AirForces Monthly – July 2018

Greece to buy Tecnam P2002JF trainers

TWELVE NEW Tecnam

P2002JF single-engine

trainers are being bought

by the Elliniki Polemiki

Aeroporia (Hellenic Air

Force, HAF) to replace

obsolete T-41D Mescaleros

in the basic training role.

The €2.46m contract,

announced on May 4,

includes associated

equipment and materials.

The P2002JFs form part

of the HAF’s Integrated

System for New Initial

Trainer Aircraft programme.

The T-41Ds they are

replacing, survivors of a

type which first entered

HAF service in 1969, are

operated in the basic flight

training role by 360 Mira

Aeroporikon Efarmogon

(MAE, Air Applications

Squadron) ‘Thalis’ at

Dekelia-Tatoi as part of

the Ethniki Aeroporia

Academya (National

Aviation Academy). Of

the 21 T-41Ds originally

delivered, three have been

lost in accidents, while

a lack of funding for the

remainder has meant that,

according to reports, only

one is currently operational.

Of the rest, it’s reported that

only three could potentially

be made airworthy

again. Dave Allport

Portugal may host European helicopter centre

Above: Portuguese Air Force Merlin Mk514 19603 and Royal Netherlands Air Force CH-47D D-101 during Exercise Hot Blade at

Beja from May 7 to 24. A full exercise report will appear next month. Paulo Mata

THE EUROPEAN Defence

Agency’s (EDA’s) future

Multinational Helicopter

Training Centre could be

bound for Portugal.

Speaking during the

EDA’s Hot Blade helicopter

exercise at Beja air base,

the country’s Minister of

National Defence, Azeredo

Lopes, revealed that

Base Aérea No 1 (BA1)

Sintra is currently the only

candidate to host the

planned training centre. A

final decision is expected

by the end of the year.

Addressing the same

event, Gen Manuel Rolo,

the Portuguese Air Force’s

chief of staff, said the

objective is to achieve initial

operational capability at

Sintra in 2021, followed by

final operational capability a

year later. Sintra would also

host a helicopter simulator

centre. Paulo Mata

Super Hercules

approved for

Germany

THE US State Department

has approved the sale of

six C-130Js to Germany –

the US Defense Security

Cooperation Agency

notifying Congress of

the possible Foreign

Military Sale of three

C-130J-30 transports and

three KC-130J tanker/

transports on May 4.

Germany has also

requested Link 16

MIDS terminals, AN/

ALE 47 electronic

countermeasures

dispensers, AN/AAR-

47A(V)2 missile warning

systems, AN/ALR-56M

radar warning receivers

and MX-20 electro-

optical/infrared imaging

systems. The estimated

value of the deal is $1.4bn.

The Luftwaffe will use

the aircraft for airlift, air

refuelling and airdrop

missions as part of a

joint squadron based

at Évreux, France. The

Franco-German unit will

share aircraft, aircrews

and maintainers as well

as technical and logistical

support based on a

common pool of spare

parts and a common

service support contract.

France

launches Tigre

Standard 3

THE FRENCH defence

ministry has begun

development of the Tigre

Standard 3, the latest

version of the Tigre/

Tiger attack helicopter.

Florence Parly, France’s

armed forces minister,

announced funding for

the mid-life update on

May 3. Germany is also

providing funds for the

programme. In July last

year the Franco-German

Defence and Security

Council agreed to set up

a co-operative framework

for the Standard 3,

together with a joint

air-to-ground tactical

missile programme.

The upgrade is intended

to keep the Tigre/Tiger

in service beyond 2040.

According to the French

defence ministry, the

MLU aims to “[integrate]

future combat systems,

develop its collaborative

combat capabilities

and modernise its

offensive abilities”.

Austria takes on fi rst two DA40NGs

Above: DA40NGs 3H-DA and 3H-DB at the factory in Wiener Neustadt, Austria, before delivery. Diamond Aircraft

DIAMOND AIRCRAFT

Industries has delivered the

first two DA40NG trainers

to the Luftstreitkräfte

(Austrian Air Force). They

were handed over at

Zeltweg air base on May

3 in the presence of the

Austrian Federal Defence

Minister Mario Kunasek and

Norbert Hofer, country’s

Federal Minister for

Transport, Innovation and

Technology. The aircraft,

serials 3H-DA and 3H-DB,

are the first of four ordered

last August. The other pair,

3H-DC and 3H-DD, will be

delivered this September.

The DA40NGs are the first

basic trainers to be operated

by the Luftstreitkräfte since

the last Saab 91D Safirs

retired in May 1992. Since

then, training of Austrian

pilots had been contracted

out to civilian flying

schools. Dave Allport

12 // JULY 2018 #364 http://www.airforcesmonthly.com

NEWS Continental Europe