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Aviation History
2001
2001 - 0672.PDF
UJSFENCE Precision approach for Pegasus GUY NORRIS/LOS ANGELES NORTHROP Grumman and the US Navy have agreed to allow the next generation carrier- landing system, the shipboard relative global positioning system (SRGPS), to be used on the com pany's self-funded Pegasus un manned combat air vehicle (UCAV) demonstrator later this year. The agreement is a crucial development in Northrop Grum- man's efforts to demonstrate flying qualities "suitable for carrier oper ations," says programme manager David Mazur. The four-point effort is aimed at proving low-speed han dling qualities equivalent to level one in a conventional aircraft, use of a simulated arrestor wire, demonstration of a next generation vehicle management system (VMS) and compatibility with SRGPS. SRGPS is about to be installed on the demonstrator being built by Scaled Composites at Mojave, California (Flight International, 20-26 February), which is destined for flight trials due to begin at the China Lake Naval Air Warfare Center in the fourth quarter of this year. "Hopefully we will have most of the flight tests completed by the end of the year," adds Mazur who says 12 main sorties are planned. SRGPS tests are meanwhile expected to culminate with carrier landings in April of a modified Boeing F/A-18A Hornet. Tests conducted at sea lastyear and earli er this month brought the aircraft close to touchdown on the USS Enterprise which is fitted with five GPS antennas and a SRGPS datalink antenna. The SRGPS is similar to the civilian Local Area Augmentation System, but includes software to compensate for deck motion and, for Pegasus, should provide sufficient naviga tion accuracy to position the vehicle within 200mm (8in). Experience with SRGPS and VMS, which is being developed by Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems, will be fed into a larger, purpose-built Navy UCAV demonstrator to be built next year. Northrop Grumman commit ted to Pegasus last July, shortly before winning one of two Defense Advanced Research Project Agency N-UCAV contracts. It is a concept demonstrator for Northrop Grumman's Naval UCAV which is likely to look similar to the kite- shaped, tailless Pegasus. Although the larger demonstrator's final design is not fixed, it is thought to have a span more than double the 8.5m of Pegasus. Mazur says the next vehicle will have a "bigger engine and folding wingtips". Pegasus is 8.5m long, largely built of composites, and powered by a single Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-5C turbofan. Mazur says that due to its high bypass ratio, and cooler operating temperatures, the exhaust duct is also built from com posite. The leading edge has 55° sweep and the trailing edge is swept forwards by 35°. • Mangusta to receive TTS electro-optical upgrade package ITALY HAS MADE an initial selection of Lockheed Martin's AAQ-30 Hawkeye Target Sight System (TSS) for its planned Agusta A129 Mangusta attack helicopter update. Lockheed Martin is pushing to broaden the use of the all-weather targeting system beyond the US Marine Corps' Bell AH-1Z Super Cobra upgrade, and has demon strated the system on a Bell 222 demonstrator to Japan, Slovenia and South Korea, which have attack helicopter requirements. Italy is developing an upgrade for its A129s while Agusta is devel oping the helicopter for export markets, including Australia's Air87 programme, where the Italian machine is competing against the AH-1Z and Boeing's AH-64D, which is also being offered with an upgraded electro- optical/infrared sensor suite. The US Air Force is considering using TSS on its Lockheed Martin AC-130s, while the US Army is looking at a miniaturised derivative that could be fitted to the Boeing MH-47E and Sikorsky MH-60 special operations helicopters. • Italy moves ahead with Tornado AMX upgrades Italy will modify its Tornado fleet along similar lines to Germany ANDY NATIVI/GENOA THE ITALIAN Air Force is preparing to launch its long- awaited Panavia Tornado mid-life upgrade (MLU) as well as the first phase of a similar programme for the Alenia/Embraer AMX. The projects - due to be launched in the next few months - will extend the two type's operational life to well beyond 2010. The Tornado work will parallel a German air force programme to maintain some commonality. A German review of force struc tures and spending priorities has slowed the MLU, but Italy has nev ertheless issued an operational requirement. As part of the upgrade, the Tornado will receive improved avionics, including cockpit displays and more powerful computers with growth potential and new software. New weapons will also be integrat ed including the Matra BAe Dynamics Storm Shadow stand off missile, the Boeing Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) and the Raytheon Enhanced Paveway laser/GPS satellite navigation guided bomb. A GPS/inertial navigation system (GPS/TNS) will also be integrated to increase sys tems reliability and to support JDAM use. New communications systems include the Italian specific SICRAL satcom terminal and a JTIDS/MIDS datalink systems as well as a new identification friend- or-foe system. It is envisaged that a new elec tronic warfare self-protection suite with active jammers and radar warning receiver (RWR) will be included in the package. Germany has selected a Saab Ericsson RWR, but Italy will not necessarily follow suit, particularly with local company Elettronica offering an advanced integrated suite. Initially the ground attack AMXs will receive a limited pack age to improve precision guided munitions capability, including integration of a laser designation pod. The weapons system and computer are to be modified and a GPS/INS is to be integrated. Initially only the recent production aircraft, the 3 6 Batch 3 AMXs, both single seat and twin seats, will be modified. Meanwhile, the air force contin ues to assess a more ambitious MLU, which would include a new glass cockpit, the replacement of most of the avionics, an upgraded self-protection suite, similar com munications to the Tornado and possibly an attack radar to replace the ranging-onlyunit. FIAR would provide the radar. • 16 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 27 February - 5 March 2001
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