to participate in Cobra Gold 2013. A period in Australia, aboard the Bonhomme Richard for Talisman Saber, followed in July. During the exercise, VMM-262 sent a further two Ospreys by air from Okinawa to Townsville in north Queensland the longest-distance Osprey tanking mission to date in the Pacific region. It took place from August 2 to 5 and saw the Ospreys and two KC-130Js from Futenmabased VMGR-152 route from Okinawa to Clark air base in the Philippines, then to Darwin and Townsville before the Ospreys

AI .03.14

75

MILITARY 31st MARINE EXPEDITIONARY UNIT

1The rotors on an MV-22B folded up on the USS Bonhomme Richard. Nigel Pittaway 2 A CH-53E landing back on the USS Bonhomme Richard. MCS 3rd Class Michael Achterling/US Navy 3 An MH-60S Sea Hawk of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 25 (HSC-25) Island Knightsdelivers supplies to the USS Bonhomme Richard as part of the 31st MEUs deployment in 2013. Seaman Apprentice Edward Guttierrez/US Navy 4 An AH-1W Cobra and a UH-1H operating from the USS Bonhomme Richard during a 2013 certication exercise. MCS 2nd Class Michael Russell/US Navy 5 A 31st MEU CH-53E in between sorties. Nigel Pittaway 6 US Marine Cpl Stephen Jarrell looks out over a village from a 31st MEU MV-22B in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan in November 2013. Capt Caleb Eames/US Marine Corps 7 A CH-46 Sea Knight approaches the ight deck of the USS Bonhomme Richard. MCS 2nd Class Michael Russell/US Navy 8 Marine Attack Squadron 214 (VMA-214) Black Sheep AV-8Bs on the USS Bonhomme Richard during certication exercises in 2013. Sgt Paul Robbins/US Marine Corps 9 An AH-1W and AV8B together, showing the exibility of the assets at an MEUs disposal. Nigel Pittaway 10 A Marine Attack Squadron 214 (VMA-214) Black Sheep AV-8B Harrier has its wings attached aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard during Talisman Saber 2013. MCS 2nd Class Jerome Johnson/US Navy 1 2

3 4 5

6 7 Bonhomme Richard. In the meantime, the

joined the rest of the squadron aboard the Flying Tigers were converting from CH-46E to MV-22B back home at Futenma and were officially re-designated VMM-262 in a ceremony there on September 12, 2013.

New Capabilities
The Osprey is bringing new capabilities to the 31st MEU. Its twice as fast as the Sea Knight and can carry 24 combat troops, 20,000lb (9,072kg) of internal cargo or a 15,000lb (6,804kg) underslung load. The Osprey is much more capable than the CH-46E Sea Knight in terms of range and its ability to stay on station as well as its increased payload and speed. Because of its tiltrotor it can fly as an airplane and go much faster over longer distances, explained Col Merna. The only thing

we have to watch with this aircraft is its tremendous downwash and that must be factored into everything we do. During Talisman Saber, the 31st MEUs ACE was reinforced by four Sikorsky CH-53E Sea Stallions from HMH-463 Pegasus, normally based at Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, to provide heavy-lift capability. HMLA-369 Gungfighters from Miramar in California provided four Bell AH-1W Super Cobras and three UH-1Y Venom helicopters, together known as skids. The Venom has replaced the older UH-1N Twin Huey and had already deployed to Cobra Gold in Thailand in February before its participation in Talisman Saber.

Harriers
The Harrier detachment, which in the case of Talisman Saber was provided by VMA-214 Black Sheep, based at MCAS Yuma, Arizona,

76

AI .03.14

31st MARINE EXPEDITIONARY UNIT MILITARY

8 9

10

is not part of the reinforced construct. In the 31st MEU at least, the VMA-214 detachment (or det) deploys with its Commanding Officer (CO), currently Lieutenant Colonel Jason E. Waldron, who reports to Col Merna and the CE of the construct, and not the CO of VMM-265 as the other elements do. Harrier tasking is therefore carried out either explicitly from Col Merna and the 31st MEU CE or through the MEU Operations Officer, who tasks the CO of the VMA det for fixed-wing support and the CO of the core VMM for all rotary-wing support. The ACE has its own organic air traffic control, aircraft maintenance and logistics supply chains and in addition to the aircraft and helicopters embarked aboard Bonhomme Richard, the 31st MEU is allocated two of VMGR-152s KC-130Js, which are maintained on standby at Futenma.

medical requirements. Midway through the assessment flight, the Osprey refuelled aboard the USS George Washington and also delivered US Agency for International Development relief supplies. The team was able to travel quickly to these remote areas because of the speed of the MV-22 Osprey when compared with traditional helicopters, said Col Merna. Elements of the 31st MEU, numbering approximately 1,000 marines and sailors, subsequently arrived in the Philippines after travelling to the country aboard the USS Germantown and USS Ashland amphibious ships. They worked alongside other US military assets in providing food, water, medicines and fuel to the country in the initial aftermath of the typhoon.

Towards the Future

Such deployments can have an impact on the 31st MEUs training schedule. We programme exercises because to bring the blue/green (navy/marines) team together we have to schedule in advance, noted Col Merna. But they can be interrupted at any time due to any contingency in the area of responsibility. For the most part we train with our ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] partners in the region. From an ACE standpoint, the Whiskey Cobras are being replaced throughout the corps with the upgraded AH-1Z Viper over the next few years and the CH-53E will give way to the CH-53K Super Stallion due to enter service in 2017.
11

Haiyan
Because of its forward-deployed stance, the 31st MEU can be sent anywhere in the region at very short notice and this was amply demonstrated by its deployment to the Philippines last November after Typhoon Haiyan. One 31st MEU Osprey was deployed after the disaster and on November 18 last year it flew Filipino Government and military and US military personnel on a flight to survey the damage and check the needs of three remote villages destroyed in the storm. At each site, the bilateral team met with local leadership to record needs, take requests, and determine

However, the most significant capability on the horizon is the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II now entering service, which will ultimately replace the Harriers of the various marine ACEs as well as land-based F/A-18 Hornets. I think the F-35B is fitting for the corps, because its very much like the marines themselves: its a multi-mission, multi-role fighter, said Col Merna. The F-35B has incredible air-to-air as well as air-to-ground capabilities. Its got electronic warfare capability and is more lethal and more survivable than our current aircraft, which will make it the most sought-after fighter aircraft in the world. Current planning calls for the first F-35B deployment to Okinawa for operations with the 31st MEU in the Fiscal Year 2017-2018. In the meantime, Col Merna does not foresee any move from Okinawa and, again because of its forward deployed status, sequestration has had less of an impact on the 31st MEU than other units, with the exception of those currently deployed on combat operations. I dont see any capabilities being taken away. I only see potential as the marine corps continues to source new equipment, and were always looking for the increased advantage, Col Merna predicted. We are looking forward to a whole lot of work. Were going to be busy, were going to continue to build relationships in the area of responsibility and were always going to be prepared for any crisis or emergency. I think the future is going to be quite busy for this MEU.

11 Marines from Company E, 4th Marines, leaving an MV-22B. Cpl Codey Underwood/US Marine Corps 12 MV-22Bs from the 31st MEU

at the Shorewater Bay Training Area during Talisman Saber 2013. Lance Cpl Matthew Bragg/US Marine Corps 13 The deployment of MEU MV-22Bs in Talisman Saber was the rst time the Osprey had been used in Australia. Sgt Sarah Fiocco/US Marine Corps

12 13

AI .03.14

77

The Flying

78

AI .03.14

Linesmen
NATIONAL GRID HELICOPTER UNIT COMMERCIAL

The National Grid now operates a Bell 429 so that it can carry out an essential duty checking power lines. Mark Broadbent reports

he high-voltage electricity power lines and pylons that are such a familiar part of the UK landscape are operated by the National Grid. It uses two helicopters a brandnew Bell 429 and an Aerospatiale AS355NP Twin Squirrel equipped

with advanced imaging equipment to help it look after this vital element of national infrastructure, which we perhaps take for granted when we flick on a light switch.

Helicopter Unit
The National Grid began using aircraft, initially fixed wing types, to support maintenance of power lines in the 1960s and then moved on to helicopters. It

leased aircraft on an ad-hoc basis before establishing a dedicated Helicopter Unit in the 1970s. In 1986 it took delivery of an AS355 Twin Squirrel, appropriately registered G-WIRE, followed three years later by another AS355F (G-GRID). These helicopters were later superseded by an AS355N (G-LINE) and an AS355NP (G-RIDA). With G-LINE starting to show its age it had been in service since 1994 the

All images Ned Dawson 79

AI .03.14

COMMERCIAL NATIONAL GRID HELICOPTER UNIT

National Grid ordered a sole example of the Bell 429 light twin utility helicopter in 2012. The new aircraft was delivered in April 2013 after its interior had been fitted out to the National Grids specific requirements by Bell Helicopter at its European hub at Prague Airport in the Czech Republic. The 429 was placed on the UK Civil Aviation Authority register in June 2013 as G-RIDB and began operations almost immediately. It was the first 429 added to the UK register and the first of its type delivered to a utility company anywhere in the world. The 429 is now operating alongside G-RIDA, which having only entered service in 2008 is expected to provide sterling service for many more years. The Twin Squirrel is based at Oxford Airport, from where National Grids helicopters have flown for many years. However, the Bell 429 is based at Turweston Aerodrome in Buckinghamshire, between Banbury and Milton Keynes, where its maintained by Heli-Charter. The different basing arrangement for the 429 was dictated by the fact that Heli-Charter is Bell Helicopters appointed European customer support provider. The company holds European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) approvals to conduct maintenance for the 429 (as well as the earlier Bell 206), making National Grids selection of Turweston a logical one for its new aircraft.

1 1 The nose-mounted Wescam MX-10 stabilised imaging system provides thermal imaging and full-motion HD video. 2 The observer sits in front of a 22-inch Skyforce LCD monitor to view the images generated by the MX-10. 3 G-RIDB is based at Turweston Aireld, but deploys around England and Wales each week. 4 The helicopter will spend up to 12 minutes inspecting a pylon.

2 3

80

AI .03.14

NATIONAL GRID HELICOPTER UNIT COMMERCIAL

Role and Equipment

The National Grids main high-voltage transmission network in England and Wales comprises over 22,000 pylons and 4,473 miles (7,200km) of lines. The role of the 429 and AS355NP is to monitor wear and tear of the lines and pylons, highlight any faults and, critically, identify potential problems. To carry out this role both helicopters are equipped for thermal imaging, HD video recording, stills photography and visual inspection. The key piece of equipment aboard the helicopters is the L-3 Communications Wescam MX-10 stabilised imaging system, mounted in a turret beneath the nose. It provides both thermal imaging and fullmotion HD video and has an additional sensor to help in low light. The MX-10 is operated by an observer who controls it from their position at a workstation in the back of the helicopter. In front of them is a 22 (558mm) Skyforce LCD monitor, giving them a large-format, high-quality picture of the video cameras view. The footage is recorded on compact flash cards

and when were doing thermal imaging were usually between 300 and 500ft [91-162m]. The helicopter is either held in the hover or flown relatively slowly, at 50kts (92km/h), as the observer assesses the line and pylons in the schedule for that day. While its the pilots job to fly steadily and smoothly, the observer records HD video and full-motion thermal images of the lines and pylons.

Assessments
Every detail is assessed. Each single stretch of wire between two pylons known as a phase is carefully studied for signs of damage. This includes the earth wire that runs above the main phases. The thermal imaging camera is used to inspect electricity substations and, in cold weather, the hot joints between the cables and conductors. Of particular interest are the vibration dampers (installed to reduce wind-induced

oscillations of the cables), the electricity conductors and the spacers, which stop the phases coming together. The ends of the spacers attach to the conductors through a rubber insert. These inserts do wear and come out, so each spacer, the attachment clamp of each spacer and each conductor, is videoed, Kane explained. Once the helicopter reaches a pylon, the circuits and insulators are checked and recorded to see if the wind has caused the bolts attaching the phases to the pylon to unscrew or wear out. The observer uses the HD camera and a two-megapixel stills camera to take images of the steelwork on the pylon structures so that their condition can be assessed. Kane said: You can have up to 12 or 13 spacers on each phase, which means there are about 50 spacers in a section of line between two pylons alone. Then itll

Flying the Lines

The helicopter units week-to-week work is dictated by the National Grids pre-planned programme of condition monitoring. One of the pilots will fly the 429 or AS355NP to an airfield in the region being covered that week, where theyll pick up the observer. Flying along the lines is demanding work. Mike Kane, National Grids chief pilot, told AIR International: When were doing the HD video we operate from 50ft to 200ft [15-60m]

AI .03.14

81

The Bell 429 is very stable, which means were able to operate it in slightly higher wind speeds and slightly more turbulence.
Mike Kane, National Grids chief pilot

82

AI .03.14

NATIONAL GRID HELICOPTER UNIT COMMERCIAL

take around 9-12 minutes [to assess] the tower. In a day we do five hours of flying so we generally do 40-50 pylons, plus the conductor spans between them. With it taking six to ten years to review the entire network in this way, it will be some time before these assessments are carried out again in any one area. database by the observers. Its then used by the Condition Monitoring Team at National Grids Warwick headquarters in the Midlands. They make strategic decisions about whether we need to undertake maintenance on whats been identified, Kane explained. The database is continually updated. As images are added, comparisons are made between new and older images. This detail gives the National Grid the ability to judge the condition of equipment and what might maintenance be needed. Mark Simmons, an overhead line engineer working with the Condition Monitoring Team, described the helicopters contribution to this role: Compared to what we got from just climbing pylons, the data from the helicopters is considerably better. Thats because of the analysis thats possible from the quality of the information we get, but also linesmen one day to inspect three pylons, but a single observer in one helicopter can inspect six pylons per hour. The helicopters are therefore a cost-effective way of managing the electricity system. In addition to condition monitoring, the National Grid helicopters are also used to check those lines on which maintenance has been carried out before they are reenergised and returned to the network. The Bell 429 has recently undertaken this work on the line running through the Lake District and other parts of Cumbria and the one through North Wales from Deeside to Anglesey.

Stability
With this being such methodical work, steady piloting is essential and the helicopters themselves need stable flying characteristics. This was one of the main reasons that the National Grid chose the Bell 429. With the Squirrel, depending where the wind is, the tail twitches quite a lot. The 429 doesnt do that, its very stable, which means were able to operate it in slightly worse conditions, such as slightly higher wind speeds and slightly more turbulence, Kane explained. The 429s advanced glass cockpit, a leap forward from the Squirrels analogue displays, also makes things easier for the pilots. There are three 8in x 6in (203mm x 152mm) Rogerson Kratos colour LCD multi-function display screens, which show critical flight and helicopter performance information, including navigation, rotordrive, engine, electrical, hydraulic and fuel systems, advisories including Traffic Collision Avoidance Symbology (TCAS) and hover performance. G-RIDB is a standard single-pilot instrument flight rules (IFR) machine; however, the National Grid only operates in a visual flight rules environment and doesnt undertake IFR or night flying. The 429 has a standard IFR avionics fit featuring a Honeywell KSG7200 Air Data/Attitude and Heading Reference System (ADHARS), a Garmin GTX-330 transponder, twin Garmin GNS-430W communications systems and a Rogerson Kratos 160M002 course heading flight director.

Live Line Ops

The next major milestone for the 429 will be clearing its use for live line operations. This involves using the HD video and thermal imaging to detect a problem with a live

Smooth Transition
The helicopter units pilots have had a smooth transition onto the 429. After never having flown it before, our pilots 2 have said after 15 minutes of flying it they 1 When inspecting power lines, G-RIDB is own at between 300 and 500ft and at around 50 knots. feel at home. Its unusual to get that, it 2 Bell 429 G-RIDB entered service in 2013. usually takes an hour of flying before a pilot is comfortable with the handling of a new line, then suspending engineers in a basket because its auditable. type, Kane said. beneath the helicopter so they can carry out We have physical evidence of the The 429 is also roomier, which is important the repairs. condition [of a pylon or conductors] at a for the National Grids operations. Kane The helicopters again bring efficiency point in time, he continued. Previously, explained: The Squirrel is quite cramped to this vital role enabling repairs to be when we were climbing we had 150 people for the observer with our equipment and conducted on the same day they are nationally giving us their opinion on the workstation installed. The helicopter is also identified without taking the affected condition of assets. The digital imagery quite limited in being able to do multiple jobs, circuit out of service. Kane said has led to a significant improvement in the such as taking HD video and then getting the that without helicopters, a live lines objectivity of the assessments. stills camera out of the window. inspection and repair might take two or Simmons gave a recent example of this With the 429 being a larger aircraft, three days. He added that the National value: Based on previous evidence we were weve been able to install a swivel seat that Grid is currently awaiting approval from ready to do refurbishments on some routes enables the observer to do multiple tasks EASA to use its live line equipment for in the Midlands but upon the helicopter at their workstation. The aircraft is quieter the AS355NP, which is expected in the doing the HD video, we found that the routes and theres less vibration, which means the spring. Approval for its use by the 429 is were in better condition than we thought. guys are less fatigued at the end of the day expected in November 2014. We were able to save 9 million in the than when theyre working with the Squirrel, Theres no doubt the Bell 429 and the refurbishment programme. Kane added. Twin Squirrel undertake some of the most Efficiency interesting and specialist civil helicopter Objective Analysis Using the 429 and Twin Squirrel for work in the UK. They and the flying linesmen The data gathered during the flights inspections is also more efficient than which operate them play a vital role in is analysed and then uploaded into a linesmen climbing the towers. It takes three keeping Britains electricity flowing.

AI .03.14

83

SkyTa
South Americas

I
84

Srgio Santana reviews the current status and future trends of the tanker eets operated by South American air forces
n-flight refuelling is a critical need in modern air warfare. In South America tankers are now operated by five of the continents air forces: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Venezuela. response to Iraqs invasion of Kuwait. Ironically, this led to its crew performing four night-time air-to-air refuelling missions under the supervision of the Royal Air Force, the enemy of less than a decade before. The two KC-130s have, from time to time, undertaken duties additional to their primary tanking role. These have included providing navigational support for the national airline Aerolneas Argentinas first Boeing 747 flights over the transpolar route in 1981, and reconnaissance flights. Then, in 2010, TC-70 was sent to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, after the earthquake there, joining Argentinian troops already stationed in the country as part of the United Nations Stabilisation Mission In Haiti (UNSTAMIH). Since 2010, the two KC-130Hs have been progressively upgraded as part of the modernizacin de aviones de transporte y enlace (modernisation of transport and liaison aircraft) programme to standardise flightdeck equipment on all FAA transport aircraft, namely the de Havilland DHC-6s, Fokker F27s and F28s and C-130s. They have received the TPA CAS 100A traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS), enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS) and RESCU 406AF emergency locator transmitter (all supplied by Honeywell), a new air data computer and the Bendix/King RDR 2000 weather radar. The new equipment has been installed by Fbrica Argentina de Aviones, formerly known as Lockheed Martin Aircraft Argentina SA.

Argentina

The Fuerza Area Argentina (FAA, Argentine Air Force) started to operate its first tankers in 1978, when it acquired two Lockheed KC-130H Hercules locally known as Chanchas (female pigs). These aircraft, which have the construction numbers 382-4814 and 382-4816 respectively, were assigned the Argentinian military aircraft serial numbers TC-69 and TC-70. Since their introduction to service, these aircraft have been operated by the FAAs Escuadrn Areo I, part of the Grupo I de Transporte Aereo, under Brigada Aerea based at El Palomar close to the capital Buenos Aires. Both aircraft took part in the 1982 Falklands War, flying 47 sorties to refuel the FAAs combat aircraft. In 1990, TC-69 was part of the Argentinian contingent sent to the Middle East in

Brazil
The Lockheed KC-130 was also the first tanker acquired by the Fora Area Brasileira (FAB, Brazilian Air Force), which received two brand new KC-130Hs (construction numbers 382-4625 and 382-4636, respectively registered as FAB2461 and FAB2462 in the air force inventory) between October and December 1975. These aircraft were assigned to 1 Grupo de Transporte de Tropa at Campo dos Afonsos air base in Rio de Janeiro state, where, between May and April 1976, the first Brazilian KC-130 air and ground crews were taught by Lockheed technicians and US Air

AI .03.14

ankers
SOUTH AMERICAS TANKER AIRCRAFT MILITARY
The Colombian Air Forces KC-767 Jupiter with a gaggle of IAI Krs. Srgio Santana

