PIPISTREL BATTY ABOUT ECO AIRCRAFT BREATH OF FRESH AIR BREEZE AIRWAYS ADOPTS THE A220

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Welcome ew of us would disagree that 2021 has been a difficult year. Twelve months ago, as 2020 reached its conclusion, there was a collective sense – misplaced, as it turned out – that the next year would be better. Yet here we are again, hoping that 2022 will see the end of the pandemic and that we will be free once more to travel without jumping through one hoop after another, whether that be health-related or regulatory. As aviation industry stakeholders, we can also only hope that 2022 delivers the breaks that our beleaguered sector so desperately needs. While there is an understandable degree of trepidation about 2022, for the ‘glass half-full’ types among us, there is also a sense of new beginnings, as illustrated by our look at Breeze Airways, David Neeleman’s latest venture, with its all-encompassing devotion to the A220 (see page 86) or the gusto with which Asia Pacific airlines such as Air New Zealand and Cebu Pacific are tackling the pandemic (see page 50). In our Dubai Airshow Report (see page 24), we cover the latest in both commercial and military aircraft and reflect on deals done, debuts made and what one of our correspondents optimistically referred to as “something of a return to normality.” Long may it last. As for the event’s host country, the UAE had a busy back end to the year, with deals for additional MRTT tanker/transport aircraft, in addition to a multi-billion Euro deal for French fighters and helicopters, the latter signed in the weeks that followed the airshow. Other headlines of note this month include wildlife issues at the UK’s eastern and southern region military airbases, NATO’s decision to renew its SALIS agreement and use of Antonov aircraft from Ukraine, and Polish industry benefitting from Warsaw’s decision to opt for the Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter by gaining a slice of the global F-16 Block 70/72 manufacturing pie. Gazing up to orbit, we look at the UK’s Skynet 6 programme, which will deliver the next generation of military satellite communications platforms into low Earth orbit (see page 32). It is worth noting that the programme name was coined before the creation of the fictional self-aware network famed from a certain science-fiction movie franchise and the similarities between the two are slim, at best. Back on terra firma, we travel to the United States for an examination of the financial high wire that the US Air Force is having to negotiate as it attempts to recapitalise its airborne nuclear deterrent with the B-21 Raider programme, while ensuring it is able to meet the rising challenges in the East (see page 68). Can it maintain its current and planned fighter fleet in the numbers it wants to? The short answer is no, but check out the story to see why.

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As ever, thank you for your ongoing loyalty to AIR International. We look forward to continuing to bring you thought-provoking news and analysis, as well as shining the AI light into every corner of this most dynamic of business sectors. With best wishes to you all for a happy and healthy 2022.

ABOVE: Eric Bellings of Flight for Life Colorado is among the many pilots who have had to deal with laser strikes (see page 64) Flight for Life Colorado

Tara Craig Associate Editor, AIR International

COVER IMAGE: Lockheed Martin’s F-35 programme is the most expensive (or lucrative) defence endeavour of all time and will be the backbone of US combat air power for the next generation US Department of Defense

January 2022 3

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ATR is to supply its ATR 42/72-600 series aircraft with a new version of the Pratt & Whitney PW127 turboprop; Cebu Pacific takes local inspiration for the interior of its first A330neo, and the passengerto-freighter boom continues.

See pages 30-31 for details

18 BUSINESS FOCUS

The Aurus Business Jet makes its international debut; Hermeus Corporation unveils a non-flying prototype of its Quarterhorse, and the Five Group is identified as the first operator of the ACJ TwoTwenty.

20 TECHNOLOGY FOCUS 10 MILITARY NEWS The UAE signs a landmark deal with Dassault for its Rafale fighter; the UK expands and upgrades the Royal Air Force’s Shadow fleet, and Airbus sees a successful month with its A400M and A330 platforms.

14 UAV FOCUS High-altitude platforms developer Sceye prepares to launch its Sceye Telecom to deliver super-fast internet connectivity from the stratosphere; Schiebel demonstrates its Camcopter S-100 in the Arctic Circle, and the Royal Navy hosts a showcase for drone manufacturers.

The RAAF’s first TAOT benefits from a major Rohde & Schwarz upgrade; the ECLIF3 study measures 100% SAF simultaneously on both engines of a commercial passenger aircraft, and the ACH design team fits an ACH145 interior with vegan materials.

22 SPACE FOCUS The US Space Force exercises its second contract option for the procurement of three additional GPS IIIF space vehicles from Lockheed Martin; the first Airbus-built Inmarsat-6 satellite travels to Japan ahead of launch, and SSTL de-commissions GIOVE-A after sixteen years.

16 ROTARY FOCUS Airbus Helicopters delivers the first H225M in ‘naval combat’ configuration to AvN; Volocopter signs an MOU with Kakao Mobility to look into UAM platforms in South Korea, and Leonardo Helicopters opens a service and logistics centre near São Paolo, Brazil. 4 January 2022

24 DUBAI AIRSHOW REPORT Richard Schuurman and Alan Warnes report from the 2021 Dubai Airshow – the first large-scale aviation gathering in two years, marked by an encouraging level of sales, contracts and international debuts.

Contents

32 SKYNET EVOLUTIONS As Airbus marks the first metal cutting for the UK’s future military communications Skynet 6 satellites, Richard Thomas takes a look at the progression of the programme since its inception.

36 BRAKING GOOD Mark Broadbent examines the latest in brake systems, from new technologies and materials to how specialist suppliers are positioning themselves for post-pandemic recovery.

44 FIRE FOR EFFECT Tim Fish reveals some of the leading developments for airlaunch cruise missiles, with increasing sophistication and lethality cementing their future place on the battlefield.

50 EASTERN PROMISE Asia-Pacific has been badly impacted by COVID-19 and the resulting travel restrictions. Tom Batchelor reports on the measures aviation stakeholders are taking to ensure survival.

56 COMING OF AGE India’s acquisition of the MiG-29K/KUB shipborne fighter has undoubtedly worked to aid Russia’s development of the aircraft. Alexander Mladenov reports.

64 STRIKE ACTION Laser strikes on aircraft pose a risk to both hardware and personnel.

Mark Broadbent hears from a pilot who has experienced strikes, and looks at the measures being taken to combat them.

68 RETAINING THE COMBAT EDGE COVER STORY The US Air Force has embarked on a historic attempt to recapitalise its airborne nuclear deterrent while maintaining its fighter edge. Richard Thomas explores the difficulties ahead.

74 GRAND DESIGNS Slovenia’s Pipistrel Aircraft is determined to take its technology to the wider world, not least the ground-breaking Velis Electro two-seater. Tom Batchelor finds out more.

80 FAcT OF THE MATTER As Canada prepares its future military aircrew training programme, the industry is gearing itself up for this oncein-a-generation opportunity. Robert Coppinger reports.

86 FRONT AND CENTRE Breeze Airways unveiled the first of its 80 Airbus A220s in late October. Chris Sloan looks at the benefits the type will deliver for the ambitious low-cost carrier start-up.

92 REGIONAL RESURGENCE With the military rotorcraft market booming, Nigel Pittaway looks into the platforms that have gained traction in the AsiaPacific region, as industry competes for lucrative contracts. January 2022 5

COMMERCIAL NEWS

by Mark Broadbent

Omicron spells ‘significant traumas’ for air travel EasyJet wants decisions on travel precautions to be “kept in proportion to the threat” Airbus/P Masclet

A GLOBAL BULLETIN issued in December 2021 by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) called for “a more measured and evidence-based approach to national air transport restrictions” in response to the emergence of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. ICAO encouraged countries to continue using recommendations in its Council Aviation Recovery Task Force Take-off Guidance. Omicron’s spread has raised concerns in the industry after several months during which airlines had started to restore capacity in response to the easing of travel restrictions and rising passenger demand.

Speaking during the Reuters Next conference on November 30, 2021, Emirates’ president Sir Tim Clark warned: “December is a very important month for the air travel business. If that is lost, or the winter is lost to a lot of carriers, there will be significant traumas in the aviation business and the periphery.” Clark emphasised that he believed Omicron is likely to slow rather than completely stop air travel demand, as happened when the COVID-19 virus spread globally early in 2020, but he said the outlook for airlines could worsen if stricter travel restrictions were to be reintroduced.

EasyJet CEO Johan Lundgren said 13% was knocked off the value of the lowcost carrier’s shares within 24 hours of the UK government announcing a requirement for passengers to isolate at home until the result of a PCR test taken within two days of their return had been confirmed. Writing in the Daily Mail, Lundgren said: “Bookings have slowed, with many people moving trips forward to early 2022…Ministers must ensure their decisions are backed by data and precautions are kept in proportion to the threat. Blanket PCR testing must be rolled back as soon as possible.”

More 737 freighter lines Boeing has plans to open three more 737 freighter conversion facilities Boeing

ITA AIRWAYS has confirmed a September 2021 Memorandum of Understanding for 28 new Airbus airliners. The airline, which succeeded Alitalia as Italy’s national flag carrier, has ordered seven A220-300s, 11 A320neos and ten A330neos. It has also confirmed plans to lease A350s. No details were given about delivery dates for the aircraft. 6 January 2022

ANOTHER INDICATION of the buoyant air cargo market was seen recently with Boeing’s announcement that it will open three new conversion lines for its 737-800BCF (Boeing converted freighter). One line will be sited at Boeing’s London/ Gatwick maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility, and two others at KF Aerospace’s MRO centre in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. The Gatwick line is expected to open in 2022. The first conversions there will be aircraft for Icelease, which signed up for 11 737BCFs at the November 2021 Dubai Airshow. The Kelowna lines will open in 2023. Spurred by e-commerce growth during the COVID19 pandemic, there has been a marked increase in freighter demand over the past year. Further proof of this, and separate to the 737BCF development, Miami-based Aeronautical Engineers recently announced bookings for 23 more 737-800SF conversions: 13 from Aero Capital Solutions, four from Aircastle and six from GA Telesis.

PANASONIC AVIONICS has secured new orders for its in-flight entertainment and connectivity systems. Its eX1 solution will be installed in Singapore Airlines’ Boeing 737-8s. The company will supply IFE systems for Emirates’ premium economy cabins, with Saudi Arabian Airlines and Iraqi Airways also recently ordering Panasonic X Series products.

COMMERCIAL NEWS THE PHILIPPINES’ Cebu Pacific has taken delivery of its first A330neo as it begins its widebody fleet modernisation programme. The aircraft is configured with 459 seats in a single-class layout and will be operated on trunk routes within the Philippines and the rest of Asia, as well as on longer range services to Australia and the Middle East. Cebu Pacific has ordered 16 A330neos, in addition to 16 A320neos and 22 A321neos yet to be delivered. The low-cost carrier currently operates 50 Airbus aircraft, comprising 43 A320 Family and seven A330ceos. The A330neo is powered by Rolls-Royce’s latest-generation Trent 7000 engines and features a new composite wing with increased span for enhanced aerodynamics. It uses 25% less fuel than previous generation aircraft and offers a similar reduction in CO2 emissions. In December 2021, to mark its 25th anniversary, the airline revealed revamped cabin interiors that will debut in the A330neo. Inspired by the airline’s hometown, Cebu City, the aircraft interior has been designed to reflect the colours of the Philippine islands. Passengers will be greeted by a lighting panel in a fresh shade of teal, reminiscent of clear seas. The interior’s front and rear walls feature a raised Cebu Pacific logo on a vibrant blue-on-blue mango pattern, a tribute to the mangoes for which the region is famous. The A330neo’s seats are ergonomically designed

Thoroughly modern Cebu by manufacturer Recaro, this time featuring blue-grey leather, and a carbon fibre texture reminiscent of Cebu's famous puso or ‘hanging rice’. Cebu Pacific’s signature blue and yellow accents are also found throughout the seat design. Each seat is also equipped with USB Type A and Type C ports. The new interior is the work of Tokyo- and Singapore-based

LIFT Aero Design and the design will be incorporated into all upcoming Cebu Pacific neo aircraft deliveries. The A330neo, the airline’s greenest aircraft to date, entered into service on December 8, 2021, on the Manila to Cebu route. See Eastern Promise on page 50 for a further update on Cebu Pacific

The initial A330neo has been delivered to Cebu Pacific Airbus

Updated ATR engines EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, ATR will be supplying its ATR 42/72-600 series aircraft with a new version of the Pratt & Whitney PW127 turboprop. The PW127XT is designed to provide “next-level efficiency and time on wing” for the powerplant. Air Corsica, which recently signed up for five 72-600s, will be the launch operator. Redesigned high-pressure and lowpressure compressors, a new highpressure turbine and an enhanced power turbine module are the key improvements P&W has made to the PW127. ATR says the improvements will offer 40% longer time on wing, extending engine overhaul intervals to 20,000 hours (based on 60-minute missions in what the company calls “benign environments”). The update also reduces engine maintenance costs by 20% and cuts fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by more than 40% compared to a regional jet, the manufacturer claims.

ATR also said the PW127XT will offer a 3% fuel efficiency improvement over older PW127s fitted to earlier ATRs.

WRIGHT ELECTRIC has announced plans to build a 100% zeroemissions aircraft. The US developer will produce the Wright Spirit, a BAe 146 converted with its megawatt-class propulsion system. Wright is working with easyJet and Viva Aerobus to define requirements and establish test routes. The developer is targeting 2026 for service entry.

The company is targeting 2025 for the engine to be compatible with sustainable aviation fuels.

The PW127XT features new compressors and turbine components ATR

UNITED AIRLINES undertook the first commercial passenger flight using 100% sustainable aviation fuel on December 1, 2021. A Boeing 737-800 flew from Chicago/O’Hare to Washington/Reagan National using 500 gallons of SAF in one engine and the same amount of conventional Jet A-1 in the other “to further prove there are no operational differences between the two.” January 2022 7

COMMERCIAL NEWS

by Mark Broadbent

Eve and Widerøe team up Widerøe and Embraer’s Eve eVTOL aircraft will work together exploring new forms of passenger and cargo transport Embraer

EMBRAER’S EVE is to collaborate with the Norwegian regional airline Widerøe to develop urban air mobility solutions in Scandinavia and launch electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) operations there in the future. A statement said: “The companies will use Eve’s zero-emission and low noise footprint eVTOL vehicle to develop a new concept of operation where passengers will experience the future of electric transportation and a new model of sustainable mobility, connecting people

living in a sparsely populated region and challenging geography.” Widerøe recently created a new business development programme called Widerøe Zero which, it says, “tackles all the regulatory, commercial and financing challenges involved in purchasing and operating zero-emissions aircraft.” Widerøe says Zero’s work “is immediately necessary for Norway, where the geography welcomes short-haul flights already possible with existing zero-emissions technology.” The company has indicated that it has

plans to become an industry leader in this emerging field, saying: “Other countries throughout Europe and beyond will benefit increasingly from Widerøe Zero´s knowledge as the range of commercial options afforded by an entirely new class of aircraft becomes clear.” Widerøe Zero CEO Andreas Kollbye Aks commented: “Although initially designed for urban air mobility, we expect these highly flexible vehicles to be interesting in a variety of applications also in rural areas — from cargo to passenger transportation.”

Embraer presents Energia BRAZILIAN AIRCRAFT manufacturer Embraer is evaluating the technical and commercial viability of a range of striking new aircraft concepts. The company’s Energia division is looking into four new aircraft designs: a nine-seat Energia Hybrid with rear-mounted engines and hybridelectric turboprop engines, a nine-seat Energia

Electric with contra-rotating propellers, a 19-seat Energia H2 Fuel Cell Turbine with hydrogenelectric engines, and the hydrogen-powered Energia H2 Gas with 35-50 seats and rearmounted engines. Commenting on these new prototypes, the president and CEO of Embraer commercial

NEW EUROCONTROL data shows the time taken for narrowbody aircraft to taxi out to the runway dropped by 7-9 minutes in 2021. Fewer flights were one reason, but the air traffic control agency also noted: “Airlines’ commercial departments can’t readily change the schedules, so operations departments and air traffic managers have to manage the variability.” 8 January 2022

aviation, Arjan Meijer, said: “We will be seeing a big transformation in our industry towards a more sustainable aviation. With 50 years’ experience in developing, certifying, and supporting regional aircraft, Embraer is in a unique position to make viable the introduction of disruptive green technologies.”

THE 10,000TH student at the ATP Flight School has graduated from its Airline Transport Pilot Certification Training Program. Since it began offering the programme in 2015, the company’s training centre just south of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport has become the largest ATP CTP provider in the United States.

COMMERCIAL NEWS

Etihad goes for Aviatar ETIHAD AIRWAYS will use Lufthansa Technik's Aviatar digital operations suite to optimise its technical and operations management. The Gulf carrier will be one of the first airlines to use Aviatar's fuel analytics app, which uses artificial intelligence and full flight data to identify unusual fuel consumption patterns and measure the impact of aircraft modifications on fuel burn. Lufthansa Technik explained: “The interconnection between fuel efficiency and technical as well as operational events enables an automated root cause identification of degrading aircraft efficiency, clearly distinguished from operational factors like weather or navigation.”

The Aviatar condition monitoring app gives a real-time overview of the state of an aircraft and its components both while on the ground and in flight, enabling proactive fleet management “by combining fault messages, parameters, flight information and maintenance information on one screen.” An automated, algorithm-based line maintenance planning app integrates data generated by different IT systems to adapt plans for each maintenance location and across the carrier’s fleet instantaneously. Lufthansa Technik provided further technical and operational details of the system: “Any change in the flight schedule or maintenance

Former Delta Air Lines Boeing 777-200LRs will be Mammoth Freighters’ first conversions Delta Air Lines

WITH THE industry continuing to respond to rising air cargo demand, a new widebody passenger-to-freighter airliner conversion programme has secured orders. Canadian start-up Mammoth Freighters has launched an aftermarket conversion service for Boeing 777200LRs and 777-300ERs, to be known respectively as the -200LRMF and -300ERMF. The firm will be converting two former Delta Air Lines 777-200LRs into -200LRMF configuration for Cargojet, with delivery expected in the second half of 2023. Cargojet has also taken out options on two additional -200LRMFs and two -300ERMFs. Mammoth was founded in December 2020 specifically to develop, convert and support -200LR/300ER conversions using a feedstock of ex-airline 777s that were retired by carriers when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. These include ten ex-Delta -200LRs, each with fewer than 5,000 cycles since new. Mammoth’s marketing department claims that its conversions will

requirements results in an updated maintenance plan that supports decision-making and makes potential planning conflicts transparent, thus allowing the airline to focus on issues where more specific knowhow is required. The updated plan is then directly transferred to Etihad’s maintenance information system.” Overall, the digital suite is intended to improve operational efficiency, cut fuel burn and carbon emissions, and minimise maintenance efforts, while maintaining safety and performance standards. “Better data and better insights into data mean that better decisions can be made,” said Etihad Aviation Group chief operating officer Mohammad Al Bulooki.

A Mammoth undertaking

be “the most productive and economical 777 long-range freighters in the world”, with various main-deck and lower-deck configurations available. On the -200LRMF, the standard ‘side-by-side’ maindeck layout will hold 27 contoured pallets/containers: 22 measuring 96 x 125 x 118in, four 96 x 125 x 116in and one 96n x 125 x 96in. Alternative main-deck layouts can accommodate 30 pallets/containers sized 88 x 108 x 96in, 15 Code G pallets/containers positioned side-byside or 12 Code G on the centreline. The -200LRMF will additionally carry ten 96in pallets on the lower deck (six in the forward hold, four in the rear compartment) or 32 LD-3 containers (18 forward, 14 aft). The 777-300ER’s longer fuselage obviously means the -300ERMF can carry slightly more cargo. It will hold 33 pallets/containers in the ‘side-by-side’ layout (six more than the -200LRMF), with 28 measuring 96 x 125 x 118in, four 96 x 125 x 116in and one 96 x 125 x 96in. Alternatively, the main deck can hold 36 pallets/

ONEWORLD ALLIANCE members intend to purchase more than 350 million gallons of blended sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from renewable fuels company Aemetis for their operations at San Francisco International Airport. The agreements will cover the delivery of SAF to oneworld airlines operating into the airport over a seven-year term beginning in 2024.

Etihad is introducing Lufthansa Technik Aviatar across its fleet Lufthansa Technik

containers sized 88 x 108 x 96in (again, six more than the other variant), 20 Code G pallets/containers side-by-side (five more) or 16 Code G on the centreline (four more). On the lower deck, the -300ERMF will carry 14 pallets sized at 96in, eight more than the -200LRMF, with eight in the forward hold and six aft, or else 44 LD-3s (24 in the forward hold, 20 aft), up from 32 on the other aircraft. Overall, Mammoth says the -300ERMF will have 14% more volume than a 747-400 Freighter, 81% more than a 767-300BCF and 43% more than an MD-11F. A company spokesperson said: “Design and engineering for the 777-200LRMF is well underway, with tooling and parts already in fabrication. The conformity 777-200LR recently completed a comprehensive series of pre-modification flight tests and will commence modification in the second quarter of 2022. Upon certification of the 777-200LRMF, Mammoth expects approval of the 777-300ERMF supplementary type certificate to follow shortly afterwards.”

CORSO MAGENTA is seeking EASA approval by Q1 2022 for its CorsoPatch Aircraft paint repair solution. Trialled in summer 2021 by four airlines on seven aircraft, CorsoPatch is a dry patch for fast repair of paint damage due to lightning strikes or corrosion. Corso Magenta claims it cuts maintenance downtime by 85%. January 2022 9

MILITARY NEWS

The AI team

The Rafale deal to the UAE has been agreed recently, marking a successful year of exports of the aircraft Dassault Aviation/V Almansa

UAE seals major Rafale contract

THE UAE has agreed a multi-billion Euro deal for the provision of 80 Rafale F4 fighter aircraft, manufactured by French company Dassault Aviation, for the United Arab Emirates Air Force. According to a Dassault Aviation release on December 3, the contract for the UAE to acquire 80 Rafale F4s was signed by Eric Trappier, CEO of Dassault , and Tareq Abdul Raheem Al Hosani, CEO of Tawazun Economic Council, the company in charge of security and defence acquisitions for the UAE Air Force. It has also been reported by Reuters that, in addition to the 80 Rafale fighters, Abu Dhabi had also agreed a deal for the provision of 12 H225M Caracal helicopters from Airbus, with the combined deal valued at €17bn. The contract was signed in the presence of the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, and Sheikh Mohammed ben Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Vice-Commander of the Armed Forces of the UAE. The UAE will be the first operator of the Rafale F4 variant outside of France and will be the largest export market of the fighter, with sales also having been made to Croatia, Egypt and Greece.

RAF bases record 250+ bird-strikes or near misses SINCE 2017, Royal Air Force (RAF) bases in the southern and eastern regions have recorded more than 250 bird strikes or near misses, including a record number of 73 incidents reported by RAF aircrews in 2020, with a further 46 reports up to October 28 this year. In September 2021, the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) issued two separate contracts, valued in excess of £7m, for the provision of wildlife control services in the regions. The contracts state an intention to reduce the presence of birds and wildlife that pose a hazard in and around the vicinity of the aerodromes at RAF Benson, RAF Brize Norton, RAF Northolt and RAF Odiham’ in the southern region, and similarly at RAF Coningsby, RAFC Cranwell, RAF Marham, RAF Scampton, RAF Waddington, RAF Wittering, RAF Barkston Heath, RAF Leeming and RAF Topcliffe in the eastern region. Further, the contracts state that where wildlife control is necessary outside the immediate boundaries of the aerodrome, the contractor providing the service “would liaise with landowners in the vicinity and Airfield Wildlife Control Units at neighbouring aerodromes within the 13km safeguarding zone with a view to reducing the air safety risk posed by that site.” The contract said that services would begin from March 2, 2022 and end on February 28, 2027. A maximum of seven suppliers would be invited to tender for the contract, which was due to be awarded on October 13 this year.

Responding to a Freedom of Information request from However, it is not known how long individual aircraft AIR International, the MOD revealed that RAF bases had were kept off flight operations following bird strikes and seen 275 recorded bird-strike incidents or near misses subsequent repairs, with any such information deemed since January 1, 2017, to October 28, 2021. Incidents outside the financial limits of the Freedom of Information were highest at RAF Brize Norton, home of the UK’s Act. Such repairs could be anything from cleaning up transport fleet, with 90 such bird remains from the aircraft events logged, including a through to having to replace or national high over the repair an engine as a result of entire recording period a bird ingestion. of 38 in 2020. “The RAF operates a number The next most regular of mitigation measures at site of potentially its airfields. These comprise hazardous incidents was active detection and dispersal RAF Coningsby with 47 of birds on the airfield and reports recorded, although surrounds including use rates were down from a of Bio-Acoustic Bird Scare high of 13 in 2017 to nine System and passive/aggressive in 2020, the last complete driving. Additionally, habitat RAF Brize Norton has seen the highest number of year, with seven recorded management on the airfield recorded incidents among bases in the southern so far in 2021. can reduce the threat from bird and eastern regions UK MOD/Crown copyright A spokesperson for the strike, as can the management UK MOD told AIR International that during the of grass at the side of runways,” the spokesperson said. period of 2017-2021 the RAF had not lost any Further, the spokesperson said that the eastern and aircraft due to bird strikes, however in that time such southern region Airfield Wildlife Control contracts were incidents had resulted in “some level of damage” on undergoing a “re-letting process”, details of which would 128 occasions, ranging from contamination from bird be released “once a successful bidder has been chosen.” remains to actual damage to the aircraft. Richard Thomas

SAAB HAS begun deliveries of the series production Gripen E with the arrival of the first six aircraft, comprising four to the Força Aérea Brasileira (FAB; Brazilian Air Force) and two to the Swedish Air Force. The official handover took place on November 24, 2021, at Saab’s facility in Linköping, Sweden. 10 January 2022

AIRBUS HELICOPTERS announced the delivery of the first naval combat configured Airbus H225M to the Marinha do Brasil/ Brazilian Navy on November 24, 2021. The aircraft will be stationed at Base Aérea Naval de São Pedro da Aldeia/ Brazilian naval base in São Pedro d’Aldeia, in the state of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.

MILITARY NEWS

Antonov to continue to support NATO operations

THE NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) has signed a five-year extension contract with Germany-based Antonov Logistic SALIS for the continuation of strategic airlift capability in support of NATO and EU operations. The Strategic Air Lift International Solution (SALIS) is a multinational programme providing air transport capability to nine NATO nations (Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia). The partnership is managed by NSPA on behalf of the partner nations.

NATO member states can access the airlift capabilities provided by Antonov aircraft through the SALIS programme NATO

Through SALIS, participating countries can obtain access to up to five An-124 aircraft within few days from tasking. In addition, through the SALIS contract member states can also deploy other aircraft types, including the An-22, An-225 and IL-76. SALIS member states have used Antonov aircraft in the past to transport equipment to and from Afghanistan, deliver aid to the victims of the October 2008 earthquake in Pakistan, and airlift African Union peacekeepers in and out of Darfur. The multinational programme

was also utilised during the recent operations in support of the Kabul airlift. Antonov Logistic SALIS operates from its facility at Leipzig/Halle airport, with the company’s fleet obtained from Ukraine-based aerospace company Antonov. In a social media post on November 12, a week prior to the official NATO release detailing the contract, Antonov stated that SALIS would continue to operate for the next five years, adding the company had been working on the programme since 2006.

Romania continues IAR-330L sustainment ROMANIA WILL continue to operate its ageing fleet of IAR-330L helicopters into the 2030s before considering a replacement of the type, it can be revealed, with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) recently awarding a contract to IAR Brasov for sustainment services as part of an ongoing maintenance programme. In a contract notice published on the official EU tender site in early October, it was revealed that the contract, valued at £1.18m, would see worn components removed and replaced by IAR Brasov. In service with the Romanian Air Force (RoAF) since 1975, the type completed a one-year commitment to the UN mission in Mali in 2020. A spokesperson for the Romanian MOD told AIR International that the contract was part of an ongoing sustainment programme to maintain the fleet of 58 IAR-330L helicopters

that initially began in 2020 and was expected to conclude in 2024. Regarding any replacement of the type with a new platform, the spokesperson said that the RoAF was planning to initiate a new helicopter acquisition programme “after 2030.” More than 100 of the earlier 330H variant were manufactured for the Romanian military by Industria AeronauticaRomâna(IAR; now known as IAR Brasov), most of which were later converted to 330L Pumas, according to AirForces Intelligence data. In addition, 30 airframes were further modified to the armed SOCAT standard. Meanwhile, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has signed a co-operation agreement with IAR Brasov to offer “advanced UAV solutions” based on IAI’s Tactical Heron in Romania. The deal will see a technology transfer to Romania

MULTIPLE BELL UH-1H-II Huey IIs have been delivered to the Bosnia and Herzegovina Air Force and Air Defence Brigade by the US government, with the first four helicopters arriving at Sarajevo on December 4. More than $30m of the £38.5m cost of the acquisition is being borne by the US government.

where a full design and assembly process will be created, providing the country with a turnkey UAV manufacturing capability. IAI will also establish an academy in Romania to train future system operators and technicians in the use of the Tactical Heronderived platform. In an October 28 press release from IAI, the general manager of IAR Brasov, Laurian Anastasof, said that the agreement was “a major plus” for the company and Romania’s defence industry in general. Richard Thomas

Romania’s 58 IAR-330L helicopters are undergoing a multi-year sustainment programme to keep them operational into the 2030s USMC/LCpl Angel Travis

US-BASED adversarial support contractor Draken US has signed contracts to procure more than 20 F-16 Fighting Falcons from the Netherlands and Norway. Norway retired its F-16 fleet at the end of 2021 and had been exploring multiple disposal options, while the Netherlands sale of 12 F-16s to Draken was signed on December 1, 2021. January 2022 11

MILITARY NEWS

The AI team

Israel hosts mini-UAS demo for the Netherlands Elbit demonstrated unmanned capabilities during a recent demonstration exercise with the Royal Netherlands Army Elbit Systems

THE ROYAL Netherlands Army has been given a demonstration on the use of integrated land and airborne unmanned platforms for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions by Israeli OEM Elbit Systems. The demonstration that took place in northern Israel on November 15 saw the company utilise the PROBOT unmanned ground vehicle and two types of mini-unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to conduct a series of exercises with the systems functioning as a dual-domain swarm. According to Elbit Systems, the demonstration saw three of the company’s THOR mini-UASs performing a “point of interest” reconnaissance mission, incorporating the TORCH-X software to aid autonomous unmanned capabilities. “We focused on demonstrating the capacity of

autonomous swarms to leverage mature integrative AI and algorithms as field experience with operating MUM-T capabilities shows that those are the key to the effective integration of RAS capabilities,” commented Gil Maoz, VP of Elbit Systems C4I and Cyber. The TORCH-X command and control application used the THOR mini-UAS swarm to perform initial surveillance of the area of interest, before deploying unmanned land assets to further develop the intelligence picture. Real-time video feeds were transmitted by all four platforms, while artificial intelligencepowered Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) and designation capabilities enabled effective target acquisition. In a second mission scenario, two VTOL mini-UASs were dispatched to resupply front-

line forces. Taking off from different locations, the two platforms navigated to predefined destinations, conducted accurate landings and autonomously returned to their home bases upon mission completion. The third mission was an airborne deployment of unattended ground sensors (UGS) using two THOR VTOL mini-UASs equipped with sensor dispensers. Operating as a swarm, the two THORs arrived at pre-defined points, accurately off-loading the miniature UGS systems. The Royal Netherlands Army currently operates a range of unmanned systems from the tactical RQ-21 Blackjack and ScanEagle to the small Black Hornet mini-UAS. The integration of small swarms of unmanned systems into deployed forces on the ground is one of the next steps in the evolution of military combat. Joe Charlaff

Business jets to replace RAF BAe 146 fleet The four BAe146 aircraft in service with the RAF will leave service on March 31 next year UK MOD/Crown copyright

THE UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) is looking to acquire two civil business jets to replace the current fleet of four Royal Air Force (RAF) BAe146 transport aircraft when the type leaves service in Q1 next year, with the contract valued at up to £87.5m. In a contract availability notice published on November 3, it was revealed that the programme, known as the Command Support Air Transport Recapitalisation (CSAT Recap), will see a phase 1 competitive procurement of two aircraft by March 31, 2022, with an in-service support package that will run until March 31, 2024.

In addition, half-a-dozen six-month option periods totalling three years will be included in the contract for continuation of phase 1 in-service support as required. Initially, the business jets will be operated through a government-owned, contractor-operated structure, which will see the aircraft owned by the MOD but leased back to the operator, who will provide civilian pilots, maintenance support and services under the Civil Aircraft Register. Phase 1 also includes the training of RAF pilots and cabin crew on the aircraft to complement the civilian pilots in the delivery of the transport

AFTER MORE than three-and-a-half decades of service, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has bid farewell to its fleet of F/A-18A/B Hornet aircraft through an end-of-era event that took place on November 29, 2021. Since entering RAAF service in 1984, the type has flown more than 400,000 flying hours. 12 January 2022

service. A subsequent, separate phase 2 will see another competitive procurement to install military modifications on the aircraft, provision of in-service support using military personnel and the transfer of the type to the Military Aircraft Register. A UK MOD spokesperson told AIR International that the process to select the five bidders would be conducted after closure of the advertisement, with the new type replacing the BAe146 in the Fixed Wing Command Support Air Transport role. Richard Thomas To read this premium news in full, please visit www.key.aero

CANADA ANNOUNCED in December 2021 that its Future Fighter Capability Project (FFCP), which will see the replacement of existing CF-18 Hornets, is down to a head-to-head contest between Saab’s Gripen fighter and Lockheed Martin’s F-35 platform, following Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet departure from the programme.

MILITARY NEWS

Poland to receive F-16 Block 70/72 work following F-35 acquisition POLAND’S DEFENCE industry looks set to benefit from the country’s acquisition of the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter with the announcement that PZL Mielec will become a manufacturing partner for Lockheed Martin’s F-16 Block 70/72 aircraft. PZL Mielec, which is owned by Lockheed Martin, will build the rear and centre fuselage, cockpit structure, cockpit side panel and forward equipment bay for new production F-16 Block 70/72s, exporting the aerostructures to Lockheed Martin’s final assembly line in Greenville in South

Georgia. PZL Mielec was last involved in the production of fighter aircraft in the 1960s. In 2020, Poland agreed a $4.6bn deal for the purchase of 32 F-35A stealth fighters, with delivery of the first aircraft expected in 2024. “During our 20+ year strategic partnership with Poland, we’ve delivered technology transfer, research and development opportunities, longterm sustainable high technology jobs, growth and exports,” commented Robert Orzylowski, Lockheed Martin director for

Poland, Central and East Europe. “Poland’s acquisition of the F-35 opened the door for a further expansion of this relationship and helped enable today’s exciting announcement,” Orzylowski added. According to Lockheed Martin, with orders secured for the F-16 Block 70/72 from five customers, global interest remains high for new-build production aircraft and for F-16V upgrades. Poland has operated F-16s in its own fleet for the past 15 years and marked a 100,000 flighthour milestone in the summer of 2021.

The F-16 Block 70/72 is the latest variant of the F-16 fighter, which first entered service with the USAF in 1978 Lockheed Martin

UK Shadow fleet to increase to eight aircraft THE UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) has confirmed that the British Shadow surveillance aircraft fleet is set to expand from six to eight airframes and will receive new airborne defensive aid systems in a £110m contract awarded to Raytheon UK. Revealed in early November, the award is expected to support 150 jobs at Raytheon’s facility in Broughton and positions at the company’s sites at RAF Waddington and Harlow, in addition to another 350 roles across the wider UK supply chain. Based at RAF Waddington and flown by 14 Squadron, the Shadow fleet forms a key part of the Royal Air Force’s (RAF’s) Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) force by gathering intelligence using its high-definition electrooptical and electronic sensors, according to the MOD. Once this data has been gathered, satellite communication links enable the information to be assessed while the aircraft is airborne during a mission. To protect the

aircraft from possible attack, the aircraft will be fitted with an improved Defensive Aids System (DAS). As part of the contract, the latest DAS will be installed across the fleet of eight aircraft, increasing its ability to defend itself and operate in unfriendly airspace. UK Defence Minister Jeremy Quin said: “Our newly upgraded Shadow Mk2 aircraft will

A UK Royal Air Force F-35B stealth fighter crashed during take-off from the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS 'Queen Elizabeth' on November 17. The accident — the cause of which has not been formally identified — is the fifth to have occured among US and international operators of the three-variant aircraft.

be equipped with world-leading technology developed right here in the UK. This investment supports vital defence outputs and 150 highquality jobs in North Wales.” It is expected the first upgraded aircraft will be delivered to the RAF in June 2023, with arrival of the eighth Shadow R Mk2 aircraft before the end of 2025. Originally entering service in 2009 to augment operations in Afghanistan, the UK’s Shadow fleet will be upgraded to the Mk2 variant in the latest award UK MOD/Crown copyright

LOCKHEED MARTIN has been awarded a $10.8bn indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract for Advanced Raptor Enhancement and Sustainment (ARES) for the F-22 Program Office. The contract will provide sustainment support for the USAF’s F-22 Raptor fighter and is expected to be concluded in 2031. January 2022 13

UAV FOCUS

by Mark Broadbent

DYNAMO for RQ-4B New for the RQ4B Global Hawk: a “dynamic inflight rerouting” capability Northrop Grumman

NORTHROP GRUMMAN has received a US Air Force contract to provide a “dynamic inflight rerouting” capability for the RQ-4B Global Hawk high-altitude long-endurance platform. According to the manufacturer, a software update known as Dynamic Mission Operations (DYNAMO) “will enhance the Global Hawk’s ability to provide critical intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance data to geographic combatant commanders”. A Northrop Grumman statement said the DYNAMO flexible mission planning capability enables a Global Hawk to be rerouted in flight to “respond to changing real-world conditions, whether natural or manmade, during a mission”. The upgrade will be fielded in 2023. DYNAMO is part of ongoing USAF RQ-4 upgrade efforts, including the Ground Station Modernization Program. Northrop Grumman autonomous systems VP and general manager Jane Bishop said DYNAMO would “reinforce the weapon system’s ability to monitor and deter nearpeer and peer threats around the globe. These upgrades will make Global Hawk even more valuable in a future Joint-All Domain Command and Control environment.”

Primoco and UMS Skeldar team up The Primoco One 150 fixed-wing and UMS Skeldar V-150 rotary wing UAVs are offered as a combination UMS Skeldar

PRIMOCO UAV from Czechia and SwissSwedish firm UMS Skeldar have signed a cooperation agreement to provide selected customers with a combination of the Primoco One 150 fixed-wing and UMS Skeldar V-150 rotary wing unmanned aerial vehicles. A V-150 and One 150 were demonstrated to selected customers at the Primoco facility at Písek-Krašovice airport, Czechia, in midNovember 2021.

ALPHA UNMANNED Systems will supply five Alpha 900 UAV systems to the Hellenic Navy. Each system includes two Alpha 900 UAV helicopters with dual sensor optical payloads, one control station and one antenna for data transmission and control. The Alpha 900 can lift 4kg payloads and has four hours’ endurance 14 January 2022

A statement said: “Both platforms, positioned within the same specified category as per the European Union Aviation Safety Agency regulatory framework, share the same communication datalink system, which makes the simultaneous operation of both aircraft from one ground control station possible.” The systems have payload, logistics and data processing commonality, and the companies say their approach “is also fully compliant with

the latest aviation regulations in relation to remotely piloted aircraft systems operations”. According to the firms, the partnership “is a significant step forward in terms of how UAVs can be used to form one solution”, by giving operators versatility. Users “have an unmanned system able to be deployed anywhere…the customer will simply select what works best for [their] mission”, added Primoco CEO Ladislav Semetkovský.

THREE SKELDAR V-200 systems will be operated from German Navy K130 corvettes under a Bundeswehr contract with ESG Elektroniksystem- und Logistik-GmbH. One will be delivered for integration into a corvette and initial personnel training. Two more will follow, one to be integrated and the other used for land-based training.

UAV FOCUS

Sceye in the sky HIGH-ALTITUDE platform station (HAPS) developer Sceye is preparing to launch the Sceye Telecom in 2022 to deliver superfast internet connectivity and imaging capabilities from the stratosphere. A slide shown in a presentation by Sceye CEO Mikkel Vestergaard Frandsen during the November 2021 HAPS Alliance Summit said Sceye’s next platform, called the Telecom, would fly in 2022 to demonstrate 4G LTE (long-term evolution), which is an extended range transmission standard for wireless broadband communications. Sceye said an October 2021 trial flight “proved the system and infrastructure are network ready”. The flight “successfully connected a 4G antenna with 3D beam forming from the stratosphere”, it added. As well as comms relays, the Roswell, New Mexico-based Sceye’s vehicles are

HAPS developer Sceye is monitoring methane levels in New Mexico Sceye

being used for environmental monitoring. The company is working, for example, with the US Environmental Protection Agency and the State of New Mexico on a five-year study to monitor air quality in the state to precisely track methane emissions. Vestergaard Frandsen told the summit: “From the stratosphere we can see methane with a pixel [resolution] of sub 1x1m.” Authorities can improve reporting and more effectively enforce emissions regulations, he said. Sceye is also collaborating with the European Space Agency, ABB, GMV and the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute on HAPSView, a project to define and approve a methane monitoring payload package. Vestergaard Frandsen added: “As we have geostationary capability, we’re opening up to being a multi-use platform; we’re flying with infrared, LIDAR, multispectral and optical equipment.”

Schiebel Camcopter demo in the Arctic AUSTRIAN DEVELOPER Schiebel recently demonstrated its Camcopter S-100 in the Arctic Circle aboard the Norwegian Coastguard vessel KV Nordkapp. The vehicle underwent a week-long trial as part of Arctic 2030, a Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs programme that is investigating how to sustain Norway’s interests in latitudes above 75° north. During the demo, the Camcopter was equipped with a Trakka TC-300 electrooptical/infrared sensor, an Overwatch Imaging

PT-8N Oceanwatch, a Radionor antenna, an additional data link for video feed transmission and an automatic identification system receiver. Schiebel said: “The aim was to demonstrate that unmanned air systems ideally supplement manned helicopters, greatly enhancing SAR efforts in this remote part of the world. ”The Camcopter S-100 proved that it can operate in adverse weather conditions, where manned helicopters can be at higher risk.”

Scaling up cargo drones ROYAL NAVAL Air Station Culdrose in Cornwall recently hosted the Heavy Lift Challenge at Predannack Airfield as a showcase for drone manufacturers to demonstrate unmanned technology that could carry supplies to ships. The Royal Navy and Royal Marines put Malloy Aeronautics and W Autonomous Systems drones through trials organised by 700X Naval Air Squadron, Defence

Equipment and Support and the Office for the Chief Technology Officer RN. Drones carrying payloads of more than 100kg had to pass speed, endurance, and delivery accuracy tests. Future trials will involve drones with a heavier load capability, of up to 300kg. Separately, 700X NAS continues to expand its fleet of AeronVironment Puma 3 AE small UAVs. The squadron now has 12 examples of

AERIT, ICAX, and RISE Research Institutes of Sweden have teamed up for a drone delivery pilot in Sweden’s Norrtälje Municipality archipelago. The one-year project was selected for funding by the Swedish Innovation Agency Vinnova via the “Drones in Service of the Climate for Autumn of 2021” call. It will unite stakeholders from business, research, innovation, and government.

ABOVE: The Arctic demo intended to show the S-100’s embarked search and rescue and maritime reconnaissance capabilities Schiebel

the system, and according to a Royal Navy statement, the unit “can now immediately deploy flights as required”. It recently undertook a training embarkation on the offshore patrol vessel HMS Mersey, which followed exercises earlier in 2021 on HMS Tamar and in the Baltic aboard HMS Albion. The unit has also worked with the Royal Marines from landing craft in Scotland.

THE UK Regulatory Horizons Council, an independent expert committee assessing the implications of technological innovation, recommended in November 2021 that the UK Government mandate electronic ‘conspicuity’ for small UAVs by 2025, if not sooner, to improve safe usage of shared airspace and “enable drones to fulfil their potential”. January 2022 15

ROTARY FOCUS

by Mark Broadbent

Exocet-equipped H225

The first Aviação Naval Brasileira H225M H-4101 toting an MBDA Exocet AM39 B2M2 Airbus Helicopters

AIRBUS HELICOPTERS has delivered the first H225M in what it calls ‘naval combat’ configuration to the Aviação Naval Brasileira (AvN, Brazilian Naval Aviation) at São Pedro d’Aldeia for anti-surface warfare and maritime surveillance. Developed by Helibras, Airbus Helicopters’ Itajubá-based Brazilian subsidiary, this H225M version “is the most complex configuration that has ever been produced for this multirole helicopter”, the manufacturer said.

The AvN H225M’s embedded systems include an MBDA Exocet AM39 B2M2 missile, the EWS IDAS-3 countermeasure system, and APS143 tactical radar. It also features a Naval Tactical Data Management System developed in partnership with Atech and Airbus Defense and Space, which produces all embedded systems, including the missile system. Airbus Helicopters’ head of Latin America, Alberto Robles, said: “Designed to meet the most demanding requirements of the Brazilian

Navy, the advanced anti-surface warfare and tactical capabilities open new mission capabilities for the H225M utility helicopter. The naval H225M is part of the 2008 contract signed by the Brazilian government for 50 H225Ms, 39 of which have been delivered to the Brazilian Armed Forces so far, all assembled locally by Helibras. Test firing of the Exocet AM39 B2M2 on the H225M was concluded in June 2021 ahead of type qualification and delivery.

New dedicated support facility There are more than 500 Leonardo helicopters in Latin America, 190 of which are in Brazil, with 120 in the state of São Paolo alone Leonardo Helicopters/Omar Paixão

LEONARDO HELICOPTERS is operating an allnew Service and Logistics Centre in Itapevi near São Paolo, Brazil. The R$60m (US$10.6m) site, which covers an 80,000m2 area including 6,000m2 of buildings and infrastructure, can host up to 20 aircraft simultaneously, which is a 50% capacity increase compared to Leonardo’s previous dedicated Latin America support facility. Further maintenance, training, painting and completion capabilities will be added. Up to 370 aircraft will be handled every year, with the potential for further expansion.

EUROPEAN ROTORS, the new European Helicopter Association trade show in Cologne, saw 150 exhibitors from 36 nations attend its first edition in November 2021. Floorspace was sold out and the organisers say 25% of exhibitors have already booked their participation in the 2022 event in Cologne next November. 16 January 2022

Five hundred Leonardo helicopters of various models are in service in Latin America, spanning VIP/corporate transport, offshore transport, rescue duties, law enforcement, fire-fighting and military roles. The company said the new Itapevi centre has been developed to address “evolving requirements throughout the region” and will provide “stronger support services as well as proximity to operators”. It added: “Enhanced services will help maximise the helicopter fleet’s mission effectiveness and safety for the benefit of operators, crews and the served communities.”

LEONARDO HELICOPTERS and Bell Helicopter both recently flew some of their latest aircraft using sustainable aviation fuel, coinciding with the COP26 summit. An AW149 flew from Bristol Airport to Leonardo’s Yeovil factory using SAF, while Bell flew one of its 525 Relentless test aircraft using Neste MY SAF supplied by Avfuels Corp.

ROTARY FOCUS

Joining forces for eGyro project SKYWORKS AERONAUTICS has announced a strategic partnership with Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE) on the design, fabrication and testing of the eGyro electrically powered gyrocopter. The collaboration will see WAE contribute its expertise in aerodynamics and electric powertrains to Skyworks’ all-new electric aircraft. The eGyro is designed to combine a gyroplane’s safety and performance advantages to offer a new and practical solution for intra and inter-city passenger transport (see Spin Cycle, page 44, AIR International December 2021). A Skyworks statement said: “With years of experience working with the likes of Airbus to develop the Zephyr record-breaking highaltitude unmanned aerial system, as well as with BAE Systems on the electrification of future aircraft, WAE’s credentials are perfectly suited to this project.” WAE, a sister company to the Williams Formula 1 racing team, has experience in

advanced composites, electrification systems and lightweight engineering. WAE technical director Paul McNamara said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Skyworks on this innovative project. Aerodynamics, lightweight

advanced materials and electrification are core competencies for us. We’re looking forward to applying them to the eGyro, which seems set to redefine the gyroplane, thus bringing about a step change in aeronautical e-mobility.”

Skyworks will work with Williams Advanced Engineering on the eGyro Skyworks Aeronautics

Ka-32 undergoes flight test RUSSIAN HELICOPTERS has been flighttesting the upgraded Kamov Ka-32A11 firefighting helicopter. The first trip took place in hover mode at the Kumertau Aviation Production Enterprise (KAPE) in Bashkortostan in November 2021. Set to undergo preliminary and certification tests in 2022-2023, after which it will be available to Russian and foreign customers, the Ka-32A11 includes a glass cockpit, more powerful

VK-2500PS-02 engines, and a new fire extinguishing system. The new engines are designed to improve hot and high performance, with Russian Helicopters saying there will be a 1,600kg improvement in the Ka-32’s load-carrying capacity. A new SP-32 fire extinguishing system developed by the National Helicopter Center Mil&Kamov and KAPE holds four tonnes of water and is divided into four compartments. A patented digital control system enables the

flaps to be opened in pairs or alternately, and the flaps’ opening angles to be adjusted, thereby increasing the water discharge time. The fire extinguishing system can automatically draw the four tonnes of water in 60 seconds and add up to 400 litres of foam agent. Russian Helicopters says the SP-32 “is the first system that can be used in winter conditions at temperatures down to -20°C”.

BELOW: Volocopter undertook the first ever crewed public test flights of an eVTOL aircraft in South Korea Volocopter

More mobility moves SOUTH KOREA is the latest location to take steps in the urban air mobility (UAM) arena. Volocopter, the German developer, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Kakao Mobility to conduct a feasibility study on introducing UAM platforms in the country. The study will “identify a list of potential commercial routes, operational capabilities and business models necessary for a UAM service operator”. Findings will be released in February 2022, with the aim of launching commercial UAM services in South Korea by 2025. In November 2021, Volocopter conducted two public test flights at Gimpo International Airport and Seoul/Incheon International Airport, the

first ever crewed public test flights of an eVTOL aircraft in the republic. Separately, test flights of Skyworks Aeronautics’ eGyro are planned for Incheon Metropolitan City in 2022-2023. The city authority, MintAir, Mobius.Energy, Skyworks, the Institute for Aerospace Industry-Academia Collaboration, Lotte Corporation and Lotte Rental are involved. The project intends to demonstrate certification and infrastructure development to support flight testing and the commercial launch of the eGyro in the Incheon region. It also aims to develop pilot training and maintenance and repair capabilities to support scalable operations by eVTOLs in South Korea.

AIRBUS HELICOPTERS announced agreements with several customers during the European Rotors show. The company will provide HCare Smart Parts by the Hour for Airtelis/RTE Super Puma and H135s. Heliswiss Iberica in Spain will become a certified Airbus Helicopters service centre. Air Zermatt will retrofit crash-resistant fuel systems into its H125s.

RUSSIAN HELICOPTERS’ Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant has supplied two Mi-171s equipped with VK-2500-03 engines optimised for high-altitude performance to the Chinese airline Quingdao. The helicopters are the first of six for Quingdao; the rest will follow in 2022. The Mi-171s will be used primarily for firefighting work and cargo transport. January 2022 17

BUSINESS FOCUS

by Dave Willis

Business jet debut in Dubai

The Aurus Business Jet made its international debut at the Dubai Airshow in November 2021 United Aircraft Corporation

THE LATEST business configuration of the Irkut (previously Sukhoi) Superjet 100 made its international debut at the recent Dubai Airshow. Known as the Aurus Business Jet, the demonstrator flew to Al Maktoum International Airport direct from Zhukovsky, outside Moscow, on November 11, 2021, to appear at the event. The aircraft was initially revealed at the MAKS Avia Salon at Zhukovsky earlier in 2021. It is understood that, after that show, United Aircraft Corporation teamed with the Moscowbased luxury car manufacturer Aurus to brand the aircraft as the Aurus Business Jet. In

addition to the Superjet, the agreement also covers a VIP version of the Ansat helicopter, known as the Ansat Aurus. The Superjet airframe used for the demonstrator was originally delivered to Sky Aviation of Indonesia as PK-ECM (c/n 95027) in 2013. Sky Aviation suspended operations in early 2014 and the airliner returned to Sukhoi in 2016, becoming 97009. The 67ft cabin of the demonstrator has a two-zone layout designed by the Tulpar Interior Group of Kazan. The first zone has been outfitted as a meeting and dining room, and the second as a living space with sofas and

LCD displays. The aircraft has a cabin with a shower – one of several options available. The Aurus has a has a maximum take-off weight of 109,019lb and a top speed of 513kt. It can cruise at around 450kt with a range of 3,888nm, thanks to the extra fuel capacity, compared with that of the long-range variant of the Superjet 100 airliner, which can fly 2,484nm. The ‘Sabrelet’ wingtips developed for the Superjet are standard on the Aurus. According to Sergei Chemezov, CEO of Rostec – the state corporation responsible for assisting the development, production and export of Russian advanced technology – the price of the Aurus will range from $39m to $50m, depending on the configuration selected by the customer. This is significantly lower than other business jet variants of airliners on the market. Interest in the aircraft has been expressed by some large Russian companies, a sector of the market in which the manufacturer expects the Aurus to do well – partly as it avoids import duties imposed on foreign aircraft. Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov estimates the market for aircraft in the class of the Aurus to be around 170 each year. Russian certification for the Aurus is expected in 2022. The Aurus Business Jet is the latest VIP version of the Superjet, and the United Aircraft Corporation has stated that 11 such VIP aircraft have been sold to companies and governments since 2013.

Initial ACJ TwoTwenty for Five Group AT A ceremony held at the Five Palm Jumeirah hotel in Dubai on November 16, 2021, the Five Group was identified as the first operator of the Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ) TwoTwenty – the extra-large ‘bizjet’ variant of the A220 airliner. Five Group is a real estate, hospitality and investment company based in Dubai.

Checking In Do you hold a passionate opinion about a civil or military aviation issue or a view on AIR International’s content? We are listening. Particularly in such extraordinary times, we enjoy a lively dialogue with you through our news, features and analysis. Get in touch at [email protected] and start the subject line with Checking In.

COIN: is it worth the money? To answer your question ‘Is there still a viable market for counter-insurgency (COIN) aircraft in today’s battle space?’, I say ‘yes’. Most wars

18 January 2022

The aircraft will be outfitted by the Comlux Group, which is responsible for completing the interiors of the first 15 TwoTwenties. The green airframe will be delivered to Comlux’s facility in Indianapolis in January, and configured with 16 seats, a dining table for eight, a fully equipped kitchen and a master suite with a king-sized bed and a shower.

since World War Two have been civil war insurgencies, not peer-to-peer major conflicts with cutting-edge weapons. War is hugely expensive. Intelligent war planners try to match their weapons to the threats faced. COIN aircraft need long loiter capability, high manoeuvrability, good outward visibility, reasonable armour protection, and the ability to operate from simple bases. They must be cost-effective and simple enough to be maintained and flown by poorer countries. Supersonic performance and stealth technology are wasted in uncontested airspace. Besides close air support and training, turboprops can be used for target marking, artillery spotting and border patrol.

The completed aircraft, reported to be registered ‘5H-FIVE’ (although the Maltese civil register has previously only used three letters after the county code), will enter service in early 2023, based at Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai. It will be operated commercially on behalf of the Five Group by Comlux Aviation.

The tactical doctrine and design features for such aircraft were worked out long ago – by the French during colonial wars, and the USA for its South Vietnam campaign. The US defence industry developed the A-37 Dragonfly and OV-10 Bronco specifically for close air support for ground troops, so why repeat the study? Aircraft such as the A-29 Super Tucano and MD-530 ‘Little Bird’ helicopters are highly cost-effective against the likes of FARC (the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia), Boko Haram and the Taliban. Should the enemy upgrade to large-calibre AAA and the latest generation of MANPADS (man-portable air-defence systems), we can upgrade to A-10 Warthogs and AH-64 Apaches.

BUSINESS FOCUS

Supersonic demonstrator advances CONSTRUCTION OF the X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology (QueSST) is proceeding at Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works at Palmdale, California. The demonstrator was removed from its jigs in October to sit on jacks awaiting its landing gear. Work has advanced to final assembly and ‘power on’, after which the aircraft will move to Lockheed Martin’s facility at Fort Worth in Texas, where structural tests will be completed. The X-59 is due to make its maiden flight in 2022. Prime contractor Lockheed Martin is building the X-59 for the NASA Low-Boom Flight Demonstrator programme. The X-59 is the culmination of decades of research into reducing the effects of supersonic booms by using aerodynamic shaping to mitigate the shock waves produced, and their propagation, to limit the impact of the sonic boom on the

ground. It will also be used to judge public reaction to commercial supersonic travel. The aircraft is expected to create a sonic ‘thump’, rather than ‘boom’, less audible to those under its flight path. While the test programme has implications for both future supersonic commercial transports and business aircraft designs, its greatest impact will likely be on the regulatory framework. A ban on supersonic booms over the US came into force in April 1973, citing the public nuisance of the noise. Observers at the time also noted that it helped protect US airliner manufacturers, which had failed to produce a supersonic civil transport to compete with the Anglo-French Concorde. Preliminary design work on the X-59 ran between 2016-17. Lockheed Martin was the sole bidder to produce a demonstrator

powered by a single General Electric F414 mounted under the tail, and was awarded the contract to build the X-59 in 2018. Assembly began in June 2019 and the X-59 passed its critical design review that September.

The Lockheed Martin X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology demonstrator is heading for final assembly Lockheed Martin

Quarterhorse revealed

THE HERMEUS Corporation, founded in 2018, unveiled a non-flying prototype of its Quarterhorse unmanned scale test vehicle (N60304) in November 2021, at an event held at Hermeus’s Atlanta, Georgia, headquarters. Guests got to look over the vehicle and witness a demonstration run of its engine. Quarterhorse is powered by a turbine-based combined cycle engine that uses a General Electric J85 at its core to

accelerate the vehicle to speeds where the ramburner becomes effective. The testbed was designed and built within four months. In August 2020, the company was awarded a small contract to study a hypersonic business jet for potential future use by the US president. In March 2021, Hermeus signed a Space Act Agreement with NASA to research and commercialise high-speed aircraft technology. Then, in August 2021, it secured a $60m

Regardless of the types of CAS aircraft employed, medium-sized utility helicopters of the UH-60/Puma/Mi-8 class and AC-27/ AC-130 gunships will always be needed in combination, to raise the intensity of the shock and awe. Dave Taylor, Florida, USA It seems to me – as a lay-person in these matters – that, in these days of increasing worldwide instability, any country that is not ready with suitable aircraft to support diverse civil policing and military roles (ISR or COIN, for example) could find itself caught out. Unmanned aerial vehicles are probably not the answer, with their high infrastructure costs and reliance on satellites.

deal from the US Air Force, to finance testing of the aircraft. A flightworthy prototype is planned to take to the sky next year, and will be tested at speeds between Mach 3 and 5. It will be followed by a larger cargo-carrying vehicle in 2025. Hermeus has the long-term aim of creating a manned Mach 5 aircraft capable of carrying up to 20 passengers, with certification targeted for 2029.

As to the issue of a lack of endurance, what is the problem with in-flight refuelling? After all, some helicopters can be refuelled in-flight, and a smaller tanker would make the ride easier for small aircraft. Perhaps a new design for a COIN aircraft with a pusher propeller and a nose-mounted refuelling probe might help. Nigel Scrase, Devon, UK

A fan of the fixed wing I read, with great interest, the article on helicopter safety in your November issue. I am not a professional aviator – I write as a feepaying passenger – but I have flown many times in various fixed-wing aircraft. However, I would never fly in a helicopter, because, to my mind, they are not stable aircraft in the normal

LEFT: The Quarterhorse is a scale test vehicle for a hypersonic transport platform Hermeus Corp

sense of the word. If that ‘fan’ detaches, you are doomed. It appears to me that when things go awry in a helicopter, the situation can soon become disastrous. I was very lucky to go to New Zealand’s South Island with my wife, Marian, in 2015. We were due to take a helicopter flight onto the Fox Glacier. To my great relief, it was cancelled because of bad weather... to be replaced by a flight onto the Tasman Glacier at Mount Cook. When we got there, however, we were told there had been a fatal crash at Fox Glacier. That convinced me, and instead we flew up and onto the glacier in a Pilatus ski plane, enjoying perfect flying conditions and an amazing experience. James Whitehead, Yorkshire, UK

January 2022 19

TECHNOLOGY FOCUS

The AI team

Rohde & Schwarz extends RAAF deployed air operations capability BELOW: Australian personnel raise the transportable air operations tower, at RAAF Base Scherger in Queensland, to commence operations on Exercise Talisman Sabre 2021 Department of Defence

BELOW: Leather elements in the aircraft’s interior have been replaced by soft, supple Ultraleather Airbus/ Christian Keller

THE FIRST of the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF’s) Transportable Air Operations Tower (TAOT), originally delivered in 2012, has rolled out of the Rohde & Schwarz Australia Systems Integration Facility following a major upgrade. The TAOT system will be delivered to the RAAF with modernised systems including internet protocol (IP)-based voice communications and recording, airfield monitoring and control, network and time synchronisation. Other upgrades include security hardening, provisioning of new

interfaces, and new power supplies, air conditioning, and smoke detectors. “We delivered the TAOT’s capability to [the RAAF] as prime systems integrator so we’re very proud to be continuing our relationship, ensuring that capability remains at the cutting edge of air traffic control technology,” said Rohde & Schwarz Australia managing director Gareth Evans. This upgrade will be rolled out across the TAOT fleet and forms the first tranche of the TAOT mid-life upgrade programme, Rohde &

Vegan interior for ACH145 AIRBUS CORPORATE Helicopters’ (ACH) design team has fitted the interior of an ACH145 with vegan materials at the request of a customer. The aircraft was ordered by German construction entrepreneur Urs Brunner, whose wife is ethical fashion pioneer Daniela Brunner. Its cabin is fitted with the ACH Line interior configuration in a grey theme but the leather elements essential to its luxury feel have been replaced with Ultraleather, which captures the visual and tactile leather experience, and is similarly durable. Items that had to be specially designed and fabricated in the replacement material include the six passenger seats, central storage cabinet, rear partition and cockpit controls

20 January 2022

Schwarz said in a statement on November 9. “The TAOTs will continue to be modernized as part of a spiral upgrade programme to assure the capability and extend their service life to 2030 and beyond,” Evans added. A TAOT unit was recently deployed to RAAF Base Scherger in Far North Queensland during the biennial multi-national Exercise Talisman Sabre 2021. During Operation Bushfire Assist in summer 2019-20 a TAOT assisted civilian and military aircraft conducting remote firefighting and humanitarian aid missions.

cuffs. Ms Brunner, founder and owner of specialist fashion house Giulia & Romeo, which has no animal products involved in its range and donates all its profits to animal welfare, wanted the helicopter to be consistent with her ethical values. Head of ACH Frederic Lemos said: “We’re very proud of our team’s work in creating this bespoke ACH Line interior. The material that we used is certified for aviation use and is hard wearing, but it can only be stretched in one direction which means it is a challenge to work with, particularly on the seats. This is where the craftsmanship of our hands-on team became crucial and I am delighted to say that we found a practical way to meet our customer’s desires which also looks superb.”

