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DEFENCE

20 | Flight International | 8-14 March 2016 flightglobal.com

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N

H Industries (NHI) has suc-

cessfully concluded trials of

the self-protection system to be

fitted to NH90 naval helicopters

for the Royal Norwegian Air

Force, following a five-month

campaign.

Using Norwegian prototype

aircraft 01, flight trials were con-

ducted from September 2015 to

February 2016 using three sites in

France – Cazaux, Bruz, and Île du

Levant – made available by the

French DGA defence procure-

ment agency.

The self-protection suite fitted

to the Norwegian helicopters in-

cludes radar warning receivers,

laser and missile warning sys-

tems, and countermeasures dis-

G

eneral Atomics Aeronautical

Systems has carried out the

maiden flight of an enhanced en-

durance variant of its MQ-

Reaper unmanned air vehicle at

its Palmdale, California facility.

Held on 18 February, the test

flight of the extended range “Long

Wing” MQ-9 saw the UAV fly at

7,500ft and carry out a series of air-

worthiness manoeuvres. The com-

pany says a full test programme

will take place to declare the type

operationally capable.

The test vehicle was retrofitted

with a 4m (13ft) longer wing than

the MQ-9 version, at 24m, with an

increased internal fuel capacity

and additional hardpoints. The

wings also have provisions for de-

icing and integrated low- and high-

band radio-frequency antennas.

The new version of the UAV

will be able to fly for 40h, up from

27h for the previous system.

The US Air Force has fielded

an interim retrofitted Block 5

model with an extended range

capability that includes auxiliary

external fuel tanks and new

wings, but General Atomics is

looking towards a certifiable pro-

duction variant featuring the

longer wings and increased inter-

nal fuel capability as standard.

The wing has been designed to

meet NATO airworthiness stand-

ards and includes lightning and

bird strike protection, non-destruc-

tive testing, and advanced materi-

als for extreme environments.

Longer wings are the first ele-

ment for the certifiable develop-

ment project, with the first produc-

tion example expected in early

2018.

Further upgrades planned for

the certifiable MQ-9 will include

sense-and-avoid capability, im-

proved structural fatigue and

damage tolerance, more robust

flight control software, and en-

hancements for adverse weather

operations, the company says.

The model could be offered to

the UK, which has a Protector re-

quirement for at least 20 UAVs. ■

T

he Mitsubishi X-2 Shinshin

fighter technology demonstra-

tor is performing well in taxi tri-

als, and is on track for a first flight

in the next few weeks despite a

delay in kicking off the testing.

“The aircraft is performing

well so far,” Japan’s Acquisition

Technology and Logistics Agen-

cy tells Flight International.

“We are proceeding with tests,

performing very careful mainte-

nance, and making some minor

adjustments,” it adds.

The first flight had originally

been planned for February, and

the agency declines to provide

more details about the number of

flights planned for the rest of

2016 and beyond.

Produced by Mitsubishi

DEBUT BETH STEVENSON LONDON

Longer-wing

MQ-9 makes

initial flight

FIGHTERS GREG WALDRON SINGAPORE

Mitsubishi X-2 demonstrator gains

headway in run up to maiden sortie

DEVELOPMENT DOMINIC PERRY LONDON

Self-protection trials boost

for Norwegian NH90 fleet

Tests concluded after five months, as programme enters anti-submarine warfare phase

Norwegian Defence Ministry

Nation’s air force has received six of an eventual 14 rotorcraft

The indigenous design will advance Japan’s fighter technologies

Akira Uekawa

pensers, among other features.

Test pilots for the effort were

supplied by Finmeccanica Heli-

copters, which builds the rotor-

craft destined for Norway at its

facility in Tessera, Italy.

So far, Norway has taken deliv-

ery of six of 14 NH90s. The next

phase of the programme will see

six more aircraft handed over in

an anti-submarine warfare con-

figuration, with the final two ex-

amples destined for coastguard

operations.

“In total, seven nationalities

worked together, bringing the

best of their expertise in electron-

ic warfare and system integra-

tion, in order to turn an impres-

sive challenge into a great

success,” says Vittorio Della

Bella, managing director of NHI.

NHI is a three-way consorti-

um between Airbus Helicopters,

Finmeccanica Helicopters and

Fokker. ■

Heavy Industries at Nagoya,

Japan, the X-2 (previously desig-

nated ATD-X) is designed to help

Japan explore advanced fighter

technologies such as stealth,

thrust vectoring, advanced sen-

sors, and datalinks. It will not be

developed into an operational

fighter, but rather help Tokyo

gain know-how for future pro-

grammes.

Powered by two IHI XF5-

low-bypass engines, the aircraft is

small by fighter standards, with a

length of 14.2m (46.5ft) and a

wingspan of 9.1m. ■

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