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Aviation History
1975
1975 - 2003.PDF
© IPC Transport Press Ltd 1975 Dorset House, Stamford Street, London SE1 9LU Subscriptions: B. J. F. Nason, Oakfield House, Perrymount Road, Haywards Heath, Sussex RH16 3DH; Tel 0444 53281 A subscription form is at the back of this issue 2nd-class postage paid at New York; USA news-stand distribu tion by Eastern News Distributors, 155 W 15th St New York 10011 US Direct Air Mail, $62-20 p.a. Thursday 2 October 1975 Number 3473 Volume 108 Founded in 1909 First aeronautical weekly in the world Official organ of the Royal Aero Club Telephone: 01-261 8070 (Editorial) 01-261 8081 (Advertisement Sales) 01-261 8392 (Advertisement Production) Telegrams/Telex: Bisnespres Ldn, 25137 Publishing Director Dennia Kolman Editorial Director IPC Transport Press Maurice A. Smith, DFC Group Advertisement Manager David Holmes Assistant Advertisement Manager (Europe* Jeremy Miller International Business Press Associates I ibpa I Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulations Editor J. M, Ramsden Assistant Editor Hugh Field International Editor Mark Lambert Technical Editor Michael Wilson, BSc. CEng, FBIS, MRAeS Editorial Staff John Belson Stephen R. Broadbent, BTech Brendan Gallagher Charles M. Gilson Ian R. Goold Mark Hewish Nigel H. Moll Stephen Piercey Bill Sweetman John Wilkinson Air Photography Tom Hamlll Missile rounds lost The British Government has de cided to abandon the Hawker Sid- deley under-sea guided weapon (USGW) Sub-Martel and BAC's Hawkswing, and to buy Franco- German Milan anti-tank and American Harpoon sub-launched weapons. Missiles rarely hit head lines; but these have (page 467). There is no doubt that the semi automatic Milan is easier for in fantry to use than the manual Swingfire/Beeswing and that the manual Hawkswing is more diffi cult than, a semi-automatic weapon for a helicopter. But when employment is a priority issue, and the employees concerned have all the skills and technology required, and when £300 million —the exact figure is not known—• will now have to be found in for eign currency, a full "accident report" is called for. A major cause of this crash is the relationship between buyer and supplier. The Ministry of Defence Procurement Executive (PE) was formed in 1972 to shor ten the lines between the Services and their suppliers. Three years is a fair proving period, and the system must now be judged on results—bearing in mind the pos sibility of further missile imports in the shape of the Franco-Ger man helicopter-tank Hot or US Tow and Matra's air-to-air Magic. But the PE has won some rounds too. It pushed through the Hawk and the Sea Harrier, pre served the Through-Deck Cruiser, got the Lynx and MBCA specs right, and has kept these and other co-operative programmes stable and sweet. In missiles British industry leads the world with Sea Dart and Seawolf, un doubtedly the best long-range and short-range ship-to-air weapons. Bapier and Blowpipe are among the world-leaders in ground-to-air weapons, and are in service and winning export orders. BAC's Sea Skua, development of which is now confirmed, will probably also be unrivalled as a helicopter-to- ship missile to kill fast hydro foils or hovercraft before they harm the fleet. Behind these names are some of the real achievements in the missile field—like the target-dis criminating radar of Seawolf, and UK Sparrow's new British guid ance and homing, which make it probably the best medium-range air-to-air missile in the world. Britain is also ahead technically with the close-range thrust- vectoring air-to-air Sraam. So much for the news which never hits the headlines. What would the "Causes and Becom- mendations" of a crash inquiry say? As always, accidents are many- sided. A contributory cause is that the British missiles industry fights its battles at secret Ministry meetings and never in public as its competitors do. Perhaps the primary cause is the Ministry of Defence Procurement Executive's belief that missiles, being at the heart of national defence and technology, should be shared with as few people as possible, especially foreign partners. Mar- tel is the one exception. The French, Germans and Italians start co-operating from the operational-requirements stage— and PE should know by now that co-operation means political as well as industrial solidarity. Moreover, the competition talks to the market. Flight has learnt more about Sub-Martel oper ational requirements from com petitors than from Hawker Siddeley and the Ministry of Defence. Flight is given all the small print, a complete marketing prospectus in fact, on Hot capture angles for sighting, warhead weight, armour-plating pene tration, performance and so on. Ask the Ministry of Defence, BAC or HSD for details of Dad's old boots and immediately the D- Notice guns are cocked. Of course secrecy is not the only reason for last week's "mini- TSB.2," but its dark and stulti fying effect could undo the many real achievements of British in dustry in a technically most diffi cult field. IN THIS ISSUE World News Air Transport Light Commercial Private Flight Phantom/Pawnee collision report Defence BRITAIN'S AEROSPACE INDUSTRY Avionics In the Air: Partenavia P68B tetters Spaceflight Straight and Level 456 459 464 465 467 469 471 503 505 508 510 510a Front cover: the line of Anglo-French Jaguar supersonic strike fighters at BAC Preston is the opening scene of our annual British aerospace industry number
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