Page 7 - Combat Aircraft (January 2020)

[HEADLINES]

EUROFIGHTER GOES F-35 PRODUCTION

‘WILD WEASEL’ CONTRACT AWARDED

LOCKHEED MARTIN HAS received Martin nalized a $34-billion
AIRBUS UNVEILS DETAILS OF a $7.03-billion modi cation to an agreement for the production
EUROFIGHTER ECR CONCEPT existing contract that provides and delivery of 478 F-35s in
for the procurement of 114 F-35s
Lots 12, 13 and 14. It includes
for the USAF, US Marine Corps, 291 aircraft for the US, 127 for
IRBUS AND for electronic attack (EA) and US Navy, international partners, international partners, and 60 for
EUROFIGHTER suppression/destruction of enemy air and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) FMS customers. The F-35 program
revealed details of defense (SEAD/DEAD). The concept customers. The aircraft will o ce says the deal provides cost
a proposed ECR also features a twin-seat cockpit comprise 48 F-35As for the USAF, reductions over the Lot 11 prices
(Electronic Combat con guration with a multi-function 20 F-35Bs for the marines, nine for all three variants and says that
ARole) variant at the panoramic touch display and a F-35Cs for the navy, 12 F-35As for under Lots 13 and 14 the average
International Fighter Conference dedicated mission cockpit for the Norway, 15 F-35As for Australia, unit cost for the F-35A (including
in Berlin in November. The rear seat. and eight F-35As and two F-35Bs the engine) will be less than
development would help to The concept is being driven by for Italy. $80 million.
underpin the aircraft’s status as Airbus, Hensoldt, MBDA, MTU, In addition, the F-35 Joint
an enabler in high-end con ict in Premium Aerotec, and Rolls- Program O ce and Lockheed
support of the overall survivability Royce and supported by German
of coalition forces in high threat national industry bodies. In terms
environments. of a kinetic weapon for the role, the
The Euro ghter ECR is aimed Euro ghter ECR could incorporate
squarely at the German Luftwa e’s MBDA’s SPEAR-EW, which is
requirement to replace its Tornado being developed in partnership
ECRs and Airbus says the new with Leonardo under a Technical
capability should be available by Demonstration Programme (TDP) The unit cost of the F-35B remains the highest of the three variants of
the Lightning II. USMC/LCpl Ginnie Lee
2026. The Euro ghter ECR would be contract awarded by the UK. It P
Percentage price ercentage price
L
Variantariant
able to passively locate emitters and would provide the Euro ghter with V L Lot 12ot 12 L Lot 13ot 13 Lot 14ot 14 reduction from Lot 11eduction from Lot 11
r
actively jam threats, and it will o er a low collateral, high-precision F-35A $82.4m $79.2m $77.7m 12.8
F-35A
12.8
$79.2m
$82.4m
$77.7m
a variety of modular con gurations weapon for SEAD missions. F-35B $108.0m $104.8m $101.3m 12.3
$101.3m
12.3
F-35B
$108.0m
$104.8m
$103.1m
$98.1m
F-35C $103.1m $98.1m $94.4m 13.2
F-35C
$94.4m
13.2
A KC-46 Pegasus assigned to
the 22nd Air Refueling Wing at
McConnell AFB, Kansas. LIGHT ATTACK
USAF/TSgt John Winn
PROPOSALS RELEASED
THE USAF RELEASED a nal request used to develop an instructor pilot
for proposals (RFP) associated with program for the Combat Aviation
the purchase of a limited number Advisory mission, to meet ‘increased
of AT-6 Wolverines from Textron needs of partner nation for light
PEGASUS ENTERS INITIAL Aviation and A-29 Super Tucanos attack assistance’. The service was
from Sierra Nevada Corporation/
expecting to issue contract awards
OPERATIONAL TESTING Embraer Defense and Security, by the end of 2019 for the A-29 and
in early 2020 for the AT-6.
on October 24. The service plans
THE USAF’S BOEING KC-46A tanker conducting pre-IOT&E activities to acquire two or three examples
program o cially began its initial when multiple ‘category one’ of each aircraft and will use them
operational test and evaluation de ciencies were discovered. to focus on ‘building allies and
(IOT&E) phase on October 22. This is They include problems with the partner capacity, capability and ALSO
designed to test the e ectiveness, aircraft’s remote vision system interoperability and training and
suitability, and mission capability (RVS) and the refueling boom, but experimentation’. The AT-6s will be THIS
of the Pegasus and assure that it is the recent discovery of problems stationed at Nellis AFB, Nevada, and
capable of accomplishing its three with the cargo locks has limited the used by Air Combat Command for
primary mission sets, comprising aircraft’s ability to simultaneously continued testing and development MONTH...
aerial refueling, cargo/passenger carry passengers and cargo. The of operational tactics and standards
operations, and aeromedical successful completion of IOT&E is that will improve interoperability F-35As head back to the Gulf
evacuation. Testing will continue a requirement for the aircraft to with international partners. Air Force
while Boeing works to correct achieve initial operational capability. Special Operations Command will Huge US Air Force air armada
identi ed de ciencies with the For more on the KC-46 see pages operate the A-29s from Hurlburt remains poised for potential
KC-46A. The aircraft had been 24-30 in this issue. Field, Florida, where they will be trouble in the Middle East.
www.Key.Aero // January 2020 07

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