JASDF Blue Impulse T-4s collide in mid-air (with photos)

Both photos via Sankei Shimbun

Two Kawasaki T-4 trainers of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force's Flight Demonstration Team have collided in mid-air during a practice on the morning of 29th January. The incident happened in airspace over the Pacific Ocean, approximately 45km (28 miles) southeast of their base at Matsushima. Both aircraft managed to land without incident, with the 3 crew on board uninjured.

Looks like it was glancing blow for both aircraft, with one sustaining a dented nosecone while the other (66-5745) losing most of its port horizontal stabiliser/elevator. Could have been much, much worse...

Thanks for James Simpson for the heads up

USAF F-16 upgrade not funded; Taiwan's F-16 upgrade hit

USAF F-16CM from the Kunsan, South Korea-based 8th Fighter Wing

Aaron Mehta over at Defense News has reported that the US Air Force's F-16 Combat Avionics Programmed Extension Suite (CAPES) upgrade program has not been included in the FY 2015 budget request, with some of the money instead being reinvested toward a general F-16 service-life extension program (SLEP) in an effort to preserve funds and keep the force structure intact.

This decision will have ramifications in Asia, where Taiwan has selected to align its own F-16 upgrade with the CAPES program, centred around Northrop-Grumman's Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR). Without the economies of scale of the USAF upgrading and integrating the new equipment on board their F-16s, Taiwan's own upgrade program will see costs rising if its plans are to go ahead.

More at Defense News.

Report: Singapore has signed for 6 Airbus A330 MRTT tanker-transports

One of five KC-30A (Airbus A330 MRTT) tankers operated by the RAAF (© Commonwealth of Australia)

French aviation magazine Air and Cosmos has reported that Singapore has reportedly signed for six Airbus A330 MRTT (Multi-Role Tanker Transports) in 2013. Neither Airbus Defence and Space nor Singapore have commented on the reports. If true, Singapore will become the fifth nation to operate the A330 MRTT, after the UK, Australia, UAE and Saudi Arabia. France has also been reported to be on the verge of buying the type, along with India.

There are rumours that the MoU signed between Airbus and Singapore to be conditional upon Airbus sorting out the issues with the refueling boom and mission planning system, among others. Problems with the boom have dogged the MRTT's development, and is not expected to be solved until late this year at the earliest. This has prevented the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) from declaring Full Operational Capability with the type, which operates five aircraft, known as the KC-30A in RAAF service.

It has been reported since 2011 that Singapore has been looking for tankers to replace its elderly fleet of four Boeing KC-135R Stratotankers and ten C-130B/H Hercules (all ten can be readily configured as KC-130 tankers). Singapore is known to have issued a Request For Information (RFI) for six aerial refueling tankers back in 2012, and Boeing had previously acknowledged that its KC-46A tanker was one of the types Singapore had issued the RFI to. However with the KC-46 still in development and the USAF's mammoth 180-aircraft order, it may have difficult for Boeing to meet Singapore's delivery timeline for a new tanker.

Our previous coverage of Singapore's search for a new tanker aircraft can be accessed from the links below.

2 August 2011: Singapore looking to replace KC-135s
21 February 2012: Singapore Air Force issues tanker RFI
20 Sept 2012: Singapore has requested information on Boeing's KC-46

Taiwan unveils fighter upgrade and stand off air-launched missile

Wan Chien stand-off air-to-surface missile fitted to an upgraded F-CK-1 Indigenous Defense Fighter (J Michael Cole)

Taiwan's Republic of China Air Force (RoCAF) unveiled the first batch of 71 upgraded Ching-kuo Indigenous Defense Fighters (IDF/F-CK-1) at Tainan air base in southern Taiwan on 16 January 2014. It also took the opportunity to unveil the Wan Chien (Ten Thousand Swords) stand-off air-to-surface missile fitted to an upgraded F-CK-1 fighter

DSCA notification for Singapore's Block 52 upgrade

RSAF F-16D Block 52

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress January 13 of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Singapore for an upgrade of F-16 Block 52 aircraft and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $2.43 billion. More at the DSCA's website.

The notification is for 60 aircraft, i.e. Singapore's entire F-16 fleet. I should have an in-depth look at this latest development up in the next few days

PHOTO: Republic of Singapore AF Black Knights F-16C six-ship air-to-air

© Republic of Singapore Air Force/Photo by Katsushiko Tokunaga (DACT). Click on thumbnail for hi-res.

