Airforces

10 http://www.airforcesmonthly.com

NEWS

// MAY 2018 #

Continental Europe

Spain

prepares

15-year

defence plan

SPANISH MINISTER of

Defence, María Dolores

de Cospedal, is preparing

to present a document

to the country’s Council

of Ministers detailing the

priorities for weapons

systems investment over

the next 15 years. The

document, completed on

March 12 by the Secretary

of State for Defence,

covers major programmes

that will cost an estimated

€10.8bn. It was expected

to be presented officially

as AFM went to press.

The programmes include

acquiring multi-role tanker

transport (MRTT) aircraft,

NH90 NFH helicopters

for the navy and new

training aircraft, as well

as upgrading the army’s

CH-47D helicopters

and modernising the

command and air

control system.

The proposed CH-47D

upgrade, which has been

an unfunded priority

for some time, has

previously been detailed

in AFM – see Spain

to upgrade CH-47Ds

to CH-47F standard,

April, p13. Few precise

details have yet been

revealed of the other

significant programmes,

but all are expected to

be completed by 2030.

The NH90 NFH

programme is planned

to be the first to be

implemented. These

helicopters would be

assembled in Albacete

by Airbus Helicopters,

with deliveries from

2023. However, the navy
      is reported to prefer
      Sikorsky helicopters to
      meet this requirement.
      The next key project
      would be the tanker
      transport, for which three
      A330 MRTTs are expected
      to be acquired for the air
      force, with conversion
      work undertaken at
      Getafe, Madrid.
      The new trainer will
      replace the air force’s
      C-101 Aviojet and Spain
      is also looking at the
      possibility of replacing
      both the C-101 and the
      F-5B with the same
      aircraft type. Private
      industry involvement
      for this requirement
      is another possible
      option. Dave Allport

Row over

Belgian F-

service life

A Belgian Air Component F-16AM keeps station

behind a US Air Force KC-135 from the 100th Air

Refueling Wing, RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk, before

receiving fuel over Germany, on February 23.

USAF/Airman 1st Class Luke Milano

THE BELGIAN defence
ministry has been forced
onto the defensive after it
was revealed that a report
on the service life of its
F-16AM/BM fleet was
apparently deliberately
hidden from ministers.
The leaked report
revealed that the expected
F-16 out-of-service date
was six years later than

publically announced:

2029 rather than 2023.

Allegedly, both political

leaders and Belgian Air

Component commanders

were kept in the dark.

Defence Minister Steven

Vandeput said he had not

been made aware of the

report and has called for an

investigation into the affair.

Although the Fighting

Falcon could potentially

remain in service longer –

perhaps requiring upgrade

• the matter is not expected
  to influence the ongoing
  process to select a successor
  to the F-16: 34 new aircraft
  are required at a cost of
  around €3.6bn ($4.35bn).
  The tender for the F-
  replacement closed in
  mid-February. Steven

Vandeput received offers

from Eurofighter and

Lockheed Martin, pitching

the F-35A and Typhoon

respectively. Dassault is

offering its Rafale outside

the official procurement

channels. Selection of the

new fighter is expected

later this year, with a

contract due to be signed in

2019. René L Uijthoven

THE POLISH Armament

Inspectorate and Leonardo

have agreed a deal to

provide the Siły Powietrzne

(Polish Air Force) with

another four M-346s.

Signed on March 27, the

contract is worth more

than €115m and includes

logistic support, seven

simulators and the option to

acquire four more M-346s.

Delivery of these four new

trainers will be completed

by October 31, 2020 while

the four options would be

delivered by October 2022.

The Polish government

is also addressing

contractual penalties for

the delayed deliveries of

the first eight M-346s.

This could be worth up

to €24m, equivalent to

0.1% of the total value

of each day of delay.

The latest acquisition of

M-346s will augment the

fleet of eight jets recently

accepted into service by

the 4. Skrzydło Lotnictwa

Szkolnego (4. SLSz, 4th

Aviation School Wing), part

of the 41. Baza Lotnictwa

Szkolnego (41. BLSz, 41st

Aviation School Base) at

Dęblin. Marco Muntz

Above: Serial 7708 (CSX55228) was one of the fi nal two M-346s from the previous order, which
arrived at Dęblin last October 30 after a direct fl ight from Venegono, Italy. Marco Muntz

Poland orders more M-346s

TAI reveals new version of Anka drone

TURKISH AEROSPACE

Industries (TAI) has developed

and flown a new version of its

Anka unmanned aerial vehicle

(UAV). The UAV is equipped

with a signals intelligence

or communications

intelligence payload.

The new drone, reportedly

named Anka-I, was

revealed in late March

by Turkey’s Savunma

Sanayii Mustesarligi

(SSM, Undersecretariat

for Defence Industries).

Apparently based on

the Anka-B, the new

variant is reportedly fitted

with Aselsan’s Multi-Int

intelligence, surveillance

and reconnaissance

sensor suite.

Reports in the Turkish

media suggest the Anka-I

will be operated by

Turkey’s Millî İstihbarat

Teşkilatı (MIT, National

Intelligence Organisation),

which is thought to have

ordered six air vehicles.

Above: The new SIGINT/COMINT version of TAI’s Anka UAV

fl ying near Akinci. Note the antenna ‘farm’ of 14 different

aerials around the fuselage and the large cheek fairing on the

starboard side. SSM