combat aircraft

JAPAN EXPLORES ATTACK

HELICOPTER REPLACEMENT

THE JAPAN DEFENSE Ministry’s

Acquisition, Technology and

Logistics Agency has requested

information from prospective

suppliers of attack helicopters

as the initial step in replacing its

 eet of AH-1S Cobras. Companies

with experience in developing

and manufacturing helicopters

can respond to the request for

information. Those  rms include

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries,

Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI)

and Subaru, which was previously

known as Fuji Heavy Industries.

KHI built the OH-1 indigenous

scout helicopter. The service has

37 of the helicopters in service

and the last example of the type

was ordered in 2010. Fuji Heavy

Industries produced the bulk

of the army’s 90 Cobras, which

were delivered between 1979

and 2000. A total of 59 remain

in service. The Japan Ground

Self-Defense Force also operates

a small number of AH-64Ds.

Tom Kaminski

A Japan Self-Defense Force AH-1S during joint operations from Gray

Army Airfi eld, located at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.

US Army/PFC Brianne Patterson

THAI ARMY SEEKS COBRA REPLACEMENT

THE ROYAL THAI Army is making

plans to purchase six new attack

helicopters that will replace the 3rd

Aviation Battalion’s current  eet

of seven Bell AH-1Fs. The aircraft

include three examples that have

been in service for almost three

decades and four ex-US Army

helicopters that were acquired

under the US Excess Defense

Articles (EDA) program. The Cobras

will be retired within two years.

The army is also planning to retire

the last of its 12 UH-1H utility

helicopters in 2020.

Tom Kaminski

KOREAN A330 MRTT PREPARES FOR DELIVERY

THE FIRST A330 Multi-Role Tanker

Transport (MRTT) for the Republic

of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) recently

received its military paint scheme

at the Airbus Defence and Space

facility at Manching, Germany. In

May last year the aircraft was  own

from the Airbus production line in

Toulouse, France, to Getafe, Spain,

for MRTT conversion.

South Korea’s Defense Acquisition

Program Administration (DAPA)

announced selection of the A330

MRTT in June 2015. Under the KC-X

program, four aircraft are being

procured under a deal estimated to

be worth $1.33 billion. Airbus is due

to deliver the  rst aircraft before

the end of the year, and the  nal

example before the end of 2019.

The fi rst Korean MRTT returns to Getafe on June 8 after painting in

Manching. José Ramón Valero

PHILIPPINES EYE MORE FA-50S

THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT

aims to acquire additional

FA-50PH light combat aircraft/

trainers from Korea Aerospace

Industries (KAI). Defense Secretary

Del n Lorenzana announced

plans to acquire around 12

more jets during a symposium

of the Philippine Air Force (PAF).

Lorenzana stated that President

Rodrigo Duterte wants to add to

the Fighting Eagle  eet based on

the aircraft’s performance in the

campaign to liberate Marawi City

from Islamist militant control last

year. Talks with South Korea over

a new FA-50 have not yet begun,

Lorenzana said.

The PAF ordered 12 FA-50PHs in March 2014, and the initial pair was

delivered in December 2015. The next two aircraft arrived in December

2016 and a further two the following February. The remaining six were

delivered from March to May last year. KAI

‘HOT BLADE’ IN PORTUGAL

BASE AÉREA NO 11 at Beja in

southern Portugal hosted Exercise

‘Hot Blade 2018’ from May 9-23.

The event was organized for the

12th time under the umbrella of

the European Defence Agency’s

(EDA’s) Helicopter Exercise

Programme (HEP).

A total of 29 aircraft (21 helicopters

and eight  xed-wing) participated,

together with 1,200 military

personnel from six countries.

This year’s exercise was held for

the fourth time in Portugal, and

also involved Belgium, Germany,

Hungary, the Netherlands and

Slovenia. Additional participation

comprised a mentor team with eight

members of the EDA’s helicopters

tactics instructors course (HTIC).

These were drawn from Austria,

Germany, Sweden and the United

Kingdom. In addition, observers

from Austria, Italy and the Czech

Republic were present during the

two weeks of the exercise.

‘Hot Blade 2018’ provided training

to prepare for tasks that might be

assigned in any theater of operations

within the European alliance’s

area of operations. As well as large

composite air operations missions

(COMAO) that were executed each

afternoon, participating nations  ew

individual sorties in the morning

and at night. The scenarios aimed

to replicate a realistic environment

as close as possible to current

operations in hot, high and dusty

conditions. Erik Bruijns

The sole participating Slovenian AS532 Cougar waits to begin its mission

while a Dutch CH-47 taxies out during ‘Hot Blade 2018’. Erik Bruijns

[NEWS] WORLD

22 August 2018 //^ http://www.combataircraft.net

18-23 World News C.indd 22 22/06/2018 10:26