（中央社台北一日電）第四次北京六方會談何時召開遲遲未能達成共識，朝鮮半島情勢益形詭譎。新華社今天的報導指出，美軍隱形戰機將延長在南韓停留的時間至十一月。而北韓當局則放話稱，美軍飛機頻繁出動偵察北韓，目的是尋找對北韓發動奇襲的機會。

報導說，七月到南韓參加韓美聯合軍事演習的美國空軍Ｆ｜１１７Ａ夜鷹隱形戰鬥機中隊，將在南韓停留至十一月，進行熟悉地形和應付緊急事態等多種戰術訓練。美國空軍隱形戰鬥機中隊在朝鮮半島停留五個多月並進行戰術訓練，此前未曾有過。

美軍曾在一九九三年、一九九六年和二００三年抽調Ｆ｜１１７Ａ戰機到南韓參加軍事演習，但都在二至三個月後就返回美國本土。美國的一個戰鬥機中隊包括十二架至二十四架飛機。

Ｆ｜１１７Ａ夜鷹隱形戰鬥機裝配有ＧＢＵ｜２７激光導炸彈和ＡＧＭ｜６５小牛空對地導彈，可以精確打擊目標。

北韓今天透過官方的中央通訊社報導稱，今年初以來，美國一直動用各種戰略和戰術偵察飛機，頻繁對北韓進行空中偵察。

First batch of Su-30 to be handed over to IAF next month: HAL

NASIK: The first batch of multi-role Sukhoi-30 fighter aircraft, one of the most sophisticated state-of-the-art machines, would be handed over by their manufacturers Hindustan Aeronautical Limited over to Indian Air Force next month.

The manufacture of the advanced fighters at HALs Nasik division is progressing as per schedule and handing over of the first batch is in sight, HAL chairman N R Mohanty told reporters at Ojhar, about 21 kms from here.

Test flights by Russian pilots and the ground-tests have been completed successfully, he said.

The two-seater fighter aircraft is fitted with modern long-range radars alongwith integrated fire control system for day-night and all weather interception of hostile targets at long and short ranges, Mohanty said.

The aircraft is capable of functioning in various roles and has excellent manoeuverability and has three channel fly-by-wire system, he said.

Sniper Targeting Pod Attacks From Long Standoff Ranges

By William B. Scott
10/03/2004 02:43:48 PM

NOWHERE TO HIDE

Soon, the U.S. Air Forces frontline F-16s, F-15Es and A-10s will be equipped with advanced targeting pods that see farther, display sharper, more detailed images--day or night--and enable more accurate weapons delivery than legacy systems. That means life is about to get a lot tougher for any terrorist, Iraqi insurgent or other adversary who attacks U.S. forces.

Last month, I had an opportunity to see the services new Sniper XR extended-range targeting pod in action during an F-16 flight here. The baseline pod we carried is still being tested, but Sniper XR is on a fast track to deploy with combat forces as soon as possible.

When the system is fielded, it will give pilots significantly longer standoff ranges for both target-detection and acquisition, and more accurate weapons delivery than existing pods. Crews can then operate well outside the lethal range of surface-to-air threats, yet still strike tactical targets with deadly accuracy. And planned enhancements--such as a recently demonstrated data link--will give ground forces, forward air controllers and rear-echelon leaders the same real-time Sniper-generated views the fighter pilot is seeing on his cockpit display.

An export version of the pod, dubbed Pantera, is already flying with the Royal Norwegian Air Force. RoNAF pilots demonstrated Panteras advantages during the most recent multinational Maple Flag exercise in Canada. Once mission planners recognized the pods capabilities, Norwegian crews quickly found themselves assigned the most challenging targets, according to a Lockheed Martin official.

So far, 92 Sniper systems have been ordered by USAF, and Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control (LM-MFC)--which developed the advanced targeting pod--has delivered more than 30 pods under a 2001 contract. Air Force officials plan to buy as many as 522 Sniper systems for both active-duty and Air National Guard units, but have secured funding for only about 255 pods. A similar, repackaged version will be carried internally on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, as well (AW&ST; Feb. 5, 2001, p. 60).

The heart of Sniper XR is a third-generation forward-looking infrared (Flir) array that produces a very clear, stable thermal image from impressively long ranges. Its the best targeting system Flir Ive seen to date. Since 1988, Ive flown several missions with Lockheed Martins first-generation targeting pod, the Lantirn system, on the F-16, F-15E and F-14, and an enhanced Lantirn on a Royal Netherlands Air Force F-16 (AW&ST; July 21, 2003, p. 44). An F-16 mission four years ago also provided a look at Northrop Grummans Litening II pod, which sports a third-generation Flir, plus a CCD-television camera (AW&ST; Aug. 21, 2000, p. 56). Technological advances and combat experience have led to several improvements in these systems, and laid the foundation for a new, more capable generation of targeting pods.

Lantirn was a 1980s technological breakthrough, opening the night to day-like combat tactics, but has several operational limitations, thanks to changing threats and different air-to-ground tactics. It is becoming difficult to support as the heavily used pods age, and is more expensive to maintain than newer systems.

Although Litening II, with its modern Flir, CCD-TV, laser marker and laser spot tracker, had more mission flexibility than the baseline Lantirn, it, too, has been eclipsed by both Sniper and Northrop Grummans own Litening Advanced Targeting (Litening AT) system. Raytheon rounds out heated domestic and international targeting pod competitions with its Advanced Tactical Flir (ATFlir) pod, which the Navy is flying on F/A-18s. I have yet to see the Litening AT and ATFlir inflight, but both feature third-generation Flirs.

Sniper XRs Flir is based on a 3-5-micron mid-wave infrared (IR) staring focal plane array, which is the cornerstone for obtaining high-resolution images at long ranges. Lockheed Martin officials said its Santa Barbara Focalplane division developed the 512 X 640-pixel detector array, which gives Sniper/Pantera a recognition range 2-3 times longer than that of legacy targeting pods.

A STARING ARRAY has higher resolution, because you have a full image rather than a swept [or line-scanned] image. Lantirn has a one-dimensional cross-scan IR detector, said Perry L. Choate, a USAF F-16 project engineer for electro-optics systems at the 416th Flight Test Sqdn. (FLTS) here. Snipers 3-5-micron array is less susceptible to blooming caused by a bombs detonation at night or by sweeping across the Sun during the day. The array also detects IR wavelengths that penetrate smoke, dust and smog well, he added.

During my mid-afternoon flight with 416th FLTS test pilot Maj. Hank (Hog) Griffiths, the Sniper XR Flir routinely produced cockpit-display images that rivaled a black-and-white photograph. Thermal imagery was automatically enhanced by proprietary image-processing algorithms, and both optical and electronic zoom options allowed us to detect, identify, track and target fixed and moving objects at ranges up to 86 naut. mi.

Classification issues precluded my seeing several Sniper XR features, but I suspect they include a number of passive-identification capabilities. Without question, next-generation targeting systems such as Sniper XR--particularly when equipped with a data link--will play a critical role on near-term network-centric battlefields.

Our Block 50 F-16D was configured with two 370-gal. external fuel tanks, two wingtip-mounted inert AIM-120 Amraams and two underwing AIM-9 Sidewinders. A single Sniper XR pod was mounted on the right inlet chin station.

Griffiths had performed a preflight check of the pod and stowed it in standby for takeoff, ensuring it was immediately ready for use after we were airborne. He demonstrated Snipers various modes and overall flexibility, then talked me through the process of operating the pod inflight. In short order, I felt comfortable alternating between black- and white-hot polarities in the infrared, switching to the TV camera when closing on a target, zooming in and out to better identify objects on the ground, and locking both point and area trackers on stationary facilities and moving vehicles.

Most of the time, we flew at altitudes of about 19,000-29,000 ft. above the ground, providing miles-long slant ranges to various targets. In the aft cockpit, I monitored the right multifunction display (MFD), which would present either pod imagery or a relayed view of what the pilot was seeing on his head-up display (HUD). Switching of pod modes, selecting polarities and zooming were accomplished hands-on via switches and cursor controls on the sidestick and throttle.

Lockheed Martin engineers designed Sniper with a 5,000-line software integration module that tailors a pod to a particular aircraft type. The module avoids having to alter the systems core software, allowing a particular pod to be quickly switched in the field from an F-16 to an F-15E, B-1B or A-10. That pod will know what aircraft its on. We dont have to change the core software; just change the integration module for the [new] aircraft type, which is far less expensive, explained John P. Schoeppner, Jr., director of international business development for LM-MFC. Consequently, existing stick and throttle switches had been reprogrammed to control the Sniper XR pod.

Examples of Sniper capabilities demonstrated during the flight included:

*Detecting trucks, trailers and tanks at PB-11, one of several targets in the Edwards Precision Impact Range Area. From a 22-naut.-mi. slant range, Griffiths selected area track and autofocus to produce an IR image encompassing several vehicles scattered across a large circle cleared of brush and other vegetation. Zooming in (electronically, not optically) reduced resolution, but the larger image aided identification of the vehicles. Still, objects were sharply defined, and grooves in the dirt were clearly visible. In black-hot polarity, the vehicles appeared white (cooler) against the darker dirt. Griffiths locked the pods point-tracker onto a truck body, noting that the box symbol remained around the selected vehicle as we maneuvered. He could easily slew the box to another vehicle, then lock onto it. I observed that the point-tracker really locks it up rock-solid.

At 14 naut. mi., a 4X zoom made the image fuzzier, but vehicle types were still easily distinguished. Cloud shadows moving across PB-11 made it difficult to spot dark-colored vehicles in white-hot (infrared) polarity or the TV mode (visible light). But switching to IR black-hot made the same vehicles appear as bright white objects against a dark background, simplifying lock-on and point-tracking tasks.

*Selecting a new navigation steerpoint, and having the pod immediately point to it. Our next target was a domed radar site near Boron, Calif. From a 13-naut.-mi. slant range, Griffiths selected area track to stabilize the pods look-angle, and placed open-center crosshair cursors over the radar sites golf ball-like dome. He selected the narrow field-of-view (FOV) to enlarge the domes infrared image, refined the crosshair position in black-hot polarity and performed a quick autofocus to improve image quality--about a 2-3-sec. process.

Id rate the workload as comparable or almost better [than that of Lantirn], because [Sniper] has the autofocus and Flir-calibration features. Im not messing with a lot of different things, Griffiths said. The dome and its supporting block building were easily distinguished from other structures in Flir images at 10-naut.-mi. range. At 8.5 naut. mi., the pilot switched to a TV camera view and zoomed closer, producing a striking image of the segmented radar dome that almost filled my MFD screen.

*Directing the pod to look at a mens prison 16.6 naut. mi. away, near California City, and switching to IR black-hot/narrow FOV/area-track. Griffiths commented that there were no prisoners on the baseball field, but the fields bases, a fence and its support posts, and tall light stanchions were clearly visible in thermal images. Air conditioner units mounted on rooftops appeared as small, easily tracked blocks. At 10 naut. mi., Griffiths quipped, I could bomb one air conditioner, if I wanted to. He locked onto a guards pickup truck at 7.5 naut. mi. as the vehicle slowly patrolled the fence perimeter, then traversed a crowded parking lot.

Griffiths fired the pods laser rangefinder and noted that we were actually 6.7 naut. mi. from the guards truck. The eye-safe, 1.57-micron training beam has about the same standoff range as the systems combat laser, which operates at 1.064 microns for compatibility with laser-guided weapons. When the diode-pumped laser was firing, a flashing L appeared in the lower center of my MFD screen, alongside IR POINT T. The message indicated we were viewing an infrared image, and were point-tracking the target being lased.

I commented, Ive never seen a point-tracker that was so solid, not jittering or wandering during maneuvers or when we encountered turbulence. Image and tracker stability is attributed to several Sniper XR features: mounting the optics bench on six mechanical isolators, and balancing the pods mass around the forward mounting lug to preclude a springboard effect at the front end. The wedge-shaped, sapphire-windowed nose section only rolls, while optical equipment inside will pitch up and down. That design avoids a ball-type head and cavities that can cause airflow-induced acoustic vibrations, particularly at supersonic speeds. Finally, smoothing algorithms help eliminate any residual jitter in an image.

From 3.2 naut. mi. and an 18,261-ft. radar altitude, a 2X-zoomed TV image revealed boxed wheelchair symbols in handicapped parking zones--and that the guards truck bed was empty.

*Locking onto a sliver of the Moon barely visible in the clear afternoon sky. Using the pods inertial-rate-tracking feature and altering IR polarity, Griffiths was able to lock onto an edge of the Moon and zoom closer until the crescents arc filled half of my MFD screen. An IR image revealed multiple craters, and was of better quality than that from the TV camera.

*Tracking another F-16, first with our radar, then handing off to the Sniper XR. Griffiths had some difficulty locating the other fighter in IR white-hot/wide FOV, but finally locked the point-tracker onto the bright-white engine tailpipe. Switching from IR tracking to TV tracking caused the system to break-lock--an anomaly that will be corrected as part of several air-to-air enhancements planned for the next Sniper software update. It also will give the pod a multi-target tracking capability. Griffiths subsequently locked-onto a Boeing 737 commercial transport at 27 naut. mi. The airframe type was easily determined, but we couldnt read the airline name in either IR or TV modes.

*Locating aircraft hulks nestled in simulated revetments at China Lakes Superior Valley tactical airfield. Bladed-off dirt runways and other features were detected and area-tracked in IR white-hot at 35 naut. mi. During several aileron rolls, the pod stayed locked-onto the mock airfield until its field-of-view was masked by our F-16s structure or tanks. Pilots are warned of imminent pod masking by flashing cursors and an M that appears on the HUD and head-down MFD. A small white rectangle on the MFD always shows where the pod is looking in relation to the flight path, which helps a pilot maneuver properly to unmask the pod. Snipers tracking algorithm ensured the pod was still pointed at the same area of the airfield when an image reappeared.

From 22 naut. mi., I could tell which revetments contained aircraft, and a single airframe could be seen on a taxiway. Locking-on the latter and alternating among IR white- and black-hot, wide and narrow FOV and the TV camera, and zooming in and out, we identified the aircraft as an F-4 Phantom from a 12-naut.-mi. range. At 8 naut. mi., I could see a break in the F-4s wing (thanks to a deflected aileron) in IR white-hot, which depicted the derelict fighter as a dark object.

*Tracking trucks and cars along Highway 58 north of Edwards AFB. When Griffiths had trouble locking-on and tracking vehicles, he noted that a delta-T figure on the left side of our MFDs was reading 20C, indicating that the pod required a Flir calibration. He selected standby mode, performed the self-calibration and had the pod back in operation less than 30 sec. later.

With Griffiths coaching me through stick-and-throttle switch manipulation, I was able to slew the pods crosshairs over tractor-trailer rigs, then lock-on and track the trucks, zooming in and out to refine both Flir and TV images. In IR black-hot, the pod masked briefly, but relocated the truck after we reversed course, aimed where it thought the target should be by then. It did the same when a locked-up vehicle crossed under an overpass.

It took some practice to slew the pods line of sight to a truck via the throttles Cursor Enable switch, using my left thumb, then enabling point-track via the throttles Target Management Switch (TMS). But Griffiths said I adapted quickly, and I was soon able to switch among the pods features at will.

Pilots learning to use Sniper on the F-16 realize that existing switches on their throttle and control stick have to perform multiple functions nowadays. As a Sniper control, for example, the TMS might be single- or double-clicked left, right, forward or aft to effect pod changes.

The F-16s no longer a day-VFR fighter, Griffiths said. Were hanging so many different things on this airplane that aircraft technology needs to catch up. Were continually modifying the airplane.

At one point the pilot climbed to about 30,000 ft. MSL, selected a navigation steerpoint and noted that the Sniper pod was aimed at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). In IR black-hot, 2X zoom, area track mode, aircraft 86 naut. mi. away were visible as white spots taking off from LAX runways. Switching to TV mode produced a murky image, our view obscured by smog. Small clouds between us and the airport occasionally forced me to break lock and select cursor zero, which pointed the pod at the lat-long coordinates for LAX and brought the airport back into view.

ISLAMABAD: A contingent of six multi-role F-16s of Pakistan Air Force has reached Turkey to participate in a Multi air forces exercise code named Anatolian Eagle.

A PAF press release says, the Turkish Air Force accorded a warm welcome to PAF Fighting Falcons. Participation in a multi-national air exercise in Turkey shall be an interesting as well as challenging task for the PAF Falcons.

Besides Pakistan, leading air forces from United States, Germany, Holland, Italy and Turkey are orchestrating air battle scenarios in demanding operational environments.

A Milestone in Ties

A fortnight at Turkey would not only shape up training of PAF officers and men but would also serve as a milestone in strengthening ties between countries participating in the exercise.

The Anatolian Eagle

Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Kaleem Saadat shall visit the Turkey Air Base holding Exercise Anatolian Eagle and witness the culminating high intensity air operations.

The PAF historically participated in multi-national Air Force Exercises in the past. This includes exercises with USA, UK, Iran and Turkey. These exercises have obviously been of tremendous learning value for all participants.

Anatolian Eagle will be a step in the same direction, the press release added.

Two Convocations held at PAF Academy Risalpur

Two Convocation ceremonies were held at Pakistan Air Force Academy, Risalpur on Wednesday. Bachelor of Aviation Cadets of Science degrees were awarded at the College of Flying Training (CFT) to No 113 General Duty (Pilot) Course and Bachelor of Engineering degrees were awarded at the College of Aeronautical Engineering (CAE) to the Aviation Cadets of 59 Engineering Course.

Lt General (Retd) Mumtaz Gul, Vice Chancellor of Peshawar University awarded degrees to the Aviation Cadets of Course No 113 General Duty (Pilot) at the College of Flying Training.

Trophy in Aero Science

Aviation Cadet Mudassar Riaz won the Best Performance Trophy in Aero Science Subjects, Best Performance Trophy in Humanities was awarded to Aviation Cadet Sergeant Muhammad Khalid Bashir while “Asghar Hussain Trophy” for all round best performance in academics was won by Aviation Cadet Academy Under Officer Muhammad Ali Khan.

Cadets Felicitated

In his address the chief guest Lt General (Retd) Mumtaz Gul, extended his felicitation to all cadets and especially to those who won distinctions.

He said, The tremendous advancement in the field of aviation makes it incumbent upon you to be abreast of the latest inventions in your sphere of activities and keep pace with new methods and techniques of aviation. It should be your passion as the defenders of Pakistan’s air space to pursue your professional commitments with total zeal and excellence and maintain your countrys arms as second to none .

College of Aeronautical Engineering

The convocation ceremony held at College of Aeronautical Engineering, Lt General (Retd) Shujaat Hussain, the Rector of the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) awarded the degrees of Bachelor of Engineering to the cadets of 59 Engineering Course.

The Rector NUST Gold Medal for Best in (Aerospace Engineering) Project, President Gold Medal for the “First Merit position in Aerospace Engineering and Merit Certificate for “Best Vehicle Design” were awarded to Royal Jordanian Air Force Cadet Bater Mohammad Said Ahmed Haquz.

NUST Cadet Adnan Raza

While NUST Cadet Adnan Raza bagged Rector Gold Medal for Best Project in Avionics Engineering and President Gold Medal for First in Avionics Engineering.

Addressing on the occasion the chief guest Lt General (Retd) Shujaat Hessian, congratulated the cadets and said, “The nature of your job is very exacting and dynamic. To meet the challenge of our time, you need to utilize the available resources in the best manner and make Pakistan a prosperous country. Being a developing nation we need to progress at a greater pace as compared to others so that we do not lag behind.

To carry out this exalted task you should make worthwhile contributions towards attaining self-reliance in indigenous development of military equipment and defence technology. He advised the graduating cadets to enhance their professional capabilities and energies towards the development of country.

3rd Wing explains what happened when U.S. pilots faced innovative Indian air force tactics
Indian Scare

The losing performance of F-15Cs in simulated air-to-air combat against the Indian air force this year is being perceived by some, both in the U.S. and overseas, as a weakening of American capabilities, and it is generating taunts from within the competitive U.S. fighter community.

The Cope India exercise also seemingly shocked some in Congress and the Pentagon who used the event to renew the call for modernizing the U.S. fighter force with stealthy F/A-22s and F-35 Joint Strike Fighters.

The reasons for the drubbing have gone largely unexplained and been misunderstood, according to those based here with the 3rd Wing who participated. Two major factors stand out: None of the six 3rd Wing F-15Cs was equipped with the newest long-range, active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars. These Raytheon APG-63(V)2 radars were designed to find small and stealthy targets. At Indias request, the U.S. agreed to mock combat at 3-to-1 odds and without the use of simulated long-range, radar-guided AIM-120 Amraams that even the odds with beyond-visual-range kills.

參加美印演習的 F-15C 沒有配備 AESA 雷達，
美國同意模擬以三比一的弱方進行，且不使用AIM-120的實際長射程。

These same U.S. participants say the Indian pilots showed innovation and flexibility in their tactics. They also admit that they came into the exercise underrating the training and tactics of the pilots they faced. Instead of typical Cold War-style, ground-controlled interceptions, the Indians varied aircraft mixes, altitudes and formations. Indian air force planners never reinforced failure or repeated tactics that the U.S. easily repelled. Moreover, the IAFs airborne commanders changed tactics as opportunities arose. Nor did U.S. pilots believe they faced only Indias top guns. Instead, they said that at least in some units they faced a mix of experienced and relatively new Indian fighter and strike pilots.

Maj. Mark A. Snowden, the 3rd Wings chief of air-to-air tactics and a participant in Cope India, spoke for the 13 U.S. pilots who attended the exercise. They flew six F-15Cs, each equipped with a fighter data link for rapid exchange of target information, AIM-9Xs and a Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System, he says. The aircraft had been to Singapore for another exercise and for the long, six-week jaunt it was decided not to bring along the additional maintenance package needed to support AESA-equipped F-15Cs.

六架 F-15C 配備了資料鏈、 AIM-9X 及JHMCS 頭盔瞄準器。

Cope India was held Feb. 15-28 at Gwalior, about 150 mi. south of Delhi, where the Indian air force has its Tactics Air Combat Development Establishment, which operates late-model MiG-21 Fishbeds as fighter escorts and MiG-27 Floggers as strike aircraft. Aerospace officials who have heard the classified brief on the exercise say the MiG-21s were equipped with a gray-market Bison radar and avionics upgrade.

Mica-armed Dassault Mirages 2000s are also stationed there. Brought in for the exercise were Sukhoi Su-30s (but not the newest Su-30 MKIs) carrying simulated AA-11s and AA-12 Adders. There also were five MiG-29 Flankers involved in a peripheral role and an Antonov An-32 Cline as a simulated AWACS.

The outcome of the exercise boils down to [the fact that] they ran tactics that were more advanced than we expected, Snowden says. India had developed its own air tactics somewhat in a vacuum. They had done some training with the French that we knew about, but we did not expect them to be a very well-trained air force. That was silly.

They could come up with a game plan, but if it wasnt working they would call an audible and change [tactics in flight], he says. They made good decisions about when to bring their strikers in. The MiG-21s would be embedded with a Flogger for integral protection. There was a data link between the Flankers that was used to pass information. [Using all their assets,] they built a very good [radar] picture of what we were doing and were able to make good decisions about when to roll [their aircraft] in and out.

Aerospace industry officials say theres some indication that the MiG-21s also may have been getting a data feed from other airborne radars that gave them improved situational awareness of the airborne picture.

Generally the combat scenario was to have four F-15s flying at any time against about 12 Indian aircraft. While the U.S. pilots normally train to four versus 12, that takes into account at least two of the U.S. aircraft having AESA radar and being able to make the first, beyond-visual-range shots. For the exercise, both sides restricted long-range shots.

Thats what the Indians wanted to do, Snowden says. That [handicap] really benefits a numerically superior force because you cant whittle away some of their force at long range. They were simulating active missiles [including] AA-12s. This means the missile has its own radar transmitter and doesnt depend on the launch aircrafts radar after launch. With the older AA-10 Alamo, the launching fighter has to keep its target illuminated with radar so the U.S. pilots would know when they were being targeted. But with the AA-12, they didnt know if they had been targeted. The Mirage 2000s carried the active Mica missile. Aerospace industry officials said that some of the radars the U.S. pilots encountered, including that of the Mirage 2000s, exhibited different characteristics than those on standard versions of the aircraft.

Indian planners combined the use of top-line fighters like this Su-30 with older types and impressive, innovative tactics.
Credit: USAF TSGT. KEITH BROWN

The U.S. pilots used no active missiles, and the AIM-120 Amraam capability was limited to a 20-naut.-mi. range while keeping the target illuminated when attacking and 18 naut. mi. when defending, as were all the missiles in the exercise.

When we saw that they were a more professional air force, we realized that within the constraints of the exercise we were going to have a very difficult time, Snowden says. In general, it looked like they ran a broad spectrum of tactics and they were adaptive. They would analyze what we were doing and then try something else. They werent afraid to bring the strikers in high or low. They would move them around so that we could never anticipate from day to day what we were going to see.

By comparison, the U.S. pilots dont think they offered the Indians any surprises. The initial tactic is to run a wall with all four F-15s up front. That plays well when the long-range missiles and AESA radar are in play.

