F-22A Raptors Roaming Skies Over Okinawa

F-22A Raptors Roaming Skies Over Okinawa

(NSI News Source Info) KADENA AIR BASE, Okinawa — February 2, 2009: Air Force F-22A Raptors are surreptitiously roaming the Pacific skies to train and provide security support to the Western Pacific. Twelve of the stealthy fighters, assigned to the 27th Fighter Squadron, arrived at Kadena Air Base from Langley Air Force Base in Virginia last month and will be deployed in Okinawa for about three months. This is the second deployment for the squadron, which debuted the jets at Kadena in 2007. Another dozen or so Raptors from Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska are participating in a similar deployment rotation at Andersen Air Force Base on Guam. An F-22A Raptor shoots out a flare during an air combat training mission at Kadena Air Base. The goal this time around, said squadron commander Lt. Col. Lansing Pilch, is to focus on improving joint combat capabilities with Kadena’s fighter squadrons and Navy and Marine assets. The Raptor can perform air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. About 250 maintenance and combat support personnel from the 27th Fighter Squadron accompanied the aircraft, Kadena officials said. “It’s an outstanding opportunity to fly with pilots that have never flown with the F-22s before,” Pilch said. “It allows us to be a stronger fighter force.” The F-22A can cruise at supersonic speeds and evade radar detection, making it virtually invisible to threats. The Raptors, which became operational in 2005, are also the military’s most costly jets — running about $142 million each, according to an Air Force fact sheet said. The jets are eventually to replace the Air Force’s aging fleet of F-15s. Staff Sgt. Wesley Goff, an avionics specialist with the 27th Fighter Squadron who helps maintain the F-22As, said understanding the jet’s mechanics and technology takes some adjustment. Goff has worked on F-117A, the Air Force’s first stealth fighter, and said the strides in aviation technology are impressive. A crew chief walks around an F-22 Raptor at a squad bay on the flightline at Kadena Air Base on Thursday. The 27th Fighter Squadron, based at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia, brought 12 Raptors to Kadena for training. “Just the nature of its (F-22A’s) capabilities is unbelievable,” Goff said. More than 100 pilots have been trained to fly the F-22A, Pilch said. Pilch, who’s flown F-15s and F-16s, said the F-22A’s design, speed and avionics technology gives him greater depth in tactical situations. “It makes the aircraft extremely capable, it has great maneuverability, and it allows me to have a great picture of what’s going on around me,” Pilch said. “Everyone wants to say their jet is the best, but this is it.”

SAAB International Has Favoured Gripen Offers India Technology For Multi-Role Fighter Jets

SAAB International Has Favoured Gripen Offers India Technology For Multi-Role Fighter Jets

(NSI news Source Info) New Delhi - January 28, 2009: Heating up the race for the contract to supply 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft to the Indian Air Force, Gripen, a Swedish firm, has proposed to India transfer of technology to become 'an independent manufacturer' of its own fighter jets. The Saab JAS 39 Gripen is a 4.5 generation fighter aircraft manufactured by the Swedish aerospace company Saab. Gripen International acts as a prime contracting organisation and is responsible for marketing, selling and supporting the Gripen fighter around the world. The aircraft is in service with the Swedish Air Force, the Czech Air Force, the Hungarian Air Force and the South African Air Force, and has been ordered by the Royal Thai Air Force. A total of 236 Gripens have been ordered as of 2008. India is evaluating the Gripen for its tender for 126 multi-role combat aircraft. Gripen International handed over its proposal on 28 April 2008. The company is offering the Gripen IN, a version of the Gripen NG for India's tender. Looking forward to the trials for the medium multi-role combat aircraft, the Swedish manufacturer of Gripen, SAAB International has favoured 'extensive transfer of technology' well in excess of 60 percent requirement to boost India's indigenous capabilities in this regard. 'Gripen would like to provide strategic leverage, operational dominance and define future capability of India by becoming an independent manufacturer. We would help India in designing and manufacturing their own aircraft,' country head of SAAB International Jan Widerstrom told IANS. 'We have offered transfer of technology levels far exceeding the RFP (request for proposal) requirements of the Indian Air Force (IAF). An early transfer of technology would be ensured to maximize indigenous capabilities,' Widerstrom said. The deal is estimated to cost $10 billion. The contract will include licensed manufacture for 108 fighters by the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and offset clauses for supplying sub-systems and components to the winning bidder by Indian aerospace firms in the public and private sectors. The selected manufacturer will have to supply 18 aircraft in flyaway condition in batches. The technical evaluation of the bidders is complete and will soon be followed by trials. 'Three aircraft will be brought to India, including two-seaters and one seater. The trials will be conducted for dry, dry and humid, and humid conditions,' Widerstrom added. Apart from the Swedish Gripen, the Eurofighter Typhoon, the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, the Lockheed Martin F-16, the French Rafale and the Russian MiG-35 are also in the fray. The Swedish company claims to have an edge over the competitors due to its 'low cycle cost' and 'range and payload capabilities' beyond IAF's operational requirements. 'We are recognized as very economical solution. Gripen has a very low life cycle cost,' Widerstrom said.

DTN News: India MMCA Details Would Be Finalized With MoU During May - Report / Trials Of MMCA Multi-Role Combat Aircraft In April-May

DTN News: India MMCA Details Would Be Finalized With MoU During May - Report / Trials Of MMCA Multi-Role Combat Aircraft In April-May

(NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI - January 19, 2009: The Indian Air Force (IAF) plans to conduct trials in April-May of six different medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMCA) being considered for its order of 126 fighters, IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major said Saturday. 'The technical evaluation of the MMCA is almost complete. Hopefully, field trials should commence by April-May this year,' Major said in his address at the annual Air Chief Marshal L.M. Katre Memorial Lecture here. The IAF intends to purchase the combat jets at an estimated cost of $10 billion to replace its ageing Russian-made MiG-21 fleet in phases. Six global aircraft majors submitted their bids in April 2008 for the lucrative order. The bidders are the US aerospace majors Boeing with its F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and Lockeheed Martin with its F-16, the Swedish Gripen, the French Rafale, the Russian MiG-35 and the Eurofighter Typhoon. The Mikoyan MiG-35 is a further development of the MiG-29M/M2 and MiG-29K/KUB technology. Classified as a 4.5 generation fighter aircraft, the only existing prototype is the third modification of the existing MiG-29M2 airframe which previously served as MiG-29M2 model demonstrator. The MiG-35 is now classed as a medium-weight aircraft because its maximum take-off weight has increased by 30 percent which exceeds its previous criteria of classification. The MiG-35 was officially unveiled when the Russian Minister of Defence, Sergey Ivanov, visited Lukhovitsky Machine Building Plant "MAPO-MIG". Its vastly improved avionics and weapon systems, notably the new AESA rada and the uniquely designed Optical Locator System (OLS), relieves the aircraft from relying on ground-controlled interception (GCI) systems and enables it to conduct independent multi-role missions. The aircraft is being marketed under the designation MiG-35 (single seat) and MiG-35D (dual-seat) for export. MiG Corporation had their first official international MiG-35 presentation during Aero India 2007. The selected bidder will have to re-invest 50 percent of the multi-billion dollar contract in India as part of the offset obligations mandated under the Defence Procurement Policy-2008. The request for proposals (RFP) for the 126 combat jets was floated in August 2007 after the bidders responded to the air force request for information earlier. Major said the present fighter aircraft fleet was being enhanced with the induction of newer and better platforms in face of the depletion due to obsolescence and regular phase out of the ageing aircraft. 'The Jaguars, MiG-27s and MiG 21-BIS have been upgraded with latest avionics and weapons systems. Similarly, the MiG-29 upgrade is underway and the Mirage 2000 upgarde will commence soon. The induction of the Sukhoi fighter (Su-30MKI) has been accelerated with the indigenous version from Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) facility at Nashik,' Major pointed out. The air chief also hoped the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme would gain momentum for the initial operational clearance and induction of the aircraft, christened Tejas, into squadron service by 2010-11. In the case of the helicopter fleet, a comprehensive modernisation programme is underway, with the Chetak and Cheeta copters are being replaced with 125 light utility copters being acquired through a global tender. 'The contract for 80 Mi-17 helicopters with advanced glass cockpits has already been signed. They will be inducted in phases from 2010 to 2013. We are processing a proposal to procure 22 attack copters, which will be best in its class. We have signed a contract with HAL for 38 advanced light helicopter (ALH), including 16 armed version with new Shakti engines and glass cockpit,' Major pointed out.

