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Aviation History
2000
2000 - 1947.PDF
USMC seek more AV-8B rebuilds PAUL LEWIS/WASHINGTON DC THE US Marine Corps wants to extend remanufacturing of the Boeing/BAE Systems AV-8B Harrier II Plus beyond the 72 con versions on order as it simultane ously tries to sustain operational numbers and meet an anticipated Italian navy request for additional aircraft. Boeing and BAE are more than halfway through the multi-year procurement and will redeliver the remaining 32 upgraded AV-8B Plus by May 2003. A pending Spanish navy order to modernise two aircraft will keep the line active for another two months. The USMC is seeking funding in the 2001 budget to modernise four more and would like to add 12 the year after. "We would like to have more air craft and are working with Con gress on a follow-on buy in fiscal year 2001. We would like to keep remanufacturing going and keep NEWS IN BRIEF • BAHRAIN F-16 DELIVERIES Bahrain has taken delivery of the first of 10 new Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 40s. The aircraft supplement 12 older F-16s. The new fighters will be equipped with the APG- 68(V)8 radar. Greece, mean while, has signed a $1.34 billion contract for 34 F-16C and 17 F-16D Block 50Plus fighters, ordered last year. • AIR FORCES DEAL The Belgian and the French air forces have signed a mutu al support agreement. The moves follows a similar 1992 deal between the Belgian air force and the Royal Nether lands Air Force and a 1998 deal with the German air force. The agreements specify bilateral co-operation in greater detail than basic NATO ties. France and Belgium's link up covers operations in Africa. The USMC wants squadrons to have 20AV-8Bs of the same configuration the cost down by cycling the air craft through one per month," says Col Tom White, USMC AV-8B programme manager. The USMC maintains seven AV-8B squadrons each with 16 air craft, but its goal is to have 20 per unit all of the same configuration. In addition to the 72 conversions of day attack AV-8Bs, the USMC has procured 27 new-build Raytheon APG-65 radar-equipped Harrier II Plus. Italy is expected to request to buy four USMC aircraft to supple ment its 16 new AV-8B Plus'. This is likely to hinge on the Marines' ability to cut its high attrition rate, which has reduced the fleet to 208 aircraft from the 281 originally built. The USMC lost seven Harriers last year, but only one so far this year. The AV-8B programme office is planning further "plug and play" improvements to the aircraft's Open System Core Avionics Requirement (OSCAR) upgrade to support new weapons. "We're working out to 2015-20 and the life expectancy of the aircraft," says White. The initial OSCAR 1.1 version is due to be released in October next year, enabling Spain and Italy to field the Raytheon AIM-120 AMRAAM radar guided air-to-air missile Flight International, 6-12 June). OSCAR 1.2 will follow in 2003, clearing the way for the introduc tion of the Boeing Joint Direct Attack Munition. Further itera tions will include OSCAR 1.3 in mid-2004, to be followed by 1.4, 1.5 and beyond, at roughly two year intervals. This will support the addition of the Raytheon AIM-9X missile, AGM-154 Joint Stand-off Weapon, Link 16 datalink, moving map, Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System, full integration of the Rafael Litening navigation and targeting pod and new anti-ship missiles for Italy and Spain. • US export controls' kill Israeli industry7 T HE ISRAELI defence indus try's ability to export equip ment is threatened by a US attempt to control Israel's sale of Elta Phalcon airborne early warning systems to China. The US Government is demanding it be informed of any future plans to export Israeli-made defence equipment, say sources. At present, Tel Aviv need only inform Washington of any overseas sale when the equipment includes US manufactured systems. "The new demand may be a death blow to the Israeli defence industry. I hope that the ministry of defence will reject the demand," a defence industry source says. The source adds that the demand is unreasonable, as Israel and US companies often compete in the same markets. Israeli defence ministry sources say the issue will be discussed in the next few weeks with US officials. Meanwhile Elta and parent company Israel Aircraft Industries continue to equip a Beriev A-50 (modified Ilyushin 11-76) with the Phalcon system. With China's three options, the Phalcon deal could be worth around $1 billion. 1 Israel plans to test fire its Arrow 2 anti-tactical ballistic missile at a US test range to evaluate the wea pon's ability against complex mis sile threats. Although the Arrow 2 achieved initial operational status in March this year, Israel plans a series of tests to improve Arrow's performance against decoys and multiple warhead threats. Later this year the missile will be tested against Rafael's Black Spar row, an air-launched target based on the Popeye/AGM-142 Have Nap air-to-surface weapon. J Belgian UAVs to have automatic systems ISRAEL Aircraft Industries (IAI) is to equip Hunter unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) that it is supplying to the Belgian army with an auto matic take-off and landing system. The first system is being assem bled by IAI's Malat division and will be delivered to Belgium for evalua tion by the end of this year. Ephraim Zuckerman, Malat general manager, says the automat ic take-off and landing system is based on a laser tracker. A reflector on the Hunter enables the system to track the UAV without the assistance of an operator. A similar system has been developed for the Swiss army's Ranger UAVs. A Hunter unit includes a ground station and six UAVs. With a typi cal day/night electro-optic pay- load, Hunter has a 12h endurance. It can also carry a laser designator to direct laser-guided weapons. The UAV is in US service and is being evaluated by France. • 18 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 27 June - 3 July 2000
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