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Aviation History
2004
2004-09 - 1705.PDF
DEFENCE AVIONICS UK funds alternative F-35 HMD The UK is funding the develop ment of an alternative helmet- mounted display (HMD) for its Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighters. The first hel met will be delivered to Lockheed Martin next week under Phase 1 of a risk-reduc tion programme, says George Lim, business development manager for helmet display systems at BAE Systems' Avionics business unit. An 18 to 24-month Phase 2 activity will see BAE build helmets for safety-of-flight qualification testing, with a third phase to support F-35 development flight tests. BAE plans to have its HMD ready for the first flight of the F-35 in 2006, but it is more likely to fly first on the short take-off and vertical landing F-35B variant selected for the UK. BAE's design is based on its binocular helmet for the Eurofighter Typhoon, which uses a high-accuracy, low- latency optical head-tracking system. However, the new dig ital design does not require a high-voltage supply. The HMD will be the pri mary flight display on the F-35, which will not have a head-up display. The planned F-35 HMD is a derivative of the Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System in development by Rockwell Collins/Elbit Systems joint venture Vision Systems International (VSI). Rocket sled testing of the VSI design with the F-35's Martin Baker ejection seat is planned for later this year. BAE's Typhoon helmet has passed 600kt (1,100km/h)- plus ejection and windblast testing and high-g comfort and stability trials in the BAE Hawk and Saab Gripen. BAE is briefing potential F-16 and F-18 customers on the benefits of its HMD over the JHMCS, which it says will be a 99% drop-in replacement for the VSI system. MUNITIONS GUY NORRIS / LOS ANGELES Expanded weapons tests continue for small UAVs Textron's sensor fuzed smart submunition will detect and attack multiple targets Live drop tests of Textron Systems' BLU-108 sensor-fuzed weapon smart submunition from a DRS Technologies Sentry HP unmanned air vehicle (UAV) have taken place at Eglin AFB, Florida, as part of con tinuing efforts to develop a greater weapons capability for small UAVs. Developed by Textron in part nership with the US Air Force as part of the CBU-97 sensor fuzed weapon air-to-surface munition programme, the BLU-108 is designed to detect and attack mul tiple targets. The CBU-97 ejects 10 BLU-108s, each of which contains four heat-seeking Skeet warheads weighing 3.4kg (7.51b). On release, the rocket-powered Skeets can travel outwards around 125m (410ft) in search of targets ranging from battle tanks to soft-skinned assets such as parked aircraft or air defence vehicles. The tests at Eglin follow the completion of earlier flight demon strations of the BLU-108 with a Sentry HP at the US Army's Battlelab at Redstone Arsenal. Further developments of the BLU- 108, integrated with the 3.8m span UAV using the lightweight MA-4B bomb rack, will include tests of a Selectively Targeted Skeet (STS). This is designed to be dropped from a higher altitude and, using a top-mounted spin stabilisation unit and a sycamore leaf-shaped 'samara wing', will be aimed at spe cific target areas. For even higher altitude delivery, Textron is also developing a small wind-corrected guidance package for the STS tail and a flight guid ance-unit equipped parafoil. • General Atomics has begun a series of flight tests to clear the use of the Joint Direct Attack Munition, Hellfire and Small Diameter Bomb on its Predator MQ-9B UAV, following the success ful completion of drop tests of the 230kg GBU-12 Paveway II laser- guided bomb at the China Lake Naval Air Weapons test site in California. The GBU-12 was inter faced with the UAV using an adapted version of the BRU-15/A bomb rack used on the Lockheed Martin P-3B/C Orion. MAINTENANCE BRENDAN SOBIE / SINGAPORE Thai company to upgrade F-16s Thailand is planning a structural upgrade for 16 Lockheed Martin F-16A/Bs with kits provided by the manufacturer and installed by a new local company. Government-owned Thai Avia tion Industries (TAI) has been selected to lead the service life extension project and has con tracted Lockheed Martin to supply the components. The government formed TAI at Korat air base, using resources and personnel previously allocated to the air force's in-house depot maintenance organisation. Thai air force sources say TAI has already taken over maintenance of Thailand's Lockheed Martin C-130 transport fleet, including overhauls formerly performed outside the country. TAI has also begun main taining other small transports and will gradually take over mainte nance of all air force aircraft, while also seeking international business. Industry sources say F-16A/B Falcon Up upgrade kits will be delivered by Lockheed Martin late next year. Initial engineering work, with technical support provided to TAI by a not-yet selected Western firm, will begin in the next few months with funds allocated in the budget for fiscal year 2005. The upgrade will extend by 4,000h the service lives of 16 F-16A/Bs that are approaching their initial 4,000h structural life limit. So far Thailand has commit ted to upgrade only one of its three F-16 squadrons because the second is not yet approaching 4,000h and the third comprises ex-US aircraft that went through the Falcon Up upgrade before delivery in 2002-3. Lockheed Martin will deliver Falcon Up kits next year for new company TAI to upgrade 16 of Thailand's F-16A/Bs 14 14-20 SEPTEMBER 2004 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.flightinternational.com
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