28 http://www.airforcesmonthly.comNEWS
// JULY 2018 #364Asia Pacifi c
ROCAF IDFs take over target-towing
Above: F-CK-1C 1451 carries the RM-30B reeling machine launcher under the fuselage. Formosa Military Image Press
The Republic of China Air
Force’s (ROCAF’s) aerial
target-towing taskings
were recently assumed
by the F- CK-1 Indigenous
Defense Fighter (IDF).
State-owned aerospace
company Aerospace
Industrial Development
Corporation (AIDC) hasmodified two F-CK-
1Cs – serial numbers
1451 and 1452 – to carry
the RM-30B reeling
machine launcher and
the TDK-39 tow target.
Te sting of the system
was conducted by AIDC
on IDF prototype serial
10003 at the end of2015 and modifications
to serial 1451 began in- The company is
contracted by the ROCAF
to provide target-towing
services for which it’s
previously used the F-5E.
The modified IDFs
deployed to various bases
during April and May and
supported air gunnery
exercises by ROCAF
F-16s, Mirage 2000s
and other IDFs. AIDC
also operates a single
IAI Astra SPX which is
used for the Republic of
China Navy’s (ROCN’s)
surface-to-air gunnery
exercises. Peter HoROKAF
retires T-103
SOUTH KOREA’S Ministry
of National Defense
announced on May 2 that
the country’s air force has
officially retired the T-103
(Ilyushin Il-103) training
aircraft from service.
The Republic of Korea
Air Force had operated
the type for 13 years to
provide flight screening
for its cadets. It’s now
to be replaced by the
similar, but locally built,
KAI KT-100 trainer.
The T-103 had been
operated by the Air
Force Academy’s 55th
Training Group/212th
Flight Training Squadron
at Seongmu Air Base.
Twenty-three were
delivered, 12 of which
remained in service when
the type was retired. One
aircraft was lost on June
21, 2011, killing both crew
members. Dave AllportAbove: RSAF A330-243 MRTT c/n 1762 (MRTT034, EC-332) arrives at Getafe in its new paint
scheme. José Ramón ValeroSEVEN JAPAN Air Self-
Defense Force (JASDF)
F-35As are now operating
from Misawa Air Base
following the transfer
of the five aircraft used
for training at Luke Air
Force Base, Arizona.
The Lightning IIs – 69-8701
(AX-01, USAF/14-5114),
69-8702 (AX-02, USAF/14-
5115), 79-8703 (AX-03,
USAF/14-5116), 79-8704
(AX-04, USAF/14-5117) and
79-8705 (AX05) – arrived at
Misawa on May 28 using
callsign ‘Zesty 71’ flight.
Due to arrive two days
earlier, their ferry flight was
postponed after problems
with one of the supporting
tanker aircraft during a
stopover at Joint Base
Hickam-Pearl Harbor,
Hawaii. At Misawa they
joined the Rinji F-35AHikotai, which will be
redesignated 302 Hikotai
once this unit relinquishes
its current Phantoms.The five F-35As from
Luke join two other JASDF
aircraft already at Misawa- 89-8706 (AX-06) and
89-8707 (AX-07) – which
arrived on January 26 and
May 15 respectively. Three
more will be delivered inFiscal Year 2018, bringing
the total to ten, out of
a planned purchase of- Dave Allport
Above: JASDF F-35A 69-8701 (AX-01, USAF/14-5114) lands at Luke on March 14. Departure of the Japanese F-35s from the
base makes room for the incoming South Korean F-35 contingent. Nate LeongFive JASDF F-35As transfer from Luke to Misawa
Singaporean MRTT in anniversary scheme
THE SECOND A330-243
Multi-Role Tanker Transport
(MRTT) for the Republic of
Singapore Air Force (RSAF)
has been ferried from
Manching, Germany, to
Getafe, Spain, after being
painted in special colours
to mark Singapore’s
50th anniversary.
The aircraft, c/n 1762
(MRTT034, EC-332),
arrived at Getafe on May- A day later the RSAF’s
third MRTT completed
its maiden flight at the
Spanish airfield after
conversion to tanker
standard. This aircraft,
c/n 179 9 (MRTT035,
EC-336), has received
a new code on the tail –
G3 – while the second
MRTT for South Korea
is now marked as ‘K 2’.
It was announced in
March 2014 that the A330
MRTT had been selected
as the RSAF’s future
tanker. Singapore has
ordered six to replace
four existing KC -135Rs.