TECHNOLOGY FOCUS

SAF emissions study shows early promise INITIAL FINDINGS from a world-first study of the impact of 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on both engines of a commercial jet have provided promising early results. The ECLIF3 study, involving Airbus, Rolls-Royce, German research centre DLR and SAF producer Neste, marks the first time 100% SAF has been measured simultaneously on both engines of a commercial passenger aircraft – an Airbus A350 aircraft powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. In-flight emissions tests and associated ground testing on the ECLIF3 programme began earlier this year and have recently resumed. The interdisciplinary team, which also includes researchers from the National Research Council of Canada and The University of Manchester, plans to publish its results in academic journals towards the end of 2022 and 2023. Findings from the study will support efforts currently underway at Airbus and Rolls-

Royce to ensure the aviation sector is ready for the large-scale use of SAF as part of the wider initiative to decarbonise the industry. Aircraft are currently only allowed to operate on a 50% blend of SAF and conventional jet fuel, but both companies support the drive to certify 100% SAF use. In April, the A350 flew three flights over the Mediterranean Sea pursued by a DLR Falcon chaser plane to compare in-flight emissions of both kerosene and Neste’s hydro-processed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) sustainable fuel. The team also carried out compliance tests using 100% SAF. No operational issues were experienced. In-flight emission tests using 100% SAF and a HEFA/Jet A-1 fuel blend resumed in November, while ground-based emissions testing to quantify the benefits of SAF on local air quality were also performed. The research team found SAF releases fewer particulates than conventional kerosene in all tested engine operating conditions, which points to the potential for reduced climate

impact and improvement in air quality around airports. SAF also has lower density but higher energy content per kilogramme of fuel compared to conventional kerosene, which brings some aircraft fuel-efficiency advantages due to lower fuel burn and less fuel mass on board to achieve the same mission. Detailed analysis by the team is ongoing. Simon Burr, Rolls-Royce director of product development and technology, civil aerospace, said: “This research adds to tests we’ve already carried out on our engines, both on the ground and in the air, which have found no engineering obstacle to our engines running on 100% SAF. If we are to truly decarbonise longhaul air travel, then 100% SAF is a critical element and we are committed to supporting its certification for service.” The DLR Falcon chaser aircraft is equipped with multiple probes to measure emissions at cruise level down to a distance of only 100m from the A350 and feed them into scientific instrumentation for analysis.

ECLIF3 is the latest in a series of SAF emissions studies, following ECLIF1, which took place in 2015, and ECLIF2 in 2018 Airbus/ S. Ramadier

Saudi Arabia seeks AMRAAM top-up

THE US State Department has approved the possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) of AIM120C Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) to Saudi Arabia for an estimated cost of $650m, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) stated

in November. According to the DSCA, Saudi Arabia requested the procurement of 280 AIM120C-7/C-8-variant AMRAAMs and 596 LAU128 Missile Rail Launchers (MRL), in addition to weapon and equipment support, spare and repair parts, and technical and logistical

support services. This potential sale will support Saudi Arabia’s Eurofighter Typhoon, F-15C/D, F-15S, and F-I5SA programmes and will further strengthen the interoperability between the United States and Saudi Arabia, the DSCA stated. The principal contractor will be US-based defence OEM Raytheon. The AMRAAM family of missiles has been procured for use by 41 countries worldwide and integrated onto platforms such as F-15A/ B/C/D/E Eagle/Strike Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, F/A-18 Super Hornet, F-22 Raptor, Eurofighter Typhoon, JAS-39 Gripen, Tornado and Harrier. Manufacturer Raytheon Missile & Defense states that the newest variant is the only radar-guided air-to-air missile cleared to fly on the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter.

LEFT: Airmen from the 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron munitions flight load an AIM-120D Advanced Medium-Range Air-toAir Missile onto an F-15E Strike Eagle at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, earlier this year US Air Force/Staff Sgt Greg Erwin

January 2022 21

SPACE FOCUS

The AI team

Western allies condemn Russia test as ‘reckless’ ABOVE: The International Space Station is a collaborative effort by the space community, and houses astronauts from the US, Russia and Europe, among others NASA

WESTERN AND NATO allies condemned Moscow’s apparent testing on November 15 of an anti-satellite missile capability, where a kinetic effector impacted with the inactive Russian COSMOS1408 satellite, causing fragmentation of the platform. According to the UK’s Space Operations Centre (SOC), data suggested that the

destruction of the satellite generated more than 1,500 pieces of trackable data in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at an altitude of 450-500km, thereby increasing the risk of debris colliding with other platforms in LEO. The result of this could cause severe damage to spacebased networks.

In a statement released on November 15, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the anti-satellite test “reckless”, generating 1,500 pieces of known orbital debris with the potential to generate hundreds of thousands of smaller pieces. Blinken said: “The long-lived debris created by this dangerous and irresponsible test will now threaten satellites and other space objects that are vital to all nations’ security, economic, and scientific interests for decades to come.” Blinken added the event demonstrated that Russia “despite its claims of opposing the weaponisation of outer space, is willing to jeopardise the long-term sustainability of outer space”. NATO’s North Atlantic Council issued a statement condemning the Russian Federation’s “reckless and irresponsible anti-satellite test”, which had caused an orbital debris field that increased the risk to human life and space-based assets of numerous nations. In addition, the statement said the test “contradicts Russia’s claims to oppose the ‘weaponisation’ of space and undermines the rules-based international order.” Earlier in 2021, NATO had moved to amend its Article 5 principle of mutual defence, which when invoked sees an attack on one member state as an attack on all, to include rival and non-state actions against space-based or terrestrial space-focused assets. Reports at the time stated that astronauts and cosmonauts onboard the orbiting International Space Station (ISS) had to shelter in return entry capsules in case the station was hit by debris. Russia, meanwhile, denied the ISS had been at risk.

De-commissioned after 16 years GIOVE-A mounted on the Soyuz Fregate upper stage at the Baikonur launch site, 2005 SSTL

22 January 2022

SSTL HAS de-commissioned GIOVE-A, the pathfinder satellite for Europe’s Galileo constellation, after 16 years of operations in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO). The decision to de-commission the satellite was made due

to the obsolescence in computing systems required for the operation of GIOVE-A. The de-commissioning procedure, which took place on November 24, involved transitioning the satellite to Earth pointing mode, turning off the reaction wheels and setting the attitude and orbit control system to standby mode, before finally switching off the onboard computer and transmitter. GIOVE-A was designed, built and tested by SSTL (Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd) in 30 months for the European Space Agency (ESA) and was launched on December 28, 2005, with a mission to secure vital frequency filings, generate the first Galileo navigation signals in space, characterise a prototype rubidium atomic clock, and model the radiation environment of MEO for future Galileo spacecraft. GIOVE-A was the first European satellite launched into the demanding MEO radiation environment, where it greatly out-performed its 27-month design lifetime. After completion

of its mission for ESA, GIOVE-A was manoeuvred into a higher “graveyard” orbit at 23,300km above the Earth to make way for the first fully operational capability Galileo satellites. In 2012 SSTL took over operations from ESA and GIOVE-A continued to provide valuable in-orbit data on the MEO environment. The Merlin radiation monitor on-board GIOVE-A collected a unique 10+ year record for the MEO orbit and data analysis at the Surrey Space Centre, supported by ESA, showed interesting features such as the “electron desert” in 2008/9 during what was the lowest solar minimum of the space era, and one of the largest electron storm events on record in April 2010. Several scientific journal papers have been published from the radiation data generated by GIOVE-A and a new model of the outer Van Allen belt electron fluxes, ‘MOBE-DIC’, has been produced to help improve future satellite designs.

SPACE FOCUS

First Airbus-built Inmarsat-6 heads to Japan for launch THE FIRST Airbus-built Inmarsat-6, I-6 F1, satellite has been shipped from Airbus in Toulouse to Tanegashima in Japan ready for launch. The first satellite of the Inmarsat-6 series is due to be launched on an H-IIA launch vehicle built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) in December. Inmarsat-6 F1 is based on Airbus’ ultrareliable Eurostar E3000 spacecraft and will be

the 54th Eurostar E3000 launched. It will be the fifth Eurostar in orbit equipped with electric propulsion for orbit raising. The reduced mass achieved by using electric propulsion facilitates a dual payload mission (Ka and L-band) with an exceptionally large next-generation digitally processed payload giving greater flexibility to Inmarsat, the leading provider of global mobile satellite

communication services. Inmarsat-6 has a large 9m aperture L-band antenna and nine multibeam Ka-band antennas, and features a high level of flexibility and connectivity. The new-generation modular digital processor provides full routing flexibility over up to 8,000 channels and dynamic power allocation to more than 200 spot beams in L-band. Ka-band spot beams will be steerable over the full Earth disk, with flexible channel to beam allocation. With increased capacity and flexibility, the satellite will enable Inmarsat to offer more advanced L-band services including very low cost mobile services and IoT applications to existing and future customers in the mobility sector on land, at sea, and in the air. Inmarsat-6 will complement and enhance the L-band services offered by the ELERA connectivity network and help launch a Ka-band mission to augment Inmarsat’s highspeed broadband service, Global Xpress. Inmarsat-6 will have a launch mass of 5.5 tons, spacecraft power of 21kW and a design life of more than 15 years.

LEFT: The Inmarsat-6 will help deliver more advanced L-band offerings, including very low cost mobile services Airbus / P Pigeyre

BELOW: A Falcon 9 rocket launches the GPS III Space Vehicle 05 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, June 17, 2021 US Space Force

US Space Force exercises option for three additional GPS IIIFs THE US Space Force exercised its second contract option valued at approximately $737m for the procurement of three additional GPS III Follow On (GPS IIIF) space vehicles (SVs) from Lockheed Martin. Designed and built from Lockheed Martin’s next generation GPS III satellites (SV 1-10), the GPS IIIF provides increased accuracy, resiliency and anti-jamming capability compared to legacy GPS satellites currently in orbit, according to the manufacturer. This latest contract option, issued on October 22, 2021, was for GPS IIIF space vehicles 15, 16 and 17 (SV15-17). “GPS IIIF satellites will add new capabilities and advanced technology to the GPS constellation, including Regional Military Protection (RMP); an upgraded Nuclear Detection Detonation System (NDS) payload; a safetyimproving Search and Rescue payload; and an accuracy-enhancing Laser Retroreflector Array (LRA),” said Dave Hatch, Lockheed Martin’s GPS IIIF programme management director. “The RMP capability further reinforces GPS III/ IIIF as a warfighting system, providing up to 60x greater anti-jamming for

our warfighters operating in contested environments.” The GPS IIIF SV11-12 satellites were included in the original September 2018 GPS IIIF contract award to Lockheed Martin to build up to 22 GPS IIIF satellites, under which the government exercised the first GPS IIIF production option for SV13-14 in October 2020. GPS IIIF SV13 and beyond will incorporate the company’s LM2100 Combat Bus, an enhanced space vehicle that is intended to provide resiliency and cyber-hardening against growing threats, and improved spacecraft power, propulsion and electronics. LM2100 Combat Bus vehicles are also capable of hosting Lockheed Martin’s Augmentation System Port Interface, which would allow for future on-orbit servicing and upgrade opportunities. Lockheed Martin is close to finishing production on the original GPS III SV1-10 contract, with GPS III SV01-05 launched and handed over to the Space Force for on-orbit operations. GPS III SV06-08 have been completed and placed in storage at the company’s facility waiting for the Space Force to call them up for launch, while SV09 is a fully integrated space vehicle now going through final testing. January 2022 23

A brave new Where better to have your ‘What next for aviation?’ questions answered than at the Dubai Airshow. Richard Schuurman reports on the 2021 event

ABOVE: An Airbus A350 XWB flying display on the third day of the 2021 Dubai Airshow Airbus/ Jean-Vincent Reymondon TOP RIGHT: An A350-900 for Ethiopian Airlines. In 2016, it became the first African carrier to operate the widebody jetliner Airbus/ Jean-Vincent Reymondon

24 January 2022

WORL

E

ven without the traditional big orders from local airlines, the 2021 Dubai Airshow still racked up sales of more than 500 aircraft, including some rather interesting examples. Emirates, Etihad, flydubai and Air Arabia still have plenty in their backlogs from previous shows, so they weren’t looking for more this year. As such, the only deals from the Gulf region came from Emirates, for two Boeing 777Fs, plus 28 Airbus A320neo Family aircraft for Kuwait’s Jazeera Airways. These two sum up perfectly the themes of the event: freighters and low cost.

Freighter orders After the Airbus board gave formal approval in July, it was a matter of ‘when’ to expect the first customer order for the A350 Freighter. It came on day two of the airshow, from Air Lease Corporation (ALC), which ordered seven. While ALC has previously launched the A321LR, A321XLR, and A330neo, seeing the lessor open a freighters order book was a bit surprising. It hasn’t got any dedicated cargo aircraft in its portfolio and has always been reluctant to add them. But the COVID crisis has spurred demand for full freighters and this trend is here to stay: “E-commerce has been a stabilising

RLD admitted that the A330-200F, in which he has been personally involved, was made neither for one nor the other, and failed Airbus’s previous attempt to capture the cargo market, within which it had been strong with the A300-600F.

No show for 777X

factor and it’s now a growing factor. That’s why we want to have freighters now,” said ALC CEO John Plueger. He’s in discussions with five airlines that are strong in the cargo business, to place the seven aircraft currently on order, which will likely be followed by more. The A350 Freighter will be largely based on the A350-1000 but is five frames

shorter, has a maximum take-off mass of 319 tons and a payload capacity of 109 tons. Airbus chief commercial officer Christian Scherer said the structural efficiency of the A350 (light and strong) makes it a perfect aircraft for the e-commerce market, with both its smaller and lighter volumes and heavy bulk goods. However, he

“When we launch the 777X freighter, it will be the largest cargo airplane out there” Ihssane Mounir, Boeing

We had expected Boeing to launch its 777X freighter in Dubai, but one day before the show kicked off, sales chief Ihssane Mounir said there would be no launch there: “When we launch it, it will be the largest cargo airplane out there. The demand is sticking its head up and it looks pretty good, but we aren’t at a point yet to make any announcement, whether that is a customer announcement or launch, although we are pretty advanced in those discussions.” While it is set to be based on the as-yetunlaunched 777-8, Boeing is still working on the final specifications for both followon models to the 777-9, which was in Dubai for the first time since its launch in 2013. Director of product marketing Tom Sanderson said that Boeing is finetuning the freighter and its length. Like the A350F, it could differ slightly from the passenger versions: “The challenge with freighters is that you always balance payload against volume. In the particularly high-weight space in long-haul cargo, weight is favoured, meaning body length is less sensitive, because you will typically hit the weight limit first. In the e-commerce space of low density, cargo volume is [the priority]. So, somewhere in between is the reasonable assumption but, until we actually launch the freighter, it is still open.” Mounir said there is still time to launch the freighter, even as 2027 draws

January 2022 25

closer, which is when new rules on emissions and noise pollution for full freighters come into effect. Boeing might seek exemption of the rule but is working on various contingency plans, including fitting the 767F with new engines. For Air Lease Corporation, the new rules confirm the need to invest in new-generation freighters, such as the A350F and undoubtedly the 777XF as well. Boeing announced a few new passenger-to-freighter contracts at the show, including nine 767-300BCFs for DHL Express and 11 737-800BCFs for Icelease. It will even open three new 737BCF conversion lines, one at London/ Gatwick and two in Canada, to cater for demand. Besides the order for two new 777Fs, Emirates also placed a historic order for four 777-300ER conversions with Israel Aerospace Industries. Unheard of two years ago, the firm had a large booth at the show, and is co-operating with Middle East companies.

Embraer conversions Even Embraer is entering the freighter market. In about six months from now, it will launch a conversion programme for the E190 and E195. At a later stage, the Brazilians might offer a full freighter based on the E2 family. Adding a freighter to the programme makes perfect sense, said Arjan Meijer, CEO commercial aviation: “We have looked at it for a long time, but the E-jets were a bit young. It was still expensive to do a conversion. We now believe that the aircraft is reaching an age that it economically makes sense. Plus, we see a huge cargo up-tick with an e-commerce market [that] is ever emerging. Cargo operators are looking at ways to fly deeper into the veins of the network. That’s where the size of an E-jet is just missing from the range.”

Low-cost boom The other news from Dubai came from low-cost carriers. At the end of the first

26 January 2022

day of the airshow, Bill Franke – the 84-year-old Indigo Partners chief – was in the Airbus chalet again. On the final day of the 2017 Dubai Airshow, he ordered 430 Airbus A320neo Family aircraft for the group’s four airlines: Wizz Air, Frontier Airlines, Volaris, and JetSmart. This time, it was a more modest order for 255 jets, with most deliveries scheduled from 2025.

Wizz Air will get 75 A321neos and 27 A321XLRs, with the flexibility to add 19 A321neos and 75 purchase rights. They are for the carrier’s growth strategy – to take Wizz from its current 170 aircraft to a fleet of 500 by 2030. By then, some 25 A321neos and XLRs will be flying with Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, which is ramping up after a slow start caused by COVID-19. Meanwhile, Frontier will take 91 A321neos, Volaris 39, JetSmart 21, plus two XLRs – all for growth and to replace older ‘current engine option’ jets. On day three of the airshow, Jazeera Airways placed its first direct order with Airbus for 20 A320neos and eight A321neos, plus five options. The new aircraft will replace eight A320ceos due to be returned to the lessor from late 2022, as well as offering room to grow. The Kuwaiti carrier’s CEO, Rohit Ramachandran, said: “While in the early days all our aircraft are leased, now we believe it is the right time to evolve, to grow and invest in the future. That’s why we have been in discussions with Airbus about what we consider a realistic, modest, digestible order for Jazeera.” The low-cost firm plans to grow to a fleet of 30-35, the maximum the Kuwaiti market can handle, said Ramachandran.

But there is huge growth potential in Saudi Arabia, Iran, the former CIS states, and across Europe. In 2019, Jazeera launched the longest A320neo route to London/Gatwick. It has since moved to Heathrow but Ramachandran confirmed that Jazeera still plans to serve Manchester some six months from now. New Indian LCC Akasa Air ordered 72 Boeing 737 MAX jets – an unspecified mix of the ’8 and the high-density MAX 200 that already flies with Ryanair and its subsidiaries. Akasa wants to launch services from summer 2022, in an already highly competitive Indian market, which is currently served by IndiGo, Go First, SpiceJet, and Vistara, among others. Another Boeing order came from Air Tanzania – for a third 787-8, one 767300F, and two Boeing MAX – although they may have been in the backlog as ‘undisclosed’, it seems.

Fuelling success ABOVE: Boeing and DHL Express signed an agreement for nine firm orders for the 767-300 Boeing converted freighter Boeing LEFT: An A380 Emirates demo flight on the opening day of the airshow Airbus/ Jean-Vincent Reymondon BELOW, LEFT: Vinay Dube, CEO of Akasa Air, and Stan Deal, Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and CEO, after Akasa Air ordered 72 737 MAXs Boeing BELOW: Air Tanzania ordered a 787-8 Dreamliner, a 767-300 freighter and two 737 MAX jets Boeing Graphic

ALC didn’t just order seven A350Fs but also converted previous options for 25 A220-300s and added 50 A321neos, 25 A321XLRs, and four A330neos to its backlog. The A321s are all for delivery from 2026, securing the lessor long-term delivery slots. Airbus’s Christian Scherer called it “a smart move [from ALC] to position itself very early for delivery slots. It underpins the demand that we see for our product line.” The A321neo is now sold out until 2026, but Airbus is working on its ramp-up plans to produce 75 aircraft per month. Nigeria’s Ibom Air announced an order for three A220-300s and seven -100s for delivery from 2023, with the flexibility to

change the mix. The start-up wet-leased two A220-300s from EgyptAir, to test the type and see if it was a good fit. CEO Mfon Udom confirmed that it was: “Our passengers simply love it. So, we are here ordering our A220s. The aircraft offers a one-stop solution for our domestic and regional aspirations. “We have absolutely no doubts in our minds that we have made the right choice of aircraft type to power our growth.” ATR also had a successful airshow, with orders for 15 ATR 72-600s from Binter Canarias, TAROM, Air Corsica, and Afrijet, and a purchase right from new Japanese airline Toki Air for one ATR 42-600 and an ATR 42-600S short take-off and landing version. There were also sales to seven undisclosed customers. The launch of Pratt & Whitney’s PW127XT-M engine for ATR was also announced. It offers a 3% fuel burn improvement, 20% lower maintenance costs, and can stay on the wing until maintenance for 40% longer. Embraer notched up sales for three E175s from Nigeria’s Overland Airways, taking the Dubai Airshow total orders and purchase agreements to more than 500 new aircraft – Airbus took 404, Boeing 78 and ATR 24. The Russian Irkut MC-21-310 was also present, however, while Irkut didn’t announce any orders, it said it had been in talks with four potential customers. But then, no deals are done at airshows, are they? Airbus bucked the trend: “Deals aren’t done at airshows, but this one was at the last minute here”, said Christian Scherer of the Jazeera Airways order.

“While in the early days all our aircraft are leased, now we believe it is the right time to evolve, to grow and invest in the future” Rohit Ramachandran, Jazeera Airways

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NEAR

normality? With copious deals and international debuts, the Dubai Airshow 2021 was reminiscent of pre-pandemic times, says Alan Warnes

he latest Dubai Airshow opened on November 14, 2021, with an impressive 30-minute flypast of mixed aircraft types from the United Arab Emirates Air Force and Air Defence (UAEAF&AD). Over the days that followed, a number of military aviation deals and sales were announced, marking something of a return to normality for the industry and the biannual trade show. As is now tradition, the UAE opened proceedings, ordering a pair of Airbus A330 MRTTs, which will increase the UAEAF&AD’s fleet to five – deliveries are due to start in 2024.

T

Deals and more deals

THIS IMAGE: Al Fursan, the aerobatics demonstration team of the United Arab Emirates Air Force, flying over an Airbus A400M on static display Airbus/Jean-Vincent Reymondon

28 January 2022

The biggest defence deal came on the first day of the show, when EDGE Group’s GAL (Global Aerospace Logistics) was awarded an exclusive three-year maintenance

repair and overhaul deal (worth $3bn) with the UAEAF&AD. The performancebased logistics arrangement will provide military MRO services organised under a cost-per-flying-hour model. The contract includes 35 types, yet to be disclosed. The first day of the event also saw Textron Aviation Defense reveal Thailand as the first international launch customer for the Beechcraft AT-6 Wolverine light attack aircraft. The $143m deal includes eight AT-6s, along with associated equipment and services. Saab hailed the progress being made by its GlobalEye airborne early warning and control aircraft. While the type is destined to serve operationally in Sweden, Saab was keen to highlight that it will offer two GlobalEye aircraft to South Korea in 2022. A source from Pakistan Aeronautical Complex Kamra told AIR International that the Qatar Emiri Air Force will likely order four more MFI-17 Super Mushshak basic trainers to supplement the eight that were delivered in 2017. Saudi Arabia also looks set to upgrade 12 examples of its

Calidus developments

ABOVE: A Kuwait Air Force Airbus Helicopters H225M on display at the Dubai Airshow 2021 Airbus/ Luce Borrel LEFT: Since being upgraded with a glass cockpit, the 260hp Super Mushshak has found a new lease of life. The Turkish Air Force is set to receive the first ten of its 52 aircraft with Garmin avionics in 2022 Key Publishing/Alan Warnes BELOW: A mock-up of the Calidus B350 with six hard points under each wing and a retractable MX-25 under the nose Key Publishing/Alan Warnes

UAE’s Calidus finally unveiled a mockup of its big B350 BPA (border patrol aircraft), featuring a huge assortment of weapons on the 12 hard points under the wings and elsewhere. Mustapha Skhiri, Calidus head of aerospace cluster, told AIR International: “We are now under contract with the UAEAF&AD for 12 B250s, with 12 on option. Deliveries are expected to commence within the next two and a half years.” He continued: “The B250 will fulfil a light attack/border patrol aircraft role and, while not all the weapons have been decided, the Desert Sting series and many other EDGE weapons from Halcyon and Al Tariq will be included. “The B250 avionics is now being supplied by CMC Canada, not Rockwell Collins [as was originally intended]. Longer term, we believe the B250 can replace the IOMAX AT802i Archangel, which has a low speed and is not pressurised.” Of the B350, Skhiri said: “The B350 is predominantly combat ISR, with six hardpoints under each wing. It is still a concept and you will see from the mockup that we have a retractable MX-25 under the nose and a Leonardo Osprey 30 AESA radar under the fuselage. “This will give you an idea of what we want. As of yet, we don’t know when development will be completed, perhaps in a couple of years. The engine will be a Pratt & Whitney PW127 and a Collins propeller, the same as on the ATR 72.”

International debuts approximately 18-strong fleet with Garmin systems. That same source added that a batch of seven Super Mushshaks of the 52 on order will be delivered to the Turkish Air Force before July 2022. Having made its debut at the Dubai Airshow in 2009, the Chinese-built Hongdu L-15A Falcon returned to the event this year to show off its flying capabilities and new ground-based training set-up. The two advanced jet trainer/light attack aircraft on display in Dubai have been in the UAE since October 20, where they are being evaluated by the UAEAF&AD as a potential replacement for the 12 Italianmade Aermacchi MB-339s serving the local Al Fursan aerobatic team. The Aero L-39NG is also under consideration.

Along with a flurry of deals and announcements, the show also saw a number of international debuts. India’s Hindustan Aeronautics introduced its Tejas light combat aircraft, with an example in both the flying and static displays. Meanwhile, Pilatus announced a new variant of its PC-7 family – the PC-7 MKX – which the company has dubbed “the world’s best smart basic trainer.” The Russians were also present, with a Kamov Ka-52 Alligator in the flying display and a Mi-28NE Night Hunter turning heads in the static line-up. Sukhoi revealed its new fifth-generation ‘Checkmate’ stealth fighter jet to the media – the first time it had been on show outside Russia. It seems the world is slowly starting to open up once again.

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Skynet

EVOLUTIO As the first metal is cut for the UK’s future Skynet 6 military satellites, Richard Thomas takes a closer look at the history of the programme

T

he UK opted to create its own military satellite communications capability back in the 1960s, in a bid to secure its own national requirements against the ever-present competition and, indeed, threat from the Soviet Union during the Cold War. To this end, Skynet was created – Skynet 1A was sent into orbit in 1969 (subsequently followed by 1B in 1970). Launched with the assistance of US-based facilities, and connected to a series of UK military communications

32 January 2022

sites around the world, the satellites were the first step of an ambitious plan to eventually achieve near-global coverage. However, due to motor issues affecting 1A and 1B, and the unsuccessful launch of the first of their successors, Skynet 2A, it wasn’t until 1974 and the launch of Skynet 2B that the UK could be considered, at least in part, as having an effective and

secure military satellite communications (SATCOM) system. But then Skynet 3 was cancelled altogether, which meant the UK was forced to rely on the US for secure satellite communications capability once again. However, by the mid 1980s, the thinking turned to the possibility of a three-vehicle-strong Skynet 4 effort, later expanding to six satellites. Skynet 4 and the A to F family of satellites were manufactured in the UK by a variety of companies, such as BAe Dynamics, Matra Marconi Space and Astrium, in two three-vehicle batches. Launched between 1988 and 2001, they were able to operate in the UHF (ultra-high frequency), SHF (super-high frequency) and EHF (extremely high frequency) ranges. The platforms also featured anti-jamming systems – some

ONS continue to provide operational services to this day.

Fifth generation While Skynet 4 proved its worth, by the turn of the millennium, the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) was eyeing the next generation, Skynet 5. In early 2000, the MOD launched a competition to deliver a system that would provide SATCOM services to the UK military, as the Skynet Batch 2 series was due to reach the end of its operational life midway through the following decade. A new funding approach was also considered and eventually agreed. It would see a $3.6bn private finance initiative used to deliver the programme. This structure would see AEDS Astrium (later Airbus Defence and Space)

ABOVE: Defence Minister Jeremy Quin (right) starts production of the UK MOD’s military communications satellite Skynet 6A, alongside Airbus Defence and Space chief executive Michael Schoellhorn Airbus Defence and Space LEFT: The launch of Skynet 2B in 1974 was regarded as a positive step in the development of the UK’s SATCOM capability USAF FAR LEFT: Airbus was awarded the Skynet 6A contract in July 2020. Teams across the company’s UK sites are working on the programme Airbus Defence and Space

build, deliver, and operate the platforms, making bandwidth available to the UK MOD, for its global communications requirements. Excess capacity not utilised by the UK could then to be sold by the manufacturer/operator to allied nations – particularly those within the Five Eyes intelligence community (comprising the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand). The Skynet 5 programme, delivered by Airbus as a full service outsource contract, has provided the UK MOD with secure military communications services since 2003, supporting operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Balkans. The programme was initially built on legacy Skynet 4 satellites before launching the Skynet 5A, 5B, 5C and 5D satellites between 2007-12. Since then, the system has provided all secure beyond-line-of-sight communications to the UK MOD in support of global deployments and missions. The system, although ageing, is still being upgraded to extend capabilities

and service life. In Q1 2021, Airbus was awarded a series of contracts from the UK MOD, both as part of its programme of upgrading services for the Skynet 5 military global SATCOM capability and continued work with the MOD’s Defence Digital organisation. Meanwhile, activities taking place in the maritime domain include introducing improvements for Maritime Network Evolution services, to enable continued Wi-Fi access for deployed personnel while on operations improvements for eight SCOT5 FMT ships. In addition, in a May 5 release, Airbus stated that it had also been awarded a contract to provide Ku-band airtime for the Poseidon P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, and had agreed renewals to provide continued Ku-band airtime support for the UK’s MQ-9A Reaper UAVs.

6A production underway Never one to stand still, the MOD has taken the necessary steps to ensure that the next iteration of the long-serving January 2022 33

The Skynet 6A satellite will utilise more of the radio frequency spectrum available for satellite communications than the existing Skynet 5 satellites, and will incorporate the latest digital processing technology to provide additional capacity. Complete satellite integration will take place using Airbus facilities in the UK, followed by testing at the National Satellite Test Facility at Harwell in Oxfordshire. Richard Franklin, managing director of Airbus Defence and Space, said: “We will also be looking [at] future export opportunities [that] will benefit the wider space ecosystem, and [we] are actively engaged with bringing on board a wider spread of UK SMEs [small and mediumsized enterprises] to deliver this essential sovereign capability.” In November 2020, the programme achieved its preliminary design review – a key phase in moving it through to the critical design review.

Maintaining relevance A parallel effort undertaken by the MOD is the Skynet Enduring Capability (SKEC) programme, initiated in 2020. The aim is to engage industry on the programme, which is intended to deliver the next era of SATCOM for the UK military, by using space assets and exploring new ways to monitor and control the platforms.

Skynet capability will be able to enter orbit in the coming years. According to Airbus, Skynet 6A is planned for launch in 2025 and will extend and enhance the Skynet fleet. The £500m contract – signed with the UK MOD in July 2020 – includes the development, manufacture, cyber protection, assembly, integration, test and launch of 6A. Up to four additional satellites could be acquired in the years ahead. The contract also covers technology development programmes, new secure telemetry, tracking and command systems, launch, in-orbit testing and ground segment updates to the current Skynet 5 system. In October 2021, the Skynet 6A satellite – which is based on Airbus’s Eurostar Neo telecommunications spacecraft – started going into production. This followed the first metal-cutting ceremony at Airbus’ Stevenage facility in the UK, which was attended by the UK’s Minister for Defence Procurement, Jeremy Quin. In an October release, Quin commented: “Secure military satellite communications are vital for our ability to conduct operations on a global scale. Seeing the first hardware for the next-generation Skynet 6A satellite shows we are on track for launch in 2025 and ready to upgrade and enhance the UK’s global military communications network.” 34 January 2022

ABOVE: The UK’s military SATCOM capabilities have come a long way since the programme’s early days USAF TOP: Launch of the first Skynet satellite, Skynet 1A, by Delta rocket in 1969 from Cape Canaveral NASA RIGHT: The US Space Force’s SMC and UK MOD teams used the Multi-Band Test Terminal, shown here, for the PTW demo on July 13, 2020 MIT Lincoln Labs

When the programme began in 2020, the MOD said new technologies and services in the space sector were “emerging all the time”, along with new threats and other risk factors, as the domain gets increasingly congested and competitive. The ever-increasing demand for bandwidth – civil, commercial and military – further raises the stakes in ensuring that SATCOM is available on a 24/7 basis all year round. It is thought that, following industry interest, the MOD could provide further clarity in Q1 2022, regarding the kinds of capabilities and requirements it envisages for the UK’s future space SATCOM systems. Areas of potential interest include propulsion technologies; launch strategies; inter-satellite links; communications security; telemetry,

tracking and command technologies; ground segment and global footprint; satellite-based situational awareness technologies; and in-orbit servicing. The MOD anticipates that the SKEC satellites will be in service until at least 2040, with an emphasis placed not only on current technologies in these areas but also those emerging or at the early stages of research and design. In July 2021, in written evidence to the UK parliament, Airbus stated that SKEC would “define and build the UK’s government satellite communications into the 2040s, addressing future threats, such as advanced jamming technologies and anti-satellite weapons.” Furthermore, the company stated that development work “should begin as soon as possible with the UK’s only

“Secure military satellite communications are vital for our ability to conduct operations on a global scale. Seeing the first hardware for the next-generation Skynet 6A satellite shows we are on track for launch in 2025” Jeremy Quin, UK Minister for Defence Procurement

manufacturer of large satellites – Airbus. Without Airbus leadership in Skynet, the UK would be unlikely to continue to manufacture large satellites in 2040. Put plainly, the UK space manufacturing base would be gutted, and work would have to go elsewhere.” In addition, in July 2020, Los Angeles Air Force Base in California revealed that the US Space Force and the UK MOD successfully conducted a demonstration of the US Protected Tactical Waveform (PTW) over the Skynet satellite system. The PTW capability, according to the US Space Force, has superior data rates and anti-jamming performance to existing systems, with the demonstration marking the first step in showcasing the compatibility of the system with an international partner.

Command and control However, an interesting future change will see the operational control of the current Skynet 5 and future Skynet 6 networks split between UK Strategic Command (which will retain the former) and the newly created UK Space Command (which will lead on the latter once the system enters service). According to the UK MOD, Space Command has been established as a Joint Command, staffed by members of the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force, the Civil Service and members of the commercial sector. It will work alongside the MOD Space Directorate, which is responsible for defence space policy, strategy and cross-government and international co-ordination. In addition, UK Space Command will interact with the UK Space Agency, when necessary, to deliver on national space capability requirements, and has been provided an initial £1.4bn, ten-year funding package. It is not known exactly when the handover of Skynet 6 responsibilities will occur between UK Strategic Command and UK Space Command. Although, in mid 2021, an MOD spokesman told AIR International that “the passage of control of Skynet will be conditions based” and transition would be announced “in due course.” Regarding the delivery of a UK-based space launch capability, the MOD spokesman said that timelines remained “under discussion”. Given the decades of history of the entire programme, from its earliest inception to the aspirational future capabilities that will be provided, the Skynet programme is an often unsung, or even unknown, aspect of the UK’s military capability. In the network-centric future battlespace, such systems, and the ability to harden and defend them where necessary, will become ever more pressing as the domain in which they are placed becomes more competitive. January 2022 35

Airbus A350-1000 landing gear, made by Safran Landing Systems Airbus/S Ramadier

Braki Brak

Mark Broadbent looks at the latest in brake systems, from new technologies and materials to how specialist suppliers are positioning themselves for recovery espite the impact of COVID-19 on air travel over the past couple of years, there remain firm predictions for surging demand for new aircraft over the long term. In line with the optimistic outlook, the wheels and brakes market segment is forecast to be worth $12.14bn by 2028, according to August 2021 research by the US venture capital firm Insight Partners. Steel brakes are of course the traditional aircraft braking system, but carbon brakes are now widely used. Richard Morris, vicepresident sales and marketing at brakes manufacturer Meggitt, told AIR International: “For the right aircraft, carbon allows us to offer customers a more cost-effective lifetime solution than steel.”

D

Carbon versus steel Safran Landing Systems introduced carbon brakes to the commercial aviation industry on airliners in the mid-1980s (it was Messier-BugattiDowty at the time). Today, the Insight Partners report said, “Carbon brakes are compatible with all modern commercial and military aircraft models, which enable retrofitting with ease.” A 2014 article in Boeing’s in-house technical magazine,

king ing good good January 2022 37

“For the right aircraft, carbon allows us to offer customers a more cost-effective lifetime Richard Morris, Meggitt solution than steel” AERO, explained: “Carbon brakes offer a significant weight saving compared to steel brakes, which translates into a lighter airplane and directly contributes to decreased fuel consumption and reductions in engine emissions.” The article continued: “Carbon brakes also offer other advantages over steel

Safran Landing Life In October 2021 Safran Landing Systems launched Landing Life, a new portal for operators designed to meet customers’ critical requirements, namely keeping aircraft flying, optimising lifecycle costs and sharing expertise. Customers log into the portal to identify the solution appropriate to their needs, such as requesting emergency assistance in aircrafton-ground situations. They can consult technical publications, search for information by product or aircraft type and make online reservations for training sessions. Landing Life also includes Expert Link, a video assistance application for operators’ technicians to consult Safran support teams by using a tablet or smartphone. Other features of the new portal include advanced data analysis services, such as predictive maintenance, enabling Safran engineers to provide operational recommendations to help improve equipment management efficiency, reduce maintenance costs, and avoid flight cancellations. Safran Landing Systems said there is a guaranteed response time of within four hours in aircraft-on-ground situations. A company spokesperson highlighted to AIR International the key objectives of Landing Life: providing solutions tailored to customers’ needs, expertise through the entire product life cycle and positioning the company “not only as an OEM but also as a service provider”. Other objectives are to make accessible the company’s global network of nearly a dozen MRO centres worldwide operating 24/7, improve the sharing of expertise via the portal and respond to what it calls a focus on continuously improving operations to match customers’ evolving needs.

38 January 2022

brakes, including improved brake performance, high temperature stability, better wear characteristics and longer life, and the ability to reuse worn carbon disks to make refurbished carbon disks that would otherwise end up being disposed of in a landfill.” Safran Landing Systems’ carbon brakes feature on the Boeing 737NG/MAX, the 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A320ceo/neo and A350 family. The company says its products are “the lightest on the market”, offering “weight savings of up to 320kg per set compared to steel brakes”. Increased efficiency and durability are among the brakes’ other benefits. According to Safran, a carbon brakesequipped 737 can conduct 2,200 landings between overhauls. They offer 2,500 landings on A320neo family aircraft and 2,000 landings for those on the A350. The company said in a September 2021 statement that “almost 3,500 aircraft [are] equipped or committed to Safran at over 100 operators” worldwide. Flair Airlines, a start-up Canadian ultra low-cost carrier, is a recent new customer, signing a deal for the company to provide wheels/brakes maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) for its eight Boeing 737-800s and three MAX 8s. Safran Landing Systems’ carbon brakes on the A320 and A350 include fans to increase airflow around the braking system, cooling down the brakes between two flights, thereby boosting aircraft utilisation.

Tackling oxidisation As the 2014 Boeing AERO technical article noted, however, there is a downside to carbon brakes. They “become contaminated by runway de-icers during taxi, take-off and landing when runway de-icers splash onto the carbon brake”. De-icers contain alkali metal, which cannot be removed if it meets carbon. The article said: “Subsequent exposure on successive take-off and landing cycles, combined with the braking action of the aircraft, leads to the mechanical and structural degradation of the carbon disks. Catalytic oxidation of the carbon does result in decreased service life (premature removal) of a carbon brake.” According to the AERO piece, eliminating or reducing catalytic oxidation on carbon brakes “requires an industry-wide effort” from airlines, airports and other parties to select de-icers that offer the lowest mean normalised carbon weight loss percentage to minimise catalytic oxidation. AERO identified improving brake-inspection techniques and airlines becoming “cognisant of the type of

runway de-icer being used by the airport so they can take appropriate maintenance and planning actions” as further ways to minimise the problem. It also called on brake manufacturers to develop antioxidation coatings for application to carbon brakes. Since that piece was written, Safran has developed what it calls a “new antioxidation protection” called Anoxy 360 to extend carbon brakes’ lifetime and provide improved resistance to oxidation. Boeing identified other ways operators could minimise the effects: using touchdown speeds and landing points that reduce the amount of kinetic energy

absorbed by brakes during landing and lowering the brake temperatures, as well as using mechanical snow-removal methods “as much as possible to reduce the amount of runway de-icer used”.

Exploring electric avenues Electric hydraulic brakes are another innovation in the wheels and brakes market. The Boeing 787, which in late October 2021 achieved ten years in service, was the first commercial aircraft to be equipped with these. Traditionally, pneumatic power, created by high-pressure bleed air diverted from the engines, fed the mechanical

systems that drove the brakes and an aircraft’s other key functions such as its auxiliary power unit starter, hydraulics and pressurisation. On the 787, however, electrical power is used instead. Boeing explained the significance of the Dreamliner’s electric brakes in an edition of AERO: "Electric brakes significantly reduce the mechanical complexity of the braking system and eliminate the potential for delays associated with leaking brake hydraulic fluid, leaking valves and other hydraulic failures." This makes possible the continuous monitoring of the brakes’ wear, which Boeing says eliminates scheduled visual

brake-wear inspections and detects faults. The brakes even monitor the braking force of a parked aircraft and automatically adjust pressure as they cool. Safran Landing Systems supplies the 787’s electric brakes.

Global facilities Major aerospace wheels and brakes specialist Meggitt recently opened a new global wheels/brakes production and MRO facility for Europe, at Ansty in the UK’s West Midlands. Richard Morris, vice president of Meggitt’s sales and marketing, described the new facility to AIR International

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Lufthansa Technik offers MRO on wheels and brakes for all Airbus and Boeing products as well as some Embraer and Bombardier ones; pictured here is the gear on a 747-8 Lufthansa Technik The Boeing 787 was the first commercial airliner with electric brakes Boeing/Alan Marts Ansty, Warwickshire is home to Meggitt’s new wheels/ brakes production and MRO facility Meggitt Safran Landing Systems’ latest wheels and brakes facility in Grand Prairie opened in September 2021 Safran Landing Systems

January 2022 39

Meggitt will supply wheels and brakes for the newly launched Gulfstream G800 bizjet Gulfstream Aerospace

as “a centre for our technology development”. He explained: “We are investing heavily in capacity expansion, driven by increasing demand for carbon technology products, which are prevalent in the shorter-haul airline sector. We’re also working hard to ensure that our manufacturing capacity expansion is done as sustainably as possible. “Technology wise, we always concentrate our efforts on areas that result in lower operating costs for our customers, as well as developing smarter systems and more durable materials that keep our brakes on the aircraft for longer.” Commenting on the MRO aspect of Meggitt’s aerospace wheels and brakes presence, Morris added: “We’re seeing airlines increasing their flight operations again after COVID-19, which is particularly the case with our US domestic operators. This trend is helping to drive positive growth in our brakes order book.” Meggitt recently announced its wheels and brakes will equip Gulfstream’s two

latest business jets, the 8,000nm-range G800 and 4,200nm large-cabin G400, launched at the October 2021 National Business Aviation Association conference in Savannah, Georgia. Aside from commercial aircraft, Meggitt’s systems also equip the Eurofighter Typhoon. Other military aircraft to feature carbon brakes are the Dassault Rafale and Airbus A400M, supplied in both cases by Safran Landing Systems.

US expansion

Checking brakes

Meggitt is not the only wheels/brakes provider to recently open new facilities. Safran opened a new brakes maintenance facility in Grand Prairie near Dallas, Texas in September 2021 after receiving US Federal Aviation Administration approval a month earlier. A Safran spokesperson told AIR International the 31,000sq ft facility, “is fully operational to provide wheels and carbon brakes maintenance and logistics services to Safran’s low-cost and legacy airline customers, as well as to the United States

Lufthansa Technik is one of the main players offering maintenance and testing on aircraft wheels and brakes as part of its wider comprehensive maintenance, repair and overhaul services. The company undertakes overhauls on “all types” of Airbus and Boeing airliners, and Embraer and Bombardier types, at its main Frankfurt facility in Germany, where it works on around 32,000 wheels and about 5,000 brake sets each year. All varieties of brake – the newer carbon and electric types as well as traditional steel ones – can be handled. Work ranges from tyre or heat sink changes to complete gear overhauls and minor and major repairs. Lufthansa Technik said: “Each wheel or brake passes through numerous stations until finally, after a thorough check, it is approved in the final inspection and release to service.” Extensive non-destructive testing (NDT) takes place to clear each part for service. All the records of testing, repairs and modifications on each part are documented in a workshop data system and are available on demand by customers. In addition to the Frankfurt facility, Lufthansa Technik has two other landing gear maintenance facilities: Lufthansa Technik Landing Gear Services UK (near London/Heathrow Airport) and Hawker Pacific Aerospace (close to Burbank Airport, Los Angeles, California). The facility near London's Heathrow has a 144,000sq ft (13,400m²) shop and the Hawker Pacific facility is 190,00sq ft (17,651m²). As with Frankfurt, both spaces are fully equipped with machinery for all aircraft undercarriage related work, including machining, bush manufacturing, NDT, electrical harness repair and hydraulic work.

OPPOSITE: Lufthansa Technik repairs and overhauls more than 30,000 wheels and about 5,000 brake sets a year in Frankfurt, Germany. Work undertaken there and in London and Los Angeles ranges from tyre or heat sink changes to complete gear overhauls as well as minor and major repairs Lufthansa Technik BELOW AND LEFT: Meggitt offers a range of apprenticeships, covering everything from electronic/electromechanical roles to logistics specialisms. It says it is “investing heavily in capacity expansion” and aiming to provide cost-effective solutions for its customers Meggitt

40 January 2022

Air Force and United States Navy in support of their Safran-equipped military platforms”. Safran CEO Cédric Goubet said: “The opening of the Dallas shop is an important milestone in Safran Landing Systems’ long-term commitment to strengthen our wheels and brakes repair network in the United States.” The facility joins the company’s other MRO shops in: Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Miami, Florida; Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; and Las Vegas, Nevada. These offer a combined footprint of 150,000sq ft. A Safran statement said: “They are operating in full co-operation with our manufacturing plant in Walton, Kentucky, where wheels, brakes, and carbon heat sinks are produced.” Mike Buckley, president of Safran Wheel and Brake Repair and Services, commented: “This expansion allows us to better serve our airline partners, in the framework of the post-COVID traffic recovery and strong ramp-up in activity that the industry is experiencing.

“The life extension of the carbon heat sink pack used for the brakes and the Safran Landing Systems improvement of the anti-oxidisation are key topics”

“In addition to the logistics benefits that this network provides, our facilities have also enhanced their turnkey solutions, such as machining and metal improvement capabilities,” he added. “This will increase efficiencies, add value to our customers’ supply chains, and allow them to focus on their core business.”

Safran recently signed a five-year contract with China Eastern Airlines to carry out A330 landing gear maintenance at the carrier’s Singapore facility.

Fresh technology Recent years have seen commercial aircraft manufacturers go all-out to improve performance and introduce efficiencies

for their latest designs, whether with ‘bigticket’ items such as new-generation engines, improving aerodynamics and using lighter components and materials to reduce weight. Safran Landing Systems told AIR International: “We are working on and introducing new technologies dealing with weight savings on existing aircraft, January 2022 41

“We are working on new technologies dealing with weight savings, predictive maintenance... and also with modular, generic and reusable control units” Safran Landing Systems predictive maintenance with some airlines that are operating A350 aircraft and also with modular, generic and reusable control units dedicated to ATA 32 systems.” ATA 32 systems are units that are designed to contribute to the optimum control of all landing gear parameters during taxiing, take-off and landing phases. Safran said: “For ATA 32 systems, there are no regulation changes at this stage. ”However, from the perspective of having a greener and safer planet, we could expect some regulation changes to meet these strong ecological challenges.”

Operational interruptions What do the specialist suppliers believe are the key future requirements for landing/braking systems? Safran Landing Systems’ spokesperson said: “We anticipate that customers will ask more for operational interruptions [OI] reduction. Thanks to health monitoring, with a more connected and electric aircraft, we could achieve this requirement. The real life and operational conditions of our equipment are better known, and removal could be anticipated to avoid OI.

Falcon 50 brake failure On September 27, 2018 Dassault Falcon 50 N114TD, operated by Air America Flight Services, was destroyed following a runway excursion at Greenville Downtown Airport, South Carolina, killing the two pilots and seriously injuring two passengers. A subsequent National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation analysis of the cockpit voice recorder found the pilot and co-pilot stated the brakes were not operating “several times” before the aircraft went over an embankment and came to a stop. CT scans showed a broken joint and a bent pin connection on the Falcon’s antiskid system components. Functional tests revealed a failure in the operation of the leftside inboard wheel speed transducer, and a visual inspection found the wiring to the right-side outboard transducer was reversed. The NTSB discovered that despite a 2018 work order to restore the aircraft’s serviceability after four years in storage, only 60% of the work required had been carried out. The board’s report identified that the main and nose landing gear had last been overhauled on July 23, 2002. It revealed: “The overhaul interval was 12 years or 6,000 landings, whichever came first. As a result, a landing gear overhaul should have been performed no later than December 23, 2014.”

42 January 2022

Safran is one of the best known wheels and brakes manufacturers Safran Landing Systems/Thierry Mamberti

“Another strong requirement is the reduction of pollution, noise, and NOx/ CO2 emissions. The life extension of the carbon heat sink pack used for the brakes and the improvement of the antioxidisation are [other] key topics.” Meggitt’s Morris responded: “Safety is always the number one performance requirement. Thereafter, it’s about delivering an economical solution that enables our customers to run their business. These requirements directly align with the areas that Meggitt invests in, and again our focus is on developing smarter systems and more durable materials that keep our brakes on the airplane for longer. “Utilising materials and developing technologies which make aircraft lighter is almost always a good thing too, especially for reducing carbon emissions as the airline industry seeks to reduce the environmental impact of operations.”

Looking to the future Safran Landing Systems’ spokesperson said that, in practice, this meant the company is “working on materials and additive manufacturing to decrease the weight of our products” and reduce carbon emissions. “On the materials side we are also working on the material protections to decrease the corrosion occurring during in-service operation,” they added. In anticipation of the future wave of aircraft using hybrid-electric or fully electric technologies, Safran is also developing ‘more electric’ systems. The spokesperson explained: “For example, a braking system using electromechanical actuators, or a landing gear extension and retraction system using electro-hydrostatic actuators. Electric

power supplies are provided to these systems and no more hydraulic power supplies come from the aircraft central hydraulic generators.” The spokesperson continued: “Another system that is under study is electric taxiing. This system enables the aircraft to perform pushback at the gate without a tug and enables it also to move on the taxiways without having the engines running. The main benefits are the reduction of CO2 emissions [carbon footprint], NOx emissions and noise reduction. We are working on disruptive technologies like printed sensors, artificial intelligence analysis and new data sciences generation.” Meggitt’s Morris said: “New aircraft generally pose new technical challenges, which can differ from programme to programme. We have shown our ability to provide flexible bespoke solutions, via our comprehensive system engineering capability in all things brakes, from the latest lightweight carbon technologies to anti-skid and control systems.” Despite the issues around the practicality of carbon brakes identified earlier, Morris remains optimistic: “It is likely that such systems will be more widely adopted by aircraft designers to leverage the reductions in weight and the increase in prognostic capability they enable”.

Checking In What do you think will be the next significant aircraft brakes innovation and why? Share your view at [email protected] under the subject heading Checking In.

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The development of stand-off air-launched cruise missiles has increased lethality for their operators and proved their worth in combat missions. Tim Fish reports. The LRASM is expected to play an increasingly important role in the Indo-Pacific in the event of a conflict between China and the US. It will be the goto weapon for strike against the surface action groups of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) as they compete for naval dominance in the Western Pacific Lockheed Martin

A

ir-launched cruise missiles (ALCMs) are extremely important weapons that enable an air force’s ability to manoeuvre. This is because they are standoff missiles that allow an air force to operate outside the range of enemy air defences. Bombers can deploy ALCMs to attack targets and conduct suppression of enemy air defence (SEAD) missions from distance without having to get too close to anti-air systems risking the platforms and crew. After completing a SEAD mission and using ALCMs to degrade air defences, it means that other attack aircraft can then operate more safely and effectively in enemy airspace, including non-combatant aircraft such as tankers. ALCMs were first developed in the 1970s with propulsion systems that gave them additional range compared to standard missiles. Since then, developments in guidance systems, materials and 44 January2022

Fire for effect propulsion systems have increased the capabilities of ALCMs over earlier variants so they are smaller and light enough to be carried by multirole fighter aircraft as well as bombers. ALCMs can be broadly separated into two categories: anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCMs); and land attack cruise missiles (LACMs). Traditionally ALCMs are capable of carrying nuclear or conventional warheads, although since the end of the Cold War the number of nuclear payloads fitted to ALCMs has reduced significantly but they still remain part of the US and Russian nuclear triad. ASCMs were the more popular variant of ALCM until the Gulf War in 1991, during which the success of the weapons raised the profile of LACMs driving new international development programmes. Technology also played a part. Until this point LACMs had required sophisticated navigation and guidance systems that used high accuracy inertial navigation, terrain contour matching (TERCOM) correlation and distance matching, but

the advent of GPS providing a high degree of precision along with advanced signal processing changed that dynamic. Since the 1990s technology for ALCMs has advanced considerably providing much longer ranges and faster missile speeds as well as improved guidance and control and improved stealth and increased automation. In more recent years improvements in ramjet and turbojet propulsion systems mean the range of ALCMs has increased further, designs have reduced the radar cross section and detectability of the weapons and advances in electronics have improved guidance further still. In response, air defence systems are being designed to more effectively counter the cruise missile threat by detecting and intercepting the missiles themselves rather than trying to destroy the bomber and fighter platforms that launch them as these will be out of range. Therefore, to ensure that ALCMs remain effective, the trends to increase range, accuracy and survivability are

set to continue and the proliferation of ALCMs as a weapon of choice for leading militaries and the size of weapon stockpiles will expand in the coming decades. To support the demand for more stand-off capability that can defeat the latest air defence systems, several new ALCMs are under development in both LACM and ASCM categories.

JASSM and LRASM The US is by far the largest operator of ALCMs, predominantly due to its extensive stockpile of AGM-158A Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-off Missile (JASSM), a subsonic LACM that has a range of 370km and uses GPS and imaging infrared (IIR) guidance. With an inventory in several thousands, the US Air Force (USAF) is heavily reliant on its JASSM-A and -B variant missiles and the JASSM-Extended Range (JASSM-ER), which is replacing them, especially after the USAF retired its older AGM-86C/D ALCMs in December 2019. The JASSM-ER variant was introduced

in 2014 and has greater fuel capacity providing additional range beyond 500km. Meanwhile, development of a new AGM-158-D (JASSM-D, or JASSMExtreme Range/JASSM-XR) variant is underway and has reached the LowRate Initial Production (LRIP) stage. The -D is expected to have a range in excess of 1,000km and will be used to counter long-range theatre integrated air defence systems like Russia’s S-400 Triumf. Production was due to start in 2021 with deliveries expected in 2023. In terms of developmental ASCMs, the USAF is introducing the AGM-158C Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM). It is an anti-ship variant of the JASSMER with a reported range of 926km and has achieved early operational capability (EOC) on the B-1B bomber and US Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. There is potential for use on the P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft. Lockheed Martin is under contract for LRASM through to Lot 4/5, which was a combined lot awarded in Q1 2021. The

company is currently delivering its Lot 2 missiles. A spokesperson from Lockheed Martin told AIR International that the benefits of the new missile compared to existing weapons like JASSM “is the multi-mode sensor, allowing LRASM to target, identify, classify, and prosecute moving ships at sea.” The next generation seeker system for LRASM is being developed by BAE Systems. Larry Glennon, Small Form Factor Solutions Product Line Director at BAE Systems, told AIR International that qualification of the seeker will be completed at the end of 2021 and will be fitted to LRASM from Lot 4 onwards with deliveries due to begin in Q2 2022. Using advanced EW technology LRASM “is designed to detect and destroy specific targets within groups of ships”, the Lockheed Martin spokesperson explained. This indicates the direction of travel for the development of ALCMs to become more capable and accurate weapons in a high-intensity conflict environment. January2022 45

As well as the US, the AGM-158 JASSM is in-service in Australia, Finland, South Korea and Poland. It was first used in 2018 during USAF air strikes from the B-1B bomber on Syrian targets USAF

Glennon said that certain ships are “more strategically valuable as targets than others” and those ships can be protected in a grouping of ships with advanced defensive capabilities. “Being able to single them out and penetrate advanced defensive systems is a critical warfighting capability,” he explained. Furthermore, LRASM technology will reduce dependence on ISR platforms, network links, and GPS navigation in aggressive electronic warfare environments. “This advanced guidance operation means the weapon can use gross target cueing data to find and destroy its pre-defined target in denied environments, adding precision lethality,” the Lockheed Martin spokesperson said. LRASM need to be less dependent on traditional navigation, Glennon elaborated,

In operation since the 1950s the B-52 Stratofortress has hosted a variety of nuclear and non-nuclear weapon payloads and is set to be fitted with the Long Range Stand-Off weapon and AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response (ARRW) hypersonic missile in the future USAF

46 January2022

“because traditional navigation technology like GPS and data links can be disrupted, causing weapons that rely exclusively on them to miss their targets. Alternative precision guidance capabilities enable precision strikes in denied environments”.

LRSO update The USAF is also updating its nuclearcapable ALCM capability with the procurement of the Long Range StandOff (LRSO) missile. This is to ensure that the US can maintain the bomber part of its nuclear triad. The USAF has only 20 B-2 bombers in its fleet, and with the delay in the introduction of the B-21 bomber to the mid-2020s, this means it has to rely on its B-52 bombers to make up a considerable portion of the bomber leg of the triad.

Wes Rumbaugh, an associate fellow in the Missile Defense Project at Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), told AIR International that because the B-52s are “unable to penetrate” or “really get into areas that are denied by adversary air defence capabilities” it means that a stand-off cruise missile like LRSO is needed “to be able to deliver those weapons effectively”. Rumbaugh suggested that it is likely, considering the history of ALCM development, that a conventional variant of the LRSO could be developed. Because LRSO is expected to have a longer range than the JASSM-ER, it means that the USAF would look into this as an option to add to its arsenal. “SEAD is a very important mission. And one that is of particular importance for the American way of war that is very reliant on using its air force for access and has relied on air dominance and air supremacy as a cornerstone of the American way of fighting conflicts. So ensuring a long range stand-off capability for the US Air Force is quite important,” Rumbaugh explained.

Sino-Russian efforts For other countries ALCMs are equally as important a weapon but for very different reasons. For Russia and China these weapons are an essential part of their anti-access area denial (A2AD) defensive strategies that aims to keep US naval and air power at a distance from their shores. Russia has been investing in ALCMs since the early 2000s and has been developing its long-range strike capabilities. Russia’s main LACM is the

Like the USAF B-52 the Tu-95 Bear is a 1950s vintage design. However, recent upgrades have allowed the aircraft to be equipped with up to eight Kh-101/102 cruise missiles. Russia’s TASS agency reported in August that a contract has been signed to upgrade the aircraft to the Tu-95MSM standard UK MOD

The capabilities of the JASSM cruise missile are being updated with new variants to ensure that the weapon remains capable in the near future. The USAF will rely on this missile in any long-range missile exchange Lockheed Martin

“Being able to single [ships] out and penetrate advanced defensive systems is a critical warfighting capability” Kh-101 that can reach speeds of Mach 0.8 and a range of up to 4,500km. The weapon was fired for the first time in Syria in 2015 fitted to the new Tu-160 Blackjack and Tu-95MSM Bear-H strategic bombers. The nuclear-capable Kh-102 variant is also operational. It uses GLONASS, the Russian version of GPS with TERCOM for guidance and IIR in the terminal phase. Russia also uses the Club-A air-launched ASCM and LACM variant of the 3M-54 Kalibr ship- and submarine-launched cruise missile and the existing Kh-59 LACM has been around since the 1970s – although newer variants have upgraded electronics and guidance, increased range and payload.

To boost its LACM capability, Russia’s Tactical Missiles Corporation completed the development of the Grom-E1 cruise missile in 2019 designed for the Russian Air Force’s fourth and fifth generation fighters. At the MAKS 2015 exhibition the Grom-E1 was seen fitted under the wing of a MiG-35. With a weight of 594kg, length of 4.2m and using INS and GLONASS guidance it can be launched from 120km away but operates at high speed delivering a large high explosive warhead. Russia is developing the Kh-50, a subsonic cruise missile also known as the X-50 with a reported range of up to 1,500km. Development is ongoing and although tests were conducted in 2016 little has been reported since then. Meanwhile, the joint Indian/Russian Brahmos-A variant is undergoing trials and has achieved a fleet release clearance for use on the Su30MKI aircraft. It has a range of 290km and speed of Mach 2.8 and a new smaller/ lighter Brahmos-NG (Next Generation) variant is also being studied for possible

use on smaller platforms. China’s ALCM development was kick-started with assistance from Russia in the early 2000s but since then it has been providing ever larger funds for the development of its own missiles and wants to increase its inventory in the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). The main weapons include the Changjian-20 (CJ-20), KD-63, YJ-83K and YJ-12. These are being fitted to the PLAAF’s H-6 bomber but the service is also starting to fit them to its newer aircraft including the J-16 and J-10C fighters. The CJ-20 is the air-launched variant of the CJ-10 ground-launched LACM and reportedly entered service in 2018. It is a subsonic weapon using GPS and TERCOM for guidance and is likely already fitted to the new long-range H-6N bomber (unveiled in 2019) and is thought to have a range estimated at about 1,500-2,200km. The US DOD’s 2021 annual report on China stated that the existing modernised H-6K bomber can carry up to six CJ-20

An artist’s impression of the LRASM being fired from a F/A-18 fighter. It is expected to become the second most common ALCM after the JASSM BAE Systems

January2022 47

An upgraded variant of the H-6, the H-6K bomber of China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force. It has about a dozen in service with up to six spaces for a variety of different cruise or stand-off missiles Japan MOD

LACMs giving the PLAAF “the ability to engage US forces as far away as Guam.” It added: “The PLAN is currently fielding the H-6J bomber, a maritime derivative of the H-6K, which can carry up to six supersonic YJ-12 ASCMs each, allowing for saturation attacks against US naval groups within the Second Island Chain. ”These will supplement the existing PLAN H-6G bombers capable of carrying up to four YJ-12 ASCMs.” The YJ-12 has been in-service since the 2000s. It has a range of 400km and operates at high speeds of Mach 3 making it difficult to engage and represents the mainstay of China’s A2AD capability and a considerable threat to the US Navy. To add to this threat, in 2018 the CSIS Missile Defense Project reported that China had test-fired its new HD-1A supersonic cruise missile – known as an aircraft carrier killer. With a range of 290km it uses GPS and IIR guidance and is undergoing trials with plans to fit them to the PLAAF’s fleet of bombers and fighters.

Saab’s RBS15 Mk4 Gungnir cruise missile is the latest development in the family of missiles intended to keep the design relevant and effective in future conflicts Saab

48 January2022

Global expansion Other notable advances include the development of the RBS15 Mk4 ‘Gungnir’ ASCM from Swedish company Saab. It has been slated to have a range of 300km using active radar guidance. Missile development and platform integration work with the Gripen fighter is underway with plans for an introduction into service in 2025. It is also available for surface-launch. In Turkey, Roketsan – in partnership with Lockheed Martin – has developed the SOM-J stand-off cruise missile that was to be used on the F-35 aircraft, although the country has been removed from the stealth fighter programme following its acquisition of the Russian S-400 missile defence system. A development of the earlier SOM-A and -B cruise missiles the -J variant will have an armour-piercing warhead. Roketsan has also signed an agreement with Airbus to integrate SOM missiles onto the Typhoon fighter. Furthermore, Brazil’s Avibras is developing the 300km range Missil de Cruzeiro de Longo Alcance do Brasil (MICLA-BR) subsonic ASCM with plans to integrate the system onto the

Brazilian Air Force Gripen jets. It already completed trials on its F-5EM aircraft in 2019. Elsewhere Ukraine is developing the RK-360MT Neptune for its Su-24M aircraft. Deliveries of the land-based version were due to be delivered in 2021 under a contract between the Ukrainian MOD and manufacturer Luch Design Bureau. Given the nature of the modern, and evolving battlespace, the ability to deliver stand-off effect without risking human operator and gold-plated expensive platforms signifies the clear direction of travel for industry and operator alike. Not quite a new missile age, but the realisation and refinement of a capability that promises to influence operational planners, both offensive and defensive, for the foreseeable future.

Checking In What impact will advanced missile systems have in the next decade? Share your view at [email protected] under the subject heading Checking In.

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ISSUE 4 / 2020

SESAR 2+ DRONE THREATS

DRONE THREATS

Reforming orming the Single

Management European opean

reports with other data such as UTM scenarios to test the capabilities of the and ATM information, with integrability, sensors. Sparrow collected, assessed interoperability and scalability as key and classified the data, sharing it with drivers, so that it can also work within observers and allowing them to see how existing ATM and UTM environments.  the sensors behaved. All sensors were he NATO Communications and visuali ed on one screen, the Sparrow C2 The visualised Information Agency (NCIA) hosted a live (Command & Control) position position. w . aani rintegrated t r a f f ipan-tilt-zoom cmanagement.net trial at the Joint Nucleus Counter-UAS w w Using Test Center of the Ground Based Air camera control unit, the operator could Defence Command in the Netherlands get visual confirmation of the detection/ October 22, 2020. classification from the sensor and from September 28-October act accordingly. Next THOMAS TERSCHLUSEN 42 Solutions deployed its UAV threat Next, the C2 system Thomas is an independent business ritical information to a mitigation solution and interfaced it with disseminated critical development specialist and aerospace mobile app used by the security forces multiple sensor platforms. The system enthusiast who supports 42 Solutions was configured with electro-optical and and to an ATM air situation display display, 42 with sales and business development RF sensors as well as doppler radars to Solutions’ Merlin, providing everyone activities. As a private pilot, former air ensure maximised ed detection quality. with up-to-date information. traffic controller and air force officer, officer uring the trial, all sensor outputs were Sensor providers Rinicom, Robin Radar During Thomas served for numerous years recorded and the results made available and Rhode & Schwarz were associated in the French Air Force and then held for further analysis (see visual below) with the trials. The anti-UAS squad below): ANSPs various executive positions in business • The he yellow dots represent the drone’s from the Nordrhein Westfalen Police development, key account and sales flight log in Germany also participated, bringing management for companies that • The he red background shows that a valuable user experience. provide both airborne and ground-based he main goal of the trials was to drone has been detected and has been The CNS/ATM solutions. either classified by a sensor or the C2 assess the detection capabilities of all connected components, in particular threat assessment module the ARTEMIS RF detector developed • The he cone-shaped triangles show the by NCIA. Too compare the different corresponding detection envelope move in the same direction and design from the relevant RF sensor systems that fit it into a broader picture.  pictur detection profiles and performances, up was proposed • The he labels show the information as Whether hether intentional or unintentional, a technical trial set-up received from the sensors drone incursions will continue to cause by 42 Solutions, aimed at facilitating ar ne of the key aspects that came out unanticipated disruptions if they are One a cloud-like network, in which all of all debriefings was the necessity to not properly identified and dealt with. sensors would share their data. The Airports, ANSPs, security ecurity forces and have integrated solutions that combine interfaces of systems connected to law enforcement agencies all need to be Sparrow were developed by 42 Solutions, multiple interoperable sub-systems, working in a collaborative way to able to speak the same language when who also integrated their record and it comes to detecting and resolving an produce a comprehensive situational replay solution, Transcriber, allowing a awareness that can be understood synchronised ed replay of all sensors either incident. With increasing demand for unmanned flights, the global ATM, UTM and used by all parties. Standards and simultaneously or individually.  interface definitions are crucial so that The he Joint Nucleus Counter-UAS Test and UAS community needs to work on a the industry and the user community can plan to address these contingencies Center and NCIA staff developed several

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Munich Airport CEO Jost Lammers on recovery and growth

ADDRESSING DRONE THREATS COLLABORATIVELY nmanned aircraft are increasingly populating airspaces around the globe, whether they are being used for recreational purposes, operational applications or, in the future, for home delivery. When they operate in the vicinity of airports, they can pose a threat to safety and security, often forcing ATC and airport authorities to suspend activities and divert flights until the situation is resolved. Damage caused by unmanned systems colliding with airframes or being sucked into engine intakes may result in sudden loss of control or thrust. During take-off or landing, when airplanes have limited maneuverability due to their lower airspeeds, a drone collision can have tragic consequences. Drone sightings around of airports can be the result of unintentional incursions, often caused by recreational users lacking proper training or misunderstanding airspace restrictions. Such events can also be caused by technical failures of the drone-pilot datalinks. Certain UAS guidance systems include automated failsafe returnto-base protocols and geofencing, preventing unintended incursions. However, there is one scenario that remains at the forefront of concerns: rogue drones or non-co-operative

U

40 ISSUE 4

2020

unmanned systems flying unregistered and undeclared into regulated airspaces around airports or close to sensitive infrastructures. By default, such drones would definitely seek to stay out of any UTM system, with the intent to cause disruptions and harm flight operations.  Terrorist attacks or the Gatwick drone incident have shown us that outdated information, perceived as new, can lead to errors in judgement that complicate and prolong the joint response. There are drone detection solutions available that prevent mistakes caused by retention of outdated information and help organisations to reduce the time between detection and resolution to a minimum. The key is accurate information sharing to support adequate decision-making.

Outdated information, perceived as new, can lead to errors in judgement that complicate matters Thomas Terschlusen, 42 Solutions

42 Solutions’ Sparrow system provides threat mitigation to airfields increasingly exposed to non-co-operative unmanned aircraft activities. It was designed using findings established during the GAMMA project, a global ATM security management initiative funded by the European Union. GAMMA stems from the recognition that while the SESAR initiative is effectively addressing some security issues in new global ATM scenarios, there is a need to extend its scope to ensure a comprehensive assessment of security threats and vulnerabilities affecting the ATM ecosystem. GAMMA adopts a holistic approach to assess ATM security, using a ‘system of systems’, inclusive of all ATM assets and all forms of threats. Solely addressing drone threats without considering the ATM ecosystem as a whole will be of limited efficacy. Global incident management based on agile collaboration between all involved stakeholders is the key to ensuring efficient threat mitigation. To fulfill this need, Sparrow combines all critical functions to present the user with comprehensive situational awareness aimed at facilitating information-sharing, decision-making and threat management. The system can be connected to a variety of sensors of different technologies (ie, electro-optical, radar, RF). The system fuses sensor

The proposals are mainly concerned with structural changes and disconnect liability/responsibility from decision-making power

BULATSA Professor Klaus-Dieter Scheurle, ULATSA welcomes the Single CEO, DFS European Sky initiative and the goal to simplify the regulatory framework. It supports the SES vision and undertakes all necessary efforts to contribute to its high-level goals, as evidenced by the safe, quality and costbenefits we should focus on sustainable efficient services with a zero-delay policy provided after the Ukrainian crisis in 2014- fuels and technologies. The new SES2+ developments should 2019, despite the significant traffic increase – a 60% increase in 2019 compared to 2013. not lead to extra financial burdens on ANSPs and airspace users. However, Bulgaria was the first territory to have the mandatory terminal services its revised performance plan approved market opening, the new PRB funding with the measures taken to provide the through ANS charges and the additional necessary capacity. economic certification of ANSPs would In the current situation of the COVID-19 do this. A future single, EU-wide en route pandemic, the company has continued to charge could devalue competitive and demonstrate its reliability, capacity and cost-efficient services. The new ATM resilience to crises by providing safe and Data Service provision may lead to the continuous service. creation of monopolies and The revised SES2+ represents distribution of businesses a dramatic shift from the among several 2013 vision. The lack leading providers, of assessment of the Lack of assessment of in contradiction impact, risks, costs to the principles and benefits makes the impact, risks, costs it difficult to reach and benefits make it hard of fair and loyal competition. conclusions on the to reach conclusions on Data is a crucial pros and cons. Some part of ANS of the assumptions the pros and cons provision and has behind the new texts BULATSA implications relating belong to the pre-COVID to safety, security and times and are addressing cybersecurity. In any case, pre-COVID problems and market conditions in ANS should solutions. At the same time the be introduced with great caution. COVID-19 lessons learnt are missing. Some of the new proposals, such as the The expected environmental benefits approval of strategic investment plans are also too optimistic. As an example, by airspace users and elements of the according to the NM, the route network network functions, stray too much into efficiency in 2019 has been 97.18%, while the micromanagement of air navigation in 2020, despite the dramatic traffic services with questionable benefits, downturn, it is so far 97.43%. ATM’s while the responsibility remains with the contribution to emissions reduction States and the ANSPs. is very limited and many factors out We believe that only a total system of the ANSPs’ control need to be taken approach, collaborative work and into consideration, such as weather, decision-making – including input from avoidance of conflict areas, operational all relevant stakeholders – is the way to constraints, airlines’ preferences, etc. achieve the SES vision. Therefore, for real environmental

B share their reactions to the European Commission’s proposals

The war in the skies over Europe The EU and ANSPs go head to head over Sesar2+

minimum levels of service provision and on creating economic stimuli for ANSPs to provide capacity at a reasonable price. In other words, the regulator should create the parameters of demand for the services – safety, capacity – and ANSPs should be paid for delivering it to the maximum desirable extent. Or to leave the market to others.

is complicated, full of ambiguities and uncertainties in its interpretation. Despite this, I would like to stress just a few points which are difficult to understand and have no visible positive impact. The first is the length of the reference period: two years. Twoo years is the average lead time to set the targets, prepare the plans and approve them. The proposal thus condemns ANSPs to instant and continuous performance planning and the regulators to instant and continuous evaluation. Nice job for many officials, but with apparently no effect at all. Separate economic certification, which is also part of this proposal, falls into a similar category. The delegated acts and implementation equent than necessary. acts are also more frequent For example, the decision to delegate

NCIA trial visualisation of drone detections

The current SES2+ regulatory egulatory scheme is too oo prescriptive an Klas, CEO, ANS Czech Republic

service provision to subjects other than current ANSPs should always be in the hands of the owner of the asset (airspace), which is the State – with full respect to the view of the Commission, of course. The third point is price-setting, especially the separate unit rate for the upper airspace and modulation of charges. We all feel that the current route-charging system is obsolete and that it needs to be adapted to the needs of regulated monopoly services provided by commercial subjects. We have many examples in current regulated monopoly industries of how to set prices for the network and for service provision, all of which work. I suggest we take inspiration from these industries and not replicate the weaknesses of the current system. There are certainly some aspects I can support. Refraining from obligatory grouping of ANSPs and States into FABs is welcome. FABs have had many positive and negative effects. If we need to concentrate on the positive ones, we must have freedom of choice and this part of SES2+ is a step towards it. The focus of regulation on capacity in the European context is something I also appreciate. In summary, the current SES2 + regulatory scheme is too prescriptive; it deals to a great extent with micromanagement of ANSPs. And this is not the role of the regulator of any industry. The new regulatory scheme should focus on

DFS ny change of the SES framework must have the aim of creating the prerequisites for achieving an improved, interoperable European ATM system for all airspace users in all phase of flight that meets an agreed safety leve is ecologically sustainable and which enables an optimal economic operation, conforming to the requirements of Europe’s business locations. Changes ne to actually improve the status quo. A functioning SES requires a framewor for the performance regulation that recognises the different local requirements and creates incentives for the respective ANSPs to achieve their objectives. This certainly requires competent supervisory authorities. Nonetheless, the responsibility for performing the tasks assigned to them, and for achieving the objectives set by the competent supervisory authorities, still lies with the increasingly entrepreneurial ANSPs. At the same time, a Single European Sky requires competent and co-operativ management of the European network in which the system partners in air transport (in particular, civil and military airspace users, airports and ANSPs) work together to find the best operational solutions for optimising the European airspace. In this context, centralised and decentralised functions must be combined in accordance with th competence, responsibility and liability of the parties involved (ie, collaborative decision-making). Another important element for improving the European network is to promote the co-operation of ANSPs

A

ISSUE 4 2020

ISSUE 4 2020

ATM AWARDS Can ATM afford the post-COVID-19 recovery costs?

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The Asia-Pacific region has been badly impacted by the pandemic. Tom Batchelor looks at measures being taken by aviation stakeholders to ensure its recovery

50 January 2022

N

o part of the global aviation industry has emerged unscathed from COVID-19, but the Asia-Pacific region has undeniably fared worse than most when it comes to recovery. Collectively, the region’s airlines represent more than a third of global passenger and air cargo traffic. However, travel volumes in 2021 are around 6% of those seen in 2019 – according to the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) – compared to

around 30-40% of 2019 levels achieved in North America, Europe and the Middle East. The Asia-Pacific region also continues to have some of the most stringent travel restrictions amid a recent resurgence of the virus and the spread of its latest variant. However, there are glimmers of hope. Australia and Thailand, two big players, were the first to open up to international travel, and the green shoots of an aviation comeback have begun to emerge. With mature economies, such as Japan and New Zealand, coupled

with rapidly growing markets elsewhere, the Asia-Pacific region’s diverse markets should enable it to bounce back.

Cargo saves the day The booming cargo sector kept many aircraft in the sky, even in the darkest days of the pandemic. Hauling food and other consumer goods – not to mention virus-related equipment – between global distribution hubs was the “silver lining in the cloud, with traffic already exceeding 2019 levels”, said Subhas Menon, director general of the AAPA. “Strong demand for

intermediate goods as well as ‘work-fromhome’ supplies, coupled with congestion in major shipping ports, continue to boost cargo traffic,” he added. By 2040, the Asia-Pacific cargo fleet is expected to roughly equal North America’s. Seven of the top-ten airports for handling international freight are in Asia (although Memphis International Airport outdid formerly top-ranked Hong Kong International Airport in 2020, in terms of tons of cargo processed). “COVID-19 saw an extraordinary transformation: the emergence of

passenger jets converted temporarily to cargo aeroplanes – so-called ‘preighters’. But what airlines managed to do with the likes of PPE is not really sustainable. You’ve got relatively narrow doors, you’ve got cargo [that] tends to be bulky – there’s a reason why you need big cargo doors on cargo aeroplanes,” Mark Tierney, chief executive of aviation consultancy Crabtree Capital, explained to AIR International. “It will be interesting to see whether the ratios for cargo transported by full freighter, versus passenger belly, re-emerge,” he added. India’s Vistara, a joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, began operations in 2015. Its name is from the Sanskrit word vistaˉra, meaning ‘limitless expanse’ Air Vistara

January 2022 51

New kid on the block Australian low-cost start-up Bonza has its sights set on a chunk of the vast nation’s domestic airline market, with flights pencilled to begin in 2022. The company is currently working with regulatory authorities to ensure it is ready to launch, and has been in talks with a total of 46 airports across all Australian states and territories, to finalise initial destinations using Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft – which would make it the only Australian airline to use the type. “We thought that we would be leasing used aircraft, maybe five to ten years old, so what we’ve ended up with is a much better outcome,” Bonza founder Tim Jordan told Australian Aviation. “Of the 15 largest domestic aviation markets in the world, Australia is the only one with just one lowcost carrier, Jetstar, so that doesn’t sit right.” Backed by US private investment firm 777 Partners, the new airline will be based in an undisclosed location in Regional Australia, said to be northern New South Wales or southern Queensland, with a focus on linking airports that are favoured by leisure travellers and are currently underserved, shunning major routes between the biggest cities. Bonza – which means ‘excellent’ in Australian slang – hopes to win over “budget-conscious passengers travelling to previously neglected tourist destinations”. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Australian low-cost carrier start-up Bonza plans to use Boeing 737 MAX 8s, making it the only Australian airline to do so Bonza Aviation Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited recently opened its Integrated Hactl Control Centre – a single command centre that is manned 24 hours a day, seven days a week HACTL Airbus’s A321neo – shown here in use by AirAsia – has proven popular but there are concerns that it may be too small for the Asia-Pacific market AirAsia Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia is the country’s largest airline by fleet size and number of destinations AirAsia Philippine airline Cebu Pacific marks another domestic route launch Cebu Pacific One year after relaunching under new ownership, Virgin Australia Group has signed letters of intent to acquire an additional seven Boeing 737NGs, bringing its fleet to 84 aircraft Virgin Australia Group

52 January 2022

Shifting passenger demographics are also changing the sector. Business travel remains muted, with leisure given as the reason for flying for the majority of travellers. For example, in China, 96% of citizens said they would take to the skies when outbound movements are permitted, with 73% set to travel for leisure, according to the Cirium Traveller Intelligence Report. Although the China survey shows confidence in air travel, a shift in destinations was seen, with Southeast Asia replacing East Asia as the region of choice for international travel. Middle-class growth in China, and the Asia-Pacific region more widely, will also continue to drive changes, bringing opportunities but also challenges as the consumer base of airlines diversifies.

The cautious approach When it comes to route or fleet changes, many airlines are taking a cautious approach. The top regional Asia-Pacific route in 2019 was Kuala LumpurSingapore, but since COVID-19 that has been replaced by Hong Kong-Taipei. “Some popular routes in 2019 have

fallen off [the 2021] top-ten list,” June Lee, APAC marketing director at aviation analytics firm Cirium, told us. “These include the Hong Kong-Shanghai, OsakaSeoul, Bangkok-Singapore and TaipeiTokyo routes. The list could look quite different in Q1 [2022], with the recent addition of travel lanes from Singapore to Indonesia and India, as well as the opening of several Southeast Asia destinations in Vietnam and Thailand.” Analysts say “zero-COVID” government policies go some way to explaining the region’s slow restart relative to Europe and North America. Data provided to AIR International by Cirium for the 14 carriers within AAPA (from Air Astana to Thai Airways) showed they had 1,376 aircraft in service at the end of 2019, compared to 691 in the first quarter of 2020, and 949 at the end of the third quarter of 2021. Summarising the outlook, AAPA’s Menon said: “The airline industry in the region is still in crisis but hanging on with financial support as well as cost-cutting measures. The Asia-Pacific region has by far the most stringent travel restrictions and quarantine, none of which has been really eased since the start of the pandemic. Things are beginning to open up but only in places with higher and increasing vaccination rates.” But he added: “China is still pursuing a virus-elimination strategy, so Asia-Pacific is an overall laggard in terms of demand.” Air New Zealand, headquartered in one of the world’s most closed-off nations, is an interesting airline to watch. Prior to the lockdown that the New Zealand city of Auckland entered in August 2021, the country’s flag carrier had returned to near pre-pandemic levels of passengers flying on its domestic network, but “when borders reopen, the market will be different and we are very clear about where we intend to fly and how we will do so”, a spokesperson for the carrier told AIR International. “We will focus on increased frequency on single

sectors over water, where we connect to our partners via global hubs. We are planning for New York and will be bringing back Chicago, Houston, Honolulu, Tokyo, and Vancouver, too.”

A mixed bag It may have weathered the COVID-19 storm, but some of Air New Zealand’s neighbours were among the worst affected airlines globally. For example, Cathay Pacific’s subsidiary, Cathay Dragon, was closed, and Virgin Australia entered voluntary administration in 2020, before emerging

under the ownership of United States investment firm Bain Capital, with a smaller fleet made up of Boeing 737s. Elsewhere, a mixed picture has emerged. Indian low-cost carrier SpiceJet expanded its domestic and international offerings throughout the autumn, with nearly 70 new routes in total. Ajay Singh, SpiceJet’s chairman and managing director, said: “The launch of these new flights is a sign of steady revival not just for us, but for the entire aviation industry. SpiceJet will keep enhancing air connectivity by launching new flights that can support

the gradual comeback of Indian aviation to pre-pandemic levels.” Meanwhile, Cebu Pacific, which operates the widest domestic network in the Philippines, covering 33 domestic as well as ten international destinations, with a 73-strong fleet, saw revenues jump by nearly two-thirds in the third quarter of 2021 (compared to a year earlier), as domestic travel restrictions were eased. “We know 2020 has been one of the most challenging years for everyone,” said Felix Lopez, vice president for people and admin at Cebu Pacific. But he was “cautiously optimistic” for the future and hoped to “paint the skies yellow again” (a reference to the carrier’s distinctive paintwork). While established carriers adapt to the ‘new normal’, others have sought to capitalise on the disruption. In 2021, 20 start-up airlines were tracked in the Asia-Pacific region, including six cargo airlines that have commenced operation. A further 23 airlines are expected to start operations soon. Among them is Hong Kong start-up Greater Bay Airlines, which hopes to begin scheduled flights in early 2022, and plans to serve 104 destinations – the majority in mainland China. Another, Malaysia’s SKS Airways, is a proposed charter carrier based in Senai International Airport near the southern city of Johor Bahru.

Post-COVID aircraft choices Boeing issued a bullish forecast for the medium and long term in the Asia-Pacific region. In November 2021, the aircraft maker said it estimated air travel within these markets to account for nearly half of global air traffic by 2040. The data, part of Boeing’s 2021 Commercial Market Outlook (CMO), suggests Southeast Asian countries seeing rapid economic growth will benefit from fleet growth and passenger traffic well above global averages. Low-cost carriers are expected to expand intra-regional networks with single-aisle jets, and capitalise on new trade deals and open skies arrangements to expand long-haul routes. In Northeast Asia, “mature economies will continue to support a balanced airtravel market across domestic, regional and long-haul travel”, while in Oceania, domestic and regional travel – which accounts for 80% of passenger traffic January 2022 53

Old faithful Billed as “Asia’s boutique airline”, Bangkok Airways has been serving destinations across Thailand and Southeast Asia for more than 50 years, with a fleet comprising Airbus 319/320 aircraft and ATR72-600s, each painted with distinctive designs showcasing the exotic destinations the company serves. Bangkok Airways suffered losses of almost seven billion Thai baht (£158m) in the third quarter of 2021, Thailand’s strict COVID-19 lockdown rules having put a stop to international travel. However, it can still count 2021 as a partial success, at least, having been named World’s Best Regional Airline 2021 and Best Regional Airline in Asia 2021 in the Skytrax Institute World Airlines Awards. Explaining the reasons behind this top rating, despite the turmoil of the past 18 months, a spokeswoman told AIR International the airline’s “boutique experience” offering set it apart from its competitors. Reflecting on the past five decades, the spokeswoman added that Bangkok Airways had always needed to find its niche, when competing with the country’s flag carrier – whether choosing underserved leisure destinations or building airports in emerging tourist hotspots. Looking ahead, Bangkok Airways will continue to focus on domestic markets – where it feels more comfortable and has “a high experience level” – as well as other routes in Indo-China, while working closely with its code-share partners in “promoting Thai tourism and bringing [people] from around the world to our country”.

Samui Airport is privately owned and operated by Bangkok Airways, which operates the bulk of the flights to this popular tourist destination Bangkok Airways

54 January 2022

– will remain the driving force behind the industry’s growth. “We have seen strong resilience in Asia-Pacific traffic when restrictions are lifted and passengers feel confident about travel,” said Darren Hulst, Boeing vice president of commercial marketing. “Carriers with efficient and versatile fleets will be positioned to meet passenger needs and air freight demand with airplanes that reduce fuel use, emissions and operating costs.”

But it is not just Boeing’s single aisle jets, such as the MAX, that will play a pivotal role. Airbus’s A321neo family’s long-range variant also has the potential to redefine intercontinental travel. The type has already been purchased by carriers serving regional routes, including Air Arabia (linking Pakistan with the Gulf, for example), India’s IndiGo and China Southern Airlines (serving domestic routes) and VietJet (to connect Ho Chi

THIS PAGE, FROM TOP TO BOTTOM: UAE-based Air Arabia operates 52 Airbus A320s and six A321LRs, the A320neo’s long-range variant Air Arabia Air New Zealand Cargo serves 20 domestic airports and 30 international airports in 18 countries Air New Zealand One of the luckier Asia-Pacific airlines during the pandemic, Air New Zealand returned to almost pre-pandemic passenger numbers prior to the country’s August 2021 lockdown Air New Zealand

“It could be the case that, in the Asia-Pacific region, the demand is so big that the A321neo is too small” Mark Tierney, Crabtree Capital Minh City with Tokyo). Crabtree Capital’s Tierney said: “While the arrival of the A321neo is significant in most parts of the world (especially in its long-range and extra-long-range variants), it could be the case that, in the Asia-Pacific region, the volume of demand is just so big that the A321neo is too small.” Which countries are set to open up fastest? None of them appear to be doing so particularly quickly. Southeast Asia, however, looks a safer bet than China or Oceania for imminent travel. Henk Ombelet, head of advisory operations at Ascend, the aircraft valuation wing of Cirium, said his latest analysis showed that in all ten of the largest territories in the Asia-Pacific region (excluding China) international traffic is still “minimal”. He told AIR International: “This has most affected Singapore and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, where there is no domestic traffic, and international traffic is yet to restart [fully]. Singapore has instigated Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTL), but the impact so far is unclear. “Domestic traffic in the other eight countries has recovered to some degree, but in most it has been volatile, with local lockdowns severely impacting the already fragile traffic recovery several times during the last 18 months. Singapore and South Korea are starting to open up; Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia have partially re-opened to some destinations within the respective countries. This is driving the increases in total Asia-Pacific metrics witnessed over recent weeks.”

might sail through it, and other countries [that] are heavily dependent on tourism, for example, might really suffer.” That said, large-scale airport expansion projects are continuing, from Hong Kong International Airport’s planned third runway – set to open in 2022 – to the construction of a passenger terminal and a runway at Long Thanh International Airport in southern Vietnam, and many more besides. Work on Singapore Changi Airport’s fifth terminal has been paused, due to the pandemic, but the local government of Cavite province in

the Philippines is still eyeing a brand-new international airport project at Sangley Point, to ease pressure on Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Progress is also being made on a new airport in Siem Reap, Cambodia, which will replace the small airport currently serving Angkor Wat. As AIR International went to press, governments were reacting to the emergence of new COVID-19 variant Omicron. Its implications are yet to be seen, but global aviation will recover, and Asia-Pacific airlines will continue to play a leading role in its development. AI

Eco concerns It is not just COVID threatening to put the brakes on aviation growth in the region – concern over the impact flying has on the planet also threatens to temper demand. In September 2021, AAPA members committed to net-zero emissions by 2050, and Tierney said questions remain over whether climate change activism would dent demand for air transport. “If it does, that could be really significant, as a reduction in air traffic could have a very negative impact on economies. It might also be disproportionate – some countries January 2022 55

orne b p i sh B U K K / ’s most t in 9 2 ia or iG e M e Russ ent eff h t lped becom evelopmrepor ts e h ndia ramme ircraft d denov I w Ho r prog tical a r Mla e fight r tant tac lexande impo 000s. A the 2

g n i m o C The MiG-29K/KUB features a sophisticated FBW system that also provides automatic lift control at all flight regimes, by continuous in-flight scheduling of the slats, trailing-edge flaps, Krueger flaps, and tailplane, depending on the angle of attack and Mach number and without trim changes felt by the pilot Andrey Zinchuk

“The new naval fighter received its baptism by fire during the civil war in Syria, flying combat missions from the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov” 56 January 2022

e g a f o multi-role shipborne jet. An order was placed in 2012 for a derivative dubbed MiG-29KR/KUBR, with the first deliveries during 2013. As of late 2021, the total production run at the Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG (RAC MiG) was 69 series-production shipborne Fulcrums in addition to three pre-series machines built for testing and evaluation purposes. aunched in 2004, the ambitious MiG-29K/KUB fighter programme resulted in the first customer delivery of shipborne examples of the type – NATO callsign 'Fulcrum' – five years later. It also opened the doors to the development of a series of new-generation land-based derivatives for domestic use and export, now known as the MiG-35 and MiG-29M/M2 respectively. None of this would have happened had not India provided much-needed investment in the aircraft's development. The success of the revamped and exporttailored MiG-29K eventually prompted the Russian Ministry of Defence (MOD) to embrace the type as its new-generation

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A true multi-role jet Originally developed in the 1980s and the early 1990s, Russia’s first true multi-role deck-capable jet has emerged in the early 2000s thanks to the huge investment from India and the capabilities of the Russian aircraft and shipbuilding industry. The first Indian order comprised 12 single-seaters and four two-seaters, reportedly worth $740m. This figure also included the extensive development and testing activities to get the twoprogramme back on track after it was abruptly halted in the early 1990s due to a lack of funding in the Russian defence budget. Crisis-stricken RAC MiG embraced this as a formidable opportunity to resume the development

and production of the newgeneration shipborne MiG-29 derivative. The aircraft covered in the first order were delivered to the Indian Navy air arm between 2009 and 2011. A second order for 29 aircraft followed in March 2010, with the first examples delivered in 2012 and completed in 2016. The total value of both batches was estimated at $2.29bn. The MiG-29K/KUB was formally commissioned in service with the Indian Navy’s air arm in 2013. The contract for the sale, overhaul and refit of ex-Russian Navy aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov’s was signed between India and Russia in March 2004 together with the deal for the development and production of the shipborne Fulcrum. Originally priced at $750m, its delivery date was set for 2008 but cost disputes significantly delayed the refit effort and, in March 2010, a new price tag of $2.35bn was agreed. At the same time, a revised delivery schedule called for ship’s handover at the end of 2012. The aircraft carrier, renamed INS Vikramaditya, is 920ft (274m) long, has a full displacement of 45,300t and can accommodate between 16 and 24 MiG29K/KUBs plus 16 to 24 Ka-28/31 helicopters. During its long-delayed conversion, it received an extended flight deck, together with a newly-added 14º sky-ramp for conventional fighters January 2022 57

and a three-wire arrestor system. There are two take-off positions on the deck, each equipped with blast deflectors and restraints – dubbed the long and short one – providing the MiG-29K/KUB with a take-off run of 640ft and 410ft respectively.

Fast-track development Between 2004 and 2007, the design work conducted at RAC MiG resulted in the creation of a high-performance shipborne

fighter – designated izdeliye 9-41 for the single-seater and izdeliye 9-47 for the twin-seater – that was completely different from the MiG-29K’s original prototype, developed in the second half of the 1980s and first flown on July 23, 1988. The India-funded development and testing effort saw the use of two newlybuilt pre-production aircraft – a twoseater and a single-seater with a common fuselage design. The first made its maiden

Diverse arsenal

flight on January 20 and the second on June 25, 2007, but the two-seater was lost in a fatal crash in June 2011, killing both test pilots. A new two-seater was built to continue the testing and evaluation effort, but it was also lost in an accident in December 2015, killing one of its pilots. The first production-standard example for the Indian Navy made its maiden flight on March 18, 2008. Delivered in December 2009, the MiG29K/KUBs were taken on strength by the 303rd ‘Black Panthers’ squadron (INAS 303), home-based on board INS Hansa in Goa, with their formal induction into service reported on February 19, 2010. The second Indian order numbered 29 aircraft with an estimated price of about $1.5bn. Placed in March 2010, it represented an exercising of the option for purchasing more MiG-29K/KUBs in the original 2004 purchase contract, with deliveries completed in 2016.

Russian Navy orders

The OLD-UEM electro-optic targeting system incorporates infrared, laser and TV sensors, with its laser rangefinder capable of being used in engagements of air and surface targets at ranges up to 8nm. The pre-series single-seater (pictured) comes armed with dummy R-73 and R-77 rounds Rosoboronexport

The MiG-29K/KUB is fitted with nine pylons for carrying weapons – eight under the wings and one beneath the fuselage. In addition, the two innermost underwing pylons can be equipped with tandem bomb racks, increasing the number of available hardpoints to 13. The air-to-air weapons, integrated on the Indian aircraft include a mixture of R-77 (RVV-AE) beyond visual range (BVR) and R-73E within visual range (WVR) missiles – up to eight can be carried in different combinations, or six plus two underwing fuel tanks. The air-to-surface missile options include the Kh-31A (AS-17 Krypton) and Kh-35E/UE (AS-20 Kayak) active radar-homing anti-ship missiles as well as the Kh-31P anti-radiation missile and Kh-29T/TE (AS-14 Kedge) TV-guided missile – up to four can be carried under the wings. The guided bomb options include up to four KAB-500Kr 1,100lb TV-guided bombs. The MiG-29K/KUB can also use a rich unguided weapons selection including free–fall bombs weighting up to 1,100lb each and various rockets. The maximum combat load is 12,100lb. The naval jet retains the tried GSh-301 30mm cannon with 150 rounds, which is accommodated in the port leading-edge extension. The MiG-29K/KUBs built for the Russian naval air arm replace the Indian and Israeli systems with Russian-made equivalents – for example, the Tarang RWR has been superseded by the SPO-150 Pastel. The Russian Navy’s shipborne Fulcrums were also made capable of using the non-export versions of all air-to-surface guided weapons already integrated on the Indian MiG-29K/KUBs, which, as a rule, boast higher performance than that of their export derivatives. The list of the air-to-air weapons, already integrated on the Russian MiG-29K/KUB fleet includes the new R-77-1 (RVV-SD) BVR missile with a maximum range in head-on engagements at high altitude of 60nm (110km) and the RVV-MD WVR missile, a vastly improved R-73 derivative.

58 January 2022

The rapid progress of the MiG-29K/KUB programme, with smooth development and testing, eventually prompted the Russian MOD to place an order for 20 single-seat and four two-seat shipborne Fulcrums. This contract was eventually awarded to RAC MiG in February 2012. The aircraft, built in a Russified subversion – designated MiG-29KR for the single-seater and MiG-29KUB for the twoseater – were delivered between 2013 and 2015, while the testing programme was reported as completed in 2018. The first aircraft was handed over in November 2013 and all 24 had been delivered by mid-2015. The first training flights of the Russian Naval Aviation pilots converting to the type were flown from October the same year. Shipborne Fulcrums were used to equip the 100th OKIAP, a brand-new twosquadron regiment formally established at Yeisk on December 1, 2015, and assigned to Russian Navy’s Northern Fleet. Eight months later, the 100th ferried its MiG29KR/KUBRs to the permanent base at Severmorsk-3 on the Kola peninsula and immediately began training aboard Admiral Kuznetsov, the sole Russian Navy aircraft carrier. The MiG-29K/KUB sports a true multirole capability, affording the Admiral Kuznetsov with a proper air power projection role. The new naval fighter received its baptism in fire during the civil war in Syria, flying its first combat missions from Admiral Kuznetsov, tasked with combat air patrols and delivering strikes on land targets of the antiAssad forces. Four fighters (three singleseat and one two-seat aircraft) were deployed onboard Admiral Kuznetsov during its combat cruise in the eastern Mediterranean between October 2016 and February 2017. During the cruise, the MiG-29KR/KUBR was cycled through its

ABOVE: The first batch of shipborne Fulcrums ordered by India in 2004 comprised 16 aircraft: 12 MiG-29K single-seaters and four MiG-29KUB two-seaters RAC MiG BELOW: Initial ship compatibility triails of the shipborne Fulcrum were carried out in late September 2009, involving one of the pre-production jets together with a production-standard MiG-29KUB two-seater built for the Indian Navy, with flight operations conducted from the desk of the Russian Navy aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov sailing in Barents Sea RAC MiG

carrier simulator complex at Saki in the Crimean peninsula. In March 2021, the 100th reported its first forward deployment to Rogachevo airfield in the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, to stand on quick reaction alert (QRA). The MiG-29KRs replaced the MiG-31BMs originally deployed at Rogachevo in January the same year. According to the Russian MOD, the reason for activating the 24/7 forward-QRA station at Novaya Zemlya was to extend the reach of its fighters into the Arctic region and significantly expand airspace control along the waters of the Northern Sea Route at its westernmost end. This policy will undoubtedly see more forward deployments of the 100th OKIAP, while desk operations are expected to resume in 2023 at the earliest, following the completion of Admiral Kuznetsov’s muchprotracted refit and overhaul.

Size optimisation

field-testing programme, which included a number of real-world combat sorties against anti-Assad targets in Syria. These were flown from both the carrier and Hmeimim/Latakya air base, employing unguided and guided ordnance. The naval Fulcrum was spotted on the carrier totting the KAB-500Kr 1,100lb (500kg) TV-guided bombs/missiles and OFAB-250 550lb (250kg) free-fall fragmentation/ high-explosive bombs.

One single-seater was lost in the course of these operations on November 21, 2016, due to problems with Admiral Kuznetsov’s arresting gear. Another single seater was heavily damaged, presumably beyond repair, in a landing accident at Severomorsk-3. After Admiral Kuznetsov’s entry into a protracted overhaul and refit in 2017, the 100th OKIAP continued its training operations at Severomorsk-3, with occasional deployments to Nitka ground

The MiG-29K/KUB features a number of significant design alterations compared to the baseline Fulcrum, introduced in a bid to make it suited for shipborne operations. The package of navalspecific features enables the 18.5t twinjet to operate from small-size aircraft carriers (above 28,000t of displacement), fitted with a sky-ramp for launches and arrested landings at high weights. Most of the design features were tested on the original MiG-29K prototypes (known under the internal RAC MiG designation izdelyie 9-31) in the late 1980s and early 1990s, including the increased-area folding wings, as well as the beefed-up undercarriage. The airframe incorporates about 15% composite materials. The internal fuel tanks were larger than the baseline Fulcrum, holding 11,463lb of kerosene, equal to 6,666 litres of the single-seater, and featuring a 1,082lb/630litre internal tank housed just behind

The MiG-29KR/KUBR provides the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier with a new capability of mounting precise strikes against ground target. Its arsenal incorporates laser- and TV-guided munitions such as the Kh-29T/L missile, Kh-31P high-speed anti-radiation missile and Kh35U anti-ship missile (seen here) in addition to KAB-500L and KAB-500Kr bombs RAC MiG

January 2022 59

the cockpit. Due to the placement of the rear cockpit, the MiG-29KUB’s internal capacity was 7% less. In addition to the internal tankage, the shipborne Fulcrum introduced a new 2,150-litre underfuselage fuel tank, as well as up to four 1,150-litre underwing drop tanks. The aircraft also features a fully-retractable inflight refuelling probe to the port of the windscreen and can also be used as a buddy tanker, equipped with a PAZ-1MK refuelling pod under the fuselage. The MiG-29K/KUB boasts highlyautomated wing mechanisation, including large double-slot trailing edge flaps, double-slot leading edge slats and drooping ailerons. It also introduced the so-called Krueger flaps, small leading edge vortex controllers extending from the wing root, for low-speed stability improvement and deployed on landing to reduce oscillations on the glide path. The jet comes equipped with the KSU9.41 quadruple-channel digital fly-by-

60 January 2022

wire (FBW) flight control system, featuring envelope protection, autothrottle and in-flight load alleviation functions, as well as a custom-made mode for improving stability and controllability during air-to-air refuelling.

Mission avionics The mission avionics includes the PrNK29K integrated targeting and navigation suite, developed by the Ramenskoye Instrument Design Bureau. It is based on a quad-channel Mil-Std-1553 avionics databus with the most important system of the suite being the Phazotron-NIIR FGM-129 Zhuk-ME Pulse-Doppler radar with mechanically-scanned slotted antenna. This works in both air-to-air and air-to-surface modes and has a multiple-target engagement capability, with a claimed maximum detection range of about 81nm and acquisition range of 65nm against fighter-size targets. In the air-to-surface mode, its maximum detection range against large-size ships

extends to 161nm. The radar has the capability to track up to ten air targets and generate targeting data for the engagement of four of these with R-77 or R-77-1 BVR active-radar missiles. The list of the air-to surface modes also includes a high-resolution terrain mapping mode. The ground and sea target positioning accuracy provided by the FGM-129 is advertised to be within 16ft, while radar’s claimed resolution in the airto-surface mode is within 10ft. The NIIP OLS-UEM is an electro-optical (EO) search-and-track system installed in the nose. Capable of operating 900 left and right (in azimuth), 150 down and 600 up (in elevation), it incorporates infrared, laser and TV sensors. It works in both air-to-air and air-to-surface modes; in the former, it is capable of detecting and automatically tracking air targets in tail-on engagements at a maximum distance of 24nm, while the head-on detection range is up to 8nm.

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: MiG-29K/KUB pilots are provided with an improved Zvezda K-36D-3.5 zero-zero ejection seat RAC MiG The extensive wing mechanisation of the shipborne Fulcrum provides considerable reduction in approach speed, resulting in a comfortable angle of attack for the pilot on the final and while touching down RAC MiG MiG-29K/KUB development was largely completed by 2010, while the type’s serial production was launched two years earlier and the first customer deliveries took place in 2009 Rosoboronexport

MiG-29K specification Dimensions Length Wingspan Height Areas Wing area Weights Normal take-off Maximum take-off Performance Maximum speed at sea level Maximum speed at high altitude Ceiling Ferry range on internal fuel Ferry range with three drop tanks

56ft 9in (17.3m) 39ft 4in (11.00m) 14ft 5in (4.4m)

The third component of the MiG-29K/ KUB’s sophisticated targeting suite is the Thales TopSight helmet-mounted sight and display (HMSD) system equipping the Indian Navy aircraft, while the Russian jets use a less-capable indigenous system. The TopSight enables off-boresight target designation and cueing of the EO system, radar, INS and the seekers of IR- and TV-guided air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles. The French-made HMSD also facilitates off-boresight visual acquisition in both the air-to-air and air-to-surface modes, by using target position data derived from the EO sensor, radar, INS

and missile seekers – this is claimed to be useful for improving the pilots’ situational awareness. The MiG-29K/KUB also features a provision for using a targeting pod and its open-architecture avionics design is claimed as being able to allow easy integration of additional Russian and Western-made systems in the future. The Indian MiG-29K/KUBs incorporates another important non-Russian mission system: the IAI Elta EL/L-8222 podded self-protection jammer system, which can be installed on the outer starboard underwing pylon and is intended for use as a self-escort jammer. The aircraft’s self-protection suite also uses the Indianmade Tarang radar-warning-receiver (RWR). In addition to the two non-Russian electronic systems, the aircraft’s selfprotection suite has a pair of Russianmade downwards-firing 50mm chaff/flare dispensers on the outer side of the engine nacelles below the fins, each containing 16 rounds. RAC MiG also claims that a complex of design measures was implemented for a significant radar cross-section reduction in order to enhance the aircraft’s survivability when facing radar threats. The communication, navigation and identification (CNI) suite of the Indian shipborne Fulcrums incorporates an eclectic mixture of French, Indian and Russia equipment, with most if not all of the systems already integrated on the Indian Air Force’s Su-30MKIs. French equipment is represented by the high-

RAC MiG’s designers developed an all-new fuselage for the shipborne Fulcrum, featuring extensive corrosion protection and many all-new systems, while power is provided by an uprated and fully-marinised derivative of the Klimov RD-33K jet engine Alexander Mladenov

460sq ft (43sq m) 40,884lb (18,550kg) 54,013lb (24 500kg) 756kt (1,400km/h) 1,188kt (2,200km/h) 57,400ft (17,500m) 1,080nm (2,000km) 1,620nm (3,000km)

January 2022 61

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Simultaneous use of both take-off positions at INS Vikramaditya (seen here) and Admiral Kuznetsov increase the launch rates in an effort to reduce overall take-off time in the event of large group operations Rosoboronexport The dorsal spine of the shipborne Fulcrum terminates in a beaver tail with a hydraulicallydriven square-section arrester hook installed bellow. This aircraft is equipped with a PAZ-1MK refuelling pod between the engine trunks Alexander Mladenov The initial four shipborne jets built for the Indian Navy’s air arm rolled off the line at the RAC MiG final assembly facility in Lukhovitsy near Moscow in 2008-2009. These were initially utilised for the conversion-to-type training of the first group of nine Indian instructor pilots – this was made in Russia and took nine months to complete RAC MiG

performance Sagem Sigma 95N inertial navigation system (INS) with integrated GPS receiver for accurate navigation and targeting; this was also retained on the Russian Navy Fulcrums. The list of the Indian-made equipment in the jet includes a radio altimeter, TACAN short-range navigation system, VOR/ ILS/MRK navigation aids and IFF and UHF/VHF radios. The Russian hardware is represented by the R-800L2 VHF/ HF comms radios and the R-098 jamresistant secure tactical datalink system for sharing targeting and navigation data, as well as the A380MS instrument carrier landing system. The full-digital glass cockpit is outfitted with Russian-made equipment such as a large monochrome IKSh-1M head-up display (HUD) with 260 field of view (FoV) augmented by three side-by-side 6x8in MFI-10-7 LCD displays on the two-seater, which has a total of seven displays.

More MiG-29K/KUBs India seems committed to continue ordering more MiG-29K/KUBs according to Vladimir Drozhzhov, deputy head of the Russian Federal Service for MilitaryTechnical Cooperation (the country’s arms export control body). Speaking to the press in February 2021, he said that his service had received a preliminary request from India for the purchase of additional shipborne fighters. These are most likely to equip a third squadron with the type, intended to operate off the desk of INS Vikrant, the first Indian-built aircraft carrier set for commissioning in 2023. In July 2021, Dmitry Shugaev, the head of the Russian Federal Service for MilitaryTechnical Cooperation, confirmed the Indian interest in the procurement of additional MiG-29K/KUBs and also hinted that Russia has already held consultations with India on the upgrade of the existing shipborne Fulcrum fleet. Currently, the Indian Navy has a fleet of 41 aircraft in active service out of 45 received. These are assigned to two 62 January 2022

squadrons: INAS 303 stationed at INS Dega in Visakhapatnam and INAS 300 at Hansa in Goa. The former is an operation squadron, while the latter is the training squadron for the type. In addition, Russia

touts a significantly improved MiG-29K/ KUB derivative for the hotly-contested tender for 57 multi-role carrier-borne fighters (MRCBF), but selection of a winner is far in the future.

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Strike action

Incidents of laser strikes on aircraft are serious threats to those on board. Mark Broadbent looks at how the problem is being tackled

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ric Bellings flies for the emergency helicopter operator Flight for Life Colorado. His aircraft was struck by a laser while flying in October 2021, and he told AIR International: “I have personally experienced these laser strikes on multiple occasions.” Bellings added: “I was struck twice on the same night – the last one taking the base out of service and sending the three of us to eye doctors. Luckily, no one was hurt or had permanent eye damage. “As pilots, and particularly helicopter pilots, we are met with an ever-changing environment that [can] alter the mission and our number-one goal of getting home safe,” Bellings continued.

64 January 2022

“Laser strikes pose a threat to my entire crew, our patients and the people we are flying over. To my knowledge, no pilot has crashed an aircraft due to a laser strike. However, the possibility exists and it adds immense pressure to making sure the mission is completed safely. “[Among] our pilots’ most valuable assets are their eyes – if you take [their

vision] away, even for a moment, it can become very difficult to control the aircraft, if not impossible.” Bellings added: “With the landings typically in a confined area with obstacles around, the addition of a laser strike with even a moment’s blindness could [have] a tragic ending. As air medical pilots and crews, we are on a mission to save someone’s life, [but] laser strikes put everyone’s life on the line. At a minimum, it is an unnecessary distraction with the potential of putting the base out of service while the crew members have their eyes examined.”

“I have experienced these laser strikes on multiple occasions”

Attacks increase

Eric Bellings, Flight for Life Colorado

A US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) statement to AIR International said: “Shining a laser at an aircraft

poses a serious safety threat and can temporarily blind a pilot. [It] not only affects the crew but endangers passengers and the communities they fly over every night.” Laser attacks on aircraft occurred far more regularly during the 2010s (see tables). According to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), laser attacks in the UK were most common near large airports. The CAA’s records show that in 2018 (the latest date for which data is available) there were 77 incidents at London/Heathrow, 67 at Manchester, 55 at London/Gatwick and 43 at Birmingham Airport. UK incidents in 2016 included widely reported attacks on Virgin Atlantic Airways and British Airways flights at

London/Heathrow Airport in the space of little over a week. A separate July 2017 incident saw a UK airliner targeted by a green laser during its approach to land at an undisclosed airport. The aircraft landed safely, but a CAA statement noted: “The laser temporarily impaired the vision of one of the pilots, who had to hand over control to the co-pilot. On the ground, the pilot was deemed unfit to fly until they recovered normal vision.” Fewer attacks occurred in the UK in 2017-18, according to the publicly available CAA data, but more recent FAA figures have revealed attacks are on the rise in the US once again. In 2016, the FAA’s numbers show there were 7,398 laser incidents. The

Protesters flash laser lights at a police helicopter during a rally at Tamar Park, Hong Kong Ivan Abreu/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

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number fell to 6,754 in 2017 and further again in 2018, to 5,663. However, in 2019 there were 6,136 attacks and in 2020 another 6,852, despite there being fewer flights in the latter year, due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on travel. In October 2021, the FAA revealed it had received 7,186 laser strike reports since the start of 2021, meaning the 2020 total was comfortably exceeded in the first ten months of the year. An additional FAA statement to AIR International said the agency, “has received 197 reports from pilots stating they received an injury related to a laser strike between 2010-20”.

Protecting pilots

Logging laser strikes

Emergency helicopter operator Flight for Life Colorado is among the organisations to have had its aircraft targeted by lasers Flight for Life Colorado

In the US, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) uses a visualisation tool that analyses laser strike data to identify trends in laser incidents. Tableau is big-data software developed by Washington, DC-based IT and management consulting firm Tantus Technologies. The FAA adopted it back in 2013 and uses it to gather data and get insights across various types of data within the organisation, including air traffic operations, workforce planning, financial data and IT. According to the Tableau website, the software “helps people see and understand data”. An FAA statement to AIR International said: “The FAA is sharing the information in the new format, to draw attention to the dangerously high rate of laser strikes on airplanes.” The laser-strike application within Tableau can identify incidents by geographic area, per capita data, time of day and year. In terms of helping to solve the issue, it is unclear exactly what the direct operational impact will be of using Tableau to present information about laser incidents that have already happened. However, the agency stresses the tool is part of its efforts to raise awareness about laser misuse. FAA administrator Steve Dickson said: “There is a need for education, outreach and co-operation from the public to address this safety risk. We encourage the public to report laser strikes to the FAA via our website or [a] local law enforcement agency.”

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With laser attacks on the rise over the long term, some developers have created specialist eyewear that provides protection for pilots in the event of a laser being directed at them in flight. For example, Metamaterial Technologies Inc (MTI) manufactures metaAIR, which it describes as a “premium holographic optical filter” to protect from glare. The product can be applied on riot shields, security cameras, visors, and camera lenses. MTI worked with Airbus to develop the product into specialist glasses suitable for pilots. According to MTI, metaAIR also offers a filter for night flights, an antireflective coating, UV protection, customengineered frames and are “colour balanced for optimal comprehension of cockpit instruments and airport lights”. PerriQuest is another specialist laserdefence eyewear manufacturer. On the company’s website, it states its product blocks laser colours on the red, green and blue wavelengths as well as ambient light. The company added: “Although attempts to restrict sales of hand-held lasers have begun, the components to build high-power lasers remain on the market, and powerful handheld lasers are easily assembled.” TOP RIGHT: The FAA’s ‘Lose the laser’ video campaign is just one element of a long-running drive to educate the public about the dangers that lasers pose to aviation Federal Aviation Administration MIDDLE RIGHT: Pilot Eric Bellings of Flight for Life Colorado has experienced laser strikes on multiple occasions Flight for Life Colorado TOP LEFT: metaAIR is a “premium holographic optical filter” designed to offer glare protection metaAIR MIDDLE LEFT: Specialist protection, such as eyewear, matters, given the increased number of laser strikes metaAIR

“With landings typically in a confined area with obstacles, the addition of a laser strike with even a moment’s blindness could have a tragic ending” Eric Bellings, Flight for Life Colorado Legislation and fines Eric Bellings told AIR International he believes “some form of laser protection for the pilot and/or in the aircraft would be beneficial” – but what can be done to combat the laser menace at its source? In the UK, the Laser Misuse (Vehicles) Act 2018 means it is an offence to shine a laser directly towards an aircraft or air traffic control tower. Those found guilty can face an unlimited fine and even a jail sentence of up to five years for endangering an aircraft. Speaking in a House of Commons debate regarding the bill in April 2018, the Conservative MP for South Holland and The Deepings, Sir John Hayes, said: “The need for legislation is proven simply on the basis that we know that these things

Laser incidents at UK airports 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

746 1,500 1,912 1,571 1,396 1,447 1,439 1,260 989 775

Data: UK Civil Aviation Authority

can be used by those with malevolent intent to do damage and that they may well get access to a device that can be bought for as little as £1 on the internet.” A statement to AIR International from East Midlands Airport said: “Laser strikes are a criminal offence and therefore a matter for the police. If one occurs, our response involves logging it and reporting it to the police.” The CAA co-ordinates the activities of the UK Laser Working Group – a joint initiative with the aviation industry that exists “to identify key risks associated with laser attacks”. In the US, the FAA told AIR International it “remains vigilant in raising awareness about the dangers of pointing lasers at aircraft, and works with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies”.

Laser incidents involving UK operators flying overseas 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

125 286 366 218 329 317 352 275 243 156

Data: UK Civil Aviation Authority

The FAA believes outreach is helping reduce the number of laser strikes Federal Aviation Administration

It said: “The FAA encourages the public to report laser strikes to the FAA and local law enforcement. People who shine lasers at aircraft face FAA fines of up to $11,000 per violation and up to $30,800 for multiple laser incidents. “The FAA has issued $600,000 in fines since 2016, which includes $120,000 in 2021. Violators can also face criminal penalties from federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.” Eric Bellings believes laser attacks, “can be mitigated if the local, state, and the federal government put more pressure on the growing problem with stricter punishments and ways to catch the individuals doing it”. He added: “We need to be proactive with this growing problem, instead of reactive, so we can prevent an aircraft accident due to a laser strike. “I hope, in our ever-changing world, we can continue to bring more awareness to this problem and bring everyone home safely, with the best possible outcomes.”

Checking In How do you think the laser strike issue should be tackled? Share your view by emailing us at: [email protected] under the subject heading Checking In.

January 2022 67

RETAINING THE RETAINING THE

COMBAT EDGE

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Balancing the need to sustain its fleet while embarking on key bomber and fighter procurement programmes, the US Air Force finds itself pressured as the demand to meet new challenges increases. Richard Thomas highlights and explores the key issues

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eleasing its Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) budget proposal on May 28, 2021, the United States Department of the Air Force stated that its focus would be on investing in people and capability, while working to build a force fit to fight the battles of the future. The request itself amounted to $173.7bn, including the budget of the US Air Force (USAF) and US Space Force (USSF) – split $156.3bn (a +2.3% increase compared to the previous year) and $17.4bn (a +13.1% increase), respectively. The FY22 procurement budget was set at $25.6bn, with the USAF’s portion representing $22.9bn, which would aid in the purchase of, among others, platforms such as the F-35 fighter, KC-46 Pegasus tanker, F-15EX Eagle II, and MC-130J aircraft, to “ensure near-term readiness

while advancing fifth-generation aircraft to outpace competitors.” John Roth, Acting Secretary of the Air Force at the time, said that the budget “starts us on the path necessary to organise, train and equip the air and space forces to deter and, if necessary, defeat the challenges we anticipate in 2030 and beyond.” However, Roth signposted the balancing act that the service would have to make to ensure it would be in the best position to afford what it said it needed, including the secretive Next-Generation Air Dominance platform, which will replace the F-22 Raptor fleet. “[The budget proposal] not only funds the capabilities required today, but also where the Department of the Air Force needs to make trade-offs to invest in the capabilities required for future competition,” Roth said. The F-35A – one variant of a three-type design that encompasses the most expensive military development effort of all time – is a key element of the USAF’s future fleet All images: USAF, unless stated otherwise

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Less than 190 operational F-22 fighters were delivered to the USAF, with the number available for use thought to be considerably lower now

“[The budget proposal] not only funds the capabilities required today, but also where the Department of the Air Force needs to make trade-offs to invest in the capabilities required for future competition” The document’s proposed research, development, test and evaluation (RDT&E) FY22 budget specified “significant funding areas” to include further growth for the next-generation B-21 Raider bomber, the ancient B-52 platform and ever-hungry F-35 stealth fighter programme. However, in its own words, in order to focus resources on these and other modernisation efforts, the budget included proposals to reduce ageing, costs and less-than-capable legacy systems through the retirement of 48 F-15C/D and 47 F-16 C/D fighters; 42 A-10 ground attack aircraft; 20 RQ-4 Block 30 remote-piloted aircraft systems (RPAS); 18 KC-135 and 14 KC-10 tankers; 13 C-130H transporters; and four E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System airborne ground surveillance aircraft. In order to attempt to position itself for the future battlespace, the US Air Force saw – given the resources to hand 70 January2022

and the planned cost of upgrades and modernisation – the need to remove 188 aircraft from its roster, a sacrificial force larger than most countries’ entire fixedwing combat fleet. The proposal was not universally welcomed – in terms of the number of platforms being lost but also queries on planned acquisition budgets, particularly from the F-35 programme. A subsequent US Senate Armed Services Committee executive summary stated concern that the USAF “still budgets for a quantity below the stated production objectives of the F-35 programme.” The committee also iterated its further concern that the USAF had “squandered an opportunity to capitalise” on advanced purchases by budgeting for 48 aircraft in FY22, instead of the 60 aircraft that were planned for by the US Congress. A trio of industrial programmes offers up the clearest indication of the difficulties

facing the USAF in the coming years – it seeks to upgrade its fleet to a fifthgeneration force with the F-35A fighter; embark on the recapitalisation of the United States’ airborne nuclear deterrent with the Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B) programme; and determine the fate of the landmark F-22 Raptor.

Nuclear recapitalisation The year 2022 will be of huge importance to LRS-B prime Northrop Grumman and the programme as a whole, as it will signal the formal arrival of the B-21 Raider and bring the new-generation strategic stealth bomber out of the shadows and into public focus for the first time. The new bomber, which will be capable of delivering conventional weapons as well as thermonuclear warheads, is scheduled to be publicly rolled out in early 2022, before completing its first flight at some point later in the year.

The origin of the LRS-B programme can be traced back to the early 2000s, when the US Department of Defense (DOD) and USAF launched studies into the concept of a new, long-range strike platform under the Next-Generation Bomber (NGB) project. However, by 2009, the programme was effectively dead and the companies working on related proposals were told to halt development. The USAF subsequently began working on a family of affordable, long-range strike aircraft that would draw on the capabilities of the fifth-generation stealth fighters (F-22s/F-35s) that would be in operational service by the mid 2020s, to help the new bomber complete its mission set. This led to the rebirth of the initiative under the LRS-B branding. Following an evaluation by the USAF, Northrop Grumman was awarded the engineering and manufacturing development contract for the B-21. This was briefly disputed by the BoeingLockheed Martin team, which protested the decision to the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) in November 2015. However, this protest was denied by the GAO and Northrop Grumman continued working on the platform. According to current plans, the introduction of the B-21 will spell the end of the road for the USAF’s B-1B Lancer and B-2A Spirit fleets, which will be replaced by the new-generation bomber. The effect of this decision has already been felt by the Lancer fleet, which has since been reduced by 17 aircraft. The USAF intends to operate a future fleet of 225 bombers, which will be made up purely of B-21s and veteran B-52Hs (expected to remain in service until 2050). The USAF’s current bomber fleet totals 141 aircraft, comprising 45 B-1Bs, 20 B-2As and 76 B-52Hs. With the Lancer and Spirit being retired, this means the USAF will need to procure

Introduced in 1955, the B-52 has been a mainstay for the United States Air Force for decades, but is also expected to be axed before its centenary year

The B-21 Raider effort will see the production of 100 bombers intended to recapitalise the United States Air Force’s nuclear deterrent capability Northrop Grumman

The B1-B Lancer will be phased out of service with the introduction of the B-21, although, concerns have been raised about the overall number of bombers in service

at least 149 Raiders to make up its planned future force of 225 bombers. At present, no official announcement has been made regarding the total number of B-21s that will be purchased by the service, but the air arm states that “at least 100” will be acquired. As well as succeeding the B-1B Lancer and B-2A aircraft operationally – and acting as the service’s primary nuclearcapable strategic stealth bomber for the foreseeable future – the B-21 will be “a component of a larger family of systems for conventional long-range strikes,” the USAF said. It adds that the Raider will employ a “broad mix” of stand-off and direct attack munitions. It was initially reported that construction of the first prototype began in the summer of 2019. However, during a hearing of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces on June 8, 2021, it was confirmed by January2022 71

The B-2 Spirit (background) and older F-15 fleet will face different rates, with the former retained as part of the USAF’s bomber force while legacy airframes of the latter are removed

Darlene Costello, the USAF’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, that production of the first two B-21 test aircraft had been completed. In addition, while providing an update on the programme’s progress at the Air Force Association’s Air, Space and Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, on September 20, 2021, the newly appointed Secretary of the Air Force, Frank Kendall, confirmed that five prototypes had entered production. Although the first prototype will make its first flight in 2022, the second will be used solely as a ground test vehicle. The US Senate Armed Services Committee summary of the B-21 programme pointedly remarked that, although USAF and Global Strike Command had “consistently stated” that 225 bombers were necessary to “ensure victory in a near-peer conventional war”, the current roadmap would leave the US with 175 bombers (100 B-21s and 75 B-52s) until 2050, according to the committee. That number will dwindle further, to just 100 aircraft, when the B-52 eventually

Checking In Do you think fifth-generation fighters, such as the F-35, will be the deciding factor in tomorrow’s conflicts? Share your views by emailing us at: [email protected] under the subject heading Checking In.

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leaves service. The situation prompted the committee to encourage the US DOD to consider other options, in order to maintain a 225 aircraft bomber force, including “procuring more B-21s or augmenting the B-21 fleet with a lowercost B-52 replacement.” Opting for the latter, the committee stated, would “be consistent” with the Chief of Staff of the Air Force's comments in 2021, about the need for the USAF to invest in cheaper, more flexible platforms. (To read more about the B-21 Raider, see p92-93 of the January 2022 edition of our sister title, AirForces Monthly.)

Lightning strikes Probably the most high-profile of all of the USAF’s ongoing programmes is that of the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter. It involves the US Marine Corps and US Navy, and the provision of the conventional A model, short take-off, vertical landing (STOVL) B version, and catapult-assisted take-off and brakeassisted recovery (CATOBAR) C variant, to each respective service. The programme is the most expensive military development ever undertaken, valued at around $1.7 trillion, with the USAF alone seeking to procure 1,763 F-35A aircraft over its lifetime. Determining the value of an F-35A is difficult, with figures ranging from $80-120m per aircraft, depending on a number of factors, such as maintenance costs. However, one of the perceived key sticking points for the F-35 programme has been the sustainment expense of the type, with costs per flight hour currently around $33,000 for the USAF’s A-variant

– although, this had dropped by more than 40%, compared to 2015 figures. Lockheed Martin officials have said the ambition is to reduce this to around $25,000 per flight hour by 2025. The programme has also yet to reach its Milestone C target, which will see formal authorisation given for full-rate production (FRP). Currently, the three variants of the aircraft are manufactured under low-rate initial production (LRIP) lots. JR McDonald, vice president of Business Development Integrated Fighter Group, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, said that FRP was “largely ceremonial”, given the number of aircraft that had so far been delivered to customers. “The move of the programme through to FRP can only come once combat simulation testing had been completed,” McDonald said. More than 600 F-35 aircraft of various types have so far been delivered, and (at time of print) more than 130 additional aircraft are thought to have been produced in 2021. According to a July 13 report by the US GAO, while the US DOD approaches a full-rate production point, formally authorising the transition from development to full production, the F-35 programme is producing nearly 25% of the total planned aircraft in LRIP before satisfying the criteria for FRP. The GAO report stated that, as the DOD approached the milestone, the programme “had taken steps but not fully addressed a number of challenges”, which included the need to resolve “critical deficiencies” in the aircraft, address supply chain issues and take steps to ensure reliability and maintainability goals were met.

Furthermore, the GAO report said that, at the same time the programme was resolving risks with its baseline, the DOD was encountering “similar cost and schedule increases” with its F-35 modernisation plans. The GAO stated that, in the three years of Block 4 capability development, the total estimated cost of Block 4 increased from $10.6bn to $14.4bn, due, in part, to a recognition of all costs estimated to be required to complete the effort. “[The US] DOD added another year to the Block 4 schedule, in March 2021, GAO found the remaining development time frame is not achievable. Unless the F-35 programme accounts for historical performance in the schedule estimates, the Block 4 schedule will continue to exceed estimated time frames and stakeholders will lack reliable information on when the modernised capabilities will be delivered,” the report pronounced. Figures released from Lockheed Martin in September 2021 revealed the company had agreed with the

summary of the proposed FY22 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) said that the 338 F-35 aircraft purchased by USAF in Lots 1-13 need to be upgraded “expeditiously to the Block 4 configuration with the Technology Refresh 3 hardware”, recommending a budget increase of £1.7bn for platform modifications.

Raptor retirement? The F-22 Raptor entered service with the USAF in the mid 2000s as the first fifthgeneration aircraft in the world, bringing to bear all the perceived benefits of stealth into an air dominance platform of purported unrivalled capability. The programme received low-rate initial production approval in 2001, followed by the completion of initial operation test and evaluation in 2004. Full rate production was subsequently awarded in 2005, with the USAF eventually receiving 187 operational aircraft. In its role as an air dominance fighter, which has an operational ceiling of above 50,000ft, the aircraft is designed to intercept potential high-altitude peer and near-peer threats to the United States,

The F-22 Raptors, highly sophisticated as they are, could well find themselves removed from service ahead of time, despite the huge expense in development, acquisition, and sustainment

Pentagon’s F-35 Joint Program Office the number of aircraft, across all three variants, that will be produced in the coming years. The rebaseline has been conducted in a bid to recover from a shortfall in aircraft manufactured as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The agreement stated an output of between 133-139 aircraft in 2021, 151153 aircraft in 2022, and an anticipated delivery of 156 aircraft beginning in 2023, which would be maintained for the foreseeable future. During a July 2021 webcast detailing Lockheed Martin’s 2021 first-half performance, officials said it was “highly likely” that deliveries of the F-35 in 2022 would fall short of the planned 169 but would “not be less” than the total handovers for 2021. Interestingly, US Senate Armed Services Committee, in its executive

a capability that did not come cheap. According to 2015 figures, platform costs ran to more than $143m per unit, a number exacerbated given the design’s export ban, due to the secret or classified nature the aircraft. The F-22 fleet is expensive to maintain as well, as highlighted by the Q4 2021 $10.8bn contract awarded to Lockheed Martin for indefinite-delivery/indefinitequantity Advanced Raptor Enhancement and Sustainment (ARES) for the F-22 Program Office. The contract vehicle provides support for the necessary supplies and services to sustain and modernise the F-22 Raptor, including modernisation hardware kit procurement and services, such as upgrades, enhancements and fixes, as well as performance-based logistics services. Published in May 2021, a commentary from Justin Bronk, research fellow for airpower at the Royal United Services Institute, argued that the USAF had already made the first steps towards drawing down the F-22 fleet, given the expensive nature of the platform and the relatively small number of airframes produced, less still the number actually available for combat operations. The replacement for the type, as mentioned, will see the development of the NGAD platform – yet another programme that will likely present its own fiscal pitfalls in the decades to come. The United States Air Force finds itself, then, at something of a crossroads – between maintaining aircraft numbers, introducing new fifth-generation capabilities, harnessing the potential of uncrewed platforms as force multipliers, while also negotiating a taught financial tightrope. Add to that the host of political pressures, not to mention real-world threats, and the service finds itself in an unenviable position – one where it is unable to please all interests from the private and public sector alike.

More than 1,700 F-35A aircraft are purportedly planned to be acquired for the USAF over the lifetime of the programme, however, it is likely that this figure will be reduced

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CEO Ivo Boscarol founded Pipistrel Aircraft in 1989 All images courtesy of Pipistrel Aircraft

GRAND DESIGNS Pipistrel Aircraft of Slovenia is determined to take its tech global, not least the ground-breaking Velis Electro two-seater. Tom Batchelor reports

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lovenia’s mix of mountains, lakes and Adriatic coastline makes it a top central European tourist destination, but the country of just over 2 million people punches above its weight in other areas too, not least aircraft production. Pipistrel Aircraft, a designer and manufacturer based in the Slovenian town of Ajdovšcˇina, close to the Italian city of Trieste, specialises in energy-efficient and affordable highperformance light aircraft and has produced more than 2,500 planes for customers worldwide in the more than 30 years it has been in operation.

Cementing its foothold Pipistrel’s inventory includes a wide array of aircraft models, including twoand four-seaters, petrol-engine and electric propulsion, gliders, trainers and cruisers. The company is already an established and trusted brand, but it took further steps to cement its foothold in the light aircraft market when in September it signed a technology transfer agreement with Hungarybased Genevation Aircraft, enabling 74 January2022

the production and final assembly of Pipistrel’s fully customisable Virus SW aircraft – described as a low-cost, highspeed cruiser that is “definitely the fastest high-wing aircraft family in its category” – and its components there. The deal was sufficiently important to attract the attention of both the Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, and his Slovenian counterpart, Janez Janša, who witnessed the signing of the contract at the 53rd International Entrepreneurial Fair in Celje, Slovenia. The partnership is valued at more than €100m over a 10-year period and will see Pipistrel’s SW 121 aircraft assembled before sale in markets including Hungary, Russia, central Asia, Africa, Turkey and Israel. SW 121 family aircraft are equipped with IFR-ready touch-screen glass avionics, advanced autopilot, full aircraft recovery system and equipment for towing gliders, making them ideal for diverse activities such as pilot training, club flying, aerial photography, wildlife, forest and fire management and disaster relief. They are also pitched at military agencies for the purposes of border surveillance and other security and defence operations.

The two-seater Velis Electro is intended primarily for pilot training, according to Pipistrel

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make emission-free aviation feasible. It is considerably quieter than other aeroplanes and produces no combustion gases at all", adding that it provided “optimism, also to other electric aircraft designers, that the type certification of electric engines and aeroplanes is possible”.

The technology

Along with a green aviation focus, Pipistrel’s priorities include new technologies that will “make city transport more efficient, safer and cleaner”

Velis Electro is a full-electric offshoot of the Virus SW 121, which itself has already been type-certified by EASA and is the first small aircraft to be approved with 3D printed parts. The electric version has one liquid-cooled battery pack located in the nose of the plane and a second behind the cabin, ensuring redundancy. In a case of battery failure, the malfunctioning unit is automatically disconnected from the system and

Plane makers big and small are expending ever more time and resources to scale-up low and zero-emission aircraft technology, and Pipistrel is no different.

An environmental focus Speaking to AIR International, CEO Ivo Boscarol, who founded the company in 1989, said his business was now “focused entirely on environmentally friendly aviation, mostly on electric aircraft and emission-free propulsion concepts such as hydrogen". He explained that since 2014, Pipistrel had been working on concept eVTOL [electric vertical take-off and landing] vehicles, Uber flying car concepts and other autonomous electric aircraft “which would make city transport more efficient, safer and cleaner". In June 2020, Pipistrel unveiled the world’s first fully electric aircraft to be type-certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA): the Pipistrel Velis Electro. This two-seater aircraft is intended primarily for pilot training and maintains the same look-and-feel of its conventionally powered siblings, and the ultra-quiet plane enables flight schools to operate much closer to urban areas and comes with lower maintenance costs.

The Pipistrel Velis Electro is the world’s first fully electric aircraft to be type-certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency

EASA executive director Patrick Ky described the certification as an “exciting breakthrough” as the aviation industry pursued “new technologies to reduce noise and emissions and to improve the sustainability of aviation". Boscarol said the type certification of the Velis Electro was the “first step towards the commercial use of electric aircraft, which is needed to

Pipistrel’s fully customisable Virus SW is a low-cost, high-speed cruiser that is “definitely the fastest high-wing aircraft family in its category”, said the company

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the remaining battery is capable of producing enough power for climbing and continuation of the flight. Work on the electric version led Pipistrel’s Velis Electro’s technical team to win the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Aircraft Design Award in June, with the committee praising the creation of “the world’s first certified electric aircraft, leading the marketplace in a new era of green aircraft design and technology”. The award was presented to Pipistrel’s head of engineering, Paolo Romagnolli, and chief technical officer, Tine Tomažicˇ, during a virtual awards ceremony in August. The award puts Pipistrel among a distinguished list of past winners, including Robert Lafontan of the Airbus A380 Design Team in 2018, for his work on an aircraft which the AIAA said was “the next step in the development of Very Large Commercial Transport for long range, high density routes”, and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner Team in 2014, for work “leading to substantial airliner performance improvements and significant advances in aircraft design and technology”.

A hot topic

“We are focused entirely on environmentally friendly aviation, mostly on electric aircraft and emission-free propulsion concepts such as hydrogen” Ivo Boscarol, Pipistrel Aircraft A healthy sales book Pipistrel’s global reputation for marketleading design and technology is matched by its international sales book, with contracts in almost 100 countries. Asked if the company was eyeing new customers in emerging markets, Boscarol replied: “Of course! At the moment we are selling to 97 countries, so all the others are our target markets.” He added that Pipistrel's customers were “extremely varied, just like our aircraft are very different for different target groups. From individual hobby and professional pilots to clubs, flight schools, government agencies and defence ministries of different countries". With its global standing going from strength to strength, Pipistrel announced the first US flight of its electric aircraft in August when the Florida Institute of Technology took delivery of a Velis Electro. After the Taurus Electro and Alpha Electro, the Velis Electro is the third of Pipistrel’s serially-produced electric aircraft to fly in the lucrative North American market. Boscarol said the company was now working with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to have the EASA type-certification recognised, to permit commercial operations and pilot training with the Velis Electro. Adding to a growing list of world “firsts”, in November Pipistrel’s Alpha Electro aircraft was used to complete the first electric flight over New Zealand’s Cook Strait – the body of water that separates the country’s north and south islands. Pilot Gary Freedman’s 40-minute solo flight came 101 years after the first person flew a conventionally powered aircraft over the strait. The 48-mile trip was flown at a height of just 1,000ft above sea level

and at a speed of around 80mph with the aim of preserving the plane’s charge (the Alpha Electro has an endurance of 60 minutes, and takes a similar amount of time to fully charge). “We still had 40% left in the battery,” Freedman said after completing the trip. “We could have almost flown back again.” Back in Europe, Pipistrel’s electric fleet is being used to support military operations in Denmark. Danish Armed Forces pilots at their flight academy in Karup will have access to two Velis Electros leased by the French company Green Aerolease which were scheduled to be delivered in autumn 2021, adding to the existing fleet of Saab T-17 training aircraft. The Danish Armed Forces said the purpose of the electric aircraft was to test the potential of battery-

Pipistrel’s flight test engineer was recently rewarded for his work testing batteries for electric aircraft. Alberto Favier was honoured in the Society of Flight Test Engineers International Symposium, receiving the best paper award at a ceremony held in the US city of St Louis in October. Favier and three other contributors submitted a paper entitled “Things Flight Testers Should Know About Batteries For Electric Propulsion”, which examined battery qualification (design aspects and tests performed at battery level), battery integration within the aircraft (what to consider when you take the battery and put it in the aircraft), battery performance (what are the variables that affect the battery power) and how to manage risks when performing test flights (for instance battery fire). Favier told AIR International: “We started working in the first half of the year, but the involvement grew significantly in the two to three months before the submission deadline.” Asked if winning the accolade came as a surprise, he said: “Our paper was covering a ‘hot topic’, so we knew that, if well prepared, [it] could have been a serious candidate for the best paper award.” powered planes and gain experience with charging options and battery technology. Justifying what may seem an unusual choice for a military organisation, Danish Minister of Defence Trine Bramsen said that “everyone has a responsibility to contribute to climate change prevention – this also applies to the area of defence. Therefore, we have decided to procure electric aircraft for our air military. The electric planes will be used for training, among other things. The experience will be important for future defence equipment acquisitions”. Following in the Danes’ wake, the British Royal Air Force (RAF) was said to also be looking at using Pipistrel’s electric planes for pilot training – though combat aircraft will, for the time being at least, remain outside the scope of the e-revolution.

ABOVE: Power is delivered to the Velis Electro by a 345 VDC electric system built around a liquid-cooled in-house developed high-performance battery system TOP: Unlike the start-up procedure of a conventionally powered airplane, the Velis Electro is powered-up by four switches and requires no warm-up time before take-off

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Pipistrel’s Velis X-Alpha VR is the world’s first ultralight flight simulator to use virtual reality (VR) technology instead of monitors

A British order British flight schools are to receive 50 fullyelectric Pipistrel Velis Electro two-seater training aircraft following a joint project between the company’s UK distributor, the Fly About Aviation company (based at Damyns Hall Aerodrome near London and at Shipmeadow airfield in East Anglia) and the V1 Investment Fund. Under the so-called Green Airside project, which aims to help training centres become zero emission for the pilots of the future, the company aims to make the Velis Electro an affordable aircraft for flight schools. Commenting on the arrangement, Ivo Boscarol, founder and CEO of Pipistrel, said the Velis Electro was the ideal aircraft as it “reduces the cost of operating hour tremendously. It also brings the flight back to urban areas, where it was forbidden because of noise made by piston-engine aircraft. “Once in the air, Velis Electro cannot be heard at all, so it will not disturb the local population. It is entirely emission-free, so all the forward-looking flight schools which are trying to save the environment and keep our atmosphere clean, will strive to use electric aircraft.” The number of flight schools signing up to use Pipistrel’s certified zero-emission plane is on the rise. Asked how popular the electric aircraft were with this type of facility, Boscarol said the interest was “increasing rapidly”. The UK schools set to receive Pipistrel’s aircraft, as well as compatible electric charging equipment, VR flight simulators and on-line training courses, are the London Airsports Centre, Lincoln Flight and Flight Path Flying club in the West Midlands, with the first order for 10 aircraft having been made in October. Sergey Grachev of the V1 Investment Fund called the deal a “massive and forward-thinking step from Pipistrel and its network of distributors to make a real change in saving the planet.” Pipistrel already has a similar deal in place with a number of French flight schools. In January, Green Aerolease signed an agreement with the Slovenian plane maker – backed by the French Federation of Aeronautics – for its own order of 50 Pipistrel Velis Electro aircraft for training, and within the next three years, 200 Pipistrel electric aircraft are to be deployed in France.

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The Velis Electro technical team won the AIAA 2021 Aircraft Design Award, which celebrates “an original concept leading to a significant advancement in aircraft design or design technology”

The next steps Moving forward, Pipistrel is working on a new electric drive unit coordinated by its Modular Approach to Hybrid Electric Propulsion Architecture (MAHEPA) research project, an EU-funded venture focusing on new hybrid electric powertrains in the search for cleaner, quieter and more efficient aircraft propulsion. Developed in collaboration with German electronic manufacturing company Compact Dynamics, the electric drive unit has completed qualification tests and will be integrated in Pipistrel’s all-composite, four-seater Panthera. The designers hope the MAHEPA electric drive unit could one day be used on larger zeroemission hybrid-electric passenger aircraft. Pipistrel also recently announced a partnership with Airflow – a San Francisco Bay area aerospace company founded in 2019 by the five former Airbus employees behind the Vahana electricpowered eight-propeller vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) prototype – to supply motors, motor controllers and batteries for Airflow’s concept electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft. The two

companies also plan to explore further collaborations on electric propulsion for Airflow’s production aircraft. Marc Ausman, CEO and co-founder of Airflow, said of the deal: “Pipistrel’s pioneering work in electric flight and its industryleading experience in building and certifying powertrains for electric aircraft make it an ideal partner to help us build and fly a first-of-its kind eSTOL airplane.” Pipistrel’s Ivo Boscarol added: “There are a lot of ideas flooding the market, which is exciting to see, but not all are based on real technology and realistic aerospace timescales. The Airflow team understands what it takes to bring a new electric aircraft to market and their experience building and flying the Airbus Vahana makes them one of the best positioned teams to accomplish this. Their goals at Airflow are ambitious and we’re excited they’ve selected us to be on this journey with them.” With Pipistrel forging ahead with new ventures from New Zealand to California, and groundbreaking research underway closer to home, the company looks set for an exciting 2022.

“We are selling to 97 countries, so all the others are Ivo Boscarol, Pipistrel Aircraft our target markets”

Another example of ground-breaking Pipistrel technology, the Pipistrel Taurus Electro is the first mass-produced electric two-seater glider. Shown here, the roof of its trailer makes an ideal solar panel installation platform

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anada’s Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) programme aims to renew aircrew training services to help maintain a multi-purpose and combat capable Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). The Canadian government is to grant a 25-year contract, expected to be awarded in 2023, for a comprehensive aircrew training programme that provides aircraft, ground-based training systems, civilian instructors, and other essential services. These include air traffic control, aircraft and airfield maintenance, accommodation, and food services for the RCAF.

One contender for the programme has seen Babcock and Leonardo create a joint venture called Babcock Leonardo Canadian Aircrew Training for their FAcT bid, utilising their respective subsidiaries, Babcock Canada and Leonardo Canada, in the lead. Both Leonardo and Babcock have experience as military training providers, with the former offering a blend of technologies for aircraft, from simulation and learning environment to mission systems. Leonardo already supports a range of military and civilian training academies for rotary and fixed-wing aircraft worldwide utilising synthetic training devices combined with programmes of training courses for

helicopter and aircraft crews, operators and maintainers. Meanwhile, Babcock provides basic and advanced flying training for air forces, navies and armies. The firm offers technical instruction across multiple locations and aircraft types, providing technical training instruction, develops training materials and maintains critical training assets for its customers. The company supports 70% of UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) flying training and provides the French Air Force with about 11,000 hours of flying training every year. In their teaming announcement, Babcock Leonardo Canadian Aircrew Training programme director, Jana Lee The legacy CT-155 Hawk was previously selected for the NATO Flying Training in Canada programme because of its similarities to frontline fighter aircraft. RCAF/Master Corporal Pierre Thériaul

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Murray, said: “We are strongly committed to working with our supply chain, communities, and indigenous partners adding value to Canada now and in the future. We are fully prepared to provide a completely integrated, end-to-end military training solution that will generate a robust and efficient flow of Canadian military pilots and personnel.” The Babcock Canada and Leonardo Canada team includes FlightSafety International, L3Harris Technologies and Top Aces as strategic partners. FlightSafety International has significant experience in supplying aviation training through flight simulators, visual systems and displays to commercial, governmental and military organisations.

Industry is competing for a once-in-ageneration opportunity to secure the contract for Canada’s future comprehensive military aerospace training programme. Report by Robert Coppinger.

L3Harris is considered to be one of Canada’s leading in-service support and systems integrators. Rounding off the industrial line-up, Top Aces provides advanced adversary and joint terminal attack controller training to the world’s air forces. Founded in 2000, Top Aces has the largest fleet of commercially operated fighter aircraft in active service and is the first company in the world to acquire the Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon.

End of an era The FAcT contract will replace Canada’s existing aircrew training arrangement which is through two separate contracts. North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

(NATO) flying training in Canada (NFTC) is provided by CAE Military Aviation Training through a contract that expires in 2023, which includes an option to extend it through to 2024. A second contract for flying training and support (CFTS), provided by KF Aerospace, will expire in 2027. The training services take place in Saskatchewan and Manitoba in Canada. With the new contract this will not change. Following a review, the Canadian government decided the new training services will continue to be provided at these existing locations. Pilots fly a range of aircraft in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) for a variety of roles - search and rescue,

FAcT of the matter

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Training Canadian pilots Pilots attend primary flying training at the Canadian Forces Flying Training School in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. This course introduces them to the military flying environment and procedures. It has to be completed to continue on with further pilot training to the next phase, the prerequisite training course. This introduces student pilots to the various effects of flying on the human body, air safety procedures, and basic survival techniques, which are for emergencies on land or over water. The next stage is basic flying training which takes place at the NATO Flight Training Centre in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, for eight months. Student pilots are trained to fly aircraft in a military environment through classroom, simulator and in-flight instruction. Students also receive leadership development training to prepare them for their responsibilities for their aircrew. Based on a candidate’s flying performance, academic standing and leadership evaluation they are assigned to one of three advanced flying training paths. Those paths are fast jet, multi-engine (transport) and rotary wing training. The latter takes place at Portage-la-Prairie, Manitoba, where the basic helicopter course is given on the Bell Jet Ranger. The multi-engine training also takes place at Portage-la-Prairie. The aircraft used for training there is the Beech Raytheon King Air C-90A. The fast jet training for fighter pilots occurs at Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, but not in a jet powered aircraft. The training uses a two-seat propeller driven Harvard II with an instructor pilot onboard. At the end of the advanced flying training, students receive their pilot’s wings and proceed to an operational training unit for training. There they will train on the aircraft and in the role they have been assigned. Once that is competed, a pilot is posted to an operational squadron.

fighter, transport, tactical helicopter, or maritime patrol. Canadian pilots are taught that their primary responsibilities are to plan, communicate, co-ordinate and execute tactical missions in support of civil authority or military objectives. These objectives can be humanitarian or for disaster relief or air intercept operations. The pilots’ education includes learning how to use the technology the aircraft have for precision tactical navigation systems, advanced communication, sensors, counter measures and striking targets – the weapons. Candidates need to have a university degree and the CAF will decide if an individual’s education fully meets the criteria for the role. As a university degree is necessary to be an officer, the CAF will pay successful recruits to complete a bachelor’s degree programme. Candidates enter the Canadian military college system as an Officer Cadet where they study subjects relevant to both their military and academic career. In rare instances, based on the needs of the CAF, candidates may be approved

to attend another Canadian University. Recruits will receive a full-time salary and paid holiday in exchange for working in the CAF for a period of time. Basic training and military officer qualification training are required before being assigned anywhere within CAF. After basic training, a candidate may be posted somewhere for an on-thejob training programme. Applicants who wear glasses, contacts, or have had certain laser surgery to improve their vision can apply to be pilots. However, because pilots have more stringent visual requirements than other CAF roles, applicants must pass additional ophthalmology screening. The RCAF’s Aircrew Selection Centre requires that all pilots, aerospace controllers and air combat systems officers successfully complete aircrew selection. The selection centre is located in Trenton, Ontario, where candidates are tested over a two-day period with computer-based scenarios designed to validate those skills and aptitudes required by the RCAF. To go on to be a pilot, or an aerospace controller or air

ABOVE & BELOW: From January 18 to 20, 2021, as part of the Canadian Armed Forces’ ongoing commitment to an enduring presence in the furthest reaches of the Arctic, two Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 fighter jets staged out of Iqaluit, NU, rendezvoused with a CC-150T Polaris air-to-air refueller over Baffin Bay as part of a training mission involving an Arctic patrol. Royal Canadian Air Force/1st Lt Sable Brown

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A Royal Canadian Air Force RCAF-188 Hornet lands at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Oct. 12, 2021, to take part in the training exercise, Operation Noble Defender. US Air Force/Justin Connaher

Canadian government and the RCAF for FAcT are the Babcock-Leonardo Canadian Aircrew Training team and SkyAlyne Canada Limited Partnership. Preliminary consultations between the government and industry began in 2013. In 2016, industry was advised of the new scope of this FAcT procurement through a letter of interest. On May 2, 2018, the government held a FAcT industry engagement session in Ottawa, with an initial 84 companies agreeing to participate in the process. Through this engagement, Canada defined its requirements, and industry representatives had an opportunity

to provide feedback on items such as procurement approach, schedule, solicitation documents and economic benefits to Canada. Canada’s industrial and technological benefits policy applies to this procurement, requiring the winning suppliers to place investments in Canada equal to the value of the contract. This will ensure the Canadian aerospace and defence industries are well positioned to participate and grow. On November 15, 2018, Canada launched an invitation to qualify to establish a list of qualified suppliers. The government department of Innovation, Science and Economic

The competition to train the next generation of Royal Canadian Air Force aviators will see the award of a multi-decade contract. Royal Canadian Air Force

combat systems officer, aircrew selection has to be successfully completed. The RCAF fighter and transport pilots can expect to be sent abroad, as can the tactical helicopter pilots, for humanitarian aid distribution, logistics, peacekeeping missions and conflicts. Pilots can also work in support of the Royal Canadian Navy in the northernmost parts of Canada.

Requests for proposals On December 16, 2020, the Canadian government provided the FAcT draft request for proposals from what it described as “qualified suppliers”. Two years later, on December 10, 2018, the government published a list of qualified suppliers, companies that had already demonstrated their ability to meet Canada’s needs, which were then invited to qualify. As mentioned above, the two bidders that have been engaged with the

Royal Canadian Air Force Cpl Joey Chow, air weapons system technician of the RCAF 433 Tactical Fighter Squadron, receives instruction from a member of the Woodward Aviation Services on how to operate the mule to be able to tow CF-188 aircraft during the EX Amalgam Dart 21-1 at 5th Wing Goose Bay, Newfoundland, and Labrador, Canada, on Friday June 11, 2021. CANR NORAD

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"SkyAlyne Canada joint venture brings together proven expertise in all phases of pilot training”

A Royal Canadian Air Force fighter pilot climbs aboard a Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 Hornet fighter jet in preparation for a training flight during Exercise Amalgam Dart, June 13, 2021. CANR NORAD/Corporal DuchesneBeaulieu, 3 Wing Imaging

Cpl Mathieu Levesque from 425 Squadron refuels a CF-188 aircraft after arrival to training exercise Amalgam Dart 21-2 on March 19, 2021. CANR NORAD/PO2 Rene Duguay

Pilots have to train for a number of years before they fully qualify on platforms such as the CF-18 Hornet. Canada’s future fast jet fleet will comprise either the Saab Gripen or Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighter. US Air Force/Airman 1st Class Cassandra Whitman

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Development Canada has been involved to ensure the Canadian aerospace and defence industries are well positioned to participate. Qualified suppliers had to submit an Indigenous Benefits Plan as part of their bid. The SkyAlyne Canada Limited Partnership is led by CAE and KF Aerospace with what they describe as a 100% Canadian partnership and supply chain. The full SkyAlyne team employs more than 14,000 people operating in every region of Canada. Today, CAE and KF Aerospace deliver all phases of pilot training to the RCAF through the NFTC programme, which is managed by CAE, and KF Aerospace’s CFTS programme. CAE and KF created the 50/50 joint venture SkyAlyne Canada as a firm dedicated to developing military pilot and aircrew training in Canada. KF Aerospace and CAE’s core businesses in Canada evolve around the Future Aircrew Training KICs within the leading competencies and critical industrial services; namely Training and Simulation and In-Service Support. In the 2018 SkyAlyne team announcement, CAE president and chief executive officer, Marc Parent, said: “The union of our two companies through the SkyAlyne Canada joint venture brings together proven expertise in all phases of pilot training, and helps ensure this key

Flight training in platforms such as the CT-155 is gradually being replaced by simulators and synthetic training environments, a development that will be a factor in the FAcT programme. US Air National Guard/Lt Col Dale Greer

industrial capability can be developed and delivered by Canadian companies for Canada. SkyAlyne Canada will draw on the resources and experience of both CAE and KF Aerospace, along with many industry partners…to design and develop innovative pilot and aircrew training solutions.”

Qualified supplier In August 2021, Babcock Canada and Leonardo Canada, both qualified as suppliers under the FAcT Invitation to Qualify, before advising the Canadian government that they had formed a joint venture in support of FAcT. BAE Systems, Airbus Defence and Space and Lockheed Martin Canada were originally on the list of qualified suppliers. However, they informed the Canadian government that they had decided to withdraw from the competition on April 2, 2019, September 13, 2019, and December 14, 2020, respectively. Leonardo offers its AW119Kx light singleengine helicopter and AW109 Trekker multi-role helicopter for training. Leonardo provides training at its International Flight Training School (IFTS) where the company employs proven integrated training methods, and formed in a partnership with the Italian Air Force to deliver pilot flight training to partner and allied nations. Training can include the use of synthetic

training systems and devices, simulation and modelling, LVC and distributed training mission planning, debriefing stations, and training information management systems. Leonardo’s ATOS, airborne tactical observation system, is also used for training. Murray said: “By coming together, Babcock Canada and Leonardo Canada are able to leverage their combined extensive global military aircrew training expertise and develop a tailored solution to meet the Royal Canadian Air Force’s needs.” Leonardo argues that its existing supply chain network in Canada sustains hundreds of skilled jobs in small and medium enterprises (SME) across the country, stating that it has been investing in partnerships with Canada’s aerospace and defence companies for more than 50 years. The Italian company said it aims to expand its industrial collaboration in Canada to benefit more Canadian SMEs. A 25-year contract would be victory in any industry, and for pilot training, Canada has a huge decision to make about where it places its trust for educating its aerial warfighters for a whole generation. Both teams represent decades of pilot training experience and industrial supply chains that criss-cross Canada. The decision will weigh as heavily as the deep value of the knowledge that must be imparted to the pilots of the future.

