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Aviation History
2000
2000-1 - 1761.PDF
DEFENCE Australia rethinks Popeye buy The RAAF has struggled with the AGM-142 on its F-lll PETER LA FRANCHI/CANBERRA THE AUSTRALIAN Depart ment of Defence may be preparing to scrap a $395 million project to acquire AGM-142 'Popeye' missiles from the USA in favour of a revised stand-off weapon requirement that could include ship-launched cruise missiles. The DoD has in recent weeks requested data from the USA on the cost of terminating two sepa rate Foreign Military Sales pro gramme deals, signed in 1998 and 1999, for the supply of AGM-142 and AGM-142 E warstocks. Exploration of the possibility of cancelling the deals follow the shortlisting in July of the Lockheed MartinJASSM cruise missile as the preferred solution for a long-range stand-off weapon project known as Air 5418, with the European devel oped Taurus Systems KEPD 350 missile finishing second. The cancellation studies also follow ongoing problems with integrating the Israeli-developed AGM-142 onto RAAF F-lll strike aircraft, and a sweeping review of the future -of the F-lll fleet carried out as part of the new Australian Defence White Paper development process. The Royal Australian Navy has been exploring options on new ship-launched stand-off missiles with this seen by local defence industry analysts as possibly indi cating a hastening of plans for the replacement of Australia's Boeing AGM-84 Harpoon anti-shipping missiles. A decision to proceed with a replacement programme would require Australian Government funding approval around 2005. Harpoon is carried by RAN FFG 7 class frigates and is intended to be fitted to ANZAC class frigates as part of an upgrade awaiting approval as part of the new Defence White Paper, due for release early next month. Submarine Harpoon has been in RAN service since the early 1980s. RAN interest in acquiring a more capable missile for its surface fleet follows long-term interest in the high-cost Tomahawk subma rine launched cruise missiles. Taurus Systems is already develop ing a ship-launched version of the KEPD 3 50, and the RAN recently requested detailed presentations on that weapon. A direct purchase of new Harpoon 2000 standard weapons also remains an option. The RAAF's missile architecture has been predicated on a layered approach to strike operations. The Air 5418 programme is intended to provide an ability to hit at land or maritime targets at ranges greater than 150km (8 lnm). The AGM-142 missile, acquired through a project known as Air 5 3 98, is meant to provide the RAAF with a weapon capable of KAI closes on Indonesian KT-1 trainer order KOREA AEROSPACE In dustries (KAI) says it is close to signing an initial order for KT-1 basic trainer aircraft with the Indonesian air force. According to Yeun Seuk Jeung, general manager of KAI's fixed wing programmes section, the company expects an order for "seven or eight" aircraft to be signed at the end of the month. "They have selected the KT-1. Right now, we are in commercial negotiations," he says. The full Indonesian require ment for basic trainers is under stood to be about 20, but Yeun says that the numbers in the forthcom ing order are restricted by the defence budget. Deliveries are due to begin about two years after con tract signature, says Yeun. Alongside recent presentations to the Turkish air force, KAI is also proposing the aircraft to the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) air force to replace 1,500 Nanchang CJ-6 trainers in its inventory. Yeun says that approaches to the. PLA to date have been unofficial. "We are looking for a company to act as our agent and industrial part ner," he says, adding that KAI will "definitely" offer China unspeci fied production work on the aircraft. The manufacturer will have delivered eight KT-ls to the Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF) by the end of this year, and will continue deliveries at a rate of two aircraft per month. The RoKAF has ordered around 100 KT-ls. • attacking a spectrum of targets, from shipping to hardened bunkers at military bases, from rel atively short ranges. A third programme, known as Air 5409, proposes upgrading the RAAF's 5001b and 20001b 'dumb' bombs to provide a precision stand-off capability. The Air 5418 programme faces a two-year hiatus before funds are likely to be approved to enable the downselect of JASSM to proceed to acquisition. Last month, Australia's Chief of Air Force, Errol McCormack, gave approval for the use of a RAAF F-111 to sup port trials of the KEPD 3 50 missile during2001-2002. The DoD's initial 1998 deal for AGM-142 missiles was forecast to cost $90 million. The follow on deal was approved in the 1999 Australian Defence budget for variants capable of penetrating deep underground bunkers and as well as an undisclosed number of warshot weapons. That purchase had been expected to be negotiated direct with missile manufacturer PGSUS, a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Rafael, but was instead re-directed into the Foreign Military Sales pro gramme. Data on Air 5398 in the 2000- 2001 Defence Budget papers revealed that approved funding for the project had reached $395 mil lion, making it RAAF's fifth most expensive acquisition. • NEWS IN BRIEF • DRAGON GROUNDED US Marine Corps flight tests of the Sikorsky Aircraft Dragon Warrior are on hold because of an unresolved torque mismatch on the twin piston engined close-range, tactical unmanned air vehi cle. Dragon Warrior is a ver tical takeoff and landing UAV evolved from the company- developed Cypher. Sikorsky was to have provided two Dragon Warrior air vehicles to the USMC last month. FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 14 - 20 November 2000
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