Airforces - Demo Hornet

22 http://www.airforcesmonthly.com

NEWS

// AUGUST 2018 #365

Middle East

Latest Israeli Adirs touch down

Jordan gets

upgraded

Cobras

THE FIRST modernised

AH-1F Cobra attack

helicopters have

been returned to the

Royal Jordanian Air

Force (RJAF). Twelve

helicopters are being

upgraded in the US

and the initial pair was

reportedly shipped back

to Jordan in April for

weapons trials and final

acceptance. One of these

two aircraft was displayed

at the Special Operations

Forces Exhibition and

Conference (SOFEX) in

Amman from May 8 to 10.

The Cobras are being

updated by Science and

Engineering Services (SES)

with Northrop Grumman

introducing new avionics

under a subcontract. Work

is taking place at Huntsville,

Alabama. After SES

rewires and reconditions

the airframes, Northrop

integrates the new digital

Integrated Mission

Equipment Package

(iMEP), which includes

FlightPro Gen III mission

computer, liquid-crystal

displays, an embedded

software digital map and

navigation controls. Bell

and Honeywell are also

involved, working on

airframe refurbishment

and engine improvements,

respectively.

Six more T-50s delivered to Iraq

Above: T-50IQ serial 5010 at Tikrit, with serial 5009 behind. The pair were part of the latest six-

aircraft batch to be delivered, which also included 5007 and 5008. via Arnaud Delalande

A THIRD batch of six Korea

Aerospace Industries (KAI)

T-50IQ Golden Eagle jet

trainer/light attack aircraft

has been delivered to the

Iraqi Air Force’s (IQAF’s)

204th Flying Training

Squadron. The IQAF

announced arrival of the

dismantled aircraft on

May 3. After reassembly,

the first aircraft was

re-flown on June 6 with

a handover ceremony for

all six on June 12. Iraq

signed a contract for 24

T-50IQs on December 12,

2013. The first six Golden
      Eagles (serials 5001 to

5006. were delivered in
      February last year. The
      latest arrivals bring total
      deliveries to 12 aircraft
      to date. Dave Allport

Qatar chooses Sniper pod for Rafale

THE Q ATA R Emiri Air

Force (QEAF) has selected

the Lockheed Martin AN/

AAQ-33 Sniper Advanced

Targeting Pod (ATP) to

equip its forthcoming Rafale

fighters – 36 of which are

on order. The company

announced the deal on June

11, during the Eurosatory

exhibition in Paris. It is

contracted to provide the

QEAF with pods, spares and

deployment support for the

Rafale – the tenth platform

to fly with the Sniper A T P.

Integration efforts are

ongoing, with flight tests

of the pod on the Rafale in

progress. Pod deliveries

will begin next year.

Final pair

of Omani

Typhoons

delivered

BAE SYSTEMS has

completed delivery of

the final pair of Royal Air

Force of Oman (RAFO)

Typhoons. The last two

aircraft – single-seaters

217/ZR408 (NS008) and

218/ZR409 (NS009) –

left the factory airfield

at Warton, Lancashire,

on June 4 to begin

their delivery flight.

The RAFO ordered 12

Typhoons – nine single-

seat and three twin-

seat aircraft. Deliveries

began on June 19 last

year. Dave Allport

Twin Otters

for Qatari

Skydivers

AN UNSPECIFIED number

of Viking Air DHC-6-400

Twin Otters have been

ordered by the Qatar Emiri

Air Force (QEAF) to support

the skydiving team of

the Joint Special Forces.

Agreement to purchase

the aircraft was signed at

Doha Air Base on June 11,

by the commander of the

QEAF, Vice Air Marshal

Mubarak Al-Khayareen,

and Viking Air Regional

Sales Director Peter

Walker. Reports suggest

two aircraft are involved in

the deal, but there were no

details of delivery schedule

or costs. Dave Allport

THREE NEW F-35A

Adir fighters have been

delivered to the Israeli Air

Force (IAF). The latest

batch of jets arrived at

Nevatim air base on June

24 and will serve with

140 Squadron ‘Golden

Eagle’. An IAF statement

confirmed the aircraft are

“shortly expected to begin

taking part in the IAF’s

operational activities”,

and that additional air

and ground crews are

currently being trained

prior to integration into

Adir operations in the

coming months.

The first two Adirs were

delivered to Nevatim on

December 12, 2016, three

more followed in April

last year and a further

pair arrived in September.

Two more arrived last

November before the

type achieved initial

operational capability

(IOC) in December. The

latest arrivals bring the

total delivered to 12.

Two of the three new F-35s arrive at Nevatim. IDF