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Aviation History
1968
1968 - 0287.PDF
fUGHT International, 22 February 1968 279 e second Saab AJ 37 Viggen prototype has Trenth been flying with weapon loads. This UTOL attack aircraft, one of an R&D batch nfeisht which is being built, preceding 100 Inaction models now ordered, is here VTrvine two Saab RB 04 air-to-sea missiles, addition it carries the lighter RB OS air-to- I [urface weapon, as well as AAMs, unguided \ rockets, 30mm cannon and bombs [NEW STARFIGHTER FOR LUFTWAFFE? [DESPITE THE LUFTWAFFE'S traumatic [F-104G experiences, the chances that the West German Defence Ministry will | order an advanced version of the Star- fighter to cover the Luftwaffe's urgent [need for a modern reconnaissance air- craft appear to grow stronger day by day. Observers in Bonn expect an offi- cial announcement to this effect to be made towards the end of the month, spelling the end of hopes of a recon- i naissance Jaguar sale to Germany. Talks in California between Lockheed [and a German delegation under the Deputy Chief of the Air Force have already reached an advanced stage. The F-104 version under discussion is known as the RF-104G-1 Super Starfighter I and resembles the F-104S model ordered i by Italy and built by Fiat, in that it 1 has the newer and more powerful [General Electric J79-19 engine deliver- f ing a thrust of more than 17,8001b with reheat. Special day and night recon- i naissance equipment would include side- ! looking radar, four cameras in the lengthened nose and infra-red sensors. j The new aircraft would also have a I longer range than the Starfighters now in service, and its improved take-off Performance would reduce runway re- quirements. The number of recce Super Starfighters envisaged is 150, and total cost would be somewhere around DM 850 million (about £88.52 million). Since the talks with Lockheed have reportedly included detailed discussion of licence produc- tion, the German aircraft industry has high hopes. Such a decision, it says, would only be logical; most of the necessary equipment is already there, and it would be no problem to revive the production lines on which the present F-104G Staiflghters were built. A little welcome movement is thus finally becoming visible in the long- frozen German aircraft - procurement picture, at any rate as far as the recon- naissance requirement is concerned. The bigger, and in every way more complex and costly, question of a replacement for the G.91 and/or F-104G in the com- bat role still remains; though here, too, the field has been narrowed slightly by the cancellation this month of the joint US/German AVS project for financial and other reasons. This programme has so far cost the Germans some DM 40 million (rather more than £4 million); but the next phase, calling for construc- tion of 12 prototypes, would have run into something like DM 1,600 million, the German share of which would An artist's impression of the BAC/Breguet Jaguar reconnaissance variant, for which proposals "ive been made by the two contractors, as reported in our February 8 issue. The low-drag under-fuseloge pod can carry a wide range of reconnaissance sensors, including cameras, iunescan and sideways-looking radar have been two-thirds, and the estimated unit cost of the ultimate production air- craft would have been somewhere be- tween DM 25 and DM 30 million. This is the kind of money that Bonn does not have at the present time. . .. and Drakens for RDAF? THE DANISH GOVERNMENT is reported to have selected the Saab Draken fighter to replace the F-84Fs and RF-84Fs and, later, the F-lOOs in RDAF service. The Copenhagen newspaper Politiken says that an announcement to this effect will be made next month. On October 5, 1967, we reported that the Draken was being favourably considered, in com- petition with the Northrop F-5 and Dassault Mirage III. If the Draken is, in fact, ordered it will be the first time that a NATO air force has chosen front-line equipment from a neutral country. Although they are not defensively aligned—Sweden's policy being traditionally one of neutrality—the two countries do have, of course, very close economic and cultural ties and common strategic interests. It is expected that two batches of Drakens, each comprising single-seat fighters and a few trainees, will be bought, totalling about 50 aircraft. Cur- rent approval from the Danish Parlia- ment is for £12.5 million to be spent. The Draken offered is designated the J35-XD (export Denmark) and the train- ing of Danish personnel will be based upon the Royal Swedish Air Force station at Inangenholm, in southern Sweden. Dassault Lands Belgian Order DESPITE A CABINET CRISIS the Belgian Government took the long-expected deci- sion last Friday to order Dassault Mirage 5s to replace its F- and RF-84Fs. Although the Cabinet had resigned a few days before over Belgium's language problems, it considered itself legally able, as a caretaker body, to deal with an urgent problem. The number had been left open, said the out-going Premier, Hr P. van den Boeynants, pending the possibility that Belgium might enter the Jaguar programme. Funds will still re-
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