Combat aircraft

C

OMBINED FORCES

FROM the US, UK and

France launched a joint

attack on April 14 against

three Syrian sites that

were reportedly involved

in chemical weapons production and

storage. The operation was conducted

in response to an attack carried out

by Syria against civilians in Douma

on April 7, which killed at least 70.

Launched in the early morning hours

the strikes targeted facilities near

Damascus and Homs.

US Involvement included the

launch of 66 BGM-109 Tomahawk

land attack cruise missiles by the US

Navy guided missile destroyers USS

Laboon (DDG 58) and USS Higgins

(DDG 76), the guided missile cruiser

USS Monterey (CG 61) and the nuclear

attack submarine USS John Warner

(SSN 785). In addition, 19 AGM-158A

Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-o Missiles

(JASSM) were launched from B-1B

Lancers. The use of JASSM, which has

a range of more than 200nm (370km),

marked the missile’s combat debut.

Besides the three B-1Bs, 33 US aircraft

that participated included eight

F-15Cs from the 48th Fighter Wing’s

493rd Fighter Squadron, eight F-16Cs

from the 31st FW, three KC-10A and 10

KC-135R/T tankers. Additional support

was provided by USAF RC-135s and

unmanned RQ-4Bs, and at least one

US Marine Corps EA-6B Prowler.

Four RAF Tornado GR4s from 903

Expeditionary Air Wing (EAW) at

RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus, delivered eight

MBDA Storm Shadow cruise missiles

against the Him Shinsar chemical

weapons storage facility 15 miles

(28km) west of Homs. The site was

also struck by nine Tomahawks,

three naval and two air-launched

SCALP missiles launched from Rafale

 ghters that operated from their

base in France. RAF Typhoon FGR4s

and French Mirage 2000  ghters

reportedly supported the mission.

The Barzah scienti c research,

development and production center

near Damascus was struck by 57

Tomahawks and the JASSMs that

destroyed the facility.

AESA RADAR FOR MARINE HORNETS

THE US MARINE Corps is moving

ahead with plans to replace the

radar installed in its F/A-18C/D

 ghters with a new active

electronically scanned array

(AESA) system. Naval Air Systems

Command (NAVAIR) issued a request

for information (RFI) on March 20

associated with a replacement for

the Hornet’s current Raytheon AN/

APG-73 radar. This is intended to

alleviate ongoing maintainability,

supportability and readiness issues.

In addition, the AESA will provide

associated capability improvements.

NAVAIR plans to issue a contract this

October with retro ts beginning

in late 2020 and running through

late 2022. A total of 98 AESAs will

be procured for installation in 12

aircraft assigned to each of seven

 eet squadrons, along with 14

spare systems. Chief among the

requirements for the project is

that installation should not require

changes to the current radar-aircraft

interfaces. Raytheon is expected to

o er a variant of the Super Hornet’s

AN/APG-79 radar while Northrop

Grumman will likely propose the

AN/APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam

Radar (SABR). The latter system will

be installed in up to 72 Air National

Guard F-16Cs.

The Marine Corps

is working hard to

address readiness

issues in its Hornet

fl eet. Jamie Hunter

Lockheed Martin’s newly

revealed MQ-25 Stingray

concept. Lockheed Martin

LOCKHEED MARTIN STINGRAY

CONCEPT REVEALED

L

OCKHEED MARTIN

RECENTLY revealed

its concept for the US

Navy’s MQ-25A Stingray

unmanned carrier-based

aerial refueling aircraft.

Developed by the company’s ‘Skunk

Works’, the tail-less  ying wing

design was apparently solidi ed

in mid-2017 and includes at least

two external hardpoints located

on either side of the fuselage

centerline.

Although Lockheed Martin has

not built a  ying prototype, its

design for the MQ-25A includes a

single non-afterburning General

Electric F404 turbofan. The engine,

which already powers the Hornet

as well as several other manned

and unmanned aircraft, will be

adapted for the Stingray and will

deliver around 10,000lb (44.48kN)

of thrust. The  ying wing design

will be capable of a cruise speed of

about Mach 0.7.

Lockheed Martin has also revealed

that Triumph Group’s aerostructures

division will be the lead designer

and supplier of internal structures

for the Stingray. The contractor had

previously announced that it will

use the F-35C landing gear for the

UAS, which is produced by UTC

Aerospace Systems.

In related news, Boeing Phantom

Works and General Atomics have

both revealed which engines

will power their Stingray designs.

Boeing’s T-1 prototype entry, which

is already undergoing testing in

St Louis, Missouri, is powered by a

variant of the Rolls-Royce AE

turbofan, which powers the USAF’s

RQ-4B and the Navy’s MQ-4C high-

altitude UAS. The contractor has

already conducted engine runs at

both low power and high power

in di erent conditions. Although

Boeing has not  own the prototype

it has demonstrated functionality

with the air vehicle’s software,

mission computer and vehicle

management system.

General Atomics Aeronautical

Systems, the third competitor for

the MQ-25, has begun full-scale

testing of the newly certi ed Pratt

& Whitney Canada PW815 high-

bypass turbofan, which it selected

to power its MQ-25A design.

All three contractors submitted

proposals for the Stingray in

early January. A source-selection

decision is expected sometime

between August and October.

The navy is currently conducting

the competitive source selection

portion of the MQ-25 program.

It requested $719 million for

Stingray development in its Fiscal

Year 2019 budget and plans on

buying the  rst four engineering

and manufacturing development

(EMD) air vehicles in 2023, with

the MQ-25A achieving initial

operational capability in 2026.

The navy’s basic requirements for

the Stingray include the delivery

of 15,000lb (6,804kg) of fuel

500nm (926km) from the host

aircraft carrier.

HEADLINES [NEWS]

http://www.combataircraft.net // June 2018 07

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