A fantastic air-to-air photo of the F-16Cs of the Republic of Singapore Air Force's Black Knights Aerobatic Team over the waters off southern Singapore, photographed by the one and only Katsu from an RSAF F-16D photo ship.

The Black Knights have recently been re-formed, and will perform at the upcoming Singapore Airshow, to be held at the Changi Exhibition Centre from 11-16 February 2014. They will be joined by the Republic of Korea Air Force's Black Eagles team flying the T-50 and the TNI-AU (Indonesian Air Force) KT-1 trainers belonging to the Jupiter Aerobatic Team.

[EDITED] The Chinese military aviation data dump of 2014 continues

And the 2014 data dump on China's military aviation developments continue. Following closely on the recent hi-res pic of a J-16 in flight, we now have:

Shenyang J-15 S/N 556 carrying a Russian UPAZ-1A buddy refuelling store. Click on thumbnail for hi-res photo.

Xi'an H-6G Badger bomber carrying the YJ-12 supersonic anti-ship missile.

Chinese Il-76MD in flight with a new high-bypass turbofan engine (WS-20?) mounted on the port inboard station. This will most likely be the engine that will eventually power the Y-20 airlifter, with the engine having started aircraft tests several months back and expected to enter into service in 2015.

Both the H-6G and Il-76 pictured are both test aircraft, belonging to the China Flight Test Establishment (CFTE) based at Xi'an-Yanliang.

[EDIT 09JAN2014]: And the reveals are not just restricted to fixed wing aircraft. Yesterday saw photos of a Harbin Z-19 light attack helicopter carrying what appears to be a roof-mouted radar similar to the Longbow millimetre wave radar carried by the AH-64D/E Apache. As Greg Waldron over at Flightglobal notes, we are not sure if the radar is a prototype, mockup or the real deal. But it does say a lot about China's ambitions. More pics here and here.

And not strictly 2014, but while most of the world was celebrating Christmas or nursing Boxing Day hangovers in 2013, China's Harbin Z-20, which has been likened by many to be a clone of the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk, made its first flight.

All photos from the Chinese internet

PHOTO: China's Shenyang J-16 in high resolution glory

A nice military aviation present for 2014! A high-res photo of Shenyang Aircraft Corporation's prototype J-16 multi-role fighter has been making the rounds on the internet. Believed to be based on the Sukhoi Su-30MKK/MK2 which is currently in service with China's Air Force and Navy, the prototype J-18 first flew in 2011 and reports from China indicate that the first pre-production batch is entering service .

Australia's first F-35A, C-27J achieve milestones

Alenia Aermacchi Photo

Big week for the future platforms of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) as two key programs achieve milestones.

The first Lockheed-Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter for the RAAF, coded AU-1, which is currently winding its way through the cavernous JSF production facility at Fort Worth, Texas, is now standing on its on wheels for the first time. The aircraft was lifted by an overhead crane from an EMAS – Electronic Mate and Alignment System – station where its forward and rear fuselage sections were joined to the wing-centre fuselage assembly, to final assembly, where its control surfaces are added and final systems and engine are installed.

Meanwhile Alenia Aermacchi has announced that the first of ten C-27J Spartan battlefield airlifters for the Royal Australian Air force has made its maiden flight. It will be delivered to prime contractor L-3 Communications in 2014 for final fitout before the first two aircraft are brought to Australia in 2015. Here is the RAAF's (informative) media release about the event.

Chinese Shenyang Jian-8 (J-8) crashes in Zhejiang, pilot killed

Shenyang JZ-8F. Note the camera fairing immediately aft of the nose landing gear. (Chinese Internet)

BEIJING, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- A fighter plane crashed in Anji County in east China's Zhejiang Province at 7:11 p.m. on Thursday, leaving the pilot dead, according to the Ministry of National Defense.

The fighter aircraft, the Jian-8, was conducting night flight training when the accident occurred, the ministry said in a statement on its website Friday.

There are no casualties on the ground, according to the statement.

My notes: Judging by the location of the crash, the aircraft could be a Shenyang JZ-8F reconnaissance platform from the Nanjing Military Region's 93rd Brigade, based at Suzhou to the northeast of Anji County.

