aviation - the past, present and future of flight

A two-hour farewell sortie on December

14 by Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF)

Dassault Falcon 20C-5 0125 Anna brought

the aircraft’s service to an end after 19,

flying hours over 38 years.

Although used for a variety of missions,

its primary role was airfield radar and

approach system calibration duties, while

also occasionally undertaking VIP transport.

Despite being the oldest aircraft in

the RNoAF inventory, its calibration work

meant that it had been constantly upgraded

and was equipped with the most modern

navigation equipment in the service.

Its primary role ceased to be the

responsibility of the air force from

December 31, enabling the aircraft to be

withdrawn. Two other Falcon 20s, electronic

countermeasures (ECM) variants – 041

Hugin and 053 Munin – remain in use for

electronic warfare training and operations,

and are due to be withdrawn in 2024.

The Royal Canadian Air Force’s 423

Maritime Helicopter Squadron conducted its

final operational flight of CH-124 Sea King

helicopters on January 26 with a flypast

over Halifax Harbour and Shearwater, Nova

Scotia.

The squadron will concentrate on

transitioning to the CH-148 Cyclone, the air

force’s new maritime helicopter.

It’s not, however, the last time that

residents of the Halifax and Dartmouth area

will see the venerable Sea King in flight.

Royal Canadian Navy operations on both

coasts will be supported by 443 Maritime

Helicopter Squadron, located at Patricia Bay,

British Columbia, until the type is formally

retired at the end of this year.

Indonesian AH-64Es Handed Over

The Tentara Nasional Indonesia – Angkatan

Darat (TNI-AD, Indonesian National Defence

• Army) has received its first AH-64E attack
  helicopter. The Apache Guardian arrived
  at Semarang, Java, on December 18,
  transported in a USAF C-17A.
  The US Defense Security Cooperation

Agency (DSCA) notified US Congress of

the possible foreign military sale (FMS)

to Indonesia of eight Apache Block III

helicopters in September 2012, with a total

value of $1.42bn. In August 2013, the US

Defense Secretary confirmed agreement

had been reached to supply eight AH-64Es

to the TNI-AD, at a reported value of $500m.

In January 2015, the US Department of

Defense announced an FMS contract had

been awarded to Boeing, to manufacture

the eight helicopters for Indonesia. The

first examples began flight testing in the

US last May.

French Rafales to Embark US Carrier

The USS George H W Bush (CVN 77)

will host French Navy Rafale M fighters

and E-2C airborne early warning aircraft

this spring.

Although the pilots will complete their

carrier qualifications aboard the ship, the

April to May deployment is also intended

to demonstrate the French Navy’s ability

to integrate with the US military by

conducting maintenance and loading

weapons on their aircraft. The Rafales

will initially operate from NAS Oceana,

Virginia, conducting land-based carrier

training before shipboard operations begin.

Around 350 sailors and aviators will

deploy during the training period. The

French Navy’s aircraft carrier Charles de

Gaulle (R91) is undergoing scheduled

major maintenance that began in late 2016

and is not expected to be completed until

late this year. Tom Kaminski

http://www.aviation-news.co.uk 7

Norwegian Falcon Stands Down

Canadian Squadron Retires Sea King

Royal Norwegian Air Force Falcon 20C-5 0125 during its final sortie. RNoAF/717 Skv

Two Sea King helicopters from 423 Maritime Helicopter Squadron over the Halifax/Dartmouth

area on January 19, in preparation for the squadron’s final Sea King flight on January 26.

Corporal Anthony Laviolette/RCAF

Tiger HAD

Delivered

The Aviation Légère de l’Armée de Terre

(ALAT, French Army Aviation) has received

the first of 36 Tiger attack helicopters to be

retrofitted to the HAD version.

Airbus Helicopters announced the

delivery on December 21.

The retrofit from HAP to HAD involves

more than 100 airframe modifications and

installing in excess of 1,500 new parts.

While the HAP (Helicoptère Appui-

Protection, air support and protection)

variant was intended for close air support

missions, the HAD (Hélicoptère Appui-

Destruction, air support and destruction)

variant has a Stryx targeting turret, can

carry up to eight Hellfire II missiles, and

its MTR390E engines provide 14% more

power.

Work to convert all 36 HAPs to HAD

standard is expected to finish by the

mid-2020s.

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