Page 13 - Combat Aircraft (January 2020)

[NEWS]

HE UK MINISTRY of JSTARS COMES HOME
Defence accepted JAPANESE F-15J The Georgia Air National Guard and
the rst of eight Air Combat Command’s 116th and
P-8A maritime patrol 461st Air Control Wings and the
aircraft for the Royal UPGRADES PLANNED US Army Intelligence and Security
TAir Force at Boeing Command’s 138th Military Intelligence
Field, in Seattle, Washington, THE US STATE Department has AN/ALQ-239 Digital Electronic Company closed out an 18-year-
on October 29. The following approved a possible Foreign Warfare Systems (DEWS). The long deployment to the US Central
day the Poseidon was own to Military Sale (FMS) that will allow cost for the Japanese Super Command area of responsibility (AOR)
NAS Jacksonville, Florida, where the government of Japan to Interceptor (JSI) con guration on October 1, when the last E-8C
personnel from the RAF’s No upgrade up to 98 F-15J Eagles is estimated at $4.5 billion. Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar
120 Squadron are undergoing with AN/APG-82(v)1 Active Boeing will be tasked to produce System (JSTARS) aircraft assigned
training with the US Navy. The Electronically Scanned Array kits for the upgrade and the to the 7th Expeditionary Airborne
training is being provided by (AESA) radar, Advanced Display modi cations will be carried out Command and Control Squadron
patrol squadron VP-30, which is Core Processor II (ADCP II) by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries ew its nal sortie from Al Udeid
the eet replacement squadron mission system computers, and (MHI), which built the F-15Js. Air Base, Qatar. Joint STARS battle
for the Poseidon. Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-15Js are to receive a package of management aircraft have been
Assigned the serial ZP801, the much-needed upgrades under a new $4.5-billion deal with Boeing. continually deployed to the CENTCOM
rst of nine Poseidon MRA1s for Commonwealth of Australia AOR from Robins AFB, Georgia, since
No 120 and 201 Squadrons carries November 2001. The E-8Cs ew
the name Pride of Moray. The rst 10,938 sorties, totaling 114,426.6
Poseidon is expected to arrive in combat ying hours, supporting
the UK in February 2020 and all nearly every CENTCOM operation,
nine will be in service by 2024. The including ‘Enduring Freedom’, ‘Iraqi
aircraft will initially operate from Freedom’, ‘Freedom’s Sentinel’ and
the air eld at Kinloss Barracks, ‘Inherent Resolve’.
Scotland, until facilities at RAF
Lossiemouth are completed.
WORLD NATO’s enhanced forward presence U-100. The Phenom 100EV was
The fi rst RAF P-8A Poseidon battalion, which is based in Rukla. produced at the company’s facility
arrives at NAS Jacksonville in in Melbourne, Florida, rather than in
October. Crown Copyright/ NEWS Amphibious ships fully capable Brazil. The Phenom 100EV features a
Cpl Lee Matthews The Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN’s) Garmin G3000-based digital cockpit
IN BRIEF two Canberra-class landing and uprated Pratt & Whitney Canada

CHINOOK ENGINE Croatian Black Hawk helicopter dock (LHD) ships, PW617 engines.
HMAS Adelaide (L 01) and HMAS
EVALUATION UNDER WAY sale approved Canberra (L 02), achieved nal Indonesian ‘Viper’ plans
The US State Department has given operational capability in early The chief of the Indonesian Air
THE US ARMY Combat Capabilities its approval to the foreign military November. The 755ft (230m) 27,500- Force recently revealed plans to
Development Command Aviation and sale of two UH-60M helicopters and ton amphibious assault ships are acquire two squadrons of Block
Missile Center’s Aviation Development related equipment and services capable of carrying an embarked 72 F-16s between 2020 and 2024.
Directorate-Eustis has begun testing to the government of Croatia. The force of up to 1,122 personnel and The Indonesian Air Force currently
a modi ed NCH-47D helicopter sale has an estimated value of $115 the ight deck can simultaneously operates 33 F-16s that are divided
that has been re-engined with a million. The US had previously support six MRH90 medium-lift or between 16 Squadron at Roesmin
pair of 7,500shp (5,593kW) General approved the donation of two four CH-47F heavy-lift helicopters. Nurjadin Air Base in Pekanbaru,
Electric T408 engines in place of UH-60Ms in October 2018. The ships can also carry up to Riau Province, and 3 Squadron at
the Chinook’s 4,800shp (3,579kW) 110 vehicles, including Abrams Iswahyudi Air Base in Madiun, East
Honeywell T55-GA-714A turboshafts. Lithuania selects new helicopter main battle tanks, and four LCM Java. The jets include nine Block 15
The T408-GE-400 powers the Sikorsky Lithuania is the latest Eastern 1E landing craft can operate from F-16A/B variants and 24 upgraded
CH-53K heavy-lift helicopter that is European country to select Sikorsky’s the well decks. The largest ships Block 25 F-16C/Ds that previously
under development by the marine UH-60M to meet its future rotary- ever built for the RAN are based on served with the USAF.
corps. The CH-47 test program is wing requirements. The Baltic nation the design of the Spanish Navy’s
being conducted under a Boeing- plans to purchase six Black Hawks Strategic Projection Vessel Juan Taiwan retires ‘Huey’
GE Aviation-US Army Cooperative via the US Foreign Military Sales Carlos I (L61). The Republic of China marked the
Research and Development (FMS) program at a cost of around end of an era on October 30, when
Agreement (CRADA). The modi ed $334 million. The Black Hawks will Brazilian Air Force receives rst the Army Aviation Service formally
NCH-47D began six weeks of ground replace Lithuania’s current eet of Phenom 100EVs retired the last six UH-1H helicopters
testing in October 2019 and a 25-hour Russian-built Mi-8s. A formal letter of The Brazilian Air Force’s 6th Air from service during a ceremony
ight-test program will follow. The o er and acceptance for the FMS will Transport Squadron accepted a pair at Hsinche Army Base. The ‘Hueys’,
ve-year project began in 2015 and be signed by the end of 2020, with of EMB-500 Phenom 100EV light which had been assigned to the
will conclude in 2020. There is no deliveries expected within four years. business jets from Embraer in Brasilia 602nd Airborne Brigade’s 602nd Air
current plan to install the engine in In addition to Lithuania’s own armed on October 23. The aircraft will be Assault Group, have been replaced
the Chinook eet, but it could become forces, the Black Hawks will support operated under the designation by newly delivered UH-60Ms.
part of a future upgrade.

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