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Aviation History
1983
1983 - 0031.PDF
DEFENCE Who would have thought in December 1981 that MX would still be surrounded |by turmoil a year later. After much delay (and scanning of one-page memos, Presi dent Reagan decided to put 100 eggs inside superhardened shells and to place them in y a dense-pack basket in Wyoming. Con gressional refusal to fund MX has since ' forced Reagan to distance himself from dense-pack, and the missile may once again be homeless. The USA must decide by the end of 1983 how to base its new Peacekeeper mis- ij siles. Dense-pack may survive, probably with an off-the-shelf anti-ballistic missile defence system, as none of the alterna tives, ground-mobile, long-patrol aircraft, or seaborne launch, make much sense. J Deep basing, where missiles are placed in tunnels bored deep into a mountainside, is fraught with the same imponderables as dense-pack. Perhaps the USA will decide to abandon its land-based deterrent altogether, and rely instead on its cruise missiles and submarine-launched weapons. In December 1983 the first ground- launched cruise missiles (GLCMs) will be deployed to Greenham Common airbase in Britain. There will be many bitter public battles before and after the missiles occupy the hardened shelters now under construction, but unless the Soviet Union agrees to the "Zero Option"—dismantling all of its SS-20 intermediate-range missiles—both GLCM and Pershing II look set to stay in Europe. But these programmes are not without their technical problems, exacerbated by the politically sensitive deadlines im posed. GLCM is troubled by software de lays, while Pershing II has had a series of public failures which provide ammunition for the disarmers. 1982 brought the first pictures of the Soviet A-lOski, the Sukhoi Su-25 Frog- foot. Photographs from Afghanistan, pub lished first in Flight, show Frogfoot to be more conventional than some had be lieved, but nevertheless to be a potent air craft which could be used with devastating effect against Western defences. 1983 might bring a first glimpse of the MiG-29 Fulcrum, successor to the MiG-21 and -23, and destined to be produced in the same enormous numbers. Fulcrum is similar in size to the F-18, in layout to the F-15, and in systems to the F-16. Hopefully 1983 will not see another name change for the Northrop Tiger- shark. Midway through 1982, the com pany quietly dropped its original F-5G designation, chosen to emphasise logistic commonality with the F-5 series. For a few I months the aircraft bore only the name Tigershark. Then, in the last few weeks of the year, F-5G became F-20A to empha sise an almost complete change in * Flight International 1 January 1983 Cruise missiles are scheduled to be delivered to Europe by the end of this year character brought about by the F404 tur- bofan and digital avionics suite. Tigershark should be a star attraction at the 1983 Paris Air Show, by which time two pre-production aircraft will be flying. Northrop will be hoping that the exposure will result in a significant number of orders by the end of 1983, allowing production to go ahead. Also in the balance are Europe's efforts to get a new fighter programme under way. British Aerospace continues to nego tiate for an Agile Combat Aircraft (ACA) demonstrator programme of one aircraft if UK-only, and of two if MBB and Aeritalia are backed by national funds. But by the end of 1983 the partners also hope to have agreed a development pro gramme allowing for the smooth flow from demonstrator in 1985/86 to production aircraft in 1990. If ACA gains sufficient momentum, France might be forced to join the pro gramme as a fourth, and equal partner. The nation plans an ACX fighter demon strator programme similar to ACA, and is seeking MBB support for the project. The German Government is keen to co-operate with France on missile, helicopter, and aircraft projects, but no money is available and industry is taking the decisions. ACA is the preferred option, perhaps in com petition with the ND-102 in Germany. 1983 should see the Luftwaffe emerge from hibernation, brought on by a severe lack of funds, and at least to begin think ing about thinking about a new fighter. Over in the USA, two well-established fighters will be locked in fiscal combat for a 400-aircraft US Air Force order. The Air Force wants both: the F-15E for all- weather strike in Europe and the F-16E for long-range air combat. But Congress may object to signing the bill for both. 1982 and the Falklands War brought missiles to worldwide attention. 1983 should see this exposure begetting orders for the weapons that performed well under difficult conditions. Prospects look good for anti-ship Sea Skua, anti-missile Sea- wolf, and anti-aircraft Rapier—and for Exocet. 35
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