MILITARY NEWS
12 Aviation News incorporating Jets August 2018Fairchild Republic A-10C Thunderbolt IIs
from the Michigan Air National Guard’s
107th Fighter Squadron (FS) and combat
controllers from the 321st Special Tactics
Squadron have been practising landings andtake-offs from rural roads and abandoned
runways in Latvia and Estonia.
The training was part of the US European
Command-led Saber Strike 18 exercise
which took place in June and involvedaround 18,000 troops from 19 nations.
Among the highlights was a long-distance
Boeing C-17A airdrop mission on June 8,
during which nine Globemaster IIIs carried
700 paratroopers and equipment from Pope
Field, North Carolina, and ew nonstop to
Latvia. USAF Northrop Grumman E-8C
Joint STARS and Lockheed Martin F-16s
also participated in the exercise. The eight
A-10C Thunderbolt IIs participating in Saber
Strike 18 were serial numbers 78-0641, 80-
0184, 80-0258, 80-0262, 81-0975, 81-0994,
81-0996 and 81-0998.Fairchild Republic A-10C 78-641 operating
from a rough runway in Haapsalu, Estonia,
on June 7. USANG/SSgt Bobbie ReynoldsA-10s in European Rough Field Landing Exercise
The rst of four Airbus A330-243 Multi-
Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft
for the Republic of Korea Air Force has
received its military paint scheme at the
Airbus Defence and Space facility in
Manching, Germany. The aircraft, serial
18-001, returned to the company’s works
in Getafe, Spain, on June 8 after yingfrom Germany as ‘AED350’. It had been
own from the Airbus production line inToulouse, France, to Getafe for MRTT
conversion in May last year.Korean Tanker
Nearly Ready
The rst A330-243 MRTT for the Republic of Korea Air
Force at Getafe on June 8. José Ramón ValeroAdditional Apaches for India?
The Indian Army is set to buy six Boeing
AH-64E Apache attack helicopters from
the US, adding to the 22 examples
ordered in 2015 for the Indian Air Force.
The US State Department has approved
the possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS)
to India of items that will support a
proposed direct commercial sale of theadditional helicopters. The FMS deal
includes 14 T700-GE-701D engines, four
AN/APG-78 re-control radars, Block III
Radar Electronic Units (REUs) and AN/
APR-48B Modernized Radar Frequency
Interferometers (M-RFIs), plus seven
Modernized Target Acquisition Designation
Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensors (MTADS-PNVS) and 14 embedded GPS inertial
navigation systems (EGI). Armament
comprises 180 AGM-114L-3 Hell re
Longbow missiles, 90 AGM-114R-3 Hell re
IIs and 200 Stinger Block I (FIM-92H)
missiles. Also included are rockets, training
and dummy missiles, 30mm cannon as well
as ammunition.Tucanos to be
Updated
The Brazilian Air Force is going to
upgrade 50 of its Embraer T-27 Tucano
trainers. The primary change will be to
introduce new glass-cockpit avionics
with either one 10in (254mm) or two 6in
(152mm) touchscreens being used, plus
two smaller screens to display basic
operating data. The work on the eet
is expected to take around two years
and the enhanced aircraft – designated
T-27Ms – will be based at Pirassununga-
Campo Fontenelle in São Paulo state.First Gazelle Lift
for A400M
An RAF Airbus A400M Atlas C1 has carried
a Westland Gazelle AH1 for the rst time, in
an expansion of the transport’s usual role.
The airlifter from 24 Sqn, the Air Mobility
Operational Conversion Unit, picked up the
Army Air Corps helicopter (serial number
ZB677) from RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire
in late May, and ew it to Calgary International
Airport, Alberta. It then brought another,
ZA736, back from Canada. The helicopters
support an army training unit in Canada
and are returned to the UK periodically for
servicing and maintenance.Ireland’s First
PC-12 Airborne
The Irish Air Corps’ rst Pilatus PC-12NG
made its maiden ight from the factory at
Stans-Buochs, Switzerland, on June 2.
The aircraft, HB-FSF, will now be tted with
its role-speci c equipment before being
delivered in early 2019. The three PC-
12NG on order for the Irish Air Corps will be
used in the intelligence, surveillance, target
acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR)
role, plus logistics support/transport and
medical evacuation missions. The second
aircraft is also due for delivery next year,
while the third will follow in 2020.Russia Orders First Su-57s
Russia’s Deputy Defence Minister Alexey
Krivoruchko has con rmed an order for the
country’s rst batch of series-productionSu-57s from the United Aircraft Corporation
(UAC). The announcement was made on
June 30. Deliveries of the initial batch of 12“will begin shortly”, Krivoruchko told reporters.
The rst Su-57s are expected to enter service
next year.11-13_15_military_newsDC.mfDC.indd 12 09/07/2018 14: