combat aircraft

An RNLAF CH-47D

fl ies in company with

an NH90 TTH of the

German Army’s 30th

Transport Helicopter

Regiment during

‘Autumn Falcon’.

Dino van Doorn

Most missions were launched
from Deelen Air Base and exercise
scenarios involved large-size civilian
objectives, including factories.
The exercise was run closely with
the Dutch 11th Airmobile Brigade,
which includes 9,500 German and
2,300 Dutch red berets. The brigade
comprises rapid light infantry units
that can be deployed anywhere on
the globe within  ve to 20 days to
defend their own or allied territory.
This year, the 11th Airmobile Brigade
worked closely with its German
partner unit, the Division Schnelle
Kräfte (DSK).
These military units were delivered
by helicopters or transport aircraft
to pre-selected locations. The air
assaults involved securing various
civilian objectives from hostile units
during day and night operations.
Dino van Doorn

THIRD NATO AWACS RETIRED

A THIRD NATO E-3A was retired to

Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona for

storage with the 309th Aerospace

Maintenance & Regeneration

Group (AMARG) when serial

LX-N-90458 arrived on September

11. Its arrival reduced the  eet of
    the NATO Airborne Early Warning &
    Control Force (NAEW&CF) to just 14
    Sentries. The aircraft departed from

Geilenkirchen Air Base, Germany

using the callsign ‘NATO 48’ and

made an intermediate stop at CFB

Goose Bay, Labrador before  ying

on to Tucson. Tom Kaminski

The latest NATO E-3A to arrive at

Davis-Monthan taxiing down the

fl ight line on September 11.

USAF/SrA Mya M. Crosby

AUSTRALIA SEEKS SPECIAL OPERATIONS HELICOPTERS

AUSTRALIA IS CONSIDERING the

purchase of around 16 special

operations support helicopters

under Project Land 2097 Phase 4.

Although the purchase has not

yet been formally approved by

the Australian government, it was

identi ed in the 2016 Defence

White Paper as a priority project. The

government’s defence capability

acquisition and sustainment group

issued a request for information

(RFI) regarding the acquisition that

speci ed the release of a request for

tender in the fourth quarter of 2019.

Delivery of the helicopters to

the Australian Army’s 6th Aviation

Regiment at Holsworthy, south

of Sydney, would begin in 2022.

The base is presently home to two

commando regiments.

The RFI’s requirement is for a

proven commercial or military

o -the-shelf light helicopter that

is already in service with other

operators. It must be optimized for

use in dense urban environments,

capable of being equipped with

proven intelligence, surveillance

and reconnaissance (ISR) equipment

and weapons, and of being rapidly

deployed by the Royal Australian

Air Force’s C-17A. Although the

size of the aircraft is not speci ed,

the requirement speci es that four

be transported aboard a single

C-17A. The RFI also states that

the helicopter must be rapidly

recon gured between roles.

The new helicopter will provide

an air assault capability for small

teams of special forces. Secondary

roles would include ISR,  re support

and general utility. The  eet will

provide four helicopters that will

be maintained at Holsworthy,

an independent detachment of

four aircraft and two deployable

elements, each with four helicopters.

Contenders are expected to include

the Airbus Helicopters H145M,

Bell 407GT, Leonardo AW109, MD

Helicopters MD530G and Boeing’s

AH-6i Little Bird. Tom Kaminski

PAKISTANI

VIPERS STORED

NEWLY PRODUCED AH1Z

attack helicopters built for

Pakistan are being placed in

storage as a result of a January

US government decision to

suspend military aid to the

country. Delivery of the 12

Vipers was expected to begin

in August. Ordered via the US

Foreign Military Sales (FMS)

process in August 2015 and

April 2016, the AH-1Zs are being

placed in storage with the 309th

Aerospace Maintenance &

Regeneration Group (AMARG)

at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona.

Tom Kaminski

WORLD [NEWS]

http://www.combataircraft.net // December 2018 19