(Source: Boeing Company; issued Feb. 25, 2003)


ST. LOUIS --- Boeing today delivered the first upgraded AH-64D Apache Longbow to the U.S. Army in a ceremony at the companys facility in Mesa, Ariz.

“This helicopter is the first Block II production Apache Longbow. Block II incorporates the latest in advanced avionics, digital enhancements, and communications upgrades that facilitate improved situational awareness as the helicopter communicates within the Tactical Internet,” said Tommy Filler, Boeing program manager.

“It is successes like this and the integration of new technologies that keep the Apache an important asset in today’s Army, and that has led leadership to select the AH-64D Apache Longbow as an integral component within the Objective Force,” said Col. Ralph Pallotta, Apache project manager. “Congratulations to the Boeing team for staying on schedule and within cost. Your team continues to achieve this on a very large scale.”

Boeing has delivered more than 1,000 Apaches to customers around the world and plans to deliver 1,000 more to customers worldwide through the end of the decade.

Apache Longbow fulfills a wide range of reconnaissance and combat missions, most without the need to reconfigure ordnance loads and electronic systems between missions.

The advanced, multi-mission AH-64D Apache Longbow features fully integrated avionics and weapons, plus state-of-the-art digital communications capabilities that enable real-time, secure transfer of battlefield information to air and ground forces. The Apache Longbow incorporates a series of enhancements that make it more survivable in combat, readily deployable and easier to maintain.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world’s largest space and defense businesses. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $25 billion business. It rovides systems solutions to its global military, government and commercial customers. It is a leading provider of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; the worlds largest military aircraft manufacturer; the world’s largest satellite manufacturer and a leading provider of space-based communications; the primary systems integrator for U.S. missile defense; NASA’s largest contractor; and a global leader in launch services.

(Source: US Air Force; issued Feb. 28, 2003)


OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM --- Two aircrews from the 772nd Expeditionary Airlift Squadron and two from the 774th EAS conducted a heavy equipment combat airdrop in south central Afghanistan Feb. 17, and a container delivery system airdrop Feb. 23.

The crews, both assigned to the 320th Air Expeditionary Wing at a forward-deployed location, helped the Armys 82nd Airborne in its pursuit of al-Qaida forces.

The heavy equipment loads, weighing approximately 50,000 pounds, were used by the 82nd Airborne to set up forward-area refueling pits for Army helicopters. The Feb. 23 container delivery system loads consisted of sustainment supplies for the troops.

The airdrops were significant for a few reasons. They were the first heavy equipment airdrops of Operation Enduring Freedom and the first for the 82nd since the Panama Invasion, said Lt. Col. Kevin Tilghman, 772nd EAS commander and formation commander of the Feb. 17 mission. The Feb. 17 mission also marked the first time fuel has been airdropped since the Vietnam War, he added.

The Army required a relatively short-notice, large-scale resupply, which was complicated by bad weather, said Col. Richard Johnston, 320th AEW commander.

The mission fell into the hands of the 320th AEW after the Army tried to move the cargo by convoy, but the terrain and washed out roads made it impossible, said Tilghman.

On Feb. 16, after a couple of attempts to move the equipment and mission-essential fuel, the Army contacted the Air Force about air dropping the loads, he said.

We got the 24-hours-out call and our planners made the mission happen, said Tilghman.

The 320th Expeditionary Operations Group sent three joint airdrop inspector loadmasters to Khandahar Air Base, Afghanistan, to help Army riggers prepare the nonstandard loads for both airdrop missions.

Both missions were made more difficult because of bad weather, but they worked right through it, said Capt Jason Browning, aircraft commander of the second aircraft, referring to the rain and snow that the loadmasters had to work in.

The container delivery system load was airdropped closer to hostile forces and the terrain and wind conditions complicated the mission.

It was one of the most interesting and exciting missions in my 5,000-plus hours of flying, said Lt. Col Rick Dieringer, 774th AES commander and formation commander of the Feb. 23 mission.

Members of the 772nd and 774th Expeditionary Airlift squadrons train regularly for airdrop and were not going to let anything stand in their way of completing the mission.

