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Aviation History
1990
1990 - 0066.PDF
OPERATIONS: DEFENCE Japan to raise 1990 defence spending 61% The Japanese Government has authorised a ¥4,000 billion ($27 billion) 1990 defence budget—a 6.1% increase over the 1989 figure. The 1990 budget completes the current five-year plan which has concentrated on a build-up of front-line equipment; the next five-year plan will concentrate largely on improvements in sup port, iogistics and infrastructure. The Government has authorised procurement of 100 of the 112 aircraft requested from 1990 funding. The Japan Air Self-Defence Force will buy ten F-15C/D Eagle interceptors, two E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft, 19 Ka wasaki T-4 intermediate trainers, one U-125 (BAe 125) flight checker and two CH-47J Chi- nooks. Two UH-60J Black Hawks will also be bought, for search and rescue. In addition, the ser vice will update 20 F-4EJ Phantoms. The Maritime Self-Defence Force will purchase eight anti submarine warfare P-3C Orions, two LC-90 liaison aircraft, 11 SH-60J Seahawks (for ship-based ASW) and seven T-5 basic train ers. The Ground Self-Defence Force is authorised to buy eight AH-IS Cobra anti-tank heli copters, eight UH-1H utility heli copters, five CH-47J Chinooks and 15 OH-6D Cayuse scouts. Research and development totals ¥103 billion, or 2.5% of total defence funding. Funds in clude ¥34.6 billion for the FS-X next-generation fighter. • NEWS IN BRIEF SEA EAGLE ORDERS The UK Ministry of Defence has placed a follow-on order worth £37 million with British Aerospace Dynamics for an undisclosed number of Sea Eagle anti-submarine missiles. The turbojet-powered missile has a range in excess of 100km (62nm) and is in service on Royal Air Force Buccaneers and Royal Navy Sea Harriers. France poised for Tucano order The French Government is ex pected to sign a contract with Embraer of Brazil within the next few days for 50 EMB-312 Tucano trainers to replace Fouga CM. 170 Magisters. The deal will bring to an end two years of negotiation between the two parties. The contract includes an option for a further 25 Tucanos worth FFr720 million ($120 mil lion) and provides for early delivery, with all 50 in service by the end of 1994. The aircraft will have strengthened wings, and navigation aids will be supplied by Thomson-CSF instead of the standard, US-built King Avionics equipment. The deal is seen as a quid pro quo for the Brazilians election in 1989 of 36 Aerospatiale SA.365K Dauphins and 16 HP.350 Ecureuil helicopters for the Army and 30 Ecureuils for the Navy. The Ecureuils and ten of the Dauphins are being built in Brazil by state-owned Helibras. The French Air Force's train ing chain will be the Epsilon for basic, transitioning via Tucano to the Alpha Jet. • Tucano will complete the air force training line-up, coming between the Epsilon (lead) and Alpha Jet (foreground) RAAF extends British aircrew recruiting campaign The Royal Australian Air Force's UK recruiting drive is proving cost-effective and is to continue until June. The service started the scheme to redress an aircrew and engineer shortage. Since the drive started last July, the London-based recruit ing officer has received 50 applications. Of these, the first has been accepted by the service and 12 applications are being reviewed. The present London-based recruiting officer, Wg Cdr Alan Tarry, says that the exercise has proved worthwhile. "If you com pare the cost of training a pilot, for instance, with the cost of sending me here for six months, then we only need to recruit one to make it cost-effective. We have done that, and there are more applicants being processed, so it has been worth it. We are not just looking for pilots; we are also taking on navigators, en gineers, air traffic controllers and supply officers. I must emphasise Situations vacant—piiots wanted to fly RAAF aircraft like the F-18 that we are only interested in people that have either just left the UK forces or have already decided to do so. I am very aware of the Royal Air Force's sensitiv ities in this area, and we are not actively poaching." Applicants must have recent and relevant experience, be medically fit and be willing to take Australian na tionality, although their families need not do so. The recruiting drive is a direct result of experi enced pilots and other staff leav ing the service for better-paid airline jobs. • CI inUT rMTTDM ATIAM AI 1 1 ~i 1
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