PIPISTREL BATTY ABOUT ECO AIRCRAFT

BREATH OF
FRESH AIR
BREEZE AIRWAYS
ADOPTS THE A220

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BLINDED
BY THE
LIGHT
COMBATTING
LASER STRIKES

MAKE OR
BRAKE
BOOSTING
F-35 FRONTS STOPPING
USAF FUTURE FORCE POWER

TRAIL
BLAZING
SKYNET 6 NEXT-GEN UK SATCOM
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Welcome ew of us would disagree that 2021 has been

F a difficult year. Twelve months ago, as 2020

reached its conclusion, there was a collective
sense – misplaced, as it turned out – that the
next year would be better. Yet here we are again,
hoping that 2022 will see the end of the pandemic
and that we will be free once more to travel without
jumping through one hoop after another, whether
that be health-related or regulatory. As aviation
industry stakeholders, we can also only hope that
2022 delivers the breaks that our beleaguered sector
so desperately needs.
While there is an understandable degree of
trepidation about 2022, for the ‘glass half-full’ types
among us, there is also a sense of new beginnings,
as illustrated by our look at Breeze Airways, David
Neeleman’s latest venture, with its all-encompassing
devotion to the A220 (see page 86) or the gusto
with which Asia Pacific airlines such as Air New
Zealand and Cebu Pacific are tackling the pandemic
(see page 50). In our Dubai Airshow Report (see
page 24), we cover the latest in both commercial
and military aircraft and reflect on deals done,
debuts made and what one of our correspondents
optimistically referred to as “something of a return to
normality.” Long may it last.
As for the event’s host country, the UAE had a busy
back end to the year, with deals for additional MRTT
tanker/transport aircraft, in addition to a multi-billion
Euro deal for French fighters and helicopters, the
latter signed in the weeks that followed the airshow.
Other headlines of note this month include wildlife
issues at the UK’s eastern and southern region
military airbases, NATO’s decision to renew its SALIS
agreement and use of Antonov aircraft from Ukraine,
and Polish industry benefitting from Warsaw’s
decision to opt for the Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter
by gaining a slice of the global F-16 Block 70/72
manufacturing pie.
Gazing up to orbit, we look at the UK’s Skynet 6
programme, which will deliver the next generation of
military satellite communications platforms into low As ever, thank you for your ongoing loyalty to AIR ABOVE: Eric Bellings
Earth orbit (see page 32). It is worth noting that the International. We look forward to continuing to bring of Flight for Life
Colorado is among
programme name was coined before the creation of you thought-provoking news and analysis, as well
the many pilots who
the fictional self-aware network famed from a certain as shining the AI light into every corner of this most have had to deal
science-fiction movie franchise and the similarities dynamic of business sectors. with laser strikes
between the two are slim, at best. With best wishes to you all for a happy and healthy 2022. (see page 64)
Back on terra firma, we travel to the United States Flight for Life Colorado
for an examination of the financial high wire that the Tara Craig
US Air Force is having to negotiate as it attempts to Associate Editor, AIR International
recapitalise its airborne nuclear deterrent with the
B-21 Raider programme, while ensuring it is able to
meet the rising challenges in the East (see page 68).
Can it maintain its current and planned fighter fleet in
the numbers it wants to? The short answer is no, but
check out the story to see why.

COVER IMAGE: Lockheed Martin’s F-35 programme is

the most expensive (or lucrative) defence endeavour
of all time and will be the backbone of US combat air
power for the next generation US Department of Defense

January 2022 3
 74 24

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AIR International
06 COMMERCIAL NEWS offers great savings 18 BUSINESS FOCUS
ATR is to supply its ATR 42/72-600 on the cover price The Aurus Business Jet makes its
series aircraft with a new version of See pages 30-31 international debut; Hermeus Corporation
the Pratt & Whitney PW127 turboprop; for details unveils a non-flying prototype of its
Cebu Pacific takes local inspiration for the Quarterhorse, and the Five Group is identified
interior of its first A330neo, and the passenger- as the first operator of the ACJ TwoTwenty.
to-freighter boom continues.
20 TECHNOLOGY FOCUS
10 MILITARY NEWS The RAAF’s first TAOT benefits from a major Rohde &
The UAE signs a landmark deal with Dassault for its Rafale Schwarz upgrade; the ECLIF3 study measures 100% SAF
fighter; the UK expands and upgrades the Royal Air Force’s simultaneously on both engines of a commercial passenger
Shadow fleet, and Airbus sees a successful month with its aircraft, and the ACH design team fits an ACH145 interior
A400M and A330 platforms. with vegan materials.

14 UAV FOCUS 22 SPACE FOCUS

High-altitude platforms developer Sceye prepares to launch
its Sceye Telecom to deliver super-fast internet connectivity
from the stratosphere; Schiebel demonstrates its Camcopter
S-100 in the Arctic Circle, and the Royal Navy hosts a
showcase for drone manufacturers.
16 ROTARY FOCUS
Airbus Helicopters delivers the first H225M in ‘naval combat’
configuration to AvN; Volocopter signs an MOU with Kakao
Mobility to look into UAM platforms in South Korea, and
Leonardo Helicopters opens a service and logistics centre
near São Paolo, Brazil.
The US Space Force exercises its second contract
option for the procurement of three additional GPS
IIIF space vehicles from Lockheed Martin; the first
Airbus-built Inmarsat-6 satellite travels to Japan
ahead of launch, and SSTL de-commissions
GIOVE-A after sixteen years.
24 DUBAI AIRSHOW REPORT
Richard Schuurman and Alan Warnes report from the 2021
Dubai Airshow – the first large-scale aviation gathering in two
years, marked by an encouraging level of sales, contracts
and international debuts.

4 January 2022

32 SKYNET EVOLUTIONS
As Airbus marks the first metal cutting for the UK’s future military
communications Skynet 6 satellites, Richard Thomas takes a
look at the progression of the programme since its inception.
36 BRAKING GOOD
Mark Broadbent examines the latest in brake systems, from
new technologies and materials to how specialist suppliers
are positioning themselves for post-pandemic recovery.
44 FIRE FOR EFFECT
Tim Fish reveals some of the leading developments for air-
launch cruise missiles, with increasing sophistication and
lethality cementing their future place on the battlefield.
50 EASTERN PROMISE
Asia-Pacific has been badly impacted by COVID-19 and the
resulting travel restrictions. Tom Batchelor reports on the
measures aviation stakeholders are taking to ensure survival.
56 COMING OF AGE
India’s acquisition of the MiG-29K/KUB shipborne fighter
has undoubtedly worked to aid Russia’s development of the
aircraft. Alexander Mladenov reports.
64 STRIKE ACTION
Laser strikes on aircraft pose a risk to both hardware and personnel.
Contents
Mark Broadbent hears from a pilot who has experienced strikes,
and looks at the measures being taken to combat them.
68 RETAINING THE COMBAT EDGE COVER STORY
The US Air Force has embarked on a historic attempt to
recapitalise its airborne nuclear deterrent while maintaining its
fighter edge. Richard Thomas explores the difficulties ahead.
74 GRAND DESIGNS
Slovenia’s Pipistrel Aircraft is determined to take its
technology to the wider world, not least the ground-breaking
Velis Electro two-seater. Tom Batchelor finds out more.
80 FAcT OF THE MATTER
As Canada prepares its future military aircrew training
programme, the industry is gearing itself up for this once-
in-a-generation opportunity. Robert Coppinger reports.
86 FRONT AND CENTRE
Breeze Airways unveiled the first of its 80 Airbus A220s in late
October. Chris Sloan looks at the benefits the type will deliver
for the ambitious low-cost carrier start-up.
92 REGIONAL RESURGENCE
With the military rotorcraft market booming, Nigel Pittaway
looks into the platforms that have gained traction in the Asia-
Pacific region, as industry competes for lucrative contracts.
January 2022 5
 COMMERCIAL NEWS by Mark Broadbent

Omicron spells ‘significant

traumas’ for air travel
EasyJet wants decisions A GLOBAL BULLETIN issued in December
on travel precautions to be 2021 by the International Civil Aviation
“kept in proportion to the
Organization (ICAO) called for “a more
threat” Airbus/P Masclet
measured and evidence-based approach
to national air transport restrictions”
in response to the emergence of the
Omicron variant of COVID-19. ICAO
encouraged countries to continue using
recommendations in its Council Aviation
Recovery Task Force Take-off Guidance.
Omicron’s spread has raised concerns in
the industry after several months during
which airlines had started to restore
capacity in response to the easing of travel
restrictions and rising passenger demand.
Speaking during the Reuters Next
conference on November 30, 2021,
Emirates’ president Sir Tim Clark warned:
“December is a very important month
for the air travel business. If that is lost,
or the winter is lost to a lot of carriers,
there will be significant traumas in the
aviation business and the periphery.” Clark
emphasised that he believed Omicron is
likely to slow rather than completely stop
air travel demand, as happened when the
COVID-19 virus spread globally early in
2020, but he said the outlook for airlines
could worsen if stricter travel restrictions
were to be reintroduced.
EasyJet CEO Johan Lundgren said 13%
was knocked off the value of the low-
cost carrier’s shares within 24 hours
of the UK government announcing a
requirement for passengers to isolate at
home until the result of a PCR test taken
within two days of their return had been
confirmed. Writing in the Daily Mail,
Lundgren said: “Bookings have slowed,
with many people moving trips forward
to early 2022…Ministers must ensure
their decisions are backed by data and
precautions are kept in proportion to
the threat. Blanket PCR testing must be
rolled back as soon as possible.”

More 737 freighter lines

Boeing has plans to
ANOTHER INDICATION of the buoyant air
open three more 737 cargo market was seen recently with Boeing’s
freighter conversion announcement that it will open three new
facilities Boeing conversion lines for its 737-800BCF (Boeing
converted freighter).
One line will be sited at Boeing’s London/
Gatwick maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO)
facility, and two others at KF Aerospace’s MRO
centre in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada.
The Gatwick line is expected to open in 2022.
The first conversions there will be aircraft for
Icelease, which signed up for 11 737BCFs at the
November 2021 Dubai Airshow. The Kelowna
lines will open in 2023.
Spurred by e-commerce growth during the COVID-
19 pandemic, there has been a marked increase in
freighter demand over the past year. Further proof
of this, and separate to the 737BCF development,
Miami-based Aeronautical Engineers recently
announced bookings for 23 more 737-800SF
conversions: 13 from Aero Capital Solutions, four
from Aircastle and six from GA Telesis.

ITA AIRWAYS has confirmed a September 2021 Memorandum of
Understanding for 28 new Airbus airliners. The airline, which succeeded
Alitalia as Italy’s national flag carrier, has ordered seven A220-300s,
11 A320neos and ten A330neos. It has also confirmed plans to lease
A350s. No details were given about delivery dates for the aircraft.
PANASONIC AVIONICS has secured new orders for its in-flight entertainment
and connectivity systems. Its eX1 solution will be installed in Singapore
Airlines’ Boeing 737-8s. The company will supply IFE systems for Emirates’
premium economy cabins, with Saudi Arabian Airlines and Iraqi Airways also
recently ordering Panasonic X Series products.

6 January 2022
 COMMERCIAL NEWS

THE PHILIPPINES’ Cebu Pacific has taken

delivery of its first A330neo as it begins its
widebody fleet modernisation programme.
The aircraft is configured with 459 seats in
a single-class layout and will be operated on
trunk routes within the Philippines and the rest
of Asia, as well as on longer range services to
Australia and the Middle East.
Cebu Pacific has ordered 16 A330neos, in
addition to 16 A320neos and 22 A321neos yet
to be delivered. The low-cost carrier currently
operates 50 Airbus aircraft, comprising 43
A320 Family and seven A330ceos.
The A330neo is powered by Rolls-Royce’s
latest-generation Trent 7000 engines and
features a new composite wing with increased
span for enhanced aerodynamics. It uses 25%
less fuel than previous generation aircraft and
offers a similar reduction in CO2 emissions.
In December 2021, to mark its 25th
anniversary, the airline revealed revamped
cabin interiors that will debut in the A330neo.
Inspired by the airline’s hometown, Cebu City,
the aircraft interior has been designed to
reflect the colours of the Philippine islands.
Thoroughly modern Cebu
by manufacturer Recaro, this time featuring LIFT Aero Design and the design will be The initial A330neo has
Passengers will be greeted by a lighting blue-grey leather, and a carbon fibre texture incorporated into all upcoming Cebu Pacific been delivered to Cebu
panel in a fresh shade of teal, reminiscent of reminiscent of Cebu's famous puso or ‘hanging neo aircraft deliveries. Pacific Airbus
clear seas. The interior’s front and rear walls rice’. Cebu Pacific’s signature blue and yellow The A330neo, the airline’s greenest aircraft
feature a raised Cebu Pacific logo on a vibrant accents are also found throughout the seat to date, entered into service on December 8,
blue-on-blue mango pattern, a tribute to the design. Each seat is also equipped with USB 2021, on the Manila to Cebu route.
mangoes for which the region is famous. The Type A and Type C ports. The new interior See Eastern Promise on page 50
A330neo’s seats are ergonomically designed is the work of Tokyo- and Singapore-based for a further update on Cebu Pacific

Updated ATR engines

EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, ATR will be
supplying its ATR 42/72-600 series aircraft
with a new version of the Pratt & Whitney
PW127 turboprop. The PW127XT is
designed to provide “next-level efficiency
and time on wing” for the powerplant. Air
Corsica, which recently signed up for five
72-600s, will be the launch operator.
Redesigned high-pressure and low-
pressure compressors, a new high-
pressure turbine and an enhanced power
turbine module are the key improvements
P&W has made to the PW127. ATR says
the improvements will offer 40% longer
time on wing, extending engine overhaul
intervals to 20,000 hours (based on
60-minute missions in what the company
calls “benign environments”).
The update also reduces engine
maintenance costs by 20% and cuts fuel
consumption and carbon dioxide emissions ATR also said the PW127XT will offer The company is targeting 2025 for the The PW127XT features new
by more than 40% compared to a regional a 3% fuel efficiency improvement over engine to be compatible with sustainable compressors and turbine
components ATR
jet, the manufacturer claims. older PW127s fitted to earlier ATRs. aviation fuels.

WRIGHT ELECTRIC has announced plans to build a 100% zero-
emissions aircraft. The US developer will produce the Wright Spirit, a
BAe 146 converted with its megawatt-class propulsion system. Wright
is working with easyJet and Viva Aerobus to define requirements and
establish test routes. The developer is targeting 2026 for service entry.
UNITED AIRLINES undertook the first commercial passenger flight using
100% sustainable aviation fuel on December 1, 2021. A Boeing 737-800 flew
from Chicago/O’Hare to Washington/Reagan National using 500 gallons of
SAF in one engine and the same amount of conventional Jet A-1 in the other
“to further prove there are no operational differences between the two.”

January 2022 7
 COMMERCIAL NEWS by Mark Broadbent

Eve and Widerøe team up

Widerøe and Embraer’s Eve EMBRAER’S EVE is to collaborate with
eVTOL aircraft will work the Norwegian regional airline Widerøe
together exploring new to develop urban air mobility solutions in
forms of passenger and
cargo transport Embraer
Scandinavia and launch electric vertical
take-off and landing (eVTOL) operations
there in the future.
A statement said: “The companies will
use Eve’s zero-emission and low noise
footprint eVTOL vehicle to develop a new
concept of operation where passengers
will experience the future of electric
transportation and a new model of
sustainable mobility, connecting people
living in a sparsely populated region and
challenging geography.”
Widerøe recently created a new business
development programme called Widerøe
Zero which, it says, “tackles all the
regulatory, commercial and financing
challenges involved in purchasing and
operating zero-emissions aircraft.”
Widerøe says Zero’s work “is immediately
necessary for Norway, where the geography
welcomes short-haul flights already possible
with existing zero-emissions technology.”
The company has indicated that it has
plans to become an industry leader in this
emerging field, saying: “Other countries
throughout Europe and beyond will
benefit increasingly from Widerøe Zero´s
knowledge as the range of commercial
options afforded by an entirely new class
of aircraft becomes clear.”
Widerøe Zero CEO Andreas Kollbye Aks
commented: “Although initially designed
for urban air mobility, we expect these
highly flexible vehicles to be interesting in
a variety of applications also in rural areas
— from cargo to passenger transportation.”

Embraer presents Energia

BRAZILIAN AIRCRAFT manufacturer Embraer is
evaluating the technical and commercial viability
of a range of striking new aircraft concepts.
The company’s Energia division is looking into
four new aircraft designs: a nine-seat Energia
Hybrid with rear-mounted engines and hybrid-
electric turboprop engines, a nine-seat Energia
Electric with contra-rotating propellers, a 19-seat
Energia H2 Fuel Cell Turbine with hydrogen-
electric engines, and the hydrogen-powered
Energia H2 Gas with 35-50 seats and rear-
mounted engines.
Commenting on these new prototypes, the
president and CEO of Embraer commercial
aviation, Arjan Meijer, said: “We will be seeing
a big transformation in our industry towards a
more sustainable aviation. With 50 years’
experience in developing, certifying, and
supporting regional aircraft, Embraer is
in a unique position to make viable the
introduction of disruptive green technologies.”

NEW EUROCONTROL data shows the time taken for narrowbody aircraft to
taxi out to the runway dropped by 7-9 minutes in 2021. Fewer flights were
one reason, but the air traffic control agency also noted: “Airlines’ commercial
departments can’t readily change the schedules, so operations departments
and air traffic managers have to manage the variability.”
THE 10,000TH student at the ATP Flight School has graduated from its
Airline Transport Pilot Certification Training Program. Since it began
offering the programme in 2015, the company’s training centre just
south of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport has become the largest
ATP CTP provider in the United States.

8 January 2022
 COMMERCIAL NEWS

Etihad goes for Aviatar

ETIHAD AIRWAYS will use Lufthansa Technik's
Aviatar digital operations suite to optimise its
technical and operations management.
The Gulf carrier will be one of the first airlines
to use Aviatar's fuel analytics app, which uses
artificial intelligence and full flight data to
identify unusual fuel consumption patterns and
measure the impact of aircraft modifications
on fuel burn. Lufthansa Technik explained:
“The interconnection between fuel efficiency
and technical as well as operational events
enables an automated root cause identification
of degrading aircraft efficiency, clearly
distinguished from operational factors like
weather or navigation.”
The Aviatar condition monitoring app
gives a real-time overview of the state of an
aircraft and its components both while on the
ground and in flight, enabling proactive fleet
management “by combining fault messages,
parameters, flight information and maintenance
information on one screen.”
An automated, algorithm-based line
maintenance planning app integrates data
generated by different IT systems to adapt
plans for each maintenance location and across
the carrier’s fleet instantaneously.
Lufthansa Technik provided further technical
and operational details of the system: “Any
change in the flight schedule or maintenance
requirements results in an updated maintenance Etihad is introducing
Lufthansa Technik
plan that supports decision-making and makes
potential planning conflicts transparent, thus Aviatar across its fleet
Lufthansa Technik
allowing the airline to focus on issues where
more specific knowhow is required. The updated
plan is then directly transferred to Etihad’s
maintenance information system.”
Overall, the digital suite is intended to improve
operational efficiency, cut fuel burn and carbon
emissions, and minimise maintenance efforts,
while maintaining safety and performance
standards. “Better data and better insights
into data mean that better decisions can
be made,” said Etihad Aviation Group chief
operating officer Mohammad Al Bulooki.

A Mammoth
Former Delta Air Lines Boeing 777-200LRs will be
Mammoth Freighters’ first conversions Delta Air Lines

WITH THE industry continuing to respond to rising air

cargo demand, a new widebody passenger-to-freighter
airliner conversion programme has secured orders.
Canadian start-up Mammoth Freighters has launched
an aftermarket conversion service for Boeing 777-
200LRs and 777-300ERs, to be known respectively as
the -200LRMF and -300ERMF.
The firm will be converting two former Delta Air Lines
777-200LRs into -200LRMF configuration for Cargojet,
with delivery expected in the second half of 2023.
Cargojet has also taken out options on two additional
-200LRMFs and two -300ERMFs.
Mammoth was founded in December 2020 specifically
to develop, convert and support -200LR/300ER
conversions using a feedstock of ex-airline 777s that
were retired by carriers when the COVID-19 pandemic
struck. These include ten ex-Delta -200LRs, each
with fewer than 5,000 cycles since new. Mammoth’s
marketing department claims that its conversions will
undertaking
be “the most productive and economical 777 long-range
freighters in the world”, with various main-deck and
lower-deck configurations available.
On the -200LRMF, the standard ‘side-by-side’ main-
deck layout will hold 27 contoured pallets/containers:
22 measuring 96 x 125 x 118in, four 96 x 125 x 116in
and one 96n x 125 x 96in. Alternative main-deck layouts
can accommodate 30 pallets/containers sized 88 x 108
x 96in, 15 Code G pallets/containers positioned side-by-
side or 12 Code G on the centreline. The -200LRMF will
additionally carry ten 96in pallets on the lower deck (six
in the forward hold, four in the rear compartment) or 32
LD-3 containers (18 forward, 14 aft).
The 777-300ER’s longer fuselage obviously means
the -300ERMF can carry slightly more cargo. It will
hold 33 pallets/containers in the ‘side-by-side’ layout
(six more than the -200LRMF), with 28 measuring 96
x 125 x 118in, four 96 x 125 x 116in and one 96 x 125
x 96in. Alternatively, the main deck can hold 36 pallets/
containers sized 88 x 108 x 96in (again, six more than the
other variant), 20 Code G pallets/containers side-by-side
(five more) or 16 Code G on the centreline (four more).
On the lower deck, the -300ERMF will carry 14 pallets
sized at 96in, eight more than the -200LRMF, with eight
in the forward hold and six aft, or else 44 LD-3s (24
in the forward hold, 20 aft), up from 32 on the other
aircraft. Overall, Mammoth says the -300ERMF will have
14% more volume than a 747-400 Freighter, 81% more
than a 767-300BCF and 43% more than an MD-11F.
A company spokesperson said: “Design and
engineering for the 777-200LRMF is well underway, with
tooling and parts already in fabrication. The conformity
777-200LR recently completed a comprehensive series
of pre-modification flight tests and will commence
modification in the second quarter of 2022. Upon
certification of the 777-200LRMF, Mammoth expects
approval of the 777-300ERMF supplementary type
certificate to follow shortly afterwards.”

ONEWORLD ALLIANCE members intend to purchase more than 350 million
gallons of blended sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from renewable fuels
company Aemetis for their operations at San Francisco International Airport.
The agreements will cover the delivery of SAF to oneworld airlines operating
into the airport over a seven-year term beginning in 2024.
CORSO MAGENTA is seeking EASA approval by Q1 2022 for its
CorsoPatch Aircraft paint repair solution. Trialled in summer 2021 by
four airlines on seven aircraft, CorsoPatch is a dry patch for fast repair
of paint damage due to lightning strikes or corrosion. Corso Magenta
claims it cuts maintenance downtime by 85%.

January 2022 9
 MILITARY NEWS The AI team
The Rafale deal to the
UAE has been agreed
recently, marking a
successful year of
exports of the aircraft
Dassault Aviation/V Almansa
UAE seals major
Rafale contract
RAF bases record 250+ bird-strikes or near misses
SINCE 2017, Royal Air Force (RAF) bases in the southern
and eastern regions have recorded more than 250 bird
strikes or near misses, including a record number of
73 incidents reported by RAF aircrews in 2020, with a
further 46 reports up to October 28 this year.
In September 2021, the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD)
issued two separate contracts, valued in excess of £7m,
for the provision of wildlife control services in the regions.
The contracts state an intention to reduce the presence
of birds and wildlife that pose a hazard in and around
the vicinity of the aerodromes at RAF Benson, RAF Brize
Norton, RAF Northolt and RAF Odiham’ in the southern
region, and similarly at RAF Coningsby, RAFC Cranwell,
RAF Marham, RAF Scampton, RAF Waddington, RAF
Wittering, RAF Barkston Heath, RAF Leeming and RAF
Topcliffe in the eastern region.
Further, the contracts state that where wildlife control
is necessary outside the immediate boundaries of the
aerodrome, the contractor providing the service “would
liaise with landowners in the vicinity and Airfield Wildlife
Control Units at neighbouring aerodromes within the
13km safeguarding zone with a view to reducing the air
safety risk posed by that site.”
The contract said that services would begin from March
2, 2022 and end on February 28, 2027. A maximum of
seven suppliers would be invited to tender for the contract,
which was due to be awarded on October 13 this year.
SAAB HAS begun deliveries of the series production Gripen E with
the arrival of the first six aircraft, comprising four to the Força Aérea
Brasileira (FAB; Brazilian Air Force) and two to the Swedish Air Force.
The official handover took place on November 24, 2021, at Saab’s
facility in Linköping, Sweden.
10 January 2022
THE UAE has agreed a multi-billion Euro
deal for the provision of 80 Rafale F4 fighter
aircraft, manufactured by French company
Dassault Aviation, for the United Arab
Emirates Air Force.
According to a Dassault Aviation release
on December 3, the contract for the UAE
to acquire 80 Rafale F4s was signed by
Eric Trappier, CEO of Dassault , and Tareq
Abdul Raheem Al Hosani, CEO of Tawazun
Economic Council, the company in charge
of security and defence acquisitions for the
UAE Air Force.
It has also been reported by Reuters that, in
addition to the 80 Rafale fighters, Abu Dhabi
had also agreed a deal for the provision of
12 H225M Caracal helicopters from Airbus,
with the combined deal valued at €17bn.
The contract was signed in the presence
of the President of the French Republic,
Emmanuel Macron, and Sheikh Mohammed
ben Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu
Dhabi and Vice-Commander of the Armed
Forces of the UAE.
The UAE will be the first operator of the
Rafale F4 variant outside of France and will
be the largest export market of the fighter,
with sales also having been made to Croatia,
Egypt and Greece.
Responding to a Freedom of Information request from However, it is not known how long individual aircraft
AIR International, the MOD revealed that RAF bases had were kept off flight operations following bird strikes and
seen 275 recorded bird-strike incidents or near misses subsequent repairs, with any such information deemed
since January 1, 2017, to October 28, 2021. Incidents outside the financial limits of the Freedom of Information
were highest at RAF Brize Norton, home of the UK’s Act. Such repairs could be anything from cleaning up
transport fleet, with 90 such bird remains from the aircraft
events logged, including a through to having to replace or
national high over the repair an engine as a result of
entire recording period a bird ingestion.
of 38 in 2020. “The RAF operates a number
The next most regular of mitigation measures at
site of potentially its airfields. These comprise
hazardous incidents was active detection and dispersal
RAF Coningsby with 47 of birds on the airfield and
reports recorded, although surrounds including use
rates were down from a of Bio-Acoustic Bird Scare
high of 13 in 2017 to nine System and passive/aggressive
in 2020, the last complete driving. Additionally, habitat
RAF Brize Norton has seen the highest number of
year, with seven recorded recorded incidents among bases in the southern management on the airfield
so far in 2021. and eastern regions UK MOD/Crown copyright can reduce the threat from bird
A spokesperson for the strike, as can the management
UK MOD told AIR International that during the of grass at the side of runways,” the spokesperson said.
period of 2017-2021 the RAF had not lost any Further, the spokesperson said that the eastern and
aircraft due to bird strikes, however in that time such southern region Airfield Wildlife Control contracts were
incidents had resulted in “some level of damage” on undergoing a “re-letting process”, details of which would
128 occasions, ranging from contamination from bird be released “once a successful bidder has been chosen.”
remains to actual damage to the aircraft. Richard Thomas
AIRBUS HELICOPTERS announced the delivery of the first naval combat
configured Airbus H225M to the Marinha do Brasil/ Brazilian Navy on
November 24, 2021. The aircraft will be stationed at Base Aérea Naval de
São Pedro da Aldeia/ Brazilian naval base in São Pedro d’Aldeia, in the state
of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.
 MILITARY NEWS

Antonov to NATO member states

can access the airlift
capabilities provided by

continue to Antonov aircraft through

the SALIS programme NATO

support NATO
operations

THE NATO Support and Procurement Agency
(NSPA) has signed a five-year extension
contract with Germany-based Antonov
Logistic SALIS for the continuation of strategic
airlift capability in support of NATO and EU
operations. The Strategic Air Lift International
Solution (SALIS) is a multinational programme
providing air transport capability to nine NATO
nations (Belgium, Czech Republic, France,
Germany, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Slovakia
and Slovenia). The partnership is managed by
NSPA on behalf of the partner nations.
Through SALIS, participating countries can
obtain access to up to five An-124 aircraft
within few days from tasking. In addition,
through the SALIS contract member states can
also deploy other aircraft types, including the
An-22, An-225 and IL-76.
SALIS member states have used Antonov
aircraft in the past to transport equipment to
and from Afghanistan, deliver aid to the victims
of the October 2008 earthquake in Pakistan,
and airlift African Union peacekeepers in and
out of Darfur. The multinational programme
was also utilised during the recent operations
in support of the Kabul airlift.
Antonov Logistic SALIS operates from
its facility at Leipzig/Halle airport, with the
company’s fleet obtained from Ukraine-based
aerospace company Antonov.
In a social media post on November 12, a
week prior to the official NATO release detailing
the contract, Antonov stated that SALIS would
continue to operate for the next five years,
adding the company had been working on the
programme since 2006.

Romania continues
IAR-330L sustainment
ROMANIA WILL continue to operate its ageing
fleet of IAR-330L helicopters into the 2030s
before considering a replacement of the type,
it can be revealed, with the Ministry of Defence
(MOD) recently awarding a contract to IAR
Brasov for sustainment services as part of an
ongoing maintenance programme.
In a contract notice published on the official
EU tender site in early October, it was revealed
that the contract, valued at £1.18m, would see
worn components removed and replaced by
IAR Brasov. In service with the Romanian Air
Force (RoAF) since 1975, the type completed
a one-year commitment to the UN mission in
Mali in 2020.
A spokesperson for the Romanian MOD told
AIR International that the contract was part
of an ongoing sustainment programme to
maintain the fleet of 58 IAR-330L helicopters
that initially began in 2020 and was expected
to conclude in 2024.
Regarding any replacement of the type with a
new platform, the spokesperson said that the
RoAF was planning to initiate a new helicopter
acquisition programme “after 2030.”
More than 100 of the earlier 330H variant
were manufactured for the Romanian military
by Industria AeronauticaRomâna(IAR; now
known as IAR Brasov), most of which were
later converted to 330L Pumas, according
to AirForces Intelligence data. In addition, 30
airframes were further modified to the armed
SOCAT standard.
Meanwhile, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)
has signed a co-operation agreement with
IAR Brasov to offer “advanced UAV solutions”
based on IAI’s Tactical Heron in Romania. The
deal will see a technology transfer to Romania
where a full design and assembly process Romania’s 58 IAR-330L
will be created, providing the country with a helicopters are undergoing
turnkey UAV manufacturing capability. a multi-year sustainment
programme to keep them
IAI will also establish an academy in
operational into the 2030s
Romania to train future system operators and USMC/LCpl Angel Travis
technicians in the use of the Tactical Heron-
derived platform.
In an October 28 press release from IAI,
the general manager of IAR Brasov, Laurian
Anastasof, said that the agreement was “a
major plus” for the company and Romania’s
defence industry in general.
Richard Thomas

MULTIPLE BELL UH-1H-II Huey IIs have been delivered to the
Bosnia and Herzegovina Air Force and Air Defence Brigade by the
US government, with the first four helicopters arriving at Sarajevo on
December 4. More than $30m of the £38.5m cost of the acquisition is
being borne by the US government.
US-BASED adversarial support contractor Draken US has signed contracts
to procure more than 20 F-16 Fighting Falcons from the Netherlands and
Norway. Norway retired its F-16 fleet at the end of 2021 and had been
exploring multiple disposal options, while the Netherlands sale of 12 F-16s to
Draken was signed on December 1, 2021.

January 2022 11
 MILITARY NEWS The AI team
Elbit demonstrated THE ROYAL Netherlands Army has been given
unmanned capabilities a demonstration on the use of integrated
during a recent
land and airborne unmanned platforms for
demonstration exercise
with the Royal Netherlands intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance
Army Elbit Systems (ISR) missions by Israeli OEM Elbit Systems.
The demonstration that took place in northern
Israel on November 15 saw the company utilise
the PROBOT unmanned ground vehicle and two
types of mini-unmanned aircraft systems (UAS)
to conduct a series of exercises with the systems
functioning as a dual-domain swarm.
According to Elbit Systems, the
demonstration saw three of the company’s
THOR mini-UASs performing a “point
of interest” reconnaissance mission,
incorporating the TORCH-X software to aid
autonomous unmanned capabilities. “We
focused on demonstrating the capacity of
The four BAe146 aircraft THE UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) is looking
in service with the RAF to acquire two civil business jets to replace
will leave service on
the current fleet of four Royal Air Force (RAF)
March 31 next year
UK MOD/Crown copyright
BAe146 transport aircraft when the type leaves
service in Q1 next year, with the contract valued
at up to £87.5m.
In a contract availability notice published on
November 3, it was revealed that the programme,
known as the Command Support Air Transport
Recapitalisation (CSAT Recap), will see a phase 1
competitive procurement of two aircraft by March
31, 2022, with an in-service support package
that will run until March 31, 2024.
AFTER MORE than three-and-a-half decades of service, the Royal
Australian Air Force (RAAF) has bid farewell to its fleet of F/A-18A/B
Hornet aircraft through an end-of-era event that took place on
November 29, 2021. Since entering RAAF service in 1984, the type has
flown more than 400,000 flying hours.
12 January 2022
Israel hosts
mini-UAS
demo for the
Netherlands
autonomous swarms to leverage mature
integrative AI and algorithms as field
experience with operating MUM-T capabilities
shows that those are the key to the effective
integration of RAS capabilities,” commented Gil
Maoz, VP of Elbit Systems C4I and Cyber.
The TORCH-X command and control
application used the THOR mini-UAS swarm
to perform initial surveillance of the area of
interest, before deploying unmanned land assets
to further develop the intelligence picture.
Real-time video feeds were transmitted by
all four platforms, while artificial intelligence-
powered Automatic Target Recognition (ATR)
and designation capabilities enabled effective
target acquisition.
In a second mission scenario, two VTOL
mini-UASs were dispatched to resupply front-
Business jets
to replace RAF
BAe 146 fleet
In addition, half-a-dozen six-month option
periods totalling three years will be included in
the contract for continuation of phase 1 in-service
support as required.
Initially, the business jets will be operated
through a government-owned, contractor-operated
structure, which will see the aircraft owned by the
MOD but leased back to the operator, who will
provide civilian pilots, maintenance support and
services under the Civil Aircraft Register.
Phase 1 also includes the training of RAF pilots
and cabin crew on the aircraft to complement
the civilian pilots in the delivery of the transport
CANADA ANNOUNCED in December 2021 that its Future Fighter Capability
Project (FFCP), which will see the replacement of existing CF-18 Hornets,
is down to a head-to-head contest between Saab’s Gripen fighter and
Lockheed Martin’s F-35 platform, following Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet
departure from the programme.
line forces. Taking off from different locations,
the two platforms navigated to predefined
destinations, conducted accurate landings and
autonomously returned to their home bases
upon mission completion. The third mission
was an airborne deployment of unattended
ground sensors (UGS) using two THOR VTOL
mini-UASs equipped with sensor dispensers.
Operating as a swarm, the two THORs arrived
at pre-defined points, accurately off-loading the
miniature UGS systems.
The Royal Netherlands Army currently operates
a range of unmanned systems from the tactical
RQ-21 Blackjack and ScanEagle to the small
Black Hornet mini-UAS. The integration of small
swarms of unmanned systems into deployed
forces on the ground is one of the next steps in
the evolution of military combat. Joe Charlaff
service. A subsequent, separate phase 2 will see
another competitive procurement to install military
modifications on the aircraft, provision of in-service
support using military personnel and the transfer of
the type to the Military Aircraft Register.
A UK MOD spokesperson told AIR
International that the process to select the five
bidders would be conducted after closure of the
advertisement, with the new type replacing the
BAe146 in the Fixed Wing Command Support Air
Transport role. Richard Thomas
To read this premium news in full,
please visit www.key.aero
 MILITARY NEWS

Poland
to receive
F-16 Block 70/72
work following
F-35 acquisition
POLAND’S DEFENCE industry looks set to
benefit from the country’s acquisition of
the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter with the
announcement that PZL Mielec will become
a manufacturing partner for Lockheed
Martin’s F-16 Block 70/72 aircraft.
PZL Mielec, which is owned by Lockheed
Martin, will build the rear and centre
fuselage, cockpit structure, cockpit side
panel and forward equipment bay for new
production F-16 Block 70/72s, exporting
the aerostructures to Lockheed Martin’s
final assembly line in Greenville in South
Georgia. PZL Mielec was last involved in the
production of fighter aircraft in the 1960s.
In 2020, Poland agreed a $4.6bn deal
for the purchase of 32 F-35A stealth
fighters, with delivery of the first aircraft
expected in 2024.
“During our 20+ year strategic
partnership with Poland, we’ve delivered
technology transfer, research and
development opportunities, long-
term sustainable high technology jobs,
growth and exports,” commented Robert
Orzylowski, Lockheed Martin director for
Poland, Central and East Europe. “Poland’s The F-16 Block 70/72 is the
acquisition of the F-35 opened the door latest variant of the F-16
for a further expansion of this relationship fighter, which first entered
service with the USAF in
and helped enable today’s exciting
1978 Lockheed Martin
announcement,” Orzylowski added.
According to Lockheed Martin, with
orders secured for the F-16 Block 70/72
from five customers, global interest
remains high for new-build production
aircraft and for F-16V upgrades. Poland
has operated F-16s in its own fleet for the
past 15 years and marked a 100,000 flight-
hour milestone in the summer of 2021.

UK Shadow fleet to increase to eight aircraft

THE UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) has
confirmed that the British Shadow surveillance
aircraft fleet is set to expand from six to
eight airframes and will receive new airborne
defensive aid systems in a £110m contract
awarded to Raytheon UK.
Revealed in early November, the award is
expected to support 150 jobs at Raytheon’s
facility in Broughton and positions at the
company’s sites at RAF Waddington and
Harlow, in addition to another 350 roles
across the wider UK supply chain.
Based at RAF Waddington and flown by 14
Squadron, the Shadow fleet forms a key part
of the Royal Air Force’s (RAF’s) Intelligence,
Surveillance, Target Acquisition and
Reconnaissance (ISTAR) force by gathering
intelligence using its high-definition electro-
optical and electronic sensors, according to
the MOD. Once this data has been gathered,
satellite communication links enable the
information to be assessed while the aircraft
is airborne during a mission. To protect the
aircraft from possible attack, the aircraft will
be fitted with an improved Defensive Aids
System (DAS). As part of the contract, the
latest DAS will be installed across the fleet of
eight aircraft, increasing its ability to defend
itself and operate in unfriendly airspace.
UK Defence Minister Jeremy Quin said: “Our
newly upgraded Shadow Mk2 aircraft will
be equipped with world-leading technology
developed right here in the UK. This investment
supports vital defence outputs and 150 high-
quality jobs in North Wales.”
It is expected the first upgraded aircraft will
be delivered to the RAF in June 2023, with
arrival of the eighth Shadow R Mk2 aircraft
before the end of 2025.
Originally entering service
in 2009 to augment
operations in Afghanistan,
the UK’s Shadow fleet will
be upgraded to the Mk2
variant in the latest award
UK MOD/Crown copyright

A UK Royal Air Force F-35B stealth fighter crashed during take-off
from the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS 'Queen Elizabeth' on
November 17. The accident — the cause of which has not been formally
identified — is the fifth to have occured among US and international
operators of the three-variant aircraft.
LOCKHEED MARTIN has been awarded a $10.8bn indefinite-delivery/
indefinite-quantity contract for Advanced Raptor Enhancement and
Sustainment (ARES) for the F-22 Program Office. The contract will provide
sustainment support for the USAF’s F-22 Raptor fighter and is expected
to be concluded in 2031.

January 2022 13
 UAV FOCUS by Mark Broadbent

NORTHROP GRUMMAN has received a US Air

DYNAMO for RQ-4B

New for the RQ-
Force contract to provide a “dynamic inflight
rerouting” capability for the RQ-4B Global
Hawk high-altitude long-endurance platform.
According to the manufacturer, a software
4B Global Hawk: a update known as Dynamic Mission Operations
“dynamic inflight (DYNAMO) “will enhance the Global Hawk’s
rerouting” capability ability to provide critical intelligence,
Northrop Grumman
surveillance, and reconnaissance data to
geographic combatant commanders”.
A Northrop Grumman statement said the
DYNAMO flexible mission planning capability
enables a Global Hawk to be rerouted in flight
to “respond to changing real-world conditions,
whether natural or manmade, during a
mission”. The upgrade will be fielded in 2023.
DYNAMO is part of ongoing USAF RQ-4
upgrade efforts, including the Ground Station
Modernization Program.
Northrop Grumman autonomous systems
VP and general manager Jane Bishop said
DYNAMO would “reinforce the weapon
system’s ability to monitor and deter near-
peer and peer threats around the globe. These
upgrades will make Global Hawk even more
valuable in a future Joint-All Domain Command
and Control environment.”

Primoco and UMS Skeldar team up

The Primoco One 150 PRIMOCO UAV from Czechia and Swiss-
fixed-wing and UMS Swedish firm UMS Skeldar have signed
Skeldar V-150 rotary
a cooperation agreement to provide selected
wing UAVs are offered
as a combination customers with a combination of the Primoco
UMS Skeldar One 150 fixed-wing and UMS Skeldar V-150
rotary wing unmanned aerial vehicles.
A V-150 and One 150 were demonstrated
to selected customers at the Primoco facility
at Písek-Krašovice airport, Czechia, in mid-
November 2021.
A statement said: “Both platforms, positioned
within the same specified category as per
the European Union Aviation Safety Agency
regulatory framework, share the same
communication datalink system, which makes
the simultaneous operation of both aircraft
from one ground control station possible.”
The systems have payload, logistics and data
processing commonality, and the companies
say their approach “is also fully compliant with
the latest aviation regulations in relation to
remotely piloted aircraft systems operations”.
According to the firms, the partnership “is
a significant step forward in terms of how
UAVs can be used to form one solution”,
by giving operators versatility. Users “have
an unmanned system able to be deployed
anywhere…the customer will simply select
what works best for [their] mission”, added
Primoco CEO Ladislav Semetkovský.

ALPHA UNMANNED Systems will supply five Alpha 900 UAV systems to
the Hellenic Navy. Each system includes two Alpha 900 UAV helicopters
with dual sensor optical payloads, one control station and one antenna for
data transmission and control. The Alpha 900 can lift 4kg payloads and
has four hours’ endurance
THREE SKELDAR V-200 systems will be operated from German
Navy K130 corvettes under a Bundeswehr contract with ESG
Elektroniksystem- und Logistik-GmbH. One will be delivered for
integration into a corvette and initial personnel training. Two more will
follow, one to be integrated and the other used for land-based training.

14 January 2022
 UAV FOCUS

Sceye in the sky

HIGH-ALTITUDE platform station (HAPS)
developer Sceye is preparing to launch the
Sceye Telecom in 2022 to deliver super-
fast internet connectivity and imaging
capabilities from the stratosphere.
A slide shown in a presentation by Sceye
CEO Mikkel Vestergaard Frandsen during
the November 2021 HAPS Alliance Summit
said Sceye’s next platform, called the
Telecom, would fly in 2022 to demonstrate
4G LTE (long-term evolution), which is an
extended range transmission standard for
wireless broadband communications.
Sceye said an October 2021 trial flight
“proved the system and infrastructure are
network ready”.
The flight “successfully connected a 4G
antenna with 3D beam forming from the
stratosphere”, it added.
As well as comms relays, the Roswell,
New Mexico-based Sceye’s vehicles are
HAPS developer Sceye
is monitoring methane
levels in New Mexico
Sceye
being used for environmental monitoring. The
company is working, for example, with the US
Environmental Protection Agency and the State
of New Mexico on a five-year study to monitor
air quality in the state to precisely track
methane emissions.
Vestergaard Frandsen told the summit: “From
the stratosphere we can see methane with a
pixel [resolution] of sub 1x1m.” Authorities can
improve reporting and more effectively enforce
emissions regulations, he said.
Sceye is also collaborating with the European
Space Agency, ABB, GMV and the Royal
Netherlands Meteorological Institute on
HAPSView, a project to define and approve
a methane monitoring payload package.
Vestergaard Frandsen added: “As we
have geostationary capability, we’re opening
up to being a multi-use platform; we’re flying
with infrared, LIDAR, multispectral and
optical equipment.”

Schiebel Camcopter
demo in the Arctic
AUSTRIAN DEVELOPER Schiebel recently
demonstrated its Camcopter S-100 in the
Arctic Circle aboard the Norwegian Coastguard
vessel KV Nordkapp.
The vehicle underwent a week-long trial as
part of Arctic 2030, a Norwegian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs programme that is investigating
how to sustain Norway’s interests in latitudes
above 75° north.
During the demo, the Camcopter was
equipped with a Trakka TC-300 electro-
optical/infrared sensor, an Overwatch Imaging
PT-8N Oceanwatch, a Radionor antenna,
an additional data link for video feed
transmission and an automatic identification
system receiver.
Schiebel said: “The aim was to demonstrate
that unmanned air systems ideally
supplement manned helicopters, greatly
enhancing SAR efforts in this remote part
of the world.
”The Camcopter S-100 proved that it can
operate in adverse weather conditions, where
manned helicopters can be at higher risk.”
ABOVE: The Arctic
demo intended to show

Scaling up cargo drones

ROYAL NAVAL Air Station Culdrose in Equipment and Support and the Office for the the system, and according to a Royal Navy
the S-100’s embarked
search and rescue and
maritime reconnaissance
capabilities Schiebel

Cornwall recently hosted the Heavy Lift
Challenge at Predannack Airfield as a
showcase for drone manufacturers to
demonstrate unmanned technology that
could carry supplies to ships.
The Royal Navy and Royal Marines put
Malloy Aeronautics and W Autonomous
Systems drones through trials organised
by 700X Naval Air Squadron, Defence
Chief Technology Officer RN.
Drones carrying payloads of more than
100kg had to pass speed, endurance, and
delivery accuracy tests. Future trials will
involve drones with a heavier load capability,
of up to 300kg.
Separately, 700X NAS continues to expand
its fleet of AeronVironment Puma 3 AE small
UAVs. The squadron now has 12 examples of
statement, the unit “can now immediately
deploy flights as required”.
It recently undertook a training
embarkation on the offshore patrol vessel
HMS Mersey, which followed exercises
earlier in 2021 on HMS Tamar and in the
Baltic aboard HMS Albion. The unit has also
worked with the Royal Marines from landing
craft in Scotland.

AERIT, ICAX, and RISE Research Institutes of Sweden have teamed up
for a drone delivery pilot in Sweden’s Norrtälje Municipality archipelago. The
one-year project was selected for funding by the Swedish Innovation Agency
Vinnova via the “Drones in Service of the Climate for Autumn of 2021” call. It
will unite stakeholders from business, research, innovation, and government.
THE UK Regulatory Horizons Council, an independent expert committee
assessing the implications of technological innovation, recommended
in November 2021 that the UK Government mandate electronic
‘conspicuity’ for small UAVs by 2025, if not sooner, to improve safe
usage of shared airspace and “enable drones to fulfil their potential”.

January 2022 15
 ROTARY FOCUS by Mark Broadbent

Exocet-equipped H225

The first Aviação Naval
Brasileira H225M H-4101
toting an MBDA Exocet
AM39 B2M2
Airbus Helicopters
AIRBUS HELICOPTERS has delivered the
first H225M in what it calls ‘naval combat’
configuration to the Aviação Naval Brasileira
(AvN, Brazilian Naval Aviation) at São Pedro
d’Aldeia for anti-surface warfare
and maritime surveillance.
Developed by Helibras, Airbus
Helicopters’ Itajubá-based Brazilian
subsidiary, this H225M version “is the
most complex configuration that has
ever been produced for this multirole
helicopter”, the manufacturer said.
The AvN H225M’s embedded systems
include an MBDA Exocet AM39 B2M2 missile,
the EWS IDAS-3 countermeasure system, and
APS143 tactical radar.
It also features a Naval Tactical Data
Management System developed in partnership
with Atech and Airbus Defense and Space,
which produces all embedded systems,
including the missile system.
Airbus Helicopters’ head of Latin America,
Alberto Robles, said: “Designed to meet the
most demanding requirements of the Brazilian
Navy, the advanced anti-surface warfare
and tactical capabilities open new mission
capabilities for the H225M utility helicopter.
The naval H225M is part of the
2008 contract signed by the Brazilian
government for 50 H225Ms, 39 of which
have been delivered to the Brazilian Armed
Forces so far, all assembled locally by
Helibras. Test firing of the Exocet AM39
B2M2 on the H225M was concluded in
June 2021 ahead of type qualification
and delivery.

New dedicated
support facility
LEONARDO HELICOPTERS is operating an all-
new Service and Logistics Centre in Itapevi
near São Paolo, Brazil.
The R$60m (US$10.6m) site, which
covers an 80,000m2 area including
6,000m2 of buildings and infrastructure, can
host up to 20 aircraft simultaneously, which
There are more than 500 is a 50% capacity increase compared to
Leonardo helicopters in
Leonardo’s previous dedicated Latin America
Latin America, 190 of
which are in Brazil, with support facility.
120 in the state of São Further maintenance, training, painting and
Paolo alone Leonardo completion capabilities will be added.
Helicopters/Omar Paixão Up to 370 aircraft will be handled every year,
with the potential for further expansion.
Five hundred Leonardo helicopters of various
models are in service in Latin America,
spanning VIP/corporate transport, offshore
transport, rescue duties, law enforcement,
fire-fighting and military roles.
The company said the new Itapevi centre
has been developed to address “evolving
requirements throughout the region” and
will provide “stronger support services as
well as proximity to operators”.
It added: “Enhanced services will help
maximise the helicopter fleet’s mission
effectiveness and safety for the benefit of
operators, crews and the served communities.”

EUROPEAN ROTORS, the new European Helicopter Association trade
show in Cologne, saw 150 exhibitors from 36 nations attend its first edition
in November 2021. Floorspace was sold out and the organisers say 25%
of exhibitors have already booked their participation in the 2022 event in
Cologne next November.
16 January 2022
LEONARDO HELICOPTERS and Bell Helicopter both recently flew some
of their latest aircraft using sustainable aviation fuel, coinciding with the
COP26 summit. An AW149 flew from Bristol Airport to Leonardo’s Yeovil
factory using SAF, while Bell flew one of its 525 Relentless test aircraft
using Neste MY SAF supplied by Avfuels Corp.
 ROTARY FOCUS

Joining forces for eGyro project

SKYWORKS AERONAUTICS has announced a
strategic partnership with Williams Advanced
Engineering (WAE) on the design, fabrication
and testing of the eGyro electrically powered
gyrocopter. The collaboration will see WAE
contribute its expertise in aerodynamics and
electric powertrains to Skyworks’ all-new
electric aircraft.
The eGyro is designed to combine a
gyroplane’s safety and performance
advantages to offer a new and practical
solution for intra and inter-city passenger
transport (see Spin Cycle, page 44, AIR
International December 2021).
A Skyworks statement said: “With years of
experience working with the likes of Airbus
to develop the Zephyr record-breaking high-
altitude unmanned aerial system, as well as
with BAE Systems on the electrification of advanced composites, electrification systems advanced materials and electrification are core Skyworks will work
future aircraft, WAE’s credentials are perfectly and lightweight engineering. WAE technical competencies for us. We’re looking forward to with Williams Advanced
Engineering on the eGyro
suited to this project.” director Paul McNamara said: “We’re delighted applying them to the eGyro, which seems set
Skyworks Aeronautics
WAE, a sister company to the Williams to be partnering with Skyworks on this to redefine the gyroplane, thus bringing about
Formula 1 racing team, has experience in innovative project. Aerodynamics, lightweight a step change in aeronautical e-mobility.”

Ka-32 undergoes flight test

RUSSIAN HELICOPTERS has been flight-
testing the upgraded Kamov Ka-32A11
firefighting helicopter.
The first trip took place in hover mode at
the Kumertau Aviation Production Enterprise
(KAPE) in Bashkortostan in November 2021.
Set to undergo preliminary and
certification tests in 2022-2023, after
which it will be available to Russian
and foreign customers, the Ka-32A11
includes a glass cockpit, more powerful
VK-2500PS-02 engines, and a new fire
extinguishing system. The new engines
are designed to improve hot and high
performance, with Russian Helicopters saying
there will be a 1,600kg improvement in the
Ka-32’s load-carrying capacity.
A new SP-32 fire extinguishing system
developed by the National Helicopter Center
Mil&Kamov and KAPE holds four tonnes of
water and is divided into four compartments.
A patented digital control system enables the
flaps to be opened in pairs or alternately,
and the flaps’ opening angles to be
adjusted, thereby increasing the water
discharge time.
The fire extinguishing system can
automatically draw the four tonnes of water
in 60 seconds and add up to 400 litres of
foam agent.
Russian Helicopters says the SP-32 “is BELOW: Volocopter
the first system that can be used in winter undertook the first ever
conditions at temperatures down to -20°C”. crewed public test flights
of an eVTOL aircraft in
South Korea Volocopter

More mobility moves

SOUTH KOREA is the latest location to take
steps in the urban air mobility (UAM) arena.
Volocopter, the German developer, has
signed a memorandum of understanding with
Kakao Mobility to conduct a feasibility study on
introducing UAM platforms in the country.
The study will “identify a list of potential
commercial routes, operational capabilities and
business models necessary for a UAM service
operator”. Findings will be released in February
2022, with the aim of launching commercial
UAM services in South Korea by 2025.
In November 2021, Volocopter conducted two
public test flights at Gimpo International Airport
and Seoul/Incheon International Airport, the
first ever crewed public test flights of an
eVTOL aircraft in the republic.
Separately, test flights of Skyworks
Aeronautics’ eGyro are planned for Incheon
Metropolitan City in 2022-2023. The city
authority, MintAir, Mobius.Energy, Skyworks,
the Institute for Aerospace Industry-Academia
Collaboration, Lotte Corporation and Lotte
Rental are involved. The project intends to
demonstrate certification and infrastructure
development to support flight testing and the
commercial launch of the eGyro in the Incheon
region. It also aims to develop pilot training and
maintenance and repair capabilities to support
scalable operations by eVTOLs in South Korea.

AIRBUS HELICOPTERS announced agreements with several customers
during the European Rotors show. The company will provide HCare Smart
Parts by the Hour for Airtelis/RTE Super Puma and H135s. Heliswiss Iberica
in Spain will become a certified Airbus Helicopters service centre. Air Zermatt
will retrofit crash-resistant fuel systems into its H125s.
RUSSIAN HELICOPTERS’ Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant has supplied two
Mi-171s equipped with VK-2500-03 engines optimised for high-altitude
performance to the Chinese airline Quingdao. The helicopters are the
first of six for Quingdao; the rest will follow in 2022. The Mi-171s will be
used primarily for firefighting work and cargo transport.
January 2022 17
 BUSINESS FOCUS by Dave Willis

Business jet debut in Dubai
The Aurus Business Jet THE LATEST business configuration of the
made its international Irkut (previously Sukhoi) Superjet 100 made
debut at the Dubai Airshow
its international debut at the recent Dubai
in November 2021
United Aircraft Corporation Airshow. Known as the Aurus Business
Jet, the demonstrator flew to Al Maktoum
International Airport direct from Zhukovsky,
outside Moscow, on November 11, 2021, to
appear at the event.
The aircraft was initially revealed at the
MAKS Avia Salon at Zhukovsky earlier in 2021.
It is understood that, after that show, United
Aircraft Corporation teamed with the Moscow-
based luxury car manufacturer Aurus to brand
the aircraft as the Aurus Business Jet. In
addition to the Superjet, the agreement also
covers a VIP version of the Ansat helicopter,
known as the Ansat Aurus.
The Superjet airframe used for the
demonstrator was originally delivered to Sky
Aviation of Indonesia as PK-ECM (c/n 95027)
in 2013. Sky Aviation suspended operations in
early 2014 and the airliner returned to Sukhoi
in 2016, becoming 97009.
The 67ft cabin of the demonstrator has a
two-zone layout designed by the Tulpar Interior
Group of Kazan. The first zone has been
outfitted as a meeting and dining room, and
the second as a living space with sofas and
LCD displays. The aircraft has a cabin with
a shower – one of several options available.
The Aurus has a has a maximum take-off
weight of 109,019lb and a top speed of 513kt.
It can cruise at around 450kt with a range of
3,888nm, thanks to the extra fuel capacity,
compared with that of the long-range variant
of the Superjet 100 airliner, which can fly
2,484nm. The ‘Sabrelet’ wingtips developed
for the Superjet are standard on the Aurus.
According to Sergei Chemezov, CEO of
Rostec – the state corporation responsible
for assisting the development, production
and export of Russian advanced technology –
the price of the Aurus will range from $39m
to $50m, depending on the configuration
selected by the customer. This is significantly
lower than other business jet variants of
airliners on the market. Interest in the aircraft
has been expressed by some large Russian
companies, a sector of the market in which
the manufacturer expects the Aurus to do well
– partly as it avoids import duties imposed on
foreign aircraft. Russian Minister of Industry
and Trade Denis Manturov estimates the
market for aircraft in the class of the Aurus to
be around 170 each year. Russian certification
for the Aurus is expected in 2022.
The Aurus Business Jet is the latest VIP
version of the Superjet, and the United Aircraft
Corporation has stated that 11 such VIP
aircraft have been sold to companies and
governments since 2013.

Initial ACJ TwoTwenty for Five Group

AT A ceremony held at the Five Palm
Jumeirah hotel in Dubai on November 16,
2021, the Five Group was identified as the
first operator of the Airbus Corporate Jets
(ACJ) TwoTwenty – the extra-large ‘bizjet’
variant of the A220 airliner.
Five Group is a real estate, hospitality
and investment company based in Dubai.
The aircraft will be outfitted by the Comlux
Group, which is responsible for completing
the interiors of the first 15 TwoTwenties. The
green airframe will be delivered to Comlux’s
facility in Indianapolis in January, and
configured with 16 seats, a dining table for
eight, a fully equipped kitchen and a master
suite with a king-sized bed and a shower.
The completed aircraft, reported to be
registered ‘5H-FIVE’ (although the Maltese
civil register has previously only used three
letters after the county code), will enter
service in early 2023, based at Al Maktoum
International Airport in Dubai. It will be
operated commercially on behalf of the Five
Group by Comlux Aviation.

Checking In since World War Two have been civil war

Do you hold a passionate opinion about
a civil or military aviation issue or a
view on AIR International’s content?
We are listening. Particularly in such
extraordinary times, we enjoy a lively
dialogue with you through our news,
features and analysis.
Get in touch at airinternational@keypublishing.com
and start the subject line with Checking In.
COIN: is it worth the money?
To answer your question ‘Is there still a viable
market for counter-insurgency (COIN) aircraft
in today’s battle space?’, I say ‘yes’. Most wars
insurgencies, not peer-to-peer major conflicts
with cutting-edge weapons.
War is hugely expensive. Intelligent war
planners try to match their weapons to
the threats faced. COIN aircraft need long
loiter capability, high manoeuvrability,
good outward visibility, reasonable armour
protection, and the ability to operate from
simple bases. They must be cost-effective
and simple enough to be maintained and
flown by poorer countries.
Supersonic performance and stealth
technology are wasted in uncontested
airspace. Besides close air support and
training, turboprops can be used for target
marking, artillery spotting and border patrol.
The tactical doctrine and design features
for such aircraft were worked out long ago –
by the French during colonial wars, and the
USA for its South Vietnam campaign. The
US defence industry developed the A-37
Dragonfly and OV-10 Bronco specifically for
close air support for ground troops, so why
repeat the study?
Aircraft such as the A-29 Super Tucano and
MD-530 ‘Little Bird’ helicopters are highly
cost-effective against the likes of FARC (the
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia),
Boko Haram and the Taliban. Should the
enemy upgrade to large-calibre AAA and the
latest generation of MANPADS (man-portable
air-defence systems), we can upgrade to A-10
Warthogs and AH-64 Apaches.

18 January 2022
 BUSINESS FOCUS

Supersonic demonstrator advances

CONSTRUCTION OF the X-59 Quiet
SuperSonic Technology (QueSST) is
proceeding at Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works
at Palmdale, California. The demonstrator was
removed from its jigs in October to sit on jacks
awaiting its landing gear. Work has advanced
to final assembly and ‘power on’, after which
the aircraft will move to Lockheed Martin’s
facility at Fort Worth in Texas, where structural
tests will be completed. The X-59 is due to
make its maiden flight in 2022.
Prime contractor Lockheed Martin is
building the X-59 for the NASA Low-Boom
Flight Demonstrator programme. The X-59 is
the culmination of decades of research into
reducing the effects of supersonic booms by
using aerodynamic shaping to mitigate the
shock waves produced, and their propagation,
to limit the impact of the sonic boom on the
ground. It will also be used to judge public
reaction to commercial supersonic travel. The
aircraft is expected to create a sonic ‘thump’,
rather than ‘boom’, less audible to those under
its flight path.
While the test programme has implications
for both future supersonic commercial
transports and business aircraft designs, its
greatest impact will likely be on the regulatory
framework. A ban on supersonic booms over
the US came into force in April 1973, citing
the public nuisance of the noise. Observers
at the time also noted that it helped protect
US airliner manufacturers, which had failed
to produce a supersonic civil transport to powered by a single General Electric F414 The Lockheed Martin
compete with the Anglo-French Concorde. mounted under the tail, and was awarded the X-59 Quiet SuperSonic
Technology demonstrator is
Preliminary design work on the X-59 ran contract to build the X-59 in 2018. Assembly
heading for final assembly
between 2016-17. Lockheed Martin was began in June 2019 and the X-59 passed its Lockheed Martin
the sole bidder to produce a demonstrator critical design review that September.

Quarterhorse revealed

THE HERMEUS Corporation, founded in
2018, unveiled a non-flying prototype of
its Quarterhorse unmanned scale test
vehicle (N60304) in November 2021, at an
event held at Hermeus’s Atlanta, Georgia,
headquarters. Guests got to look over the
vehicle and witness a demonstration run of
its engine. Quarterhorse is powered by a
turbine-based combined cycle engine that
uses a General Electric J85 at its core to
accelerate the vehicle to speeds where the
ramburner becomes effective. The testbed was
designed and built within four months.
In August 2020, the company was awarded a
small contract to study a hypersonic business
jet for potential future use by the US president.
In March 2021, Hermeus signed a Space
Act Agreement with NASA to research and
commercialise high-speed aircraft technology.
Then, in August 2021, it secured a $60m
deal from the US Air Force, to finance testing
of the aircraft.
A flightworthy prototype is planned to take
to the sky next year, and will be tested at
speeds between Mach 3 and 5. It will be
followed by a larger cargo-carrying vehicle
in 2025. Hermeus has the long-term aim of LEFT: The Quarterhorse
creating a manned Mach 5 aircraft capable is a scale test vehicle
of carrying up to 20 passengers, with for a hypersonic
certification targeted for 2029. transport platform
Hermeus Corp

Regardless of the types of CAS aircraft
employed, medium-sized utility helicopters
of the UH-60/Puma/Mi-8 class and AC-27/
AC-130 gunships will always be needed in
combination, to raise the intensity of the
shock and awe.
Dave Taylor, Florida, USA
It seems to me – as a lay-person in these
matters – that, in these days of increasing
worldwide instability, any country that is not
ready with suitable aircraft to support diverse
civil policing and military roles (ISR or COIN,
for example) could find itself caught out.
Unmanned aerial vehicles are probably not
the answer, with their high infrastructure costs
and reliance on satellites.
As to the issue of a lack of endurance, what
is the problem with in-flight refuelling? After
all, some helicopters can be refuelled in-flight,
and a smaller tanker would make the ride
easier for small aircraft. Perhaps a new design
for a COIN aircraft with a pusher propeller and
a nose-mounted refuelling probe might help.
Nigel Scrase, Devon, UK
A fan of the fixed wing
I read, with great interest, the article on
helicopter safety in your November issue. I am
not a professional aviator – I write as a fee-
paying passenger – but I have flown many
times in various fixed-wing aircraft. However, I
would never fly in a helicopter, because, to my
mind, they are not stable aircraft in the normal
sense of the word. If that ‘fan’ detaches, you
are doomed. It appears to me that when
things go awry in a helicopter, the situation
can soon become disastrous.
I was very lucky to go to New Zealand’s
South Island with my wife, Marian, in 2015.
We were due to take a helicopter flight onto
the Fox Glacier. To my great relief, it was
cancelled because of bad weather... to be
replaced by a flight onto the Tasman Glacier
at Mount Cook. When we got there, however,
we were told there had been a fatal crash at
Fox Glacier. That convinced me, and instead
we flew up and onto the glacier in a Pilatus ski
plane, enjoying perfect flying conditions and
an amazing experience.
James Whitehead, Yorkshire, UK

January 2022 19
 TECHNOLOGY FOCUS The AI team

Rohde & Schwarz extends RAAF

deployed air operations capability
THE FIRST of the Royal Australian Air Force’s
(RAAF’s) Transportable Air Operations Tower
(TAOT), originally delivered in 2012, has rolled
out of the Rohde & Schwarz Australia Systems
BELOW: Australian Integration Facility following a major upgrade.
personnel raise the The TAOT system will be delivered
transportable air to the RAAF with modernised systems
operations tower, at including internet protocol (IP)-based voice
RAAF Base Scherger in
communications and recording, airfield
Queensland, to commence
operations on Exercise monitoring and control, network and time
Talisman Sabre 2021 synchronisation. Other upgrades include
Department of Defence security hardening, provisioning of new
interfaces, and new power supplies, air
conditioning, and smoke detectors.
“We delivered the TAOT’s capability to [the
RAAF] as prime systems integrator so we’re
very proud to be continuing our relationship,
ensuring that capability remains at the cutting
edge of air traffic control technology,” said
Rohde & Schwarz Australia managing director
Gareth Evans.
This upgrade will be rolled out across the
TAOT fleet and forms the first tranche of the
TAOT mid-life upgrade programme, Rohde &
Schwarz said in a statement on November 9.
“The TAOTs will continue to be modernized as
part of a spiral upgrade programme to assure
the capability and extend their service life to
2030 and beyond,” Evans added.
A TAOT unit was recently deployed to RAAF
Base Scherger in Far North Queensland during
the biennial multi-national Exercise Talisman
Sabre 2021. During Operation Bushfire
Assist in summer 2019-20 a TAOT assisted
civilian and military aircraft conducting remote
firefighting and humanitarian aid missions.

BELOW: Leather elements

in the aircraft’s interior
have been replaced by soft,
supple Ultraleather
Airbus/ Christian Keller
Vegan interior for ACH145 AIRBUS CORPORATE Helicopters’ (ACH)
design team has fitted the interior of an
ACH145 with vegan materials at the request
of a customer. The aircraft was ordered
by German construction entrepreneur Urs
Brunner, whose wife is ethical fashion pioneer
Daniela Brunner.
Its cabin is fitted with the ACH Line interior
configuration in a grey theme but the leather
elements essential to its luxury feel have been
replaced with Ultraleather, which captures the
visual and tactile leather experience, and is
similarly durable.
Items that had to be specially designed and
fabricated in the replacement material include
the six passenger seats, central storage
cabinet, rear partition and cockpit controls
20 January 2022
cuffs. Ms Brunner, founder and owner of
specialist fashion house Giulia & Romeo, which
has no animal products involved in its range
and donates all its profits to animal welfare,
wanted the helicopter to be consistent with her
ethical values.
Head of ACH Frederic Lemos said: “We’re
very proud of our team’s work in creating this
bespoke ACH Line interior. The material that
we used is certified for aviation use and is
hard wearing, but it can only be stretched in
one direction which means it is a challenge
to work with, particularly on the seats. This
is where the craftsmanship of our hands-on
team became crucial and I am delighted to
say that we found a practical way to meet our
customer’s desires which also looks superb.”

