FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1973
1973 - 1685.PDF
FLIGHT International, 14 June 1973 933 RACjDassault-Breguet Jaguar prototype S.07 on bomb-aiming trials recently at the West Freugh range in Scotland. The weapon being dropped is a retarded bomb which has not yet deployed its drag chute. The first operational Jaguar squadron in the French Air Force has just formed at St Dizier South American developments Policy decisions by or affecting three South American countries in the past few days indicate that the de fence equipment market on the continent is warming up as expected. In Peru on June 5, Minister of Aviation Rolando Rodriguez an nounced that the country was to buy Dassault Mirages and BAC Canberras for its air force. General Rodriguez said that 40 aircraft were involved overall but he had not yet decided how many of each type would be acquired. Although the Peruvian minister said that contracts with the British and French manufacturers would be signed in the near future, it is under stood in Britain that negotiations for the Canberras are not being conduc ted with British Aircraft Corporation but with Marshall of Cambridge. Aircraft, of which there is no short age, would be supplied via BAC for Marshall to refurbish. It is not known which mark of Canberra is required by the Peruvians, neither is it known whether the Mirages are planned to be Ills, Vs or indeed F.ls. The air force currently operates 22 B.2, B(I).8 and B.52 Canberras, 14 Mirage Vs and two Mirage IIIBs. From Brazil come reports that the air force is to buy 48 Northrop F-5E Tiger lis at a cost of $76-8 million. Ministry sources said that the air craft had been chosen in preference to the Mirage V, the F-4 Phantom and the Aeritalia G.91Y. Addition of the F-5E to the Brazilian Air Force .inventory will mean a fourth armed jet type to be operated. At present there are 16 Mirages, 15 A-4F Sky- hawks and 112 AT-26 Xavante (MB.326) armed trainers. "Flight" drawing of the Mirage G.8A fixed- wing proposal for the French Air Force's Avion de Combat Futur (ACF). The 55" swept wing has a more sharply raked leading-edge extension at the wing root. Thrust will be provided by two Snecma M53s, which will provide a thrust- weight ratio of about I : I with afterburning. Flying controls are the now conventional tailerons in conjunction with spoilers, while two strokes augment the directional stability provided by the already large fin. The two Matra Super 530 missiles are partially recessed into the fuselage, a la Phantom, though in this case four missiles are carried. French Government support is needed to launch two prototypes The F-5E is also the subject of a United States Government decision recently to authorise the sale of the type to Chile, Argentina, Colombia and Venezuela. Of these the first is undoubtedly of the greatest signifi cance because of the Marxist Chilean Government. The simple justification for what the US State Department describes as a "major policy decision" ! to sell the type to Latin America is the same as that being given officially for authorisation of sales in the Gulf area,- fear of losing potential armaments markets to overseas com petition. One strong contender in Chile is the MiG-21, which the Russians have offered on extremely attractive credit terms. No choice has yet been made by the Chileans though reports sug gest that they have indicated to the USA their preference for the F-5E. Another American aircraft which is under consideration in Chile, Colom bia and Ecuador (where particular interest is being shown in the BAC/ Dassault-Breguet Jaguar) is the Cessna A-37. The United States Air Force has just ordered 65 A-37Bs and Cessna officials are confident of selling a similar number for export in the next few months as a result of negotiations with about six countries which are due to end shortly. Al though the A-37 as an attack weapon system cannot be regarded as straight competition for the Jaguar, it is ex tremely competitive in price ($750,000) and has a remarkable record of accuracy and success in South East Asia. Maritime Harrier radar The radar group of the Electronics Systems Department, Ferranti, has been awarded the study contract for the design of a new interception, search and strike radar intended for the proposed maritime version of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier. The com pany reports that the contract was awarded despite fierce competition from the UK and overseas. Work on
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
