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Aviation History
1997
1997 - 0016.PDF
DEFENCE Crewed... UK funds Tornado replacement study DOUGLAS BARRIE/LONDON THE UK MINISTRY of Defence (MoD) is to launch the feasibility study for the replace ment of its Panavia Tornado GR4s. The French defence ministry is also funding elements of the pro ject in a clear indication that it has an embryonic requirement for a strike aircraft to complement the Dassault Rafale. The MoD has secured £35 mil lion ($57 million) for the feasibility study into what is now called the Future Offensive Air System (FOAS) - previously known as the Future Offensive Aircraft (FOA). The name change was in part a response to UK Treasury concerns that "Aircraft" was too prescrip tive. The study launch was delayed by Treasury scrutiny of the project. The £6 million Anglo-French element of the study is described as a "... technology-demonstration programme to permit computer modelling of weapons systems". This part of the study will model possible air-vehicle and weapons configurations across a broad spec trum of options. While pre-feasibility studies into the FOA considered only crewed platforms, the FOAS study will look at the possibility of using unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) as well as widebody aircraft acting as cruise-missile launch platforms. While the MoD stresses that it is keeping an open mind as to what the FOAS will eventually turn out to be, the Royal Air Force's prefer ence is likely to be for a crewed air craft. With the GR4 to be replaced around 2015, there is concern that uncrewed air-technologies will lack the desired maturity for the long-range strike role. With a maximum RAF require ment of 200 "aircraft", the FOAS will almost certainly emerge as a collaborative programme. European and US collaborative options are being explored. Preliminary approaches have been made to the UK's Eurofighter part ners: Germany, Italy and Spain, while the MoD could also opt for a US programme. Alongside next-generation low- observable (LO) designs, the MoD will also look at modifying the Eurofighter EF2000, to increase its range/payload and improve its LO characteristics. Other off-the- shelf options include purchasing a strike derivative of the Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-2 2 or a variant of .and cruise options will be considered the Joint Strike Fighter. The study will also look at a "synthetic-cock pit environment" where the canopy would, at least temporarily, become opaque, with the crew relying on electro-optic and radio- frequency sensors. This is being considered because of the increas ing threat of laser weaponry as an anti-air system. Beyond this, the study will also consider the possibilities of remotely crewed air vehicles. This would either be from a dedicated ground station, or from another aircraft, such as a Boeing E-3 air borne warning and control system. The feasibility study is expected to run until around 1999-2000, fol lowing which the MoD will deter mine which procurement path to follow. If a LO design were chosen, it is likely that this would result in a technology-demonstrator pro gramme along the lines of the Ex perimental Aircraft Programme, which fed into the EF2000. • NEWS IN BRIEF • DEFENDER SUCCESS The Irish Garda (police) is to become the first operator of the Pi Lit us Britten-Norman Defender 4000 surveillance aircraft. The new aircraft will be fitted with a variety of sen sors, including television and infra-red, and may be used in the counter-terrorist role. The Irish police expect to receive the aircraft in the middle of 1997. • C-101 RETURNED France's SAGEM has deliv ered the first upgraded CASA CI01 Halcon II to the Chilean air force. Brazil chooses Elbit for AL-X avionics ELBIT HAS BEEN selected to supply the mission avionics for Brazil's AL-X light-attack aircraft now under development. The Israeli company beat off competition from France's Sextant Avionique and GEC-Marconi of the UK for the contract, which is now being negotiated, according to engineering director Luis Car los Affonso. Embraer received a Brazilian air force contract in 1995 to develop the AL-X variant of the EMB-314 Super Tucano Turboprop trainer in two versions: the single seat A-2 9 and two-seat A-2 9 light-attack/ advanced-trainer aircraft. Elbit will supply equipment including the mission computer, the head-up and head-down dis plays and navigation and stores- management systems. Affonso says that AlliedSignal and Rockwell- Collins have been shortlisted to provide commercial avionics for the AL-X. Embraer has built two AL-X prototypes, which are beingused to clear the external-stores configura tions planned for the aircraft, and which will have five hardpoints. Both aircraft will be equipped with Elbit mission avionics for flight testing to begin in late 1997 or early in 1998. The Israeli company has guar anteed the Brazilian air force access to the avionics-software source codes, a requirement which dis couraged US contractors from bid ding for the contract, Affonso believes. Embraer's decision in favour of Elbit places the Israeli company in a strong position to win the Brazilian air force Northrop F-5 avionics-upgrade competition, which the manufacturer, as local prime contractor, expects to con duct in 1997. Affonso says that Embraer ex pects to receive a production con tract for 100 AL-Xs in 1997, leading to first deliveries of the air craft in 1998. The AL-Xs will be used for border patrol and ad vanced training, replacing Aer- macchi MB-326 jet trainers built under licence by Embraer. • FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 1 - 7 January 1997
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