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Aviation History
2002
2002 - 1449.PDF
DEFENCE BALLISTIC MISSILES PAUL LEWIS / WASHINGTON DC USA adapts to fill gap in defences Agency to modify anti-air warfare missile and mid-course system following cancellation of Raytheon programme The US Missile Defence Agency is hoping to fill part of the gap in its future sea-based missile defence cov erage created when the Raytheon Standard SM-2 Block IVA Navy Area system was cancelled. It plans to improve the SM-2 ER anti-air war fare (AAW) missile and modify the complementary upper-tier SM-3 mid-course missile defence system. "We found that through improvements in the Navy Mid- Course System, the so-called upper tier, which is performing quite well, and some improvements in the existing Block IV Standard mis sile, we can achieve much of the capabilities lost as a result of the removal of Navy Area," says Pete Aldridge, US defence undersecre tary for acquisitions, logistics and technology. As a result there will be no dedicated replacement of the SM-2 Block IVA cancelled late last year after cost overruns. Raytheon is considering design changes to the recently flight tested SM-3 to intercept ballistic missiles at lower exo-atmospheric altitudes. The system has been designed to operate above 60km, incorporating a kinetic warhead and a two-pulse third-stage rocket motor. By burn ing only one pulse or none of the third stage, the missile is not accel erated as fast and can intercept incoming targets at a lower height. SM-2 Block IVA, as with SM-3, was a development of the baseline Block IV AAW missile, incorporat ing a side-mounted imaging infra red (IR) seeker and a nose-mounted fuze for endo-atmospheric inter ceptions below 60km. The Penta- Improving the SM-2 is a priority gon and Raytheon are looking at incorporating the Block IVA's mod ified autopilot software into the Block IV to improve its kinematic capabilities to intercept ballistic missiles without changes to the existing semi-active seeker and side-mounted fuze. "It doesn't have as good a kill probability as the Block IVA would, but we think we can get the kill probability up. If we can do that it will absorb a lot of the shorter-range capability that was lost," says Aldridge. This will require modifications to the shipboard Lockheed Martin Aegis weapons system and radar, and while it will not offer the same small wavelength detection capabilities of an IR seeker, the sys tem could be ready early next year, says a source. TRAINER DEVELOPMENT RSK MiG offers dual trainers plan to India RSK MiG is proposing a training system for the Indian air force based around its MiG-AT and the Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) HJT-36 Intermediate Jet Trainer, which is under development in India. HAL has produced a mock- up of the tandem-seat, single tur- bofan engined aircraft. The Snecma/Turbomeca Larzac engine powers the MiG-AT and the first Larzac is due to be delivered to HAL for the HJT-36 later this year. Head of the Mikoyan Engin eering Centre Vladimir Barkovsky says operating both types would reduce India's trainer operating costs by at least 15%. Further sav ings would be accrued by using the same avionics and systems. "The best solution for India would be to use the lightweight, sin gle-engine HJT-36 for initial training and the larger, twin-engine, digital flight control system-equipped MiG-AT for advanced and weapons training," Barkovsky says. RSK MiG's engine business has manufactured components for seven prototype Soyuz RD- 1700s offered to MiG-AT customers requ iring an all-Russian aircraft. Barkovsky says the RD-1700 could power future versions of the MiG-AT and HJT-36. The first engine has amassed 800h rig test ing since August 2000 and achieved 3,5001b-thrust (17kN). It has the same geometry and attach ment points as the Larzac, but has higher growth potential, up to 8,8001b-thrust. Ukraine's ZMKB Progress/Motor- Sich is offering the AI-25TLSh for the HJT-36. Following a feasibility study with HAL, an AI-25TLSh specification has been issued, call ing for a doubling of acceleration rate and a 4,1001b-thrust for take off in hot-and-high conditions. The engine has also been offered as an upgrade for India air force HAL HJT-16 Kirans and PZL TS-llIskras. SERVICEABILITY RAAF reveals lack of F-111 availability despite high alert The Royal Australian Air Force has revealed that as of February this year, only nine of its 35 General Dynamics F-111 strike fighters were available for operations. The RAAF now has only 28 F-111 s capable of operations, with two aircraft broken down for spares and five non-airworthy and not being maintained. F-111 flying was temporarily suspended in February following the discovery of new wing fatigue problems during long- term testing. According to RAAF data, of the 28 F-111s still airworthy, "19 would not have flown during February 2002 while 13 would not have flown during the period November 2001-February 2002". Based on these figures, the RAAF had 15 aircraft, or one third of the total fleet, available for operations in the three months prior to the February grounding. RAAF was on its highest alert state since the Vietnam War during this period. The data does not indicate the impact of ongoing block upgrade work on the aircraft to their availability for flying operations. The RAAF has also failed to answer questions posed by the coun try's Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee on the predicted cost of maintaining the aircraft in service until 2015-20. The Senate is now expected to pursue this during budget hearings early next month. The RAAF advised the committee that investigations continue into the causes and implications of the wing problem - "cracking in a number of fastener holes" - but denied that the F-111 s are subject to flying limits. Instead, "restrictions have been placed on the num ber of fatigue hours that can be accumulated by each airframe". The RAAF says the F-111 requires 30 maintenance hours per flying hour, with the fleet flying 2,757h during the 2000-01 Australian financial year. www.flightinternational.com FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 14-20 MAY 2002 11
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