Another possibility is that the crashed aircraft was a J-8H interceptor of the 78th Brigade at Shanghai-Chongming, an island immediately to the north of Shanghai. (Map © Google )

Japan seeks to move E-2Cs and another F-15J squadron to Okinawa

Naha-based 204 Hikotai F-15J Eagle. USAF Photo

Japan's government has indicated that it is planning to deploy a second squadron of Mistubishi F-15J/DJ Eagles to Naha Airbase in Okinawa. In addition, it has also revealed that a squadron of E-2 Hawkeye Airborne Early Warning aircraft could also be sent there.

The base is the primary airbase which the Japan Air Self-Defense Force uses to provide overwatch for the hotly disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands. As I have mentioned before, the sole JASDF F-15 unit currently based in Naha has been in the thick of the action scrambling against Chinese aircraft entering Japan's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) while patrolling in the East China Sea, or headed out into the Western Pacific. The recent declaration of an ADIZ in the East China Sea by China would also have added impetus to this decision.

Word is that the JASDF F-15 unit that will be relocated to Naha to join the overworked 204 Hikotai will be the 304 Hikotai from Tsuiki in southern Kyushu, with an Mitsubishi F-2 unit from Misawa moving to Tsuiki to form a second F-2 Hikotai in Tsuiki.

Relocating northern Kyushu's sole interceptor unit and replacing it with a unit operating the F-2 (primarily a maritime strike platform) at a base facing a sector of the East China Sea where Chinese aircraft have been known to penetrate Japan's ADIZ from strikes me as odd. If anything, I had expected that 305 Hikotai at Hyakuri would have been the most likely candidate for the move, given it's located at Japan's quiet eastern seaboard away from the usual hotspots of Japan's ADIZ.

Taiwan seeks F-35 despite F-16C/D rejection

RoCAF (Taiwan) F-16B of the 455th TFW. Photo © unknown

DefenseNews has an Intercepts Blog up asking why Taiwan is publicly seeking the F-35 when it is already unable to get the United States to sell F-16C/Ds to the island nation. I'd say Taiwan is practicing Rule No. 1 of bargaining; ask for the sky, and wait for the counteroffer which is closer to what you actually wanted in the first place.

Just one more thing to add: Taiwan needs to sort out its defence policy, and the politics behind it though. That could very well prove tougher than persuading the United States to sell defence articles.

Photos of 2nd Singapore Air Force F-16D with anniversary tail art

Remember this story from mid-November about the Republic of Singapore Air Force F-16D based in Luke Air Force Base, Arizona being painted with colourful tail art commemorating 20 years of RSAF training at Luke? Well it turns out there is a second F-16D (S/N 96-5035) that got a special paintjob marking the occasion, and it's just as striking too!

Luke AFB has also released this image showing the tails of both commemorative aircraft side-by-side. Both aircraft were painted with unique tail flash designs by the 56th Equipment Maintenance Squadron.

USAF Photo via Luke AFB's Facebook page. Click on the thumbnail to view the high-res version.

The 425th Fighter Squadron, also known as the Black Widows, was reactivated at Luke AFB in late 1992 and started training Republic of Singapore Air Force pilots on the F-16 soon after, initially using leased USAF F-16A/Bs before switching over to leased F-16C/Ds and finally transitioning over to the RSAF's own Block 52 F-16C/Ds when deliveries of the latter began in 1998.

The squadron is a mixed USAF-RSAF training squadron, and is one of several RSAF training detachments in the United States. The RSAF maintains several training detachments based overseas due to a lack of training areas at home, as well as monsoonal weather patterns over Singapore which frequently restricts training. Singapore operates 60 F-16C/Ds spread among 3 Singapore-based squadrons and the 425th FS at Luke AFB.

And this is an image of both aircraft sitting tail-to-tail, on the 425th Fighter Squadron's Facebook page.

via the 425 Fighter Squadron's Facebook page. Click on the thumbnail to view the high-res version.

PHOTO: Chinese Nanchang Q-5 ground attack aircraft

Via Chinese Internet. Click on thumbnail for high resolution image

It's not the most capable combat aircraft out there, but I really like the lines of the Nanchang Q-5 ground attack jet. Based on the MiG-19/J-6, the Q-5 mated the MiG-19/J-6 rear fuselage and wings (incorporating improvements) with a basic radar in the nose and a more conventional intake design. This aircraft, a precision strike-enabled Q-5L variant serving with the Chinese Air Force's 5th Ground Attack Division, 13th Air Regiment at Weifang-Weixian in Shandong Province, represents the zenith of the design. In this high-quality photo from the Chinese Internet, Q-5L 10368 is pictured landing while carrying a K/PZS-01 targeting pod on one of its fuselage pylons.

F-35B to visit Luke Air Force Base at Singapore's request

F-35B Lightning II STOVL Joint Strike Fighter (Lockheed-Martin Photo)

This just in from Luke AFB's Facebook page:

F-35B aircraft from Marine Corps Air Station Yuma are expected to be flying at Luke AFB from approximately 10:30 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, Dec. 10. The aircraft will be at Luke at the request of senior defense officials from Singapore, who are visiting the base as part of Forging Sabre, a Singapore armed forces exercise taking place at Luke and at the Barry M. Goldwater training range. Singapore is considering purchasing F-35s in the future.

The F-35B is the “short takeoff and vertical landing” variant of the aircraft developed for the U.S. Marine Corps. It is configured differently than the F-35A “conventional takeoff and landing” variant used by the U.S. Air Force. The first of Luke’s F-35A aircraft are expected to arrive in early 2014.

Luke will not be hosting media for the event, but media and the general public are welcome to observe the aircraft flying in the pattern from public areas outside the base.

For questions, contact the 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office at 623-856-6011 or after duty hours at 623-856-5600.

===END===

I have written extensively on Singapore's interest in the F-35, specifically the F-35B (see here, here and here). This latest event seems to indicate that Singapore's interest is firming up, or maybe Singapore might even confirm the reported decision to buy the F-35B at this upcoming event at Luke. Although the lack of a media event probably makes the latter unlikely.

Thanks to Sze Yong for spotting this.

UPDATE: Here are press reports from The Gazette and Military Times on the visit.

Maritime role for Singapore's F-15SGs hinted at by USAF general

An interesting nugget about the Republic of Singapore Air Force and it's F-15SGs from the Chief of the USAF's Pacific Air Forces Gen. Herbert J. "Hawk" Carlisle, in an interview with the good folks at Breaking Defense.

“Singapore is doing very innovative things with their F-15s, notably in evolving the capabilities of the aircraft to contribute to maritime defense and security. We are looking very carefully at their innovations and can leverage their approach and thinking as well,” he said. “This will certainly grow as we introduce the fleet of F-35s in the Pacific where cross national collaboration is built in.”

He didn't give away too much for obvious reasons, but it is nevertheless interesting to read. One does wonder what sort of F-15SG capabilities in a maritime environment he is talking about, but I figure the statement about the F-35 above, and this more recent quote,

"Imagine, for example, a submarine and an F-22 working together"

from this interview should probably give us a clue. While not some exciting, big bang secret weapon many of us were probably hoping for, this is essentially the future of warfare: where disparate, totally different platforms can communicate and work together seamlessly to maximise their effectiveness during a time of conflict.

One can only imagine F-15SGs, using their sophisticated AESA radars and distributing information over secure networks via datalinks while operating from high altitude, providing updated, over the horizon targeting information for the Republic of Singapore Navy's Formidable-class frigates. Or in the future, even working with the recently-acquired Type 218SG submarines in a similar fashion. And that may not even be restricted to Singaporean platforms. It is not entirely inconceivable that the F-15SG's can do the same for allied ships, for example with Australia's upcoming Hobart-class Air Warfare destroyers in a future coalition ops scenario.

Or, it may really be an exciting, big bang secret weapon. Like the AGM-154 Joint Stand-Off Weapons that were included in an U.S. Foreign Military Sales notification to Singapore a few years back having been upgraded to C-1 standards to add the capability to hit moving targets. But there's nothing too "innovative" there, is there?

While we're on the F-15SG, latest counts indicate there could be 20 airframes already in Singapore. Following the RSAF's usual playbook, we can expect a second locally-based F-15SG squadron to be stood up very soon with a handful of aircraft marked in the new squadron's colours before more aircraft are added to bring aircraft numbers up to strength. With 24 F-15SGs (officially) on the RSAF's books, this would mean (an almost impossibly low) four aircraft currently left with the RSAF's training detachment at Mountain Home Air Force base in Idaho. More credence to rumours that the RSAF has more F-15SGs operational than offically disclosed? You tell me...

