Page 10 - Aviation News (February 2020)

MILITARY NEWS Mystery Mod for Rivet Joint

A US Air Force Boeing RC-135V Rivet Joint has been noted with a large new fairing on its upper rear fuselage. The aircraft, serial 64-14844,
was photographed at March Air Reserve Base, California, on December 5. The new, as yet unidentifi ed modifi cation is likely to be related to
communications as it is located in place of the previous wideband secure satellite communications antenna. Dan Stijovich
Typhoon Flies in Kuwaiti Configuration

The fi rst fl ight of what Leonardo calls “the most advanced variant with MBDA’s Storm Shadow and Brimstone missiles and other
of the Eurofi ghter ever fl own” took place at the Leonardo Aircraft air-to-surface weapons. The Kuwaiti standard also provides for
Division’s Flight Test Centre at Turin-Caselle Airport on December integration of the Lockheed Martin Sniper Advanced Targeting
23. The aircraft is the fi rst Instrumented Series Production Aircraft Pod (ATP), the DRS-Cubic ACMI P5 combat training pod and an
(ISPA 6) equipped with the Kuwait Air Force (KAF) confi guration. enhanced VHF omnidirectional range (VOR) navigation aid.
The Typhoon, CSX55169, is expected to be the fi nal two-seat TF- While other aircraft in di erent Eurofi ghter partner companies
2000A for the Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force) from a total of are testing specifi c parts of the P3Eb confi guration, including
14 ordered. development of the Captor-E radar in the UK and Germany, this
The aircraft is the fi rst to combine the Captor-E active is the fi rst fl ight of the entire package that will be delivered to
electronically scanned array (AESA) radar with Phase Enhancement Kuwait. The fi rst KAF aircraft are expected to be delivered later
P3Eb software, as ordered by Kuwait. The jet includes compatibility this year.

C295s to Replace First H145M SAR for Germany

Irish Air Corps’

CN235s

The Irish Air Corps has ordered two Airbus
C295 aircraft in a maritime surveillance
confi guration to replace its current pair
of CN235s. The new aircraft will be
equipped with the Airbus Fully Integrated
Tactical System (FITS) and mission sensors
as well as Collins Aerospace Pro Line
Fusion avionics. On December 16, Burkina On December 10 the Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces) took delivery of the fi rst of the type
Faso also announced the intention to that will replace the Bell UH-1D in the search and rescue (SAR) role, the Airbus H145M SAR.
acquire a single C295 transport. The aircraft will be stationed at Niederstetten, Holzdorf and Nörvenich. The last example is
scheduled to be delivered in early 2021. Airbus Helicopters is also responsible for logistics
support, repair and maintenance of the rotorcraft. Dietmar Fenners
CC-295 Handed Over

The fi rst Fixed-Wing Search and Rescue initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) fully painted in the RCAF’s bright yellow
(FWSAR) CC-295 has been handed over operations in Spain. The aircraft is scheduled SAR colour scheme.
to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). to be ferried to Canadian Forces Base Canada is procuring 16 CC-295s to take
The transfer of the aircraft, 295501 (c/n Comox, British Colombia, by mid-2020. over SAR duties currently being undertaken
183), took place during a ceremony in the The aircraft had made its maiden fl ight by six RCAF CC-115 Bu alos and 12 CC-
factory at Seville-San Pablo Airport, Spain, from Seville on July 4. At that time, it was 130H aircraft. Initial operational capability
on December 18. Following this delivery, the still only painted in primer and used test is scheduled for 2020 with full capability
RCAF will initiate more testing, training and registration EC-005. Since then it has been following in 2022. Dave Allport

10 AVIATION NEWS FEBRUARY 2020

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