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Aviation History
1982
1982 - 0426.PDF
s-M • • ,,• . Planned production of the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle will reach 1,107 by 1987. The aircraft will be evaluated against the General Dynamics F-I6E for the all-weather ground-attack role Air Force: Ground-attack flyoff planned THE US Air Force is to evaluate ground-attack derivatives of the McDonnell Douglas F-15 and General Dynamics F-16, "and may choose to pursue only one of them," says US Defence Secretary Caspar Wein berger. The Service wants money to develop the F-16E, an arrow-wing de rivative of the F-16 offering increased range, payload, and manoeuvrability. The first of two prototypes will fly in July. McDonnell Douglas has modified and tested an all-weather attack de rivative of the F-15 air-superiority fighter. The US Air Force will evalu ate the F-15E, fitted with conformal long-range fuel tanks, Lantirn night nav/attack pod, and advanced rear cockpit, against a similarly equipped F-16E. Production of the F-15 and F-16 will be stepped up if the Air Force gets its way. Production of the F-15 would reach 96 a year by 1985, while that of the F-16 would rise to 180 a year by 1986. Planned production of the F-15 has jumped from 729 aircraft to 1,107 by Fiscal Year 1987, and the USAF plans to continue purchases "into the early 1990s". The Air Force wants $860 million in 1983 to restart production of the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, buying two air craft. A further $2,200 million is re quired in 1984 for ten aircraft. Given an early go-ahead, Lockheed can de- 408 liver the first C-5N by late 1985. The USAF is expected to buy 44 C-5Ns, with six more on option as attrition replacements. Lockheed's fixed-price offer for 50 aircraft totals $4,580 mil lion in 1980 prices. In addition to the C-5Ns, the Air Force wants 42 McDonnell Douglas tanker/cargo aircraft, with eight re quested in 1983 for $829 million, and a further eight programmed for 1984 at $580 million. The Service wants to continue development of the McDonnell Douglas C-17 CX design as a potential C-141/C-130 replace ment in the early 1990s. The US Air Force is seeking $27 • 3 million in 1983 "for concept explora tion and validation work" on a 1990s fighter to replace the F-15 and F-16, says Air Force Secretary Verne Orr. The effort will include initial develop ment of an advanced technology en gine. The Service will ask for $49-6 million in 1984. The Service admits that current anti-airfield munitions are inadequate, and plans to purchase 350 Matra Durandal dibber bombs as an interim solution. The Air Force pulled out of joint UK/US development of the Hunting JP233 anti-airfield munitions dispenser after Congress blocked fund ing. Software problems have delayed the Ground-Launched Cruise Missile (GLCM) flight-test programme, and plans are being drawn up to ensure that the December 1983 deadline for operational deployment in Europe is met. The next test flight of the Gen eral Dynamics Tomahawk GLCM is scheduled for this month. The Air Force wants additional Over - The - Horizon - Backscatter (OTH-B) early warning radars to give all-aspect coverage. OTH-B detects long-range threats and complements the Pave Paws system for detecting submarine-launched ballistic missiles. The BMEWS early warning system will be updated to track a greater number of targets, with increased im pact prediction accuracy. The 1983 budget includes $218 mil lion for development and flight- testing of the Vought Asat anti-satel lite projcvile which will be carried by some air-defence F-15s. Flight-test was scheduled to take place last year. Other points: General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon—120 each in 1983 and 1984; $2,300 million and $2,330 mil lion. McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle—42 in 1983, rising to 60 in 1984; $1,810 million and $2,280 million. Fairchild A-10 Thunderbolt H—20 for $376 million in 1983 to end the programme. Boeing E-3A Sentry—two in 1983 and one in 1984; $256 million and $282 million. Lockheed TR-1—four in 1983 and five in 1984; $178 million and $323 million. Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker—$610 million to continue re-engining with fuel-efficient Snecma/General Electric CFM56 turbofans. Boeing AGM-86B Air Launched Cruise Missile—440 each in 1983 and 1984; $864 million and $922 million. General Dynamics Ground-Launched Cruise Missile—120 each in 1983 and 1984; $593 million and $498 million. Navy: Revised plan keeps P-3 line open THE US Navy wants six Lockheed P-3C Orion patrol aircraft in Fiscal Year 1983 and five a year for the next four years. This replaces an earlier plan to halt production for five years starting in FY1983. The Navy's 1983 budget request includes money for the first eight of 39 Grum man C-2A Greyhound transports, to be bought under a multiyear con tract. Lockheed is encouraged by the Navy's change of plan on P-3 produc tion, and is now seeking sufficient additional overseas orders to maintain a reasonable unit price. The com pany will deliver 12 P-3s to the Navy this year and a further 12 next year, and wants to maintain production at 12 or more a year to keep costs with in reach of prospective export custo mers. The Netherlands plans to buy the last three of 13 P-3Cs in FY1983, and Australia is being asked to ad vance orde -s for ten Orions by a year and to accept some aircraft in 1984. The $212 million requested for de velopment of the IBM/Sikorsky SH- FLICHT International, 20 February, 1982
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