AirForces Monthly – September 2019

http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #378 September 2019 // 27

Initial RAAF PC-21 for ARDU

A FIRST PC-21 for the Royal

Australian Air Force (RAAF)

wearing a new grey colour

scheme emerged for its pre-

flight tests recently. The

aircraft, A54-045/HB-HWS

(c/n 278), was rolled out

of the Pilatus factory at

Stans-Buochs on July 12.

The PC-21, which also has

a sharkmouth marking, is

destined for the Aircraft

Research and Development

Unit (ARDU) – in fact, it is the

third PC-21 for this formation.

The other two ARDU PC-21s

are serials A54-017 (c/n

250) and A54-018 (c/n 251),

both painted red. The last

four PC-21s for Australia

(A54-046 to A54-049) –

also with the grey colour

scheme – will serve in the

forward air controller training

role with No 4 Squadron at

RAAF Base Williamtown,

New South Wales.

The latest RAAF PC-21s

to be received were A54-

039/HB-HWM (c/n 272) and

A54-040/HB-HWN (c/n 273),

which left Switzerland on

delivery during June, but

the first of these returned

to Stans, presumably after

the ferry pilot encountered

a problem with the aircraft.

Both these aircraft wear

the colours of the RAAF’s

Roulettes display team.

MDHI offers

special forces

helicopters to

Australia

MD HELICOPTERS

Inc (MDHI) is the latest

entrant in the bidding for

Australia’s Land 2097

Phase 4 requirement,

calling for a special

operations helicopter,

up to four of which can

be rapidly forward-

deployed, on board a

C-17A strategic transport.

In response to a request

for information (RFI),

MDHI is offering its single-

engined MD530G light

attack and observation

helicopter alongside its

twin-engined MD902

and MD969 rotorcraft.

The requirement aims to

acquire a squadron of light

deployable helicopters in

the decade up to 2028.

Above: ARDU PC-21 A54-045/HB-HWS at Stans-Buochs on July 12. Stephan Widmer

Australia

begins search

for Tiger

replacement

THE AUSTRALIAN

Department of Defence

has issued a request

for information (RFI) as

it seeks a replacement

for the Australian

Army’s fleet of 22 Tiger

Armed Reconnaissance

Helicopters (ARH) under

the Land 4503 programme.

The RFI stipulates initial

operational capability (IOC)

in 2026 using 12 airframes

and full operational

capability two years later

with 29 helicopters. The

dozen aircraft earmarked

for IOC will be divided into

a deployable troop of four

rotorcraft, a continued force

generation component

of four examples, and

an initial training element

of the final four.

Ultimately, 24 of the

new aircraft will be based

at a single location (one

regiment, comprised of two

squadrons) and the other

five helicopters will be used

for training, potentially

at a separate location.

Leading candidates for

Land 4503 include the

AH-1Z Viper and AH-64E

Apache, which meet the

demand for a “a proven

and mature, manned off-

the-shelf” platform, while

the planned Tiger Mk3

may also be considered.

Responses to the RFI

are due by August 30.

THE INITIAL Royal Australian

Air Force (RAAF) pilots

to complete the F-35A

transition course in Australia

have flown the aircraft for

the first time. Two pilots

conducted debut training

missions on the Lightning II

at RAAF Base Williamtown,

New South Wales, on

July 15 after undertaking

an intensive two-month

academic and simulator

programme at the base’s

Integrated Training Centre.

The aviators will be posted

to No 3 Squadron on

completing their tuition.

The commander of No 3

Squadron, WGCDR Darren

Clare, explained: “Although

we currently still send pilots

to the US for training, this

shows Australia is quickly

becoming self-sufficient and

it all contributes to our F-35A

squadrons reaching combat

readiness as planned.”

Australia’s fleet of

ten F-35As is based at

Williamtown, and Luke Air

Force Base, Arizona. To date,

the Joint Strike Fighters have

achieved in excess of 2,900

hours across more than

1,750 sorties since 2014. The

RAAF aims to achieve initial

operating capability on the

F-35A in December next year.

Australian-trained F-35A pilots take to the air

SQNLDR William Grady

conducts a walk-around

of F-35A A35-009,

prior to his fi rst fl ight,

following transition

training at RAAF Base

Williamtown. SGT Guy

Young/Commonwealth of

Australia, Department of

Defence

Latest

RAAF

Poseidon

under test

THE NEXT P-8A for the Royal

Australian Air Force (RAAF)

undergoes pre-delivery tests

at Seattle’s Boeing Field,

Washington, site on July 24.

The Poseidon, serial A47-009

(c/n 64165, l/n 7324), is the

ninth example for Australia.

The Australian government

announced approval of the

acquisition of the first eight

P-8As in February 2014. An

order for the first four aircraft

was placed in August of the

following year and a second

followed in January 2016.

The 2016 Defence White

Paper confirmed plans to

add a further seven aircraft,

the first four of which are

conversions of existing

options. A contract for these

was announced in April

2017. The remaining three

will be ordered subsequently

to provide a fleet of 15

Poseidons by the late 2020s.

The latest delivery was the

eighth aircraft, A47-008

(c/n 63191), which arrived

in Australia in June.

Joe G Walker

NEWS

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26-27 News AFM Sep2019.indd 27 8/5/2019 12:25:01 PM