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http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #363 JUNE 2018 // 11

F-35A in-air drag chute tests for Norway
IN-FLIGHT TESTING has
cleared the full envelope
for the Royal Norwegian
Air Force’s (RNoAF’s)
F-35A drag chute. The
F-35 Integrated Test
Flight team at Edwards
Air Force Base, California,

recently completed in-air
deployments of the
parachute system, following
cold-weather trials of the
system at Eielson AFB,
Alaska and at Ørland in
Norway in February (see
RNoAF F-35A deliveries and

runway tests, January, p11).
The drag chute is
unique to RNoAF
F-35As and is required
for rapid deceleration
on icy runways.
In-air tests on March 19
subjected the chute to the

maximum amount of force
by applying full afterburner
“a few thousand feet”
above the runway in level
flight. However, heat from
the afterburner slightly tore
the chute and invalidated
the test data. On March

28 the aircraft deployed the
chute while conducting a
dive and with the engine
at idle to collect the
required test points. Full
certification of the system is
due by the end of the year,
pending final data review.

Lockheed Martin

Finland upgrades Learjet 35As
THE ILMAVOIMAT (Finnish
Air Force) is carrying out
a service life extension
programme on its three
Learjet 35As, it was
announced on April 13.
The Learjets have been

in use since 1982.
In addition to the
modernisation, the aircraft
are losing their camouflage,
which is being replaced by
an overall gloss grey colour
scheme, similar to that

worn by other aircraft in the
liaison and transport fleet.
The first repainted
Learjet, L J -1, was rolled
out of the Danish Aircraft
Painting facility at
Odense Airport on April


  1. It was then ferried to
    Nuremberg, Germany, for
    the modification work to be
    completed by Aero-Dienst.
    The upgrade includes
    new avionics systems,
    mission-specific equipment
    and modifications to the
    passenger cabin seating
    arrangements. All three
    Ilmavoimat Learjets are
    operated by the 2nd Flight
    of the Tukilentolaivue (Air
    Support Squadron) at
    Tampere-Pirkkala. They
    are used to transport
    materiel and personnel,
    for aerial photography
    and target towing duties.
    One is dedicated to
    the communications/
    liaison role, but the
    other two are configured
    for combat support
    tasks. Dave Allport


THE FINNISH Defence
Forces’ Logistics Command
sent a request for quotation
(RFQ) for its HX future
fighter programme to the
governments of France,
Sweden, the United
Kingdom and United States
on April 2 7. The Rafale,
Gripen, Typhoon, F/A-
18E/F and F-35 are in the
running for the 64-aircraft
tender which could be
worth around €10bn.
The HX programme aims
to replace the Ilmavoimat’s
(Finnish Air Force’s) F/A-
18C/D fleet when it is
phased out from 2025.
A capability assessment
will be made using five
scenarios: counter-air;
counter-land; counter-sea;
intelligence, surveillance
and reconnaissance (ISR)

and long-range strike.
The aircraft will also be
required to operate from
dispersed locations.

Negotiations with
manufacturers are due
to begin in the second
half of next year and final

quotations will be requested
in 2020. The Finnish
government will select the
final candidate in 2021.

Finland begins negotiations for HX fi ghter


Above: Ilmavoimat F/A-18D HN-464 refuels over Finland from a US Air Force KC-135 fl ying from
RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk, during last year’s Arctic Challenge Exercise. USAF/Tech Sgt David Dobrydney

Above: Learjet 35A LJ-1, the fi rst to be repainted in the new gloss grey colour scheme, was
rolled out of the Danish Aircraft Painting facilities on April 12. Ilmavoimat

Baltic Air


Policing


rotation
PORTUGAL ASSUMED
responsibility as the
lead nation for the 47th
rotation of NATO’s Baltic
Air Policing (BAP) mission
safeguarding the airspace
over Estonia, Latvia and
Lithuania at the beginning
of May. France and
Spain are augmenting
the mission within the
framework of enhanced
Air Policing (eAP).
The Força Aérea
Portuguesa (Portuguese
Air Force) deployed four
F-16AMs from Base
Aérea No 5 Monte Real
to Šiauliai, Lithuania,
for the fourth time. The
90-strong detachment of
pilots, ground crews and
support personnel took
over the mission from
Denmark on May 2.
The Armée de l’Air
(French Air Force)
detachment at Ämari air
base, Estonia, consists
of four Mirage 2000-5Fs
from EC 1/2 ‘Cigognes’
and around 100 personnel
from their home base
at Luxeuil. This is the
seventh time French
fighters have conducted
the BAP assignment.
Finally, an Ejército del
Aire (Spanish Air Force)
Eurofighter detachment
of six jets and some 130
personnel from Ala 11 at
Morón has also deployed
to Šiauliai. Spain led the
BAP mission in 2006 and
2016 and augmented it out
of Ämari in 2015 and again
last year, making this the
fifth tour to the Baltics.
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