Combat aircraft

MWARI PREPARES FOR

PRODUCTION

SOUTH AFRICA’S PARAMOUNT

Group and its partners in AHRLAC

Holdings announced on February

6 that their new aerospace factory

is ramping up for full production of

the Advanced High Performance

and Reconnaissance Light Aircraft

(AHRLAC) and its military variant,

the Mwari. The company has also

launched a US subsidiary to o er

the Mwari as the Bronco II —

see US News.

The second AHRLAC aircraft

— known as the production

development model (PDM) — has

been demonstrated to complete

production standards and includes

new features including retractable

undercarriage and ejection seats.

The PDM also has revised cockpit

canopies with an on-board oxygen

generation system (OBOGS),

mission systems and more

sophisticated avionics. Design

upgrades to the fuselage include a

lighter, 8g-rated airframe, quieter

propeller and exhaust systems, and

improved handling.

The AHRLAC PDM seen in fl ight. The fi rst prototype, the XDM, has now

completed in excess of 300 engine hours and has been fi tted with a

stabilized electro-optical sight. AHRLAC Holdings

QATAR ORDERS NH90

THE MINISTRY OF Defence

of Qatar has announced a

contract for the purchase of 28

NH90 helicopters. The deal was

announced on March 15 during

the DIMDEX exhibition in Doha.

The overall program is valued at

more than €3 billion and includes

16 NH90 Tactical Transport

Helicopters (TTH) and 12 NH90

NATO Frigate Helicopters (NFH).

The deal encompasses a support

and maintenance training services

package and related infrastructure.

There are also options for a further

12 units, split between TTH and

NFH variants.

As prime contractor, Leonardo

will be responsible for  nal

assembly and delivery of the 12

NFH at its Venice-Tessera facility

and an eight-year support and

training services package for

crews and maintainers. Airbus

will conduct  nal assembly of

the 16 TTH versions at Marignane

in France.

Deliveries are expected to start

before June 2022 and to continue

through to 2025.

Airbus Helicopters

INDIA TO SCRAP SINGLE-ENGINE FIGHTER PROJECT

THE INDIAN MINISTRY of Defence

has announced plans to ditch a

project to acquire a new single-engine

 ghter for the Indian Air Force (IAF).

The service had been seeking to

procure 114 license-built single-

engine  ghters. Now, however, the

MoD favors including twin-engine

platforms in the evaluation phase. The

IAF was expected to issue a request

for information (RFI) to international

manufacturers imminently.

MORE LIGHTNING IIS FOR JAPAN?

THE JAPAN AIR Self-Defense Force

is reportedly considering the

addition of 20-25 further F-35As

to its planned procurement. The

service has thus far committed to

the purchase of 42 Lightning IIs.

Japan’s Ministry of Defense, US

Forces Japan, Paci c Air Forces, and

Lockheed Martin formally unveiled

the  rst JASDF F-35A delivered

to Misawa Air Base, Japan, on

February 24. The JASDF’s 3rd Air

Wing is the initial unit to operate

the F-35A. Serial 89-8706 (AX-06)

was delivered to the base on

January 26. Tom Kaminski

Serial 89-8706 (AX-06), the

fi rst operational JASDF F-35A,

is marshaled into position on

the fl ight line during its arrival

ceremony at Misawa AB.

USAF/Tech Sgt

Benjamin W. Stratton

JAPAN RETHINKS

FIGHTER PROJECT

OFFICIALS IN TOKYO are

reportedly reconsidering plans

to develop a wholly indigenous

next-generation  ghter and are

instead examining proposals for

a new jet based on an existing

Western design.

In March, the Japan Defense

Ministry issued a request for

information (RFI) seeking proposals

for the new aircraft, which will be

known as the F-3 once in service.

The latest RFI was issued only to

foreign manufacturers. Japan is

expecting to receive proposals for

designs based on existing aircraft,

of British or American origin. The

project could be worth around

$40 billion.

‘We are considering domestic

development, joint development

and the possibility of improving

existing aircraft performance,

but we have not yet come to

any decision’, a defense ministry

representative told the Reuters

news agency.

While the Japan Air Self-Defense

Force (JASDF) is receiving 42

F-35As to replace the aging F-4,

it will require additional  ghters

around 2030 to supersede the F-2

attack  ghter.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

(MHI) has  own its X-2 stealth

technology demonstrator to

contribute to the F-3 program.

Developed under the advanced

technology demonstrator —

experimental (ATD-X) program,

the X-2  rst  ew on April 22, 2016.

Since then it has been under test

at Gifu, home of the JASDF’s Air

Development and Test Wing.

WORLD [NEWS]

http://www.combataircraft.net // May 2018 23

20-24 World News C.indd 23 21/03/2018 12:42