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Aviation History
1993
1993 - 2131.PDF
DEFENCE Production Havoc approved by Russian army BY ALEXANDER VELOVICH IN MOSCOW R ussia's long-running pro gramme to replace the Mil Mi-24 Hind helicopter in the attack role has taken a further twist, with a Government com mitment to put the Mi-28 Havoc into series production. Mil lost the competition originally in a "fly-off" against Kamov with its Ka-50 Hokum. Mil, however, has continued to pursue a production order, ap parently successfully. The decision, reported in a weekly Russian Ministry of De fence paper, was made at "gov ernment level". The debate over choosing the Ka-50 centres on it being a single-seat attack helicopter. This places a considerable workload on the pilot, whereas the Mi-28 has a more conven tional, two-seat, configuration. Mil now seems to have con vinced the Russian army at least to make both types of helicopter operational. Col Gen Vladimir Semenov, commander-in-chief of the Russian land forces, is quoted as saying: 'We will not be able to get along without this ma chine [the Mi-28]." Semenov adds: 'Also, it is extremely important for us to keep and modernise combat helicopters which are now in service, as well as successfully complete the development of the Mil Mi-40 airborne-combat vehicle for paratroopers." The latter, which draws on some of the technology devel oped for the Havoc, is yet another Russian project which exists only on paper. Despite this, Mil remains convinced that the prototype will be ready by mid-to-late 1995. The main limitation of the Mi-28 is its mission-systems suite. This is restricted to day light operations only, although a forward-looking infra-red sys tem and low-light television are also planned. Mark Vainberg, Mil general designer, says that the first all-weather-capable Havoc is scheduled to be flown during The Havoc may see Russian service, as could the Mi-40 (inset) Northrop/Embraer agree JPATS deal Northrop and Brazilian manufacturer Embraer have formalised their agree ment to offer the Brazilian manufacturer's uprated EMB- 312H Super Tucano for the US Air Force/Navy Joint Primary Aircrew Training System (JPATS) requirement. Under their agreement, if the Super Tucano is selected, Em braer will manufacture the airframe and landing gear while Northrop will assemble the air craft and install the engine, avionics and ejection seats. This workshare will result in an aircraft which has 80% US content by value, according to Northrop. Other JPATS con tenders Beech/Pilatus (PC-9 Mkll), Lockheed/ Aermacchi (MB.339 T-Bird II) and Vought/ FAMA (Pampa 2000) have pro posed shifting the manufacture of their aircraft to the USA to increase the domestic content. The second Embraer-built Super Tucano prototype was scheduled to fly in Brazil at the end of August, joining the first prototype, which flew in May. These aircraft will be shipped to Northrop, to take part in the JPATS flight demonstration, which is now expected to take place early in 1994. The fly-off had been ex pected to begin in October, posing problems for Cessna, whose JPATS Citationjet — the only all-US design in the com petition — will not be ready until March 1994. The final request for proposals is now expected in February 1994, with the fly-off beginning soon after. Contract award is sched uled for December 1994. Also competing for the JPATS contract are Grumman/ Agusta (S.211A) and Rockwell/ Deutsche Aerospace (Ranger 2000). Promavia continues to talk to potential US partners, promising to have two Mikoyan-built ATTA-3000 prototypes ready in time for the fly-off. Boeing has indicated that it is also interested in competing for the contract. • Cadmus of Northfield, Illi nois is offering the Polish PZL- 130TC Turbo-Orlik, with a 710kW (950shp) Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-62A turboprop engine for the JPATS requirement. President Philip Coleman says that the aircraft will be pressurised, if required, and would be built in Warsaw with 70% US content. • the first quarter of 1995. The Havoc's main armament comprises a 30mm chin- mounted cannon and AT-6 Spi ral anti-tank missiles. The helicopter may also be fitted with the Vikhr laser-guided anti-tank missile. • Israel/Singapore team for Turkish F-5 upgrade bid Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) and Elbit have teamed with Singapore Aerospace to bid for a $250 million contract to up grade 50 Turkish air force Northrop F-5s. The agreement covers only the Turkish contract, attempts by the two Israeli companies to form a joint company to bid for worldwide upgrade contracts having failed so far. Romania switched from IAI to Elbit as prime contractor for the upgrade of 100 Mikoyan MiG-21s earlier this year, prompting efforts by the Israeli defence ministry to force IAI and Elbit into setting up the joint company, called Up grading International. The Turkish F-5 upgrade being offered by the team is based largely on the IAI F-5 Plus package. This offering includes new avionics, a pulse-Doppler look- down/shoot-down radar, a fully integrated electronic-warfare system and an advanced iner- tial-navigation system. A similar package is the basis for the upgrade of Chilean air force F-5Es, now under way by IAI, in co-operation with Chile's ENAER. Other contenders for the Turkish contract are believed to be Northrop/AlliedSignal, Deutsche Aerospace/Fokker/ Sierra Research, Rockwell In ternational/Bristol Aerospace and GEC Marconi/Sogerma. Turkey operates more than 135 F-5A/Bs, of which the lat est additions are 60 NF-5s for merly belonging to the Royal Netherlands Air Force. • 14 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 1 - 7 September, 1993
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