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Aviation History
1989
1989 - 0403.PDF
Japan studies oceanic air defence options Japan is studying methods of extending its air defences to cover the sea lanes as it draws up its next five-year defence strategy plan. The Japan Defence Agency has established a Defence Power Study Committee to draw up a skeleton five-year plan, which is scheduled to start in Fiscal Year 1991. The scheme follows a 1987 study by the Ocean Air Defence Research Group. To defend the Japanese islands effectively, air-defence radar coverage needs to be improved—especially long- range, low-level coverage. The basic strategy is to install an over-the-horizon backscatter (OTH-B) radar on Iwo Jima to detect either missiles or their launch aircraft at long range. The OTH-B radar will be backed up by airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft to refine target tracking further. The targets would be engaged by flight-refuelled McDonnell Douglas F-15J Eagles, preferably before the aircraft launch their missiles. Aegis-class cruisers would be used to defend against attacks on sea-lane traffic. Under the plan the Maritime Self-Defence - A •HLwturn mm •«•> i f ^ ft r jggmnggg. £%HttiI ••' ' A-m t m \\ \ mm The JASDF is looking for a long-range AEW supplement to its E-2Cs Force is to buy the OTH-B radar, while the Air SDF will buy more F-15s, AEW aircraft, and aerial tankers. The JASDF has bought 163 F-15s for seven 18-aircraft units, and another 28 will be purchased to bring squadrons up to 22 aircraft under present expansion plans. Additional F-15s will be needed to cover the proposed deep defence plan. The JASDF operates eight Grumman E-2C Hawkeye AEW aircraft, and has plans for another five, but the oceanic air defence scenario calls for longer range and more time on station than the E-2C can offer, so the service is reviewing other AEW types available. The AEW plat form choice is closely allied to the selection of a tanker. AEW candidates include the Boeing E-3 Sentry, Lockheed P-3 Sentinel and a Lockheed C-130 Hercules variant with the E-2C radar system. Tankers under review include the Lock heed KC-130 Hercules if the AEW C-130 is selected, a Boeing KC-3J based on the E-3 airframe, and possibly a modi fied DC-10 or tanker MD-11. CASUALTIES • United States A United States Air Force Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker of the 96th Bomb Wing crashed just after take-off from Dyess AFB, Texas, on January 31. All 19 on board were killed. D United States A United States Army Bell AH-1 Cobra and a Bell OH- 58 Kiowa of the 123rd Combat Aviation Brigade collided at Fort Ord on February 1. One crewman was killed and three injured. • United States A United States Air Force General Dynamics FB-111 crashed into woods in north east Vermont on February 2. The two crew escaped. • United States Human error has been blamed for the crash of a B-1B at Ellsworth AFB last November. According to the USAF, the pilot (who ejec ted safely with the rest of the four-man crew) descended below standard altitude on the approach, striking three wooden poles, a high-voltage power line, and an approach light stanchion. The weather ceiling was slightly below minima, and the pilot was on his second approach after executing a missed approach. Bush opts for no-growth defence budget President Bush last week settled a major policy question in his new administration by opting for no real increase in the FY1990 defence budget. This means that significant cuts will have to be made in the $315-2 billion Reagan budget submitted earlier this year, which asked for a 2 per cent increase (after inflation) for the next four years. Bush has yet to reveal precise details of his defence spending plans. One of his easiest options is to cut the amount requested for the Strategic Defence Initiative, for which Reagan wanted a 41 per cent spending increase next year. Reducing SDI funding to keep pace with inflation would provide about a third of the needed 1991 cuts. Beyond that, Bush is faced with stretching out or elimi nating altogether one or more of the major new weapons systems for which procurement money is now needed. Reagan placed high priority on introducing a series, of new-generation weap ons, creating a huge pressure on defence funding in the early 1990s. His insistence on preserving the entire list of weapons programmes in the 1990/91 budget leaves the Bush administration with tough choices if it is to retain long- term control over spending. Conventional weapons mov ing rapidly towards production in the Reagan budget include the USAF's C-17 airlifter (six to be procured in 1990, and a further ten in 1991), the Navy/ Marine Corps V-22 tiltrotor (12 in 1990, 24 in 1991), and the Navy's A-12 attack aircraft. The Army's forward area air defence system and the USAF's JSTARS battlefield surveillance and communications aircraft are also funded for production startups in 1990 and 1991. Heavy research and devel opment funding is also required for *a number of programmes, including the USAF Advanced Tactical Fighter and Army LHX light attack helicopter. Several new research and devel opment initiatives were also requested by Reagan, including a chemical warhead Nfor the Multiple Launch Rocket System, and a new medium surface-to-air missile. A further difficult question facing Bush is what to do about strategic nuclear missile basing. This week marks the deadline, set by Congress last year, for a decision on whether to proceed with the MX rail-garrison basing system, to adopt the Midgetman single-warhead road-mobile system, or adopt a mix of both. A recent report by a highly influential defence policy group (which included Brent Scow- croft, now Bush's national secu rity adviser, Sam Nunn, and Les Aspin, respectively chairmen of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees) recom mended going ahead with the road mobile system and stretch ing out strategic modernisation during the 1990s. Midgetman is not favoured by the USAF, however, because it is con siderably more expensive than road-mobile MX. Reagan also left Bush with large funding increases for "black" or classified pro grammes, details of which are withheld from Congress. FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL, 18 February 1989 9
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