You know were there and were not hiding, Snowden says. But we didnt have the beyond-visual-range shot or the numerical advantage. Eventually we were just worn down by the numbers. They were very smart about it. Their goal was to get to a target area, engage the target and then withdraw without prolonging the fight. If there were a couple of Eagles still alive away from the target area, they would keep them pinned in, get done with the target and then egress with all their forces.

All their aircraft seemed to be capable of breaking out [targets] and shooting at the ranges the exercise allowed, he says. We generally dont train to an active missile threat [like the Mirages Mica or the AA-12 for the Russian-built aircraft], and that was one of the things that caused us some problems.

(中央社記者林行健馬尼拉八日專電)菲律賓一架空軍運輸機今晨因引擎故障，在馬尼拉國際機場緊急降落，所幸機上一百四十人未傳出傷亡。然而機場因此對外封鎖近三小時，許多旅客行程受到影響。

空軍發言人巴提拉中校說，一架C-130運輸機自馬尼拉國際機場起飛準備飛往宿務省達比拉蘭市，起飛十八分鐘後第三引擎燃油溫度過高，駕駛員只好將故障引擎熄火，緊急飛回馬尼拉。

運輸機於今天上午六時十五分左右在馬尼拉國際機場第六跑道迫降，降落時又有一部引擎熄火，兩只輪胎爆胎，機上一百二十九名士兵及包括駕駛員在內的十一名機員飽受驚嚇，所幸全部安然無恙。

目前正在越南出席第五屆亞歐會議的的雅羅育總統，將於週六返國時訪問達比拉蘭市，機上人員為國軍先遣部隊，負責安排雅羅育的安全事宜。

Even though the defense order is bigger this year, finance appropriated for purchase of new technique for the Air Force will be enough mainly to acquire modernized models of planes, helicopters and anti-missile complexes. Vladimir Mikhailov says that for the time being modernization of Mi-24 helicopters is underway (eight modernized Mi-24 have been already adopted in the army aviation). Russias Air Force is expected to purchase 50 new Mi-28N shock helicopters by 2010. Test of the helicopter is to start in two months; Mi-28N is to become the basic military helicopter of the Russian army aviation. The commander-in-chief says that the anti-missile defense is working on increasing the range ability of the missile for the S-300 complex and on modernization of the S-400 complex. This year, the anti-missile defense will adopt Panzir (Shell), the new anti-missile system.

The Air Force plans to acquire modernized planes only. New projects are just being developed currently, with the exception of the Su-34 new military bomber that is to be adopted by the Air Force this year. Vladimir Mikhailov says that this renovation of outdated technique is justified under conditions of restricted financing as it saves budgetary spending. The modernization will be first of all applied to Su-24 bombers, Su-25 attack planes, MiG-29 and MiG-31 pursuit planes. Strategic missile carriers Tu-94S and Tu-160 will undergo deep modernization; in addition to new battle control equipment, the planes will be equipped with long-range cruise missiles with non-nuclear warhead. Vladimir Mikhailov says that Tu-160 strategic bomber will recommence flights on January 16 after the flights were banned after an accident in September.

Besides, this year the Air Force is to equip one regiment with modernized Su-27 warplanes (soon, 20 planes of the type will be sent to an enterprise in Komsomolsk-on-Amur for modernization). Vladimir Mikhailov says that modernized Sy-27SM planes belong to the 4+ generation technique. The modernized pursuit planes will effectively attack targets in the air and on land. The Air Force commander-in-chief says that these planes differ from fifth-generation pursuit planes with their relatively high visibility and insufficient technical equipment. However, Vladimir Mikhailov says that modernized Su-27 will not influence the program for construction of fifth-generation pursuit planes.

Experts say that there is little chance that Russia will have fifth-generation pursuit planes of its own. Deputy Director of the analytical department of the Political and Military Analysis Institute Alexander Khramchikhin told RBC daily that Russia actually has money; large sums of money are constantly accumulated in the national currency reserves and get depreciated through dollar collapse. He adds that development and construction of a fifth-generation fighter demands about $20 billion dollars. It is hardly likely that the government will appropriate financing of this scale. The problem is that economic and military authorities in this country live in parallel spaces and have no common approach to problems, Alexander Khramchikhin says.

What is more, experts say that Russias Air Force will have fifth-generation pursuit planes only in case if these machines will have high export potential. But experts predict that in the nearest future Russia will experience problems with entering the world market of combat planes. As a result, other countries, America first of all will flood the market with their old but still competitive pursuit planes at knock-down prices. This is the situation we witness in the civil aviation today. Mr.Khramchikhin says that Russias Air Force is 10-15 years behind the US now, and the situation is hardly likely to change at all. New pursuit planes F-22 already appear in the US Army and F-35 pursuit planes are to be adopted soon. But Russias fifth-generation pursuit planes are just under development now. In the nearest future, the US will flood the market with toutdated but still competitive pursuit planes at dumping prices. This in its turn will deprive Russia of access to the world market of warplanes.

Today all of Russias projects of new air technique that might be in demand on the world market are being under development. In particular, Czechia, Hungary, Finland, Slovakia, India and China evince much interest in a unique Russian-Ukrainian joint project for construction of An-70 troop carrier. But the Russian share in the project is small - 20 million while Ukraine invested 166 million rubles in the project. Nevertheless, finance meant for launching of the project has been included into Russias defense order for this year. But the commander-in-chief still thinks the project of the plane is still unfinished. Vladimir Mikhailov says that the plane cannot be put into production because of its imperfect engine D-27 that is unsafe, short-life and very expensive. Experts think it is impossible to get the engine into shape. At the same time, producers stick to a different opinion. Tests of An-70 are supposed to be finished in February in the city of Yakutsk.

Russia in 2003 had provided Indian Air Force with the first batch of the upgraded Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jet, amalgamated with Indian, Israeli and French systems on Russian engines.

We have sub-contracted for 140 Sukhoi-30s. And the production has started. Next year we will have the first aircraft rolling out. We will also have the Jaguars of which 28 aircrafts are under production.

Some aircrafts we have already taken over. Some aircrafts will come. We are hopeful that we have signed some contract for additional Mirages somewhere in 1998, for upto 10 aeroplanes, so they should probably join our service within a reasonable time, IAF chief S. Krishnaswamy told reporters here.

The production of the multi-role long-range fighter and some of its components have already begun and should roll out the first batch by first half of 2005.

Earlier the Indian Air Force (IAF) had designed Sukhoi-30 MKI or SU-30 MKI variants of the multi- role Sukhoi aircraft, regarded as the most advanced fighter jet in the world.

Krishnaswamy however expressed dissatisfaction over the delay in the replacement of aircrafts.

Turkey – F-16 Modernization Program
土耳其可能實施的 F-16 提昇計劃
On 7 October 2004, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Turkey of an F-16 modernization package as well as associated equipment and services. The total value, if all options are exercised, could be as high as $3.888 billion.

The Government of Turkey has requested a possible sale for the modernization of 218 F-16 aircraft. This proposed sale will modify 104 F-16 Block 40, 76 F-16 Block 50 and 38 F-16 Block 30 aircraft. The proposed sale will include the following MDE items for integration and testing:
180 AN/APG-68(V)9 radars;
7 full mission trainers for upgrade/replacement;
200 Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing Systems (JHMCS);
200 AN/AVS-9 Night Vision Goggles (NVG);
4 AGM-84H Joint Standoff Land Attack Missile-Expanded Response (SLAM-ER);
4 AGM-84 HARPOON missiles;
6 AIM-120C Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM);
4 drones (aerial targets);
1 AGM-154B Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW);
1 AGM-154A JSOW;
2 AIM-9X SIDEWINDER missiles;
2 CBU-103 Cluster Bomb Units with Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser (WCMD);
2 CBU-105 Sensor Fused Weapon with WCMD;
1 AGM-88B High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles (HARM);
2 AN/ASQ-213 HARM Targeting System (export) (HTS(E).

The proposed upgraded capabilities will include integration of the Modular Mission Computer, AN/APG-68(V)9, JHMCS, AN/AVS-9, Link-16, Self-Protection Electronic Warfare Suite (SPEWS II), HTS(E), export versions of weapons available on F-16s, plus five additional foreign weapon systems: Infra-Red Improved SIDEWINDER-TVC (IRIS-T) (Germany) and PENGUIN (Norway), PYTHON-5 (Israel), DERBY (Israel), and SPICE (Israel). Also included are system integration and testing, missile modifications, software development/integration, test sets and support equipment, spare and repair parts, publications and technical data, maintenance, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. Government and contractor representatives, contractor engineering and technical support services, and other related elements of logistics support. The estimated cost is $3.888 billion.

This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the military capabilities of Turkey and further weapon system standardization and interoperability with U.S. forces.

This proposed modernization will enhance the Turkish Air Force’s ability to defend Turkey while patrolling the nation’s extensive coastline and borders against future threats and contribute to Global War on Terrorism and NATO operations. Turkey needs these capabilities for mutual defense, regional security, modernization, and U.S. and NATO interoperability. The proven reliability and compatibility of like systems integrated with numerous platforms will foster increased interoperability with NATO and U.S. forces, and expand regional defenses to counter common threats to air, border, and shipping assets in the region. The modernization of the F-16 aircraft will be provided in accordance with, and subject to the limitation on use and transfer provided under the Arms Export Control Act, as amended, as embodied in the Letter of Offer and Acceptance.

This proposed sale will not adversely affect either the military balance in the region or U.S. efforts to encourage a negotiated settlement of the Cyprus questions. The principal contractors will be:
BAE Advanced Systems - Greenlawn, New York Boeing Integrated Defense Systems (three locations) - St Louis, Missouri; Long Beach, California; San Diego, California Harris Corporation Government Communications Systems Division - Melbourne, Florida Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company - Fort Worth, Texas Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control - Dallas, Texas Northrop-Grumman Electro-Optical Systems - Garland, Texas Northrop-Grumman Electronic Systems - Baltimore, Maryland Raytheon Missile Systems - Tucson, Arizona

Although generally the purchaser requires offsets, at this time, there are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.

There will be up to three U.S. Government and contractor representatives on a temporary basis for in-country training over the life of the missile systems.

There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.

Turkey – AIM-9X SIDEWINDER Missiles
土耳其可能購買 AIM-9X
On 7 October 2004, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Turkey of 225 AIM-9X SIDEWINDER Missiles, 5 AIM-9X Dummy Air Training Missiles, 20 AIM-9X Captive Air Training Missiles as well as associated equipment and services. The total value, if all options are exercised, could be as high as $96 million.

The Government of Turkey has requested a possible sale of 225 AIM-9X SIDEWINDER Missiles, 5 AIM-9X Dummy Air Training Missiles, 20 AIM-9X Captive Air Training Missiles, missile containers, missile modifications, test sets and support equipment, spare and repair parts, publications and technical data, maintenance, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. Government and contractor representatives, contractor engineering and technical support services, and other related elements of logistics support. The estimated cost is $96 million.

This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the military capabilities of Turkey and further weapon system standardization and interoperability with U.S. forces.

The proposed sale of the AIM-9X SIDEWINDER missile systems is being addressed in conjunction with the planned modernization of their F-16 fighter aircraft. The missiles will significantly enhance the Turkish Air Force’s current air-to-air intercept capability to equal capabilities within their region of operations. The Turkish Air Force has extensive experience operating the AIM-9M missile system with their F-16 aircraft and should have no difficulties incorporating this proposed upgraded weapon system into their forces. The missiles will be provided in accordance with, and subject to the limitation on use and transfer provided under the Arms Export Control Act, as amended, as embodied in the Letter of Offer and Acceptance. This proposed sale will improve Turkey’s capacity to contribute to NATO operations and the Global War on Terrorism.

The proposed sale will not affect the basic military balance in the region or U.S. efforts to encourage a negotiated settlement of the Cyprus questions.

The prime contractor will be Raytheon Systems Corporation of Tucson, Arizona. Although generally the purchaser requires offsets, at this time, there are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.

There will be up to three U.S. Government and contractor representatives on a temporary basis for in-country training over the life of the missile systems.

Laser-Guided JDAM To Begin Flight-Tests Before Years End
By Marc Selinger
10/08/2004 08:55:19 AM
JDAM 雷射導引版年底前開始測試

The Boeing Co. plans to begin flight-testing a laser-guided version of the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) before years end in hopes of fueling U.S. government interest in the weapon variant.

The Boeing-funded testing, which will continue into 2005, will include dropping the modified air-to-surface munition from a fighter aircraft, said Donald Hutcheson, a Boeing business development manager for precision-guided weapons.

The laser-guided weapon will retain JDAMs ability to strike targets using satellite navigation, but the enhancements will enable it to destroy laser-designated targets as well. This dual-mode capability gives flexibility for the pilot who is flying the mission, Hutcheson told The DAILY in an interview late Oct. 6.

