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Aviation History
2003
2003 - 1744.PDF
DEFENCE TRAINING Cubic wins air combat contract Cubic Defense Applications is to develop the next generation of instrumented air-combat training system for the US military. Cubic, teamed with IDT Metric Systems, beat a Boeing/BVR Systems team to win the 10-year, $525 million contract to deliver the P5 combat training system (P5CTS) for 27 US Air Force, Air National Guard, Navy and Marine Corps training ranges in the USA, Europe and the Pacific. The P5CTS will be capable of both rangeless and fixed-range training, and will enable the US Navy to conduct instrumented training from aircraft carriers at sea for the first time, says Philip Fisch, Cubic's director business development, training systems. Metric will provide three different types of airborne instrumenta tion: the traditional pod that fits on to an AIM-9 missile launch rail, internal systems for the Boeing AV-8B and F/A-18, and rack mounted systems for bombers, transports and helicopters. Five different types of ground display and debriefing station will be provided, ranging from laptops to the high-end fixed-range sys tems, all built on Cubic's PC- based ICADS individual combat aircrew display system already in use in the UK and the Nether lands. It will be upgraded with multilevel security, says Fisch. The US forces plan to buy at least 1,000 airborne systems and 150 ground stations, he adds. Multilevel security will allow the USA to perform air-combat train ing with coalition partners while keeping certain debriefing data classified, says Fisch. Under the spiral development plan, the capability to encrypt the datalink will be added later, allowing clas sified data such as AIM-120 AMFtAAM missile performance to be transmitted in real time, rather than recorded for post-flight analysis. A programmable datalink is also planned for a later spiral, allowing the P5CTS to interoperate with older instru mentation systems. COVER STORY GRAHAM WARWICK / WASHINGTON DC Coast Guard C-130Js set for initial transport role Extra funding required to convert aircraft for intended long-range maritime mission The US Coast Guard will become the latest operator of the Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules next month, when it formally accepts delivery of the first four of six air craft on order. The aircraft - the fourth of which will be the 100th C-130J off the line - will be used for airlift missions until the USCG can secure funding to modify the C-130Js for their intended role as long-range maritime patrol aircraft. US Congress added money to the 2001 budget to buy six aircraft, but did not provide funds for their modification with surface search radar, forward-looking infrared sen sor and other mission equipment. The USCG is lobbying for the fund ing, but the earliest that mis- sionised aircraft could be available is 2008. Until then, the Js will be used as transports, freeing Hs for more maritime patrol missions. "In the interim, the aircraft will be used in a limited operational role for airlift," says US Coast Guard C-130J programme manager Capt Larry Hall. "It will take con version to make them truly useful." The aircraft are being delivered to Elizabeth City, North Carolina, where a programme office will be set up next month to operate and support the C-130JS. The last two will arrive in October and November and the aircraft are expected to be based in Alaska. Hall says the Coast Guard sees the C-130J as a replacement for the C-130H, of which it operates 27. "We are thinking about additional aircraft, but we have not set a requirement," he says. The advantages of the J over the H include the two-crew cockpit, which will reduce manning requirements. When fully modi fied, the C-130J will have a crew of four, compared with six in the C-130H, which carries a pallet in the cargo bay with communica tions, navigation and sensor opera tor stations. The two-crew cockpit of the C-130J will reduce manning requirements MODIFICATIONS BRENDAN SOBIE / SINGAPORE Malaysia looks at avionics upgrades Malaysia is considering glass cock pit upgrades for its RSKMiG-29 fighters and just-acquired ex-Royal New Zealand Air Force Aermacchi MB339CB trainers. The upgrades would improve the commonality of the Royal Malaysia Air Force's diverse fleet, allowing easier transition between aircraft. New Western avionics for the MiG-29 could resemble the Thales suite selected for Malaysia's new Sukhoi Su-30MKM fighters. However, potential suppliers do not expect MiG-29 or MB339 upgrades to be included in Malaysia's large defence shopping list for 2003. Industry officials believe Malay sia may already be buying more than it can afford and a reshuffling of priorities is expected once a new prime minister takes office at the end of the year. Besides buying 18 Su-30s, Malaysia is negotiating to buy 10 Mil Mi-171/172s, 10 Agusta- Westland A109s and Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets. Industry officials believe these deals will be completed by October and will therefore survive the administra tion change. It is less likely, how ever, that a letter of intent for air borne early warning (AEW) aircraft will be signed before prime minis ter Mahatir Mohamad leaves office. Malaysia has tentatively selected the Ericsson Erieye radar and is evaluating the Embraer ERJ-145 and Saab 2000 as potential plat forms. But the AEW and several other potential programmes, including the cockpit upgrades, are not included in the country's defence spending plan. BAE Systems is pitching a glass cockpit package for Malaysia's 18 MiG-29s. Thales believes it can offer a better solution because it has been selected as avionics sup plier for Malaysia's Su-30s. Malaysia's Airod and Aerospace Technology System (ATSC) are expected to help integrate and install any new MiG-29 avionics. Aermacchi is offering a full glass cockpit for the 17 MB339s being acquired from New Zealand. But industry sources say this upgrade is too expensive and handing Airod a smaller modification programme is a more likely option. 18 8-14 JULY 2003 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.flightinternational.com
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