Jet Fighter Aircraft Competitions Could Make or Break Contractors

Jet Fighter Aircraft Competitions Could Make or Break Contractors (NSI News Source Info) December 21, 2008: Within a couple of years, some aerospace companies and industries might be eliminated from fighter markets where they have competed for decades, facing, at best, a hard and uncertain road back into the business. All eyes are on Norway, the Netherlands and Denmark, seeking a replacement for their F-16s. Norway needs 48 new aircraft, the Netherlands nominally 85, Denmark 24. Norway is moving toward a decision as early as this month. The Netherlands is expected to decide early in 2009, Denmark later in the year. It’s remarkable that these nations are holding competitions at all. The F-16 program forged industrial and military bonds with the U.S. Air Force and Lockheed Martin, and all three countries were early partners in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). JSF is driving the timing of these decisions. If this was an off-the-shelf purchase, the customers would not have to make a decision yet, since none is looking at initial operating capability (IOC) before 2016. But Lockheed Martin says it needs to ramp up production now to hit cost targets and wants to bind its partners into an early, large and contractually enforceable joint commitments to their 2012-16 buys. Before 2007, there seemed little doubt that Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands would lead the way into such a deal. Ironically, it was Eurofighter that started to change the picture in Norway, lobbying aggressively for an open competition, before pulling out of Norway and Denmark early this year. But Sweden has taken the offensive: The Gripen Next Generation (NG), a paper concept in 2006, is now a fully funded program, including a flying prototype and major ground demonstrations, backed up by a Swedish government undertaking to buy the aircraft if export customers commit. Saab regards all the competitions as real—even in the Netherlands, regarded as the toughest nut to crack—and has offered an industrial participation (IP) program that Norway’s industry nominated as its favorite. IP is one of the “wedge issues” in the Netherlands/Norway/Denmark theater. In 2007, a weak dollar started to make local industries wonder how they could hope to win and maintain high-tech shares in the JSF program. Saab offered a fixed share, not just a chance to compete. Saab has also been pushing the Gripen’s fuel economy—it’s half JSF’s size—and low maintenance costs, which are largely known since it combines a modified airframe with a proven engine. The influence of U.S. politics and progress with the JSF program will be important, perhaps decisive. So far, the schedule slippages in the JSF program have not reached the point where they imperil export IOC dates, but neither has their cost impact been fully gauged. The schedule between now and mid-2012—when the U.S. Marines are supposed to hit IOC—is tight. The Air Force and U.S. Navy both face funding crunches. Lockheed Martin wanted to close a bulk-buy deal long before a new administration arrived in town, but this turned out to be impossible.

(JAS 39D Gripen takes off from Emmen air base in Switzerland, armed with Amraam and IRIS-T missiles.)

Whether all this will be enough for Gripen to win is an open question. Pro-JSF preference in the Netherlands is entrenched, and the U.S. has permitted Lockheed Martin to offer low fixed prices to secure its first batch of export orders. (The Pentagon itself, by law, cannot order a multiyear production batch until operational testing is completed.) While the JSF’s ability to carry four internal advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles was barely mentioned a year ago, project officials are now talking about (unproven) six- or eight-missile loadouts. But Gripen has maneuvered JSF into a “must-win” scenario. The program could tolerate a loss in Norway or Denmark, but to lose both—or, horrors, a Dutch defection—would be a shock that would encourage opponents in Australia and elsewhere. And Saab can lose and still win. Even if the JSF prevails, the Gripen will be the aircraft that placed second and posed the most serious competition to the big guns of the U.S. team, in three nations with respected, professional air forces. The Gripen team will continue to support the NG until several other contests are decided. Among these are Switzerland and Brazil. The former has downselected to Gripen, Rafale and Typhoon; the latter to Gripen, Rafale and the F/A-18 Super Hornet. Switzerland has evaluated all three aircraft in-country and expects to make a decision in the third quarter of 2009. Other than India, they are the only near-term contests where the European twins are engaged. Also, Brazil included the Super Hornet in its downselect, while the fighter was pulled out of Switzerland—even though it is a current Hornet operator, and Boeing’s only Super Hornet export so far was based on the ease and low cost of transition from the “classic” to the new aircraft. The Swiss air force has placed a priority on short takeoff and landing, maneuverability and good performance in the intercept role; all three contenders are better at high Mach than the Super Hornet. Brazil showed some interest in the Sukhoi Su-35, but eliminated it (according to Russian sources, because Russian industry could not compete on IP), and is showing political balance: its choices are the Rafale, which is free of U.S. content, Gripen—with a lot of important parts from the U.S.—and the all-U.S. Super Hornet. All, however, have potentially powerful offset programs, and there is a possibility that a Rafale order could be linked to the transfer of French nuclear submarine technology. After Switzerland and Brazil are decided, the Rafale is down to India. Typhoon is in play there, with longer-shot prospects in Korea and Japan. So far, however, the market seems to be taking its cues from the fighters’ sponsors in the U.K., Italy and France and their tepid support for both programs. The advantage in that respect belongs to Rafale, which has not been hampered by endless negotiations over every production batch of aircraft, and should benefit from a French government decision next year to buy 60 more aircraft and integrate active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. Both European twins suffer from high price tags, being more expensive than the projected price of JSF and more costly than the Super Hornet. And although fighters are Dassault’s heritage, it’s easy to forget that the company’s main business is selling corporate jets. The company has no incentive to give the Rafale away. Boeing, as a competitor in Brazil, is working to eke out the Super Hornet line, which is supposed to close in 2014 as the Navy ends production in favor of the F-35C. But Boeing has taken advantage of a stable Navy production program to turn the Super Hornet into a model of efficient production. (A Luftwaffe Typhoon taxies at Emmen during recent Swiss evaluation flights.) Within the Navy, the Super Hornet program office has been known to talk up the idea of extending orders by two or three years, which invariably means a corresponding delay in the start of F-35 production. It is an appealing idea to the black-shoe Navy—the surface fleet—since the deferred cost of introducing the F-35C in those years can be transferred into the cash-strapped shipbuilding program. It has reached the point where Congress has cut two early F-35Cs from low-rate initial production, and Pentagon leaders are warning that the move could result in a separate, later test program for the Navy. The same game is playing out in Australia, where Boeing is proposing another 24 Super Hornets—or even a Super Hornet/Growler mix—in the event that JSF is delayed. Results in these near-term competitions will influence future contests. If Switzerland and Brazil don’t yield a win for Rafale, Typhoon or the Super Hornet, it is hard to see why they would emerge better placed in India, for example; and in Japan and Korea—possible Typhoon targets—the question is always whether the interest is serious, or whether the Europeans are being kept in play to keep competitive pressure on the U.S. A Gripen win in either, though, would add to its strength in India, and boost its already strong position against the F-16 in the new NATO countries, where Vladimir Putin is emerging as the best marketing representative for Western fighters since the end of the Cold War. The biggest potential win is in Romania, which is looking for 48 aircraft; Croatia is looking for 12 fighters, and the Slovak Republic 14, with Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania also in prospect. Whether it was Niels Bohr or Yogi Berra who said, “Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future,” some outcomes from this complex picture seem more likely than others. Barring catastrophe in the JSF program, it will still be an upset if Gripen wins Norway or Denmark, and an earthquake if the Swedes win in Holland. That said, it seems likely that Gripen will score more successes, like Switzerland and Romania. And that means, in turn, that the Typhoon, Super Hornet and Rafale are in contention for the remaining market, which may be big enough for two, but not for three.