Moose Jaw The 15 Wing, headquartered in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, is the centre of Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) aircrew training. It hosts the Canadian Forces Flying Training School (CFFTS) and 431 Air Demonstration Squadron (CF Snowbirds). The RCAF’s second training school, 3 CFFTS, is located in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. The 15 Wing is the principal site of NATO flying training in Canada (NFTC) and contracted flight training and support (CFTS) programmes. It is responsible for seven different aircraft, which includes CT-156 Harvard II, CT-155 Hawk, CT-114 Tutor, CH139 Jet Ranger, Bell 412 CF, Grob 120A and C90B King Air. Of the 130,000 yearly flying hours flown by the RCAF each year, 15 Wing flies about 40,000 hours, 30% of the total Air Forces annual flying hours. On average the 15 Wing graduates 110 qualified winged pilots a year between the two CFFTS. Moose Jaw’s CFFTS produces jet and instructor pilots and the Portage la Prairie CFFTS produces helicopter and transport pilots. The 15 Wing and the NFTC and CFTS programmes play a critical role and all RCAF pilots pass through the NFTC and CFTS programmes to earn their wings. Countries participating in these programmes as students or instructors are from Singapore, the United Kingdom and Hungary. January2022 85

Front and

centre

Breeze Airways has unveiled the first of its 80 Airbus A220s. Chris Sloan looks at the role the type will play for the start-up

T

he unveiling of Breeze’s first A220s at Airbus’ final assembly line in Mobile, Alabama, on October 26 – three more were due to be delivered before New Year – was particularly significant. The A220 represents not just a new aircraft type for Breeze, which launched in May 2020 with a modest Embraer E-Jet fleet, but the foundation of the low-cost carrier’s innovative, nontraditional business model. It’s fair to argue

that if the A220 didn’t exist, Breeze’s strategy of bypassing hubs to bring high levels of service and low fares to under-served markets wouldn’t get very far – particularly where flights exceeded two hours. “This airplane is absolutely magical,” said Tom Anderson, chief operations officer at Breeze Airways. “Typically, there are airplanes with amazing mission capability but maybe not-so-great economics, and sometimes airplanes with great economics but not such

“The A220 has both the ability to fly our upcoming missions... and offer phenomenal economics” Tom Anderson, Breeze 86 January 2022

“This airplane is absolutely magical,” said Tom Anderson, Breeze chief operations officer, of the A220 All images courtesy of Chris Sloan unless stated otherwise

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the complexity of the configuration) from beginning of FAL to delivery. Contrast that with 11 days for the Boeing 737 MAX at its peak production rate! Airbus continues to leverage its scale to reduce supplier costs and optimise production methods to swing the programme to profitability. The 125 passenger A220-100 is a direct competitor to the Embraer E2-190/195. The larger A220-300 already competes with the A319neo and 737-700, neither of which are breakout successes. The A220 was designed with a third stretched variant, the A220-500, which would compete directly with the A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX in the 150-190 passenger space. Airbus has publicly said “it’s a matter of when, not if” the 500 will launch, but for that to happen, production has to mature and cost issues abate.

Proving popular The A220 has amassed a total of over 650 firm orders from 25 customers, with amazing mission capability. The A220 has both the ability to fly our upcoming missions, with great take-off performance, and to offer phenomenal economics … It allows us to do things other airlines can only dream of doing.” At the unveiling event, Breeze founder and CEO David Neeleman said: “Given the range, flexibility of the cabin and short field capability to fly out of airports that others can’t serve, we can do things others can’t. We have 80 firm orders with another 40 options. I’d be shocked if we didn’t take them all because there are such possibilities.”

Production gathers pace Breeze, then codenamed “Moxy”, committed to its first batch of 60 A220s with a memorandum of understanding in July 2018, firming its order in January 2019 – an ambitious order for any airline, much less a start-up. Breeze ordered an additional 20 aircraft in September 2021, just as its first A220 broke cover, resplendent in its striking deep blue and aqua livery. Even before receiving its first A220, Breeze was the second largest

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“Given the range, flexibility of the cabin and short field capability to fly out of airports that others can’t serve, we can do things others can’t” David Neeleman, Breeze A220 customer in terms of orders, slotting in between Delta’s 95 and JetBlue’s 70 orders. If Breeze exercises its 40 options, the 120 strong fleet will make it the world’s largest A220 operator regardless of variant. Between now and 2028, Breeze will take an A220 per month, half of Airbus Mobile’s monthly production. Airbus aims to accelerate its current official production rate of around five aircraft across its two final assembly lines (FAL) to around six in 2022, around four at Montreal Mirabel FAL and two at Mobile. When the A220 began assembly in 2012 as the Bombardier CSeries, it took 30,000 hours to assemble the first vehicle. Airbus says production improvements speed up build time by 15% a year. Aircraft now take around nine months (depending on

179 frames delivered as of October 31, 2021. Breeze’s orderbook accounts for 17% of the programme’s 464 aircraft backlog. As of December 2021, the 179 frames in active service for 12 customers are operating 684 city pairs and 20,280 flights per month, according to aviation analytics specialist Cirium. It has been remarkably resilient during COVID-19, with 100% of the fleet active. Airbus cites more than 625,000 flight hours and 400,000 flight cycles since entry-into-service. The 12 operators utilised the A220 18+ hours daily and for up to 13 legs a day. Dispatch reliability is now a mature 99%, according to Airbus. The A220 operates segments as long as Air Baltic’s Riga-Dubai rotation with its stage length of 2,684 miles and block time of six hours, 24 minutes.

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Breeze aims to recruit 300 pilots over the next year, the vast majority for the A220 The A220 is powered by two Pratt & Whitney PurePower PW1500Gs, which David Neeleman considers the cornerstone of the aircraft’s capability The cabin offers USB-A, USB-C and AC power outlets at every seat Passengers on the A220 will encounter the highest ceiling in its class Seats are finished in a charcoal leather trim with blue, red and yellow piping indicating ticket class Both of the LOPAs (layout of passenger accommodations) planned by Breeze offer a number of rows with additional legroom Among the benefits of the A220's interior is its 20in-wide aisle

With its use of advanced materials, and Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan (GTF) engines, the A220 has a 25% advantage in fuel burn and CO2 emissions per seat versus the previous generation of small single-aisle aircraft. The type offers 50% lower NOx emissions than industry standards and a noise footprint 50% below that of previous generation aircraft.

Cornerstone of capability Neeleman suggested the Pratt & Whitney PurePower PW1500Gs, with their 12:1 bypass ratio and maximum 23,000lbs of thrust, are the cornerstone of the A220’s capabilities: “To be able to build a geared turbofan and say to the industry, ‘We’re going to do something innovative and different’ and then spend billions of dollars on that technology and stretching something beyond its limits, that takes great foresight.” After operational teething problems relating to cooling in the core, and production delays, the GTFs have reached 99.8% dispatch reliability, powering the full range of programmes in the 175-225 seat category: 737 MAXs, Embraer E2s,

A320/321neos and the stillborn Mitsubishi MRJ. The GTF offers approximate savings of 100 gallons of fuel per flight hour and reduction in C02 of one metric ton per flight hour. Pratt & Whitney (P&W) claims a backlog of more than 8,000 firm orders and options from some 80 customers. P&W has also arranged to supply Breeze with engine maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services through the EngineWise agreement.

Hinting at routes Breeze is seeking to expand the A220’s capabilities beyond current limits. “When we get to 4,000 miles, that’s really going to be a game changer,” said Neeleman. Breeze’s routes for the A220 have yet to be released, and likely won’t be until shortly before the first five aircraft enter service around April 2022, scaling up to 15 by the end of the year. Flying will concentrate on two-six hour flights from current Breeze bases, in addition to new routes – possibly out west. Neeleman says the A220 will allow Breeze to operate flights averaging five hours in length, including transcontinental

runs, connecting its bases with cities using secondary airports. On the west coast, Air Canada has already proven the A220 is more than capable of opening and successfully operating new, long-haul, thin routes such as Seattle to Montreal. Breeze is dropping hints as to what routes fall within the 4,000-miles range. Cities within the Western US to Hawaii range include as far east as Kansas City, Omaha, Tucson, and Spokane in the Northwest. The Northeast to Western Europe range includes Hartford, Providence, Pittsburgh, Norfolk to London, Amsterdam, and Paris. Even Charleston to London is within range, with British Airways having discontinued its short-lived CHS-London route because of COVID-19. The Southern US to South America range would put Tampa/ New Orleans within reach of Colombia and Peru for Breeze. Not to put the cart before the horse, Breeze chief commercial officer Lukas Johnson said the longer haul ETOPs [extended-range twin-engine operational performance standards] flying won’t arrive before year two of the A220.

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“You could take off from the east coast and fly to the west coast in six hours, planning another six hours to Hawaii and turn around and go back” Lukas Johnson, Breeze In addition to its unusual take on planning, we can expect to see this maverick airline try some unconventional fleet utilisation tactics with the A220, including variable flying much like its Embraer fleet, when the aircraft doesn’t operate on some days – unusual for an airplane with high fixed costs, even with a power by the hour contract with P&W. The A220’s lower variable costs and range make this a reality. Johnson said: “You could take off from the east coast and fly to the west coast in six hours, planning another six hours to Hawaii and turn around and go back. You could fly the airplane 20 hours in a 24-hour day. And if you do that, you can definitely decide to take a day off every once in a while.”

The passenger experience The A220 interior is more akin to a widebody, with an exhausting list of features: the largest cabin in its class, at 10ft 9in; highest ceiling in its class; a wide aisle (around 20in); vertical sidewalls for more personal space (especially at shoulder level); and the largest overhead stowage in its class. It also features the biggest windows in the single-aisle market (11 x 16in), with one at every row, letting more natural light into the cabin, and full-colour LED ambient and mood lighting that contributes to reduced fatigue at destination. The longer sectors flown by the A220 will usher in a completely different passenger experience and configuration. “On the 220, if you're flying a four-hour, five-hour flight, and you've got all these great

90 January 2022

amenities and your nicest nonstop first class ticket costs less than the economy connecting fare on another carrier, you're going to be doing something right, and that's going to turn heads. So that's the sweet spot that we want to get to, that we don't think is going to be very easy to compete against,” explained Johnson. Breeze’s initial A220 configuration has two LOPAs (layout of passenger accommodations) and in a very unusual move for an LCC, both boast a premium cabin. The airline’s first LOPA has three classes over its 126 seats, including a surprisingly premium-heavy cabin. Breeze’s first class cabin is branded ‘Nicest’, with 36 domestic business class seats in a two by two configuration: Safran Seats Z600 20.5in-wide seats; with a seat pitch of 39in. The cabin offers USB-A, USB-C and AC power at every seat. Backlit water bottle holders are a thoughtful touch, as are retracting leg-rests. Neeleman suggests the future will include an even nicer longer haul cabin featuring lie-flat seats that will be part of the mix for the eventual longest-haul flights. At the mid-cabin emergency exits, there are ten extra legroom ‘Nicer’ seats in a two by three configuration over two rows: Safran US Z110i with 18.8in-wide (pitch: 33in). Sixteen rows of 80 standard legroom ‘Nice’

seats with a pitch of 30-31in make up the balance of the cabin. The second LOPA calls for a denser cabin with a smaller number of premium seats giving way to a larger number of extended legroom seats. ‘Nicest’ seats are reduced to 12 over three rows and ‘Nicer’ seats are increased to 36 over six. Seats are finished in a smart charcoal leather trim with blue, red and yellow piping indicating ticket class.

Filling the seats Filling such a large premium cabin on under-served routes seems almost counter-intuitive. This is where things get really interesting. “Our nicest nonstop first-class ticket will cost less than the economy connecting fare on another carrier. We're not going to be three, four times the price for a first-class seat”, said Johnson. The cabin’s flexibility will enable the airline to adjust the premium seat mix up or down depending on market and season. This idea has its sceptics, but Breeze executives claim that the aircraft’s lack of mid-cabin monuments, and the simplified

BELOW: The A220 will allow Breeze to do things its competitors can’t, according to the airline

ABOVE: With its maximum range upgraded to 4,000nm, the A220 would be able to reach deep into Latin America from Breeze’s Tampa Base Chris Sloan/ Cirium RIGHT: The projected Breeze system-wide route network as of January 2022 Chris Sloan/ Cirium

wiring harness at each seat are conducive to quick reconfigurations. There are no seatback monitors, but there will be streaming video and connectivity, although not at launch. Breeze is also keen to simplify the purchasing of inflight connectivity Wi-Fi, so that any passenger with the airline’s app is able to use it to pay for the internet once on board. This is just one of the airline’s digital initiatives, with Breeze describing itself as “a digital travel company that just happens to fly planes”. The approach is designed to empower passengers, create merchandising opportunities, enable seamless travel and reduce costs, but remains a work-in-progress. In lieu of reservation call centres, transactions and customer service are handled by the Breeze app and chat. The airline intends to develop its app as a ‘super app’, with access to hotels, attractions, rental cars and so on. Further

onboard product announcements, among them onboard catering and buy-onboard, will be announced closer to the A220 launch.

Next steps The pilot shortage and rising labour costs are perhaps the biggest threat to the Breeze model. The airline aims to recruit 300 pilots over the next year, with the vast majority on the Airbus. A220 pilot slots will be drawn from regionals, military, corporate and freight ranks, as well as a certain percentage migrating from Breeze’s current E-Jet operation. Breeze’s proposition in recruiting pilots is not only driven by rapid growth and promotions, but by the company’s ethos. The airline has been criticised for lower pay for its nonunionised pilot workgroup, but COO Anderson countered: “We pay more than regionals, but obviously given the revenue generating capability and size of the airplane, the business model is not going to work if we're going toe to

toe with the majors. We are offering a lifestyle that's attractive and a positive dynamic culture.” The A220 orderbook is at the centre of the company's recruitment campaign. Breeze is training its pilots at CAE, Flight Safety and Airbus and will set up its own in-house flight training centre in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 2022. Full flight simulators and flight training devices will be sourced from CAE. Preparation for A220 entry-into-service, certifying the type with the FAA, has begun. Breeze has submitted 5,000 pages of operating manuals, training materials and checklists for review. “We'll get onto the demonstration phase, the tabletop exercise and mini evacuation, and then proving runs, although these require fewer hours than the initial certification does,” said Anderson. He believes Breeze and the A220 are a great match: “Our overarching theme is doing things to take friction out of the air travel experience and the A220 fits hand-in-hand with that.” AI

January 2022 91

Regional Resurgence Increased demand for military helicopters is expected to drive growth in the rotorcraft industry in the Indo-Pacific. Nigel Pittaway examines the issues at hand

92 January2022

espite the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Indo-Pacific, many countries across the region are increasing military spending and the rotary-wing market remains buoyant. As tensions continue to rise in the face of centuries-old regional disputes in areas such as the South China Sea – particularly against the backdrop of a resurgent and more belligerent China – countries are seeking to bolster capabilities as a deterrent to further aggression.

D

Helicopter manufacturers from the United States, Europe and Russia are competing in a number of markets across the Indo-Pacific region, with requirements ranging from light helicopters to support special forces operations, through to high-end anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and heavy battlefield airlift capabilities. In addition, there is competition from indigenous helicopter programmes within the region, including products developed and built in China, India and South Korea. In the overall military aircraft market, for example, Boeing expects that onethird of all new-build military aircraft

over the next decade will be purchased by countries in the region. “It’s no understatement that the Indo-Pacific is one of the most critical and fastestgrowing regions in the world. In terms of the military expansions going on, there are a lot of active modernisation programmes, the recapitalisation of fleets, in addition to the upgrading of existing fleets. Clearly this is one of the most critical markets for us, and we continue to watch it very closely,” explained Maria Laine, Boeing vice president, international sales and strategic partnerships.

Mitsubishi produced the Sikorsky S-70 Black Hawk/ Sea Hawk under licence for the Japanese Self-Defense Forces. Pictured is a JASDF UH-60J conducting training at Hyakuri Air Base outside Tokyo in October 2019 All images: Nigel Pittaway

January2022 93

The Airbus Helicopters H135 serves as the Australian Defence Force’s rotary-wing training platform. Fifteen helicopters are based at HMAS Albatross, south of Sydney and flown by a joint Navy-Army squadron

“The Japanese defence budget has risen for the past nine years. South Korea and Australia – which has been an enduring customer for decades – also continue to increase their defence spending. We’re also seeing growth in South East Asia. In addition to Singapore, we are seeing robust activity in countries such as Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines.”

lift helicopters for the Australian Army, and 15 Airbus Helicopters EC135 T2+ helicopters for joint Army/Navy rotarywing training. In January 2021, Canberra announced the selection of the Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian to replace the army’s

current fleet of Airbus Helicopters Tigers in the Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter role. In total, 29 Apaches will be acquired from 2025 under the AUD$4bn-$5bn Land 4503 project. In April 2021, the US government approved the sale of an additional four CH-47F Chinook helicopters to Australia, to bring the total fleet to 14 aircraft. The new Chinooks are being diverted from a US Army contract, due to a perceived shortage of intra-theatre airlift capability. The first pair were delivered to Australia aboard a US Air Force C-5M Galaxy in July 2021 – the remaining two will arrive before the end of the current financial year. In 2022, Canberra is expected to make a decision on the purchase of 16 light commercial off-the-shelf helicopters to support the army’s Special Operations Command in the counter-terrorism role. The helicopters are to be delivered under the government’s Land 2097 Phase 4 programme and will most likely be the Bell 429, as the competing Airbus H145M is understood to have been eliminated from the competition. The RAN is also considering options to replace its MRH 90 Taipans in the support and logistics helicopter role, under project Sea 9100 Phase 1 (Embarked

Australian intent In terms of rotary-wing acquisition projects, Australia has either recently introduced or is planning to purchase a range of platforms and capabilities across the different roles, as it seeks to refresh and expand its military capabilities. In the current financial year, the country plans to spend AUD$44.6bn, a 15% increase over the previous year and representing 2.1% of gross domestic product (GDP). Recent helicopter acquisition has included 24 Lockheed Martin (Sikorsky) MH-60R Seahawk ASW helicopters for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), ten Boeing CH-47F Chinook medium/heavy-

The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) is replacing its Aerospatiale AS332M/AS332M1 Super Puma Helicopters with the Airbus Helicopters H225M. The first H225Ms were delivered to Singapore in March 2021

Logistics Support Helicopter Capability). On October 8, 2021, the US government approved the potential sale of an additional 12 MH-60R Seahawks (albeit without sonar equipment) to Australia. A spokesperson for the Australian Department of Defence explained: “With the navy’s amphibious and afloat support fleet increasing in number and capability, a commensurate growth in the number of aircraft used by [the] navy in the supporthelicopter role is required. Defence is in the process of preparing project options for government consideration [but] government has not yet selected an aircraft for the navy’s future fleet of support helicopters.”

New Delhi demand The Australian Army has ten Boeing CH-47F Chinook medium-lift helicopters in service with the 5th Aviation Regiment in Townsville and is introducing a further four examples in 2022-23

94 January2022

India is a relatively new market for the US, in terms of defence exports, but it

The MRH 90 Taipan is a variant of the NHI NH 90 TTH and currently serves with the Australian Army and Royal Australian Navy. The latter service is considering a purchase of additional MH-60R Seahawk helicopters to standardise its embarked helicopter fleet

has made significant inroads in a short space of time. The Indian Air Force (IAF) now has 22 AH-64E Apaches in service and, in 2020, Boeing announced a further order for six aircraft for the Indian Army. In addition, Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited (TBAL), a joint venture between Boeing and Tata Advanced Systems in Hyderabad, has been building fuselages for the Apache production line in the US since May 2018 and delivered its 100th example in July 2021. TBAL is currently the second source of Apache fuselages but will eventually become the sole producer, with 90% of parts also sourced from local suppliers. The IAF is also an operator of the Boeing CH-47F(I) Chinook, having received its 15th (and final) example in 2020. More recently, the Indian Navy has selected the MH-60R Seahawk as its next ASW helicopter, replacing the service’s ageing Westland Sea King Mk.42/Mk.42A fleet. India ordered 24 MH-60Rs in 2020, and navy crews began their training with the US Navy at Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, Florida, in June 2021. The first two Indian Navy Seahawks were handed over in the US in July 2021 at NAS North Island in San Diego and an initial batch of six helicopters is expected to arrive on the subcontinent by the end of the year. India also has an indigenous rotary-wing programme in the shape of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Dhruv advanced light helicopter. The Dhruv is a twin-engine helicopter in the 5.5t class, and was first certified for utility operations in 2002. By 2020 Hindustan Aeronautics Limited had completed more than 300 examples in four variants, and it is today operated by all three services of the Indian Armed

Forces, as well as the Indian Coast Guard and Border Security Force.

Indonesian needs Airbus Helicopters has maintained a presence in Indonesia reaching back more than 45 years, beginning with the licensed manufacture of Bo-105 light helicopters by PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) in 1976. Today, PTDI manufacturers the Airbus Helicopters Super Puma at its facility in Bandung, and has delivered six H225Ms to the Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU), with a further two ordered in January 2019. PTDI also assembles the Bell 412EPI for the Indonesian market and accepted the 70th airframe from the US manufacturer in December 2019. The helicopter is part of a batch of nine for the Indonesian Army (TNI-AD) ordered in December 2018. The

first example was delivered in December 2020 and five had been handed over to the army by July 2021. Jakarta has also been associated with a potential order for Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft and the US Defense Security Co-operation Agency advised that congressional approval for the sale of eight V-22B Block Cs had been confirmed in June 2020, but a firm order has not yet eventuated.

Regional requirements In 2015, Airbus Helicopters delivered the 15th (and final) TH-135 helicopter to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force for use in the advanced rotary-wing training role. In 2020, the European manufacturer celebrated the 60th anniversary of its presence in Japan, and the Japan Coast Guard is a major operator of the Super

Australia purchased 24 Lockheed Martin MH-60R Seahawks as its primary naval combat helicopter in 2011. The helicopters are routinely embarked in the Royal Australian Navy’s surface combatants

January2022 95

The Malaysian Armed Forces retired their ageing fleet of Sikorsky S-61A-4 Nuri helicopters without replacement in January 2020. M23-24 is pictured departing Langkawi in March 2019

Puma, with two more aircraft ordered in April 2021 to bring its fleet to 17 units. Japan also has a long history of building US helicopters under licence for its armed forces and the most recent example is the Subaru (formerly Fuji Heavy Industries) Bell UH-2, a version of the Bell 412EPI, in partnership with the US manufacturer. A total of 150 UH-2 utility helicopters will be purchased by the Japan Ground SelfDefense Force (JGSDF) to replace its ageing fleet of Fuji-built UH-IJ Iroquois helicopters. Deliveries of the UH-2 are expected to commence in 2022. The JGSDF is also the first (and, so far, only) export customer for the V-22B Osprey, with an order for 17 examples in 2015. The first two arrived in Japan by sea in May 2020 and the first flight with a JGSDF military crew was made at Kisarazu Air Field in Chiba Prefecture on November 6 that year. Elsewhere, for more than a decade, the Royal Malaysian Air Force (TUDM) has sought to replace its elderly fleet of Sikorsky S-61A-4 Nuri helicopters, but a chronic shortage of funding has repeatedly frustrated efforts and, despite a small number receiving a partial digital cockpit upgrade, the fleet was eventually grounded in January 2020. The Nuri was replaced in the Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR), troop transport and utility roles by 12 Airbus Helicopters EC725AP Caracals from 2012, but further purchases have not followed and a capability gap now exists in the wake of the older helicopters’ retirement. Kuala Lumpur announced the purchase of six MD Helicopters MD 530G scout attack helicopters in 2016 for use by the Malaysian Army in the counter-terrorism role but, although built, they are yet to be delivered. In October 2021, Malaysian government sources indicated that the six helicopters are in their final stages of acceptance at MD Helicopters’ facility 96 January2022

in Mesa, Arizona, but no date has been given for their arrival in the country. Meanwhile, the New Zealand Defence Force has recently added Leonardo AW109 Light Utility Helicopters and NHI NH 90s to replace the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s ageing Bell47 Sioux and UH-1H Iroquois; and Kaman SH-2G(I) Super Seasprites, to replace earlier SH-2G(NZ) models. The ten SH-2G(I)s serve in the embarked ASW and maritime roles but, in November 2021, Wellington released a Notice of Information to industry, advising that it wishes to acquire a ‘future naval aviation capability’ to coincide with the planned withdrawal date of the SH-2G(I) in 2028. Likely candidates include the MH-60R, Leonardo AW159 Lynx Wildcat and an ASW version of the Bell 412. The Australian Army’s 1st Aviation Regiment currently operates the Eurocopter Tiger from Darwin in the Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter role, and from Oakey, for training. The type will begin to be replaced by the AH-64E Apache in 2025

In a predicament similar to that of many other countries in the region, the Philippines has a requirement to bolster its defence capabilities in the face of growing uncertainty over the South China Sea, but has little money to do so. In rotary-wing terms, this has often meant it has had to rely on equipment gifted by other countries or, in one case, donated by concerned citizens – in January 2021 a local conglomerate donated a single MBB Bo-105 helicopter to the Philippine Army. On the other side of the coin, Manila has recently completed the purchase of 16 Sikorsky S-70i Black Hawk battlefield helicopters, built in Poland by Polskie Zacklady Lotnicze Mielec. The last batch of five Black Hawks under the $241m deal arrived at Clark Air Force Base, near Angeles City, aboard an Antonov 124 in early November 2021. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has also indicated that he is seeking additional Black Hawks to replace the Air Force’s refurbished Bell UH-1D/H Iroquois fleet. However, funding for the deal has yet to be found. The Philippine Navy accepted delivery of two AW159 Wildcat ASW helicopters in May 2019, and (at time of print) Manila is also set to acquire six TAI T129B Atak helicopters from Turkey. The T129B deal was approved by the US government (due to American equipment in the helicopter) and announced in May 2021. However, a similar deal for 30 T129Bs for Pakistan is yet to get the green light from Washington. Delivery of the six helicopters to the Philippines had been expected in the third quarter of 2021, but this was pushed back to the end of the year. The Philippine Air Force (PAF) previously received two Bell AH-1F Cobra attack helicopters from the Jordanian

The Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia (Royal Malaysian Air Force) operates 12 EC725AP Caracals in the Combat Search And Rescue (CSAR) role. Although Airbus Helicopters had hoped to sell further examples to the TUDM, to replace the Nuri fleet, an order has not materialised to date

government in 2019. In October 2021, a PAF spokesperson told local media that the service was also looking to acquire heavy-lift helicopters – although, the type remained undisclosed. A mention must also be made of the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF),

“We’re also seeing growth in South East Asia. In addition to Singapore, we are seeing robust activity in countries such as Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines”

which is currently recapitalising its combat helicopter fleet with deliveries of H225M Super Puma and CH-47F Chinooks now under way. It is understood that Sixteen H225Ms have been purchased by the island state, with the first three delivered from France aboard an An-124 in March 2021. The new Super Pumas are replacing the RSAF’s older fleet of AS332M1 helicopters. Singapore is also purchasing 16 CH-47F Chinooks to replace the RSAF’s current CH-47D/SD fleet. Ten of the new helicopters will be based at Oakey in Australia. The new-build Chinooks were ordered in 2016 and the first aircraft was handed over in the US in May 2021.

Local manufacture The Republic of Korea has a significant indigenous rotary-wing manufacturing capability, with Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) responsible for the KUH-1 Surion multi-purpose helicopter and Light Armed Helicopter (LAH) programmes, as well as producing fuselages for Boeing’s AH-64 Apache. The KUH-1 was developed from the AS332M Super Puma for the Republic of Korea Army (RoKA), to replace UH-1H and Hughes 500MD helicopters. Deliveries began in 2012 and a further development resulted in the MUH-1 (Marine Utility Helicopter) Marineon for the Republic of Korea Marine Corps; the KUH-1P Chamsuri for police/parapublic operations; KUH-1EM (Emergency Medical Services); KUH-1FS (Forest Service), and KUH1CG (Coast Guard) variants. To date, KAI has produced more than 200 units and the Korean National Police most recently ordered a further two Chamsuris, for delivery from February 2023. In April 2021, KAI announced it is developing a version of the MUH-1 Marineon for counter-mine operations and a further variant, the MAH-1 (Marine Attack Helicopter), was also publicly unveiled at the ADEX exhibition in Seoul in October 2021. The manufacturer’s light attack helicopter programme is developing the

LAH (and civil LCH) helicopter from the Airbus Helicopters H155 for the RoKA to replace Bell AH-1S Cobra and Hughes 500MD helicopters. The first prototype was rolled out in December 2018 and first flew in July 2019, with development expected to be completed in 2022. In December 2020, Seoul selected the MH-60R Seahawk for its next tranche of ASW helicopters, joining eight AW159 Wildcats delivered in 2016. Twelve MH-60Rs were subsequently ordered in March 2021 under a $447m deal and will be delivered to the RoK Navy before the end of 2025. The RoKA previously received the first of 36 AH-64E Apaches in 2016 and, looking to the future, Korea’s Defence Acquisition Program Administration announced in March 2021 that it is seeking to buy more attack helicopters from offshore in the 2028 timeframe.

Growing market According to The Business Research Company’s 2021 research report, the size of the global military helicopter market is expected to grow from $50.75bn in 2020 to $52.27bn in 2021, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3%. The military helicopter market forecast is expected to reach $67.5bn in 2025 at a CAGR of 6.6%. Within this forecast. The Asia-Pacific region is the largest in the military helicopters market – it accounted for 30.8% of the total in 2020. The report from The Business Research Company stated that the fastest-growing areas will be Eastern Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, where the CAGRs will be 7.4% and 6.1%, respectively. The current and future size of the market for military rotorcraft in the Asia- and Indo-Pacific regions has clearly not gone unnoticed by the global defence sector, which is keen to tap into and harness the potential there. As ever, regional countries will have to balance acquisitions between immediate imports to satisfy pressing demands and the development of viable indigenous design and manufacturing capabilities in the years ahead. January2022 97

INTERNATIONAL

The Team Tara Craig Associate Editor Gordon Smith Editor at Large, Commercial Aviation Martin Needham Executive Editor, Commercial Aviation Carol Randall Associate Editor, Commercial Aviation Thomas Lee Assistant Editor, Commercial Aviation Mark Broadbent Contributing Editor

Next Month (*UK scheduled on-sale date. Please note that overseas deliveries are likely to be after this.)

ABOVE: Embraer remains at the forefront of aircraft design. Shown here, 3D design at work Embraer

In February’s issue, on sale from January 27* The next big thing Japan is known as an early adopter but what will it make of Advanced Aerial Mobility?

The transporters Amid fiscal and platform pressures, the UK RAF’s transport fleet may have to do more with less

High maintenance How are the thousands of grounded aircraft worldwide being kept in good shape?

A changing landscape With the proliferation of small uncrewed systems, distributed operations look likely to benefit BELOW: The UK’s A400M Atlas transporter is expected to do much of the country’s heavy lifting UK MOD/Crown copyright

Brazilian beauty The secrets of Embraer’s success, not least how it bucked the COVID slump

(Global)Eye spy In part one of our examination of key ISR programmes, we look into Sweden’s capabilities

Richard Thomas Group Executive Editor, Modern Military Alan Warnes Group Editor at Large, Modern Military Khalem Chapman Deputy Editor, Modern Military Josef Campion Assistant Editor, Modern Military Dave Allport News Editor, Modern Military Debbie Walker, Andy O’Neil, Carly Hurd, Tracey Croft, Dan Jarman & Dave Robinson Design Steve Donovan Head of Design David Taylor Group Production Editor Sally Hooton, Angharad Moran, Suzanne Roberts, Sue Rylance Production Editors Andrew Mason Commercial Sales Manager, Commercial and Military [email protected] Debi McGowan Ad Production Manager Kay Townsin Ad Production Janet Watkins Head of Production Finbarr O’Reilly Head of Publishing Karen Bean Head of Operations and eCommerce Carol Pereira Head of Finance Vicky Macey Chief Digital Officer Mark Elliott Chief Content & Commercial Officer Adrian Cox Group CEO

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