FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
2001
2001 - 1132.PDF
L>£?mCE China pursues attack helicopter projects CHINA IS developing a dual-strand approach to dev eloping attack helicopters for the People's Liberation Army as part of long-standing plans to create an aviation corps with the size and capabilities to support large ground forces. Details emerging from China reveal a heavily modified version of the Harbin Z-9 - which started life asa AS365 Dauphin co-production programme with Eurocopter in the mid-1980s - as well as another machine that resembles the Eurocopter Tiger. Armed versions of the Z-9 have also been developed. The Z-9-derived attack heli copter has a tandem twin-seat fuselage combined with a larger fenestron and tail as well as a new dynamic system. The helicopter is also equipped with a nose-mounted sensor, likely to be an electro-optical system combining infrared and television sensors with a laser designator, although a radar can not be ruled out. Weapons are mounted on stub wings. Unlike other attack heli copters, the machine does not appear to be equipped with a nose- mounted cannon. The other attack helicopter emerging from the shadows is often referred to as the Z-10, although this designation is also sometimes applied to a transport machine being developed by Chinese Helicopter Research and Development Institute (CHRDI) with assistance from AgustaWest- land and Eurocopter. The Z-10 attack helicopter is a 5,500kg (12,0001b) -class, twin-engined machine, reportedly influenced by the Eurocopter Tiger. This is supported by photo graphic evidence showing a number of similarities in fuselage shape and weapons carriage con figuration, which replicates the Tiger's boxed missile system. CHRDI is believed to have had access to other attack helicopters marketed in China, including South Africa's Denel Rooivalk, and Russia's Mil Mi-35 Hind and KamovKa-50. • Turkey launches attack on US technology export policy PAUL LEWIS/WASHINGTON DC THE TURKISH air force is criticising US technology export restrictions, claiming they are threatening contractual nego tiations for six Boeing 737 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) systems, and undermining an electronic warfare (EW) upgrade of the country's license-built Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters. Turkey's complaints about AEW&C technology access echo Australia's concerns when it opened contractual negotiations for 737 AEW&C in 1999. The issue revolves around Turkish insistence on full access to source codes to ensure support self sufficiency for the AEW&C air craft. Competitors were asked to supply software access as part of the request for proposals. "Boeing is not completely back ing its commitments," says Maj Gen Aktug Atay, Turkish air force, chief plans and principles. "Con tinuation of this may jeopardise the programme," he told an American- Turkish Council conference in Washington DC. The problem lies with the US Government rather than with Boeing. The former is negotiating the $200 million foreign military sales element of the deal and has placed restrictions on the transfer of sensitive technology. Industry sources express sur prise the issue has come up again, particularly in the wake of the Australian problems and subse quent review of rules governing AEW exports Flight International, 1-7 September 2000, P6). Maj Gen Craig Rasmussen, of the US Office of Defence Co operation-Turkey, says talks have just opened and the parties are "working" the issue. "Configura tion of the aircraft has not changed," he says. Despite the con cerns and Turkey's recent econom ic difficulties, the Department of Defense aims to finalise talks by the third quarter of this year. Similar problems are hampering Turkey's efforts to equip its F-16 Block 50s with a Thales EW suite. Atay says the "interoperability guidelines" are not being supplied to Thales for integration on to the F-16, adding: "We've waited a long time for US approval to integrate the system and this has created dis appointment on our side. This pol icy will badly effect the F-16 modernisation." Turkey, meanwhile, says it does not have enough "insight into the Joint Strike Fighter" to decide on joining the programme, though it has opened first-round negotia tions with the JSF Programme Office to join as a level-two partic ipant, which would require an investment of up to S1 billion. • US Army Shadow UAV enters operational testing exceeded the objective, using pro duction hardware operated and maintained by soldiers who com pleted training during the Arizona field trials. The trials, conducted as a risk- reduction exercise, used a low-rate initial production Shadow system of three air vehicles, three ground stations, a hydraulic launcher and logistics support elements. Thirty flights were flown amassing 97h, the longest flight lasting nearly 5h. In 1999 AAI won a $41 million low-rate initial production con tract for four operational test and evaluation systems. A full-rate pro duction decision is due later this year with the US Army planning to buy 44 RQ-7A TUAV systems worth over $300 million. • General Atomics Aeronautical Systems has won a $ 3 9 million con tract to supply seven additional RQ-1A Predator UAVs to the US Air Force. • Shadow testing has required the UA V to operate at operational flying rates THE AAI Shadow 200 tactical unmanned air vehicle (TUAV) being developed for the US Army as the RQ-7 A will begin initial operational test and evalua tion (IOT&E) this month after completion of operational exercis es at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. The RQ-7 A IOT&E flight test ing, expected to last a month at Fort Hood, Texas, is to be conduct ed using only US Army personnel. Operational tempo exercises concluded in March required the system to gather 74h of targeting data over five days. The UAV 20 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 3 - 9 April 2001
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
