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Aviation History
1996
1996 - 0070.PDF
US Navy takes first upgraded E-2C Hawkeye THE US NAVY has accepted the first Northrop Grum man Group I E-2C Hawkeye upgraded to the Group II config uration. The modernisation pro gramme gives the early-warning aircraft significantly more tar get-processing automation. The US aircraft builder is working under three USN con tracts, worth $135 million, to upgrade 12 Hawkeyes, with the final aircraft scheduled to be fin ished in mid-1997. The upgrade includes a new- mission computer which is lighter and smaller than the existing one, but more powerful. • USA wants Ecuadorean Kfir deliveries delayed ISRAEL MAY RECONSIDER plans to sell eight Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) Kfir fighters to Ecuador following intervention by the US Government. Wash ington has acted after a request from Peru, which believes that the deal could damage peace talks with Ecuador. The $40 million deal was con cluded in late December, following approval by the USA. The Clinton Administration has now asked Israel more questions about the deal. Four Kfirs are ready for immediate delivery. The other four have to still to be overhauled after being stored for more than a year. Ecuador purchased 12 Kfirs in 1981. Those aircraft, from the Israeli air force inventory, were overhauled by IAI. The new deal will also involve overhaul and a basic upgrade to be performed by IAI. Israel had to ask for US approval to sell the aircraft, because the Kfir is powered by the General Electric J79. Ecuador and Peru were en gaged in an undeclared war early in 1995 over territory. Ecuador already has one of the best-equipped air forces in Latin America, boasting a fleet of Dassault Mirage Els and Kfir interceptors, backed up by Sepe- cat Jaguars, British Aerospace Strikemasters and Cessna A-37s. Peru also has a large air force, incorporating Dassault Mirage 2000s and Mirage Vs, and Sukhoi Su-20s and Su-22s. • lWaliWE' No more nuclear missions for Mirage IVP French air force phases out its Mirage IVP nuclear bombers THE FRENCH AIR FORCE is withdrawing its Dassault Mirage IV nuclear-bomber fleet from service in July — 32 years after the aircraft entered service. The air force will use Dassault Mirage 2000s in the nuclear role and, later, Dassault Rafales. Altogether, 62 Mirage IV bombers have been in operational service with the air force. The most recent version is the Mirage IVP (for deep penetration), armed with a 3,000t ASMP (air-sol moyenne portee) nuclear missile. There are 16 Mirage IVPs still in service, eight each at the Caz- aux and Mont de Marsan air bases in south-west France. All 16 will be phased out of nuclear service by 31 July. Five Mirage IVPs will be kept on for the photographic-reconnais sance and electronic-warfare role. By 2005, the air force hopes to use the Rafale combat aircraft as a nuclear bomber, possibly with a new nuclear cruise missile. The Mirage 2000N nuclear bomber continues in service carrying the ASMP. The Rafale is expected to go into service at the same time as France phases out the Plateau d'Albion-based nuclear-missile site. • First two Netherlands Chinooks are delivered to Soesterberg THE ROYAL Netherlands Air Force has taken delivery of the first two of 13 Boeing CH-47D Chinooks destined for use by 298 Sqn at the Soesterberg air base. The first seven helicopters are former Canadian air force CH-47Cs updated to the "D" stan dard. The Netherlands version is to be equipped with a Honeywell full glass-cockpit with systems such as a flight-management system and electronic flight-instrumentation system. The other five ex-Canadian Chinooks will be operational by the middle of the year, and the remain ing six new helicopters will be deliv ered in 1998-9. The deal is valued at DF1 880 million ( $543 million). Delivery of the first Chinooks heralds the start of a major re vamping of Netherlands helicopter capabilities. Delivery to 300 Sqn, Dutch Chinook sports full glass cockpit also at Soesterberg, of the first of 17 Eurocopter Cougar Mk2s will take place in May. The Chinooks and Cougars are tasked primarily to support the Netherlands Air Mobile Brigade, allowing Aero spatiale Alouette Ills to be phased out. Later in the decade, the service will start to take delivery of 30 McDonnell Douglas NAH-64D attack helicopters. • The Air Force has taken delivery of a used Gulfstream GUI to start replacing three VIP Fokker F2 7s. Q First Chinook delivery kicks off start ofNetherlands helicopter revamp 16 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 10 - 16 January 1996
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