SAF emissions study
shows early promise
INITIAL FINDINGS from a world-first study of
the impact of 100% sustainable aviation fuel
(SAF) on both engines of a commercial jet
have provided promising early results.
The ECLIF3 study, involving Airbus,
Rolls-Royce, German research centre
DLR and SAF producer Neste, marks the
first time 100% SAF has been measured
simultaneously on both engines of a
commercial passenger aircraft – an Airbus
A350 aircraft powered by Rolls-Royce Trent
XWB engines.
In-flight emissions tests and associated
ground testing on the ECLIF3 programme
began earlier this year and have recently
resumed. The interdisciplinary team, which
also includes researchers from the National
Research Council of Canada and The
University of Manchester, plans to publish its
results in academic journals towards the end
of 2022 and 2023.
Findings from the study will support efforts
currently underway at Airbus and Rolls-
Saudi Arabia seeks AMRAAM top-up
THE US State Department has approved the
possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) of AIM-
120C Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air
Missiles (AMRAAM) to Saudi Arabia for an
estimated cost of $650m, the US Defense
Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) stated
Royce to ensure the aviation sector is ready for
the large-scale use of SAF as part of the wider
initiative to decarbonise the industry. Aircraft
are currently only allowed to operate on a 50%
blend of SAF and conventional jet fuel, but
both companies support the drive to certify
100% SAF use.
In April, the A350 flew three flights over the
Mediterranean Sea pursued by a DLR Falcon
chaser plane to compare in-flight emissions of
both kerosene and Neste’s hydro-processed
esters and fatty acids (HEFA) sustainable fuel.
The team also carried out compliance tests
using 100% SAF. No operational issues were
experienced. In-flight emission tests using
100% SAF and a HEFA/Jet A-1 fuel blend
resumed in November, while ground-based
emissions testing to quantify the benefits of
SAF on local air quality were also performed.
The research team found SAF releases fewer
particulates than conventional kerosene in
all tested engine operating conditions, which
points to the potential for reduced climate
in November. According to the DSCA, Saudi
Arabia requested the procurement of 280 AIM-
120C-7/C-8-variant AMRAAMs and 596 LAU-
128 Missile Rail Launchers (MRL), in addition
to weapon and equipment support, spare
and repair parts, and technical and logistical
TECHNOLOGY FOCUS
impact and improvement in air quality around ECLIF3 is the latest in a
airports. SAF also has lower density but series of SAF emissions
higher energy content per kilogramme of fuel studies, following
compared to conventional kerosene, which ECLIF1, which took
place in 2015, and
brings some aircraft fuel-efficiency advantages
ECLIF2 in 2018
due to lower fuel burn and less fuel mass on Airbus/ S. Ramadier
board to achieve the same mission. Detailed
analysis by the team is ongoing.
Simon Burr, Rolls-Royce director of product
development and technology, civil aerospace,
said: “This research adds to tests we’ve
already carried out on our engines, both on
the ground and in the air, which have found no
engineering obstacle to our engines running on
100% SAF. If we are to truly decarbonise long-
haul air travel, then 100% SAF is a critical
element and we are committed to supporting
its certification for service.”
The DLR Falcon chaser aircraft is equipped
with multiple probes to measure emissions at
cruise level down to a distance of only 100m
from the A350 and feed them into scientific
instrumentation for analysis.
support services. This potential sale will LEFT: Airmen from the
support Saudi Arabia’s Eurofighter Typhoon, 379th Expeditionary
Maintenance Squadron
F-15C/D, F-15S, and F-I5SA programmes
munitions flight load
and will further strengthen the interoperability an AIM-120D Advanced
between the United States and Saudi Arabia, Medium-Range Air-to-
the DSCA stated. Air Missile onto an F-15E
The principal contractor will be US-based Strike Eagle at Al Udeid
defence OEM Raytheon. Air Base, Qatar, earlier this
The AMRAAM family of missiles has been year US Air Force/Staff Sgt
Greg Erwin
procured for use by 41 countries worldwide
and integrated onto platforms such as F-15A/
B/C/D/E Eagle/Strike Eagle, F-16 Fighting
Falcon, F/A-18 Super Hornet, F-22 Raptor,
Eurofighter Typhoon, JAS-39 Gripen, Tornado
and Harrier.
Manufacturer Raytheon Missile & Defense
states that the newest variant is the only
radar-guided air-to-air missile cleared to fly on
the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter.
January 2022 21
 SPACE FOCUS
Western allies
condemn Russia
test as ‘reckless’
ABOVE: The International
Space Station is a
collaborative effort by the
space community, and
houses astronauts from
the US, Russia and Europe,
among others NASA
De-commissioned after 16 years
GIOVE-A mounted on the
Soyuz Fregate upper stage
at the Baikonur launch
site, 2005 SSTL
22 January 2022
The AI team
WESTERN AND NATO allies condemned
Moscow’s apparent testing on November
15 of an anti-satellite missile capability,
where a kinetic effector impacted with the
inactive Russian COSMOS1408 satellite,
causing fragmentation of the platform.
According to the UK’s Space Operations
Centre (SOC), data suggested that the
SSTL HAS de-commissioned GIOVE-A,
the pathfinder satellite for Europe’s Galileo
constellation, after 16 years of operations in
Medium Earth Orbit (MEO). The decision to
de-commission the satellite was made due
destruction of the satellite generated
more than 1,500 pieces of trackable
data in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at an
altitude of 450-500km, thereby increasing
the risk of debris colliding with other
platforms in LEO. The result of this
could cause severe damage to space-
based networks.
to the obsolescence in computing systems
required for the operation of GIOVE-A.
The de-commissioning procedure, which took
place on November 24, involved transitioning
the satellite to Earth pointing mode, turning
off the reaction wheels and setting the
attitude and orbit control system to standby
mode, before finally switching off the onboard
computer and transmitter.
GIOVE-A was designed, built and tested by
SSTL (Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd) in 30
months for the European Space Agency (ESA)
and was launched on December 28, 2005,
with a mission to secure vital frequency
filings, generate the first Galileo navigation
signals in space, characterise a prototype
rubidium atomic clock, and model the
radiation environment of MEO for future
Galileo spacecraft.
GIOVE-A was the first European satellite
launched into the demanding MEO radiation
environment, where it greatly out-performed
its 27-month design lifetime. After completion
In a statement released on November
15, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken
called the anti-satellite test “reckless”,
generating 1,500 pieces of known orbital
debris with the potential to generate
hundreds of thousands of smaller pieces.
Blinken said: “The long-lived debris
created by this dangerous and
irresponsible test will now threaten
satellites and other space objects that are
vital to all nations’ security, economic,
and scientific interests for decades
to come.” Blinken added the event
demonstrated that Russia “despite its
claims of opposing the weaponisation of
outer space, is willing to jeopardise the
long-term sustainability of outer space”.
NATO’s North Atlantic Council issued
a statement condemning the Russian
Federation’s “reckless and irresponsible
anti-satellite test”, which had caused
an orbital debris field that increased
the risk to human life and space-based
assets of numerous nations. In addition,
the statement said the test “contradicts
Russia’s claims to oppose the
‘weaponisation’ of space and undermines
the rules-based international order.”
Earlier in 2021, NATO had moved to
amend its Article 5 principle of mutual
defence, which when invoked sees an
attack on one member state as an attack
on all, to include rival and non-state
actions against space-based or terrestrial
space-focused assets.
Reports at the time stated that
astronauts and cosmonauts onboard the
orbiting International Space Station (ISS)
had to shelter in return entry capsules in
case the station was hit by debris.
Russia, meanwhile, denied the ISS had
been at risk.
of its mission for ESA, GIOVE-A was
manoeuvred into a higher “graveyard”
orbit at 23,300km above the Earth to make
way for the first fully operational capability
Galileo satellites.
In 2012 SSTL took over operations from ESA
and GIOVE-A continued to provide valuable
in-orbit data on the MEO environment.
The Merlin radiation monitor on-board
GIOVE-A collected a unique 10+ year record
for the MEO orbit and data analysis at the
Surrey Space Centre, supported by ESA,
showed interesting features such as the
“electron desert” in 2008/9 during what was
the lowest solar minimum of the space era,
and one of the largest electron storm events
on record in April 2010.
Several scientific journal papers have been
published from the radiation data generated
by GIOVE-A and a new model of the outer
Van Allen belt electron fluxes, ‘MOBE-DIC’,
has been produced to help improve future
satellite designs.
 SPACE FOCUS

First Airbus-built Inmarsat-6

heads to Japan for launch
THE FIRST Airbus-built Inmarsat-6, I-6 F1,
satellite has been shipped from Airbus in
Toulouse to Tanegashima in Japan ready for
launch. The first satellite of the Inmarsat-6
series is due to be launched on an H-IIA
launch vehicle built by Mitsubishi Heavy
Industries (MHI) in December.
Inmarsat-6 F1 is based on Airbus’ ultra-
reliable Eurostar E3000 spacecraft and will be
the 54th Eurostar E3000 launched. It will be
the fifth Eurostar in orbit equipped with electric
propulsion for orbit raising.
The reduced mass achieved by using electric
propulsion facilitates a dual payload mission
(Ka and L-band) with an exceptionally large
next-generation digitally processed payload
giving greater flexibility to Inmarsat, the
leading provider of global mobile satellite
communication services. Inmarsat-6 has a
large 9m aperture L-band antenna and nine
multibeam Ka-band antennas, and features
a high level of flexibility and connectivity.
The new-generation modular digital
processor provides full routing flexibility over
up to 8,000 channels and dynamic power
allocation to more than 200 spot beams in
L-band. Ka-band spot beams will be steerable
over the full Earth disk, with flexible channel LEFT: The Inmarsat-6
to beam allocation. will help deliver more
With increased capacity and flexibility, the advanced L-band offerings,
satellite will enable Inmarsat to offer more including very low cost
advanced L-band services including very low mobile services
Airbus / P Pigeyre
cost mobile services and IoT applications
to existing and future customers in the
mobility sector on land, at sea, and in the
air. Inmarsat-6 will complement and enhance
the L-band services offered by the ELERA
connectivity network and help launch a BELOW: A Falcon 9 rocket
launches the GPS III Space
Ka-band mission to augment Inmarsat’s high-
Vehicle 05 mission from
speed broadband service, Global Xpress. Space Launch Complex 40
Inmarsat-6 will have a launch mass of 5.5 at Cape Canaveral Space
tons, spacecraft power of 21kW and a design Force Station, Florida, June
life of more than 15 years. 17, 2021 US Space Force

US Space Force exercises option

for three additional GPS IIIFs
THE US Space Force exercised its
second contract option valued
at approximately $737m for the
procurement of three additional GPS III
Follow On (GPS IIIF) space vehicles (SVs)
from Lockheed Martin.
Designed and built from Lockheed
Martin’s next generation GPS III satellites
(SV 1-10), the GPS IIIF provides increased
accuracy, resiliency and anti-jamming
capability compared to legacy GPS
satellites currently in orbit, according to
the manufacturer.
This latest contract option, issued on
October 22, 2021, was for GPS IIIF space
vehicles 15, 16 and 17 (SV15-17).
“GPS IIIF satellites will add new
capabilities and advanced technology
to the GPS constellation, including
Regional Military Protection (RMP); an
upgraded Nuclear Detection Detonation
System (NDS) payload; a safety-
improving Search and Rescue payload;
and an accuracy-enhancing Laser
Retroreflector Array (LRA),” said Dave
Hatch, Lockheed Martin’s GPS IIIF
programme management director. “The
RMP capability further reinforces GPS III/
IIIF as a warfighting system, providing
up to 60x greater anti-jamming for
our warfighters operating in contested
environments.” The GPS IIIF SV11-12
satellites were included in the original
September 2018 GPS IIIF contract award
to Lockheed Martin to build up to 22 GPS
IIIF satellites, under which the government
exercised the first GPS IIIF production
option for SV13-14 in October 2020.
GPS IIIF SV13 and beyond will
incorporate the company’s LM2100
Combat Bus, an enhanced space vehicle
that is intended to provide resiliency
and cyber-hardening against growing
threats, and improved spacecraft power,
propulsion and electronics.
LM2100 Combat Bus vehicles are also
capable of hosting Lockheed Martin’s
Augmentation System Port Interface,
which would allow for future on-orbit
servicing and upgrade opportunities.
Lockheed Martin is close to finishing
production on the original GPS III SV1-10
contract, with GPS III SV01-05 launched
and handed over to the Space Force for
on-orbit operations. GPS III SV06-08 have
been completed and placed in storage
at the company’s facility waiting for the
Space Force to call them up for launch,
while SV09 is a fully integrated space
vehicle now going through final testing.

January 2022 23
 A brave new
WORL
Where better to have your
‘What next for aviation?’
questions answered than
at the Dubai Airshow.
Richard Schuurman
reports on the 2021 event

ABOVE: An Airbus A350 XWB flying display on ven without the traditional Freighter orders

E
the third day of the 2021 Dubai Airshow big orders from local airlines,
Airbus/ Jean-Vincent Reymondon
the 2021 Dubai Airshow still
TOP RIGHT: An A350-900 for Ethiopian Airlines. racked up sales of more than
In 2016, it became the first African carrier to 500 aircraft, including some
operate the widebody jetliner rather interesting examples.
Airbus/ Jean-Vincent Reymondon Emirates, Etihad, flydubai
and Air Arabia still have plenty in their
backlogs from previous shows, so they
weren’t looking for more this year. As
such, the only deals from the Gulf region
came from Emirates, for two Boeing
777Fs, plus 28 Airbus A320neo Family
aircraft for Kuwait’s Jazeera Airways.
These two sum up perfectly the themes
of the event: freighters and low cost.
After the Airbus board gave formal
approval in July, it was a matter of ‘when’
to expect the first customer order for the
A350 Freighter. It came on day two of
the airshow, from Air Lease Corporation
(ALC), which ordered seven. While ALC
has previously launched the A321LR,
A321XLR, and A330neo, seeing the
lessor open a freighters order book was a
bit surprising. It hasn’t got any dedicated
cargo aircraft in its portfolio and has
always been reluctant to add them. But
the COVID crisis has spurred demand
for full freighters and this trend is here to
stay: “E-commerce has been a stabilising

24 January 2022
RLD
factor and it’s now a growing factor.
That’s why we want to have freighters
now,” said ALC CEO John Plueger. He’s
in discussions with five airlines that are
strong in the cargo business, to place the
seven aircraft currently on order, which
will likely be followed by more.
The A350 Freighter will be largely based
on the A350-1000 but is five frames
“When we launch the 777X freighter, it will be the
largest cargo airplane out there”
Ihssane Mounir, Boeing
shorter, has a maximum take-off mass
of 319 tons and a payload capacity
of 109 tons. Airbus chief commercial
officer Christian Scherer said the
structural efficiency of the A350 (light
and strong) makes it a perfect aircraft
for the e-commerce market, with
both its smaller and lighter volumes
and heavy bulk goods. However, he
admitted that the A330-200F, in which he
has been personally involved, was made
neither for one nor the other, and failed
Airbus’s previous attempt to capture the
cargo market, within which it had been
strong with the A300-600F.
No show for 777X
We had expected Boeing to launch its
777X freighter in Dubai, but one day
before the show kicked off, sales chief
Ihssane Mounir said there would be no
launch there: “When we launch it, it will
be the largest cargo airplane out there.
The demand is sticking its head up and it
looks pretty good, but we aren’t at a point
yet to make any announcement, whether
that is a customer announcement or
launch, although we are pretty advanced
in those discussions.”
While it is set to be based on the as-yet-
unlaunched 777-8, Boeing is still working
on the final specifications for both follow-
on models to the 777-9, which was in
Dubai for the first time since its launch
in 2013. Director of product marketing
Tom Sanderson said that Boeing is fine-
tuning the freighter and its length. Like
the A350F, it could differ slightly from
the passenger versions: “The challenge
with freighters is that you always balance
payload against volume. In the particularly
high-weight space in long-haul cargo,
weight is favoured, meaning body
length is less sensitive, because you will
typically hit the weight limit first. In the
e-commerce space of low density, cargo
volume is [the priority]. So, somewhere
in between is the reasonable assumption
but, until we actually launch the freighter,
it is still open.”
Mounir said there is still time to launch
the freighter, even as 2027 draws
January 2022 25
 closer, which is when new
rules on emissions and noise
pollution for full freighters
come into effect. Boeing might
seek exemption of the rule but is working
on various contingency plans, including
fitting the 767F with new engines. For Air
Lease Corporation, the new rules confirm
the need to invest in new-generation
freighters, such as the A350F and
undoubtedly the 777XF as well.
Boeing announced a few new
passenger-to-freighter contracts at the
show, including nine 767-300BCFs for
DHL Express and 11 737-800BCFs for
Icelease. It will even open three new
737BCF conversion lines, one at London/
Gatwick and two in Canada, to cater for
demand. Besides the order for two new
777Fs, Emirates also placed a historic
order for four 777-300ER conversions
with Israel Aerospace Industries. Unheard
of two years ago, the firm had a large
booth at the show, and is co-operating
with Middle East companies.

Embraer conversions
Even Embraer is entering the freighter
market. In about six months from now, it
will launch a conversion programme for
the E190 and E195. At a later stage, the
Brazilians might offer a full freighter based
on the E2 family. Adding a freighter to the
programme makes perfect sense, said
Arjan Meijer, CEO commercial aviation:
“We have looked at it for a long time, but
the E-jets were a bit young. It was still
expensive to do a conversion. We now
believe that the aircraft is reaching an
age that it economically makes sense.
Plus, we see a huge cargo up-tick with
an e-commerce market [that] is ever
emerging. Cargo operators are looking
at ways to fly deeper into the veins of the
network. That’s where the size of an E-jet
is just missing from the range.”
Low-cost boom
The other news from Dubai came from
low-cost carriers. At the end of the first
day of the airshow, Bill Franke – the
84-year-old Indigo Partners chief – was
in the Airbus chalet again. On the final
day of the 2017 Dubai Airshow, he
ordered 430 Airbus A320neo Family
aircraft for the group’s four airlines:
Wizz Air, Frontier Airlines, Volaris, and
JetSmart. This time, it was a more
modest order for 255 jets, with most
deliveries scheduled from 2025.
Wizz Air will get 75 A321neos and 27
A321XLRs, with the flexibility to add 19
A321neos and 75 purchase rights. They
are for the carrier’s growth strategy – to
take Wizz from its current 170 aircraft to
a fleet of 500 by 2030. By then, some 25
A321neos and XLRs will be flying with
Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, which is ramping up
after a slow start caused by COVID-19.
Meanwhile, Frontier will take 91
A321neos, Volaris 39, JetSmart 21, plus
two XLRs – all for growth and to replace
older ‘current engine option’ jets.
On day three of the airshow, Jazeera
Airways placed its first direct order
with Airbus for 20 A320neos and eight
A321neos, plus five options. The new
aircraft will replace eight A320ceos
due to be returned to the lessor from
late 2022, as well as offering room to
grow. The Kuwaiti carrier’s CEO, Rohit
Ramachandran, said: “While in the early
days all our aircraft are leased, now we
believe it is the right time to evolve, to
grow and invest in the future. That’s
why we have been in discussions with
Airbus about what we consider a realistic,
modest, digestible order for Jazeera.”
The low-cost firm plans to grow to a
fleet of 30-35, the maximum the Kuwaiti
market can handle, said Ramachandran.

26 January 2022

ABOVE: Boeing and DHL Express signed
an agreement for nine firm orders for the
767-300 Boeing converted freighter
Boeing
LEFT: An A380 Emirates demo flight
on the opening day of the airshow
Airbus/ Jean-Vincent Reymondon
BELOW, LEFT: Vinay Dube, CEO of Akasa
Air, and Stan Deal, Boeing Commercial
Airplanes president and CEO, after
Akasa Air ordered 72 737 MAXs
Boeing
BELOW: Air Tanzania ordered a 787-8 Dreamliner,
a 767-300 freighter and two 737 MAX jets
Boeing Graphic
But there is huge growth potential
in Saudi Arabia, Iran, the former CIS
states, and across Europe. In 2019,
Jazeera launched the longest A320neo
route to London/Gatwick. It has since
moved to Heathrow but Ramachandran
confirmed that Jazeera still plans to serve
Manchester some six months from now.
New Indian LCC Akasa Air ordered 72
Boeing 737 MAX jets – an unspecified
mix of the ’8 and the high-density MAX
200 that already flies with Ryanair and
its subsidiaries. Akasa wants to launch
services from summer 2022, in an already
highly competitive Indian market, which
is currently served by IndiGo, Go First,
SpiceJet, and Vistara, among others.
Another Boeing order came from Air
Tanzania – for a third 787-8, one 767-
300F, and two Boeing MAX – although
they may have been in the backlog as
‘undisclosed’, it seems.
Fuelling success
ALC didn’t just order seven A350Fs but
also converted previous options for 25
A220-300s and added 50 A321neos,
25 A321XLRs, and four A330neos to its
backlog. The A321s are all for delivery from
2026, securing the lessor long-term delivery
slots. Airbus’s Christian Scherer called it
“a smart move [from ALC] to position itself
very early for delivery slots. It underpins the
demand that we see for our product line.”
The A321neo is now sold out until 2026, but
Airbus is working on its ramp-up plans to
produce 75 aircraft per month.
Nigeria’s Ibom Air announced an order
for three A220-300s and seven -100s for
delivery from 2023, with the flexibility to
change the mix. The start-up wet-leased
two A220-300s from EgyptAir, to test the
type and see if it was a good fit. CEO
Mfon Udom confirmed that it was: “Our
passengers simply love it. So, we are here
ordering our A220s. The aircraft offers a
one-stop solution for our domestic and
regional aspirations.
“We have absolutely no doubts in our
minds that we have made the right choice
of aircraft type to power our growth.”
ATR also had a successful airshow, with
orders for 15 ATR 72-600s from Binter
Canarias, TAROM, Air Corsica, and Afrijet,
and a purchase right from new Japanese
airline Toki Air for one ATR 42-600 and an
ATR 42-600S short take-off and landing
version. There were also sales to seven
undisclosed customers.
The launch of Pratt & Whitney’s
PW127XT-M engine for ATR was also
announced. It offers a 3% fuel burn
improvement, 20% lower maintenance
costs, and can stay on the wing until
maintenance for 40% longer.
Embraer notched up sales for three
E175s from Nigeria’s Overland Airways,
taking the Dubai Airshow total orders
and purchase agreements to more than
500 new aircraft – Airbus took 404,
Boeing 78 and ATR 24.
The Russian Irkut MC-21-310 was
also present, however, while Irkut didn’t
announce any orders, it said it had been
in talks with four potential customers. But
then, no deals are done at airshows, are
they? Airbus bucked the trend: “Deals
aren’t done at airshows, but this one was
at the last minute here”, said Christian
Scherer of the Jazeera Airways order.
“While in the early
days all our aircraft are
leased, now we believe
it is the right time to
evolve, to grow and
invest in the future”
Rohit Ramachandran,
Jazeera Airways
January 2022 27
 NEAR
normality?
With copious deals and he latest Dubai Airshow
T
opened on November 14,
international debuts, the 2021, with an impressive
30-minute flypast of mixed
Dubai Airshow 2021 aircraft types from the
was reminiscent of United Arab Emirates Air
Force and Air Defence
pre-pandemic times, (UAEAF&AD). Over the days that followed,
says Alan Warnes a number of military aviation deals
and sales were announced, marking
something of a return to normality for the
industry and the biannual trade show.
As is now tradition, the UAE opened
proceedings, ordering a pair of Airbus
A330 MRTTs, which will increase the
UAEAF&AD’s fleet to five – deliveries are
due to start in 2024.
Deals and more deals
The biggest defence deal came on the
first day of the show, when EDGE Group’s
GAL (Global
Aerospace
THIS IMAGE: Al Fursan, the aerobatics demonstration
team of the United Arab Emirates Air Force, flying Logistics) was
over an Airbus A400M on static display awarded an exclusive
Airbus/Jean-Vincent Reymondon three-year maintenance
28 January 2022
repair and overhaul deal (worth $3bn)
with the UAEAF&AD. The performance-
based logistics arrangement will provide
military MRO services organised under a
cost-per-flying-hour model. The contract
includes 35 types, yet to be disclosed.
The first day of the event also saw
Textron Aviation Defense reveal Thailand
as the first international launch customer
for the Beechcraft AT-6 Wolverine light
attack aircraft. The $143m deal includes
eight AT-6s, along with associated
equipment and services.
Saab hailed the progress being made by
its GlobalEye airborne early warning and
control aircraft. While the type is destined
to serve operationally in Sweden, Saab
was keen to highlight that it will offer two
GlobalEye aircraft to South Korea in 2022.
A source from Pakistan Aeronautical
Complex Kamra told AIR International that
the Qatar Emiri Air Force will likely order
four more MFI-17 Super Mushshak basic
trainers to supplement the eight that
were delivered in 2017. Saudi Arabia also
looks set to upgrade 12 examples of its

ABOVE: A Kuwait Air Force Airbus Helicopters
H225M on display at the Dubai Airshow 2021
Airbus/ Luce Borrel
LEFT: Since being upgraded with a glass cockpit, the
260hp Super Mushshak has found a new lease of
life. The Turkish Air Force is set to receive the first
ten of its 52 aircraft with Garmin avionics in 2022
Key Publishing/Alan Warnes
BELOW: A mock-up of the Calidus B350 with six
hard points under each wing and a retractable
MX-25 under the nose
Key Publishing/Alan Warnes
approximately 18-strong fleet with Garmin
systems. That same source added that
a batch of seven Super Mushshaks of
the 52 on order will be delivered to the
Turkish Air Force before July 2022.
Having made its debut at the Dubai
Airshow in 2009, the Chinese-built
Hongdu L-15A Falcon returned to the
event this year to show off its flying
capabilities and new ground-based
training set-up. The two advanced jet
trainer/light attack aircraft on display
in Dubai have been in the UAE since
October 20, where they are being
evaluated by the UAEAF&AD as a
potential replacement for the 12 Italian-
made Aermacchi MB-339s serving the
local Al Fursan aerobatic team. The Aero
L-39NG is also under consideration.
Calidus developments
UAE’s Calidus finally unveiled a mock-
up of its big B350 BPA (border patrol
aircraft), featuring a huge assortment of
weapons on the 12 hard points under the
wings and elsewhere.
Mustapha Skhiri, Calidus head of
aerospace cluster, told AIR International:
“We are now under contract with the
UAEAF&AD for 12 B250s, with 12
on option. Deliveries are expected to
commence within the next two and a half
years.” He continued: “The B250 will fulfil
a light attack/border patrol aircraft role
and, while not all the weapons have been
decided, the Desert Sting series and
many other EDGE weapons from Halcyon
and Al Tariq will be included.
“The B250 avionics is now being
supplied by CMC Canada, not Rockwell
Collins [as was originally intended]. Longer
term, we believe the B250 can replace the
IOMAX AT802i Archangel, which has a
low speed and is not pressurised.”
Of the B350, Skhiri said: “The B350
is predominantly combat ISR, with six
hardpoints under each wing. It is still a
concept and you will see from the mock-
up that we have a retractable MX-25
under the nose and a Leonardo Osprey
30 AESA radar under the fuselage.
“This will give you an idea of what we
want. As of yet, we don’t know when
development will be completed, perhaps
in a couple of years. The engine will be
a Pratt & Whitney PW127 and a Collins
propeller, the same as on the ATR 72.”
International debuts
Along with a flurry of deals and
announcements, the show also saw a
number of international debuts. India’s
Hindustan Aeronautics introduced its
Tejas light combat aircraft, with an
example in both the flying and static
displays. Meanwhile, Pilatus announced a
new variant of its PC-7 family – the PC-7
MKX – which the company has dubbed
“the world’s best smart basic trainer.”
The Russians were also present, with
a Kamov Ka-52 Alligator in the flying
display and a Mi-28NE Night Hunter
turning heads in the static line-up.
Sukhoi revealed its new fifth-generation
‘Checkmate’ stealth fighter jet to the
media – the first time it had been on show
outside Russia. It seems the world is
slowly starting to open up once again.
January 2022 29
 E E RY
R E N T S
F IV PR IONI
E L LLPICK
I PT ’N’ MIX AERALIS’S MODULAR JETS
D N A CR GROWING
O BS
SU PAINS

EVOLVING THE AN-70

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500/21

EVOLUTIO
As the first metal is cut for the UK’s future Skynet
6 military satellites, Richard Thomas takes a
closer look at the history of the programme
T
he UK opted to create
its own military satellite
communications capability
back in the 1960s, in a bid
to secure its own national
requirements against the
ever-present competition
and, indeed, threat from the Soviet Union
during the Cold War. To this end, Skynet
was created – Skynet 1A was sent into
orbit in 1969 (subsequently followed by
1B in 1970). Launched with the assistance
of US-based facilities, and connected to
a series of UK military communications
32 January 2022
Skynet
sites around the world, the satellites were
the first step of an ambitious plan to
eventually achieve near-global coverage.
However, due to motor issues
affecting 1A and 1B, and the
unsuccessful launch of the
first of their successors,
Skynet 2A, it wasn’t until
1974 and the launch
of Skynet 2B that
the UK could be
considered, at least
in part, as having
an effective and
secure military satellite communications
(SATCOM) system. But then Skynet 3
was cancelled altogether, which meant
the UK was forced to rely on the US for
secure satellite communications capability
once again. However, by the mid 1980s,
the thinking turned to the possibility of a
three-vehicle-strong Skynet 4 effort, later
expanding to six satellites.
Skynet 4 and the A to F family of
satellites were manufactured in the UK
by a variety of companies, such as BAe
Dynamics, Matra Marconi Space and
Astrium, in two three-vehicle batches.
Launched between 1988 and 2001,
they were able to operate in the UHF
(ultra-high frequency), SHF (super-high
frequency) and EHF (extremely high
frequency) ranges. The platforms also
featured anti-jamming systems – some
ONS
continue to provide operational services
to this day.
Fifth generation
While Skynet 4 proved its worth, by the
turn of the millennium, the UK Ministry
of Defence (MOD) was eyeing the next
generation, Skynet 5. In early 2000, the
MOD launched a competition to deliver
a system that would provide SATCOM
services to the UK military, as the
Skynet Batch 2 series was due to reach
the end of its operational life midway
through the following decade.
A new funding approach was also
considered and eventually agreed. It
would see a $3.6bn private finance
initiative used to deliver the programme.
This structure would see AEDS Astrium
(later Airbus Defence and Space)
build, deliver, and operate the platforms,
making bandwidth available to the UK
MOD, for its global communications
requirements. Excess capacity not
utilised by the UK could then to be sold
by the manufacturer/operator to allied
nations – particularly those within the
Five Eyes intelligence community
(comprising the US, UK, Canada,
Australia and New Zealand).
The Skynet 5 programme, delivered
by Airbus as a full service outsource
contract, has provided the UK MOD with
secure military communications services
since 2003, supporting operations in Iraq,
Afghanistan and the Balkans.
The programme was initially built
on legacy Skynet 4 satellites before
launching the Skynet 5A, 5B, 5C and
5D satellites between 2007-12. Since
then, the system has provided all secure
beyond-line-of-sight communications
to the UK MOD in support of global
deployments and missions.
The system, although ageing, is still
being upgraded to extend capabilities
ABOVE: Defence Minister Jeremy Quin (right) starts
production of the UK MOD’s military communications
satellite Skynet 6A, alongside Airbus Defence and
Space chief executive Michael Schoellhorn
Airbus Defence and Space
LEFT: The launch of Skynet 2B in 1974 was regarded
as a positive step in the development of the UK’s
SATCOM capability USAF
FAR LEFT: Airbus was awarded the Skynet 6A
contract in July 2020. Teams across the company’s
UK sites are working on the programme
Airbus Defence and Space
and service life. In Q1 2021, Airbus was
awarded a series of contracts from the
UK MOD, both as part of its programme
of upgrading services for the Skynet 5
military global SATCOM capability and
continued work with the MOD’s Defence
Digital organisation.
Meanwhile, activities taking place in
the maritime domain include introducing
improvements for Maritime Network
Evolution services, to enable continued
Wi-Fi access for deployed personnel
while on operations improvements for
eight SCOT5 FMT ships.
In addition, in a May 5 release, Airbus
stated that it had also been awarded a
contract to provide Ku-band airtime for
the Poseidon P-8 maritime patrol aircraft,
and had agreed renewals to provide
continued Ku-band airtime support for
the UK’s MQ-9A Reaper UAVs.
6A production underway
Never one to stand still, the MOD has
taken the necessary steps to ensure that
the next iteration of the long-serving
January 2022 33
 The Skynet 6A satellite will utilise more of
the radio frequency spectrum available for
satellite communications than the existing
Skynet 5 satellites, and will incorporate
the latest digital processing technology
to provide additional capacity. Complete
satellite integration will take place using
Airbus facilities in the UK, followed by
testing at the National Satellite Test
Facility at Harwell in Oxfordshire.
Richard Franklin, managing director of
Airbus Defence and Space, said: “We
will also be looking [at] future export
opportunities [that] will benefit the wider
space ecosystem, and [we] are actively
engaged with bringing on board a wider
spread of UK SMEs [small and medium-
sized enterprises] to deliver this essential
sovereign capability.”
In November 2020, the programme
achieved its preliminary design review –
a key phase in moving it through to the
critical design review.

Maintaining relevance
A parallel effort undertaken by the MOD
is the Skynet Enduring Capability (SKEC)
programme, initiated in 2020. The aim is
to engage industry on the programme,
which is intended to deliver the next era
of SATCOM for the UK military, by using
space assets and exploring new ways to
monitor and control the platforms.

Skynet capability will be able to enter

orbit in the coming years. According to
Airbus, Skynet 6A is planned for launch
in 2025 and will extend and enhance
the Skynet fleet. The £500m contract –
signed with the UK MOD in July 2020 –
includes the development, manufacture,
cyber protection, assembly, integration,
test and launch of 6A. Up to four
additional satellites could be acquired in
the years ahead.
The contract also covers technology
development programmes, new secure
telemetry, tracking and command
systems, launch, in-orbit testing and
ground segment updates to the current
Skynet 5 system.
In October 2021, the Skynet 6A satellite
– which is based on Airbus’s Eurostar
Neo telecommunications spacecraft
– started going into production. This
followed the first metal-cutting ceremony
at Airbus’ Stevenage facility in the UK,
which was attended by the UK’s Minister
ABOVE: The UK’s military SATCOM capabilities have
for Defence Procurement, Jeremy Quin. come a long way since the programme’s early days
In an October release, Quin commented: USAF
“Secure military satellite communications
are vital for our ability to conduct TOP: Launch of the first Skynet satellite, Skynet 1A,
operations on a global scale. Seeing the by Delta rocket in 1969 from Cape Canaveral
first hardware for the next-generation NASA
Skynet 6A satellite shows we are on track RIGHT: The US Space Force’s SMC and UK MOD
for launch in 2025 and ready to upgrade teams used the Multi-Band Test Terminal, shown
and enhance the UK’s global military here, for the PTW demo on July 13, 2020
communications network.” MIT Lincoln Labs

34 January 2022
 When the programme began in 2020,
the MOD said new technologies and
services in the space sector were
“emerging all the time”, along with new
threats and other risk factors, as the
domain gets increasingly congested and
competitive. The ever-increasing demand
for bandwidth – civil, commercial and
military – further raises the stakes in
ensuring that SATCOM is available on a
24/7 basis all year round.
It is thought that, following industry
interest, the MOD could provide further
clarity in Q1 2022, regarding the kinds
of capabilities and requirements it
envisages for the UK’s future space
SATCOM systems. Areas of potential
interest include propulsion technologies;
launch strategies; inter-satellite links;
communications security; telemetry,
“Secure military satellite communications are
vital for our ability to conduct operations on a
global scale. Seeing the first hardware for the
next-generation Skynet 6A satellite shows we
are on track for launch in 2025”
Jeremy Quin, UK Minister for Defence Procurement
tracking and command technologies;
ground segment and global footprint;
satellite-based situational awareness
technologies; and in-orbit servicing.
The MOD anticipates that the SKEC
satellites will be in service until at least
2040, with an emphasis placed not only
on current technologies in these areas but
also those emerging or at the early stages
of research and design.
In July 2021, in written evidence to
the UK parliament, Airbus stated that
SKEC would “define and build the UK’s
government satellite communications
into the 2040s, addressing future threats,
such as advanced jamming technologies
and anti-satellite weapons.”
Furthermore, the company stated that
development work “should begin as
soon as possible with the UK’s only
manufacturer of large satellites – Airbus.
Without Airbus leadership in Skynet,
the UK would be unlikely to continue to
manufacture large satellites in 2040. Put
plainly, the UK space manufacturing base
would be gutted, and work would have to
go elsewhere.”
In addition, in July 2020, Los Angeles
Air Force Base in California revealed that
the US Space Force and the UK MOD
successfully conducted a demonstration
of the US Protected Tactical Waveform
(PTW) over the Skynet satellite system.
The PTW capability, according to the
US Space Force, has superior data
rates and anti-jamming performance to
existing systems, with the demonstration
marking the first step in showcasing
the compatibility of the system with an
international partner.
Command and control
However, an interesting future change will
see the operational control of the current
Skynet 5 and future Skynet 6 networks
split between UK Strategic Command
(which will retain the former) and the
newly created UK Space Command
(which will lead on the latter once the
system enters service).
According to the UK MOD, Space
Command has been established as a
Joint Command, staffed by members of
the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air
Force, the Civil Service and members
of the commercial sector. It will work
alongside the MOD Space Directorate,
which is responsible for defence space
policy, strategy and cross-government
and international co-ordination. In
addition, UK Space Command will
interact with the UK Space Agency,
when necessary, to deliver on national
space capability requirements, and has
been provided an initial £1.4bn, ten-year
funding package.
It is not known exactly when the
handover of Skynet 6 responsibilities
will occur between UK Strategic
Command and UK Space Command.
Although, in mid 2021, an MOD
spokesman told AIR International that
“the passage of control of Skynet will be
conditions based” and transition would
be announced “in due course.”
Regarding the delivery of a UK-based
space launch capability, the MOD
spokesman said that timelines remained
“under discussion”.
Given the decades of history of the
entire programme, from its earliest
inception to the aspirational future
capabilities that will be provided, the
Skynet programme is an often unsung,
or even unknown, aspect of the UK’s
military capability. In the network-centric
future battlespace, such systems, and
the ability to harden and defend them
where necessary, will become ever more
pressing as the domain in which they are
placed becomes more competitive.
January 2022 35
Airbus A350-1000 landing gear,
made by Safran Landing Systems
Airbus/S Ramadier

Braki
Brak
 Mark Broadbent
looks at the latest in brake
systems, from new technologies
and materials to how specialist suppliers
are positioning themselves for recovery
espite the impact of COVID-19 on air travel over the past

D
couple of years, there remain firm predictions for surging
demand for new aircraft over the long term. In line with the
optimistic outlook, the wheels and brakes market segment is
forecast to be worth $12.14bn by 2028, according to August
2021 research by the US venture capital firm Insight Partners.
Steel brakes are of course the traditional aircraft braking
system, but carbon brakes are now widely used. Richard Morris, vice-
president sales and marketing at brakes manufacturer Meggitt, told AIR
International: “For the right aircraft, carbon allows us to offer customers
a more cost-effective lifetime solution than steel.”

Carbon versus steel

Safran Landing Systems introduced carbon brakes to the commercial
aviation industry on airliners in the mid-1980s (it was Messier-Bugatti-
Dowty at the time). Today, the Insight Partners report said, “Carbon
brakes are compatible with all modern commercial and military
aircraft models, which enable retrofitting with ease.”
A 2014 article in Boeing’s in-house technical magazine,

king
ing good
good January 2022 37
 “For the right aircraft, carbon allows us to
offer customers a more cost-effective lifetime
solution than steel” Richard Morris, Meggitt
AERO, explained: “Carbon brakes offer
a significant weight saving compared
to steel brakes, which translates into a
lighter airplane and directly contributes
to decreased fuel consumption and
reductions in engine emissions.”
The article continued: “Carbon brakes
also offer other advantages over steel
Safran Landing Life
In October 2021 Safran Landing Systems
launched Landing Life, a new portal for
operators designed to meet customers’
critical requirements, namely keeping
aircraft flying, optimising lifecycle costs
and sharing expertise.
Customers log into the portal to identify the
solution appropriate to their needs, such as
requesting emergency assistance in aircraft-
on-ground situations. They can consult
technical publications, search for information
by product or aircraft type and make online
reservations for training sessions.
Landing Life also includes Expert Link, a
video assistance application for operators’
technicians to consult Safran support teams
by using a tablet or smartphone.
Other features of the new portal include
advanced data analysis services, such
as predictive maintenance, enabling
Safran engineers to provide operational
recommendations to help improve equipment
management efficiency, reduce maintenance
costs, and avoid flight cancellations.
Safran Landing Systems said there is a
guaranteed response time of within four
hours in aircraft-on-ground situations.
A company spokesperson highlighted
to AIR International the key objectives of
Landing Life: providing solutions tailored
to customers’ needs, expertise through the
entire product life cycle and positioning the
company “not only as an OEM but also as
a service provider”.
Other objectives are to make accessible
the company’s global network of nearly a
dozen MRO centres worldwide operating
24/7, improve the sharing of expertise via the
portal and respond to what it calls a focus on
continuously improving operations to match
customers’ evolving needs.
38 January 2022
brakes, including improved brake
performance, high temperature stability,
better wear characteristics and longer life,
and the ability to reuse worn carbon disks
to make refurbished carbon disks that
would otherwise end up being disposed
of in a landfill.”
Safran Landing Systems’ carbon brakes
feature on the Boeing 737NG/MAX, the
787 Dreamliner and Airbus A320ceo/neo
and A350 family. The company says its
products are “the lightest on the market”,
offering “weight savings of up to 320kg
per set compared to steel brakes”.
Increased efficiency and durability
are among the brakes’ other benefits.
According to Safran, a carbon brakes-
equipped 737 can conduct 2,200
landings between overhauls. They offer
2,500 landings on A320neo family aircraft
and 2,000 landings for those on the A350.
The company said in a September 2021
statement that “almost 3,500 aircraft [are]
equipped or committed to Safran at over
100 operators” worldwide. Flair Airlines,
a start-up Canadian ultra low-cost carrier,
is a recent new customer, signing a deal
for the company to provide wheels/brakes
maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) for
its eight Boeing 737-800s and three MAX 8s.
Safran Landing Systems’ carbon brakes
on the A320 and A350 include fans to
increase airflow around the braking system,
cooling down the brakes between two
flights, thereby boosting aircraft utilisation. runway de-icer being used by the airport
so they can take appropriate maintenance
Tackling oxidisation and planning actions” as further ways
As the 2014 Boeing AERO technical to minimise the problem. It also called
article noted, however, there is a on brake manufacturers to develop anti-
downside to carbon brakes. They oxidation coatings for application to
“become contaminated by runway carbon brakes.
de-icers during taxi, take-off and landing Since that piece was written, Safran
when runway de-icers splash onto the has developed what it calls a “new anti-
carbon brake”. oxidation protection” called Anoxy 360
De-icers contain alkali metal, which to extend carbon brakes’ lifetime and
cannot be removed if it meets carbon. provide improved resistance to oxidation.
The article said: “Subsequent exposure Boeing identified other ways operators
on successive take-off and landing could minimise the effects: using
cycles, combined with the braking action touchdown speeds and landing points
of the aircraft, leads to the mechanical that reduce the amount of kinetic energy
and structural degradation of the carbon
disks. Catalytic oxidation of the carbon
does result in decreased service life
(premature removal) of a carbon brake.”
According to the AERO piece, eliminating
or reducing catalytic oxidation on carbon
brakes “requires an industry-wide
effort” from airlines, airports and other
parties to select de-icers that offer the
lowest mean normalised carbon weight
loss percentage to minimise catalytic
oxidation. AERO identified improving
brake-inspection techniques and airlines
becoming “cognisant of the type of
absorbed by brakes during landing and
lowering the brake temperatures, as
well as using mechanical snow-removal
methods “as much as possible to reduce
the amount of runway de-icer used”.
Exploring electric avenues
Electric hydraulic brakes are another
innovation in the wheels and brakes
market. The Boeing 787, which in late
October 2021 achieved ten years in
service, was the first commercial aircraft
to be equipped with these.
Traditionally, pneumatic power, created
by high-pressure bleed air diverted
from the engines, fed the mechanical
systems that drove the brakes and an
aircraft’s other key functions such as its
auxiliary power unit starter, hydraulics
and pressurisation. On the 787, however,
electrical power is used instead.
Boeing explained the significance of the
Dreamliner’s electric brakes in an edition
of AERO: "Electric brakes significantly
reduce the mechanical complexity of the
braking system and eliminate the potential
for delays associated with leaking brake
hydraulic fluid, leaking valves and other
hydraulic failures."
This makes possible the continuous
monitoring of the brakes’ wear, which
Boeing says eliminates scheduled visual
brake-wear inspections and detects
faults. The brakes even monitor the
braking force of a parked aircraft and
automatically adjust pressure as they
cool. Safran Landing Systems supplies
the 787’s electric brakes.
Global facilities
Major aerospace wheels and brakes
specialist Meggitt recently opened a new
global wheels/brakes production and
MRO facility for Europe, at Ansty in the
UK’s West Midlands.
Richard Morris, vice president of
Meggitt’s sales and marketing, described
the new facility to AIR International

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE:

Lufthansa Technik offers MRO on wheels and brakes
for all Airbus and Boeing products as well as some
Embraer and Bombardier ones; pictured here is the
gear on a 747-8 Lufthansa Technik

The Boeing 787 was the first commercial airliner with

electric brakes Boeing/Alan Marts

Ansty, Warwickshire is home to Meggitt’s new wheels/

brakes production and MRO facility Meggitt

Safran Landing Systems’ latest wheels and brakes

facility in Grand Prairie opened in September 2021
Safran Landing Systems

January 2022 39

as “a centre for our technology
development”. He explained: “We are
investing heavily in capacity expansion,
driven by increasing demand for carbon
technology products, which are prevalent
in the shorter-haul airline sector. We’re
also working hard to ensure that our
manufacturing capacity expansion is done
as sustainably as possible.
“Technology wise, we always
concentrate our efforts on areas that
result in lower operating costs for our
customers, as well as developing smarter
systems and more durable materials that
keep our brakes on the aircraft for longer.”
Commenting on the MRO aspect of
Meggitt’s aerospace wheels and brakes
presence, Morris added: “We’re seeing
airlines increasing their flight operations
again after COVID-19, which is particularly
the case with our US domestic operators.
This trend is helping to drive positive
growth in our brakes order book.”
Meggitt recently announced its wheels
and brakes will equip Gulfstream’s two
40 January 2022
Meggitt will supply wheels and brakes for
the newly launched Gulfstream G800 bizjet
Gulfstream Aerospace
latest business jets, the 8,000nm-range
G800 and 4,200nm large-cabin G400,
launched at the October 2021 National
Business Aviation Association conference
in Savannah, Georgia.
Aside from commercial aircraft, Meggitt’s
systems also equip the Eurofighter
Typhoon. Other military aircraft to feature
carbon brakes are the Dassault Rafale
and Airbus A400M, supplied in both
cases by Safran Landing Systems.
US expansion
Meggitt is not the only wheels/brakes
provider to recently open new facilities.
Safran opened a new brakes maintenance
facility in Grand Prairie near Dallas, Texas in
September 2021 after receiving US Federal
Aviation Administration approval a month
earlier. A Safran spokesperson told AIR
International the 31,000sq ft facility, “is fully
operational to provide wheels and carbon
brakes maintenance and logistics services
to Safran’s low-cost and legacy airline
customers, as well as to the United States
OPPOSITE:
Lufthansa Technik repairs and overhauls more than
30,000 wheels and about 5,000 brake sets a year
in Frankfurt, Germany. Work undertaken there and
in London and Los Angeles ranges from tyre or
heat sink changes to complete gear overhauls as
well as minor and major repairs
Lufthansa Technik
BELOW AND LEFT:
Meggitt offers a range of apprenticeships, covering
everything from electronic/electromechanical roles
to logistics specialisms. It says it is “investing
heavily in capacity expansion” and aiming to provide
cost-effective solutions for its customers
Meggitt
Air Force and United States Navy in support
of their Safran-equipped military platforms”.
Safran CEO Cédric Goubet said:
“The opening of the Dallas shop is an
important milestone in Safran Landing
Systems’ long-term commitment to
strengthen our wheels and brakes repair
network in the United States.”
The facility joins the company’s other
MRO shops in: Milwaukee, Wisconsin;
Miami, Florida; Bethlehem, Pennsylvania;
and Las Vegas, Nevada. These offer
a combined footprint of 150,000sq ft.
A Safran statement said: “They are
operating in full co-operation with our
manufacturing plant in Walton, Kentucky,
where wheels, brakes, and carbon heat
sinks are produced.”
Mike Buckley, president of Safran
Wheel and Brake Repair and Services,
commented: “This expansion allows us
to better serve our airline partners, in
the framework of the post-COVID traffic
recovery and strong ramp-up in activity
that the industry is experiencing.
Checking brakes
Lufthansa Technik is one of the main players
offering maintenance and testing on aircraft
wheels and brakes as part of its wider
comprehensive maintenance, repair and
overhaul services.
The company undertakes overhauls on
“all types” of Airbus and Boeing airliners,
and Embraer and Bombardier types, at its
main Frankfurt facility in Germany, where it
works on around 32,000 wheels and about
5,000 brake sets each year. All varieties of
brake – the newer carbon and electric types
as well as traditional steel ones – can be
handled. Work ranges from tyre or heat sink
changes to complete gear overhauls and
minor and major repairs.
Lufthansa Technik said: “Each wheel or
brake passes through numerous stations
until finally, after a thorough check, it is
approved in the final inspection and release
to service.”
Extensive non-destructive testing (NDT)
takes place to clear each part for service.
All the records of testing, repairs and
modifications on each part are documented
in a workshop data system and are available
on demand by customers.
In addition to the Frankfurt facility,
Lufthansa Technik has two other landing
gear maintenance facilities: Lufthansa
Technik Landing Gear Services UK (near
London/Heathrow Airport) and Hawker Pacific
Aerospace (close to Burbank Airport, Los
Angeles, California).
The facility near London's Heathrow has
a 144,000sq ft (13,400m²) shop and the
Hawker Pacific facility is 190,00sq ft
(17,651m²). As with Frankfurt, both spaces
are fully equipped with machinery for all
aircraft undercarriage related work, including
machining, bush manufacturing, NDT,
electrical harness repair and hydraulic work.
 “The life extension of the carbon heat sink pack used for the brakes and the
improvement of the anti-oxidisation are key topics” Safran Landing Systems

“In addition to the logistics benefits
that this network provides, our facilities
have also enhanced their turnkey
solutions, such as machining and
metal improvement capabilities,” he
added. “This will increase efficiencies,
add value to our customers’ supply
chains, and allow them to focus on
their core business.”
Safran recently signed a five-year
contract with China Eastern Airlines to
carry out A330 landing gear maintenance
at the carrier’s Singapore facility.
Fresh technology
Recent years have seen commercial
aircraft manufacturers go all-out to improve
performance and introduce efficiencies
for their latest designs, whether with ‘big-
ticket’ items such as new-generation
engines, improving aerodynamics and
using lighter components and materials
to reduce weight.
Safran Landing Systems told AIR
International: “We are working on and
introducing new technologies dealing with
weight savings on existing aircraft,

January 2022 41
 “We are working on new technologies dealing with weight savings, predictive
maintenance... and also with modular, generic and reusable control units”
Safran Landing Systems
predictive maintenance with some airlines
that are operating A350 aircraft and also
with modular, generic and reusable control
units dedicated to ATA 32 systems.”
ATA 32 systems are units that are
designed to contribute to the optimum
control of all landing gear parameters
during taxiing, take-off and landing
phases. Safran said: “For ATA 32
systems, there are no regulation changes
at this stage.
”However, from the perspective of having
a greener and safer planet, we could
expect some regulation changes to meet
these strong ecological challenges.”
Operational interruptions
What do the specialist suppliers believe
are the key future requirements for
landing/braking systems?
Safran Landing Systems’ spokesperson
said: “We anticipate that customers will
ask more for operational interruptions
[OI] reduction. Thanks to health
monitoring, with a more connected and
electric aircraft, we could achieve this
requirement. The real life and operational
conditions of our equipment are better
known, and removal could be anticipated
to avoid OI.
Falcon 50 brake failure
On September 27, 2018 Dassault Falcon
50 N114TD, operated by Air America Flight
Services, was destroyed following a runway
excursion at Greenville Downtown Airport,
South Carolina, killing the two pilots and
seriously injuring two passengers.
A subsequent National Transportation Safety
Board (NTSB) investigation analysis of the
cockpit voice recorder found the pilot and
co-pilot stated the brakes were not operating
“several times” before the aircraft went over
an embankment and came to a stop.
CT scans showed a broken joint and a
bent pin connection on the Falcon’s anti-
skid system components. Functional tests
revealed a failure in the operation of the left-
side inboard wheel speed transducer, and
a visual inspection found the wiring to the
right-side outboard transducer was reversed.
The NTSB discovered that despite a
2018 work order to restore the aircraft’s
serviceability after four years in storage,
only 60% of the work required had been
carried out.
The board’s report identified that the
main and nose landing gear had last been
overhauled on July 23, 2002.
It revealed: “The overhaul interval was 12
years or 6,000 landings, whichever came
first. As a result, a landing gear overhaul
should have been performed no later than
December 23, 2014.”
42 January 2022
Safran is one of the best known
wheels and brakes manufacturers
Safran Landing Systems/Thierry Mamberti
“Another strong requirement is the
reduction of pollution, noise, and NOx/
CO2 emissions. The life extension of
the carbon heat sink pack used for the
brakes and the improvement of the anti-
oxidisation are [other] key topics.”
Meggitt’s Morris responded: “Safety
is always the number one performance
requirement. Thereafter, it’s about
delivering an economical solution that
enables our customers to run their
business. These requirements directly
align with the areas that Meggitt invests
in, and again our focus is on developing
smarter systems and more durable
materials that keep our brakes on the
airplane for longer.
“Utilising materials and developing
technologies which make aircraft lighter
is almost always a good thing too,
especially for reducing carbon emissions
as the airline industry seeks to reduce the
environmental impact of operations.”
Looking to the future
Safran Landing Systems’ spokesperson
said that, in practice, this meant the
company is “working on materials and
additive manufacturing to decrease the
weight of our products” and reduce
carbon emissions.
“On the materials side we are also
working on the material protections to
decrease the corrosion occurring during
in-service operation,” they added.
In anticipation of the future wave of
aircraft using hybrid-electric or fully
electric technologies, Safran is also
developing ‘more electric’ systems.
The spokesperson explained: “For
example, a braking system using electro-
mechanical actuators, or a landing gear
extension and retraction system using
electro-hydrostatic actuators. Electric
power supplies are provided to these
systems and no more hydraulic power
supplies come from the aircraft central
hydraulic generators.”
The spokesperson continued: “Another
system that is under study is electric taxiing.
This system enables the aircraft to perform
pushback at the gate without a tug and
enables it also to move on the taxiways
without having the engines running. The
main benefits are the reduction of CO2
emissions [carbon footprint], NOx emissions
and noise reduction. We are working on
disruptive technologies like printed sensors,
artificial intelligence analysis and new data
sciences generation.”
Meggitt’s Morris said: “New aircraft
generally pose new technical challenges,
which can differ from programme to
programme. We have shown our ability
to provide flexible bespoke solutions, via
our comprehensive system engineering
capability in all things brakes, from the
latest lightweight carbon technologies to
anti-skid and control systems.”
Despite the issues around the
practicality of carbon brakes identified
earlier, Morris remains optimistic: “It is
likely that such systems will be more
widely adopted by aircraft designers
to leverage the reductions in weight
and the increase in prognostic capability
they enable”.
Checking In
What do you think will be the
next significant aircraft brakes
innovation and why?
Share your view at
airinternational@keypublishing.com
under the subject heading Checking In.
 Airinternational.com
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 The development of
stand-off air-launched
cruise missiles has
increased lethality for
their operators and
proved their worth in
combat missions.
Tim Fish reports.
The LRASM is expected to play an increasingly
important role in the Indo-Pacific in the event of a
conflict between China and the US. It will be the go-
to weapon for strike against the surface action groups
of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) as they
compete for naval dominance in the Western Pacific
Lockheed Martin
ir-launched cruise
A
missiles (ALCMs) are
extremely important
weapons that enable
an air force’s ability
to manoeuvre. This is
because they are stand-
off missiles that allow an air force to
operate outside the range of enemy air
defences. Bombers can deploy ALCMs to
attack targets and conduct suppression
of enemy air defence (SEAD) missions
from distance without having to get
too close to anti-air systems risking the
platforms and crew.
After completing a SEAD mission and
using ALCMs to degrade air defences, it
means that other attack aircraft can then
operate more safely and effectively in
enemy airspace, including non-combatant
aircraft such as tankers.
ALCMs were first developed in the 1970s
with propulsion systems that gave them
additional range compared to standard
missiles. Since then, developments
in guidance systems, materials and
44 January2022
Fire
for effect
propulsion systems have increased the
capabilities of ALCMs over earlier variants
so they are smaller and light enough to be
carried by multirole fighter aircraft as well
as bombers.
ALCMs can be broadly separated into
two categories: anti-ship cruise missiles
(ASCMs); and land attack cruise missiles
(LACMs). Traditionally ALCMs are capable
of carrying nuclear or conventional
warheads, although since the end of the
Cold War the number of nuclear payloads
fitted to ALCMs has reduced significantly
but they still remain part of the US and
Russian nuclear triad.
ASCMs were the more popular variant
of ALCM until the Gulf War in 1991,
during which the success of the weapons
raised the profile of LACMs driving new
international development programmes.
Technology also played a part. Until this
point LACMs had required sophisticated
navigation and guidance systems that
used high accuracy inertial navigation,
terrain contour matching (TERCOM)
correlation and distance matching, but
the advent of GPS providing a high
degree of precision along with advanced
signal processing changed that dynamic.
Since the 1990s technology for ALCMs
has advanced considerably providing
much longer ranges and faster missile
speeds as well as improved guidance
and control and improved stealth and
increased automation. In more recent
years improvements in ramjet and turbojet
propulsion systems mean the range of
ALCMs has increased further, designs
have reduced the radar cross section
and detectability of the weapons and
advances in electronics have improved
guidance further still.
In response, air defence systems are
being designed to more effectively
counter the cruise missile threat by
detecting and intercepting the missiles
themselves rather than trying to destroy
the bomber and fighter platforms that
launch them as these will be out of range.
Therefore, to ensure that ALCMs
remain effective, the trends to increase
range, accuracy and survivability are
set to continue and the proliferation
of ALCMs as a weapon of choice for
leading militaries and the size of weapon
stockpiles will expand in the coming
decades. To support the demand for
more stand-off capability that can defeat
the latest air defence systems, several
new ALCMs are under development in
both LACM and ASCM categories.
JASSM and LRASM
The US is by far the largest operator
of ALCMs, predominantly due to its
extensive stockpile of AGM-158A Joint
Air-to-Surface Stand-off Missile (JASSM),
a subsonic LACM that has a range of
370km and uses GPS and imaging
infrared (IIR) guidance.
With an inventory in several thousands,
the US Air Force (USAF) is heavily reliant
on its JASSM-A and -B variant missiles
and the JASSM-Extended Range
(JASSM-ER), which is replacing them,
especially after the USAF retired its older
AGM-86C/D ALCMs in December 2019.
The JASSM-ER variant was introduced
in 2014 and has greater fuel capacity
providing additional range beyond 500km.
Meanwhile, development of a new
AGM-158-D (JASSM-D, or JASSM-
Extreme Range/JASSM-XR) variant is
underway and has reached the Low-
Rate Initial Production (LRIP) stage. The
-D is expected to have a range in excess
of 1,000km and will be used to counter
long-range theatre integrated air defence
systems like Russia’s S-400 Triumf.
Production was due to start in 2021 with
deliveries expected in 2023.
In terms of developmental ASCMs,
the USAF is introducing the AGM-158C
Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM).
It is an anti-ship variant of the JASSM-
ER with a reported range of 926km and
has achieved early operational capability
(EOC) on the B-1B bomber and US Navy
F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.
There is potential for use on the P-8A
Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft.
Lockheed Martin is under contract for
LRASM through to Lot 4/5, which was a
combined lot awarded in Q1 2021. The
company is currently delivering its Lot 2
missiles. A spokesperson from Lockheed
Martin told AIR International that the
benefits of the new missile compared
to existing weapons like JASSM “is the
multi-mode sensor, allowing LRASM to
target, identify, classify, and prosecute
moving ships at sea.”
The next generation seeker system
for LRASM is being developed by BAE
Systems. Larry Glennon, Small Form
Factor Solutions Product Line Director
at BAE Systems, told AIR International
that qualification of the seeker will be
completed at the end of 2021 and will be
fitted to LRASM from Lot 4 onwards with
deliveries due to begin in Q2 2022.
Using advanced EW technology
LRASM “is designed to detect and
destroy specific targets within groups
of ships”, the Lockheed Martin
spokesperson explained. This indicates
the direction of travel for the development
of ALCMs to become more capable and
accurate weapons in a high-intensity
conflict environment.
January2022 45

As well as the US, the AGM-158 JASSM is in-service in Australia, Finland, South Korea and Poland. It was first
used in 2018 during USAF air strikes from the B-1B bomber on Syrian targets USAF
Glennon said that certain ships are
“more strategically valuable as targets
than others” and those ships can be
protected in a grouping of ships with
advanced defensive capabilities. “Being
able to single them out and penetrate
advanced defensive systems is a critical
warfighting capability,” he explained.
Furthermore, LRASM technology will
reduce dependence on ISR platforms,
network links, and GPS navigation
in aggressive electronic warfare
environments. “This advanced guidance
operation means the weapon can use
gross target cueing data to find and
destroy its pre-defined target in denied
environments, adding precision lethality,”
the Lockheed Martin spokesperson said.
LRASM need to be less dependent on
traditional navigation, Glennon elaborated,
In operation since the 1950s the B-52
Stratofortress has hosted a variety of nuclear
and non-nuclear weapon payloads and is set to
be fitted with the Long Range Stand-Off weapon
and AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response
(ARRW) hypersonic missile in the future USAF
46 January2022
“because traditional navigation technology
like GPS and data links can be disrupted,
causing weapons that rely exclusively
on them to miss their targets. Alternative
precision guidance capabilities enable
precision strikes in denied environments”.
LRSO update
The USAF is also updating its nuclear-
capable ALCM capability with the
procurement of the Long Range Stand-
Off (LRSO) missile. This is to ensure that
the US can maintain the bomber part
of its nuclear triad. The USAF has only
20 B-2 bombers in its fleet, and with
the delay in the introduction of the B-21
bomber to the mid-2020s, this means it
has to rely on its B-52 bombers to make
up a considerable portion of the bomber
leg of the triad.
Wes Rumbaugh, an associate fellow
in the Missile Defense Project at Center
for Strategic and International Studies
(CSIS), told AIR International that because
the B-52s are “unable to penetrate” or
“really get into areas that are denied
by adversary air defence capabilities” it
means that a stand-off cruise missile like
LRSO is needed “to be able to deliver
those weapons effectively”.
Rumbaugh suggested that it is likely,
considering the history of ALCM
development, that a conventional variant
of the LRSO could be developed.
Because LRSO is expected to have a
longer range than the JASSM-ER, it
means that the USAF would look into this
as an option to add to its arsenal.
“SEAD is a very important mission.
And one that is of particular importance
for the American way of war that is very
reliant on using its air force for access
and has relied on air dominance and
air supremacy as a cornerstone of the
American way of fighting conflicts. So
ensuring a long range stand-off capability
for the US Air Force is quite important,”
Rumbaugh explained.
Sino-Russian efforts
For other countries ALCMs are equally as
important a weapon but for very different
reasons. For Russia and China these
weapons are an essential part of their
anti-access area denial (A2AD) defensive
strategies that aims to keep US naval and
air power at a distance from their shores.
Russia has been investing in ALCMs
since the early 2000s and has been
developing its long-range strike
capabilities. Russia’s main LACM is the
 Like the USAF B-52 the Tu-95 Bear is a 1950s
vintage design. However, recent upgrades have
allowed the aircraft to be equipped with up to eight
Kh-101/102 cruise missiles. Russia’s TASS agency
reported in August that a contract has been signed
to upgrade the aircraft to the Tu-95MSM standard
UK MOD

To boost its LACM capability, Russia’s use on smaller platforms. China’s ALCM
Tactical Missiles Corporation completed development was kick-started with
the development of the Grom-E1 cruise assistance from Russia in the early 2000s
missile in 2019 designed for the Russian but since then it has been providing ever
Air Force’s fourth and fifth generation larger funds for the development of its
fighters. At the MAKS 2015 exhibition own missiles and wants to increase its
the Grom-E1 was seen fitted under inventory in the People’s Liberation Army
the wing of a MiG-35. With a weight Air Force (PLAAF).
of 594kg, length of 4.2m and using The main weapons include the
INS and GLONASS guidance it can Changjian-20 (CJ-20), KD-63, YJ-83K
be launched from 120km away but and YJ-12.
The capabilities of the JASSM cruise missile are
operates at high speed delivering a large These are being fitted to the PLAAF’s
being updated with new variants to ensure that the
weapon remains capable in the near future. The high explosive warhead. H-6 bomber but the service is also
USAF will rely on this missile in any long-range Russia is developing the Kh-50, a starting to fit them to its newer aircraft
missile exchange Lockheed Martin subsonic cruise missile also known as including the J-16 and J-10C fighters.
the X-50 with a reported range of up to The CJ-20 is the air-launched variant of
1,500km. Development is ongoing and the CJ-10 ground-launched LACM and
“Being able to single although tests were conducted in 2016 reportedly entered service in 2018.
little has been reported since then. It is a subsonic weapon using GPS
[ships] out and Meanwhile, the joint Indian/Russian and TERCOM for guidance and is likely
Brahmos-A variant is undergoing already fitted to the new long-range
penetrate advanced trials and has achieved a fleet release H-6N bomber (unveiled in 2019) and is
clearance for use on the Su30MKI thought to have a range estimated at
defensive systems is aircraft. It has a range of 290km and about 1,500-2,200km.
speed of Mach 2.8 and a new smaller/ The US DOD’s 2021 annual report on
a critical warfighting lighter Brahmos-NG (Next Generation) China stated that the existing modernised
variant is also being studied for possible H-6K bomber can carry up to six CJ-20
capability”
Kh-101 that can reach speeds of Mach
0.8 and a range of up to 4,500km. The
weapon was fired for the first time in
Syria in 2015 fitted to the new Tu-160
Blackjack and Tu-95MSM Bear-H
strategic bombers.
The nuclear-capable Kh-102 variant
is also operational. It uses GLONASS,
the Russian version of GPS with
TERCOM for guidance and IIR in the
terminal phase.
Russia also uses the Club-A air-launched
ASCM and LACM variant of the 3M-54
Kalibr ship- and submarine-launched
cruise missile and the existing Kh-59
LACM has been around since the 1970s
– although newer variants have upgraded
electronics and guidance, increased An artist’s impression of the LRASM being fired from a F/A-18 fighter. It is expected to become the second most
range and payload. common ALCM after the JASSM BAE Systems

January2022 47
 An upgraded variant of the H-6, the H-6K
bomber of China’s People’s Liberation
Army Air Force. It has about a dozen in
service with up to six spaces for a variety
of different cruise or stand-off missiles
Japan MOD
LACMs giving the PLAAF “the ability
to engage US forces as far away as
Guam.” It added: “The PLAN is currently
fielding the H-6J bomber, a maritime
derivative of the H-6K, which can carry
up to six supersonic YJ-12 ASCMs
each, allowing for saturation attacks
against US naval groups within the
Second Island Chain.
”These will supplement the existing
PLAN H-6G bombers capable of
carrying up to four YJ-12 ASCMs.”
The YJ-12 has been in-service since
the 2000s.
It has a range of 400km and
operates at high speeds of Mach
3 making it difficult to engage and
represents the mainstay of China’s
A2AD capability and a considerable
threat to the US Navy.
To add to this threat, in 2018 the CSIS
Missile Defense Project reported that
China had test-fired its new HD-1A
supersonic cruise missile – known as an
aircraft carrier killer.
With a range of 290km it uses GPS
and IIR guidance and is undergoing
trials with plans to fit them to the
PLAAF’s fleet of bombers and fighters.
Saab’s RBS15 Mk4 Gungnir cruise missile
is the latest development in the family
of missiles intended to keep the design
relevant and effective in future conflicts
Saab
48 January2022
Global expansion
Other notable advances include the
development of the RBS15 Mk4 ‘Gungnir’
ASCM from Swedish company Saab.
It has been slated to have a range of
300km using active radar guidance.
Missile development and platform
integration work with the Gripen fighter is
underway with plans for an introduction
into service in 2025. It is also available for
surface-launch.
In Turkey, Roketsan – in partnership with
Lockheed Martin – has developed the
SOM-J stand-off cruise missile that was
to be used on the F-35 aircraft, although
the country has been removed from the
stealth fighter programme following its
acquisition of the Russian S-400 missile
defence system. A development of the
earlier SOM-A and -B cruise missiles the
-J variant will have an armour-piercing
warhead. Roketsan has also signed an
agreement with Airbus to integrate SOM
missiles onto the Typhoon fighter.
Furthermore, Brazil’s Avibras is
developing the 300km range Missil de
Cruzeiro de Longo Alcance do Brasil
(MICLA-BR) subsonic ASCM with
plans to integrate the system onto the
Brazilian Air Force Gripen jets. It already
completed trials on its F-5EM aircraft in
2019. Elsewhere Ukraine is developing the
RK-360MT Neptune for its Su-24M aircraft.
Deliveries of the land-based version were
due to be delivered in 2021 under a
contract between the Ukrainian MOD and
manufacturer Luch Design Bureau.
Given the nature of the modern, and
evolving battlespace, the ability to deliver
stand-off effect without risking human
operator and gold-plated expensive
platforms signifies the clear direction
of travel for industry and operator alike.
Not quite a new missile age, but the
realisation and refinement of a capability
that promises to influence operational
planners, both offensive and defensive,
for the foreseeable future.
Checking In
What impact will advanced missile
systems have in the next decade?
Share your view at
airinternational@keypublishing.com
under the subject heading Checking In.
 AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT IS COMPLIMENTARY* TO ALL QUALIFIED PERSONNEL
Management
DRONE THREATS
ADDRESSING DRONE THREATS
COLLABORATIVELY
nmanned aircraft are
U
increasingly populating
airspaces around the
globe, whether they
are being used for
recreational purposes,
operational applications or, in the future,
for home delivery. When they operate
in the vicinity of airports, they can pose
a threat to safety and security, often
forcing ATC and airport authorities to
suspend activities and divert flights
until the situation is resolved. Damage
caused by unmanned systems colliding
with airframes or being sucked into
engine intakes may result in sudden loss
of control or thrust. During take-off or
landing, when airplanes have limited
maneuverability due to their lower
airspeeds, a drone collision can have
tragic consequences.
Drone sightings around of airports
can be the result of unintentional
incursions, often caused by recreational
users lacking proper training or
misunderstanding airspace restrictions.
Such events can also be caused by
technical failures of the drone-pilot
datalinks. Certain UAS guidance systems
include automated failsafe return-
to-base protocols and geofencing,
preventing unintended incursions.
However, there is one scenario that
remains at the forefront of concerns:
rogue drones or non-co-operative
40 ISSUE 4 2020
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unmanned systems flying unregistered
and undeclared into regulated airspaces
around airports or close to sensitive
infrastructures. By default, such drones
would definitely seek to stay out of any
UTM system, with the intent to cause
disruptions and harm flight operations.  management initiative funded by the
Terrorist attacks or the Gatwick drone
incident have shown us that outdated
information, perceived as new, can lead
to errors in judgement that complicate
and prolong the joint response. There are
drone detection solutions available that
prevent mistakes caused by retention
of outdated information and help
organisations to reduce the time between
detection and resolution to a minimum.
The key is accurate information sharing
to support adequate decision-making.
Outdated information,
perceived as new,
can lead to errors
in judgement that
complicate matters
Thomas Terschlusen, 42 Solutions
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42 Solutions’ Sparrow system provides
threat mitigation to airfields increasingly
exposed to non-co-operative unmanned
aircraft activities. It was designed
using findings established during the
GAMMA project, a global ATM security
European Union. GAMMA stems from
the recognition that while the SESAR
initiative is effectively addressing some
security issues in new global ATM
scenarios, there is a need to extend
its scope to ensure a comprehensive
assessment of security threats and
vulnerabilities affecting the ATM
ecosystem. GAMMA adopts a holistic
approach to assess ATM security, using
a ‘system of systems’, inclusive of all
ATM assets and all forms of threats.
Solely addressing drone threats without
considering the ATM ecosystem as a
whole will be of limited efficacy.
Global incident management based
on agile collaboration between all
involved stakeholders is the key to
ensuring efficient threat mitigation.
To fulfill this need, Sparrow combines
all critical functions to present the
user with comprehensive situational
awareness aimed at facilitating
information-sharing, decision-making
and threat management. The system can
be connected to a variety of sensors of
different technologies (ie, electro-optical,
radar, RF). The system fuses sensor
airinternational.com/atm
NEWK
LOO
Management
reports with other data such as UTM
European
and ATM information, with integrability,
interoperability and scalability as key
drivers, so that it can also work within
existing ATM and UTM environments.  the sensors behaved. All sensors were
he NATO Communications and
The
Information Agency (NCIA) hosted a live
trial at the Joint Nucleus Counter-UAS w w Usingw . aani rintegrated
Test Center of the Ground Based Air
Defence Command in the Netherlands
October 22, 2020.
from September 28-October
Munich Airport CEO
42 Solutions deployed its UAV threat
Jost Lammers
mitigation solution and interfaced it with disseminated critical
multiple sensor platforms. The system
on recovery and
was configured with electro-optical and
RF sensors as well as doppler radars to
ensure maximised
Sensor providers Rinicom, Robin Radar
growth
ed detection quality.
and Rhode & Schwarz were associated
with the trials. The anti-UAS squad
from the Nordrhein Westfalen Police
The war
in Germany also participated, bringing
valuable user experience.
he main goal of the trials was to
The
assess the detection capabilities of all
connected components, in particular
in the
the ARTEMIS RF detector developed
by NCIA. Too compare the different
detection profiles and performances,
up was proposed
a technical trial set-up
by 42 Solutions, aimed at facilitating
skies over
a cloud-like network, in which all
sensors would share their data. The
interfaces of systems connected to
Sparrow were developed by 42 Solutions, multiple interoperable sub-systems,
who also integrated their record and
Europe
replay solution, Transcriber, allowing a
synchronised ed replay of all sensors either awareness that can be understood
simultaneously or individually.  and used by all parties. Standards and
The
he Joint Nucleus Counter-UAS Test
Center and NCIA staff developed several
The EU and
ANSPs go
head to
head over
Sesar2+
Can ATM afford the post-COVID-19 recovery costs?
scenarios to test the capabilities of the
opean
sensors. Sparrow collected, assessed
and classified the data, sharing it with
observers and allowing them to see how
visuali
visualiseded on one screen, the Sparrow C2
(Command & Control) position
position.
t r a f f ipan-tilt-zoom
cmanagement.net
camera control unit, the operator could
get visual confirmation of the detection/
classification from the sensor and
act accordingly. Next
Next, the C2 system
ritical information to a
mobile app used by the security forces
display, 42
and to an ATM air situation display
Solutions’ Merlin, providing everyone
with up-to-date information.
uring the trial, all sensor outputs were
During
recorded and the results made available
for further analysis (see visual below)
• The
below):
he yellow dots represent the drone’s
flight log
• The
he red background shows that a
drone has been detected and has been
either classified by a sensor or the C2
threat assessment module
• The
he cone-shaped triangles show the
corresponding detection envelope
from the relevant RF sensor
• The
he labels show the information as
received from the sensors
Onene of the key aspects that came out
of all debriefings was the necessity to
have integrated solutions that combine
working in a collaborative way to
produce a comprehensive situational
interface definitions are crucial so that
the industry and the user community can plan to address these contingencies
NCIA trial visualisation of drone detections
ISSUE 4 / 2020
DRONE THREATS
About...
THOMAS TERSCHLUSEN
Thomas is an independent business
development specialist and aerospace
enthusiast who supports 42 Solutions
with sales and business development
activities. As a private pilot, former air
traffic controller and air force officer,
officer
Thomas served for numerous years
in the French Air Force and then held
various executive positions in business ANSPs
development, key account and sales
management for companies that
provide both airborne and ground-based
CNS/ATM solutions.
move in the same direction and design
systems that fit it into a broader picture.
pictur
Whether
hether intentional or unintentional,
drone incursions will continue to cause
unanticipated disruptions if they are
not properly identified and dealt with.
Airports, ANSPs, security
ecurity forces and
law enforcement agencies all need to be
able to speak the same language when
it comes to detecting and resolving an
incident. With increasing demand for
unmanned flights, the global ATM, UTM
and UAS community needs to work on a
ISSUE 4 2020
Reforming
orming the Single
Covering the world’s most global industry since 1993
share their reactions to the European Commission’s proposals
is complicated, full of ambiguities and
uncertainties in its interpretation. Despite
this, I would like to stress just a few points
which are difficult to understand and have
no visible positive impact.
The first is the length of the reference
period: two years. Twoo years is the average
lead time to set the targets, prepare the
plans and approve them. The proposal
ar thus condemns ANSPs to instant and
continuous performance planning and
the regulators to instant and continuous
evaluation. Nice job for many officials, but
with apparently no effect at all. Separate
economic certification, which is also part of
this proposal, falls into a similar category.
The delegated acts and implementation
equent than necessary.
acts are also more frequent
For example, the decision to delegate
The current SES2+
regulatory
egulatory scheme
is too
oo prescriptive
an Klas, CEO,
ANS Czech Republic
ATM
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service provision to subjects other than
current ANSPs should always be in the
hands of the owner of the asset (airspace),
which is the State – with full respect to the
view of the Commission, of course.
The third point is price-setting,
especially the separate unit rate for
the upper airspace and modulation of
charges. We all feel that the current
route-charging system is obsolete and
that it needs to be adapted to the needs
of regulated monopoly services provided
by commercial subjects. We have many
examples in current regulated monopoly
industries of how to set prices for the
network and for service provision, all of
which work. I suggest we take inspiration
from these industries and not replicate
the weaknesses of the current system.
There are certainly some aspects I can
support. Refraining from obligatory
grouping of ANSPs and States into
FABs is welcome. FABs have had many
positive and negative effects. If we
need to concentrate on the positive
ones, we must have freedom of
choice and this part of SES2+ is
a step towards it. The focus of
regulation on capacity in the
European context is something
I also appreciate.
In summary, the current
SES2 + regulatory scheme is too
prescriptive; it deals to a great
extent with micromanagement
of ANSPs. And this is not the role of
the regulator of any industry. The new
regulatory scheme should focus on
minimum levels of service provision and
on creating economic stimuli for ANSPs
to provide capacity at a reasonable price.
In other words, the regulator should
create the parameters of demand
for the services – safety, capacity
– and ANSPs should be paid for
delivering it to the maximum
desirable extent. Or to leave
the market to others.
BULATSA
ULATSA welcomes the Single
B European Sky initiative and the
goal to simplify the regulatory
framework. It supports the SES vision
and undertakes all necessary efforts
to contribute to its high-level goals, as
evidenced by the safe, quality and cost-
efficient services with a zero-delay policy
provided after the Ukrainian crisis in 2014- fuels and technologies.
2019, despite the significant traffic increase
– a 60% increase in 2019 compared to 2013. not lead to extra financial burdens on
Bulgaria was the first territory to have
its revised performance plan approved
with the measures taken to provide the
necessary capacity.
In the current situation of the COVID-19
pandemic, the company has continued to
demonstrate its reliability, capacity and
resilience to crises by providing safe and
continuous service.
The revised SES2+ represents
a dramatic shift from the
2013 vision. The lack
of assessment of the
impact, risks, costs Lack of assessment of
and benefits makes the impact, risks, costs
it difficult to reach
and benefits make it hard of fair and loyal
conclusions on the
pros and cons. Some to reach
of the assumptions the pros and cons
behind the new texts
belong to the pre-COVID
times and are addressing
pre-COVID problems and
solutions. At the same time the
COVID-19 lessons learnt are missing.
The expected environmental benefits
are also too optimistic. As an example,
according to the NM, the route network
efficiency in 2019 has been 97.18%, while
in 2020, despite the dramatic traffic
downturn, it is so far 97.43%. ATM’s
contribution to emissions reduction
is very limited and many factors out
of the ANSPs’ control need to be taken
into consideration, such as weather,
avoidance of conflict areas, operational
constraints, airlines’ preferences, etc.
Therefore, for real environmental
The proposals are mainly
concerned with structural
changes and disconnect
liability/responsibility from
decision-making power
Professor Klaus-Dieter Scheurle,
CEO, DFS
benefits we should focus on sustainable
The new SES2+ developments should
ANSPs and airspace users. However,
the mandatory terminal services
market opening, the new PRB funding
through ANS charges and the additional
economic certification of ANSPs would
do this. A future single, EU-wide en route
charge could devalue competitive and
cost-efficient services. The new ATM
Data Service provision may lead to the
creation of monopolies and
distribution of businesses
among several
leading providers,
in contradiction
to the principles
competition.
conclusions on Data is a crucial
part of ANS
provision and has
BULATSA
implications relating
to safety, security and
cybersecurity. In any case,
market conditions in ANS should
be introduced with great caution.
Some of the new proposals, such as the
approval of strategic investment plans
by airspace users and elements of the
network functions, stray too much into
the micromanagement of air navigation
services with questionable benefits,
while the responsibility remains with the
States and the ANSPs.
We believe that only a total system
approach, collaborative work and
decision-making – including input from
all relevant stakeholders – is the way to
achieve the SES vision.
SESAR 2+
DFS
ny change of the SES framework
A must have the aim of creating the
prerequisites for achieving an
improved, interoperable European ATM
system for all airspace users in all phase
of flight that meets an agreed safety leve
is ecologically sustainable and which
enables an optimal economic operation,
conforming to the requirements of
Europe’s business locations. Changes ne
to actually improve the status quo.
A functioning SES requires a framewor
for the performance regulation
that recognises the different local
requirements and creates incentives
for the respective ANSPs to achieve
their objectives. This certainly requires
competent supervisory authorities.
Nonetheless, the responsibility for
performing the tasks assigned to them,
and for achieving the objectives set by
the competent supervisory authorities,
still lies with the increasingly
entrepreneurial ANSPs.
At the same time, a Single European
Sky requires competent and co-operativ
management of the European network
in which the system partners in air
transport (in particular, civil and
military airspace users, airports and
ANSPs) work together to find the best
operational solutions for optimising
the European airspace. In this context,
centralised and decentralised functions
must be combined in accordance with th
competence, responsibility and liability
of the parties involved (ie, collaborative
decision-making).
Another important element for
improving the European network is
to promote the co-operation of ANSPs
ISSUE 4 2020 2
055/21
 o part of the global around 30-40% of 2019 levels achieved

N
The Asia-Pacific aviation industry has in North America, Europe and the
region has been emerged unscathed Middle East. The Asia-Pacific region
from COVID-19, but also continues to have some of the
badly impacted by the Asia-Pacific region most stringent travel restrictions amid
the pandemic. has undeniably fared
worse than most when
a recent resurgence of the virus and
the spread of its latest variant.
Tom Batchelor looks it comes to recovery. Collectively, the However, there are glimmers of hope.
at measures being region’s airlines represent more than a
third of global passenger and air cargo
Australia and Thailand, two big players,
were the first to open up to international
taken by aviation traffic. However, travel volumes in 2021 travel, and the green shoots of an
are around 6% of those seen in 2019 aviation comeback have begun to
stakeholders to – according to the Association of Asia emerge. With mature economies, such
ensure its recovery Pacific Airlines (AAPA) – compared to as Japan and New Zealand, coupled

50 January 2022
with rapidly growing markets elsewhere,
the Asia-Pacific region’s diverse markets
should enable it to bounce back.
Cargo saves the day
The booming cargo sector kept many
aircraft in the sky, even in the darkest
days of the pandemic. Hauling food and
other consumer goods – not to mention
virus-related equipment – between global
distribution hubs was the “silver lining in
the cloud, with traffic already exceeding
2019 levels”, said Subhas Menon, director
general of the AAPA. “Strong demand for
intermediate goods as well as ‘work-from-
home’ supplies, coupled with congestion
in major shipping ports, continue to boost
cargo traffic,” he added.
By 2040, the Asia-Pacific cargo fleet
is expected to roughly equal North
America’s. Seven of the top-ten airports
for handling international freight are in Asia
(although Memphis International Airport
outdid formerly top-ranked Hong Kong
International Airport in 2020, in terms of
tons of cargo processed).
“COVID-19 saw an extraordinary
transformation: the emergence of
passenger jets converted temporarily to
cargo aeroplanes – so-called ‘preighters’.
But what airlines managed to do with
the likes of PPE is not really sustainable.
You’ve got relatively narrow doors, you’ve
got cargo [that] tends to be bulky – there’s
a reason why you need big cargo doors
on cargo aeroplanes,” Mark Tierney,
chief executive of aviation consultancy
Crabtree Capital, explained to AIR
International. “It will be interesting to see
whether the ratios for cargo transported
by full freighter, versus passenger belly,
re-emerge,” he added.
India’s Vistara, a joint venture between Tata Sons
and Singapore Airlines, began operations in 2015.
Its name is from the Sanskrit word vistaˉra, meaning
‘limitless expanse’ Air Vistara
January 2022 51

New kid on the block
Australian low-cost start-up Bonza has its
sights set on a chunk of the vast nation’s
domestic airline market, with flights pencilled
to begin in 2022. The company is currently
working with regulatory authorities to
ensure it is ready to launch, and has been
in talks with a total of 46 airports across
all Australian states and territories, to
finalise initial destinations using Boeing
737 MAX 8 aircraft – which would make it
the only Australian airline to use the type.
“We thought that we would be leasing
used aircraft, maybe five to ten years old,
so what we’ve ended up with is a much
better outcome,” Bonza founder Tim Jordan
told Australian Aviation. “Of the 15 largest
domestic aviation markets in the world,
Australia is the only one with just one low-
cost carrier, Jetstar, so that doesn’t sit right.”
Backed by US private investment firm 777
Partners, the new airline will be based in an
undisclosed location in Regional Australia,
said to be northern New South Wales or
southern Queensland, with a focus on
linking airports that are favoured by leisure
travellers and are currently underserved,
shunning major routes between the biggest
cities. Bonza – which means ‘excellent’
in Australian slang – hopes to win over
“budget-conscious passengers travelling to
previously neglected tourist destinations”.
Shifting passenger demographics are
also changing the sector. Business travel
remains muted, with leisure given as
the reason for flying for the majority of
travellers. For example, in China, 96%
of citizens said they would take to the
skies when outbound movements are
permitted, with 73% set to travel for
leisure, according to the Cirium Traveller
Intelligence Report. Although the China
survey shows confidence in air travel,
a shift in destinations was seen, with
Southeast Asia replacing East Asia as
the region of choice for international
travel. Middle-class growth in China, and
the Asia-Pacific region more widely, will
also continue to drive changes, bringing
opportunities but also challenges as the
consumer base of airlines diversifies.
The cautious approach
When it comes to route or fleet changes,
many airlines are taking a cautious
approach. The top regional Asia-Pacific
route in 2019 was Kuala Lumpur-
Singapore, but since COVID-19 that has
been replaced by Hong Kong-Taipei.
“Some popular routes in 2019 have
fallen off [the 2021] top-ten list,” June
Lee, APAC marketing director at aviation
analytics firm Cirium, told us. “These
include the Hong Kong-Shanghai, Osaka-
Seoul, Bangkok-Singapore and Taipei-
Tokyo routes. The list could look quite
different in Q1 [2022], with the recent
addition of travel lanes from Singapore
to Indonesia and India, as well as the
opening of several Southeast Asia
destinations in Vietnam and Thailand.”
Analysts say “zero-COVID” government
policies go some way to explaining the
region’s slow restart relative to Europe
and North America. Data provided to AIR
International by Cirium for the 14 carriers
within AAPA (from Air Astana to Thai
Airways) showed they had 1,376 aircraft in
service at the end of 2019, compared to
691 in the first quarter of 2020, and 949 at
the end of the third quarter of 2021.
Summarising the outlook, AAPA’s Menon
said: “The airline industry in the region is
still in crisis but hanging on with financial
support as well as cost-cutting measures.
The Asia-Pacific region has by far the most
stringent travel restrictions and quarantine,
none of which has been really eased since
the start of the pandemic. Things are
beginning to open up but only in places
with higher and increasing vaccination
rates.” But he added: “China is still pursuing
a virus-elimination strategy, so Asia-Pacific
is an overall laggard in terms of demand.”
Air New Zealand, headquartered in one
of the world’s most closed-off nations,
is an interesting airline to watch. Prior to
the lockdown that the New Zealand city
of Auckland entered in August 2021, the
country’s flag carrier had returned to near
pre-pandemic levels of passengers flying on
its domestic network, but “when borders
reopen, the market will be different and we
are very clear about where we intend to fly
and how we will do so”, a spokesperson
for the carrier told AIR International. “We
will focus on increased frequency on single

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:

Australian low-cost carrier start-up Bonza plans
to use Boeing 737 MAX 8s, making it the only
Australian airline to do so Bonza Aviation

Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited recently

opened its Integrated Hactl Control Centre – a single
command centre that is manned 24 hours a day,
seven days a week HACTL

Airbus’s A321neo – shown here in use by AirAsia –

has proven popular but there are concerns that it
may be too small for the Asia-Pacific market AirAsia

Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia is the

country’s largest airline by fleet size and
number of destinations AirAsia

Philippine airline Cebu Pacific marks another

domestic route launch Cebu Pacific

One year after relaunching under new ownership,

Virgin Australia Group has signed letters of intent to
acquire an additional seven Boeing 737NGs, bringing
its fleet to 84 aircraft Virgin Australia Group

52 January 2022

sectors over water, where we connect
to our partners via global hubs. We are
planning for New York and will be bringing
back Chicago, Houston, Honolulu, Tokyo,
and Vancouver, too.”
A mixed bag
It may have weathered the COVID-19 storm,
but some of Air New Zealand’s neighbours
were among the worst affected airlines
globally. For example, Cathay Pacific’s
subsidiary, Cathay Dragon, was closed,
and Virgin Australia entered voluntary
administration in 2020, before emerging
under the ownership of United States
investment firm Bain Capital, with a smaller
fleet made up of Boeing 737s.
Elsewhere, a mixed picture has emerged.
Indian low-cost carrier SpiceJet expanded
its domestic and international offerings
throughout the autumn, with nearly 70
new routes in total. Ajay Singh, SpiceJet’s
chairman and managing director, said: “The
launch of these new flights is a sign
of steady revival not just for us, but for
the entire aviation industry. SpiceJet
will keep enhancing air connectivity by
launching new flights that can support
the gradual comeback of Indian aviation to
pre-pandemic levels.”
Meanwhile, Cebu Pacific, which operates
the widest domestic network in the
Philippines, covering 33 domestic as well
as ten international destinations, with a
73-strong fleet, saw revenues jump by
nearly two-thirds in the third quarter of 2021
(compared to a year earlier), as domestic
travel restrictions were eased. “We know
2020 has been one of the most challenging
years for everyone,” said Felix Lopez, vice
president for people and admin at Cebu
Pacific. But he was “cautiously optimistic”
for the future and hoped to “paint the skies
yellow again” (a reference to the carrier’s
distinctive paintwork).
While established carriers adapt to
the ‘new normal’, others have sought
to capitalise on the disruption. In 2021,
20 start-up airlines were tracked in the
Asia-Pacific region, including six cargo
airlines that have commenced operation.
A further 23 airlines are expected to start
operations soon. Among them is Hong
Kong start-up Greater Bay Airlines, which
hopes to begin scheduled flights in early
2022, and plans to serve 104 destinations
– the majority in mainland China.
Another, Malaysia’s SKS Airways, is a
proposed charter carrier based in Senai
International Airport near the southern city
of Johor Bahru.
Post-COVID aircraft choices
Boeing issued a bullish forecast for the
medium and long term in the Asia-Pacific
region. In November 2021, the aircraft
maker said it estimated air travel within
these markets to account for nearly half
of global air traffic by 2040. The data,
part of Boeing’s 2021 Commercial Market
Outlook (CMO), suggests Southeast
Asian countries seeing rapid economic
growth will benefit from fleet growth
and passenger traffic well above global
averages. Low-cost carriers are expected
to expand intra-regional networks with
single-aisle jets, and capitalise on new
trade deals and open skies arrangements
to expand long-haul routes.
In Northeast Asia, “mature economies
will continue to support a balanced air-
travel market across domestic, regional
and long-haul travel”, while in Oceania,
domestic and regional travel – which
accounts for 80% of passenger traffic
January 2022 53
 – will remain the driving force behind the But it is not just Boeing’s single aisle
Old faithful industry’s growth. “We have seen strong jets, such as the MAX, that will play a
Billed as “Asia’s boutique airline”, Bangkok resilience in Asia-Pacific traffic when pivotal role. Airbus’s A321neo family’s
Airways has been serving destinations across restrictions are lifted and passengers feel long-range variant also has the potential
Thailand and Southeast Asia for more than 50 confident about travel,” said Darren Hulst, to redefine intercontinental travel. The
years, with a fleet comprising Airbus 319/320 Boeing vice president of commercial type has already been purchased by
aircraft and ATR72-600s, each painted with marketing. “Carriers with efficient and carriers serving regional routes, including
distinctive designs showcasing the exotic versatile fleets will be positioned to meet Air Arabia (linking Pakistan with the Gulf,
destinations the company serves. passenger needs and air freight demand for example), India’s IndiGo and China
Bangkok Airways suffered losses of with airplanes that reduce fuel use, Southern Airlines (serving domestic
almost seven billion Thai baht (£158m) in emissions and operating costs.” routes) and VietJet (to connect Ho Chi
the third quarter of 2021, Thailand’s strict
COVID-19 lockdown rules having put a stop to
international travel. However, it can still count
2021 as a partial success, at least, having
been named World’s Best Regional Airline
2021 and Best Regional Airline in Asia 2021
in the Skytrax Institute World Airlines Awards.
Explaining the reasons behind this top rating,
despite the turmoil of the past 18 months,
a spokeswoman told AIR International the
airline’s “boutique experience” offering set
it apart from its competitors.
Reflecting on the past five decades, the
spokeswoman added that Bangkok Airways
had always needed to find its niche, when
competing with the country’s flag carrier
– whether choosing underserved leisure
destinations or building airports in emerging
tourist hotspots. Looking ahead, Bangkok
Airways will continue to focus on domestic
markets – where it feels more comfortable
and has “a high experience level” – as well
as other routes in Indo-China, while working
closely with its code-share partners in
“promoting Thai tourism and bringing [people]
from around the world to our country”.

Samui Airport is privately owned and operated by

Bangkok Airways, which operates the bulk of the
flights to this popular tourist destination
Bangkok Airways

54 January 2022
THIS PAGE, FROM TOP TO BOTTOM:
UAE-based Air Arabia operates 52 Airbus A320s and six
A321LRs, the A320neo’s long-range variant Air Arabia

Air New Zealand Cargo serves 20 domestic airports

and 30 international airports in 18 countries
Air New Zealand

One of the luckier Asia-Pacific airlines during the

pandemic, Air New Zealand returned to almost
pre-pandemic passenger numbers prior to the
country’s August 2021 lockdown Air New Zealand

“It could be the case that, in the Asia-Pacific region,

the demand is so big that the A321neo is too small”
Mark Tierney, Crabtree Capital
Minh City with Tokyo). Crabtree Capital’s might sail through it, and other countries the Philippines is still eyeing a brand-new
Tierney said: “While the arrival of the [that] are heavily dependent on tourism, international airport project at Sangley
A321neo is significant in most parts of for example, might really suffer.” Point, to ease pressure on Manila’s Ninoy
the world (especially in its long-range That said, large-scale airport expansion Aquino International Airport. Progress is
and extra-long-range variants), it could be projects are continuing, from Hong Kong also being made on a new airport in Siem
the case that, in the Asia-Pacific region, International Airport’s planned third Reap, Cambodia, which will replace the
the volume of demand is just so big that runway – set to open in 2022 – to the small airport currently serving Angkor Wat.
the A321neo is too small.” construction of a passenger terminal and As AIR International went to press,
Which countries are set to open up a runway at Long Thanh International governments were reacting to the
fastest? None of them appear to be doing Airport in southern Vietnam, and many emergence of new COVID-19 variant
so particularly quickly. Southeast Asia, more besides. Work on Singapore Omicron. Its implications are yet to be
however, looks a safer bet than China Changi Airport’s fifth terminal has been seen, but global aviation will recover,
or Oceania for imminent travel. Henk paused, due to the pandemic, but the and Asia-Pacific airlines will continue to
Ombelet, head of advisory operations local government of Cavite province in play a leading role in its development. AI
at Ascend, the aircraft valuation wing of
Cirium, said his latest analysis showed
that in all ten of the largest territories in
the Asia-Pacific region (excluding China)
international traffic is still “minimal”. He
told AIR International: “This has most
affected Singapore and Hong Kong
Special Administrative Region, where there
is no domestic traffic, and international
traffic is yet to restart [fully]. Singapore has
instigated Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTL),
but the impact so far is unclear.
“Domestic traffic in the other eight
countries has recovered to some degree,
but in most it has been volatile, with local
lockdowns severely impacting the already
fragile traffic recovery several times during
the last 18 months. Singapore and South
Korea are starting to open up; Thailand,
Malaysia and Indonesia have partially
re-opened to some destinations within
the respective countries. This is driving
the increases in total Asia-Pacific metrics
witnessed over recent weeks.”

Eco concerns
It is not just COVID threatening to put the
brakes on aviation growth in the region –
concern over the impact flying has on the
planet also threatens to temper demand.
In September 2021, AAPA members
committed to net-zero emissions by
2050, and Tierney said questions remain
over whether climate change activism
would dent demand for air transport. “If it
does, that could be really significant, as
a reduction in air traffic could have a very
negative impact on economies. It might
also be disproportionate – some countries

January 2022 55
 ipborne
U B sh
-29 K / ’s most t in
K
iG ia or
the M e Russ ent eff
helped becom evelopmrepor ts
w I ndia ramme ircraft d denov
Ho r prog tical a r Mla

g
e
fight r tant tac lexande
impo 000s. A

n
the 2

omi
C
The MiG-29K/KUB features a sophisticated FBW system
that also provides automatic lift control at all flight
regimes, by continuous in-flight scheduling of the
slats, trailing-edge flaps, Krueger flaps, and tailplane,
depending on the angle of attack and Mach number and
without trim changes felt by the pilot Andrey Zinchuk

“The new naval fighter received its baptism by fire during

the civil war in Syria, flying combat missions from the
Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov”
56 January 2022
 f age
o
aunched in 2004, the
L
ambitious MiG-29K/KUB
fighter programme resulted in
the first customer delivery of
shipborne examples of
the type – NATO callsign
'Fulcrum' – five years later.
It also opened the doors to the
development of a series of new-generation
land-based derivatives for domestic use
and export, now known as the MiG-35
and MiG-29M/M2 respectively.
None of this would have happened
had not India provided much-needed
investment in the aircraft's development.
The success of the revamped and export-
tailored MiG-29K eventually prompted
the Russian Ministry of Defence (MOD) to
embrace the type as its new-generation
multi-role shipborne jet.
An order was placed in 2012 for
a derivative dubbed MiG-29KR/KUBR,
with the first deliveries during 2013.
As of late 2021, the total production run
at the Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG
(RAC MiG) was 69 series-production
shipborne Fulcrums in addition to three
pre-series machines built for testing and
evaluation purposes.
A true multi-role jet
Originally developed in the 1980s and the
early 1990s, Russia’s first true multi-role
deck-capable jet has emerged in the early
2000s thanks to the huge investment
from India and the capabilities of the
Russian aircraft and shipbuilding industry.
The first Indian order comprised 12
single-seaters and four two-seaters,
reportedly worth $740m. This figure also
included the extensive development
and testing activities to get the two-
programme back on track after it was
abruptly halted in the early 1990s due
to a lack of funding in the Russian
defence budget. Crisis-stricken RAC
MiG embraced this as a formidable
opportunity to resume the development
and production of the new-
generation shipborne MiG-29
derivative. The aircraft covered in the first
order were delivered to the Indian Navy
air arm between 2009 and 2011.
A second order for 29 aircraft followed
in March 2010, with the first examples
delivered in 2012 and completed in 2016.
The total value of both batches was
estimated at $2.29bn. The MiG-29K/KUB
was formally commissioned in service
with the Indian Navy’s air arm in 2013.
The contract for the sale, overhaul and
refit of ex-Russian Navy aircraft carrier
Admiral Gorshkov’s was signed between
India and Russia in March 2004 together
with the deal for the development and
production of the shipborne Fulcrum.
Originally priced at $750m, its delivery
date was set for 2008 but cost disputes
significantly delayed the refit effort
and, in March 2010, a new price tag of
$2.35bn was agreed. At the same time, a
revised delivery schedule called for ship’s
handover at the end of 2012.
The aircraft carrier, renamed INS
Vikramaditya, is 920ft (274m) long, has
a full displacement of 45,300t and can
accommodate between 16 and 24 MiG-
29K/KUBs plus 16 to 24 Ka-28/31
helicopters. During its long-delayed
conversion, it received an extended flight
deck, together with a newly-added 14º
sky-ramp for conventional fighters
January 2022 57
 and a three-wire arrestor system. There
are two take-off positions on the deck,
each equipped with blast deflectors and
restraints – dubbed the long and short
one – providing the MiG-29K/KUB with a
take-off run of 640ft and 410ft respectively.
Fast-track development
Between 2004 and 2007, the design work
conducted at RAC MiG resulted in the
creation of a high-performance shipborne
Diverse arsenal
fighter – designated izdeliye 9-41 for the
single-seater and izdeliye 9-47 for the
twin-seater – that was completely different
from the MiG-29K’s original prototype,
developed in the second half of the 1980s
and first flown on July 23, 1988.
The India-funded development and
testing effort saw the use of two newly-
built pre-production aircraft – a two-
seater and a single-seater with a common
fuselage design. The first made its maiden
flight on January 20 and the second on
June 25, 2007, but the two-seater was
lost in a fatal crash in June 2011, killing
both test pilots. A new two-seater was
built to continue the testing and evaluation
effort, but it was also lost in an accident
in December 2015, killing one of its pilots.
The first production-standard example for
the Indian Navy made its maiden flight on
March 18, 2008.
Delivered in December 2009, the MiG-
29K/KUBs were taken on strength by the
303rd ‘Black Panthers’ squadron (INAS
303), home-based on board INS Hansa
in Goa, with their formal induction into
service reported on February 19, 2010.
The second Indian order numbered
29 aircraft with an estimated price of
about $1.5bn. Placed in March 2010, it
represented an exercising of the option
for purchasing more MiG-29K/KUBs in
the original 2004 purchase contract, with
deliveries completed in 2016.

Russian Navy orders

The rapid progress of the MiG-29K/KUB
programme, with smooth development
and testing, eventually prompted the
Russian MOD to place an order for 20
single-seat and four two-seat shipborne
Fulcrums. This contract was eventually
awarded to RAC MiG in February 2012.
The aircraft, built in a Russified sub-
version – designated MiG-29KR for the
single-seater and MiG-29KUB for the two-
seater – were delivered between 2013
and 2015, while the testing programme
was reported as completed in 2018.
The first aircraft was handed over in
November 2013 and all 24 had been
delivered by mid-2015. The first training
flights of the Russian Naval Aviation pilots
converting to the type were flown from
October the same year.
The OLD-UEM electro-optic targeting system incorporates infrared, laser and TV sensors, with its laser Shipborne Fulcrums were used to equip
rangefinder capable of being used in engagements of air and surface targets at ranges up to 8nm. The the 100th OKIAP, a brand-new two-
pre-series single-seater (pictured) comes armed with dummy R-73 and R-77 rounds Rosoboronexport squadron regiment formally established at
Yeisk on December 1, 2015, and assigned
The MiG-29K/KUB is fitted with nine pylons for carrying weapons – eight under the wings and to Russian Navy’s Northern Fleet. Eight
one beneath the fuselage. In addition, the two innermost underwing pylons can be equipped with months later, the 100th ferried its MiG-
tandem bomb racks, increasing the number of available hardpoints to 13. 29KR/KUBRs to the permanent base
The air-to-air weapons, integrated on the Indian aircraft include a mixture of R-77 (RVV-AE) at Severmorsk-3 on the Kola peninsula
beyond visual range (BVR) and R-73E within visual range (WVR) missiles – up to eight can be and immediately began training aboard
carried in different combinations, or six plus two underwing fuel tanks. The air-to-surface missile Admiral Kuznetsov, the sole Russian Navy
options include the Kh-31A (AS-17 Krypton) and Kh-35E/UE (AS-20 Kayak) active radar-homing aircraft carrier.
anti-ship missiles as well as the Kh-31P anti-radiation missile and Kh-29T/TE (AS-14 Kedge) The MiG-29K/KUB sports a true multi-
TV-guided missile – up to four can be carried under the wings. The guided bomb options include role capability, affording the Admiral
up to four KAB-500Kr 1,100lb TV-guided bombs. The MiG-29K/KUB can also use a rich unguided Kuznetsov with a proper air power
weapons selection including free–fall bombs weighting up to 1,100lb each and various rockets. projection role. The new naval fighter
The maximum combat load is 12,100lb. received its baptism in fire during the
The naval jet retains the tried GSh-301 30mm cannon with 150 rounds, which is accommodated in civil war in Syria, flying its first combat
the port leading-edge extension. missions from Admiral Kuznetsov, tasked
The MiG-29K/KUBs built for the Russian naval air arm replace the Indian and Israeli systems with with combat air patrols and delivering
Russian-made equivalents – for example, the Tarang RWR has been superseded by the SPO-150 strikes on land targets of the anti-
Pastel. The Russian Navy’s shipborne Fulcrums were also made capable of using the non-export Assad forces. Four fighters (three single-
versions of all air-to-surface guided weapons already integrated on the Indian MiG-29K/KUBs, seat and one two-seat aircraft) were
which, as a rule, boast higher performance than that of their export derivatives. deployed onboard Admiral Kuznetsov
The list of the air-to-air weapons, already integrated on the Russian MiG-29K/KUB fleet includes during its combat cruise in the eastern
the new R-77-1 (RVV-SD) BVR missile with a maximum range in head-on engagements at high Mediterranean between October 2016
altitude of 60nm (110km) and the RVV-MD WVR missile, a vastly improved R-73 derivative. and February 2017. During the cruise, the
MiG-29KR/KUBR was cycled through its

58 January 2022

ABOVE: The first batch of shipborne Fulcrums ordered by India in 2004 comprised 16 aircraft: 12 MiG-29K
single-seaters and four MiG-29KUB two-seaters RAC MiG
BELOW: Initial ship compatibility triails of the shipborne Fulcrum were carried out in late September 2009,
involving one of the pre-production jets together with a production-standard MiG-29KUB two-seater built
for the Indian Navy, with flight operations conducted from the desk of the Russian Navy aircraft carrier
Admiral Kuznetsov sailing in Barents Sea RAC MiG
field-testing programme, which included
a number of real-world combat sorties
against anti-Assad targets in Syria. These
were flown from both the carrier and
Hmeimim/Latakya air base, employing
unguided and guided ordnance. The
naval Fulcrum was spotted on the carrier
totting the KAB-500Kr 1,100lb (500kg)
TV-guided bombs/missiles and OFAB-250
550lb (250kg) free-fall fragmentation/
high-explosive bombs.
One single-seater was lost in the course
of these operations on November 21, 2016,
due to problems with Admiral Kuznetsov’s
arresting gear. Another single seater was
heavily damaged, presumably beyond repair,
in a landing accident at Severomorsk-3.
After Admiral Kuznetsov’s entry into
a protracted overhaul and refit in 2017,
the 100th OKIAP continued its training
operations at Severomorsk-3, with
occasional deployments to Nitka ground
The MiG-29KR/KUBR provides the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier with a new capability of
mounting precise strikes against ground target. Its arsenal incorporates laser- and TV-guided
munitions such as the Kh-29T/L missile, Kh-31P high-speed anti-radiation missile and Kh-
35U anti-ship missile (seen here) in addition to KAB-500L and KAB-500Kr bombs RAC MiG
carrier simulator complex at Saki in the
Crimean peninsula.
In March 2021, the 100th reported its
first forward deployment to Rogachevo
airfield in the Novaya Zemlya archipelago,
to stand on quick reaction alert (QRA).
The MiG-29KRs replaced the MiG-31BMs
originally deployed at Rogachevo in January
the same year. According to the Russian
MOD, the reason for activating the 24/7
forward-QRA station at Novaya Zemlya
was to extend the reach of its fighters into
the Arctic region and significantly expand
airspace control along the waters of the
Northern Sea Route at its westernmost
end. This policy will undoubtedly see more
forward deployments of the 100th OKIAP,
while desk operations are expected to
resume in 2023 at the earliest, following the
completion of Admiral Kuznetsov’s much-
protracted refit and overhaul.
Size optimisation
The MiG-29K/KUB features a number of
significant design alterations compared
to the baseline Fulcrum, introduced in
a bid to make it suited for shipborne
operations. The package of naval-
specific features enables the 18.5t twin-
jet to operate from small-size aircraft
carriers (above 28,000t of displacement),
fitted with a sky-ramp for launches and
arrested landings at high weights.
Most of the design features were tested
on the original MiG-29K prototypes (known
under the internal RAC MiG designation
izdelyie 9-31) in the late 1980s and early
1990s, including the increased-area
folding wings, as well as the beefed-up
undercarriage. The airframe incorporates
about 15% composite materials.
The internal fuel tanks were larger than
the baseline Fulcrum, holding 11,463lb
of kerosene, equal to 6,666 litres of the
single-seater, and featuring a 1,082lb/630-
litre internal tank housed just behind
January 2022 59
 the cockpit. Due to the placement of the
rear cockpit, the MiG-29KUB’s internal
capacity was 7% less. In addition to
the internal tankage, the shipborne
Fulcrum introduced a new 2,150-litre
underfuselage fuel tank, as well as up to
four 1,150-litre underwing drop tanks. The
aircraft also features a fully-retractable
inflight refuelling probe to the port of the
windscreen and can also be used as a
buddy tanker, equipped with a PAZ-1MK
refuelling pod under the fuselage.
The MiG-29K/KUB boasts highly-
automated wing mechanisation, including
large double-slot trailing edge flaps,
double-slot leading edge slats and
drooping ailerons. It also introduced the
so-called Krueger flaps, small leading edge
vortex controllers extending from the wing
root, for low-speed stability improvement
and deployed on landing to reduce
oscillations on the glide path.
The jet comes equipped with the KSU-
9.41 quadruple-channel digital fly-by-
60 January 2022
wire (FBW) flight control system, featuring
envelope protection, autothrottle and
in-flight load alleviation functions, as well as
a custom-made mode for improving stability
and controllability during air-to-air refuelling.
Mission avionics
The mission avionics includes the PrNK-
29K integrated targeting and navigation
suite, developed by the Ramenskoye
Instrument Design Bureau. It is based on
a quad-channel Mil-Std-1553 avionics
databus with the most important system
of the suite being the Phazotron-NIIR
FGM-129 Zhuk-ME Pulse-Doppler radar
with mechanically-scanned slotted
antenna. This works in both air-to-air
and air-to-surface modes and has a
multiple-target engagement capability,
with a claimed maximum detection range
of about 81nm and acquisition range
of 65nm against fighter-size targets. In
the air-to-surface mode, its maximum
detection range against large-size ships
extends to 161nm. The radar has the
capability to track up to ten air targets
and generate targeting data for the
engagement of four of these with R-77 or
R-77-1 BVR active-radar missiles.
The list of the air-to surface modes also
includes a high-resolution terrain mapping
mode. The ground and sea target
positioning accuracy provided by the
FGM-129 is advertised to be within 16ft,
while radar’s claimed resolution in the air-
to-surface mode is within 10ft.
The NIIP OLS-UEM is an electro-optical
(EO) search-and-track system installed in
the nose. Capable of operating 900 left
and right (in azimuth), 150 down and 600
up (in elevation), it incorporates infrared,
laser and TV sensors. It works in both
air-to-air and air-to-surface modes; in
the former, it is capable of detecting and
automatically tracking air targets in tail-on
engagements at a maximum distance of
24nm, while the head-on detection range
is up to 8nm.

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE:
MiG-29K/KUB pilots are provided with an improved
Zvezda K-36D-3.5 zero-zero ejection seat RAC MiG
The extensive wing mechanisation of the shipborne
Fulcrum provides considerable reduction in
approach speed, resulting in a comfortable angle of
attack for the pilot on the final and while touching
down RAC MiG
MiG-29K/KUB development was largely completed
by 2010, while the type’s serial production was
launched two years earlier and the first customer
deliveries took place in 2009 Rosoboronexport
The third component of the MiG-29K/
KUB’s sophisticated targeting suite is the
Thales TopSight helmet-mounted sight
and display (HMSD) system equipping the
Indian Navy aircraft, while the Russian jets
use a less-capable indigenous system.
The TopSight enables off-boresight target
designation and cueing of the EO system,
radar, INS and the seekers of IR- and
TV-guided air-to-air and air-to-surface
missiles. The French-made HMSD also
facilitates off-boresight visual acquisition
in both the air-to-air and air-to-surface
modes, by using target position data
derived from the EO sensor, radar, INS
and missile seekers – this is claimed to
be useful for improving the pilots’
situational awareness.
The MiG-29K/KUB also features a
provision for using a targeting pod and
its open-architecture avionics design
is claimed as being able to allow easy
integration of additional Russian and
Western-made systems in the future.
The Indian MiG-29K/KUBs incorporates
another important non-Russian mission
system: the IAI Elta EL/L-8222 podded
self-protection jammer system, which
can be installed on the outer starboard
underwing pylon and is intended for use
as a self-escort jammer. The aircraft’s
self-protection suite also uses the Indian-
made Tarang radar-warning-receiver
(RWR). In addition to the two non-Russian
electronic systems, the aircraft’s self-
protection suite has a pair of Russian-
made downwards-firing 50mm chaff/flare
dispensers on the outer side of the engine
nacelles below the fins, each containing
16 rounds. RAC MiG also claims that
a complex of design measures was
implemented for a significant radar
cross-section reduction in order to
enhance the aircraft’s survivability when
facing radar threats.
The communication, navigation and
identification (CNI) suite of the Indian
shipborne Fulcrums incorporates an
eclectic mixture of French, Indian and
Russia equipment, with most if not all of
the systems already integrated on the
Indian Air Force’s Su-30MKIs. French
equipment is represented by the high-

MiG-29K specification RAC MiG’s designers developed an all-new fuselage for the shipborne Fulcrum, featuring extensive corrosion
Dimensions protection and many all-new systems, while power is provided by an uprated and fully-marinised derivative of
Length 56ft 9in (17.3m) the Klimov RD-33K jet engine Alexander Mladenov
Wingspan 39ft 4in (11.00m)
Height 14ft 5in (4.4m)
Areas
Wing area 460sq ft (43sq m)
Weights
Normal take-off 40,884lb (18,550kg)
Maximum take-off 54,013lb (24 500kg)
Performance
Maximum speed at sea level 756kt (1,400km/h)
Maximum speed at high altitude 1,188kt (2,200km/h)
Ceiling 57,400ft (17,500m)
Ferry range on internal fuel 1,080nm (2,000km)
Ferry range with three drop tanks 1,620nm (3,000km)

January 2022 61
 CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT:
Simultaneous use of both take-off positions at INS
Vikramaditya (seen here) and Admiral Kuznetsov
increase the launch rates in an effort to reduce
overall take-off time in the event of large group
operations Rosoboronexport

The dorsal spine of the shipborne Fulcrum

terminates in a beaver tail with a hydraulically-
driven square-section arrester hook installed bellow.
This aircraft is equipped with a PAZ-1MK refuelling
pod between the engine trunks Alexander Mladenov

The initial four shipborne jets built for the Indian

Navy’s air arm rolled off the line at the RAC MiG
final assembly facility in Lukhovitsy near Moscow
in 2008-2009. These were initially utilised for the
conversion-to-type training of the first group of nine
Indian instructor pilots – this was made in Russia
and took nine months to complete RAC MiG

performance Sagem Sigma 95N inertial

navigation system (INS) with integrated
GPS receiver for accurate navigation
and targeting; this was also retained
on the Russian Navy Fulcrums. The list
of the Indian-made equipment in the
jet includes a radio altimeter, TACAN
short-range navigation system, VOR/
ILS/MRK navigation aids and IFF and
UHF/VHF radios. The Russian hardware
is represented by the R-800L2 VHF/
HF comms radios and the R-098 jam-
resistant secure tactical datalink system
for sharing targeting and navigation data,
as well as the A380MS instrument carrier
landing system.
The full-digital glass cockpit is outfitted
with Russian-made equipment such as
a large monochrome IKSh-1M head-up
display (HUD) with 260 field of view (FoV)
augmented by three side-by-side 6x8in
MFI-10-7 LCD displays on the two-seater,
which has a total of seven displays. squadrons: INAS 303 stationed at INS touts a significantly improved MiG-29K/
Dega in Visakhapatnam and INAS 300 at KUB derivative for the hotly-contested
More MiG-29K/KUBs Hansa in Goa. The former is an operation tender for 57 multi-role carrier-borne
India seems committed to continue squadron, while the latter is the training fighters (MRCBF), but selection of a
ordering more MiG-29K/KUBs according squadron for the type. In addition, Russia winner is far in the future.
to Vladimir Drozhzhov, deputy head of
the Russian Federal Service for Military-
Technical Cooperation (the country’s arms
export control body). Speaking to the
press in February 2021, he said that his
service had received a preliminary request
from India for the purchase of additional
shipborne fighters. These are most likely
to equip a third squadron with the type,
intended to operate off the desk of INS
Vikrant, the first Indian-built aircraft carrier
set for commissioning in 2023.
In July 2021, Dmitry Shugaev, the head
of the Russian Federal Service for Military-
Technical Cooperation, confirmed the
Indian interest in the procurement of
additional MiG-29K/KUBs and also hinted
that Russia has already held consultations
with India on the upgrade of the existing
shipborne Fulcrum fleet.
Currently, the Indian Navy has a fleet
of 41 aircraft in active service out of 45
received. These are assigned to two

62 January 2022
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Strike
Incidents of laser strikes on aircraft are serious threats to those on board.
Mark Broadbent looks at how the problem is being tackled
E
ric Bellings flies for the
emergency helicopter
operator Flight for Life
Colorado. His aircraft was
struck by a laser while flying
in October 2021, and he told
AIR International: “I have
personally experienced these laser strikes
on multiple occasions.”
Bellings added: “I was struck twice on
the same night – the last one taking the
base out of service and sending the three
of us to eye doctors. Luckily, no one was
hurt or had permanent eye damage.
“As pilots, and particularly helicopter
pilots, we are met with an ever-changing
environment that [can] alter the mission
and our number-one goal of getting home
safe,” Bellings continued.
64 January 2022
action
“Laser strikes pose a threat to my entire
crew, our patients and the people we are
flying over. To my knowledge, no pilot has
crashed an aircraft due to a laser strike.
However, the possibility exists and it adds
immense pressure to making sure the
mission is completed safely.
“[Among] our pilots’ most valuable
assets are their eyes – if you take [their
“I have experienced
these laser strikes on
multiple occasions”
Eric Bellings,
Flight for Life Colorado
vision] away, even for a moment, it can
become very difficult to control the
aircraft, if not impossible.”
Bellings added: “With the landings typically
in a confined area with obstacles around,
the addition of a laser strike with even a
moment’s blindness could [have] a tragic
ending. As air medical pilots and crews, we
are on a mission to save someone’s life, [but]
laser strikes put everyone’s life on the line. At
a minimum, it is an unnecessary distraction
with the potential of putting the base out of
service while the crew members have their
eyes examined.”
Attacks increase
A US Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) statement to AIR International
said: “Shining a laser at an aircraft
poses a serious safety threat and
can temporarily blind a pilot. [It] not
only affects the crew but endangers
passengers and the communities they
fly over every night.”
Laser attacks on aircraft occurred far
more regularly during the 2010s (see
tables). According to the Civil Aviation
Authority (CAA), laser attacks in the
UK were most common near large
airports. The CAA’s records show that
in 2018 (the latest date for which data
is available) there were 77 incidents at
London/Heathrow, 67 at Manchester,
55 at London/Gatwick and 43 at
Birmingham Airport.
UK incidents in 2016 included widely
reported attacks on Virgin Atlantic
Airways and British Airways flights at
London/Heathrow Airport in the space of
little over a week. A separate July 2017
incident saw a UK airliner targeted by
a green laser during its approach to land
at an undisclosed airport.
The aircraft landed safely, but a CAA
statement noted: “The laser temporarily
impaired the vision of one of the pilots,
who had to hand over control to the
co-pilot. On the ground, the pilot was
deemed unfit to fly until they recovered
normal vision.”
Fewer attacks occurred in the UK in
2017-18, according to the publicly available
CAA data, but more recent FAA figures
have revealed attacks are on the rise in the
US once again. Protesters flash laser lights at a police helicopter
In 2016, the FAA’s numbers show during a rally at Tamar Park, Hong Kong
there were 7,398 laser incidents. The Ivan Abreu/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
January 2022 65
 number fell to 6,754 in 2017 and further
again in 2018, to 5,663. However, in 2019
there were 6,136 attacks and in 2020
another 6,852, despite there being fewer
flights in the latter year, due to COVID-19
pandemic restrictions on travel.
In October 2021, the FAA revealed it had
received 7,186 laser strike reports since
the start of 2021, meaning the 2020 total
was comfortably exceeded in the first ten
months of the year.
An additional FAA statement to AIR
International said the agency, “has
received 197 reports from pilots stating
they received an injury related to a laser
strike between 2010-20”.

Protecting pilots
With laser attacks on the rise over
the long term, some developers have
created specialist eyewear that provides
protection for pilots in the event of a laser
being directed at them in flight.
For example, Metamaterial Technologies
Inc (MTI) manufactures metaAIR, which
it describes as a “premium holographic
optical filter” to protect from glare.
The product can be applied on riot
shields, security cameras, visors, and
camera lenses. MTI worked with Airbus
to develop the product into specialist
Logging laser strikes glasses suitable for pilots.
According to MTI, metaAIR also
offers a filter for night flights, an anti-
reflective coating, UV protection, custom-
engineered frames and are “colour
balanced for optimal comprehension of
cockpit instruments and airport lights”.
PerriQuest is another specialist laser-
defence eyewear manufacturer. On the
company’s website, it states its product
blocks laser colours on the red, green
and blue wavelengths as well as ambient
light. The company added: “Although
attempts to restrict sales of hand-held
lasers have begun, the components to
build high-power lasers remain on the
market, and powerful handheld lasers
are easily assembled.”

TOP RIGHT:
Emergency helicopter operator Flight for Life Colorado is among the organisations to have had its aircraft
The FAA’s ‘Lose the laser’ video campaign is just
targeted by lasers Flight for Life Colorado
one element of a long-running drive to educate the
In the US, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) uses a visualisation tool that analyses laser public about the dangers that lasers pose to aviation
strike data to identify trends in laser incidents. Federal Aviation Administration
Tableau is big-data software developed by Washington, DC-based IT and management consulting
MIDDLE RIGHT:
firm Tantus Technologies. The FAA adopted it back in 2013 and uses it to gather data and get Pilot Eric Bellings of Flight for Life Colorado has
insights across various types of data within the organisation, including air traffic operations, experienced laser strikes on multiple occasions
workforce planning, financial data and IT. Flight for Life Colorado
According to the Tableau website, the software “helps people see and understand data”. An FAA
statement to AIR International said: “The FAA is sharing the information in the new format, to draw TOP LEFT:
metaAIR is a “premium holographic optical filter”
attention to the dangerously high rate of laser strikes on airplanes.”
designed to offer glare protection
The laser-strike application within Tableau can identify incidents by geographic area, per capita metaAIR
data, time of day and year.
In terms of helping to solve the issue, it is unclear exactly what the direct operational impact will be MIDDLE LEFT:
of using Tableau to present information about laser incidents that have already happened. Specialist protection, such as eyewear, matters,
However, the agency stresses the tool is part of its efforts to raise awareness about laser misuse. given the increased number of laser strikes
metaAIR
FAA administrator Steve Dickson said: “There is a need for education, outreach and co-operation
from the public to address this safety risk. We encourage the public to report laser strikes to the
FAA via our website or [a] local law enforcement agency.”

66 January 2022
 “With landings typically in a confined area with
obstacles, the addition of a laser strike with even
a moment’s blindness could have a tragic ending”
Eric Bellings, Flight for Life Colorado
Legislation and fines
Eric Bellings told AIR International he
believes “some form of laser protection
for the pilot and/or in the aircraft would
be beneficial” – but what can be done to
combat the laser menace at its source?
In the UK, the Laser Misuse (Vehicles)
Act 2018 means it is an offence to shine
a laser directly towards an aircraft or air
traffic control tower. Those found guilty
can face an unlimited fine and even
a jail sentence of up to five years for
endangering an aircraft.
Speaking in a House of Commons
debate regarding the bill in April 2018, the
Conservative MP for South Holland and
The Deepings, Sir John Hayes, said: “The
need for legislation is proven simply on
the basis that we know that these things
Laser incidents at UK
airports
2009 746
2010 1,500
2011 1,912
2012 1,571
2013 1,396
2014 1,447
2015 1,439
2016 1,260
2017 989
2018 775
Data: UK Civil Aviation Authority
can be used by those with malevolent
intent to do damage and that they may
well get access to a device that can be
bought for as little as £1 on the internet.”
A statement to AIR International from
East Midlands Airport said: “Laser strikes
are a criminal offence and therefore a
matter for the police. If one occurs, our
response involves logging it and reporting
it to the police.”
The CAA co-ordinates the activities of the
UK Laser Working Group – a joint initiative
with the aviation industry that exists “to identify
key risks associated with laser attacks”.
In the US, the FAA told AIR International
it “remains vigilant in raising awareness
about the dangers of pointing lasers at
aircraft, and works with federal, state and
local law enforcement agencies”.
Laser incidents
involving UK operators
flying overseas
2009 125
2010 286
2011 366
2012 218
2013 329
2014 317
2015 352
2016 275
2017 243
2018 156
Data: UK Civil Aviation Authority
The FAA believes outreach is helping
reduce the number of laser strikes
Federal Aviation Administration
It said: “The FAA encourages the public
to report laser strikes to the FAA and
local law enforcement. People who shine
lasers at aircraft face FAA fines of up to
$11,000 per violation and up to $30,800
for multiple laser incidents.
“The FAA has issued $600,000 in fines
since 2016, which includes $120,000 in
2021. Violators can also face criminal
penalties from federal, state and local law
enforcement agencies.”
Eric Bellings believes laser attacks, “can
be mitigated if the local, state, and the
federal government put more pressure
on the growing problem with stricter
punishments and ways to catch the
individuals doing it”.
He added: “We need to be proactive
with this growing problem, instead of
reactive, so we can prevent an aircraft
accident due to a laser strike.
“I hope, in our ever-changing world, we
can continue to bring more awareness to
this problem and bring everyone home
safely, with the best possible outcomes.”
Checking In
How do you think the laser strike
issue should be tackled?
Share your view by emailing us at:
airinternational@keypublishing.com
under the subject heading Checking In.
January 2022 67
 RETAINING THE
RETAINING THE
COMBAT
EDGE

68 January2022
Balancing the need eleasing its Fiscal Year while advancing fifth-generation aircraft to

R
2022 (FY22) budget outpace competitors.”
to sustain its fleet proposal on May 28, John Roth, Acting Secretary of the Air
2021, the United States Force at the time, said that the budget
while embarking on Department of the Air “starts us on the path necessary to
Force stated that its focus organise, train and equip the air and
key bomber and would be on investing in space forces to deter and, if necessary,
fighter procurement people and capability, while working to
build a force fit to fight the battles of the
defeat the challenges we anticipate in
2030 and beyond.”
programmes, the US future. The request itself amounted to However, Roth signposted the balancing
$173.7bn, including the budget of the US act that the service would have to make
Air Force finds itself Air Force (USAF) and US Space Force to ensure it would be in the best position
(USSF) – split $156.3bn (a +2.3% increase to afford what it said it needed, including
pressured as the compared to the previous year) and the secretive Next-Generation Air
demand to meet new $17.4bn (a +13.1% increase), respectively.
The FY22 procurement budget was
Dominance platform, which will replace
the F-22 Raptor fleet.
challenges increases. set at $25.6bn, with the USAF’s portion “[The budget proposal] not only funds
representing $22.9bn, which would aid in the capabilities required today, but also
Richard Thomas the purchase of, among others, platforms where the Department of the Air Force
highlights and explores such as the F-35 fighter, KC-46 Pegasus
tanker, F-15EX Eagle II, and MC-130J
needs to make trade-offs to invest
in the capabilities required for future
the key issues aircraft, to “ensure near-term readiness competition,” Roth said.

The F-35A – one variant of a three-type

design that encompasses the most expensive
military development effort of all time – is a
key element of the USAF’s future fleet
All images: USAF, unless stated otherwise

January2022 69

“[The budget proposal] not
only funds the capabilities
required today, but also
where the Department
of the Air Force needs to
make trade-offs to invest
in the capabilities required
for future competition”
The document’s proposed research,
development, test and evaluation (RDT&E)
FY22 budget specified “significant funding
areas” to include further growth for the
next-generation B-21 Raider bomber, the
ancient B-52 platform and ever-hungry
F-35 stealth fighter programme.
However, in its own words, in order
to focus resources on these and other
modernisation efforts, the budget
included proposals to reduce ageing,
costs and less-than-capable legacy
systems through the retirement of 48
F-15C/D and 47 F-16 C/D fighters; 42 A-10
ground attack aircraft; 20 RQ-4 Block 30
remote-piloted aircraft systems (RPAS);
18 KC-135 and 14 KC-10 tankers; 13
C-130H transporters; and four E-8 Joint
Surveillance Target Attack Radar System
airborne ground surveillance aircraft.
In order to attempt to position itself
for the future battlespace, the US Air
Force saw – given the resources to hand
70 January2022
and the planned cost of upgrades and
modernisation – the need to remove 188
aircraft from its roster, a sacrificial force
larger than most countries’ entire fixed-
wing combat fleet.
The proposal was not universally
welcomed – in terms of the number of
platforms being lost but also queries on
planned acquisition budgets, particularly
from the F-35 programme. A subsequent
US Senate Armed Services Committee
executive summary stated concern that
the USAF “still budgets for a quantity
below the stated production objectives of
the F-35 programme.”
The committee also iterated its further
concern that the USAF had “squandered
an opportunity to capitalise” on advanced
purchases by budgeting for 48 aircraft in
FY22, instead of the 60 aircraft that were
planned for by the US Congress.
A trio of industrial programmes offers up
the clearest indication of the difficulties
Less than 190 operational F-22
fighters were delivered to the USAF,
with the number available for use
thought to be considerably lower now
facing the USAF in the coming years
– it seeks to upgrade its fleet to a fifth-
generation force with the F-35A fighter;
embark on the recapitalisation of the
United States’ airborne nuclear deterrent
with the Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B)
programme; and determine the fate of the
landmark F-22 Raptor.
Nuclear recapitalisation
The year 2022 will be of huge importance
to LRS-B prime Northrop Grumman and
the programme as a whole, as it will signal
the formal arrival of the B-21 Raider and
bring the new-generation strategic stealth
bomber out of the shadows and into public
focus for the first time.
The new bomber, which will be capable
of delivering conventional weapons as well
as thermonuclear warheads, is scheduled
to be publicly rolled out in early 2022,
before completing its first flight at some
point later in the year.
 The origin of the LRS-B programme can
be traced back to the early 2000s, when
the US Department of Defense (DOD) and
USAF launched studies into the concept
of a new, long-range strike platform
under the Next-Generation Bomber
(NGB) project. However, by 2009, the
programme was effectively dead and the
companies working on related proposals
were told to halt development.
The USAF subsequently began working
on a family of affordable, long-range
strike aircraft that would draw on the
capabilities of the fifth-generation stealth
fighters (F-22s/F-35s) that would be in
operational service by the mid 2020s,
to help the new bomber complete its
mission set. This led to the rebirth of the
initiative under the LRS-B branding.
Following an evaluation by the USAF,
Northrop Grumman was awarded
the engineering and manufacturing
development contract for the B-21. This
was briefly disputed by the Boeing- Introduced in 1955, the B-52 has been a mainstay for the United States Air Force for decades, but is also
Lockheed Martin team, which protested expected to be axed before its centenary year
the decision to the US Government
Accountability Office (GAO) in November
2015. However, this protest was denied
by the GAO and Northrop Grumman
continued working on the platform.
According to current plans, the
introduction of the B-21 will spell the end
of the road for the USAF’s B-1B Lancer
and B-2A Spirit fleets, which will be
replaced by the new-generation bomber.
The effect of this decision has already
been felt by the Lancer fleet, which has
since been reduced by 17 aircraft.
The USAF intends to operate a future
fleet of 225 bombers, which will be made
up purely of B-21s and veteran B-52Hs
(expected to remain in service until 2050).
The USAF’s current bomber fleet totals
141 aircraft, comprising 45 B-1Bs, 20
B-2As and 76 B-52Hs.
With the Lancer and Spirit being retired,
The B-21 Raider effort will see the production of 100 bombers intended to recapitalise the United States Air
this means the USAF will need to procure Force’s nuclear deterrent capability Northrop Grumman

at least 149 Raiders to make up its

planned future force of 225 bombers. At
present, no official announcement has
been made regarding the total number
of B-21s that will be purchased by the
service, but the air arm states that “at
least 100” will be acquired.
As well as succeeding the B-1B Lancer
and B-2A aircraft operationally – and
acting as the service’s primary nuclear-
capable strategic stealth bomber for the
foreseeable future – the B-21 will be “a
component of a larger family of systems
for conventional long-range strikes,” the
USAF said. It adds that the Raider will
employ a “broad mix” of stand-off and
direct attack munitions.
It was initially reported that construction
of the first prototype began in the summer
of 2019. However, during a hearing of the
House Armed Services Subcommittee
The B1-B Lancer will be phased out of service with the introduction of the B-21, although, concerns have been on Seapower and Projection Forces on
raised about the overall number of bombers in service June 8, 2021, it was confirmed by

