Page 36 - Air Forces Monthly - September 2017

INTEL REPORT ‘In association with…’

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limitations come when you try
to train fighter pilots with virtual
and constructive entities that
they won’t be able to see on
radar, only on their data link. The
limitation is getting the heads
of the pilots around that. He
or she will have to consider all
those things and reapportion
assets to cover them without
seeing them on the radar, or out
of the window. To provide really
good training you need to show
the big fight on the screen.”
Ultimately, everything should
be displayed on the aircraft’s
radar. That work is ongoing in the
US. The USAF’s recent Northern
Edge exercise in Alaska (see North
to the future, July, p54-59) was
used to test some LVC elements.
The USAF is hoping to field the
solutions the RAF is looking for in
Above: The impressive Airborne Tactical Advantage Company (ATAC) adversary fleet could yet play a part in ASDOT, after its own Red Air contracts before
the company was acquired by Textron. ATAC operates a fleet of 16 former Swiss Air Force Hunters. Rob DeStasio the ASDOT contract starts.
entered the fray so far. It might be invited to proceed to the and the first phase of ASDOT The same source concluded:
be expected that at least some bidding stage next year. All the is expected to start. This will “The ASDOT programme will
try to get involved. There is a consortiums will be expected include an element of live, virtual have one eye firmly fixed on the
possibility they are in discussions to own the required assets. and constructive (LVC) training. development of LVC capabilities,
with existing bidders and could The winning consortium will be but is not seeking to deliver this
emerge as important players. High-end Red Air expected to field its solution, in isolation. ASDOT will seek to
The MOD will be looking for a The two new RAF air defence replacing the Falcon 20s and find a blended live/constructive
level of investment from the Typhoon squadrons announced RN Hawks, providing more capability that adds mass and
consortiums to field the assets in the 2015 Strategic Defence and than 7,000 hours per annum. complexity to the live training.”
and will need to be confident they Security Review are expected to Another 1,000 hours will be After a year of negotiations, a
can deliver a 15-year service. stand up at RAF Lossiemouth, generated using synthetics. winner should be announced
While Leonardo executives Moray, and at RAF Coningsby It should continue that way until by mid-2019 leading to full
would not reveal any bid with the on January 1, 2019. They are 2027, when the No 100 Squadron operational capability by the end
M-346FA, a board in front of the expected to be tasked to fly Hawks are retired and Phase Two of 2020. We might then expect
prototype on display at RIAT said it around 1,200 hours a year of ASDOT begins. This will see to see similar competitions
all. “The M-346FA is ideally suited supporting an aggressor function, the winning contractor taking rolled out by other countries.
to the UK’s ASDOT requirement, perhaps establishing standard on an additional 6,000 hours. Australia, Saudi Arabia and
offering high-end ‘aggressor’ operating procedures before As one source told AFM: “There the United Arab Emirates all
performance cost-effectively.” the ASDOT contract starts on are an awful lot of technologies operate expensive fourth/fifth-
Leonardo believes it has January 1, the following year. out there and some really good generation fighters and could be
technology that can be continually At that point 736 NAS will fielded solutions, but there potential candidates for similar
upgraded in order to reflect withdraw its Hawks from use, are real limitations. And the aggressor training initiatives. AFM
developing aggressor capabilities,
through the aircraft itself or via
podded solutions. It is likely that
Leonardo will pitch the M-346FA to
span ASDOT’s second- to fourth-
generation aggressor needs.
However, the cost of a brand-
new jet, particularly at the outset,
could preclude the aircraft from
being included in a bid. The same
could apply to the Scorpion, which
currently being evaluated under
the USAF light attack experiment.
This autumn, all the industry
consortiums will be involved in a
Pre-Qualification Questionnaire Cobham currently operates 15
(PQQ) stage. The teams will upgraded Dassault Falcon 20s for
demonstrate to the UK MOD its live flying roles. While these will
their capabilities, with each be superseded by the new ASDOT
system at the end of 2019, the
company being asked to cover company remains involved in bidding
its particular skills in any teaming for the new contract after signing
arrangement. Should they get an agreement with Draken at RIAT.
through this, the teams will Derek Bower

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