Force officers. In March 1986 the two aircraft were transferred to the 1 Esquadro do, 1 Grupo de Transporte, Esquadro Baro at Galeo, also in Rio de Janeiro state. Like the Argentinian aircraft, the Brazilian KC-130s have recently been upgraded with a new flight management system featuring TCAS and GPWS. Brazils aircraft have also received an automatic direction finder, differential GPS, VHF omnidirectional range and inertial navigation system (INS), a new autopilot, VHF/UHF/HF radios and weather radar, electronic countermeasures, a radar warning receiver and chaff/flare dispensers. Brazils aircraft were upgraded by Digex Aircraft Maintenance SA, based in So Jos dos Campos in So Paulo state. Galeo is also home to another FAB air-toair refuelling unit, 2 Esquadro do, 2 Grupo de Transporte, Esquadro Corsrio, which operates four KC-137s (converted ex-Varig Boeing 707s). The four 707s are registered FAB 2401 (c/n 19840/679, ex-PP-VJY), FAB 2402 (c/n 19842/712, ex-PP-VJX), FAB 2403 (c/n 20008/739, ex PP-VJH) and FAB 2404 (c/n 19870/702, ex-PP-VLK). The latter was

a replacement for PP-VJK (c/n 19822/726), which was due to be converted to a tanker, but it crashed on a Varig flight in 1987 off the Ivory Coast before it could be transferred to the military. The quartets acquisition resulted from a requirement issued by the FAB in 1984 for a jet-powered tanker that would be better suited than the KC-130 to refuel its then newly introduced primary fast-jet combat aircraft, the F-5E. The four 707s which had an average 57,000 flying hours by the time they were transferred from Varig to the air force underwent full D Check maintenance. They were all disassembled and rebuilt prior to their delivery flights to Boeings plant at Wichita, Kansas, for conversion to tankers. There they each received a reinforced floor, a ladder fitted to the airframe (to enable operations at airfields without major ground support infrastructure), 160 seats, a new auxiliary power unit and two Beech 1080 hose-and-drogue in-flight refuelling kits. The latter each have a 12m (39ft 3in)-long hose installed under the wing. Having been converted to KC-137s, they

were delivered to Brazil from December 1986 to December 1987. The FABs pilots converted onto the type through training courses run by the Canadian Forces 437 Squadron, which was then flying the CC-137, Canadas equivalent of the 707 tanker. FAB 2401 was fitted with a VIP interior, including a suite for the Brazilian President, while its scheme was finished with thin white and blue stripes on its natural metal fuselage. The others received a low-visibility grey scheme. FAB 2401 relinquished its VIP transport role in 2005 when the FAB introduced Airbus A319CJ (designated by the FAB as VC1A and named Santos Dumont after the famous aviator) into service. Apart from their usual missions as tankers, in recent times the KC-137s have been intensively used as troop transports as part of the Brazilian Armed Forces contribution to MINUSTAH. It was during one of these flights, on May 26, 2013, that an engine on FAB 2404 caught fire on takeoff from Toussaint Louverture International Airport at Port-au-Prince. There were 12 crew and 131 passengers aboard. The

AI .03.14

85

MILITARY SOUTH AMERICAS TANKER AIRCRAFT

take-off was aborted and the aircraft veered into the grass beside the runway. Nobody was injured, but FAB 2404 was a write-off. Along with FAB 2403, which was retired previously, it now provides a spares source for FAB 2401 and 2402.

Chile
The Fuerza Area de Chile (FACh, Chilean Air Force) received its first tanker in July 1996, when 707-330B c/n 18926, formerly operated by LAN Chile as CC-CEA, was officially accepted into service and assigned to the Grupo de Aviacin N10, based at Artur Merino Bentez International Airport in Santiago. The aircraft was designated the KC-707 guila, or eagle. The aircraft was converted in Chile by ENAER under the supervision of Israels IAI Bedek Aviation Group, which had previously undertaken tanker conversions on 707s for the Israeli Air Force. Two Sargent Fletcher URS 34000 hose-and-drogue refuelling kits were installed, along with a new navigation suite featuring INS and GPS. The guila received a low-visibility grey paint scheme similar to three of the Brazilian KC-137s. It was quickly found that one tanker was insufficient to adequately support the FAChs fighters on their regular training missions in their home country, their deployments to Red Flag exercises in the US, and to support Chiles involvement in UN operations. Additionally, the guilas equipment was unsuitable for the ten F-16C/D Block 50+ Fighting Falcons purchased by the FACh in 2006 as part of the Peace Puma US Foreign Military Sales programme and the ex-Royal Netherlands Air Force Fighting Falcons that arrived in 2011.

Thus, a new in-flight refuelling platform was needed and the choice was the KC-135E Stratotanker. Three surplus USAF aircraft were acquired the former 57-1501 (re-registered FACh 981), 57-2594 (now FACh 982) and 58-0014 (now FACh 983). They were ferried to Chile by crews from the 151st Air Refuelling Wing of the Utah Air National Guard, which also converted the FAChs crews onto the aircraft. The first Stratotanker was delivered in February 2010, allowing the old guila to be phased out from service and put into storage, and the last arrived in March 2012.

Colombia
The Fuerza Area Colombiana (FAC, Colombian Air Force) acquired an air-to-air refuelling capability at the turn of the 1990s when its Boeing 707-323C transport aircraft (serial FAC 1201 and named Zeus in the 6 service) was converted into a KC-137. The aircraft, built in 1967 and formerly used by Korean Airlines, had been operated by the FAC as a strategic transport since 1983. But the arrival into Colombian service in 1988 and 1989 respectively of the Dassault Mirage V and IAI Kfir led to the FAC deciding to invest in a tanking capability. FAC 1201 was converted into a KC-137 in 1990-1991 in Israel by IAI Bedek, with the aircraft being equipped with two 7 Flight Refuelling Limited Mk32B hose and drogue pods. During a subsequent upgrade programme in 2007 it received a new overall light grey paint scheme, replacing the previous natural metal with a thin blue stripe along the fuselage and a red stripe on the tail. In November 2010 the FAC augmented its

1 Two APR-3 refuelling pods are evident on the Colombian Air Force KC-767. The type carries 35,000 litres of fuel. Srgio Santana 2 The Chilean Air Force now operates three ex-US Air Force Air National Guard KC-135E Stratotankers. Andres Contador/ AirTeamImages 3 Since 2010 the Argentinian Air Forces two KC-130Hs have been progressively upgraded with new cockpit systems. Srgio Santana 4 The Colombian Air Forces KC-767 Jupiter departing Recife, Brazil. Lucio Daou/AirTeamImages 5 A Brazilian Air Force KC-137 in the aircrafts old scheme. Renato Serra Fonseca/AirTeamImages 6 The Colombian Air Force KC-767 is assigned to Escuadrn de Transporte 811 at Daza AB in the capital Bogot. Jorgen Syversen/AirTeamImages 7 Chilean Air Force KC-135E 981 (former 57-1501) at its Santiago base. Srgio Santana 8 Hercules used by the Brazilian Air Force have recently been upgraded with trafc collision avoidance and ground proximity warning systems. Derek Pedley/AirTeamImages 9 Argentinas KC-130Hs are used for transport missions as well as air refuelling. Srgio Santana

86

AI .03.14

air-to-air refuelling capability by introducing a Boeing KC-767 Multi-Mission Tanker Transport (MMTT). This ex-Air China 767-2J6ER, c/n 24157 and registered B-2556 in China was acquired by the FAC for $57 million. Like the KC-137, it was converted from civilian to military configuration by IAI Bedek. After delivery to Colombia, the aircraft was designated KC-767 Jupiter and received the military serial FAC 1202. It was fitted with two APR-3 refuelling pods mounted on each wing that can carry 35,000 litres (55,379lb) of fuel for refuelling operations. It can also carry up to 50.8 tons (111,000lb) of cargo or 351 passengers. Both Zeus and Jupiter are based at Brigadeiro-General Camilo Daza air base, the military sector of El Dorado International Airport in the capital Bogot. Theyre assigned to Escuadrn de Transporte 811, part of the Grupo de Transporte 81, under the Comando Areo de Transporte Militar (military air transport command).

