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Aviation History
1992
1992 - 0063.PDF
DEFENCE Smart tank killer passes USAF tests Aproduction decision on the US Air Force's sensor-fuzed weapon (SFW) is expected early next month, following the smart anti-tank weapon's "outstand ing" performance in initial oper ational test and evaluation (IOT&E), says manufacturer Textron Defense Systems. The US Defense Acquisition Board will meet in the first week of February to clear the SFW for low-rate initial production. The USAF wants to buy 16,000 weapons, but Textron considers 10,000 a more likely total. The CBU-97/B SFW is a SUU- 64/B tactical munitions dis penser which releases ten BLU- 108/B submunitions. Each submunition deploys four Skeet smart projectiles, each with an infra-red sensor which, when it detects a target, explodes the warhead to fire a molten metal penetrator down on to the tank. Tests have shown that 25% of projectiles engage targets, mean ing that one dispenser can cover up to ten targets. IOT&E high lights include single dispensers scoring seven hits on six targets and nine hits on seven targets. This effectiveness has overcome Air Force concern about the cost of weapon, at some $150,000, is about twice that of the "one shot, one target" AGM-65 Mav erick missile. If, as expected, the USAF joins the US Navy's advanced interdic tion weapon system (AIWS) pro gramme, it will use the SFW submunition in the air-launched stand-off weapon being develop ed by Texas Instruments (Flight International, 18-24 December, 1991). Textron says the AIWS can carry six BLU-108/Bs, giving a total of 24 Skeet projectiles. • BAe and Hercules in Maverick team talks BY SIMON ELLIOTT British Aerospace is holding preliminary talks with US defence contractor Hercules, about teaming on a millimetre- wave (MMW) guided variant of the AGM-65 Maverick air-to- surface missile. The missile could form the basis of a BAe response to the UK Ministry of Defence's (MoD's) resurrected requirement for an air-launched anti-tank weapon, roughly equating to Staff Requirement (Air) 1238, for deployment on Royal Air Force Harrier GR.5/GR.7s and Tornado GR.4s. EFS bidder protest could slow award BY GRAHAM WARWICK IN ATLANTA Alast-minute protest from an unidentified bidder could delay award of the US Air Force's 120-aircraft Enhanced Flight Screener (EFS) contract. The award was expected in Feb ruary but the protest, lodged at the end of December, could delay it until early March. The USAF, which has until mid-January to respond to the protest, refuses to identify the disgruntled bidder or its grounds for complaint. One of the contenders identified the protesting company as Pacific Aerospace, which is offering the CT4E Airtrainer, but the New Zealand-based company denied it was involved. The service has yet to request best and final offers from bid ders, leading to speculation that contract award will be delayed. Mooney Aircraft is known to be unhappy with the EFS bid ding rules, but says it has not lodged a protest. The company says a USAF stipulation that, at the time of contract award, con tenders must have aerobatic cer tification — but not necessarily US — favours foreign competi tors. The US-based company cannpt afford to certificate its contender, the Mooney EFS, without winning the competi- The CT4E should be certificated for aerobatics later this month tion, and has submitted a non- compliant bid, says president Jacques Esculier. Other bidders include: Sabre- liner, with a version of the Italian Agusta SF.260 called the S.260E; Schweizer, offering a lo cally-built version of the Swed ish Saab Safari; Switzerland's FAA, with its AS.202 Bravo; and the UK's Slingsby Aviation, teaming with Northrop to offer its T.67M-200 Firefly. Pacific Aerospace has com pleted certification flight-testing of its Airtrainer. The company expects New Zealand aerobatic certification before the end of January. If selected for EFS, CT4E final assembly and logistic support would be performed by Aircraft Acquisitions (AAC) of West Virginia. PAC teamed up with AAC, a US company which in 1989 ac quired the rights to build Tay- lorcraft light aircraft, after Lockheed withdrew as its part ner in the project. According to Pacific Aero space's sales manager, Bob, Geer, Lockheed (which is a Share holder in the company) decided its involvement in assembly and support would make the CT4E too expensive. • Hughes, which along with Raytheon builds the AGM-65, says that it is also active on the UK requirement. The company, which is developing its own MMW Maverick, says: "We have been making presentations to the UK MoD, and have described to them the results of our demon stration programme to date. We think the MMW Maverick is an ideal solution to the task." The MoD contacted a number of contractors at the end of last year to collect information on potential systems for its require ment, including Marconi De fence Systems with Brimstone, Hunting with SWAARM, and Alenia with Skyshark. The two MMW Mavericks would bring the contenders to at least five. Hercules confirms that it has developed a MMW seeker for Maverick. The work is partially funded under the Pentagon's Bal anced Technology Initiative, but is largely a private venture. If BAe and Hercules team up it is unclear where the Maverick airframes will come from, as Hercules is only developing a seeker. Hughes says it is not supplying airframes for the UK/ US team. • CASUALTIES GREECE A Hellenic air force LTV A-7H Corsair from 115 Fighter Wing, based at Souda, Crete, crashed near Leonidis in southern Greece on 6 Janu ary. The pilot did not eject and was killed. ITALY An Italian army Agusta AB.205 on ceasefire monitor ing duties was shot down by a Jugoslav air force MiG-21 near Madzarevo on 6 January. All five on board were killed by four air-to-ground rockets fired by the MiG. An AB.206 was slightly damaged when it made an emergency landing to avoid the MiGs. FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 15 - 21 January, 1992 13
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