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Aviation History
2004
2004-09 - 0870.PDF
DEFENCE PROCUREMENT SHYAM RAVINDRAM / DELHI India plans $3bn revamp Delhi considers uprated missile defence, fire-control radar and reconnaissance systems The Indian government is to float global tenders worth $3 billion in an effort to boost the combat effec tiveness of its air force. Delhi's shopping list includes precision-guided munitions and "beyond visual range" air-to-air missiles. A plan is also underway to improve the airworthiness of the air force fleet. The modernisation is intended to enhance the air force's ability to conduct effective air control, inde pendent strike, reconnaissance, air lift and close air support opera tions. The acquisition of various elec tronic warfare and avionics systems - such as GPS, navigation and digi tal mapping systems - will also be accelerated this year. Among new capabilities under review are defensive systems to protect combat aircraft from attack by infrared, laser, or radar-guided missiles; air-to-air, air-to-surface and point-defence missiles; and standoff air-to-surface weapons. Multimode fire-control radars and advanced reconnaissance sys tems are also under consideration for India's Sepecat/Hindustan Aeronautics Jaguar and MiG-27 and MiG-29 fighters. The modernisation process has already produced deals to acquire airborne early warning systems from Israel and BAE Systems Hawk 132Y advanced jet trainers. The Indian defence ministry plans to establish a dedicated Aerospace Command, which will integrate intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance for the air force. The spending spree has been prompted by slower-than-antici- pated indigenous systems develop ment. A key stumbling block though, is the reluctance of some supplier governments to transfer critical technology. EXCHANGE IGOR BOZINOVSKI / SKOPJE Macedonia and Ukraine in jets-for-transport swap deal Macedonia appears set to return its four Sukhoi Su-25/25UB ground- attack/trainer aircraft to Ukraine later this month, under an exchange deal which will see its air force take delivery of an Antonov An-32 twin-turboprop transport modernised to NATO standards. Other options under considera tion by the Macedonian defence ministry include the provision of long-term maintenance and over haul services for its air force fleet of seven Mil Mi-8/17 utility and 12 Mi-24V/K assault helicopters or the delivery of an undisclosed number of additional Mi-24s. However, the An-32 deal has emerged as the most likely to progress, with NATO having urged Macedonia to improve its armed forces' air transport capabilities to better meet its rising military involvement in the US/NATO-led missions still operating in Afghanistan and Iraq. The USA has also suggested that the country concentrate on acquiring an expanded fleet of Western-built transport helicopters. NATO has previously identified the Su-25 disposal as an important condition ahead of Macedonia meeting its entry criteria to join the alliance in 2007 and the aircraft are now expected to be returned to Ukraine ahead of the 28-29 June NATO summit in Istanbul, Turkey. Macedonia acquired three sin gle-seat Su-2Ss and one twin-seat Su-2SUB trainer from Ukraine under a 2001 deal worth an esti mated $6 million. Intended to increase the air force's ability to counter the threat posed by Albanian rebels, the air craft entered service with the 101st Aviation Squadron at Petrovec air- base in June 2001. The aircraft were officially retired from service on 1 March 2004. Ukraine could acquire Macedonia's retired Su-25s in exchange for one An-32 transport • Serco Defence & Aerospace will provide continued mainte nance, engineering and support services at the UK Royal Air Force's Northolt and Uxbridge bases under a follow-on contract worth £55 million ($98 million). To initially run through 2010, the deal could be extended through two one-year options. • L-3 Electrodynamics, teamed with Turkey's Aydin Yazilim ve Elektronik Sanayi, is to produce the crash-survivable memory unit for Lockheed Martin's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. • Honeywell is to develop a traffic collision avoid ance system with formation- flying capability for US Air Force Boeing C-17 transports. The for mation flying system will be available in 2006. •Tenix Defence Systems will provide software support for the Royal Australian Air Force's Lock heed Martin AP-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft under an award from RLM Holdings, which in 2000 received an initial five- year award worth A$15 million ($10.5 million). Options could increase this to A$200 million by 2011. • Goodrich will produce 80 ACES II ejection seats for South Korea's Boeing F-15K multirole fighters. • AAI is to train soldiers to use the US Army's new Aerovironment Raven hand- launched unmanned air vehicle under a $3 million contract. BThe US Army has finalised a contract with the United Arab Emirates under which the UAE's Boeing AH-64D Apache attack heli copters will be equipped with BAE Systems' Helicopter Integrated Defensive Aids Suite. • BCF Designs and Ultra Electronics will provide the US Navy with 1,025 fuel quantity test sets for use with the Boeing F/A- 18 Hornet, Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules, P-3C Orion and Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler. • Hamilton Sundstrand will deliver the sup plemental electric power system for the US Air Force's Northrop Grumman/Boeing E-10A Multi- sensor Command and Control Aircraft under a contract with Honeywell. • Northrop Grum man is to supply 86 additional global-positioning inertial-naviga- tion systems for the Lockheed Martin/Boeing F/A-22 Raptor www.flightinternational.com FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 1-7 JUNE 2004 17
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