AirForces Monthly – July 2018

(WallPaper) #1
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http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #364 JULY 2018 // 29


Thailand unveils


fi rst upgraded


Super Tiger


Above: F-5ST Super Tiger serial 21105 of 211 ‘Hawk’ Squadron at Ubon Ratchathani Air Base. Elbit Systems
THE ROYAL Thai Air
Force (RTAF, Kongtap
Agard Thai), Thai Aviation
Industries (TAI) and Elbit
Systems recently unveiled
the first of 14 upgraded
F-5ST Super Tigers.
The initial modernised
aircraft is a former two-
seat F-5F, serial 21105.


The RTA F launched a
two-phase programme
in 2014 to upgrade
ten F-5Ts to an interim
standard, plus a batch of
four follow-on fighters.
The latest Super Tiger
upgrade adds the Litening
III targeting pod; Rafael
Python 5 and Derby

missiles; Sky Shield
jamming pod; Link 16; Have
Quick II radios; a digital
video and data recorder;
new mission computer; new
head-up display; colour
multi-function displays; new
countermeasures; and the
ELM-2032 radar – while
service life is increased

to 9,600 flight hours.
Elbit’s involvement was
contracted under an $85m
deal for the first ten jets
while, last August, the Thai
government confirmed a
$93m follow-on contract
to bring all 14 jets to full
Super Tiger standard,
including the new radar.

Pakistan
signs contract
for T129
PAKISTAN HAS signed an
agreement with Turkish
Aircraft Industries (TAI) for
30 T129 attack helicopters,
it was disclosed on
May 24. Confirmation
of the deal came in a
political manifesto from
Turkey’s ruling Justice
and Development Party,
released ahead of the
general election.
Pakistan evaluated the
T129 in June 2016 and
reportedly began contract
negotiations for 30 in
June last year. Earlier,
its Army Aviation Corps
ordered 12 AH-1Z Vipers.

Six PT-6s
delivered to
Sri Lanka
SIX NEW PT-6 training
aircraft have been
delivered to the Sri
Lankan Air Force (SLAF)
for ab initio training.
They were formally
handed over at the
AVIC Hongdu factory
in Nanchang, China,
on May 15, when SLAF
chief Air Marshal K V B
Jayampathy signed the
acceptance documents.
The PT-6s will be
operated by the SLAF
Academy’s No 1
Flying Training Wing at
Trincomalee-China Bay.
The unit had previously
taken delivery of 12 PT-6s
from January 2001, since
which time four have
been lost, including three
during a Tamil Tigers
attack on October 22,


  1. Several of the
    eight surviving aircraft
    are reported to be in poor
    condition and no longer
    operational. Dave Allport


Jordan donates
two AH-1s to
Philippines
TWO FORMER Royal
Jordanian Air Force AH-1
attack helicopters are to be
acquired, free of charge, by
the Philippines, the country’s
president, Rodrigo Duterte,
announced on May 22.
They had first been offered
in 2017, and officials from
the Philippine Department of
National Defence inspected
them in June that year.
Jordan originally offered to
donate four, later reduced
to two. Dave Allport

Afghan A-29s employ LGBs


Above: An AAF A-29B at Kandahar Airfi eld on March 22, carrying a pair of GBU-58 LGBs. US Forces – Afghanistan
THE US Air Combat
Command (ACC) revealed
on May 21 that the Afghan
Air Force (AAF) has begun
using precision-guided
munitions from its A-29B
aircraft – introducing the
weapons on March 22 and
stepping up their use since.


“The recent addition of
laser-guided bomb [LGB]
strike capability is huge
for the Afghan Air Force,”
said the US Air Force’s Lt
Col Justin Williams, 438th
Air Expeditionary Advisor
Squadron commander.
“Afghanistan didn’t have

it last fighting season, and
we’re already seeing the
crippling psychological effect
it’s having on the enemies of
Afghanistan this season.”
According to the ACC,
almost 96% of LGB strikes
have been successful and
have “led to a 30% increase

in ground force commander
desired effects on the
battlefield and a greater
overall mission success”.
As of May 11, A-29 pilots
had supported some 30
Afghan ground missions
with LGBs, dropping more
than 50 on enemy targets.

Below: Two UH-60s prepare to take off for the type’s fi rst Afghan-led operational mission at
Kandahar Airfi eld on May 8. USAF/1st Lt Erin Recanzone

Afghan Air Force begins UH-60 operations
AFGHAN AIR Force
(AAF) UH-60 crews have
conducted their first
operational mission. Flown
in support of Afghan
provincial elections, and
involving at least three
helicopters, it took place in
Helmand Province on May

8, the day after the first 31
AAF personnel graduated
from mission qualification
training, becoming the
first fully qualified Afghan
Black Hawk air crews.
The first UH-60s arrived
in Afghanistan last
September, enabling the

training programme to
begin 18 months ahead of
schedule. Currently the
AAF has 13 Black Hawks,
with two more scheduled
to arrive each month until
the end of the year.
Future UH-60 training will
be conducted at Kandahar

Airfield, Fort Rucker,
Alabama, the Czech
Republic and United Arab
Emirates, and it’s expected
that more than 30 crews will
be qualified by next spring.
The AAF will receive 159
Black Hawks by 2020 to
replace its current Mi-17s.
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