Arie Egozi: January 2011 Archives

Israeli cutting edge technology is helping the American rocket racing league.

According to the league's website,  Rocket Racing is the equivalent of Formula One racing in the sky, using rocket-powered aircraft flown by Top Gun pilots and astronauts.

The league is using the Elbit systems Targo advanced pilot helmet to allow the pilots of these rockets to fly head out and get all the need data on a flat panel visor.

While the Targo is based on Elbit's legacy helmet systems like the DASH and joint helmet mounted cueing system (JHMCS), it is a new generation of helmet that is aimed at allowing air forces to use it without too much changes in the platforms.

The main problem with legacy helmet systems is the integration in the aircraft. The supporting system of these helmets consists of a number of boxes and wiring and that requires a massive integration which is time consuming and costly.

The Targo is modular and, according to Yaron Kranz, senior director at Elbit systems helmet mounted systems divison, the customer can select the most attractive "building blocks" to answer his operational or training needs.

While legacy helmet systems consist of the helmet itself and a number of electronic boxes,  miniaturization enabled Elbit systems to replace these with built in modules. This while keeping the helmet overall weight which is 1.6 kgs."the new helmet is also better balanced on the pilots head and gives him a more comfortable use".

The Targo allows the air force to select its own symbology. In a trainer aircraft the symbology may vary between the instructor's and the trainee helmets.

One of the main features of the Targo is the use of flat panel visor technology instead of the old CRT one. This new technology decreases the weight of the helmet by 120 grams and allows to display symbology and  video, in monochrome and colour.

According to Kranz, the Targo has accumulated 700 flight hours in Israel and on aircraft of potential customers.

The new helmet has an optional night capability. The visor is taken off and a quick attachment connector allows the adding of night goggles.

The Targo has a WIFI module and that allows a number of pilots and crew members,  to network their helmets. This is very important when the helmets are used on cargo aircraft or heavy helicopters.

The Targo is already integrated in the Lockheed Martin C-130J simulator.

The open war between Giovanni Bisignani, IATA's director general, and Giora Rom, director general of the Israeli civil aviation authority (CAA), has reached a new peak. The outcome: the relations between the two bodies are non-existent and the Israeli side is not ready to lower the flames.

Rom repeats his criticism on Bisignani and he does not select words: " Stupid and rude " are the most delicate ones when he refers to the declaration of IATA's director general while visiting Israel.

The war started when Bisignani visited Israel last November. In a press conference, he urged Israel to speed up its exit from Category 2 of the US Federal Aviation Administration's International Aviation Safety Assessment. "Israel has been in Category 2 for far too long. It is a national embarrassment. Moreover, it is a costly situation for Israel's reputation and for the financial health of its carriers."

Bisignani said that IATA offered its expertise to speed the process and encouraged Israel to join the growing list of countries that have made IOSA  a national requirement. 

These words infuriated the director general of the CAA. "As a guest in our country he should have acted with more politeness especially when he does not know the facts," Rom said.

He explained that Israel was demoted to category 2 after failing in 13 chapters. "Other countries failed in one or maximum three and they fixed the problems in a year or two. In our case, we have to make a revolution and we are in the middle of the process. Before criticising he should have learned the facts," Rom said.

Steve Lott, corporate spokesman for IATA, is not ready to comment on the harsh words of the director general of the Israeli CAA. He only says that Israel is still in category 2 and that is putting many restrictions on the country's aviation. He adds: "I hope that the legislation process of a new aviation law is expedited and that other problems are solved so that the situation will be back to normal."

Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi and Barack Obama may soon be engaged in a "dog fight" over Israel.

The competition aimed at selecting a new advanced trainer for the Israeli air force (IAF) already has inputs that are not directly connected to the quality and capabilities of the two potential aircraft.

The request for information (RFI) for an advanced trainer for the IAF has been issued to KAI from South Korea and to Alenia Aermacchi from Italy. One is making the T-50 the other one the M-346 .

It is a known fact that manufacturers of main military platforms like very much to have Israel in their selected client list. The Israeli defence forces, including of course the IAF, have gained lots of combat experience and that is a good selling point for the manufacturers when they try to persuade other customers. "The Israelis operate it" is a sentence frequently heard in rooms where negotiations about new contracts are being held. It works almost in all cases.

Silvio understands the impact of a deal with Israel on the Italian company, and the US administration also does not like the idea of breaking the tradition that all IAF platforms are American made directly or indirectly like in this case.

Silvio has brought the issue up when he met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last year. Obama is probably using the "special relations" with Israel to keep the tradition.

The IAF is still evaluating and the decision is expected later this year. Experts familiar with the competition say that both contenders have gained good scores in the evaluation process. Will other considerations be put in the final equation?

International politics are a very twisted issue and sometimes you cannot be sure what the outcome is of seemingly simple set of facts.

But there is another twist in that plot - even if the selected trainer is the one that is made by KAI with inputs from Lockheed Martin, the purchase will not be made using the US foreign military financing (FMF). The plan is that a consortium of two Israeli companies will purchase the trainers and sell flight hours to the IAF. Confused? Nobody claimed that Israel is a simple place.

A problem of definition. Can a charter or scheduled airline perform part of their flights as low cost and enjoy the benefits?

The Israeli airport authority thinks that the answer is negative and this may end in the Supreme Court.

Arkia ,the Israeli airline, is expanding its low cost operations and plans such flights to long haul destinations.

In 0ctober 2010 , Arkia has started operating low cost flights to Paris and Amsterdam.

On January 11 Arkia announced that beginning in spring of this year, the "Arkia Express" low cost flights will be offered to three additional destinations - Moscow, Kiev and Rome.

The low cost flights are offered under the brand "Arkia Express" at a price starting at $99 each way. All services on the plane can be obtained for an additional fee. Tickets are sold through the company's web site.

Avi Nakash, Arkia's chairman, said that the airline is going to expand the low cost flights "When we receive the Boeing 787's we intend to offer such flight to long haul destinations , such as New-York and Bangkok," he says.

The Nakash group of America, a company owned by the Nakash brothers, has placed orders for two Boeing 787-9s.

Arkia asked the Israeli airport authority (IAA) to use terminal 1 at Ben-Gurion international airport but got a negative answer. "These low cost flights do not justify the use of the older terminal," says Kobi Mor, director general of the IAA. While UK airline easyJet enjoys the lower fees in terminal 1, Arkia does not. The definition problem will have to be solved soon by the Supreme Court.

 The favourite name for the Israeli airforce's (IAF) Lockheed Martin C-130 J is "Samson". That is according to a poll between airforce staff and other aviation related persons.

The IAF dubs all its aircraft with Hebrew names. The Currently operated C-130 E/Hs are dubbed "Karnaf" (rhinoceros).

If the "Samson" becomes official, the C-130 Hercules is about to get a new family member. Samson, a hero of the Israelites with God-given superhuman strength, is the Biblical equivalent to Hercules.

The cockpits of the IAF's C-130 Js will have 3 seats, similar to the configuration used by the US Special Forces.

The aircraft will be modified for the future installation of some Israeli systems.

The IAF is operating 15 C-130 E/H. In recent years all the fleet underwent fatigue tests with the assistance of Lockheed Martin. The Es will be phased out while the Hs will get structure treatment

If you are an airline pilot heading for Ben-Gurion international airport in Israel be ready for a ramp inspection in one of your next flights.

The Israeli civil aviation authority (CAA) has stepped up its presence in the airport as part of its reorganization. The effort of building an effective regulatory body began before Israel was demoted tn category 2 by the FAA. After years of lack of resources,  the CAA was restructed and received the needed budgets.

The director general of the FAA is Giora Rom, an ex Israeli fighter pilot that completed his service with the rank of general.

The day he entered his office he put on his desk a placard in Hebrew that in a free translation says "the chaos in aviation is finished". In colloquial Hebrew it sounds better and has the right "flavour".

The newly recruited inspectors are currently performing between 10-15 ramp inspection every month and the number will increase.

The heavy handed approach is directed also towards the Israeli pilots. The Israeli airline pilots association wanted to continue the self testing of the English level of the pilots. "A friend tests a friend" .Instead, the CAA contracted two private institutes , to perform the proficiency English tests and this created a major clash.  "I'm the regulator and I will set the rules" A new era for Israeli and foreign pilots in Israel.

When a child wants a new toy, he should have a loving caring mother or a wealthy grandmother. In the case of the Lockheed Martin F-35, the Israeli airforce (IAF) is the child while the USA is the wealthy grandmother. The mother is very caring but with very shallow pockets.

The decision to purchase the F-35 will affect any other procurement programs of the IAF in the next 20 years. The $4 billion deal for the acquisition of 20 F-35's will not leave enough money for other purchases. The money comes from the US foreign military financing (FMF), the US annual military grant that Israel gets , but that is the source for most of the Israeli defence procurement.

The operational needs of the IAF are many, immediate and complex. Israel has been engaged in fighting almost since its establishment in 1948. Some of the wars like the Six Days War and the "Yom Kippur" war, involved fighting against some Arab airforces. But most of the operations since these wars can be put into the low intensity wars category. No dogfights, almost none anti aircraft fire.

The IAF is well equipped to handle any type of war. Its F-15's and F-16's are equipped with the most advanced systems, some developed and made locally.

Since the IAF expressed it interest in the F-35 , voices were heard against this deal. The opposition came from very experienced ex airforce people and from others that know a thing or two about the complex Israeli defence problems.

The opposition can be summed up in not so many words - the F-35 is intended to operate against " third circle " enemies , namely Iran.

The stealth fighter can carry a very limited payload of bombs. The mission can therefore be better performed by existing platforms. The task of "blinding" the Iranian air defences can be performed by unmanned air vehicles and then the fighters with a heavy load of bombs , will be capable of hitting the targets.

The IAF has always wanted the most advanced equipment. But never before the price of one fighter reached 137 million u.s $ with all the " extras ".

Israel has committed itself to the purchase of 20 F-35's . When the IAF wants a main platform it usually gets it from the "grandmother" with the deep pockets. The other services can only watch enviously and imagine how far their procurement dreams have become a dream.