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at [email protected]http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #363 JUNE 2018 // 25
Pakistan Navy ATRs in Germany
Above: Serial 78 was the second Pakistan Navy ATR 42 to arrive at Mönchengladbach. Marc Rosenkranz
TWO PAKISTAN Navy (PN)
ATR 42-212As arrived at
Mönchengladbach Airport
recently, presumably to
undergo maintenance.
Serial 79 (c/n 788) was
the first to arrive at
Mönchengladbach; it was
noted undertaking flight
tests on March 7. It was
formerly operated by Air
Botswana as A2-ABS.
Meanwhile, serial 78 (c/n
712) touched down at the
German airport on April 3.
The PN’s plans to acquire
a pair of second-hand
ATR 42 twin turboprops
for pilot training and utility
were revealed in 2012. A
tender for the supply of
one example, in a combiconfiguration, was issued
in October that year and it
was subsequently procured
from a Spanish commercial
operator. This aircraft was
delivered to Karachi in
March 2013 as serial 78.
Built in 2008, serial 79
was procured following
refurbishment at Las
Palmas-Gran Canaria anddelivered in early July 2013.
It had formerly served
with Binter Canarias as
EC-JAH. Both aircraft
were inducted into service
during a ceremony at
Pakistan Naval Station
Mehran in August 2013.
A third aircraft, serial 77
(c/n 808), was acquired
in February 2016.F-22 and F-35
‘hybrid’ for
Japan?
LOCKHEED MARTIN
reportedly plans to offer
Japan a stealth fighter
based on its F-22 and
F-35. According to
unnamed sources cited by
Reuters, the company has
discussed the proposal
with officials from the
Japan Ministry of Defense
and will make a formal
proposal in response to
a Japanese request for
information (RFI) after
it receives permission
from the US government
to offer sensitive
military technology.
The ministry is seeking
a replacement for the
Mitsubishi F-2 with
capabilities exceeding
those of the F-35A –
42 of which are also
to be procured.
In March, Tokyo notified
US and UK governments
of the F-2 successor’s
performance requirements,
which include the
capability to carry eight
internal air-to-air missiles
and launch small drones.
To date, Japan has
examined three options
to developing an F-2
replacement: indigenous
development, joint
development with other
nations, or improving
existing foreign-
made fighters.Third Singaporean A330 MRTT converted
Above: A330 MRTT035 (c/n 1799, EC-336) at Getafe, almost ready for its fi rst fl ight after tanker conversion. The large ‘G3’ on
the tail denotes it’s the third aircraft for the RSAF. In the background, painted in full RSAF colours, is MRTT033, now with the
military serial 760 on the tail. Roberto Yáñez
THE THIRD Republic of
Singapore Air Force (RSAF)
A330-243 Multi-Role
Tanker Transport (MRTT)
of six ordered in March
2014 was rolled out from
the production facility at
Getafe, Madrid on April- The converted aircraft
(c/n 179 9, ex F-WWKQ,
now marked as MRTT035)
arrived at Getafe on June
30 last year as EC-336 and
has since been involved in
the transformation process
to MRTT standard.
Three other RSAF aircraft
have recently been noted at
Getafe in different stages
of conversion, including
the first, MRTT033 (c/n
16 6 7, EC-333); the second,
MRTT034 (c/n 1762,
EC-332); and the fourth,MRTT036 (c/n 1822,
EC-337). Aircraft MRTT034
arrived at Manching,
Germany for painting
on April 3. Previously,
MRTT033 emerged
from the paint shop at
Manching in February.First Pakistan Army Mi-35Ms arrive
FOUR Mi-35M Hind attack
helicopters for the Pakistan
Army Aviation Corps
have arrived in Pakistan.
They were delivered by
Rosoboronexport on
April 4 and an internet
video released on
April 10 showed one
of them performing a
demonstration flightafter reassembly.
Pakistan ordered the
four helicopters in June
2016 under a $153m
contract. Brig Gen
Waheed Mumtaz from
Pakistan’s Defence Export
Promotion Organisation
had announced delivery
of the helicopters last
August (see Four Mi-35Msdelivered to Pakistan,
October 2 017, p27), but
it appears the handover
took place in Russia where
they remained until now.
Currently Pakistan has
just four Hinds on order,
however, the nation’s army
has expressed interest
in acquiring up to 20
examples. Dave AllportIndia to provide
four Mi-24s to
Afghanistan
NEW DELHI is to supply
four refurbished Mi-24s
to the Afghan National
Defence and Security
Forces “in the next few
months”, according to
government officials.
The Indian government
will pay for supply and
delivery of the Hinds,
which are due to be taken
from Belarusian stocks.
Afghanistan previously
received four former
Indian Air Force Mi-35s.First batch
of T-50THs
enter service
KOREA AEROSPACE
Industries (KAI) has
completed delivery of
four T-50THs to the Royal
Thai Air Force (RTAF,
Kongtap Agard Thai).
The jet trainers were
formally commissioned
into service at Takhli
Air Base on April 4.
Thailand signed a $110m
contract for four T-50THs
in September 2015 and
another eight examples
were ordered last July in
a deal valued at $260m.
The initial pair of
T-50THs was delivered
to Takhli on January- Delivery of the
second batch is likely to
begin late next year.