Upgraded Engines for Russia’s Bears
The rst Tupolev Tu-95MS Bear-H bomber
with upgraded NK-12МPМ engines has
been delivered by the manufacturer to
the Russian defence ministry for ight
trials. Tupolev announced handover of
the aircraft on April 19 for “official joint
testing”. The Tu-95МS was delivered to anundisclosed ight-test centre – thought to
be Zhukovsky.
The upgraded NK-12МPМ turboprop
was developed and manufactured by
Kuznetsov and drives AV-60T propellers
manufactured by SPE Aerosila. The new
engine increases the Bear’s payload,take-off performance and range. It
was planned as part of the Tu-95MSM
upgrade and replaces the previous
Kuznetsov NK-12MP units and AV-60K
airscrews. Trials of the AV-60T propellers
started in 2015 at Zhukovsky on test
aircraft ‘317’.More British Apaches
Head for Upgrade
A pair of Army Air Corps (AAC) Apache AH1 helicopters has been
sent to the US for conversion to AH-64E con guration. Believed
to be ZJ166 and ZJ167, they arrived at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire,
on March 24 to be dismantled and airfreighted out to Boeing at
Mesa, Arizona. The rst AAC Apache to be delivered to the US for
upgrading was ZJ202. It is being used as a pattern aircraft for the
remaining conversions, 38 of which have been ordered to date,
out of a planned total of 50.F-16s for Slovakia?
Slovakia is considering buying 14 Lockheed Martin F-16V Fighting
Falcons. The US State Department has approved a possible
Foreign Military Sale of the ghters and associated equipment,
weapons and support, which have an estimated value of $2.91bn.
The Block 70/72 F-16s would be equipped with General Electric
F110 or Pratt & Whitney F100 engines and AN/APG-83 active
electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. The weapons package
comprises AIM-120C-7 and AIM-9X air-to-air missiles, 500lb (227kg)
bombs, precision-guidance systems and six AN/AAQ-33 Sniper
pods. Tom KaminskiThe US Air Force has established
a new F-16 unit at Nellis AFB,
Nevada. The 24th Tactical Air
Support Squadron (TASS) Golden
Jaguars was formally activated
at the base on March 2 under the
command of Lt Col Tyler Niebuhr.
The primary function of the 24th
TASS is training, supporting and
performing close air support
(CAS) sorties.
Niebuhr said the idea for the
squadron came about during a
conference a couple of years
ago, part of the outcome of
which was formulation of plans
to generate the CAS Integration
Group. He said: “The intent was
to encapsulate a range of CAS
missions and culture with the
activation of a ghter squadron,
the 24th TASS, and focus only on
things like training Joint Terminal
Attack Controllers and yingsupport missions for multiple
US Air Force Weapons School
weapons squadrons.”
Capt Wayne Mowery, a 24th
TASS pilot, added: “The 24th
TASS is in a unique position
to use the F-16 to specialise in
CAS. As an F-16 pilot, you’re
often told to be a ‘jack of all
trades’ because we do almost
every air force ying mission.
Here at the 24th TASS, they
want us to be experts in CAS.
It’s really fascinating, because
most F-16 pilots don’t get that
opportunity to get really good
at one thing. Usually every two
weeks we’re shifting focus and
training on something new.”
Prior to its latest incarnation,
the 24th TASS was last
operational at Howard AFB,
Panama, until being deactivated
on March 31, 1991. Dave AllportThe tail markings of a 24th Tactical Air Support Squadron F-16 at the
induction ceremony for the new unit. USAF/Lawrence CrespoNew Squadron at Nellis
MILITARY NEWS
8 Aviation News incorporating Jets June 2018A pair of Lockheed Martin F-35As for the
RAAF have been delivered to the serviceand arrived at Luke AFB, Arizona, on March- They were joined by another factory-fresh
example ten days later and will be used for
pilot and ground crew instruction. Australia is
the rst international F-35 customer to receive
aircraft with Block 3F software capability,
and now has ve aircraft at Luke’s Integrated
Training Center. Five more are scheduled for
delivery by the end of this year.
The training is progressing well, and
3 Sqn is due to base its rst two F-35s at
RAAF Williamtown, New South Wales, in
December. The Australian Government is
acquiring 72 F-35As under Project AIR 6000
Phases 2A/2B to replace its current eet of
71 F/A-18A/B Hornets.RAAF F-35A serial number A35-005 is being used for training at Luke. Commonwealth of AustraliaAustralian F-35 Deliveries Gather Pace
06-08_military_newsDC.mfDC.mf.indd 8 03/05/2018 17: