Thứ Sáu, 2 tháng 4, 2010
Australian Super Hornets with a F-111
Chủ Nhật, 28 tháng 3, 2010
PT DI Akan Membuat 50 Pesawat Tempur untuk TNI-AU

Bangkit Lewat Ketiak Sayap Airbus
Dalam beberapa kesempatan, Prof Dr Ing Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie mengaku sangat kecewa melihat nasib PT Dirgantara Indonesia. Sebab, industri pesawat terbang yang dirintisnya itu kini jalan di tempat. Bagaimana kondisinya sekarang?
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" KITA pernah mengembangkan sendiri pesawat terbang CN-235 dan N-250 untuk membuktikan bahwa SDM Indonesia mampu menguasai dan mengembangkan teknologi secanggih apa pun. Di mana itu semua sekarang?" tegas B.J. Habibie, mantan presiden RI, di depan peserta kuliah umum bertema Filsafat dan Teknologi untuk Pembangunan di Balai Sidang Universitas Indonesia (UI), Depok, Jumat lalu (12/3).
Ya, PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PT DI) memang tidak bisa dibandingkan dengan ketika perusahaan itu masih bernama Industri Pesawat Terbang Nurtanio (IPTN) dan Habibie masih menjabat presiden direktur. Saat itu IPTN memiliki 16 ribu karyawan. Kompleks gedung IPTN di kawasan Jalan Pajajaran, Bandung, berdiri megah, menempati lahan seluas 83 hektare.
Yang paling laris adalah pesawat CN-235. Pesawat berkapasitas 35 sampai 40 orang itu paling banyak diorder dari dalam negeri maupun luar negeri. Selain itu, ada pesawat C-212 (kapasitas 19-24 orang). Produk chopper alias helikopter juga tak mau kalah. Ada NBO-105, NAS-332 Super Puma, NBell-412, dan sebagainya. Semua produk burung besi tersebut begitu membanggakan bangsa saat itu.
Namun, persoalan muncul saat krisis ekonomi menggebuk Indonesia pada 1998. Ketika itu, PT DI yang bernama Industri Pesawat Terbang Nusantara (IPTN) mendapat order membuat pesawat N-250 dari luar negeri. Pesawat terbang ini berkapasitas 50 hingga 64 orang. Sebuah kapasitas ideal untuk penerbangan komersial domestik. Umumnya pesawat domestik di tanah air saat ini menggunakan pesawat dari kelas yang tak jauh berbeda dari N-250.
PT DI menerima pesanan 120 pesawat. Ongkos proyek yang disepakati USD 1,2 milliar. PT DI langsung tancap gas. Ribuan karyawan direkrut. Mesin-mesin pembuat komponen didatangkan. ''Kami berupaya keras menyelesaikan proyek itu sesuai target,'' tutur Direktur Integrasi Pesawat PT DI Budiwuraskito saat ditemui Jawa Pos di Bandung pekan lalu.
Namun, PT DI harus menelan pil pahit. Pemulihan krisis ekonomi bersama International Monetary Fund alias IMF mengharuskan Indonesia menerima sejumlah kesepakatan. Salah satunya, Indonesia tak boleh lagi berdagang pesawat. ''Itu benar-benar memukul kami,'' kata Budiwuraskito, pria Semarang ini.
Padahal, kata Budi, PT DI telanjur merekrut banyak karyawan. Sejumlah teknologi dan peralatan sudah didatangkan. Semua siap produksi. Pesawat contoh bahkan sudah jadi, sudah bisa terbang, dan siap dijual. Tinggal menunggu proses sertifikasi penerbangan. ''Nggak tahu, mungkin ada negara yang takut tersaingi kalau Indonesia bikin pesawat,'' ujarnya mengingat sejarah kelam PT DI itu.
Bayangan menerima duit gede USD 1,2 milliar menguap. Malah, PT DI harus memikirkan cara menghidupi karyawan yang telanjur direkrut. Proyek memang batal, tapi orang-orang yang hidup dari PT DI juga tetap harus dikasih makan. ''Akhirnya, mau tidak mau, kami mem-PHK karyawan secara baik-baik,'' katanya.
Pada 2003, PT DI memutus kerja sembilan ribu lebih karyawan. Jumlah itu terus bertambah. Dari 16 ribu pekerja, PT DI hanya menyisakan tiga ribu pekerja. Baik di bagian produksi maupun manajemen. Kondisi itu semakin membuat PT DI terpuruk. Apalagi, tak ada lagi order pesawat yang datang. Roda perusahaan pun tak berjalan.
Namun, PT DI berupaya mempertahankan diri. Semua pasar yang bisa menghasilkan duit disasar. Mulai pembuatan komponen pesawat hingga industri rumah tangga seperti pembuatan sendok, garpu, dan sejenisnya. Salah satunya membuat alat pencetak panci.
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PT DI tak lantas almarhum. Pemerintah masih punya keinginan mengembangkannya meski modal yang diberikan tak terlalu deras. Dan, kendati sudah dinyatakan pailit, masih ada rekanan dari mancanegara yang percaya akan kualitas produk PT DI.
Salah satunya British Aerospace (BAE). PT DI mendapat order sebagai subkontrak sayap pesawat Airbus A380 dari pabrik burung besi asal Inggris itu. Juga ada order dari dua negara Timur Tengah enam pesawat jenis N-2130. Apalagi, Indonesia sudah menceraikan IMF. Artinya, PT DI sudah leluasa berdagang pesawat.
Budi menuturkan, order enam pesawat itulah yang bisa dibilang ''menyelamatkan'' PT DI saat itu. Laba dari pesanan itu digunakan sebagai modal pengembangan. Selain itu, PT DI semakin fokus menggarap pasar komponen dan bagian-bagian pesawat dengan menjadi subkontrak atau offset program. Antara lain bagian inboard outer fixed leading edge (IOFLE) dan drive rib alias ''ketiak'' sayap milik Airbus A380.
Airbus A380 adalah pesawat bikinan Airbus SAS (Prancis) yang sudah kondang di jagat dirgantara. Pesawat ini biasanya digunakan untuk penerbangan internasional lintas benua dengan muatan 500 hingga 800 penumpang. ''Kita mencoba meraih untung dengan menjadi subkontrak dari pemain besar,'' kata Budi.
Kondisi PT DI terus membaik. Dalam waktu dekat mereka akan memproduksi pesawat tempur dengan dana urunan bersama pemerintah Korea Selatan (Korsel) sebesar USD 8 milliar. Indonesia menyumbang USD 2 milliar, sedangkan pemerintah Korsel USD 6 milliar. ''Tapi, untuk Indonesia itu akan kita konversikan dalam bentuk tenaga, teknologi, dan pengembangan pesawat tersebut,'' katanya.
Kemampuannya tak jauh berbeda dengan F-16 Fightning Falcon, pesawat tempur kondang buatan Amerika Serikat yang digunakan 24 negara di dunia. Rinciannya, 200 unit untuk Korsel dan 50 untuk Indonesia. ''Proyek ini memakan waktu sampai tujuh tahun,'' kata Budi.
Selain itu, order dari Timur Tengah terus berdatangan. Sejumlah negara memesan CN-235 untuk pesawat pengawas pantai, pengangkut personel militer, dan pemantau perbatasan. Dari dalam negeri, Kementerian Pertahanan (Kemhan) juga memesan enam unit helikopter dan Badan SAR Nasional (Basarnas) empat unit.
Budi mengakui, tren industri dirgantara di Indonesia terus naik kendati perlahan. Paling tidak, tujuh tahun ke depan, PT DI bisa meraup laba yang lumayan dari membuat pesawat. Sebenarnya, kata Budi, keuntungan itu bisa didongkrak bila ada keberanian mencari pinjaman. Tapi, itu bakal sulit. ''Tidak banyak bank yang mau. Sebab, risikonya terlalu tinggi. Padahal, semakin tinggi risiko, janji revenue juga besar,'' kata Budi yang lulusan Teknik Penerbangan, Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), dan menyelesaikan gelar MBA di Belanda itu.
Strategi pengembangan PT DI saat ini, kata Budi, tak bisa terlalu ekspansif. PT DI memilih berjalan perlahan dengan memanfaatkan margin keuntungan sebagai modal pengembangan. ''Begini saja, lebih aman,'' kata Budi lantas tersenyum. (aga/c2/iro)
(JawaPos)
Uncertainty Clouds Prospects of Korean Fighter Plans
KFX, the South Korea's new fighter project (all photos : Militaryphotos)

Thứ Bảy, 27 tháng 3, 2010
Hawk 209 dengan Warna Baru



Hawk 209 TNI-AU dengan warna loreng baru (photo : TNI-AU, frdyDA-Indoflyer)Hawk 209 TT-0223 tampil dengan warna loreng baru. Setelah sebelumnya menggunakan kombinasi warna coklat-hijau, kali ini kombinasi warna yang digunakan adalah abu-abu-biru.
(Defense Studies)
Thứ Sáu, 26 tháng 3, 2010
First Five Super Hornets Arrived
The aircraft touched down at RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland at 1:34pm local time, following a formation flight over Southeast Queensland with some of the F-111s they will replace.
Defence leaders along with local Government, United States Navy and Boeing dignitaries were on-hand for the welcome ceremony.
Minister for Defence, Senator John Faulkner said, “The Super Hornets’ arrival marks a new chapter for Air Force.”
“Australia’s 24 Super Hornets will be the bridging air combat capability during the transition to the Joint Strike Fighter force and will maintain our regional air superiority as our F-111s are withdrawn,” Senator Faulkner said.
Minister for Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science, the Hon Greg Combet MP, said, “The Super Hornet project is on-budget and on-schedule. It has been an outstanding example of an accelerated acquisition and model partnership.”
The Super Hornets, known affectionately as ‘Rhinos’, will be operated by Numbers 1 and 6 Squadrons at RAAF Amberley.
The US-built multirole fighters are Australia’s first new combat aircraft type in 25 years. They will replace RAAF’s 37-year-old F-111 fleet, which will retire at the end of the year.
While the new fighters share a strong resemblance with Air Force’s existing F/A-18A/B ‘classic’ Hornets, they feature stealth characteristics, an enlarged airframe, more powerful engines, greater weapons and fuel payload, advanced avionics and state-of-the-art radar.
Thứ Năm, 25 tháng 3, 2010
Malaysia Issues RFIs for Fighters and AEW Aircraft
Malaysia wants to order enough aircraft for one to two squadrons, potentially totalling 36-40 airframes. It is seeking to phase out its older fighters, such as the Northrop F-5, and simplify its fleet.
Boeing and Sukhoi are arguably the strongest contenders because Malaysia already operates eight F/A-18Ds, that it ordered in the early 1990s, and 18 Su-30s that it ordered in 2003.
Meanwhile, the RFI for two AEW aircraft will bring the Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye and Saab Erieye system in contention. The Swedish manufacturer has already been successful in selling one Erieye-equipped Saab 340 to Thailand, in addition to a first batch of six Gripens. The radar has also already been integrated with the Embraer EMB-145 and Saab 2000.
Northrop has previously sold E-2Cs to Japan, Singapore and Taiwan. The company is considered unlikely to offer the developmental E-2D for the Malaysian requirement.
Even though Malaysia has issued the new RFIs, suppliers have reason to be sceptical about its ability to progress to a contract award, as it has twice launched similar competitions in the past. A failure to follow-through with orders this time could result in some companies being reluctant to entertain future requests, some industry sources warn.
Thứ Tư, 24 tháng 3, 2010
First Super Hornets to Arrive Friday
The jets, A44-202 to -206, are being flown from NAS Lemoore near Fresno in California via Hawaii, Samoa and New Zealand by crews from 1SQN, and are being accompanied by an Omega Air KDC-10 tanker and an RAAF C-17 carrying spares and support personnel.
The Super Hornets, led by 1SQN commanding officer WGCDR Glen Braz, will be escorted into Amberley by a couple of F-111Cs, and welcomed by Defence Minister John Faulkner, Chief of Air Force AIRMSHL Mark Binskin, Boeing Defense, Space & Security president and CEO Dennis Muilenburg, and local dignitaries.
Following their delivery, 1SQN will work up the jets and their crews and is scheduled to delare an initial operating capability (IOC) next year, while 6SQN will retire its final F-111s later this year and start taking its Super Hornets in 2011. Full operational capability (FOC) is expected in late 2012.
Australian Aviation will feature extensive coverage of the delivery flight and a full background on the capability the Super Hornets will bring to the RAAF in our May issue.
Thứ Ba, 23 tháng 3, 2010
Japan's Fighter Contest Heats Up
Eurofighter Typhoon (photo : AviationNews)TAIPEI and LONDON - After years of delay, Japan is moving forward on the F-X multirole fighter competition, and a request for proposals (RfP) could be issued as early as next month.
The F-X fills a requirement for 40 to 50 fighters to replace aging F-4EJ Kai Phantoms; first deliveries could begin in 2015 if a decision is made this year.
Contenders include the Eurofighter Typhoon, Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).
The competition has been delayed since 2007 due to budgetary constraints, political bickering and procurement scandals. The Japan Air Force also delayed the decision, hoping the U.S. would release exports of the F-22 Raptor, but production was canceled last year.
Sources indicate the RfP includes dual-engines for extended operations over water, a local role in the integration of the active electronically scanned array radar, an indigenous weapon system and licensed production by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which is facing a drop in work once production of the F-2 fighter ends.
F-35 JSF (photo : Locjkheed Martin)One defense industry source in Tokyo expressed doubts that licensed production of only 40 to 50 fighters would be economically viable.
"The real challenge for the Japanese is to find work for the local industry without breaking the bank," he said. "Starting from scratch on an aircraft program like that is going to be astronomical in costs for the tooling and everything else. So who is going to start an entire assembly line for 40 to 50 aircraft? That doesn't mean they won't try to do something on the assembly of the aircraft, but licensed production is going to be expensive."
Tokyo may have to wait until the F-XX competition, the follow-on fighter competition after the F-X, for 200 to 250 fighters, which would be more cost-effective from a licensed production perspective, the source said. The F-XX competition is at least a decade away.
Despite cost challenges, all three competitors are offering local industrial participation.
"We understand that industrial base is a key element of Japan's national security posture," said John Giese, senior manager for international communications, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. "We feel F-35 offers significant opportunities for Japanese industrial participation, both in production and sustainment."
F/A-18E/F Super Hornet (photo : Richard Seaman)The U.S. government and Lockheed responded to Japan's formal request for F-35 data in 2007.
Giese said the selection of a fifth-generation fighter like the F-35 would be an "inflection point" that would give the Japan Air Force a "transformational capability" for the future.
Boeing is offering Japan licensed production of the Block II Super Hornet.
"We will work with Japanese industries to ensure that we provide for the licensed production of these aircraft," said Joseph Song, vice president for international business development, Boeing - Asia Pacific.
Song, along with a team from Raytheon, was in Tokyo last week to promote the Hornet.
The push to sell the Typhoon to Japan is led by Alenia, BAE Systems and EADS, which also sent a delegation to Tokyo this month to meet with industry and government officials.
The Europeans see an opportunity in Japan as the new Tokyo government grapples with Washington over the U.S. military base on Okinawa and other political issues. In 2009, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) unseated the long-standing Liberal Democratic Party and has since threatened to reduce the U.S. military presence.
"For Eurofighter, it wouldn't be easy as U.S. links there are strong and deep, but there is a feeling that the offer will be evaluated in a more neutral environment," a Eurofighter industry source said. "The Eurofighter position has also been helped by the good political support for the sale from the four Eurofighter nations."
On Eurofighter's chances, Song said Boeing had to take them seriously, "especially with the change in government, and the relationship between the DPJ and the Europeans is improving."
However, Japan has never bought European fighters, and some say interest in the Eurofighter is nothing more than a ploy.
Though the Rafale fighter will not be competing, Charles Edelstenne, Dassault Aviation's chairman and chief executive, dismissed chances Japan would buy a European fighter: "The Japanese will buy American. They say they might buy European, but that's just a way of putting pressure on the Americans."
The Japanese are looking to have the first aircraft by about 2015, and recent delays and cost overruns on the rival F-35 could make it difficult for Lockheed to make deliveries until 2020.
"The other problem for JSF is that there will be a very small, if any, role for Japanese industry in a program where supporting the local aerospace industry is a key requirement along with capability," the Eurofighter source said.
Lockheed's Giese denies the F-35 is hobbled by recent program troubles.
"The F-35 program fully meets Japan's F-X acquisition timeline and delivery requirements," he said. "The adjustments in the F-35 program have, in fact, strengthened the program for Japan."
Giese said production was on track and resources have been added to development. "The more conservative development schedule reduces concerns of programmatic risk," he said. "F-35 is on track to deliver fifth-generation fighter capability to meet Japan's requirements."
