Page 16 - Australian Defence Magazine Dec-Jan 2023

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NEWS REVIEW
INDUSTRY UPDATE
DECEMBER 2022-JANUARY 2023 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
REGIONAL OUTLOOK
LEFT: JMSDF destroyer JS Maya successfully demonstrated a ballistic missile defence capability against a target
BELOW: China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy is testing an indigenous engine on its Shenyang J-15 fighters
comfortable enough with the performance and reliability of the WS-10 to use them for riskier single-engine and carrier-borne operations and indicates further maturity of the Chinese aerospace engine program.
JAPAN TEST FIRES SM-3 BALLISTIC MISSILE INTERCEPTOR Japan has successfully carried out two live firing events over the Pacific Ocean using interceptors launched from its destroyers, validating the ships’ ballistic missile de- fence capabilities in the process.
The first live firing saw a successful engagement of a T4-E medium range bal- listic missile target by a Standard Missile 3 (SM-3) Block IIA fired from JS Maya (DDG 179). The Aegis-equipped destroy- er tracked and successfully destroyed the target, marking the first occasion a Maya- class destroyer has fired an SM-3.
The second live firing exercise tested integrated air and missile defence capa- bilities and the ships’ Cooperative En- gagement Capability (CEC) using SM-3 Block IB and a SM-2 Block IIIB missiles firedfromJSHaguro(DDG-180)against a short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) target and an Anti-Air Warfare engage- ment against a BQM-177 target drone.
The SM-3 block IIA is a joint develop- ment between Raytheon and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. It has larger diameter and is more manoeuvrable than earlier versions, while carrying an upgraded ad- vanced discrimination seeker and a kinet- ic warhead. ■
MIKE YEO | MELBOURNE
RAAF F-35S VISIT MALAYSIA, SINGAPORE, AND INDONESIA
The RAAF’s 75 Squadron has made its first visit overseas since transitioning to the Lockheed-Martin F-35A Lightning II, with six jets deploying to Butterworth in Malaysia for Exercise Elangaroo.
The exercise took place between 7 and 18 November, and involved six 75 Sqn F-35As from Tindal and a Leonardo C- 27A Spartan airlifter from 35 Sqn. The exercise saw the RAAF train with Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) F/A-18D Hornets, Su-30MKM Flankers and Hawk Mk.108/208 aircraft.
RAAF Co-Exercise Director, Group Captain Ravinder Singh, said the aim of the exercise was to test and improve force integration and combined readiness be- tween the nations.
The F-35As then deployed to Singapore for two days of flying training and profes- sional interactions with the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF); and then to Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali for a short stopover, where the RAAF pilots had a short interaction with their Indone- sian counterparts.
THAILAND TAKES DELIVERY
OF T-6 TEXAN II TRAINERS Thailand has taken delivery of its first Textron T-6C Texan II turboprop train- ers, with two arriving at Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) base Kamphaeng Saen in mid-November.
The base is home to the RTAF’s Flying Training School.
Thailand ordered 12 T-6Cs under a US$240 million contract in 2020 to re- place Pilatus PC-9 trainers currently equipping one of three training squadrons at Kamphaeng Saen.
Thailand is also the first customer of the light attack variant of the Texan II. The country ordered eight AT-6 Wolver- ines to replace the Aero L-39 Albatros jet trainer in a US$211.8 million contract in November 2021. Deliveries will commence in 2024.
CHINAFITSJ-15CARRIER-BORNE FIGHTERS WITH INDIGENOUS ENGINES
China is fitting indigenous engines on its Shenyang J-15 carrier-borne fighter. Chinese state-owned broadcaster CCTV showed a J-15 with the afterburner noz- zles of the WS-10 Taihang turbofans un- dergoing calibration in preparation for a test flight at Shenyang Aircraft Corpora- tion’s facilities on 17 November.
Production J-15s have thus far been fitted with Russian AL- 31F engines and the J-15 is the last combat aircraft in China’s inventory to be fitted with Rus- sian engines – after the single- engine Chengdu J-10 was refit- ted with the WS-10.
The use of WS-10s on the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) J-15s after more than a decade in service with land- based jets suggests China is
PLA NAVY
JMSDF