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Aviation History
1995
1995 - 1176.PDF
HEADLINES Israel offers missiles to UK DOUGLAS BARRIE/LONDON TSRAEL AND THE UK XMinistry of Defence (MoD) have held discussions on two highly sensitive missile pro grammes, with at least one mis sile being offered to the Royal Air Force. Senior MoD officials from the UK's ballistic-missile-defence re search programme are understood to have visited Israel recendy to be briefed on its Arrow system. The UK has under way a fund ed British Aerospace-led pro gramme examining possible ballistic-missile defence architec tures. As well as die Arrow, die UK MoD has also been briefed on the Rafael Python 4 short-range infra red (IR)-guided missile. Whitehall sources say that Israel has tentatively offered to supply a limited number of the missiles as an interim fit for some of the RAF's front-line combat aircraft until the BAe Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM) enters service around die turn of the century. The RAF, like other air forces, is concerned about the perceived gulf in performance between even late-model AIM-9 Sidewinder IR-guided missiles and the latest generation of Russian IR-guided missile, the Vympel R-73 (AA-11 Archer). The R-73 is being offered for export as the standard short- range IR-guided missiles on Russian combat aircraft. It is understood, however, diat, while die Python 4 marks a great improvement over die AIM-9, tJiere is no funding available for even a limited procurement. Some sources also suggest that the RAF would be unlikely to push for a Python 4 procure ment, in case it undermines sup port for the ASRAAM. Although die UK has delayed indefinitely its medium surface-to-air missile pro gramme, die requirement for a mobile ballistic-missile-defence system still exists. In part, diis is being driven by die perceived need to be able to protect ground forces operating "out-of-area" against attack by Scud-type short-range ballistic missiles. • USA/Russia optimistic on bilateral US AND RUSSIAN aviation officials are confident of reaching agreement on the first certification bilateral between the two nations by mid-1996, signifi cantly easing development prob lems which direaten several joint ventures. US Federal Aviation Admini stration aircraft-certification ser vice director Tom McSweeney says diat the latest meetings with the Russian Department of Air Transportation's (DAT) Air Registry (AR) in early April "...were the best programme reviews we've had". He adds that "...notable progress was made par ticularly on the Ilyushin 11-103". The FAA and AR hope that, by concentrating first on a relatively simple aircraft project such as the 11-103 —a primary-training and general-aviation five-seater — then more complex types such as the Antonov An-38,11-96M and Tupolev Tu-204 will be easier to encompass within the bilateral. "Procedural things have to be arranged before you can move onto bigger types like the 11-96," says McSweeney. The bilateral will initially cover US Federal Aviation Rules (FAR) Part 23 cer tification before expanding to cover air-transport categories. Despite the apparent good progress now being made, the bilateral for air-transport aircraft is likely to be at least two years further off, says McSweeney. Even at the current rate of progress, the agreement of the FAR Part 23 certification bilat eral will be at least two years behind original projections. Ilyushin gave the go-ahead for the 11-103 programme in 1990, assuming that interna tional deliveries of the trainer could begin in 1994 with certifi cation to FAR Part 23. • Qantas: en route for confrontation over fifth-freedom rights Australia heads for Hong Kong dispute PAUL PHELAN/CAIRNS HONG KONG AND Australia are heading for confrontation over Qantas fifth- freedom rights from Hong Kong to Singapore and Bangkok. The Australian carrier has built a sub stantial market network, using the three Asian destinations as hubs for services to Europe, and for tourism products within Asia. On 20 April, Hong Kong issued a new operating permit, effective from 1 July and valid until October, imposing a 50% limit on Qantas fifth-freedom traffic on the carrier's "Golden Triangle" routes. This replaces the current permit, due to have expired on 30April. "The mix of traffic is inconsis tent with the guiding principles set out in the Air Services Agreement between Hong Kong and Australia and we drew this to the attention of the Australian authorities in May 1994," says Hong Kong. "The aim is to encourage Qantas to carry more through passengers, to and from Australia, on these services. It is now necessary to impose the condition because of the failure by Australia at recent negotia tions to agree to a reduction in the proportion of fifth freedom traffic," it continues. Qantas managing director James Strong insists that his air line's market share on the routes is 5-6%. He adds: "Cathay enjoys virtually unrestricted rights to carry Australians any where, but simultaneously wants to limit severely the number of passengers we can take from Australia via Hong Kong to other destinations." Australian transport minister Laurie Brereton claims that there is nothing in the Air Services Agreement which allows Hong Kong to impose such a restric tion. "While the Government is prepared to consider holding fur ther discussions widi Hong Kong on this issue, it is not helpful to go into talks with such a threat over the airline. In the circum stances, Australia intends to approve Cathay Pacific's current services to Australia only up to 30 June, 1995," he says. • NEWS IN BRIEF • MALAYSIAN MIG'S DEPART The first two Mikoyan MiG- 29 Fulcrum fighters for the Royal Malaysian Air Force left Moscow on 21 April. The aircraft, along with spares and support equipment, were shipped on a Volga-Dnepr Antonov An-124 destined for Kuantan air base in Malaysia. FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 26 April - 2 May 1995 5
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