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Aviation History
1992
1992 - 1437.PDF
DEFENCE TBM.700 JOINS FRENCH AIR FORCE The French air force transport command has taken delivery of two Socata TBM.700 trainer/liaison aircraft. The Aerospatiale subsidiary expects to supply a further four by the end of the year. The air force hopes to acquire 35 of the six-seaters over the next few years to replace the 50 Morane Saulnier MS760 Paris aircraft still in service. Socata is also trying to sell the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT 6-A64-powered aircraft to the TJS Army and Navy for liaison work. Chairman Alain Aubry says if Socata wins the deal "...we will have to find an American partner" to assemble the TBM.700 in the USA. Mooney Aircraft is about to sell Socata its 30% stake in the project. Red tape grounds the CIS in Latvia Latvia has announced rules restricting operations of CIS air force aircraft based in the newly independent Baltic state, which would effectively ground the air force if it complies. The Latvian rules call for per mission for each flight to be sought at least 30 days in ad vance. A request to the Latvian defence ministry would specify the planned mission, flight pro file, aircraft type, airfield charac teristics and all radio frequencies to be used. Latvia is also de manding an inspection of the airbase before each flight is cleared, and a special licence would need to be issued before the flight could go ahead. Latvia's attempt to tie down the air force with red tape fol lows the Russians' refusal to NEWS IN BRIEF BEECH SURVEILLANCE The Royal Malaysian Air Force has ordered four Beechcraft King Air B200Ts for coastal surveil lance work (Flight International, 11-17 September). The aircraft will be delivered in the first half of 1994. Hawker Pacific, the local Beechcraft distributor, will provide the support package. The aircraft will be fitted with a search radar, forward-looking infra-red and a global position ing satellite update capability. comply with a Latvian request, made during recent talks be tween the two countries, to withdraw their troops immedi ately. Russia says it wants to remain for several years as it has strategic interests in the region. • The Moldavian Government warned on 24 May that it may take action against aircraft in truding into its airspace, follow ing increasing tension in the Trans-Dnestriya region of the Black Sea state, which has also gained independence recently. Prior permission for all flights in Moldavian airspace must now be obtained from the ministry of defence. The Government has warned that "...all unauthorised flights will be terminated". Moldavia has 34 Mikoyan MiG-29 Fulcrums, which be longed to the 86th Fighter Wing of the Black Sea Fleet's 119th Air Division. So far, all the pilots have refused to take a Moldavian military oath, although some may change their minds. Moldavian defence minister Gen Kostash says: "We probably don't need so many fighters, so we are investigating opportuni ties to exchange some MiG-29s for combat helicopters." After Russia refused an ex change, it is believed that Moldavia asked neighbouring Romania for 80-100 gunship and transport helicopters in return for the MiGs. • USAF completes its re-organisation BY MIKE GAINES The US Air Force has com pleted its second phase of re-organisation. The main flying commands, Strategic Air Com mand, Tactical Air Command and Military Airlift Command, were replaced with a new force structure on 1 June. With the exception of special forces aircraft, which go to the US Special Operations Force, all USAF combat aircraft now come under Air Combat Command (ACC). The nuclear strike mis sion, fulfilled by B-52s, B-ls and intercontinental ballistic mis siles, now come under US Strate gic Command, as do US Navy ballistic-missile submarines. The aircraft, however, are controlled by Air Combat Command. All strategic transports, as well as most of the tactical transports, are assigned to Air Mobility Command (AMC). Ma teriel Command, formed in Oc tober 1991 as the first phase of the re-organisation, integrates Logistics Command and Systems Command. Intelligence Com mand remains a separate entity. USAF Chief of Staff Gen Mer rill McPeak says the re-organ isation was driven by budget cuts and a change in the USAF's perceived mission since the end of the Cold War. "The air force hit a budget peak in 1985. We're seven years into a sharp budget reduction; our total dollars on a real basis have shrunk something like 40% in that time. Our strength hit a peak in 1986 and we're down now 24% from there, with an other 6% or so reduction to follow," says McPeak. ACC will include two Com posite Wings to provide a global rapid-strike capability. At Pope AFB, North Carolina, the 23rd Wing, "The Flying Tigers", will work with the Army's 82nd Air borne Division as an air/ground rapid-reaction team. The 23rd will have F-16s, A-lOs and C-130s to create what McPeak describes as "this country's pre mier forcible entry capability". A second composite unit, the 366th Air Wing, "The Gunfight- ers", will be based at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho. The unit will have tankers, E-3 AWACS, F- 15C fighters, F-15Es for inter diction and F-16 fighter bombers, and "will probably be assigned B-l bombers" in future, says McPeak. "The 366th will operate as the initial force of a deployment, to bring all the capabilities you need into the theatre at once, to give you a start on air defence, air offense, air control, tankers and so forth," he says. • AC-130 Spectre gunships are the only combat type not assigned to ACC FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 10 - 16 June. 1992 21
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