aviation - the past, present and future of flight

Light-attack Experiment Continues

It was announced by the USAF that another

round of light-attack aircraft evaluations

will take place, following the  rst phase

last August. This will further evaluate the

Beechcraft AT-6 Wolverine and the Sierra

Nevada A-29 Super Tucano between May and

July this year at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona,

after rejecting the Textron AirLand Scorpion.

L-3’s Longsword light attack aircraft has

apparently also been ruled out by the air force.

The new tests will study logistics and

maintenance requirements, weapons and

sensor issues, training syllabus validity,

networking and future interoperability with

partner forces. The  rst round was observed

by  ve international partners and the USAF

plans to invite more overseas partners to the

second phase.

The  rst of six new Airbus A330 MRTT

tankers for the Republic of Singapore Air

Force emerged in national colours from the

company’s paintshop at Manching, Germany,

on February 17. It had been ferried there from

Getafe, Spain, on January 22 and is expected

to be unveiled at a special event in Singapore

on September 1. The order had previously

been announced in March 2014 to replace its

ageing Boeing KC-135s. According to Airbus,

a total of 62 Airbus A330 MRTTs have now

been ordered by military customers worldwide.

The USAF’s Fiscal Year 2019 budget

request, announced as part of the wider US

defence budget on February 12, calls for

$156bn out of an overall presidential budget

request for $686bn – a 5% real growth over

the initial FY 2018 budget – reversing a

seven-year decline in defence spending.

Dr Heather Wilson, Secretary of the Air

Force, says the request is aligned with the

National Defense Strategy, prioritising long-

term competition with China and Russia,

and aims to restore the readiness of the

force and increase lethality while cost-

effectively modernising the service.

Under the plans, the USAF is set to

retire its B-1B Lancer and B-2A Spirit

aircraft as the new Northrop Grumman B-

Raider enters service. The B-1s and B-2s

were previously expected to remain in the

inventory until 2040 and 2058 respectively.

The new budget also requests funding

to upgrade the B-52H  eet, a decision that

appears to have been based on mission-

capable rates, maintenance costs and

spares supply chains – the B-52 being

cheaper to keep operational than its

stablemates.

The type also has the advantage of

being able to carry a versatile payload and

can carry the new Long-Range Standoff

cruise missile. Around 75 B-52s will remain

in service until at least 2050, with a $22bn

package of upgrades including new engines.

The draft plan says the B-2 will be

retired “no later than 2032” and the B-

“no later than 2036”. If Air Force Global

Strike Command (AFGSC) retained all

its platforms it would have swelled to

257 aircraft, which the USAF says is

unsupportable.

Retiring the B-1 and B-2 will also

reportedly save sufficient funds to cover

the cost of base infrastructure upgrades to

accommodate the B-21.

The new plan means the USAF will man

the B-21 squadrons with personnel from

the B-1 and B-2 communities as they are

retired, although the bomber force will grow

overall from the current 157 aircraft to at

least 175.

The FY19 also request funds for 1.

million  ying hours at a cost of $8.7bn and

supports the purchase of 48 F-35A Lightning

II fast jets, 15 KC-46 Pegasus tankers and

continued development of the B-21 Raider.

It also funds the T-X trainer programme and

replacing UH-1N helicopters.

The B-52H is due to continue in service after

the B-1B and B-2A are retired. USAF/Tech.

Sgt. Richard Ebensberger

MILITARY NEWS

6

USAF Outlines Plans for Bomber Force

The Republic of Singapore Air Force’s  rst A330 MRTT tanker. Ashley French

North Carolina

ANG Retires

the Herc

Lockheed C-130H-3 Hercules 93-

1561, the last of the type in service

with the North Carolina Air National

Guard/145th Airlift Wing’s (AW) 156th

Airlift Squadron (AS), has left the unit.

It departed from its base at

Charlotte Douglas International

Airport on December 18, destined for

Savannah, Georgia, where it joined

the Georgia ANG’s 165th AW/158th

AS.

The North Carolina ANG had

operated the Hercules since 1971 but

will now transition to the Boeing C-17A

Globemaster III. Dave Allport

First Singapore

A330 MRTT

Aviation News incorporating Jets April 2018

06-08_military_newsDC.mfDCDC.indd 6 02/03/2018 15: