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Aviation History
1976
1976 - 0078.PDF
104 FLIGHT International, 17 January 1976 AV-8B go-ahead likely soon "Tr"HE OPERATIONAL SUCCESS of the I AV-8A [Harrier] programme, has confirmed our belief that V/Stol technology is sound, and that a follow- on aircraft will meet our needs for future attack requirements and per mit us to achieve our goal of an all- V/Stol light-attack force. The AV-8B, a dramatically uprated version of the present AV-8A, will be that follow-on aircraft and eventually will replace all the A-4s and AV-8s in our present light-attack force." Thus Lt-Gen Tom Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff and head of US Marine Ccrps aviation, described prospects for the McDonnell Douglas/Hawker Siddeley AV-8B to the aviation press last week in New York. "Being an unsophisticated, easy-to-turn-round air craft," he said, "the Harrier is cap able of more than twice the sortie rate of a conventional close-support aircraft." Gen Miller tells Flight that Dsarc I (Defence Systems Acquisition Review Council) is now planned for late this month, having been postponed from December. Assuming a go-ahead, McDonnell Douglas would modify two USMC AV-8As to prototype AV- 8B status (see Flight for October 9, 1975, page 522); these two would be the only R&D aircraft out of a planned total procurement of 336. Initial Operational Capability (IOC) with the Marine Corps is put at some time during Fiscal Year 1982. Procure ment would take place on a now virtually standard 15-year cycle with production peaking at a figure be tween five and nine a month, this having yet to be finally decided. According to Gen Miller, budgetary restrictions now mean there is no chance at all of a new engine being fitted to the AV-8B. Pressed by Flight as to whether he was certain the Marine Corps would go ahead with the aircraft powered by the current Pegasus 11 of 21,5001b thrust, the General replied: "By all means." It was always intended in any case that the prototypes would be powered by this engine. Funding for the engine will not be required in the programme until FY78 and it is still possible that some money could then be made avail able for improvements—the so-called Pegasus 11+ would produce approxi mately 1,0001b more thrust through improved component efficiencies and a 50°F increase in turbine inlet tem perature. Some 6,0001b of additional lift capa bility compared with that of the AV- 8A will be achieved by the modifica tions to the wing and in its aero- mini DEFENCE dynamic relationship with the thrust- vectoring nozzles, according to Gen Miller, who tells Flight that the new wing will be 3201b 3301b lighter than the present one through the extensive use of graphite epoxy. The increase in useful pavload, he savs, will be in the region of l,0001b-l,5001b. Gen Miller is nothing less than blunt about the industrial side of the AV-8B. He is adamant that McDonnell Douglas must have the ability to build the whole aircraft in the United States in order to overcome the potential problem of strikes in Britain. Partici pation by Hawker Siddeley in the pro gramme wou'd probably begin on, a straightforward subcontractor basis only in FY78 or FY79. Meanwhile, only six-eight AV-8As remain to be delivered from Kingston, England, to the US Marine Corps and these will all arrive this year. Other current pro duction is of Spanish AV-8As. Gen Miller declines to be drawn on the current estimated price of an AV-8B. The last estimate, in 1975 prices, was $5 million for the airframe and systems, $1 million for the engine, and these figures are said to be "hold ing well." The estimate of R&D cost at that time was some $300 million, making the AV-8B a $2-3 billion pro gramme at 1975 prices. Production contract for XJ521 Hawker Siddeley Dynamics has been awarded a full production contract for the Sparrow-based XJ521 medium- range air-to-air missile. The value is thought to be some £50 million. Two fully guided test firings of the weapon have been carried out so far, the first on November 25 (see photograph) •HI and the second last month. The launches took place from a US Navy F-4J at the Pacific Missile Test Centre, Pt Mugu, Calif, and both shots passed the T-33 targets within warhead lethal range. The test rounds were fitted with the new Marconi Space and Defence Systems semi-active radar seeker and EMI fuze. Further development launchings, which are being con ducted in collaboration with the British Ministry of Defence and the US Navy, are planned. Firings were pre ceded by a series of ground-based and air-carriage trials; these have been completed, allowing manufacturing releases to be granted. It is antici pated that production will begin next year, the missile entering service to arm RAF Phantoms from 1978. It may later also be fitted to MRCA. Hawker Siddeley Dynamics is hopeful of obtaining export orders, target areas including the four European F-16 cus tomers and F-4 operators in the Middle East. The first airborne firing of an XJ52I took place on November 25, 1975. The missile's Sparrow ancestry is evident Sweden's defence priorities The Swedish Air Force (Flygvapnet) may not be able to afford specialist reconnaissance types — cr even Swedish aircraft at all—unless more money is forthcoming, according to Generalmaior Hans Neij, Chief of the Air Staff. He says that if plans to maintain: spending on the air force at a fixed level are not altered there will be two interlinked results: some defence requirements will not be met and the attendant smaller production runs will put up the unit price of Swedish aircraft, forcing the Flygvap net to buy from abroad. This is un desirable, not least because of the need to operate from roads and integrate with the Stril system. Generalmajor Neij believes that a slightly larger air force budget will be needed to develop a new fighter to replace Viggens in the 1990s, which he rates the most important project. Next on the list is the A 20 ground- attack Viggen, which will incorporate improvements developed for the JA37 fighter variant, and in third place is the new BLA light attack aircraft to replace Saab 105s. If budget restric tions force the abandonment of specialist reconnaissance aircraft the surveillance role will be taken over by the fighters and attack types.
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