VIDEO: GoPros mounted on MiG-31s. A fantastic combination

A mind-blowing video shot by specially mounted GoPros on Russian Air Force MiG-31 Foxhound interceptors. Enjoy!

P-8A Poseidon reaches IOC; squadron leaves for Pacific deployment

131129-N-ZZ999-017 JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Nov. 29, 2013) Patrol Squadron (VP) 16 Commanding Officer Cmdr. Bill Pennington Jr. takes off on a P-8A Poseidon No. 429 aircraft from Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Nov. 29. The take-off represents the squadron's historic first operational deployment of the Poseidon within the Navy's maritime patrol and reconnaissance community. (U.S. Navy photo by Clark Pierce/Released)

The U.S. Navy's newest maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft, the P-8A Poseidon, has achieved initial operational capability (IOC) after the first two P-8A Poseidons departed for deployment Nov. 29. The War Eagles of Patrol Squadron 16 (VP-16) will deploy to Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan with six aircraft and 12 aircrew.

Given the situation in the region and the interest shown by regional militaries in beefing up their capabilities in this area, I would expect VP-16 to make a trip to Singapore in February 2014 for the Singapore Airshow. Especially given the hosts are one of the countries in the market for a new Maritime Patrol/Anti-submarine aircraft.

UPDATE: And the first two Poseidons have arrived at Kadena.

More on that Chinese Electronic Warfare Y-8 patrolling China's ADIZ

After the Chinese declaration of a Air Defense Identification Zone over the East China Sea on the 23rd of November (see my take over at War Is Boring), China sent up the first patrol to "enforce" its ADIZ that very same day. It was duly intercepted by fighters from Japan's Air Self Defense Force, which brought back a photo of another of China's rarely-seen Y-8 Special Missions types, this time being a Chinese Air Force Shaanxi Y-8GX-1 Electronic Warfare platform.

The Y-8GX-series (GX - GaoXin, 高新 or literally translated as "High New" which is the code name for China's Special Missions Y-8 project) of Special Missions aircraft is not really well known in the public sphere. The various sub-types - eight have been identified so far - fulfill a range of missions such as Electronic Warfare and intelligence gathering (ELINT and SIGINT) along with more orthodox roles like Maritime Patrol and Anti-Submarine Warfare.

The Y-8GX-1 is the first Gao Xin variant, and first flight took place on 26th January 2000. At least four, possibly up to six, airframes were converted to this variant. The Y-8GX-1 featured the removal of the Y-8 transport's rear cargo ramp and is liberally covered in various antennae along the top and bottom fuselage. A large semi-spherical fairing (SATCOM antenna?) sits in front of the vertical tail while a ventral canoe fairing is located on the forward fuselage.

Not much else is known publicly about on-board equipment, but it is reportedly equipped with the China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC) JN1119 Airborne Communication Reconnaissance System capable of intercepting, direction finding, and jamming wireless communication signals between 100-500MHz and may also carry the 300 & 308 systems for similar purposes.

The first sighting of this type occured in July 2005 while serving with the former 30th Independent (Electronic-Warfare) Regiment, at Nanjing-Dajiaochang in Jiangsu Province. Sometime between late 2011 and 2012 at least two aircraft, including the aircraft photographed here, were transferred to an as-yet unknown Regiment of the newly-formed 20th Division and rehomed to Luzhou in Sichuan Province, part of China's Chengdu Military Region.

Japanese fighters intercept Chinese Tu-154MD SIGINT/ELINT aircraft

And now China's special missions Tupolev 154s have gotten in the act. The Japanese Ministry of Defence has issued a press release that it has scrambled interceptors against a Chinese Air Force Tu-154MD Type II Signals Intelligence/Electronic Intelligence (SIGINT/ELINT) aircraft west of Okinawa (see attached map for flightpath) on Saturday the 16th of November.

The aircraft, carrying a civil code (B-4015) is one of at least four such aircraft in the Chinese Air Force's inventory. The conversion of the type to its current role was carried out in the early 1990s, and originally carried a BM/KZ-800 ELINT suite. The Type II aircraft that was intercepted sports a long canoe fairing at the front of the fuselage, believed to house a Synthetic Aperture Radar as well as other fairings for its specialised role. The aircraft serve with the secretive 102nd Air Regiment, 34th Transport Division at Beijing-Nanyuan.