Page 8 - Aviation News - September 2017

IN BRIEF
MILITARY NEWS High-energy Laser on Apache The rst YCH-53K KING STALLION arrived at

NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, from Sikorsky's
Development Flight Center in West Palm
Beach, Florida, for continued testing on June
30. The King Stallion is the rst of seven
CH-53Ks expected to arrive at the Naval Air
Warfare Center Aircraft Division over the next
12 months.
Australia is moving forward with plans to
upgrade its Boeing E-7A WEDGETAIL airborne
early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft.
Boeing will add new sensors, communications
systems and computer hardware to the Royal
Australian Air Force’s eet of six Wedgetails
and the project is due for completion by 2022.
Rockwell Collins has completed the
installation of new avionics on the United
States Air Force’s eet of 59 McDonnell
Douglas KC-10 EXTENDER air-to-air refuelling
aircraft. The installation of the Flight2
avionics suite provides the Extender's ight
crew with enhanced situational awareness,
communications improvements and more
A recent test at the US Army White Sands This US Army AH-64D tested a high-energy direct ight routing, which contributes to
Missile Range in New Mexico included a laser at the White Sands missile range on reduced fuel consumption. The modi cations
demonstration of a fully integrated laser April 7. US Army were carried out by Field Aviation at its facility
system successfully engaging and ring data collected from the helicopter including the in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
on a target from a rotary-wing aircraft. The impact of vibration, dust and rotor downwash The ROYAL THAI AIR FORCE will add eight
exercise took place on April 7 and included on the laser’s beam control and steering. additional Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI)
a wide variety of ight regimes, altitudes and Raytheon conducted the ight test in T-50TH advanced jet trainers to its eet.
air speeds while the high-energy laser (HEL) conjunction with the US Army Apache Attack The contract was signed on July 11 and
on board an AH-64D Apache tracked and Helicopter Project Management Office (PMO) is estimated to be valued at $259 million.
directed energy on several targets. The design and US Special Operations Command Thailand purchased four T-50TH aircraft in
of future HEL systems will be driven by the (USSOCOM). September 2015.
Slovakia has taken delivery of the rst two of a
planned eet of nine UH-60M BLACK HAWKS.
ASRAAM Tested on F-35B The helicopters were delivered to Prešov
airport on June 26 and an official handover
ceremony followed on July 6.
The rst upgraded Royal Australian Air Force
HAWK MK127 trainers have achieved initial
operational capability (IOC) and students
have begun training on the modernised jets
with No 79 Squadron at RAAF Base Pearce,
Western Australia. The service has 12 of these
aircraft and all them will be upgraded by 2019
to a standard that is nearly identical to the UK
Royal Air Force’s Hawk T2 (Mk128) aircraft.
An AIM-132 ASRAAM missile
is launched from F-35B BF-03
during testing on May 17.
Lockheed Martin/Andy Wolfe Sea Kings Return

Testing of the MBDA AIM-132 Advanced Short Squadron received its nal pair of F-35As for Training
Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM) is now when the aircraft were delivered to Hill AFB,
complete and the AIM-132 can be utilised by Utah, on June 21. The squadron received its The Ministry of Defence is returning two
the UK’s F-35Bs. The F-35 Integrated Test rst F-35A in November 2015 and it now has Sea King Mk5 aircraft to service. The two
Team (ITT) at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, a full complement of 24 Lightning IIs. The 4th helicopters in their distinctive red and grey
completed the nal System Development Fighter Squadron is now being equipped with paint scheme were once a familiar site over
and Demonstration (SDD) ight science the F-35 and 78 ghters will be assigned to Cornwall as they were operated by 771
test having red eight missiles to clear the the wing by the end of 2019. Naval Air Squadron in rescue missions up
envelope. Elsewhere, F-35As operated by the USAF’s until their retirement in April 2016. They
Meanwhile, the US Marine Corps plans 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin AFB, Florida, and will be leased to Heli Operations UK so
to follow the USAF’s lead and will equip F-35Bs own by VMFA-211 from Marine Corps the organisation can train aircrew in the
its F-35Bs with the dual-mode GBU-49 Air Station Yuma, Arizona, participated in German Navy in search and rescue skills.
Enhanced Paveway II Lot 5. This weapon exercise Red Flag 17-3, which began Nellis The retired Sea Kings will be retained as
provides the capability to accurately strike AFB, Nevada, on July 10. The exercise, which UK military aircraft, but will be operated
moving targets that are traveling at speeds up ran until July 28, marked the rst time that from Heli Operation’s training base at
to 70mph (113km/h). both variants of the Joint Strike Fighter were Portland, Dorset, up until September 2018.
The 388th Fighter Wing’s 34th Fighter simultaneously involved in the exercise.

8 Aviation News Incorporating Jets September 2017

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