Eighty percent of our training at home station is airdrop, while 20 percent is airland mission, said Browning, so we look at ourselves as a combat aerial delivery unit, and its nice to be able to apply our training.

The crews left here and flew to Khandahar, where they picked up the loads and loadmasters. From there they flew to the remote drop zones and air dropped the cargo to the airborne troops. They returned to home station where they celebrated their successful mission, though they were not surprised by the results.

Both Dieringer and Tilghman credit everyone from the aircrew, to the mission planners to the maintainers for the mission success.

Both squadrons overcame several challenges but their mission successes were due to the dedication of everyone involved, Johnston said.

　　波音公司向美國陸軍交付第一架改進型AH-64D“長弓”阿帕契直升機。該直升機是Block II階段的第一架生產型AH-64D“長弓”阿帕契，Block II包括採用先進的航空電子技術、數位化改進和通訊升級，這一切大大提高了直升機的週遭態勢感知以及直升機在戰術互聯網中的通訊。
　　
　　波音公司已經向全球用戶交付了1000多架，並計劃在2010年之前再交付1000多架AH-64系列。AH-64D“長弓”阿帕契能夠完成多種偵察和作戰任務，而且在完成不同的任務時不需要重新配置武器和電子系統。先進的多任務型AH-64D“長弓”阿帕契採用了完全集成的航空電子系統和武器，以及保證把戰場資訊實時安全地傳遞給空中與地面部隊的最先進的數位通訊設備。AH-64D“長弓”阿帕契所進行的系列改進使其生存力更強，更易於部署和維護。

荷蘭於今年安排了多場演習，希望能在年底完成戰備。

　　據英國《防衛新聞》網站2003年3月31日報導，法國與德國合作研製的.先進的“虎”式攻擊直升機將正式裝備部隊服役了 ! 第一架量產型HAP“虎”式攻擊直升機已完成它的首次處女飛行。該飛機--法-德計畫部分已交付給法國陸軍航空兵。
　　
　　該機歷時55分鐘的飛行(這是典型的量產型直升機驗收飛行)在試飛員Jacques　Larra和飛行工程師Bernard　Jansonnie控制之下。測試了整個飛行包絡線，未出現任何問題。
　　
　　飛行後，Jacques　Larra解釋說，“每一個試飛項目均按預定計劃正確進行。這是實施良好的工業過程式控制的標誌。”
　　
　　該HAP戰鬥支援直升機的武器系統包括30mm旋轉炮塔機炮(受駕駛員或機炮手頭盔安裝的頭盔顯示器/瞄準儀指揮)、火箭及Mistral空對空飛彈。
　　
　　法國和德國已訂購了160架第一批次“虎”式攻擊直升機，澳大利亞則訂購了22架。

www.tealgroup.com/samples/sample2-wmcab.pdf

原本不相信傳統攻擊機，現在連攻擊直昇機都開始不相信的TTSO...

電風扇又要回歸運補的原始天職了

最近也從軍網看到一篇名為GPS for Mounition
包含LCCM,LRAS3,CMTD,ERGM,JASSM
SLAM,JDAM,AGM-130等等
口胡∼∼∼
將具有自動校正能力...
搞不好連在地面跑的遠遠丟它個一枚都會中...
相較之下..地獄火毫米波版的射程...
可能是未來空中丟的精密武器中算短腳一族 ~~~

對於台灣而言，比較適合的還是阿帕契。瑞典、新加坡都考慮到海岸防衛的需要，還是選擇阿帕契。基本上，眼鏡蛇有的，阿帕契都有，但阿帕契有的，眼鏡蛇卻沒有。雖然眼鏡蛇可以加長弓，但這是沒人買單研發的玩意，誰要當冤大頭？阿帕契的航程長，毫米波導引在海面上會比雷射導引可靠（記得台灣用雷射導引飛彈攻擊海面目標一直有問題，但奇怪的是別的國家沒聽說），都是利基。但海面上沒有地形掩護，則是所有直昇機共通的問題。不過，其實各國海軍反艦戰術中都有直昇機丟魚雷這招，所以，丟毫米波地獄火的生存性至少還比這招高些。