Brazilian KC-767s
In March 2013 Brazil followed Colombia in becoming the second South American country to select the IAI KC-767-300ER MMTT. The type was the winner of its longrunning KC-X2 contest, launched in 2008, to find a new tanker-transport to replace the KC-137s. The KC-767-300ER MMTT was selected over the Airbus Military A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport and the Boeing KC-767A International Tanker. Two 767-300ERs about to be retired from service by Brazilian airline TAM have been chosen for conversion. The first jet, due to be delivered to the FAB after conversion in 2015, will be converted by IAI in Israel, and the second in Brazil by TAP Maintenance and Engineering. Brazil is keen to ensure involvement in new aircraft programmes for the countrys aerospace industry as well as meeting its air forces operational and technological needs.

Venezuela
Venezuela also received a refuelling capability in the early 1990s. Like Colombia, it contracted IAI Bedek to carry out the conversion work in its case, on Boeing 707-384 c/n 18950. The Venezuelan government purchased the aircraft in 1990 after it had spent 24 years in Olympic Airways service as SX-DBC City of Knossos. Conversion started in April 1990 and the aircraft was delivered to Venezuela in January 1991. Currently, the aircraft is flown by Escuadrn de Transporte N1, part of to Grupo Areo de Transporte N6 Los Pegasos, based at El Libertador air base in Aragua state, in the north of the country.

KC-390 Future
Brazils KC-767s will, like Colombias aircraft, have strategic cargo/passenger transport

capabilities as well as serving as tankers. This reflects a growing trend among air forces for aircraft offering more flexibility and therefore cost-effectiveness. The days of types solely being transports or tankers are gone; not for nothing do the 767 and A330based designs on the market have multi-role capabilities and names to reflect them. South Americas own new airlifter is no exception. The Embraer KC-390 medium-lift military transport under development (see A Brazilian Promise, January 2014, p80) will have a tanking capability in addition to its primary airlift role. Itll be able to carry a 14 tonne (37,500lb) Auxiliary Fuselage Fuel Tank (AFFT) and two wing-mounted refuelling pods for tanking missions. UK firm Cobham is supplying the AFFT, refuelling pods and refuelling probe for the jet. The first KC-390 is due to fly this year and be delivered to the FAB in 2015. Brazil has signed a letter of intent to buy 28 examples of the aircraft, Colombia a dozen and Argentina and Chile six each. The KC-390 is therefore set to write the next chapter in the South American sky tanking story.

AI .03.14

87

Europe
Desert Mirages in
hen NATO Operation Unified Protector over Libya began in March 2011, the Qatar Emiri Air Force (QEAF) deployed six Mirage 2000-5EDA/ DDA fighters to Greece at Souda Bay on Crete. From March 26 these aircraft, supported by 200 personnel, flew day and night combat air patrol (CAP) missions enforcing the no-fly zone over Libya armed with Mica and Magic missiles. The co-operation with the Greeks continued during some of the missions, when the QEAF Mirages worked alongside the HAFs Embraer EMB-145H airborne early warning aircraft of 380 Mira (380 Squadron). The Qataris said they were impressed by the HAFs organisation and the expertise they had gained from operating the Mirage 2000-5 in the air defence role at home and as a long-standing NATO member, and they realised it could be beneficial to establish a strong working relationship. This, together with the political leadership in Athens

seeking closer ties with the Middle East, meant military co-operation between the two nations quickly moved into focus. The Greeks also saw the opportunity to provide combat training to an overseas country for the first time.

Co-Operation
This led in 2012 to a QEAF delegation visiting the HAF Staff headquarters in Athens where the two air forces reached an initial deal to co-operate. Further meetings in 2013, at Athens in January and Tanagra in June, led to a formal agreement for the QEAF to take part in training flights with the HAF including live firing exercises at the NATO Missile Firing Installation (NAMFI) weapons range in Crete and at the HAFs firing range near the island of Zakynthos. The HAF selected 331 Mira at Tanagra, part of the 114th Fighter Wing, to host the Qatari detachment because this unit also uses the Mirage 2000-5 (see Magic Mirage, May 2012). Both nations also agreed to implement a pilot exchange programme for a period of a year after the exercise the HAFs second, following co-operation with the Aeronautica Militare Italiana (Italian Air Force) which sees Greek student pilots and instructors doing

a tour on the Aermacchi MB339C/Ds at Lecce air base and Italian students and instructors flying HAF T-6A Texan IIs at Kalamata air base (see Mediterranean Training Teamwork, February p34). The HAF Staff and the QEAF then agreed standard operating procedures that would be used during the exercise (including firing live Mica and Magic II missiles) and the ranges and other areas of military airspace that would be used. The HAF also agreed to provide tuition for QAEF pilots participating in the exercise in weaponeering at the HAF Fighter Weapons School at Andravida air base, combat search and rescue, and sea survival, the use of Tanagras Mirage 2000 flight simulator to help prepare the Qatari pilots for live firing on the NAMFI and Zakynthos ranges, and training for two radar QAEF interception operators at the HAF radar site at mount Parnitha north of Athens, near to Tatoi air base.

The Exercise
Once NAMFI member nations had agreed that Qatari aircraft could use the facility, the Greek company Altus LSA (and its Spanish partner SCR) was selected to provide six SCRAB II aerial targets for the exercise. The SCRAB II is a jet-propelled, mid-to-high

88

AI .03.14

QATARI-HELLENIC COOPERATION MILITARY

performance aerial target system, able to simulate fast-moving, high-manoeuvrability aerial threats. The first element of the Qatari detachment arrived at Tanagra on September 12 when the QEAFs Qatar Airways-painted C-17A Globemaster brought in 92 ground support personnel (including officers and NCOs) and equipment. The next day two C-130Js delivered a further 27 personnel and Magic missiles, followed later by the four Mirage 2000DDAs from the 7th Air Superiority Squadron, 1st Fighter Wing based at Doha. The exercise started with two days of

briefings by the host 114th Fighter Wing highlighting operational procedures including local air traffic, flight safety (the upper airspace above Tanagra is used by airliners arriving and departing Athens International Airport), the flight schedule, aerial tactics and combined air operations.

2-v-2 Combat
In 2-v-2 air combat scenarios, the two sides alternated between playing the roles of friend and foe. In addition to its Mirage 2000-5s, the HAF provided packages of F-16C and F-16Ds, F-4Es, A-7Es and an EMB-145H AEW while

anti-shipping missions were undertaken in conjunction with the Hellenic Navy. The live firing part of the exercise took place between September 23 and 27. That saw the SCRAB aerial targets launched from the NAMDI facility at Souda and a HAF A-7E Corsair release target flares. The QEAF Mirage 2000s used Mica radar-guided missiles to engage the SCRAB targets, and Magic II infrared-guided missiles for the target flares. These engagements were followed by more combat and joint tactics over the following two weeks before the delegation headed home. The initial reaction was that it was a successful co-operation, with the QEAF subsequently expressing interest in conducting more joint training. The Greeks also felt there had been a positive outcome. During the exercise, the Greek Defence Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos released a statement highlighting the significance of the arrangement: This cooperation is of special importance. We demonstrate that, besides the [economic] crisis and the problems we are facing, we still have one of the best defence systems, trusted by foreign countries. The co-operation developed between the two air forces is very specific as, of course, is the exchange of knowledge and experience. Kirk Paloulian

