Page 21 - AirForces - Monthly (February 2020)

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Latest Saudi Eagle deliveries US approves
provision of

THE MOST recent delivery are being upgraded to the transited Lakenheath in factory to Nellis Air Force three C-130Hs
of Royal Saudi Air Force same improved standard. March 2018, followed by a Base, Nevada, where they and 15 F-16s
(RSAF) F-15SA fighters F-15SA deliveries got further four in May that year participated in Exercise
staged through RAF under way when the first and five in July. Four more Red Flag 19-2 before to Jordan
Lakenheath, Suffolk, where four aircraft – two new- new-build aircraft passed delivery to Saudi Arabia
they arrived on the evening build aircraft and two F-15S through the Suffolk base in March. Six more arrived JORDAN IS to acquire
of December 2. This conversions – were delivered in late September 2018. A at Lakenheath in late July 15 surplus US F-16s for
batch of five Advanced via Lakenheath in December further four travelled the 2019 and four arrived at the parts reclamation, along
Eagles comprised serials 2016. Three more new-build same way in December base last September 23. with three excess C-130H
12-1044, 12-1062, 12-1080, jets followed in February that year, followed by The latest deliveries Hercules transports.
12-1081 and 12-1082, part 2017. Five were delivered in four more in March 2019. leave just ten new-build According to a report on
of an order for 84 new- March the same year, and Other deliveries last year F-15SAs awaiting transfer November 26 in Al-Monitor,
build F-15SA jets. In six more each in August, comprised six aircraft that to complete the order. a US State Department
addition, 68 of the RSAF’s September and December. were delivered straight from official confirmed that the
surviving F-15S aircraft Four more Advanced Eagles Boeing’s St Louis, Missouri, sale had been approved.
RSAF F-15SA 12-1044 on The F-16s will be used
as a spares source for
finals to RAF Lakenheath on the Royal Jordanian Air
December 2. Peter R Foster
Force’s (RJAF’s) existing
F-16A/B fleet, while the
Hercules will supplement
the existing RJAF C-130Hs.
A US House of
Representatives Committee
on Foreign Affairs Survey of
Activities report published
last October 18 confirmed
notification had taken place
on September 5 of the
proposed grant transfer
of 15 excess F-16 parts
First Iranian Navy THE IRANIAN Navy is a new locally developed version of reclamation aircraft to
the government of Jordan
operator of the Shahed-129
the US Northrop F-5A and a
Shahed-129 unveiled armed unmanned aerial copy of the US RQ-170 UAV. under the Excess Defense
Articles (EDA) programme.
vehicle. On December 7, the
The Shahed-129 has been
first example for the Iranian in service with Iran’s Islamic A similar report published
Navy, serial number 027, Revolutionary Guards Corps on April 18 last year had
was officially unveiled at since 2012. However, it is first revealed that plans
Konark, a coastal air base in only now that the Iranian for the EDA transfer of
southeastern Iran, by Iranian Navy has introduced the the three C-130Hs had
Navy commander Rear type, six of which have been reported on March
Admiral Hossein Khanzadi. been ordered. The navy 28, 2019. Dave Allport
The navy has named its new variant is a new version,
UAV the ‘Simorgh’, after a precise details of which
winged beast from Iranian are unconfirmed, although
mythology, although the it apparently has a new In Brief
The first Iranian Navy Shahed-129, serial 027, takes o for a same name has previously engine intake and cowling,

demonstration flight during its unveiling at Konark air base. been used for two entirely suggesting a modified Fourth batch of Qatari
different Iranian types: a powerplant. Dave Allport Rafales delivered
The latest batch of Qatar
UH-60M Armed Black Hawk at Dubai Airshow Emiri Air Force Rafales
departed Bordeaux/
Mérignac on delivery
AMONG THE many armed Minigun was attached to to Tamim Air Base on
Joint Aviation Command each cabin door. A JAC pilot December 3. The aircraft
(JAC) helicopters on display told AFM: “The LGR’s range involved were two-seat
at the Dubai Airshow in is between 6-7km [4-5 miles] Rafale DQ serial QA205
November 2019 was a and it’s used for ‘soft’ targets and single-seat Rafale
UH-60M Armed Black such as vehicles and boats. EQ serials QA212, QA213,
Hawk (ABH). It’s one of 50 The AGM-114R Hellfires, QA214 and QA226.
acquired from Sikorsky and with a range of up to 8km [5 Production of Bahraini
upgraded with the ABH kit miles], are primarily focused F-16 Block 70s begins
by AMMROC (Advanced on armoured vehicles.” Lockheed Martin has
Military Maintenance Repair A nose-mounted FLIR begun construction of the
and Overhaul Center) in the BRITE Star II electro-optical/ first of 16 F-16 Block 70s
United Arab Emirates (UAE). infrared sensor turret with for the Royal Bahraini Air
The helicopter was laser designator allows both Force at its Greenville,
presented with its full pilots to accurately target South Carolina, facility.
weapons capability, with all the onboard weapons, via Serial 2645, a recently weaponised UH-60M Armed Black Hawk The milestone was
four stub-wing hardpoints helmet-mounted displays. operated by the UAE’s Joint Aviation Command, in the static announced during a visit
occupied. Armament The United Arab Emirates display at last November’s Dubai Airshow. Alan Warnes to the production line by
comprised Raytheon Talon Air Force and Air Defence development programme been delivered to the JAC by Bahrain ambassador to
laser-guided rockets (LGRs), Joint Aviation Command in the US, including two January last year. Although the US Shaikh Abdullah
Hydra 70 unguided rockets, announced its most recent years of live-firing trials. the armed UH-60M is bin Rashed bin Abdullah
a 12.7mm calibre GAU-19/A contract for 24 armed Conducted by Sikorsky test known to Sikorsky as the Al Khalifa on December
heavy machine gun and UH-60Ms in February 2011. pilots, type certification was ABH, the JAC refers to it 17. First deliveries
AGM-114 Hellfire missiles. Three ABHs were involved received in February 2018 as ‘Direct Action Provider’ are due next year.
A 7.62mm calibre M134 in a six-year test and and the first examples had (DAP). Alan Warnes
www.Key.Aero #383 February 2020 // 21

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