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Aviation History
1988
1988 - 0464.PDF
DEFENCE Argentina reacts to Falklands exercise LONDON Britain has denied Argen tinian claims that next month's Fire Focus exercise to reinforce the Falkland Islands garrison has been designed to heighten tension. Fire Focus, which takes place between March 7 and March 31, will involve addi tional Royal Air Force McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantoms and "significant numbers" of troops being deployed to the Islands. The exercise will test Britain's ability to reinforce the garri son rapidly by air. The completion of Mount Pleasant airbase has allowed the garrison to be reduced. However, the contingency plans concerning reinforce ment have never been tried out. Following Fire Focus, the airlifted units will make use of the unique training facilities on the Islands. • An inquest into the death of a UK Army Air Corps aircrewman during the Falklands War has concluded that no one was to blame for the accident. Staff Sergeant Christopher Anthony-Grif fin's Gazelle, with three other crew on board, was brought down by a Sea Dart missile fired from HMS Cardiff. At the time no friendly aircraft movements were expected, and the helicopter's IFF had been switched off to prevent it interfering with other equip ment. Brazil buys more Bandeirantes BRASILIA The Brazilian Air Force has purchased ten more Embraer EMB-III Bandeirante mari time patrol aircraft. The latest version incorpo rates more sophisticated mission avionics than was previously supplied. The new electronics package features MEL's Super Searcher radar and a Thomson-CSF DR2000A Mkll/Dalia 1000A Mkll electronic support measures system. Canadian Marconi will also be supplying the Omega CMA 771 Mklll navigation system. This latest fit will allow the new Bandeirantes to search, detect, identify, and track multiple radar and maritime targets, and to process the data and present it graph ically. Automatic search profiling, the conduct of tactical Elint missions, and, to a limited extent, strategic Elint missions, will also be possible. The new Bandeirante will have a Collins ADI-84 atti tude display indicator system, an APS-65 automatic pilot system, and an EFIS-74 elec tronic instrument system. The first deliveries of the new Bandeirantes are expected within 20 months, to add to the Brazilian Air Force's existing ten EMB-IIIs. Cruise monitors requested WASHINGTON D.C. The US Air Force has issued a Request for Proposals cal ling for the modification of two Boeing 707s for use as cruise missile mission control aircraft. Source selection will begin this March, with a contract award set for June. Initial operational capability is planned for October 1990. The aircraft will be used for monitoring, and if necessary controlling, cruise missiles and remotely piloted vehicles under test. They will replace the six or more aircraft that are currently "needed for such tests, providing airborne radar tracking and surveil lance capability which were not previously available. Brazil's new EMB-III Bandeirantes will have an improved mission avionics package Alat strengthens Gazelle force PARIS ~ The French defence ministry has ordered 30 Aerospatiale SA.342M Gazelle helicopters to equip the Armee de l'Air's light air wing (Alat). The contract covers a firm order for 15 helicopters plus an option on 15 additional aircraft. Deliveries for the first part of the order will run from September 1988 to June 1989, while the 15 options are to be exercised by the end of November 1988. The Alat already operates more than 300 Gazelles in the anti-tank, aerial observation post, and training roles. Israel reveals new bomb TEL AVIV ~ Israel Military Industries (IMI) has developed and produced a new anti-runway bomb, the Condib Mk 120, which is capable of pene trating 400mm of reinforced concrete. The Condib Mk 120 is a follow-on from the Condib 70 used by the Israeli Air Force during the Six Day War in 1967. It consists of a pene trating warhead, a rocket propulsion unit, a parachute retarding unit, a sequencing unit, a drogue parachute, and fin assembly. After the drogue chute has effected the safe separation of the bomb from the aircraft, the main retarding parachute decelerates the bomb and brings it to the required alti tude and angle. After the main parachute separates, the rocket motor ignites to produce the boost needed for warhead runway penetration. The warhead is activated after penetration. According to Israel Military Industries, 400mm of concrete can be penetrated, even if the impact is at a 45° angle. The specially designed retarding parachute prevents oscil lations of the bomb, and assures a stabilised trajectory. The overall weight of the new bomb is 120kg. The Condib 120 has already been exported to a number of countries. 12 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL, 27 February 1988
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