1 Two Qatar Emiri Air Force Mirage 2000s and a HAF 331 Mira Mirage 2000-5 lined up for take-off at Tanagra. All photos Kirk Paloulian 2 The Qatar Emiri Air Force deployed four Mirages to Greece in the rst Greco-Qatari military co-operation. 3 The co-operation between Greece and Qatar is based on their mutual operation of Mirage 2000s. 4 A Qatar Emiri Air Force Mirage 2000-5DDA taxies at Tanagra prior to departing for a 2-v-2 air combat practice mission. 1

AI .03.14

89

An American company is building unmanned solar-powered aircraft that could be able to remain airborne for years. Mark Broadbent reports

90

AI .03.14

TITAN AEROSPACE ATMOSTATS TECHNOLOGY

icture the scene: an unmanned aircraft with a thin, pencil-like fuselage takes off. Its flight operations are managed from a ground control station as the aircraft climbs high into the upper reaches of Earths atmosphere. There, its payload starts gathering information which, depending on the mission, could be to monitor weather systems, search for illegal immigrants or help co-ordinate disaster relief efforts. This sounds like any high-altitude unmanned aircraft, but the difference with this platform is that it wont have to land after a few hours. Its wings and fuselage are studded with thousands of solar power cells that absorb energy from the sun during the day and recharge batteries on board the aircraft enabling it to remain airborne for months or even years at a time without the need to land.

1 1 Titans atmosats are designed to cruise at 65,000ft (19,800m). All images Titan Aerospace 2 Titans atmosats will have 3,000 photovoltaic solar cells on their fuselage and wings to provide power.

Atmosats

This is the vision of Titan Aerospace, which is creating a family of ultra long-endurance high-altitude unmanned aircraft called atmosats (short for atmospheric satellites) that will be able to remain airborne for prolonged periods (a persistent state, to

use the companys own term) and collect data about the Earth below. The company, which is based in Moriarty, New Mexico (and has offices in Washington DC and New York), was founded in 2012. It is made up of a group of aerospace, composites, electrical and mechanical engineers;

AI .03.14

91

TECHNOLOGY TITAN AEROSPACE ATMOSTATS

1 Titan Aerospaces solar-powered atmosats are designed to remain airborne for months or years at a time. 2 Artists impression of an atmosat taking off. 3 Farming and weather research is one use envisaged for atmosats. 4 Spare solar energy taken on by an atmosat during the day will be stored to power the aircraft at night.

entrepreneurs, solar power specialists, and what the company describes as visionaries of solar-powered flight. The companys chairman and chief executive is Vern Raburn, the founder and CEO of the now-defunct Eclipse Aviation, which made the Eclipse 550 very light jet, and who previously held senior positions at Microsoft and Symantec. Titan isnt the first company to come up with a solar-powered unmanned aircraft. There have been different projects since the 1980s to produce ultra-long endurance platforms that can fly at high altitude. Examples include AeroVironments Helios, developed in the late 1990s and which crashed on a test flight in 2003; the subsequent Global Observer Stratospheric Persistent Unmanned Air System concept, and Boeing Phantom Works proposed Solar Eagle.

Theyll be able to remain in the air for weeks, months or depending on the payload up to five and a half years before returning to the ground for maintenance or to have their equipment replaced. Theyll cruise at a speed of around 60mph (97km/h), with the composite materials from which theyre made saving weight and maximising efficiency. High-speed radio links will transmit telemetry about the aircrafts performance to the ground control station.

electro-optical sensors, signals intelligence and GPS tracking and reporting systems.

Applications
Titan Aerospace believes its atmosats could have a wide variety of uses in the civil sector. It says companies could install FMV cameras into an atmosat to track the movement of its goods in real-time. Governments could use them to help patrol their borders and deploy them in the fight against narcotics and illegal immigration. They could offer a persistent mapping capability as part of relief operations after natural disasters, such as forest fires, storms and hurricanes. Other applications include environmental agencies using them in the aftermath of oil spills and to observe clean-up operations, while utility companies could deploy them to monitor pipes and power lines, and scientific research organisations could install payloads to track animals as they migrate across a territory or to investigate different aspects of the Earths climate.

Solar Cells
More than 3,000 high-efficiency photovoltaic cells mounted on the upper surfaces of aircrafts 164ft (50m) wing, elevators, horizontal stabiliser and propeller will charge lithium-ion battery packs positioned inside the wings. These will provide a combined 7kW of power, with extra energy generated during the day stored in the packs to power the aircraft during the night. The SOLARA 50 will be capable of carrying payloads of up to 70lb (31kg) in its dedicated bay in the centre of the fuselage, with the larger SOLARA 60 able to take up to 250lb (113kg), although the capacity will vary depending on the exact nature of the mission and the equipment being carried. Typical payloads could be high-resolution stills and full-motion video (FMV) cameras, radar,

The Aircraft
Titan used the Association of Unmanned Vehicles and Systems International (AUVSI)s annual conference in Washington last summer to present its vision. There it unveiled two solar-powered unmanned atmosats, SOLARA 50 and SOLARA 60. These aircraft will each have a single large propeller and an autonomous flight control system. Theyll be launched from the ground by a catapult and cruise at an altitude of 65,000ft (19,800m).

Satellite Replacements
Whatever the role, Titan Aerospace is positioning the SOLARA atmosats as costeffective alternatives to satellites, which are expensive to build or buy access to. Even if an institution can afford those high costs, the

92

AI .03.14

TITAN AEROSPACE ATMOSTATS TECHNOLOGY

laws of orbital dynamics mean a satellite will only be above the area of interest for a certain period. Titan Aerospace believes its atmosats hit a sweet spot in being cheaper to launch than a satellite, unencumbered by orbital dynamics and have the ability to remain on station persistently. SOLARA comes with the features of a satellite at a fraction of the cost, Titan says. It operates outside of normal aviation operational ceilings, so it is not subject to aviation-based regulations. Weather research and farming are two examples used by Titan to promote the benefits of its aircraft in these respects. The company says: Traditional weather satellites are expensive to launch and to use. Not only do they require millions of dollars to launch, but they also require time, money, and advanced training to use. Titan explains that the SOLARA atmosats simply dont need this level of investment because their construction, powerplant and mode of operation means theyre affordable for research organisations which might not previously have been able to afford satellite capabilities. Thats particularly important for institutions working on long-term research programmes. For farming, Titan Aerospace says: Current traditional satellites use spatial resolution sensors that lack the spectral resolution, a definitive requirement, for

almost all quantitative remote sensing applications used in crop monitoring, and the amount of time necessary to acquire such data is self-prohibiting. The SOLARA atmosats allow the user to customize the payload in a multitude of configurations. This allows the user the ability to prepare for any number of scenarios: multi-spectral analysis, narrowband analysis, radiative transfer modelling, remote sensing, stress detection, thermal monitoring or any other combination needed.

and data communications relay up to 100 nautical miles (185km) from the aircraft. Theyll have a waveform detection capability, with a baseband software defined radio able to detect multiple waveforms. Data will be transferred at up to one gigabyte per second. Titan says this could give military forces a fast transmission capability, linking brigades and tactical command centres and eliminating the difficulties of reporting over tactical radio.

