combat aircraft

Turkish F-35A serial 18-

during its fi rst test fl ight on

May 10. Jim Firmin

GREEK F-16 UPGRADES APPROVED

THE GREEK GOVERNMENT is moving

forward with plans to upgrade part

of the Hellenic Air Force (HAF) F-

 eet to the latest F-16V con guration.

The initial Foreign Military Sale

includes upgrade kits for 85 HAF

F-16C/Ds. The program will provide

the  ghters with the Northrop

Grumman AN/APG-83 Scalable Agile

Beam Radar (SABR) along with

upgraded aircraft self-protection

equipment and Link 16 datalinks. The

program is reportedly valued at

around $1.5 billion. Three  ghters will

be upgraded in the US, but the

remainder of the work will be carried

out locally at Hellenic Aerospace

Industry’s Tanagra facility, north of

Athens. The HAF operates a mixed

 eet of F-16C/Ds that include Block

30, 50, 52+ and 52+ Advanced

aircraft. The bulk of the upgraded

 ghters will be the Block 52+/52+

Advanced models that were

delivered between 2009 and 2010.

Tom Kaminski

FINAL RAAF C-27J DELIVERED

THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN Air Force

received its 10th and  nal C-27J

tactical transport aircraft during a

ceremony at RAAF Base Richmond

on April 18. According to Australia’s

Minister for Defence, the delivery

also marked the completion of

the Australian Defence Force’s

air mobility upgrades. Produced

by Leonardo, the aircraft were

con gured and delivered by L-

Technologies, which equipped the

Spartans with Australia-speci c

systems. Operated by the RAAF’s

No 35 Squadron, the battle eld

airlifters achieved initial operating

capability in late 2016. The C-27Js

will relocate to RAAF Base Amberley

and reach full operational capability

in 2019. Tom Kaminski

A RAAF C-27J from No 35 Squadron in

fl ight near Sydney, New South Wales.

CPL Craig Barrett/

Commonwealth of Australia

GERMANY SEEKS HERCULES

THE US STATE Department has

approved the possible Foreign Military

Sale of six C-130Js to Germany. The

German government has requested

permission to purchase three

C-130J-30s and three KC-130Js.

The $1.4-billion package includes

defensive electronic systems and

countermeasures, electro-optical/

infra-red (EO/IR) sensors, spares,

training and other equipment.

The Luftwa e aircraft will become

a component of a joint Franco-

German allied squadron based at

Évreux, France, plans for which were

announced in October 2016. The

unit will operate 10 C-130Js and will

achieve initial operating capability in

2021. Full operational capability will
      follow in 2024. Tom Kaminski

This F-16D Block

52+ of the

HAF’s 337 Mira

will be among

the aircraft

upgraded

to F-16V

confi guration.

Jamie Hunter

[NEWS] WORLD

18 July 2018 //^ http://www.combataircraft.net

18-23 World News C.indd 18 22/05/2018 15: