NASA’S Langley Research Center at Joint
Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, has acquired
a C-20B Gulfstream III, previously operated
by the USAF’s 89th Airlift Wing.
Formerly serial 86-0206 (c/n 478), it hasbeen assigned the civil registration N520NA
and will support airborne research.
The C-20B was retired to Davis-Monthan
AFB, Arizona on August 30 last year, but had
departed by November.Irish PC-12NG Order
The Irish Air Corps is to get three PC-
12NG utility aircraft. A contract was
signed with Pilatus on December 20.
The aircraft will serve at Casement
Aerodrome, Baldonnel, near Dublin,
replacing ve Cessna FR172Hspurchased for the corps in 1972.
The PC-12s will be equipped
for intelligence, surveillance, target
acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR),
logistics support, including transport
of Irish Defence Forces troops andequipment, and medical evacuation/
air ambulance tasks. The cost of
the contract, including equipment, is
approximately €32m. The rst two aircraft
will be delivered next year with the third
following in 2020.F-16AM s/n 246 (ex J-193) departing Volkel AB on December 14. Kees van der Mark
The nal three former Royal Netherlands
Air Force (RNLAF) F-16s were delivered to
the Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF) on
December 14. The last three jets – serials
242 (formerly J-870), 246 (J-193) and249 (J-057) – departed Volkel AB in the
Netherlands and arrived in Jordan after a
stopover at Aviano AB, Italy.
They are joining the RJAF’s 2 Sqn. Jordan
has acquired a total of 15 Dutch F-16s.Jordan F-16 Delivery
Complete
IN BRIEF
Britain has stepped up support for France in
its counter-terrorism mission in the African
state of Mali and will deploy RAF CHINOOK
helicopters to aid France’s Operation
Barkhane. Until now, UK help has been
limited to RAF strategic air transport ights.Nigeria has allocated $36m in its 2018
budget as partial payment for three JF-
THUNDER ghters from Chengdu/Pakistan
Aeronautical Complex. The nance also
includes support equipment and spares.The nal Canadian CP-140 AURORA
maritime patrol aircraft and its aircrew
returned from the Middle East when serial
140101 touched down at 14 Wing/CFB
Greenwood, Nova Scotia, on December 16.
The RCAF had deployed Auroras in support
of Operation Impact against so-called
Islamic State.MILITARY NEWS
8The Gulfstream now being used for research by NASA. NASA Langley/David C BowmanNASA's 'New' Gulfstream
Aviation News incorporating Jets March 2018Japan Chooses Pegasus
A $279m foreign military sale (FMS)
contract from the US Air Force has been
awarded to Boeing for a single KC-46A
for the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force
(JASDF).
Japan selected the Pegasus following
its KC-X aerial refuelling competition,
marking the rst international sale for the
tanker. The JASDF already operates four
KC-767J tankers and E-767 airborne early
warning and control aircraft, based on an
earlier version of the 767. Tom KaminskiFirst Italian-built F-35B
Lightning II Delivered
The rst short take-off/vertical landing
(STOVL) F-35B Lightning II assembled
outside the United States was delivered to
the Italian Navy at Cameri on January 25.
To date, nine F-35As and one F-35B
have been delivered from the Cameri Final
Assembly and Check Out (FACO), the only
F-35B production facility outside America.Four of those jets are now based at Luke
AFB, Arizona, for international pilot training
and ve are at Amendola AB, Italy.
The Cameri FACO is also programmed
to produce 29 F-35As for the Royal
Netherlands Air Force and retains the
capacity to deliver to other European
partners in the future.Russian Tanker
Rolled Out
The rst Il-78M-90A tanker aircraft,
c/n 0201, for the Russian military was
completed by Aviastar at its Ulyanovsk
production facility on November 29. The
Il-78M-90A is a modernised version of
the Il-78, with four PS-90A-76 turbofans
replacing the original D-30KP-2s.
It also features modern avionics,
including replaced ight, navigation,
radio communications, lighting and other
equipment. The wing has been modi ed,
a strengthened bulkhead installed in the
rear fuselage and removable additional
fuel tanks incorporated into the cargo
compartment to increase capacity.06-08_military_newsDC.mfDC.mf.indd 8 05/02/2018 10: