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http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #361 APRIL 2018 // 29

Debut fl ight for EC-2 ELINT aircraft

A NEW electronic

intelligence (ELINT)

derivative of the Kawasaki

Heavy Industries (KHI)

C-2 transport completed

a first flight on February

8. Although neither the
   Japan Air Self-Defense

Force (JASDF) nor the

manufacturer announced

the maiden flight, photos

and video appeared

online soon afterwards.

Apparently designated

EC-2, the aircraft, 18-1202,

has additional fairings on

top and on the sides of

the fuselage, and atop the

tail. The nose radome is

enlarged and there is an

extensive under-fuselage

antenna ‘farm’. The aircraft

is expected to replace a

single Kawasaki EC-1, which

was converted from an

existing C-1 airframe and

is operated by the Denshi

Sakusengun (Electronic

Warfare Operations Group)

at Iruma Air Base, Saitama

Prefecture. This aircraft is

scheduled to be retired soon.

New

Thunder

squadron

for PAF

THE PAKISTAN Air Force

(PAF) has established a

new unit equipped with

the JF-17A Thunder. No

28 Squadron ‘Phoenix’

is located at PAF Base

Samungli in the province

of Baluchistan, under

Southern Air Command.

Acknowledgement of the

sixth JF-17 squadron

was conveyed to national

media by the PAF chief of

air staff, Air Chief Marshal

Sohail Aman, during a

live-fire demonstration

by Thunders in the same

province on February

2. However, the
   squadron was officially
   stood up on February


3. Waseem Abbas

THE REPUBLIC of

Singapore Air Force

(RSAF) took delivery of two

S-70Bs in late January.

The Seahawks, serials 252

and 253, are from an order

placed in early 2013.

The new Seahawks join

six others (serials 260-263,

and 265-266) owned by

the Republic of Singapore

Navy (RSN) but operated by

the RSAF’s 123 Squadron

at Sembawang Air Base.

The latest pair retains

the same sensor suite as

the previous six – APS-

143 surveillance radar,

AAS-44 electro-optical/

infrared (EO/IR) sensor and

the L-3 HELRAS dipping

sonar. However, they

feature an improved Block

2 avionics configuration,

which includes upgraded

hardware and software

systems, an automatic

identification system, as

well as a joystick controller

in the cabin to enable the

tactical co-ordination officer

and sensor operator to

control the EO/IR sensor.

The older Seahawks will

be brought up to the same

standard in phases.

The original batch of six

Seahawks was ordered

in 2005, and three were

delivered to the Peace Triton

training detachment at NAS

North Island, California,

in 2009. Over a year-

long period, initial batches

of air and groundcrews

were trained by US Navy

instructors in order to

seed 123 Squadron, which

achieved initial operational

capability with the type in

January 2011. Roy Choo

Above: Serial 253 is one of a pair of S-70Bs delivered in late January. It is seen here on static

display at the Singapore Airshow, equipped with a dummy Whitehead A244/S torpedo. Roy Choo

Second MRTT for Singapore

Above: A330-243 c/n 1762 (MRTT034) at Getafe on January 30 after a seven-hour fl ight test. José Ramón Valero

WHILE THE first A330-

243 Multi-Role Tanker

Transport (MRTT) for the

Republic of Singapore

Air Force (RSAF) has now

been painted in service

livery (see p46-47 of this

issue), the second aircraft,

c/n 1762 (MRTT034, with

the temporary Spanish

civil registration EC-332),

has begun flight trials after

conversion. Its first flight

after conversion to MRTT

standard was recorded

at Getafe, Spain, on

January 21. Since its first

flight, the aircraft has also

flown test flights between

Getafe and Eindhoven in

the Netherlands, which

will be the future home

of the Multinational

Multi-Role Tanker

Transport Fleet (MMF).

In March 2014 it was

announced that the A330

MRTT had been selected

as the RSAF’s future tanker.

The RSAF has ordered six

aircraft, which will replace

four existing KC-135Rs.

More

Mittens for

Myanmar

MYANMAR IS to receive

six more Yak-130

advanced jet trainer/

light attack aircraft. The

Myanmar Air Force placed

an initial contract for an

undisclosed number of

the type in June 2015.

The first three were

delivered in February

last year and another

three were inducted into

service in December.

Russian sources have

confirmed that a contract

for a second batch of

six aircraft was signed

in December and that

these Mittens will be

delivered later this year.

Singapore takes delivery

of latest Seahawks