While satellite-guided navigation usually works better than lasers in bad weather, designating targets with air- or ground-based lasers can be advantageous in good weather because it generally is faster than targeting with satellite coordinates, Hutcheson explained.

Hutcheson said the laser-guided JDAM, created by adding a small module to an existing JDAM, will be relatively easy to integrate on aircraft. The modification will not change the basic shape of current JDAMs, and no software changes will have to be made to the aircraft.

Its a fairly straightforward change for a JDAM to add this additional targeting mode, he said.

The laser-guided capability is designed so it can be installed in the field, as needed. Boeing insists the cost of the laser feature will be low. I cant give you the exact price right now, but its a very inexpensive laser kit, Hutcheson said.

500-pounder first

The upcoming tests initially will use the 500-pound JDAM, which is the new, lightweight variant that recently was used in combat for the first time (DAILY, Oct. 6).

Boeing eventually hopes to test the laser capability on other versions of JDAM as well. Except for differences in wiring, the other versions would be modified the same way as the 500-pound JDAM.

The Air Force has expressed interest in a laser-guided JDAM but has not been able to come up with the development dollars, Hutcheson said. Boeing believes that if it does the tests itself, the Air Force may have an easier time making a case to buy the modified munition.

by Senior Airman Amaani Lyle
52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office

10/13/2004 - SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany (AFPN) -- F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots here can now look, lock and launch on an enemy target in the blink of an eye.

Because split seconds can mean the difference between life or death for a pilot in combat, the 52nd Fighter Wing here adopted an advanced approach to high-tech man-machine interaction with the Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System.

The system provides an electronic interface allowing the helmet and jet to communicate putting critical data less than three inches from a pilot’s right eye.

Human retinal nerve impulses and eye movement can be faster than one-twenty-fifth of a second. Pilots quickly locate, track, identify and lock onto airborne and ground-based targets at longer ranges and safer altitudes -- all by simply looking at a target, said Staff Sgt. Terence Zelek, a life-support technician with the 23rd Fighter Squadron.

“By keeping their eyes pointed outside the cockpit, pilots will be better equipped to support the formation via visual lookout and avoid potential midair collisions in crowded airspace,” said Lt. Col. David Youtsey, 52nd Operations Support Squadron director of operations.

Avoiding such collisions is part of what makes the nearly $100,000 price tag per system money well spent, Colonel Youtsey said.

“Compared to the cost of a trained pilot, the cost of the (F-16), or the cost of many weapons that are used only once, the price is not an issue,” he said. “(With) more survivable air attack engagements or faster destruction of enemy ground forces during a close-air support mission, the benefits are easily recognized.”

Colonel Youtsey said the new system also pays dividends in training.

“Our young pilots will learn the skills and tactics necessary to transfer to more capable aircraft,” he said. “The skills acquired via (the system) will support the fielding decisions and employment tactics of those future stealthy platforms in an even more networked and sensor-dense battle space.”

One pilot said the ease of the helmet system makes the idea of returning to the “old-fashioned” system unappealing, but he also recognizes the importance of meticulous training, fitting and assembly on the new system.

“Your head is connected to the end (of the cord) and inside the helmet,” said Capt. Kevin Lord, 23rd FS life-support officer and F-16 pilot. During an ejection or other mishap, “if the (system) is improperly connected, it could rip your head off.”

Three dedicated rides with an instructor, coupled with a regular flight schedule, should keep pilots proficient with the new equipment.

IAF, Singapore air force begin joint exercises
印度新加坡聯合空軍演習
NEW DELHI: Six F-16 fighters of the Singapore Air Force today commenced joint exercises with the Indian Air Force-- allowing the IAF an opportunity to practice war manoeuvres along with the F-16s for the first time.

The two air forces will for the first time conduct the `Ankush defensive offensive air exercises till October 27 in the skies over Gwalior, Kalaikunda (West Bengal) and Pokhran (Rajasthan) in which the IAF has decided to pitch in all aircraft in its inventory -- save the MiG-25s.

According to an IAF spokesperson here, the Singapore Air Force have arrived with 6 F-16 fighting falcons, a KC-135R refueller and a C-130 Hercules transporter to conduct the second such exercise this year from Gwalior IAF base. The US Air Force had come to this base in February last with their F-15 Eagles.

And after having successfully taken on the US-flown Eagles, the IAF air warriors will now get a chance to test their skills against the Singaporean F-16s--flown also by the Pakistan Air Force.

The Singapore airmen had only last month taken part in a joint military exercise in France where the air forces of the two countries engaged in air combat and air-to-air flying manoeuvres in `exercise western arc from September 20 to October 4.

According to Singapores ministry of defense, the exercise will give Singapores Air Force ``a valuable opportunity to conduct air operations in realistic and challenging conditions.

Marking another milestone in the growing defence cooperation between India and Singapore, the exercise will also help enhance inter-operability and mutual understanding between the two Air Forces, the ministry said.

The island city-state has limited air space--as well as territory--and under a recent defence cooperation agreement, its defence forces will be able to conduct military manoeuvres here jointly with the Indian Armed Forces.

United News of India

---------
http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,11049027%255E13762,00.html
SWITZERLAND: Fighter jets on sale to public
From correspondents in Geneva
October 12, 2004
SWITZERLAND is to auction off its old and unusable Mirage III fighter jets, for a starting price of 3,000 Swiss francs ($3268) each, the Defence ministry said....

By Jim Wolf

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration is planning to consult Congress on Pakistans nearly 15-year quest for advanced F-16 fighter aircraft, a U.S. defense official said on Thursday, in a prelude to what may be a delicate balancing act with rival India.

布希政府計劃詢問國會對巴基斯坦購買 F-16 的意見

Its a very long involved process that will be taken up with our Congress once they come back after the first of the year, Rear Adm. Craig McDonald, head of the office of the U.S. defense representative in Pakistan, told a Pentagon (news - web sites)-organized conference on security cooperation.

Under U.S. law, Congress must approve government to government arms sales, but any deal with Pakistan could also be influenced by the outcome of the Nov. 2 U.S. elections.

The F-16, which is manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corp., has a history that reflects U.S. ups and downs with Pakistan, now a key ally in the U.S. war on terror sparked by the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

Washington supplied 40 F-16s to Pakistan from 1983 to 1987 when Islamabad helped the United States drive Soviet forces from neighboring Afghanistan (news - web sites).

Deliveries were halted in 1990 after a U.S. law barred military exports because Pakistan was suspected of possessing a nuclear explosive device.

In May 1998, Pakistan replied to nuclear tests by India with blasts of its own, leading to more U.S. sanctions. The curbs were overturned days after Sept. 11, when Pakistan enlisted as an ally against Osama bin Laden (news - web sites)s al Qaeda movement, blamed for the attacks on New York and the Pentagon.

The head of the Pentagons Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kohler of the Air Force, told Reuters the Bush administration had not yet made a final decision on whether to sell new F-16s to Pakistan -- a move India opposes.

美國國防部高層官員強調布希政府尚未決定要不要賣新F-16s 給巴基斯坦

Kohler, whose agency handles government-to-government arms sales, was to visit India this month for what he called a getting acquainted visit with defense ministry officials, heads of the armed services and others.

Im sure they may bring it up, he said of Indias opposition to any U.S. decision to transfer F-16s to Pakistan, with which India has fought three wars.

What the U.S. government wants to make clear to both sides is we have important strategic relationships with both countries, he said in the interview at his agencys annual conference on security cooperation. Its not that we favor one country over the other. We dont.

Kohler described opportunities for greatly expanded U.S.-Indian security cooperation in a range of areas, including missile defense. India has also expressed interest in acquiring U.S. naval helicopters and anti-submarine capabilities, he said.

McDonald cited the possibility the United States might offer a midlife upgrade, or major overhaul, of Pakistans existing F-16 fleet, a compromise that might placate India.

美國駐巴基斯坦國防代表說美國可能提供「中程提昇」或
修復巴基斯坦現有的F-16

http://yam.udn.com/yamnews/daily/2297061.shtml
中共殲十戰機 外銷巴基斯坦

大陸新聞中心／綜合報導
2004/10/16

中共新製的殲十戰機，將取名為「猛龍」，經中共國防部批准，首批殲十出口產品將銷往巴基斯坦。

星島日報報導，殲十是中共自製的第三代戰鬥機，其戰鬥力與美國的F16C／DＤ型相若。經過十八年漫長的反覆研製，殲十的A型機已於二○○二年服役，後續機型也試驗當中。

報導稱，根據生產殲十的成都飛機集團消息，殲十用猛獸的名稱為戰機命名原則，正式命名為「猛龍」。

殲十戰機最大優勢是價格較西方國家戰機廉價，第三世界國家購買意願高。經成飛集團努力爭取，已促成「猛龍」出口計畫。

（中央社記者張謙香港十九日電）明天首次在香港發行的漢和防務評論報導，今年中國從俄羅斯購買了新一批用於J10A戰鬥機的AL31FN渦輪風扇發動機，因此推算，J10A的生產進入了新階段。

報導表示，J10A初期的設計生產能力為每年20架，隨後逐步增加到年產50架的水平。據稱，成都飛機公司為此將建設第二條生產線；雙座型J10B也已經從去年開始研製。

報導指出，第二批次的J10A以及J10B將從明年開始陸續投入生產，用以裝備空軍的第二個殲擊機團。

據報導，中國空軍對第一批J10A的服役結果表示滿意。今年進入量產階段的J10A依然使用國產的1473雷達，全部為空軍型號，海軍也計劃裝備J10A。在訓練方面，漢和透露目前第一個J10A團的訓練、換裝準備工作已經完成。

關於外傳中國將向巴基斯坦提供J10A，漢和評論代總編輯平可夫認為，在未來六年內可能性不大，原因包括300批次的J10A主要是為中國空軍、海軍航空兵生產，俄制AL31FN發動機沒有出口許可權；其次巴基斯坦已經在FC1戰鬥機上進行了投資，而且根據巴基斯坦空軍、國力現狀，FC1對於巴基斯坦而言是比較適合的飛機，不太可能放棄FC1轉而進口J10A。

日本防衛廳於2004年10月19日宣佈，將於次期中期防衛力整備計劃（2005∼2009年度）期間中，著手進行同時兼具攔截敵戰鬥機用迎擊戰鬥機與攻擊用支援戰鬥機功能之多目的新型戰鬥機選定。

本來，防衛廳並未預定於次期防期間進行新型戰鬥機選定。但是，原先預定配備130架的主力支援戰鬥機F2採購機數，決定降低至100架左右。預期現有戰鬥機不論各方面能力與機數今後均無法滿足要求下，為尋求日益舊式化的F4戰鬥機後繼機型，而提前引進多功能戰鬥機。

可能引進的多功能戰鬥機候選機型，包括美、英、義、荷等11國共同開發的F35（聯合攻擊戰鬥機），與兼具對地攻擊能力的F15鷹式戰鬥機等。

目前航空自衛隊的戰鬥機，分為迎擊戰鬥機與對地．對海目標攻擊用支援戰鬥機。日本防衛廳將新增無此區別的多功能戰鬥機，以求部隊之效率化。空自於2004年3月底，擁有迎擊戰鬥機F15共203架、F4共92架，支援戰鬥機F2共49架、F1共23架。

〔2004/10/19/14:34　讀賣新聞〕

＊出處：http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/politics/news/20041019i304.htm

While Hindustan Aeronautics Limited already has a concept of the post-Hawk AJT — tentatively labelled the Hindustan Jet Trainer — on its drawing board, air headquarters is in the process of articulating specific requirements which it expects this trainer to fulfil.

For starters, the IAF wants its AJT to be much more combat capable — 1.5 times more potent than the Hawk as a fighting machine — and cheaper, while remaining just as safe as a trainer.

Air headquarters wants technology parameters to be planned keeping in mind the requirements for the year 2020.

IAF top guns

The IAF now rates 10 per cent of its pilots as master greens, or the best of the best. Sixty per cent are categorised next best as greens, and 20 per cent whites are another notch lower. The remaining 10 per cent have a below-par rating.

The rating agency is the Hindon-based Aircrew Examining Board, which itself comprises all master greens examinees. Its contribution to setting and examining the standards for military pilots will receive recognition from the President on November 1.

Seeking the Taj

Indians are in for a rare treat, with the famed French aerobatics team, Patrouille de France due to perform near Delhi in November. Theyre keen to have the aerobatics team photographed and filmed against the backdrop of the Taj Mahal.

This request has set the cat among the pegions. The Taj being too sensitive an installation, the French have had to go from one agency to another for permission, which is still elusive. Incidentally, IAF mid-air refuellers with mediapersons on board were taken around the Taj recently to enable great pictures.

