Canadian DND figures shows little wiggle room in replacing CF-18s with stealth fighters

Ottawa, CANADA – There’s little wiggle room to prolong the life of Canada’s CF-18 jet fighters beyond 2020 and they may have to be flown gently if there are further delays in the F-35 program.

A Defence Department chart that tracks maintenance on all 77 aircraft shows the CF-18s had used up about 73 per cent of their airframe life prior to last year’s Libya bombing campaign.

National Defence has acknowledged there is no back-up plan if the multi-national F-35 stealth fighter program encounters more problems or postponements.

The retirement date for all but three of the CF-18s is set at 2020, according to the spreadsheet tabled in Parliament last year in response to written questions by Opposition parties.

On average, each aircraft is expected to end its service life with just over 7,000 hours in the air; most had already surpassed an average 5,151 hours at the time the snapshot was taken in late 2010.

The aging fighters have gone through a decade-long $1.8-billion upgrade to their weapons systems and sensors, and senior defence officials say they’ll “easily be effective” for another eight years.

All of the jets were purchased between 1984 and 1989. Aircraft No. 925 is expected to clock out with the airtime at 8,637 hours, according to the documents.

The first of the problem-plagued F-35s is supposed to be delivered in 2016, with the bulk of the planned 65 aircraft arriving in 2020.

The New Democrats say it’s foolish that the Harper government has not prepared a solid back-up plan, even if that contingency is simply investing in some sort of airframe life-extension.

“The way they are proceeding simply confounds me,” said NDP critic Matthew Kellway. “I don’t know how they could have painted themselves into this corner without a back up, and if they have one they refuse to tell us what it might be.”

But for the Harper government, the figures underscore the need to replace the aging fighters.

“Canada’s CF-18s are nearing the end of their usable lives,” said Chris McCluskey, a spokesman for Associate Defence Minister Julian Fantino.

“We have set a budget for replacement aircraft and we have been clear that we will operate within that budget. We will make sure that the Air Force has aircraft necessary to do the job we ask of them.”

Other nations, notably the United States, have invested in programs to keep their F-16 Fighting Falcons and F-15 Eagles flying because of delays in the US $328-billion stealth fighter, which is the most costly weapons program in American history.

In fact, Lockheed Martin, which manufactures both the F-35 and the F-16, announced last week that it would offer upgrade kits to keep older Falcons in the air and might even build new ones.

Industry observers see it as a hedge against more possible delays.

The current Defence Department plan in Ottawa sees the first F-35s arrive in 2016 and enter service in the 2018 time frame, at which point the oldest of the current fighters would be retired. But development setbacks and delayed orders from other allied nations have cast doubt on that.

Defence experts have been pushing the government since last fall to consider a further upgrade to the CF-18s.

Retired air force lieutenant-colonel Dean Black has said it’s something that should be considered rather than going down the road of Australia buying new Super Hornets, the beefed up version of the F-18.

 

-whistlerquestion.com

UAV Sense-And-Avoid Systems Would Have Avoided Collision

A ground-based sense-and-avoid system being prototyped by the U.S. Army would have prevented the mid-air collision of a C-130 Hercules airlifter with RQ-7 Shadow unmanned aircraft at a forward operation base in eastern Afghanistan on Aug. 15, a service official says.

“Had we been operational with GBSAA [ground-based sense and avoid] we would have completely averted the incident,” says Tim Owings, deputy project manager for Army unmanned aircraft systems.

But a software glitch and the recent FAA furlough have delayed Army plans to test the radar-based GBSAA prototype installed at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems’ El Mirage, Calif., training center for the service’s MQ-1C Gray Eagle UAV.

The system uses ground radars at three airports to detect and track aircraft entering a surveillance volume centered on El Mirage when Gray Eagles are transiting through civil airspace to and from nearby restricted airspace used for training.

The first three night-training flights using GBSAA were conducted in April, but a software anomaly on the third flight forced a halt to testing. The glitch has been fixed, but a post-furlough backlog at FAA has prevented tests from resuming, says Mary Ottman, deputy product director for UAV airspace integration.

With 11 hr. of testing complete, another 28 hr. of FAA-monitored testing must be performed before the system can be approved for operational use. This requires the presence of three FAA personnel at El Mirage and is a “big commitment” for the agency, Ottman says, as it works to recover from the furlough.

Investigation showed the radar system was tracking all aircraft as planned, but a program that generates a simulated track to test the system produced an incompatible message. The Army has approved revised software following regression testing using a manned aircraft.

“We began meeting with the FAA in July, and planned to return to flight in August, but then the FAA furlough hit,” Ottman says. Dialogue has resumed since the FAA returned to work, but she does not have a date for a return to flight for the GBSAA at El Mirage.

FAA is working through a backlog of applications for certificates of authorization to operate unmanned aircraft in national airspace that were delayed by the furlough “and we are not the highest priority,” she says.

The C-130 landed safety after the collision with the RQ-7 in Afghanistan, and is repairable in the field, but the incident underlines that “even with procedural controls there is a need for active deconfliction,” Owings says.

Investigation is under way, but “the [Shadow] was where it was supposed to be, doing what it was supposed to,” says Col. Robert Sova, UAV capabilities manager at Army Training and Doctrine Command.

The Shadow was in a holding pattern 4,500 ft. off the end of the runway, where it had been directed by air traffic control, when the C-130 “flew right through,” Owings says. “The manned aircraft did not do what it was procedurally supposed to, nor were they where they thought they were,” Sova says.

 

-aviationweek.com

Russian Transaero signs MOU for eight A320neos

Transaero Airlines confirmed Tuesday it signed an MOU with Airbus for eight A320neos, plus four options, making it the first Russian carrier to commit to the re-engined narrowbody aircraft.

The airline told ATW it hopes to firm the MOU within 60 days; it is slated to take delivery of its first A320neo in 2017. It did not announce an engine selection between CFM International’s Leap-X and Pratt & Whitney’s PW1100G.

“It was very important for Transaero Airlines to become the first A320neo customer in Russia, the CIS and Eastern Europe,” said CEO Olga Pleshakova. “The operation of these newest, very efficient aircraft will allow us to create optimal conditions for passengers on the expanding network of domestic and international destinations.”

Russia’s second-largest carrier historically is a loyal Boeing customer and currently operates 65 aircraft, comprising 17 747s, eight 777s, 13 767s, 24 737s and three Tupolev 214s. It did operate an Airbus A310 from 2000-2002.

 

-atwonline.com

South Korea: F-35 could meet F-X Phase 3 program deadline

The South Korean air force rates all of the Western competitors for its F-X Phase 3 fighter program, including the F-35 Lightning, as capable of meeting the in-service date of 2016, an assessment that appears to raise the chances of the Lockheed Martin aircraft.

The air force does not express the same view on the fourth and most recent competitor for the planned 60-aircraft order, the Sukhoi PAK FA.

The Eurofighter Typhoon is in service and can therefore meet the schedule, the air force says in an unpublished briefing paper. And although it notes that the F-35 and the Boeing F-15SE Silent Eagle are not fully developed, the air force says they can be ready in time.

That judgment is less important for the F-15SE than for the F-35. The Boeing fighter would be modified for the SE version mainly by introducing fly-by-wire flight controls, adapting its conformal fuel tanks to house weapon bays and by canting the tail fins with a straightforward structural change—objectives that should be achievable well before 2016.

But for the Lightning the air force’s assessment seems to sweep aside concerns that, while the stealth fighter is especially well suited to the air-to-ground part of the F-X Phase 3 requirement, its repeatedly delayed development schedule has become uncomfortably tight for South Korea’s needs.

The U.S. Air Force does not expect its F-35As to be operational until 2018. Its definition of initial operational capability is more demanding than South Korea’s, but the U.S. schedule offers little reassurance for potential buyers that would need the aircraft earlier.

Even if the South Korean air force’s assessment is not realistic, the expression of that view at least means that the service is willing to proceed as if the F-35 complies fully with its requirements. And if the air force is bending the rules for the F-35, then it seems to be showing a preference for it.

On the other hand, the F-X Phase 3 program could be delayed, giving more time for Lockheed Martin to meet the schedule. The company has said it could deliver aircraft to South Korea in 2016—but that is not the same as establishing an operational capability.

In the briefing paper, the air force is silent on the question of whether the PAK FA would be ready in time. The failure to endorse the Russian fighter’s schedule can only raise concerns that the aircraft, a late entry into the race, is regarded as only a stalking horse for the Western fighters.

 

-aviationweek.com

Thai Airways Finalizes A350, A320 Orders

Thai Airways has finalized its deal with Airbus for A320 narrowbodies and A350 widebodies purchases.

The deal, first announced in June, sees Thai buying four A350-900s and five A320s, as well as agreeing to lease eight A350-900s and six A320s. The latter are already in the Airbus orderbook.

Thai is due to receive its first A350-900 in 2016, with the first owned A320 coming in 2014. The first leased A320 is due next year.

At the time it announced the first commitment to the Airbus A320 and A350, Thai Airways also announced plans to buy six 777-300ERs and lease eight 787s.

All the leases are for 12 year terms.

Thai is still considering additional fleet purchases for a total of 38 aircraft for delivery between 2018-2022.

