aviation

Wedgetail to Replace RAF Sentries?

Speaking ahead of the October NATO

conference, UK Defence Secretary, Gavin

Williamson MP, announced that the

Ministry of Defence is in discussion with

Boeing and the Royal Australian Air Force

about the potential for the E-7 Wedgetail

Airborne Early Warning and Control

(AEW&C) aircraft to replace the current

E-3D Sentry  eet.

Secretary Gavin Williamson said: “The

Wedgetail is the stand-out performer in our

pursuit of a new battlespace surveillance

aircraft and has already proved itself in

Iraq and Syria. Running air operations from

the sky, it could be an excellent asset for

the RAF and give us a real edge in this

increasingly complex world.

“Our future with Australia will already

see us operate the same maritime patrol

aircraft, world-class Type 26 warships and

supersonic F-35 jets. Wedgetail may join

that formidable armoury and help us work

together to take on the global threats that

we both face.”

The Wedgetail uses a standard

Boeing 737 airliner modi ed to carry a

sophisticated Northrop Grumman active

electronically-scanned radar.

The Polish government is set to take delivery of a brand-new Boeing 737-800 BBJ, (c/n 64927)

serial number 7152. This photograph was taken at Boeing Field on September 11 and only the

port side bore any titles. Joe G Walker

Reaper Air-to-Air Shoot Down

A USAF MQ-9 Reaper achieved its  rst

air-to-air shoot down during a controlled

simulation in trials late last year, the service

disclosed on September 19. During the

test last November, a Reaper downed

a manoeuvring small UAV using an

undisclosed type of a heat-seeking missile.

The test was aimed at developing an air-to-

air capability for USAF Reapers. However, it

is unclear when the capability will be  elded.

On March 7, General Atomics

Aeronautical Systems received a contract for

the development of MQ-9 Reaper Air-to-Air

Missile (RAAM) Aviation Simulation (AVSIM)

• the  rst step to providing the drone with
  this capability.

IN BRIEF

Fuerza Aérea Argentina (FAA, Argentine

Air Force) FOKKER F28-1000C

FELLOWSHIP serial TC-52 (c/n 1074)

made its  nal  ight on August 31. The

FAA originally received  ve F28-1000Cs

(TC-51 to TC-55) between January and

October 1975, losing one in an accident in

August 1989. The FAA’s II Escuadrón at El

Palomar continues to operate F28 TC-

(c/n 11020), which it aims to retain until

September next year when the aircraft's

service life expires.

The RAF is to retain one of its ‘short-body’

C-130J HERCULES C5s to compensate

for the loss of a C-130J-30 Hercules C

on operations in Iraq. The 2015 Strategic

Defence and Security Review (SDSR) had

originally called for the withdrawal of all

ten C5s while retaining only the 14 ‘long-

body’ Hercules C4s.

Two Tu-95MS bombers took part in

the Vostok 2018 exercise in Russia’s

Far East in September. The Russian

Ministry of Defence announced that

the BEAR-Hs  ew ‘air patrol’ missions

during the manoeuvres, taking them

over international waters of the Barents,

Chukchi and East Siberian seas and the

Arctic Ocean. The bomber crews practised

air-to-air refuelling and were escorted by

Su-35S  ghters. It is thought that in total,

some 300,000 servicemen and more than

1,000 aircraft, helicopters and unmanned

aerial vehicles were involved.

MILITARY NEWS

14 Aviation News incorporating Jets November 2018

Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group

has completed a second heavily modi ed

ELINT/SIGINT Bombardier Global 6000 for

the United Arab Emirates Air Force and Air

Defence (UAEF&AD) under Project Dolphin.

Following extensive ground testing,

the aircraft, 1325 (c/n 9494, ex M-ABFQ,

C-GNKW), took its  rst  ight after conversion

at Cambridge on August 8 and a  nal  ight

test on the 20th. It then  ew to Doncaster

Sheffield Airport, South Yorkshire, on the

29th before its delivery  ight to Abu Dhabi

two days later.

The  rst aircraft to be converted, 1326

(c/n 9517, ex M-ABFR, C-GPZH), continues

its  ight test programme and has been

seen operating from MOD Boscombe

Down, Wiltshire, as part of its trials – but

as of September 3 it was test  ying from

Cambridge again. Dave Allport

First UAE Forces’ Global

6000 Delivered

A second ELINT/SIGINT version of the Bombardier Global 6000 was delivered to the United

Arab Emirates Air Force and Air Defence on August 31. Kevin Hudson

First Two

Poseidons Set

for Kinloss

The RAF's initial P-8A Poseidon maritime

patrol aircraft will be delivered to

Kinloss, Scotland rather than the type’s

main operating base at nearby RAF

Lossiemouth. The decision has been

taken to avoid disruption caused by major

engineering work – including runway

refurbishment – at Lossiemouth. As part of

the £400m construction effort, the resident

RAF Typhoons will also temporarily

relocate to Leuchars in Fife. The work at

Lossiemouth is required to accommodate

both the Poseidon and an additional

Typhoon unit – IX (Bomber) Squadron.

An RAF spokesman said: “During the

summer of 2019, routine Typhoon squadron

 ying will brie y operate out of Kinloss and

the Quick Reaction Alert North function

will temporarily relocate to Leuchars. The

 rst two P-8A Maritime Patrol Aircraft, that

are due to arrive in the UK from February

2020, will be temporarily based at Kinloss

Air eld, before moving to their permanent

home at RAF Lossiemouth once the main

runway has been refurbished.”

New 737 for Poland