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Aviation History
1983
1983 - 1431.PDF
WORLD'S AIR FORCES El Salvador Fuerza Aerea Salvadorena At least five guerrilla organisations, supplied with weapons by Cuba via Nicaragua, are fighting the right- wing Government of President Alvaro Magana. He in turn is being supported by the USA, which is trying to train the Salvadoran Army, so far with little visible success. Although only the much-publicised 55 American "advisers" are actually based in the country, the United States has supplied the FAS with a number of Coin aircraft and helicopters to combat the guerrillas' tactics. Known deliveries involve six Cessna A-37 light attack jets, four Cessna 0-2As for forward air control missions, 12 more UH-lHs to join the ten supplied some time ago, and up to three C-123 Providers from Air National Guard stocks. An attempt to modernise the Air Force back in the late Seventies resulted in the supply of 18 ex-Israeli Super Mystere B2 interceptors, plus at least six Ouragan fighter-bombers from the same source. These have been based at Ilopango together with nine Fouga Magisters for jet conversion training (six from Israel, three from France), but a guerrilla attack on this base in January last year saw the destruction of five or six Bell UH-lHs, one Magister, three C-47s, and five Ouragans. Transport types include two DC-6s, about 15 C-47s, and four Aravas. There are some Cessna 180s and at least one Cessna 182 for liaison, possibly joined by some aircraft of more recent origin. A Hughes 500 is in use, alongside three Aerospatiale Lamas for SAR duties and two Alouette Ills. Training aircraft include four Cessna T-41Cs and some T-6 Texans. Saudi Arabia Royal Saudi Air Force With American assistance, Saudi Arabia continues to modernise her armed forces in the light of the Gulf war and her continuing impasse with Israel in the north. The RSAF will receive five "de-sensitised" Boeing E-3A Sentry Awacs aircraft devoid of the Jtids data system. With these surveillance aircraft, it will be possible for Saudi Arabia to maintain 24hr coverage of her northern airspace for periods of up to five or six days, although she has stated the information obtained would not be passed on to America automatically. Six KC-707 tankers are also being purchased to flight-refuel, among other types, the E-3As, and an option is held on two more aircraft. The RSAF is also in the process of receiving 45 F-15C Eagle interceptors and 15 two-seat F-15D combat trainers to replace the Lightnings. The first of three squadrons is working up at Dharan, and delivery should be completed by early next year. Armament for the Eagles will include the AIM-9L version of the Sidewinder, 1,177 rounds being received, while 105 sets of "fast pack" conformal fuel tanks are being supplied to extend the range of these Mach 2 fighters. Two extra F-15s are being bought as attrition replacements. While the Eagle contract comes under the Peace Sun programme, the supply of F-5Es and its variants are designated Peace Hawk, and the ninth contract with Northrop valued at $350 million involves a further four aircraft plus one F-5F trainer and ten RF-5Es. The transport squadrons are receiving 40 Nurtanio-built Casa Aviocars to provide a short-range freighter element, while the helicopter force is being enlarged with 22 more AB.212s, a total of 18 Kawasaki-built KV-107 SAR machines, and the first of 24 SA.365F Dauphins. Future procurement is expected to involve a new jet trainer to replace the Strikemasters and an anti-tank helicopter. Two Learjet 35s owned by Northrop act as radar target aircraft for train ing duties. Type No F-15C/D Eagle Lightning F.53/T.55 F-5E/F RF-5E Tigereye F-5B E-3A Sentry KC-707 KC-130H Hercules C-130E/H Hercules VC-130H Hercules C-130H Hercules Boeing 747SP/707-320 VC-140 JetStar AB.206/AS-61A-4 Learjet 35 C.212 Aviocar AB.205/212 AB.206 SA.365F Dauphin KV-107-11 Cessna-Reims 172G/H/M Stnkemaster Mk 80A 45/15 20/5 65/23 10 15 5 ordered 6 ordered 9 10/26 2 2 1/1 2 1/2 2 40 24/33 28 20/4 18 13 45 Int Int Int/attack Recce Train AEW Tanker Tanker Trans VIP Hospital VIP VIP VIP Target a/c Trans Utility Utility Anti-ship/SAR SAR Train Senegambia Senegambia Air Force Senegambia came into being in December 1981, with the joining of Senegal and Gambia. The tiny Gambian Air Force of 25 personnel, operating a Shorts Singapore Air Force Northrop F-5E and F-5F Tiger lis $as ifilS 9HnpHHHHH PSI u Wj| P£lf? Skyvan 300M and one B-N Defender, was assimilated into the new service. The new service operates one multi-role de Havilland Canada Twin Otter 300M, equipped for trans port, offshore surveillance, and light attack. Transport aircraft are mainly based at Dakar and include a Caravelle and a Boeing 727-200 used for VIP flights, four of seven C-47s, two of five MH.1521M Broussards, two Alouette lis, three of four SA.330H Pumas, one SA.341F Gazelle, and a single Aztec purchased in 1972. There are also six F.27-400M Friendships, a single Reims F337 Super Skymaster and an F172. Four Rallye trainers were delivered in 1982 to join the five ex-Brazilian Fouga Magisters received some years ago. Sierra Leone Sierra Leone Defence Force Established in 1973, with the help of Saab, the Swedish company supplied four MFI-15 Safaris, two Hughes 300s, and two Hughes 500s. But lack of money forced the sale of the three surviving Safaris and the helicopters. An MBB BO105C was then bought and remains in solitary service. Singapore Republic of Singapore Air Force This small island nation officially established the Sing apore Air Defence Command in September 1971 and subsequently renamed the arm the RSAF. The combat element with F-5Es and A-4 Skyhawks is being increased in number with more deliveries of each type. No 144 Sqn at Tengah is the F-5E unit, and originally received 21 aircraft in 1979, including three two-seat Fs. Six more Es were ordered in 1980 and a delivery earlier this year involved three more F-5F trainers. Forty more ex-US Navy A-4Es have reportedly been ordered to replace the Hunters, the aircraft being rebuilt to A-4S standard. The RSAF also has 200 AIM-9J Sidewinders for the F-5Es and Hunters, with 200 AGM-65 Maver icks due for the Skyhawk force. The trainer element has received another 12 T-33s from French stocks and six AS.350E Ecureils for helicopter training. Type F-5E/F A-4S/TA-4S Skyhawk A-4S Skyhawk Hunter FGA.74/T.75 Hunter FR.74A C-130B/H Hercules Skyvan Bell UH-1B/H Bell 212 AS.350E Ecureil SF.260MS Strikemaster Mk 84 T-33A 24/6 31/5 40 ord. 27/4 4 4/4 6 17/30 2/1 6 20 16 24 Int/train Attack/train Attack Attack/train Recce Trans SAR Utility Liaison/VIP Train Train Train Train Somalia Somalian Aeronautical Corps Despite Somalia's close association with the USA, under which she allows America the use of the port of Berbera and a number of airfields in return for economic aid, the SAC retains time- honoured connections with Italy. The result has been the acquisition of a number of new aircraft to replace out-of-date and inoperable Russian equipment. In service are four AB.212s, two in VIP configuration, four T-64- powered G.222 transports, and 16 SF.260W Warrior armed trainers. A handful of Hunters and some Islanders have also been received from Abu Dhabi. An order is also believed to have been placed for a batch of SIAI S.211 jet trainers, and an unconfirmed acquisition is two FLIGHT International, 6 August 1983 367
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