January2022 71
 The B-2 Spirit (background) and older
F-15 fleet will face different rates,
with the former retained as part of
the USAF’s bomber force while legacy
airframes of the latter are removed
Darlene Costello, the USAF’s Principal
Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air
Force for Acquisition, Technology and
Logistics, that production of the first two
B-21 test aircraft had been completed.
In addition, while providing an update
on the programme’s progress at the
Air Force Association’s Air, Space and
Cyber Conference in National Harbor,
Maryland, on September 20, 2021, the
newly appointed Secretary of the Air
Force, Frank Kendall, confirmed that
five prototypes had entered production.
Although the first prototype will make its
first flight in 2022, the second will be used
solely as a ground test vehicle.
The US Senate Armed Services
Committee summary of the B-21
programme pointedly remarked that,
although USAF and Global Strike
Command had “consistently stated”
that 225 bombers were necessary
to “ensure victory in a near-peer
conventional war”, the current roadmap
would leave the US with 175 bombers
(100 B-21s and 75 B-52s) until 2050,
according to the committee.
That number will dwindle further, to just
100 aircraft, when the B-52 eventually
Checking In
Do you think fifth-generation
fighters, such as the F-35,
will be the deciding factor in
tomorrow’s conflicts?
Share your views by emailing us at:
airinternational@keypublishing.com
under the subject heading Checking In.
72 January2022
leaves service. The situation prompted
the committee to encourage the US
DOD to consider other options, in order
to maintain a 225 aircraft bomber force,
including “procuring more B-21s or
augmenting the B-21 fleet with a lower-
cost B-52 replacement.”
Opting for the latter, the committee
stated, would “be consistent” with the
Chief of Staff of the Air Force's comments
in 2021, about the need for the USAF to
invest in cheaper, more flexible platforms.
(To read more about the B-21 Raider,
see p92-93 of the January 2022 edition of
our sister title, AirForces Monthly.)
Lightning strikes
Probably the most high-profile of all
of the USAF’s ongoing programmes
is that of the F-35 Lightning II stealth
fighter. It involves the US Marine Corps
and US Navy, and the provision of the
conventional A model, short take-off,
vertical landing (STOVL) B version, and
catapult-assisted take-off and brake-
assisted recovery (CATOBAR) C variant,
to each respective service.
The programme is the most expensive
military development ever undertaken,
valued at around $1.7 trillion, with the
USAF alone seeking to procure 1,763
F-35A aircraft over its lifetime. Determining
the value of an F-35A is difficult, with
figures ranging from $80-120m per
aircraft, depending on a number of
factors, such as maintenance costs.
However, one of the perceived key
sticking points for the F-35 programme
has been the sustainment expense of the
type, with costs per flight hour currently
around $33,000 for the USAF’s A-variant
– although, this had dropped by more
than 40%, compared to 2015 figures.
Lockheed Martin officials have said the
ambition is to reduce this to around
$25,000 per flight hour by 2025.
The programme has also yet to reach its
Milestone C target, which will see formal
authorisation given for full-rate production
(FRP). Currently, the three variants of the
aircraft are manufactured under low-rate
initial production (LRIP) lots.
JR McDonald, vice president of Business
Development Integrated Fighter Group,
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, said that
FRP was “largely ceremonial”, given the
number of aircraft that had so far been
delivered to customers. “The move of
the programme through to FRP can only
come once combat simulation testing had
been completed,” McDonald said. More
than 600 F-35 aircraft of various types
have so far been delivered, and (at time of
print) more than 130 additional aircraft are
thought to have been produced in 2021.
According to a July 13 report by
the US GAO, while the US DOD
approaches a full-rate production point,
formally authorising the transition from
development to full production, the F-35
programme is producing nearly 25% of
the total planned aircraft in LRIP before
satisfying the criteria for FRP.
The GAO report stated that, as the
DOD approached the milestone,
the programme “had taken steps
but not fully addressed a number of
challenges”, which included the need
to resolve “critical deficiencies” in the
aircraft, address supply chain issues
and take steps to ensure reliability and
maintainability goals were met.
 Furthermore, the GAO report said
that, at the same time the programme
was resolving risks with its baseline, the
DOD was encountering “similar cost
and schedule increases” with its F-35
modernisation plans.
The GAO stated that, in the
three years of Block 4 capability
development, the total estimated cost
of Block 4 increased from $10.6bn to
$14.4bn, due, in part, to a recognition
of all costs estimated to be required to
complete the effort.
“[The US] DOD added another year to
the Block 4 schedule, in March 2021,
GAO found the remaining development
time frame is not achievable. Unless the
F-35 programme accounts for historical
performance in the schedule estimates,
the Block 4 schedule will continue
to exceed estimated time frames
and stakeholders will lack reliable
information on when the modernised
capabilities will be delivered,” the
report pronounced.
Figures released from Lockheed
Martin in September 2021 revealed
the company had agreed with the
Pentagon’s F-35 Joint Program Office
the number of aircraft, across all three
variants, that will be produced in the
coming years. The rebaseline has been
conducted in a bid to recover from a
shortfall in aircraft manufactured as a
result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The agreement stated an output of
between 133-139 aircraft in 2021, 151-
153 aircraft in 2022, and an anticipated
delivery of 156 aircraft beginning in
2023, which would be maintained for
the foreseeable future. During a July
2021 webcast detailing Lockheed
Martin’s 2021 first-half performance,
officials said it was “highly likely” that
deliveries of the F-35 in 2022 would
fall short of the planned 169 but
would “not be less” than the total
handovers for 2021.
Interestingly, US Senate Armed
Services Committee, in its executive
summary of the proposed FY22 National
Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) said
that the 338 F-35 aircraft purchased by
USAF in Lots 1-13 need to be upgraded
“expeditiously to the Block 4 configuration
with the Technology Refresh 3 hardware”,
recommending a budget increase of
£1.7bn for platform modifications.
Raptor retirement?
The F-22 Raptor entered service with the
USAF in the mid 2000s as the first fifth-
generation aircraft in the world, bringing
to bear all the perceived benefits of
stealth into an air dominance platform
of purported unrivalled capability. The
programme received low-rate initial
production approval in 2001, followed by
the completion of initial operation test and
evaluation in 2004. Full rate production
was subsequently awarded in 2005,
with the USAF eventually receiving 187
operational aircraft.
In its role as an air dominance fighter,
which has an operational ceiling of above
50,000ft, the aircraft is designed to
intercept potential high-altitude peer and
near-peer threats to the United States,
The F-22 Raptors, highly
sophisticated as they are, could
well find themselves removed from
service ahead of time, despite the
huge expense in development,
acquisition, and sustainment
More than 1,700 F-35A aircraft
are purportedly planned to be
acquired for the USAF over
the lifetime of the programme,
however, it is likely that this
figure will be reduced
a capability that did not come cheap.
According to 2015 figures, platform
costs ran to more than $143m per unit, a
number exacerbated given the design’s
export ban, due to the secret or classified
nature the aircraft.
The F-22 fleet is expensive to maintain
as well, as highlighted by the Q4 2021
$10.8bn contract awarded to Lockheed
Martin for indefinite-delivery/indefinite-
quantity Advanced Raptor Enhancement
and Sustainment (ARES) for the F-22
Program Office. The contract vehicle
provides support for the necessary
supplies and services to sustain and
modernise the F-22 Raptor, including
modernisation hardware kit procurement
and services, such as upgrades,
enhancements and fixes, as well as
performance-based logistics services.
Published in May 2021, a commentary
from Justin Bronk, research fellow for
airpower at the Royal United Services
Institute, argued that the USAF had
already made the first steps towards
drawing down the F-22 fleet, given the
expensive nature of the platform and
the relatively small number of airframes
produced, less still the number actually
available for combat operations. The
replacement for the type, as mentioned,
will see the development of the NGAD
platform – yet another programme that
will likely present its own fiscal pitfalls in
the decades to come.
The United States Air Force finds itself,
then, at something of a crossroads –
between maintaining aircraft numbers,
introducing new fifth-generation
capabilities, harnessing the potential of
uncrewed platforms as force multipliers,
while also negotiating a taught financial
tightrope. Add to that the host of political
pressures, not to mention real-world
threats, and the service finds itself in
an unenviable position – one where it is
unable to please all interests from the
private and public sector alike.
January2022 73
 CEO Ivo Boscarol founded Pipistrel Aircraft in 1989 All images courtesy of Pipistrel Aircraft
GRAND
DESIGNS
Pipistrel Aircraft of Slovenia is determined to take
its tech global, not least the ground-breaking Velis
Electro two-seater. Tom Batchelor reports
lovenia’s mix of mountains,
S
lakes and Adriatic
coastline makes it a top
central European tourist
destination, but the
country of just over 2
million people punches
above its weight in other areas too, not
least aircraft production. Pipistrel Aircraft,
a designer and manufacturer based in
the Slovenian town of Ajdovščina, close
to the Italian city of Trieste, specialises
in energy-efficient and affordable high-
performance light aircraft and has
produced more than 2,500 planes for
customers worldwide in the more than 30
years it has been in operation.
Cementing its foothold
Pipistrel’s inventory includes a wide
array of aircraft models, including two-
and four-seaters, petrol-engine and
electric propulsion, gliders, trainers
and cruisers. The company is already
an established and trusted brand,
but it took further steps to cement its
foothold in the light aircraft market when
in September it signed a technology
transfer agreement with Hungary-
based Genevation Aircraft, enabling
74 January2022
the production and final assembly of
Pipistrel’s fully customisable Virus SW
aircraft – described as a low-cost, high-
speed cruiser that is “definitely the
fastest high-wing aircraft family in its
category” – and its components there.
The deal was sufficiently important
to attract the attention of both the
Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán,
and his Slovenian counterpart, Janez
Janša, who witnessed the signing of
the contract at the 53rd International
Entrepreneurial Fair in Celje, Slovenia.
The partnership is valued at more
than €100m over a 10-year period
and will see Pipistrel’s SW 121 aircraft
assembled before sale in markets
including Hungary, Russia, central Asia,
Africa, Turkey and Israel. SW 121 family
aircraft are equipped with IFR-ready
touch-screen glass avionics, advanced
autopilot, full aircraft recovery system
and equipment for towing gliders,
making them ideal for diverse activities
such as pilot training, club flying, aerial
photography, wildlife, forest and fire
management and disaster relief. They
are also pitched at military agencies for
the purposes of border surveillance and
other security and defence operations.
The two-seater Velis
Electro is intended
primarily for pilot
training, according
to Pipistrel

January2022 75

Along with a green aviation focus, Pipistrel’s priorities include new technologies that will “make city transport
more efficient, safer and cleaner”
Plane makers big and small are
expending ever more time and resources
to scale-up low and zero-emission aircraft
technology, and Pipistrel is no different.
An environmental focus
Speaking to AIR International, CEO Ivo
Boscarol, who founded the company
in 1989, said his business was now
“focused entirely on environmentally
friendly aviation, mostly on electric aircraft
and emission-free propulsion concepts
such as hydrogen". He explained that
since 2014, Pipistrel had been working
on concept eVTOL [electric vertical
take-off and landing] vehicles, Uber
flying car concepts and other
autonomous electric aircraft “which
would make city transport more efficient,
safer and cleaner".
In June 2020, Pipistrel unveiled the
world’s first fully electric aircraft to be
type-certified by the European Aviation
Safety Agency (EASA): the Pipistrel
Velis Electro. This two-seater aircraft is
intended primarily for pilot training and
maintains the same look-and-feel of its
conventionally powered siblings, and the
ultra-quiet plane enables flight schools to
operate much closer to urban areas and
comes with lower maintenance costs.
Pipistrel’s fully customisable Virus SW is a low-cost, high-speed cruiser that is “definitely the fastest high-wing
aircraft family in its category”, said the company
76 January2022
The Pipistrel Velis Electro is the world’s first fully electric aircraft to be type-certified by the European Aviation
Safety Agency
EASA executive director Patrick Ky
described the certification as an “exciting
breakthrough” as the aviation industry
pursued “new technologies to reduce
noise and emissions and to improve the
sustainability of aviation". Boscarol said
the type certification of the Velis Electro
was the “first step towards the commercial
use of electric aircraft, which is needed to
make emission-free aviation feasible. It is
considerably quieter than other aeroplanes
and produces no combustion gases at all",
adding that it provided “optimism, also to
other electric aircraft designers, that the
type certification of electric engines and
aeroplanes is possible”.
The technology
Velis Electro is a full-electric offshoot
of the Virus SW 121, which itself has
already been type-certified by EASA and
is the first small aircraft to be approved
with 3D printed parts. The electric
version has one liquid-cooled battery
pack located in the nose of the plane
and a second behind the cabin, ensuring
redundancy. In a case of battery failure,
the malfunctioning unit is automatically
disconnected from the system and
the remaining battery is capable of
producing enough power for climbing
and continuation of the flight.
Work on the electric version led
Pipistrel’s Velis Electro’s technical
team to win the American Institute of
Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)
Aircraft Design Award in June, with the
committee praising the creation of “the
world’s first certified electric aircraft,
leading the marketplace in a new era of
green aircraft design and technology”.
The award was presented to Pipistrel’s
head of engineering, Paolo Romagnolli,
and chief technical officer, Tine Tomažič,
during a virtual awards ceremony in
August. The award puts Pipistrel among a
distinguished list of past winners, including
Robert Lafontan of the Airbus A380
Design Team in 2018, for his work on an
aircraft which the AIAA said was “the next
step in the development of Very Large
Commercial Transport for long range,
high density routes”, and the Boeing
787 Dreamliner Team in 2014, for work
“leading to substantial airliner performance
improvements and significant advances in
aircraft design and technology”.
 A hot topic
Pipistrel’s flight test engineer was recently
rewarded for his work testing batteries for
electric aircraft. Alberto Favier was honoured
in the Society of Flight Test Engineers
International Symposium, receiving the
best paper award at a ceremony held in the
US city of St Louis in October. Favier and
three other contributors submitted a paper
entitled “Things Flight Testers Should Know
About Batteries For Electric Propulsion”,
which examined battery qualification (design
aspects and tests performed at battery level),
battery integration within the aircraft (what
to consider when you take the battery and
put it in the aircraft), battery performance
(what are the variables that affect the battery
power) and how to manage risks when
performing test flights (for instance battery
fire). Favier told AIR International: “We
started working in the first half of the year,
but the involvement grew significantly in the
“We are focused entirely on environmentally friendly two to three months before the submission
deadline.” Asked if winning the accolade
aviation, mostly on electric aircraft and emission-free came as a surprise, he said: “Our paper was
covering a ‘hot topic’, so we knew that, if
propulsion concepts such as hydrogen” well prepared, [it] could have been a serious
Ivo Boscarol, Pipistrel Aircraft candidate for the best paper award.”

A healthy sales book and at a speed of around 80mph with powered planes and gain experience with
Pipistrel’s global reputation for market- the aim of preserving the plane’s charge charging options and battery technology.
leading design and technology is matched (the Alpha Electro has an endurance of Justifying what may seem an unusual
by its international sales book, with 60 minutes, and takes a similar amount choice for a military organisation, Danish
contracts in almost 100 countries. Asked if of time to fully charge). “We still had 40% Minister of Defence Trine Bramsen said that
the company was eyeing new customers left in the battery,” Freedman said after “everyone has a responsibility to contribute
in emerging markets, Boscarol replied: completing the trip. “We could have to climate change prevention – this also
“Of course! At the moment we are selling almost flown back again.” applies to the area of defence. Therefore,
to 97 countries, so all the others are our Back in Europe, Pipistrel’s electric fleet is we have decided to procure electric aircraft
target markets.” He added that Pipistrel's being used to support military operations for our air military. The electric planes will
customers were “extremely varied, just like in Denmark. Danish Armed Forces pilots be used for training, among other things.
our aircraft are very different for different at their flight academy in Karup will have The experience will be important for future
target groups. From individual hobby and access to two Velis Electros leased by the defence equipment acquisitions”. Following
professional pilots to clubs, flight schools, French company Green Aerolease which in the Danes’ wake, the British Royal Air
government agencies and defence were scheduled to be delivered in autumn Force (RAF) was said to also be looking
ministries of different countries". With its 2021, adding to the existing fleet of Saab at using Pipistrel’s electric planes for pilot
global standing going from strength to T-17 training aircraft. The Danish Armed training – though combat aircraft will, for
strength, Pipistrel announced the first US Forces said the purpose of the electric the time being at least, remain outside the
flight of its electric aircraft in August when aircraft was to test the potential of battery- scope of the e-revolution.
the Florida Institute of Technology took
delivery of a Velis Electro. After the Taurus
Electro and Alpha Electro, the Velis Electro
is the third of Pipistrel’s serially-produced
electric aircraft to fly in the lucrative North
American market. Boscarol said the
company was now working with the US
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to have
the EASA type-certification recognised,
to permit commercial operations and pilot
training with the Velis Electro.
Adding to a growing list of world “firsts”,
in November Pipistrel’s Alpha Electro
aircraft was used to complete the first
electric flight over New Zealand’s Cook
Strait – the body of water that separates
the country’s north and south islands.
Pilot Gary Freedman’s 40-minute solo
ABOVE: Power is delivered to the Velis Electro by a 345 VDC electric system built around a liquid-cooled
flight came 101 years after the first person in-house developed high-performance battery system
flew a conventionally powered aircraft
over the strait. The 48-mile trip was flown TOP: Unlike the start-up procedure of a conventionally powered airplane, the Velis Electro is powered-up by
at a height of just 1,000ft above sea level four switches and requires no warm-up time before take-off

January2022 77
 Pipistrel’s Velis X-Alpha VR is the world’s first
ultralight flight simulator to use virtual reality
(VR) technology instead of monitors

A British order
British flight schools are to receive 50 fully-
electric Pipistrel Velis Electro two-seater The Velis Electro technical team won the AIAA 2021 Aircraft Design Award, which celebrates “an original
training aircraft following a joint project concept leading to a significant advancement in aircraft design or design technology”
between the company’s UK distributor,
the Fly About Aviation company (based at
The next steps companies also plan to explore further
Moving forward, Pipistrel is working on collaborations on electric propulsion
Damyns Hall Aerodrome near London and
a new electric drive unit coordinated by for Airflow’s production aircraft. Marc
at Shipmeadow airfield in East Anglia) and
its Modular Approach to Hybrid Electric Ausman, CEO and co-founder of Airflow,
the V1 Investment Fund. Under the so-called
Propulsion Architecture (MAHEPA) said of the deal: “Pipistrel’s pioneering
Green Airside project, which aims to help
research project, an EU-funded work in electric flight and its industry-
training centres become zero emission for
venture focusing on new hybrid electric leading experience in building and
the pilots of the future, the company aims to
powertrains in the search for cleaner, certifying powertrains for electric aircraft
make the Velis Electro an affordable aircraft
quieter and more efficient aircraft make it an ideal partner to help us build
for flight schools.
propulsion. Developed in collaboration and fly a first-of-its kind eSTOL airplane.”
Commenting on the arrangement, Ivo
with German electronic manufacturing Pipistrel’s Ivo Boscarol added: “There
Boscarol, founder and CEO of Pipistrel,
company Compact Dynamics, the electric are a lot of ideas flooding the market,
said the Velis Electro was the ideal aircraft
drive unit has completed qualification which is exciting to see, but not all are
as it “reduces the cost of operating hour
tests and will be integrated in Pipistrel’s based on real technology and realistic
tremendously. It also brings the flight back to
all-composite, four-seater Panthera. The aerospace timescales. The Airflow team
urban areas, where it was forbidden because designers hope the MAHEPA electric drive understands what it takes to bring a new
of noise made by piston-engine aircraft. unit could one day be used on larger zero- electric aircraft to market and their
“Once in the air, Velis Electro cannot be emission hybrid-electric passenger aircraft. experience building and flying the Airbus
heard at all, so it will not disturb the local Pipistrel also recently announced Vahana makes them one of the best
population. It is entirely emission-free, so a partnership with Airflow – a San positioned teams to accomplish this.
all the forward-looking flight schools which Francisco Bay area aerospace company Their goals at Airflow are ambitious and
are trying to save the environment and keep founded in 2019 by the five former Airbus we’re excited they’ve selected us to be on
our atmosphere clean, will strive to use employees behind the Vahana electric- this journey with them.” With Pipistrel
electric aircraft.” powered eight-propeller vertical take-off forging ahead with new ventures from
The number of flight schools signing up and landing (VTOL) prototype – to supply New Zealand to California, and ground-
to use Pipistrel’s certified zero-emission motors, motor controllers and batteries breaking research underway closer to
plane is on the rise. Asked how popular for Airflow’s concept electric short take- home, the company looks set for an
the electric aircraft were with this type off and landing (eSTOL) aircraft. The two exciting 2022.
of facility, Boscarol said the interest was
“increasing rapidly”. The UK schools set
to receive Pipistrel’s aircraft, as well as “We are selling to 97 countries, so all the others are
compatible electric charging equipment,
VR flight simulators and on-line training our target markets” Ivo Boscarol, Pipistrel Aircraft
courses, are the London Airsports Centre,
Lincoln Flight and Flight Path Flying club in
the West Midlands, with the first order for 10
aircraft having been made in October. Sergey
Grachev of the V1 Investment Fund called the
deal a “massive and forward-thinking step
from Pipistrel and its network of distributors
to make a real change in saving the planet.”
Pipistrel already has a similar deal in place
with a number of French flight schools.
In January, Green Aerolease signed an
agreement with the Slovenian plane maker
– backed by the French Federation of
Aeronautics – for its own order of 50 Pipistrel
Velis Electro aircraft for training, and within
the next three years, 200 Pipistrel electric
aircraft are to be deployed in France. Another example of ground-breaking Pipistrel technology, the Pipistrel Taurus Electro is the first mass-produced
electric two-seater glider. Shown here, the roof of its trailer makes an ideal solar panel installation platform

78 January2022
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 anada’s Future
C
Aircrew Training (FAcT)
programme aims to
renew aircrew training
services to help maintain
a multi-purpose and
combat capable Royal
Canadian Air Force (RCAF).
The Canadian government is to grant
a 25-year contract, expected to be
awarded in 2023, for a comprehensive
aircrew training programme that provides
aircraft, ground-based training systems,
civilian instructors, and other essential
services. These include air traffic
control, aircraft and airfield maintenance,
accommodation, and food services for
the RCAF.
80 January2022
One contender for the programme has
seen Babcock and Leonardo create a
joint venture called Babcock Leonardo
Canadian Aircrew Training for their FAcT
bid, utilising their respective subsidiaries,
Babcock Canada and Leonardo Canada,
in the lead.
Both Leonardo and Babcock have
experience as military training providers,
with the former offering a blend of
technologies for aircraft, from simulation
and learning environment to mission
systems. Leonardo already supports
a range of military and civilian training
academies for rotary and fixed-wing
aircraft worldwide utilising synthetic
training devices combined with
programmes of training courses for
helicopter and aircraft crews, operators
and maintainers. Meanwhile, Babcock
provides basic and advanced flying
training for air forces, navies and armies.
The firm offers technical instruction
across multiple locations and aircraft
types, providing technical training
instruction, develops training materials
and maintains critical training assets for
its customers.
The company supports 70% of UK
Ministry of Defence (MOD) flying training
and provides the French Air Force with
about 11,000 hours of flying training
every year.
In their teaming announcement,
Babcock Leonardo Canadian Aircrew
Training programme director, Jana Lee
The legacy CT-155 Hawk was previously
selected for the NATO Flying Training
in Canada programme because of its
similarities to frontline fighter aircraft.
RCAF/Master Corporal Pierre Thériaul
Murray, said: “We are strongly committed
to working with our supply chain,
communities, and indigenous partners
adding value to Canada now and in the
future. We are fully prepared to provide
a completely integrated, end-to-end
military training solution that will generate
a robust and efficient flow of Canadian
military pilots and personnel.”
The Babcock Canada and Leonardo
Canada team includes FlightSafety
International, L3Harris Technologies and
Top Aces as strategic partners.
FlightSafety International has significant
experience in supplying aviation training
through flight simulators, visual systems
and displays to commercial, governmental
and military organisations.
Industry is competing
for a once-in-a-
generation opportunity
to secure the contract
for Canada’s future
comprehensive military
aerospace training
programme. Report by
Robert Coppinger.
L3Harris is considered to be one of
Canada’s leading in-service support and
systems integrators.
Rounding off the industrial line-up, Top
Aces provides advanced adversary and
joint terminal attack controller training
to the world’s air forces. Founded in
2000, Top Aces has the largest fleet of
commercially operated fighter aircraft in
active service and is the first company in
the world to acquire the Lockheed Martin
F-16 Fighting Falcon.
End of an era
The FAcT contract will replace Canada’s
existing aircrew training arrangement
which is through two separate contracts.
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
FAcT
of the matter
(NATO) flying training in Canada (NFTC) is
provided by CAE Military Aviation Training
through a contract that expires in 2023,
which includes an option to extend it
through to 2024.
A second contract for flying training
and support (CFTS), provided by
KF Aerospace, will expire in 2027.
The training services take place in
Saskatchewan and Manitoba in Canada.
With the new contract this will not
change. Following a review, the Canadian
government decided the new training
services will continue to be provided at
these existing locations.
Pilots fly a range of aircraft in the
Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) for a
variety of roles - search and rescue,
January2022 81
 Training Canadian pilots
Pilots attend primary flying training at the
Canadian Forces Flying Training School in
Portage la Prairie, Manitoba.
This course introduces them to the military
flying environment and procedures.
It has to be completed to continue on with
further pilot training to the next phase, the
prerequisite training course.
This introduces student pilots to the
various effects of flying on the human body,
air safety procedures, and basic survival
techniques, which are for emergencies on
land or over water.
The next stage is basic flying training which
takes place at the NATO Flight Training
Centre in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, for
eight months.
Student pilots are trained to fly aircraft in
a military environment through classroom,
simulator and in-flight instruction.
Students also receive leadership fighter, transport, tactical helicopter, or to attend another Canadian University.
development training to prepare them for maritime patrol. Recruits will receive a full-time salary and
their responsibilities for their aircrew. Canadian pilots are taught that their paid holiday in exchange for working in
Based on a candidate’s flying performance, primary responsibilities are to plan, the CAF for a period of time.
academic standing and leadership evaluation communicate, co-ordinate and execute Basic training and military officer
they are assigned to one of three advanced tactical missions in support of civil qualification training are required before
flying training paths. authority or military objectives. These being assigned anywhere within CAF.
Those paths are fast jet, multi-engine objectives can be humanitarian or for After basic training, a candidate may
(transport) and rotary wing training. The latter disaster relief or air intercept operations. be posted somewhere for an on-the-
takes place at Portage-la-Prairie, Manitoba, The pilots’ education includes learning job training programme. Applicants who
where the basic helicopter course is given on how to use the technology the aircraft wear glasses, contacts, or have had
the Bell Jet Ranger. have for precision tactical navigation certain laser surgery to improve their
The multi-engine training also takes place systems, advanced communication, vision can apply to be pilots. However,
at Portage-la-Prairie. The aircraft used for sensors, counter measures and striking because pilots have more stringent
training there is the Beech Raytheon King Air targets – the weapons. visual requirements than other CAF
C-90A. The fast jet training for fighter pilots Candidates need to have a university roles, applicants must pass additional
occurs at Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, but not degree and the CAF will decide if an ophthalmology screening. The RCAF’s
in a jet powered aircraft. The training uses a individual’s education fully meets the Aircrew Selection Centre requires that
two-seat propeller driven Harvard II with an criteria for the role. As a university degree all pilots, aerospace controllers and air
instructor pilot onboard. is necessary to be an officer, the CAF combat systems officers successfully
At the end of the advanced flying training, will pay successful recruits to complete a complete aircrew selection.
students receive their pilot’s wings and bachelor’s degree programme. The selection centre is located in
proceed to an operational training unit for Candidates enter the Canadian military Trenton, Ontario, where candidates
training. There they will train on the aircraft college system as an Officer Cadet where are tested over a two-day period with
and in the role they have been assigned. they study subjects relevant to both their computer-based scenarios designed
Once that is competed, a pilot is posted to an military and academic career. to validate those skills and aptitudes
operational squadron. In rare instances, based on the needs required by the RCAF. To go on to be a
of the CAF, candidates may be approved pilot, or an aerospace controller or air

ABOVE & BELOW: From January 18 to 20, 2021, as part of the Canadian Armed Forces’ ongoing commitment to an enduring
presence in the furthest reaches of the Arctic, two Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 fighter jets staged out of Iqaluit, NU,
rendezvoused with a CC-150T Polaris air-to-air refueller over Baffin Bay as part of a training mission involving an Arctic patrol.
Royal Canadian Air Force/1st Lt Sable Brown

82 January2022
 A Royal Canadian Air Force RCAF-188 Hornet
lands at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson,
Alaska, Oct. 12, 2021, to take part in the
training exercise, Operation Noble Defender.
US Air Force/Justin Connaher

Canadian government and the RCAF to provide feedback on items such

for FAcT are the Babcock-Leonardo
Canadian Aircrew Training team and
SkyAlyne Canada Limited Partnership.
Preliminary consultations between the
government and industry began in 2013.
In 2016, industry was advised of the
new scope of this FAcT procurement
through a letter of interest. On May
2, 2018, the government held a FAcT
industry engagement session in
Ottawa, with an initial 84 companies
agreeing to participate in the process.
Through this engagement, Canada
defined its requirements, and industry
representatives had an opportunity
The competition to train the next generation of Royal
Canadian Air Force aviators will see the award of a
multi-decade contract. Royal Canadian Air Force
as procurement approach, schedule,
solicitation documents and economic
benefits to Canada.
Canada’s industrial and technological
benefits policy applies to this
procurement, requiring the winning
suppliers to place investments in Canada
equal to the value of the contract. This
will ensure the Canadian aerospace and
defence industries are well positioned
to participate and grow. On November
15, 2018, Canada launched an invitation
to qualify to establish a list of qualified
suppliers. The government department
of Innovation, Science and Economic

combat systems officer, aircrew selection

has to be successfully completed. The
RCAF fighter and transport pilots can
expect to be sent abroad, as can the
tactical helicopter pilots, for humanitarian
aid distribution, logistics, peacekeeping
missions and conflicts.
Pilots can also work in support of the
Royal Canadian Navy in the northernmost
parts of Canada.

Requests for proposals

On December 16, 2020, the Canadian
government provided the FAcT draft
request for proposals from what it
described as “qualified suppliers”.
Two years later, on December 10,
2018, the government published a list of
qualified suppliers, companies that had
already demonstrated their ability to meet
Canada’s needs, which were then invited Royal Canadian Air Force Cpl Joey Chow, air weapons system technician of the RCAF 433 Tactical Fighter
to qualify. Squadron, receives instruction from a member of the Woodward Aviation Services on how to operate the mule
As mentioned above, the two bidders to be able to tow CF-188 aircraft during the EX Amalgam Dart 21-1 at 5th Wing Goose Bay, Newfoundland, and
that have been engaged with the Labrador, Canada, on Friday June 11, 2021. CANR NORAD

January2022 83
 "SkyAlyne Canada
joint venture
brings together
proven expertise
in all phases of
pilot training”

A Royal Canadian Air Force fighter pilot climbs aboard a Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 Hornet fighter jet in
preparation for a training flight during Exercise Amalgam Dart, June 13, 2021. CANR NORAD/Corporal Duchesne-
Beaulieu, 3 Wing Imaging

Development Canada has been involved

to ensure the Canadian aerospace and
defence industries are well positioned
to participate. Qualified suppliers had to
submit an Indigenous Benefits Plan as
part of their bid.
The SkyAlyne Canada Limited
Cpl Mathieu Levesque from 425 Squadron refuels a CF-188 aircraft after arrival to training exercise Amalgam Partnership is led by CAE and KF
Dart 21-2 on March 19, 2021. CANR NORAD/PO2 Rene Duguay Aerospace with what they describe as a
100% Canadian partnership and supply
chain. The full SkyAlyne team employs
more than 14,000 people operating in
every region of Canada. Today, CAE and
KF Aerospace deliver all phases of pilot
training to the RCAF through the NFTC
programme, which is managed by CAE,
and KF Aerospace’s CFTS programme.
CAE and KF created the 50/50 joint
venture SkyAlyne Canada as a firm
dedicated to developing military pilot
and aircrew training in Canada.
KF Aerospace and CAE’s core
businesses in Canada evolve around
the Future Aircrew Training KICs within
the leading competencies and critical
industrial services; namely Training and
Simulation and In-Service Support.
In the 2018 SkyAlyne team
announcement, CAE president and chief
executive officer, Marc Parent, said: “The
union of our two companies through the
Pilots have to train for a number of years before they fully qualify on platforms such as the CF-18 Hornet. SkyAlyne Canada joint venture brings
Canada’s future fast jet fleet will comprise either the Saab Gripen or Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighter. together proven expertise in all phases of
US Air Force/Airman 1st Class Cassandra Whitman pilot training, and helps ensure this key

84 January2022

industrial capability can be developed
and delivered by Canadian companies
for Canada. SkyAlyne Canada will draw
on the resources and experience of
both CAE and KF Aerospace, along
with many industry partners…to design
and develop innovative pilot and aircrew
training solutions.”
Qualified supplier
In August 2021, Babcock Canada and
Leonardo Canada, both qualified as
suppliers under the FAcT Invitation to
Qualify, before advising the Canadian
government that they had formed a
joint venture in support of FAcT. BAE
Systems, Airbus Defence and Space
and Lockheed Martin Canada were
originally on the list of qualified suppliers.
However, they informed the Canadian
government that they had decided to
withdraw from the competition on April
2, 2019, September 13, 2019, and
December 14, 2020, respectively.
Leonardo offers its AW119Kx light single-
engine helicopter and AW109 Trekker
multi-role helicopter for training. Leonardo
provides training at its International Flight
Training School (IFTS) where the company
employs proven integrated training
methods, and formed in a partnership
with the Italian Air Force to deliver pilot
flight training to partner and allied nations.
Training can include the use of synthetic
training systems and devices, simulation
and modelling, LVC and distributed
training mission planning, debriefing
stations, and training information
management systems. Leonardo’s ATOS,
airborne tactical observation system, is
also used for training.
Murray said: “By coming together,
Babcock Canada and Leonardo Canada
are able to leverage their combined
extensive global military aircrew training
expertise and develop a tailored solution
to meet the Royal Canadian Air Force’s
needs.” Leonardo argues that its existing
supply chain network in Canada sustains
hundreds of skilled jobs in small and
medium enterprises (SME) across the
country, stating that it has been investing
in partnerships with Canada’s aerospace
and defence companies for more than 50
years. The Italian company said it aims
to expand its industrial collaboration in
Canada to benefit more Canadian SMEs.
A 25-year contract would be victory in
any industry, and for pilot training, Canada
has a huge decision to make about where
it places its trust for educating its aerial
warfighters for a whole generation. Both
teams represent decades of pilot training
experience and industrial supply chains
that criss-cross Canada. The decision will
weigh as heavily as the deep value of the
knowledge that must be imparted to the
pilots of the future.
Flight training in platforms such as the CT-155
is gradually being replaced by simulators and
synthetic training environments, a development
that will be a factor in the FAcT programme.
US Air National Guard/Lt Col Dale Greer
Moose Jaw
The 15 Wing, headquartered in Moose
Jaw, Saskatchewan, is the centre of Royal
Canadian Air Force (RCAF) aircrew training.
It hosts the Canadian Forces Flying Training
School (CFFTS) and 431 Air Demonstration
Squadron (CF Snowbirds). The RCAF’s
second training school, 3 CFFTS, is located in
Portage la Prairie, Manitoba.
The 15 Wing is the principal site of NATO
flying training in Canada (NFTC) and
contracted flight training and support (CFTS)
programmes. It is responsible for seven
different aircraft, which includes CT-156
Harvard II, CT-155 Hawk, CT-114 Tutor, CH-
139 Jet Ranger, Bell 412 CF, Grob 120A and
C90B King Air.
Of the 130,000 yearly flying hours flown
by the RCAF each year, 15 Wing flies about
40,000 hours, 30% of the total Air Forces
annual flying hours. On average the 15 Wing
graduates 110 qualified winged pilots a year
between the two CFFTS. Moose Jaw’s CFFTS
produces jet and instructor pilots and the
Portage la Prairie CFFTS produces helicopter
and transport pilots.
The 15 Wing and the NFTC and CFTS
programmes play a critical role and all RCAF
pilots pass through the NFTC and CFTS
programmes to earn their wings. Countries
participating in these programmes as
students or instructors are from Singapore,
the United Kingdom and Hungary.
January2022 85
 Front
and
centre
Breeze Airways has unveiled the first of its 80 Airbus
A220s. Chris Sloan looks at the role the type will play
for the start-up
he unveiling of Breeze’s
T
first A220s at Airbus’ final
assembly line in Mobile,
Alabama, on October 26
– three more were due to
be delivered before New
Year – was particularly
significant. The A220 represents not just
a new aircraft type for Breeze, which
launched in May 2020 with a modest
Embraer E-Jet fleet, but the foundation
of the low-cost carrier’s innovative, non-
traditional business model. It’s fair to argue
86 January 2022
that if the A220 didn’t exist, Breeze’s
strategy of bypassing hubs to bring
high levels of service and low fares to
under-served markets wouldn’t get
very far – particularly where flights
exceeded two hours.
“This airplane is absolutely magical,”
said Tom Anderson, chief operations
officer at Breeze Airways. “Typically,
there are airplanes with amazing mission
capability but maybe not-so-great
economics, and sometimes airplanes
with great economics but not such
“The A220 has both the ability to fly our upcoming
missions... and offer phenomenal economics”
Tom Anderson, Breeze
“This airplane is absolutely magical,”
said Tom Anderson, Breeze chief
operations officer, of the A220
All images courtesy of Chris Sloan
unless stated otherwise

January 2022 87

amazing mission capability. The A220
has both the ability to fly our upcoming
missions, with great take-off performance,
and to offer phenomenal economics …
It allows us to do things other airlines can
only dream of doing.”
At the unveiling event, Breeze founder
and CEO David Neeleman said: “Given
the range, flexibility of the cabin and
short field capability to fly out of airports
that others can’t serve, we can do things
others can’t. We have 80 firm orders with
another 40 options. I’d be shocked if we
didn’t take them all because there
are such possibilities.”
Production gathers pace
Breeze, then codenamed “Moxy”,
committed to its first batch of 60 A220s
with a memorandum of understanding
in July 2018, firming its order in January
2019 – an ambitious order for any airline,
much less a start-up. Breeze ordered
an additional 20 aircraft in September
2021, just as its first A220 broke cover,
resplendent in its striking deep blue and
aqua livery. Even before receiving its first
A220, Breeze was the second largest
88 January 2022
“Given the range, flexibility of the cabin and short
field capability to fly out of airports that others can’t
serve, we can do things others can’t”
David Neeleman, Breeze
A220 customer in terms of orders, slotting
in between Delta’s 95 and JetBlue’s 70
orders. If Breeze exercises its 40 options,
the 120 strong fleet will make it the world’s
largest A220 operator regardless of
variant. Between now and 2028, Breeze
will take an A220 per month, half of Airbus
Mobile’s monthly production. Airbus aims
to accelerate its current official production
rate of around five aircraft across its two
final assembly lines (FAL) to around six in
2022, around four at Montreal Mirabel FAL
and two at Mobile.
When the A220 began assembly in 2012
as the Bombardier CSeries, it took 30,000
hours to assemble the first vehicle. Airbus
says production improvements speed up
build time by 15% a year. Aircraft now
take around nine months (depending on
the complexity of the configuration) from
beginning of FAL to delivery. Contrast that
with 11 days for the Boeing 737 MAX at its
peak production rate! Airbus continues to
leverage its scale to reduce supplier costs
and optimise production methods to swing
the programme to profitability.
The 125 passenger A220-100 is a direct
competitor to the Embraer E2-190/195.
The larger A220-300 already competes
with the A319neo and 737-700, neither
of which are breakout successes. The
A220 was designed with a third stretched
variant, the A220-500, which would
compete directly with the A320neo
and Boeing 737 MAX in the 150-190
passenger space. Airbus has publicly said
“it’s a matter of when, not if” the 500 will
launch, but for that to happen, production
has to mature and cost issues abate.
Proving popular
The A220 has amassed a total of over
650 firm orders from 25 customers, with
179 frames delivered as of October 31,
2021. Breeze’s orderbook accounts for
17% of the programme’s 464 aircraft
backlog. As of December 2021, the 179
frames in active service for 12 customers
are operating 684 city pairs and 20,280
flights per month, according to aviation
analytics specialist Cirium. It has been
remarkably resilient during COVID-19, with
100% of the fleet active. Airbus cites more
than 625,000 flight hours and 400,000
flight cycles since entry-into-service. The
12 operators utilised the A220 18+ hours
daily and for up to 13 legs a day. Dispatch
reliability is now a mature 99%, according
to Airbus. The A220 operates segments
as long as Air Baltic’s Riga-Dubai rotation
with its stage length of 2,684 miles and
block time of six hours, 24 minutes.
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT:
Breeze aims to recruit 300 pilots over the next year,
the vast majority for the A220
The A220 is powered by two Pratt & Whitney
PurePower PW1500Gs, which David Neeleman
considers the cornerstone of the aircraft’s capability
The cabin offers USB-A, USB-C and AC power outlets
at every seat
Passengers on the A220 will encounter the highest
ceiling in its class
Seats are finished in a charcoal leather trim with
blue, red and yellow piping indicating ticket class
Both of the LOPAs (layout of passenger
accommodations) planned by Breeze offer a number
of rows with additional legroom
Among the benefits of the A220's interior is its
20in-wide aisle
With its use of advanced materials, and
Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan (GTF)
engines, the A220 has a 25% advantage
in fuel burn and CO2 emissions per
seat versus the previous generation of
small single-aisle aircraft. The type offers
50% lower NOx emissions than industry
standards and a noise footprint 50%
below that of previous generation aircraft.
Cornerstone of capability
Neeleman suggested the Pratt & Whitney
PurePower PW1500Gs, with their 12:1
bypass ratio and maximum 23,000lbs
of thrust, are the cornerstone of the
A220’s capabilities: “To be able to build a
geared turbofan and say to the industry,
‘We’re going to do something innovative
and different’ and then spend billions of
dollars on that technology and stretching
something beyond its limits, that takes
great foresight.”
After operational teething problems
relating to cooling in the core, and
production delays, the GTFs have reached
99.8% dispatch reliability, powering the
full range of programmes in the 175-225
seat category: 737 MAXs, Embraer E2s,
A320/321neos and the stillborn Mitsubishi
MRJ. The GTF offers approximate savings
of 100 gallons of fuel per flight hour and
reduction in C02 of one metric ton per
flight hour. Pratt & Whitney (P&W) claims
a backlog of more than 8,000 firm orders
and options from some 80 customers.
P&W has also arranged to supply
Breeze with engine maintenance, repair
and overhaul (MRO) services through the
EngineWise agreement.
Hinting at routes
Breeze is seeking to expand the A220’s
capabilities beyond current limits. “When
we get to 4,000 miles, that’s really going
to be a game changer,” said Neeleman.
Breeze’s routes for the A220 have yet
to be released, and likely won’t be until
shortly before the first five aircraft enter
service around April 2022, scaling up to
15 by the end of the year.
Flying will concentrate on two-six hour
flights from current Breeze bases, in
addition to new routes – possibly out
west. Neeleman says the A220 will allow
Breeze to operate flights averaging five
hours in length, including transcontinental
runs, connecting its bases with cities using
secondary airports. On the west coast,
Air Canada has already proven the A220
is more than capable of opening and
successfully operating new, long-haul,
thin routes such as Seattle to Montreal.
Breeze is dropping hints as to what
routes fall within the 4,000-miles range.
Cities within the Western US to Hawaii
range include as far east as Kansas
City, Omaha, Tucson, and Spokane
in the Northwest. The Northeast to
Western Europe range includes Hartford,
Providence, Pittsburgh, Norfolk to
London, Amsterdam, and Paris. Even
Charleston to London is within range, with
British Airways having discontinued its
short-lived CHS-London route because
of COVID-19. The Southern US to South
America range would put Tampa/ New
Orleans within reach of Colombia and
Peru for Breeze.
Not to put the cart before the horse,
Breeze chief commercial officer Lukas
Johnson said the longer haul ETOPs
[extended-range twin-engine operational
performance standards] flying won’t arrive
before year two of the A220.
January 2022 89
 “You could take off from the east coast and fly to the
west coast in six hours, planning another six hours
to Hawaii and turn around and go back”
Lukas Johnson, Breeze
In addition to its unusual take on
planning, we can expect to see this
maverick airline try some unconventional
fleet utilisation tactics with the A220,
including variable flying much like its
Embraer fleet, when the aircraft doesn’t
operate on some days – unusual for an
airplane with high fixed costs, even with
a power by the hour contract with P&W.
The A220’s lower variable costs and range
make this a reality. Johnson said: “You
could take off from the east coast and fly
to the west coast in six hours, planning
another six hours to Hawaii and turn
around and go back. You could fly the
airplane 20 hours in a 24-hour day. And if
you do that, you can definitely decide to
take a day off every once in a while.”
The passenger experience
The A220 interior is more akin to a wide-
body, with an exhausting list of features:
the largest cabin in its class, at 10ft 9in;
highest ceiling in its class; a wide aisle
(around 20in); vertical sidewalls for more
personal space (especially at shoulder
level); and the largest overhead stowage
in its class. It also features the biggest
windows in the single-aisle market
(11 x 16in), with one at every row, letting
more natural light into the cabin, and
full-colour LED ambient and mood
lighting that contributes to reduced
fatigue at destination.
The longer sectors flown by the
A220 will usher in a completely
different passenger experience
and configuration. “On the 220, if
you're flying a four-hour, five-hour
flight, and you've got all these great
90 January 2022
amenities and your nicest nonstop first
class ticket costs less than the economy
connecting fare on another carrier, you're
going to be doing something right, and
that's going to turn heads. So that's the
sweet spot that we want to get to, that
we don't think is going to be very easy to
compete against,” explained Johnson.
Breeze’s initial A220 configuration
has two LOPAs (layout of passenger
accommodations) and in a very unusual
move for an LCC, both boast a premium
cabin. The airline’s first LOPA has three
classes over its 126 seats, including a
surprisingly premium-heavy cabin.
Breeze’s first class cabin is branded
‘Nicest’, with 36 domestic business class
seats in a two by two configuration:
Safran Seats Z600 20.5in-wide seats;
with a seat pitch of 39in. The cabin
offers USB-A, USB-C and AC power
at every seat. Backlit water bottle
holders are a thoughtful touch, as
are retracting leg-rests.
Neeleman suggests the future will
include an even nicer longer haul
cabin featuring lie-flat seats that will
be part of the mix for the eventual
longest-haul flights.
At the mid-cabin emergency exits,
there are ten extra legroom ‘Nicer’
seats in a two by three
configuration over two
rows: Safran US Z110i
with 18.8in-wide
(pitch: 33in).
Sixteen rows of
80 standard
legroom
‘Nice’
seats with a pitch of 30-31in make up the
balance of the cabin.
The second LOPA calls for a denser
cabin with a smaller number of premium
seats giving way to a larger number of
extended legroom seats. ‘Nicest’ seats
are reduced to 12 over three rows and
‘Nicer’ seats are increased to 36 over six.
Seats are finished in a smart charcoal
leather trim with blue, red and yellow
piping indicating ticket class.
Filling the seats
Filling such a large premium cabin on
under-served routes seems almost
counter-intuitive. This is where things get
really interesting. “Our nicest nonstop
first-class ticket will cost less than the
economy connecting fare on another
carrier. We're not going to be three, four
times the price for a first-class seat”,
said Johnson.
The cabin’s flexibility will enable the
airline to adjust the premium seat mix
up or down depending on market and
season. This idea has its sceptics, but
Breeze executives claim that the aircraft’s
lack of mid-cabin
monuments,
and the
simplified
BELOW:
The A220 will allow Breeze
to do things its competitors
can’t, according to the airline
ABOVE: With its maximum range upgraded to 4,000nm, the
A220 would be able to reach deep into Latin America from
Breeze’s Tampa Base Chris Sloan/ Cirium
RIGHT: The projected Breeze system-wide route network
as of January 2022 Chris Sloan/ Cirium
wiring harness at each seat are
conducive to quick reconfigurations.
There are no seatback monitors,
but there will be streaming video and
connectivity, although not at launch.
Breeze is also keen to simplify the
purchasing of inflight connectivity Wi-Fi,
so that any passenger with the airline’s
app is able to use it to pay for the internet
once on board.
This is just one of the airline’s digital
initiatives, with Breeze describing itself
as “a digital travel company that just
happens to fly planes”. The approach is
designed to empower passengers, create
merchandising opportunities, enable
seamless travel and reduce costs, but
remains a work-in-progress. In lieu
of reservation call centres, transactions
and customer service are handled
by the Breeze app and chat.
The airline intends to
develop its app as a ‘super
app’, with access to hotels,
attractions, rental cars
and so on. Further
onboard product announcements, among
them onboard catering and buy-on-
board, will be announced closer to the
A220 launch.
Next steps
The pilot shortage and rising labour costs
are perhaps the biggest threat to the
Breeze model. The airline aims to recruit
300 pilots over the next year, with the vast
majority on the Airbus.
A220 pilot slots will be drawn from
regionals, military, corporate and freight
ranks, as well as a certain percentage
migrating from Breeze’s current E-Jet
operation. Breeze’s proposition in
recruiting pilots is not only driven by
rapid growth and promotions, but by
the company’s ethos. The airline has
been criticised for lower pay for its non-
unionised pilot workgroup, but COO
Anderson countered: “We pay more
than regionals, but obviously given the
revenue generating capability and size
of the airplane, the business model is
not going to work if we're going toe to
toe with the majors. We are offering a
lifestyle that's attractive and a positive
dynamic culture.” The A220 orderbook
is at the centre of the company's
recruitment campaign.
Breeze is training its pilots at CAE, Flight
Safety and Airbus and will set up its own
in-house flight training centre in Salt Lake
City, Utah, in 2022. Full flight simulators
and flight training devices will be sourced
from CAE.
Preparation for A220 entry-into-service,
certifying the type with the FAA, has
begun. Breeze has submitted 5,000
pages of operating manuals, training
materials and checklists for review. “We'll
get onto the demonstration phase, the
tabletop exercise and mini evacuation,
and then proving runs, although these
require fewer hours than the initial
certification does,” said Anderson.
He believes Breeze and the A220 are
a great match: “Our overarching theme
is doing things to take friction out of the
air travel experience and the A220 fits
hand-in-hand with that.” AI
January 2022 91
 Regional
Resurgence Increased demand for military helicopters is expected to
drive growth in the rotorcraft industry in the Indo-Pacific.
Nigel Pittaway examines the issues at hand

92 January2022
 espite the effects of the Helicopter manufacturers from the over the next decade will be purchased

D
COVID-19 pandemic on United States, Europe and Russia are by countries in the region. “It’s no
the Indo-Pacific, many competing in a number of markets across understatement that the Indo-Pacific
countries across the the Indo-Pacific region, with requirements is one of the most critical and fastest-
region are increasing ranging from light helicopters to support growing regions in the world. In terms
military spending and special forces operations, through to of the military expansions going on,
the rotary-wing market high-end anti-submarine warfare (ASW) there are a lot of active modernisation
remains buoyant. As tensions continue and heavy battlefield airlift capabilities. programmes, the recapitalisation of
to rise in the face of centuries-old In addition, there is competition from fleets, in addition to the upgrading of
regional disputes in areas such as the indigenous helicopter programmes within existing fleets. Clearly this is one of
South China Sea – particularly against the region, including products developed the most critical markets for us, and
the backdrop of a resurgent and more and built in China, India and South Korea. we continue to watch it very closely,”
belligerent China – countries are seeking In the overall military aircraft market, explained Maria Laine, Boeing vice
to bolster capabilities as a deterrent to for example, Boeing expects that one- president, international sales and
further aggression. third of all new-build military aircraft strategic partnerships.

Mitsubishi produced the Sikorsky S-70 Black Hawk/

Sea Hawk under licence for the Japanese Self-Defense
Forces. Pictured is a JASDF UH-60J conducting training
at Hyakuri Air Base outside Tokyo in October 2019
All images: Nigel Pittaway

January2022 93

The Airbus Helicopters H135 serves as the Australian Defence Force’s rotary-wing training platform. Fifteen
helicopters are based at HMAS Albatross, south of Sydney and flown by a joint Navy-Army squadron
“The Japanese defence budget has risen
for the past nine years. South Korea and
Australia – which has been an enduring
customer for decades – also continue to
increase their defence spending. We’re
also seeing growth in South East Asia.
In addition to Singapore, we are seeing
robust activity in countries such as
Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines.”
Australian intent
In terms of rotary-wing acquisition
projects, Australia has either recently
introduced or is planning to purchase a
range of platforms and capabilities across
the different roles, as it seeks to refresh
and expand its military capabilities. In the
current financial year, the country plans to
spend AUD$44.6bn, a 15% increase over
the previous year and representing 2.1%
of gross domestic product (GDP).
Recent helicopter acquisition has
included 24 Lockheed Martin (Sikorsky)
MH-60R Seahawk ASW helicopters for
the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), ten
Boeing CH-47F Chinook medium/heavy-
The Australian Army has ten Boeing CH-47F Chinook medium-lift helicopters in service with the 5th Aviation
Regiment in Townsville and is introducing a further four examples in 2022-23
94 January2022
lift helicopters for the Australian Army,
and 15 Airbus Helicopters EC135 T2+
helicopters for joint Army/Navy rotary-
wing training.
In January 2021, Canberra announced
the selection of the Boeing AH-64E
Apache Guardian to replace the army’s
The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) is replacing its Aerospatiale AS332M/AS332M1 Super Puma
Helicopters with the Airbus Helicopters H225M. The first H225Ms were delivered to Singapore in March 2021
current fleet of Airbus Helicopters Tigers
in the Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter
role. In total, 29 Apaches will be acquired
from 2025 under the AUD$4bn-$5bn
Land 4503 project.
In April 2021, the US government
approved the sale of an additional four
CH-47F Chinook helicopters to Australia,
to bring the total fleet to 14 aircraft. The
new Chinooks are being diverted from
a US Army contract, due to a perceived
shortage of intra-theatre airlift capability.
The first pair were delivered to Australia
aboard a US Air Force C-5M Galaxy in
July 2021 – the remaining two will arrive
before the end of the current financial year.
In 2022, Canberra is expected to make
a decision on the purchase of 16 light
commercial off-the-shelf helicopters to
support the army’s Special Operations
Command in the counter-terrorism role.
The helicopters are to be delivered under
the government’s Land 2097 Phase 4
programme and will most likely be the Bell
429, as the competing Airbus H145M is
understood to have been eliminated from
the competition.
The RAN is also considering options to
replace its MRH 90 Taipans in the support
and logistics helicopter role, under
project Sea 9100 Phase 1 (Embarked
Logistics Support Helicopter Capability).
On October 8, 2021, the US government
approved the potential sale of an
additional 12 MH-60R Seahawks (albeit
without sonar equipment) to Australia.
A spokesperson for the Australian
Department of Defence explained: “With
the navy’s amphibious and afloat support
fleet increasing in number and capability,
a commensurate growth in the number of
aircraft used by [the] navy in the support-
helicopter role is required. Defence is in the
process of preparing project options for
government consideration [but] government
has not yet selected an aircraft for the
navy’s future fleet of support helicopters.”
New Delhi demand
India is a relatively new market for the
US, in terms of defence exports, but it
The MRH 90 Taipan is a variant of the NHI NH 90 TTH and currently serves with the Australian Army and Royal Australian Navy. The latter service is considering a purchase
of additional MH-60R Seahawk helicopters to standardise its embarked helicopter fleet

has made significant inroads in a short Forces, as well as the Indian Coast Guard first example was delivered in December
space of time. The Indian Air Force (IAF) and Border Security Force. 2020 and five had been handed over to
now has 22 AH-64E Apaches in service the army by July 2021.
and, in 2020, Boeing announced a further Indonesian needs Jakarta has also been associated with
order for six aircraft for the Indian Army. Airbus Helicopters has maintained a a potential order for Bell-Boeing V-22
In addition, Tata Boeing Aerospace presence in Indonesia reaching back Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft and the US
Limited (TBAL), a joint venture between more than 45 years, beginning with the Defense Security Co-operation Agency
Boeing and Tata Advanced Systems in licensed manufacture of Bo-105 light advised that congressional approval for
Hyderabad, has been building fuselages helicopters by PT Dirgantara Indonesia the sale of eight V-22B Block Cs had
for the Apache production line in the US (PTDI) in 1976. been confirmed in June 2020, but a firm
since May 2018 and delivered its 100th Today, PTDI manufacturers the Airbus order has not yet eventuated.
example in July 2021. TBAL is currently Helicopters Super Puma at its facility in
the second source of Apache fuselages Bandung, and has delivered six H225Ms Regional requirements
but will eventually become the sole to the Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU), with In 2015, Airbus Helicopters delivered the
producer, with 90% of parts also sourced a further two ordered in January 2019. 15th (and final) TH-135 helicopter to the
from local suppliers. PTDI also assembles the Bell 412EPI for Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force for
The IAF is also an operator of the Boeing the Indonesian market and accepted the use in the advanced rotary-wing training
CH-47F(I) Chinook, having received its 70th airframe from the US manufacturer role. In 2020, the European manufacturer
15th (and final) example in 2020. More in December 2019. The helicopter is part celebrated the 60th anniversary of its
recently, the Indian Navy has selected of a batch of nine for the Indonesian Army presence in Japan, and the Japan Coast
the MH-60R Seahawk as its next ASW (TNI-AD) ordered in December 2018. The Guard is a major operator of the Super
helicopter, replacing the service’s ageing
Westland Sea King Mk.42/Mk.42A fleet.
India ordered 24 MH-60Rs in 2020, and
navy crews began their training with
the US Navy at Naval Air Station (NAS)
Pensacola, Florida, in June 2021. The first
two Indian Navy Seahawks were handed
over in the US in July 2021 at NAS North
Island in San Diego and an initial batch of
six helicopters is expected to arrive on the
subcontinent by the end of the year.
India also has an indigenous rotary-wing
programme in the shape of the Hindustan
Aeronautics Limited Dhruv advanced light
helicopter. The Dhruv is a twin-engine
helicopter in the 5.5t class, and was first
certified for utility operations in 2002.
By 2020 Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
had completed more than 300 examples
in four variants, and it is today operated Australia purchased 24 Lockheed Martin MH-60R Seahawks as its primary naval combat helicopter in 2011.
by all three services of the Indian Armed The helicopters are routinely embarked in the Royal Australian Navy’s surface combatants

January2022 95

The Malaysian Armed Forces retired their ageing fleet of Sikorsky S-61A-4 Nuri helicopters without
replacement in January 2020. M23-24 is pictured departing Langkawi in March 2019
Puma, with two more aircraft ordered in
April 2021 to bring its fleet to 17 units.
Japan also has a long history of building
US helicopters under licence for its armed
forces and the most recent example is
the Subaru (formerly Fuji Heavy Industries)
Bell UH-2, a version of the Bell 412EPI,
in partnership with the US manufacturer.
A total of 150 UH-2 utility helicopters will
be purchased by the Japan Ground Self-
Defense Force (JGSDF) to replace its
ageing fleet of Fuji-built UH-IJ Iroquois
helicopters. Deliveries of the UH-2 are
expected to commence in 2022.
The JGSDF is also the first (and, so
far, only) export customer for the V-22B
Osprey, with an order for 17 examples
in 2015. The first two arrived in Japan
by sea in May 2020 and the first flight
with a JGSDF military crew was made at
Kisarazu Air Field in Chiba Prefecture on
November 6 that year.
Elsewhere, for more than a decade,
the Royal Malaysian Air Force (TUDM)
has sought to replace its elderly fleet of
Sikorsky S-61A-4 Nuri helicopters, but a
chronic shortage of funding has repeatedly
frustrated efforts and, despite a small
number receiving a partial digital cockpit
upgrade, the fleet was eventually grounded
in January 2020.
The Nuri was replaced in the Combat
Search and Rescue (CSAR), troop
transport and utility roles by 12 Airbus
Helicopters EC725AP Caracals from 2012,
but further purchases have not followed
and a capability gap now exists in the
wake of the older helicopters’ retirement.
Kuala Lumpur announced the purchase
of six MD Helicopters MD 530G scout
attack helicopters in 2016 for use by the
Malaysian Army in the counter-terrorism
role but, although built, they are yet to
be delivered. In October 2021, Malaysian
government sources indicated that the
six helicopters are in their final stages of
acceptance at MD Helicopters’ facility
96 January2022
in Mesa, Arizona, but no date has been
given for their arrival in the country.
Meanwhile, the New Zealand Defence
Force has recently added Leonardo
AW109 Light Utility Helicopters and
NHI NH 90s to replace the Royal New
Zealand Air Force’s ageing Bell47 Sioux
and UH-1H Iroquois; and Kaman SH-2G(I)
Super Seasprites, to replace earlier
SH-2G(NZ) models.
The ten SH-2G(I)s serve in the embarked
ASW and maritime roles but, in November
2021, Wellington released a Notice of
Information to industry, advising that it
wishes to acquire a ‘future naval aviation
capability’ to coincide with the planned
withdrawal date of the SH-2G(I) in 2028.
Likely candidates include the MH-60R,
Leonardo AW159 Lynx Wildcat and an
ASW version of the Bell 412.
The Australian Army’s 1st Aviation Regiment
currently operates the Eurocopter Tiger from
Darwin in the Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter
role, and from Oakey, for training. The type will
begin to be replaced by the AH-64E Apache in 2025
In a predicament similar to that of
many other countries in the region, the
Philippines has a requirement to bolster
its defence capabilities in the face of
growing uncertainty over the South China
Sea, but has little money to do so.
In rotary-wing terms, this has often
meant it has had to rely on equipment
gifted by other countries or, in one
case, donated by concerned citizens –
in January 2021 a local conglomerate
donated a single MBB Bo-105 helicopter
to the Philippine Army.
On the other side of the coin, Manila
has recently completed the purchase of
16 Sikorsky S-70i Black Hawk battlefield
helicopters, built in Poland by Polskie
Zacklady Lotnicze Mielec.
The last batch of five Black Hawks under
the $241m deal arrived at Clark Air Force
Base, near Angeles City, aboard an Antonov
124 in early November 2021. Philippine
President Rodrigo Duterte has also indicated
that he is seeking additional Black Hawks
to replace the Air Force’s refurbished Bell
UH-1D/H Iroquois fleet. However, funding for
the deal has yet to be found.
The Philippine Navy accepted delivery
of two AW159 Wildcat ASW helicopters
in May 2019, and (at time of print) Manila
is also set to acquire six TAI T129B Atak
helicopters from Turkey. The T129B deal
was approved by the US government
(due to American equipment in the
helicopter) and announced in May 2021.
However, a similar deal for 30 T129Bs for
Pakistan is yet to get the green light from
Washington. Delivery of the six helicopters
to the Philippines had been expected in
the third quarter of 2021, but this was
pushed back to the end of the year.
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) previously
received two Bell AH-1F Cobra
attack helicopters from the Jordanian
The Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia (Royal Malaysian Air Force) operates 12 EC725AP Caracals in the Combat Search And Rescue (CSAR) role. Although Airbus Helicopters
had hoped to sell further examples to the TUDM, to replace the Nuri fleet, an order has not materialised to date
government in 2019. In October 2021, a which is currently recapitalising its combat
PAF spokesperson told local media that helicopter fleet with deliveries of H225M
the service was also looking to acquire Super Puma and CH-47F Chinooks
heavy-lift helicopters – although, the type now under way. It is understood that
remained undisclosed. Sixteen H225Ms have been purchased
A mention must also be made of the by the island state, with the first three
Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), delivered from France aboard an An-124
in March 2021. The new Super Pumas
“We’re also seeing are replacing the RSAF’s older fleet of
AS332M1 helicopters.
growth in South East Singapore is also purchasing 16
CH-47F Chinooks to replace the RSAF’s
Asia. In addition to current CH-47D/SD fleet. Ten of the new
helicopters will be based at Oakey in
Singapore, we are Australia. The new-build Chinooks were
ordered in 2016 and the first aircraft was
seeing robust activity handed over in the US in May 2021.
in countries such as Local manufacture
The Republic of Korea has a significant
Indonesia, Vietnam indigenous rotary-wing manufacturing
capability, with Korea Aerospace
and the Philippines” Industries (KAI) responsible for the KUH-1
Surion multi-purpose helicopter and Light
Armed Helicopter (LAH) programmes, as
well as producing fuselages for Boeing’s
AH-64 Apache.
The KUH-1 was developed from the
AS332M Super Puma for the Republic of
Korea Army (RoKA), to replace UH-1H and
Hughes 500MD helicopters. Deliveries
began in 2012 and a further development
resulted in the MUH-1 (Marine Utility
Helicopter) Marineon for the Republic
of Korea Marine Corps; the KUH-1P
Chamsuri for police/parapublic operations;
KUH-1EM (Emergency Medical Services);
KUH-1FS (Forest Service), and KUH-
1CG (Coast Guard) variants. To date, KAI
has produced more than 200 units and
the Korean National Police most recently
ordered a further two Chamsuris, for
delivery from February 2023.
In April 2021, KAI announced it is
developing a version of the MUH-1
Marineon for counter-mine operations and
a further variant, the MAH-1 (Marine Attack
Helicopter), was also publicly unveiled at the
ADEX exhibition in Seoul in October 2021.
The manufacturer’s light attack
helicopter programme is developing the
LAH (and civil LCH) helicopter from the
Airbus Helicopters H155 for the RoKA to
replace Bell AH-1S Cobra and Hughes
500MD helicopters. The first prototype
was rolled out in December 2018 and
first flew in July 2019, with development
expected to be completed in 2022.
In December 2020, Seoul selected the
MH-60R Seahawk for its next tranche
of ASW helicopters, joining eight AW159
Wildcats delivered in 2016. Twelve MH-60Rs
were subsequently ordered in March 2021
under a $447m deal and will be delivered to
the RoK Navy before the end of 2025.
The RoKA previously received the first of 36
AH-64E Apaches in 2016 and, looking to the
future, Korea’s Defence Acquisition Program
Administration announced in March 2021 that
it is seeking to buy more attack helicopters
from offshore in the 2028 timeframe.
Growing market
According to The Business Research
Company’s 2021 research report, the size
of the global military helicopter market is
expected to grow from $50.75bn in 2020
to $52.27bn in 2021, at a compound
annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3%. The
military helicopter market forecast is
expected to reach $67.5bn in 2025 at a
CAGR of 6.6%.
Within this forecast. The Asia-Pacific
region is the largest in the military
helicopters market – it accounted for
30.8% of the total in 2020. The report
from The Business Research Company
stated that the fastest-growing areas will
be Eastern Europe and the Asia-Pacific
region, where the CAGRs will be 7.4%
and 6.1%, respectively.
The current and future size of the market
for military rotorcraft in the Asia- and
Indo-Pacific regions has clearly not gone
unnoticed by the global defence sector,
which is keen to tap into and harness the
potential there. As ever, regional countries
will have to balance acquisitions between
immediate imports to satisfy pressing
demands and the development of viable
indigenous design and manufacturing
capabilities in the years ahead.
January2022 97
 INTERNATIONAL

The Team
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Dan Jarman & Dave Robinson Design
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