Vishal Thapar

The deployment of the Russian air unit at the Aini airfield is stipulated by agreements on setting up a Russian military base in Tajikistan that were recently signed between Moscow and Dushanbe.

Russia’s Ministry of Defense may exchange 12 Su-35 fighter jets for 50 Brazilian Embraer airliners. The deal consists of two contracts valued at $750 million each. The Brazilian planes may be acquired by the Russian airline Aeroflot.

The future of this deal is likely to become clearer after the November meeting of Russia’s President Putin, and Brazil’s President Lula da Silva. If the deal goes through, the airplane parts will be made in Brazil and Russia and put together in China.

The fighter jets will also be constructed at a Russian plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. The deal may save the plant’s economic future, because after 2006 it has no contracts.

Besides the Brazilian planes, the tender will also include the joint Russian-Ukrainian plane An-148, presented by the company Ilushin Finance Co, Proekt-3000 company, Sukhoi Civil Aircraft, and Bombardier, a Canadian company.

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http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID;=6533213
Brazil denies Russian fighter jet-Embraer deal
巴西官方否認飛機交易的傳聞
Mon Oct 18, 2004 04:17 PM ET
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BRASILIA, Brazil, Oct 18 (Reuters) - The Brazilian government on Monday denied it was planning to buy 12 Russian Sukhoi fighter jets in exchange for 50 passenger aircraft built by Brazils Embraer (EMBR4.SA: Quote, Profile, Research) (ERJ.N: Quote, Profile, Research) .
Quoting government and military sources, Russian daily Kommersant on Monday reported Russia was pushing for the deal, which would be worth $1.5 billion, the paper said.

The minister says this will not take place. This is speculation, said a spokeswoman in reference to Brazilian Defense Minister Jose Viegas.

A spokeswoman at Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica (Embraer), the worlds fourth largest producer of commercial jets, also denied the report.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is tentatively due to visit Brazil next month and Brazils Vice President Jose Alencer traveled to Russia last week.

Sukhois Su-35 Super Flanker is one of five aircraft competing in a tender by Brazil to buy new fighter jets. Other bidders include Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) with its F-16 fighter and Swedens Saab AB (SAABb.ST: Quote, Profile, Research) together with BAE Systems Plc (BA.L: Quote, Profile, Research) with the Gripen Jet.

Embraer, together with Frances Dassault Aviation SA (AVMD.PA: Quote, Profile, Research) , is also bidding in the tender with a special version of the Mirage strike aircraft.

Brazil has said it will go ahead with the purchase of new fighters despite suspending the plan for a year in 2003 to focus on anti-poverty programs. It has not said when it will make a final decision on the deal, which was expected in the first half of this year.

There has been speculation in the local media that Brazil could opt for the Russian aircraft, partly because of the center-left government wants to be closer to big emerging market nations.

Brazil also could possibly gain other advantages in opting for a Russian-made aircraft, such as closer cooperation on space research and trade.

F-15C AESA 雷達提昇的展望

NORTHERN FIGHTS

This is the second report on new technology being introduced with the 3rd Wings F-15Cs at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska. Earlier articles appeared in the Oct. 4 issue, pp. 49-51. In addition to the APG-63(V)2 AESA radar, built to detect small cruise missiles, the wing is introducing the AIM-9X and helmet-mounted cueing system. Such testing occasionally provides surprises, such as the beyond-visual-range capability of the helmet device. Moreover, the revitalization and new dimensions of air-to-air combat are leading to other changes, including the reinstitution of the William Tell air-to-air weapons meet.

Mystery already surrounds the advanced radars that are expected to upgrade the U.S. Air Forces air-to-air F-15C and air-to-ground F-15Es as the service wrestles with how many to keep and what capabilities will modernize them.

The APG-63(V)2 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, designed to target small cruise missile-size targets, has been flying in 18 F-15Cs for several years, but Raytheon will never make any more of them. A more efficient, easier to service and lighter weight version--the APG-63(V)3--was designed to improve the air-to-air capability of the newest F-15Cs.

The Air Force intends to keep and eventually hand over these F-15C Golden Eagles to the Air National Guard and Air Force reserve for homeland defense of the continental U.S. Its also planning for installation of an AESA radar in the F-15Es to fine-tune its precision bombing capabilities even for mobile targets hidden in ground clutter. Initially, USAF was to begin installing V3 radars in 161 F-15Cs in Fiscal 2008 and similar radars in 224 F-15Es starting in 2010.

However, the F-15 Golden Eagles designated for long-term retention may not get the upgrade. An Air Force budget already stretched too thin is given as one reason. A second is that service leaders want to offer no competition to the F/A-22, which is slated to have a primary cruise missile defense role during expeditionary operations.

Nevertheless, an active electronically scanned array of some sort is expected to find its way into the F-15E as an upgrade to its air-to-ground capability.

The F-15Cs may not get V3 depending on the number of other aircraft [with AESA-type radar], says Air Force Secretary James Roche. We already have the F/A-22, F-35 and F-15Es. The F-15E will be fully modernized, including an AESA radar. With the F-15C, we will hedge the future by taking one of them and going all the way through integrating an AESA on board. However, [Air Combat Command officials] said they dont see moving that priority up at this point.

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John Jumper voices similar caution about the F-15Cs future.

We intend to make the airplanes that we have more versatile, Jumper says. The numbers [of radar upgrades] and exactly what [aircraft] get what [systems] are still being discussed with the major commands.

Some Air Force officials point to a gap between Jumpers and ACCs plans. The disagreement is roughly that Roche and Jumper want the F/A-22 to replace the F-15Cs and F-15Es as rapidly and completely as possible. Specifically, Jumper wants to replace long term, the F-117, F-15C and F-15E fleet of 750 aircraft . . . with around 400 F/A-22s. ACC prefers a more conservative approach that would include keeping the 179 F-15Cs in the fleet longer so they can be dedicated to homeland defense, as well as five wings of F-15Es for strike.

Were going to maintain an inventory of 179 F-15Cs at least to the 2020 time frame, says Col. Michael Leggett, chief of the advanced programs division in ACCs requirements directorate. Weve got 18 V2s out there, so were looking to fit the other 161 of those with the V3 radar. The question is the ability of ACC and the Air Force to pay the bill.

The V3 is important to ACC for its combat capabilities, says Col. Joe Rine, chief of the aircraft division. [In addition,] were going to mine the talent of those V2 guys coming out of Elmendorf, and if we get V3, those guys will be valuable commodities in the radar world.

We have a gap in cruise missile defense capability that were trying to fill in terms of radar power [and range] and faster lock and target times, Leggett says. But I dont envision it in the same role as the F/A-22. They would fill different gaps. I dont think you will see an overlap of capability or duplication of effort with the F/A-22 going deep behind enemy lines and the F-15C staying in orbits near the forward line of troops.

Some additional modifications are envisioned for the V2 and V3 radar-equipped aircraft.

As the technology of the radar and other sensors gets more advanced, the packages of data that we attempt to transfer will get larger and larger, says Maj. Bill Singletary, ACCs F-15 program element monitor. There are plans in the data link area to expand the capability to take advantage of the larger amounts of useful data that AESA brings. We need to look at the complementary systems to share that information on the net so everybody can use it to full advantage.

ACC did find the money to build and install a single prototype V3 radar for testing capability.

Were moving ahead as far as we can with the money we have, says Rine. We have to test the V3 for a while to look at what the radar brings, in terms of combat capability, and to add fidelity to our estimates of reliability and savings. Our plans are to [make room in the budget] in 2008 for installation, but we dont know where it will stack up against all the other Air Force priorities. The V3 testing will likely be done at Eglin AFB, Fla.

A program to put AESA radar on the F-15E fleet is still not fully matured. We have program money for both research and development and installation on the F-15E fleet, Singletary says. That would be a competitive package, so were not calling it V-anything. But starting in 2009, we have money in the future-years defense plan for those radars. Right now, were looking roughly at Fiscal 2010 to start seeing the technology on the E-model. The radars we have now use technology developed in the 1970s. Its a mechanically scanned array; when you have moving parts, the failure rates skyrocket.

Senior operational commanders say theres no doubt the Air Force is moving toward the policy that single-mission aircraft are a thing of the past--a notion highlighted by the fact that the F-22 is now the F/A-22.

I dont know how [the air-to-ground] capability will be addressed in the F-15C, says Col. Russell J. Handy, operations group commander for the 3rd Wing, based at Elmendorf AFB. Were in total agreement with the capacity of the AESA radar to do air-to-ground [attack]. Wed love to have it in all our F-15E Strike Eagles [too]. Air-to-ground combat ID is a huge challenge for us. Even in the Strike Eagle we very routinely get into using the Mark 1 eyeball as the ID on the type of vehicle.

Perhaps as a bridge to the advanced radar capability, Elmendorf planners are making it more routine for AESA-equipped F-15Cs and non-AESA F-15Es to train together.

Raytheons B-2 AESA Radar Successfully Completes Major T/R Module Milestone

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Oct. 19, 2004 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Companys
AN/APQ-181 radar for the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, now being upgraded to
include a new active electronically scanned array (AESA) antenna, has
successfully completed a production readiness review (PRR) for the
transmit/receive (T/R) module at the heart of the array.
Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems (SAS) is the principal subcontractor
on the B-2 Radar Modernization Program (RMP) for prime contractor Northrop
Grumman Corporation.
Each antenna requires more than 2,000 of the two-channel modules, making
them the single largest investment for the system. The modules are now fully
qualified with zero failures in the qualification test program, and Raytheon
has demonstrated its ability to mass produce them at an affordable cost.
To achieve PRR, Raytheons T/R module design for the B-2 AESA completed
qualification testing on schedule. The testing proved the modules could
perform in extreme temperatures, vibration and shock. Throughout the testing,
critical functions of the T/R modules evaluated were successful with no need
for rework or retest. More than 40 pilot production T/R modules had been
produced through the end of August. The pilot modules are demonstrating
greater transmit and receive performance than required at a lower weight and
cost. At the end September, approximately 500 production modules were in
process or complete.
The B-2 T/R modules are a tremendous successful story for this program.
They are cheaper, faster and better than we ever anticipated and are providing
a strong foundation for the B-2 radar modernization program, said Rob Dorr,
Northrop Grumman program manager for the Radar Modernization Program.
This milestone proves Raytheon has the design and manufacturing expertise
to produce a reliable active array for the B-2, said Raytheon SAS vice
president Erv Grau. The B-2 is another success story in the Raytheon family
of AESAs that is also expanding mission effectiveness for the F-15 and F/A-18
aircraft.
The new antenna will preserve legacy system radar performance and improve
reliability, and will make future growth easier.
Completion of PRR was required before the system development and
demonstration (SDD) phase could begin. The Milestone B decision authorizing
SDD was signed on August 17, 2004; in September Raytheon received a $194
million contract from Northrop Grumman.
The B-2 Radar Modernization Program began with a study that defined two
alternatives the government could pursue to provide improvements in radio
frequency usage between the B-2 and commercial systems. The Air Force chose
the AESA option because of its inherent reliability and growth potential.
Total value of the B-2 RMP to Raytheon, including the remaining
development work and a future production contract, is expected to be
approximately $600 million. The majority of the radar work will be performed
in El Segundo, Calif., and Dallas, Texas.
Raytheon Companys Space and Airborne Systems (SAS) designs, develops and
manufactures advanced mission systems for precision engagement; missile
defense; and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. Headquartered in
El Segundo, Calif., SAS has 11,000 employees and additional facilities in
Goleta, Calif.; Forest, Miss.; Dallas, McKinney and Plano, Texas; and several
international locations.
Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN), with 2003 sales of $18.1 billion, is an
industry leader in defense and government electronics, space, information
technology, technical services, and business and special mission aircraft.
With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 78,000 people worldwide.

Contact
Sabrina Steele
310.647.9067 office
310.977.4998 mobile
[email protected]

Wade Boese
U.S. and Pakistani officials are denying claims by a senior Pakistani military commander that Washington is about to fulfill Islamabad’s long-stymied and controversial quest for advanced American combat aircraft.

Pakistani Air Chief Marshal Kaleem Saadat told reporters in September that the United States would soon meet Pakistan’s 15-year-old push for F-16 fighters, providing at least 18 of the planes. In a subsequent interview with Jane’s Defence Weekly, Saadat said the transfers would probably be announced after next month’s U.S. presidential election.

Saadat appears alone in his certainty. Several Americans and Pakistanis, including government representatives of both countries, told Arms Control Today that they were not aware of any ongoing negotiations or said no agreement had been reached.

