DEFENCE
16 | Flight International | 13-19 January 2015 flightglobal.com
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ussia’s Ilyushin design bureau
is to proceed with develop-
ment work on the Il-112V light
transport for the nation’s military.
Ilyushin’s parent company
United Aircraft says it has signed a
contract with the defence ministry
covering the construction of two
prototypes of the design, which
will have a 6.5t payload capacity.
The high-wing Il-112V – a
competitor to the Antonov
An-140 – was one of the focus
programmes outlined in a recent
strategic consolidation involving
Ilyushin. First flight of the new
model is scheduled for 2016.
Ilyushin says it expects to sign a
further contract with the defence
ministry that year, and for series
production aircraft to emerge from
the VASO manufacturing facility
in Voronezh from 2018. ■
A
n Israeli air force squadron
equipped with Alenia
Aermacchi M-346 “Lavi” ad-
vanced jet trainers is close to
being declared operational, hav-
ing already received nine aircraft
from an eventual 30-strong fleet.
Israel’s first M-346 landed at
Hazerim air base last July, and
deliveries are continuing on
schedule. A replacement for aged
Douglas A-4 Skyhawks, the Lavi
represents a “revolution” in train-
ing, says an air force Lockheed
Martin F-16I pilot – identified
only as “Maj E” – who is part of
the initial team of instructors.
Testing of the M-346 by pilots
from the air force’s flight test unit
is continuing at Hazerim, in an
effort to prepare the type for use
with the first student pilots and
weapon system officers (WSO).
Meanwhile, a new simulator
centre bustles with activity, with
instructors preparing lessons for
the first cadets. Developed by
Elbit Systems, together with Ale-
FLEETS ARIE EGOZI HAZERIM AIR BASE
Lavi unit heads for operational debut
Israeli air force lauds Alenia Aermacchi type as offering revolution in capability, as instructors get ready for first cadets
DEVELOPMENT
Russia sees the
light with Il-112V
nia Aermacchi, CAE and Selex,
the ground-based training system
(GBTS) facility houses two full
mission simulators and two op-
erational flight simulators, all of
which can be linked together.
Pilots and WSOs will receive
training ranging from basic air-
craft familiarisation to the highest
level of combat flight compe-
tence. A high percentage of the
syllabus will be practised using
the GBTS, which trainees will
visit on a daily basis.“Until now we demanded the
cadets to perform 120 air mis-
sions as part of the training. From
now on, they will be required to
do only 100. The rest will be
done in this very advanced
facility,” says Maj E.
The air force selected this
method so that its new flight
crews will be qualified to pro-
gress directly to types like the
F-16, Boeing F-15 and Lockheed
F-35 Lightning II after completing
their instruction. By contrast, anew pilot reaching a fighting
squadron after flying the Skyhawk
had to begin operational training
almost from scratch. “The squad-
ron hated that, as they consider it
a waste of time and resources,”
the instructor says. “This is com-
pletely changed now.”
Maj E says the most significant
advantage of the Lavi is its use of
an embedded virtual simulation
system, which was developed by
Elbit and integrated by Alenia
Aermacchi. “This turns the Lavi
into a combat aircraft laden with
systems it actually does not carry,
like radar, missiles and electronic
warfare systems,” he says.
He also praises its safety fea-
tures, including an upset recov-
ery button. “When the pilot feels
the first sign of vertigo he pushes
that button and the aircraft is kept
straight and level until the pilot
has recovered,” he notes. ■Arie Egozi
The M-346 makes use of embedded virtual simulation technologyP
ilots from the Iraqi air force
have started training on the
service’s first two Lockheed
Martin F-16Ds, following a US
government decision to transfer
the aircraft to an Air National
Guard base at Tucson Interna-
tional airport in Arizona.
Relocated from Lockheed’s
Fort Worth site in Texas lastmonth, the first two production
examples had been formally de-
livered to Iraqi ownership at the
company facility last June.
Iraq has ordered 24 single-seat
F-16Cs in the Block 52 produc-
tion standard, plus 12 D-model
trainers.
Washington’s decision in 2014
to block the transfer of the aircraftoutside of the USA prompted
Baghdad to acquire nine second-
hand Sukhoi Su-25 ground-at-
tack aircraft via Russia, as an in-
terim means of engaging Islamic
State militants.
“Six more F-16s are scheduled
to be delivered [to Tucson] over
the next five months,” the USAF
said on 18 December. ■Iraqi pilots begin F-16 training in USA
TRANSFER CRAIG HOYLE LONDONUS Air Force
Baghdad’s lead pair of the type have moved to TucsonVisit Arie Egozi’s blog for more
about Israeli defence topics:
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