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Aviation History
1981
1981 - 0064.PDF
The 1,600th Lockheed Hercules is a stretched C-I30H(S) for Indonesia. The aircraft is similar to the civil L-IOO-30 and to the Royal Air Force's Hercules C.3. Two fuselage plugs increase length by 15ft Pakistani airpower build-up PAKISTAN plans to build 12 new air bases and form five more fighter squadrons, a report published in India suggests. By the end of 1981 the country will have three squadrons operating Chinese-supplied Shenyang A-5 Fantans and two units equipped with Dassault-Breguet Mirage 5s now on order from France. The report also alleges that 50 Pakistani pilots have been trained on Northrop F-5Es and that the Air Force can activate at short notice three squadrons of F-5Es now operated by "three west Asian countries." The PAF now has 40 air bases, twice as many as in 1971 the report notes, and has installed a new air- defence network consisting of six Westinghouse TPS-43 mobile three- dimensional radars. According to the Indian report, a further 12 bases are to be built and facilities at others ex panded. It is suggested that Pakistan is considering supplementing Thom- son-CSF/Matra Crotale surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) with Raytheon Hawk SAMs. There are also plans to acquire some form of airborne early warning system. Pakistan is alleged to be seeking Hughes 500MD anti-tank helicopters. Bell AH-1 gunships and Boeing-Vertol CH-47 medium-lift helicopters along with additional Lockheed C-130 tacti cal transports. In addition to Matra Magic dogfight missiles now being supplied, Pakistan is thought to want AIM-9L Sidewinder and AGM-65 Maverick missiles. Pakistan is a poten tial customer for the General Dynam ics F-16/79 intermediate export fighter. France is willing to supply up to 75 Mirage F.ls, the report alleges, and negotiations for the purchase of Mirage 2000s—financed by a "west Asian country"—are under way. Engine mods follow Farnborough F-18 crash GENERAL Electric will carry out some detail re-design of the F-404 engine following the failure of the low-pressure turbine disc which caused the crash of the TF-18 as it left Farnborough on September 8 (see Flight, October 11, page 1413). The low-pressure turbine (LPT) disc bore area is to be recontoured as are the LPT bolt-holes. The LPT seals and high-pressure turbine (HPT) blade retainers will have addi tional and larger bolt-holes to reduce stress concentration. Other parts to be replaced, with components made from denser material, are the LPT seals and the HPT disc and blade retainers. France tests M4 SLBM FRANCE has fired a prototype Aero spatiale M4 submarine - launched ballistic missile from an Army test range in the Landes, The three-stage missile carried an inert payload and achieved successful separation of the six independently targeted re-entry vehicles. The "warheads" burnt up on re-entry. The firing took place on November 18 and some two weeks later France carried out the latest in a series of nuclear warhead tests at the Muroroa range in the Pacific. The 2,500 n.m.-range M4 will arm the sixth French Navy nuclear-powered ballistic- missile submarine L'Inflexible which is scheduled to enter service in January 1985. Tracer ... General Dynamics has received a $130 million contract for the las* 20 of 75 F-16s for Israel. The total contract is worth $5,300 million. Boeing has received a $125 million award for conversion of an E-4A Advanced Airborne Command Post to the improved E-4B model. China is reported to have carried out the fifth test firing of its CSS-X-4 intermediate-range ballistic missile on October 30. The missile was launched from a base in Chilin state, north eastern China, to a target 2,500 n.m. away in Shinkian state. Dormer's transonic wing testbed takes off for its December 12 first flight. The Transsonik Tragflugel (TST) aircraft is based on Alpha jet Al 98t '33-' ,<*«, ftnt '«» TUp
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