If such an agreement were reached it would end an impasse that began in 1990 when the U.S. government stopped a shipment of 28 F-16s to Pakistan in accordance with a U.S. law—known as the Pressler amendment (after former Republican Sen. Larry Pressler of South Dakota)—proscribing military exports to Islamabad if it was suspected of possessing a “nuclear explosive device.” Pakistan later publicly confirmed its possession of such a capability by responding to May 1998 nuclear tests by India with blasts of its own.

A senior administration official interviewed Oct. 7 said there is “no decision at any level of the U.S. government to provide F-16s to Pakistan.” A spokesman for the Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which oversees U.S. government arms sales to other countries, stated Sept. 22, “as far as we know, a decision has not been made.” Congressional staffers also said they have not been informed of any completed or imminent deal.

The most that a top U.S. government official has said publicly is that such a sale is a possibility. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said in a Sept. 29 interview with a Pakistani television station that F-16s are “still on the table…we’ve had discussions with the Pakistani authorities about these matters, and I’ll just leave it right there.”

A Pakistani diplomat said in an Oct. 5 interview with Arms Control Today that Islamabad has inquired about buying F-16s. Yet, the official said that no formal talks were underway and the only encouraging signs about American intentions were coming from outside the U.S. government.

Lockheed Martin Corp. spokesman Joe Stout declined to comment Oct. 7 on the rumored deal, saying it was a government-to-government matter. Lockheed Martin makes the F-16 and supplied 40 of the aircraft to Pakistan between 1983 and 1987 when the country was actively working with the United States to help oust Soviet forces from Afghanistan.

The prospect that F-16 sales might resume became more of a reality after restrictions on arms transfers to Pakistan were swept aside days after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and its enlistment as a key U.S. ally in the war on terrorism. (See ACT, October 2001.)

Since waiving the sanctions, the Bush administration has approved several arms agreements with Pakistan, including exports of helicopters, cargo aircraft, night vision equipment, radios, and various radar systems. It also paved the way for Pakistan to have greater opportunities to acquire excess U.S. arms by designating Pakistan a major non-NATO ally this past June.

Despite these actions, one congressional staffer who works on foreign policy issues said Oct. 13 that a resumption of F-16 exports to Pakistan would be a “huge line to cross” because it could have repercussions for all of South Asia.

India has protested past U.S. arms sales to its neighbor and an Indian government official interviewed Oct. 12 said New Delhi has specifically objected to the potential transfer of F-16s. The official explained that India does not see any role for F-16s in the fight against terror, but suspects that Pakistan views the fighters as better suited for its rivalry with India. “It has been our experience that whenever new weapons systems arrive in Pakistan, [the Pakistani army and intelligence service] become more aggressive and intransigent,” the official commented. Such a turn of events, according to the official, could spell trouble for a recent upswing in the Indian-Pakistani relationship. (See ACT, September 2004.)

Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), who founded a congressional caucus in support of India, voiced these same concerns in a Sept. 23 letter to President George W. Bush. Pallone denounced a possible F-16 deal as “bad policy” and further charged the administration with “contributing to increased security concerns throughout South Asia, and particularly to India.”

JF-17 deliveries to Pakistan still uncertain
巴基斯坦JF-17 ( FC-1 ) 交貨仍未定
JANES DEFENCE WEEKLY - SEPTEMBER 29, 2004

Robert Sae-Liu JDW Special Correspondent,

Beijing - Timely deliveries to Pakistan from 2006 of the Chinese-made JF-17 attack fighter remain in doubt, despite assurances from Islamabad. Problems involve the re-export of Russian-made components, according to sources monitoring the programme.

The JF-17, previously known as the FC-1, is being developed by Chinas Chengdu Aircraft Industry under a joint development and production agreement signed with Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) in June 1999. Published reports indicate that Islamabads requirement is for 150 platforms.

The first JF-17 prototype started formal flight testing on 2 September 2003 and several other prototypes are to be evaluated before series production is launched. Two Pakistani test pilots began a regular flight test programme on 7 April 2004.

JDW reported a year ago that China holds no rights to re-export the Russian-made Klimov RD-93 turbofan engine that powers the prototype aircraft. This indicated that the programme involving Pakistan could suffer delays.

Islamabad subsequently brushed aside such concerns and chief project director Air Vice Marshal Shahid Lateef affirmed in April that deliveries would start in mid-2006. He said 16 aircraft would be produced initially: eight for Pakistan and eight for the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army Air Force, with four of the former to be assembled at PACs Kamra facility.

More recently, Pakistani sources told JDW that Moscow is unlikely to object to the sale in view of a bilateral agreement on intelligence co-operation signed earlier this month. Foreign sources familiar with the programme are less certain. They point out that there remains no agreement on re-export of the RD-93 engine. Russian hesitation is centred on Moscows close relationship with India and this would remain an issue even if China began manufacturing the engine under licence.

These sources say the JF-17s radar system poses another problem, but it is unclear whether this centres on a similar issue related to re-export rights.

The choice of a multimode pulse-Doppler radar was reported last year as involving a competition between Phazotron of Russia with the Kopyo system, Galileo (FIAR) of Italy with the Grifo S-7 and Thales of France with the RC 400.

ATG, IAI in strategic partnership for advanced jet trainer

Israel Aircraft Industries will invest equity and match funds with Aviation Technology Group.
Globes correspondent 14 Oct 04 9:51

Aviation Technology Group (ATG) and Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) have signed a strategic cooperative agreement for the design, development, and manufacture of an advanced jet trainer (AJT).
The AJT concept based on ATG’s two-seat jet, the Javelin. It is optimally suited for a variety of advanced military training and support requirements. Integration of the Javelin prototype is in its final stages and handoff to flight operations is scheduled for this month.

The ATG and IAI partnership is a cooperative development process which also includes joint global marketing, engineering and co-production of the Javelin AJT.

Final assembly of the aircraft will take place in New Mexico and Israel, allowing greater logistical flexibility.

IAI will invest equity and matching funds in ATG for the advanced trainer derivative, and the aircraft will be the central element of an integrated system that includes flight simulators, ground-base training systems, and maintenance and logistics infrastructures.

“We evaluated options to develop a next-generation trainer aircraft and concluded that a strategic co-development partnership with ATG was most cost effective option, said IAI president and CEO Moshe Keret. “The AJT will incorporate low-risk design and technologies of great interest to air forces around the world seeking pilots training solutions.”

ATG chairman and CEO George Bye stated, “We are committed to build upon our progress in the civil sector by entering the advanced training market with IAI. The Javelin AJT concept allows flight training units to improve training effectiveness while simultaneously reducing budgets.”

The dual-engine Javelin AJT will optimize aircraft performance during advanced and pre-operational training, allowing pilot trainees to better develop data analysis, information management, decision-making, and situational awareness skills.

The Javelin AJT will perform in the class of 0.90 Mach/500 knots. It is based on a light small dimension platform approximately 6,000 lbs, (2,700 kg). Maneuverability matches the requirements of advanced and pre-operational (“lead-in”) pilot training. In the Javelin AJT the cockpit and avionics will be compatible with the display and operation of systems in fourth and fifth generation fighters including the F-15, F-16, Mig-29, Sukhoi-30, Rafale, and Eurofighter. Systems will include embedded simulations of combat scenarios, sensors data, simulated operation of weapons and self-defense systems, and mission planning and debriefing capabilities.

ATG is headquartered at Centennial Airport in Englewood, Colorado. ATG is the developer and manufacturer of high performance military and civil aircraft for domestic and international customers. ATG offers highly competitive products by integrating new technology and off-the-shelf systems into modular platforms.

JSF ﹕從此過著幸福快樂的日子﹖

By Robert Hewson Editor Janes Air-Launched Weapons

As Lockheed Martins Joint Strike Fighter approaches production, questions still surround the programme, not least for the UK.

The news from Fort Worth is that the design difficulties and performance worries that have been irritating Lockheed Martins F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) partners have been solved, and official hopes for an October production clearance from the US Department of Defense are high.

Lockheed Martin wants to turn its attention towards JSF production, with work on major aircraft assemblies now well under way in the US and the UK. The first flight date for the first F-35 is set for August 2006 and, after a troublesome 12 months spent grappling with key design issues, the JSF would appear to be facing a brighter future. However, the dust from the crucial weight reduction work has yet to settle. In producing a design that now meets its desired Key Performance Parameters, Lockheed Martin has made some significant changes to the troubled F-35B Short Take-Off Vertical Landing (STOVL) variant that may yet fail to deliver everything its customers expect.

At the same time, the greatest JSF customer expectation of all - that of equal partnerships with meaningful industrial co-operation - is still largely unfulfilled. Important partner nations such as Australia, Denmark and Norway have all now expressed very public dissatisfaction at the hand they have been dealt by the JSF Programme Office. Nowhere are these concerns more keenly felt than in the UK.

Lockheed Martins most important recent achievement has been the apparent elimination of much of the excess weight plaguing the STOVL design. This emerged as a serious concern in 2003 and the scale of the problem was the source of much speculation. When the actual figure of 3,300 lb overweight was made public (via a written answer to the UK House of Commons in May 2004) it drew a sharp intake of breath from most observers. Some of the worst-case guesses had been confirmed.

However, by early September Lockheed Martin was confident enough in the work undertaken by SWAT, its STOVL Weight Attack Team, to announce that 2,700 lb of unwanted estimated weight had been removed from the STOVL variant. Programme officials confirm that the 3,300 lb figure was accurate and that the 600 lb that appear to remain unaccounted for are absorbed by the extra margins the design team has set itself.

391 of 1,903 words

TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2004 11:24:29 PM ]

NEW DELHI: India need not lose sleep even if Pakistan manages to acquire more F-16 fighters from the US. After plastering American combat pilots in an exercise earlier this year, IAF top guns now have another reason to be gung ho: their top-notch mean machines have proved more than a match for F-16s, the much-vaunted fighting falcons.

Russian-origin Sukhoi-30MKI jets are apparently outgunning American F-16s on several aspects at the ongoing Indo-Singapore air combat exercise in Gwalior.

This is the first-ever face-off between these two sophisticated war machines originating from the two former Cold War adversaries.

Our Sukhois are doing very well against the F-16Cs (of Singapore Air Force) in terms of manoeuvrability, sophistication of avionics and weapon systems. Similarly, our MiG-29s and Mirage-2000s are also matching up to the F-16s, say IAF sources.

IAF is pitting even its MiG-21s, which constitute over 45% of Indias combat fleet, against F-16s during the Sindex-Ankush exercise in Gwalior.

Ever since the Pakistanis acquired F-16s from the US in the mid-1980s, we wanted to size them up. So, we are matching almost all our planes with F-16s of the Singapore Air Force, which are more advanced than the F-16s of Pakistan, said sources.

The IAF has also tasked its elite combat school to develop manoeuvres for MiG-21s to elude the radar cones of F-16s.

IAF spokesperson Squadron Leader Mahesh Upasani only said, Results of the exercise will be assessed only after the debrief. Its premature to comment at this stage.

By Tom Carter
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

（中央社台北二十四日電）第五屆中國國際航空航太博覽會將於十一月一至七日在珠海市航展中心舉行，中國最新一代的高級教練機﹁山鷹﹂將首次亮相。

香港文匯報報導，山鷹教練機具有性能更佳的啟動平台以及先進的綜合電子儀器兩大特點，採用﹁高升阻比﹂雙三角翼氣動裝置，大幅提升起降和中低空亞跨音速性能。

山鷹的動力裝置是由中國空、海軍主要動力供應商貴州黎陽公司提供，配裝WPl3F(C)渦輪噴氣航空發動機，此外，還配備常規機械液壓式操縱、前三點式起落、整體圓弧風擋、穿蓋彈射救生、重力壓力加油，以及可拆卸的類比空中加油插頭，得以從事空中加油訓練。

Controversy erupts over Mirage deal

NDTV Correspondent

Saturday, October 23, 2004 (New Delhi):

In a startling revelation, a Paris court has confirmed that the deal to acquire 10 additional Mirage 2000 jets in 1996 was finalized through middlemen.

It has been learnt that a Panama-based company called Keyser was employed by the French manufacturers of the Mirage fighter to negotiate the contract with the Government of India.

Sequence of events

In 1996, the Government of India decided to replace the existing jets with modern upgraded set of fighter jets.

After months of negotiations with several arms companies, the Ministry of Defence entered into a contract with French arms manufacturer Dassault Aviation for the sale of 10 Mirage 2000.

Nearly five years later, the Air Force is still flying the old set of wings and the new airplanes are yet to arrive.

Murky deals

But thousands of miles away in Paris, there is even bigger question of how the Indian government goes about shopping for its defence equipment.

A court in Paris, while hearing a dispute between Dassault Aviation and its agent Keyser, has confirmed what many in India have been saying for years.

