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Aviation History
1976
1976 - 2677.PDF
FLIGHT International, 20 November 1976 1479 Tornado costs up Unit cost of the Panavia Tornado multi-role combat aircraft has risen by about 20 per cent over the past 12 months, according to British Minister of State for Defence Dr John Gilbert. He told Parliament on November 9 that, at the exchange rates which apply to the 1977-78 defence estimates, production unit cost of the common interdictor-strike (IDS) version is £6-34 million, compared with £7-72 million for the air-defence variant (ADV). These figures do not include research and development. At the exchange rates which apply to the current defence estimates, the unit costs were given early this year as £5-29 million for the IDS Tornado and £6-5 million for the ADV. In 1969 prices (when the project was launched), the IDS Tornado now costs £2-15 million against an original esti mate of £1-5 million for the proposed single-seat aircraft and £1-75 million for the two-seater. According to Dr Gilbert, "there has been a substantial increase in cost, but it amounts to only about 40 per cent in real terms. Considering that the development has taken place over a B-52s may carry Tomahawk The principal members of the US Defence System Acquisition Review Council (Dsarc) will be briefed by Air Force and US Navy Cruise Missile programme managers on November 18. Dsarc is due to approve full-scale development of a cruise missile to be carried by the B-52. Although the Boeing AGM-86A Air-Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM) is being developed to meet this requirement, its adoption cannot be regarded as certain, and an air-launched version of the General Dynamics BGM-109 Tomahawk could be chosen. Both contractors are al ready working on land-based cruise missiles (see Flight for October 16, page 1186). GD plans to air-start a Tomahawk during the next test flight at the Point Mugu range. The first attempt on November 11 was cancelled when a missile thermal battery failed to operate, but the company had re scheduled the test for November 14 as we closed for press. During all previous Tomahawk air-launches the missile's jet engine was started before release from the carrier aircraft. Six hundred cruise missiles would be required to arm the B-52 force. The US Navy wants 1,200 Tomahawks, but the number of land-based cruise missiles required is not known. Two versions are planned: Army missiles would be limited to 400 miles range, while the USAF Tactical Air Com mand (TAC) version would be limited only by any agreement emerging from the latest Salt talks. TAC is due to issue a Required Operational Capability (ROC) for a land-based cruise missile. Half the pro- period of seven years, and relates to an extremely sophisticated piece of equipment, the figure is really rela tively low for a project of this com plexity." (See also page 1482.) • Asked to confirm that titanium sponge for use in Tornado was being bought from the Soviet Union because the metal was cheaper there than in Britain, Dr Gilbert said that it was in fact being bought for parts manufac tured in West Germany. Correcting an earlier response, he said that about half, not 35 per cent, of the sponge being used came from the Soviet Union. The supplier of sponge to MBB is Krupp. The British supplier is ICI, which obtains its material from Aus tralian sources before processing it and passing it on to the British Air craft Corporation. Half of the sponge for prototype and pre-series Tornadoes thus comes from British or Western sources, but it is doubtful whether these suppliers will be able to provide a similar proportion of the titanium which will be needed for the planned 800 aeroplanes in the pro gramme. posed force would be used in an anti- ship role, the remainder for land attack. Cobra export approval delayed Northrop is still attempting to obtain an export licence for its proposed land-based Cobra derivative of the USN/McDonnell Douglas F-18, follow ing the request for a letter of offer from Iran (see Flight for October 16, page 1186, and for September 25, page 970). The US Defence Department apparently declined to give any firm decision before the results of the Presi dential election were known. With the mini DEFENCE new Carter Administration due to be officially installed in January next year, it seems unlikely that Congress will approve the proposed sale before March at the earliest. In a letter to US Defence Secretary Rumsfeld in September, Iranian Deputy Minister of War Gen Toufanian offered to provide $8 million for immediately necessary development work, depending on ap proval of the sale. Northrop mean while continues to fund work pri vately. Total development cost is put at $250 million. The entire Iranian programme would be worth about $4 billion, according to US sources, and Cobra unit cost would be $15-8 million. Austrian fighter shortlist The official shortlist of aircraft being considered for the Austrian Air Force's new fighter requirement com prises the Northrop F-5E Tiger II, the Dassault F.1C, the Saab Viggen and the Israel Aircraft Industries Kfir. A report on the technical evaluation of all four types, now complete, has been submitted to Defence Minister Liit- gendorff. It is understood that no contender is recommended in the report, which will now be studied by the Austrian parliament. A decision on whether to proceed with procurement may be taken before Christmas, but one source regards January or February as more likely. The Austrian Air Force wants an aircraft capable of investigating the bell has completed conversion of two AH-IJ Sea Cobras to Super Sea Cobra standard and has received an initial order for ten production versions redesignated AH-IT. The type incorporates the dynamic systems of the bell 214 based on the 1,910 s.h.p. T400-WV-402 Twin Pac, which re places the earlier 1,800 s.h.p. unit. The transmission is rated at 2,050 s.h.p. Main rotor diameter is 48ft; blade chord is 33in. The tail boom has been lengthened by 3lin, the fuselage by I2in, compared with those of the AH-IJ
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