 

-aviationweek.com

Engineer sucked into C-130 plane engine

New Zealand — A long time engineer was sucked to death by a C-130 Hercules plane engine while doing a routine maintenance check early Monday morning.

51-year-old Miles Hunter was working on a C-130 Hercules jet turbo prop engine at Woodbourne airbase, Blenheim, New Zealand.

The C-130 engine was not attached to an airplane, but was on a stand when the accident took place.

Hunter had been working for Safe Air Ltd which is owned by Air New Zealand.

Chief executive of Air New Zealand Rob Fyfe says that officials are at a “complete loss” as how the incident occurred.

“It was a very routine procedure with very experienced people involved,” Fyfe said.

Aviation experts described the accident as a ‘one in a million’ occurrence. The fatality is said to be the first for the airline. In a similar accident, a US Navy serviceman survived after being sucked into a jet engine on an aircraft carrier in 1991.

 

-sg.news.yahoo.com

-blippitt.com

 

Korean Air A380 aims for business passengers

Korean Air operated its first long-haul Airbus A380 flight Tuesday from Seoul Incheon to New York JFK, and believes the aircraft can help it attract new business passengers.

“We hope we can increase our corporate sales with the A380,” Managing VP and Head of Passenger Business Division Keehong Woo told reporters in a briefing Monday at the carrier’s Seoul headquarters. KE now has two A380s in its fleet; in addition to the newest one, which will be operated on the ICN-JFK route, it is utilizing one to fly from ICN to Tokyo Narita and Hong Kong.

It is slated take delivery of three more A380s this year and will place them in service from ICN to Paris Charles de Gaulle, Beijing and Los Angeles, respectively.

KE has configured the A380 for 407 passengers, the fewest of any of the airlines that have taken delivery of the aircraft. It has dedicated the upper deck to 94 business-class seats, an inflight lounge dubbed the “Celestial Bar” and a “Duty Free Showcase.”

Woo noted, “We put all business class in the upper deck. [The upper deck] looks like a business jet … We see that we can make more money [in business class] than in economy. We have more potential to develop business class … We think in the big markets, like LA and New York and big cities in Europe, we can fill up our [A380] business class.”

He pointed out that most A380 operators have placed economy seats in the rear of the upper deck. The main deck of KE’s A380 features 301 economy seats and 12 first-class suites.

Woo conceded that, in the past, KE has not enjoyed the same reputation for business-class service as some of its rivals. “It takes time [to alter perceptions], but we’ve changed a lot recently,” he said. “We think we are at the level of any other airline, like Cathay [Pacific Airways] or Singapore [Airlines], in terms of quality of service, quality of product and quality of operations.”

-atwonline.com

Maine Air Show returns

The Great State of Maine Air Show is coming back later this month after a two-year absence, but it’s a bit different than when it last took flight three years ago.

The show still will feature the Navy’s Blue Angels flying team (coinciding with the 100th anniversary of Navy aviation), vintage aircraft, stunt flying and other crowd-pleasers. But this time, it also comes with a price tag.

Before Brunswick Naval Air Station closed, the military picked up the tab for the show and admission was free. It drew an estimated 150,000 visitors in 2008.

Now, an arm of the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority — the agency set up to market the former airbase and attract new businesses to it — is running the show, and it needs the revenue from ticket sales to help cover the estimated cost of up to $900,000.

Marty McMahon, the director of the air show said it no longer gets “hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayer financing.”

Advance tickets will cost $15 for adults and $10 for most others, including children, seniors and active-duty military, retirees and dependents. Those who wait to buy tickets at the gate Aug. 27 or 28 will have to pay $5 more.

McMahon said the show needs to sell about 32,000 tickets to cover the cost, which would seem a relatively easy task, based on past attendance. But so far, advance sales total only about 2,000, he said.

McMahon said he expects that number will pick up once it gets closer to the date and people can check weather forecasts to make sure they’re not going to get rained on or be forced to try to spot planes as they zip through clouds.

He also said the tickets bought in advance are for one day of the weekend event, but can be used either Saturday or Sunday, so people can pick the better of the two days, weatherwise, to attend.

McMahon said that a number of local groups, such as the Boy Scouts and high school sports booster clubs, will sell concessions at the show as fundraisers. Any money raised in excess of the cost of the show will be given out as grants to local nonprofit organizations, he said.

The show also will feature a business aviation expo in one of the former station’s huge hangars, featuring displays set up by companies involved in the aviation industry.

Maine has several companies that supply large aircraft manufacturers, such as Boeing or Airbus, he said, and also has companies such as Kestrel, a small plane manufacturer that’s setting up shop in Brunswick because of the facilities offered at the former base.

“A lot of people don’t know that Maine has a robust aerospace industry,” McMahon said.

It’s also an opportunity for the authority to show off the former base, which was ordered closed by the military restructuring committee six year ago and has been renamed Brunswick Landing. At one point, BNAS was home to 4,000 naval officers and enlisted personnel and had six patrol squadrons.

Now that it’s civilian property and a private operation, the authority has to cover show costs, from performance fees for the flying teams to fuel for the jets to hotel rooms for the pilots.

McMahon said the show is adding a Friday night edition to the traditional Saturday and Sunday event. He said there will be planes with fireworks on the wings and a fireworks display at the end of the evening and many of the pilots will be introduced at the evening event as well. Tickets for that event are $10 ($5 for those who qualify for discounts on the weekend tickets).

 

-kjonline.com

NGJ and Growler: Maximizing Operational Life

U.S. Navy officials with insight into the Next-Generation Jammer (NGJ) and EA-18G Growler predict a lot of challenges in making them affordable, interoperable and upgradable enough to get the maximum capability out of them for as much as 40-50 years.

“Electronic warfare battle management and cooperative electronic attack are interrelated and we’re going to absolutely procure what we need,” says Navy Capt. John Green, program manager for airborne electronic attack (AEA). “The enemy will not be static. They look for creative ways to make problems that we don’t understand or know about sometimes. NGJ is high in technology but very expensive. The pledge from the Pentagon is to get every ounce of capability possible and make it as cheap as possible. It’s the only way we’re going to control asymmetric warfare.”

This is the quandary at the heart of AEA that is only going to get worse. Foes are making rapid advances with non-kinetic weapons, networked command and control and cyber intrusions using cheap, commercially available electronics that will cost the U.S. a lot of money to counter.

Part of the answer is to turn away from designing new, specialized, air, ground and ship platforms and shift the available defense funding to networked and readily upgradable systems that use existing or cheap unmanned designs.

NGJ is a case in point. It is to be installed first in the EA-18G Growler that spun out of the Hornet strike fighter that has been around for decades. Plans to put the NGJ system — designed to attack enemy electronics with jamming, pulses of high-power microwaves and packets of algorithms to infiltrate enemy networks – may not be installed on the next-generation F-35 Joint Strike Fighter due to cost issues and the availability of manned airframes to dedicate to ISR missions.

Instead, the anti-electronics system will likely migrate to both large and small penetrating unmanned aircraft. These new designs — often referred to now as adjunct platforms — will have roll-on/roll-off payloads that allow them to perform specialized missions with a minimum of transformation time.

“AEA provided by the Growler is central to the continued warfighting success of Navy aviation and the rest of the military,” says Richard Gilpin, deputy assistant navy secretary for air programs. “While NGJ is not the only program of note in the AEA system of systems, it is clearly the most important. With government pressure on the [defense budget] topline, we truly have to understand what it will take to get it done, and then we have to make the investment.”

Criticism of buying high-cost electronic attack and exploitation capabilities is countered by the desire to keep EW and AEA operationally relevant and an anticipated lifetime of up to 50 years for some of the new systems. Also, the internal Pentagon arguments about whether the spectrum should be its own warfighting domain are considered specious by some senior commanders.

“We’ve done a lot of research on the future and early in the process we were looking at how to map the domains,” says Rear Adm. David Woods, director of the Navy’s strategy and policy division. “It doesn’t matter whether the spectrum is a domain or the connective tissues [that link all] those domains. We have a challenge to maintain spectrum superiority. That means being able to maintain spectrum superiority. That means being able to maintain the spectrum for our use and deny it to the adversary, and it has to be integrated to stop fratricide on our own systems. We have to have a strategy that allows us to tie technology investments to the [intelligence specialties] we value.”

 

-aviationweek.com

Atlastjet Sends APU To Turkish Technic

Turkish Technic input another Hamilton Sundstrand APS3200 auxiliary power unit (APU) from Atlasjet, a Turkey- based carrier, in mid-July and should finish repairing it by the middle of this month.

The service agreement also included spare support.

The parties would not disclose the contract’s value for this APU maintenance.

Turkish Technic targets maintaining 100 APUs in 2011, which if averaged equates to a throughput of about 8.3 units per month, although APUs are used more in the summer to air condition cabins on the ground during warm weather so more wear occurs during this time.

Atlasjet sent two APS3200 APUs to Turkish Technic in May to June 2010 and also previously contracted the MRO to perform an Airbus A321 C check, two A320 redelivery checks and one landing gear overhaul.

The carrier, the first private airline to become a member of the International Air Transport Association, flies 14 Airbus and Boeing aircraft.

 

-aviationweek.com