The French court has confirmed how the Panama-based company Keyser was instrumental in negotiating the Indian Mirage deal.

In fact, the company was paid a sum of 10 lakh US dollars by Dassault as the first installment of the commission.

Ironically, the case went to the court only when Dassualt backtracked on its commitment to pay Keyser the commission it promised.

No reaction

Former Defence Minister George Fernandes, during whose tenure this deal was signed, has so far not reacted to this order.

But whats surprising is how the Indian government remained unaware of the previous track record or the court case and went about doing business with same company for more defence products.

For instance:

Keyser, which calls itself a commercial aeronautical product company, has no known track record in defence deals.
If track record wasnt enough, what could have evoked suspicion was the Keyser claim that it is partly owned by the East India Publising Co and Curzon Co.
So far, the Dassault office in India has refused to react to this order.

IAF scrambles after losing third Mirage in 3 weeks

Wednesday October 13 2004 00:00 IST
NEW DELHI: The Mirage-2000 H fighter squadrons based in Gwalior are under fire from Air Headquarters after another aircraft crashed on Tuesday morning during joint exercises with the Singapore Air Force.

This was the third Mirage to go down in the last 20 days. The Mirage fleet, considered one of the most reliable arms of the IAF, had until now a high safety record. Since its induction in 1985, only five have been lost _ three in the last three weeks.

The crash on Tuesday involved a Mirage trainer, piloted by Wg Cdr Venkatesh and Flt Lt Rangachari. It was ditched after its engine stalled, apparently because of a compressor failure.

Preliminary reports indicated that the trainer experienced engine trouble at 18,000 feet. It stalled at 1,800 feet, still four nautical miles away from the Maharajpur runway. The pilots ejected safely.

While the maintenance wing has come under the Air Hqs scanner, its learnt that a French air force Mirage too met with a similar engine problem recently.

On September 23, a Mirage, piloted by Sqn Ldr H S Gill, went down and theres prima facie evidence to suggest it had to with maintainence problems.

On October 3, a Mirage fighter, piloted by Sqn Ldr Ram Kumar, crash-landed at Plaisance airport in Mauritius. Preliminary findings point to pilot error.

A French technical team from Dassault Mirage is already in Gwalior, working with IAF and HAL experts to get to the bottom of the problem. The IAF has two Mirage squadrons: Tigers and Battle Axes.

While Air Hqs is tightlipped, its learnt that action may be taken action against some of the officers involved.

What has upset the IAF most is the September 23 crash where the nose wheel fell because some bolts had corroded. This clearly pointed to slackness on the part of the maintenance wing in Gwalior.

By Sandeep Dikshit

NEW DELHI, OCT. 11. The Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) is apparently not amenable to the request by the Indian Air Force (IAF) to accelerate flight-testing of the indigenously-designed engine, Kaveri, for the light combat aircraft (LCA).

Highly-placed sources say that while no official letter has been sent to the IAF, the DRDO is unlikely to accede to the suggestion.

The Chief of the Air Staff, S. Krishnaswamy, had recently said that though work on developing Indias first combat aircraft was ``slow, it was ``progressing reasonably well. He had suggested that the DRDO conduct a quality review of the project and accelerate flight-testing.

Sources said the DRDO feels that the flight-testing timetable should not be tampered with, as compressing the schedule can lead to unforeseen problems. It feels that development of the LCA is the most complex and difficult project it has taken up so far. It will be happy to continue progressing slowly, rather than speed up things and face difficulties.

Replacing U.S. parts

The DRDO is confident that without accelerating the LCA schedule, the IAF will receive the first squadron of indigenous fighters by 2007. However, the planes will be fitted with American engines. If all goes well, the second squadron should have Kaveri engines.

Though it will publicly not admit it, the IAF is not keen on having two squadrons with different engines, particularly American ones. With the armed forces having already faced trouble when the United States imposed an embargo after the 1998 nuclear tests, the IAF is not in favour of having a critical component of American origin.

The IAF persuaded the Defence Ministry to ask British Aerospace, makers of the advanced jet trainer (AJT), to replace all American components. The Ministry agreed to pursue further negotiations only after the British company complied with its request.

Of the 66 AJTs that will replace the MiGs for training rookie pilots, not one component is of U.S. origin.

Trans-Atlantic thunder

Text and Photographs:
MIKE A. JOHNSINGH

For the first time, Indian Air Force fighter jets land on foreign soil during peacetime, to take part in the Ex-Cooperative Cope Thunder war game exercise conducted by the Pacific Air Force in Alaska.

THE altimeter showed 21,000 feet above mean sea level, the cell of one Illusion-78 (IL-78) and three Jaguars cuts across the skies at close to 400 knots, and beneath was the vast and seemingly neverending blue water mass of the Atlantic Ocean. The fuel levels were dropping at approximately 36 litres a minute, and the time to tank up was close at hand. The Jaguars closed in on the large IL-78, and slowly the zebra-striped hose, the lifeline of the Jaguars, in a situation where land and runway was nearly two hours away, reeled out from the refuelling pods on the outer stations. The familiar surge of adrenaline could be felt coursing through the veins; eyes were riveted on the basket at the end of the hose, which signified life itself at that instant. Months of training automatically took over and the hands worked as if on autopilot. The throttles inched forward slowly and the air speed indicator registered an increment of two knots. The massive body of the IL filled up the front canopy, and slowly but firmly, the refuelling probe of the Jaguar moved into the small basket and mated perfectly into the coupling. The crisp call commencing transfer of 2.5 tonnes now echoed through the headset, the Atlantic now seemed smaller and less menacing, and Newfoundland in Canada seemed much closer. Thirty minutes behind in time, and 200 miles (321.87 km) in distance, the second cell of the trail goes through the same drill.

A new chapter in the history of the Indian Air Force (IAF) began on July 2, with the IAFs fighter aircraft flying across the Atlantic and landing on the North American continent in Alaska to take part in the multinational exercise `Ex-Cooperative Cope Thunder-04.

EX-Cooperative Cope Thunder is an annual multinational exercise conducted by the Pacific Air Force (PACAF) at Alaska. PACAF is one of the nine commands of the U.S. Air Force, with its headquarters at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii. PACAFs primary aim is to provide air and space power to promote American interests in the Asia-Pacific region. Its area of responsibility extends from the west coast of the U.S. to the east coast of Africa, and from the Arctic region to Antarctica, an area of close to 100 million square miles (259 million km). The exercise comprises fighter operations (air defence, strike and reconnaissance) and transport operations of fighters with Forward Air Controllers (FACs). The 354th wing at Eielson Air Force near Fairbanks, Alaska, played host to most of the operating forces. The 353 Combat Training Squadron, also called the `Cope Thunder Squadron, based at Eielson, conducted this exercise on behalf of the PACAF.

The Indian Air Force transport and helicopters have taken part in multinational exercises and peacekeeping missions on behalf of the United Nations, outside Indian airspace. The fighters, on the other hand, have never left Indian air space except during hostilities. The exercise at Alaska marked the beginning of a new era of participation of fighter aircraft in joint exercises with other air forces abroad.

Six Jaguars, two IL-78 in-flight refuelling aircraft, two IL-76 (to carry the men and material), one flight of MANPADS (man-portable air defence systems) and two FACs participated in the exercise. A total of 200 fighters made up the team, headed by Group Captain S.J. Nanodkar. The IL-76 commander was Group Captain S.N. Mohanty, the IL-78 commander was Group Captain Shouvik Roy and the Jaguar commander was Wing Commander K.K. Khera.

Nine staging halts separated India from Alaska (a distance of 19,800 km one way) and each leg of the sortie was close to four hours. The stops en route were Doha (Qatar), Jiyankalis (Egypt), Pratia-Di-Mare (Italy), Montreal (Portugal), Lajes (the mid-Atlantic island belonging to Portugal), Gander (Canada), North Bay (Canada), Edmonton (Canada) and finally the Eielson Air Force Base at Alaska. The most difficult part of the route was the leg between Lajes and Gander, which was expected to take about four hours and 45 minutes, the entire route over the Atlantic Ocean. On this leg, a missed hookup with the fuel tanker would mean a diversion with bare minimum fuel, or a long swim in the cold Atlantic with the sharks. Before the introduction of AAR, the Jaguar was capable of flying for only two hours. Now it is capable of more than double that time, but an important factor to keep in mind is that there is no auto pilot in the aircraft. Thus, the pilot is at the controls at all times. This called for a high degree of physical fitness and mental alertness, for the weather over the Atlantic is not aviation friendly at the height at which the aircraft were flying. All the pilots had to undergo intensive practice to meet the minimum standards required to do the most taxing leg of the journey with ease.

In a four-hour plus sortie, a pilot has to remain strapped in his Martin Baker ejection seat and inflight rations (mostly chocolates and cans of fruit juice) became part of the flying kit. An aircraft seen wallowing around in the air was an indication to others that breakfast was in progress. The pilots also wore adult diapers as they could not get out of their seats to answer natures call.

Another problem was the changing time zones and the inability to get adequate sleep. The only way to combat this problem was by medication, so trials were carried out with sleeping pills. All pilots were checked for reactiveness to sleeping pills and were subsequently sent after ten hours for a sortie to check for any deterioration of flying skill. This was done first in a trainer aircraft and soon pilots graduated to solo fighter flying after medication. For the first time, the IAF pilots were taking medication and flying, a concept which has always been considered taboo. To take part in the exercise, normal fighter flying training was carried out. By the end of May all pilots had done the training.

The Air Force Station at Ambala was the launching pad for this historic mission. On June 21 it was launched by Air Chief Marshal S. Krishnaswamy, the Chief of the Air Staff, and Air Marshal S.P. Tyagi, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command.

On June 23, the formation, christened ASTRA, left from Jamnagar as planned at 7-30 a.m. and headed for Doha. ASTRA crossed 13 countries, landed in five, and flew over the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and finally, the Atlantic Ocean. This was a quantum jump for an Air Force that had started air-to-air refuelling just a year ago. The aircraft landed safely at Alaska on July 9 instead of July 7 owing to bad weather at Edmonton.

BRITIAN, Canada, Germany, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Mongolia and Sri Lanka took part in the exercise, which commenced on July 15. The Indian team was part of the `Blue Land forces, and had targets in `Red Land. En route the team had to keep itself safe from `enemy F-16s and F-15s `camouflaged as MiG-21s and MiG-29s. The aim was simple; to destroy the targets and not get shot down. The first hurdle was to understand the accent and terminology used by the Americans. This was soon overcome by carrying out numerous debriefs using the digital video recording system (DVRS), which filmed the head-up display of the pilot and taped the RT calls. The other aircraft that took part were the F-18s, Tornados, Hercules transport aircraft, Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) and American refuelling aircraft (KC-10s and KC-135s). Operating with the AWACS proved to be a novel experience and these `eyes in the sky helped in preventing aircraft losses due to `fratricide and `enemy action. The targets were life-size aircraft models, hangars, surface-to-air missiles, bridges and mobile SAM vehicles, which were attacked while taking evasive action against radar-guided and infra-red tracking missile systems. The Jaguars, with their ability to fly very low, coupled with terrain-masking provided by the undulating Alaskan hills, helped in surprising the `defenders time and again. The pilots also had to `combat the Midnight Sun. As there was sunlight for more than 20 hours, one had to force oneself to sleep by simulating night in the room.

Apart from being a war game exercise, the interaction en-route with the people of the different countries spread goodwill. At a farewell party hosted by the Indian team for the other Air Forces, numerous officers from other countries expressed their admiration for the hospitable Indian attitude. En route at North Bay, the Indian Air Force also found itself on the front pages of the local newspapers.

The exercise culminated on July 30 and the team left Alaska on August 3. It took the same route back, and on August 16 touched down at Jamnagar. The exercise formally culminated at Ambala on August 17.

大地三型彈道飛彈於上午十一時二十九分（台北時間下午一時五十九分）左右從一個模擬水下發射台發射。此型飛彈係印度綜合導彈發展計畫（IGMDP）的其中一環，配備有最新型電腦和先進的慣性導航系統。

長八點五公尺的大地飛彈能攜載燒夷彈和殺傷彈或次千噸級核子彈頭，用來對付軍隊或裝甲部隊。

大地飛彈可自軍艦或潛艦上發射，具摧毀陸上目標能力。

擁有核武實力的印度和巴基斯坦不時進行飛彈試射，這兩個南亞宿敵過去曾爆發三場戰爭，其中兩場因克什米爾主權紛爭開打。

美軍訂購隱形戰鬥機[00:08]

2004/10/28

英國廣播公司說，美軍已訂購277架FA22隱形戰鬥機，這是美軍訂購的最昂貴的戰鬥機。

這種戰鬥機可以以1500公里的巡航速度飛行，而且可以逃避雷達的監測。這種新型戰機號稱先敵發現、先敵開火和先敵摧毀，也可以在進行60度轉向的同時準確發射導彈。美國軍事專家預估，F-22在未來40年內都將是全世界最先進的戰機。

美國國會幾年前曾有人試圖取消這一計劃，但在美軍合同承包商和各州工會的壓力下最終失敗。

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http://sg.biz.yahoo.com/041025/16/3nzq6.html
Monday October 25, 1:46 PM
Philippine Air Force Gets 4 More Huey Choppers
MANILA, Oct 25 Asia Pulse - The Philippine Air Force today received four more of the 20 refurbished UH-1H helicopters it ordered from Singapore Technologies Aerospace Engineering Pte. Ltd (STA), boosting the PAFs firepower and airlift capability.

Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz formally received the Huey helicopters at simple rites in Camp Aguinaldo. The turnover ceremonies were also attended by ranking defense and military officials.

Air Force chief Lt. Gen. Jose L. Reyes said the delivery of four Huey choppers brought to seven the total number of helicopters refurbished by the Singapore-based firm.

STA delivered the first batch of three helicopters to the PAF last August 25.

Under the PAF Capability Development Program, the Air Force ordered 20 refurbished UH-1H choppters from STA to increase its operational readiness from 58 percent up to 80 percent, Reyes said.

The PAFs operational readiness on its helicopter unit dropped to 58 percent the past few years due to lack of choppers.

As the worlds second largest archipelagic nation, the PAF needs more helicopters for its speedy transport of troops and equipment to the frontlines during combat operation against rebel groups.

Reyes said the four rotary aircraft arrived from Singapore last Oct. 16. The assembly and test flights by STA engineers were conducted at Clark Air Base in Pampanga.

Inspection was immediately conducted by officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to ensure that the helicopters are airworthy.

Reyes said STA will deliver the remaining 13 refurbished Huey helicopters in the months to come.

He said PAF pilots were set to conduct technial inspection and evaluation for the four helicopters before they are eventually deployed to various PAF units in the field, particularly in Mindanao.

The UH-1H helicopters are the workhorse of the PAF in providing air support to ground and operating troops all over the archipelago, Reyes said.

The Huey is a versatile utility helicopter used in air assault, command and control, transport for troops and materiel and medical evacuation.

It is the most effective type of aircraft for internal security operations in the country. It can be fitted with M-60 machine guns and can penetrate combat areas, day or night as the helicopter is equipped with night flying instrument, including night goggles for the pilots and gunners.

AWACS tests new identification system

by 1st Lt. Stephen Fox
Electronic Systems Center Public Affairs

10/25/2004 - HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. (AFPN) -- Years of preparation paid off for the Airborne Warning and Control Systems Program Office during the test of a capability which will reduce the possibility of friendly-fire accidents.

The test, held recently at the Navy test range at Patuxent River, Md., examined a new AWACS Identification Friend or Foe, or IFF, demonstrator interrogator system. The interrogator transmitted a new waveform known as Mode 5. The Mode 5 Interrogator capability will provide significant additional identification performance over the current capability being used.

It will give warfighters new levels of security and performance, increase mission effectiveness and lower the possibility of misidentification of friendly assets, said Maj. Trent Thomas, Mode 5 test lead for the Air Force and chief of AWACS mission system requirements at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla.

Full implementation of the Mode 5 system across the combat air forces will enhance AWACS wartime capability and AWACS support for the warfighter, Major Thomas said.

The identification capability has two key components: the interrogator and the transponder. A platform with the interrogator has the ability to send out a signal to every platform with the transponder.

The transponder units then send a signal back to the interrogator identifying it as a friendly asset. Only a platform with an interrogator unit can send out a signal to identify and locate friendly assets.

Three years ago, an idea was conceived to have AWACS participate in a Navy Mode 5 IFF flight test. The Navy is the lead service for the Mode 5 program and is currently scheduled to initially field Mode 5-capable transponders in 2007. The Air Force goal is to begin fielding Mode 5-capable AWACS interrogators by fiscal 2008. The AWACS IFF team is still working on funding the program.

It has been said that acquisition is a tough job because we create something from nothing, said Capt. Meghann McNiff, AWACS IFF program manager. Creating something from nothing without a budget is even more difficult.

To participate in the flight test, Captain McNiffs team acquired $2.1 million for the hardware, software, and technical support needed for the test which would be a proof of concept of the Mode 5 waveform and significantly reduce the risk for the upgrade to Mode 5, she said.

On Oct. 5, years of planning and hard work culminated in the first of three flight tests where an E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft was equipped with a Mode 5 IFF airborne interrogator.

We had many objectives for the AWACS portion of the test, Captain McNiff said. The system met all of the expectations of extended range, resolution, accuracy, and code performance. We were also able to use an extensive onboard data recorder to store data for post-flight data analysis.

Both the Navy and the Air Force deemed the flight testing to be successful, meeting all objectives, according to Captain McNiff. The team will complete several months of comprehensive data analyses that will reveal more performance details, she said.

Major Thomas said that he was pleased with early indications of Mode 5s superior performance over Mode 4, a system developed in the 1960s.

The upgraded IFF will greatly benefit the Air Force, Major Thomas said. Diminished target variation will reduce required operator track maintenance. Increased code reliability will ensure more accurate identification of friendly aircraft. Encrypted identification coding will reduce congestion in communication intensive environments. Its a much better system than Mode 4.

MARIETTA, Ga., Oct. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT - News) rolled Raptor 4041 out of its final production assembly facility today, marking a milestone in the F/A-22 program. Aircraft 4041 is the initial F/A-22 for the Air Forces first operational, combat-ready squadron of Raptors.
Once complete with post-production preparations and flights, aircraft 4041 will be accepted by the Air Force and delivered to the 1st Fighter Wings 27th Fighter Squadron at Langley Air Force Base, Va., for use as a combat dedicated aircraft. Previously delivered F/A-22s are now being flown by Air Force pilots at Edwards, Nellis and Tyndall Air Force Bases for pilot training, tactics and testing to support the growing fleet.

More than a year ago, parts from nearly 1,000 suppliers and sub-assembly facilities across 43 states began arriving at the Marietta plant as ship 4041 began its journey through the final assembly process. The production of an F/A-22 represents a tremendous effort, culminating in a transformational and revolutionary aircraft.

All of this work is for one reason, to maintain Americas air dominance role for decades to come, said Rob Weiss, deputy vice president for F/A-22 Business Development.

The Raptors combination of stealth, integrated avionics, maneuverability and supercruise (supersonic flight without afterburner) gives the F/A-22 first-look, first-shot, first-kill capability against any potential enemy aircraft and anti-access surface-to-air threats. The F/A-22 is designed to provide not just air superiority but to shorten wars and save lives.

Raptor 4041 will arrive at Langley in early 2005. The squadron will enter initial operational capability later in the year.

As we roll out the first combat dedicated F/A-22 Raptor, we know its lethality, technological advances and superior performance will be placed in the hands of the best airmen and warriors on the planet, Weiss said, as he addressed 1st Fighter Wing representatives and Lockheed Martin production line employees. May its presence alone provide deterrence ... but if deterrence fails, we know it will provide a level of air dominance never seen in history.

The 1st Fighter Wing has a long history serving as a leader in air superiority and stands ready for the arrival of the first F/A-22 Raptor. The 27th Fighter Squadron is the oldest fighter squadron in the United States Air Force. As one of three squadrons of the 1st Fighter Wing, the squadron is tasked to perform air superiority missions. The 27th Fighter Squadron is also the first squadron at Langley to receive the F/A-22.

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., a business area of Lockheed Martin, is a leader in the design, research and development, systems integration, production and support of advanced military aircraft and related technologies. Its customers include the military services of the United States and allied countries throughout the world. Products include the F-16, F/A-22, F-35 JSF, F-117, C-5, C-130, C-130J, P-3, S-3 and U-2. The company produces major components for the F-2 fighter, and is a co-developer of the C-27J tactical transport and T-50 advanced jet trainer.

Avionics Integration for F-35 First Flight Shows Early Success at Lockheed Martin
Thursday October 28, 1:11 pm ET

FORT WORTH, Texas, Oct. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Initial integration testing of the Communication, Navigation and Identification (CNI) suite for the first flight of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has begun at Lockheed Martins (NYSE: LMT - News) Mission Systems Integration Lab (MSIL) in Fort Worth.
The initial tests of the first-flight CNI suite verified the operation of UHF and VHF communication, radar altimeter, intercom, integrated caution and warning, and identification-friend-or-foe capabilities. Over a three-week period the team tested each capability, generating early confidence in the systems design and stability.

Assembly of the first F-35 is under way, with first flight planned for 2006.

The F-35s first-flight CNI system is being integrated into the Mission Systems Integration Lab and initial tests were flawless, said Bob Elrod, Lockheed Martin executive vice president and F-35 JSF program general manager. The success of these early tests highlights the contributions and teamwork of multiple team partners, and helps to keep the F-35s first-flight schedule on track.

The F-35s first-flight CNI system was designed and integrated by Northrop Grummans (NYSE: NOC - News) Space Technology sector, mostly using current-inventory federated systems. Northrop Grumman developed a customized interface adaptor unit to serve as the interpreter between these off-the-shelf components and the F-35s displays and controls.

Hardware and software integration of the F-35s integrated CNI suite will begin soon at Northrop Grummans Radio Systems lab facilities in San Diego.

The F-35 is a next-generation, supersonic, multi-role stealth aircraft designed to replace the AV-8B Harrier, A-10, F-16, F/A-18 Hornet and the United Kingdoms Harrier GR.7 and Sea Harrier. Three F-35 variants -- a conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL), a short-takeoff/vertical-landing (STOVL) and a carrier variant (CV) -- each derived from a common design will ensure that the F-35 meets the performance needs of the U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, the U.K. Royal Air Force and Royal Navy, and allied defense forces worldwide, while staying within strict affordability targets.

Lockheed Martin is developing the F-35 in collaboration with its principal partners, Northrop Grumman and BAE SYSTEMS. Northrop Grummans Space Technology sector is leading an international team that is providing the F-35s CNI suite.

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., a business area of Lockheed Martin, is a leader in the design, research and development, systems integration, production and support of advanced military aircraft and related technologies. Its customers include the military services of the United States and allied countries throughout the world. Products include the F-16, F/A-22, F-35 JSF, F-117, C-5, C-130, C-130J, P-3, S-3 and U-2. The company produces major components for the F-2 fighter, and is a co-developer of the C-27J tactical transport and T-50 advanced jet trainer.

THE largest military project in Australias history, the $16billion plan to buy a new fleet of US-made fighter jets, is back on track after a series of serious setbacks, according to US arms giant Lockheed Martin.

The executive vice-president of the $US240billion ($322 billion) Joint Strike Fighter program, Tom Burbage, told The Australian yesterday there was now no reason the new plane would not be delivered to the RAAF on time.

The RAAF is desperate for the fighter to be delivered from 2012 because it will be retiring its aging F-111 strike bombers from 2010 and faces a gap in air combat capability if the JSF is delayed.

But the JSF program suffered serious setbacks this year, with blow-outs in costs and production schedules and a series of design problems.

As revealed by The Australian in April, the yet-to-be-built JSF was 10 per cent overweight on the drawing board -- a fault that would have limited its range and weapon-carrying capacity.

Lockheed initially played down the problems, but Mr Burbage admitted yesterday: Everyone was concerned.

Defence Minister Robert Hill also expressed relief that the planes problems were being solved. I was obviously concerned and a bit frustrated because it delayed the whole project, and the timetable is important to us, Senator Hill said.

But I am very pleased at the way they got stuck into the issue and found engineering solutions.

Mr Burbage said JSF designers had now cut the planes excess weight by removing surplus cables and other non-essential features. We have now got that 10 per cent back to where it needs to be ... we are comfortable with the weight, he said.

Mr Burbage said it was too early to guarantee the JSF would be delivered to Australia on time, but he saw no reason why it would not. We think we are still able to meet that, he said.

He also could not guarantee the first batch of Australian JSFs would be fully combat-ready with their full complement of software and sensor systems.

Australian pilots might initially train on the plane in the US before it was formally introduced into the RAAF, he said.

The Howard Government plans to buy up to 100 JSFs to replace the RAAFs F-111 strike bombers and the F/A-18 fighters.

The JSF will have neither the range nor the weapon-carrying capability of the F-111, but it is a multi-role fighter with advanced stealth features that can be used for both air defence and strike missions.

The JSFs weight problems had threatened to undermine US congressional support for the massive program, under which about 2600 fighters will be built for the US and its allies.

The RAAF expects each JSF to cost about $US45million -- an estimate that Mr Burbage yesterday described as reasonable.