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Aviation History
1973
1973 - 0158.PDF
100 FLIGHT International, 18 January 1973 [Djjiyj cipation by the home industry in the production of the chosen aircraft. Des pite operating ten P-3B Orions already, the Royal Australian Air Force is in the market for a new MR aircraft to replace its 15 SP-2H Nep- tunes. No doubt the RAAF will be watching for the outcome of the Canadian competition. • Two Buccaneers flying from HMS "Ark Royal" off Cornwall have completed a series of 38 catapult launches and arrested landings carrying Martel surface-to-air missiles. Severe swell and Force 11 gales were encountered during the trials. Flying was shared by crews from the A & AEE Boscombe Down and HS Brough lion) for the US Navy's Sea Control Ship project. The Navy had requested $190 million (£81 million) and plans to acquire eight SCSs may now be de layed as the suggested allocation will only fund preliminary design work. Each SCS will be equipped with 17 V/Stol aircraft. A contract worth $46 million (£19 million) was awarded to North American Rockwell (Flight, October 24) to develop and flight test two prototypes of an augmented-thrust V/Stol fighter/attack aircraft. The first conventional flight of this aircraft is expected early next year. • There is also speculation that the 1974 US Defence Budget will set aside about $7 million (£3 million) for a feasibility study of plans to redeploy Minuteman ICBMs from the present fixed sites onto trailers which could be moved by road or rail. While the Salt agreement precludes any increase in missile numbers it does not prohibit 'improvements to guidance systems, the development of multiple or manoeuvrable warheads or changes to deployment to reduce vulnerability. The dispersal of individual missiles by rail was suggested as an alternative to hardened silos when the contract for the solid-fuelled Minuteman was awarded to Boeing in October 1958. More MiGs for Syria Syria is believed to have received an arms shipment from Russia at the end of last month which included 16 MiG-21s and two MiG-27s. The latest equipment arrived just before the clash on January 8 in which Israel claims to have shot down six MiG-21s. No Israeli losses were reported. Israel claims that 46 Syrian MiGs have been shot down since the June War of 1967. It is possible that the co-ordination of air defence was discussed when the commander of the Egyptian Air Force joined the talks held last week be tween President Sadat of Egypt and the Libyan President, Muammar Kheddafi. For Foxbat read Flogger The Secretary of the United States Air Force, Robert C. Seamans reveals in the latest edition of the Air Force Magazine that the twin-engined Russian interceptor carrying the Nato code name Foxbat is MiG-25 and not MiG-23. The single-engined variable- geometry aircraft, code name Flogger, has the type number MiG-23. Mr. Seamans believes the Flogger to be equipped with avionics comparable to those of the F-4J and to be armed with a cannon for air-to-air combat. He credits the Foxbat with a maximum speed of Mach 3, an operational ceil ing of 80,000ft and notes that it is an outstanding interceptor and reconnais sance aircraft. The cost of bombing Pentagon officials revealed last week that the value of aircraft lost during the bombing of Hanoi and Haiphong approached £100 million. The total cost of the bombing was stated to be about £220 million. It is not clear what value was placed on each aircraft type although the F-lll was probably given twice the value of a B-52. • An F-lll from Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire crashed near North Craw ley, Bucks on January 11 following the jamming of the rudder. The two man crew made a successful ejection using the escape module. Navy takes over Helicopters from HMS Daedalus, Lee-on-Solent, Hants, will replace the Whirlwind HAB.lOs of 22 Sqn based at BAF Thorney Island when the latter move to RAF Lossiemouth next month. The Jaguar OCU will be based at Lossiemouth. Last year the two HAR.lOs flew 135 rescue sorties and saved the lives of 68 people. Ten mercy flights took seriously ill or in jured people to specialist hospitals. RN airmen receive awards The Royal Navy airmen who attempted to save the pilot of a Gan- net which crashed and caught fire at Yeovilton last June have been awarded the British Empire Medal for Gallantry. LAM Peter Hammond and NAM1 Anthony Wareing, the crew of the rescue helicopter, made repeated efforts with hand - held fire ex tinguishers to free the pilot who was trapped and unconscious. He was eventually pulled clear by fire-suited rescue workers but died later. Wessex helicopters of 103 Sqn form part of the UK's contribution to the Anzuk force based in Singapore. Men of 2 Sqn RAF Regiment recently completed a period of training in Malaysia which involved a parachute drop from Hercules aircraft of 46 Sqn :^l*?jp««¥#i*i i^pp^^^^^ Iran orders 489 helicopters The Bell Helicopter Company has announced orders from Iran for 202 Model AH-Us and 287 Model 214As. The order is estimated to be worth about $720 million (£300 million) and will have a significant impact on the military balance in the Middle East. The helicopters are' being acquired through the US Government and the US Army which have placed initial contracts worth $101-5 million (£43 million). Deliveries are expected to begin in 1974 and to be completed by 1979. The AH-lJs for Iran will be similar to the Sea Cobras in service with the USMC and armed with a 20mm XM- 197 three-barrelled cannon mounted in an electrically-driven turret. The gun can be tracked 220° in azimuth and moved between 50° depression and 18° elevation. It can be slewed at a rate of 80°/sec. 750 rounds of ammunition may be carried. Four attachment points under the stub wings can take an XM-18E1 Minigun pod, folding-fin rocket packs or anti tank missiles. The Model 214A Huey Plus is a developed version of the military UH- 1H and can carry 10 troops plus a crew of four The main rotor and tail rotor drive system are derived from those of the Model 309. Sea Control Ships delayed? Reports from Washington suggest that the defence budget for the finan cial year beginning on June 30 will include only $10 million (£4-25 mil-
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