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Aviation History
1997
1997 - 0069.PDF
DEFENCE UK MoD enters MALD talks GUY NORRIS/LOS ANGELES THE UK MINISTRY of Defence (MoD) is "involved in discussions" with Teledyne Ryan Aeronautical Systems and the US Defense Advanced Research Pro jects Agency (DARPA) over poten tial participation in die Miniature Air-Launched Decoy (MALD) programme. The MALD is a small, jet-pow ered unmanned air vehicle, which will be launched as a tactical decoy mostly by fighter aircraft such as the Lockheed Martin F-16 and McDonnell Douglas F-15 and F- 18. Although relatively small with only a 100mm wingspan and a total length of 360mm, the MALD gen erates the same radar image as does a full-scale aircraft. Although details of the UK's dis cussions are not known, it is possi ble that the MALD would suit the Royal Air Force's requirements to upgrade die Panavia Tornado GR4 for suppression of enemy defences. Another potential candidate air craft would be the Eurofighter EF2000. Teledyne Ryan says that "...the UK MoD seems very interested in MALD. They are involved in dis cussions towards participation in the ACTD [advanced-concept technology demonstration)] in some way." Teledyne Ryan was for mally awarded the $24.4 million ACTD contract on 5 November, which covers the construction of up to 32 MALDs over a 30-month period. "In addition, a major thrust of the ACTD effort is for Teledyne Ryan Aeronautical Systems to deliver a MALD production pro posal at the contracts end," says the San Diego, California-based com pany. The proposal will be for a MALD with a unit flyaway price of "less than, or equal to, $30,000". A core component of the MALD is the tiny 0.2kN (501b)- thrust turbojet, developed by Sundstrand Power Systems of San Diego as a follow-on to the DARPA small-engine advanced programme. Contractor flight- tests are due to be run from August-December 1998. Cus tomer flight-tests are scheduled to be run from January-April 1999. The MALD is also designed to be compatible with the Rockwell B-1B, the Joint Strike Fighter and the Lockheed Boeing F-2 2. J Chinese develop new navigation pod CHINA IS DEVELOPING a low-altitude navigation pod to provide strike aircraft with all- weather terrain following and tar get-identification capability. The 200kg Blue-Sky pod is being developed by the China Lei- hua Electronic Technology Ins titute (CLETRI), and is believed to have been test-flown already. The pod is fitted with radar and infra red sensors, with the forward-look ing infra-red (FLIR) sensor mounted above the radar antenna. CLERTI claims that the FLIR has a range of 9km (5nm), with the radar providing a 10km detection range. The pod is said to have flight clearance down to a height of 200ft (60m)The most likely candidate aircraft for the Blue Sky pod include the Chengdu JH-7 fighter-bomber aircraft, now in flight test, and the Chengdu FC-1. Alongside the low-altitude navi gation pod, China is also thought to be working on a laser-designator pod. It has already shown what it claims to be an indigenously devel oped laser-guided bomb kit. The UK's GEC-Marconi has produced a brochure on the FC-1 which shows it fitted with its Thermal Imaging Airborne Laser Designator (TIALD) as well as sev eral other avionics and defensive- aids systems. GEC admits that it does not have export clearance to provide the TIALD laser designator to China, describing the brochure as merely illustrating pieces of equip ment which, potentially, "...could become available". • FAA flights begin on C-130J US FEDERAL AVIATION Administration flight- testing of the Lockheed Martin C-l 30J Hercules 2 has begun in anticipation of civil certification in May. The company is developing the C-130J as a private venture and will use civil certification, rather than military qualification, as proof of the aircraft's air worthiness. Certification testing began in late December 1996 with an FAA flight over the Atlantic Ocean to validate calibration of the C-130J's air-data system. The next series ofFAA flights will cover the propulsion system. The C-130J is powered by digi tally controlled Rolls-Royce Allison AE2100 turbo- props driving Dowry six-blade propellers. Four C-130Js had been flown by the end of 1996 — two US Air Force "standard-body" aircraft and two Royal Air Force stretched C-l 30J-30s. NEWS IN BRIEF • B-2 CLEARANCE The Northrop Grumman B-2 stealth bomber has been cleared for use in the conven tional-bomber role. The clearance follows completion of bombing tests in which the aircraft successfully des troyed targets using the global-positioning-system (GPS)-aided targeting sys tem and GPS-Aided Mun itions (GAM). • CALCM UPGRADE The US Air Force and Boeing have tested an AGM-86C Conventional Air-Launched Cruise Missile (CALCM) with an improved global- positioning system (GPS). In the test, a CALCM launched from a Boeing B-52H was flown for about 5h before precisely impacting the tar get area. The demonstration also included a steep-termi- nal-dive manoeuvre for delivering penetrator war heads — the first time that such a manoeuvre has been performed by a CALCM. The weapons are converted AGM-86B air-launched cruise missiles. They were used in strikes against Iraq. The new GPS receiver has design changes to improve navigational accuracy. • JOINT-STARS DELIVERY Northrop Grumman has delivered the second produc tion E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (7-STARS) to the US Air Force. It joins the first pro duction J-STARS aircraft now flying missions in sup port of NATO in Bosnia. • UN URN ORDER The US Navy is to acquire an additional 13 LANTIRN targeting pods from Lock heed Martin for use on its F- 14 strike fighter fleet. The pods are being fitted to allow the aircraft to be used in a new long-range day/night strike role. Further US Navy orders are expected. FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 8 - 14 January 1997 15
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