Boeing photo
The fallout from South Korea's decision to not go ahead with acquiring the Boeing F-15SE Silent Eagle has continued, with Boeing (unsurprisingly) upset by the turn of events.
South Korean newspaper the Chosun Ilbo blames "bureaucratic incompetence" in an editorial, while Flightglobal's Greg Waldron analyses the F-X III competition and looks at how a new, revised tender for the F-X III would look like.
Spotter's badges to Kyle Mizokami and Gerry Doyle for both Chosun Ilbo articles
Well, this is a surprise. South Korea has decided against acquiring the Boeing F-15SE Silent Eagle and will likely restart the fighter competition to select a replacement for the RoKAF's F-4 and F-5 fleets.
Chatter is increasing that budget problems will see the USAF retire its entire A-10 fleet. In the Asia-Pacific region this will affect one squadron based at Osan in South Korea.
The impending delivery of Taiwan's first P-3C Orion has been delayed due to a tropical storm forming in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
Various companies are forming teams to offer proposals for Australia's Project AIR 5428 to supply trainers for Australia's fixed-wing pilot training system.
A really interesting video of a QF-16 making its first flight without a pilot has been posted by Boeing, which has been modifying Lockheed Martin F-16s with specialized hardware and software packages that turn a F-16 Falcon into a QF-16 aerial target.
In May, a Boeing test pilot flew the first QF-16 at Cecil Field alongside a QF-4 chase plane. The 66-minute test flight validated basic aircraft performance and the QF-16 drone modification package.
Taiwanese F-16B
A bit of Taiwan-centric regional military aviation news roundup today:
Frustrated by American refusal to sell it JDAMs, Taiwan has developed its own smart munitions to equip the RoCAF's fighters.
In an effort to determine the cause, Taiwan has salvaged the wreck of a Mirage 2000 from the sea following a crash in May this year.
Still on Taiwan, the first of 12 P-3C Orions should arrive in Taiwan in the next day or so.
Following a six-month deployment, the F-16s of the USAF's 55th Fighter Squadron has left Osan in South Korea and returned to their base at Shaw AFB.
A Chinese general has reiterated the right of Chinese military aircraft to transit through international airspace between two Japanese islands for training flights into the Western Pacific. He also said that such training flights will continue, irregardless of Japan scrambling interceptors to investigate.
Chinese Air Force Chengdu J-10
Budget issues in the United States may adversely affect Taiwan's plans to upgrade its F-16 fleet, if the USAF's plans to do likewise are stymied.
There are reportedly plans by Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group to build up to 1,200 J-10s fighters, eventually with Chinese-built engines. This will include expected sales to Pakistan.
Republic of Singapore Air Force F-15SG of 149 Sqn
In a ceremony held at Paya Lebar Airbase, the Republic of Singapore Air Force has declared that its F-15SG Eagles are fully operational with 149 Squadron. The first aircraft was delivered in May 2009 to a U.S-based training squadron.
Japan's Defense Ministry has said that it will consider shooting down UAVs that enter its territory. Which is fine and good, not to mention a natural reaction, but the problem is that no UAVs (Chinese or otherwise) has violated its airspace (yet).
Meanwhile, an Okinawa-based U.S Marine General has said that Marine MV-22 Osprey tiltrotors based in Okinawa could be sent to the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands if required.
Chinese state TV has carried out a piece on flight testing operations on board the Chinese Navy carrier Liaoning involving Shenyang J-15 飞鲨 (Flying Shark) carrierborne fighters carrying ordnance. Various J-15s took off and landed on the Liaoning in various loadout configurations including PL-8 Air-to-Air Missiles, YJ-83 anti-ship missiles and Type 250-3 250kg General Purpose free fall bombs.
The flights were to test the ability of the J-15 to operate from the Liaoning while carrying the various loadouts. The footage was reportedly shot on September 15.
RSAF F-16D Block 52
As per the news roundup from a couple of days ago mentioned, Singapore's Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen has said in a speech to Parliament that - among other things - Singapore will be upgrading its 60-strong fleet of Lockheed-Martin F-16C/D fighters to "modernise their avionics and extend their lifespan".
Industry observers have long expected Singapore to be a prime candidate to upgrade its F-16s, and it was believed that the island nation will make its decision after fellow Asian F-16 operators South Korea and Taiwan decide on their respective fleet upgrades.
South Korea announced last year that it had awarded BAE Systems the contract to upgrade the Republic of Korea Air Force's 134 F-16s, while rival (and F-16 OEM) Lockheed Martin has been selected to upgrade the almost 300 USAF and 145 Republic of China Air Force's (RoCAF) F-16s. The centrepiece of both companies' upgrade will be a new Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar and a new mission computer, with the Raytheon Advanced Combat Radar (RACR) and Northrop-Grumman's Scalable Agile Beam radar (SABR) being the candidates to equip the upgraded F-16s with AESAs.
RSAF F-16C Block 52
Both BAE Systems and Lockheed-Martin will be certainties to compete for the Singapore upgrade contract, while Boeing has also indicated an interest in entering the F-16 upgrade market. Singapore Technologies, which has forged close links with Singapore's armed forces as a contractor for upgrades and maintenance projects, may also play some part in this program.
South Korea has already selected the RACR for its upgraded F-16C/Ds, with deliveries expected to commence 2016 after completion of the radar's development. Meanwhile, Lockheed-Martin, which has been tasked with selecting the radar for the USAF's F-16 Combat Avionics Programmed Extension Suite (CAPES) and Taiwanese upgrades, has opted for the SABR. SABR is based on technology from the F-22 Raptor's APG-77(V)1 and F-35 JSF’s APG-81 AESAs, while RACR can trace its lineage to the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet’s APG-79 and the F-15E’S APG-82 AESAs.
No other details have been released, and it is not known if the entire Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) F-16 fleet is slated to receive the upgrade. However Singapore will almost certainly require an AESA radar for its F-16s, along with the upgraded mission computer as previously mentioned. It is possible that newer weapons such as the AIM-9X Sidewinder, AGM-154 Joint Stand Off Weapon (JSOW) and GBU-54 Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition (LJDAM) that Singapore has acquired for its F-15SG Eagles may be integrated as part of the upgrade.
The FMS request for Taiwan's F-16 upgrade may provide more clues as to what the Singaporean F-16 upgrade will include.
RSAF F-16D Block 52+
The RSAF's F-16 fleet comprises of 42 F-16C/D Block 52 and a further 20 F-16D Block 52+ (Advanced Block 52) aircraft. The former are split among 2 Singapore-based squadrons operating 28 aircraft while a training squadron based at Luke AFB, Arizona operates the remaining 12 Block 52s. A third Singapore-based squadron is equipped with the 20 newer F-16D Block 52+. Singapore's F-16s are relatively young, with the aircraft being delivered between 1998 and 2004.
Singapore has acquired a global reputation as a discerning buyer of military equipment, and will be regarded as a prime customer for the winner of the upgrade contract despite its modest fleet size compared to South Korea and Taiwan. With 4,500 F-16s having been delivered since the 1970s and operated by 26 countries, the potential upgrade market for the type is huge.
It has been a busy past couple of days for military aviation news in the Asia-Pacific:
The Philippines Air Force has conducted two airstrikes in the past few days again Moro National Liberation Front rebels which have attacked a town in the southern Philippines. The strikes were carried out by McDonnell Douglas MG-520 Defender helicopters.
A photo of the Chinese WZ-10 attack helicopter carrying the TY-90 AAM is making the rounds of the Internet.
In a speech to Parliament, Singapore's Defence Minister has announced that the island nation is acquiring the Aster 30 ground based Surface to Air Missile and upgrading its F-16s.
An interesting video (in Mandarin) of the Guizhou JL-9 trainer in Chinese Navy service.
The South Korean president has reportedly been briefed that the Boeing F-15SE Silent Eagle is the sole eligible bid for the RoKAF's F-X III program
Royal Thai Air Force Gripen (Gripen International/Saab Photo)
The Royal Thai Air Force held a ceremony at its Surat Thani base to mark the commissioning of the RTAF's Gripen Integrated Air Defense System. The RTAF has also expressed an interest in acquiring six more Gripens.
Lots of photos of the departure of Indonesia's first two KAI T-50 trainers leaving for their delivery flight to Indonesia via Kaoshiung, Taiwan and the Philippines. The T-50s were escorted by a TNI-AU Hawk Mk.53 when they arrived over Indonesia, with photos here and here. (Both TNI-AU photos)
Spotters badge for the T-50 Gallery goes to Irman
Chinese Navy H-6G intercepted by the JASDF. Click on thumbnail for high resolution image (Japanese MoD)
The past two days have seen the Japanese Ministry of Defence announce that it had scrambled fighters to intercept Chinese military aircraft that have breached Japan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). That in itself is nothing much out of the ordinary, since the Japanese Air Self Defense Force has scrambled 306 times against Chinese aircraft in 2012, which works out to almost once daily.
Map released by the Japanese MoD (and annotated by me) of the H-6G track. Click on thumbnail for high resolution image.
What is different in the latest interceptions is the type of aircraft and their flight profile. On Sunday the 8th of September, the JASDF scrambled fighters against a pair of Chinese Navy Xi’an H-6G bombers (see photo above of one of the H-6s taken by the JASDF). The bombers flew through international airspace over the Miyako Straits south of the Japanese island of Okinawa, headed out into the Pacific before turning back towards China the same way it came.
This was followed the next day with yet another new move by the Chinese. This time, JASDF interceptors were scrambled against another interloper, which turned out to be an “unidentified drone”. The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) was detected flying southeast off the coast of Zhejiang before circling the skies approximately 100 miles (160km) north of the disputed Senkaku/Islands before heading off in the directions of China. This event marks the first time a land-based Chinese UAV has approached the Japanese ADIZ.
From the photo of the UAV released by the Japanese MoD, it would appear to be a BZK-005 Medium Altitude, Long Endurance UAV. Designed by the Beijing University of Aeronautics & Astronautics and Harbin Aircraft Industry Group, little is known about this obscure UAV. It was unveiled in 2006 and believed to boast an endurance of 40 hours with a service ceiling of 8,000m (26,000 feet). The type is known to be in service with the Chinese Navy and an unknown reconnaissance unit flies the UAV from the nearby base of Huangyan-Luqiao (see map)
Map released by the Japanese MoD (and annotated by me) of the UAV's track. Click on thumbnail for high resolution image.
The H-6G is a Chinese-built version of the Tupolev Tu-16 ‘Badger’ bomber that have been constantly modernized and updated by the Chinese, and is utilized as a missile carrier carrying anti-ship or cruise missiles. Alternatively, the H-6G can also carry Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) pods in the Electronic Warfare role. The serial number on the photographed H-6G indicates that it belongs to the Chinese Navy’s 17th Air Regiment, East Sea Fleet based at Jiangsu-Benniu, west of Shanghai.
The Japanese MoD has not identified the interceptors involved on both occasions; however they were almost certainly Mitsubishi-built F-15J/DJ Eagles from the JASDF’s 204th Hikotai, based at Naha on Okinawa. The unit’s fighters have been at the forefront of confronting Chinese aircraft flying in Japan’s ADIZ.
The intercepted Chinese UAV (Japanese MoD)
As has been mentioned during the earlier interception of the Chinese Y-8, this flight profile by the Chinese bombers is unusual and had hitherto been unknown. These latest overflights take place in the days immediately before the anniversary of the Japanese government’s nationalisation of the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands in 2012, causing the simmering dispute to flare up in a big way.
However, the Chinese Defense Ministry, responding to both overflights, said that the overflight was a “routine task” and “not aimed at any country”, and reiterated – correctly – that China enjoys freedom of overflight in relevant waters. More interestingly, it also said that the Chinese military will organize similar activities to the Western Pacific in the future. There you have it, ladies and gentlemen: The new normal.
According to this AIP Supplement issued by Airservices Australia, Singapore's F-16s will be taking part in the upcoming Exercise Wallaby 2013 to be held at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area in Queensland, Australia. A Singapore Armed Forces annual combined arms exercise, it will also involve Singapore Air Force Super Puma, Chinook and Apache helicopters.
My latest piece for The Diplomat Magazine is up online. Aircraft Carriers or Not? Flattops in the Pacific surveys the recent proliferation of through-deck helicopters carriers in the region and looks at their potential for operating fixed wing aircraft.
And the drip-drip of escalation has just went up a notch. Japan's Ministry of Defence has said that JASDF has scrambled fighters to intercept two H-6 bombers belonging to the Chinese Navy transiting through the Miyako Straits on Sunday. This was followed by the interception of an unidentified unmanned aircraft near the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands on Monday.
Looks like Malaysia's plan for a new fighter to replace its MiG-29s have been put on hold. The replacement was due to come on board by 2015 so as to allow the MiGs to be retired.
The deal for China to purchase the Sukhoi Su-35 should be concluded sometime in 2014, according to Russian sources.
A screengrab off Chinese state television (above) shows what appears to be a Shenyang J-15 Flying Shark in Chinese Navy colours. The type had only previously been seen in primer or Shenyang Aircraft Corporation's markings.
The pivot continues. The U.S. Army will deploy 30 OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters to South Korea beginning October. This nine-month, rotational deployment will be the first time OH-58Ds will be South Korea since they left in 2008.
The Republic of Korea Air Force will resume flying the KAI T-50 trainer after an interim report found no technical problems with the aircraft following a recent fatal crash.
TNI-AU (Indonesian Air Force) Su-30MK2
Two more Sukhoi Su-30MK2 Flankers have arrived in Indonesia in knocked down condition from Russia. This completes Indonesia's order of Flankers.
Boeing is still warily confident of the F-15SE Silent Eagle being selected in South Korea when the expected announcement is made in 2-3 weeks. This wariness is despite reports that both the F-35 and Typhoon have already been eliminated.
The last Australian F-111 designated as a museum piece has left RAAF Amberley on it's way to the Pacific Aviation Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii on board an RAAF C-17.
After a delivery flight interrupted by a lightning strike on one of the aircraft, the last three Gripens Thailand has on order have arrived at Surat Thani, home to the RTAF's Wing 7.
Royal Thai Air Force Gripen (Gripen International/Saab Photo)
Despite recent crashes in South Korea, the Philippines is still keen on the KAI F/A-50 light combat jet to give it some badly needed combat capability.
The last three Thai Saab Gripen fighters should arrive in Thailand this afternoon after they were forced to extend their stay at Port Blair in the Andaman Islands after one was hit by lightning on its way to Surat Thani yesterday. This brings deliveries of the Gripen to the Royal Thai Air Force to 12, completing the Thai order.
Couple of very clear photos of Chinese aircraft participating in the Sino-Russian Exercise Peace Mission at Chelyabinsk, Russia in August. First up, a PLAAF Xi'an JH-7A fighter bomber followed by an armed Harbin Z-9WA light utility helicopter.
Hopefully, this will end the silly brouhaha. The bombs jettisoned into the Coral Sea by Marine Harriers during Talisman Saber in late July have been disposed of.
An look into the possible reasons for Indonesia's choice of the AH-64E Apache helicopter gunship.
AV-8B Harrier II of VMA-214 Blacksheep
Marine Corps aviation units based in Japan, in addition to those attached to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit which is currently embarked on board the ships of the Bonhomme Richard Amphibious Ready Group, are currently training with embarked 31st MEU Marines, the 5th Royal Australian Regiment and Marine Rotational Force–Darwin during Exercise Koolendong 2013, a bilateral exercise taking place at the Bradshaw Field Training Area in the Northern Territory starting 27 Aug. for approximately two weeks.
Exercise Koolendong 2013 is designed as a “proof of concept” to assess the capacity of the Bradshaw Field Training Area to accommodate live-fire training for battalion-sized units of approximately 1,000 personnel and demonstrate the capabilities that U.S. amphibious forces can provide.
The exercise will feature day and night live-fire training that includes light and heavy machine guns, mortars, artillery and aviation-delivered ordnance from AV-8B Harriers from the 31st MEU (attached from VMA-214 Blacksheep) and FA/18D Hornets from VMFA-242 Bats. Additionally, three KC-130Js from the Sumos of VMGR-152 will provide tanker and transport support while MV-22 Ospreys, CH-53E Super Stallions and UH-1Y Hueys from VMM-265 (Reinforced) will provide assault support transportation from the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) operating at sea.
The Bradshaw Field Training Area is a remote training range in the Northern Territory, Australia; it is approximately 200 miles south/southwest from Darwin and is over 3,300 square miles in size.
Wreckage of this afternoon's tragic RoKAF T-50 crash
Republic of Singapore Air Force pilots are flying the Arizona ANG's F-16s training with the RSAF's F-15SG detachment at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho. It's pretty well known that the RSAF has aircraft based in CONUS for pilot training, but much less well known is the agreement for RSAF pilots to train on ANG F-16s.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has announced that United States will sell 8 AH-64E Apaches to Indonesia. An interesting decision by the Indonesian military, to say the least.
Chinese State media has announced that Changhe WZ-10 attack helicopter has launched an air-to-air missile for the first time during exercises over the waters off China's Guangzhou Province last week.
Apparently, the South Korean Air Force is not happy with the F-15SE selection as carried out by the government procurement agency. Unsuprisingly, the RoKAF wants the F-35A. Some of the comments in the link are worth reading, too (which is the real surprise).
Still on South Korea, an RoKAF T-50 trainer has crashed this afternoon near the southwestern city of Gwangju while on a training flight, killing both pilots.
Japan has announced that about half of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force's 13 E-2C Hawkeye Airborne Early Warning aircraft will be transferred to Naha in Okinawa from their current base in Misawa, northern Japan. This is to improve the area's Early Warning coverage in the face of increased Chinese overflights in the area surrounding the disputed Senkaku Islands.
Meanwhile, I've done up a separate blog post with more details about JASDF F-2 fighters intercepting a pair of Russian Tupolev Tu-95MS Bears that were accused of violating Japanese airspace. Japan has lodged an official complaint, and Russia says it's investigating.
