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Aviation History
1988
1988 - 3486.PDF
WORLD'S AIR FORCES Command (previously the Dubai Air Wing) of the unified UAEAF. The Western Air Command controls Al Dhafra air base and its resident units, comprising II Shaheen Squadron with Mirage Vs, Al Ghezelle Squadron with Gazelles, and the Flying Training School with PC-7 Turbo-Trainers and Hawks; Bateen air base with the Transport Wing; and I Shaheen Squadron, which flies the rest of the Mirage Vs from Sharjah Airport. Central Air Command is responsible for Mindhat air base, whose units consist of III Shaheen Squadron with Hawks, the Flying Training Academy with SF.260s, MB.326s, and MB.339s, and the Trans port Squadron. Delivery of Mirage 2000s was due to begin in September 1986 but has been repeat edly delayed by difficulties with the integration of US equipment into a French aircraft. United States United States Air Force Responsible for two legs of the USA's nuclear triad, the USAF is updating its ICBM and bomber forces, by the introduction of new equipment and by the modernisation of in-service assets. Fifty MEM-118 Peacekeeper (MX) ICBMs will be deployed in Minuteman silos by the end of 1988, while another 50 will even tually be allocated to the rail-garrison system which is under development. Meanwhile, research and development on a small, mobile ICBM con tinues, with initial operating clearance scheduled for 1992. Fifty Minuteman II ICBMs are being upgraded to Minuteman III standard, and half the 600-strong force now have Mirvs with three inde pendently targeted Mk.12 warheads. The USAF operates seven ICBM wings. A total of 1,500 of the present-generation ALCMs is being deployed on B-52Gs and Hs, to be followed by the Advanced Cruise Missile (ACM) being developed by Convair. Delivery has taken place of 100 Rock well B-lBs, which are operational at four bases: Dyess, Texas; Ellsworth, South Carolina; Grand Forks, North Dakota; and McConnell, Kansas. Initially the B-lBs will be used in the penetration role, until relieved by the Northrop B-2 from about 1992. The B-lBs will then be used as stand-off cruise missile launchers, taking over from B-52Hs, which in turn will displace B-52Gs. As the first of 132 B-2s begins to enter service, the FB-111 force will be reassigned to Tactical Air Command, and re-designated F-lllGs. The last part of the USAF's nuclear strategic force is the ground- launched cruise missile (GLCM). Units in Britain, Sicily, and the Netherlands are being withdrawn following the INF treaty signed with the USSR earlier in 1988. In the air defence of the continental USA, F-15s have replaced F-106s and are replacing F-4 Phan toms. The Air National Guard mans ten of the 15 AD squadrons. The USAF's new dual-role fighter, the F-15E, first flew in December 1986, and 392 are required to replace F-4s and augment F-llls in the interdiction role, while supporting the F-l 5s in air defence. The multimission F-l6 is becoming the USAF's primary ground attack aircraft and final procurement of all versions could still exceed 2,700 with more than 2,000 already funded. In October 1986 Northrop lost the contest between its F-20 and the F-16 for the Air Defence Fighter contract, which will be a modified version of the F-16A for service from 1989. The USAF has also selected the Atars-carrying RF-16C to replace its RF-4C Phantom fleet from 1993. The next step is the Advanced Tactical Fighter, which is scheduled to attain IOC in 1995/96 on current plans. Two prototypes, the Lockheed YF-22 and Northrop YF-23, will be built and a competitive fly-off undertaken to determine which aircraft goes into production. About 1,000 ATFs will be bought between 1995 and 2010. Several manufacturers have responded to a request for information on 1990s close air support and battle field interdiction aircraft. A version of the F-16, dubbed A-16, is still favoured by the USAF, but new designs are also under study. Two YA-7F (A-7 Plus) prototype conversions were authorised in late 1986, and a decision on the conversion of the rest of the A-7D/K inventory will be taken in 1989. The USAF's current airlift system blends active- duty USAF, ANG, and Air Force Reserve (AFRES) units together with the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF). Although the active-duty Military Airlift Command (MAC) is the backbone of the cargo effort, the Air Reserve Forces provide about 50 per cent of the strategic airlift capability with the C-5, C-141, and KC-10 Associate Reserve Programme, and 58 per cent of the tactical airlift capability with the AFRES and ANG C-130 units. More than half of the C-130s are assigned to AFRES and ANG units. An Airlift Improvement Programme (AIP) aims to increase airlift capability from 32 • 4 million ton- miles a day to 66 million ton-miles a day, in three ways. The first is better use of current assets, and the C-5A's wings have been strengthened to increase service life to 30,000hr. A similar programme will see reworked C-130B/E Hercules flying well into the next century. The second step is procurement of additional aircraft. A total of 50 C-5Bs have been bought, with the first delivered in 1986. The McDonnell-Douglas C-17, of which 210 are required, will be able to operate in the outsize cargo role as well as in the tactical role, and will replace some C-130s and some C-141s from 1992 onwards. The small transport fleet is also being rejuve nated with the introduction into service of the C-20A Gulfstream III, replacing the C-140B Jetstar VIP aircraft. CT-39 Sabreliner operational support aircraft (OSA) are being retired because of fuel inefficiency. To replace the CT-39s, the USAF initially leased, but has now purchased, 40 King Air 200s (C-12F) and 84 Learjet 35As (C-21A). Six HS.125-800s were ordered in April 1988 to fulfil the USAF's C-FIN requirement. Following the cancellation of the T-46A NGT programme, the USAF produced a training road- map which calls for a T-37 service life extension programme (SLEP) and procurement of T-37 and T-38 replacements in the late-1990s. The service will also need up to 215 business jets, bought off the shelf, as tanker transport training system (TTTS) aircraft. Student pilots screened for large jets will then be streamed after 85hr of basic flying training, and will complete 112- 5hr on the TTTS trainer before operational type conversion commences. The aggressor squadrons are being re-equipped with F-l6s; some F-5E/Fs have already been exported. Strategic Air Command (SAC) maintains the USAF nuclear deterrent of seven ICBM wings and a manned bomber force. The latter comes under the 8th Air Force, with headquarters at Barksdale AFB, Louisana, and the 15th Air Force at March AFB, California. SAC has 11 B-52 wings and four B-1B wings. The B-52 force comprises B-52Gs, with Sram and electro-optical viewing systems, and ALCM-carrying B-52Hs. Each bomber wing has its own KC-135 Stratotankers drawn from 35 squadrons (including AFRES and ANG) with some 640 aircraft. The KC-lOs, although operated by SAC, spend much of their time supporting The B-1B will be joined by the B-2 in 1992 80 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL, 3 December 1988
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