Comms Relay
Titan Aerospace also envisages its atmosats being used as communications relays. The company says small, low-cost radio repeaters and specialty communication equipment can be mounted on the aircraft, allowing the atmosats to support voice and data communications systems including VHF, UHF and microwave frequencies. The repeaters will receive the signals from transmitters on the selected radio frequency channel and re-transmit them on another frequency to another receiver. Additionally, Titan says atmosats could provide mobile phone network coverage for an area of over 6,500 square miles (16,800km2). The company claims its atmosats will be able to offer beyond-line of sight voice

GPS Platforms
Titan also sees a role for atmosats in replacing satellites as GPS platforms. It says there are risks in having GPS provided by satellites they can come under attack from enemy states or be susceptible to damage from space debris: The SOLARA platform can be equipped with GPS transmitters to provide regionally-defensible service in the event of a space denial conflict. Titan revealed at the AUVSI conference that one customer has purchased two SOLARA 50 aircraft to carry communications relay packages, but it didnt disclose their identity. Demonstrations to prove the solar cell technology have already taken place using scale-models. The first full-size Solara 50 is being built and is expected to be rolled-out in mid-2014.
4

AI .03.14

93

Going
An RNLAF F-16AM from Leeuwarden-based 322 Squadron takes off from Albacete for a TLP mission. Note the Flight Prole Recorder (FPR) mounted under the wing.
All images Kees van der Mark

Kees van der Mark reports from Albacete air base in Spain on Dutch participation in the Tactical Leadership Programme

T
94
AI .03.14

he Tactical Leadership Programme (TLP) is the name given to a stand-alone organisation and facility run and financed by ten NATO nations including the Netherlands. Its current objectives are, to increase the

effectiveness of allied tactical air forces through the development of leadership skills, mission planning, briefing, tactical flying and debriefing skills, and conceptual and doctrinal initiatives. To meet the objectives, the TLP organises academic courses and conferences on air operations-related subjects, as well as flying courses. It moved from Florennes air base in Belgium to Base Area Los Llanos-Albacete in Spain in the

summer of 2009 (see TLP locations). Spanish Air Force Colonel Enrique Martnez Vallas took over as TLPs commanding officer in July 2012. Speaking about the flying courses, he said: We provide realistic training by flying a variety of mission types against real threats in composite air operations [COMAOs]. We also play a major role in the integration of new NATO members and prepare

in

Dutch
DUTCH TACTICAL LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME MILITARY
Partnership for Peace [PfP] nations for air operations in international coalitions. The CO emphasised that TLP is not a school: We are not that much focussed on performance of individual aircrews or their aircraft. What counts for us is matching of capabilities and the overall output of the participants as a group. Since different aircraft types are combined into packages on a daily basis during the missions, integration is the key word. That is why the capabilities and limitations of every participating platform are extensively briefed during the academic classes on the first two days of a flying course. We have the ability to organise six flying courses each year, although the current average is four as the result of decreasing demands mainly caused by the shrinking number of squadrons and budget restraints due to the economic crisis, explained Colonel Vallas. Up to 24 aircraft and aircrews participate in a four-week flying course, which consists of 50 hours of academics and 15 missions. Some missions focus on specific aspects like air defence, combat search and rescue (CSAR) or enforcing a no-fly zone. Missions are flown between 15:00 and 18:00 local time, while the courses in the autumn and winter usually see the

n Spain
AI .03.14

95

third week dedicated to night flying, with missions executed between 18:45 and 21:45. Programme participants fly in the large training areas over the south-eastern part of Spain and the Mediterranean, which have relatively few airspace restrictions.

Dutch Involvement
As one of the programmes six founding member states, the Netherlands has been involved in TLP ever since its inception in January 1978 and signed the initial TLP memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Belgium, Canada, Germany, the UK and the United States. Today, TLP is financed by ten NATO nations. Canada withdrew from the flying courses a few years after its last European-based aircraft returned home in 1993, but Denmark, France, Greece, Italy and Spain have since joined to grow programme membership to ten. Financial contribution and manning are shared, based on the nations participation percentage share. Back in 2000, the Netherlands had a

(Red air), as well as airborne early warning (AEW) and electronic warfare (EW) aircraft, tankers, slow-moving transport aircraft and dedicated CSAR helicopters. Participating nations take turns to provide external assets and RNLAF aircraft that regularly support TLP missions include KDC-10 tankers of Eindhoven-based 334 Squadron and 336 Squadrons

year, there were two each from Leeuwarden and Volkel. Regardless of their nationality, participants need to have at least 500 flying hours on type and in their current role which is swing-role for Dutch F-16 pilots and be flight lead to qualify for TLP. We tend to stay well above that say between 700 and 1,200 hours and the four pilots in this particular flying course also accumulated that much, or even more, said Maj Wim Janssen, a RNLAF F-16 pilot who joined the TLP staff in October

share of 11.86%, filling 14 of the 114 aircrew slots available to MoU nations annually. However, in the past ten years Dutch armed forces have faced no less than four rounds of budget cuts and the Koninklijke Luchtmacht (Royal Netherlands Air Force, RNLAF) saw its F-16 fleet cut back from 139 to the current 68 aircraft with a further reduction to 61 scheduled for 2014. In 2011, the number of operational F-16 pilots within the RNLAF was also reduced to 68, reducing the Dutch share in TLP to 4% or four of the current 100 slots reserved for MoU nations. Other nations reduced their participation for similar reasons in particular Germany and the UK, which now have roughly half the number of slots they had at the turn of the century. The 100 slots available today do not include those for non-MoU nations comprising other NATO members or PfP nations. Last year ten slots were allocated: eight to NATO: Poland (6), Turkey (2) and two to Switzerland. Each course also involves so-called external assets, including additional fast jets that fly exclusively for the opposing forces

C-130H/H-30 transports. TLP staff currently totals 56, each of whom work for a different branch or the support unit which is mainly Spanish orientated. The academics and doctrine branch and the flying branch are staffed by members of the ten participating nations: the French Arme de lAir nowadays takes the largest share in the programme. The flying branch is led by a French pilot, while the chief of the academics and doctrine branch is an American. The permanent Dutch contribution to the TLP staff consists of: a pilot, an intelligence officer and a ground-based air defence specialist, all in the rank of major.

All in One Day

Dutch pilots attending TLP flying courses usually come from both RNLAF main operating bases to spread the knowledge evenly within the F-16 community. Last

2012 as the Dutch senior national representative (SNR). Keeping up with the other participants is no problem for our pilots, most of whom gained experience in recent conflicts including operations over Afghanistan and Libya and therefore bring along valuable knowledge and lessons learned to share with their colleagues. The other way around, we can learn from the experience of other nations operations that we have not been involved in. Our role in Operation Unified Protector [OUP] in 2011, for instance, was limited to enforcement of the no-fly zone in Libya and monitoring the arms embargo, while other participants in this flying course were involved in OUPs air-to-ground operations, the Dutch SNR explained. One of last years Dutch participants was

96

AI .03.14

DUTCH TACTICAL LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME MILITARY

participants to make sure they adjust their plans in order to allow the mission to be carried out in a safe manner. Usually, we do not intervene in tactical aspects beforehand. We discuss these matters in the debrief, to let the participants experience what can go wrong which is 2 a good way to learn. Col Martnez Vallas added: We let allows the participants to fly some 75% of their missions within the Blue air package and the balance in Red air.

Capt Jol, an operational pilot with Volkelbased 313 Squadron who concluded his F-16 conversion five years ago. He said: What makes TLP different from other training programmes and exercises is the limited time available to prepare your missions. In exercises like Red Flag and Frisian Flag, you receive all the necessary information on the previous day. Here, we get our tasking order at 10:15 on the morning of the mission. When we take off a few hours later, we

3 1 One of two high-value air assets in the Blue air package was a Italian KC-130J tanker/transport of Pisa-San Giustobased 46 Brigata Aerea. 2 Two Hellenic Air Force Mirage 2000s, including this 2000-5BG trainer from Tanagra-based 331 Mira, operated side-byside with the Dutch F-16s. 3 Jets and crews participating in TLP may be assigned a very different role than usual. A Ghedibased Tornado IDS of 6 Stormo takes off for a mission operating as a ghter in the Red air package.

need to have a plan of how to execute our mission in place. Everything [mission planning, flying and debriefing] has to be done within the 12 hours available in a working day. Of course this way your plan may not always be as detailed as you would wish. The ultimate goal for us is to develop a safe and solid plan that may not be tactically perfect, but good enough for this purpose. Maj Janssen agreed, saying: As staff members, we monitor everything the participants do during their planning process. We specifically look at whether their plan is safe and whether it makes sense or not. Before the plan is finalised and distributed among the participants, staff members get together and discuss any safety issues that may have been observed. If there are no safety issues, we let the plan go ahead. If we do find issues, we share them with the

people make mistakes, but not too much, because of the negative effect it may have on the other participants. Capt Jol said: So far, we only flew missions in which several operational aspects were integrated. Todays mission was different, as it was focussing on air defence. As Blue air, we had to defend our two highvalue air assets a [NATO-operated E-3A] AWACS and an Italian KC-130J against Red air attacks. During this particular mission, the Blue air package consisted of the E-3A, KC-130J and 14 fast jets: Belgian, Dutch and US F-16s, Italian Typhoons and Hellenic Air Force Mirage 2000-5s. The opposing forces had 16 jets, including French Mirage 2000Cs, 2000Ds and 2000Ns, Italian AMXs and Tornados, plus external assets dedicated to Red air: French Alpha Jets, Polish MiG-29s and a US F-16C. Use of external assets

During AIR Internationals visit to Albacete, Capt Jol was appointed commander of the Blue air package. I was lucky, with 24 participating aircrews and only 15 missions in a course, not everyone gets the chance to be a mission commander, he said. You dont know beforehand if or when you will be commander, you only find out in the morning. Once the outline of the mission has been briefed, you have to allocate the tasks and direct your colleagues while putting a plan together for the mission. The mission commander is the spider in the web, the person who makes sure that in the end everything falls into place. When changes occur during the planning process, for example, you need to make sure that the participants stay informed where necessary, as it may influence the approach they choose to their specific part of the mission. During the mission planning phase, it was my job to keep an overall scope of the preparations, so that I could intervene in

Mission Commander

AI .03.14

97

MILITARY DUTCH TACTICAL LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME

1 Polish Air Force MiG-29s, assigned to 1. Eskadra Lotnictwa Taktycznego at Min sk Mazowiecki, ew as dedicated Red air ghters in TLPs ying course 2013-2. 2 Pilot and mission commander for the day Capt Jol of the RNLAF discusses his TLP mission with the crew of the NATO E-3A Sentry. 3 A Dutch F-16 pilot writes down the mission timeline in the offensive counter air (OCA) room in the TLP headquarters at Albacete. 4 Colonel Enrique Martnez Vallas of the Spanish Air Force is the TLPs commanding ofcer.

case I saw something go wrong. Meanwhile, I have to keep a close watch on the timeline, as we need to get airborne at a pre-defined moment. That is why it is important to focus on priorities during the process we sometimes simply need to press on to let the mission succeed. Once in the air, it remains important that you are constantly aware of what is going on and act where needed. At one point, for instance, I redirected some of the fighters to another area to cope with changing threats. Todays participation of the AWACS and the use of Link 16 datalink certainly helps to keep an overview. Maj Janssen explained:
2

Involvement of the TLP staff is not limited to mission preparation and debrief: we monitor the mission real-time and give input to the mission commander where necessary. Ideally, he will have considered all the what ifs beforehand and knows what to do in a changing situation.

Sharing Knowledge
Capt Jol continued: We take several hours to debrief afterwards, discussing what happened during the mission and evaluating the tactics we chose. Because rules dictate 12 hours of rest in between our working days, we can work up to 12 hours every day which

we certainly do. On Fridays, when we have no limitations because we do not work in the weekends, we easily continue beyond 23:00." Maj Janssen added: After returning from TLP, our pilots share their newlygained knowledge with their squadron mates as well as the rest of the RNLAF F-16 community. This is common practice, as we cannot send everyone anywhere." He concluded: Our share in TLP may be modest these days, but the programme remains important to our air force. It therefore seems likely that the RNLAF will stay committed to TLP for many years to come.
3

TLP LOCATIONS
In January 1978, TLP started off as a two-week seminar at Frstenfeldbruck air base in southern Germany. It moved to Jever air base in the north of the country in September 1979 and was extended to four weeks by adding a ying phase. To share the burden among participating nations, TLP relocated to Belgium after being hosted by Germany for 11 years. The nal course at Jever was held in December 1988. Florennes, one of two Belgian Air Force F-16 bases, facilitated TLP for more than 20 years, from March 1989 until mid-2009. Usually, one of the six annual ying courses in this period was held at another air base in Europe. With fewer airspace restrictions than central Europe and considerably better weather conditions, Base Area Los Llanos-Albacete in Spain was chosen as the TLPs new location in 2006. The rst ying course at Albacete was held in November/December 2009. 4

98

AI .03.14

142/14

SUBSCRIBERS CALL FOR YOUR 1.00 DISCOUNT! SUBSCRIBERS CALL FOR YOUR 1.00 DISCOUNT!

EW

NEW

NE

2014
Produced by Key Publishing and featuring articles written with and by RAF personnel. The Ocial Annual Review 2014 is a 132-page special magazine that provides behind the scenes insight into the aircraft, equipment and people of one of the worlds premier air forces.
HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: THE DAMBUSTERS PREPARE FOR HERRICK
Behind the scenes in 617 Sqns anniversary year as the squadron readied for its nal Afghanistan deployment

Free P&P* when you order online at www.keypublishing.com/shop

WN
JUST

OPERATION NEWCOMBE
When the French engaged extremist forces in Mali, the RAF responded with C-17 airlift and Sentinel ISTAR support

CHINOOK 4, 5 AND 6
The upgraded Chinook Mk 4 in service and a look ahead at the step change in capability that the new Mk 6 delivers

FALKLANDS PERSPECTIVE

9 9 . 4

A detailed look at the RAFs considerable capability in the Falklands, from tankers to Typhoons and radar sites, as the UK prepares for the long term

AND MUCH MORE!

JUST 4.99 FREE P&P *

*Free 2nd class P&P on all UK & BFPO orders. Overseas charges apply.

ORDER DIRECT
OR

Call UK: 01780 480404 Overseas: +44 1780 480404

Monday to Friday 9am-5:30pm