Flight International - December 15, 2015

DEFENCE

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B

oeing delivered a fourth
737-700-derived Peace Eagle
airborne early warning and con-
trol (AEW&C) system aircraft to
the Turkish air force at Konya air
base on 9 December, completing
Ankara’s acquisition of the type.
Under a $1 billion contract
signed in 2002, the platform was
developed by Boeing and radar
supplier Northrop Grumman,
with local partners including
Turkish Aerospace Industries
and Havelsan. The programme’s
first three aircraft were delivered
in 2014.
The AEW&C configuration in-
cludes 10 onboard operator
consoles, enabling the simulta-
neous tracking of airborne and
maritime targets. Battle manage-
ment capabilities “allow mis-
sion crew to direct offensive and
defensive forces while maintain-
ing continuous surveillance”,
Boeing says. ■

surveillance
Beth stevenson lonDon

ankara’s final

Peace eagle

reports for duty

A

n early December parliamen-

tary vote to extend UK opera-

tions against Islamic State mili-

tants into Syria has led to the

deployment of additional strike

aircraft to the Royal Air Force’s

Akrotiri base in Cyprus, and the

demonstration of a new combat

capability for the Eurofighter

Typhoon. Shortly after the ap-

proval, an extra two Panavia

Tornado GR4s were deployed,

joining eight already assigned to

support the US-led Operation In-

herent Resolve in Iraq.

Six Eurofighter Typhoon

FGR4s arrived in Akrotiri, mark-

ing the type’s first combat com-

mitment since its UK strike debut

in NATO’s Libya campaign of

2011. During a 4 December mis-
      sion, a Typhoon used Raytheon
      Systems Paveway IV precision-
      guided bombs to attack the Omar
      Oilfield in Syria, which the UK
      Ministry of Defence says is a pri-
      mary source of income for IS. RAF

armaments Beth stevenson lonDon

RAF Typhoon deploys Paveway IVs

after parliamentary vote on Syria

Tornados had used the 226kg

(500lb)-class weapon to strike six

targets at the same site the previ-

ous day. The first offensive use of

a Paveway IV by an RAF Typhoon

was enabled via the P1Eb capabil-

ity enhancement.

Strike missions in the UK’s Op-

eration Shader are supported by

coalition assets including an RAF

Airbus A330 Voyager tanker, Gen-

eral Atomics Aeronautical Sys-

tems MQ-9 Reaper unmanned air

vehicles, and Boeing RC-135W

Rivet Joint and Raytheon Sentinel

R1 surveillance aircraft.

Germany’s parliament voted to

deploy six reconnaissance-tasked

Tornados, an in-flight refuelling

aircraft and 1,200 personnel. ■

BAE Systems

eurofighter gained precision-strike weapon through P1eb upgrade

Programme lucA PeruzzI gEnoA

First italian-made F-35a is delivered

lead Joint Strike Fighter from nation’s planned 90-aircraft acquisition is accepted at its Cameri final assembly facility

I

taly has received its initial
Lockheed Martin F-35A – the
first example of the stealth type
assembled outside the USA.
The Joint Strike Fighter (JSF),
aircraft AL-1, was handed over to
the nation’s defence ministry on 3
December, during a closed-doors
ceremony at Italy’s final assembly
and check out facility at Cameri
air base.
It will remain at the site for
pilot familiarisation before being
transferred in early 2016 to Luke
AFB in Arizona, where it will sup-
port training. During its flight to
the USA it will be accompanied
by an Italian air force Boeing
KC-767A tanker.
Two of the service’s pilots have
begun receiving instruction on the
JSF, and flew F-35s for the first

time on 6 November in the USA.

Aircraft AL-1 performed its

maiden sortie on 7 September and

Rome’s second F-35A – AL-2 –

will make its first flight in the

coming weeks, ahead of planned

delivery in February 2016. This,

along with three further Italian-

completed examples, will also

subsequently transfer to the USA.

Aircraft AL-6 will be the first

Italian-assembled JSF destined for

a frontline unit, with the delivery

milestone scheduled for late 2016.

In addition to final assembly

work, the Cameri facility – which

is owned by the defence ministry

but operated by Alenia Aermacchi

• also produces wing shipsets for
  the F-35. Three full wing assem-
  blies have been delivered, with a
  least another dozen in varying
  stages of completion.
  Italy has indicated its intention
  to acquire 60 conventional take-
  off and landing F-35As for the air
  force and 30 short take-off and
  vertical landing F-35Bs, to be split
  between the air force and navy.
  Rome has so far placed orders for
  eight A-model aircraft. An April
  2015 defence white paper sug-
  gests a purchase of 38 examples in
  the period to 2020. ■

lockheed Martin

First two air force pilots have already begun training using Al-