(Defense News)
Thứ Hai, 22 tháng 3, 2010
Retirement or Replacement ?
The RSAF boasts a fleet of about 100 generation 4.5 fighters that includes Block 52/52+ variants of the F-16 and the F-15SG while maintaining about 40-odd F-5S aircraft employed in the interceptor role.
These well-maintained but aging interceptors will no doubt have to be retired in the near future, but the question remains, should they be replaced?
Singapore is a security coop-eration participant in the F-35 program. Despite the Singapore Armed Forces' cost-effective practice of upgrading weapon systems when possible to extend their lifespan, there is an obvious appeal to replace the F-5 in the air defense role with the F-35. The F-35s will introduce new capabilities to the RSAF, particularly a stealth deep-strike capability.
But that in itself does not quite justify the flyaway cost of the F-35, which is likely to exceed $120 million per aircraft by the time the RSAF gets its hands on the plane.
In fact, the RSAF's current fleet of about 100 generation 4.5 front-line multirole fighters is able to take on the air defense role of the F-5s, thus rendering the replacement of Singapore's F-5s with the F-35 a costly and unnecessary move.
The case for the F-5's replacement is even less pressing in light of regional developments and capabilities.
Malaysia has recently announced that, as a result of financial constraints, it will put off replacing its MiG-29 fighters. The Royal Malaysian Air Force maintains an operational generation 4/4.5 fighter fleet of 10 MiG-29N, eight F/A-18D and 18 Su-30MKM aircraft.
To date, the Indonesian Air Force's generation 4/4.5 fighter fleet consists of 10 F-16s of the Block 15 variant (whose operational status has been severely reduced by the U.S. arms embargo lifted only in 2005), two Su-27 and five Su-30 aircraft. Even assuming that all of Indonesia's F-16s are operational, Singapore's generation 4.5 multirole fighter fleet is easily twice the size of the combined Indo-Malaysian generation 4/4.5 fighter fleet.
In short, the RSAF possesses a significant quantitative and qualitative edge over the air forces of its immediate neighbors.

F-35 in the Singapore Airshow 2010 (photo : sacbee)
Considering the RSAF's capabilities vis-à-vis those of other Southeast Asian air forces, any move to replace its F-5s with another aircraft type that introduces a significant offensive capability into the region will create an unintended competitive arms dynamic. Short of any abrupt shifts in the regional security ecosystem, the RSAF can well afford to retire its F-5s without replacement.On the other hand, no matter how well intended or explained, replacement of the F-5 with a generation 5 platform such as the F-35 will inadvertently unsettle Singapore's immediate neighbors, particularly when the RSAF's 100-odd F-15SGs and Block 52/52+ F-16s can easily fill the gap left by the aging F-5s.
If there is a gap in Singapore's air defense capabilities that needs addressing, it is the lack of an area or theater missile defense system against medium- and long-range munitions such as ballistic missiles.
The combat system on board the Republic of Singapore Navy's Formidable-class stealth frigates allows each vessel to track up to 200 targets which, in tandem with shipborne Aster missiles and other land-based systems, provides a certain degree of point and area protection against medium- and long-range ballistic threats.
Neither the Formidable's shipborne Aster nor any of the other surface-to-air missile systems in the RSAF's inventory, however, is a dedicated anti-ballistic missile system such as, for example, the Patriot PAC-3. The substantial cost savings derived from retirement (without replacement) of the F-5s can be invested in a proven, cost-effective theater missile defense system that fills an actual gap in Singapore's air defense capabilities.
In the absence of new offensive capabilities being introduced into other Southeast Asian armed forces, the replacement rather than the retirement of the RSAF's F-5s is not only unnecessary, but a departure from the cost-effective, rigorous, systematic and prudent defense acquisition process for which Singapore is renowned.
(Defense News)
Thứ Năm, 18 tháng 3, 2010
F-35B Completes First Hover Test
Test pilot Graham Tomlinson first decelerated the BF-1 test aircraft to a hover about 150ft (50m) above the runway at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland on 17 March. Then, on a separate flight later the same day, the aircraft was rotated on take-off in less than 300m and a speed of 100kt (185km/h).
Both flights mark critical test points as the F-35 programme continues a long-delayed process to achieve a vertical landing. The first such test point was previously scheduled in mid-2009, but has been delayed because of engine malfunctions and slower than expected progress on flight tests.
Despite the delays, the F-35B is expected to enter service with the US Marine Corps in fiscal year 2012.
Thứ Sáu, 12 tháng 3, 2010
Super Hornet Acceptance Flight
RAAF's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet (photo : DefenceGovAu)The first group of Air Force's next-generation Super Hornets will arrive in Australia later this month.
The Super Hornets arrival will represent a major leap in Air Force capability. They are Australia's first new air combat aircraft in 25 years.
A detachment of aircrew and maintenance personnel from RAAF's No. 1 Squadron is currently at Naval Air Station Lemoore in California, preparing the aircraft for the series of flights to Australia.
(RAAF)
Australia Awards Raytheon Australia Super Hornet Training Support Services Contract
RAAF's Super Hornet (photo : Australian Aviation)
Australian Greg Combet, Minister for Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science, announced today that Raytheon Australia has been awarded the Training Support Services Contract to support Super Hornet training systems at Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base Amberley.
"The signing of the Super Hornet Training Support Services Contract is worth approximately $21.5 million over three years, and secures about 25 jobs at RAAF Base Amberley for that period," Mr Combet said."The contract is vital for effective support of the Air Force's fleet of Super Hornets when they begin arriving at RAAF Base Amberley this year."
"Raytheon Australia will provide maintenance, logistics, and training services to support the Super Hornet flight simulators, visual environment maintenance trainers and electronic classrooms."
"Australia is acquiring 24 F/A-18F Super Hornets to aid the transition to a mature Joint Strike Fighter capability, and allow Air Force to retire the F-111 fleet in December 2010."
"The Super Hornet project is on budget and running ahead of schedule. The first Australian Super Hornets will arrive in late March 2010. The remaining aircraft will be progressively introduced throughout the remainder of 2010 and 2011," Mr Combet said.
Shayne Neumann, the Federal Member for Blair, said that the contract signing further strengthens the partnership between the RAAF, industry and the Ipswich area community.
"I am very pleased that this contract will support local jobs and help maintain our air combat capability." Mr Neumann said.
(Asian Military Review)
Thứ Ba, 9 tháng 3, 2010
RI Masih Minati F-16 dan Hercules dari AS
Thứ Bảy, 6 tháng 3, 2010
Putin Wants New Long-Range Bomber
Artist's impression of PAK-DA the Russian bomber (image : Militaryphotos)
MOSCOW, March 4 (UPI) -- Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin urged his country's military industry to start working on a new strategic bomber after finishing the new fifth-generation fighter jet.
"We should not confine ourselves to developing just one new model," Putin said at an aviation industry event in Moscow this week, Defensenews.com reports.
"After the fifth-generation fighter jet, we must think and get down to work on a next-generation, long-range aircraft, our new strategic missile carrier."
While Putin didn't mention details linked to such a new bomber, he said the Russian defense industry should focus on developing new aircraft engines, new electronics and new materials for constructing the planes.
A senior military commander responsible for the aviation sector earlier this year said that new long-range bomber must be commissioned by 2025-30.
Putin's remarks underline that Moscow is eager to update the country's aging fleet of military aircraft.
The Sukhoi cooperation at the end of January unveiled Russia's fifth-generation stealth fighter jet, the T-50, Moscow's first all-new war plane since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The T-50 is intended to compete with NATO's latest fighter planes -- the world's first generation 5 jet, the U.S. F-22 Raptor produced by Lockheed Martin and partner Boeing, and the not-yet-in-service F-35 Lightning II, developed by a consortium including Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Britain's BAE Systems.
The Russian plane's maiden flight Jan. 29 was hailed as a major step for the Russian aviation sector but serial production of the plane isn't expected to start before 2015. The T-50 still has to log 2,000 hours worth of test flights, Putin said.
That didn't keep the prime minister from calling for the new bomber. It would replace a fleet of Tu-95 and Tu-160 strategic bombers, both built during Soviet times.
Introduced in 1956, the Tu-95, is a large four-engine turboprop strategic bomber and missile platform. Codenamed Bear by NATO, the plane was far ahead of its time in the 1950s.
The Tu-160 is a supersonic heavy bomber designed by the Soviet Union in the 1980s. It still ranks as the largest jet-powered combat aircraft ever built. A friend of military muscle-flexing, Putin in 2007 reactivated long-range patrols by these nuclear-capable bombers after they had not been sent out over the world's oceans for 15 years.
A launch of a new bomber program would be a giant project for the Russian aviation industry, which has been helped by numerous orders and major financial aid packages over the past years. Yet it's only one step of many that will see a major overhaul of the Russian air fleet.
Moscow plans to commission 1,500 new planes and helicopters to modernize the air force by 80 percent, the government said in a statement.
(UPI)
Thứ Tư, 24 tháng 2, 2010
RAAF Will Soon Have its First Super Hornets
The first three F/A-18F Super Hornets destined for service with the Royal Australian Air Force have been handed over. (photo : RAAF)The first three of an eventual 24 F/A-18F Super Hornets destined for service with the Royal Australian Air Force were handed over to the Australian Defence Materiel Organisation by the US Defence Materiel Organisation at Naval Air Station Lemoore in California, USA.
The three Super Hornets, A44-202, 203 and 204, were checked over by personnel from 1 Squadron based at RAAF Amberley in Queensland.
Raytheon Australia has been awarded a Training Support Services Contract to support Super Hornet training at Amberley. “The signing of the contract is worth approximately $21.5 million over three years, and secures about 25 jobs at RAAF Amberley for that period,” said Greg Combet, Minister for Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science. Raytheon Australia will provide maintenance, logistics, and training services to support the Super Hornet flight simulators, visual environment maintenance trainers and electronic classrooms.The first Australian Super Hornets will arrive at Amberley in late March with the rest following through to 2011 and will replace the ageing F-111, which will be retired in December.
(Key Aero)
Thứ Ba, 23 tháng 2, 2010
MiGs Will Fly For At Least Another Five Years - Zahid
RMAF's MiG-29N, goverment to continue using jets after repairs (photo : Airliners)KUANTAN, (Bernama) -- The Royal Malaysian Air Force's (RMAF) MiG-29N aircraft will fly for at least another five years, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said.
He said the government had decided to continue operating the Russian-made aircraft although there was a proposal to retire and sell them to third world countries.
"The decision was based on the capability of the aircraft (MIG-29N) in executing the tasks given," he told reporters after visiting the RMAF base here on Tuesday.
Zahid said factors considered include the country's economy which had yet to fully recover from the economic slowdown.
"We plan to buy more multi-role combat aircraft (MRCA) but the economic situation is preventing it," he said.The government also considered a suggestion by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad who in his blog said the MIG-29N aircraft should be in service.
Zahid said Aerospace Technique System Corporation Sdn Bhd (ATSC) would be asked to refurbish the aircraft by upgrading the equipments at lower costs.
The government had expected to save RM260 million annually with the retirement of the MIGs on Dec 31.
Meanwhile, RMAF chief Gen Datuk Seri Rodzali Daud said only ten MIG aircraft would be taking to the skies as six others had been decommissioned.
(Bernama)
Thứ Hai, 22 tháng 2, 2010
Super Tucano Pesawat dengan Biaya Operasional Rendah
The Second and Third Gripen of the Thai Air Force First Flight
The second and third Gripen of the RTAF (photo : Saab)
RTAF's Gripen during first flight (photo : Saab)Thứ Sáu, 19 tháng 2, 2010
Raytheon Wins RAAF Super Hornet Training Contract
RAAF's Super Hornet (photo : Armybase)Under the contract, Raytheon will provide “maintenance, logistics, and training services to support the Super Hornet flight simulators, visual environment maintenance trainers and electronic classrooms,” according to a release from Minister for Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science, Greg Combet. “The signing of the Super Hornet Training Support Services Contract is worth approximately $21.5 million over three years, and secures about 25 jobs at RAAF Base Amberley for that period,” it adds.
Raytheon will draw upon staff and experience with systems from the RAAF’s current classic Hornet Aircrew Training System (HACTS) simulators located at RAAF Williamtown and Tindal, and the F-111 simulator at Amberley. “This is a welcome addition to the Raytheon Australia force preparedness portfolio,” Raytheon Australia’s managing director, Michael Ward said, in a statement. “The contract extends our existing pedigree to ready and sustain the force that has been built upon designing innovative solutions such as the Hornet Aircrew Training System and the RAN Retention and Motivation Initiative (RMI).”
Thứ Năm, 18 tháng 2, 2010
Canberra to Delay Decision on Growler Upgrade for F/A-18Fs
EA-18G Growler (photo : FlightGlobal)Australia may not immediately convert its 12 Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets that are being wired for the E/A-18G Growler electronic-attack configuration and could receive them in their original standard instead.
The aircraft - drawn from a 24-strong order - are being wired so that they can be converted in Australia, but the government and the Royal Australian Air Force are not about to make a decision.
"There is an acknowledgement that we need a fighter that will perform non-kinetic electronic attack roles, and the [Super Hornet] fighters could fit that role," says Gp Capt Steve Robertson, head of the RAAF's air combat transition wing and officer commanding its Super Hornet wing. "But we could take all 24 aircraft in the Super Hornet configuration and then convert some of them into Growlers at a later stage. It will not be a simple task, but we will have the capability to do it."
Robertson says Australia's strategy is something that the US Navy is considering as well. "They realise that this is a good option to consider as you refine your requirements," he adds.
Industry sources say that the decision to convert the Super Hornets into Growlers could also depend on when the RAAF takes delivery of its Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighters. While it is scheduled to receive its first aircraft in 2014, there remain worries that this could be delayed because of ongoing problems with the programme.
Such a delay could result in Canberra ordering another 12-24 Super Hornets, allowing it to convert some from the initial batch into Growlers while retaining its air combat capability.
But Robertson says there is no indication of whether there will be an order for additional Super Hornets. "The government has to make that decision," he says. "The focus is now on getting the Super Hornets in service and looking at getting the F-35s on board on time."
(Flight International)
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Australia Plans for Longer Service Life with Super Hornet Fleet
18 Februari 2010
F/A-18E/F Super Hornet (photo : Boeing)Australia envisages that its Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets, which will begin entering service from March, could become a "long bridge" for an air force capability gap, and remain operational well into the 2030s.
Canberra has ordered 24 of the two-seat aircraft to cover a capability shortfall between the retirement of the Royal Australian Air Force's General Dynamics F-111s by year-end and the induction of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, projected to take place from 2014.
However, they could stay in use much longer, says Gp Capt Steve Robertson, head of the service's air combat transition wing and officer commanding the Super Hornet wing.
"The aircraft is on time, on budget and over-delivering on capability," says Robertson. "The Super Hornet is giving us flexibility and options, and will be combat-relevant up to the next generation. While we have forecast that they will be operational up until the 2020s, the US Navy plans to use them until the 2030s and there is no reason why we can't do the same."
Australia is due to take delivery of around four Super Hornets in the first quarter and 12 in total this year, when it also aims to declare initial operating capability. Its remaining aircraft, which will also be wired for possible conversion to the E/A-18G electronic-attack configuration, will be delivered by 2012.
With the RAAF already operating older F/A-18A/B Hornets, Robertson says the service has bought the "most easy platform that it could adapt to". The new model "has the same philosophy as the classic Hornets, but with more capability", he adds.
"The Super Hornet has increased performance and better flight sensor suites than anything in the Australian Defence Force. With Australia's network-centric capability it can perform a maritime strike role if needed, but it can also take on the air combat role. This is a true multirole fighter that it is built to perform almost any mission," says Robertson - one of the first Australians trained to fly the F/A-18F.
The RAAF's support model for the Super Hornet taps on the US Navy's capabilities, and Boeing says it is working with its launch export customer to develop the in-country systems needed to maintain its fleet.
"We have had to work out which roles are better for the RAAF and which are better for Boeing," says Robertson. "But that is a much better system than what we've had before."
With preparations for the type's introduction having run for more than a year, Robertson says the air force has learned several important lessons - some of which could be vital for potential other regional customers such as India and potentially Japan.
"There is a great deal to do to get everything ready - including the infrastructure and the workforce - to induct a new-generation multirole combat aircraft. The type of training and specialisation needed is totally different from, say, the F-111 or the classic Hornets. It requires a lot of work to ensure that we are prepared."
Engaging the community is also important, he points out, saying that officials from air base Amberley have been working with their neighbours to ensure that there is little impact from noise pollution.
"We have used the Super Hornet as a community consultation process," Robertson says. "A noise flightpath system is now in place, and we did that with them. Their support will be evident in a few weeks, when we believe several hundred of them will come out to welcome the aircraft."
(Flight International)