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Aviation History
1973
1973 - 0051.PDF
FLIGHT International, 4 January 1973 41 DEFENCE Following the decision not to order either the Dassault Mirage Milan or the LTV Corsair II (although the Air Force was very much in favour of the latter), a report is being compiled on the whole subject of replacing the Venoms still in service. Composition of the committee examining the problem has been of both Government and Air Force personnel, and public lobbying on particular types, including the Harrier, continues unabated. Publica tion of the report is expected within the next few weeks. The principal result will most likely be a final decision on the role the new aircraft will be required to perform—emphasis on ground attack or on air defence. Phoenix testing continues ... A US Navy F-14 Tomcat successfully conducted the first-ever four-missile simultaneous mission when it fired four Hughes AIM-54A Phoenix air-to- air missiles at the Pacific Missile Range near the Naval Missile Centre, Point Mugu, Calif, on December 20. The targets were three QT-33 and two Ryan Firebee BQM-34A drones. One missile scored a direct hit; the other three passed within their warheads' lethal range and were officially scored as hits. Launch and interception took place at 20,000ft-25,000ft, with the targets at a range of some 30 miles. The original schedule for the PP-3 "four-on-six" mission called for six targets, but five are considered to have been equally satisfactory. The F-14/Phoenix weapon system provides fleet air superiority and air defence. The Hughes AWG-9 airborne weapon control system can acquire and track six targets (aircraft, cruise missiles or air-to-surface missiles) and, in addition to directing Phoenix, can launch Sparrow and Sidewinder and direct the firing of the M-61 Vulcan 20mm cannon. A "six-on-six" Phoenix mission will be conducted by the US Navy later this year. ... and Harpoon scores a hit The McDonnell Douglas ZAGM-84A Harpoon anti-shipping missile scored a direct hit at the Pacific Missile Range on December 20 in its first test firing against a target ship. The mis sile was launched from a Lockheed P-3C Orion operated by the Point Mugu Naval Missile Centre. During the last seconds of its flight the test round performed a "terminal ma noeuvre" designed to evade a potential enemy's close-in defences, and hit the target, the USS Ingersoll. This test was the first in which the missile had been equipped with its terminal-guidance active radar homing head. Harpoon can also be launched from ships and submarines, using a solid-propellant rocket motor for the boost phase. Separation of the spent booster automatically starts the Tele- dyne CAE J402-CA-400 turbojet which powers the missile during its cruise, and which is the sole propulsion when the weapon is air-launched. Harpoon is designed to be com patible with existing US Navy ships and aircraft; it will fit the standard Asroc, Terrier and Tartar shipboard launchers, and will also equip Lock heed P-3 Orions, S-3 Vikings, LTV A-7 Corsairs and Grumman A-6 Intruders. McDonnell Douglas is developing a canister launcher for use on hydro foils and other surface vessels not equipped with missile launchers. Harpoon, a high-subsonic, over-the- horizon weapon, is being developed under a $66 million contract awarded in June 1971. In July 1972 CAE re ceived a $10 • 1 million award to supply 55 flight-rated engines, which were selected in competition with the Garrett-AiResearch ETJ331. The initial design and development phase of the missile extends to the middle of next year and will include several more test firings. Japanese Okinawa build-up The Japanese Self-Defence Forces took over responsibility for the de fence of Okinawa on Janaury 1 with F-104Js on a 24hr alert basis. Six P-2J ASW and reconnaissance aircraft of the Maritime Self-Defence Forces effectively completed the build-up of aircraft shortly before Christmas. The Japanese Self-Defence Forces will also be taking over from the Americans four radar sites in and near Okinawa and two surface-to-air missile sites on the island, one for Hawks and the other for Nike Hercules. The Air Self-Defence Forces now have 1,300 personnel in Okinawa, the MSDF 500 and the GSDF 1,000. ASDF equipment includes 18 F-104JS, two F-104Js, six T-33s, two MU-2Ss for search and rescue and two V-107 rescue helicopters. The GSDF has six V-107s, two HU-1B helicopters and two other aircraft. The MSDF has the six Neptunes. METEOSAT CONTRACTS AWARDED Competitive definition studies of Europe's planned geo stationary meteorological satellite, Meteosat, are to be performed for Esro over the next eight months by two European consortia, Cosmos and Mesh. The studies, cost ing about $1-2 million each, are concerned with adapting the design, originated by CNES as a French national pro ject, for application on a European scale. Engins Matra will lead the Mesh work on the project and Aerospatiale will head the Cosmos study. Cosmos will also be assisted by Pbiko-Ford, constructor of the US Synchronous Meteorological Satellite. Meteosat develop ment is scheduled to enable participation in the World Weather Watch Garp project in 1977. Engins Matra has also been contracted by Esro to design and develop a two-channel radiometer for Meteosat. GEC- Marconi is to be co-contractor on this $4-4 million contract, which is to last three years. NEW GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS ORGANISATION The new International Telecommunications Satellite Organisation is to come into being on February 12, when it will succeed the Intelsat Consortium which has been operating under interim arrangements since 1964. The succession date was constitutionally set at two months after the minimum number of signatories was achieved. This number, 54, was reached on December 14 when Jamaica signed the two agreements on definite arrange ments for the new organisation. The first meeting of the board of governors will convene in Washington, DC, on March 14. The original Interim Agreements of 1964 provided for renegotiation approximately five years after they entered into force and this was achieved through a series of inter national conferences held in Washington between 1969 and 1971. The new- agreements were opened for signature on August 20, 1971, seven years to the day after opening of the interim agreements for signature. As with the interim agreements, the definitive arrangements consist of two separate but inter-related agreements: an Inter governmental Agreement and an Operating Agreement, signed by governments or their designated telecommunica tions entities. By the end of 1972 the "network of Earth stations around the world included 80 antennae at 65 station sites in 49 countries. These provide'for more than 225 satellite path ways, carrying more than two-thirds of all long-distance international communications. A total of 83 countries were members of Intelsat under the interim agreements. Spaceflight continued overleaf
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