combat aircraft

SINGAPORE EYES F-16 REPLACEMENT

THE SINGAPOREAN MINISTRY of

Defense has said it will come to a

decision on a replacement for its

F-16C/D/D+  ghter  eet in the next

few months.

Equipping three squadrons at the

Republic of Singapore Air Force

(RSAF)’s Tengah Air Base and the

Peace Carvin IV training

detachment in Phoenix, Arizona,

the  eet of 60 F-16s was delivered

between 1998 and 2004. The jets

are in the midst of a mid-life

upgrade by Lockheed Martin that

will bring them to a standard on par

with the F-16V.

Speaking to media ahead of

Singapore Armed Forces Day on July

1, Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen

indicated that the F-16s would face

obsolescence beyond 2030 and

planning for a replacement will

require a lead-time of 10 years.

‘Whether it’s Typhoons, F-35s,

Sukhois and even now Chinese-

made stealth  ghters, these are the

suspects you have to look at’, he said.

However, it is almost certain that

Singapore has already settled on the

F-35. Having subscribed to the

program as a security co-operative

participant since 2003, it is privy to

information that will aid in its

planning. Speculation persists of an

eventual mixed purchase of

conventional take-o and landing

(CTOL) F-35A and short take-o and

vertical landing (STOVL) F-35B

models to suit its unique operational

environment and requirements.

It was reported in 2016 that the

country was putting on hold plans to

purchase a dozen F-35Bs. It was likely

that a decision was premature then

and that Singapore preferred to wait

for a reduction in unit prices and

resolution of technical problems as

well as securing guarantees on

customizations and in-country

maintenance and overhaul. Roy Choo

Serial 678 is one of a fi nal batch of 20 F-16D+ jets delivered between

2003-04 and operated by the RSAF’s 145 Squadron. Roy Choo

An F/A-18D prepares to refuel from a RMAF

A400M en route to ‘Pitch Black 2018’. TUDM

An artist’s impression of the MQ-4C Triton in

RAAF colors. Northrop Grumman.

MALAYSIAN FIGHTERS CLEARED

TO REFUEL FROM ATLAS

THE ROYAL MALAYSIAN Air

Force (RMAF) has quali ed its

Su-30MKM, F/A-18D and Hawk

Mk208 aircraft to be refueled in

 ight by A400M airlifters equipped

with aerial refueling pods. F/A-18Ds

participating in Exercise ‘Pitch

Black 2018’ in late July will  y

non-stop to Darwin, Australia with

the assistance of in- ight refueling

provided by the Atlas. The distance

between Kuala Lumpur and Darwin

is around 2,260 miles (3,640km).

The RMAF began qualifying its

 ghters for A400 in- ight refueling

in February, shortly after the  rst

set of refueling pods was received

from Cobham. Although the air

arm’s four A400Ms are all capable

of carrying the pods, the service

has thus far acquired only two

sets. Fighter crews were quali ed

to conduct aerial refueling from

the A400M in daytime and at

night using night vision goggles.

The  ghters had previously been

quali ed to refuel from the RMAF’s

four KC-130Hs. Tom Kaminski

NEW MISSION FOR AUSSIE BLACK HAWKS

AUSTRALIA’S ARMY AIR Corps will

transfer a pair of S-70A helicopters

to the New South Wales (NSW)

Rural Fire Service (RFS). The Black

Hawks will support the RFS’s

emergency services and will be

used to transport emergency

service personnel to bush  res,

 oods and other disasters across

the state. The NSW 2018-19 state

budget includes AUS$6.5 million

to retro t the Black Hawks to

RFS speci cations. The army is

replacing its 39 S-70As with the

MRH90 Taipan and the Black Hawk

 eet is expected to be gradually

withdrawn from service beginning

in 2019. The  re service’s two Black

Hawks will be based in Sydney.

Tom Kaminski

A 6th Aviation Regiment S-70A-9 Black Hawk fl ies past a Sydney beach

during continuation training earlier this year.

CPL Sebastian Beurich/Commonwealth of Australia

AUSTRALIA CONFIRMS TRITON PURCHASE

AUSTRALIA’S PRIME MINISTER

con rmed that the Royal Australian

Air Force (RAAF) will acquire

the  rst of six MQ-4C maritime

unmanned air systems (MUAS) from

Northrop Grumman at a cost of

$1.4 billion. Follow-on contracts for

production of the remaining  ve

systems and in-service sustainment

are expected to follow by mid-2019.

The  rst Triton will be delivered

in mid-2023 and the MQ-4C will

achieve initial operating capability

(IOC) with the RAAF 12 months

later. Full operational capability

(FOC) is scheduled for mid-2025

when all six systems are in service

at RAAF Base Edinburgh near

Adelaide. The Tritons will also

operate from RAAF Base Tindal,

Northern Territory. The two bases

will see a combined total of $364

million of investment in the

construction of new operational

and support facilities.

The Triton will complement

the intelligence, surveillance and

reconnaissance capabilities of

the RAAF’s P-8A multi-mission

maritime aircraft. According to a

statement from Australia’s prime

and defense ministers, ‘Together

these aircraft will signi cantly

enhance our anti-submarine

warfare and maritime strike

capability, as well as our search

and rescue capability’. Australia

con rmed plans to acquire the

MQ-4C to ful ll the requirements

of the project AIR 7000 Phase

1B requirement on June 19.

Tom Kaminski

WORLD [NEWS]

http://www.combataircraft.net // September 2018 21

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