Airforces

THE FIRST Japanese-made

F-35A, 79-8705 (AX-05),

was delivered to Misawa Air

Base on November 2, 2017.

The jet was flown from the

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

Komaki South F-35 Final

Assembly and Check Out

(FACO) facility by Maj Elijah

Supper, a US Air Force pilot

assigned to the Defense

Contract Management

Agen cy. Although the

aircraft is owned by the

Japan Air Self-Defense

Force (JASDF), it is required

to undergo final functional

tests in the United States.

The tests are required to

ensure all future F-35As

produced in Japan meet

design and performance

specifications. The jet

underwent safety checks

at Misawa before crossing

the Pacific Ocean. It

was escorted by F-16Cs

from the Wisconsin

Air National Guard’s

176th Expeditionary

Fighter Squadron, which

were returning from a

deployment to Korea.

Right: Maj Elijah Supper

manoeuvres F-35A 79-8705

on the runway at Misawa AB,

Japan, on November 2. USAF/

Senior Airman Brittany A Chase

South Korean Chinook upgrade

Above: Former US Army CH-47D 88-00095 was transferred to the ROKAF during 2014 and recently received an overall grey

colour scheme. It is one of ten Chinooks in use with the ROKAF, with 32 more serving the ROKA. Robin Polderman

BOEING AND Korean Air

are to partner on the South

Korean Chinook Helicopter

Upgrade Program,

under a memorandum

of understanding (MOU)

signed on October 19,

2017. The programme
      envisions upgrading the
      current Honeywell T55-L-
      712 series engine to the
      714A variant, installing a
      digital glass cockpit and
      digital flight controls, as
      well as a new electronic
      warfare self-defence suite

for increased survivability.

The upgrade should be

completed before 2028.

The Korean Defense

and Acquisition Program

Administration (DAPA)

issued a request for

information (ROI) for

upgrades to the Republic

of Korea Air Force (ROKAF)

and Republic of Korea

Army (ROKA) 42-strong

Chinook fleet in early 2017.

The acquisition of new

Chinooks to expand

the fleet is also being

studied although the

exact number of new

helicopters that could be

purchased has not been

disclosed. The ROKA has

expressed the need for

a helicopter to infiltrate

deep into enemy airspace,

suggesting the special

missions MH-47G version

is under consideration.

The ROKA received 18

CH-47Ds between 1988

and 1990, with one being

lost in a crash in May 2001.

Six CH-47D(LR) long-range

versions were delivered

to the ROKA during 1998.

The ROKAF received

six HH-47D Chinooks in

1991, of which one was

written off in an accident.

During early 2014 Korea

bought 14 surplus US

Army CH-47Ds stationed at

Camp Humphreys, Korea,

after these were replaced

by the CH-47F. Nine

went to the ROKA and

the remaining five were

transferred to the ROKAF.

Robin Polderman

Spike for

South

Korean

AW159

THE REPUBLIC of Korea

Navy (ROKN) will arm its

eight AW159 helicopters

with Rafael Spike NLOS

(Non Line Of Sight)

missiles. The deal is part

of South Korea’s larger

procurement plan for new

anti-submarine warfare

(ASW) helicopters to

be delivered by 2022.

The ROKN’s AW159s

entered service in July

2017 and manufacturer

Leonardo is now hopeful

of a follow-on order. On

November 8, 2017, the

Korean Defense and

Acquisition Program

Administration (DAPA)

announced plans to buy

12 new ASW helicopters

valued at $768m.

Contenders for the new

helicopter include the

AW159, Sikorsky MH-60R,

and the NHIndustries

NH90. Aside from the

Spike NLOS missiles, the

helicopters will be armed

with K745 Cheong Sangeo

(Blue Shark) lightweight

torpedoes and depth

charges. Noam Menashe

THE INDIAN Ministry of

Defence completed a first

successful flight-test of

the BrahMos-A supersonic

long-range cruise missile

on November 22, 2017.

The missile was launched

from the centreline station

of Indian Air Force (IAF)

Su-30MKI SB200 against

a sea-based target in the

Bay of Bengal. The IAF

plans to arm 42 Su-30MKIs

with BrahMos missiles

once the air-launched

version has completed

development tests.

The 5,512lb (2,500kg)

BrahMos has an active

radar seeker and can

achieve speeds of up

to Mach 3.0. It uses a

two-stage powerplant

comprising a solid-

propellant booster and a

ramjet second stage. The

BrahMos has a reported

range of 180 miles (290km).

BrahMos test launch

DRDO

First Japanese-built

F-35A arrives at Misawa

28 // JANUARY 2018 #358 http://www.airforcesmonthly.com

NEWS Asia Pacifi c